And she lived & they worked everything out & ditched the mansion & lived happily ever after & kittens & rainbows & daffodils!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Right?

Right.

I think any words I have to say about how I feel about this ending wouldn't be enough. This last chapter is too complex & therefore, so are my feelings about it. (None bad, I assure you. Just the problem of having a limited vocabulary). I do think that if you had tried to pack in a "safe" & "guaranteed, all-resolved-happy" ending it wouldn't be true to your story as a whole. So for any potential haters out there who want canned Rogan bliss - they can go consult their imaginations. (Sounds a lot better than "piss off", right?)

I had to start a Word Doc to keep a running list of things I loved:

"His crutches were propped against the nearest wall. When asked, Logan would say simply and indifferently that he'd been teaching the boy to fight like a man." Hilarious.

"Her serene voice was a balm to an ache you hadn't been aware of." Great & new description of a voice that has been written about a lot (myself included, mine pales in comparison to this).

"One sheet was twined around her leg” This scene was so subtle, seemless. Could easily understand what happened & it was an appropriate snippet. Perfection. Truly perfection

"…and for distancing himself from any personal association.” I don't have a verbal explanation for why I liked this, but I did.

WTFx is up with Jubilee? You warped her & twisted her in ways the comic book writers (who do some pretty crazy shit) couldn’t even dream of! Like the paradox of how she’s mocking Marie for “getting Logan to stay that long”, then crying because the poor Firecracker can’t snag anyone who’d stick around long enough for her.

“At mealtimes she sat at their preferred table, alone with the heat of an almost-forgotten spotlight” I can see what's happening in this one single sentence and feel what she's feeling.

“She read these, and tried to understand.” Another bittersweet snippet. Poor Marie.

“"If it will make him stay."” Awww & oh no filled my mind with this.

“It flustered her, made her voice skip like a pebble on concrete” Loved this & jealous because of it. You could have – anyone else would have – just left it at “her voice skipped” or some such variation, but every similie you include is so visual and spot on.

“offered her a low copper grin” Where do you come up with such evocative descriptions?!?!!? WHERE?!?!?!

“Logan felt like the shell of a grenade who's pin had been torn from it's casing and tossed carelessly away. Hard to the touch, but half of a heartbeat away from exploding, transforming it's exterior into nothing but heat and dust and shards of shards.” Again you could’ve gone w/ something simple like “Logan felt like a grenade ready to explode” but you didn’t & we all benefitted for it. Another example of how we are all streets behind you.

“The openness of Outside Beautiful and nauseating in it's endlessness” You ever read something & go "YES! YES! I KNOW WHAT THAT FEELS LIKE!!!!" That was this for me. I get that! The night sky & dark water - it's the endlessness, as you eloquently pointed out - that truly, honestly, and genuinely is nauseating



I'm sad to see this end. But endings mean new beginnings, right? Not to rush you! But you did spend 6 months on this and now your Rogan muse is free to frolic through the daisies, slicing their little petals off with adamantium claws.

Author's Response: So I take it you would be against the smutty epilogue, right? Hmmmm....quite the pickle. I'm torn. But I do wholly and inexpressibly appreciate the "canned Rogan bliss" remark, very grateful to have your support--as with everything else you've written hear. Mother of All Reviews?--Very hard to disagree. You are fantastic beyond belief and I am immensely grateful.

"his dry lips smiling bemusedly but not sharing their harmlessness with his eyes."

OK, I gotta ask. How many versions of that did you write before you hit on this gorgeous bit of prose? Because, I swear by all that's holy, if you got that on the first try, I really am never gonna speak to you again. I will continue to read every single word you write, because I'm not an idiot and would never deny myself such a staple of life as your stories...Oh, hell, who am I kidding? I would not only speak to you, I would beg you on bended knee to teach me how to do what you do...to think like you think. And, it turns out, the above quote is just one of many examples of your amazingness in this chapter.

The disjointed conversation between Jubes, Kitty and ? made almost no sense at first, just the way it would have sounded to Rogue as she was half-listening and not really included in the conversation anyway...Amazingness, again.

And then Jubes little dig about Logan having nothing holding him at the mansion...oh, she's rotten in this one, ain't she? I'll be interested to see if you tell us why she's so hostile...or if I'll care if she doesn't quit making me wish someone would bitch slap her...

And the painstaking detail in the description of Logan's agony and Marie's mysterious (to her) lack of discomfort as they share his bed...I had goosebumps AND a lump in my throat.

The bubble that burst in her chest...that was that exhale, that expulsion of the last of her nervousness, wasn't it? More amazingness as you find and illustrate the parallel so beautifully.

And finally, you didn't spare the poor bastard the morning wood, did you? Talk about a man in need of rest, but can't find any...Sorry, Logan, your misery made me smile. Blame Rose...Miss Amazingness wrote it funny.

But I wasn't chuckling on those last two lines. Nope, you can't laugh when your mouth is hanging open in awe...I just proved it.

SO sorry it took so long for me to read and review this chapter. I just haven't had uninterrupted time to concentrate on it until now. I wish you a much smoother 'labor and delivery' for the next chapter, but I have to say that, just like the real deal--the results not only make up for the pain, they make you forget it so thoroughly that you're willing to do it again! --Wendie

Author's Response: Do you have any idea how tremendous (Cool! I never get to use that word!) this review of yours is, how jaw-dropping, eyes-welling *perfect* timing you had? A happy little spinal block just when I'd begun to rethink the titles I'd picked out of The Big Book Of Baby Names and started calling that fleshy ball of contracting hate and in my tummy names they'd bleep out on T.V. Chipping away at a scene that Does. Not. Want. to be written--stubborn piece of---anyway, thank you. I'm grinning like a mildly retarded hyena.....Actually can't recall how many tries that line took, does that spare me your wrath? I remember not being too happy with that section in general, so I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you, in every language it can be spoken in, including pig Latin.

