(A/N: Too tired to think of stupid comments.  Know what?  'Batman' on TVLand is live people, but 'Batman' on CartoonNetwork is a cartoon.  Go figue.  Hehehe.  Those are funny shows.  They're so old and corny… I love 'em!  My bro's home for the 1st time in 3 years.  Nothing good to say, don't have enough time.  R/R, por favor.  Addio!)

Chapter Three - Gone and Back Again

When Marie woke, it felt like just another normal day.  She dresses, already impatient for one o'clock to come.  She had finally worn Logan down and he had agreed to take her to see a movie she had been wanting to see.  Of course, he had complained ever since then that she was dragging him to see some 'stupid chick flick', but she was touched that he had agreed.  She knew that he would never be caught dead in a million years going to a movie like that, and yet he was going with her.  Maybe she wasn't just 'the kid' to him… or maybe he was just trying to get her to shut up.

Rogue, I need to see you in my office.

Right away, Professor.   What in the world could he want?  Oh no, maybe she had totally bombed that test they had taken.  Or maybe it was because of all those unauthorized 'fieldtrips' she and Logan had taken.

She hurried up to the Professor's office.  The door was open and he motioned her in.  She did not like the look on his face.

"Rogue, I regret to inform you that all of your self-defense classes from now until an indefinite period of time have been canceled."

"Wait.  If this is 'cause of all those 'fieldtrips', we'll stop, Ah swear, Ah promise, not one more."

"No, it's not because of those."  He wheeled his wheelchair out from behind his desk.  "I actually think those were good for you.  No, it is because Logan isn't here anymore."

"Well, where did he go?"

"I do not know.  I could use Cerebro to find him, but it would be better if he came back on his own."

"Why…?"  She would not cry.  Not matter what he said, she would not cry.

"I think it would be better if you waited for him to come back and tell you."

"No."  She was angry now.  "You know he never tells anyone anything."  The Logan in her brain said it was because he was scared.  But of what?  "You'd be the only one ta know, bein' telepathic an' all."

The Professor sighed.  "I'm sorry Rogue.  I can't tell you."

"Why?"

"Because it's not my business.  I'm sorry.  Now from one o'clock on is a free period."

"Whatever."  She walked out, something that she would never had done, had Logan not been in her head.  She would have to move fast if she was going to get to class on time.  Tonight she would bawl her brains out.  But right now, she pushed the thought of Logan being gone to the back of her mind.


*  *  *  *  *

He had to leave - he had promised to protect her.  How was he to know then that the greatest danger was to be from him?  With all the shit that was going on in her life, the last thing she needed was him.  But when she looked at him like he was her knight in shining armor, his heart just melted.  That hard-as-rock protective coating he had formed melted with just one look.  He couldn't stay any longer - he was running again.

Yet, he couldn't stay away.  Inexorably, he found himself pulled back.  To be quite honest, that was where he was happiest.  Especially when he was pissing off Scott.  Or when he was with Rogue… cruising on his bike… hanging out… going to the movies…

So he ran for two months, and then he found himself back at the Academy.  He didn't remember heading back, but there he was.  He checked his watch and saw that it was one-thirty.  That was good - everyone would still be in school.

Hey Chuck!  You listening to my thoughts?

Yes, Logan.  And yes, your room is still yours.  Watch out for Rogue.  She's pretty mad at you.  Especially for missing Christmas.

I sent her a couple silk shirts.  But thanks for the warning, he thought dryly.  How mad could she get?

You'd be surprised.

Logan rolled his eyes and went to his room.  Maybe she was really mad at him.  After all, he had promised to take her to see that stupid chick flick, and then skipped out.  Still, how mad could she get?  She was too cute to get too angry.  Well, it was time to put that idea to the test - he could smell her coming.

"Hey kid," he said as she walked past his door.  The next instant, he was wrapped in a ginat bear hug.  "Hey…!"

She immediately let go and backed away.  There was a quaver in her voice as she said, "Don't worry.  Ah made sure only ta hit clothin'."

Logan raised and eyebrow.  "I was more concerned about the fact that I couldn't breathe."

Marie smiled slightly, then her face hardened.  "So, where'd ya go?"

Logan shrugged.  "For a scenic motorcycle ride around New York."

"Why?"

"Because I hear there was a mutant doctor who might know something of my past."  That was true in a roundabout way.  He had heard of the doctor after he had left.

The semi-truth seemed to soften her for a minute.  "Didja find anythin'?"  Logan shook his head.  "Ah'm sorry."

He shrugged.  "I wasn't expecting to find anything."

Her face hardened again.  "So you leave in the middle of the night without telling anyone?  Don't you think it could have waited until morning so you could at least say goodbye to your friends?"  She had slowly backed him up against the wall and was stabbing a gloved finger at his chest.  It was really quite a comical scene, that little thing having a huge hulking brute cringing against the wall.  "Or have ya just been able to fool me into thinkin' ya aren't the cold-hearted bastard everyone says ya are?"

