WARNING! CHAPTER FIVE HAS BEEN CHANGED. IF YOU DON'T RE-READ IT, THIS CHAPTER WILL NOT MAKE SENSE.
Wolverine stared thoughtfully down into his drink. It had taken a lot of effort to get drunk, but he had finally done it, and was actually feeling quite pleased with himself. Well, not really with himself. Just with his dedication to intoxication. He propped his arm up on the bar and let his face fall into his hand. Rogue.
Images from earlier that evening danced across the hazy eye of Wolverine's mind. It was like watching a horror movie in slow motion. He could see his arms reaching out to crush the woman in black to his chest. Could feel the heat of her mouth beneath his hungry kiss. In his mind he shouted at himself to stop, but he couldn't. The dominatrix had caught him off guard and it was Rogue who suffered for it.
Wolverine rubbed his eyes hard, trying to stop seeing the look of anger and betrayal in Rogue's eyes when she had looked at him in the other woman's room. He hadn't even had the presence of mind to insult the Cajun on the ride home. The chill emanating off of Rogue would have frozen Alkali Lake.
Wolverine shot up in his seat, slamming his hand down on the bar. Alkali Lake. Where had that come from? Frantically, Wolverine struggled to hang onto the memory that was just out of his reach. His healing factor kicked into double time as adrenaline and excitement raced through his body. It seemed like ages since that last time he'd had a flash of memory, besides the nightmares.
Then he had it. It was still vague, a shadow of a memory that refused to solidify in his mind long enough for him to truly understand what it was, but still, it was there. Alkali Lake, Wolverine knew, was in Canada. And he bet he knew where.
For the first time in the hour since returning from the mission, Wolverine smiled. Standing up, he put his jacket on and headed for the door. Somehow, he would make Rogue forgive him. She would be happy for him, he knew and he wanted her to come with him. The warm feeling in his heart gave him a different kind of buzz than the whiskey. For the first time since he could remember, Wolverine was about to share his life with someone he cared about. He couldn't wait.
* * *
Gambit took a deep breath as he stood outside the door to Rogue's room. For a minute, he debated on whether or not to knock, before remembering that with Rogue's enhanced senses she'd probably already heard or smelled him. Sighing, he just opened the door -- and froze.
"Mon dieu," he said softly. Rogue was passed out on the floor. The empty bottle of Tequila explained her unconscious state and, Gambit strongly suspected, her state of very little dress. Rogue seemed to have stripped herself down to a surprisingly feminine black lacy bra and a matching thong.
Sighing, Gambit tried to decide whether it would be inconsiderate of him to leave her lying there, or presumptuous of him to touch her, even if it was just to put her in her bed. Alone.
Finally, he gave in to the slightly guilty side of him. Which strangely enough, seemed to be the lower side, which was feeling rather heated. Gambit shook himself. Rogue was beautiful, yes, but he didn't usually have a reaction this strong just looking at a scantily clad woman. It was as if her body was beckoning him to her. Gambit almost laughed at himself. He was starting to go crazy.
Closing the door quietly behind him, Gambit walked over and knelt down next to Rogue's prone body. He slid his arms under her, one at her neck and one at her knees. He was just about to rise when he felt a smooth pair of arms reach up and encircle his neck. Almost as if in a dream, Rogue lifted her head and looked at him through long eyelashes. Her amber colored eyes seemed smoky with desire as they bored into his own red-on-black. Before he was even aware of what was happening, he was leaning down towards her suddenly very kissable lips.
He felt rogue moan and fire raced through him. He deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue in to caress the silky insides of her mouth. Her hands threaded themselves into his hair, holding him to her and keeping their mouths locked in their heated embrace. Alarms went off somewhere in his mind, but before he could register why, he found himself standing up with Rogue in his arms. Without breaking the kiss, Gambit carried her to the bed and laid her body on the sheets, quickly followed by his own. Gambit groaned at the feel of her soft body against the taunt muscles in his chest. She felt so delicious underneath him, Gambit couldn't resist the urge to grind his hips to hers. Rogue moaned again at the sensation, eagerly rising to meet him. Of their own accord, Gambit felt his hands sliding up underneath Rogue's bra, cupping her breasts gently in his hands. She arched into his touch, breaking the kiss to throw her head back in pleasure. He opened his eyes and watched as Rogue wrapped her legs around his waist, rubbing herself against him. Gambit groaned and lifted his head as a fresh wave of heat rolled through him. He grasped her hips and helplessly pushed against her, straining to get closer than his clothes would allow. Vaguely he was aware of Rogue sitting up and turning them so that he was lying on the bed, with her on top straddling his waist. He tried to think, but his head was fuzzy and he couldn't keep his thoughts straight. His eyes drifted closed. It was as if his body had taken complete control of his mind. There was no thought, only feeling as Rogue ground herself down on the bulge in his pants, nearly sending him over the edge.
