A/N: as usual, it's at the bottom!

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, but boy, do i wish i did!

Gone.

Chapter 1.

It had been two days, not that he had been counting. No, his subconscious had. Two days since she gave back his dog tags. It had been four days he'd been home. Not that that was any comfort.

He didn't understand it. Why had it hurt? When she gave the tags back? Nothing had caused any such emotions to stir inside him since Jean's death apart from when he looked at the three graves standing tall and proud in the garden. He knew why, well his fearing side of him did. She had given up on him; she'd grown up and moved on. He was glad! Honestly, she deserved all the happiness the world had to give. Especially after all the horrific sites she had seen, and so early on as well. But she seemed to have coped. He didn't know.

She'd given back his tags. It pained her to do so but, after two full days of pulling herself together since his return, she'd managed to hand them over. At the same time, she gave up her little fantasies too. She needed something real now, sure it may not be what she wanted but she owed herself some fake happiness at least.

That was why she had folded all her clothes. And then placed them on the bed, found her suitcase and put them in. This wasn't going to be another unfulfilled fantasy. No, this would come true. She was going to take her first steps back into the big wide world again, after so many years carefully hiding from it. She was ready now; she had control over her mutation and could look after herself. That was one thing she was grateful for, that he'd given her private sessions of self-defence. She knew that if she didn't make it, she'd have this home to return to but she wanted to make her own path. Maybe she'd try reconciling with her parents? Then again, thinking back to what she had left, maybe not.

Not realising that she had finished packing several minutes ago, she gazed around the room that had been her sanctuary in times of trouble, there had been many! There had also been times when it had seemed like a prison. But she'd miss it all the same.

Finally she left the various notes addressed to the different people she'd come to love as a family. Storm, Kitty, Jubilee and Bobby. Then there was his letter. She traced her fingers across the name she'd scrawled on the front. Smiling she placed it in her bag and hauled the bag onto her shoulder. She hadn't used it in nearly ten years. She hadn't used it since she met him.

She wondered whether she'd be doing this, leaving the safety of the mansion if she hadn't touched his skin one night. That night she'd absorbed all his deepest darkest thoughts, feelings and memories. Then she'd seen the lighter side of him, it was the best combination she'd ever met. Just enough Light and Dark to create that gruff, caring, exciting man she'd fallen in love with. But she was giving that up now. No point in continuing an unrequited love. God, she hated that phrase!

Stepping out into the silent hallways, some moonlight filtering in, she avoided the creaky floorboards and knocked on a door quietly.

As the door opened, she looked into the hazel eyes she'd look into as she confided most of her thoughts.

"All ready for your moonlight flit then?" Kurt grinned. Since they'd found out they were half siblings, their mother being Mystique, they'd grown a strong bond.

"Yep. Are you ready?" she asked.

He merely grinned. "Of course I am!" then his pensive face appeared. "Are you sure you want to go?"

She nodded. "I need to. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise, it just hurts to say goodbye to my little sister." he tried to smile.

Her eyes water slightly and she lunged to give him a hug. "You'll always know where I am. Feel free to visit me at any time!" her voice muffled on his shoulder.

"I still can't tell anyone else though can I?"

"No. Please?" she said pulling back, sniffling a little.

"Ok, but if I get tortured..." he trailed off with a smirk.

She punched his arm lightly and grabbed her bag again.

Then with a final hug, they 'bamfed' into the apartment she'd previously organised and rented in Chicago. Unfortunately, upon entry they hadn't noticed the surprise guests awaiting them. With the guns containing remnants of the cure. To gun clicks later, both were unconscious on the floor and being bound before they were dragged off to god knows where.

Logan had woken up tonight. Something didn't feel right with the way Rog- Marie had been acting. He'd watched her and she'd looked sad. Looking at everything like it was the last time she'd see it, committing each item to memory. He'd had a restless night's sleep and climbed out of bed in the early hours.

Opening his door as silently as he could, so as not to disturb the other sleepers, he was about to make his way downstairs to get a beer when he saw her. She was creeping across the landing. He was just about to ask what the hell she was doing with her bag packed when she knocked on her brother's door. He stayed quiet, thinking that perhaps the bag was for Kurt, hoping it wasn't the scenario he'd never thought would play out. His acute hearing picked up parts of their conversation. She was leaving! How could he stop her? Listening to Kurt, he agreed with his sentiments, it was hard to say goodbye. His nose picked up on her tears, maybe that was why she was leaving now, so she didn't have to say goodbye. As her figure disappeared into Kurt's room as she attack him with a hug, Logan saw something white, flutter to the floor like a ghost. He decided to wait before examining it. He'd wait until she'd left. Turning his attention back to their conversation he heard Marie say, "No. Please?" he concluded that was in accordance to the idea of telling the others.

Surely she would have told him? Why was she leaving when he'd just returned? Then it hit him. She had given up on him. She didn't want to face him any more and now she was doing what he'd done to her all these years. She was going, and now he knew what she'd felt each time he'd gone. A little bit of himself disappearing with her. Except she hadn't left tags, a promise that she would return, that the missing part of him would come back eventually. Then he heard Kurt's trademark 'Bamf' and she'd gone. Left him alone.

