~oOo~
It was long past the middle of the night and Logan sat on the roof, nursing yet another beer. When a man with a healing factor attempts to drink himself into oblivion, it's not a pretty sight. Logan had been trying, very unsuccessfully, to numb the pain of Marie's words. He'd hoped that with the return of her powers that it meant her memories would follow close behind. Maybe it was just him being an optimist, which was pretty much nonexistent in his world, or maybe he was just being stupid; way more likely.
It would have been easier if she'd died. Shitty thought, really, but it was true. When he thought Jeannie died at Alkali, he was able to mourn her and start to move forward. But, this was a new level of torture. Knowing Marie was in the infirmary, struggling with his nightmares, with no memories of Logan or their bond and, oh yes, the possibility that she could end up in Scott's bed was fucking maddening. The Molson gone, he picked up a bottle of whiskey and tipped it to his mouth, feeling the welcome burn of the alcohol down his throat.
He smelled the clean, crisp scent of fresh rain and wood at the same time he heard the light footsteps making their way across the rooftop.
"Hey 'Ro."
The weather goddess sat down next to the brooding feral, scowling at the collection of beer bottles scattered across the tiles.
"You are making a mess, Logan."
"Ain't that the fuckin' truth."
She shook her head slowly. "You know very well that none of this is your fault. Rogue made a choice that day. She is a strong, capable woman, not someone you must protect and tuck away in your coat pocket."
"A fat lotta good my protection ever does. Got her taken by Magneto, almost sucked out of a jet and then ditched her for five years where she goes and kills someone who almost drives her insane." His smirk held no amusement. "If I'm a protector, they better redefine the goddamn word."
They sat in silence for a few moments, listening to the trees rustle softly and the crickets chirping their nocturnal song.
"She will come back to us, Logan. I just know she will."
The sigh that escaped him was laced with the heaviness of his grief.
"I want to believe it so bad, 'Ro."
"I will not accept that the two of you were destined to be separated. This is only a test. One that we may never understand but that will bring you closer in the end."
"From your lips to the big guy's ears."
Logan took another long swig of his beer.
Ororo smiled and patted Logan on the arm.
"I will leave you alone to your…thoughts." She stood up and pointed at the empty bottles. "Please clean up your mess, Logan. We wouldn't want the children to see the results of your...meditation."
"Yes, teacher."
The wind picked up and Ororo stepped off the roof and floated to the ground below. Logan smirked again but this time his eyes sparkled with humor.
"Showoff."
~oOo~
Three days.
Three days of nightmares.
Three days of her powers slowly returning.
Three days of not seeing Logan.
Apparently, he was a man who took someone's word very seriously. Marie had told him she didn't want him around and, so he'd effectively disappeared. Jubilee told her that he'd been skulking around the mansion, spending an inordinate amount of time in the Danger Room and working on his bikes. But he wouldn't leave the grounds. Despite the same feral drive that pushed her to run to the safety of the woods when she was afraid or stressed, Logan steadfastly refused any such comfort. He must be going out of his mind.
Marie had been wary of leaving the security of the med lab and had turned down offers from Scott, Jean, Jubilee and Ororo to go outside. She didn't want to inadvertently touch anyone or have an unknown power rise to the surface and hurt someone even accidentally. So she hid here in her little room, working with Charles at every opportunity, vainly attempting to recover anything that might help her remember even one detail about her life.
"Alright, that's it!"
Jubilee's voice boomed through the space. The young woman stomped her way over to Marie's room and stopped in the doorframe. Jubilee put her hands on her diminutive hips and glared.
"Get your ass out of that bed now, redneck."
"Jubilee, I'm.."
"No. No more 'oh, poor me, I don't want to hurt anyone', wah, wah, wah. You and I are going out for a hike and I don't want to hear one more excuse as to why you feel the need to sit here on your perky butt, being sulkier than an emo kid after finding out Hot Topic closed early."
"Seriously, Jubilee…"
"I am not taking no for an answer."
The two women sat there for a moment in a stare down that would have made even Logan uncomfortable. Finally, Marie hung her head in defeat. Jubilee was right. Hiding in here wasn't going to do her any good. It was time to take a step out on faith.
"Fine. You win, Jubes. Let me get on my clothes. First, though, you need to take me to find Logan. I need to apologize to him."
"It's about freaking time you two talked…hey…wait a minute. You called me Jubes."
"Yeah?"
Jubilee tried to play it off, not wanting Marie to either get her hopes up or feel disappointed if she couldn't remember. But she called Jubilee by her nickname and it allowed the diminutive firecracker another shred of hope.
"Yeah, it's a good handle for me. Now get dressed and be out here in five, chica."
Jubilee turned on her heel, walked to the main door and leaned on the wall.
Hank and Jean both smiled.
"We'd tried everything in our arsenal to get her to go out. The one thing we didn't do was flat out tell her." The redheaded doctor winked.
"Hey, when I need to be a pain in the ass, I pull out all the stops."
"I think pain in the ass is a rather harsh term. I'd say you were focused and driven." Hank continued working.
It was strange that a large, furry blue doctor would make Jubilee feel like a stuttering teenager again.
