A/N: Special thanks to Star-of-Chaos, enchantedlight, 4Rogue, SperryDee, De, closet geek, ishandahalf, & jadedbeauty for your reviews of the last chapter.

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"Rogue, our ride's here." Logan said from the hallway, as he called out through the door of the hotel room.

"All right, Ah'll be there in a minute." Rogue replied as she grabbed her leather book bag and headed for the door.

It had been a few days since Logan had gone out on his first date with Mariko Yashida, and it had gone very well. They had enjoyed each other's company so much, that Mariko had invited Logan and Rogue to visit her family's ancestral home. It was near the port city of Agarashima, about 200 miles north of Tokyo. As Logan and Rogue got into the limousine that Mariko had sent for them, they prepared themselves for a long ride.

"This is pretty nice, kinda like the one the Professor has." Rogue said as she took a visual inspection of the limousine's interior, "Ah wonder if it has a TV in it too?"

"What's the matter, you gonna die if you go ten minutes without one?" Logan smirked, as the limo pulled off from in front of the hotel and headed down the busy street.

"I didn't say Ah couldn't live without one, I was just wonderin' was all." Rogue responded as she settled into her seat.

The limo waded through the congestion of the bustling metropolis, eventually making its way to the city limits and then beyond. As the scenery changed from urban to rural, Rogue took notice.

"Man it's so beautiful out here. In a way, it kinda reminds me of where Ah grew up." Rogue said as she looked out through the tinted windows of the vehicle.

"You know, you don't talk much about your home in Mississippi." Logan pointed out to her.

"Probably, because Ah don't really have a home there, at least not anymore. After what happened with Cody 'n me back there, mah Mama and Daddy just couldn't deal with what I was. So Ah just up and left, not too long after." Rogue revealed as she looked at Logan, "Why the sudden interest?"

"It's no sudden interest. I intentionally never brought it up." Logan responded, "I just thought you had a right to keep some parts about your past private if you wanted to, same as everybody else. I figured you'd eventually talk about it, when you got good and ready."

"Well, I talked about things some with Jubilee and Kitty. But, Bobby was the one that Ah confided in the most. Ah just wish he trusted me enough to talk about how he was feelin'." Rogue said as she thought about Robert Drake, aka Iceman, the person that still had a hold on her heart.

"He's had a pretty rough time too, when you consider what happened back in Boston." Logan stated.

"Yeah, Ah'm not sayin' he hasn't." Rogue said to him, "It's just that I loved Bobby with all my heart, and Ah wanted so much to be there for him. But all that he could say was that he wasn't sure about things between us, before he broke up with me."

"Would you rather he lied to you?" Logan asked point blank.

"No." Rogue replied simply.

"I could tell by the way that the 'Popsicle' always looked at you, he cares somethin' awful deep for you." Logan told her as the limo rolled on through the countryside.

"What's your point?" Rogue asked, thinking to herself that dumping somebody is a really funny way to show how much you care.

"All I'm tryin' to say is that everybody deals with pain differently. That, combined with love, can make you do some pretty stupid things." Logan explained, "The kid probably already regrets what he did, and is back home kickin' himself for it."

"So, are you sayin' I should forgive him?" Rogue asked.

"I'm not tellin' you to do anything. You're a big girl now, so whatever happens 'tween you and him'll have to be a decision you make for yourself." Logan answered, "I was just tryin' to show you that relationships have a lotta different angles, and that sometimes you have to take that into consideration."

"Since your such an expert, does that mean that things'll start makin' more sense to me as Ah get older, oh wise one?" Rogue asked with a smile.

"Not-even-close." Logan laughed as he answered her question.

"Well, that gives me somethin' to look forward to." Rogue replied as she turned and looked back out of the window.

Logan and Rogue didn't have much else to say as they traveled along two-lane roadway. Eventually, Rogue did find the limo's television and she managed to keep herself occupied for the rest of the trip, while Logan tipped his tan cowboy hat over his brow and took a small 'siesta'.

After the nearly three-hour journey, Logan and Rogue found themselves at Mariko's home, which really looked more like a palace. There had been very few changes to the layout of the historic estate in nearly two centuries, and the majestic beauty that its architect had originally wanted to display could still be seen.

"I am glad to see that you have made it, I hope that your trip was pleasant." Mariko said as she came out to greet her guests.

