He lay in bed, dreaming of long, creamy legs, curves, and white surrounded by brown. He didn’t hear the door open or close as he caressed the delicate, pale flesh of her inner thigh. It wasn’t until her scent, a rich mixture of Freesia, roses, strength, jealousy, and desperation, reached him that he opened his eyes to find Ororo standing above him, wearing a white, silk robe. He would have staked his life that she was naked underneath. Slowly, he sat up, suddenly aware of just how naked he was under the sheet.

“I’ve missed you, Logan. It’s been a long time. Since you left to get Rogue, in fact. I wonder if there is any connection.” It was more a statement than a question. The gleam on her eye told him that she was there to claim what was hers.

“Look, Ororo. I think we need to talk,” he whispered, trying to move away from her as she crawled into the bed beside him. The smell of desperation coming off of her was enough to make him choke. He knew that this was a bad situation, and, quickly, he jumped out of the bed, wrapping the sheet around him midsection as he did so.

“What’s there to talk about, Logan?” She asked sweetly, sitting up, and letting the robe slip open just a little. “I mean, we’re adults here. We both agreed not to be exclusive. Just casual, friendly sex. Those were your words, weren’t they? I mean, you are the one who didn’t want to be in a relationship. Too many ties, too many opportunities to get hurt. Let’s just fuck so that neither one of us would have to leave the children unprotected to go find something.” He could feel the air in the room becoming electrified as her anger grew. She was losing control.

“Listen, Ro, things change…”

“Not you,” she cut him off sharply. “You don’t change, Logan. You are the only thing around here that doesn’t change. You’re an asshole, and you like things to stay the same. You don’t settle, and you call the shots. So why? All because of this child?”

He sat up as he saw the tears begin to trickle down her cheeks. How was he supposed to explain this to her? How could she even understand something like this? His feelings for Rogue were all animal. She was his mate. How could anyone understand that? “Even I change, Ro. I found my mate, and I can’t let anything come between us. Not after everything we’ve been through.”

“Why her?” She was having a hard time coming to terms with the end of their physical relationship. He was probably the only indulgence she allowed herself. Between classes, running the school, and leading the A team, she didn’t even have time for garden. The only reason the flowers were still as beautiful as they were was because of the botany class. “She’s a child, Logan. How can you be sure she will even stick around? She only just recently regained control of her skin. How do you know she will even want to settle down? She’s young, Logan.”

“She’s a lot older than you think, Ro,” he retorted angrily. “She hasn’t been a child for a long time. She’s a tortured soul, and she’s been through more than anyone should ever go through. She’s seen more things and had more experiences then anyone I know. Hell, with everyone trapped in her head, it’s a miracle she hasn’t completely lost herself.”

“Is that why you love her? Because of everything she’s had to go through? Because of her deadly skin? Why her? Because she’s younger?” She was starting to lose control now, and Logan sat back on the bed.

“There’s so much more to it, Ro,” He replied softly. “I love her because of who she makes me. She treats me with respect. She doesn’t look at me like I’m just a toy, and she’s never treated me like an animal.”

“I’ve never treated you like that,” she whispered, turning away from him.

He didn’t have the heart to correct her. The entire time they had known each other, she had treated him like he was nothing but an animal. He sighed, lowering his head. “It’s different with her.”

“What’s does she have that I don’t?”

“Me.” He was blunt in his reply, letting the word slip out before thinking. He felt a sharp stab of guilt when she flinched away from him, though.

“I see,” she whispered as she crawled out of his bed and walked to the door. She stood for a moment, not moving, barely breathing. He watched her shoulders slump, and he could smell the desperation and anger leave her scent, only to be replaced by a sadness that he knew would take a man greater than him to chase away. “I’m happy for you both, Logan.”

As she slowly opened the door, he was hit by an out of place scent, one that he knew too well.

Before Storm was able to walk out of the room, Logan was up, claws unleashed, pushing her aside. Stark naked, he looked more feral than he had even on the battle field. She something was wrong even before he kicked down the door to Rogue’s room.

She followed close behind him, knowing that it had to be bad for him to react the way he did.

The first thing either of them noticed was upon entering was that Rogue was missing from her bed. The second was shards of glass and a syringe laying on the floor, next to her nightstand. It appeared that the glass had been a vase that had been knocked over and stepped on.

Watching Logan, Storm realized that he knew who had done this. Someone had been here, in their school. Someone who wasn’t supposed to be there.

“Sabertooth,” Logan growled as he stomped back to his room.

Storm listened as the door slammed shut. She was halfway down the hall when Logan ran past her, completely dressed. She had a feeling he was on his way out to follow the scent.

Sure enough, as both the main and the junior team began to pour into the briefing room, Logan was nowhere to be found. Storm prayed that he would find her before anything happened to her, even as she briefed and delegated the others.

She knew where she was even before opening her eyes: In deep shit. The floor below her was cold and hard, the texture of cement pressed against her face. She could smell the stale dampness in the air, and she had a feeling that she just may die in here.

The effects of the drug Sabertooth had forced into her made her head dizzy and ache. Her eyes felt like they were going to explode.

“Psst. Rogue.” The sharp whisper forced her to open her eyes, the weak light making her eyes sting. She found herself staring at bars. “It will pass. Just look at me so I know your alive.”

She knew that voice well. He had whispered sweet nothings into her ear late at night when her boyfriend was too afraid.

“Pyro?” She whispered, sitting up slowly, finding him in the cage next to her. That was what they were in. There was no back wall, just cages for as far as she could see. She couldn’t understand why he was here, though. Why would Magneto have him kidnapped? Weren’t they already on the same team? “What are you doing here?”

“Same as you. I let my guard down, and Sabertooth was on me.” He looked away from her, staring out at the cage on his otherside.

“What are they going to with us?” She asked softly, remembering the nightmares she had gained from Logan. She didn’t understand why the humans would want to keep them alive after what happened at Alcatraz.

“Use us, than kill us,” he whispered back, still not looking at her. She could hear the pain in his voice, and wondered how long he hand been here, and what he had already seen.

“Who are they?” She whispered slowly. She could feel his pain, and knew he was already being used. “Humans?”

He turned his head towards her, struggling to make eye contact, his dark eyes full of guilt and shame. “Mutants.”

He jaw dropped. Mutants? How could that be possible? No one had ever heard of other mutants doing anything like this, not even Sinister. He didn’t make his victims wait like this. Usually, they were enticed, and he never used well known mutants. To many people would notice.

“Why? Who are they?”

“Followers of Magneto who woke up one day, and realized they weren’t strong enough to benefit from the mutant resistance.” That was why he looked so guilty. “There wasn’t going to be any power for them. There wasn’t going to be anyone to help them incase of retaliation. They wouldn’t have been able to defend themselves alone.”

“So, once they knew Erick was out of the picture, they decided to put their own revolution together. They decided the best plan of action was to higher an extremely strong mutant, and use him to kidnap other mutants with strong physical mutations they can breed together. This way, if the offspring has even one of their parents’ abilities, they will have succeeded in beginning to form their own army. They kill the mother once they know the child is a powerful mutant.”

“And the father?”

“He’s just a donor. He donates three sets of specimen and then he dies. They won’t need him anymore.”

“How many more donations do you get to give?” She asked softly, not really wanting to know the answer.

“Two.” The look on his face was one of disgust and amusement. “You always said that it would kill me one day.”

“How, though?” She asked softly. She honestly couldn’t figure out how they could force him to give it up.

“I really don’t want to explain, and you really don’t want to know,” he flashed her one of infamous devil smiles, but she could still see the pain behind it. He sighed loudly before standing and started to pace around the room.

It reminded her of all those years ago, late at night, when they would be hanging out in her room, talking about everything and nothing at the same time. He would walk circles in her floor, as she lay on her bed, watching. They would babble on and on, until the sexual tension became too strong, and they would fall into a mess of legs and arm, fire and poison, onto her bed. She would always be as cautious as she could, and try her damnedest not to hurt him. He wouldn’t care, and take every risk he could, enjoying it more.

