AN: Hello lovies!! If you are reading Belle of the Ball. Another Rogan story of mine I posted a new chapter today!!Also should I continue with keeping this story just Logan and Marie for awhile or would you like to see the X-Men soon? Let me know!Disclaimer: I own nothing.

We ate in silence for awhile. Marie seemed a little less...crazy I guess. Marie. I liked that. I watched her eat and it made me angry that she ate with her gloves on. I knew why but she shouldn't have to. I started to realize that for some reason I felt like I cared for her. Like I wanted to protect her. The wolverine keeps howling things but I keep pushing him away. I'm not sure why he is so riled up but I don't want to know. Can't risk hurting the kid. I wonder how old she is.

"How old are ya kid?" I ask after downing the last of my beer.

"17" she says simply. Well thank fuck she's not 14. What am I saying. I could be 100 for all I know. "Thanks for the food. It's the best food I have had in awhile."

"Yeah. Sure. So where were you headed? Been on the road for awhile?" I'm not sure why I care. But I do.

"I always wanted to go on this trip to Alaska once I graduated. But then I got my mutation and well. I figured if I was out on my own I might as well head up there." She seems to be done eating and is just picking at her fries. She sighs and continues on. "So I'm sure you think I'm crazy but I'm not." She looks at me. "I have these voices in my head." She laughs "ok well yeah that sounds crazy. But when I turned 15 I had my first kiss. A boy named Cody. He was real nice. I put him in a comma. That's the first time my mutation came on. Mama and Daddy said I had a demon in me and Locked me in my room. One day they threw a duffle bag at me and told me to take what I wanted. Mama snuck me an envelope of money, $200. I don't think daddy knew about the money. They drove me to a bus station a couple hours away and left." I growled and clenched my fists. She looks up at me with a sad smile.

"I'm sorry darlin. That's tough. Being on the road for two years on your own." Her parents were pieces of shit for kicking her out. A 15 year old who didn't know what was happening to her.

"Well. Not really two years. For the first 6 months I made my way up here. But one day I got caught….was stuck in a lab for year." I can smell the tears. Shit. A lab. No wonder she talks to herself. I know what's it's like to be in a lab. It's usually worse for the women. But with her skin hopefully they never touched her.

"Logan? You ok. You look pale sugah." She says with concern in her voice. But I feel like I should tell her the truth.

"Umm sorry. Just. I know what it's like. I was in a lab. I don't remember a lot. Just what's in my nightmares. But it was pretty bad. From what I can tell they cut me open and laced my bones with metal. I heal so that's why I didn't die. I don't know if I had the claws already or they gave them to me. But I woke up naked n bloody in the woods. That was 15 years ago. I don't remember anything before that." I have never told anyone my story before. It feels right to tell her though. Let her know she's not alone.

She gets up and walks over to me. She touches my knuckles right where the claws come out. She seems surprised when I don't flinch away. "Does it hurt? When they come out?" She asks. No one has ever asked me that. Just assuming they don't hurt. Or just to scared of them to care. I clear my throat.

"Everytime." I say. She smiles sadly and walks back to her chair.

"When I touch someone. I drain them. With mutants I get their powers for a bit. It wears off after awhile. But I also get a piece of that person in my head. Their memories also. So at the lab they had me drain a lot of people….kill alot." She looks sadly down. "I didn't want to…"

"I know darlin." I say. I grab her hand and hold it across the table. "You don't have to tell me."

"Thanks. But for some reason it feels good to get it out. I have never told anyone before." She continues. "Well usually if it was a quick touch I don't get much and they are quiet. Some of them just stay quiet on their own, like Cody. He doesn't talk much. But he is real nice when he does. Some of the meaner people I lock in a room. If I don't they try and take over me. But there is Ron, he was a nice truck driver, gave me a ride once. He brushed my skin on accident. He was fine. He told me his grandson was a mutant and gave me a few bucks to help me. He talks to me alot in my head. Then there is Stacy. I met her in a truck stop restroom. She showed me how to braid my hair. She is a stripper but she also is in medical school. She was real smart. She talks to me also. She says things sometimes that are a little….embarrassing. I make sure not to look at people's memories though. They are private. It's not right of me to." She takes a deep breath and squeezes my hand. "Thanks for listening sugah."

I'm not sure why but I realize I'm not letting her go. I need to keep her with me. Protect her. Take care of her. She was dealt a bad card. But I could at least make sure she is safe. I have to. She's my mate. Mate! Where the fuck did that come from. A mate. That's the wolverine talking. Nope, no. I'm not gonna touch her, or mark her, or claim her. She is not my mate. I look at her and she smiles again. Fuck….

"Umm..listen, thanks for the food and hotel room. Thanks for listening also." She glances at the bed then back at me, she blushes then glances down fidgeting. "I don't have any money to repay you. I know my skin is not touchable. But I can…" Is she offering to…

"What!" I yelled. She jumps. Shit, didn't mean to scare her. "No you don't have to….no." I clear my throat. "Listen I don't normally do this. Picking people up. I do things on my own. I might take a girl to bed but I'm never there the next morning and she sure as shit is not staying in my room. But I wanted to help you. I just… fuck, I'm not good with words." She seems confused and then her eyes glaze over. Her smell changes a bit and so does her posture. She slowly gets up and walks to my side of the small table. She reaches down and pulls her nightgown up to the top of her thighs. Shit. What's going on. She sits down on the table and crosses her legs.

"Marie?" I ask confused

"Nope. My name's Stacy baby." She smiles slyly which looks wrong coming from Marie. Stacy? The stripper?

"Let Marie back!" I'm yelling. I'm sure this wasn't Marie's choice.

"I'm not a floozy who's trying to hook up with you or something. I'm in her body. I can't touch." She says matter of factly.

"What do you want?" I growl releasing my claws.

"Listen baby, I was surprised when you turned down our sweet Marie's offer. So I had to make sure of something. Your feral right?" She asks

"Yeah" I say teeth clenched.

"I was married to one….he died." She says sadly. "If your being this nice to her and not just because she is a kid. Then that must mean she is your mate."

I look at her stunned. "What? How.."

"Listen baby. I know what it is to be a mate. I can tell you're trying real hard not to do anything wrong by her. That's good. But I'm telling you. If you decide to leave her, for some dumbass reason like, she's just a kid, or you think your no good for her." She pauses "if you leave she won't make it." She sighs "I don't mean she might get caught by the lab or she might get hurt. I mean she will end it. Herself. I think you found her at her breaking point. She was wishing that man would have killed her, the one you helped stop. She wished her skin didn't stop him. She needs you as much as you need her. Even if you don't know it yet." She leans forward and places her hand on my chest above my heart. "It will all turn out ok baby."

Her eyes glaze over again and I can smell Marie. She looks dazed and is looking at how her legs are showing and then she notices how close she is to me.

"Marie?" I ask

She jumps up and backs away. "Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry. That was...what did she do?!" She asks looking at my claws. I slide them back in and step towards her.

"Nothing darlin. Just telling me to treat ya right. That's all." I chuckle hoping this will help calm her.

"I am so sorry. I was so close to you and I was…" she swallows. "I think I'm gonna head to bed. Goodnight Logan." She runs over and hops into the bed under the covers. I turn off the light and take off my boots and shirt. I get in the other bed. Then I hear her.

"It's ok Stacy. I know you care….Ron...will you sing me to sleep?" Then she starts to calm down.

End Chapter Note: Hope you enjoyed it. Please review! Also I posted a new chapter to my other Rogan story Belle of the Ball today. Check it out!