Two Posters for two Loveelllyyyy reviewers. Thanks Bima and Chook!

This week we will be giving away tickets to see Wolverine perform in Swan Lake!

Chapter 17

Marie looked at the Motel they were staying at for the night. Scott and Kurt were stopping at another Motel just five miles behind them. Logan had thought it was a good idea if they put some 'distance' between the two groups. Marie just thought it was Logan's show of being the 'alpha male'. Bloody men.

The Motel was not what she had expected at seeing the one Scott was staying at. Logan had suggested them to stay there; Scott's Motel was small and dingy. It had a strip joint across the road and a garage next to it. The Motel itself was one that was to be paid by the hour. Lucky Scott and Kurt. Scott had asked if she wanted to stop there instead of Kurt. He seemed rather upset when she refused. Kurt wasn't too happy about being replaced either. The Motel just screamed whorehouse.

Now the motel she was looking at was entirely different. It was clean, it wasn't that big but it didn't leave you with the cramped felling the other one did. The grass was green and it only had a small shop and well kept houses surrounding it. Birds sang and children laughed, Marie felt like it belonged in a children's movie.

Looking over at Logan she smiled reassuringly and got out of the truck first. Logan followed after her; he had the same grin on his face that she had. They were both thinking the same thing. Jackpot. Marie walked with enthusiasm towards the reception. Reaching the desks she breathlessly spoke to the old grey hair and wrinkled man behind the desk who meet her with a smile. "A joint room for tonight please."

"Just the one night?" The old man turned his head towards Logan as he walked into the small cosy looking room. Marie saw the nametag the man had on his jumper, his name was Tim Walker. Tim's smile didn't flatter when he took in Logan, he simply nodded his head once in acknowledge of the tall burly man.

"Yeah, we're just resting up. We're on our way to see my Aunt." Marie smiled sweetly at Tim and looked at Logan. Logan raised an eyebrow at her and mouthed 'Aunty?' Chuckling to her self Marie watched Tim look through the large check-in book. It looked quite full. She hoped there was room for them.

"Ah," Tim stated. Looking up at them again with the smile still in place. "There is one joint room left. Your lucky, we normal get fully booked this close to Valentines Day. Its room 7, door the hall to the right."

"How much?" Logan grunted. He hated Valentines, the public shows of affection. All the red hearts and happy people. It made him want to tear it all up with his claws. Damn stupid holidays.

"70." Tim smile grew a little bit tighter around the edges.

"Its cheaper than the by the hour place." Marie noted.

Ice cream was the best thing on earth and chocolate was close seconded. Marie was sat on the end of her bed for the night eating a tube of strawberry Ice-cream Logan had gone over the shop to get for her. Well he went over for cigars but came back with a big old tub of happy Ice cream and it was all Marie's. Life was good.

Well it wasn't.

Logan was a mystery to her. Like a rubrics cube or a very hard jigsaw puzzle. No matter how she twisted him Logan never made sense. One moment he could be grumpy and the next he was buying her ice cream because he knew she liked it. He would snap at her for staying around him but be all jealous when she spoke to Bobby or Scott. He was a puzzle. No scratch that he was a man. Bloody men.

As much as had Logan changed, Marie couldn't help but fall for him that little bit more.

She knew she had feelings for him but she didn't want to act on them. She didn't want to do something she would regret later. How was she to know if Logan just saw her a pet? He messed up with Jean; lets go for the next best thing. Marie doubted that she would be able to put what she saw Logan go through when Jean died behind her. The pain of her heart braking was still fresh to her. She needed to speak to him. Now. And she needed more ice cream. Yummy Ice cream.

Marie got up off the bed and went to the small kitchen/living area of the room. The room was so comfortable and cosy. She put her bowl in the sink and went and sat next to Logan on the couch. "Hey big guy."

"Hey you." Logan grunted, he was sloughing against the arm of the couch, Legs out stretched in front of him. "Its getting kind of late, maybe you should go to bed."

