Okay, so this takes place at the end of X2. Rogan. Near Christmas with a Wolverine twist. ENJOY! Try not to be too harsh. :P

***For help:
"Normal speech."
'People talking inside Rogue's head.'
"Rogue and Logan's growl/Wolverine talk."

***Please note that the people in Rogue's head have single quotation marks whereas the Wolverine Talk is double quotation marks.

Rogue's Wolverine

Rogue sighs in a shaky, stressful way as she looks out the window of the meeting room that the X-Men have gathered in for a briefing. The claws itch to come out, but Rogue withholds them. No one can know about it, about what has happened to her. Especially him, the man that had saved her. The man that had done this to her. Made her like him. The snowflakes outside swirls playfully, falling in a large quantity despite the clear-looking night sky.

Rogue shifted uncomfortably as The Call started up. It happens every night, keeping her up as she tries to resist running outside into the woods and letting herself go to the wild. She shifts restlessly as Professor continues with the mission information. She tries to listen to the Professor, but The Call makes it hard.

'It's okay, kid, just ignore it. Focus on my voice, not that one. C'mon, darlin', fight it.' the essence of Logan in her head encourages her as she tries to stay still to no avail.

Logan notices her discomfort as she shifts unendingly. Is her uniform too tight? No, he would have noticed her almost always perky nipples against the cloth. Is she sick? No, he can't smell anything wrong with her. What's wrong with her?

Logan hears the call and at the same time, Rogue jumps a little bit in her seat before trying to sink down, gripping the black leather arms with white knuckles. Logan notices the veins moving in her hands, like she's trying to control herself. "Hey, kid," he whispers in a low voice to her across the table. The room was like the kind you see in a normal business conference; long and thin. Logan sits directly across from Rogue, so he see's it when she jumps when he speaks to her. She looks at him nervously. "You okay, kid? You seem anxious." he asks quietly, making sure only she can hear him.

"Uh-uh... Um, y-yeah. *ahem* Yeah, Ah'm fine." she mutters too low for any human to hear, (unfortunately, that isn't the case with Logan), before casting her gaze back at the window right as Logan feels the call brush against his mind. Still doubtful of Rogue's condition, he turns back to the other end of the table where Professor is wrapping up the briefing. "That is all. Now head for the plane. Oh, and Rogue? Can I speak to you for a moment?" Professor motions for the young brunette to come forward and after flashing a quick glance at first Logan then the window, she goes to him. Logan turns and heads out with the others, worry filling him to the brim.

8*8*8*8*8

Rogue enters the plane right before it closes. She avoids eye contact and sits in the very back, buckling in and looking away from anyone and everyone to glare at the wall. Logan notices her behavior and see's himself in her attitude. She's been oddly quiet, moody, glaring, always sneaking off, constantly rubbing her hands, and down right unsociable. At least she had stopped smoking cigars. Although Logan would notice whenever he lit one that her hand would tremble ever so slightly. Maybe she still has some after affects from the incident at the Statue of Liberty?

As the plane takes off, Logan unbuckles and and walks back to the seat beside Rogue's, which is occupied by Scottie. "Move, One Eye." he growls. Scottie regards him calmly for a moment before unbuckling and moving to Logan's afore taken seat, which is by Jean. Logan sits down with a gruff and pulls out a cigar. Letting out his claws, he slices the end off the butt and lights the other end with a lighter that he always keeps on himself. Letting out a large puff of smoke, he steals a sly look at Rogue's hands, which are now twitching as she rubs them subconsciously. Without looking at her, he holds the cigar out to her almost casually.

Rogue looks at the cigar for a moment, but doesn't hesitate when she reaches for it. Putting it in her mouth and inhaling deeply, Rogue lets her eyes flutter closed at the heavenly feeling and the spicy Cuban flavor. She blows out a ring, followed by a thin trail of smoke through the center before it fades quickly. Smiling, she takes another small drag before handing it back. Their eyes meet and he can see the appreciation in hers. Logan nods once in understanding before turning to face the front. Feeling more calm, Rogue settles in for the ride.

"We are coming in over the field. Time to drop." came Storm's voice from the intercom. Immediately, the X-Men unbuckle and stand in the isle, waiting for the entrance to open and them to jump out. Rogue realizes too late that her and Logan are at the front of the line. She tries to scoot back, but a warm hand on the center of her back stops her. She looks over at Logan and he returns her stare with those serious eyes. She turns back to face the now gaping hole before being the first to hurry to the edge and drop off kind of like a dead body. She is quickly followed by the others.

