Logan POV

"Dammit Marie! Come on you can do this!" Logan growled as he swiftly moved past her in the danger room.

"Maybe if ya weren't so pushy I could!" Marie snarled back as she jumped on top of one of the virtual robots and ripped its head off. They had been practicing with the professor for about three weeks, and Marie could successfully turn her powers off for long periods of time, and she could also take mutants powers and store them for short periods of time. To Logan's dismay, the memory process was still going slowly and she could only take memories at the moment.

"Logan give me your hand!" Marie said suddenly, and thinking that she might be hurt, he did so. She concentrated fiercely on him for a moment before letting his hand go. She smiled wickedly at him and then she backed up about 5 paces. Logan stood there bewildered for a moment before she shouted to the control panel.

"Danger room! Sparring code 377142!" and then Logan grinned as well, realizing that she wanted to spar again.

His grin was wiped from his face when her heard a sound he had only heard Marie make once before and never wanted to hear her make again. She let out a blood-curdling scream as bone claws erupted out of the spaces in between her knuckles. He started to come towards her, but she put a hand up in a halting motion. After a few moments, the pained look on her face was gone, and the grin was back in its place. Marie got into a fighting stance and motioned to him to attack. "Bring it!" she said mockingly.

Logan paused a moment, internally wondering if she was okay for a moment, before his inner wolverine practically screamed at him. The wolverine wanted to come out and play. He charged at her only to be sidestepped. He ran at her again and this time she leapfrogged over him and landed gracefully on the other side of the mat. Damn, the kid has learned some new stuff. He thought to himself, but he quickly went back to battle mode. They went on like this for a few hours, him chasing her around the mat, and her trying to get a hit on him. It was an intricate game of cat and mouse that Logan loved. He loved being a predator, having a way to channel the wolverine, and Marie was the perfect prey. Alluring and challenging all at once, plus with her skin she was dangerous prey.

Suddenly, Marie took a Swing at Logan, but she over shot and knocked them both into a heap on the mat. Logan was caught off guard but he smiled at Marie, who was sprawled atop of him in a very awkward position. He was very confused when Marie slowly rubbed her hands up his chest until they came swiftly to his own hands and pinned them over his head. She took her other hand away and gently pushed her claws to his throat.

"Pinned you." She chuckled. At that moment, Logan really started to appreciate the kid. He knew that if they were ever in battle together, she could hold her own beside him. He knew he could get out of her hold at any time he wanted, but he was surprisingly comfortable, and he had a better idea.

"You cheated." He grumbled playfully and narrowed his eyes at her, though his grin was still in place.

"It's all about the element of surprise." Marie said as she took her claws away from his neck and off of his hands. Seizing the opportunity, Logan swiftly rolled them over and held Marie's hands above her head.

"Surprised?' she asked chuckling, as he got up and pulled her along with him.

"You're getting much better at this." He commented, wincing as he looked at her claws. "But if you EVER take my claws again, I will kick your scrawny ass til kingdom come." He said.

She nodded bashfully and then she looked at her hands to retract the claws. She winced because, unlike Logan she couldn't heal and the wounds they made weren't healing.

"Oh god, Marie! Shit, grab my hand!" he said pulling her hand into his until he saw her hands knitting together.

"Are you alright?" he said looking at her concerned. He never did understand his need to protect Marie, and even when she hurt herself it scared him to death.

"I'm fine Logan. I am sorry about your claws. It's just really hard to ignore my inner you wanting to rip things apart all the time! It felt good to finally let the beast out." She said staring at her hands.

"Do you know how many times I looked at Dr. Grey's butt in the med lab this week?" she joked, changing the subject and trying to lighten the mood. Which Logan was deeply grateful for. He didn't know how or why their relationship was slowly changing, but he wasn't ready to talk about, or accept it yet. He didn't want to be her father, that's for sure, but he didn't know what she was to him either. Friend, Lover, family? None of them fit exactly, so for the time being he would leave it at that.

"Better hers than Ice Pick's" he fired back and they both burst into easy laughter together, neither knowing that they were being watched.

Marie POV

For the months that followed, Marie and Logan trained together nearly every day. Their relationship slowly started to change, although neither of them knew it at the time. They were very rarely seen out of each other's company and when one thought the other wasn't looking, they would cast sideways glances at each other. Today's training session was with Professor Xavier and they were going to try and start working on the memory portion of Marie's ability.

"Marie I want you to try and remember something simple, a childhood pets perhaps. Something you are very comfortable with." Xavier stated in his calming voice. Marie smiled to herself as she heard it though,. The professor and Logan were the only ones who called her by her real name, to everyone else she was 'Rogue" it felt nice, almost like a secret they shared. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her first dog, it was a great big St. Bernard named bear. It had always scared everyone else but her, Maybe that is why I'm not afraid of Logan. She thought before answering the professor.