But everything must come to an end. The good, the bad, and the inbetween. Their relationship came to an end the day Logan returned. It was almost as if John knew she belonged to The Wolverine. Nothing would come between them, and so he stepped aside, and they never spoke of it again.

“Did you and Meathead ever get together?” He asked softly, changing the subject. He already knew the answer. He understood that it was destined.

“Yes,” she replied, this time being the one to tare her gaze away. She let the name slide, knowing that he didn’t mean it. He had always had respect for Logan. She had realized that the time she had touched him. “The same day I was brought here, we finally found each other.”

“I’m happy for you.” He smiled at her, and she knew that he truly was. He sat back on the floor, and she suddenly felt comfortable with him again. It was like finding an old friend, not someone who had betrayed them all.

“John,” she spoke his name softly, remembering the last thing Sabertooth had said to her before she blacked out. “I think I am already pregnant.”

Logan tracked the scent on foot for six hours before losing it in an open clearing deep in the woods. His scent had merged with jet fuel and sulfur before completely being overpowered by it. Where ever Sabertooth was, he was long gone. Logan would have to go back and regroup. He howled in frustration, allowing his claws to rip through his flesh. He had wasted six hours on his search, now he would waste six hours on his return home.

Upon his arrival, he was greeted by two familiar scents. Ones he had missed for a long time now.

As soon as he entered the mansion, Logan maneuvered past excited children, ignoring the hellos and smiles as he charged into Xavier’s office. The old man was sitting behind his desk, reading something off his computer screen when Logan stormed in, slamming his hands down on the giant, mahogany desk.

“Get your ass into Cerybro and find her, now,” he growled, his eyes boring into the older man’s. He hadn’t noticed the others sitting in chairs and on the over stuffed leather couch, waiting for commands.

“Hello, Logan. It’s good to see you haven’t changed,” Xavier said, not smiling. His eyes never flinched away. “I have already tried locating her, but something is blocking her mutant brain waves. The last known whereabouts are just outside the city. Scott and Ororo had little success.”

Logan’s shoulders slumped at the news. How could he have lost her already? How could he have left her alone? She should have been with him, in his arms.

“We do have something, though. Xavier whispered, drawing the feral man’s attention back. “A young woman who was there. She saw the whole thing.”

“Is she here?”

“Downstairs, in the medlab. It seems Sabertooth nearly took her arm off trying to get her, also. It’s as if he is collecting mutants.

“What’s her ability?”

“Super speed. It’s the only thing that saved her life.”

Logan made his way to the medlab, not noticing the students and faculty scurring out of his way. All he knew was that he needed to talk to this woman, and find out where the hell his mate was.

He found her lying on a bed, watching hank run around the lab, trying to look busy. “I need to talk to the patient, Hank,” he growled, forcing both patient and doctor to jump. Hank only smiled, before quickly leaving.

The woman looked to be no older than 17. She could have been a student at the school, but he knew better. He had committed each student’s scent to memory long ago, and she was unfamiliar. She had bright, curly red hair that reach to her shoulders, and large brown eyes. A scar that ran from her mouth to her ear let him know that she hadn’t always been fast enough. He would have to think of another way to handle this. He had a feeling that the scar tactic wouldn’t produce the best effect this time.

“What’s your name, kid?” He asked, sitting on a chair next to her bed. She was so young, but her eyes told him of a longer life.

“Lonny,” she replied slowly, sitting up to talk to him. She was still afraid of him, but he could also smell her curiosity. “Did you know her?”

“Yeah, I know her.” He replied softly. He was almost fascinated by her hair. The vibrancy of it was throwing him off a little. “She’s my girl. I want to make her my wife, one day.”

“Is she a mutant?”

“Yes. A dangerous one.” He replied with a soft chuckle.

“She didn’t seem all that dangerous to me, being all unconscious and everything.” She noticed the anger rising up in his eyes, and quickly backed off.

He sighed. What could he ask for? She didn’t know Marie. She had never met her before. “Her skin’s poison. For a long time, she couldn’t even control it. She can kill a man with a touch. But she’s strong, too. Very strong.”

“Why didn’t she get the cure?” Lonny asked slowly, not sure if it was a good idea to be so curious. “I mean, didn’t she want to touch? You said she couldn’t control it.”

“She did get the cure. Five years ago, when it was first introduced. She was one of the first, and she went through a lot, and disappointed a lot of people.”

“Did she disappoint you?” He knew that if he answered wrong, he would never get the little information she knew.

“Never. Nothing she ever did disappointed me. I was proud of her for it. It was the first time she went against everyone’s wishes and thought about herself.”

“They went west. There was only one jet, but I saw more than one mutant on board while Sabertooth was putting her in. Some were tied up, others weren’t. They were talking, but when I tried to get close enough to find her, Sabertooth came out. It was as if he knew I was there.”

Logan couldn’t believe that she would wait until she was sure how he felt about Marie before telling him anything. “He did. He has a very keen sense of smell. Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“What happened to your face?”

“My step father. When I was thirteen. He got pissed off and decided that I would make a great punching bag. My mutation manifested while he was holding a knife in my mouth. When I tried to get away, I found myself running fast, and blood pouring from my mouth. My mother took me to the hospital and made up some stupid story about how it happened.” She had tears in her eyes, remember the events that happened only a few years ago. “I left as soon as the stitches healed. I’ve been on my own since then.”

“Are you going to stay here?” He asked quietly, feeling her pain.

“I don’t know. It’s kind of ritzy,” she said, looking around. “I don’t know if I would fit in.”

“Just promise that you will stay until after I bring Rogue home. I’m sure she will like to talk to you. Plus, I would like to talk to you, too. I just gotta…”

“Find your girl. I know. I’ll stay.” She smiled at him, and he knew she wasn’t going anywhere yet. As soon as he got Marie back, he would take a trip to Lonny’s home town to have a talk with her step father.

"How long have you been here?" Rogue asked softly, trying to fill the silence. The room was entirely still. Rogue had realized sometime ago that there were others, none of which were willing to talk, though. Although she had lost Logan’s abilities sometime ago, she could almost smell the fear wafting through the cages. It didn’t mater, though. The only being she could see at this time was Pyro.

“A week, maybe two. You lose track of time easily.” He sighed as he lowered his head. “They don’t turn off the lights. No one talks. To often, people don’t come back. No one wants to make friends.”

“There’s no hope left here, is there?” It was more a statement than a question, but he shook his head no, anyway.

“You’ve noticed the collar around your neck, right?” He tilted his head in her direction as her hand reached up, almost on its own. She hadn’t noticed before, but sure enough, it was there. It felt could and hard, but very light. She wondered if it was metal or some kind of hard plastic. “That thing suppresses your mutations. We’re completely normal with them. They already know what we can do, they don’t need any demonstrations. They’ve been studying us for years.”

“But why us? I mean, I don’t know about the others, but you and I, we both have flaws to our mutations.” The look he gave her was full on uncertainty.

“Come, on, John,” she smiled at him, almost forgetting where they were. “I kill people with a touch. Until a few days ago, I had no control. I have all these personalities in my head, screaming all the time. You can’t produce fire, only control it, play with it, really. Why didn’t they go after Bobby, who can use the humidity? Or Kitty? Why not those who can actually control what they do a little more easily?”

“I don’t have all the answers, damn it!” He yelled suddenly, forcing her mouth to close with an audible snap. She watched as he physically relaxed, waiting to see what he did next. “Am I still in your head?” He asked softly.

“Always.” She didn’t want to look at him, and so she lowered her head, allowing her hair to hang over her face.

“Am I one of the ones screaming?”

“Sometimes,” she whispered slowly. “Sometimes you want in control so bad, it’s painful. Sometimes, you’re cold and distant, like you don’t want me to know what you’re thinking, like Bobby. Sometimes you’re like Erick, manipulative, condescending, and hurtful. And sometimes you’re like Logan. Quiet, soothing, helpful. But, a lot of times, you’re yourself. The way I knew you when we were just kids. You try to make me laugh in a room full of people, just to feel my cheeks grow red. You like to crack jokes on other people as I walk through the school. You have a major crush on this 16 year old girl named Cloud. You like to tell me about how she used to follow you around like a lost puppy.” She saw his face fall, and giggled. “You got to remember, in my head, you’re still 17.”

