Chapter 1

Hunger called to Logan, forcing his thoughts to the here and now. “How stupid would that look? I wreck Scott’s bike five hour away ‘cus I passed out from hunger.” When he went through the toll both, he asked the guy for some place to eat.

“Bev’s. Turn right, Stop Seven turns into Cider when you get to the end of Cider your gonna turn left, that’ll be Utica St. You go a few blocks, turn left at Green.”

“Right, left, left. Bev’s.” Logan went over the directions.

“Yeah. Her minestrone the best.” The toll worker called as Logan pulled away.

“The both guy was right.” Logan thought as he gulped down his third cup of coffee. “The minestrone is good.” Shoving down two rolls Logan again reached for his cup then remembered it was empty. “I should have told her to leave the pot.” He thought.

“You need some help, honey?” Logan looked at the girl sitting down the counter from him and almost choked. She stood up, walked behind the counter, and grabbed the coffeepot. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” She said as she filled his cup. Logan could here the laughter in her voice. He knew that his silence was rude, but his mind was working way to fast trying to tell that this wasn’t, couldn’t be Marie.

“Naomi.” The girl offered as she sat back down.

“Logan.” He managed to reply.

What was this? She had dark blond hair that came just past her shoulders; Marie’s was so much darker, longer with the white streaks. Marie came to his chin; this girl might just have an inch or two on him. So, what was it about her that made his mind scream “Marie”?

“Logan.” She almost rolled his name out. “What brings you to our little part of the world?”

He looked at her, “Wadda mean, what brings me here?” he never like people who thought they knew every thing about him. It was one of the things that ranked him about Scott.

The girl just gave a small laugh, “Well, crowded as Bev’s can some times be, right now I know every one here but you. Also, I know every bike and rider in a 20-mile radius. I’ve never seen a bike like the one out there.” The look that passed over her face was almost sexual.

“That’s a bike that you don’t soon forget.” Logan almost fell off the stool. That she could tell a new comer by his bike, impressive. Well, with a reason like that he should answer her question. “I was hungry.”

Damn, she gave him the same look that Marie did when he said something obvious. The one that said, “what is wrong with you” but in a nice way. “I’m on my way down state. I have eaten since Canada, so…” She looked at him, almost giggling. “The eyes.” He thought, glad to have something to put his finger on and say “Marie” “and that little laugh, like she’s remembering a funny story about you.”

“Going home to your girl.” The way she said it, like he had on a shirt that said “Goin’ to get Jean” or something. It made him a little uncomfortable. “No, I’ve been working and have to report back.” It was half the truth. She held her head to the side and looked at him for a second.

“She ain’t yours yet.” He heard her laugh and knew it was from the way his mouth had fell open. “Tell me about her.”

---

The X-Men were assembled in the conference room off of Professor Xavier’s study. Scott was briefing the team on some new information that had just come in. “His name is Moore and he has been attached to several different cases of mutant experimentation. From the information we have it looks is if the, ah, ‘good’ doctor has retired from that branch of medicine and is starting a privet practice. We think that he might have records from the projects he worked on, records that could serve in locating other mutants.” A quick look around the table told Scott that the others shared his opinion. “Also, since this is a simple task, I think we could give it to Rogue.”

Jean spoke up; “Do you really think she’s ready?”

“Yes,” Scott said without hesitation. “She has proven her desire to help, her studies are above average, she has been building up her time in the danger room. I think this would be a perfect way to say that we have seen her work and are willing to except her as part of the team.”

The room was silent until the voice they all looked to spoke “Expectance, it’s something everyone craves.” Charles said softly. “She can go.”

---

Marie was coming out of lunch when Scott found her. “Rogue, I need to talk to you.” As she said a quick “Bye” to the kids that were with her, she wondered what was happening. “The team has been talking, and we have seen how much effort you’ve been giving. And, well, a run has come up that we want to come on. Nothing to…” Scott was cut off by a sharp “What?!” from Marie. “You mean I’m coming, I can, you want me to help.” Marie was trying her hardest not to jump up and down. “Now Rogue, It’s just a document retrieval.” Scott didn’t want her to be disappointed. “But yes, we think this would be perfect for your first, ‘official’ mission.” Marie shook her head; she didn’t care what it was. The X-men wanted her. Scott smiled, “Get a suite and meet me in the garage in an hour.” “Oh, yeah. I mean yes, I’ll be there.” Scott walked away. “My first mission.” Marie couldn’t help it. She started run down the hall to get her suite.

Fifteen minutes found Marie in her room; she had put the suite on and was braiding her hair. “So I’ll be a little early.” She thought, “Scott won’t say anything, but he’ll get that “trying not to laugh” look.” Marie sighed, “I’ll just wait here until its time.” “Who cares? Scott’s a pansy anyway.” The last thought had a different sound in her head. “God Logan, even when your not here you can be a pain in the ass.”

Marie stood up and look herself over in the mirror, “Well, at lest I look like one of the X-Men.” After putting away her hair thing and grabbing her Walkman, she said to herself, “If anyone asks, I’m doing some relaxation techniques.”

---

Logan sat in the garage, trying to finish off his cigar, when he heard someone come in, singing. “I need your arms to hold me now, the nights are so unkind. Bring back
that night when you held me beside you.” Logan wasn’t ready to see anyone just yet, and he didn’t think that whoever was singing wanted to see anyone ether. “Just don’t turn on the lights.” He slid onto the floor next to the bike. The lights stayed off. “Good.” No one could see him now unless they stepped on him.

