Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men.

Chapter 3

Logan heard the murmurs as he walked through the dining hall. He knew that they were talking about him and his sudden reappearance, but he didn't care. He needed to talk to Rogue.

He walked into the kitchen, but Rogue wasn't there. Only Iceman. "Hey, Logan!" he said with a wide grin. "When the hell did you get back?"

Oh, Jesus. Logan was not up for this today. "Uh, last night," he grumbled. "Have you seen Rogue?"

Bobby scoffed. "She's in the medic al wing," he explained. "Some sort of attack. She felt like she couldn't breathe and collapsed. Jubilee's with her now."

As much as he wanted to, he knew that going to talk to her in the medical wing wouldn't be the best move. Instead, he walked over to the fridge, hoping for a beer but knowing there wouldn't be one.

"She must be thrilled that you're here," Bobby said with heavy sarcasm.

Logan slammed the fridge shut and turned to face him. "What's that?"

Iceman stepped back. "I'm just saying… I mean, Rogue was really torn up when you left."

The older mutant growled. "You're one to talk, leaving her for another girl."

"What?" There was shock in his voice in a way that couldn't be faked. "Is that what she told you?"

Logan furrowed his brow. "Yeah. Why?"

Bobby sighed. "You might want to sit down for this."

Rogue sat on the edge of Bobby's bed, hands clamped together nervously. He paced in front of her, trying to process what exactly was happening. "You're breaking up with me?" he asked when he finally stopped pacing.

She nodded. "I can't believe this is a surprise to you," she mumbled.

"Of course it's a surprise to me, Rogue!" he barked. "I thought we were doing better since you got the cure!"

She stood, coming face to face with him. "Then you're blind," she said quietly but with force behind it. Her gaze dropped again as she maneuvered around him, but he grabbed her wrist before she could walk out the door.

"I really don't understand this," he said stiffly.

Yanking her wrist away from him, she snapped, "Because we're both in love with other people, Bobby!"

After that statement, he could've been knocked over with a feather. "Wh- what?"

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I know how you feel about Kitty. And I'm not gonna get in the way of that."

Once she started toward the door again, he stopped her with, "Wolverine's not gonna stick around." For the first time, she felt tears prick the back of her eyes as she came to a stop. "You know just as well as I do, Rogue," Bobby continued. "He's gonna leave you here all alone. He's not the type to stay in one place. You need to know that."

She didn't face him. "I know," she said before finally walking out the door.

X X X X X

Bobby saw her a few days later with a wide smile. "Why are you so happy?" He paused then added, "I know Wolverine left."

She shrugged, her smile refusing to quit. "I know. But we kissed. And he promised me that he would be back. So, I know he will be."

No matter how much he tried, Bobby couldn't hold back his scoff. "Oh, yeah, right."

Annoyance flashed over her face as she narrowed her eyes at him. "What do you know, Bobby? He swore to me that he would be back, and I know that he will be."

She tried to walk away from him, a swagger present, but he called, "He's not coming back, Rogue. Open your eyes."

There was an audible growl as she whipped around to face him. "What are you playing at? Are you mad at me because I broke up with you? But wait… no, you and Kitty are already dating. So do you just not want me happy or what?"

"I'm trying to protect you," he growled. "Trying to protect you from getting hurt. Because no matter what he promised you, no matter what you believe, Wolverine is not coming back! And you just need to face that!"

All the anger had disappeared from her face now and it contorted into pain and sadness. "Fuck you, Bobby," she snapped before she ran by him and up the staircase.

"I guess she must've taken what I said to heart," Bobby finished, "because she stayed in her room for days after that."

Two emotions were battling out inside Logan's head, trying to figure out which one to feel first: guilt or anger. Anger won. "You little prick," he growled at the younger man, "you were so certain that I wouldn't come back that you made sure Rogue knew it too?"

"Look," Iceman snapped defensively, "I was right, wasn't I?"

"Hey, I came back." Logan stood and moved toward the fridge again. He just needed to move, otherwise he felt like he would end up decking this kid.

"But after seven years, Logan?" the kid pressed. "I think she was hoping for you to be home a lot sooner than that."

He took a deep breath and turned to face Bobby. "I don't need to explain myself to you, Drake. I don't need to stand here and take this from some kid who couldn't make her happy, who…" His voice faltered as he caught sight of the wedding band on Bobby's ring finger. "Who turned around and got married to someone else…"

Bobby glanced down at his hand. "Oh, yeah. Happened about five years ago."

"Congrats," Logan grumbled, not really meaning it.

"Thanks," he replied, not catching the other's lack of sincerity. "This was around the time that Rogue was still hoping that you were coming back so she actually had no problem with it. In fact, she was one of Kitty's bridesmaids."

"Well, ain't that special?" Logan mumbled. "Look, I'm gonna go see if I can talk to Rogue."

He moved toward the door, but Bobby intervened, blocking his path. "Uh, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why not?" he demanded. Everyone knew that Logan didn't take well to authority or someone denying him something. And considering that he already didn't like Bobby that much, it was rather ballsy on the kid's part to interfere.

"Uh, Wolverine, it's just that…" How could he put this without pissing him off?

"It's just what?" Logan repeated, losing his patience.

That's when it happened. Logan hadn't even thought it was possible. But it did. Bobby yelled at him. "You can't just come waltzing back into her life after all this time and expect everything to be alright! I know that I have no room to talk when it comes to her, but at least I didn't swear to her that I would be back and then disappear for seven years without a word! If you hadn't made her believe that you were coming back, then she would've been able to have a life! Instead, she spent years and years, just waiting!" He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You just didn't even realize what you did, did you? How you just kept her hanging on? You had no idea!"

There was no way Logan would ever admit it, but Bobby was right. The thought that Rogue just might move on had never crossed his mind. He never thought that just maybe when he finally did come back that it would be too late.

And now he was glad that it wasn't. Or was it?

"This is none of your business, stay out of it," Logan snapped as he shoved Bobby away from the door and stormed through the dining hall. All eyes moved to him then back down and the murmuring started again. He'd forgotten how it was around this place, and he was starting to remember that he didn't like it.

But Bobby wasn't giving up. He followed Logan through the dining hall, and once they were out of earshot of the students, he barked, "What are you gonna do, Wolverine? You're gonna get her to forgive you and just when she starts being happy, you're gonna leave again!" He scoffed. "God, you never change, do you?" They started ascending the stairs when Bobby brought out the big gun, the last weapon in his arsenal. "Do you have any idea what she gave up for you?"

Those words made Logan stop in his tracks and turn on the younger mutant, livid. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Bobby just shrugged. "I don't know. You figure it out," he said stonily before walking away.

AN: Ah, Bobby's a piece of work, ain't he? Well, I guess someone has to be the rain on the parade. Anyways, I'm glad that you guys are enjoying this. I'm loving your reviews.

And, for those of you keeping track, next week is the return of the Stand Together series! Yay! I know a lot of you are excited for that! So keep an eye out next week for Stand Together: Under Certain Authority!