He looked at her and smiled softly, remembering the things he left behind when he went to join the brotherhood. “Were you happy?”

“Yes. That last day, when I could not only touch, but touch the one man I have always wanted, was the greatest moment of my life, and I had only just grasped it before it all vanished. She could feel tears sliding down her cheeks, but was too tired to hide them.

“Specimen number 368785.” They grew quiet as they heard a distant door open and close somewhere in the large room. “Code name is Rogue. Real name is Marie D’ Ancanto. Manifestation at 16 years of age. Skin absorbs the life force of any one the specimen touches. In the case of mutants, also absorbs abilities for an undistinguishable amount of time.” The voice was very cold and detached. It was a woman, and she was speaking with someone as they came closer to the cages.

“And if she kills them?” A male voice asked, curiously. The enthusiasm in his voice was more disturbing than the woman’s coldness.

“It’s believed that it is permanent.” She replied. “She absorbed a woman named Carol Danvers, and gained the abilities to fly, super strength, and invulnerability. She is almost perfect.” The woman sighed, and Rogue couldn’t help but to shudder.

“Almost.” She could hear the man’s chuckle, and she wanted to scream. “Who will she breed with?”

“No one will. She already carries the child of the Wolverine. Sabertooth confirmed it this morning. He could smell her ovulation and Weapon X on her. He is willing to bet she’s pregnant, and he’s pissed about it.”

“Why is that?” The man asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? He wanted her for himself. She was supposed to be the final installment to his payment, provided we received the first offspring that showed both parents mutations”

“I’m sorry, Logan. Not even Magneto knows where to find her.” It had been the only time Charles had ever been unable to look anyone in the eye. If he had been here, instead of hiding on Mur Island, it was possible that he could have stopped Rogue’s kidnapping easily. “It’s been three months, Logan. I cannot locate her or Sabertooth. I’m not even sure she is still alive, Logan.”

Logan couldn’t control his temper any longer. He grabbed the elder man by the lapels of his jacket, bringing him up to his level. “Don’t you ever give up on her,” he spat in the man’s face, before setting him back in his wheel chair none to gently.

He quickly left the room, ignoring the rest of the Xmen. He had nothing more to say to them, knowing in his heart every damn one of them agreed with Xavier.

He stalked back to his room, ready to grab a few necessities before hitting the road, ready to find his mate.

Surprised to find his door open, he gently pushed on it, wanting to sneak up on whom ever was inside. As the door opened, he found Cloud sitting on his bed, her black duffle bag resting besides her, waiting. He should have known it was her when he hadn’t picked up a scent outside. He should have known it was her when he hadn’t picked up a scent outside of the room. Very few people actually knew that Cloud could blend in anywhere, even hiding her own scent, despite her physical mutations.

“What do you think you are doing?” He asked slowly, closing the door behind him.

“Going with you.” Her answer was casual and matter of fact. She reminded him more of himself than anyone in that moment.

“Nope. You are going to stay here and go to class.” He grabbed his own bag from under the bed and took it to his dresser while he spoke. “I’m gonna be gone for awhile, kid. I don’t know for how long, but it could be years.”

“She was kind to me when everyone else treated me like a child… or an animal, Logan.” Cloud forced him to meet her gaze with that statement, realizing that was exactly how she had treated him. “Even before you came back and she got the cure, she accepted me. I need to find her, too. I’ll either go with you or on my own, but I’m going.”

“Why shouldn’t I lock you in the Medlab and leave?”

“Because I got a feeling that I know what she is going through.”

“Oh?” He quirked an eyebrow while crossing his arms over his chest.

“There are three hundred underground breeding facilities in the US; that we know about. You are going to need someone to help you track, and someone one who can hide in plane sight. Now, you’re a great tracker, the best; but you kind of standout. If we have to go after all three hundred facilities, we’ll have to find them all, first.” She kept her eyes connected with him, and he understood exactly what she was saying.

“How do you know she’s in a breeding facility?”

“I have my ways. These facilities are run by mutants, and they’ve been around for a lot longer than people think. I was born in one. No one knows except for Xavier… and now you.” She looked away from him, instead, opting to look out of the window, instead. Even though she was still hiding her scent, he had a feeling she was trying to keep from crying. “I didn’t think about it before because the mutants who run these facilities never kidnapped other mutants before. They were followers of Magneto at one point. These facilities were made to help mutants populate the earth. Now, it seems, they are trying to create stronger mutants by kidnapping those with great physical power and breeding them.”

“How do you know this?”

“I’ve got my own connections. Xavier’s not the only one who knows how to make friends.” She flashed him a crooked smile. “I won’t tell you who they are, so don’t ask.”

“Alright.” He knew when not to push a subject. “Who are they breeding her with? How old is your information?”

“I talked to my informant earlier this morning. That’s why I hadn’t come to you yet.” Her smile died, and he realized how hard she must have worked to get this information. “I needed to be sure before I sent you on another wild goose chase. She’s still alive, and they are not hurting her at all. But we need to find her now. She’s pregnant already, Logan.” She wasn’t telling him something, and she was struggling hard to decide if she should tell him or not.

“Spit it out, Cloud.”

“The baby is yours. She wasn’t bred with anyone.”

“Let’s go.”

For seven months, she was kept in a cell while her belly grew round. Once it became obvious she was pregnant, she was given more comfortable surroundings, although it was still a cage.

Understanding that the company would be good for her, they allowed John to keep his life after his third sample. Although he was still used frequently, they were both feed well and taken care of. They wanted no complications in the birth of what would most likely be their prized assassin.

And for seven months, Rogue fell deeper and deeper into a depression that would for change her forever. She had been sure that Logan would have found her by now. That Xavier would have used Cerybro to find her. But maybe they had given up hope. Maybe Logan had moved on. Her belly was growing bigger and more round every day, and her thoughts were getting darker all the time.

“They’re coming.” She heard Pyro’s warning just before the scientists reached her cage. It was time for another ultrasound exam. They had been doing this weekly since she had arrived.

“Are you ready?” Something was wrong. The doctor wouldn’t meet her gaze. Usually, the woman tried to joke with her and make things seem as normal as possible.

She climbed into the wheel chair, sitting down comfortably, trying to ignore the nagging feeling in her heart. She hadn’t noticed the man that had followed the doctor, nor did she see the gun he carried. She was already out of the room when the bullet, muffled by a silencer, hit the only friend she had known the last seven months.

They arrived at the sonogram room in only a few seconds, and, as the nurse helped her onto the exam table, Rogue watched the doctor prepare a needle.

“This is just a Rogam shot, to make sure that your blood doesn’t kill the baby.” The doctor announced quickly, before plunging the needle into her arm.

At first, everything was fine, but, after a moment, the room began to swim before her head felt dizzy. The last think Rogue heard was the doctor telling the nurse that they should felt her on the operating table quickly.

Rogue awoke to what felt like tugging along her lower abdomen. She opened her eyes to find herself staring at nothing but a blue paper drape. She couldn’t feel anything but the tugging, and she realized that her entire body was numb.

“She’s awake, doctor.” The voice came from just behind her, and she realized that she couldn’t even move her head.

“Hello, Rogue,” the doctor said quickly, a strange, eerie tone in her voice. “Welcome to the birth of your daughter.”

“No…” She found that she could at least speak. “It’s too soon. She’ll die.”

“I don’t know about that, Rogue.” She could feel the doctor’s sadistic smile twist. “We have a full team of doctors and the best medical equipment anywhere. Besides, she’s in great health. I think she’ll survive. Maybe a little on the small side, but that should just make her stronger. And here she is!”

Rogue heard the scream of her daughter being ripped from her. Her child was being taken from her, and there was nothing she could do to stop it. As tears began to slide down her cheeks, she heard one of the nurses ask what they should do with her.

