It was in the shower that the damage of the night before became obvious, the mirror across from the shower showed the marks Logan had left on her skin. Their darkness making Rogue remember the depths of Logan's eyes when he'd told her she was his, the pleasure she'd taken
from him when he'd said it. When he'd first brought her here she'd been filled with memories from him; the rescue on Lady Liberty had left her with some permanent additions to her own mind, his temper being one of them. Yet she'd never gone looking inside the pain
wracked ball of emotions he'd left her with, Xavier had told her it'd be easier to just let them fade into the background, she had only now she wished she hadn't. There were times she could just look across the room and know what he was feeling or what he was about to do, as
if she was there inside his head. As if her subconscious had integrated him into her psyche without too much of a problem, she knew he'd be looking for her today probably to finish what he'd started last night. He wasn't someone who left things half finished and neither was she, the idea of being owned was at one point something she wanted and yet parts of her fought against it. She was herself first, she might have several other personalities fighting in her head at times but she owned the body they were in. Hers was the core personality they drifted around like clouds around a mountaintop, she was the solid force in her own mind and she wanted to find out about someone she'd absorbed. Asking him face to face
would get her nowhere, she knew that he'd just avoid the question and do what he liked, he was strong enough the bruises on her skin were testament to that.
Rogue felt the memory of his words surface, he'd called her Marie, she hadn't even thought of herself as Marie for nearly three years now but he still must do. Shutting off the warm water Rogue towelled herself down before picking out a decent covering outfit, flicking her small mobile open she dialled Jube's number. The plan already
forming in her mind as Jube's answered, "Hey Jube's you know that clinic in the Mall, the stop smoking guy? Is he still there?" The smile that accompanied Jubilee's answer lit the mirror reflection, Jubilee was asking her why and Rogue decided to let her in on her plan. "Just going to see someone and ah don't want someone watching me as ah do it. Too many nosy telepath's round here for me to do what ah want here, so you up for a trip to the Mall?" She knew Jubilee's answer she was born for the Mall and any trip wasn't perfect unless one of the Malls were included in it.
Rogue outlined her plan as they drove to the Mall, the way she figured it she'd have to go back to the event itself and reopen the memory something she knew a decent medical hypnotist could do. There were risks, she might let someone else out of their box in her head and the last thing she needed was Magneto running around her mind
causing havoc. So she was going to concentrate on the first few moments of her coming round on top of Lady Liberty, the point where she was a mixture of both her and Logan. Every plan had its dangers and this one was no different, except here the danger was only to her sanity.
The room was quiet, soft-calming music was playing and the room was semi-lit, Jubes was holding her hand as she closed her eyes and listened to the voice telling her to relax, to go back into her mind. To look at the memory like a picture in her head, a part of it but yet separate from it, calm and relaxed. The mental exercises Xavier
had given her came in useful here as Rogue felt herself drifting away into the memory. She was in control here and able to look outside of herself as Logan held onto her, seeing the blood running from the wounds all over him. The terrible damage he'd sustained fighting
Sabretooth, the slashes across his stomach revealing his internal organs, the marks across his face deep and down to the steel covered bone. Seeing him holding onto her in desperation, the look of pain in his eye before the connection opened and he rushed into her mind, feeding her with his life, his very essence. Now she let her self
feel what she was gaining from him, the power of it hit her, a mixture of relief and need wrapped up around something else. Hanging on to the feelings as they opened up inside her mind, letting the image go as the feelings widened out inside her, seeing the patterns, the images that had been in Logan's mind as he'd held onto her.
Her stood in the snow, her duffel at her feet, the spike of hatred he'd felt as he'd left her behind on the road knowing she'd be dead in an hour. The next, her in his cab sat next to him, the scent of her filling him with something like hunger but his mind pushing the desire away telling him she was too pure for him, too good for him.
Next was her on his claws, the depth of his disgust as he'd hurt her, she'd only come to help him again and he'd repaid her by hurting her, nearly killing her. The pain in his gaze too much for her to understand, it paled against the dreams of torture she'd shared with him, the hurt here was sharper, harder, honed to a point. His
inability to save her when Magneto came for her was next, the rage he'd felt at being so stupid, so foolish as to think it had been him Magneto had wanted, that he could've picked him up on the fight circuit without a problem. No, it had been Marie he'd wanted from the
start and he'd led them to her knowing Magneto could feel him as he moved across the country, the taint of metal in him a unique signature.
