It was Rogue's night to pick the movie.

Last week, Logan had, in true form, gone for some Van Damme action flick. Not that she really minded watching a big, burly macho man, but it wasn't exactly a cinematic masterpiece. Usually, she went for some sort of drama- something not overly girlie, but with at least enough acting to form some sort of discernable plot. This week, however, she was utterly baffled at what to choose. And it wasn't completely her fault. Things had become... interesting the past few weeks. First off, Logan had taken to wearing gloves. It wasn't such a big deal at first- in fact, Rogue had been trying to convince him to wear them for some time- to put her more at ease around him- since he insisted she wear something comfortable with him. Comfortable was a pair of flannel pyjama shorts and a tank top, but that was a lot of poison skin to show off around a man who also liked to, for some reason completely unknown to her, wrap his arm snugly around her shoulders. So, she started showing up comfortable, and he wore a flannel shirt and gloves. And that's where things got interesting. Those gloved hands had started doing more than resting comfortably on her showered... They had moved to caress the skin exposed between her shirt and waist of her shorts, the sensitive nerves of her lower back bringing other more noticeable nerves to stiff attention, and starting a chain reaction of very interesting, and disturbing thoughts in her head. And the Logan in her head agreed- he was cheering himself on, in fact. Which is why, this night, Rogue is standing in front of the Professor's considerable movie collection desperately trying to pick just one.

"Let's see... " she thought to herself, "Lolita? Naw, I'm not that young... Funny Face? Maybe... but could I ever get him to sit through that whole thang? I guess he'd watch Highlander- but would he really get the whole romance across age spans thang? Not very likely... he'll just drool over the swordplay..." Rogue tapped her foot and twisted her fingers in the dogtags she wore around her neck. "Clueless? Hah! He'd just make cracks about me an' Jubes an' Kitty. Grrrrrrr..." She tried her most menacing Logan-growl at the rack of tapes, but the only response she got was a throaty chuckle from some place behind her. Whirling around, she was surpassed to see Logan himself, in all his macho glory, leaning languidly against the doorjamb and looking at her with a rather intense gleam in his eye. A gleam which did not go unnoticed by its object, but unanalyzed- Rogue was too busy trying to get her heartbeat to something like normal.

"Having problems?" he smirked as he languidly sauntered over to the shelves of movies.

She shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "Yeah, it seems so... why don't we just watch a hockey game or somethin'? I was gonna subject you to some sort of chick flick," she chuckled at his not so hidden wince, "but I couldn't decide which would be the most painful." She chuckled at his glare, and shrieked when he reached out a gloved hand to yank at her ponytail. Throwing a taunting look over her shoulder, she jaunted up the stairs and barely beat him to his room, where she dove onto the bed. He paused in the doorway, glaring, then paled slightly at the sight of her reclining on his bed, chest heaving slightly from her run up the stairs. Rogue just arched an eyebrow at him, then rolled her eyes and flipped the TV on.

Logan closed the door behind him and grabbed the remote from Rogue as he sat down next to her. She started to complain, but he just looked down at her with a glare. "Fine, fine... don't ever try to take the remote from big bad Logan..." He chuckled and put his arm around her. "You're damn right, kid." he muttered. Finally, he found a game on, just a junior league, but hockey. If it was hockey Marie wanted, it was hockey she would get. He didn't think he could deny her anything... which meant it was a good thing she hadn't actually asked for anything yet- because he knew she was still technically off limits, legally, and he doubted if he would be able to resist her if she asked. So, he suffered in silence, for three more days... Then it would be her birthday, and he could legally do whatever he wanted... And oh boy did he want! He just wasn't too sure she wanted the same thing he did, and that bothered him. But then the Wolverine would kick in and point out that he was a bad-ass, and all women wanted him... and at least it stopped him from obsessing about it. So tonight, he put his safely covered arm around her, and felt her snuggle herself into his chest. Carefully, he kissed the top of her head, breathing in the indefinable Marie-scent of her. They watched the game, but soon he could tell she was asleep, so, instead of her staying there, he picked her up and carried her down to the room she shared with her friends Jubilee and Kitty. He had to be up early, and he didn't want to disturb her.

