Disclaimer: Not my characters, just my imaginings.
Marie had wandered with the others into the rec room before realizing they'd need to go somewhere more private for their discussion of this amazing turn of events. They'd found an empty corner of the library and talked about it in hushed tones for almost an hour before breaking apart to do their own things. Rogue headed outside to enjoy the beautiful weather.
"Rogue!" Bobby's voice called out to her. She thought about ignoring it, but didn't want to be as immature and snarky as he'd been recently. He drew even with her. "Thanks for waiting. I really wanted to talk to you." He didn't say out loud that he figured this would be one of his few chances since Logan was busy right now.
She sat on a nearby stone bench; arms crossed defensively and prepared to hear him out. Now that he had his opportunity, he wasn't sure where to begin. He paced nervously in front of her before plopping down next to her, his eyes pleading for understanding. "I know you don't want to hear this, but I still want us to be together." He rushed on before she could comment, "I love you, Rogue. You mean so much more to me than you realize. I need you in my life."
She sighed deeply, her head down and hands propped on her knees, before lifting her head to look him squarely in the eye. "Bobby, I could be in your life." His excitement died quickly when she lifted a cautionary hand. "As a friend. If you would let me, we could be friends again, like we used to be… before everything got so," she looked up as she searched for words that would not come. "So… what they are. I love you, as a friend and only as a friend. I don't mean as much to you as you think. What we had was easy, no pressure. That's because we didn't care as much as we should have. I think," she shrugged, "that there's something appealing about being with the girl who can't be with anyone. The truth is, Bobby, that you need to be a hero. Taking on the girlfriend no one else dared to be close with gave you that. You need someone who really needs you to protect them, though." She stood and placed a hand on his shoulder with a soft touch. "I'm not that girl, Bobby. I never will be." She walked calmly away, tossing over her shoulder as she went, "Seems to me Kitty needs some serious looking-after, though!" Her smirk at his dumbfounded expression didn't fade 'til long after she'd re-entered the mansion.
Well, that went well. Hopefully he'll take the hint and put Kitty out of her misery at last. They'd be a really cute couple. Kitty had never crossed the line that would have made their friendship uncomfortable or even impossible, but Marie had known how special Kitty had always thought Bobby was. For a while it had distressed her and left her even a bit angry. The truth was it was a huge part of the reason she'd left intending to get the 'Cure'. She was so thankful she hadn't gone through with it. Especially thinking about how heartbreaking it would have been when she learned it wouldn't last. Kitty was right about Bobby, too. He was a special guy. Marie just needed a different kind of special in her life. Her thoughts rambled on for only a few minutes more before she focused on Logan and where he might be. He wasn't in any of his usual haunts. She even searched the grounds before admitting defeat. Asking anyone she bumped into led nowhere and then she arrived outside the Professor's office door. Before she could knock he beckoned her to enter.
"He's on his way home, Rogue. He went for a run. He should be arriving at the edge of the woodlands in about twenty minutes or so." Seeing that her expression was filled with worry and concern, he made a final statement. "He's fine." She blew out her breath and beamed a relieved smile his way before darting from the room and out the main doors to the lush grounds beyond.
Logan had been gone long enough that dusk was falling fast. He'd lost track of time, but had raged, mourned, and finally accepted that the professor was right. He ran the risk of damaging his bond with Marie beyond all repair if he didn't come clean with her soon. He figured Ororo ought to know, too. Marie was his top priority, though. One side of his mouth lifted. It's been the same since he first picked her up all those years ago.
He wasn't at all surprised to see her waiting for him on the pristine lawn when he stepped from the trees. Even if he hadn't picked up her scent long before seeing her, it was just the kind of thing you could expect from Marie. Before she could see him, he'd taken a moment to look at her. Really look at her. She may not still be the young girl he'd first spied in the seedy bar in Laughlin City; no, she had grown up a lot over the past several years. Her experiences had left their mark on her spirit and the absorptions had impacted her personality. She'd still managed to hold onto the sweet, ready acceptance of others and her subdued enjoyment of the little things in everyday life. Marie's appearance had changed over that time, as well. She'd put on some much-needed weight and filled out to become the gorgeous knock-out he'd always known lurked inside just waiting for her time to burst forth. Her features had lost the subtle roundness of childhood and grown more defined and beautiful with time.