All of this was in his head when he'd held her, willing her to live to forgive him for letting her be taken away from him, when he wanted her so much but knew she'd never be his. She was too good for him, pure, not for the likes of him, not for a killer like him, an animal who deserved nothing pure or good in his life, she was beyond his
touch and he'd give everything he was to make sure she survived. It had been his fault she'd been caught in the first place, if he hadn't stabbed her she'd have stayed put, been safe, protected by the school. When he'd been fighting Sabretooth the image in his head had been all her, stood in a red dress, surrounded by creatures in the
darkness at her feet, hands like Sabretooth's had reached out to her shredding the dress, making her scream. The laughter ringing in his head spurring him to win at any cost, knowing what would happen to her if Sabretooth got hold of her body, knowing it was the same as he'd once thought and crushed down. Just the thought of Sabretooth's
hands on her covered skin made him angry past any logical thought and uncovered the animal underneath his mind.
Wolverine burst through her memory, the power in him, in the movements and thoughts echoing through her body making her twitch in Jubilee's grip, the one word repeated over and over in Wolverines head focussing him on Sabretooth. `MINE', Wolverine had laid his claim on her, when Logan had promised to take care of her on the
train, Wolverine had claimed her as his own. She'd given her assent for him to hold her, to touch her, to comfort her and he'd taken that as her agreement. From that moment onward she was his and he'd die to
keep her.
The touch Logan had given her was now brought into focus, seen
through three sets of eyes, her own, Logan's and Wolverine's. Seeing
Logan pull off the glove of his suit and hold it to her skin, his
thoughts all about how he'd failed her, not been enough to keep her alive, his uselessness and worthless promise he'd made to her.
Wolverine screaming in rage at losing the one thing he'd hoped for, the one mate he'd been given only to have it ripped away from him by something he hadn't had the power to destroy. Blaming the man for his lack of strength and power, loading on the pain, the guilt all on him, until the pull started. The small pull turning into a river as
Wolverine pushed everything he was into her, his strength, his will, his power into her body, making her come back, willing her to live even if he died doing it. The whispered half remembered prayer that flowed with it a fragment from Logan's mind as he gave her everything
he was, let it go freely without regret, she would live that's all that mattered to him. His *mate* would live. She would live. An image of her smiling sat next to him in the truck was the last thing on his mind and the feeling that went with it was nothing like brotherly, he
wanted her, loved her and he'd die for a smile from her heart.
Her eyes opened and she saw Jubilee looking concerned at her, "If that's you in there, let me know if I can have your cd player." Rogue quirked an eyebrow and saw Jubilee stiffen as the thought of losing her friend went through her head, stopping Jubilee with her other hand against her mouth.
"Why so you can just play that god awful stuff y'all call music? Jubilation Lee ah'd rather drop it in the lake before ah gave you mah baby." A bright smile erupted over Jubilee as she gripped her friends hand tight.
"Nice to have you back chica, thought I'd lost you there for a moment. Everything okay in there?" Her eyes looked worried but Rogue knew she'd have to go and talk to Xavier about this today the way her mind had just absorbed all of this without damage had confused her.
That her subconscious had dealt with the intrusion by absorbing it all, making sense of some of her reactions over the past few months. Smiling at Jubilee Rogue got up out of the comfortable couch she'd been laid on, "Yeah Jube's ah'm fine." What she didn't say was there in her gaze and Jubilee knew better than to ask her about it now.
After paying the man, they both wandered around the stores for a while until Rogue had had enough of the crowds and the annoying laughter of the mall rats. On the drive home she was silent as she picked through the extra pieces that had been revealed to her, the traces of behaviour she'd only noticed now she had the clue to them.
When she'd been with Bobby at the foosball table, the look as Logan had gone out of the door, she'd caught the end of it and seen only what she'd thought was loneliness.
Now she knew different, he'd left because of Wolverine, he'd left because of her, because Wolverine wanted her. The man was torn between finding out the truth about him and the future he had at the mansion, Jean or no Jean, he might flirt with Jean but he wanted to *own* her. An when Wolverine wanted something he took it, it was the only way to survive in the world he lived in.
It made an odd sort of sense to her now, the way he'd asked Jubilee about her relationship with Bobby, he was scared about her rejecting him, about him losing her again. So he'd let Wolverine do it his way, take her and show her how much he wanted her, that no matter who she
was with he'd always be there. Just the memory of his skin on her own, the scent of his breath on her made her flush with heat, Jubilee noticed and pulled the car over to the side of the road.