Suddenly Gambit's kinetic senses went crazy. Opening his eyes again, he turned just in time to see Wolverine standing in the open doorway. There was a roar of fury and pain. Throwing himself backward just in time, Gambit felt the tips of Wolverine's claws slide across the skin on his stomach . . .
* * *
Wolverine froze with his hand on the doorknob to the room he and Rogue shared. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as his nose and ears tried to tell him something his heart didn't want to know. Try as he might though, there was no mistaking the information his sense were sending him about what was behind the door. The sounds of heavy breathing, moaning, and the muffled squeak of bedsprings said it all. The smell of spicy aftershave filled in the blanks. As if in a dream, Wolverine turned the knob, ever so slowly, and looked with terror filled eyes into the room.
* * *
Dominique heard the door open. She shouldn't have, wouldn't have if she was in her own body. But inside Rogue's body with the delicious enhanced senses, she could hear anything from the swish of the door on the carpet, to the blood pounding through Gambit's . . . head. A wicked smile curved her lips.
Dominique had been furious to find a herself temporarily trapped inside the head of that cat-eyed bitch who'd interrupted her fun. Rogue, she now knew her name was. Apparently, there was something between her and the hairy man with the claws. Well, now she was getting her revenge. It was a stroke of pure luck that Rogue had gotten drunk enough to leave her wide open to Dominique's move for control. She was still sunk deep in the depths of her own mind, completely unaware of what Dominique was using her body for.
Dominique grinned. Her powers still worked as well. Gambit never even knew what hit him, but few men ever really did. Dominique just seemed to have a way with men. Her way to be exact.
When she heard the door open, and could tell with Rogue's sense of smell that it was indeed the Wolverine, Dominique made her move. Wrapping her legs around Gambit, she flipped them over and straddled his waist. As she lowered herself to press against Gambit's trapped erection, she heard the sound of success. Gambit's eyes opened and he turned a split second before Wolverine roared and charged into the room . . .
* * *
Wolverine was infuriated. His mind was nothing more than background noise, as the animal in him took over. Charging into the room, he went right for Gambit. Rogue stood up quickly, standing beside the bed with a cold expression in her eyes and one hand on her hip. She watched with a strange gleam in her eyes as Wolverine slashed at Gambit with his claws. The other man rolled away, catching only a glancing blow. Red lines of blood appeared on his stomach from the superficial wounds.
Wolverine looked up for a brief second. Even with the animal in him raging, he could sense something off about Rogue. His moment of reflection cost him as Gambit let lose with a small barrage of playing cards. Wolverine dove out of the way. The cards exploded in the air where his head had been. Whipping around, Wolverine prepared to attack again. This time he tackled Gambit. The other man was standing between the wall and the bed, with little room to maneuver. Wolverine crashed into him knocking them both into Rogue. Neither man seemed to notice the look of shock on Rogue's face as she fell backwards, slamming her head into the wall.
As she slid to the floor, Dominique felt her grip on Rogue's consciousness slip and she fell into darkness.
* * *
Rogue woke up disoriented and in pain. Her head throbbed where it had hit something. Groggily, she stood up. The first thing to register in her mind was the sight of Wolverine and Gambit locked together on the floor. Gambit was trying to get his hands free to charge something, anything, but Wolverine was expecting it. Kneeling down on the Cajun's hand, he kept them pinned to the floor. Rogue's eyes widened as he raised a hands, claws extended.
"Wolverine, NO!" Rogue screamed. She dove for him knocking Wolverine off of Gambit. Wolverine fought back and without thinking, Rogue let her powers flare to life, taking just enough to weaken him.