"Only if you come talk to me for a bit." Marie smiled and tapped his legs to shift them. She threw herself ungracefully onto the couch and looked up to Logan's raised eyebrow. "Ive had quite abit of sugar, might be up for awhile. I wouldn't mind some company."

"Go get comfortable and I'll bring you in some hot chocolate." Logan sighed. He regretted buying her that tub of frozen E-numbers and sugar. It did make her happy though. Logan loved seeing her happy, it was the only time she was ever truly her self. Of course she was her self at other times, but it was at these moment Logan got to see her heart, her desirers. The other times she was well guarded enough to hide them. Logan got up to make some hot chocolate. As an after thought he didn't add more than one sugar to her cup, while putting three in his.

Marie was snuggled up on the right side of the bed when he walked in. She patted the bed next to her for Logan to get in. Placing the cups on the side table Logan climbed in. He made sure that he didn't touch her and that he wasn't too close to her. He had been weary of how close he was getting to her for a while. Standing next to her or when she brushed past him seemed to knock the wind out of him. He didn't know how to react around her. He felt almost nervous.

"What time do we have to get up tomorrow?" Marie turned on her side to face him, the bed dipping as her weight shifted making her move closer to Logan than she had planned too.

"Uh, before sunrise. Scooter should be here at 3.15. That's why you ought to get some sleep Marie, it will only take us an hour to reach the forest and as long as we don't get lost in there we should reached the lab no later than 6." Logan cleared his throat. He could get his mind off tomorrow; he kept on thinking different ways Marie would be taken from him. He knew he wouldn't be able to cope if some thing happened to her. Marie had started to mean a lot more to him than he knew how to explain. He had never felt like this before. "Drink up and sleep kid."

"Its too hot and im not a kid. Ive been to a club im a fully woman now." Marie giggled thinking of the time he had taken her out to that place. She felt free there, free to do what she wanted and not be judged by others because they were doing the same thing. She owed Logan for giving her that experience and to think it was all down to their both being unable to sleep. Come to think about it further she couldn't remember why Logan couldn't sleep then again she didn't tell him. "Hey Logan?"

"What?" Logan chucked; Marie had great logic. A club don't make a woman, a man does.

"Why was you up that night?" Marie reached over to pick a piece of fluff out of Logan's hair. She was leaning over him when she looked into his eyes, seeing the look he was giving her, her arm froze out stretched, the fluff forgotten. She was searching his eyes for any clue as to what he was going to say. Marie felt her hear swell and she found she couldn't deny she had fallen in love with him any more. He was still the Logan she knew before jean happened. Still the Logan she loved. "Log-"

"I couldn't stop thinking." Logan cut in. He took a deep breath, Marie's smell filled his nose and he was made aware of how close she was to him. All he had to do was to lift his arm and pull her head towards his lips and he could kiss her. He could show her what he felt for her. Logan let out a sigh; he couldn't do it. He didn't want to frighten her off. Yeah ok she had been kissing him on the cheek and a few times on the lips but she had always did that when they was best friends. It was a friendship thing not a romantic thing. Feeling inside him stirred and he spoke in a low, husky whisper. "I couldn't stop thinking about you."

Marie acted without thinking lowering her head she caught his lips in a chased kiss before moving away to see his eyes. She couldn't read what he was thinking; she couldn't tell what he was felling. Marie smiled softly and went to move away. She lay back down on her side. It was his way of rejecting her she knew it, not doing anything, not kissing her back. Logan didn't want her. Hopefully Logan would just think of it as one of her 'friendship' kisses. Nothing special, just all her emotions put into that one small kissed. It didn't matter if Logan rejected her. She was a big girl she could handle it; it meant nothing. Well to him obviously, the arse. Stopping her thoughts Marie asked, she doesn't know why she asked the question maybe she was a glutton for punishment and heart brake. "What were you thinking about?"

Logan was staring at the same spot that Marie had been in moments ago. Hearing her voice made him realise she had moved. He wasn't expecting that kiss, it was small but it meant a lot more than the other kisses she had given him, even that drunken snog outside her room. That was something else; he knew what it was because he had been feeling it for Marie for a long time. It was love. Did that mean Marie loved him back? Did he stand a chance with her? Her question registered through his mind and he knew she was wanting for a reply. "Everything about you. Everything I know about you and everything I want to get to know, get to learn."

