So I thought long and hard about this chapter. Because most of you were calling for a beatdown, straight up Marie getting her fight on. Little Darcy's… I so rarely do what I'm told. And in all honesty I'm still not sure I chose the right path. In fact I probably didn't. But I gave it my best shot. So here it is.

Chapter 19: Rescue and the subsequent fall out prt. 2

Marie woke up the next morning alone. The sheets on Logan's side were cool to the touch, not even an indent left behind in the pillow.

"Lo? Yah in the shower sugah?"

When no answer came forth she sat up, ready to check the bathroom herself. Throwing back the blanket , she caught sight of a folded paper drifting to the floor and picked it up.

Marie,

You're a wonderful girl but exactly that: A girl. It's been fun but I did a lot of thinking and the Wolverine needs a woman by his side. Not a kid with a schoolgirl crush. I know what you're thinking, you're grown. I've seen more years then you've been on this earth, twice over. I don't do gentle, or virgins. I do people like red. Red and I well… we're two of a kind. Maybe someday you can ask her what I mean. I'm screwed up enough in the head, the two of us together is too twisted even for our weird way of life. For years I wanted what I couldn't have. Now that I have you… well. The Wolverine was made to hunt. To chase. This chase is over and it's time for me to hunt again. Take care of yourself kid.

-Logan

And that was that. Near six years they had done this dance of push and pull, had flirted and teased and longed for…. only for him to get bored and move on. Something twisted inside her and then there was nothing. Her feral re-read it, then demanded she explain, sure there had been some sort of human miscommunication. After another read through, and then one more the Rogue was seething. And still, Marie was so. She was calm as she packed a bag. Calm as she headed downstairs and to the medbay. Calmer still as she went to the shack her brother in law had spent the night in and told him what she needed.

"Hey Handsome. Why the long face?" Logan glanced at the raven haired bar bimbo and took another sip of his whiskey. "Fuck off." "Didn't your mama ever teach you any manners?" She slid into the booth across from him, seemingly unperturbed. "Look. I'm not interested alright? Now Fuck. Off." The woman sipped at her own drink, some sort of mixed beverage and eyed him over the glass. Giving him time to look her over. There was two full bottles next to her, one scotch and one whiskey. She was the sort that seemed to ooze sexuality. Skin like milk,perfect breasts and legs that went for miles. Her gaze was a startling shade of green framed by thick black lashes that gave him the creeps. The Wolverine agreed, her scent was… sickly.

"I'm not here for sex, I'm here for a chat."

"Don't feel like talking either."

"Your brother sent me. Woman problems?" She asked sympathetically.

He arched an eyebrow.

"Who the hell are you?"

"I go by a lot of names. Plague. The death darling. Dee. Moira. Olivia-"

"Olivia?"

"What's wrong with Olivia? I happen to like it."

"Doesn't suit you."

"You go right ahead and call me whatever you like handsome." She purred.

He took another swig.

"Alright than Plague. What do you want?"

She sighed heavily and leaned back against her seat.. "I told you. A chat. Try and keep up handsome. Rumor has it you've got lady troubles. I've rather a lot of experience with this sort of thing so spill already." He eyed her suspiciously. "Victor tell you that?" "I don't think that really matters. Just… pretend like we're two strangers. Moaning and wailing over our booze about lost loves and what has the world been coming to these days?" He glared but shrugged eventually.

"Sure. Why the hell not."

"Great." She refilled his glass and poured herself a shot.

"I was doing her a favor, she didn't know what she was getting involved with."

"Lemme tell you something handsome. A man can persue. But a woman's gotta let herself be caught. She chose to stick around. Now maybe she was just in it for the sex. You look the sort who knows his way around a woman's curves."

"That's none of your-"

"But from the sound of it, if she was a good sort. And if you're in here lookin like a sad sack and not interested in bedding a new girl to get her out of your head, chances are you need to haul ass and get to groveling."

This time she sipped at her beverage, let him think over what she'd said. Before he had a chance to respond, she was standing from the booth.

"Mmm mm mm isn't she a treat."

He craned around to look and there was Marie, striding in like she own the place.

"Not your treat." He growled, in spite of himself. Marie caught sight of them and despite a slight narrowing of eyes at plague, showed no other outward reaction. They watched her lean on the bar, ass looking far too squeezable in a pair of jeans tight enough to have been painted on. Under her leather jacket was some kind of top that was barely a scrap of fabric hugging her chest. For all intents and purposes she looked like just another girl here tonight to have a drink and a good time. Plague mumbled something that sounded all kinds of illegal and oggled his girl's bare midriff while she sauntered over.

