Disclaimer : I own nothing, except the plot.

Summary: Rogue and Bobby escaped the tortures of the lab and try to get back to Westchester. On the way, Rogue has to make choices that will change the lives of many.

Ok, this is gonna be L/M, or W/R if you prefer, in a AU universe. That this pairing has become an obsession for me is all Hugh Jackman's and Anna Paquin's fault, they shouldn't have been allowed to act that well….

Notes: Dude, what am I doing? I was about to get back to my Evo fic, when this whole plot bunny I've had for a loooooong time shoved in little box labelled maybe-one-day-when-I-actually-have-some-time-to-live-my-life inside my head escaped to play havroc with my ongoing fic. I blame this all on 2 of my favorite fic writers of all time, jjblazer and Karne-age (by the way, you still own us the follow-up to Mortal Fear) who inspired me the following story –sorry, I hope you won't mind to see your names appearing anywhere near that little piece of writing of mine. The beginning of my story is actually directly inspired by MF, and jjblazer is just an amazing writer, period. If you haven't read her stories posted here, DO SO NOW! I'm not going anywhere anyway….

And yes, the new chap of Once again: Past is following in the coming days so don't worry, but I had to get this out of my system. That and the fact that my pal Mayirella flung at me one of her all-too alluring plot bunnies of hers, and ask that we write this thing together, and of course, I had to say yes…..

And last but not least, yes, this is R for some sexual content. In fact, if listed elsewhere, I guess the rating would get closer to NC-17. However, I'll put a warning before these scenes so that those underage or disturbed by such content can avoid those and enjoy the fic nonetheless.

As always, please read and review. Constructive criticism more than welcome.

They really were in a tight spot here.

The young girl known to the rest of her fellow mutants only as Rogue was literally freezing, the clothes she had snatched as she was escaping the lab not nearly enough against the Canadian late fall cold. At least the fabric under which she was hidden in the truck's trailer protected them from the wind.

She started rubbing her hands together, and focused on them, trying to make out there form in the dark shadow created by their cover. Once her eyes got used to the lack of light, she realised she could even make out the red imprints at her wrists, where they had been manacles not so long ago. At least, those were just a memory now.

She had tried so hard to get ride of them the first few days, she had been bleeding quite badly. No matter how deep the cuts would become, it always seemed a small price to pay to escape the torments, the cries of terror and the smell of blood other than hers. They had let her, knowing fully that the slow appreciation of how powerless she really was there would destroy her will more surely than any physical torture they could have come up with. This is why they had her watch those….She closed her eyes against the memories.  At least now they were out, and it was time for her to think about their survival.

A whimper from her right brought her out of her reveries. Her heart constricted in her chest. Poor Bobby, all the risks he's taken to get her out with him. When they had finally lost their pursuers out there in the woods, when they were sure the only human presence within a few miles radius around them were actually dead bodies, he had dropped to the ground, just like that, and this was only then, when she saw the early snow under him turning scarlet that she understood how badly he had been hurt. And now here he was, still unconscious, the occasional whimper the only clear sign that he was still alive from where she lay, a couple of feet from him. At least, he had made it, and now she would get them home.

That is, if she suddenly got some respite from all the drama that had been flung at her lately. It had come to a point, if she wasn't still so concerned about Bobby's health and the possible chase after them, it was so ridiculous she would have laughed. Well, at least, given the speed at which the truck was going, they may well put some distant between the lab guys and themselves.

And it was at the very moment when that thought had popped into her sleep-addled brain that the vehicle suddenly stopped in a deafening screeching. Then she could make up the sound of a door opening and closing. She put her bare hand on Bobby's mouth to muffle any noise coming from him and focused on what was going on outside, but no footsteps could be heard.

She hadn't seen their driver clearly, just his retreating back in the dusk as he exited the bar in the poorly lit car park. She had seen him walking to the truck nearest to their position, then open the door and climb up, but the engine hadn't start right then. This is when she saw the trailer, and decided to make a run for it, as staying there would do them no good. She had grabbed Bobby and, thanks to a new-found strength she avoided to think about too much, had carried him and as gently as possible, had laid him before following and tugging the rough fabric above them.

Seconds ticked by, and she was about to start breathing again, when their cover was yanked away, allowing in the dull light of a clouded end of afternoon in the Canadian wilderness. For, as Rogue's eyes got used to it, they were surrounded by snow and trees. And, as she looked up in front of her, a man. A big, impressive form, towering above her.

"What the hell d'you think you're doin'?"

She looked higher still to see his face. The voice had been terse, harsh, and the guy surely sounded annoyed. His facial expression did not belie it; neither did his body language, and she suddenly got the distinctive impression that as soon as she spoke, they would be kicked out in the wilderness to be on their own, God knows how far from any trace of civilization.