---

Rogue woke up disoriented. First of all, she distinctly remembered falling asleep next to Logan, watching a hockey game, and usually, that meant she stayed there. Lately, it meant she was under the covers and he held her from on top of the covers. However, there was no denying that she was definitely in her own bed, in her room- there was Kitty, and Jubilee was the one who had woken her up- she had a tendency to talk in her sleep. Shrugging, Rogue got up, showered, put on a sweater- a particular grass green one she had noticed Logan seemed to like- a pair of well fitted brown velvet pants and some slippers. And of course, the gloves. Every morning it was ritual- the only place she even felt remotely comfortable without them was either when she was in the shower, or in Logan's room. And that was really only since he had started wearing his own.

As she made her way down to breakfast, she remembered what day it was. January 12th. Which meant that there were only three more days till her birthday. Her eighteenth birthday. Rogue had never really had a big birthday celebration- her parents hadn't been wealthy, and after she left home, she just tended to forget about it, for all that her friends always tried to get the date out of her. But this year, this year it was special. She would be eighteen, a legal adult. An adult who could decide who she wanted to spend time with. Who could decide what to do with that time. Rogue shook her head and sighed. "It's one thang to think these thangs... but I don't really see why I waste my time. I've got him in my head, I know what he likes... and it's certainly not gonna be some little kid with skin he can't touch." Even if he has been spending a lot of time touching it lately... "Dammit Rogue!" She muttered. Thoughts like that would get her in trouble, and she didn't want to jeopardize the best thing she had ever had with hormones.

She grabbed a plate of pancakes from Esther, the telekinetic cook, who simultaneously had a glass of orange juice pour itself for her. Thanking the lady, Rogue went to sit down at her usual spot at the X table. Since she had recently graduated from Xavier's institute, she had started taking classes at a local university- and training to become a full member of the X-Men team. It was hard work, but she felt satisfied. She sat down next to Logan and immediately noticed that Scott, or Scooter, as the Logan in her head called him, was missing this morning. That, and that Logan didn't even notice her arrival. He was, instead, in deep conversation with Dr. Jean Grey, Scott's fiancée and a one time sex interest for her sex interest. Fortunately, Logan had made it clear that he didn't really fancy her anymore, but Rogue still felt a twinge of jealousy at the intensity of their conversation. She was friends with Jean... but that didn't also mean she wasn't a stunning redhead with skin that Logan definitely could touch. She tried to get their attention. "Good Morning Logan, Jean." Both heads jerked up, and they very quickly looked away from each other. "And what were you two discussing so privately?" She meant that to sound flippant, but it ended up coming out a little strange, and their dissembling answers didn't help any. She tried for the rest of the meal to get either of them to talk to her, but they were both distracted by something, and most likely whatever it was happened to also be the topic of the hushed conversation. Frustrated, and more than a little bit worried, Rogue cleaned up her dishes and headed off to class.

---

At lunch, it wasn't any better, both of them lost in their own thoughts, or even worse, talking in what seemed to Rogue like code. So, instead of trying to talk to either of them, she talked instead to Xavier's resident weather witch, Ororo Munroe, also known as Storm. Or rather, she tried to talk to her. Apparently, there was some nasty weather coming towards the mansion, and she had to hurry off to a place where she could concentrate on steering it away from their home. So Rogue went back to class, more worried, now, knowing without a doubt that Jean and Logan were up to something... she just hoped it wasn't what she thought it was.

On her way to dinner, though, she got the biggest shock of all. Logan and Jean weren't even there, and worst of all, when she went to sit with her friends, she overheard a disturbing story. "... and then, she, you know, giggles, this really girly giggle, pretty funny coming from straight-laced Dr. Grey, and then you will never guess what happened! The Wolverine, well, he smiled, first off, and then he kissed her! Right in the hallway!" Rogue ran off before she could hear any more.

---

"Logan, here's the rest of the balloons." Jean used her telekinesis to affix them with streamers to the arched ceiling of the ballroom. Already they had almost the entire area covered, but Logan, in a very surprising turn of character, had insisted that there be more- he kept insisting that it had to be perfect for "his Marie." At one point Jean would have been concerned at the amount of possessiveness he was demonstrating, but it wasn't hard to read him lately. The great, mighty, bad-ass Wolverine was in love... bad. So, acting as a true friend, Jean helped him with every aspect of the party- down to picking out a dress for the girl to wear to what was turning out to be a very formal affair.

