Six months into the refurbishing of the mansion, Scott found Logan in the Danger Room.

“Logan. You need to stop your workout and come with me.”

“You don’t give me orders unless we’re in the field, One-Eye.” Logan grunted out as he slashed into the simulated bad guy.

“It’s not an order, Logan. Rogue’s in the med lab and she sent me to come bring you to her.”

“Stop simulation.” was Logan’s reply. The only thing running through his brain was ‘She better be alright.’ If Scott had talked to him on their way down, Logan didn’t remember.

When they reached the med lab Logan pushed the door open and saw Rogue lying on the hospital-style bed with Hank checking some sort of monitoring equipment.

She must have sensed him in the room and Rogue sat up as he neared the foot of her bed.

“Logan.” She looked at his hands and noticed he had on his workout gloves. “Oh. You were working out. I didn’t mean to have Scott bother you in the Danger Room. I just don’t like being in here and I needed a friend.”

Hank came back over to her side after going into his office.

“Logan. It’s nice to see you again my friend.”

He had to admit that he’d only been down to the med lab 3 or 4 times since Jean died. Hank seemed to live there and so it made sense that he hadn’t gotten to know the fella named Beast watching over his Marie.

“Don’t worry about it, kid. What happened? Are you hurt or somethin’?”

“Yeah. But not too bad. Hank here seemed determined to put a cast on my wrist even though I told him I’d be fine.”

Logan made quick work of getting his gloves off before she even finished her sentence.

“Logan, no. You really don’t need to do that.” The way she dropped her gaze to her lap made Logan’s protective urges rise. He immediately got the sense that something wasn’t right. “It’s not serious.”

“It’s not life or death, but if it means keeping you out of a cast; it’s worth it, darlin’.”

“Thanks, Logan. I appreciate it- I really do. But I can live with this. I can’t be going to you every time I get a scratch, you know?”

Logan could tell she was on the verge of crying and even Scott and Hank exchanged worried looks.

“Rogue, my dear, there’s no harm in letting Logan assist your healing. You don’t have anything to prove to anyone by wearing a cast for 2 weeks.”

Tears streamed down Rogue’s face and Logan instantly saw red. He also knew who had broken Marie’s wrist.

“But she thinks she does.” Rogue’s face snapped up to look into Logan’s eyes. He knew he was right. “I’m going to take care of you, kid. And then I’m gonna kick his ass.”

“Logan, I- I can’t let you do that. Please. Don’t.”

Logan bent down to whisper into her ear.

“You know I won’t watch you walk around with a cast just so the Ice Pick’s ego can be lifted.” Before he stood back up, he kissed her cheek and so she couldn’t pull away he held the other side of her face with his hand. Just as he started to feel dizzy the bruising on her arm faded; so he let go.

Scott lowered Logan into a chair and Hank reexamined Rogue’s wrist.

“Incredible. I have Dr. Grey’s meticulous records describing the remarkable way your mutations compliment each other, but I’ll admit witnessing it up close is unbelievable.”

“So, what’s the verdict, doc? Is she alright now?” asked Scott.

Logan stood by Rogue’s side as Hank replied, “Indubitably. Ms. Rogue’s wrist has been completely healed.”

“Good. Now I’ve got to go hunt down the little shit and show him what happens to people that lay a hand on my girl.” Neither Scott nor Han stopped him as Logan left.

While he waited for the lift outside the med lab his sensitive hearing caught first Rogue’s voice. “Why can’t Bobby love me as much as Logan does?” Then Hank’s, “The question you need to be asking, dear Rogue, is why won’t Logan act upon his love for you beyond the caretaker role he’s taken for himself.”

“After I deal with Ice Man, we’ll talk Marie.” He said out loud before he entered the lift and he hoped that with the absorption she could hear him.

Logan exited the lift and sniffed out Bobby’s scent.


(Gambit’s POV)

In the Rec Room Bobby was talking to his new best friend, Remy LeBeau. He’d just told Gambit how he planned to get Rogue over Logan.

“I dunno, mon ami. Is no good testin’ the Wolverine. Dis could end up bad for you.”

Gambit couldn’t believe what his ‘friend’ had just told him he’d done. He had wanted Rogue himself when he first arrived. But once he heard how protective Logan was of her he had figured two things out: Bobby wasn’t gonna last too long with that chere and that Logan would seriously hurt anyone who would hurt her. He felt himself get highly angry at Bobby for injuring someone so valued.