“Take off the collar first. She’s too weak to be able to control, or even use her mutations.”

“And then?”

“Leave her. She’ll die on her own. We don’t have time to stitch her backup; he’s only an hour away. Besides, Sabertooth doesn’t wan her any longer. He thinks she’s used.”

Rogue could do nothing but scream, hoping that who ever was on their way would kill her.

For four long months, Logan and Cloud traveled through the US, searching for any clues as to the location of Rogue.

They had found seven underground breeding facilities during their search, the last one pointing them to a forested area just south of the Canadian boarder, and to the east of Bellingham, Oregon. Cloud and Logan both prayed she was there and all right. She was carrying Logan’s child, and he would be damned if anything happened to them.

They were about an hours drive from the facility when Clouds cell be began to ring. She caught Logan’s eye contact as she checked to see who it was. Xavier had promised not to contact either of them unless there was news of Rogue. So far, the professor had kept his word. To Logan’s dismay, Cloud had reluctantly answered the phone.

They had used the cell to give Xavier the locations of the facilities they had found, but know it seemed he had news of his own.

“Cloud,” she answered, keeping her hopes high, but expecting the worst.

“I’ve located Rogue using Cerebro, but you must hurry. She is fading quickly, and she has been through a great deal.” As he gave her the location, Cloud realized that it was the facility they were heading to. She quickly gave Xavier the information, and he promised to send the jet after them.

“She’s there, Logan. We gotta hurry.” She didn’t have to say another word. He pushed I the gas, activating the NAS that had been installed into the small jeep just after the attack on the mansion by Stryker. They made the hour long drive in just over five minutes.

Logan was out of the car before cloud was able to take off her seat belt. It was apparent that Logan had no intention of doing this quietly.

As she followed him, cloud heard the distinct sound of a chopper in the distance. She spread her wings and took to the sky, searching to see what direction it was headed in.

As Cloud inspected the skies, Logan searched the small warehouse. There were papers and old machinery all over place. He walked to the only office, his claws still extended.

The office was in worse disarray than the rest of the warehouse, but that wasn’t what made his blood go cold. Tucked away in the far right corner was an open trapped door leading underground. Wafting up was the odor of blood. The freshest scent was the blood Rogue.

He let out a howl loud enough to catch Cloud’s attention from outside. Within seconds she was by his side, picking up on the same scents he had.

Tears were still slid down her cheeks as she thought about the little girl she never got to see. Would she have her daddy’s eyes? Would she look like her momma? What about her personality? Would she know how to growl? What about her mutations? Would she have her mother’s or her father’s?

Rogue thought about all the things she would miss. She imagined her daughter’s first word would have been Dada. The first smile, the first laugh. The first step. School and dances. Watching Logan give her away at her wedding. But she wouldn’t even be able to hold her baby.

She had always wanted children, even at a young age. She wanted a big family with sit down dinners and lots of happy holidays. She dreamed about six or seven children running around, and birthday parties. She had thought that all those dreams were over when her mutation had manifested. The cure had given that back to her, only for it to all ware off. And now, even though she could touch again, that dream was ripped away by others.

She wasn’t sure what was worse, the fact that she was going to die, or that her baby had been stolen. A daughter whose father had no idea existed. A child that was taken too soon and may not survive.

A howl ripped through the air that was filled with so much pain that it would have made her shudder had it not been for the epidural making her body numb. She knew that howl. He had found her. He was coming for her. She didn’t know if she could last long enough for him to find her. She could already see the edges around her vision begin to blacken.

She tried to push herself, trying to scream or anything to alert her lover of her location. She found that her strength was disappearing fast, and she knew that if he didn’t find her quickly, she wouldn’t make it. All she could do was let out a small whimper before the darkness over took her.

They walked cautiously, following the tunnel to the lower floor. The smell of blood grew stronger distinguish between the scents. There were two that seemed to be fresher than the rest, though. One was Rogue, but the other was just as familiar, although neither could put their finger on why.

As the pair walked out of the passage way, they could see a large warehouse room filled with at least 15 giant cages. The stench had become worse, and both mutants had to fight to keep from vomiting.

Cloud was unable to control her stomach, and had to stop to be sick. Logan continued on, not wanting to embarrass the girl even more. As he walked past the cages, he noticed most were empty. There was someone sleeping inside. The man was lying on the floor, face down in his own blood.

He almost past it by when he realized he knew the scent. Slashing through the lock with his claws, Logan entered the cage and turned the body around. Although his face was covered in blood, Logan recognized him immediately.

“Cloud!” he called quickly. “Get your ass over here.”

She ran to him, still wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She was still having a hard time controlling her stomach, and he hoped she would be able to hold it back until they were out of there.

He motioned to the body on the floor with little compassion. He felt no pity for the man who had abandoned them as a boy. “This is…”

“John,” she breathed softly. He nodded slightly, remembering suddenly that she had been at the mansion for many more years than he had.

“He’s not doing so well.” He had to snap his fingers to get her attention. Look at me right now, not at him.”

When she finally turned her gaze on him, her eyes were glazed over. He could hear her heart pounding in his ears, and he knew that if she didn’t have a task soon, she would be useless. “He’s alive, but barely. The others should be here in a few moments. I need you to clear away the blood and find the wound. Who ever shot him wanted him to suffer. That might be what saves his life. Get the bleeding to stop.”

He didn’t wait to make sure she did what was necessary. Something told him she would give her own life to make sure he kept his.

He walked away from the young pair, looking for the only woman he could ever be completely loyal to.

The next cage over looked to be a bit more comfortable than the others. As he walked in, he noticed a bed covered with a thick blanket and sheets. It was the only bed he had seen in the entire place as yet, and there were even a few pillows.

There was a wooden rocking chair with a table and a few books. There was even a toilet with a make shift sink closed off to the rest of the cage by a dork green curtain. The bed smelled of Rogue.

He let out another howl before running out of the cage and through a set of double doors at the far end of the room. Just as he entered the long hall that traveled to his right and left, he heard a small whimper come from the right. It was also the way Rogue’s scent was leading him.

He found her through the first door he had tried. It was an operating room, and it smelled of medicine and disinfectant… and Rogue’s blood. When he opened the door, the overwhelming smell of her blood almost dropped him to his knees, but it was the sight before him that brought tears to his eyes.

She was lying on an operating table, all alone. There were no doctors, no nurses taking care of her. A thin, blue, paper sheet was draped down to separate her vision from the lower part of her body. Her eyes were closed, but he could hear the faint sound of her breathing. She was still alive.

The lower part of her body was a mess, how ever. They had cut her open and moved everything around. It looked as if someone took all her organs out and then just threw them back in. He could still smell the doctors and nurses. But there was also a different smell. One that was fresh and new. One that made his heart hurt.

It was the scent of a child. A newborn baby girl.

But he couldn’t think about that now. He needed to help his girl. He walked across the room and looked down at her. She was impossibly pale, but still alive. He could see her body shiver, and he knew that he needed to help her quickly.

He went to her stomach first, removing the clamps they had used to hold her open. He made sure that her legs and arms were securely bound, yet lose enough so that she could get out.

He bent to kiss her, hoping that her mutation was working. As soon as his lips touched hers, he felt the familiar pull. It would only be a few seconds and then she would be fine and he would get her the hell out….

All too soon he felt himself be pulled away from her. He saw that she had at least begun to turn a more healthy shade of pale, but that was all. He hadn’t held on long enough. He looked over at the hand on his arm. He let out a low growl before turning to face down the young girl who had torn him away.

“Knock it off,” she said angrily, gathering all the courage she could. “There is no was the other’s are going to be able to get three gurneys down her to carry all of you up. Someone will have to carry the lease disabled. All three of you will be out of it. She just had a baby. Pyro was shot in the neck and you will be unconscious. No one will be able to get you out of here. And don’t you think she would want to see you first when she wakes up? It won’t do any good if you’re comatose.”
He wanted to shake her off and go back to what he was doing be he knew she was right. “So what you want to do? Wait until the other’s get through with Pyro over there? One doctor, remember? Only one person can be fixed at a time. I bet that Beast already has his hands full.”