"So do you really think you'll be able to handle wearing a suit?" Jean laughed at the wince she saw on the man's face. "Marie said she had never had a prom, and that she always wanted to go. So I guess I'll deal with it one night. But dammit, only one night!" He snorted in the general direction of the balloon covered ballroom. "So, when the hell is Scooter gonna get back here? He's supposed to be getting my present for her! If he screws it up, I'm gonna..." Logan growled. He had gotten Rogue two things, in fact- one for her party, and another that she would open afterwards... and only for him. Or at least, that the way the plan was supposed to go. Jean shook her head. "Scoo...Scott will be back as soon as he can- I had him picking up a few things for me too, so it probably won't be till later. Oh Logan! This is so great what you're doing for her! I know she will love it!" Jean giggled, happy that she was helping bring some joy to her friend. Logan smiled, and gave Jean a quick, chaste peck on the lips. "Ummm... thanks for helping me Jeannie... I knew what she wanted... but dammit... I have no idea how to do alla this fancy stuff!" Logan shrugged and turned towards the door. "I'm gonna go find Marie. Haven't talked to her much today... " Jean smiled as he walked off, and couldn't help but hum the strains of 'Beauty and the Beast' as she finished her work.

---

Rogue held onto the tears until she was out of the garage. The Professor had given her a car to use when she went to the university, and that's where she went now- she peeled out of the garage and, with tears stinging her eyes, tore down the road leading away from the school. She had no idea where she was going, and didn't really care. Her mind was reeling from the events of the day. Logan smiling at Jean, okay, that's one thing- but kissing her!? How could he? How can I blame him though? She's beautiful, she's intelligent- she has skin that won't suck the life outta him... Shit... what the hell was I even thinking? How could he ever even look at me like that? He calls me kid all the time... shit... that's all I am to him...She was sobbing now, not noticing the snow that was beginning to coat the road. I'm some hormonal kid that's always hanging onto him... and I'm sure he doesn't even mean to touch me... Dammit!!! What kinda damn fool am I? Yeah- my big eighteenth birthday... shit...

She pressed her foot down harder on the accelerator, at this moment not even giving a damn how fast she was going. It was snowing harder now, swirling in eddies around the car, caking on the windshield wipers as they struggled to keep up with the load. Her eyes were blurry with tears, so when the headlights started coming right at her, she hardly even realized they were on the wrong side of the road. When she did, it was too late. She swerved to avoid the collision, but the road was so frozen that it did more harm than good, the impact causing her to go into a spin, crashing her hard into a tree on the side of the road. The car was totaled, and Rogue wasn't so good either. She had slammed her face into the airbag on impact, and the engine was slammed almost through the car. Regaining consciousness, Rogue panicked as she saw the flames starting from under the hood. With a strength born purely of adrenaline, she pried open the mangled door and pulled herself out of the car. She tried to stand, but realised she couldn't. Taking inventory, she realized that her leg wasn't broken, but there was something wrong with both her knee and her ankle. And she was bleeding. She had a huge gash in her forehead, another deep in her arm, and her right thigh was a mass of cuts, all bleeding profusely. She tried to stagger closer to the roadway so she could catch someone's attention, but the snow was so thick it was unlikely she could have seen anyone, let alone them notice her. Weakening from the lack of blood and the shock, she sank to her knees, crying, her last thought being the image burned into her brain- the man she loved kissing her friend Jean.