The look in Wolverine's eyes nearly broke her heart. As his body slumped to the floor, temporarily weakened, Rogue struggled to suppress his memories immediately. Standing up, she put her hands to the sides of her head, quieting the animal and filing the memories of the man. A stray memory seemed to burn with a searing pain despite her efforts and Rogue concentrated in confusion. Suddenly her head snapped up, her eyes widening. In her mind she watched the scene Wolverine seen when he'd come home. A sense of dread filled her as she finally became aware of her state of undress. She whipped her head to look at Wolverine, but he had taken advantage of her momentary distraction to rise to his feet. Fighting off his dizziness, he ran out of the room with a sound between a growl and a choke.
Rogue raised a hand, but couldn't follow him. Turning, she was just in time to see Gambit disappear out the window. Left alone and only half-dressed in her room, Rogue fell soundlessly to the floor. As the shock began to wear off she felt her shoulders tremble. Curling up into a fetal position, she let the tears fall, as sobs wracked her body.
* * *
Gambit's eyes burned an unholy red as he urged his bike to go faster. After he'd left Rogue's room, he'd gotten to the garage seconds after Wolverine, just in time to see the Canadian get on a motorcycle and take off. Determined not to lose him, Gambit soon followed on his own bike.
If there had been any doubt in his mind before that Wolverine was exactly what he had always believed him to be, they were all gone now. Even the kind feelings and vague attraction he'd had for Rogue were gone. Gambit ran a hand over the unbandaged wounds in his stomach. They had stopped bleeding, but he imagined he could still feel the warm metal of Wolverine's claws dragging across his flesh. She was no better than the Wolverine.
In his current irrational and enraged state, Gambit was sure they had set him up. They had to have. There was no doubt in Gambit's mind that Rogue had been trying to seduce him. She had even had the nerve to use Dominique's powers to do it. Twice in one day a woman had used sexual attraction to reduce him to no more than a pawn in a sick game. Gambit suspected that the entire thing in her room had been planned from the beginning. Rogue and Wolverine were probably just trying to get rid of Gambit. After all, who would question the infamously short-tempered and animalistic Wolverine attacking a strange man in his mate's bed?
Gambit gritted his teeth and gripped the handlebars of his Harley even tighter. They would both pay. He would find out where Wolverine was going and arrange for Kroker to be waiting. Rogue wouldn't be far behind him, she would share his fate. All mercy was gone from Gambit's eyes as his mind worked to form a plan.
* * *
Cyclops was concerned as he knocked on Rogue's door. He'd been sleeping when he could have sworn he'd heard an explosion from this room. Even though such a sound was hardly rare in a building full of students learning to control various mutant abilities, Cyclops had finally decided he'd better check just to be sure. He couldn't help but wonder why there would be explosions in Rogue's room though. Neither her nor Wolverine possessed any such ability.
His train of thought was cut off abruptly when the door to the room opened. Cyclops stared in surprise at the sight that greeted him. Rogue was wearing a pair of torn blue jeans and a t-shirt. Her eyes were red and swollen making it obvious she had been crying. When Cyclops just continued to stare, Rogue turned away from the door. She sat down on the bed and began to put her boots on. Finally, Cyclops seemed to snap out of it.
"Rogue, what's wrong? Where's Wolverine?"
"Ah'm fine, Cyclops." She didn't answer the second question.
"Rogue, did something happen between you and Wolverine?" Cyclops asked gently.
Rogue didn't look at him and Cyclops sighed and came to sit on the bed beside her. Rogue had a brief bitter thought about men and their attraction to her bed.
"Rogue, listen, I know you and I didn't get off to a very good start, but you're one of the team now. I want you to know that we're all here for you if you need—"
Rogue stood up stiffly. "Ah'm leaving."
Cyclops looked bewildered. "What?"
"Ah said Ah'm leaving. Ah don't know where Wolverine is," she lied. "All Ah know is that Ah can't stay here anymore."
"Rogue, please, just tell me—"
"Ah don't have the luxury of time right now, Cyclops. Just trust me on this one, Ah have to go. Ah wouldn't hold your breath waiting for either of us to come back."
She walked to the door with Cyclops watching her in shock. She picked up the small bag she'd packed before he arrived. Before she left the room, Rogue stopped. Without turning she spoke softly.
"Thanks for everything."
Then she left. As she made her way downstairs to call for a cab, Rogue did what she'd said she wouldn't do.
"Ah'm sorry, Logan."
Looking into her own mind, she searched for the most recent memories she had taken from Wolverine. The tears almost threatened to fall again, but she found what she was looking for. Alkali Lake stood out clearly in his memory. She had a feeling where he was headed now though.
