Chapter Thirteen

The words flooded around in Logan's head, as he watched Scooter lean down and whisper in his Marie's ear. To win Marie's love was one thing but to invade her mind in order to win that love was quite another. No, what he wanted was for One Eye to keep his fucking hands off of her, hadn't he already hurt her enough by leaving. Now look at him standing there next to her placing kisses on her neck and forehead, giving her hope that he might come back to her again, Christ he is just going to hurt her even more and that means Logan will have to wait even longer be more patience while her heart heels from this new hurt. Logan tried to focus as he ran a hand through his wild hair and turned to look at Jean, who was awaiting his answer with a hopeful look in her face. He looked around quickly and then grabbed her by the arm and guided her to the room next to Marie's, the same room he had been napping in only a few moments ago. Once inside the room he shut the door behind them and locked it to ensure that no one would walk in on the conversation they were about to have. Finally after taking a deep breath doing his best to clam his anger about what was going in the next room, he found himself asking in quite a harsh tone a question that he already knew the answer to. "What do you mean you can make her love me, Jeannie?"

"Logan, look I know what it must sound like, but you have to understand, Rogue and Scott, what they had together wasn't just some little fling. They grew close to one another, they relied on each other, and they built love from that. So if you think that by you just coming back and putting a little distance between the two will make her forget him and have her loving you again, you are sadly mistaken. Trust me I know." She ranted to Logan as her eyes filled with tears, not realizing what she had just reviled to him.

"So, you're telling me that your boy scout in there is still in love with Marie." Logan said as he took a sit in a chair not far from Jean, she was hurt, it was killing her the same way it was killing him to know that the people they loved did not love them anymore. Yet, still she didn't want to let Scott go any more than Logan wanted to live without his Marie. Still why the hell would she offer to do this for Logan, was she truly that scared that Scott wanted to be with Marie, and if that were true why the hell did Scott choose to leave Marie in the first place? Then it hit him, what if Scott hadn't chosen to leave Marie, what if Jean… "And have you been making him love you?" Logan found himself asking.

"NO, No Logan I haven't not been making Scott love me… what the… Scott already loves me… Scott has ALWAYS loved ME, ok… I am just reminding him of that… don't you see I am just helping him remember his love for me, him loving me has never been in question, because he will always love." Jean all but yelled at him, trying more to convince herself than Logan. She took a seat beside him to try and stop her now spinning head and took a couple of breaths before she continued pleading with Logan to fight with her for the ones they loved. "Logan, I know… I know you love Rogue as much as I love Scott… we were all happy once right… me and Scott, you and Rogue… that's the way it is suppose to be… we were all happy with that life, and all I am trying to do is get us back there again. So we can all be loved, so we can all be happy. I am not trying to hurt anybody here… just, just give me a little help and we all can be happy again, the way we used to be. You will, you will help me won't you Logan?" Jean begged as she took on of Logan's hand into her own. "We can do it Logan; if you just help we can fix everything."

"I will do anything to win back Marie's heart, but I won't let you play with her head. She has enough to deal with already up there, I'm sorry Jeannie I really am but I can't do that to Marie… I just can't." He stated looking Jean straight in the face.

"So you're not going to fight for her, your just going to give up like a coward and let her go…" Jean started rambling a frustration as she stood to her feet again, only to be cut off by a very pissed off Wolverine.

"Listen here bicth, I never… Never said that I wasn't going to fight for her, I'm just not as twisted and sick as you are to fuck with Marie's head. You see I happen to love her too much to do that to her. But give her up, no fucking way; I'm not going to lose her." Logan shouted at Jean finally snapping when he realized that he had a real fight coming, one that he could lose, one that was going to hurt Marie even more than she had already been hurt.

"If that is true Logan, then help me. If you don't want me in her head, fine. But you know there are other ways, to keep them apart." Jean stated in desperation, she needed Logan's help and if they had to do it another way so be it.

As much as Logan hated to admit it she had caught his attention. When in a battle it was always best to have some one covering your back, and there was that saying that kept ringing through his head, all is fair in love and war. And this just happened to be both. Yet a promise kept screaming at him in the back of his head that what he was doing was wrong.

Flash Back

"I'll take care of you."

"You Promise?"

"Yeah… yeah I promise."