"Well, yeah, if you want to put it nicely Hank. Personally, I think some of the residents of this fine establishment would disagree with your assessment."
Hank actually stopped what he was doing and turned to face Jubilee. Since their mild flirtation a few days ago, she'd been coming down to see Marie more often. She and Hank talked, flirted some more and found that despite their age difference and opposing personalities, they did have a lot in common.
"Well, personally, I think some of the residents of this fine establishment can kiss my fuzzy blue posterior."
Jubilee laughed. "Language, Dr. McCoy!"
Marie came out of her room and noticed the interchange between Jubilee and Hank. She didn't need heightened senses to figure out those two were completely into each other. So why not up the ante?
"Hey, why don't you join us, Hank? I'll bet a nature walk would do you good, huh?"
"I have a feeling that Jubilee would not like our idea of a nature walk, Marie."
"Oh, what? She wouldn't appreciate being dragged off trail and bushwacking through the forest?"
Jubilee wrinkled her nose. "Hell to the no, kids. I'm sticking to the nice pretty paths." She took a moment to address Hank. "But it would be great if you wanted to come with."
The corners of his mouth rose. "I'll have to take a raincheck on the hike, but I would enjoy having dinner, if that would be alright."
"Yes!" Subtle, Jubes. Way to be subtle. Jubilee cleared her throat. "Yes. That would be great. I'll meet you around 6?"
"Sounds delightful."
There was a brief moment of silence and a quickly exchanged glance between Marie and Jean before Marie stepped toward the door and motioned for Jubilee.
"This was your bright idea, sunshine, let's get a move on."
Jean waited before the two women were out of the infirmary before she spoke.
"You'd make a cute couple, Hank."
"Dinner, Jean. We're just having dinner."
"I know, I'm just saying."
Pause.
"I couldn't agree more, Doctor Grey."
~oOo~
Jubilee and Marie found Logan working on his bike in the garage, the radio blaring heavy metal loud enough to drown out their footsteps.
"Huh…I would have taken Wolvie for a country fan what with the belt buckle the size of Cleveland."
"My belt buckle ain't that big, kid."
"I always forget about those big ears of yours, dude."
Logan sat facing the bike, his hands immersed in a twisted mass of metal and wires. He wasn't ready to turn around and look Marie in the eyes. Not when he knew there might never be a chance to be with her again. It hurt too fucking much.
"Somethin' I can do for you ladies?"
Marie's throat was tight. She didn't know how to find the words to apologize and explain her reaction to him the other day. His memories were still in her mind and the emotions he had towards her made Marie confused and anxious. Logan loved her and while she had no memory of it, there was an undeniable attraction she felt toward him. Maybe that attraction would be enough to bridge the distance between them. Maybe they could have a future.
Jubilee broke the awkward silence first.
"Yeah…so…I'm gonna go get us some water and stuff to nosh on during our little foray into the woods. Just come meet me in the kitchen when you're finished."
Jubilee turned away, not expecting Marie to take her eyes of Logan's back. Who could blame her, really, his back was pretty spectacular.
Standing behind Logan, Marie watched as he continued to work on the motorcycle, the muscles in his broad shoulders taught and flexed. His head moved to the side and she saw a cigar tucked in the corner of his mouth. That's where the smoky aroma in her sweatshirt came from.
He did love his cigars. Especially the Cubans he had smuggled in by his friends at the bar.
Before she could mull over how the hell she knew about Logan's method of obtaining cigars, his gruff but gentle voice interrupted her thoughts.
"What can I do for you, Marie."
"I just wanted to apologize for the other day."
"Got nothin' to apologize for."
"Yes, I do. This isn't your fault. I shouldn't have punished you for what happened."
"I should be the one sayin' I'm sorry. You didn't deserve to go through those fuckin' nightmares all over again."
Logan stopped working and wiped his hands on the rag that sat on the floor next to him. He stood up and walked to the radio, turning it off. He remained with his back to Marie, resting his left hand on the counter while he placed his right arm above his head on the vertical post next to the workbench.
Logan moved his head to the side again. Listening. Anticipating.
The King of the Cage!
The position of his body, this tilt of his head…the key slid into the lock inside her head, gently revealing her first memory of Logan. It swam into focus in front of her eyes.
His bare torso glistened with sweat and the bruises running up and down the length of him marred his beautiful skin. He stood, his hand extended above him, grasping the metal fencing that served as his cage. She watched as another challenger entered the ring. The fight was over quickly; the larger man being soundly beaten by the smaller yet fiercer opponent. Logan moved back to his place and took a drag of his cigar, turning his head as if sensing her presence.
Wolverine.
The name shot from her mind. Realization. Recognition. Connection.
"Logan."
Her voice was no more than a whisper but it held more power than if she'd yelled at him with all her strength. His chest constricted from the effort it took not to cross the distance between them.
Logan.
This time, her voice echoed through his mind just as clearly as when she'd spoken only a moment ago. He spun around to face her.
"Marie?"
