Should I bother with an apology? By now you all probably hate me. I hope you like the story enough to stick with it. This one is quite a long chapter. They seem to just get longer and longer. Hope you like it! Of course some of you are disappointed that I interrupted Logan and Marie just when it was starting to get good! We have couple of the X-men in this one. Don't forget this is based on the movieverse, not the comicverse, and the first movie at that! So if they seem a little squeamish at the thought of blood I apologize. This chapter features a fluffier Logan, a confused Marie a suspicious Jean Grey and a...Scott. Lol. Anyway despite my dislike of Jean Grey in any 'verse I tried to make her a less flirty version of what we see in the movies. Enough of the rambles! Enjoy :)

Unbetaed as usual so all mistakes are my own. And of course I don't own them.

BTW Anyone else hear about X-Men: Days of Future Past? SO EXCITED! The return of Wolverine and Rogue on the big screen...

He tried to remain calm and relaxed. This was something he'd been hoping for. It was just his luck that Chuck found them before he even had to make his way to Westchester. The sooner he introduced Marie to them, the sooner he'd be rid of her and the temptation she represented.

Mine Wolverine reminded him with a low growl. And how could he forget? With the smell of her arousal still burning in his nose and the uncomfortable feeling of tight pants and an aching hard on that refused to leave. He didn't want to know the picture he presented at that moment. He was frustrated and half-crazed with lust. And the fact that Marie was now acting feral and submissive did not help with getting himself under control. He'd nearly fucked her, right there near the side of some road in the cold wet snow. And she would have let him. He resisted the urge to grab her and run. She needed to be somewhere safe; somewhere she could be herself without prejudiced jackasses taunting her at every turn and insane mutants that tried to abduct her without her consent. Could he provide her with that? Hell no. He was a loner and he'd never liked staying in one place too long or with anyone more than one night. Just long enough to get a quick fuck and a little company. It had always been enough. Until her. Mine. It shouldn't have frightened him that this time the voice didn't have the rumbling growl that indicated the Wolverine's voice. He was fucked.

He approached the jet with all the arrogance that he didn't feel at that moment. Scooter was the first to step out of the jet. As usual his expression was the same grimace that indicated he was either constipated or had a stick shoved up his ass…which would produce the same effect he supposed. Heh. Jean, as always was right behind him, her fake inviting smile pasted on her face. Wolverine barely acknowledged her in his mind, which was both a relief and a hindrance. He'd been after her submission for months, Logan doing his best not to flirt too much with her. He was an asshole but he wasn't a cheater. It was a relief not to have to battle the dual urges to shove Jean against a wall and sample what she was selling and laugh his ass off at the nervous twitching that indicated she feared him. He'd always been puzzled by the apparent fascination Wolverine had with her. He figured it had something to do with her red hair. He sometimes dreamed of red hair and it felt almost like a memory.

"Scooter, Red." Cyclops' scowl deepened as Jean's became a little less fake.

"Wolverine, as always the pleasure is not mine." Logan snorted. Who the hell did he think he was? He sounded like an ass.

"Scott." Jean's warning tone had the desired effect. The stick up Scott's ass seemed to slip just a little as he smiled at her before continuing.

"As I was about to say. We've come to collect the girl."

Logan growled and pulled Marie close as she whimpered. Her scent was still not her own, feral musk mixed with the honeysuckle he wanted to taste. "Oh? And who the hell died and made you king?" He snarled. Something about the visored ass always made him a little juvenile.

Scott was at a clear loss. "What?"

"Do I need to say it louder?'

"I heard you just fine," Scott said through gritted teeth. "What I want to know is why you would ask Xavier to send a jet if you had no intentions of sending the girl with us?"

Logan snarled in annoyance. Course Chuck would find a way to read his intentions from even this far, even with how with how hard his thoughts and memories were to read. He hated telepaths.

"And what the fuck would Chuck know about what my intentions are? 'Less he was reading my mind."