“Then I’ll do it.” Determination flashed through her eyes, and he felt the itch to slap some sense into her. She had never done anything like this before. She didn’t seem to understand that even though a healer like the both of them could wake up from Rogue’s touch in a matter of hours didn’t mean that they wouldn’t be out of commission for a few days. Before Logan could stop her, Cloud reached out her hand and grabbed on to Rogue’s bare leg. He watched as every vein in her young face lifted up as her life began to drain from her. Before he could reach out to shove her away, Cloud fell to the floor, unconscious.

He watched as Rogue’s open stomach seemed to mend its self back together. He watched as her organs slightly moved back into place, and Rogue’s eyes slowly opened as she took in a sharp intake of air.

“Logan?” she whispered as she tried to sit up. “You got here. Where is she? Where’s our baby?” Rogue tried to sit up, but realized she was strapped to the table. She pulled slightly on the restraints, realizing that her abilities were back when they snapped easily. “Where’s my daughter?”

New tears formed in his eyes as he saw all hope vanish from her face. He was able to save her, but he wasn’t in time to save their child. By the looks of things, she had probably been on that helicopter that had left just as he arrived. “She’s gone, baby.”

He watched as she brought her hands to her face and began to weep. She had always been stronger than this, even when she was just a girl. The last time he had seen her cry had been all those years ago, on that train when she was just a child. Even then, she had tried to fight it. But now, she appeared to be a broken woman.

“I’m sorry, Logan,” she sobbed, not looking at him. “I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t stop them, Logan. They took my baby.”

He thanked God for the long sleeves he wore today as he wrapped his arms around her, letting her find condolence in his arms. She cried in his arms, begging him for forgiveness even as he knew he should have been the one begging her.

That was how Scott and Storm found them, wrapped in each other’s arms, begging each other for the same thing. Cloud was still passed out on the floor, and so, as Scott picked her up, Ororo stood by until the lovers were ready for any help they needed.

Logan laid in bed with her that night, holding her to him as she tried to lose herself in his scent. She knew that there was no way she was going to sleep for a long time. She had seen too much, too many people die because those doctors were done with them. She had almost been one of them. If Logan and Cloud hadn’t shown up when he did, she would have died on that dirty table. She owed him her life, again, but, this time, she wished that he would have allowed her to die.

There was no sex on her first night home. It was something she wasn’t ready for yet. She still didn’t feel safe, even in Logan’s arms. She couldn’t allow him into her body, yet, not until she felt she was deserving of him again. She knew that it would be a long time before she could even consider it.

She allowed them to take her daughter. She knew she should have fought more. She had the upper hand. They wouldn’t kill her child. She was too valuable. Now she didn’t even know if her little girl was still alive.

It was almost dawn, and she knew that she couldn’t lie there any longer. She sat up slowly, letting her gaze move around the room. Logan had moved all of her things into his room as she was being checked over in the medlab. It had been the only time he had left her side since then. As soon as Beast let her go, he ushered her up to their room, and he kept her there since then.

“I’m sorry, Logan,” she whispered into his chest. The guilt was eating away at her. Everything that had happened had been her fault, starting with the point when Sabertooth had taken her from her room. She should have been more alert, should have known that something was wrong. She had been so tired, though. And there had been no alarms. No one should have been able to get through without triggering the alarms. That meant that there was someone who had allowed him in. Someone who had sold her out.

“Who would do this to us, Logan? Who would want to hurt me so badly?” She asked softly. She couldn’t understand what had happened.

“I don’t know, Baby,” he whispered back, tightening his hold. He had been unable to sleep, also, the same thoughts running through his head. “I thought it was Bobby, at first, but he was with Jubilee and Beast in town until Ororo had called us for that meeting. It had to be someone who was in the surveillance office and he just had no chance to do it. We will find out, though. I promise.”

She sighed hard, not wanting to even think about it anymore. It was just too much for her right then. They had a traitor among them. ‘Who’ was the question now.

“Is he gone?” she whispered softly as he sat next to her in the common room. She was channel surfing and he was supposed to be babysitting her while Logan was away.

She had been home for three months, and was going stir-crazy. Logan wouldn’t allow her out of his sight, much less off the grounds. It was as if he was afraid that she would disappear again, and as much as she loved him, she didn’t think she could take it any longer. The only time she felt any type of comfort was when he was off checking to some clue about where their daughter might have been. Scott was usually in charge of her while he was away.

“Yup. He thinks it will be for about a week,” he said as he smiled at her. She allowed her tears to slip free finally, knowing that she was unable to do the same thing in front of Logan. He wouldn’t understand the pressure and anxiety he was putting on her. She needed room to breathe and think, and it seemed that she was unable to do that. At least Scott understood this. He gathered her in his arms, not sure what exactly he should do. They had become closer since she had returned, both knowing that no one would ever understand what they went through.

Although John had survived being shot in the head, he hadn’t remembered anything from their ordeal. It was as if his mind completely blocked out the entire seven months. She couldn’t blame him, though. Some times she wished that she could forget, also. But that would mean that she wouldn’t remember her daughter, either.

“Thank you,” she whispered softly, straightening herself. She knew better than to break down in front of anyone. If Logan found out, she wouldn’t be able to get any peace. “Don’t say anything, please.”

He let a small smile play on his lips as he brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. “I never do.”

She allowed the brief moment of stillness before forcing it away. As much as she loved Logan, he wasn’t the same man anymore. Before he had been supportive, even of the stupid decisions she had made. It wasn’t that he had approved of every stupid thing; he just gave her room to make her own mistakes. She understood that he was still skittish about what had happened, but he wouldn’t even allow her to go with him to find their daughter.

She shook off the emotions that were flowing through her. She had always thought Scott was an attractive man, but she had never dwelled on it. He had always been too much of a boy next door. She had always preferred the bad boy, deep down. That was probably why she had remained with Bobby for so long. Under his golden boy façade, he had a mean streak. That had blown up in her face, though.

Since Scott had returned, she had found he wasn’t the same man as before. He also wasn’t filled with a deep depression or sadness any longer. He had a mysteriousness that she found intriguing. He had refused to accept control over the Xmen, wanting to take on solo missions, only. The only class he had gone back to teaching was mechanics, only because he was the best choice. He wasn’t so cocky, any more. In other words, he had forgotten his leadership position completely. The strangest part was the way he seemed to treat every other woman in the mansion a little coldly, except her. It was as if he was a whole new person. Suddenly, Rogue felt herself more and more attracted to him every time Logan left him in charge of her. It was almost as if they had switched roles, with her in the place of Jean.

“So, what’s on the agenda for the week?” She asked quickly, pushing the odd moment away. She loved Logan, but Scott was a puzzle to her.

“I figured you would want to continue going through the paper work we found on our return trip after you were brought home.” Scott flashed a sly smile that she had never seen before. It was almost exhilarating.

She spent hours in the office, sifting through papers she had been over many times. She was certain there were clues in these pages that would lead her to her daughter. Until she could get Logan to allow her to go with him, this was all she could do.

At around nine o’clock that evening, she finally gave up, realizing that it was fruitless to search like this. She could recite the damn pages word for word. There was nothing leading to where they would take her child.

The knock on her door shouldn’t have been as loud as it was. Her eyes snapped open with the intrusion.

“Who is it?” She looked at her clock and noticed that it was only a little past ten. She must have been asleep before she hit the pillow.

"Can I come in?" Scott asked softly from the door. This wasn't unusual. Logan had ordered him to check in on her through out the night, and, usually, Scott, Jubilee, and Ororo would take turns. The strange thing was he usually just knocked and yelled out that he was just checking one her. He never wanted to come in before.

Thankful that she had fallen asleep in her clothes, she yelled for him to enter. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as she yawned loudly. Scott walked in casually, dressed in a plain t-shirt and jeans. He had gone through his entire wardrobe and threw out everything that even resembled slacks or sweaters.