“Unbrake my heart, say you love me again. Undo this hurt you caused, when you walked out the door, and walked out of my life. Uncry these tears, I’ve cried so many nights. Unbrake my heart. My heart.”

“Damn, whoever that is must really be hurtin’.” Logan thought. He turned his head around the back of the bike, trying to see who it was.

“Take back that sad word ‘good-bye’, bring back the joy to my life. Don’t leave me with these tears, come, and kiss this pain away. I can’t forget the day we laughed, time is so unkind. And life is so cruel without you here, beside me.”

She was in the X-Men uniform, but Logan knew that it wasn’t Jean, or Ororo. “Must have added some new blood.” Logan could see a Walkman in her hand, “Off in her own little world.”

“Unbrake my heart, say you love me again. Undo this hurt you caused, when you walked out the door, and walked out of my life. Uncry these tears, I’ve cried so many nights. Unbrake my heart. My heart.”

She stopped singing and started a dance. One of her twists brought her face into the sunlight and Logan’s cigar fell on the floor. The woman poring herself into the song, the one who was dancing so seductively, the one in the X-men uniform, was Marie.

“Don’t leave me in all this pain. Don’t leave me out in the rain. Bring back that night when you held me beside you.”

Logan stood up, this was one of the meetings he had run through several times in the last five hours, and never had he thought it would be like this. He had thought of a few different things to say, but now the all fled from him at the sight of Marie like this.

“Unbrake my heart, say you love me again. Undo this hurt you caused, when you walked out the door, and walked out of my life. Uncry these tears, I’ve cried so many, many nights. Oh, Unbrake my, unbrake my heart. Oh baby, come back and say you love me. Unbrake my heart, sweat darling. Without you I just a can’t go on.”

Marie loved this song, it expressed her feelings so perfectly. As good as life at the school is, without Logan it was just missing something. She knew that Jean thought it was just a crush, hero worship, and it might have been, at first. But after the nightmares, the memories, finding out all he had dealt with in the last few years. It took her breath away. Also, Marie had Logan’s first impression of her the day they met in the bar, and, well…

Marie thought about how she had first seen Logan, what had attracted her to him. His eyes had to be the first, the way they are so dark they sparkle. Then his hair, his facial hair to be precise. Marie loved it. She could almost imagine that he was right in front of her, his hair mused from the wind, his jacket dusty, the ever-permanent cigar shoved to one side of his mouth causing a lop-sided grin. Scott’s voice cut into her daydream, “Baby, your back!”

Marie looked behind her to see Scott in the door; he quickly ran past her and knelt by his bike, lovingly wiping some dirt of the fender. Marie turned back to Logan, the real, flesh and blood Logan. “Hey kid.”

---

Chapter 2

“I think this is the last of it.” Rouge said, handing a box to Cyclops. They were standing next to the holding hatch of the blackbird, putting in the boxes of files they had found. “Why don’t you take one more quick look while I start the jet?” Scott asked. Rouge gave a nod, “I’ll be back in a minute.”

Rogue walked briskly through the storage building, scanning from left to right, looking to see if anything was forgotten. A small noise made her jump, ‘there’s no one here, I’m just imagining things.’ She turned towards the door and felt a stinging in her neck, after a quick sway she fell to the floor.

Scott was getting worried, he had started the jet, and was ready to go the second Rouge got back, but she wasn’t back. He knew it would take her more then ‘a minute’ but she should be here by now. ‘What could be taking so long? We got everything, she was just looking to see if anything dropped.’ Undoing his buckle, Cyclops walked to the ramp. ‘Where is she?’ The sound of tires brought Scott to the bottom of the steps.

Racing back into the plane and taking off, Scott kept repeating the license number of the van that had taken Rogue.

---

Jean stood in the door to the game room, observing, studying, trying to theorize the course of action that would bring about the best possible end reaction. Logan was staring at his dog tags, watching the sun reflect on them. He knew Jean wanted to talk to him and he wouldn’t stop her, but he wasn’t going to start it either. So, for now, he pretended that he hadn’t heard her footfalls or the fact that she had talked to herself before entering the doorway. He would just continue to look at the tags and replay his conversation with Marie.

Marie had been in the middle of singing her heart out when Cyke had burst into the garage, alerting Marie to his presents. “Hey kid.” He had said, feeling like he had been caught spying on her. “Logan?” she put so much into his name: questions, surprise, some fear ‘she didn’t think anyone was around to hear her’, and the smallest bit of… desire?

It couldn’t be, but, my god, she had grown in the time he was gone. She looked remarkably at home in her X-Men uniform. “You running again?” the memory of the train station came to him, the Marie of that day a sharp contrast to the one before him.

“My first mission,” she had said proudly. “Mission?” he choked out, the one mission he had gone on coming to a sharp focus. “Is the Brotherhood really that bad?” he asked, trying to keep the fear from his voice. She must have caught it anyway, because she answered quickly, “It’s nothing like that, it’s just a document pick up. That’s why I’m going, nothing for me to get hurt on.” “Oh” the thought of Marie being sent out to fight had scared him more then he was willing to admit. “Hey,” she said, stepping closer to him. “I’ll be back for these.” She pulled the tags from a small pocket along her leg and handed them to him with a wink.

“Rogue, we need to go.” Scott’s voice had taken Marie to the door where she turn back, “Did you find anything?” she asked. Concern evident in her eyes. He smiled at her, “We’ll talk after your mission.”

