A/N: I got a question about Logan's being such a big reader: it's actually canonical according to the comic books. It's in the current Wolverine run, issue #1 (thanks, Steph). Also, someone asked if this was based solely on the movies – it's not. I've introduced a few minor aspects of the comics as well; I've never read them except for a few that I found online, but there are some things in here that aren't found in the movies.

Chapter 28: Rogue, a.k.a. Beta-test

Jubilee would have lost the bet, as Rogue went back to her room to actually do the meditating that Xavier had recommended she do every day. She ended up falling asleep again until after dinner. "See what interrupted sleep will do to me," she muttered as she rolled off her bed and started fixing her hair. When she left the room, she went directly down to the med-lab to see how Logan was doing and to talk to Hank. It was evening, and she wanted to see if his mutation had returned yet.

"Hey, darlin'" Logan greeted her he marked his place and set his book aside.

Rogue smiled. "Hey." She leaned over him to look at the stack of books on the table. "You're keeping busy, I see."

He shrugged and ran his fingers down a lock of her hair as it fell across him. "Never get much chance to read when I'm travellin'. What are you doing down here?"

"Seeing how you're doing. Talking to Hank. Where is he, by the way?"

"Dunno. Haven't seen him for a few hours. He wouldn't stop interrupting my reading so I kicked him out a while back."

"Oh. Sorry that I interrupted it, then," Rogue said.

"Naw, you beat hell out of Dickens," Logan told her with a wink. "And you're a lot better looking than Big Blue." He took her gloved hand and held it up against his cheek for a moment before he kissed it and released it.

Charmed by the gesture, Rogue stroked down the side of his face. "So what's going on with your mutation?" she asked.

His eyes closed at the caress. "Not back yet. Hank's got stuff rigged so it'll set off some sort of alarm when it does come back. Ah, keep doing that, will ya?" Rogue had begun scratching the back of his scalp, and he moaned and leaned into it like an affection-starved puppy.

Chuckling at his reaction, she brought her other hand up to reach the other side. "I'm not sure I should be touching you, though. Not with your mutation suppressed. What if something happens? You wouldn't heal from it this time."

"Screw my mutation," Logan mumbled in ecstasy. "Just don't stop doing that. If it kills me, I'll die happy."

"I wouldn't have thought wolverines would make good pets," Rogue teased.

A blissful grunt was her only response.

Suddenly an alarm sounded, startling them both. Hank came rushing in and glanced at the monitors. He heaved a giant blue sigh of relief. "Congratulations, Logan," he said. "You're a mutant again."

"Lucky me," Logan replied. "I coulda told ya that, when my shoulder stopped hurting."

"Hello, Rogue. Would you excuse us for a few minutes so I can examine my lab-wolverine?"

Rogue grinned. "Sure, Hank."

A few minutes later Hank opened the door and motioned her back in. Logan was just pulling his shirt back on over his head.

"So you're back to normal?" she asked.

Instead of answering, he released his claws with a metallic shnik sound, and grinned at her. "As much as ever. Now it's your turn, darlin'."

"Really?" Rogue asked Hank eagerly.

Hank went into his protective doctor-mode, explaining about the dangers of the testing, the waivers he'd require and the whole thing. Rogue kept nodding eagerly, and when Hank finally gave her the waiver form, she scrawled her name on the bottom without even reading it.

Then she stopped and glanced at Logan. She chewed her lip thoughtfully for a moment, and added a couple of sentences to the bottom of it. She slid the paper across the desk to Logan. "Here, you should probably sign this too."

Frowning, Logan took the paper and read what she had written: "If this test has any ill effects on Rogue, I will not maim, dismember, or permanently injure Hank McCoy."

He let out a grim chuckle and reached for the pen. "You know me too well, darlin'. Shouldn't take away all my fun like that."

Giving him an impish smile, she said, "Well… I just don't want you to take away all Hank's fun. You shouldn't worry so much about yours."

"Oh?" was all he said as his eyes took on a speculative gleam.

Hank took the paper without a word. He chuckled at the addendum at the bottom of it, and went to prepare the serum. He came back in with the needle prepared.

He donned rubber gloves and administered the shot. Rogue rolled her sleeve back down and asked, "How long…?"

"We'll give it fifteen minutes, to give it a chance to work its way all through your system, before we test it." He pulled his gloves back off and dusted offthe coating of fine white powder that clung to his blue-furred hands.

The minutes ticked slowly by. Logan reached for his book again, and Rogue closed her eyes and began to meditate. Hank busied himself with paperwork.

After twelve minutes, Rogue came out of her reverie and cleared her throat sharply. Logan looked up, putting away his book as Rogue began pulling off her gloves, finger by finger. The action struck him as innocently erotic, and he watched with a raised eyebrow, intrigued.

The gloves off, she leaned forward toward Logan. Hank put down his papers and watched, ready to leap to the aid of Wolverine if anything happened.

"Go ahead, Rogue," Hank urged quietly.

Silently, Wolverine put out his hand. Rogue took a deep, shuddery breath, and reached out to him. She touched his skin gently, first with one finger, then two, and finally her whole hand clasped his.

Logan began to smile, a slow, delighted smile that washed over his whole face. "No pull," he remarked.

"No pull," she confirmed, beaming. Quickly she reached for his other hand and held it with hers. "Logan…" A tear rolled down her face as the emotion of the moment got the better of her. "I can touch you!"

Hank smiled at them both. If he didn't know better, he might start to think that these two… well,it was none of his business."Rogue, I'd like to see you in twelve hours, to make sure everything's going all right. If you have any trouble, any at all—or even just a question—before then, I want to see you down here right away."

"Okay, Hank," Rogue said, excitedly throwing her arms around the giant blue doctor. He hugged her back, chuckling.

She did the same to Logan, and he grinned and picked her right up off the floor and spun her around. "Come on, darlin', let's get out of here," he said, grabbing her hand and tugging her out the door like an eager teenager.

Hank raised a quizzical eyebrow. He wondered whether Xavier knew about this little flirtation? Then he remembered that Xavier had spent the entire day yesterday ordering Rogue's mind—of course he knew.

Well, if he knew and had no objection, then Hank certainly didn't. He'd read both of their case files and realized that although their romance would certainly be unconventional (if they developed one), it might end up being good for both parties.