This is one of the most pyschologically complex series you've ever written. No, I think it is *the* most complex of any. Your Marie isn't acting at all as she usually acts. I would say her behavior in Warrior was much more like your typical Marie - young, malleable, extremely attractive to Logan, sexually inexperienced but at the same time precocious, extremely reliant on touch to communicate, willing to follow, expressing reservations but willing to have them overcome by the more dominant Logan.

But by the end of Warrior, your Marie had a new power that was far more powerful than Logan's. You set up an interesting power dynamic in which Logan realized how much more powerful she was than him, how much more he needed her than she needed him, but she was unable or unwilling to exercise that power, even when it might cost her her life. And so Logan continued to hold the upperhand even though it was dangerous, even though his alter-ego could cause her harm. He was still in protector mode, although she was most at risk from himself.

And then she suffered some kind of break when Logan killed Camo - like she suddenly realized that she was powerless in her relationship with Logan, that she could control nothing about him or herslef when she was ith him. She realized that the fact that she consented and loved him was almost beside the fact when he could destroy Camo, become Wolverine so completely. Then in Destroyer, she actually experiences exactly what it is like when she *doesn't* consent or love.

But the interesting thing for me now is how she's handling herself here. Yes, I think she's trying to protect herself a bit too much and trying to keep Sam a bit too close, but she's intrepid, out in the real world, too. She's trained herself, she's hardened herself. She hasn't forgotten, but she uses her fears. And I *cannot* imagine any other incarnation of Marie fighting Logan in the cage like that, or being able to separate Sam and Logan, or telling her son that she was raped, or refusing to let Logan hold her when he asked. I wish she wasn't so badly scarred, but this Marie is tougher. And she's not crumbling when she can't get her way, either - she's adapting. It's like she knows how much she can endure, and she's determined to protect herself this time but she's not about to overdramatize anything either. Calculated risks, controlled assessment, weighing up her options. Even now, when she knows she can't stop Logan from following, she hasn't given up the fight. I think your other Marie's might have submitted after initial resistance. Logan always overpowered her eventually, and later it never seemed to matter.

Of course Logan's interior life is interesting, too. I have always been attracted to your Logan. He's what drew me into your early stories, when Marie was still just young and innocent and the one he wanted to touch. But I like the balance in him here between Wolverine and Logan, and how you can feel those two personalities merging a bit now - this world is about weighing survival with morality. Survival isn't his only morality, but it plays a large role, and it's interesting to me that Logan/Wolverine feels he actually deserves things for himself - he usually deserves life, humanity, comforts, even. That's part of his fight. Other times, I think, your Logan has been driven to despair and reckless marytrdom. But no despairing creature would survive this world.

And though I usually don't like fics with children, I think the clash between Sam and Wolverine/Logan will be interesting. I think that will break down the barriers between Marie & Logan more than anything else. So I'm glad it's a component to this story. And I'm interested to see where their mutations, where this world takes these characters next. :)

Sorry to hear the next chapters will be long in coming. This fic has already spawned so many ideas for me, but I love that it's never what I expect. Much better that way. Now I just have to wait. :)

Author's Response: Not long, next chappie is almost finished. Needs few more words and then quite a lot of polishing, but I'll be posting it today. *I* don't like fics with children, but I think this is a bit different. Sam isn't a toddler that is clinging to Marie's apron strings. He's a grown man, trying to find his own life. Now that Logan came back, it looks like he's going to have to postpone those plans, at least for a while. Plus, I don't want him to leave, not just yet. I kind of like him. Both Logan and Marie are quite different than they were in Warrior. Warrior was the part that gave them all the basics. Destroyer left them with nothing. Either of them hasn't actually handled things that happened at the breeding center. Now it's between Logan and Sam, but eventually Marie and Logan will have to face eachother. I refuse to end this before everything is okay between them. :)