"Hello beautiful. Looking for trouble?" Plague cooed. Marie licked her bottom lip and gave the older woman a once over. "Not your sort of trouble, not tonight at least. Him on the other hand… we're good friends. At least ah thought so." Plague raised one perfectly shaped eyebrow.

"This the good girl?"

Logan didn't bother answering. His animal was fighting to get out, to hide his mate away from the admiring and lustful gazes of other patrons.

"Ah need tah speak tah him. Alone." She snarled. Plague blinked and took her bottle of scotch.

"He's all yours honey. Come find me if he's not smart enough to keep you close. Have a drink on me." She handed over the whiskey bottled and vanished in the crowd of people on the dance floor. Marie took a long drag from it, not bothering with a glass.

"You shouldn't be here Marie. And don't do that, you'll make yourself sick."

"What do you care? Yah letter made it pretty clear, we aren't together."

"How did you find me?" He demanded, ignoring the baiting.

"Yah not the only tracker in yah family."

"Marie! You don't ask Victor for help, he can't be trusted-"

"Oh and ah'm supposed tah trust you?"

"A helluva a lot more than him, what's he told you?"

She shrugged and took another sip.

"Why did yah leave meh?"

"I told you. I wanted something different."

"No, yah said ah was a girl. That yah need tah hunt."

"What's it matter? Look, we're done. It was fun while it lasted, now-"

"Now you're a liar."

"Look here-"

"No. Maybe yah can sit there, lie tah mah face and it doesn't bother yah none. But don't forget, ah can smell yah."

"That doesn't mean anything. I'm a guy, we react. Doesn't mean I want you."

His heart clenched when he saw a flash of pain in her eyes but he pressed on. He had to keep her safe. Even if it was from himself.

"Marie.. you're a sweet person. You have a lot to offer. But I'm not the one you should be giving it to. Now take my advice and get out of here. Go home and stay away from my brother."

"When have ah evah done what ah'm told? Yah don't own meh. And if yah mark on mah body doesn't mean anythin, then neither does yah advice!"

He grabbed her wrist and hauled her across the table.

"Don't be stubborn Marie. If I have to I'll drag you out of here myself."

"Do that and yah comin home with meh."

"Don't make this harder than it has to be."

"Ah'm yah mate asshole, no way am ah makin it easier. Scents don't lie, yah taught meh that remember? And yah scent is tellin meh yah plenty hard already."

She yanked away and stood up, bringing the bottle with her and chugging a fourth of it down.

"Yah want a hunt, yah got one Wolvie. Come an get meh." Still clutching her whiskey she headed for the dance floor, accepting a man's offer to dance and letting him pull her close as she took another drink. Fists clenched he jumped when Victor sat on the table and helped himself to Logan's glass.

"Damn that's a nice ass. You really are an idiot Jimmy." He drank and watched approvingly as Marie was grinded on by her partner.

"The hell did you bring her here for?!"

"Why do you think dumbass? She's your mate."

"No, she isn't."

Victor sipped again and without preamble backhanded him across the face.

"OW! What the-"

"She's your mate. And right now, that guy is grabbing a handful." He wolf whistled while Marie put the man's hands on her waist and swayed in time to the music, drinking all the while.

"She's not-"

Victor hit him again, this time watching calmly as Logan pushed his broken nose back into place while it healed.

"Look, Marie can-"

"Kiss a man if she wants to?" Victor asked sweetly. Logan nearly snapped his neck looking up, only to see his brother wasn't lying. His sweet little Marie was wrapped up in the arms of some drunk, getting that pretty mouth of hers filled with another man's tongue and her curves groped by another man's hands. The Wolverine snapped, done with putting up with this human foolishness. It was time he got his mate back and showed the other males who she belonged to.

Sabretooth drank the amber liquid, remaining at the table and ready to defend the pack in the case other males joined the fight while The Wolverine went to get his Rogue.

Yes there is a part three. Yes we are about to get some drunk Marie and a bar fight. And yes, there a rough roads ahead for our favorite ferals. Don't hate me too much little Darcy's, I'm having a pretty rough week of self hate and wanted nothing more than to stay in bed safe under my covers. However, I aim to please so hope this update will be enough to keep the rotting fruit in small amounts. See yah next time!