“How’re you feeling?” He asked quietly as he shut the door behind him.
“Alright, I guess. Just a little tired.” She folded her legs under her, giving him room to sit down.

“Have you heard from him, yet?” He asked quietly. She wasn’t sure because of the visors he had to ware, but she could almost sense his gaze shifting as he asked about Logan.

“At about six. Fortunately, Jubes answered the phone. I get worried that one of the students might tell him about what I’ve been doing.” She gave him a sad smile, wishing that she didn’t have to lie to Logan like this. What was she supposed to do, though? He wouldn’t even allow her to think about the child she had stolen from her.

“I know. It will get better, someday. It just takes a lot of time.” He as looking straight at her again and she could feel his gaze studying her.

“Can I ask you a question?” She asked softly. She didn’t know if it would work, but she thought it was worth a try.

“What?”

“What color are you eyes?”

“They’re…” He paused for a second, and she could feel the pain coming off of him. “I don’t remember. It’s been a long time.”

“You’ve never tried to gain control?” She had always felt he was a kindred spirit before she had gained control over her own mutation. He always made sure she never felt alone in her skin. She wasn’t the only one with a vise to wear.

“Never got the chance,” he replied as he looked away from her again. “When I was a kid, a couple of years before I developed, my family was in a plane crash. My parents died in the crash. I still haven’t tracked down my brother. I guess I hit my head and it jolted something. I will never have control over it.”

Rogue tore her gaze away as she whispered, “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize.”

“It’s alright. Not a lot of people know about it. You should have seen me before Xavier found me.” He touched her cheek gently, making her look at him. “The foster home I was in made me wear a strip of cloth over my eyes, and I wasn’t allowed to open them. That was ridiculous. Of course, everyone was really nice about it. They still treated me well. But, they just didn’t understand what I was going through. There were other mutants, but they all had control. I didn’t even realize what had happened until Xavier brought me here and had Hank take a look at me. They had Forge fashion me these glasses.”

She understood the turmoil he must have gone through. Although she had never lost her sight, it had been a long time before she could even take the risk of being uncovered while alone. All her other scenes had expanded during that time, but it hadn’t been the same.

“I came to talk to you for a reason,” Scott said, interrupting her thoughts. “I’m thinking about taking a leave of absence. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, but it will be a while.”

“Why? Where are you going to go?” She was stunned by his admission. She knew that he had changed, but she hadn’t realized that he would want to leave.

“Don’t know yet,” he replied, a far away tone in his voice. “I guess I just need to move around a lot. I was wondering if you wanted to go with me.”

Her mouth dropped open. She didn’t know what to say. Would Logan be willing to go? They could look for their daughter, the three of them together. But could the two men stand any time alone together?

“I don’t know if Logan…”

“He’s not invited, Marie.” It was the first time he had ever used her real name. She almost forgot that he had been one of the few she had told. More importantly, Logan couldn’t come. “You don’t have to give me an answer now. Just think about it. I mean, I won’t leave you behind.” He was hinting at the fact that twice, Logan had let her fend for her. The first time had been when he had left her to go find her past, and not even giving her the choice to go also. The second had been when she had left after practically been shunned by the rest of the school; he had blatantly told her that they were more important and watched as she walked away. Rogue felt her heart tug. “There might be less here than you think.”

“Logan won’t let her out of the house. She doesn’t even leave when he’s not here,” he said angrily. “You were supposed to kill her. What the hell happened?”

“We thought she didn’t stand a chance. We assumed her skin wouldn’t work any longer.” Dr. Sloran replied quickly.

“Well, you stupid bitch, you assumed wrong, didn’t you? She was supposed to die. But you and your damn torture fetish might have cost us everything.” His voice was full of venom. “If she ever gets back to that facility and takes a good look around, she can destroy us.”

“Why not burn the place down?” She asked softly, not trying to upset him any longer. He was the one in charge. He was the one who could break her. “Why not destroy everything?”

“Not possible. There are things there that we will need eventually. Just be thankful that those asshole super heroes didn’t grab everything.”

“Aren’t those ‘assholes’ your friends?” she asked sarcastically.

“Shut your fucking mouth! I’m going to have to report back to my supervisor about this. He wanted her dead. Do you realize that if she finds any information, she is the only person who can take us down?” His tone was becoming higher and higher, and his voice became more manic.

“I would have thought you would be more concerned about the child’s father.”

“He’s nothing, don’t you get it? He’s not shit compared to her. She can take us out single handedly. It was her genes that we needed, not his. He and Victor are one in the same. It wouldn’t have mattered who the father was. She was the key. He’s nothing without her. He would have fallen apart as soon as she was out of the picture. Now, we need her dead, and they will both be out of it. I know someone who can help. It’s just going to take awhile to get a hold of him.”

"I know we've been at this for awhile now, but you got to remember, she is my daughter." The others looked at him skeptically, all thinking the same thing; how much longer was he going to drag them down paths with dead ends? Anyone could have seen that the scent was stone cold. They would follow him to their deaths if he asked, but how much longer were they going to have to wait until Logan realized it was over?

"Logan," Cloud jumped in before any of the others could set him off, "I've traveled with you for a year now, first to find Rogue, and now this. I know you believe that if we found one, we can find the other, but we don't even know what we are looking for now. Maybe we should go home and help Rogue before anything else happens. She needs you right now.”

“I know, but my child is somewhere out here. I’ve got to find her.” In that moment, Logan looked as if he had the weight of the world resting on his shoulders. “I just don’t know what else to do.”

“You go home and make that poor woman your wife,” Colossus replied angrily. Both Logan and Rogue were like family, and he hated watching them hurt like this.

“The cher don’t need to be locked up like this no more, neither, Homme,” Gambit chimed in. “Remy ain’t known the Rogue for long, but he saw the way you was hurtin after she done disappeared. Remy knowin you gonna be hurtin more after the Cher leaves on her own. Alls Remy sayin is that’s one dove who don’t wanna be caged is all.”

“I know.” Logan would never admit it, but he was afraid. If those animals could take her from her own room, then they could grab her from anywhere. He couldn’t take that risk. It just might kill him.

He looked around the dingy motel room he had frequented during his days on the road, noticing for the first time just how stained everything was. He allowed his gaze to drift over the faces of the four people sitting in the room with him, all former students, all the best of their class, two were Rogue’s age. If she hadn’t taken the cure, she would probably have been sitting here with them, receiving orders for some mission. Things would have been different. He wasn’t sure if they would have moved on to the roll of lovers yet, but at least things would have been easier.

He studied each of the four people sitting in the room, knowing that they all had some tie to Rogue. She had always cared for Cloud as if she was her younger sister. She had always stuck up for her against the others when the girl’s clinginess had become too much for the others, not able to understand why she needed someone to care about her. Rogue had been the only one to truly understand, and the younger girl had always admired her for it.

Although Remy hadn’t known her that long before she disappeared, he and Rogue had a lot in common, both coming from the south. They enjoyed many of the same foods and memories of home. Plus, she was the only one who could differentiate what he was saying half the time.

Colossus, on the other hand, was not only a friend, but a confidant for her. Like Logan, he had always been supportive of her decisions, including the cure. He had never made her feel like an out cast, and had always had her back, in and out of The Danger Room. They had to be close, of course. With their combined mutations and physical abilities, they were the perfect match, both working off of each others strong points, and supporting each others weaknesses. With his ability to turn completely steel, he was the only person she could touch with out having to worry about stealing his life. He never begrudged the metal man their bond, though. He knew that there was nothing romantic there. When they were students, he often wondered why they never became an item. When he had asked her about it, she replied that her life was just too complicated to add another love interest. At the time, he thought that she meant that one man was enough for her, when, in reality, there were three; Bobby, St. John, and, of course, himself.

