Logan turned the key, and smirked as the engine spluttered into life. Charles had managed to get hold of a new trailer for him. It was hard, leaving the only people he had ever cared about behind, but it was for the best. He had only told Charles that he was leaving again. If they had tried to hold him back, he didn't think he would have had the heart to leave. But a wolf's place is in the outside world. There would be less trouble, now that he could control his claws. As he swung into the motorway, Logan knew there was no going back. He was free.

Not gonna get us
They're not gonna get us
Not gonna get us
Not gonna get us

A few hours later, he stopped at a small village. There would be a bar, and a place to park the trailer. When he stopped, he got the worst shock of his life. Something was moving beneath the blankets behind him.

"Who's there?" He prodded the bundle with a feeling of déjà vu.

"It's me." A girl poked her head out from underneath. It was Rogue. Then Logan remembered. This was how they first met. He sighed angrily.

"What do you think you're doing? Why are you here?"

"I overheard you and Professor Xavier. I couldn't let you leave again. I'm sorry." Rogue looked down, blood rushing to her face. This was not going well.

"Oh, great. Just brilliant." Logan sat down and buried his head in his hands. "This can not be happening to me."

"I'm sorry. Look, do you want me to go back? I can hitchhike."

Logan still didn't look at her. "No. Don't do that. Oh, God. Why did you have to come?"

"The institute... It doesn't feel right. I've been through too much. I'm sorry, Logan."

He looked at her quickly, and was shocked to see that she was crying. He realized that Rogue was like him in many ways. Except when freedom was his blessing, it was her curse. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Hey. I'm not gonna make you go back. I'm going to renew a promise I made you. I won't let anything happen to you. I swear."

"Really? I thought, 'cos I'd settled in at the institute, you'd forget about that."

"No." Logan suddenly smiled at her. "I never forgot that. So you ready to live your life on the road, then, kid?"

Through her tears, Rogue smiled back.

"Yeah." Then she grinned as she touched Logan's dog tags. "What kind of a name is Wolverine?"

He tweaked her strand of white hair. "My kind of name."

Starting from here, let's make a promise
You and me, let's just be honest
We're gonna run, nothing can stop us
Even the night that falls all around us

Soon there'll be laughter and voices
Beyond the clouds over the mountains
We'll run away on roads that are empty
Lights from the airfield shining upon you

After dinner at the bar, they returned to the trailer. Rogue stood awkwardly.

"Um..."

Logan threw her a blanket. "You can have the sofa. I won't look. Do you trust me?"

"Course." She took it gratefully, and put in on the sofa. It wasn't late enough to sleep.

"Logan? Can I show you something?" She slipped off the sofa and over to window where he was standing.

He raised one eyebrow. "What?"

She took off her glove, and touched his arm with her bare hand. He started at her.

"You can control your skin? When d'you learn that?"

"The X-men taught me. You were right - they helped me."

"Then why did you leave?"

Rogue hesitated. She didn't actually know. But the institute had too many memories, some that she didn't want at all. She sighed, "I want to be part of the normal world."

He smiled at her. Rogue realized she was staring, and looked away quickly. She turned to go, but he pulled her back. She saw something stir in his eyes.

"Marie..."

Now she was getting worried. He was acting very strangely. He never called her Marie. She stood there, puzzled. Maybe she shouldn't have let him drink a whole pint of beer.

"Are you alright, Logan?"

Then he kissed her hand softly. Rogue couldn't move. She was frozen to the spot by shock. After what seemed like hours, he let her hand drop, and looked away.

"I'm sorry," he said gruffly. "I didn't mean... I just..."

"What...?"

"Go to sleep. I'm sorry. Go to sleep."

Then he felt cool hands placed on his shoulders. He now stood in shock as Rogue slowly closed the distance between them until there was only an inch or two between their noses. Her heart pounding, she leant forward and kissed him gently.

Logan's eyes widened, but then she felt him smile, and return her kiss. She sank into a state of suspended bliss, thinking fuzzily that it was just as well she could control her power now. Then, unwillingly, they parted for air.

"I think... I..."

"I know." He let their foreheads touch. "I've always known. I think I' felt something for you all this time, but I was afraid. I was afraid of making ties. I knew I'd have to leave someday..."

"It's Ok." She hugged him. "I'm here. I'll always be with you now. We'll go, won't we? We'll keep going until you find out who you are..."

"Yes. And we'll be together, because we understand each other... Because we've been through the same things... And I'll look after you."

Nothing can stop this, not now I love you
They're not gonna get us
They're not gonna get us
Nothing can stop this, not now I love you
They're not gonna get us
They're not gonna get us
They're not gonna get us
Not gonna get us
Not gonna get us

We'll run away, keep everything simple
Night will come down, our guardian angel
We rush ahead, the crossroads are empty
Our spirits rise, they're not gonna get us

My love for you, always forever
Just you and me, all else is nothing
Not going back, not going back there
They don't understand
They don't understand us

The next morning, Rogue wondered for a moment why she was fully dressed under a scratchy blanket and not in her bed at the institute. Then she turned and saw Logan, and she recalled what had happened. He woke up and saw her watching, and smiled slightly. She closed her eyes briefly. God, he looked so cute.

"Hey, Marie."

She chuckled, "You know, you're the only one who's ever called me that."

"Would you rather I call you Rogue like everyone else?"

"No. I don't mind. You're not everyone else."

They set off after a light breakfast. Rogue looked sideways Logan, and started laughing.

"What?"

"Nothing. It's just - " she grinned. "You might have learnt to wear a seatbelt by now. And, well, I don't want anything to happen to you. Not again." She blushed.

Logan shook his head, but stopped and put his seatbelt on. "There. Happy?"

She laughed again. It was a very comfortable feeling, being with Logan, away from the institute. She knew she would never feel comfortable as part of a group of mutants, especially after the things she had been through. She was meant to be free, like him.

Not gonna get us
Not gonna get us

Nothing can stop this, not now I love you
They're not gonna get us
They're not gonna get us

Nothing can stop this, not now I love you
They're not gonna get us
They're not gonna get us
They're not gonna get us

Not gonna get us
Not gonna get us

After a while, the cold started biting into her, and she blew on her hands. It would be a hard life, on the road. Harder, even, than life alone, trying to be normal. But she wasn't alone. She would always have him. She would always have Logan.

They would always have each other.