Author's Chapter Notes:
I don't own any rights to the x-men.

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Chapter 8

Once the men where gathered in the Professor's office, Charles started. "How did you know that Rogue had a healing factor, Logan?" Charles was curious to how much Rogue had already informed Logan of what had transpired while he and Jean were away.

"There was an accident in the kitchen one night while we were eating and talking. James reached for a knife and she jerked him away cutting herself. At first she tried to just brush it off as a scratch, but there was to much blood for it to have been. I forced her to show me her hand, but the cut was gone. When I demanded to know what the heck was going on, she told me that she and some friends had been attacked and that she had been forced to absorb someone to protect herself. Claiming that you had helped her regain control afterwards. Looks like to me healing wasn't the only thing she got." Logan grunted upset. "She caused that lamp to explode, and the frost on the walls didn't she?" Logan asked but already knowing he was correct.

"Yes." The Professor answered resolved, knowing there was no use in denying it. Logan would be able to smell a lie on them.

"She said she killed them, that she hadn't meant to, but they forced her. Who did she absorb, and who are they?" Logan demanded pacing back and forth riled up in front of the Professor's desk.

"Rogue and some of her friends had gone into the city for the weekend. They didn't return Monday morning as schedule. A couple of the boys were known to be mischief makers, so we were not overly concerned right away. By afternoon and still no word from them we immediately started investigating their whereabouts. It was four months before we were able to locate where they were being held. The facility was shielded by telepathy. Even with Cerebro it was impossible to get a signal on any of them. It was only due to an incident at the facility that cause a breach in the shielding, and I was finally able to pinpoint the location. Scott, and the rest of the team immediately set out to rescue them. Unfortunately none of the other children survived. Thankfully they were able to rescue Rogue, and bring her home." Charles explained great pain and remorse in his tired expression and tired voice. The loss of the other children, and Rogue's situation had aged and hurt him deeply.

"Why didn't you call Jean and me. You should have called as soon as you realized she was missing." Logan accused angry. The claws were aching to be released.

"Why would we call you?" Scott demanded still angry from earlier. "You breeze in here, steal my fiancée ,then breeze out again without a care about anything or anyone left behind. Did you call or write to check on Rogue after you hightailed it out of here with Jean? No, you just left. So why should we think you actually gave a care about anyone, but yourself?" Scott sneered at Logan hatefully.

"What, you think I just go around risking my life just for anyone? I gave my life for that girl, and I promised to take care of her. If she needed me, I would have been here for her, and she knew that. I don't need your approval on mine and Rogue's relationship, One-Eye." Logan snarled out, glaring at the younger man.

"How exactly Logan were you planning on keeping that promise?" Scott huff out sarcastically. "You can't take care of someone, when you're not around to take care of them." Scott shouted exasperated.

"I did not contact you Logan, simply because right before your and Jean's departure, Jean asked that the two of you be left to yourselves. That neither of you would be contacted, so you could focus on your relationship. I assumed your agreement to that request. I was following what I considered your and Jean's wishes." The Professor answered, getting Logan's attention off of Scott.

"I never said anything about wanting to be left alone. Rogue knew all she had to do was get in touch with me if she needed me, and I would be there for her." Logan frowned upset that Jean had been part of the reason Xavier hadn't contacted him.

"Exactly how was she suppose to get in contact with you, Logan? Did you leave a number she could reach you?" The Professor asked a little stiffly, wanting Logan to realize there was consequences to his actions.

"No, all she had to do was get you to call me." Logan said his frown deepened as he thought more about the fact that he just assumed she would know, she could call him if she needed him. He was starting to really wonder if she knew that or was it just him who knew it to be true, so he figured she would also.

"Logan, did you not think that you're leaving, and not leaving a way for her to contact you, would make her think that you did not wish to be contacted even by her." Charles stated seriously, but calming. He knew Logan had honestly believed Rogue knew she could always call upon him, and he would be there. Charles frowned and sighed at Logan's blindness.

"I just thought she knew I would always be there for her." Logan stated quietly finally realizing how foolish he had been to be so arrogant.

"That's beside the point, now isn't it? We were told to leave the love birds alone, and Rogue was incapable of contacting anyone, even if she had a number to where to reach you. We searched day and night, never resting or giving up in searching for them. Even if you had been here, it wouldn't have made a difference in locating them. They were in Scotland." Scott frowned amazed at Logan's arrogance.

"Jean and I have only been gone a little over a year. James is only two months old. If she was having him when we came back, and she was captured right after we left, that means…Ole god no." Logan groaned collapsing in one of the chairs in front of the Professor's desk. He covered his face with his hands and cursed under in breathing all the while groaning as in physical pain. His heart felt like it was being ripped out of his chest, and he felt like he need to vomit.