The rush and power of the memories bombarded her, making her stagger backwards, her hands flailing out around her body in an attempt to find her balance, finally stopping just outside the garage. There were so many images now, she couldn't keep them straight in her head. It was if someone was just dumping her entire life in random order inside her head.
Logan sitting with her on the train.
Jubilee giving her a pair of expensive silk gloves.
Watching as Magneto held out his hands to touch her.
Spinning in the air with Jean, the power surging through her body as if she was on fire.
Logan moved forward and reached for Marie but as he did, she began to rise of the ground. He watched as a flicker of light grew to surround her body while her eyes turned opaque, much like Ororo's did when she summoned her power. He was about to scream her name when Marie's voice once again called out to him telepathically.
It's alright, Logan.
Marie's body continued to ascend into the air and Logan watched as she became engulfed in an orange glow.
Fuck. Again. Not again.
He was mentally running through scenarios to help her when Jean burst through the door of the garage. She stopped next to him and watched as Marie rose higher, eerily silent as she floated gracefully further away from them.
"Jeannie, do somethin'."
"I tried, Logan. Both Charles and I sensed her awakening and tried to contact her. She simply said, 'It's alright', and then closed herself off."
"She's a fuckin' telepath now?"
"Logan, the Phoenix power was immense. God only knows what Rogue is capable of at this point."
That was not what he wanted to hear.
Marie felt herself hovering in the air as the power enveloped her, wrapping her in a warmth and peace she'd never experienced. At first, she expected the voices to return and prepared herself for another battle with the Phoenix. But as she searched her awareness, she realized there would be no more confrontation. No more voices. No more torture. Her mind had been fractured by the Phoenix; its anger and fury too much for Marie to absorb at one time. So, she had tucked everything away until her consciousness could accept her new power and what that would mean for her. For Logan.
Logan. He was her tether to the world. He was the reason that she was able to conquer Carol Danvers and he was the key to breaking through the barrier in order to reel her memories back from the blackness. Their connection was her one constant. He was her salvation just as much as she was his. How could she have forgotten how much she loved him? Knowing how much pain he'd been through at the thought of her not remembering him made her chest ache.
As Marie lowered herself back to the ground, Logan searched her eyes, praying for the spark of recognition that had been absent since she'd returned from the disastrous mission. She flashed him that smile. The one that told him that no matter if Brad Fucking Pitt walked into the room, she wanted only him. He inhaled deeply and her scent assaulted him, almost making him dizzy. It was tinged with something different, slightly bitter and acrid, but it was still all her. Then he felt it, the same sensation he'd had earlier just before she left the garage; it was the knowledge that Marie was in his mind. It wasn't her speaking to him; it was more like the gentle crackle of a telephone line left open. Then, as earlier in the garage, he heard her voice in his head.
Logan. Get the fuck over here.
That was all it took. Logan bolted forward, crushing Marie to him, his face buried in her neck, not even pausing to worry about whether or not he should touch her skin. He drew in another deep breath and the rich aroma of her scent filled him again. His arms wrapped almost entirely around her, his hands gripping her sides as if he intended to ground her to the earth forever. A low growl emanated from his throat and he had to suppress the desire to mark her neck and claim her all over again. He was never fucking letting her go.
Ever.
Marie pressed her face to Logan's chest and reveled in the feel and smell of him. That's what she'd missed more than anything since she'd woken up; their connection...their bond. It had been like living at the bottom of a well; seeing only darkness and being deprived of all the sensations she used to keep herself rooted and stable in the world. Now, she not only had the feral senses, but, it seemed the Phoenix powers had opened up a new telepathic link between her and Logan.
His hands came up to the sides of her face, mentally noting how amazing she looked, even without her luxurious hair. The tickle of her voice inside his head made him smile.
It'll grow back.
Fuck, darlin', this is weird.
"You prefer to talk the old fashioned way?"
"Hell, you read my mind most of the time anyway."
They stood for a moment, and Marie saw the tears in Logan's eyes. His mouth crashed down upon hers fiercely and posessively, reveling in the taste and smell of her. There was no description for how relieved, thankful and happy he was to be standing here with the woman he'd thought was lost to him forever. Logan stopped kissing Marie and touched his forehead to hers.
"I'm so fucking glad you're back, Marie."
"Understatement of the goddamn year, I'd say."
"You ever go on a mission without me and I'm going to kick your ass."
"Yeah, yeah. You and what army."
He kissed her again. It was intense and passionate but, most of all, filled with a gratefulness for her life. A joy at knowing she was standing with him again as his best friend, his lover and his mate. Forever.
~oOo~
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Well, kids, we come to the end of our story. I'll do an epilogue, but I think this is a good place to wrap this little adventure up. I've got another bunny scratching in my brain so I think I'll move on to that one next. I hope you think I've done Rogue and Logan justice. Thank you to everyone who read and took this journey with me. It was a fun adventure.
To my regular reviewers, you guys and gals have been awesome. Thank you for feeding the beast with your encouragement!
To my regular reviewers, you guys and gals have been awesome. Thank you for feeding the beast with your encouragement!
Chapter End Notes:
Whew. So there you go. A happy little ending for our two crazy kids. An epilogue will follow with some more fluffy goodness so not to worry.