The fourth person in the group, a boy named Armand, was a student of his before Rogue disappeared. She had helped him a great deal to control his abilities and to learn how to become one of the best fighters of his class. He had been one of her favorite students, one of the few who actually seemed eager to learn all that he can, not just one thing. He had enhanced hearing much like that of himself and Cloud. Unfortunately, Cloud was very young when her enhancement happened, and always remembered having control. Logan, on the other hand, couldn’t remember a time when he didn’t have control. Neither could help him. Since Rogue had to learn how to control her own heightened senses after absorbing Logan so many times, she was able to give him the training he desperately needed. His headaches ended, and he was finally at ease in large crowds. He was able to come out of his room during the day, and be able to attend classes and meals. He was also the only one who hadn’t given his opinion.

“What do you think, Armand?” Logan asked slowly, watching the boy carefully. There was something about the boy, about his smell, that rubbed the feral man the wrong way.

“I think we need to go home,” Armand replied softly. Logan didn’t like the way the boy’s eye’s shifted away from everyone.

“Then we’ll go,” Logan forced the boy’s gaze to meet his own, “on the condition that you will help me in the event that I get a solid lead.”

“Of course,” Gambit replied, a sly grin spreading across his lips. “We are a team, no?”

“I want to hear it from him.” Logan watched Armand shift nervously. There was something that the boy wasn’t telling him. Something that had to do with everything that was going on. Logan had a feeling that he needed to go about this very carefully, otherwise the boy might just conveniently disappear.

“We’ll help. Like Gambit said, we are a team.” Armand returned Gambit’s smile half heartedly. Everyone else in the room began to think on the same lines as Logan. Something was up.

For seven weeks Logan tried to make things better for Rogue. He didn’t follow her around like a paranoid bodyguard any longer, but she was still not able to leave the grounds without someone with her at all times, preferably, someone big and scary. Jubilee wasn’t sufficient enough to protect her. His exact words were that fireworks weren’t going to stop anyone.

Rogue had accepted what she could. At least it was an improvement from before. And, besides, she didn’t really mind taking Colossus or Scott shopping with her and Jubilee. They were always willing to carry the bags, and never gripped about the time.

She was finally allowed to walk around the grounds alone, at least. She took walks daily, now, avoiding everyone, although she was certain Logan was watching from somewhere close by. She still hadn’t told him about Scott’s proposition, and wasn’t sure that she was going to. He would flip out and cause a scene. Besides, it wasn’t like she was leaving, was it? She hadn’t told Scott yes, but then again, she still hadn’t told him no. Things were improving now. Logan was finally opening up enough to understand that crying over their daughter didn’t make her weak. If anything, it made her more determined to find her. He promised that they would find her soon. He just needed to make sure the mansion was safe first. Something about catching a snake.

She still didn’t know what he was talking about, and he refused to tell her who was involved. She had more important things to think about, so she never pressured him, knowing that he would tell her when he was ready for her to know. She was still going through those papers, trying to figure out anything that might be useful. She refused to give up the one thing she had that just might point her in the right direction. Her daughter was out there, somewhere, and she was determined to use what ever she could.

“She’s not allowed off the grounds, but he’s not having someone follow her around, either,” he spoke into the phone quietly, hoping his roommate was sleeping too deeply to hear anything he was saying. No one could know about the real reason he was there, or else they would kill him. It had been easy to infiltrate the school, no one suspecting that a mutant with such a mundane ability could be any danger to them.

The plan had gone perfectly. Once they knew that the cure would eventually ware off, depending on how big of a dosage received, they figured how long they would have until Rogue would return. They knew that she really had no one else to turn to, and no matter how everyone felt about her decision, she was still one of them, and she needed help.

The scientists were able to calculate to the week when she would return. They chose a boy of about 17 to infiltrate and go in. He would feign difficulties controlling his ability, and wait for her. Once she got there, he would pretend to grasp control by any means possible, and infiltrate the team. Once he gained everyone’s trust, he was to turn off the security system from the inside, allowing Sabertooth to gain access.

He was supposed to wait it out, afterward. He was supposed to lay low and do what the others expected of him. Once Rogue was disposed of, he would be sent for.

Unfortunately, the doctor screwed up her end of the plan, and now he was stuck and they had another job for him to do.

“Alright,” he whispered softly, “I know she gets up early for breakfast, and that she usually meets Logan downstairs. He went on a mission last night to pick up a new student. He will be trying to catch up on sleep in the morning and then will have to do a briefing before going what went wrong. She might not even see him until late afternoon.”

He gave all of his attention to the person on the other end of the phone, listening intently as he was given his new orders.

“Yes, tomorrow morning. Alright. Tell him I will meet him just off the grounds at six, and not to be late.” He hung up the phone and crawled into bed, not noticing how still his roommate was, assuming that Oscar was still asleep.

He snuck out of his room at five minutes to six that morning, right after his roommate left, fully dressed. He had heard the entire conversation the night before and decided to follow the other boy. He had a feeling that his roommate wasn’t exactly who he said he was, and that someone was in grave danger.

“Hey Oscar, since when do you get up before nine?” Cloud was walking up the stairs just as he was going down. “What’s up?”

The smile on her face from seeing her best friend quickly evaporated when she saw the determination and fear written all over his face. “What’s the matter? Did something happen?”

“Not yet. I need your help, but there is no time to waist,” he replied as he grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the door. “I overheard Armand talking to someone at about two this morning. He’s up to something, and I don’t think that it’s going to be good. He’s meeting someone just off the grounds right now, and I think it’s someone who shouldn’t be here. I think someone’s going to get hurt.”

He didn’t have to say any more. They had ran the entire way, Cloud following his scent as they ran through the back yards and into the woods just off the grounds. It wasn’t long before they found Armand speaking with someone hidden behind a few trees.

Cloud crouched down, pulling Oscar with her. He didn’t understand why they didn’t get any closer to see who it was Armand was speaking with.

“He’ll smell us if we get any closer,” Cloud explained with a hushed whisper. He almost didn’t hear her. “We’re down wind right now, but that could change at any moment.”

“What’s the matter? You know who it is?” Oscar asked slowly. He knew that she had heightened senses, but he hadn’t realized how powerful until just now.

“Sabertooth,” she growled. “Go back to the mansion and tell Logan that we’ve got our snake.”

Oscar wasn’t sure what she was talking about, but he ran with the message any way. He was a little worried about leaving Cloud alone so close to Sabertooth, but knew that it had to be done. She would be able to stay away from the monster, even if she had to fly, and, besides, if anyone could hide from him, it would be Cloud.

She watched him leave, as she listened to the others talking. She could hear them arguing about what Armand was supposed to do.

“Now remember, you got to slip it to her and get rid of the vial before the runt gets anywhere near you.” Sabertooth sounded agitated, almost put out by having to play delivery boy. It really wasn’t his usual motif, in the first place. “If he smells it, he will know exactly what it is.”

“And what about Cloud?” Armand asked quickly, trying to cover all the loose ends.

“She’s never smelt anything like this before. She wont know what it is until it’s too late.” Sabertooth quickly turned and left, disappearing into the trees. It was strange. She had screwed up badly by not covering her scent when the winds had changed, but he acted like he didn’t even notice. She had practically felt his body tense the moment it happened so she knew he had picked up her scent, but he hadn’t given her away. There was more to this then anyone realized.

She watched as Armand waited a few moments before turning to head back to the mansion. As soon as he was within arms length, she stretched out her leg. As soon as she felt him fall against it, she was on her feet. Unfortunately, he was a lot faster than he had lead. He was gaining his ground as she took her stance, preparing to fight.

“Where the fuck did you come from?” He was more startled than upset. He smiled then, and she could see the sickness in his eyes. “You want to play with the big boys, little girl?”

She could feel the revulsion stir in her stomach as his eyes traveled up and down her body. He had hit on her since he had arrived, but she had always ignored him. Although she hadn’t thought that he was a creep, and his rich brown hair and blue eyes on his tall frame was enough to stir the hormones of many girls at the school, there had always been something about him that had turned her off. Even though there weren’t too many boys banging on her door, she wouldn’t lower her standards and date him. At this moment, she was very happy she hadn’t.