Jean had formulated an approach and was now walking towards Logan, “Logan, we need your help.”

---

Rogue had no clue how long she had been in this place, whoever was behind this had given orders to keep her drugged most of the time. All she had was flashes of wakefulness.

Brightness, too much light, she was on a… table? Voices.

“Well, of course she’s mutated. We just need to find out how.” “Do you think the gloves have something to do with it? Her touch or something?” “It could be, tell everyone to double glove with her.”

No! Her skin was pulling, trying to absorb. She tried to speak, to warn, but couldn’t. The pulling stopped and she waited for the memories to come, the horrible sounds of a personality trying to take over. It didn’t come. What was happening?

“Placed rat on subject’s bare skin, rat died after thirty seconds. Further analysis will be done to determine cause of death.”

Pain, stinging in her back.

“Port three is in place, starting on port four. God Damn! Someone put her back under. She’ll pull them out!!”

Her thigh was tingling. Looking down. A hand on her thigh. A tattoo gun. Letters.

---

Rogue woke up to find herself alone in a room. Looking around she couldn’t see anyone else. She stood slowly, her legs feeling weak. After getting use to standing, she began to look around. She was in a sleep alcove, stepping out, Marie found her self in a room with a small table, a sofa, and an entertainment center. Going through a door, she found the bathroom and realized that this is what had woken her up, the need for a restroom.

Coming back into the living room, Rogue walked over to the shelves, rows of books, videos, and CD’s greeted her. What was going on?

A door opened and a man with a tray walked in. “You’re up, good. And how does your back feel?” Rogue just looked at him. “Your back,” he prompted. “How does it feel?” “What is this? What do you want?” Rogue asked. “You’re confused, I understand. A lot has happened in the last week, you eat and I’ll try to answer any questions you have.” He placed the tray on the table and lifted the lid. “Chicken breast, carrots, and a Caesar salad. Simple, but nutritious.” Rogue sat down warily, “Please, ask anything.” the man said. “Who are you?” “A good place to start, I’m Roger Moore, Dr. Moore.” “What is this thing on my back?” Rogue’s hand want to the small of her back as she said this. Under her shirt she could feel the box and the band that held it in place. “Well, simply put, a battery pack. We did some tests on your mutation and discovered you… well put an electrical drain on living things. The pack releases a small charge to keep you balanced, thus allowing touch.” “I can touch?”

“Freely my dear.” Rogue looked at the doctor in confusion; “You did experiments on mutants, why are you helping me?” “I must admit to selfish reasons. I have been part of an ongoing project, and we had need of a female.” Rogue could feel the blood starting to drain from her face. “What?” “We will keep you here for less then a year and then you will be free to go.” “What are you going to do to me?” her voice was so soft she almost didn’t hear herself, but the doctor did. “It’s already done, for almost fifteen years we, the project, have been trying to produce a new subject. We have had woman from every age rang, background, none of them, well, took.” Marie thought she might pass out, “It will be a few days before we’re certain, but we have high hopes for you. In the mean time, you will be treated like royalty, if you want anything, just use this call box.”

Rogue look at the phone type thing next to the door the doctor had come in. “I have something I must attend to, but we will see each other soon.” Marie tried hard not to throw up as Dr. Moore left. She was unsuccessful.

---

Logan hadn’t slept in six days; he couldn’t stand the thoughts that came when he tried too. Thoughts of Marie, of what might be happing to her. He had tried at first, nightmares were something he lived with, but his nightmares had taken a new twist, instead of him in a tank with lines all over his body, it was Marie. After that dream Logan refused to sleep, instead he spent that time in the danger room or the gym. He was in the gym when Ororo came; “The Professor has found her.”

---

Marie wouldn’t do it, she couldn’t. She was not going to allow any pain to be inflicted on another. Even if it meant her life in the process. Thinking of the warning notes on her hairdryer and the battery pack, she came up with a plan.

Sit on the edge of tub as it filled, Rogue stared at her jean clad leg, tracing the word on her thigh, even thought she couldn’t see it. “No regrets.” She told herself. ‘I only wish I could have told Logan I love him.’ Rogue swung her legs into the tub and slowly started to lower herself the rest of the way. The first shock made her pull up out of the water. ‘I can’t let them do this.’

With a firm resolution, Rogue let herself drop.

---

Logan was tense, everything had gone to plan; the team had met with only two guards that were quickly silenced. Now they were splitting up. “Jean, you and Storm go the living quarters, see if you can find her there. Logan, you and I will take the labs, see if we can’t find out what’s going on.”

Logan looked at Scott; the two men had developed a small bond over the past week. Logan had gone looking for Cyclops after the first nightmare, wanting blood. He had found him in the gym, covered in sweat, and crying. That was enough to stop the animal side, to see that Scott blamed himself more then Logan did. There wasn’t any big break through, no heart-to-heart, but Scott did show Logan the danger room.

The two men were now in the lab and Logan was itching to be let lose. The surgical table, the rows of instruments, the freezers, Hell, even the file cabinets made his skin crawl. “Please tell me that we’re going to destroy this.”

He said to Scott. He waited and finally Scott said, “Once we have Rogue, you can start with the freezers.” Logan raised an eyebrow, “Freezers?” he asked. Scott clarified, “They’re storing mutant… D.N.A. The less the have the better. Do you agree?” Logan had to admit that was a good plan, now they just need to hear Storm’s voice over the com. saying she and Jean had found Marie.

