AN: Thanks everyone for your reviews of the prologue! I'm glad to know that everyone found the story and is interested in where this might be going. So... read on!

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men.

Chapter 1

The hotel room was still as Logan opened his eyes. The sun shone through the flimsy curtains from across the room and he could see the dust floating in the air. This motel was no different than the others that they'd been to in the past couple of months. The air was stale, the sheets were rough, and the wall paper was tacky. Ever since Rogue's truck had been blown up and they only had Logan's motorcycle for transportation, they'd needed to find cheap places to sleep. As he heard the couple in the adjacent room talking clearly about breakfast and the days plans, Logan was unconvinced a cheaper place could have been found.

Rogue was tucked safely in Logan's embrace, his arm lying over her waist and the other pinned under her pillow. He could smell her shampoo. Needless to say, they were both fully clothed. After the explosion, they'd used some of the money Logan had to buy her some new clothes and essentials as well as a backpack to carry everything. She still had Logan's burnt flannel shirt from their battle those few months ago and no matter how much Logan wanted her to, she wouldn't throw it out.

However, Rogue still wore Logan's motorcycle gloves. She had refused to get another pair for herself. She liked having something of his, she often fingered the claw slashes between the knuckles when she was bored, and she liked the way the leather was worn smooth on the inside. His dog tags were also back in their rightful place around her neck.

As she stirred to the beams of sun on her face, Rogue twisted and stretched, arching her back and reaching her arms over her head. She rolled and faced him. Logan chuckled. "You look like a cat when you do that," he said, carefully brushing a strand of hair from her face, making sure not to touch her skin.

She rolled her eyes, even though she was smiling, pressed her back against chest, and snuggled into his body. "It feels good to stretch like that. You should try it sometime."

His grip around her tightened and he pressed a kiss to her covered shoulder.

Of course, since the return of Rogue's powers had made it impossible, they hadn't had sex since that first time. Which, Rogue could tell, was starting to take its toll on Logan.

His hand rested on her hip. Slowly, it slid down the curve of her leg and then back up, grazing over her clothed waist. He pressed his lips to her shoulder and kissed his way along the other. "Logan," she said hesitantly, even though she was leaning into his touch.

He didn't stop. If anything, it spurred him on. His hands explored every curve that he could without touching her skin. "Logan," she repeated, a little stiffer this time.

His lips continued along her shoulders and back, sending goosebumps down her neck and arms.

Rogue loved this. Even the thought of his touch was intoxicating to her. But this had to stop. "Logan!" she snapped, more sternly this time as she rolled out of the bed –and his arms– and stood. "We can't," she said, her hands on her hips. "You know we can't," she continued, still stern but with a pleading understanding in her voice.

"Aw, damn it," he growled, pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes, rolling onto his back. "I know, I know."

Turning to look at him, she sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I wish we could, Logan. But… we just-"

"I know," he groaned, interrupting her. He patted the bed next to him, smiling. "Come lay back down. I swear I'll behave."

Her eyes danced with happiness, and she bit her lip playfully, as if she had to think it over. "Well, okay." She climbed back into bed and snuggled up to Logan, burying her head against his chest.

They laid together for a few minutes in silence. Until Logan's hands began to wander again.

"Logan!" she barked, rolling out of bed again. "Stop!"

He let out an animalistic growl and threw his hands in the air. "I know!"

She pressed a frustrated hand to her forehead. "I mean, Jesus, Logan! I've almost killed you twice before and I won't let that happen again! So whatever you do, don't touch me!"

"Easier said than done, Princess," he grumbled. "And it's not like it would actually kill me."

She rolled her eyes and folded her arms over her chest. "Still, I would like you conscious during sex, if you don't mind. I would assume that that would make it more pleasurable for you."

He chuckled. "Good point."

"I just need to get outta this room," she said, her hands moving to her head.

As she began digging into her backpack, Logan asked, "What are you doing?"

"Well," she said over her shoulder, "the sun is shining, it's warm outside, and for once we're at a place that has a pool." She stood up, a bikini in hand. "I'm going swimming."

"Hey, that's not fair," he said, pointing at her accusingly.

She just shrugged, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, before disappearing into the bathroom. After a few minutes of silence, she reemerged, a towel wrapped around her body.

"You could've changed in here, you know," he said as he finally stood up. "I've already seen everything."

A coy smile graced her lips. "I just thought that would be a little too mean."

"Kid, you're getting into a swimming pool, mostly naked," he said, stepping up to her. "It doesn't get much meaner than that."

Rogue stepped by him, the smile still on her face, and pulled the door open. "I don't know, Logan," she said, letting the towel fall away from her body. "I think it could be worse."

