The raging water swept them miles down stream until the water grew more shallow and calm. They managed to pull themselves onto a river bank and lay there, panting and coughing.
When he recovered enough, he crawled over to Rogue and turned her over. He brushed her hair out of her face and looked into her eyes, "Are you alright?"
She nodded and coughed a little, "I've had better days..."
He favored with a weary, cocked smile and looked around, "We gotta keep moving. No stopping til nightfall."
Rogue nodded as he stood, then pulled her to her feet.
They aimlessly stumbled through the wilderness, hoping that they would end up coming across a sign of civilization, but the woods seemed to go on forever. He hopped on top of a dead tree stump to see if he could spot a clearing...or at least a road.
Rogue crouched on the ground and hugged herself in an attempt to shield her cold, wet body against the chilly air.
Logan turned back to her and rushed over. He stood her up and rubbed her arms before pressing her body to his in an effort to warm her. She trembled a little, "We need to find shelter...we'll die if we stay the night out here."
He nodded, "I know you're cold, but you have to think of something else. I think I see a road up there. Can you make it?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
Logan gave her a reassuring nod before they continued their journey through the forest. Luckily, they did come across a road. Directly across the road sat a farmhouse complete with a barn and stables.
They stumbled inside the barn and looked around. Logan pulled Rogue to a corner and sat her down on a bale of hay, "I'm gonna look around."
Before he had the opportunity to leave her side, an old man burst into the barn with a shot gun. Logan knew the man must've been the owner, so he just froze and put his hands up.
The old man looked them both up and down, "You two aren't on the drugs...are ya?"
Rogue quickly shook her head and stood, "We've just...had a run of bad luck..."
"How so?"
Logan and Rogue exchanged looks before he spoke up, "It's a really long story..."
The old man slowly lowered his weapon and nodded, "Come on up to the house...you'll both freeze to death if you stay out here a minute longer..."
When they reached the house, they met an old lady, who identified herself as Abby and her husband as Carl. She rushed them into a guest room with attached bathroom, and quickly laid out toiletries while Carl pulled some clothes out of the attic.
After they had the opportunity to shower, they got dressed in the clothes the kindly couple supplied them with. Logan wore a plaid shirt and jeans that the old man said had belonged to his son. When he got finished changing in the other bathroom, he entered the spare bedroom, where Rogue was getting dressed.
When he caught a glimpse of her naked breast, he quickly apologized and nearly closed the door on himself in an effort to leave the room. She quickly yanked on the dress and rushed to the door, yanking him in and closing the door behind him.
"We're married, remember? Can't have you acting like a giant goober if you accidentally see me naked."
Logan cleared his throat and nodded, "Yeah. Sorry bout that."
"So, what's the plan?"
"They invited us to stay the night, but we need to hit the road as soon as dawn breaks. We'd put them in danger if we stick around for too long."
Rogue nodded and turned to grab a pair of sandals the old lady had given her.
Logan stepped toward her, "Hey, Rogue...we're gonna be alright...OK?"
She bit her bottom lip and nodded, "I know...I trust you."
He gently nudged her arm before they turned to exit the room in order to join the kindly old couple for dinner. Just as they were about to exit the room, she quickly turned around, "Oh...call me Marie."
"Marie?"
She nodded and blushed a little, "It's my real name..."
Logan smiled, "OK...Marie..." He gently took her hand in his and looked into her eyes, "Nice to finally meet you..."
They stayed that way until the old lady's voice suddenly broke them out of their gaze, "Aw...Carl...would you come look at these two? I remember when that old bat used to stare at me like that. Now the only thing he stares at with any kinda intensity is the damn television set!"
"Ah quit your whinin' Abby!"
Logan and Marie shared a gentle laugh before following Abby into the kitchen and sitting down. They said a brief grace before they passed around food, which Marie tried not to devour too quickly. Everything was delicious.
"Are you two sure you don't need to call the police?"
Logan shook his head, "I think we'll be OK...thanks to your kindness. How far did you say town was?"
"Bout 15 more miles up the road."
Marie smiled, "Well, we'll be outta your hair as soon as light breaks. We don't wanna be an inconvenience to you."
Abby waved her hand dismissively, "Nonsense...ever since our kids grew up and flew the coop, we haven't had many visitors. And with my husband, the great couch potato...I don't have many people to talk to...fresh voices in this house are a welcome change to the drone of that damned television set."
Carl grumbled, "At least the television set doesn't nag!"
"I wouldn't have to nag if you stopped actin' like the eggs were gonna collect themselves!"
Marie and Logan exchanged looks from across the table and giggled softly as the two older people continued bickering. After dinner, Abby gave Marie a nightgown, which she changed into in the bathroom attached to she and Logan's guest room.
He pulled off his shirt and took off the jeans before going to the window and staring out over the horizon for any sign of danger. It was quiet...he knew they wouldn't be out looking for them at night.
Marie emerged wearing a white nightgown that was definitely made for a woman in her 60s...but that didn't affect the fact that she looked amazing in it.
"Which side do you want?"
He glanced at the bed, "Uh...left is fine."
She pulled back the covers and crawled beneath while he just decided to lay on top. He laid on his back with his arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling.
"They're a funny couple, aren't they? Kinda makes you believe that happily ever afters do come true."
"Right...and all that arguing they're doing is what we all dream of."
Marie turned onto her side, "Oh come on...I'm sure underneath all that arguing, there's real love."
"People like them just stay together because they know no one else will take their old, wrinkly asses."
"Gee...you're quite the romantic."
They quieted down and laid in bed for a while before Marie spoke up, "Logan...when I kissed you-"
"Shhhh...do you hear that?"
She sat straight up in bed, "What? Is something wrong?"
"Shhh...listen."
Marie craned her head to the side and began listening. When she heard the rhythmic squeaking of a mattress, her face twisted into a disgusted expression. She plopped back down on the bed and covered her head with the pillow.
Logan laughed and leaned down, attempting to pull the pillow off of her head, "Hey...look at it this way...you were right. There is something real underneath all that bickering...really good make up sex."
"Ew! You're disgusting."
"What were you saying before?"
Marie lifted her head from beneath the pillow and looked at him, "Before?"
"You said something about when you kissed me..."
She sighed and briefly looked away, "It was nothing...goodnight, Logan."
Sometime during the night, he woke up to her warm body curled into his. He started to push her back to her side of the bed, but after staring at her, he slowly wrapped his arms around her and settled down beside her, allowing her body to naturally mold into his.
Logan and Marie were dressed and heading out of the door at the first light of dawn, just as they said they would. Marie left a beautifully worded 'thank you' note to the kindly couple and made sure to make their bed before the left.
They managed to make it into town within a few hours. There, Logan went to the nearest ATM. Marie furrowed her eyebrows, "What are you doing?"
"When you've been around as long as I have, you learn a few things..."
Logan used his claw to pop off the face of the ATM, exposing the wires and motherboard. After switching a couple of things around, he put the face plate back on and pressed a few buttons.
When he turned back to Marie, held a large stack of bills, "This should be enough to get us to Canada."
"Canada?"
He nodded, "It's where I was born...there's a lot of tiny little mountain towns we can hide out in. No one would know us...and they wouldn't find us."
"You...you want me to come with you?"
He nodded, "We're better off together...we can protect each other."
Marie smiled, "Alright..."
Coming up...
Logan and Marie give into their desires and try to leave their pasts behind.