The com. didn’t speak, instead, the building’s intercom was heard, “Med. team to living area, Med. team to living area.”

Locking eyes, Scott asked, “Can you take care of this. I think I’d be more help in the living area.” “Do you want any of this left?” was Logan’s only question.

---

“We have her!” The cry didn’t come from the com. ‘Jean’. After disabling the last remaining things in the lab, Logan took off running for the Blackbird. After pulling himself in, the first thing Logan did was look for Marie. “What happened?” he asked.

“She has some kind of electrical box wired to her back.” Jean replied.

“Is that why a med. team was called?” Logan asked.

“No.” With a prompting look from Logan, Jean continued softly, “She… she, well, she…”

“Spit it the fuck out Red!”

“She tried to short out the box in the bathtub.” Storm supplied, coming to Jean’s aid.

Logan couldn’t help himself; the claws came out as he gave a deep growl. After bringing himself under enough control to sheath his claws, he asked, “Do you know why?”

Jean shook her head, “Other then the box, I can’t tell what they did to her. She was only there a week. I can only hope that it’s the only thing they had time to…”

Jean stopped at a sound from Rogue. The doctor was at her side in a heartbeat, shushing and checking at the same time. “We have you Rogue, everything will be fine. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the box. It’s all right.”

“No.” it was so soft that Jean almost missed it.

“What’s wrong, honey?What do you need?”

Rogue looked at the doctor, “Read” she managed to say.

Jean looked at the young woman then slowly cleared her mind, using what the had taught her, as she tried to find what Rogue was unable to say.

Logan watched the scene before him, he felt almost high from the fact that Marie had spoken. So what if it was only two words. She was going to be all right. That train of thought crashed as Jean’s eyes flew open. “Oh my God!”

---

Chapter 3

Charles could feel the anticipation in the air. He didn’t need to use his powers to know what, or rather who, everyone was thinking of. Indeed, his mind was on her as well, but dwelling on it could begin to unnerve the team, and that would not be good.

“Scott, tell me about the mission.” Scott just gave the Professor a blank look for a minute, then quickly slipped in “leader mode”. Moving to the front of the room, he began.

“The flight was uneventful, we made it there two minutes under the ETA. We first disabled the outside guards, the moved quickly to the interior. Once in, we split into two teams, thus lessening the search time. Logan and I came to the lab. I had only a few minutes to look over the files when the building's intercom called for a med. team. Thinking Jean and Ororo might be in need of some help, I went to find them.”

Scott paused for a sip of water, then continued. “The files I did have time to look at referred to stored mutant DNA. So before I left, I gave Logan an order to destroy any freezers or storage units.” “Didn’t leave a damn thing.” When Logan felt the eyes on him, he added, “I never did like labs.”

---

Rogue was sleeping, half way into a R.E.M cycle according to one of the monitors. That meant Jean could finally have some rest of her own. Well, after she apprised the Professor of Rogue’s condition.

Jean turned off the lights and started for the elevator. During the ride to the main floor, Jean struggled with just how to explain what had happened to Rogue. Clinical terms simply were too cold. Rogue was a favorite everywhere she went, Jean just couldn’t think for her as a ‘subject’.

Walking to the door of the Professor’s study, Jean could hear Scott’s voice, “The Professor must have asked for a briefing.” Logan’s voice cut in and there was a small silence. Jean softly opened the door to hear him continue, “I never did like labs.”

“Understandable.” Xavier said. “Ah, Jean. Scott was just telling us about the
mission, but that can wait. You came to tell us something?”

Taking a deep breath, Jean spoke. “Rogue received a mid-level electrical shock, she is now stable and sleeping.” “In the jet, you said something ‘bout a box in her back. What’s that about?” Logan asked.

“Show time.” “For the average person too much electricity is harmful. It splits the nerve endings, rendering them incapable of sending or receiving. For Rogue, it is almost the opposite. Her body craves electricity; so much so, that when her skin comes in contact with an electrical source, such as electrical impulses in the brain, it tries to pull in as much as possible. Dr. Moore’s answer to this was a direct voltage feed to Rogue’s spinal column.” “How did you learn this, Jean?” Ororo questioned. “In the Blackbird Rogue opened her thoughts to me, letting me see what she had been told.” “Ya’ still haven’t said what the box is for.” “It is a battery pack, it provides the currant need for Rogue to have” Jean paused for a breath, “For Rogue to have skin to skin contact.” Jean couldn’t have gotten this sort of response if she had suddenly started stripping on the Professors desk. The air in the room was cut in half by the intake of breath from the other four occupants. “And that ain’t the half of it!” she thought to herself.

“Jean,” Charles was the first to recover. “Scott was just saying something about DNA storage before you came in. Do you think that’s what was planed for Rogue?” “No.” “You say that quite confidently. Did Rogue know about this?” the professor asked.

“The stored matter, it…” Jean let out a small puff of air. “I mean, Rouge was told…”

“Jean, what is it?” Scott’s voice was soft, but it still had an edge in. He used that tone often with teens who came looking for answer to a question they were scared to ask.

Jean let the answer out in one quick breath, almost mumbling. “They were storing sperm” “What!!” Logan’s claws were out, “What’d ya mean, …sperm?” Jean couldn’t avoid it any longer, “Just best to get it over with.”

“Rogue is pregnant.”