Scott shut his mouth pretty fast and Jean moved forwards with her hands up in a placating gesture. "Logan, he said you were projecting pretty loudly. He only assumed that you were doing it intentionally, knowing the difficulty he has had reading you even when requested by you. He said,' she hesitated for a second. "He said you were projecting 'protect the girl' very loudly, at least for you."

He scratched his jaw as he considered. Yeah Chuck was a powerful telepath but he was a good guy. So righteous and selfless it made Wolverine sick. And Logan had had one focus the last couple days; protect Marie, from everyone who wanted to harm her, the Wolverine included.

Logan grunted. "Yeah. Had a run in with a blue bitch and some other feral. Took them both down though." Wolverine was practically preening in his head, chest out, fists thumping his chest. Even he could be a jackass sometimes.

"A blue bi…" Scott mumbled, such a boy scout his voice trailed off before he could complete the word. "Sounds like Mystique. Where is she?"

"Dead."

Jean gasped and Scott's hand went to his visor immediately. Yeah, he figured they wouldn't like that. They always got a little squeamish around things like bloodshed. Natural order of things. You go against a predator, you threaten their mate…uh…friend and you stand to lose some limbs at the very least.

"Are you sure Logan? Absolutely certain?" The dark flare of satisfaction in Jean's eyes was instantly replaced by a flare of guilt and worry.

"Seeing as I killed her…" There was no doubt if he was certain. He was the best at what he did and all that. He felt the thinly veiled shudder from Marie but she stayed pressed close to him.

"Why?" Scott, always the capable and Fearless Leader. He would have to report this even though Logan wasn't an official X-man.

"She threatened what was mi-she threatened Rogue. Tried to kill her and almost succeeded." For some reason Marie belonged to him. Let her tell them her name when she was ready.

Both their eyes shot to Marie. She pressed her face into his back and whimpered.

Logan tugged her gently to his side so Scott and Jean could see her. He could feel the faint trembling. He growled low in support and he felt her back stiffen as she squared her shoulders. Good girl.

"Rogue, that's a unique name." Jean smiled reassuringly.

"Yeah it is." Marie looked them both square in the eye and smirked. Logan recognized that smirk. A mix of Marie, a mix of his own cocky arrogance. He resisted the urge to kiss the smirk off her mouth.

"So Rogue," Scott began with caution. It was obvious he recognized the smirk on some level. It always intimidated him. "Wolverine's told you about the school? What we do?"

Rogue snorted. "Wolverine hasn't told meh anything. But Logan here has informed me, yes."

"I see." Scott tapped his foot impatiently. "And?"

"Sure I'll go. As long as there's room for Logan too."

Jean was remaining silent her narrowed eyes moving between Logan and Rogue with confusion. "Of course there's always room for Logan. But I doubt he'll want to stay. He never does."

"Nah Red I'll stay awhile this time. It'll be fun to kick some ass."

At Logan's response Jean's lips thinned. She glared at him and practically snarled. "Of course you'll let the professor see the events leading up to and during the time you killed Mystique. It's surprising really that you would let a young girl, a child really, travel with you, knowing how dangerous you are." The accusation was clear in her voice.

Marie was still Marie and she heard what wasn't said as clearly as he did. Her face turned a shade of bright red. "I'm eighteen ya know!" Not really helping their case.

"Logan!" Jean gasped. Scott stepped forwards with a hand on his visor.

"Fuck, now you got them riled up kid." He smirked as he pulled her back to his side. He would never tell them but he was actually pretty pissed that they thought he'd fuck a girl not even out of her teens. Not that he hadn't in the past, not that he had wanted to so bad he ached.

Jean seemed to catch part of that, the less damning part anyway. Her stance and expression softened immediately. "Logan, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Yeah you did. What the fuck do I care? Are we going or not? My bones are starting to ache and I'm sure you can see how cold Rogue is."