Scott was amazed that Logan was smart enough to calculate the timing of James' conception and birth. 'Maybe he's not a dumb as I thought.' Scott though sarcastically.

When Logan looked up at him, Hank, and the Professor, Scott was stunned to actually see the intense pain and grief all over the other man's expression. Even more so, Logan's face was a white as a sheet, and he looked like he was going to be sick. Right at that moment, even though Scott was angry with Logan, a part of him still felt compassion for the man. Scott knew that Logan honestly did care for Rogue, and it was killing him to learn of what she had endured. However another part of Scott wanted to hurt the man for breaking his promise to Rogue to take care of her, but looking at him now; Scott knew there was no greater punishment he could inflict on the man that he wasn't already suffering.

"Did they do it? Did they make her pregnant, or was it from, from… I can't even say it." Logan groaned out, tears openly falling down his face.

Scott had never seen Logan cry so openly. The only other time Scott could remembering seeing the rougher man cry was when he thought that he had been to late to save Rogue from Magneto's machine.

"God, this is all my fault. If I hadn't left her. If only I had stayed, none of this would have happened. I'm so sorry." Logan gasped out through his tears. His head hanging low. His face buried in his hands.

Everyone in the room was quite as Logan mourned over what had happened to Rogue. The Professor looked over at Scott and Hank, both men wore deep frowns, but he could tell they were stunned by Logan's open grief. They didn't know the true depth of feeling Logan had for Rogue.
The Professor hadn't been totally sure himself at first when the two had come to the school. Also Logan's blatantly pursuit of Jean had sent mix signals at first. In the beginning with Rogue so young and Logan's own reluctant but caring attitude toward Rogue, Charles had been sure that Rogue had gotten under the older man's skin. However he was sure that Logan saw her as a kid sister or someone that was his responsibility to watch out for. Why else would a usually gruff and rough loner make such a promise to take care of the young girl.
The longer the two remained at the mansion, Charles had noticed that Logan's attention to Rogue, although oblivious to others, was very protective and a bit possessive in nature. Again Charles assumed that seeing how Logan was not one to make promises lightly, that Logan took his promise extremely serious when it came to Rogue protection. Also seeing how Rogue had been approached by Mystique right from the mansion grounds, he could see Logan being ever vigilant of his protection of someone he cared about.

It was the night of Rogue's eighteenth birthday that Charles had realized maybe Logan's possessiveness of Rogue wasn't all just in keeping to his promise. Charles had picked up quite a few projected thought from Logan when the opposite sex would approach Rogue. Logan had even projected the violet death of one of the young men, that had requested a date with Rogue. It was close to that time that Logan started backing off from being at the mansion so much. He also put more energy in pursuing Jean. Everyone at the mansion knew that Logan lusted after Jean, but only Charles knew that Logan or perhaps it was more the Wolverine's instincts that had recognized Rogue has belonging to Logan.

Charles also realized that Logan was determined to deny his feelings or instincts about Rogue. To him she was a precious person. Someone to be cherished, and taken care of. Someone you went out of your way to give them everything they needed. To Logan that meant getting away from Rogue, so she could have a chance at a normal and happy life. Logan didn't see any good for her to be attached to him. So he pushed his feelings for Rogue in the back of his mind, and totally focused on winning Jean. Charles also knew that Logan cared for Jean, but she was no threat to his heart like Rogue was. It amazed Charles that Logan was not afraid of the only person possibly capable of killing him. Logan was more afraid of the threat she caused to his heart.

"I've got to go. I need to get out of here, before I kill someone." Logan groaned out, stumbling to his feet and storming from the room in a rush to escape.

"Gentlemen, I know with everything that has happened with Rogue, we are all very protective of her. Scott, I also know you have every reason to be angry with Logan for what transpired with Jean. However we must think of Rogue and James now. Once Logan discovers James' parentage he will be even more apart of their lives. We must all come to accept this so it does not interfere with Rogue's recovery and happiness. I know it maybe hard for everyone, but Logan does love Rogue, very much."

"How can you say that Professor? He sleeps with Jean, then high tails it out of here, not even leaving Rogue a way to reach him. He right out abandoned her. That's not love." Scott argued.

"You are right Scott, Logan did do all those things. However what you do not know is that Logan knew he love Rogue before he left, but didn't think he was good enough for her. He felt that if she was with him, that he would ruin her life. He wanted her to have every chance at a happy and normal life as possible. Once he realized that his feelings were growing more strongly, and she was legal, his instincts would drive him to claim her, for lack of a better analogy. So to protect her from himself, he focused his energy on pursuing Jean. Someone whom he wasn't a threat to, plus who was not a threat to his own heart. I'm sorry Scott that you were hurt in all of this, but Logan is going to be a part of Rogue's and James' life. He will see to it, if it takes the rest of his life." The Professor proclaimed assuredly.
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