"Okay I know you didn't want to tell me with all the ears of the world listening but we're alone now Chica and I'm not moving this car until you spill some of what's going round your head. I can see it and I don't like it when you keep things bottled up, you tend to explode at the wrong moment." The quirky smile she gave her friend was ironic, she knew without a doubt who that odd little quirk had come from now, Logan.
She'd always been a firecracker when she'd been younger but nothing to the explosions she did now, taking a breath, she turned in her seat to face her friend.
"Ahlright, what do you want to know?" Jubilee gave it some thought before talking.
"What did Logan do to you last night? When I saw you on the bed there I thought he'd `hurt' you." Rogue knew what she was asking and she wasn't about to lie to her to protect him, she was concerned about her and at the moment she was the one person she could rely on.
"He didn't `hurt' me Jubes but he did `take' what he thought belonged to him, he even called me `Marie' Jubes, he still sees me as Marie, not Rogue." Jubilee's hands dropped off the wheel and she just looked through her friend.
"You mean he…" Rogue could see her friend winding herself up, if she let her get the wrong impression here one of them was going to end up in the infirmary and it wouldn't be Logan.
"Jubes, it's not how you think. Do you really think ah'dve let him touch me like that if there wasn't a part of me that had wanted him to?" Rogue could see her friend working it out, hoping she'd understand what she was trying to tell her, that on one level she'd wanted him to touch her, to take her, to make her his. She'd known
about it all along inside her head and it was making her wonder if that was the reason she hadn't had the courage to sleep with Bobby.
She'd needed to trust him but she couldn't, he wasn't the right person and now she needed to know if it was her decision or if it had been the part of Wolverine and Logan she'd taken inside her mind. "It's difficult Jube's ah need to know just who was in charge up there last night, whether it was something ah wanted or was it
something ah picked up from him. It's going to be hard enough explaining this to Xavier without you getting all over my case as well, hell Jubes ah thought you'd be happy for me. Ah got what ah wanted, what ah've been bitching about for the last six months, just it was with someone else, someone who ah know loves me more than
Bobby ever did. Ah just don't know what comes next Jubes, if this gets out he'll be for the high jump, X-Man or no. Scott'll try to kill him and Jean; gawd knows what she'll do to him but when this blows up it'll change things Jubes. Wolverine ain't known for keepin' things quiet you know that an Bobby better watch himself too."
The same thought went through them at the same time, it was Thursday, that meant danger room practice and the rota was on the wall, they did a session with an alpha team member every week. This week it was Logan, he had the whole day to run the rest of them ragged and Bobby
was on this weeks list. Jubilee threw her seatbelt on and checked the rear-view mirror before speeding back onto the road, both of them willing the car to go faster. Knowing that if they didn't get back in time Bobby was as good as dead.
The scene that met their eyes was one they thought would never happen, the kids were streaming from the front doors, knapsacks in hand and all deathly quiet. Jean was hoarding them onto a bus while Storm was already seated inside behind the wheel, Seeing the two of them Jean sent a thought their way, `Danger room, both of you now!
Get suited up and move!' the final child on board they pulled out and away from the school, Jubilee turned to her and they both heard the sound of things breaking inside. "Let's hope that's not Bobby's head."
Inside Rogue was in turmoil, had she caused this? Had she let Wolverine out by her allowing him to touch her? They both moved quickly, getting to the secondary changing room and pulling on the leather armour they wore everyday in training. Although by the sounds of it this was no training exercise, this was for real. The scent of the leather reminding her of the trousers Logan had ruined, looking over to Jubilee and seeing her ready to go both of them wearing their game faces they went to find the source of the disturbance.
They were halfway to the danger room when the doors exploded outward, Hank had been propelled bodily through their closed surfaces, his large frame showing signs of injury, claw marks, ones that rang huge bells in Rogue's head. A dirty scent of sewer water and uncleaned cage met her nose, listening to the growls and smashing sounds that
were coming from the danger room and seeing several bodies in leather trying to subdue something that was almost out of the doors. The colour of ripe wheat caught her eye; deep growls she knew from personal experience, then the roar that met her ears as the bodies covering it were flung aside. Sabretooth was inside the mansion and
he looked pissed, without even breaking stride Rogue grabbed Jubilee and ran in the opposite direction. Hearing the roar coming from Sabretooth's throat her fears were confirmed, he was back for her and nothing would keep him from getting her this time. Running back the way they came Rogue shouted to Jubilee as they ran, "Find Logan! If he knew he was here he'd have killed the fucker by now, tell them to leave him alone, it's me he's after so let him come after me. Ah'm not
the same little girl he remembers Jubes, just go and find Logan he's got to be somewhere round here!" Jubilee peeled off from her friend as they both cleared the outer doors of the mansion; Rogue could hear Sabretooth's feet pounding on the wooden floors as he followed her.