Rogue doesn't particularly like free-falling, but the wind is just so awesome. Closing her eyes, she knows it's the closest she can get to running through the woods at full speed, especially since the forest is their target. 'Pretty thoughts, kid. But you might want to look for me. 'Cause I don't think you're with the group anymore.' her mental Logan warns her.

Immediately, her eyes pop open to find herself alone. She can see Blackbird, but on the other side of the island. "Rogue to Storm, Rogue to Storm, can ya hear me?" she talks quickly into her intercom, not caring is everyone else can hear her. "Yeah. Where are you, Rogue? I can't find you- What are you doing on the other side of the island?!" Storm exclaims in surprise. "It must have been a gust of wind that we didn't count for. Don't worry, Ah'll get back before take off." Rogue assures, all business in her voice. Then another voice growls into the intercom. "Like hell you can get back in time, kid. We don't know what's out there. Hang tight, I'm comin for ya." Wolverine ends his intercom. "NO! Ah'm fine. Just focus on the children, Wolve, the children!" Rogue shouts angrily, afraid she'll miss her chance to embrace The Call. 'We're just worried for you, darlin. Can't help it when we promised to take care of you.' mental Logan explains gruffly. Then, Rogue gets an idea. She clicks the button to turn on her com and gives a threatening, angry and hurting growl. It basically means, "You chase me and I'll keep running." Of course, only one other person can understand her. "Fine." the single word comes through gruffly. Rogue can just imagine Scott now, yelling at Logan to explain whatever I had meant. 'Now is not the time for that, you've got hostiles closing in on your landing area.' Her mental Logan snaps her out of her amusement. "Thanks." she mumbles out loud, keeping her mouth as closed as possible to ensure that no bugs fly in. Twirling, Rogue manages to roll effortlessly on her landing. Having been taught to do it so many times, she had perfected at least one thing. She uses her arm and shoulder to roll our the fall instead of impacting like a total moron. Quickly righting herself, she dodges the tranquilizer needles they had shot at her and she makes a run for it, back towards the others. As she runs, she listens to the others talk.

"Everything seems clear over here." Scott's voice comes through. 'No shit, Sherlock. That's because all the assholes are over here chasing us.'Rogue would have giggled if she could have spared the oxygen, but all she could think of right now was getting back to the others. "Uh, Storm? The entrance should be somewhere around here, right?" Jean's voice comes through and Rogue can hear the occasional brush of ferns, but nothing on their side. Not wanting to distract anyone from their search, Rogue remains quiet. She glances over her shoulder to see at least a dozen men in lab coats coming after her. She can smell the antiseptic and sterilizers and chemicals on them even though she's the one downwind. Letting some of her shields down, she lets Logan comes out. The pain of the metal sliding out from between her knuckles only lasts a second before her mental Logan steps in front of her and takes control.

In less than five minutes, two dozen men were on the ground, dead or out pretty damn well. Rogue/Logan picks up the cleanest, unscathed coat they can find and put it on just in case. 'Call me out any time, darlin.' Rogue's mental Logan gives her a smile before stepping away and letting her have control again. Rogue sways for a minute, but steadies herself before talking into her intercom. "Guys, Ah'm headin' over-ah!" Rogue squeaks as the floor gives way and she tumbles down a short flight of metallic stairs. Standing quickly, Rogue looks around a bit before clicking on her intercom again. "Guys, Ah think you're on the wrong side of the island." she voices in a soft pitch. "What do you mean, Rogue?" Scott is the first to respond.

"Well, Ah'm... Ah'm in the lab..." she whispers, feeling fear start to grip her. 'Now's not the time, kid. Perk up and smile, you got three comin by.' the Logan in her head grumbles. "Rogue, listen. Don't move. We're on our way." comes a rather loud, growly voice. The hidden message: "Don't do anything stupid or there will be hell to pay." But something makes the connection fuzzy. "Wolve? Logan? Jean? Scott? Storm? Hello?" No answer. Rogue tries frantically for a few minutes to get a connection, but it doesn't work. Suddenly, a mischievous smile creeps across her face. 'Ah, no, kid. Don't even think abou-' Rogue cuts him off by placing him in his own box, which he really doesn't seem happy about. Now free to do as she pleases, Rogue buttons the coat and heads off.