"Oh." Marie felt herself crashing, the sugar quickly leaving her system. Drained of her rush, sleep was quickly taking over her body and the hot chocolate lay forgotten.

"I…"Logan felt the words wanting to leave his lips. He wanted to say it. Moving so he could look over Marie he bent his head and caught her lips in a souring kiss. He pushed all his feeling into it. Nibbling at her lips, pushing his tongue against them to open them. He wanted to taste her. Willing opening to his advances Logan soon had his tongue dancing with Marie's. One of his hands were clutched in her hair while the other one was trying to pull her to him with all his might, he wanted to feel her as much as he could. Desire ran through his whole body.

Marie felt passion tingle through her. Butterflies were in her stomach, fluttering about making her moan out to Logan. She had wanted a kiss like this from him for ages. She ran her hand over hi back pulling him down to her; soon his body was covering her, the blankets pushed aside. She felt the bunged in his jeans press into her stomach, wetness flowed out of her, and she wanted to fell more of him. She felt her nipples tighten and ache to be touched. She needed to gain control. She didn't want to sleep with Logan yet. She still didn't know what he felt for her, even though this was a clear sign, she didn't want to give herself to him for him just to use her.

"Logan." She breathed heavily. He stopped and looked into her eyes. They were filled with lust and uncertainty. He understood. He nodded and gave her a quick kiss before moving off her. He pulled her to his side, holding her tight.

"Go to sleep Marie." Logan brushed the hair out of her face. He had nearly told her he loved her. She was his weak spot. He looked down at her; he knew neither of them would be sleeping anytime soon. "Sweet dreams."

The forest was beautiful. Nature at its best, if Marie was here for a different reason she would take the time to look at how truly wonderful the forest was. She was walking next to Logan, Scott and Kurt was around the other side. They had abandoned the trucks some miles ago; Logan had thought it was a good idea to walk the rest of the way 'sneak up' on them. Damn him and his logic her feet were killing her.

"I don't see why you don't like Scott, he's really nice." Marie stated as she stepped over a small torn bush. They had been talking about Scoot, in muttered tones, for the past five minutes. Marie being for the guy, Logan being against the eye-one.

"He's a dick." Logan grunted at what Marie had said. Scooter wasn't 'nice'. The best word that described him was dick. He was an up-himself pompous arsehole-dick. And Loan didn't like him.

"He isn't. His nice to me." Marie said swatting away another mosquito.

"He's brainwashed you hasn't he? Filled your mind with all Scott-loving-knowledge?" Logan raised his eyebrow at the young girl he loved. "I knew he would, the dick."

"Stop it and be nice." Marie smiled. She loved it when he played about with her, winding her up. "He saved your life a few times."

"And I hate him for that too, the dick." Logan pulled back a large branch so Marie could get past before letting it go again. He could smell the wide-life around him and it reminded him of Canada, well really they were sort of in Canada. With his enhanced sight Logan could make out the figure of a guard up ahead, they must be close. Motioning to Marie with his hand, he whispered from her to stay put while he went up ahead.

Watching the Logan prowl in the direction he had said a guard was, Marie took the advantage of not having to do anything to sit down and rub her sore feet. Relaxing against the tree she heard a noise to her right. It wasn't close but it was still something to be wearily of. Standing up she moved towards the noise. That when she saw her. It was she, the woman who had left the postcard, the woman who had warned them. Dr Risman. What was she doing here?

Walking up to her Marie saw that she was injured. Silently walking up to her, Marie tacked her to the floor. She didn't trust Dr Risman, so with all the focus she could muster she removed her glove and concentrated on seeing Dr Risman's memories only. And she did.

She saw test after test done on Sam. She saw the pain on his face and yet the doctor continued, causing him pain. It was her fault. Dr Risman had forced his Gene to activate. It was her fault she was taken away from Marie. It was Dr Risman; she was just as evil as the rest of them. She deserved to die. Sam is only young. Marie saw where they was keeping Sam, the state of the room and look of terror on his face when the Doctor told him what was going to happen made Marie snap. She lost control of her power.

