When Rogue awoke the next morning, Logan was already gone. Looking at the clock, she realized he must be down in the Danger Room, going through his own workout before it was time to start training the others. She smiled reflectively; she had found happiness at last. Quickly, she snuck out of the room and back to her own so she could get dressed.
She dressed quickly, knowing that she only had a very minimal amount of time for privacy. Early morning had always been her favorite time in the mansion, because there were usually so few people awake at 5:00 am on a Saturday, and she didn’t have to worry about any accidents as a result of getting stuck in a crowd. But now, she found that she relished the serene quiet that comes along with rising early. Most of all, she loved the way the sun felt against her skin during her early morning run, almost as if the first rays of the day were the most rejuvenating.
She threw on a black t-shirt, along with a pair of biking shorts, her socks and shoes. Grabbing a hair-tie off the dresser, she pulled her hair straight back, the white strips down the middle giving her the look of a skunk as she tied it into a high ponytail.
She raced to the kitchen, wanting to grab a bottle of water before she took off. When she turned the corner she came face to face with Victor, a bag at his feet. The same bag he had packed when deciding to return to the mansion with her one last time.
“Hey, frail,” Victor said, a little uncomfortable, “I was just on my way to the store.”
“Let me guess,” Rogue giggled, watching the way he kept fidgeting under her gaze. “For a pack of cigarettes and a twelve-pack, right? Jenny-Lee’s daddy said the exact same thing before disappearing for 10 years when we were six. He left his wife of 15 years alone with six kids, five of them hell-raising boys, and a grandbaby on the way. They found him in Mexico, running a donkey show, and the only reason I know about that is because Jenny-Lee’s brother Robby made sure he described it to me in detail. Now, what’s really going on here, Victor? Are you leaving?”
Victor smiled, knowing that his lie was too weak to be believable, but he hadn’t expected the unbelievably long tirade or her thickening accent. It just made him realize that he really was going to miss her.
“Yeah, I’m leaving,” Victor laughed. “I think that lighting bolt up Ororo’s ass has fried her brain. I was hoping to sneak out before you came down, though.”
“Really?” Rogue tilted an eyebrow at him.
Victor shrugged again. “I don’t like goodbyes. They’re always really mushy, and if a girl is involved, she always has to cry.”
“Fine. I promise I won’t cry,” Rogue smiled, her eyes brimming with tears. This man before her had once haunted her nightmares, but suddenly, he was her closest friend. He had done more for her than anyone else, including Logan, and had shown her what it meant to really lead a team. She would forever be in his debt.
“What the fuck!” Victor whispered as he watched her tears begin to overflow and trickle down her cheeks. Then came a gruff, “I won’t be gone forever. I’ll come back and visit. Once a year. Promise.”
He pulled her into a hug, crushing her against his chest as they laughed together. He couldn’t really imagine leaving without saying goodbye to her.
“Alright,” she finally said, pushing away from him, “get out of here. Call and write often. I want details, damn it.”
Victor picked up his bag, turning toward the door that would lead him to the garage. He paused, and then turned back to her. His smile was gone, and his eyes were serious and deadly now. “If he isn’t good to you, find me.”
Rogue only nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. She doubted it would ever come to that, but she knew Victor trusted very few and offered such sentiments to even fewer.
She watched him leave, a smile playing on her lips. She grabbed her bottle of water from the refrigerator and flipped on her iPod, starting her run.
~*~*~*~*~*~
She caught his scent as she reached the dense thicket at the edge of the grounds, and pondered for a moment, knowing how he preferred to go through his daily routine alone. It meant fewer distractions than what the presence or even the scent and sound of another person might bring.
She decided that this was the perfect opportunity to put her tracking abilities to the test. If she could hunt the Wolverine without being detected, she might just be able to prove to him that she was stronger than he seemed to think, and could take care of herself.
She started by taking to the air, though only levitating a foot or so above the ground. She wanted to make sure she made no noise, and knew that flying bettered her chances. Then, she proceeded to follow his scent, knowing that he hadn’t realized she was out here with him. She had the distinct advantage of being downwind from her prey, and caught up to him with little fuss.
Hidden behind a cluster of bushes, she watched from a safe distance as he paused to take a drink from the bottle he carried. As far as she could tell, he hadn’t caught her scent yet, or he was pretending that he hadn’t. But since the wind was still blowing against her, he probably hadn’t picked it up.
She needed to find a way to get his attention without being spotted. An idea came to her as she looked at the trees around them.
~*~*~*~*~*~
He had only just begun jogging again when he heard the loud crack of a twig getting stepped on. He knew right away that the noise hadn’t come from him, but from behind. Pausing for a moment, he also heard the unmistakable grunt of another person. Someone was following him.