---

Chapter 4


Logan stood in a small grove behind the house, smoking a cigar and trying to think of nothing. Puff… puff… puff… “Bastards!” The tree next to him now had three holes in it. “Don’t think about it. Think about anything else. Like, Scott in pink bunny slippers, or the Professor singin’ a ‘N Sync song, or Marie singin’ a lullaby. God Damn!” Three more holes.

“I don’t think the tree likes that.”

Logan looked up to see Ororo working at a flowerbed not far from him. Taking a glance at the tree, Logan countered, “It gets more air this way.”

“Oh, I see. You are helping it.” “Yeah.” “Well, if you are done helping the tree, you can come and help me. This one weed is vary stubborn.”

Logan let out a single claw and started to cut at the ground. As he pulled the weed out Ororo asked, “Would you get any others that look like that?”

After pulling out several of the tall green sticks, Logan asked, “Why do you do it?”

“Do what Logan?” Ororo looked up at him.

“This, with the plants.” Logan picked up one of the weeds he had pulled and held it next to a flower. “I mean this green thing looks just like that green thing.”

“Yes, I suppose it does. But if you come out here tomorrow these will have their blossoms.” Ororo stood and gathered the pile of weeds Logan had pulled. “Flowers are like that. They all look alike at first. But put them in some heat and their true colors will show. Just like people I suppose.” She put the weed in a bucket and started to walk away.

“Are you trying to tell me somethin’?” Logan yelled after her. “’Cus all this “lets talk in story” crap doesn’t work for me.”

Ororo walked back a few steps. Logan could feel a brisk breeze start. “In some ways she is older then any of us. Marie’s lived through worse, she can handle this.” At that, Ororo turned away. As she got further away the breeze died down.

“She’s lived through worse then this. Yeah, like being forced to hitchhike, being stabbed through the chest, having a train car ripped to shreds around her, almost dying.”

Logan started pacing, the desire to fight someone, something, growing. “God, I wish we could just do this week over. I’d be … God I’d be back at that dinner eating soup and getting advice on Jean.” With a bark of sarcastic laughter he clawed the tree again.

---

Marie sat in the bed trying to eat. The events of the past 24 hours whirled madly through her mind. The desperate decision to end her life rather then provide the horrible doctors with what they wanted, the pain that coursed through her as the electric shock took its toll on her body, waking in the Blackbird, and, finally, being back at the mansion. Safe.

“But now what?”

Marie knew that soon she would have to share all the information she had, including the tattoo on the thigh. Jane had promised her that piece of news was all hers to share. “You have to tell him before anyone else, Marie.”

And Jean was right. Marie knew that, but still…

“I thought I said no doing anything to hard.” Jean walked into the room, “If you keep up all that thinking you’ll give Xavier a run for the title ‘hardest working brain’.”

Marie gave a small smile. Jean was trying to make her feel better, but Marie still couldn’t see a way through this without hurting… “Is Logan still here?”

“Still here?” Jean gave a small laugh. “I know that Logan doesn’t stay in one spot for to long. But after all the worry he went through this last week there’s no way he’d leave without even seeing you.” Jean brought a pile of clothing over to the bed. “Why don’t you get dressed and go talk to the Professor. Logan will still be here when you’re done.”

---

Everything was the same. Same hallways, same lobby, same stairs, same door, same office. All the same as the last time. “The only thing that changed is me.”

“Is change a bad thing?”

Same Professor.

“Oh Marie…” He wheeled over to the sofa where the crying girl had sat. “We’ll take care of you, all of us. You’ll never need feel that you’re facing this by yourself.”

“It’s just… I have wanted children, but I never thought… I mean, I thought it would be…” Marie tried to put all the thoughts and feelings of the past week into words.

Xavier understood, “Why don’t you start with facts. We can work our way from there.” When Marie had brought her tears into check he asked, “What happened at the warehouse. Scott told us that he sent you to do a quick check.”

This was something she could talk about. “I did that, on my way out I was tripped and blacked out. I was kept unconscious for almost five days. During that time I was taken to the lab where you found me. The doctors there did some testing and found an answer for my skin.”

---

Chapter 5

It had been a summer of change.

Almost twenty students had changed to graduates. Seven of the graduates had changed to new X-Men trainees. Three of the old trainees had changed to X-Men. The first time Shadow Cat, IceMan, and Jubilee had lead a mission on their own was proof of the changes that were taking place at the school.

By right, there should have been four new team members, but Rogue had made changes of her own.

---

“I love you Jean, but I’m as big as a prize blue fin tuna.” Marie found a spot to sit that wasn’t taken over with dresses, fabric samples, and other wedding choices. “By the time of the ceremony, I’ll look like a whale. I’m sure you don’t want a bridesmaid that has to waddle down the aisle.”

“Everyone there will have seen you waddling before then.” Jean held up a square of royal blue cloth, “Beside, Scott has four groomsmen, so I need four bridesmaids. What do you think of this one?”

“It won’t go with Jubilee skin tone.”

Jean put the blue cloth down and picked up one that was wine colored.

“It would be lost on Ororo.”

Jean looked through the pile once more, “This?”

“I like it, but then most of my wardrobe is green.”

“Then that’s it. You’ll have green, Kitty blue, Jubilee the wine, and Ororo, um, silver.”

Marie thought for a minute. “With green, blue, and red embroidery?”

