There's a thunder in our hearts, baby.
Tell me, we both matter, don't we? ~Placebo: Running up That Hill
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The X-men had pretty much made it out relatively unscathed. Gambit had blasted the door and gotten Jean and NightCrawler out before the building toppled over. ShadowCat recovered from her concussion after a few days.

Emma Frost, was doing intense therapy sessions with the Professor, to try and get her tumultuous head back to working order. She couldn’t remember much before the day Scott rescued her.

The result of the investigation on the Biloxi site explosion, had identified almost all the fatalities except for one. A woman, who’d been found in the lower levels strapped to a metal bed. The remains were currently in the infirmary, where Beast was trying to perform tests to confirm the identity. So far the results had been inconclusive, apparently not enough DNA to confirm the remains as Rogue, she’d been labeled as Jane Doe by the officials.

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Wolverine watched from afar as the students and faculty gathered outside to mourn the women they all loved and cherished. Even this far out he could make out the soft sobs of Jubilee. Turing around he swiftly stalked towards the woods.

Wolverine knew this time, that no amount of booze was going to help. Nothing could take away the ache in his chest. It was like an empty burning that never dullled, and he couldn’t quite pin point where it began, or where it ended, and damn it why were his cheeks wet?

Where the hell was Sabertooth when you needed him, cause right now he’d let the mother fucker take his god damn heart out, the stupid thing just kept beating. He’s pretty sure his healing factor wouldn’t be able to compensate the loss.


Later on that night with the moon light shining over the headstone which simply read - Rouge~ Forever loved.

His mind still couldn’t quite grasp what his eyes were seeing.

How a woman so full of life and dreams has been reduced to a pile of unidentifiable ash. Sheathing and unsheathing his metal claws savoring the jolts of pain every damn time, it took the edge off the empty hollow feeling that had settled in his chest. Anything had to be better than the empty nothing lodged in his heart. He watched as his blood dripped over the freshly turned earth. Wishing his life would just as easily drip away. God knows he’d tried, and failed every time. He’d failed at loveing her, failed at protecting her, and the worst part he’d never get a chance to hell her how sorry he was, for letting her slip through his fingers, just like the blood that dripped from his hands.

Walking away this time, he felt empty, and cold. Every step further away from her grave he took, the weight of his guilt increased ten fold.

The Beast within him needing to solidify, his desire for solitude, to lick his mourning heart in private, was at odds with his heart that desperately wanted to surround itself in anything that remained of her. Weather is be the pile of dirt before him or the sent that still clung to her clothes that had remained untouched in their bedroom.

Instead of finding comfort, in the fact that she was finally resting in peace, he so very badly wanted her back. Wanted to touch her, hold her, lover her.

Going to mount his precious Indian Chief, he ran his hand along the leather seat. Noticing how worn and tattered it was, the only original piece on the bike, he’d outright refused to change no matter how much Scooter nagged him.

~Flash back~

Getting Wolverine to cooperate was never an easy task, he’d usually refuse on principle. However, Marie could always get him to do whatever she wanted. It was actually quite impressive, how all she had to do was flutter her eyes at him, of course flashing him didn’t hurt the cause either.

When she told him that she had a surprise for him, and would he pretty please, let her cover his eyes. Logan had to fight to keep the grin off his face, after all it wouldn’t do to cave-in so quickly. These were the moments, the ones that made it all worth while, she always kept him on his toes.

“I have a surprise for you” Marie softly whispered from across the room.

“I don’t know darling, what’s in it for me”.

“Oh I’m sure I can think of something”. and fuck him if she didn’t have that naughty look that twinkled in her eyes. “How about if I let you have your wicked way with me, all you have to do is come”.

The feral in him had her pinned in less than a second to the door behind her.

“How about I have my way with you anyway”. The heat in her eyes told him that she was game. Leaning down he devoured her mouth, both moaned as he pressed his impressive manhood against her belly, relishing the feel of her curves against himself.

“How about we skip the surprise and you just let me have my dessert”. His eyes were almost completely amber, as he smelled the desire coming off her.

“As tempting as that is Sugar, you’re going to have to wait just a little longer. I promise it’s worth the very short wait”. Somehow she’d managed to squirm away from him make it out the door, and down the hall before he even realized. The brief chase that ensued had been just plain fun. Thank God it was late at night, there were no rugrats present to see the mighty Wolverine behaving like a teenaged adolescent, really he’d never live it down.

Coming to halt in the foyer Marie waited patiently for her lover to catch up, grinning from ear to ear. As his arms tried yet again to catch a hold of her she placed a quick peck on the tip of his nose. “Close your eyes and no peaking, otherwise no dessert for you”. Taking his hand in hers she lead Logan to the garage.

Once they reached the garage Logan has his arms crossed in a mock brooding position, secretly enjoying every second, his eyes still closed.

Bringing him into the garage about half way in, they came to a stop “Okay open them” he looked around and right in front of him was a large cream sheet, hiding a large object underneath.

“Pull it off”, Marie encouraged him with a tilt of the head.

A small tug revealed a 1947 Indian Chief motorcycle. It was beat up and needed a lot of work but it was a classic. Logan just stared slack jawed with huge wide eyes and practically drooling at the vintage beauty.

“I take it that by the expression on your face that you like it”.


“like it, Marie baby I can’t believe,…….how did you,…….where did you,…..when did you”

Marie just giggled, a beautiful sound that sang to his heart. Grabbing a hold of her waist he pulled her in and gave her a bone crushing embrace, as they leaned against the sturdy bike. No one had ever given him anything, and for her to go to the lengths that she’d obviously gone made his heart beat just that much faster.

“Thank you baby, this means so much to me”.

“Your welcome Sugar, so does this mean you’ll stop borrowing Scott’s”.

“Well I don’t’ know about that especially since as it’ll take a while to fix, and getting her up and running” Snickering he couldn’t help the teasing it just came natural. She brought that out in him, she made his life so much better. She made him better, a better man.

Looking down into her green emerald eyes he kissed her, gently at first. Then hands started roaming and the kissed deepened into something more passionate, that couldn’t be contained. Running his hand up her silky smooth thigh, he pulled up the mini skirt. The moans and gasps she made as he caressed her flawless skin, only encouraged him on.

Marie’s hands were on the same playing field, she’d already freed him of the tight jeans he was wearing relieving some of the pressure, feeling her delicate hands run over his erection, sending jolts of pleasure up his spine. Was that his desperate moaning or hers he couldn’t even tell anymore.

Taking his lips of her neck to quickly remove her unwanted tank top, he descended to her chest that was just screaming for attention. A swift swipe of his claws had her minuscule panties on the floor.

Taking her lips in another passionate kiss, he lifted her just so, leaning on the motor seat, as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He entered her in one smooth thrust to the hilt. It was like coming home, every damn time.

Stilling inside of her to savor the moment. Not having much leverage, Marie was simple along for the ride, his thrusts slow and deep at first and them becoming more urgent.

It felt like liquid fire behind his eyes, words of love where whispered as he came,


And that’s how they christened the not so new 1947 Indian Chief.

~End Flashback~



It was too soon , but maybe the memories, and there were hundreds more just like this one, would bring him back one day. He’d make her proud of him, where ever she was, maybe he’d even see her again one day. Maybe

Going over to Scott’s newly repaired 2006 Yamaha Roadliner, he took off riding under the full moon. Yeah he’d be back, one day. After all this had been her home,.........their home.

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