He narrowed his eyes at her as he followed. She dove right into the water as the fully-clothed Wolverine took a seat in one of the lounge chairs which bowed under the considerable weight of his Adamantium skeleton.

After a few minutes, Rogue emerged from the pool and collapsed into a lounge chair next to him. "Why aren't you swimming?"

"I can't swim," he muttered.

She cocked an eyebrow at him. "You don't know how to swim?"

"I know how to swim," he replied defensively. "I just can't."

She stared at him in confusion for a few more seconds before it dawned on her. "Are you telling me that you sink?" she asked excitedly.

He scowled. "I don't want to talk about it."

Rogue laughed loudly. "Oh my god! You sink!" She continued to laugh then stopped abruptly thinking out loud. "Can you drown?"

He looked at her with a seriousness that almost reflected fear. "I'd rather not test that," he said with an uneasy chuckle.

She smiled reassuringly. "Good idea."

"Let's go get some breakfast, Kid," he said, changing the subject and getting to his feet.

She clambered after him to the hotel room. She got dressed as Logan packed all of their stuff into Rogue's backpack.

They went out to a small diner for breakfast. "I think we need to find a Laundromat," Rogue said as they took a seat at the counter.

"Running out of clothes again?" he asked.

She nodded as the waitress came by and filled their coffee cups and took their orders. Once she'd moved on to her next customers, Rogue asked, "Do Storm and Hank have any idea what's going on with my powers?"

He shrugged. "I haven't talked to them in about two weeks but last time I did, they were as clueless as we are. They want to do some tests when we get back."

She scoffed. "Fun. All the more reason to stay away."

He chuckled in confusion. "Don't you want to know what's going on?"

"Well," she said with a shrug, "I do, but I hate the idea of the tests. And I mean, it's not like they'll…" She sighed heavily then added, "I miss Professor X…"

He nodded in understanding. "I know, Kid. He'd know exactly what's going on…"

Taking a sip of coffee, Rogue said, "I mean, with healing myself, I had just touched you, like, five minutes before. But with the ice? I have no clue."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "You don't? I mean, Bobby?"

She furrowed her brow at him. "What? The only time I've ever touched him skin to skin was when we kissed at his house!"

Logan eyed her. "You what?" he asked, trying to keep his voice even.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, it was when I was still dating him."

"Right," he replied in a short, gruff tone. He didn't like the idea of Ice Cube dating anyone, much less her.

"But my point is," she said, ignoring his obvious sarcasm, "I haven't touched Bobby since then." She hesitated then added, "Well, actually…"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Well, actually, what?"

She rolled her eyes. "Just with the handholding and stuff after I got the cure. But, again, it was after the cure so it shouldn't be a problem, right? I mean, it's not like my powers have some sort of memory card and remember every mutant I've ever touched, right?"

"Don't look at me, Kid," he said with a shrug, looking out the window, "I'm not a genius."

The waitress dropped off their food, asked if they needed anything else, and continued on to her other customers.

They ate in silence and began catching snippets of the news report on the T.V. on the wall. "Five guards were killed last night during a break in at a Stark Industries research laboratory in Maine. Fifteen others were sent to the Intensive Care Unit with severe injuries. Reports vary as several guards say they were attached by two to four mutants, but with the surveillance system destroyed, it is hard to discern anything specific from the robbery. Officials say that they discovered evidence that mutants were, in fact, somehow involved but are refusing to make any statements at this time. Tony Stark has not come forward with what has been stolen, but we have been informed that the technology is unlike anything already in circulation. This is Bill Ritter with Eyewitness News Channel Seven."

Both Rogue and Logan had stopped eating and looked at each other. "You don't think…" she started to say.

"Pyro and Sabertooth?" He scoffed and shook his head. "No way, they only know how to break necks. They couldn't break into Stark Industries, much less break out with anything of value."

Poking at her food with her fork, she asked, "Do you think we should've told Storm that we ran into them?"

He laughed. "It's Sabertooth and Pyro. They're not a threat. Neither of them were the brains of the operation. That was Magneto and nobody knows where he is."

She shrugged. "I guess."

An uncomfortable silence fell between them as Rogue continued to poke at her food. Finally, Logan said, "Hey, I've been meaning to ask, but what did Sabertooth say to you that day?"

Rogue tilted her head at him. "You expect me to remember?"

"Marie…" he said in a warning tone.

"Right…" She paused and thought for a moment. "Um, I think it was something along the line of 'What's a girl like you doing with my brother?'"

AN: Cliffhanger! I know, evil. Hate me if you want, but if you hate on me too much, I might not post the next chapter. Just saying. Please review!