Yep, moist eyes here, as well.
Very clever and intricate use of present/ flashback at the beginning until we see where it's going.

I haven't red the updates properly, so the timeline of "Escape" is all shot to hell in my mind, but reading just this, it sounds like impending darkness to me, and not just because Marie's taking her "shot" from Logan.

Author's Response: It makes it easier to understand certain little things when you read these in \"correct\" order, but generally I think it doesn\'t matter in what order you read. These are just a short scribblings about smaller and bigger happenings along the road. I try to avoid too dark issues in this one, keep a lighter tone, it\'s easier to write that way. The bigger the issue, more likely I won\'t go back to that in later parts.

Great! The way we do not know who's speaking at first and, going on convention, assume that it's Marie - then it must be a child, only then it turns weird - and then it's weirder still and we (well, at least I ;-) have to go back over it again - really well done, and it makes perfect sense after that. Just great!

Author's Response: Thanks. I should be thanking for my construction teacher as well, without him I wouldn\'t be this tired and messed up, and Logan probably wouldn\'t be working his ass off in those tunnels. ;)

Great one - very good how it juxtaposes the usual "constant healing equals constant sex" idea. Glad to find this side of their mutation explored, which is so often neglected. Very credible and true-to-life rendering of what sex can be, and what it very often isn't.

May I be so bold as to suggest proof-reading, though? You would probably find a number of the spelling kinks yourself, and I do find that I stumble a little in reading. Which really is a little awkward, because there are so many great ideas and wonderful expression there that it would be a shame to waste them.

Author's Response: Yeah, I wrote it because you never see this kind of thing with them two, its always hard and fast and what not. And it *can\'t* always be like that, this felt more real. As far as the errors *sigh* I can garantee you I would not catch them, I am a walking grammar/spelling nightmare, have been all my life. If you could point out the mistakes I\'d be more than happy to fix them :)

Still quite confused, and admittedly, I have been confused so long now that I tire a little of it. But perhaps it's not quite a taxing when you read the story in one go. Not sure.

Love this Logan - he's not the one from the films, but a very credible loony.

"Okay. That went really well. As soon as she stops crying I can toss her out."
Yes, THIS is what makes a badass in my book, not a dirty wife-beater! Great!

And Marie is indeed a decent girl who knows no better or worse than to treat Logan like he was a decent friend, as well, in the face of all evidence to the contrary. Makes it interesting to watch.

Interesting also how shrewd an observer Logan is, especially in the one glimpse we get of Marie and Bobby - quite real, that.

Hmm... Perhaps the Professor is projecting here, worried out of his head about where this not-quite-relationship between Logan and Rogue might go? ;-)


Author's Response: This is confusing story. As confusing as the name of it hints. Confusing to write as well, because Logan in this one isn\'t my usual overprotective-in-love-with-Marie-will-die-for-her -Logan. In a way this is an outlet for me and Logie. When ever it starts to feel that my fics are getting too sugary and Logie too goggly-eyed all I have to do is to return, read this through and write some more. Helps me to focus. And thank you, you have given me some new ideas for this one with your fb. :)

(I missed a BUSLOAD of posts" Damn!!!)

Yeah, spring right into action without further consideration. Oh dear. Obviously, nobody has ever told Logan that some things become only real after someone speaks them aloud. With a friend like this, who needs enemies?

Very slyly done, this introduction of a changing attitude. "Wear some clothes, woman!" Hmm, slowly moving out of the pedophile region here, aren't we?

Conversations are still getting better and better. Great how your Logan swings around for Marie, but just for her.
Glad also not to get too many vociferous professions of complete trust here - after all, Mom does have a point here: “And all that just out of goodness of his heart?”

Perfectly wonderful how we get a lot of explanation for Marie's behaviour in passing: "I know him probably better than he knows himself. He’s a good man."

She does quite a lot of "let's just not talk about it", though, isn't she? That will have to be addressed some time, darlin', take it from me!

*doffs hat to ct xfan*
Didn't see it until the start of this chapter.

And for a moment I thought: "What if it's not about Logan at all, but about Marie? What if this Logan is really just the one she's keeping in her head, like kids who make up a 'friend' when they are lonely?"

But you did say at the beginning that this was about Logan and only Logan.

Now, this is really entitled to a full-grown review, for which I don't have the time (massive apologies), so I hope someone else will do you credit.

The WRFA is obviously not the first place to house your writing skills, so whatever has blown you here is due all out gratitude.

Very glad to find that we are dealing with complex characters here. Rogue is much stronger and more willful than in most film-inspired fics - more like what I imagine her comic persona to be (though I don't know much about it).

Always glad to see Bobby treated as a character instead of a dummy. In the films, he is sweet and a reliable friend, and I do believe it's possible to see how he will toughen up and grow into a "tall and lean and fine" man - only he is a boy still, just as Rogue is a girl. Even if we tend to forget that because it doesn't exactly suit our Rogan desires, it often shows in the fics where she is quite the girl(and it is a fact often overlooked that one can be lewd and still be immature).

She isn't here, though that does not mean she acts responsibly (some people never arrive there), but she clearly lacks some boundaries nobody thought to give her. The Wolverine, letting her "steal his rage and his lust", probably shunned a responsibility there, or didn't know it existed.

Great how your description of Rogue swings back and forth between girl and woman - it trips over the edge so often we can see how hard it must be to those close to her to follow.
I do think she behaves a little too old for the setting, but maybe I underestimate highschool girls - or don't remember the intro info correctly.

A lot should be said about the language, but you write like you don't need to hear it. Just let me say that it's great to get a lot of perfectly poised images and obviously finely honed language that's in most cases miles away from the standard fare of smutty fic - a massive thanks for that, and the whole fic.

Author's Response: Wow. Thank you for what anyone else might consider a \"full grown\" review. As you might have guessed, I\'d never written X-men before. This was a challenge from a friend who liked X-Slash, where I challenged that i could write something more hetero she would still find readable. I like playing with the Rogue/Wolverine relationship because it\'s so iconic, archetypal even, but I honestly don\'t see them as a viable happy couple, not canonically anyway. Still, much joy putting the \'fun\" in \"dysfunctional.\" Your review was sensitive, literate and interesting. Most of all, it was kind and useful. Thanks. If I write more for this duo, I will keep your comments in mind. -Killjoy

Thanks for your really carefully crafted dialogues!

Author's Response: I adore good dialogue, so I work hard at getting a touch of wit and tease into what I write. Thanks, I\'m just glad it\'s coherent, considering that I usually write about 4 am!

AND you resist becoming too smutty for real - just acutely observed (not necessarily in the original sense of the word ;-) and carefully poised between angst, pain, self-consciousness, enjoyment and love. Wonderfully executed, this one.

Aww, he had to kill the fox, his only neighbour! Or maybe he didn't have to? Perhaps he was just to depressed himself to see any hope for mumfox?
"All fight and fire gone." It's slowly draining out of him, isn't it? The fight against the beast and the fight for Marie. The taking-care might be the only thing to link him to humanity now, and it might be good that Marie is not there to be the object of this need. Not good for him, of course, but good for any chance the two might have at a partnership between equals.