Disclaimer: I'm making no money off of this. These characters belong to Marvel Comics, Twenieth Century Fox, and all the geniuses who make thse characters come to life.

Logan

Tears streamed down her face before the door was shut, only to find (to her dismay) Jubilee sitting on her bed, popping bright pink gum and listening to obscenely loud music while painting her toenails neon blue. Grunting in near frustration, she shut the door again and pushed her way outside. A summer breeze hit her face, cooling her angry tears, though in no way stopped their trek down her face. After wandering around the grounds for a while, avoiding the newly built cemetery, she sat down on a bench beneath a line of trees. The irony was not lost on her that this bench was the one that Bobby (though he always denied it) sat beside her on and told her to go home, that she wasn't wanted. No one wanted her now, it seemed, not even Logan. She knew he loved Professor Grey, that he only saw herself as a ward to protect, someone to make him feel less selfish. He would never see her as anything else but a kid.

Marie's dark thoughts occupied her mind so wholly that she didn't hear heavy footsteps approach, and didn't feel the weight shift on the old wooden planks as someone sat down next to her. It wasn't until she heard a familiar gruff voice that she knew anyone was nearby.

"Hey, kid," Logan's voice was lower than usual, as though he had been crying, or perhaps he didn't want to scare her by speaking too loud. Either way, she turned her tear-streaked face towards him and gasped at the sight of him. Whatever happened in the past week, it struck him hard. His face was drawn and pale, his eyes deep set and red-rimmed. He had been crying. She wiped away her own foolish tears, dimly realizing that Professor Grey's death happened just a few days ago, of course he would be upset. Her breakup with Bobby meant nothing compared to his loss.

"What's wrong, Logan?" She didn't bother with greetings. He looked away for a moment and sighed heavily. He looked back at her, and he looked even worse, if that was possible.

"A lot of things happened while you were gone, R-Marie." Even in this obvious emotional stress, he still remembered her correction the night she left. That felt like so long ago, longer than just seven days.

"So I've gathered, but what happened to you?" She scooted closer, trying to get his shifting eyes to focus on her.

He opened his mouth a few times, the words trying to get out, but he seemed reluctant to say anything. Without hesitation, Marie reached over and grabbed his large hand. Logan flinched, momentarily forgetting she was no longer a mutant, then relaxed. He stared at their entwined hands in awe. "Incredible," he breathed.

Marie smiled a little at his reaction, hoping her gesture would help him speak to her. He had always let her tell all her teenage woes and he would listen patiently and without prejudice, and she would do the same for him. Marie opened her mouth to repeat her question, to say that he could tell her anything, but he spoke first.

"I don't know how much you knew about Jean's return and Scott's death, but when we found her at Alkali Lake, she was very different. Long story short, she suffered from a variation of multiple personality disorder. The other personality called itself the Phoenix. That is who killed Scott, the professor, that is who joined Magneto, and that is who I had to kill to keep everyone safe." Marie felt tears well up again, wanting to say she was sorry, but that sounded pathetic in her head after such a confession. Instead of speaking, she just held Logan's hand tightly as he began to cry again. How could one person deal with that all by themselves? Marie scooted even closer, their bodies now pressed against each other, and she ignored the fluttering in her stomach. Logan needed her now, though it was like the blind leading the deaf with her being upset over Bobby.

"We're quite a pair, aren't we?" She said as tried to smile, hoping to lighten the mood, unsure of what else to do. Logan, his tears drying, looked at her questioningly. "Bobby and I broke up today. We had a fight and I just walked out." Logan opened his mouth to apologize, but Marie held up her free hand. "Don't say you're sorry. It was bound to happen." Logan nodded, keeping whatever comments he must have had to himself. The two then felt into a comfortable silence, sitting with their hands clasped for quite some time, maybe even hours, neither was sure, but it wasn't until the sun was near setting that Logan shifted, and Marie lifted her head from his shoulder, which she leaned against some time ago.

"They'll be looking for us," he said roughly, clearing his throat after he spoke. Marie sighed, not wanting to go in, but the practical side of her protested. Marie stretched a little, noting with slight glee that Logan still gripped her hand, as though it was the only thing keeping him here. She liked feeling wanted. They walked slowly towards the mansion, still holding hands, and Marie stared at their feet in step with one another, wondering if that held a deeper meaning. Suddenly, Logan stopped, causing Marie to look up at him questioningly. He had a look of enlightenment on his face and he asked a rather strange question. "Marie, can I kiss you?"

She paused, thinking briefly, yet deeply about how she should answer this question. He asked, so he obviously wanted to, and he respected her feelings enough to do so. That alone made her heat flutter, but something nagged at her that she couldn't ignore if she wanted to answer in the affirmative. "I thought you were in love with Jean," she said softly, noting the look of acceptance that crossed his face.

"I was, but after the first time we thought she died, I realized she never loved me, and it was selfish of me to keep feeling that way. I clung to the hope that she felt the same way too much after she returned, and when I killed her I knew that it was the only thing to do. That helped me grieve in a much better and faster way. You sitting out here with me, being completely supportive of me despite the fact you just ended your two year relationship with Bobby, cemented the thought I've been having for a while now that I have fallen for you."

Marie smiled at this declaration, seeing the truth in his eyes as he spoke. When he mentioned Bobby, she felt no sadness, which she took as an excellent sign, that, and the fact her heartbeat quickened at the mere thought of kissing Logan. Her grin widened as she gave the answer to the question she had been secretly hoping he would ask since they first met.

"Yes, Logan, you may kiss me."