Marie screamed as she felt the life force of Dr Risman enter her. She saw Sam attacking her as she tried to do more tests to him, that's how she got the injuries. They were going to do something to Sam, worst than what they have already done to him. Marie felt rage rush through her and she willed Dr Risman to die, she couldn't take her hand off her face. Her life and memories were becoming hers. It was that entire whores fault. Marie noticed that Risman's body had stopped convulsing. She had killed her. But she now knew how to get around the lab and the codes to the door where Sam was kept. Marie got of Dr Risman, sighed and walked away to find Logan. She didn't fell he guilt of killing her. She deserved it for all the pain she had caused Sam. After all he was just a boy.

Scott looked over at Kurt they had just killed another Guard. That was two all together. They were meant to meet up with Logan and Rogue at the entrance. Scott hid behind a large tree and watched the entrance for any sign of Logan. Kurt followed his example and teleported up to a branch in the tree.

Logan had said there wouldn't be too many Guards. No more than 6. They had taken out 2 and they couldn't find anymore, so Scott hoped Logan and Rogue had gotten to them.

Scott thought about Rogue. He still didn't know her really name. He felt like he was falling in love with Rogue but he wanted to know the other side to her. The side only Logan and the Kinsley's know. He needed to know that part of her. It wasn't fair that he didn't know.

Marie was back at the tree Logan had left her at. Logan was already there waiting for her. He seemed pissed off. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I saw Dr Risman." She answered in a monotone shrugging.

"And?" Logan got off the tree he was leaning against and regarded Marie, she looked different.

"I killed her, im still trying to sort out her memories in my mind. She was the one doing the tests. She did it all." Marie burst into tears; her trance was broken. Marie was back.

Logan comforted her until she regained control of her feelings. After telling him that she knew where Sam was they made there way towards the entrance. Logan didn't seem to bothered about how much noised they made as they got closer.

"Hey, aren't we meant to be quite?" Marie asked.

"You said there was only 11 of them all together from Dr Risman's Memories, Ive killed two of them, you've killed one, Scooter says he's killed the two other guards. So that's 5 already out of 11." Logan smirked and walked over to the tree he had spoken to Scott earlier after he had killed the two guards, after seeing that Marie wasn't where he left her, he assumed she had gone to the entrance. Going there it was when he found Scooter who told him about the two guards he killed.

"Its out of 10. Sam is one of those, he isn't a threat." Marie corrected him. "I doubt all of them will be much of a treat once Von Strucker is taken care of.

"You've killed one?" Scott questioned as he and Kurt joined them from the tree they were hiding at. Scott seemed quite surprised at the aspect of Rogue killing another. Processing the information Scott felt that he needed to know the real Rogue even more.

"Yeah." Marie said sadly. She felt guilty about taking another life and still having her in her head wasn't helping either, Marie was going to have to speak to the Professor when they get back, he should be awake by then. Hopefully. The X-men was coping ok with out his guide but they were still lost without him.

Walking up to the door Marie enter the code. With a hollow clang the door began to move back. It was an old lab; the doors were pulled back by medieval looking mechanism. The corridor, which greeted them was dimly lit and smelt of damp. It was warmer outside then the chillness of the wall within. This was it. They were going to get Sam back.

Von Strucker watched Sam wither on the floor. He was pain, that much was clear. He had collapsed after attack that good for nothing Dr. She had sent her out after her disgraceful show of being inferior to a child. Von Strucker would not tolerate that at all. Sam was crying in pain calling out for someone called 'Emily.' Something was happening to him. She hoped he wouldn't die; she wasn't finished with him yet.

Von Strucker gave a throaty laugh as the boy's pain increased. How she loved to see others in pain.

A/N

OOO guess what's going to happen in the next chapter? Ha! You've got to wait to find out!

Please R R

And remember, swan Lake means tutu for wolverine…