Can't Stay

Logan frozen in midair sparks falling from the torn ceiling, running to get away, a pinprick on my neck, and darkness.

My hand met his neck. He dropped Logan as he struggled to breathe. Sabortooth appeared and I yelled at Logan to stop him from coming at me. Logan attacked him from the side. Magneto yet again tried to control him from my grasp. I turned my powers on for about a second. It made him pale and extremely weak. He looked up at me with surprise.

"I've grown up and so has my power. You tried to use it, now you know what it feels like," I sneered.

I was so caught up in choking Magneto that I didn't see Pyro come into the bar. Out of the corner of my eye though, I saw the fireball coming. I dropped Magneto and sent the fireball back at John. He ducked and the wall behind him caught fire. Pyro threw fire at all the walls, trying to collapse the building onto us. Soon, his plan would be complete if we didn't leave. I had sent three fireballs at him when I realized Magneto was no longer a few feet away from me. Sabortooth had woken up and grabbed him.

"You won't get away with this," screamed John retreating after Sabortooth.

"Come on," I yelled grabbing Logan, who was about to follow them.

I flew out of the bar right when part of the roof caved in behind us. I landed on the roof of a nearby building. "You want to explain why Bucket head had to be carried out of there Marie," said Logan. I looked towards the fire.

"You may want to sit down, this is goin to take awhile." For the next hour we watched the fire trucks while I explained that when I absorbed someone they didn't fade like everyone thought. I just pushed them behind others or behind my own persona.

"I still have their powers," I said.

"Jeeze Marie," said Logan. It had been the first words he had said since I started talking. I had already explained how his presence had stayed with me. "You know I kinda like having the claws. Just don't tell the X-men, they don't know yet." It was quiet, both of us stuck in our own thoughts.

"Marie seeing that you're going to be out here for awhile, why not join me in my cabin. There's no electricity, or running water but…"

"I'd love to," I said cutting him off. It was great seeing a smile spread across his face.

It was quiet down below. "Guess we should be going?" I questioned.

"Yeah guess we should," came the reply. I flew us down to our cars, which were parked next to each other.

"Thank you," I said shyly.

"For what kid?"

"For protecting me." There was another silence, until I realized we still had to get to the cabin.

"So should I just follow you in my car, or what?"

"Sure, just be careful, it's icy."

When we finally got to the cabin it had been forty-eight hours. Logan hadn't wanted to stop in case we were being followed. Thanks to Logan's healing factor I could handle long hours, but I hadn't done it in awhile and was now tired. I grabbed all my stuff as Logan opened the front door.

"This is it, but it's not much."

"I love it," was my only reply. It was a combined living room dining room.

"It's cozy," I said with a smirk. Logan laughed and put my bags into the bedroom, which was off to the right.

"You can have the bed."

"You are not sleeping on the couch! We can share a bed, we're both adults. Not as if you have to worry 'bout my skin."

"It's not that."

He wouldn't look me in the eye. I decided that now was a good a time as any to tell him why I had come to find him. You know before I got to comfortable.

"You can love me, you know," I said walking up to him. His head came up quickly. Logan's face was stone; I couldn't read any of his thoughts. I had been worried that he still considered me a kid, and I had been right. I took a step backwards, trying to control my emotions. I turned and walked out the door into a winter wonderland. I stepped into the falling snow and started walking into the nearby woods. In a clearing I stood and looked up. My cloak, which I hadn't taken off in the cabin, was warm so I wasn't worried about the cold. I outstretched my bare arms and felt the snowfall onto them. I tuned into nature to calm myself. I was so in tuned with it that I didn't sense Logan behind me. He picked me up and spun me around, my cloak flying around me.

"You shouldn't leave. I want you to stay where I can protect you," said Logan burying his head in my neck. I hugged him and looked up at the stars with tears in my eyes. He did love me.

"I won't leave your side Logan. I promise."

He looked into my eyes and clasped something around my neck. When I looked down I saw his dog tags lying on my chest. I smiled up at Logan.

We kissed for the first time under the stars with the snow falling around us.