---

Logan knocked apprehensively on the door that Rogue shared with her friends. He knew that they were okay people, not gonna get her in trouble, but damn they were annoying. Not like my Marie. Poor things all grown up already... had no choice... He started as the door was flung open and the bright yellow Jubilee poked he head out. "Wolvie?" She ignored his pained look at the nickname "Damn I was expecting Rogue... didn't really see her at dinner, and I haven't seen her since then... d'you know where she is? You're usually within range..." Logan began to get angry. "Whaddaya mean you don't know where she is? She's your friend- she lives here for chrissake! How can you not know where she is?" Jubilee had no idea that Logan got angry when he was worried, so she retaliated in kind "Well, now, maybe if you weren't so busy making moony with Dr. Grey, or kissing Dr. Grey, you just might have some idea. But since it seems that a certain piece of redhead and you have been so close these past few days, I'm sure that you wouldn't have noticed. I mean, hell, she coulda just left the mansion all together!" Jubilee paled at the look on Logan's face. "Now what the hell are you talking about! Jean is just a friend... she's been helpin' me get Rogue's birthday party together! Like its any of your damn business! And as for me kissin' her, well, it was the kiss a man gives his damn grandmother! Shit girl!" Then he quieted. "Aw shit... don't tell me someone's been spreading it around that... aw fucking shit!" Grabbing Jubilee by the wrist, he took her down to the ballroom where Jean was just finishing up the decorations, to be ready for the big event in a few days. "Oh hi Logan, Jubilee... what's wrong?"

"Marie's gone. Apparently there's some little twerp kid around here that's such a damn prude that they think somethin' is goin' on with us causa that little peck I gave you... And somehow that go to Marie!" Logan began to pace as Jubilee told Jean about how distracted Rogue had been, and how she had disappeared sometime after dinner.

"Okay, so, let's go talk to the Professor- he can use Cerebro to find her. And I'll keep my 'ears' open..."

They paused as they saw Storm's open door... Her platinum head was in her hands, shaking back and forth. The two women went to her. "'Ro? What's wrong?" Jean coaxed her into lifting her head. "The storm is what's wrong... it's not a blizzard, but almost... I just cant hold it off!" Logan went pale. "Hell... she's out in that... she's out in that and she's upset!" He growled and ran the rest of the way to the Professor's office, who met him at the door.

"Logan, Jean, Jubilation... Scott has just brought her in... Jean, you are needed immediately. Logan, it would be best if you waited h..."

"Like hell I'm gonna cool my heels up here if she's hurt! She's my responsibility! I'm gonna damn well go down there and none of you geeks are gonna stop me! " Logan loped ahead of them down to the lower level medical lab.

---

Scott was driving as carefully as he could down the increasingly invisible highway. After an entire day in the city shopping, he was ready to be home and safe... And warm, for that matter He thought to himself. As he reached a turn in the road, he caught a glimpse of something off to the side- a fire, it looked like. Someone had been driven off the road, and it looked like a pretty bad wreck. He couldn't see anyone near it, but he thought it was unlikely that someone would have been in that and not sustained major injury, so he slowed down to take a look. There, pale in the increasing snow drifts, he saw the faint stain of blood... and farther on, more...

And more as her heard a low moan and found its source. "Rogue! Oh My god!" She was surrounded by a pool of her own blood, only the chill of the snow keeping her blood from draining her completely. As it was, her lips were blue and her breath was coming only in short gasps. "I'm gonna get you home now- Damn good thing I have the car with me and not my bike!" He wrapped her with a blanket and sped back to the mansion, sending word to the Professor on the way.

Jean was there with a gurney when he pulled in- she and Logan didn't even wait for the engine to turn off before they lifted her with care onto the stretcher. Logan blanched when he saw all the blood- Marie's blood- on the seat. When they got into the lab, his gloves were already off, ready to sacrifice himself to save her. "Logan, let me get her hooked up to some of these machines- then we'll talk about it. Oh dear god..." Jean had just pulled off the blanket and saw the full extent of Rogue's injuries. Logan just stood there, stoic, hands clenched and claws out- although just who he was going to rip into was a mystery. The machines finally hooked up, they sighed with relief at the slight heartbeat registered there.

"Jean, let me- I gotta- I can save her!" There was anguish in the strong man's voice. "Please- I have to try..."

"Okay... but Scott will pull you back before she takes it all... the thing I'm most concerned with is the amount of blood she's lost..." Jean shook her head. "Okay, try Logan...but... let me ask you a question before she puts you in a coma. Rogue has type O blood..." Logan was impatient and confused " And?" "And," Jean continued, "So do you... in fact, you're the only person here who does. If this doesn't work... can I do a transfusion?"

"You had to ask? Here I thought you were smart."

"I'm required to by law. Okay... go ahead with your method"

Logan perched himself on the edge of the bed next to the barely living form of his Marie. Struggling with himself not to let the geeks see him cry, he leaned down and gently kissed the cold blue lips of the only woman he ever loved.

