I own nothing. Though gifts are nice...hehe;)

Chapter 21

Marie lay in Logan's arms – the familiar feeling of safety and security washing over her and soaking into her mind and body, easing her muscles and calming her erratic breathing.

She concentrated on the people in her head – finally realising why her head had felt so empty...so lonely.

Are all of you okay? What I did, it didn't hurt any of you did it?

She was afraid of the answer. She hadn't thought of the consequences her actions could have had on her mental passengers, she had been more than willing to give her own life for her friends but what about them...

She let out a deep sigh of relief when she received answers from each of the voices telling her that they were fine.

"If you ever do that again darlin' we are taking control of you by force and dragging your pretty self out of there!" Logan yelled at her angrily but she didn't shy away from his anger she knew that he was worried about her.

She could feel Erik's agreement and she felt pain when she remembered the way that the real him had acted – she couldn't help but wonder what he would be like if he hadn't gone through what he had.

"And as for you birdy, if you ever pull a stunt like that again you are getting the claw!" he raged at Phoenix who seemed to be the personification of calm.

Umm Logan, sugar, I don't think that your claws will work very well in my head.

"Listen darlin' never say never, I'. Pretty sure if I try hard enough I can cause some damage," he told her sulkily.

But Phoenix is the reason I'm alive. Aren't you? She directed the question at Phoenix.

"Yeah and she is also the reason you were in danger to begin with,"

Erik seemed to decide to join in the conversation at this point.

"Though I do agree with our resident vegetable peeler," a smile quirked Rogue's lips slightly at Erik's comment – just as witty as ever – "in the end it was pur Rogue's decision. Phoenix did not control her – we would have known. Phoenix's power is like that of a genie – the master can use it for good or evil,"

"Very good Erik," Phoenix praised the other mutant's explanation.

"Blah, blah, blah, I. Don't. Care. If you try anything lady your dead," Logan growled obviously not willing to think of the idea of Marie being harmed – even if she did so willingly.

Logan soaked in the feeling of having Marie with him, where she should be, in his arms. How could he have forgotten how well she fit against him and how big his heart felt when she snuggled against him? No-one had ever trusted him like she did and he knew that after her no-one else would.

He wondered just how much of what happened at Alkali Lake she actually remembered.

Did she remember what happened before...before....He couldn't even finish the thought, not now that she was safe.

Did she remember the her that wasn't her? Did she remember kissing him, telling him that she loved him? He didn't know what he would do if she didn't. What could he do? Just go on and pretend that losing her hadn't driven him insane – hadn't driven him to try and make a few futile attempts to end his own existence.

He listened closely to her breathing and knew that she wasn't asleep only relaxing.

"Marie?" he said softly, his arms still holding her firmly to him in a gentle cage.

"Hmmm,"

"What...what do you remember about that day, the day at the lake?"

Okay so being insecure in the women department wasn't exactly the great Wolverine's thing but Marie had always had a way of turning everything that he was on its head.

Marie had been floating happily. The gentle humming if the people in her head had lulled her into a sense of calm and Logan's arms around her had only added to that sense of security.

She froze when she heard his question and she panicked.

What did he mean?

What part of that day?

There were so many memories.

Was he asking her if she remembered dyeing? – Because she did, with a painful clarity.

Was he asking her if she remembered flying the x-jet? – Because that was an experience she was in no rush to retry.

She realised that the three sets of murmuring in her head had stopped and all was still.

Or was he asking her about the bit where she had pushed herself into his mind and...

"What about it Logan?" she whispered, almost afraid to speak loudly.

She could feel him take ina dee breath behind her and waited for him to reply. She wasn't going to make a fool of herself by talking about something that he wasn't even asking about.

"About...about before you let go if the water," she heard him gulp.

Marie smiled. She knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Everything," she answered softly.

"Everything?"

Marie took a deep breath and turned slowly in his arms until she was hovering over him.

She folded her gloved arms on his chest and placed her chin on them. She smiled brightly and nodded her head a little, her heart melting at the hopeful look in his eyes.

"Everything," she repeated firmly.

But she didn't, she suddenly realised as another memory flashed into her mind.

"I have to go back in, I'll be right back,"

He quickly held her to him in a brief hug.

"Love you baby," he whispered into her ear before turning and sprinting towards the hidden entrance.

Logan looked at Marie's glowing eyes and smiling face.

She remembered, she remembered everything she said.