As they looked at her, they noticed that Mariko wasn't wearing an ensemble created by one of the world's top designers, like the outfits they had seen her in before. Instead, she was dressed in more traditional Japanese attire, wearing a kimono and a beautiful hand-made silk ornament in her hair that was in the shape of a flower.

"The ride couldn't have been better." Logan replied, as some of the staff that worked at the estate came and took his and Rogue's things to the guest rooms that they would be staying in.

Logan marveled at the sheer size of estate and noticed the intricate detail that went into its design. But that wasn't the only thing that Logan noticed. He saw that there were guards stationed around the estate, and his enhanced senses revealed that some of them had tried to conceal themselves from sight. They were hiding either in the bushes & shrubbery that seemed to go around the property without end, or in other undetectable areas. For the time being though, Logan decided to keep his observation to himself.

"Come, let us go in." Mariko said as she led the trio inside of her family's home.

As Mariko began her tour, Logan and Rogue both were astonished at the sheer volume of historical artifacts contained within the estate.

"This a house, or a museum?" Logan asked Mariko as he looked closely at a suit of armor that seemed to be very old to him, at least judging by his senses at any rate.

"It functions as both, actually." Mariko replied, "Here are housed priceless family heirlooms and weapons. Some of these were worn by my ancestors and used in combat during various campaigns throughout Japan's history."

"How old is this?" Rogue asked as she looked at a sword enclosed in a glass case.

"It is over 400 years old. It is said to have belonged to the ruler, Toyotomi Hideyoshi." Mariko answered, as they continued to tour the history room.

As they walked, Mariko pointed out other artifacts and their historical importance. Rogue tried her best to remember the vast amount information that Mariko was giving her.

While Logan was off inspecting a rather large battle-axe, first-hand, something entirely different caught Rogue's attention.

"What are these?" Rogue asked as she pointed at a set of scrolls on a beautifully decorated stand.

"These scrolls are the written record of my lineage, they chronicle my family's genealogy for nearly 2,000 years." Mariko said as she held them carefully and showed them to Rogue, "It is one of the reasons that the name Yashida is one of the oldest and well respected in all of Japan, with the exception of the Emperor's of course."

"The Emperor?" Logan thought to himself, "She's damn near royalty herself."

As Mariko put the scrolls back in their place, another area of the room caught Rogue's attention.

"What's behind that?" Rogue asked as she pointed at a large, ornate door.

"That is where the Honor Blade of the Clan Yashida is kept." Mariko said as she went through the complex procedure to open the vault, "This sword was forged by the legendary swordsmith, Masamune. It is said to be as strong now, as it was when it was created nearly 800 years ago."

"It must be really important to be kept protected in here." Rogue surmised.

"Indeed. For our Clan it is the physical embodiment of what a Samurai should strive for, duty and honor. It is not to be worn by the Head of the Clan, but by the individual that best exemplifies those qualities." Mariko explained, as she removed the sword from its sheath and pointed out the various markings on it to Rogue and Logan.

"So, who carries that sword now?" Logan asked.

"The Daimyo, the Head of the numerous families allied to each other under the Clan Yashida, has not decided who would be worthy of such a title, as of yet." Mariko answered.

"When do you think he'll get around to making up his mind?" Logan joked.

"When I have made such an important decision, you will be the first to know, Logan-san." Mariko replied with a smile. She then put the Honor Blade back into it's holding place, closed the vault, and set the vault's security codes. The trio then walked through another large door that led outside to a large garden area.

"This is real nice out here." Logan commented as they took a seat near a large statue of a Buddha, "You could probably give the folks that run the Imperial Gardens a run for their money."

"Yeah, it really is beautiful out here." Rogue added.

"The tranquility is one of the reasons that I sometimes come out here to meditate when I am alone. It is just that with spending most of my time in the city, it is rare that I get an opportunity to do so." Mariko told them.

After spending nearly an hour in the garden, the trio retired to the inside of the manor where Mariko's staff served them an exquisite dinner. Afterwards, the trio sat and talked with each other as day quickly turned to night. They were unaware, however, that an uninvited guest dressed in a long brown trench coat was preparing to put three straight nights of surveillance to use.

"Been checkin' dis place out long enough, figure it's 'bout time I made my move." Gambit thought to himself, as he watched the estate through a pair of small binoculars from a nearby hilltop, "De man wasn't kiddin' about what he said, dey got some real nice security around here. But, it still ain't nothin' I can't get by."