Since his return he'd noticed he wasn't the only male in the mansion who'd noted the developments in his little Marie. The truth was, no matter how mature, how sophisticated, or how gorgeous she became she would always be little Marie to him in many ways. Her beaming smile still shone like a bright light. Her eyes still held the spark which betrayed her intelligence and the gleam that gave away her humorous appreciation for people's foolishness. Inside, she hadn't significantly changed. She was still the charming, petite spit-fire who'd swept into his life and, he hoped, would stay there indefinitely. She'd turned his world on end and he wouldn't undo it for anything.
When he came into her line of vision, she hesitated for a moment and that caught his attention. She studied him minutely, looking for any trace of injury to his body or hurt in his eyes. Finding only the same calm he typically exuded, she grinned and ran to him to be caught in his arms for a glorious grizzly bear of a hug. They stood together for a few moments, breathing in one another's scent and relishing the contact.
Only once they'd started back to the mansion, arms around each other's waists did Logan speak. "Hey, let's ditch the dining hall and grab some dinner out. Sound good?"
She snuggled closer to him happily. "Yeah! Sounds real good."
He walked her all the way to her door. "Let's leave in about half an hour. Is that enough time for you?"
Her hands tucked into her back pockets while she rocked on her feet, cheerfulness etched on her head to toe, Marie nodded. "Yep! I'll be ready, Logan." He resisted the strong urge to snatch her close and just hole up with her like they often did. He had to, because this talk was long overdo.
Marie giggled at herself. The wind was whistling past them as they cruised down the roads that would lead to the lake. They'd driven into town first and gotten dinner at their favorite diner before deciding to take it out to the lake so they could enjoy some privacy while they hung out. Privacy was a pretty hot commodity when you lived in a school filled with students and teachers of all ages. The freedom of riding behind Logan on his motorcycle was one of her favorite things to experience. It felt like nothing could touch her here, it was just the two of them in this insulated bubble that no one could puncture.
She had the feeling there was more to this than simply taking a little break together, but knew that Logan would tell her when he was ready and not before. They finally slowed as they turned onto the gravel road, reaching their destination. Marie pulled the helmet he insisted she wear from her head and attempted to run her fingers through her hair to arrange it at least a little. Logan was pulling their food from his saddlebag and led the way to the grass edging the water where they settled.
After she'd eaten half her burger, she turned to face him and decided she'd been patient enough. "So, what's really going on? What did you bring me out her to say?" Suddenly she suspected she may know after all. With a painful breath she managed to whisper out, "Are you leaving again?"
Logan had been thinking of stalling until they were done eating, but hearing her shaky little drawl quiver out that last question decided for him. "No, darlin', I'm not going anywhere." He reached to tuck a thick, glossy lock of white behind her ear. "I don't need to any more. I was gone for so long 'cause I found what I was looking for. It took awhile and there were some, uh, hitches along the way, but now I know it all, pretty much."
He shoved his food back in the bag. He didn't think he could eat anything more right now. "Marie, it ain't good. I had to take some time to square things away. In my head, I mean." She'd grabbed his hand as soon as he'd stated his discovery and now he flipped his hand over to lace their fingers together and give her a squeeze. She thought it was to give her strength, but it was for them both.
She listened as he told her how he'd found out his true age. He studied her reaction to the fact that he was more than one hundred years old. She only nodded with the same rapt attention. She didn't look shocked or disgusted. He wasn't sure what to make of her expression. He told her his real name, James Howlett, and about his mother going away after his older brother's death, his father's murder, the betrayal of his best friend, and all about Rose.