"I have it, Professor." Marie said, concentrating on the image.

"Good, now I want you to try and project that image to Logan." The professor said, staring at the two intently.

"Okay, Logan give me your hand" Marie ordered, her eyes still closed in concentration. She felt his warm hand engulf her small one and she smiled. She was nervous, but she wanted this so much for Logan. She might finally bring him the peace he needed about his past. She concentrated very hard, feeling the energy flowing through her and then she heard at two gasps of shock.

"Jesus Marie, was that a dog, or a small horse." Logan said breaking the tension and causing her to lose her concentration. She opened her eyes to see both men smiling gently at her. She stuck her tongue out at Logan before turning to the professor.

"Indeed. That went very well Marie; Logan got your memory almost instantly. Logan picture something very clearly, something very familiar. Marie, try to take it from him without taking any life force or powers." He said.

Marie grabbed Logan's arm carefully and suddenly she was engulfed in his calming aura. She watched the flashback as if it were her, almost reliving it through him.

Flashback

"Hey." The memory Rogue asks her. and she turns to look at herself.

" You running again?" the memory her asks and regret overwhelms her as she stares at herself sadly.

" No, not really. I've got some things to take care of up North." She replies, not wanting to leave, but knowing she has no choice.

" Oh" the dream her replies and looks down disappointedly. They stand in silence for a few moments, and then She reaches out and plays with memory Rogues' hair. Memory Rogue jumps back a little and then smiles

" I kinda like it." Memory rogue says, and she thinks that memory rogue is referring to her hair, but real Marie knows she was referring more to Logan touching her than anything else.


" Yeah." she replies awkwardly, unsure on what to say to Marie.


" I don't want you to go." The memory Rogue replies, pleading with her eyes that he would understand.


Quickly she looks around at her small pack of stuff and then undoes her dog tags. Then she takes memory Rogues hand, places them inside, and then pushes her fingers over them.

" I'll be back for this." She said, sealing the promise to not only be back for his tags, his link to the world, but to her. Marie now understood that when Logan gave those to her it was also a warning to all others that said 'he belongs to me and no one had better mess with her if they like living."'

She turns and walks out the door with memory Rouge staring after her smiling. And she smiles too, knowing that now she has something to come back for, someone who would miss her if she left this world.

End Flashback

Marie gasped as she came back to the present, confused but ecstatic. Why he had chosen that memory she would never know but this meant that she could take memories with out power!

"Logan I saw it!" she squealed, forgetting where she was and launching herself into his arms.

"That's good Marie, it means your making progress." The professor chimed in, causing Marie to awkwardly move away from Logan. "I think my dear that you have worked enough for today, go and enjoy the rest of the afternoon. You as well Logan"

He said mischief clear in his gray eyes.

"Thanks professor, you have given me a great deal to think about, have a nice day!." She said getting up and standing in the doorway, to wait for Logan.

"Thanks Chuck, you have given me something I never thought I would have again." Logan said softly.

"What's that Logan?' the professor asked curiously.

"hope." Logan said calmly and than he threw his arm around Marie and ushered her out the door.

"Hey kid, you want to get something to eat?" Logan asked. Marie smiled at his old nickname for her and nodded. They walked to the kitchens and raided the fridge, pulling out pizza and sodas and sitting down at the island in the center.

"Hey Logan I have question that's been bothering me a little." Marie said cautiously, squirming in her seat a little.

"So shoot kid, I'm not going to bite." Logan said through a mouth full of pizza.

"Well, The memory you showed me, the one of you leaving. Why did you choose that one?' she asked curiously.

"It's one of the most vivid and important memories I have." He answered seriously. "That was the first time since I lost my memory that someone actually cared enough about me to stop me from leaving, I had something to live for. I knew I couldn't just go off and do something reckless because I had to come back to you. I had to protect you and get my tags back." He said and then gently her brushed a strand of hair that was in her face behind her ear.

Unable to help herself, Marie leaned in and Logan gently brushed his lips against hers. She responded automatically, crushing herself to him, and wrapping her arms around his neck. His arms snaked around her waist pulling her as close to him as he could get her. They stayed locked together like this until from somewhere behind them they heard.

"What the hell?!?!"

AN: Just a few things, one I know that Logan had already shared this memory but I feel like Marie didn't really understand it. Two I know that they are moving a little fast but that will be explained in the next chapter. Please read and review!!!! I will bake virtual cookies!!!! Oh and thank you to those who reviewed last chapter!!!! If I actually owned Logan I would make clones and give them to you all!!!!