Looking at the forest ahead of her across the lawn Rogue took off, the ground flying under her feet grateful for once for the training runs she'd had to endure over the last two years of her life. She knew these woods like the back of her hands and she knew where the dangers were, hopefully she could lead Sabretooth through a few
before he got wise to her. That hopefully would buy her some time, powering away from the school Rogue missed the sight of Logan's bike passing the school bus on the
road, visible from the steps of the school. The way it slowed to an almost crawl then powered away like all the devils of hell were behind him, the grim determination on his face was nothing to the visions Jean was trying to keep out of her head as she helped get the children to safety.
The bike shifted through gears faster than it ever had done, the gates were broken open by his passage through them, scenting the chase he just turned the bike toward it, carving a strip across the green velvet. Releasing the bike when he could no longer follow on it into the trees, his blades snapping free as he vaulted from the seat, a feral snarl on his face as he went after his enemy. Hearing the footsteps of others behind him, he wanted to stop and tell them to go
back but he didn't have the time, he had to find her before Sabretooth caught her. This time he'd kill him, make sure he was dead, decapitate him and bury him deep, drain the body dry then burn it in the open air, burying the ashes afterward. Racing through the forest he caught Marie's scent, her sweat, her fear, adrenaline
pumping through her system filling the air with a scent trail wide enough for anyone to follow never mind Sabretooth. In the distance he caught sight of Sabretooth's back as he went over a ridge, knowing at
last where she was taking them both, the river. There were hiding places down there, some shelters and rock caves, if she was smart and calmed down enough, she could lose him there. Striking out on a different route he headed directly for the river, if she took the way
he was thinking she'd come out near the rock formation, when she got there he'd be waiting for them both. The darkness slipped from his eyes and into the forest around him, birds scattered, small animals fled at his approach sensing the death that was passing through their small lives.
Stitch, she had stitch! Of all the times to get winded she really didn't need this now, Sabretooth had had a hard time with the bog back there, she knew the route and had almost sunk twice herself but judging by the angry sounds behind her ol' Sab's had gone down few times. The last ridge was ahead of her then she'd be at the river,
getting across without drowning was another matter right now but she had at least ten minutes head start on Sabretooth if that last roar was anything to go by. Pulling herself over the ridge she could hear the river running fast and deep, her eyes quickly scanning the rivers edge and finding nothing nearby to help her she went down the side of the ridge. Scanning for the supply dump they'd left here last month, there were weapons here, alright a camp knife wasn't much but it was better than nothing.
Moving fast she covered the bank and was working her way north when Logan just stepped out of the brush and grabbed her, a cry stopped by his hand over her mouth, his heated skin touching her own without a barrier. The drain was almost instant and she pushed his hand away
quickly, Logan was still holding her up but he was a little wobbly.
The calm rage he'd been feeling had been passed directly to her, the anger at Sabretooth for trying to harm his mate, to take what was his again, for that he'd die and no one was going to tell him different. The calm look he gave her being reflected in her own gaze, she knew the plan he had, to kill Sabretooth the quickest way possible, he needed her to be calm and to do as he asked.
She'd do it, anything he asked of her because she'd seen the depth of his care for her, his love for her in that small touch on her mouth. With everything else she'd seen today in her head it made sense that he'd want to finish this himself, he would tolerate no rivals or dangers to her and that in its own way terrified her. The look in him
as he held her to his chest, pulling them both down into the scented brush plant, her rear settling in his lap and listening to him rumble and grow hard under her. Even now he wanted her, wanted to claim her in front of the rival, in front of the enemy that was approaching fast and god forgive her part of her wanted him to.
Holding herself still as the sounds of Sabretooth's approach got nearer, his scent filling their noses the closer he got. Borrowing Logan's senses for a while had made all the difference to Rogue, the calmness she felt at
Sabretooth's approach wasn't one she'd be feeling otherwise. An itch was under her knuckles and she flexed her fingers, the tearing of her skin almost making her cry out as the bone blades forced their way out of her hands. Still dripping with blood, she didn't see
Sabretooth lock onto the scent of fresh blood but Logan did, powering out of the brush toward the enemies unprotected back.