End Flash Back

Logan didn't know what to do he was torn between loving her and protecting her. Yet it all came down to was Marie, and the fact that he didn't want to live with out her. Hell, maybe it was time he really started fighting instead of just waiting. With that thought in mind Logan finally conceded, "Fine, I'm listening." Was all he could bring himself to say, knowing that this was wrong, so very wrong.

"Ok… well, here is what we are going to do." Jean said as she started conjuring and relaying her new way for them to both keep there loved one's with them where they belonged.

Jubilee walked back into the medical lab with a diet coke firm in her hand as she headed back to Marie's room. Upon entering the medical lab she looked up her mouth dropped, the idiot was still there and Rogue was running her fingers through his hair as he was bent over place kisses on her face. What a stupid fuck tard, if Logan where to see him doing that he would be a…. Oh shit, Logan he is just in the next room and she is suppose to… damn it, Rogue is awake… son of a bicth she is so going to die a slow and very painful death if she didn't get lover boy out of there and now…. What to do, what to do… HANK… yes Hank will run everyone out of there if he knows Rogue is awake and once Scott is gone she can go tell Wolvie the good news and still stay happy, alive, and unmarred. As fast as her feet could carry her Jubilee run to the office and yelled at Hank. "She's awake." Then she made a run for Rogues room with Hank close on her heels.

Marie brought her hand to rest on his cheek and very hoarsely spoke to him. "I need… I need you to know." Was all she could get out before the pain become too much, her throat was dry and itchy, and it felt like a thousand tiny needles sticking in her when she tried to talk. Not to mention the constant pain in on the right slid of her throat, she lifted her hand to it and touched it lightly as she remembered the events that had brought her here. She was the one that had been shot; she was the one who had almost lost her life. No wonder Scott was sitting here saying these things, he felt guilty. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as they filled with tears, when she realized that he had only said the things he had just now out of guilt. Not because it was her that he wanted and loved more, yet at this moment she didn't want to think about it, she didn't care if it was real or not. She was home, home with the man she loved, and even if it was just for this moment she was going to cherish it. She wasn't going to fool herself she knew, that even though the things that Scott had just said to her were true, and so what if he was still with Jean. It couldn't hurt if she pretended for a little while, just for a little small time that he was still hers and that she was the love of his life, that she was still going to marry him, that Jean had never come back to resume her place in his life.

Scott knew he should call either Hank or Jean into the room but he couldn't bring himself to leave her side in fear that it would all be a dream and he would wake up or that she would slip back into the coma. Just then he heard the door to the room open and turned to see Jubilee walk in with Hank.

"Well, so you have finally returned to the land of the living my dear. I can't tell how wonderful it is to see those eyes of yours open." Hank said as she came to stand on the opposite side of the bed from Scott, Hank patted her hand and then looked at the other two as he began speaking again. "If the two of you don't mind I would like to exam Rogue. You can wait outside and come back in when I am finished." He then gestured towards the door with his hand.

Scott didn't want to leave her, but he knew that he must, it was what was best for her for the moment. As soon as that damn check-up, exam what ever you want to call it was done, he was going right back by her side where he belonged, the place he should have never left to begin with. He had no idea how he was going to tell Jean it was over and what was funny was that he didn't even care that much. Then as he and Jubilee where making their way to the doors the very person he needed to talk to walked in accompanied by the one person Scott had no desire to see. And as sure as the sun rises in the morning Logan was at Marie side kissing her hand, running his fingers through her hair. Scott wanted so badly to just blow him to bits then and there, but with Jean now in front of him no longer giving him a clean shot, he would just have deal with it, for now. But as soon as he was done informing Jean that things between them were over and he had Marie back in his arms, if Logan ever had the idea of laying a finger on her again the rest of the X-Men would be picking up pieces of him off the floor.

"Oh, Scott there you are. You know I have been looking all over for you, I have the most wonderful news." Jean said happily with a bright smile that could have lit up the room. She then took Scott's hand in hers and kissed the back of it and lower it again as she started pulling him out of the room. "Come on I can't wait to tell you."

As soon as they were out the door Scott all but ripped his hand out of Jean's and stopped dead in his tracks. "Jean, what the hell is going on?"

"I have some really good news I want to tell you… Scott what is it what's wrong?" Jean asked pretending not to know that he didn't want to leave his sweet Marie alone for a second with Logan.

"Look, whatever you have to say. Just tell me now, I really would like to see how Rogue's examination is going to end up, he said as he took a step back towards the door and looked through the window. And he watched as Logan talked with Marie as he heard the words that hit with a force so hard it almost knocked him over.

