Title: I'll Always Have Time For You
Author: Mr. E
Pairing: Logan/Marie, Logan/Mystique
Rating: T but will be M very soon
Disclaimer: The characters in this story do not belong to me they are the property of Stan Lee, Marvel Comics, and Fox Studios (I think)
Playlist: All Around Me - Flyleaf
Author Notes: Special thanks to my readers, reviewers, and my lovely new Beta Glinda who will be insuring all of my Americanisations are correct -grin-

I'd also like to warn that this chapter is a little shorter and geared mostly by dialogue but it worked easier this way. Hope you still enjoy it.

Chapter Two

NOVEMBER - ONE MONTH PREVIOUSLY

She shut her eyes tight, her mouth expelled a little moan as she stood slouched over her sink. Her grip was so tight it was making her knuckles white as she tried desperately to maintain her balance, but her head continued to spin out of control. It felt like electric jolts were running up her spine as her stomach did back flips and the blue eyes dared to turn up to the mirror. Her stark black hair began to melt away from the roots, turning a shocking orange, it seemed like a paint drop was spreading in her eyes as they turned black and then yellow, her skin folding backward like a lizard's million scales from fair with pink blush into the deepest royal blue. It was as these images came into focus that her mind gave one last final lurch and with it her knees gave out from under her as Mystique gasped, laughed, and cried.

She was finally free, having spent the last year trapped inside the brainless twit that was Raven Darkholme. A tall, leggy, and breathtaking woman Raven's head was constantly twittering about the trivial and mundane. Her ridiculous job as a secretary, her hair, her clothes, her looks, constantly fighting with herself for the desire to be who she truly was. What she truly was. As Mystique began to feel the strength in her limbs slowly return she felt Raven's clothes suffocating her. Ripping them off she almost cringed. That was a two thousand dollar Gucci top, who gave a shit? Running her hands over her arms, stomach, and legs she went across Raven's nauseating Ikea Furnished apartment to the full length mirror and examined herself.

"What a shame...she was so beautiful."

She shook her head. She'd deal with that soon enough, considering she was still in New York she had other business to tend with. A test to make sure she "still had it." Running a finger along the tiny vertical scar on her stomach she went to Raven's phone and dialled a number quickly, a chipper young women answered on the other end.

"Cartier Jewellers."

"Tell Mr. Wallace Raven wont be coming into work, she's dead."

"She's what?! Hello!? Hello!"

And with this Mystique hung up the phone.

DECEMBER - PRESENT

"I can't believe I'm stuck doing this shi-"

"Logan!"

"What?! Come on there are about a hundred other things I could do around here which are twice as useful but instead I'm stuck cleaning the damn attic."

"Well I'm cleaning it too, we're cleaning it together." She grinned.

"Yeah well...that's not so bad then." Logan half shrugged as he unburdened Marie of an oversized box, stacking it neatly atop the other neatly stacked boxes in the north east corner of the Xavier Manor Attic.

"Besides I don't really mind."

"You don't mind because you wont have to ever do this again." Logan scoffed in reply.

"True." She laughed, "But I dunno...I'm gonna miss this you know? Odd chores around the manor, the manor in itself..."

"Are you nervous?"

"Honestly?" She asked as she took another box and handed it to him, the chain between herself and the boxes had been going for the better half of two hours, and they were only half way done. But Marie hadn't been lying when she said she didn't mind, if she had been stuck with someone half as amusing maybe.

"No dishonestly in fact from now on anything you say to me must be a lie otherwise I wont believe a word you say." Again, more laughter.

"Yes and no. I'm nervous but I'm really excited you know? I haven't seen my parents since I came here and to be honest I didn't think they'd want anything to do with me-"

"Why would you think that?" Logan asked as he dropped the box in his hands.

"I dunno, I just picked up and left you know? No note, nothing." She replied with another light shrug.

