(A/N:  People, for those idiots who think I actually have talent, NO MORE CHAPTERS UNTIL SOMEONE TELLS ME WHAT THE HELL A PROM IS LIKE.  Understand?  Thanks to all who answered my questions, but I still have some. Do these people have birthdays?  When are they?  What's the story of Logan's past?  Does Rogue teach anything?  And the bracelet that helps Rogue control her powers?  That's it for now.  Read and review.  Thanks!  Wait, one more, am I the only person on this earth who knows what 'wanlorn' means?  Should I, like, but that in my bio?  Addio!  Wait!  Hold on!  People, the spandex question was a JOKE!!!  When I added that, it was midnight!  My sense of humor is weird, most of the time, and after 36 hours without sleep, it's totally whacked.  It was a dumb joke off the joke in the movie.  So stop treating my like I'm an idiot!  Which I am… but that's a different story…)

Chapter Two – The Happiest Days of Her Life

Professor Charles Xavier watched Logan go.  He hoped that his meddling – matchmaking – would not be too obvious.  The X-men would definitely not approve of a Logan/Rogue pairing, but he knew it was right.  Anyone who looked could see that Rogue still loved Wolverine, no matter how much Jean tried to convince her it was just a crush.  Xavier had picked up from Logan's thoughts that he loved Rogue.  Unfortunately, that feeling scared him, and he had been trying to run from it for two years.

Of course, a self-defense teacher really was needed, and who better than Logan, who had been fighting in the cages for years?  Somebody had to teach those who the Professor was going to choose to be X-men how to fight.  Rogue was a definite, as soon as she graduated.  And who better to teach her – the only person who would teach her – than Logan?


*  *  *  *  *

He missed breakfast with everyone else, suspicious that the Professor for some reason had planned that, but the cook gave him one of the sandwiches being made for lunch.  He took it and stalked back to his room to sulk.  Maybe he'd take Scott's bike for a ride, just to piss him off.  Yes, that's what he'd do.

He got sidetracked when, going by Rogue's room, he could hear her talking within.

"Self-defense lessons," he heard her say sarcastically.  "Yeah, right.  More likely 'Let's see how many different ways we can flinch away from Rogue without makin' it look like we're flinchin'' lessons.  Who'd teach me?  Not like Ah need teachin'.  One touch an'-" Logan knocked on the door and she shut up immediately.  "Whaddaya want?"

"It's Logan, kid."  He couldn't really call her 'kid' anymore, could he?  She was definitely growing up.

"Door's open."

As Logan walked in, he was struck by how flustered she looked.  "Who're you talking to?"

"Mahself.  Can ya believe it?  Self-defense mah ass.  Ah won't learn nothin' in that – complete waste of mah time an' whoever's teachin' it."

"They didn't tell you who was teaching it?"

"Ah didn't ask," she shrugged.  "So, wha'd the Professor want?"

"To rope me into teaching a self-defense class."  That drawl was so cute when she was angry!  Stop thinking like that! He admonished himself.  For all you know, you could be her grandfather.  But it was so hard not to when she looked at him with almost hero-worship in her beautiful big brown eyes.  Don't look at me like that, kid.  I'm nobody's hero.  You're better off without me.  "Can you believe that?  Me?  Teaching?  But, and I quote, 'I have to earn my keep somehow'."

"If it's really that bad, Ah wouldn't want to-"

Logan waved his hand, cutting her off.  He kicked himself for bringing that look into her eyes.  "Nah, you, I can handle.  It's when he starts adding other people…"

A grin lit up Rogue's face.  "Ah can't wait ta see that."  She happened to glance at the clock and let out a string of swears she had learned from the Logan in her head.  "I'm late for History!  Storm's gonna kill me!"  She grabbed her books.  "See ya at one, Logan."

"What!  Why?"  He grabbed her shoulder before she could go anywhere.  "Shouldn't you be in school then?"

"Didn't they tell ya?"  He did not like the mischievous glint in her eyes.  "That's when you're supposed to be teaching me this self-defense shit.  You're supposed to start today.  See ya!"

Great.  He didn't even get one free day.  This sucks, he thought to himself, heading for the garage.  He'd better get that fight – and that bike – out of Cyclops, or…


*  *  *  *  *

He got his fight and his bike, and had a fun time roaring through the streets of New York.  It was really a great stress reliever, fighting with Scott was.  He roared back through the gates a little bit after one.  He was late. Too bad, it was only Rogue – she wouldn't mind.  When he parked his bike in the garage, Scott immediately rushed over to check 'his baby' for injuries.

Rogue was dressed in a skintight black outfit that covered everything but her head.  Logan all but started drooling at the sight of her.  Stop it! He scolded himself.  You're gawking at the kid.  Except, she definitely wasn't a kid anymore.  Oh my god, when had he fallen in love with the kid?  No – the Wolverine does not love anyone but himself.  That was the rule of survival.

Logan stripped off his shirt.  "So, what?  All out brawl to see what you already know?"