She was in fact shaking. He was sure it was half from repressed anger. Not that they needed to know that she was exhibiting some of his feral instincts, quick temper included. Jean had given him a back handed insult after all. And if Marie was feeling anything close to half of what he felt for her then she was feeling protective. He smiled at the thought. Mine. And the thought didn't stir an ounce of guilt.

Marie followed him into the jet and sat next to him with apparent reluctance. Her eyes flickered to gold for just a moment and he wanted to pull her on his lap, Stick-up-the-ass Scott Summers seeing or not. He could tell she wanted to be there by the heated gaze she shot to his groin. The lusty smirk was quickly followed by a mortified blush as the two sides came to the front. Logan wasn't sure which one he liked more.

Soon she fell asleep and rested her head on his shoulder. He stroked her hair, needing to feel her. He'd almost lost her and the thought caused him his throat to tighten. He was bewildered and scared by how fast his attachment to her was developing. She was young, so young. He doubted her claim she was eighteen. She still had the roundness in her features and softness in her limbs that indicated she wasn't very far out of adolescence. And despite the pain he'd glimpsed in her eyes he could still the naivety she tried to hide. Why else would she jump into the back of a truck with a clearly dangerous mutant, skin or no skin? Unless she felt the uncontrollable attraction too. A tantalizing thought. He kissed her head and continued stroking her hair. He heard a delicate cough and looked up to see Jean watching them with an uncertain smile.

"I'm sorry about my earlier assumption. I realize now that I was wrong. You obviously care about her and would never turn her into just another one night stand. Almost like your sister." She smiled at him warmly. "It's nice that you've taken her under your wing. Who knew the Wolverine was such a softie under that gruff exterior." Her words made him sick. Soft? Not likely. His sister? Fuck that.

If only she knew. He'd have Marie in his bed every night for the rest of their lives if he could. He was glad that apparently he had returned to hard to read because Jean's expression didn't change as he thought damning thoughts.

"She's a good kid. Doesn't deserve half the shit that life's dealt her, meeting me included. I'm only righting a wrong. I scared her, almost got her killed. Owe her."

"Of course." Jean's expression indicated she didn't believe a word he'd said.

Marie whimpered in her sleep. Logan pulled her close and stroked her hair again. "Shhh Darlin. You're safe." She sighed and pressed a little closer.

"I'll let you two sleep and let you know when we near Westchester." Jean smirked at his distracted nod.

"Sure Red." His eyes never strayed from Marie.

Marie clung to Logan tighter as she pretended to sleep. Logan thought of her like a sister? She was sure, or at least she'd hoped that Logan had…liked her too. And at the juvenile description of what she felt for him she cringed. Of course he thought of her like a sister. She still thought like a kid. What she felt for Logan was already so much more than like, too much to sort in her mind. Heat and burning want mixed with admiration and almost-fear of what he could do. And still that little voice in her mind that sounded a lot like Wolverine told her she wasn't his sister. She was his mate. Mate. She liked the sound of that. But Logan hadn't contradicted Jean when she'd said she was like his sister. He'd told her that he owed her. That was all. And then the feeling of his hand stroking her hair, his arm wrapped around her didn't feel right anymore. He owed her.

She tried to shift out of his arms. Pretended to wake for just a moment and tried to move away from him. He growled low in his chest and she could feel the growl against her cheek. Mine. Wolverine told her. "Stay." Logan said softly. And she couldn't help herself. Maybe he thought he owed her or needed to protect her. She would prove him wrong.

But for the moment she would enjoy being in his arms. And pretend that he wanted her like she wanted him for just awhile longer.

So what did you think? Is Logan falling too fast? Is Marie too indecisive? Is everyone too OOC? Let me know. Can't get better if you don't let me know. :) If you just enjoyed the chapter immensely I wouldn't mind hearing about that either...just saying...

Next up: Rogue meets the rest of the X-men and has an interesting reaction to one Bobby Drake aka Iceman...