"Scott… I think I'm pregnant." Jean said as the smile increased on her face.

"Logan, what's wrong?" Marie asked in her soft southern voice. He had been acting strangely quite ever since Hank had finished his exam, and Marie was really starting to worry about him.

"Marie… you know I love you right… If there is one thing I want you to know it's that I love you…" Logan confessed as he took a seat next to her, and ran a finger down her cheek to only to hook under her chin. He looked into those eyes and he was lost in them, he was always at a loss when it came to Marie. Slowly he bent his head and met her soft lips with his. It was simple, sweet, loving nothing more than his lips on hers and it was at the moment he knew what a selfish bastard he was being. He loved her, and yet he had been planning to hurt her, something he had sworn to himself he would never do again. He couldn't do it, he couldn't hurt her again.

"Your leaving aren't you?" She asked in barely a whisper with her forehead resting against his lips still only mere inches apart, her heart starting to fill that old ache, the same way it had always hurt where he had left before.

"I have to darlin'… I have to before I… he… he loves you Marie… and even with as much as I love and want you to be my own… I can't… I couldn't live with myself if I hurt you again baby… so even if it means…" Logan said in a mere whisper as his heart started to fill with a pain greater than he had ever known, his hands lifted and framed her face as his thumbs softly rubbed her cheeks in slow circles. She was his world and he had to let her go before he destroy the light in her that made her shine so bright. He had done enough damage to her, and if he had never left her she would be his. But things were different and his promise to protect her was all that echoed in his head now, he needed to protect her from him self, his own personal agenda. "Even if it means your with the one prick I hate most in this world… I won't stand in your way."

"I'm so sorry Logan… I do love you, I just…" Marie started as the ache in her heart increased and the tears begin to fall down her face.

"Don't… say it… just promise me… promise me that you'll never forget the love we had… or that you will always be my heart…" Logan stated cutting her off, he didn't have to say it, because he knew that she knew he was never coming back this time. This was it, this was the last time they would ever, look, hold, or touch. Then rising slowly from the bed Logan walk turned his back to and walked briskly to the door, he paused only for a moment before he walked out of her life to say "I love you Marie."

"Good-bye Logan." She said as she buried her head in her pillow and cried.

As much as Logan hurt all he wanted to do was leave this damn place behind and never look back, but he had one last stop to make before he could go pack his things to never return. He turned the corner to see the person he had been tracking, the taking a deep breath as he leaned against the frame of the door and cleared his throat.

Scott turned around to see Logan standing in the door way of his and Jean's room, fuck he really didn't need this now. Especially after what Jean had just sprung on him. "What the hell do you want Logan?" He asked as he turned back around to gaze out the window.

"Only to tell you two things, boy scout and than I will be on my way." Logan replied, half way tempted to change his mind and go back to Marie and play his part in Jean's little plan, at the sight of the cocky little prick.

"Let me guess, one is stay away from Marie and two is if I don't your going to rip in a new one right." Scott said sarcastically.

"Actually, no but if it's what you'd rather hear I then…" Logan started as he began to walk away, only to be stopped by Scott's voice.

"Fine, Logan what is it." Scott questioned already wanting this conversation over and done with.

"Ok, I don't want to be here any more than you want me here. So I am going to make this short and sweet." Logan said as he again took his spot leaning against the frame of the door.

"A little late for that don't you think." Scott said as he took a seat on the edge of the bed and ran his finger through his hair.

Logan gritted his teeth and decided to let that one slid and get this the hell over with. "Just fucking listen and shut the fuck up ok. One, Jean is lying to you. She isn't pregnant; she has been fucking with your head ever since she got back, "making you remember your love for her" is how she put it. And two, I leaving, you won… again. Marie loves you… but know this if you hurt her when all of this is said and done I will kill you." With that said Logan was done, and he made his way down the hall and out of the mansion forever, leaving Scott speechless sitting on the bed.

Author's Note: First I am sorry about how long it had taken to get this chapter up, my little girl has been very sick. Two I want to say sorry ahead of time I know this chapter kind of skips around quite bit but I felt it was really time to start to get to back to Scott and Rogue I was really starting to miss them and we all know it wouldn't happen with Logan there. Next chapter is going to be a good one too, Scott has a little talk with Jean, Hehehe...Now with that said I all hope that you enjoyed the story and thank you all so much for the reviews they really keep me going. Love and Light Mechelle VanPatten