“Let’s go, big boy,” she replied flirtatiously, quirking an eyebrow and blowing him a kiss. She knew that he had to be very careful. They had sparred many times and he knew exactly what she was capable of. She had a feeling that he had held back a lot during those sessions, though. If she could just keep him on his toes long enough to give Logan and the others some time to actually get there, she knew she would be fine.

He charged her then, something she had never expected. Usually he hung back, and allowed the other person to make the first move. She ducked out of the way, and danced around him, keeping her wings close as she did so as to not allow him anything to grab on to. She swung out, hitting him in the side on his face as she did so.

She could hear the sound of running as they danced around each other, and knew that she just needed a little more time before the others arrived.

He reached out, grabbing her by the wrist and twisting her arm around her back, pinning her wings down. He twisted a little harder, forcing pain to shoot up through her forearm. Just a little more and he would have broken her arm, but she was able to force her way out of by twisting her body around, towards his thumb. She pushed away from him just as his fist connected with her jaw.

She felt something break just before her mouth filled with blood. She spit it out as the warm liquid filled her mouth. She threw out another punch as he rushed her, hitting him in the eye. She could feel the warmth of his blood on her fist as she backed away from him. It was plainly obvious that the worst thing she could do now was to allow him to get close. She had to keep him at a distance.

He stood strait and jumped for her. She ducked quickly as he flew towards her. Just as she rolled out of his way, she saw Logan and the others running toward them. His claws were already extended and he was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers.

Armand must have heard them, also. He made a dive for something lying in the grass and she realized that he must have tossed the vial when she tripped him. She lunged for his legs, cutting him just a few milliliters short of his destination. As he struggled to grasp the vial, Logan walked over, claws fully extended, and crushed it beneath his bare feet.

“You’ve got some explaining to do, Bub.”

Logan couldn’t help himself any longer. He swung out his arm, feeling the sting when the back his hand connected with the man’s face. The 17 years old boy whom they had all known as Armand was really a 32 year old shape shifter named Melvin Bornt. His ability wasn’t very effective, though. Unlike that of other known shape shifters, he could only make himself look younger or older, shifting his body mass and size. The only thing Logan could think that this would be useful for would be for buying alcohol before he turned twenty one, and of course, to infiltrate schools.

Logan was finally able to pinpoint what it was about the boy’s smell that got to him. It was the stench of middle age, and not a man who has aged well. Although the man could change his size and age, he was unable to hide his smell, having to try to cover it up by bathing in cologne.

“Who were you after?” Logan asked angrily, smacking him again. “You can either tell me now, or I will make sure you live the rest of your pathetic life in agony.”

“Yeah, right,” Bornt replied with a gleeful laugh. “If you really think that’s going to scare me, you’re dumber than you look.”

“Fine,” Logan flashed his own evil smile, “I gave you a chance to do this the easy way, now you’re going to have to deal with her.” He tilted his head toward the door, raising an eyebrow.

Bornt watched as the door slowly opened. She walked in slowly, wearing next to nothing. Her breasts were pushing against her tight top, and her shorts were riding high up the length of her legs. Her hair was in loose curls that were hanging down her back. Logan could feel his pants tighten just from the sight of her.

“Hey Sug,” she said softly, innocently, as she lead into him, her brown and white hair framing her face. She placed her hand on his crotch, right in front of Bornt. “Is he ready for me, yet?”

“They both are. I’ll see you upstairs when you’re finished?” he’s voice was heavy with lust and she knew that he was getting turned on by the whole situation. She loved the man, but she couldn’t understand some of hid hangups. She was terrified inside. She had never tried anything like this before, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted a man like Melvin Bornt in her head for ever.

She watched his close the door behind her, her smile fading as it did so. She turned to Bornt, her eyes full of anger and a coldness her had never seen before.

“You got to understand something, Mel,” she said slowly, her voice slick and angry. “You hurt some people very close to me. You made it possible for my baby to be taken from me. I will be honest with you. I am going to kill you. But it’s up to you how. I am giving you a choice. Either you tell me what I need to know, or… I take it from you. Which would you rather like? A swift and painless death or to spend the rest of MY life in MY head, always looking out, and being trapped up here with Wolverine and Pyro, never being able to die?”

“Xavier will not stand for this. We both know that. He would never let you kill anyone.” He had her. He knew as well as anyone that the good professor wouldn’t let it happen. It wasn’t what he believed in.

“Actually, he wanted to come in here and comb your brain. I was supposed to be the last resort,” she said with a laugh. “No one actually believed that Logan could get anything from you, so he was sent in just to get you prepared. Xavier wanted to see if he could ravage your mind and find something. If he did, you would have been sent to prison. Unfortunately, he understands just what kind of steak I have in all of this. You see, right now, what ever information you have in your head is the best clue I have to finding my daughter. If you die while I am trying to retrieve it, then who really cares? You hurt us all. If you survive it, then, just maybe we will go easy on you and just had you over to the authorities. It’s up to you.”

“You don’t want me in your head. You wouldn’t do it.”

“Guess again, little man.” Rogue reached out a bare hand, gently turning it on as she pressed it to his forehead. She was bombarded by memories of a little boy who wanted to be bigger, older. Of a kid who was the youngest of eight and left in the dark by parents who were just too tired to help. A child who was forgotten because he was just too small to notice. She saw memories of a young, 15 years old boy, using his fake ID for the first to impress the girl waiting outside, and being surprised when the cashier didn’t even ask to see it. The same boy being shocked when he tried to throw his arm around the girl, and she kicked him and ran off screaming, not realizing that he was her date. Her screams hurt her ears just as they must have hurt his as his enhanced hearing kicked in.

She watched his life flash through her mind so fast that it was almost hard to tell how old he was. Then she saw what she was looking for. She was back in the underground facility, and she was looking at a picture of herself and Allen, having dinner in a bar she recognized to be Michaels, a place the frequented often when they were dating.

They had been watching her for a while. They had known what was going to happen, and they had anticipated it. She could feel her blood boil as she watched the same doctor who had taken her child brief him on his mission.

Even after she absorbed every useful piece of information, she continued to hold on. Part of her mind was telling her to stop. She could feel it yelling and screaming, but it was being drowned out by the other part, the part that contained all of those she had taken previously. They could all feel the pain she had gone through while laying on the operating table as they stole her daughter. They all wanted blood, and his would have to be enough for now. Yet, she knew it couldn’t be this way.

Before she could completely absorb him, she pushed back, giving him back his life before she could take it all. She had never done it before, and, if it wasn’t for the fact that she was so angry and bloodthirsty, she would have tried to give back his memories, also.

Instead, once she knew he was conscious, she turned her mutation off and forced him to look into her eyes. As he watched, she rapped her hands around his neck and pulled with everything she had. Watching his head fly back with a large snap, she felt his neck separate from his body. She couldn’t do anything else but stand there, allowing the blood to drip from her hand and to the floor.

She didn’t notice when the door opened or when she felt the large arms and hands encircle her, drawing her close to the muscled chest. She felt hot tears build up, but she couldn’t even will her self to wipe them away. She needed to get her child back. She was becoming a monster, one that no one should ever forgive. In the second between the time the head fell from her hand and hit the ground, she made her decision.

“I’m leaving, Logan.” Her whisper was so slow, that any normal man wouldn’t have been able to hear it. She knew he had, though. She could feel his body stiffen behind her as his hold tightened. He wasn’t going to make this easy for her. “I have to go, Logan. I can’t live like this any longer. I have to find her, even if it takes the rest of eternity.”

“I’ll go with you,” he whispered back. “We’ll pack tonight and leave in the morning.”

“You told me once that they need you here. Now I’m telling you the same thing. Stay. I might come back one day, when I find her.”

“You can’t go alone and now that Scott’s back…”

“He’s going with me.” She felt more than heard the rumble coming from his chest. “He asked me if I wanted to tag along the last time you were off looking for our daughter… with out me. Logan, I love you, but you can’t come. You left me behind, and you let me go on my own, and I have forgiven you for that. But this time, I won’t give you the choice.”

She walked away then, before he could say anything more. She didn’t want to give him the chance to change her mind. If her heart broke any more, she would die.

“I love you, Logan.”