She shifted slightly and withdrew one if her arm from its folded position on his chest and ran her gloved fingers through his hair. He closed his eyes as he surrendered himself to the feeling. He felt the air move and she shifted against him but he kept his eyes closed not ready to pull himself from the dream that he was surrounded in .

"Did you mean what you said to me Logan?" she asked him softly, her voice trembling.

"Did you mean it when you said that you loved me?"

"Every word darlin'," he told her softly get firmly as he allowed his eyes to open.

She had moved closer to him.

She was half on top of him and half on the bed, one hand still playing with his hair while the other traced his face.

He had never seen her so happy. Her whole body seemed to be glowing with it.

"I love you too Logan. So, so much," she choked out and Logan arm immediately flew around her and held her to him.

"I love you. I love you. I love you," she mumbled into his chest and he felt like he would explode with the pure joy that was coursing through his body.

He pressed a kiss into her hair smiling like a mad man the whole time.

"And I love you, more than you'll ever know Marie, more than you'll ever know,"

Marie held onto him, like she would die if she let go.

Erik was yelling at the Logan in her head telling him that the whole thing was 'just wrong' – a choice in vocabulary that she had no doubt he had plucked from her mind. But she didn't care what he was saying/. Nothing had ever felt so right in her life.

Phoenix?

"Yes child,"

Could I maybe do something...?

Marie slowly extracted herself from Logan's arms but he still kept a gentle grip on her elbows, not willing to let her go just yet. She gazed down at him with shining eyes from her hovering position.

"Logan...I want to try something...if I hurt you, you have to let me know or push me away,"

His brows furrowed against his will. What was she talking about?

Then it came to him as she slowly dipped her face towards his own and he decided that even if she did hurt him he wasn't going to let her know.

Her face continued to get closer to his own until there was only an inch separating them.

"Remember...push me away if it hurts," he could taste her words as she spoke, her scent filling his senses, pleasing the animal inside.

He stayed still, not wanting to frighten her, smelling the nervousness coming from her.

Finally after what felt like a lifetime she closed the gap between them and planted her lips gently on his.

Logan waited, waited for the draining feeling, the feeling if his life being sucked through his skin. But it never came.

He felt Marie's small, gloved hands move from where they had been supporting her weight on either side of his head to stroke his face, before finally twining into his hair. Her whole weight now rested on him and he didn't mind it one nit – in fact he relished the feeling, never before being more grateful for his metal skeleton than he was now.

His own hands went from her elbows - one settling in her hip and the other twisting into her long hair. Before he knew it he had rolled them both over so that he was now hovering over her carefully, supporting his weight so that his metal frame didn't crush her.

He looked down at her beautiful, smiling, flushed face and couldn't hold back from pecking kisses over her face. Her nose, her cheeks, her eyes, anywhere he could find – in fact he was sure that he heard her giggle when he caught her ear.

He stroked her face gently running his bare thumb under her eyes, caressing the delicate skin there.

"Phoenix is helping me," she whispered, smiling softly.

He had no doubt that there was utter shock and amazement in his eyes.

"But I can only hold it for a minute longer," she added quickly, frowning slightly.

Logan swooped down quickly and pressed his lips to her and felt her hand go once again to his hair and hold tight. He remembered the dream that he had had so longs ago and found there was just no comparing the dream and the real thing.

Everything about his Marie was perfect.

After a few second he began to fell the slightest of pulls – nowhere near as strong as he had experienced the night he stabbed her but it was there none the less and Marie could feel it too. She began to tug on his hair but not towards her – instead she was trying to force him away fro her.

He did as she wished and drew away only by an inch or so until he could look into her eyes. Sadness now marred the utter joy he had seen there only a few seconds before.

"I love you," he breathed.

Hi everyone.

I didn't forget about this story honest I didn't. I just kind of lost my thread of thought and didn't really know where I was going to go but I think that I have it sorted now.

Couldn't resist the aww moment for Marie and Logan – also I wasn't planning on dragging the whole 'love' thing out.

By the way I have never been kissed so sorry about glossing over that bit.

The other reason I am trying to crack on with this story is because I have an idea for another Rogue/Logan story – one that has been whizzing around my head for a few months now – but I don't want to take it any further until I have finished this one.

Anyone interested in another story or have you had enough if my visions of Wolverine and Rogue?

So I hope you like. Once again I apologise for the wait.

Please let me know what you think – or even just to yell at me for keeping you waiting.

Keep safe.

:)