"What?" Rogue had to tear her gaze away from his chest.  Damn!  It was not fair that he was so sexy!  "Oh, yeah.  Sure."

"Okay than."  Logan grabbed her long brown hair with the white streak that always fell over her facer and gave it a gently tug, then had her pinned before she knew it.  "All righty then," he said, holding her down by her shoulders.  "Rule number one, don't get distracted by your undeniably hot opponent."  She blushed slightly.  "Rule number two, keep your hair tied back so no one can grab it like that."  He relaxed his grip slightly.

Wrong move, thought Rogue.  She flipped him over and sat on his chest as she tied her hair back.  "Rule number three, don't underestimate your opponent."

He growled and she growled right back.  "Much cuter when you do it," he told her.  And when she blushed slightly again, he shoved her off and pinned her back down.  "Tsk, tsk.  You're letting your charming, sexy teacher distract you again."  Why in the world am I taunting her like that?

The next hour was filled with rough-and-tumble horseplay.  Neither was quite sure if any teaching was being done, or even needed to be done, but they sure as hell had fun.  By the time 'class' was over, they both lay gasping on the floor, catching their breath.

"So, kid, they been treating you all right?"

She shrugged.  "Yeah, the X-men are cool."

"What about the other kids?"

She shrugged again.  "Kids are kids.  What can you expect?  'Cept Jubilee an' Kitty an' St. John an' Bobby.  He won't stop asking me out."  She rolled her eyes.

That earned her one of Logan's rare smiles.  "So why don't you just say 'yes' to get him off your back, if nothing else?"

Rogue laughed.  "Ah dunno.  So, ya stickin' around long?"

"I just got here this morning.  Of course I am."

"That's good.  Ah missed ya.  Everyone missed ya.  Even Cyclops, even though he won't admit it."

This was getting too in-depth emotionally for Logan.  "I gotta go take a shower.  See you later, Marie."  He ruffled her hair and escaped as quickly as he could.


*  *  *  *  *

"Professor, what are you doing?  Rogue doesn't need self-defense classes."

"I know."

"Did you know that half the time, they're taking 'field trips'?"

"Yes."

"I know Rogue's always loved Logan, but did you know that he's falling in love with her?"

"He's always loved Rogue.  Where do you think he was for those two years? He was running from his feelings."

"You're encouraging this?!?!"

"Yes I am.  She needs him.  I'm just waiting for him to figure out he needs her."

"Professor…"

"Don't meddle, Scott."

"But why Logan, of all people?  I mean, as far as we know, he could be as old as her grandfather.  And he's not exactly the best influence."

"I know what I'm doing.  Rogue will tame him, I'm sure of it."

"How do you know he's not going to use her and discard her like just another one of the women he's been with before?"

"Number one, he's never loved any of them.  Number two, how do you think I know?  Logan wouldn't do that to Rogue.  Do you know how angry he was because nobody's really touched her in two years?  No, no, I'm not blaming you.  It is a very disturbing power, I know."

"I hope you know what you're doing."

"Oh, I do."


*  *  *  *  *

After the first week, they stopped having real classes.  There was little Logan could really teach Rogue - she knew most of it already.  So, they would horse around for fifteen minutes, half and hour, and then take off until the rest of the school was out.  The first thing he did was teach her how to ride a motorcycle.  He relished the feeling of her arms around his waist, the wind whipping through their hair.  They cruised around the back roads for half an hour, and then came back.  After that, they took the bike out almost every day and went somewhere.  Scott gave up protesting that it was his bike and they couldn't leave in the middle of school.  Logan and Rogue came up with some pretty brilliant excuses as to why a certain trip was necessary, and after a few rousing battles in front of his students, Scott gave up.  After all, he did have the other bike he had made after Logan had left with the first one.

So, they would wrestle for a little bit first - neither of them could deny that they loved rolling around on the floor together.  Then they would just leave.  Sometimes to a movie, sometimes out for ice-cream, sometimes Logan would drop Rogue off at the mall, and sometimes they would just ride around.  Rogue suspected that the Professor had had something like this in mind, but she did not care.  Logan, of course, was totally oblivious.  He was having fun with his friend - and realizing more and more every day just how much he loved her.

Every single day, Logan had to remind himself that Marie did not need someone like him in her life the way he wanted to be in it.  He was trouble and bad news, and he knew it.  But it was so hard, especially when she looked at him and the love was apparent in her eyes.  And, his feelings scared him.  He had never felt anything like this before, and certainly nothing as strong.  It was like, when she looked at him with those huge brown eyes, the world stopped turning and he would do anything she asked.


*  *  *  *  *

The next three months were the happiest of Rogue's life.  Her life was as perfect as she thought it would ever be.  She had that one hour a day when she was normal.  Logan did not care about her power, and treated her like a normal kid.  Unfortunately, that was all he would ever see her as - a kid.  But, for that one hour, nobody flinched away from her, and she had the man she loved all to herself, regardless of the fact she was 'just a friend' to him.

And then, she woke up three months and a week after he had come back into her life, and he was gone.