“Perfect! It must be the ‘nesting instinct’ coming out.” Jean ducked the ball of fabric that came her way. “In my defense, it’s better then the other, ah hm, urges you’ve had.”

Marie laughed, “Your right, I’ve never been so horny. That’s why you need to be married when you get pregnant, so you have someone with an obligation to have sex with you.”

Jean started to thumb through a book of flower arrangements. “Logan’s taken on the job of being your personal assistant in everything else.” A teasing smile crept onto her face. “You might ask him to itch that scratch for you.”

After a full minute with out an answer Jean looked up. Marie’s eyes had taken on a faraway look and there was sadness in her mouth.

“You still haven’t told him?”

Tears started to slip down her cheeks. “How can I Jean? He’s been so wonderful, and I, I…”

“You love him.” Jean finished for her. “Logan’s strong Marie, he should know.”

“But what if it changes everything?”

---

Everything was the same. Same lobby, same booths, same soup, same stools, same old guys on the stools. All the same as the last time. “The only thing that changed is me.”

After giving his order to the waitress, Logan thought back to that afternoon and what he overheard Marie saying. “She loves me.”

“Well good.”

Logan looked at the girl who just sat down across from him. “I’m Jenn.” She held out her hand. “Naomi told me about you.”

“Did she now.” Logan shook the offered hand.

“Damn straight, I did.” Naomi set down Logan’s fish fry. “Jenn here likes a good bike just about as much as I do. And for some reason she’s just as interested in your story as I am.”

“There’s a new development,” Jenn took a sip of coffee. “She loves him.”

“Shut up!” Naomi sat down with a thump. “Really? Jean loves you?”

“What the hell just happened?” “Well, no.”

“But you said, ‘She loves me’.” Jenn slammed her cup down.

“It’s not Jean.” “God, it’s like I’m their own living soap opera.” “Let me catch you up.”

---

An hour and a half later the table was filled with napkins and coffee cups. Empty pie plates stood testament to the mental anguish the two girls had undergone on behalf of Marie and Logan.

“So, she loves you.” Jenn reaffirmed.

“Yup, God knows why. But she does.”

Naomi dragged the edge of her fork through a ring of coffee on the table. “Then there’s only one thing to do.”

“Maybe she’s a mutant and this is her power. The ability to fix any relationship problem.” “And what’s that Great and Powerful Yoda?”

“Ignore the parentage of the kid.” The ring had turned into a star.

“Nope, not a mutant.” “And that’ll fix everything will it?”

“Gosh, why are guys so dense?”

“Jenn, he’s to close to it all.”

“That doesn’t mean he can’t put two and two together to make four. Or do they count different in Canada?”

“That was low Jenn. Or should I remind you of a certain Robbie Tompson situation?”

“You two wanna talk like I’m still here.”

“What Jenn is trying to say is you should think of the baby as you own. You’ll have to move slowly with Marie, but you need to let her know that you feel the same way about her. That you love her.”

Logan reached up to itch his cheek while he thought, but before any thought could form Jenn interrupted. “Oh shit, is that the right time?”

Logan looked at his watch, “Yeah.”

“Crap, I’ve got to go.” Jenn stood up and put some money on the table. “For the bill. Let me know what happens.”

“I’ll see ya tomorrow!” Naomi shook her head. “Sorry, she’s always like that.”

“It’s okay.”

“So, what are you going to do about Marie? Besides making sure you’re the groomsman that escorts her for Jean’s wedding?”

“Well…” “Yeah, you’ve got to face it now bub.” “I can’t just forget about where the baby came from.”

“Logan,” Naomi reached out and took his hand. “It takes a strong man to love someone else’s child like it was theirs. I think that you’re a fairly strong guy. You’ve been wonderful so far, making sure she isn’t overdoing it, that she’s eating regularly, and did I hear you say that you rubbed her feet?” Logan’s heart jerked as she gave the smile that had first caught his eye five months ago, the one that was just like Marie’s. “It’s sounds like you have a good start.”

“But it’s not… The bastard that had Marie was the same, I mean, Oh damn it!” Logan pulled out of her grasp and let his claws out under the table. The pain served as something to focus on. Something to pull his mind off the picture of Marie and Jean sitting in the rec room talking about…

“Logan?”

“It’s mine. The baby that Marie is having is mine.”

---

Chapter 6

“Now there’s something wrong with this.” Bobby said as he tied his shoe. “Isn’t Scott the one that should be nervous?”

“You don’t think I’m nervous?” the sound of Scott’s voice told the other three men that the “fearless leader” was very much in a nervous state of mind.

“Well, yeah. But Logan looks like he’s gonna toss his cookies.”

“He does indeed Robert.” Hank held up three vests. “I have the green, however I don’t know what color you and Kurt have.”

Bobby thought a second, “Kurt’s with Ororo and she’s in silver, so I must have the red one.”

“I believe I heard Jean and the other women call it ‘wine’. It does have the same hue as a nice burgundy from the south of Napa.”

“Whatever Doc.” Bobby pulled on the vest, “Wine, red; it doesn’t get us closer to finding out what’s wrong with Logan.”

“Wait, I missed something.” Bobby’s words finally pierced Scott’s nerve rattled brain. “Why are we talking about Logan?”

“Robert thinks something is wrong with Logan.”

“Has anyone seen my vest!”

“Excuse me gentlemen.” Hank picked up the vest; “I shall be back.”

Scott picked up a lint brush and attacked his left sleeve. “So what do you think is wrong with Logan? Beside the obvious.”

