A/N: Again, I want to say thanks for all the reviews. It really means alot to me. Well, here's the next chapter and it's sort of like a flashback chapter. And sorry I took so long. I tried my hardest to not keep you waiting for long, but I was busy with easter weekend. And preparing for easter weekend. Anyway, here it is and I hope you enjoy it. Toodles! smirk
Against All Odds
(by: Phil Collins)
Logan sat in the drive for what seemed like forever. His face was caked with tears and dirt. He still couldn't believe she was gone. Just like that. He had his head hung low as his mind replayed how the events could have turned out. He imagined getting to her before she left and telling her they could be together finally and other times he imagined her stopping the car and running to him into his arms. But no, life and reality was a cruel thing. He slowly lifted his head and looked in the direction where there once was a floating dust trail from her retreating car; tears streaming down his face. He wasn't sure he could take this feeling. He was thrilled about telling her the news, but his heart sank the moment he saw her climbing into the car. He was even more miserable now then when he first woke up in the woods with no memory whatsoever of who he was or where he came from. Once he discovered Marie and his feeling for her, none of that mattered to him anymore. Because he had found a new reason to live, a better reason. But now she was gone and his life held no meaning. If he could take his own life, he probably would have. But no thanks to his healing factor, that wasn't an option. So he had no choice but to live for who knew how long with a broken heart.
Marie was the only one who truly knew who he was and what he had been through. She gave the term 'soul mate' a whole new meaning. There was no possible way he could forget her. There were too many memories of the time they shared together. Before he met Sherri. And one of those times had been when he realized his feelings for her.
Flashback:
"No."
"Please, Logan. It'll be fun and painless I swear." Marie begged him with her big brown eyes and a pouty lip.
"No, Marie." He said again as he kept his eyes on the television screen, knowing if he looked at her, he'd give in.
"Come on, sugah. Puh-lease." She asked again, snuggling closer to him by wrapping her arms around his and resting her chin on his shoulder while looking up at him.
"Marie, I said no. There is absolutely no way you are going to get me to help you bake." Logan replied.
"But, Logan. I need someone's help and your the only one here. I wouldn't ask otherwise." Rogue explained.
"Marie, how many times..." and that was where he made his mistake. That was when he met his demise. He saw those big brown eyes and just couldn't say no to her.
So, before too long, he found himself standing in the kitchen, holding a bowl while she dumped the cake batter into the pan. If Scott had seen him, he'd never let him live it down. He released a heavy sigh as she spread the batter around in the pan, leveling it out.
"Oh, come on, Logan. It's not that bad." Rogue said after hearing his sigh.
"Who's this for, anyway?" Logan asked with a furrowed brow.
"It's for Kitty. Her birthday is tomorrow." Rogue explained as she put the pan in the preheated oven. "There." She said turning around to face him while wiping her brow; leaving a long brown streak across it. Logan had to stifle a smirk when he saw it.
Clearing his throat he pointed to her face, "you, uh, got somethin' on your face."
"Where?" Asked Rogue giving Logan an evil idea.
"Right there." He pointed to her right cheek and she quickly brushed at it with her batter covered hand, leaving another streak.
"Oh, wait. There's some right there." He said as he pointed to her chin; causing her again to wipe at it.
"Did I get it all?" Rogue asked.
"No, there's some over there too." He then pointed to her other cheek.
"Now?" Rogue asked.
"Uh, yeah, yeah. That looks good." Logan replied.
"Thanks." She said with a smile before walking over to the counter to clean up her mess. She took a quick glance at the mirror that hung in the kitchen as she walked past it; causing her to stop in her tracks and look in it again. She gasped when she saw what Logan had done. Almost dropping the canister of flour she was holding.
"Logan!" She shrieked as she quickly turned around when she saw his smiling reflection in the mirror.
"What?" He asked innocently.
"You did that on purpose." She said with a small shriek in her voice.
"What makes you think that?" He asked.
"Well, it's kinda obvious." She said as she slumped her shoulders and held the flour in one hand dangling at her side. "Okay, Mr. Wise Guy. This means war." She said as she brought the flour back up. Taking off the lid she quickly got a handful of flour and threw it at him; giving his hair a grey tint and turning his face white.
"Oh, you're gonna get it, kid." Logan said as he bolted towards her. She shrieked in surpise and ran around the island counter. As she ran around the counter toward the door, Logan jumped over it and caught her around the waist, causing them to both tumble to the floor; Logan on top of her.
"Looks like I win." Logan said with a smirk.
"No. You're just on top at the moment." Rogue said with a small laugh.
"That was a bad pun." Logan replied with a raised brow.
"No, it wasn't a pun. It was the truth. I was being literal." Rogue replied as she tried to catch her breath.