The roar echoed around the river the scream of Logan as he drove his claws through Sabretooth's unprotected back, slicing his spinal cord through. Rogue was following Logan's lead, the bone claws that were pushed through her skin were aching in their need to rend through her enemy, seeing Logan being thrown clear of Sabretooth. Smashing into the rocky river bed, her anger spiking as she saw Sabretooth move his waist above the damage done to his spine, knowing she didn't have long before he could move again. Diving low, she slashed across his thighs, dragging her hands under his groin, opening the arteries
there, feeling his blood hot and rich splash against her skin. Diving back repeatedly as the skin healed up, shredding everything she could while Sabretooth tried to heal the damage done to his spine. He couldn't bend to get at her so she dealt her own punishment to his
body, letting the calm rage fill her as she heard the wet footsteps of Logan running toward her. The swish of air over his claws, Sabretooth's roar cut short and the thump of something heavy landing on the riverbank. Looking over to see the long dank blonde hair of Sabretooth laying a few feet away, the eyes still blinking, mouth moving in a silent cry.
It smashed through her, she was underneath a dead body, his blood was covering her, and her hands were filled with
it, snapping the blades away she pushed out from under the body. Nudging the legs as she did so and watching it fall forward, blood still flowing from the corpse, her eyes finding Logan stood drenched in arterial red, his eyes dark and the look in them all about her. There was a coldness about him as he stared at her, a glimpse into
the heart of Wolverine. He'd killed him for her, she'd never have to hide again, he'd killed his enemy, his rival, Wolverine had no one else to fight for her.
She was his now.
Bile rose in her throat, hot and acid she turned throwing everything up she'd eaten that day, when Scott and the rest of them finally found them Logan had already cut Sabretooth into pieces and was dragging wood into a pile. Silence was the only thing that reached her ears; shock went through everyone as they watched the body of
Sabretooth being burned there. Logan had growled at anyone male who'd gone near Rogue, his claws singing out when Scott had tried to approach her. Jubilee finally getting close enough to her to touch her, seeing the fear she had in her gaze as they watched the flames
devouring the body. Seeing Jubilee leading Rogue away Logan just walked over to them both, his charnel covered hand reaching out to touch Rogue's skin, seeing her friend flinch away but Logan was faster. His touch on her face making her lock eyes with him as she pull began, the smug self satisfied look on his face as she drained
him again. Forcing her to accept him into her, just as he had the other night, the rush of him entering her mind making her scream in pain. Jubilee pulling Rogue away from him bodily and seeing the adamantium-weighted body fall to the riverbank, unconscious and spasming like a landed fish. Scott running over and keeping the thrashing body still with several others using their weight to keep
Logan steady.
Tears were forcing their way out of Rogue, as her mind screamed with the intrusion of Wolverine, his thoughts howling out his possession of her, she was his, he owned her and Rogue felt fear of him fill her for the first time. Watching the leather clad hands of their friends
pick up Logan and move him homeward, her eyes taking in the bonfire and wondering if he would burn as quickly. They didn't understand what was happening to her, what Wolverine was showing her inside her mind, that no matter where she was he'd be there. No matter what she did he would own her heart and soul, she had nothing without him
there and it terrified her, shaking her to her core as she realised how much of her wanted him to do this to her. How much of herself did she really have left inside her and how much had Logan given her when she'd died up there in New York? Leaning into Jubilee she let her
friend pull her toward home, knowing she'd be seeing Xavier before the night was out.
For everyone's safety Logan was locked up until Xavier had chance to talk to him, the way he'd attacked and disposed of Sabretooth was disturbing. Rogue herself had been looked at with some dismay as the report had been given to him, a gentle probing of her mind made her
defences shoot up blocking his view into her. Logan was their first priority though and she'd be having a quiet talk with Xavier soon enough.
Four days passed before Rogue felt in control of her own mind again to even chance the sight of Logan, the rage and power he'd put into her mind was something else entirely different. Wolverine wasn't anything like the Logan she knew, he was harsh, cruel almost, uncaring about those around him. All that had mattered to him was
that she was his, her mind body and soul were his to do with as he pleased, her first night of sleep had had to be drugged fogging out the dreams Wolverine was playing through her mind.