“Well, he’s been… The last few weeks.” Bobby tried to think of a way to say it, “He just seems off, like he’s been thinking about something real big.”

“I think most any thought is big for Logan’s brain.”

“Scott! I’m serous. There’s something wrong and you’re the only person that seems to connect to him.”

“Me, what about Marie? They’re like two peas in a pod.” Scott started on the right sleeve.

“That’s what I’m saying, he won’t even talk to her!”

The lint brush fell to the floor. “He won’t talk to Marie?”

“That’s what I said. You’ve been thinking about the wedding, and that’s fine. But could you take a few minutes now and try to find out what’s wrong?” Bobby picked the brush up and handed it to Scott. “ It’ll give you something to take your mind of the waiting.

---

Logan had dragged a chair to one of the doors that opened onto the patio and was staring into space when Scott found him.

“Scott.”

“Logan.”

Silence fell as the two men looked out past the door to the decoration that where set up in the yard. Logan pulled out an unopened cigar, cut of the end with a claw and passed it to Scott. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks.”

Scott lit the cigar and took a long draw, “But don’t think this can get you out of it.”

“It was worth a try.” Logan took out his own cigar, “I didn’t think they’d let me go this long.”

“So what is it? The Leafs playing the Oilers this week? Trying out a new beer?”

Logan just sat there smoking.

“Come on Logan, give me something to work with.”

“I found out there was another part of the experiments.”

“God Logan.” Scott pulled up a chair. “When did this happen?”

“You remember that peace of shit that had Marie?”

“Yeah.”

“He would bring her dinner and talk to her. She found out about it.”

Scott sat for a minute, just thinking. “When did she tell you?”

Logan rolled the cigar back and forth in his hand. “She didn’t.”

“But you just said…”

“I said she found out. I didn’t say she told me.” Logan took a pull from the cigar. “I overheard her and Jean talkin’ about it.”

Scott was stunned. “Jean knows?”

“Yeah, she Marie’s doctor so…”

“But how does your past fit in with Marie’s health?”

“Turn’s out that in my past the doctors who worked on me took all kinds off samples. Blood samples, skin samples, sperm samples.”

“Sperm?” A horrible feeling came over Scott. Like a giant fist crushing him.

“Yup, like the stuff Marie got pregnant.”

“You mean?”

“Marie has no clue how to tell me the baby’s mine. And I have no clue how to tell her I know.”

“Scott! Logan!”

The men slowly stood up and put out their cigars. Scott had no idea of what could help Logan other then getting really drunk and just blurting out the truth to Marie. “But it is ironic.”

Logan looked at him.

“The one girl whose pants you haven’t gotten into is the girl you knock up.”

“You know, if it wasn’t your wedding day…”

The rest of the bridal party wondered what Scott and Logan were laughing over as they took their place for the ceremony.

---

“Okay guys, last chance! The pool closes in 60 seconds.”

A quick swirl of cash flowed to Bobby as bets were placed on just who would catch the bouquet. There was also a listing for who would finely walk away with it, and, for the really daring, who would come out with what injures.

“3, 2, 1. And we’re closed.”

The men turned their attention to the women. Just like a team taking the field before a game the single women at the party made their way to patio. As Jean appeared at the top of the steps leading from the house the women began to make the small movements that might help them gain an edge on their opponents, just like a defenseman readying for the kick-off. There was a moment of stillness as the flowers made a clean, crisp arc through the air. Once it came within arms reach all hell broke lose.

The group of gamblers watched, eager to find out who would win. Logan felt is if he already taken the pot. There was Marie, six months pregnant, wearing a sleeveless dress, pushing and shoving with the others. Now if only he could work out the rest of it.

“It’s mine! I’ll pull the plug! Mine!”

Marie made her way to Logan, waving the bouquet. “I caught it!”

“That you did sweetheart.”

“Marie!” The sound of one very mad Jubilation Lee rang out.

“You wouldn’t hurt a pregnant women, Jubes.” Marie started to edge away from the
table, “Remember, I’m pregnant!”

Marie took off with Jubilee close on her heels. “I had it, Marie. And you know it.”

“Only by one stem.” They had run to the edges of the crowd, and the fight for the bouquet, and Marie was finished.

“Here,” Marie softly fell to the grass. “I can’t run any more.”

“Ha!” Jubilee grabbed the flowers from Marie and began a victory dance.

Marie rolled to her left side trying to get up. “I need help.”

Jubilee looked down at her. “Ah, the whale runs aground.”

“Shut up Jubilee and give me your hand.”

After a minute of puffing, grunting, and pulling Marie was off the ground. “That’s it. I need a nap. And something to drink. ”

“Marie! What about the baby?”

“Not that kind of drink.”

As she walked away Marie couldn’t help add. “Dumbass.”

“Logan! I had an idea about your problem!” Scott’s voice reach Marie’s ears as she walked down the hall to her room, but she couldn’t see him, or Logan. But she could hear them.

“What problem?”

“With Marie.”

Suddenly she wasn’t quite so tired.

“Well two really. One, you could get really drunk and blurt it out that you know everything about the baby.”

“And what’s your other brilliant idea?”

“You find her at a quite moment, sit her down, and tell her the truth.”

“The truth?”

“Yes you idiot, the truth. You say, Marie, I love you. Whatever other problems there are to face we work out, but I love you.”

Marie’s hand flew to her mouth. Logan knew! He knew and he loved her. Logan loved her!!!