The man in front of her was obviously becoming even more pissed off by her lack of answer by the second, his hard gaze set upon her making her overly conscious of every single move she could make. He was giving her the creeps: she pretty much felt like a prey studied by its predator. She knew she had to say something and fast, although she doubted it would change their fate, but all she could manage was an audible gulp, and not for the first time, she wished she could be someone smart. Someone good-looking. Someone who would be able to talk itself out of it. Someone who wasn't her.

A soft moan was heard. Bobby. They just couldn't stay out there. If she had been on her own, maybe she would have chanced it. But Bobby depended on her, and she had to do anything to bring him to somewhere safe.

She again focused on the driver. He was frightening her, there was no denying it, but it wasn't the same kind of fear she had experienced in the lab; somehow, she was scared, yet he didn't feel like a threat to her. Maybe, just maybe, the guy was still decent enough to drive them to the next town. Maybe he would understand. So she started to speak, trying to get all the words as fast as she could.

"Please, we –my friend here, he's hurt, badly, and we had nowhere to go, and I wanted to call our friends for help, but the phone back there wasn't working, so when I saw you leave, I thought maybe you could take us to the next town and I…"

"Who you're hiding from?"

Rogue blanched a little at that. She didn't think it was a good idea to tell him any of it, but she was too tired, starved and frightened to make up a story in no time. So after a defeated sigh she said:

"We were in a lab of sorts, and we've just escaped, but I don't think they've"

"Get out."

"Wh – what?"

She saw his jaw tick, and right now, she started to feel threatened by his presence as well.

"I said get out." His tone left no room for argument. He bent and hauled her up, letting her all but fall on unsteady legs on the snow-covered road. "Get your boyfriend out of my trailer." he added just before turning his back on her and walking toward the door of his truck.

"W –wait, you can't let us here! He will die if you do!"

But the man didn't turn and didn't slow any either. She was now boarding on panic, and run behind him.

"No, wait. Those friends I told you about, they can pay you. They can pay you whatever you ask!"

Her hopes flared up as he stopped and started to turn, only to have them utterly destroyed when he spoke again with a wry smile:

"What if your "friends" don't turn up, hmmm. Or they don't come with the money. Sorry darling" he continued "but no dice: that's too much a risk to take, and unless you can pay me know, I don't see what's in for me."

At that he turned again, this time to open the door.

"Then I'll do whatever you want me to, but please help us."

His hand hung in mid-air. Rogue closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay. She had hope she wouldn't have to resort to that, that she would have been able to provide for the both of them somehow until they could get help without having to do that. But right now, she alone with a badly hurt Bobby in the middle of nowhere, and her only way out of this mess was to give him something. And she had nothing else she could give him in exchange.

When she opened them again, his face was only inches from her. He suddenly gripped her by the upper arms, and she braced herself as she thought that he was about to kiss her right there and then. But he did nothing, except for looking at her intently and taking tentative sniffs, and she couldn't for the life of her decipher what he was searching for, but looked back and tried to remain as level as she could. But whatever it was, he must have found it, as, after what seemed ages, he finally let her go and for the first time the lines of his face seemed to relax somewhat.

He moved towards the trailer and hauled Bobby. As he was carrying him towards the camper, he passed by her without stopping, but his voice was gruff yet almost gentle.

"Come on."

She nodded and followed numbly, feeling suddenly very empty inside. She climbed up on the passenger side, and sat after closing the door. She was sealing her fate, and all possibilities of escape were taken away from her when he started the engine, after having installed Bobby on the cot in the camper and covered him with some worn-out grey blankets.

They had been driving for maybe an hour in uncomfortable silence. She stole a few glances sideway, but mostly looked out of the window as the scenery passed by. He just kept his stare on the road.

It was not how she had envisioned it. When the possibility of being raped had come to her mind in the lab, she had been afraid, revolted. But now she just felt sad, empty, and worthless. Granted, it wasn't exactly rape either: she had made a deal, and it was her choice. And if it really became too rough, if he tried to hurt her too bad, she could always use her skin against him, although now that she had finally got the hang of this, and given what it had cost her-and others-she could only hope that she wouldn't have to resort to that.

Soon, her imagination started to feed her with images of what it may be like, and none of them was too pleasant, but she couldn't stop them, as if she had a masochistic need to envisage the worst. And his demeanor, the fact that he hadn't say a word wasn't helping to calm down her fears. Feeling that she had to put a halt to this somehow or she would eventually been driven mad, she deliberately turned to look at him for the first time, and with a voice she hoped would sound more assured and defiant than she felt, she asked the question that had been between them since he had grabbed her back on the road.

"What do you want from me?"

Again, his gaze bore into her. He looked grave, and dead serious, and it was a good thing she could see his expression: she wouldn't have believed him otherwise, as none of her sickening "fantasies" had been even remotely close to his answer.

"I want you to stick with me."