The next time she wasn't so lucky, seeing herself stalked by him in her mind, going through the dream landscape. Running as fast as she could trying to get away from him but ending up in his arms where he held onto her, tight. The feral grin that was across his face twisting the features she'd once loved into a visage that reminded her of Sabretooth, all cruelty, all desire and she was the prize. She'd woken from that one with a short scream, Jubilee was staying with her sleeping on the floor next to her bed and she'd woken with her. Jubilee's questions had gone unanswered as she'd tried to lock up the image of Wolverine in her head, seeing him stood half naked in
her mind just smiling at her. His words echoing through her blood, `You're mine and you know it.'
After that he left her to sleep, keeping out of her dreams but Rogue could still feel him watching her in there, as if the more he touched her the more of him
she took. The more she took the more like him she became.
When she did finally get to see Xavier he was looking a little worse for wear himself, dealing with Logan must have been harder than she thought. His smile was still warm as she seated herself across from him, "Ah Rogue, how are you coping with what happened by the river?"
She felt unsure of where to start really, whether to tell him everything since she woke after Liberty Island or to just let him look for himself. So she decided to ask about Logan instead.
"How is he?"
"Logan?" She nodded quickly as the pale skin of her mentor shifted in the morning light coming into the room, the soft features turning into a frown, care coming into his gaze as she knew something had happened between them. "He's leaving us."
The words fell into her ears like snow; the effect however was something entirely different, a chill raced through her veins, almost seizing her heart still. Xavier must have been reading her reaction as he added, "It's what he wants Rogue, he doesn't believe he'd be
safe to be here. Not after what he did to Sabretooth, Wolverine's too dangerous to have around here." As if speaking his name made the force inside her mind rise to the surface making her hands turn into claws, seeing the man seated in front of her as the threat to her life. About to move when the whole world locked up around her,
hearing Wolverine scream in impotent rage as he tried to get her muscles to move. The grey eyed gaze of Xavier coming closer until he was close enough to see the darkness in her own eyes, the one that didn't belong there.
"Rogue, are you still listening to me?" Inside her head Rogue screamed out to Xavier, buried under the rage of
Wolverine, trying to get him to see her, to hear her. The spark of recognition making Xavier smile, "I'm going to remove him Rogue, I have to if I don't he'll swamp your mind, do you understand?" Barely able to move she whimpered her assent, seeing her agree Xavier
concentrated on the form of Wolverine in her mind, "This may be painful Rogue." Pain was something she'd had to get used to over the years she'd been here, bruises, hurtful words and now this.
It started slowly. The pain was like her skin being peeled away, the only way she could express it was being frozen, the scream in her was primal as she watched Wolverine being stripped away from her. The form of him being unmade in her mind, stripping him layer by layer,
each layer built of the anger and rage that had kept him alive.
Memories and feelings blew through her like a tornado, the pain of it excruitating, seeing a piece of him drift high, the memory of his possession of her that night. Reaching out she snatched it away from Xavier's gaze, holding it tight to her chest, absorbing it into her,
hiding it from him. Watching until there was nothing left of him, even Logan was just a shadow now, Magneto was cleansed from her mind, his grandfatherly smile blown to pieces. Until for the first time in forever she only had herself inside her head, the feeling making her
instantly lonely when Xavier pulled out of her mind. When he finished she'd passed out, slumping to the floor, unaware of anything but pain and her mind's need to run from it.
Inside she was still clutching her last piece of Logan, his love of her, the one moment she'd felt him; all of him give himself to her. Wrapped around the single spark
of light Rogue let the darkness win.
She woke to find Jubilee resting on the edge of her bed, drool running down her face as she slept, her gaze grazed the clock, the digits reading 2.45am. Her ears catching light steps outside her door, the small light in the hallway blocked for a second by two booted feet knowing who it was Rogue bolted out of bed. Going around Jubilee, she wrenched the door open, seeing the large back of Logan
walking away from her down the hallway. Frozen in place for a second he stilled and when she didn't speak he carried on moving away from her, his hands holding bulging duffels as she used the doorframe to keep her stable. Tears were forming but who they were for she had no idea, were they for her for what he'd done to her, what he'd forced into her, what he'd claimed from her and having claimed it no longer needing to be here with her? Or were they for him, the loss of the only home he'd had, that Wolverine had wrecked something again, that he'd been made the pariah for killing an enemy that had tried to kill everyone he'd come in contact with. Was that it, had he begun to believe he was turning into something like Sabretooth, unsafe to be around, she had to know if it was her, was it her that was driving him away?