Logan couldn't help his eyes from roaming down to her chest; watching as it slowly moved up and down with each breath she took. He couldn't help the smirk that spread across his face at the sight of her. She was beautiful. Why hadn't he noticed how much of a woman she had become? Because he was never very good at being observant. Even when it was right in front of his face. Of course, his Marie had never been in his face this much.
"Logan, stop starin'." Rogue interrupted his thoughts and he found his eyes on hers again.
"Starin' at what?" Logan asked, trying to pretend he didn't understand.
"Logan, don't play dumb with me. You were starin' at my chest."
"No, I wasn't, kid."
"Oh, no. Then explain the smirk you had on your face."
"Marie... I... " Logan started but was lost in her eyes. They were sparkling with life and laughter and that was when it hit him. He was in love with her. Had been for awhile, but it had to take something like this for him to realize it. She may not have actually done it, but it had to take her jumping in his lap to notice.
"Logan." Marie said, snapping him out of his thoughts.
In response he scanned her face slowly; looking at the perfection of her skin. Her deadly skin. He was the only one who didn't cringe away from her when she got too close. Even if she was clothed from head to toe or not. After reviewing her, he looked back into her eyes before slowly lowering his lips to hers. He heard her breath catch in her throat as she knew what he was up to. She opened her mouth to say something, to stop him from kissing her, no matter how much she wanted him to, but even after she got control of her skin, she wasn't fully in control. There had been times where it would go on and off. So she had to figure someway around that and the professor was helping. And before she could say anything to Logan to keep him from kissing her, someone had beaten her to it.
"Alright, everyone, Jubilation Lee is back from her shopping escapade and... woah! Okay, sorry, chika. I'll just leave." Jubilee said once she saw the position her friend was in even after the two had scrambled away from one another. After that night, Logan ran from the mansion once again. His fear about his feelings for Marie drove him farther away. Until he met Sherri.
How can I just let you walk away
Just let you leave without a trace
When I stand here taking every breath with you
You're the only one who really knew me at all
How can you just walk away from me
When all I can do is watch you leave
Cause we shared the laughter and the pain
We even shared the tears
You're the only one who really knew me at all
Night after night Logan wandered the halls, thinking about the day he realized his feelings for Marie and everywhere he looked, there she was. There wasn't a single room in the mansion that didn't hold a memory of her. He would have left, he would have run away from the pain, but he was frightened of her returning with him gone. He couldn't risk that. Though he knew it was highly doubtful she'd be coming back at all, he still felt the need to wait. He could, afterall, wait forever if that's what it took. And that's what he planned to do. He would chase after her, find her, but he knew it would have been a useless attempt. He had tried to talk the professor in finding her with cerebro, but refused. Telling him Rogue needed her privacy and if it were space she wanted, it was space she was getting. Logan just growled at him in response before storming out of the office in anger. Ororo had even tried comforting him by telling him when she was ready, Rogue would come back. It hadn't helped though. All it did was make him angrier.
He attempted to avoid all human contact by locking himself in his room during the day and wandering the halls and woods at night. It was all he could do, really. And his mind was constantly on his Marie and the image of her car retreating away from him. It haunted him more than his usual nightmares did, now. And he thought for sure he was losing his mind over this. But he didn't care. Why would he after losing the woman he loved? He didn't care about the whispers floating around the mansion about him. All he cared about was having Marie again. All he could do now was wait for Marie. Wait for her to never come home.
So take a look at me now
There's just an empty space
And there's nothing left here to remind me
Just the memory of your face
Well take a look at me now
Well there's just an empty space
And you comin' back to me is against the odds
And that's what I've got to face
There were times where he tried to fight the tears that wanted to fall, but it was useless. He couldn't help it. No matter how many times he tried to convince himself that the wolverine didn't cry. He never cried. But the man, Logan, did. That much was sure. And he kept wishing he had gotten to her in time and told her about him and Sherri. And he wished there was some way of finding her, to bring her home, but he knew there wasn't. He was helpless. And all he could do was cry for her. Cry for her to come home. Logan found himself in the woods and by the river bank. His mind wander over to a time where he spent a day out here with Marie. Again, before he realized his love for her.
Flashback:
It had been a hot summer day and Rogue was complaining of the heat and all the layers of clothes she had on. So, to make her feel more at ease, Logan took her down to the river where she'd feel more comfortable; both with the heat and her skin. She had refused his proposal but he had assured her they'd both be fine. He couldn't help himself from noticing how great she looked in her navy green bikini but scolded himself soon after; telling himself she was a kid and he shouldn't have been looking in the first place.
"Come on, sugah! It's nice in here!" Rogue yelled from the river; waving her arms about the water to keep herself afloat.
"No." Was all Logan said as he sat in a chair and flipped through a magazine of some sort; his futile attempt at keeping his eyes away from Marie.
"Please. It's no fun out here by myself." She begged.