She doesn't run into anybody besides the three who take in her coat and tell her to go get another and that they'd deal with the 'creature' later. Unsure of what they meant, Rogue finds a clean coat, washes up, and is about to head out when her eyes fall on the computers in the break room. That same smile gracing her features as she subtly locks the door.

8*8*8*8*8

Just as Logan reaches the sight where Rogue's scent disappears, red lights pop out all across the island and a siren goes off. At that same second, Logan falls down the exact same steps Rogue did and recovers quickly enough to see a horde of mutant children running towards him. He growls and releases his claws, ready to attack. The kids slow and come to a stop, staring at Logan with a mix of awe and fear.

"Now, why did y'all stop? We're almost there." Rogue's voice comes from the back of the horde, somewhat gruff. "Rogue?" he calls out and see's her head pop up from way in the back. She looks sheepish for a fraction of a second before turning to ice. "Logan, we need to get these kids out of here! Help them out!" Rogue yells in a rough voice as she turns and runs off. "What? Wait-!" But the eager children don't give him time as he reluctantly starts to help the more crippled ones out. Two scientists appear with Rogue behind them and right before they can shoot their tranquilizers, she presses her exposed hands to their faces. They scream in pain and Rogue winces as she absorbs them. A few of the kids in the back of the crowd watch her in awe. Seeing their protector and savior's abilities in action was awesome! They only wished they could help her...

"That's the last of them. Don't worry, Ah checked." she calls to Logan, who is only a couple yards from her through all the children. Did she really release them all? "Ya want me to go double check?" he growls as she gets closer and notices the furry creature by her side. His eyes lock on the skinny, frail-looking wolf as it keeps its body pressed against her leg. Within a second, Logan realizes that Rogue has established herself as the leader of the giant pack of mutant children. And although she smells differently, like musk and authority, they'll listen to her and follow her commands, and that's what counts. "Yeah, that would be a good idea." she tells him in a low, almost growly voice. After helping the last one out, he slips by her and heads down the hall. But not before he had leaned close to her and growled, "Later." in her ear. Knowing she's already in enough trouble if Logan's mad, Rogue gently picks up the frail wolf and hurries up the steps.

The red lights and alarm were a new addition, and Rogue spent no time dealing with them as she herded the children, helped by Jean and Scott, to the Blackbird. They hesitate at the entrance, and Rogue knows why. She's not already there. Slowly, she picks her way to the front of the large group, larger than they had anticipated. She turns to face the crowd and with relief see's Logan where she was behind them, no new children. She turns her gaze to the wide eyes of the kids. Smiling kindly, she reaches out her free hand (the one that isn't holding the wolf) and one of the younger kids takes it shakily. She gently pulls that one inside and the others follow timidly. Scoot and Jean try to herd them quicker, but a warning growl from Wolverine makes them think twice and take a step back from the kids.

Within a few minutes, all the kids are huddled around Rogue, seeking comfort from the female. The wolf nudges her and she pets it gently. Then, before the X-Men's eyes, the wolf changes into a young girl no older than seven. The small girl under her arm before her eyes snap open and move immediately to Logan. He can smell her fear and Rogue nuzzles her nose into the small girl's hair to comfort her. He gives an amused smirk as Rogue looks at him before going up into the area with the chairs with the rest of them. A minute later, Scott's head reappears. "Rogue, are you staying down here?" he calls as the door closes and the Blackbird rises. "Yes sir, Ah am. These kids won't stay quiet unless Ah do." she explains loudly over the whirl of the engines. After a moment of silence, he nods and heads back up, leaving the hatch open just in case.

After the Blackbird settles at a normal height, Rogue hums loud enough for the whole group of children to hear. Calmed by her presence, they are lulled to sleep quickly as the adrenaline from the breakout dies down. Once they are all slumbering peacefully, Rogue lets her eyes shut and her mind drift off on the black sea of sleep.

8

Up in the top of the Blackbird, Logan is smirking to himself and he is the only one up top who has the ears to hear Rogue's humming. Once everything dies down, he unbuckles himself to go check on her. He see's her sleeping peacefully, surrounded by children who, for what may the first time in a long time, if ever, are having a fitful sleep. Smiling genuinely to himself, he goes back up and sits in the back, letting his scowl return before Scott turns around to look at him. "Is everything okay down there?" he asks in a flat voice. Logan ignores him and relaxes into the chair with an air of smugness...