He knew it wouldn’t be one of his teammates; they knew better than to try to play games with him. He briefly wondered if it was one of the students, but quickly dismissed the idea. It was Saturday morning; if any were up, they were young enough to be sitting in the living room, watching cartoons before breakfast.
When he heard the crack again, he decided to investigate. Backtracking slowly, he hunched over low to gain some camouflage from the dense bushes and trees around him. He stalked toward the noise, picking up the different scents in the area.
One stood out from the others, the most potent scent he could catch. As he moved into the marked area further, he found that it was all around him. He smirked as he caught the direction of the scent, keeping any noise to a minimum as he moved. He had turned the tables; the prey becoming the hunter.
~*~*~*~*~*~
She suppressed a giggle as she watched him. He had taken the bait, playing perfectly into her little trap. As he stalked closer to the branch that held her shirt, she floated a foot off the ground again, coming up behind him. Taking the time to rub against the trees in the area had been best, because it meant he wouldn’t be able to pick up her presence right away.
~*~*~*~*~*~
He became confused when all he found was a black tank top that had Marie’s scent all over it. He reached towards it and smiled, defeated. He should have known that she was playing a game with him. Well if she wanted to play hide and seek, he could play.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when he turned back. Expecting to have to hunt her down and surprise her, he realized she had been baiting him when he turned to find her standing only a breath away, in a pair of black biking shorts and a black sports bra.
“Can I get my shirt back, sugar?” she asked sweetly, reaching for the garment he still clutched in his left hand.
“I don’t know, darlin’,” Logan rumbled in reply, pulling it just out of her reach and holding it behind his back. “I really don’t like games.”
Her head tipped back a little as she laughed. “I know, sugar, but it was just too good to resist. Besides, I had to prove something to myself.”
Logan raised a brow, the unasked question hanging between them.
Her smile became shy as she tilted her head down, modestly watching him through her lashes. “I wanted to see if I could really trap the Wolverine.”
“Darlin’,” Logan gently and quietly admonished her as he pulled her close, her breasts pressed against his chest as he molded her to his body. “You trapped me years ago, in a cage, in a bar you had no business being in. I was done in the moment you walked in.”
Rogue smiled wider at the memory, her face beaming with warmth as she brought her arms around his waist. It had taken him a long time to figure it out, but now that he had, it looked as if they were going to have eternity together.
She kissed him then, unleashing her hunger for him and her love deepening the kiss. He growled his approval of the way her lips coaxed his, of how her tongue invaded his mouth, demanding his taste. He pulled her in tighter, deepening the kiss of this woman who was able to make him forget about every bad thing, disaster, and painful experience in his memory.
Her arms came up to encircle his neck, her delicate fingers tangling in his hair. She moaned sensually as he gently bit her bottom lip and tugged. Her arousal spiked and enveloped them like a warm blanket, encouraging and impossibly comforting. His hands massaged her back as he lowered them to the ground, her mouth reluctantly moving away from his to release her own growl as she straddled him and gently ground their pelvises together.
He was flat on his back now, his hands slowly lowering to her hips and massaging the bone as she left delicate open-mouthed kisses along his neck. She sat up, gazing lovingly at him as she pulled on his wife beater to bare his chest, her fingers running through the hair.
He knew there was no time like the present, his erection growing against her as she continued to grind against him.
“Darlin’,” he whispered softly as he smiled up at her, wanting to continue, but not wanting to lose the moment.
She smiled in response, showing all the warmth and love she had always felt for him. It brightened her face, making her impossibly more beautiful than he would have believed, fairy-like in the early morning sun. His breath caught in his throat.
“Yes?” she prompted, her voice husky with wanting, her accent thickening more than ever. It was the most wondrous sound he had ever heard.
“Marry me?” he asked, his voice a mere breath of sound; not from nerves, but something deeper, an animalistic want that took over every fiber of his being, body and soul. “Be my wife?”
“Yes,” she answered, her voice confident and devoid of any uncertainty. She leaned into him, and he devoured her mouth.
They spent the rest of the morning making love in the sun, ready to take on anything that might come at them, knowing they would survive as long as they were together.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
This is it... The last chapter. Almost two years in the making. This story has survived the birth of a new baby, the end of a marriage, and the beginning of a new life, not to mention introducing me to a new friend who has been a big help in all aspects of life. This is dedicated to biohelixx. Thank you for everything. Time to start the next one!!!!
Chapter End Notes:
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and everyone who hasn't. Your support has made this happen. Without the readers, I would just be some random crazy chick with a strange fantasy!