"I'm sorry, Marie.  I…" How could he tell her that if he saw her before he left, if he let her look at him with those pleading eyes, he would never be able to leave?

She backed away and cut him off.  "No, never mind.  Ah'm just a kid - ya don't have ta tell me if ya decide ta leave for a while.  Ah have no right ta ask.  Sorry.  Ah have ta go.  Welcome back."  She started to walk out.

Shit, kid, don't look at me like that.  How do you do that?  He leapt across the room and grabbed her shoulder before she could get fully out the door.  "Wait, Marie.  You're right."  How in the world did she get him to admit when he was wrong?  "I should have told at least you that I was leaving.  I'm sorry."  My god, was he apologizing?  The Wolverine never apologized to anybody!  Yet this little slip of a girl could make him do it.  "I know I promised to take you to see that stupid chick flick you wanted to see so bad, and I could have at least waited until after that.  Look, I'll make it up to you."  What was he saying?  How did she do that to him?  But he couldn't stand to see her mad at him.  "I'll take you to see any two movies you want, and I'll pay for it all."  What was he saying?  "Deal?"

"Ah don't care about the fuckin' movie!  Ah care that you're basically the only one around here Ah see on a regular basis and treat me like a human bein'!  Ah care that the one person who Ah can actually talk ta disappeared without a word!  Ah care that ya didn't even come back for Christmas!"  She was crying now, the tears running down her face.  Logan pulled her into his arms, and she cried on his shoulder.  "Ah care that for two years Ah didn't hear a thing from ya, didn't know if ya where dead or somethin' just as bad.  Ah care that, for all Ah knew, ya were gonna be gone for another two years. Ah care that now every mornin' when Ah wake up Ah'm gonna worry that you'll be gone again."

"I'm sorry.  I'm so sorry.  I promise I'll never leave again without telling you.  Just tell me what I can do to make it up to you."  Don't cry, darlin'.  It makes my heart break when you cry, even worse when I know I've caused it.

She sniffed and looked up at his face.  "Any two movies?"

What had he gotten himself into?  Did he even care?  "Yeah, kid.  Anything.  You're going to make them both sappy chick flicks, just to torture me, aren't you."

"Maybe.  You sure deserve it."  She pushed away and wiped her face on her sleeve.  "There's one starting in half and hour, I think."

"Don't you have class or something?"

"Nah.  Ah had a study for 'an indefinite period of time'.  Now that you're back, Ah immediately start mah 'self defense' classes again."  She smiled sweetly up at him.

"All right, fine.  Let's go."  Logan grabbed the leather jacket he had just taken off.  "Where the hell did you learn to chew people out so good?" he asked conversationally after she had washed her face and they were walking to his bike.  "That's not the Marie I remember."

"Yeah, well, the Logan that's still in mah head gave me some pointers."

Logan flashed her one of his rare, crooked grins.  "It's an improvement."

She laughed.  "That's not what the others think."

During the movie - it wasn't as stupid as Logan thought it would be - he had to strongly resist the urge to put his arm around her shoulders.  That would just be wrong.  It was quite all right when they were sitting on the couch at the mansion, but at the theater…  When they were buying snacks, she smiled an evil little smile at him and ordered a super-large drink and popcorn, and a bag of Skittles.

"There's no way you're going to be able to eat all that."

She smiled sweetly at him.  "How do you know?  Maybe Ah will."

"And maybe pigs will fly."

Logan would have gone to see another movie, except, as luck would have it, nothing else was starting anywhere near the same time.  So he sat through the stupid chick flick, munching on Marie's popcorn.  Of course she couldn't eat it all - she had just gotten it to piss him off.  The few times they went for popcorn at the same time and their hands touched, Marie flinched away as if, even though she had gloves on, she would still hurt him.  She still wasn't used to random, casual touches.  He resolved to make her used to them, at least from him.

"Marie, chill out.  You've got gloves on."

She smiled at him, and he could see the shadowed sadness in her eyes.  Ack!  No!  He could feel his heart melting!  Put the rock layer back!  Put it back!

"Habit, ya know."

"Well, not with me."  How do you do that to me, kid?  One look with those pain-filled eyes, eyes too old for someone so young, and all my defenses are down.  But that's wrong.  As far as I know, I'm at least twice your age.  I'm a sick, dirty old man, kid.  I'd leave, except Chuck's right - you do need someone who will treat you normal, and for now, I guess that's only me.  But I love you, kid, more than is right.  Thank God you're not a mind reader.  Chuck and Jean better stay out of that part of my thoughts.