Two weeks ago Marie had made what she considered the most important phone call of her entire life: she called her parents. She had expected to be yelled at, expected to be called a number of disgraceful names especially after they heard what she had to say. What she got instead was a mother who was crying so much she couldn't understand her, and her father's blessing to come home. They did however demand to know why she hadn't called almost five years sooner for they had filed a missing persons report and desperately wanted her home. Marie had one more week left at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters before she went out into the world.

"I think that's all the more reason for them to be thrilled to know you're okay." Marie only replied with a little grin. "Hey kid..." Logan's voice dropped into a serious tone, so Marie put down the box she was attempting to lift and turned to meet his gaze. "Tell me somethin'...really...why are you going? It's not because of Bobby and Kitty is it-"

"Oh God no!" She shook her head. "It's about me Logan...I need this. You know," She then fiddled with the nail on her left hand, "a few months before I met you I was planning this great trip I was going to take after I got out of college. Like...a road trip or something where I got to see the whole country and go up to the Canadian Rockies and watch the sun come up...I can do that now...you know? Everything that I wanted I can have! There's nothing here for me any more." She sighed as she shook her head, "I'll just be taking up a room from someone else who needs it just like I did."

"No yeah that makes sense." Logan nodded once as he gave another half shrug. "Just makin' sure you've got your head on straight but dunno what I was so worried about."

"Why thank you-" She began as she took a step backward, but her leg faltered from under her.

"Hey watch it!" He cried, and before she could swing her arms out under her to break her fall Marie felt her wrist snap forward. She wasn't hurt, just stopped as his arms wrapped around her waist and Logan stepped in to catch her, her hands grabbing his shirt tightly as they both began to chuckle, turning backward at the box she had absently put down only moments before. "You okay kid?"

"Yeah I'm fine." She chuckled, "just freaked for a minute I guess." It was as she turned up to him, his eyes meeting hers that she realised he was looking at her so differently...she could feel her cheeks go a little pink as she stared right back not quite sure what to make of it. And then he spoke.

"Listen Marie I just...I want you to know that...no matter where you are, no matter what's wrong...you know where to find me. I'll always be there." He said with a small nod, and his hands...she could feel how rough they were through her blouse as they rested at the bottom of her back, her grip on him had loosened but she couldn't seem to bring her hands back. He wouldn't turn away, he wouldn't let go, she could feel his eyes on every bit of her face and she wondered what it was he thought he was seeing...it was as she was going to open her mouth to speak that another sound interrupted her.

"ech-ehm." Both Logan and Marie turned in unison to see Bobby, who was wearing a smug grin as his arms were crossed in front of his chest. "Hey Rogue phone call, it's your dad." He said as he jabbed a finger over his shoulder.

"Thanks Bobby." Marie smiled as she released herself from Logan and walked jogged past him, leaving Bobby still giving Logan that horrible look which made him both annoyed and uncomfortable. He busied himself with picking up another large box.

"You know...you're not fooling anyone." Came Bobby's voice.

"You know I always thought you were kinda smart Bobby, don't make me start changin' my mind."

"She wont be here for much longer-" Bobby's statement was cut off by the sound of Logan dropping his box and turning to glare at him, Bobby gulped a little.

"She's not your problem any more." Logan growled. With the last bit of courage Bobby had left he ventured one last statement before showing himself out.

"Soon she wont be yours either." By the time Logan turned again he was gone, and just as well for his own good.

Bobby made his way down the corridor, his hands in his pockets whistling a little tune when he heard them coming down the other end of the hall. Panicked for a moment he ducked into the nearest room and shut the door, pressed against the wall he left it open a crack to watch them pass. Bobby and Kitty were hand in hand with little Jimmy chattering at their side.

"Oh hey Bobby did you tell Rogue her dad's on the phone?" Jimmy asked.

"No but I saw her talking, Tinman must have told her for me remind me to thank him later." And with this comment they turned the corner and Mystique came from her hiding place. She tilted her head for a moment before taking the shape of another student, and continued on her way.

Fin Chapter Two