As Gambit began his approach to the estate, he left behind a sports car that he had 'borrowed' in a wooded area back on the adjacent hilltop. He proceeded to put a lifetime's worth of training into use as he traversed the entire distance to the estate going unnoticed and without making a sound. He then grabbed some equipment from a small bag slung across his back. He used it to scale the fortified wall that had originally been designed centuries before, with the purpose of keeping out entire invading armies. Like the security of the estate, the walls were not enough to keep out one young man determined to accomplish his objective that night.

While Gambit made his way to the history room and to the vault where the Honor Blade was contained, Mariko, Logan, and Rogue were saying their 'good night's' as they walked outside to a fountain in the center of the grounds.

"We really do appreciate all the hospitality you been showin' us." Logan said to Mariko, as the trio stood outside on the clear and slightly breezy night.

"You are quite welcome." Mariko replied.

"Ah don't know 'bout you two, but Ah'm beat. I think Ah'll turn in for the night." Rogue said as she started towards the guest quarters.

"See you in the mornin' kid." Logan said to her as he and Mariko sat down on the ledge of the fountain.

"Rogue, you will find that my staff has left additional blankets in your room for you." Mariko told her.

"Thanks, but how come?" Rogue asked.

"I noticed that you have kept your gloves on the entire evening, and I merely assumed that you were not used to the colder weather here." Mariko stated.

"Oh, uh…yeah." Rogue agreed as she went inside, unsure of how she could explain the real reason she wore her arm-length, nylon-spandex gloves to Mariko.

After Rogue had left, Logan and Mariko were left outside alone.

"It is a very lovely night, especially considering the time of year." Mariko said as she broke the uneasy silence between her and Logan.

"Yeah, it's real nice." Logan replied simply as they sat there looking up.

"Logan, do you mind if I ask you something rather personal?" Mariko inquired.

"Go ahead, shoot." Logan approved.

"The woman that you told me of the other night, that you cared so deeply for…" Mariko continued.

"You mean Jean? That was her name." Logan responded.

"Yes, do you believe that you could ever feel the same for another woman?" Mariko asked, as she tried to determine if she and Logan could ever have a future together?

"Well, I mean, Jean and me had a real special kinda bond that I don't think anybody could replace." Logan revealed to her, "But, I guess truth be told, it would just depend."

"Depend on what?" Mariko inquired.

"Well, depend on the woman in question, and if we had our own bond that was just as special." Logan replied, as he took Mariko's hand in his and held it firmly.

As Mariko and Logan gazed into one another's eyes, they were just about to kiss when something primal and instinctive came over Logan.

"You got unexpected company." Logan said, as he caught a new scent that was being carried by the nighttime breeze, a scent that he knew was not that of somebody local.

"What do you mean Logan-san?" Mariko asked, unsure of what he was talking about.

"Go alert your security, I'll go see what I can find out." Logan said, as he saw a figure at the top of one of the towers. Logan then quickly got up from the fountain. He ran over and jumped up, grabbing onto one of the tile-ledges of the roof as he pulled himself up.

Gambit was considered the best thief alive for a reason; his every move was planned out to perfection before he would go out on a job. He had taken every precaution to prevent his detection while getting the sword that the Silver Samurai had hired him to retrieve. But, there was no way that Gambit could have accounted for running into somebody who possessed super-keen senses, capable of tracking prey for nearly 20 miles.

"Goin' somewhere, bub?" Logan asked, as he quietly snuck up behind the young thief on the rooftop and tackled him, knocking the Honor Blade from his hand.

"My, My. It does look like I been caught red-handed." Gambit answered, as he was surprised that somebody could get so close to him without him even noticing their presence.

"Well, since it looks like you're tryin' to take somethin' that don't belong to you, you've got two choices. You can come along nice and quiet-like, or we can have us a major misunderstandin' on this roof and do this the hard way." Logan said, as he recognized that Gambit had been holding in his hand the Honor Blade that belonged to Mariko's family.

"I'm a bettin' man by nature, Mon-Ami, so I s'ppose I choose de hard way just 'cause I think you're bluffin'. 'Sides, de man dat hired me to bring back dis sword is payin' me a hefty amount, so I guess I should at least give him his money's worth." Gambit said as he accepted Logan's challenge.

"Oh, you don't know how much I was hopin' you'd say that!" Logan responded with a smile, due to the fact that it had been more than a few days since he had given release to the more 'feral' part of his personality.