The movie ended, and he was right - she didn't finish anything.  A waste of money, yes, but she was worth it a hundred times over.

"I'm not stopping fifty times on the way home so you can go to the bathroom."  She had downed a whole lot of that soda, and had just come out of the restroom.  "Do you want to go anywhere else?"

"Not unless you plan on going anywhere."  She smiled at him.  Don't look at me like that, kid.  "Thanks, Logan.  Ah know ya never woulda been caught dead at a movie like that…"  He could have just waited in the lobby, or made her wait until a movie he wanted to see got done.  But, no, he had watched it with her.  That had brought her almost to tears - nobody had cared that much in a long time.  Then he had told her to stop being an idiot when she kept flinching away.  But it wasn't her fault.  Nobody but the X-men and him would touch her, and Logan was the only one who didn't flinch away when she brushed against him.  So it had become second nature to jerk back from any contact.  It didn't matter whether it was intentional or not, she would flinch.  And she never touched anybody.  But, apparently, Logan was determined to change that, and she loved him all the more for it.

That brought her to more, less happy thoughts as she climbed on the bike behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.  Although she may love him with all her heart - she doubted she could ever give herself fully to another - there was no possible way he would every love her back.  She knew what kind of women he went for.  They were all thin, well-endowed redheads.  He would never see her as more than a friend and a little sister to be protected.  She was faintly jealous of Dr. Gray - Logan was always flirting with her.  But if all she could get was his friendship, then she wasn't going to take that for granted.


*  *  *  *  *

It took him months, but Logan finally got Rogue used to him touching her.  She no longer flinched away from him, no matter how random or accidental it was.  Admittedly, she never touched him - he figured that would take a few more months, at least - but if it was accidental, she didn't jerk away.  He figured that was a big step.

They had to start limiting their daily outings to cheap things because Logan was getting seriously low on cash.  He'd have to start asking the Professor to pay him for 'teaching' Rogue.

Logan started renting movies to watch with Rogue on Saturday nights.  The mansion was almost empty then - everybody was either at parties or had dates.  Rogue, of course, never had a date - she steadfastly turned down all the offers from Bobby - and she was seldom invited to parties.  Logan didn't have much of an interest in women, anymore - as scary as that was.  He couldn't go on a date anymore without imagining that the woman was Rogue.  He considered leaving again many times, but every time he did, he remembered how happy Rogue was when he came back, and couldn't do it.  What were the odds he would have to protect her form himself?  But, she was sweet, funny, smart, beautiful, his best friend - his first friend in a long time - his sister, his kid, and so much more.  She made him feel needed, wanted, and special.  But, gods!  He was a sick, dirty, lecherous old man, to even be thinking sick thoughts.

He was in the weight room, working out, thinking about all this.  He realized that his body was slicked over with sweat.  He had been working out harder than usual and was boiling hot.  He needed either an ice-cold shower or a swim.  A swim sounded pleasantly refreshing, so he placed the barbells into their slots with a chink and went back to his room and changed into his swim trunks.  There was no one in the pool for once, and he dived in.  The water was cool and refreshing.  It felt great, slipping like silk over his body.  He dove toward the bottom of the pool.  As he reached the bottom, he faintly heard the door open.  He gathered his feet under him and shoved himself towards the surface.  As he erupted in the middle of a huge geyser of water, he heard the satisfying gasp of whoever it was - Marie.  He could smell Marie.

"Sorry.  Ah didn't know anyone was in here."  Yes, that was definitely her southern drawl.  He wiped the water out of his eyes in time to see her open the door to leave.

"Where ya goin', kid?"

"Back ta mah room."

"Looks like you were coming down here for a swim."

"Ah was, but…"

Logan rolled his eyes.  "Go out on your bathing suit and jump in.  It's nice."

"But…"

"Oh, for Chrissakes, Marie.  It's me, Logan, remember?  I don't care.  If you were going to take a swim, then go ahead.  I'm not getting out, but that doesn't mean that you can't get in."

Marie rolled her eyes, trying hard not to cry.  "Only you would get pissed at me because Ah'm afraid of hurtin' ya."

Logan snorted.  "That's right.  Now either get in, or I'll throw you in.  Understand?"

"Okay, okay."  She disappeared into the bathroom to change.  When she came back out, she was wearing a black bathing suit that didn't leave even an inch of extra skin showing.  It had a higher back than most bathing suits, and the front was pretty high-cut.  Even so, damn was she sexy!

She stood at the side of the pool hesitantly, still not sure if he really meant it.  Logan sighed exasperatedly.  Before she noticed what he was doing, he had jumped up to sit on the side of the pool right next to her, shoved her in, and jumped back in.

She shrieked as she started to fall.  "What the hell?!?!" she came up spluttering.

Logan laughed.  "I told you I'd push you in."  He started to swim laps around the pool, still laughing.