---

Rogue woke up slowly, hearing the steady beep beep beep of... something. She wasn't quite sure what it was... Or where she was, for that matter...

"Marie... are you awake baby?" She recognized that voice... it was Logan. "How do you feel?"

"How do I feel... ummm... like I got hit by a car..." She shivered. "What happened Logan?"

"You heard some wrong things and ran away angry at me... there was a snowstorm... you..."He choked back the emotion he was trying to control, and took her hand instead. "You got in a wreck baby... you almost died... I tried to let you use me... it didn't do enough... you lost too much blood... they did a transfusion..."

Rogue had stopped listening right about the time he grabbed her hand. Because he was holding her hand... the hand with the IVs in it that didn't have a glove on it... in his hand that didn't have a glove...

Hearing her heartbeat quicken, Logan looked at her, then at their hands, then back at her. "Marie... do you feel anythin?"

"I did... but... not anymore... nothin' at all..."

"Holy shit... Jean!!!" The doctor came running and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the joined hands.

"Okay... wow... alright... let me do a few tests... How are you feeling Rogue?"

"Alright I guess... how long have I been out?"

Logan smoothed her white shocks back from her forehead. "You been out for a week baby. You were pretty damn cold when you came in... hypothermic..." In a little voice he added. "I almost lost you, kid."

Suddenly, the events of the past week burst back into her mind, and her _expression turned bitter. "Yeah Logan, it wasn't almos'. It seems to me you made your decision." Weakly, she tried to choke back the emotion clogging her throat. Although she knew what mistaken idea Rogue was reacting under, Jean could tell that it wasn't a great idea to let her continue to work herself up, and there wasn't time for an explanation-yet. "Logan, maybe you ought to go. Rogue needs her rest, and I would like for her to be calm when we further investigate this development in her condition."

Logan's shoulders slumped. "Marie, ple..."

"No. Listen to her. I need my rest. Go away Logan. I'm not your responsibility anymore..." Rogue choked, closing her eyes and willing him to leave. It hurt too much to see him... hurt too much to know that she could touch him now that he was Jean's.

"Fine, Marie... if that's what you want... I'll be back tomorrow darlin'... maybe we can talk this out then..."

Rogue just turned her face away from his pleas. She couldn't bear to hear him trying to soothe her, knowing that all that was to come was his gentle let down... He would be gentle with her, she had no doubt about it, and oddly enough it made her want to hate him even more. Logan shuffled out of the room, and Jean was the only one who saw the tears in his eyes.

Rogue refused any guests for the next few days, even Kitty and Jubilee, who tried to see her every day. Logan just sat in the waiting room of the Mansion's hospital, asking every day to be let in. Finally, on the sixth day, when Jean at last released Rogue from the medlab, Logan was there to take her back to her room. Grabbing the handles of her wheelchair, which she had to use until her torn patella healed, he steered her not to her room, but past it.

"Logan, what do ya think you're doin'?"

"Look, darlin'...Marie... you've got some wrong ideas in your head... and I knew you wouldn't listen to me unless you had proof. So, we decided to prove it to you..."

"We?" Rogue tried to turn around, but she was still rather sore.

"Well, Jeannie, Jubilee and I." He watched her shoulders tense when he mentioned Jean's name. "It was my idea, you know... I had know idea you would take it so hard."

"Shit Logan, you don't know anythin', do you?"

"Just hold on. You'll see what I do know."

"Whatever."

He turned the corner and entered a part of the mansion Rogue hadn't been to before. With a twinkle in his eye, Logan stopped her chair in front of two heavy oaken doors. "Just trust me Marie..." Slowly, he opened the doors, and wheeled her in.

"Logan... what is all this?" The balloons were limp, but the tablecloths and streamers were still up.

"Happy Birthday, Marie." He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "This is what Jeannie and I were up to... I knew you never got a prom... I thought... maybe... you'd like a fancy party... Jean helped me plan it... You know me- I woulda ended up decoratin' with toilet paper or somethin'." She chuckled lightly, and he crouched down till he was eye level. "Here's the thing kid... I... yeah, you've got me up there... so I'm not gonna kid you- Jean's a very... attractive... woman. But... Marie... darlin' there's been somethin' about you since the moment I threw you offa my trailer. I just... hell kid... I had to wait... how could I protect you and look after you if I was holed up in prison somewhere?"