Wolverine ran at Gambit throwing a punch, which Gambit quickly dodged. As he was dodging his punch, Wolverine tried to outmaneuver Gambit by attempting a front leg-sweep that was meant to take Gambit off of his feet. But Gambit amazed Wolverine with his speed and agility, as he jumped up and over him and did a front flip in the air. As Gambit landed on the other side of Wolverine on the roof, he reached into the bag he was carrying on his back and pulled out two medium-sized metal poles.

"Been quite awhile since I come up against anyone dat could give me a run fo' my money. Guess dat means I'm gonna haveta break out de special hardware." Gambit said, as he pushed the two ends of the poles together. He then twisted them together in a single motion and quickly snapped them into place, forming a single fighting staff.

Gambit ran towards Wolverine and used his newly formed staff to catapult himself forward. He aimed a kick at Wolverine's head, which missed it's mark. But the kick was only meant to draw Wolverine's attention, as Gambit swung his staff backwards behind him with both hands and hit Wolverine in the side.

Wolverine held his side and winced at the pain that he felt at that moment. Even though the blow delivered by Gambit only did enough damage to leave a deep bruise, which Wolverine's healing factor would soon take care of in less than a minute, Gambit managed to touch something a lot deeper than Wolverine's flesh.

"I could waste this kid out in no time, just pop the claws and…" Wolverine thought to himself as the 'berserker' inside of him struggled to take control, "No, wait. The reason I came to Japan in the first place was to find somethin' in myself, some part of myself, that was better than the animal that Stryker wanted to turn me into."

Logan thought about the memory flash backs he had been having about his younger days in Japan, that were now a re-occurring dream. In those dreams, he kept hearing his martial arts instructor telling him that he would never become a true Samurai until he learned to control the rage within, and not let the rage control him. It was part of the reason that Logan hadn't released the claws housed in his forearms since arriving in Japan. Besides not wanting to draw any unwanted attention to him and Rogue, he had kept them inside in an attempt to prove to himself that he was more than just the 'rabid Wolverine' created in a laboratory, now located underneath Alkali Lake.

"Looks like I done took all of de fight outta you," Gambit said to Wolverine, who was still kneeling down.  As he snapped Wolverine back into the present, Gambit prepared to make use of the opening. He swung his staff at Wolverine, hoping to put him down for the count. But, Logan was ready to counter his attack this time.

"You shouldn't try the same move twice in a row, it leaves ya wide open kid." Logan said, as he grabbed the staff in mid-swing and used Gambit's own momentum against him.

Gambit was tossed to the other side of the roof and Logan quickly followed behind him. As Logan drew near, Gambit acted as though he had been temporarily stunned by Logan's move. When Logan was close enough, Gambit leapt up with blinding speed and threw a right cross punch that would have floored an average man. But, unbeknownst to Gambit, Logan was far from average. Logan felt the punch, as it connected to a jaw laced with the hardest substance known to man, but Gambit felt it even more so.

"Don't let nobody tell you dat you got a glass jaw," Gambit said as he stumbled back and held his right hand, which started to feel numb.

"Well, let's see how good your's is, bub." Logan replied, as he swung at Gambit before he had gotten a chance to recover from the previous punch.

Logan's punch to Gambit's jaw was enough to cause him to lose his balance and fall over the edge of the roof. Gambit was able to adjust and still land on his feet, but he found himself surrounded by Mariko's guard, all holding swords, staffs, and other assorted weaponry. Logan grabbed the Honor Blade that was lying on the roof and then followed Gambit down to the ground.

"Logan-san, the police have been contacted and will be here as soon as possible." One of the guards said as Logan landed on the ground from the roof.

"Good, it gives us a chance to find out who sent the 'Cajun Robin Hood' here in the first place." Logan said as he handed the Honor Blade to one of the guards, so that it could be returned to its proper place.

Meanwhile, realizing that he was surrounded Gambit simply held his hands up in surrender. He had been surprised by Logan's unique abilities, but he was determined that would not happen again. Gambit decided that he would just wait until the right opportunity presented itself to show them that he had a few unique abilities of his own, and then make his Great Escape.

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Next Chapter: Gambit busts out…

(A/N: Some of Mariko's explanation of her family and the importance of the Honor Blade was taken from the 'Wolverine Limited Series', which is a really good read if you ever get the chance to check it out.)