Moving like a zombie Rogue managed to get to the top of the stairs just as he was unlocking the main doors, the tears falling now hot and fast stinging her skin. "Logan!" he didn't stop, he just opened
the doors and stepped through them, pulling the heavy wood closed behind him. As she reached them, she could see him stood behind the patterned and coloured glass holding the doors closed, his strength keeping them shut as she pushed her own code into the keypad to get it to open. Shaking in fear as she realised he didn't want to see her, didn't want to hear her, knowing he was keeping her away from him wrenched the words from her lips the ones she'd always said she'd never use on him. Knowing that if she ever said them he'd be tied to her more than he'd wanted to be, yet he'd been the one to tell her
she was his and now he was leaving her behind.
"I Love You, Logan please!"
Her hands pulled at the door handles, even putting her foot on the other side of the door as she pulled with all her strength. Knowing it wasn't enough her sobs draining her of strength as she slid down the door, resting at the bottom of it until the shadow of Logan left the glass. Knowing he'd let go, of her, of the school of everything.
Anger burned up through her, how could he do this, just leave her after he'd told her she was his, she knew what Wolverine had meant, that she was his mind body and soul and now he was leaving. Running away because of killing Sabretooth, the memory opened in her mind. Wolverine stood there drenched in blood; his eyes dark and the cold
reptilian smile that had lodged in him. Wolverine wasn't safe and she'd feared him without the softness of Logan to balance him he was a killer plain and simple. Tearing open the doors she couldn't see him in the darkness but she knew he could hear her, "You bastard, Ah'll find you! Ah don't care how long it fucking takes me Ah'll find
you! An when Ah do Ah'm gonna find a way to kill you, you son of a bitch!"
Her voice was hoarse but she screamed out her pain into the darkness, the hurt and emotion rushing around her filling the darkness with the scent of tears. Moisture dropped from his chin as he watched her screaming into the darkness, her sobs wracking her frame as lights
came on behind her, Ororo and Jubilee coming out to her. Guiding her back into the house, supporting her as she cried, seeing Pieter pick her up in metal coated skin when she collapsed. The pain that sent a bolt of hatred straight through him when he saw her pale skin bruised
by his touch, he'd destroyed the one thing he'd loved, made her hate him. Closing off the emotion before it crippled him entirely, walking to the road where he'd left the truck he'd asked for. Leaving for the road again, drifting aimlessly across the world, no contact but that he initiated, even then it would be rare. Dangerous animals aren't meant to be caged, no matter if its love or bars made of brick and stone, turning the engine over he drove away determined not to look back. If he did, he knew he'd die from the look in her eyes the one
he'd put there.
Things changed, time had moved on whether she'd liked it or not, five years had gone by everything had changed including her. Her mind had recovered, healed and become stronger, finally able to be itself without the rest of the people inside it. She graduated, finished her
training, became a team member fought the good fight and against all the odds they were winning.
It had been the grassroots people that had begun to turn the tide, families who weren't afraid to have children who were different living next door to them. Neighbourhoods that supported every child, mutant, human, disabled, black or white, schools that were accepting
of `special' children, athletics teams that were proud of their mutant players. It was small but it was there, the news spread of tolerance and the gifts these new children could give to the world. When people understood the genetics of it, that a third of the population carried the gene for mutation it made every single human being capable of having a baby born with extra `gifts'. There were still problems in the world, hell yeah there were problems but they were helped by the world now, no longer alone. Having someone who could dry water up in seconds helped when you were in a flood situation or someone who could flow through rock like air to find stranded miners deep underground. Most of the missions they went on
were natural disasters, the clean up and rescue of both humans and mutants, when people were in trouble it didn't matter anymore who they were. If they could help they would and the call had come from the Forestry department about a fire in one of the national parks, the thing had been going for days burning out of control. Destroying
virgin forest, thankfully away from the major population centres but now it was threatening a lodge and small town, the population was just around three thousand nestled in a deep valley that was surrounded by the fire. The fire department of the town had done as much as possible but the roads had been cut off by the fire, turning the tarmac into sliding tar rivers that had burned fiercely adding to the flames.
They were stranded and calling out for help, just the thing for a weather witch and a now invulnerable woman to deal with, Storm and Rogue had been coming back from a mission when the call came through from Scott. It would mean a slight detour but it wouldn't be too much
of a problem for them, the mission had been a bust anyway. Tracking a `mutant dealer' over the border to Canada only to lose him in the confusion of an airport put on bomb alert. They'd find him again of that they had no doubt whatsoever, just that it would have to wait,
there were other lives to save right now.