Rogue had her head bowed, and tears were falling slowly onto the hands she had clasped in her lap. "Marie? You okay?" She looked up slowly, eyes shining. "I love you too Logan... I was jus' so angry at you! I thought you had jus' been stringin' me along... Then I would argue with myself... I didn't think you could... but... " Her lips trembled. "It's about damn time mister!" She reached out a gloved hand to slowly press her hand against his face. His eyes closed slightly as he slowly pulled the glove off each now trembling finger. Gently, he lifted the hand to his lips and, with a gallantry anyone else would find unbelievable of him, slowly kissed her palm.

"Okay you weasels, get yer asses out here..." Logan smirked around as every dark corner revealed a different person. Sheepishly, Jean, Jubilee, Kitty and Ororo attempted to make up some excuse as to why, exactly, they were in a largely unused wing of the mansion in the middle of the afternoon.

"Okay, so, um, Jean told me that you were like going to get out today... and Storm just happened to be, like, right outside... and we, y'know, figured that Wolvie," Logan growled at Jubilee, but she babbled on, "We figured that he would explain things here..."

"Well, now that you all can see things are goin' okay here, I'm gonna take her up to her room... actually..." He crouched down in front of her again. "Marie, do you wanna stay with me? It's a bigger room... you could rest better... and I've got a TV an' all..." Rogue smiled when she realised what he wasn't saying. "Yeah, that's a good idea...at least for a little while..." She blushed. Completely ignoring the scandalized look on Jean's face, Logan proudly pushed his Marie to his... their bedroom.

---

Rogue was tired of bed. She wasn't tired of bed when Logan was there... She smiled. Cohabitation with Logan was one of the most wonderful experiences she had ever enjoyed. Waking up with a warm chest pressed against her back- yeah, that was something she could get used to... she just hoped she would get the chance to. Today was the day- any moment now Logan would come back from his class (phys ed., big surprise!) and whisk her down to the med lab to have their fate determined.

"Morning sunshine!" Rogue stretched and purred as Logan opened the door. "Awww Marie!!!" Logan quickly closed the door behind him and strode over to where she was seductively lounging. "What? I was just stretching... wasn' doin' nothin'" Logan growled and nuzzled her neck. "You're damn right you 'weren't doing nothin' ! You know we gotta get those tests done, baby..." He kissed her soft, pouting lips and stared seriously into her deep eyes. "I want to know, Marie..." He pulled away from her and sat with his head in his hands. "I need to know if this is the only time we have... to be like this..." He could feel her stiffen behind him. "Do you mean I'm nothin' to you if ya can't touch me? Shit Logan..." She pulled the sheet up to cover her mostly bare skin. "No! Not anything like that baby... I just...shit... okay... maybe I am just a big cave man guy... I love you... but... if this is just a stolen season..." He turned to look at her, holding her trembling chin in his big hand. "Darlin', if this is all we have..." He kissed away the tear winding its lone way down her alabaster cheek. "I want to make it as special for you as possible... if we have to live on memory alone... I'd rather it were the porterhouse of memory... umm... and not tofu..." Rogue had to laugh at that. "Okay, sugar, anythin' you want." She smirked. "You know you're the jam in my jelly roll!" Logan just groaned and pinched her.

When they got down to the lab, Marie instantly began to get nervous. Bobby was there for some reason, and Jean had just tons of shiny pointy probey things that made the Logan in her head want to hightail it on out of there. Logan laid her gently on the examining table and took his post at her side, holding her hand which only he knew was slightly damp with nerves.