"No, Marie." He said again; still not taking his eyes off the magazine.
"Logan." She whined.
"Marie." He mocked; again not looking at her.
"Come on, Logan. You're sweating. I can see it from here."
"I'm fine."
"Liar."
"Marie, I am not getting into that damn water. Alright!" He yelled; looking towards the water.
"You're no fun." She pouted, causing him to smirk.
"No. I just have a different kind of fun." Logan winked at her and even from that distance he could tell she was blushing.
"That information you can keep to yourself, sugah." Marie finally said after recovering from her embarassment.
"Oh, come on, darlin'. You know you like the thought." Logan teased and he could see her jaw drop.
"Logan!" She exclaimed in surprise and she could feel her whole body turn red. Yeah, she did like the thought, but she never in a million years thought Logan would mention it. Joke or not.
"Darlin', stop blushing. You're turning the whole water red." He joked again as he continued to look at the magazine.
He heard her growl and caused him to smirk a little more as he listened to the water splashing from her movements in the water. Before anymore thoughts could run through his mind, he was drenched from head to toe in cold water.
"Marie!" He growled when he saw her retreating form in the water. How she was able to get so much water to drench him with was beyond him. But he wasn't about to let her get away. Not without a fight.
He took off his shirt and his boots and dove into the water. The drench denim and his adamanitium bones giving him a little bit of trouble, but he was on a mission. He was going to get his revenge.
As he neared her he saw her dive under and he dived after her. He opened his eyes under the murky water and could barely make out her paddling feet. But with a smirk, and without thinking right, he reached out his arm and grabbed her ankle; hearing her scream under the water as he pulled her to him. She looked at him wide eyed and he realized what he had done. Touched her with skin to skin contact. They both looked down and noticed the bare hands and arms around her waist and skin from both their chests touching. Logan looked back into her eyes and swam to the surface.
"Well, it looks like you got your wish, darlin'. Control over your mutation before college." He said once their heads were above the surface; he still hadn't let go of her and hadn't really noticed. But Rogue had. She had wanted so bad for Logan to be the first to touch her when she got her mutation under control. But she never thought it'd be such a surprise.
Once the thought registered in her mind; a huge smile spread across her face and she flung her arms around Logan's neck. "I can't believe this. I can't believe this. This is just great!" She exclaimed and if she had her feet on the ground she probably would have been jumping up and down with Logan still in her grasp.
"But how?" She then asked as she let go of him.
"Let's go talk to the professor." Logan said, letting go of her waist only to grab a hold of her hand to lead her out of the water.
I wish I could just make you turn around
Turn around and see me cry
There's so much I need to say to you
So many reasons why
You're the only one who really knew me at all
He stared out into the water as tears rolled down his face at the memory. Then. He could've done something then. Kiss her. Something. Anything. But he didn't know of his feelings then. At the time he thought it was just a friendly game they were playing. But now he knew it was Marie flirting with him. But he was too stubborn to notice it. God, she hadn't been a kid then. It was during the summer before college started. No kid was in college. No she was an adult. But he hadn't noticed. Any other man would have taken that oppurtunity to kiss her. To take her. To make her his. But no, not Logan. Not Wolverine. He was too stupid to see what was right in front of him. No matter how little clothing they wore, he still couldn't see. Mabye he was more afraid of the idea. He had never felt like that before. For him, all he cared about was sex. He didn't need the strings that would normally come with it. So, he'd look for women who looked for the same thing. But Marie. God, Marie was a whole other story all together. She saved him as he did her. She made him open his eyes to the world around him. Made him see the better things in life. Unfortunetly, he couldn't see the great things. Not until it was too late.
So take a look at me now
Well there's just an empty space
And there's nothing left here to remind me
Just the memory of your face
Now take a look at me now
Cause there's just an empty space
He walked slowly back to the mansion, his mind still on the day at the river where Rogue discovered her control over her mutation, and that day in the kitchen where he discovered his feelings for her. God, why had he run? Why didn't he track Marie down later that night and finish where things left off in the kitchen? These questions he couldn't answer. Too afraid to hear what they'd be. Yeah, he knew what they were. But he couldn't bring himself to say it. To even think it; it hurt too much for him. Maybe he deserved to be alone. To live without her. Afterall he did have his chances. Many chances and he blew them all. So, it would only make sense if he should live life miserably for all the years, decades, centuries, or millineums to come.
But to wait for you is all I can do
And that's what I've got to face
Take a good look at me now
Cause I'll still be standing here
And you coming back to me is against all odds
It's the chance I've got to take
As he lay down in his mind all he could think about was that face. The girl with brown and white hair. Brown eyes that sparkled when she laughed. A smile that would light up even the darkest of rooms. And last, but not least, the sound of her voice when she spoke his name. That was what he thought about as he drifted off to a new day. Another day lived without her.
Take a look at me now