While he told her about his time living in the wild with wolves, his experiences with the Samurai warriors, working as an CIA operative and living on his own in Canada she never tore her gaze away. She was mesmerized, and she felt his pain, his confusion, his shame, right along with him. Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn't let even one fall. "I don't even know which memories are real 'cuz they did stuff to my brain in the lab. Some kind of implants or something." He was having trouble looking at her because she was so still and his own emotions were clouding his ability to read hers through her scent and pulse and all.
Knowing it should all be laid bare, he spoke of him and Jean just after the attack on the mansion, their kiss, and even Mystique's little stunt in his tent. He even confessed she'd tried to tempt him using Marie's form. Before she could ask why on Earth Mystique would think that might appeal to him, he raced on needing to get it all out before he lost his nerve in addition to a deep desire to avoid answering that question. Logan even spoke of all that had happened with Phoenix before she'd left to join Magneto, including all that happened in the med lab. And for the first time he shared the details of his final moments with her before killing her. Most importantly, he tried to make it as clear as he could that even had she survived, he and Jean would never have happened. "And it's not because of her and Scott, either. It just never would have been right with us and deep down we both knew it. We were both avoiding tough issues 'cuz it seemed easier at the time, but we never really followed through and never would have. We just weren't who the other one needed or even wanted, deep down." Marie had gotten tense as he spoke, but seemed to be okay by the time he moved on to the rest of it.
He told her he knew for sure he was in World War II with the Canadian Army, which he was actually somewhat proud of, and that his claws weren't what they'd all thought. "They're actually part of me. Even before the adamantium, they were part of my skeleton. They're part of my mutation." She looked to their linked hands and finally spoke for the first time since his revelations had started flowing.
"I knew it." She saw by the widening of his eyes that she'd startled him. He looked wary, as though she'd said something bad. Marie hurried to clarify, "I've always thought there was something, I dunno… I've always kinda lahked them, Logan." She was now massaging the taut skin between his knuckles. "They're so sleek they're almost graceful, ya' know?" With lowered head she studied his hands while she tried to find the right words to express herself, missing his reactions. "They represent feeling safe and are strong and warm, just lahke you." She finally looked up at him again. "That suhprised meh, ya' know. The warm part, Ah mean. I figured they'd be cold, but the warmth almost felt good goin' in."
Seeing the deep regret on his face, she admitted, "The only thing Ah'd change about that naht, Logan, is the way I had ta' hurt you. I have loved havin' ya' up here." Her leather-clad finger tapped her temple. "Ya' take care of me and keep me company all the tahm and Ah wouldn't change that for the world."
He didn't know what he'd expected. Truth was, that's why he'd avoided telling her. This had been one time he'd had no clue what to anticipate from her. Not in any of his imaginings did he come up with this, though. She was now facing him, cross-legged, and grasping both of his hands with hers. Unable to resist, she dropped quick, light kisses over each blade's resting place. "Should Ah call ya' James?"
"No. I left that name behind a long time ago. Even though Logan was his name, it just feels right now. I guess I've just been hearin' it so long now it'd be strange to change at this point."
She released a relieved sigh. "Good! That wouldn't have been easy to remember all the time." Her covered palm rested on his cheek, ensuring she had his full attention. "Logan, I cannot even begin to know how much all that had to hurt and I have no idea what all ya' went through to find it out. Know this, though; the only thing this has done is it makes me admire you even more. Ya're one of the most incredible people I've ever known and you have a strength that I don't know how to describe." She grew frustrated with her inability to tell him all she was thinking and finally gave up to curl up in his lap, wrap her arms around him tightly, and whisper so softly she doubted he heard, "Ah love ya' Logan… everything about ya'." He wanted more strongly than anything he'd ever desired before to tell her how he felt, but couldn't tell how she'd meant that to be taken. Did she mean she loved him like a brother, like a friend, like a guardian, or the way he cared about her - as something so much more it really couldn't be defined? He decided silence was the best policy right now.
They just sat together like that for hours. So long that the professor's voice in their minds asking if all was well had to rouse them and both were shocked at the late hour when they checked the time. Sending back that they were fine and were headed back, they gathered their trash and swung back onto the bike with an even deeper understanding and acceptance of each other, something they didn't believe possible before.