"When I was eighteen, I killed my brother. It happened in the summer, I was at my parents' house. He was just a little boy, eleven at the time... We were both in the swimming pool. I loved to play with him... But that day, I wasn't well. I was having headaches and my arms and legs were stinging me, but I thought it was the heat. I think now those were the first signs of the mutation, like little electric shocks.

I was playing with Ludwig in the pool, we were having a diving contest. When it was my turn to jump, I slipped on a slab and hit the ground. At this moment, my whole body was shook by multiple shocks, each stronger than the other. I think I saw a lightning bolt nestle in my chest, and quickly escape through my arm. The whole pool was crossed by electricity, and my brother was still inside. He didn't even have the time to scream... I don't think he understood what happened. When I looked towards the water, I saw his still body floating.

Even though I pulled him out and tried to give him mouth-to-mouth, nothing could be done. I knew he was dead. I guess my parents heard the shock... My father went out of the house and saw me there, kneeling above my brother's corpse. That look in his eyes... I didn't even bother to dress up. I was barefoot, but I left running by jumping over our fence. The last thing I've heard before leaving was my mother's scream."

Logan didn't say a word. He was still leaning against the tree, while Marian was sitting below him. He looked at the top of her head, her bushy raven hair hiding her face. Even though at the beginning of her story, Marian had manifested the urge to cry, she had tried her best not to, Logan thought. Now she was still, but Logan could still hear her teeth gritting, a sound he had become familiar with around the young woman.

"I couldn't stay..." she muttered to herself. "No one would have understood... I think my father would have either killed me, or turned me to the police... My mother would have never wanted to look at me anymore... They would have let me rot in jail. I think they would never try to understand."

Logan understood why she dreaded to hear her brother's name, and to speak about his death. He guessed she was feeling terribly guilty about this accidental murder.

"Do you... Do you look at me the same now?" timidly asked Marian, still looking at the ground.

Logan lowly chuckled.

"Don't worry... I still look at you as I did five minutes ago." He placed his hand on her head. She stiffened at the contact. "I don't blame you at all for what happened."

Marian's lip was quivering again.

"No one can know... Even though the Professor probably found out. I still wonder why he didn't abandon me the minute you brought me here."

"He didn't because he's seen worse. And he understands. Mutants are dangerous, and loosing control often leads to... Unfortunate events." Logan said while clenching his fist.

She finally looked at him. Her eyes were hurt and questioning. She had seen him in action, slaughtering her chasers. Maybe she was beginning to remember he was a killing machine. He knew he was right when her eyes drifted to his fists.

"And you... I mean... Something similar happened to you?" she asked.

"Sort of." Logan cut.

"Something like I did?" she more timidly asked.

Logan painfully dragged out his adamantium claws. A few drops of blood trailed down the metallic blades while she looked, frozen.

"That should be enough of an answer." he said while making them slide back in.

He had expected her to be more incomfortable than that when seeing the mass-murdering weapons he possessed inside of him. But more than fear, her eyes were filled with curiosity and she frowned a little. Logan saw her touch her own knuckles with the tip of her fingers. She was probably wondering how it ever got inside of him.

"So... You want to leave, to meet with your parents?" asked Logan.

"Never! I will never see them again. I'm sure they hate me, and don't want to call me their daughter anymore." Marian spat. "And how can I blame them... No, I want to go further North. That old lady who sheltered me for about two years had a small wooden cabin, in the mountains. It is very isolated. But she didn't go anymore because of her old age... And when she died, it was the only thing she bequeathed me. I have the keys in my belongings. Before being caught by those guys, I was on my way to that place. I wanted to live on my own."

"You wanted to become a hermite on something like that?" joked Logan. At her absence of response, he pursued: "Just joking, kid. I've been there too, to be honest. I've been roaming the forest naked for quite sometime thinking I was an animal. Is that enough for you?"

At hearing this, Marian's eyes widened. Logan had a grin. She probably didn't imagine even half of what he had been through. And if he could, he would avoid telling her. Even though she was the one who had confessed, he probably had a lot more to be ashamed of than her. Logan had accepted most of those things and had tamed the guilt, but he would dislike having to witness her eyes filled with fear of him.

"Nevermind."

He took one of her hands, slightly bending his knees, and helped her up. Marian tensed at his touch. Her hands were cold, while his own were still warm. Logan deeply looked into her eyes. He saw the young woman's cheeks redden. It was not at all in his nature, but Logan pulled her in his embrace. Slowly, without forcing her. She seemed to accept and gently laid her forehead against his chest. Logan's arms rested protectively in the crook of her back. He could feel little bolts of electricity on the tip of his fingers, but he ignored them.

Logan didn't expect that reaction, but he suddenly felt her fists clench on his shirt. She was holding him in her own way. For a second, Logan had feared rejection. But the opposite was happening right now. After having refused to bond to anyone while her stay at Xavier's mansion, Marian finally had chosen Logan. She had enjoyed his silent presence, watching over her from afar. And each day, he discovered more similarities between him and her.

It was the first time Logan felt Marian so relaxed. Her muscles were much less tense than before, and the weight of her body was resting on him. She timidly had nestled under his arms and against his warm chest. For the first time, she had found comfort. Logan felt her heart beating strongly in her ribcage. She probably almost never touched anyone, like him, and this was maybe the first contact she had had in years.

Marian breathed in his scent very loudly, closing her eyes. It was Logan's turn to have his heart pound against his chest. The feral side of him had intensely liked her taking in his scent. The animal inside groaned with satisfaction, telling Logan she belonged to him. He had to repress the instinctive impulse to tighten his embrace around her body.

"S... Sorry!" said Marian, blushing, and slightly parting from Logan. The animal howled with disappointment inside Logan's gut. "I didn't mean to.. Ahem."

"It's... It's fine." Maybe she hadn't felt the rush of feral energy through him.

"I think they have all left the dining room by now... How about getting back inside? I'm tired." she admitted.

"Okay. But don't expect me to give up on you. Like you said yourself, you have no choice." Logan smirked, letting her go. "I'll come back in with you, in case someone wants to hurt you. No choice either."

Marian smiled.

"I accept it, Logan."

The pair slowly made their way towards the large wooden door, leading to the hall. Marian's eyes looked up at the sky, seeing the stars disappear behind a few clouds. Slightly behind her, Logan couldn't detach his eyes from her. His stare was engulfing each detail of her feminine silhouette, which stirred his feral instinct once again. He wanted to spend more time alone with her, outside, but knew she needed the night to process all they had said. Before she disappeared inside, Logan laid a protective look on her. From this night on, he now had one certitude: he was like her, and she was like him.