“You really think that will work?”

Marie stepped around the corner. “It will.”

Logan and Scott quickly looked up. “Um, well… I think Jean’s waiting. It’s almost time for us to leave.”

As Scott made he’s get away, Logan drew up his courage. “It worked?”

“Well, it did get the important information across.”

Marie started towards her room, all the evens of the day setting right on her shoulders and her lower neck.

“Marie?” Logan followed her.

“I need to sit down. Then we can talk.”

Marie took a pair of sweat pants from her drawer and sat down on the bed. She took off one shoe, then the other, all the time aware of Logan watching her. She slipped her pants on under her dress then turned her back to Logan. “Unzip me?”

Logan slowly reached a hand out to take the zipper pull. His other hand rested lightly on Marie’s back. That sight mesmerized him. He was touching her skin. He might not have another chance. This could be the last time. But she didn’t sound mad when she found Scott and him.

“Thank you.” Marie moved to hang the dress.

Logan stepped back, ready for whatever would come next.

Marie just looked him, “Poor Logan. He looks like he’s about to die.” She sat down on her bed, trying to find a comfortable spot. “God, this has been a long day.” Logan still stood there. “Would you mind rubbing my feet?”

Logan could breath again. Marie wasn’t mad at him. She wasn’t mad that he knew, wasn’t mad that he loved her.

Logan sat down and brought her feet into his lap. When he started to rub Marie let out a long sigh. As he finished the first foot and moved to the second Marie began to talk.

“So, you know.”

“I know.”

“Everything?”

“I had to fill in a few spots, but I think I have it.” He set her foot down and made her turn around. He started working the knots out of her shoulders. “You were taken by some creep that was connected to whoever had fun with me. While you where there, they found a way to turn off your skin, then they did this.”

Logan’s hand drifted to Marie’s stomach. “We found you and brought you home.”

“Mm Hum.” Marie let her head rest against Logan’s shoulder.

“Along the way we realized we loved each other. I heard you tell Jean, you heard me tell Scott, and here we are.”

“So you love me?”

“With all my heart.”

“I love you.”

“I know.” Logan turned his head so his lips could find Marie’s.

---

“There are a few things you missed.”

“Like what?” Logan didn’t really care. He had gotten Marie, anything else was cake.

“Like I got a tattoo.”

Logan sat up. “You got a tattoo! When?”

“That week.” She waved a hand over her stomach.

“Oh.”

Marie smiled at him. “You didn’t ask what it is.”

Logan wasn’t sure if he wanted to know.

Marie rolled the top of her sweats down.

“This is good. Marie taking off clothes is always good.”

Marie looked at him over her shoulder. “Can you see it?”

Logan felt a grin brake out. “I see it.” He reached out a finger and ran it over the words. “Property of Wolverine”.

---

Chapter 7

It had taken three months for Logan and Marie to work out the kinks, both as a couple and as part of the X-Men.

Logan would be the new Shop and P.E. teacher for the school. For the team he would be the Training Leader. Marie would be teaching 8th, 9th, and 10th grade Spanish and serving as Procurement and Logistics manager for the B team. Ororo and Kurt had worked out a timetable of who could watch the baby when Logan and Marie where teaching, and the three 12th graders were still fighting over who would watch the baby during missions. Every angle had been thought out and covered. The only thing that was left was the baby, and that was on the way.

---

“Push Marie, that’s it, push.” Ororo voice was calm, even as contractions rippled through Marie’s abdominal muscles. Marie’s voice however was not as calm.

“Ahggggggggggg!”

“Good Marie. That was beautiful.” Ororo formed a small cloud between her hands and passed over Marie’s face. “Just a few more like that and we’ll be done.”

“Mha?”

Jean’s head popped up from between Marie’s knees, “I can see the head!”

“Head?”

Jean smiled, “A very, very hairy head.”

“Ooohhh, fuuuuuUUUUUUUUCK!”

---

“It’s time!”

The noise level in the dinning room shot up as all the students rushed to get a seat, then fell to a respectful silence as Professor Xavier started to speak.

“As we start the holiday season, this time when the idea of peace, no matter how small, is found in everyone’s hearts. A time when our thoughts turn to the New Year and the new start it gives us, we here at the school have an extra reason to celebrate. At this time last year the mutant community was wondering when the next blow would come. Bobby, Kitty, Jubilation Lee, and Marie were mere trainees, Logan was off in Canada looking for his past, and we at the school were taking bets on when Scott and Jean would set a date. Now, the talk of mutant registration is dying. IceMan, Shadow Cat, and Jubilee are valuable members of the X-Men. And we finally were able to address Jean as Dr. Summers.

But the new starts I rejoice in most are those of Logan and Marie. Marie, last year our separate Rogue, now has her arms full of love. Logan is now looking to his future. A future that is tied into Marie’s; tied both by their love for each other and by the arrival of James Charles Logan.

I ask you to now raise your glasses with me in celebration of these changes”

---

It was later, after the holiday party had ended, Logan found Marie standing by the bassinet. Logan stared at the way the moonlight lit her streaks and made her eyes glow.

“Was he right?”

Marie looked up with a small smile on her lips. “Was who right about what?”

“The Professor.” Logan reached out to her, “When he said our futures were tied.”

Marie stepped into Logan’s arms, a memory coming back to her as she did. “There’s no way you can get rid of me now. You unbroke my heart.”


The End