New Jersey? Logan sniffed the air again. Yep, Jersey.
He rolled out of bed, looking around the room. It was shabby and needed remodeling since before he was born. The walls were paper-thin as he could hear a man and woman arguing down the hall. What in this alternate timeline would have brought him to a crap motel in New Jersey?
Logan emptied his pockets onto the dresser, adding what he found in his jacket. Taking stock, there was some loose change, a wallet with nothing bigger than a twenty, a multitool, a couple of condoms, a claim ticket for a garage in the city, and a cell phone. There was exactly one contact on the cell phone simply labeled X.
Well, he supposed that was self explanatory in any timeline.
What better way to find out what was going on? He waited as it rang several times. "Xavier's School of Gifted Youngsters," came the unusually bubbly voice.
Jubilee. It figured, no matter what timeline. "Why do they let you answer the phone?"
"Good morning to you too, Wolvie? What can I not do for you?"
Logan would swear he heard bubble gum popping. "Chuck around?"
"Professor X is at a meeting until Friday. What to leave a note?"
Logan thought a moment; he felt like inquiring after Jean, maybe even Scott to see if they were alive, but neither one would understand what he'd just been through. "Hank?"
"Hold on a sec. He should be in his lab."
Logan arranged to meet Hank at a Diner within walking distance of the motel. The diner was empty when he arrived and took a booth in the far corner. It would still be a half hour before Hank arrived.
He heard the clanking of cups in back and watched dumbfounded as Rogue walked toward him in a waitress get up. He momentarily wondered if they were on an undercover mission, but if that was the case, why did her nametag read Rogue? And if they were undercover, surely Hank wouldn't have outed them by meeting here.
"Coffee?" Rogue asked, no recognition in her voice or eyes.
"Yeah." Logan took the menu being offered. He noticed the long sleeved top under the short sleeves of her uniform, but no gloves. "I'm waiting on someone."
"Give me a holler when you're ready." Her southern accent was as nice as ever and brought him a bit of comfort.
He saw that the leggings Rogue wore matched her undershirt as she walked away. Even though the air conditioner was working, it wasn't cold enough for extra clothes unless she didn't have control of her mutation. If that was the case, why the lack of gloves?
She disappeared into the kitchen. He could hear talking and laughter over the water running in the sink. Logan felt a pang of guilt at the fact he didn't know what happened to her in the other timeline. He tried to tell himself it didn't matter; she was okay now.
Rogue came back out with a small bucket full of water and enough bleach that he could smell it on his side of the diner. She began to wipe down the front counter and stools. Logan tried not to show that he was watching her.
She looked much the same as he remembered. Only the white stripes in her hair were missing. Logan wondered if that meant she hadn't gone through the terrible experience with Magneto which could be why she didn't recognize him. He huffed slightly, probably more than a few memories in this timeline that would only belong to him now. She smiled softly as their eyes met. He felt a spark of warmth and the feeling it invoked puzzled him. He was the first to look away.
A few minutes later Hank walked through the door in all his blue glory. Hank inclined his head at Logan before turning to Rogue. "Miss, can I have a cup of coffee? Please."
Rogue, acting as if big, blue, furry mutants walked into the diner everyday, replied, "Yes, sir." No sooner was Hank seated, than did Rogue arrive with coffee and a second menu.
Logan and Hank both ordered. Once Rogue was through the swinging door of the kitchen, Logan turned his attention to Hank. "Do you know her?"
Hank scrunched his eyebrows together. "Our waitress? I don't recall ever having the occasion to be here before."
"Was she a student at Xavier's?" Logan was perplexed that Rogue would have made it to Jersey, but not further on to upstate New York.
Hank looked thoughtful for a moment. "No. I'm quite certain I would remember the Southern accent if she had been in attendance."
Logan decided to steer their conversation to the present situation. He had given Hank a rundown of his circumstances on the phone. Hank took the opportunity to give Logan an overview of mutant relations in the last fifty years.
After eating, Logan agreed it was best to accompany Hank back to Xavier's where he could sort things out. He glanced at Rogue one final time. She seemed fine and that was enough. For now.
Hank stopped at the parking garage from Logan's claim ticket on the way. Logan was pleasantly surprised to find a motorcycle waiting for him. He followed Hank back to the mansion from there.
Logan settled into the mansion easily enough. Jean and Scott were indeed alive and well, and married. He kept a respectful distance from them. Besides Scott had other buttons Logan could push.
Those he remembered as Rogue's friends were all present and either teaching or on a team or both. He made a few inquiries with them about Rogue, but only received blank stares.
He'd been given a room in the staff's area. At the end of the week he still woke up in awe of all the books he'd collected. Likewise he owned more clothes than he would ever fit into a bag. He even had a suit hung up in the closet. Hank assured him the suit was for Xavier's galas Logan couldn't talk his way out of.
The rest of the week, after waking up in Jersey, Logan spent in Hank's lab reading files on who he was supposed to be. He'd spent a good part of the last fifty years with the X-Men. There had been times he'd taken a leave of absence for up to a year at a time, but mostly he was on the team and only roamed off for short periods of a month or so.
The mansion was always home base and one way or another he always ended up back there. In fact the last five years he had taught steadily at the school until about a month ago. Hank couldn’t add any information as to why he'd left this time.
When Xavier returned, they had a long talk about the differences in timelines. Logan assured him that they seemed to have been successful. Xavier extended the offer of further employment, they would find something to fit where Logan was currently at if he didn't want to teach history.
By the end of the second week at the mansion, Logan was feeling edgy. He'd helped out with a mission or two and other than the Danger Room there was little else to keep him busy.
Rogue kept creeping into his thoughts. He'd checked school records as far back as fifteen years, to be on the safe side. Xavier had no knowledge of her. The files for known mutants didn't have her listed either.
Logan made up his mind to go back to Jersey and check up on her. Once he was convinced that she was doing fine, he would leave her be.
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000
Story Notes:
Thanks to RogueLotus and Margaret for the beta. And another huge thanks to RogueLotus for putting up with me and all my whining about writing.
The story's title comes from the song that inspired it - "Bed of Roses" by Warrant.
The story's title comes from the song that inspired it - "Bed of Roses" by Warrant.