* * *
Wolverine pounded another beer, finishing it in one gulp and slamming the bottle down to signal his need for a new one. He could still feel the pain, but it was turning back into anger now. Rogue. The woman who'd seemed to care so much for him, for whom he'd cared so much. The woman who'd been riding the Cajun like a fucking whore.
His claws itched to come out and it was all Wolverine could do not to release them. He was waiting. He wanted to wait for someone truly worthy. Someone who could prove he was worth fighting.
Wolverine glanced up in anticipation at the cage in the center of the room. Now that he knew they existed, it hadn't been hard to find one. He and Rogue had found it a few days after they'd decided to stay in New York for a while. It was something more of an underground thing here in New York than it was in Canada, but they'd managed to find it.
Finally, a giant of a man came strolling into a bar. The entire place went silent and the victor in the last cage match froze in absolute terror. As the man crashed over to the cage and began to climb the stairs, Wolverine stood up from the bar. Time to let off a little steam.
As he made his way to the cage, Wolverine could hear the previous fight's victor arguing with the announcer.
"I'm not fighting him! It's not fair! I've been fighting all night and he just started, I'm exhausted, it wouldn't be an even match!"
The man was babbling in his fear and the announcer and the mountain man knew it. The announcer actually looked sorry for him, but the stranger just smiled, arms folded, as he looked down at the smaller man.
"You afraid to fight someone bigger than you, eh, Tiny?"
The man looked miserable. He'd been so confident ten minutes ago. He'd won two fights and was looking forward to the money he'd take home, when this goliath had walked in. Now he was going to lose his money. He looked at the gigantic man. And possibly more. Just when he was about to give up and take his punishment, a well-built, if uncommonly hairy man, strode up the steps to the cage.
"Think you can get this show on the road? If I'm gonna kick your ass, I'd like to get it done before last call," Wolverine said casually.
All three men turned to look at him incredulously. The entire bar, which had resumed its rowdy shouting, went silent again. It was amazing how the crowd managed to sense these things. The big man smiled.
"Welcome to my parlor," he murmured.
Wolverine rolled his eyes. That definitely wasn't the most intimidating challenge he'd ever heard. Sheesh. What was this a cage match or a poetry slam?
He stepped into the cage as the announcer . . . well, announced . . . that a fight was about to begin. The rest of the bar turned eagerly to watch what was sure to be a hell of a fight.
Wolverine circled the other man in the cage. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a familiar scent drifted towards him. A scent that was so ingrained in his memory, he knew no scientist could remove it. Rogue. He whipped around, standing against the wall of the cage and looking towards a door.
There she was. Rogue was standing in the doorway, her eyes looking right into his. Without waving or even nodding, she slowly turned and walked over to the bar, taking a seat with a good view of the cage without getting too close. The bartender remembered her and brought her beer quickly. Wolverine swallowed hard.
He didn't even see the man's foot coming at him. The heavy black boot caught him in the center of his back, knocking him hard into the wall of the cage. Moving in, the man followed it up with a solid punch with each hand behind Wolverine's shoulder blades. Wolverine fell to his knees on the floor. As he fell, the man took the opportunity to kick him in the ribs.
As he knelt on the blood spattered floor, Wolverine drew in ragged gasps. She was here. She'd come looking for him. Why was she just sitting there? What the hell was going on? Should he continue the fight or go to her? Thoughts raced through Wolverine's mind as his body continued to take the beating, healing when his assailant paused. She had betrayed him. Was it the first time? Had she played him all along? Wolverine shook his head. He couldn't take it anymore. It was just too much. His eyes glazed over. As the man swung his fist forward for another punch, Wolverine met it with his own. A look of shock and pain crossed the other man's face as his fist connected with something much harder than bone.
This is for making me come to New York, Wolverine thought bitterly. He swung his fist into the man's stomach. He doubled over with a whoosh of air.
And this is for making me lose work. He brought his knee up into the other man's face, making him shout as his nose shattered and blood ran down his face.
This one's for the Cajun! Wolverine grabbed his shirt and jerked him forward, slamming his head into the other man's and causing what was sure to be one hell of a concussion.
And this . . . this one's for me! He threw the man across the cage, watching with satisfaction when he crumpled to the ground in an unmoving heap.