Don't get nervous, Rogue. Rogue could hear Jean's voice in her head I have an idea but if I told Logan you know he'd freak out. Bobby is gonna try to touch you... Rogue turned abruptly to stare at the redheaded doctor. "Okay... I'm going to attach a few electrodes, and a pulse gauge on your finger, here." Jean taped the small cuff on her finger, then proceeded, with latex clad hands, to array the small cool electrode discs wherever she could find skin showing. "I guess this is why you asked me to dress like this, huh?" Rogue asked wryly, finally realising why she had been asked to wear shorts and a tank top to her examination. "Okay, now, Bobby?" Before Logan could even make a move, Bobby bravely stepped up and touched Rogue on the wrist. Luckily, Logan reacted in time to pull the already drained boy away from the beautiful girl with the deadly skin. "What the hell do you think you're doing! You could've killed him! And I don't want my Marie having an ice-cube with a hard on inside her head! She's got enough people in there already!" After yelling Jean against a cabinet, Logan turned to Rogue, clasping her small, soft hand in his. "You okay, darlin'? I broke it in time, right?" She smiled softly. "Yeah, ya did... thank you..." Bobby groaned from the chair they had shoved him into, but smiled blearily at the scene played out in front of him. "So I guess... uuuhhhhnnn ... erk... uuuuu... guess th' test's'over?" At Jean's nod, he slumped over, mumbling "Kay... Bobby go nap noww..."

Jean tucked a blanket around the sleeping Bobby, then turned back to her instrument tray. "Logan, if you would roll your sleeve up, please?" Jean approached warily with the syringe. She vividly remembered the first time she tried to take blood from the Wolverine. Luckily, perhaps due to Rogue's influence, all she got was a very affronted growl. "Thank you, now, Rogue?" Rogue presented her arm bravely. "Alright, now this local anesthetic will numb your skin..."

"Why do you need to numb our skin...?" Logan narrowed his eyes in distrust. Jean looked away hastily. "I need skin samples." Rogue could feel the iron muscles in Logan's arm tense. "Logan... if that's what she needs ta to, let her do it..." She looked at Jean. "It... umm... it won't hurt too badly... will it?"

"It won't at all, that's what the anesthetic is for. In fact, if you will close your eyes..." Rogue obeyed and felt a peculiar pricking on the pad of her thumb. "Okay, that's it for you." Jean moved to fasten a bandage over the area, then paused, looking at the area queerly. "Huh... well, that answers one of my questions." She pointed to Rogue's thumb. "Look at that. Seems as if you absorbed some of Logan's healing power. With that knowledge, I can safely assure you that the effects are not temporary. I surmise when the transfusion took place, enough of Logan's gene sequence was placed inside you, Rogue, that your body has assimilated the natural mutation from him, and is now only seeing him as an extension of yourself. I don't think I'll need a sample from you, Logan. I still want to research the situation, however, so I will let you know when the results are in. How's the knee Rogue?" She stood up, just a little bit wobbly. "It's not perfect, but no real pain! Logan hasn't been lettin' me put any weight on it..." Rogue turned to him and smiled. "What? Think I was gonna let you get more hurt?"

Rogue just smiled fondly at his defensive posture. "Of course not sugah..." She made a face at him. "Oh, you better take me back upstairs..." She giggled, "All these tests made me tired... better take me to bed..."

Jean smirked and shooed them out, then turned to the materials of her research.

---

Logan carried the giggling girl up the two flights of stairs to their room and kicked open the door, which only served to make Rogue giggle even more. He kissed her softly and laid her down gently on the bed. She looked up at him trustingly, her eyes glittering, and smiled, a slight, enigmatic, Mona Lisa smile. Logan turned away and began fiddling with something on the dresser. Rogue just sighed and made herself comfortable on the big bed. When he didn't turn back after several minutes, she became concerned.

"Logan, what's wrong?" She got up and kneeled on the edge of the big bed, cocking her head to the side. He turned, and an indefinable, almost frightening look passed over his face for the briefest of moments before he took a shuddering breath and moved to stand in front of her. "I jus... I love ya... Marie..." He pulled her face to his chest, where she nestled her head against his heart. "I love ya, and I'm gonna keep ya."

Marie chuckled as he pushed her back onto the bed, nuzzling his head into the sensitive flesh of her neck. "Like I'd ever let you get away...My big porterhouse man..." Anything else she would have said was muffled by his warm mouth on her soft, yielding one. When she was finally able to speak, it was only to gasp out his name as his skilled fingers thrilled nerves that had never been revealed to another, sending waves of fire to light every inch of her soul. As she reached, crested, and shuddering, crept down from her passionate climax, she cuddled herself to the smug man next to her, whispering, as they drifted to sleep in each others arms, "Never, ever... never ever let you go..."