“She’s my girlfriend, Remy. He’s got to deal with her being mine. Besides, he does what she tells him and I told her not to let him touch her.” Bobby took a drink of his soda. “She loves me, man. I’m the only one who’ll be with her because of her skin and she knows that. Nah. She’ll wear that cast as proof that she’s done with that crush of hers. And the bonus will be that every time ‘he’ sees her in the cast he’ll know I’ve won.”

Remy looked over Bobby’s shoulder and saw Logan. Through his gift of empathy, Remy felt Logan’s feelings of anger, revenge and more than any others- a sense of protecting what was his.

“Or he could hear how you’ve hurt da’ Rogue and hunt you down, mon ami.” Gambit knew it was time to leave. As he passed Logan at the doorway he said, “I’d offer to help you, but I think you can handle dis on your own Wolverine. Anyone who’d hurt dat petite don’t deserve to be looking so pretty. Don’t you agree?”

“Go away Gumbo.” Logan snarled as he extended his claws. “This is between me and the boy.”

“D’accord.” The primal rage Remy felt rolling off Logan was enough for him to realize Bobby was in for a serious ass-whoopin’.


(Xavier’s POV)

Professor Xavier wheeled himself around his desk,coffee in hand. He was going over the latest semester applications- something he felt was important that he do himself.

Suddenly a searing pain traveled into his brain as something broke through his mental shields. The only way Xavier would describe the feeling was of unadulterated rage. His mind formed the image of a mighty predator stalking a prey.

Charles rubbed his temple and extracted the image from his mind. But the pure, animalistic emotions lingered. Concerned for his students’ well-being, he made a mental check of the inhabitants of the mansion.

“Wolverine. Whom are you hunting?” After only a few moments; Charles Xavier knew. “Robert Drake.”

He quickly wheeled out of his office and in the direction of the Games Room.

“If you’re lucky enough to survive what Logan dishes out, you have plenty to answer for, my lad.”

Charles knew that Logan’s mind was blocked from his control, so his prayers were with the Ice Man as he made haste to intervene.

Wolverine looked Bobby in the eye and took an advancing stride.

“Look, Logan. She’s my girlfriend. I have a right to stake my claim don’t I?”

A growl came from Logan as a response and Bobby glared at his extended claws.

“Shit. You wouldn’t really use those on me, would you?”

“Give me a reason not to.”

Suddenly, Bobby felt dizzy, but quickly recovered.

Wolverine took advantage of the younger man’s distraction and flung himself onto him.

“Somebody. Help me!” Bobby screamed as Wolverine brought one hand up and across his face; slicing into his cheek and grazing the tip of his nose.

Bobby tried to freeze Wolverine’s other hand, but at the first tickle of a chill, the hand came up and down. Effectively pinning the boy at the shoulder to the games room floor. Bobby closed his eyes, waiting for the next blow.

“I’m sorry, okay? She’s yours. Always has been. I just wanted her to get over you. And love me. Shit, Logan, please get off of me.”

Bobby felt another wave of dizziness and opened his eyes. He was still standing. He brought his hands up to his face and found no blood. “What?”

At that moment Wolverine lunged at the IceMan and backed him up to the wall. His right fist made contact with it and the claws embedded themselves. With his left hand, he held Bobby up.

“You’ll never hurt her again, boy, understand? You can’t go around treating women like that. Do I make myself clear?”

Wolverine removed his claws from the paneling and brought them close to Bobby’s face. Bobby nodded his answer and with a flinch the claws retracted; nicking Bobby’s face and leaving three lines of blood.

“Get out of my face.” Was the last thing he said to Bobby on the subject and Bobby ran out of the room.

As Bobby turned the corner in the hallway he was suddenly stopped when Cyclops’ fist struck his nose.

“My turn, IceMan.”

“Shit. Look, I understand not to touch her again. Let me go.”

“You’re part of a team, Bobby. I can’t have you injuring your teammates out of some macho bullshit reason.”

“As of right now, Mr. Drake all of your XMEN privileges have been suspended.”

Bobby turned his bloodied face in the opposite direction to see Professor Xavier.

“And for futre reference, the nightmare you’ll be having about Wolverine is my fault. I want you to be reminded what happens when you cross someone as powerful as Logan. You stand no chance, Mr. Drake. So be mindful in your future.”

“Yes sir.”