Marie glared at him for a minute, and then she started to laugh.  She swam around, too, studiously avoiding coming close to Logan.  She was still very nervous.  This was the most skin she had ever bared around anyone for years, so of course she was nervous.  Logan took note of this.  He waited until she had got semi-comfortable, and was swimming around the shallow end.  When she was right at the edge of the drop-off to the deep end, he snuck up behind her, not that easy in water, and grabbed her around the waist, tossing her into the deep end.  She flinched when he grabbed her and squealed when he threw her.

"Hey!"  She splashed him, mostly to cover up her shaking.  That had really scared her.

"Hey, what?"  He splashed her back.

"Hey, what if ya had hit skin?"  She splashed him again, a little harder.

He grinned devilishly at her.  "Well I didn't.  Don't worry, I'm not stupid."  He splashed her back again.

"Well Ah do worry.  Don't do that, Logan."

"You're too uptight, kid."

At that point, an all-out water-fight broke out.  They dodged around the pool, laughing and splashing each other.  They were having a grand old time, getting water all over the place, when they head Scott clear his throat disapprovingly.

"Whaddaya want, One-Eye?"

"The Professor wants to see you now."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever.  Tell Wheels I'll see him sometime today."

Logan glanced at Marie and winked roguishly.  As one, they turned to Scott and started splashing him.  Before he could gather his wits together enough to leave, he was soaking wet.

"I'll get you back from this, Logan!" he yelled from safety.

"Sure you will, Cyke.  I'd love to see that day."  Logan grinned lopsidedly at Marie.

They resumed their water-fight.  Marie hadn't been able to interact with anyone in the pool since she had gotten to the mansion.  She had missed out on all those fun games because nobody would swim with her, and vice versa.  Now, she was having fun again.

Logan, of course, had to ruin it.  He got too close, and his arm brushed against her shoulder.  The tingling of her power had just started when they both jerked away.  Logan just moved away enough so their skin wasn't touching.  Marie, however, jerked as far away as she could, and backpedaled, putting more water between them.

Her eyes immediately filled with tears.  "Ah- Ah'm sorry, Logan.  Ah didn't- Ah'd better get out."

"Don't cry, darlin'."  Shit!  How had that popped out?  He only called her that in his head!  "It wasn't your fault, or mine, it was an accident.  I'm none the worse for the wear."

"It's too dangerous."

Logan sighed and growled softly.  "Look, if you lived your life by how dangerous something was, you wouldn't be here.  You wouldn't have met me.  Plus, imagine Scooter's face when he comes back in to remind me Wheels wants me and sees the mess we've made."

He was inching closer and closer to her as he talked.  Luckily, she didn't notice, and he was able to toss her back into the middle of the pool.  She came up splashing at him, her worries almost forgotten.  Almost.  She stayed as far away from him as was possible and still be able to splash good.

He was underwater, swimming up behind her, and he heard the door open.  He figured it was just Scooter, so he didn't stop, and erupted up behind Rogue, grabbing her suit-covered waist and throwing her into the deep end again,

"Logan!" she shrieked before she splashed into the water.

He realized that wasn't Scott's smell, but the Professor's.  "Hey, Wheels.  You coming for a swim, too?"

"You two do realize you're going to clean this mess up, right?"  The Professor tried to look serious, but he couldn't prevent a small smile from gracing his lips.  Rogue looked happier than she had in a long time.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."  Logan climbed out of the pool and grabbed his towel.  "I suppose you're down here because you need to talk to me oh so urgently?  So urgent that you needed to come personally instead of just calling me?"

"I've been calling you for the past hour, and you've been ignoring me."

Logan shrugged and scowled.  "I was busy."

"Very busy, I see.  Scott did not appreciate getting soaked, and is plotting revenge right now.  Was that part of being busy?  So, please dry off and come to my office.  I need to discuss new additions to your class, among other things.  After we are done, you can come back down here and help Rogue clean up."

The Logan in Rogue's head was contemplating how the Professor would react to the same treatment Cyclops got.  "Don't even think about it, Logan," she warned him as the Professor was leaving.

"What?  Are you some sort of fledgling mind-reader now?"  The door closed and Rogue got out of the pool.  Logan handed her her towel.  She took it carefully from his hand and stood a ways away from him.

"No, you're still in mah head."  She shrugged.  "Ya were thinkin' along the lines of givin' him the same treatment as Mr. Summers, right?"

He grinned an gave her a quick, one-armed hug, even though she flinched away.  But he was no fool - the towel was wrapped around her shoulders.  "Yep, I was.  See ya later, kid.  Gotta go find out just who Wheels is adding to me class."

He walked back to his room to get dressed.  What the hell did Wheels want, anyways?  There was something more than what he was telling, something Logan could tell he wouldn't like…