Thank you, now I know one more of these short cuts :D

Well, I'm not at all confused about different settings because first of course I know that there's more than the movies (as I reconsidered my comment later yesterday evening i thought that it might would seem kind of ignorant. So, just to declare it at this point: I'm not. If it seems to be like it, blame the foreign language (muahah, perfect excuse :D)) and second I may be new to x-men ff but I read a loooot of hp ff's so I dare say there's really little I wouldn't expect to read here - some of which i like more and some of which i like less. But at least I know that I like yours :D

Author's Response: I'm glad you do. :~D :~D :~D

Hola!!
I'm looking forward to reading this story in one piece. It's sad that after each chapter you have to stop so you don't get the chance to get the atmosphere and all.
I read very much until the last two parts in one piece and really, it was awesome, although the way they met and all is completely different than in the movies, which basically is all I know about the X-Men universe, altough recently I started watching X-Men Evolution on YOutube xD
Well. I'm going to read the whole story in one turn once you've posted all of it. And then I'm so going to get lost in your story that I won't be able to talk to anybody more than three or four sentences when I've finished, what always happens when I read a good story.

So, to sum it up and to stop babbling around, I like your story even though it's different from the movie and I hope you will post the remaining parts very soon so that I will get the luck and the joy to read it in one go.
I hope what I said made sense :D

Have a nice evening,
Shuni

Author's Response: There are many different types of stories (if you click on the 'Help' button, there's a really great list of them). This is an AU--Alternate Universe, which means it is different in many ways from the movie, if that makes things any less confusing. :~) I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far, and I hope you continue to for the remaining chapters. Thank you!!!!!

tehehe... you said bowel instead of bowl. :)
Childishness aside, I'm glad to see another chapter up, and to hear that this still has a bit more to go. Poor, poor Logan. *hug* I'm sorry this is becoming painful for you. Hang in there, please? We love you!

Author's Response: Fixed it! Dang homophones! Thank you so much. >hugs<

Thanks for the shout! I’m quite proud of myself actually – I’ve stuck with this chapter reading lark and thoroughly enjoyed it! Although you get half the credit for that with your promises of regular updates which I hasten to add you have kept.

Gonna give a shout of my own to your chapter notes.....not only do we have great chapters, but entertaining notes to go with them! Todays was a prime example :)

Great start and a nice touch to this story in particular that Logan seemed to be falling into the trap of feeling secure, followed by Marie noticing everything that’s wrong. I liked this, not a role reversal as such but just the inkling of one, that maybe she’s stronger/smarter than given credit for and that he is not quite the perfect hero/protector.

Loved the ‘girls’ convo – wonderful written dialogue – Jubes lost all the sympathy votes she may have gained in her prev chapter here and just went into full bitch mode!

“Let the smells and sensations and familiar darkness tell her where she was and where she wasn't.” – the adding of where she wasn’t at the end turned this sentence into a hard hitting one, simple but very effective. Also loved the next line “the universal instinct that not being able to see was the same as being hidden.” I think that’s something that everybody can relate to let alone how fitting it is for Marie in this fic.

Love what I’m calling the ‘didn’t have to’ para where as a reader you know he’s coming to the rescue but you held it out just long enough!

Just one more line for you – “She was just laying there, as if nothing was wrong. As if, after all this time and fear, she didn't know what danger she was in with Logan. As if she trusted him. As if she shouldn't be running.” The internal struggle/battle from here on in was great to read. (loved the just gotta have a shower at the end there but guessing that’s another fic!)

Only 2 more to go....I’m looking forward to the ending yet I’m disappointed it’s all going to be over!

Author's Response: I'm proud of you too--and immensely grateful. I'm glad you like the dialogue, I had the most trouble with that. Thank you--absolutely everything about this review made me smile. >hugs<

Aww Poor logan! I love his inner struggle. I hope Marie finds it in herself to love him like he does her. Can't wait for the next chapter!

Author's Response: Thank you!!!!!! I'll try to have it finished as fast as possible. >hugs<

This one:
Her eyes blurred and stung, a reflex to any surprise.

This:
His arms reached out and in some delicate maneuver of body parts among boxes and bottles that the returned darkness prevented her from seeing, the girl's tearful face was pressed against Logan's stomach.
And I love the crazy little detail that he doesn't have his belt on, like he threw clothes on in a hurry to get to her. Whether that's what you intended or not.

Author's Response: You're right about what I intended, with that gift of insight and kindness you possess.

This one is hard too, but I'm determined to narrow it down to one, so I think this wins:
She seemed to be waiting for him to thank her for something, but with each glance at his face that expectation faded away, and a thousand books worth of questions took it's place.

Author's Response: I love you in an entirely non-creepy way.

This just broke my heart:
"You want to shower first, Kid?" A little boy eager to show off his card collection.
The girl looked at him, and Logan guessed she heard his words differently.

Author's Response: Glad you liked it.

I had to skip over the depiction of the rape at this hour, because it is so deeply affecting I would never sleep. So take those paragraphs out of the running, and this is what I choose:
With an almost pensive expression on his face, he released his claws.

Author's Response: Can't blame you! >hugs<