Glancing away from the door that she'd gone through last, and towards the floor, his eyes caught the little white slip of paper. Walking towards it with great stealth, he picked it up and read his name. Tracing it, like the young women had just moments before without his knowledge, he pondered. 'For me? But... it was in her bag? How would I have got it if she were leaving with her bag? Wait! She didn't...wasn't... even going to say Goodbye!' Didn't she at least owe him that?

Snarling, he stomped into her room where he found four similarly labelled envelopes. Even one to that little ice cube after he'd broken up with her! Sure they were still friends but they weren't as close as her and Logan. Looking down at the crumpled letter in his fist, he slowly relaxed and released a deep breath. All his anger was seeping into feelings of disappointment, betrayal and sadness. At least he'd get a goodbye, even if it weren't intentional.

Sitting down on her neat bed, and taking in her own unique scent that still filled the room along with a few bits and pieces of her neglected belongings, he opened the envelope. Pulling out a sheet of paper, he felt something solid and heavy fall into his lap. It was dog tags, her own, unique dog tags! He smiled slightly and then glanced back at the letter. Inhaling a deep breath to put back that stinging feeling in his eyes, he unfolded the piece of parchment. Marie's gentle scrawl greeted his sight.

Dear Logan,

I'm going to start of with something I couldn't tell you face to face. I wasn't brave enough, no matter how much the' you' in my head told me to do so. I loved you. I still love you actually, but I knew deep down that it was unrequited love (God I really REALLY hate that phrase!) And so I have decided to try and move on. I know how difficult it's going to be and so although I leave you the address of where I'm going to be staying, I ask you not to visit or call or try and contact me in anyway until I'm ready. Please, this is all I ask of you.

I felt that if I were to tell you goodbye, I would...well 'breakdown' so to speak, so I chose to write a letter to each of you that I hold dearest in my heart. I haven't cried since the Professor died and I plan to keep that up. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm a grown woman now, and grown women don't cry, right? I also know how much it hurts you to see me cry. I also know you would do anything to stop that, even lie to me. I know you don't love me, I've gotten over my jealousy of Jean and realise that even if I never had you in the way I wanted, I still had a great friend.

Which is why this choice has been so difficult to make. It may seem cowardly, but it has to be done. You of all people should know that we all have to do difficult things sometimes, which reminds me. Never feel guilty for your actions, Jean wanted to end it and she asked you to save her. You did! Never regret that. You've saved many people and though you may not think it, you've saved me.

You've saved me more times than I can count. The night you found me in your truck, the night you accidentally stabbed me through the chest and allowed me to borrow your powers, from Magneto at the statue of Liberty, when Stryker attacked the school, when the cure wore off and I thought about ending it all. You didn't know that at the time, I was contemplating suicide, but you came along and it didn't seem all that bad any more. You told me that one day I'd overcome this, and that you would be there every step of the way and that you wanted to be there when I did learn control. Not 'If' but 'When' and I cannot thank you enough for that. You saved me again when Mystique was after me, you were there to help both me and Kurt understand that we had both been abandoned by her and you helped forge the relationship we have now. For that, both Kurt and myself thank you. I also thank you for the way you allowed me to remain the same person, when everyone else saw Rogue, you saw Marie. You saw through to the real me that only a few people have ever done. You were the first.

I've left my 'tags' as is tradition with us, so that you know that one day I will see you again. I look forward to that day as I hope you do. I want to say so many things, but I can't seem to get the words right. I hope that one day, you will understand why I needed to leave. Why I cannot give you this letter yet until I'm ready. I hope you already know how I feel, I believe it's the you in me that's making me want to escape! I've been holding him in for so long now, it's time to let my Logan side free. With this letter I free you of your promise. You no longer have to protect me, you have done more than enough already and so I leave you with five final words.

I will always love you.

My friend, my saviour, my Logan.

Yours forever,

Marie

xxx

I will be living in Chicago at 29 Lincoln drive, Flat 2A. None of the others will know where I am so please do not tell them. I won't be ready for the fight to not come back home, I would give in to easily and I'd be back at square one.

After reading the letter, he set his mind at ease with the thought that he would go find her in the morning and bring her back, hopefully. With a grin he went back to his own room to get a full night's sleep, Marie's letter under his pillow, in his hand. Dreams of a life with Marie filled his mind and the sun was sat waiting, for dawn to appear fresh and rosy fingered upon a new day. He would tell Marie how he felt when he saw her.

A/N: Hello! I am back! with a L/M again! don't worry people, i will be continuing White Wolf (and the rest of my unfinished stories!) just as soon as my exams are over which is 2weeks off! This story came into my head after watching Sketty24's music video 'Everything' so thank you Sketty! I suggest to everyone go and watch them! I have a continuation chapter to this story in my head, i did have an ending to this story but I've forgotten it at the moment but i'm sure it will come back! Never fear! lol! please review! I would love to hear what you think of this! I even have the whole 'you have to have a membership to fanfiction' thingymabob off so even if u wanna call urself Bob! u can review! Thankies! Toodles! Oh, nearly forgot, that last little phrase, 'dawn to appear, fresh and rosy fingered' comes from the Odyssey by Homer which i'm am studying for my classics exam and I swear, it came up like 8 times in one chapter! so anyways, off now! Bye!

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