The crowd went wild. Some booed and some cheered, but either way they were impressed. Wolverine raised his head slowly, a new glint in his eye. He felt great. Adrenaline pumped through his body and his healing factor was finishing off healing the minor would he'd sustained in the fight. He strolled out of the cage, oozing masculinity and leaving a wake of swooning females in his wake. He looked up and saw Rogue turn on her stool to face him. Despite the still somber expression in her eyes, he could see a shine in her amber eyes. He knew she had enjoyed watching the fight and was probably feeling her own animal stirring. Which made what he was about to do all the more satisfying.
Looking her in the eye and holding her gaze for a brief second – he reached his arm out and pulled another woman close to him. Bending her over his arm, he took her mouth in a savage kiss. The woman swooned and looped her arms around his neck, thrilled at the fact that this man who had been such an animal in the cage wanted her. When he finally pulled back, she treated him to her most seductive smile. Wolverine grinned and slid an arm around her waist. Without glancing back, he led her out the door. Rogue watched him go. Her heart felt like Sabretooth had ripped it out of her chest. She turned back to the bar and stared down into her beer, holding back the tears that threatened to fall.
* * *
Gambit watched from across the street as Wolverine left the bar with a blond woman. He had his arm around her waist and the way she was looking at him left no doubt in Gambit's mind as to what he was planning. His jaw tightened. The bastard was finally showing his true colors.
Gambit knew that if there was ever going to be a time to get to Rogue, now would be it. She had gone into the bar not even a half hour ago. Wolverine had to have seen her, and Gambit was certain this display with the other woman was done on purpose. Obviously, they hadn't been in cahoots back at the mansion. Gambit frowned. Had Rogue been trying to seduce him for real? Or was something else going on?
He decided to wait. Things were not what they seemed. And he wasn't just referring to himself . . .
* * *
A nagging feeling of guilt was making Wolverine sick to his stomach. Disgusted with his own patheticness, he squashed the voice. He wasn't the one who started this, she was the one who brought that Cajun trash into their bed. Trying to convince himself he was right, he led the woman he was with into the alley.
She immediately dropped to her knees and started to work at his fly. Her complete willingness to kneel on the filthy alley floor made Wolverine sick. She wasn't Rogue.
"Stop."
The woman looked up at him through desire glazed eyes.
"What?" she asked breathlessly.
Wolverine closed his eyes in resignation. "I said stop. I can't do this."
He reached down and took the woman by her arms, pulling her into a standing position.
"I thought this was what I wanted, but it isn't. I can't use you like this. I'm sorry," he said simply. In his mind he couldn't help but realize that before he'd met Rogue, even the thought of apologizing to a woman for using her would have made him laugh.
The woman looked like she was going to object, but there must have been a true sincerity in his eyes. She sighed, and shook her head. Finally she smiled. Patting him on the cheek she looked into his eyes.
"I hope it works out for you."
Wolverine watched her walk out of the alley. He knew he should feel good about what he'd just done. If he was going to have casual sex it would be because that's what he wanted, not because it was all he could get at the moment. He'd been attracted to Rogue for the majority of their time together. He'd never pushed her, but he'd always been somehow certain that they would be lovers eventually. Now, as he watched what would have been the first woman he'd fucked in months walk away, all he felt was a lonely emptiness in his heart.
"Ah knew you wouldn't do it."
Wolverine whipped around. He'd been so lost in his own thoughts, he hadn't even heard Rogue enter the alley through a side door. She was sitting on a pile of boxes, watching him.
"Do what?" he snapped. He hated being caught off guard.
Rogue just looked him in the eyes. Slowly, she slid down off her perch and walked over to him. Part of Wolverine was screaming at him to walk away, turn around, anything to keep her from touching him. But he couldn't move. When she reached him, she stood in front of him, making no move to reach out. Instead, she stood there looking without shame into his eyes.
"I didn't betray you. I was weak, and I let it happen, but it wasn't me." She took a deep breath. "Ah was so hurt when Ah found you with Dominique." Wolverine looked away, but she reached up and turned him back to face her. "You didn't betray me. Dominique fooled us both. She used her powers on you, you had no control over that," she rolled her eyes when he tried to turn away again and jerked his face back to look at her. "Ah'm sorry to insult you manly ego, but it's true. She manipulated you and she used me. Ah let mah guard down and she took over, but it wasn't me that betrayed you." Her voice lowered to a whisper. "Ah would never do that."
Wolverine looked into her eyes for a long time, searching their amber depths for any sign that she wasn't telling the truth. Finally, he did what he'd never quite imagined himself doing.
He hugged her.