"We're coming up on the valley Rogue, do you want to fly down or stay with me?" Rogue took a quick look at the plume of smoke ahead of them hanging there like a curtain, dark and soot-filled, snapping her seatbelt free she stood up her decision made.
"Ah'll go have a look see, see if there's anyone near the fire line, Ah can't see much from up here Storm. Ah'll let you know when ah'm clear so you can bring the rain down." Rogue was about to drop out of the blackbird when Storm spoke her tone clear in meaning.
"When the storm breaks Rogue you'll need to be under cover, the topography here isn't shallow, the rain will probably turn into a mudslide or flood for a few moments. I'll get the authorities to understand they might have a few houses to rebuild but it'll be better than burning alive." With her message understood Rogue dropped
out of the plane, the ability to fly catching her as she fell into gravity's grip. She thanked Carol for the gift, feeling her soft presence inside her mind as she powered away toward the edge of the fire.
She'd been searching the fire line when she'd come across the small compound, wire fenced, steel struts hammered into the ground wrapping the entire shack in a protective embrace. Seeing no-one around she dropped down vertically into the compound, her feet landing on the soft earth, just before she turned round she heard the click of a
shotgun bracing herself for the impact teeth gritted. She really should shout before she entered places like this, she had a bad enough bill for uniforms as it was. The sting of the shell as it ripped through the tough leather was nothing to the shock of seeing who'd shot her. Turning round to see his warm gaze made the hairs on
the back of her neck stand up just before she realised she had a hole just where her heart would have been if she'd been facing him. Her fist swung before he even had time to register she was still standing, the pain of hitting his jaw was enough to make her wince, but seeing him out cold made her smile. Flicking her radio on she got
through to Storm almost immediately, "Honey you ain't gonna believe who just shot me." Her voice was shaky even to her and Storm picked up on her nerves.
"Rogue are you alright?" rubbing her hand over her face and feeling the heat coming from the raging fire storm which was now consuming pine trees just to her left she hefted the dead weight in her arms. Considering what Storm had asked her as she hefted his body over her
shoulder before taking off into the air, her voice deadpan as she answered Storm.
"Never better Ro' never better." Rogue knew not to use their real names on air, only code names for her to slip like this she must be upset Storm was about to ask her what was happening when Rogue cut into her thoughts. "Ah'm comin to you an Ah have a passenger, he's
out cold at the moment but he won't be for long. Do we still have that tranq gun on board?" Storm answered in the affirmative, "Great get it out we might need it."
Carrying Logan back to the blackbird resting in front of the fire station, she hoped they had enough
restraints left in the med bay. They weren't for him, they were for her, dropping down to the bird as Storm ran out of the plane, taking him inside as Storm began to move the winds and weather patterns.
Strapping him down into the bed and locking his hands down with restraints, dosing him just to be on the safe side. Leaving him there as they both dealt with the sheet of fire that was now cresting the rise and threatening the small town, the rain when it came was like a wall of water. It drenched everything it touched, including Rogue;
her tears were lost in the stream of water that was running down her face as she helped people. Wave after wave passed over the fire, drowning it out, stopping it's progress until it was finally out, the townspeople thankful and busy repairing their small community.
Finally finished they both walked inside to see Logan awake and laid on the medical bed, his face stoic and neutral. Swallowing her heart Rogue just went over and snapped the restraints for him, not daring to look in his eyes as he sat up, her voice hardly shaking at all
when she spoke. "Ah don't know what state your homes in Logan, the fire was already at the fence when ah got there. There might be something you could salvage but ah doubt it, the fire was pretty intense then." Storm was still watching him as Rogue moved away seeing his hand move toward her just missing touching her. Without
saying another word Rogue left the blackbird, her voice cracking as she radioed to Storm, "Ah'll make mah own way home Storm, see ya later." Leaving the two of them just looking at each other silently until Storm just closed the ramp and began to fire up the plane.
Moving forward Logan sat in the empty co-pilots seat, the scent of Rogue still on the straps, watching his fingers caress the fabric before putting it on. Storms voice icy as she spoke to him, "She's not the same person Logan, she's changed, too much in some ways." The weather witches eyes boring into him, the intent in them clear for
him to read, his voice a whisper in the noisy cockpit.
"She's not the only one." His eyes finding her flying ahead of them, hair streaming in the cold wind, the bolts of white locking his eyes to her form before she powered away from them both leaving his eyes aching for another glimpse of her.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Not everything you get is what you want and Rogue learns this the hard way, when time passes on and you finally meet up again it's not all cut and dried.