It' been what? 10 months? I thought for awhile that maybe my muse for this story had died. Which wouldn't have been fair to you. But I've had requests to continue my other Rogan story and ironically after rereading both stories it was this one I managed to write something for. I plan on finishing it, as I plan on finishing all my stories but it's slow going. I've started the next chapter (for real, I promise) so I felt confident in publishing this one. I'm sorry, it's really mostly a filler chapter to get me back into writing. Hopefully you won't hate me too much for it. It's a little OOC even for me.

I've started the chapter off with the end of the last chapter. It's been awhile, most of you probably lost track of what's happening...

"Logan, maybe you should introduce Rogue to the junior team at the very least?" Storm's voice was carefully neutral. She wanted what was best for Rogue and maybe some time away from the domineering Wolverine might be in order. The girl seemed content to follow his lead but by giving her a chance to make her own friends that could change.

"No!" Rogue was done with meeting people. She had a headache and she really just wanted to curl up in a blanket and sleep for the next two days. "Ah really just want to go back to our room if that's okay?"

Storm nodded with a smile. "Of course, whatever you want Rogue. No one is pressuring you."

Rogue smiled in relief and pulled Logan towards the door. He came willingly. As soon as they were out the door and out of sight she sighed. "Logan, why are we here? One day and Ah'm ready to be back on the road."

"My thoughts exactly Darlin. But you're safe here." He snarled at the thought that she was safer here than she would be on the road with him.

"Mmm…but we'd both be happier on the road." She blushed at the presumption and tried to cover it by teasing him. "You did promise to take me to your cabin, remember?"

"And I have no plans to break that promise."

She stared at him, wonder in her eyes. A moment suspended in time. He held out his hand, palm up and she took it with a smile.

The night was an awkward one. Awkward and exhilarating and nerve-wracking for Marie. She wasn't sure what to expect when they went back to the room. She was lost somewhere between fear and desire and elation the closer they got to their room. And it made her want to giggle inappropriately when she realized that she had the right to call it their room.

Marie wasn't sure what to expect. But what happened was nowhere near what she was hoping for, what she assumed might happen. They entered the room and Logan began to pace instantly. The peace and certainty she'd felt only moments before was lost to a sudden tension. The room was getting rapidly darker, the light from outside barely illuminating her surroundings. She was glad for the last traces of Logan's abilities she held on to. Her eyesight was still sharp and so she went to the bed and sat down and simply watched Logan, waiting for any signal from him on what she should be doing next.

The last bit of feral she had in her was pushing her to act on the fantasies running through her mind. If she was more experienced, or even just a little bolder she might actually have acted on the urge to throw herself at Logan. As it was, she found she could only wait anxiously for his direction. And he seemed lost in thought as he walked the length of the room, back and forth, back and forth.

Finally the tension was too much, her anticipation giving way to a feeling of exhaustion. The last few days hadn't been the easiest and she almost wished that she'd taken up Dr. McCoy earlier on his offer to look her over in the lab. But the thought of any lab, even one where no experiments were conducted held no appeal for her. The memory of Logan, strapped to a table, undergoing torture simply because he could withstand it made her shudder.

Logan didn't immediately respond to her quiet utterance of his name so Marie fell back on the bed and sighed. She was tired and sore, her neck left with a phantom ache from Mystique's attack. The worst was the weariness of her limbs after being exposed to the cold for so long. She couldn't imagine what it must feel like for Logan even with his healing abilities. Cold and metal didn't mix. She'd never graduated but she had enough common sense to pick up that much from Logan's slower movements before they warmed up in the jet.

The bed had Logan's scent, even after so many months. Marie breathed it in and the softness of the bed and the safety of his scent made her feel lethargic. Logan was still pacing, his voice a low rumble as he muttered to himself. She couldn't quite make out the words but she didn't try too hard. She could see the tension in his body as he paced, his shoulders hunched in, his brow furrowed. Whatever he was debating with himself, whether it was about her or not, she felt wasn't any of her business. Not right at this moment anyway. He would talk to her when he was ready. So she squirmed into the blankets and debated on pulling off her gloves and sweater. She'd grown used to sleeping with her pants on, both for warmth and for the protection of anyone unaware of her skin. But the sweater was itchy and too warm, and the gloves felt foreign against her skin, dirt and water drying to make the fabric stiff and uncomfortable. She stole another glance at Logan but he was still lost in his thoughts, his focus completely centered in his own mind.

He would come to bed eventually and if she was already asleep she didn't want to risk his safety for her own comfort. The sweater she took off and dropped at the side of the bed, within easy reach if she needed it. The gloves she left on, her fingers flexing unconsciously to loosen the fabric. She would need to find more gloves tomorrow. The ones she was wearing were old opera gloves she'd found in her parent's attic before she'd run away. They'd seen better days. What once was white had become a dingy gray, with countless stains from coffee and food and even a few drops of blood. She'd rarely taken them off, even to wash them. And even then it was a quick rinse in a dirty gas station washroom, the fabric freezing often once she'd reached the colder climates of the northern States and eventually Canada. They weren't very warm and she had another dark pair of winter gloves she wore over them to keep warm. These were the last protection against accidental touch and she was afraid to take them off. The shirt she wore under her sweater was short-sleeved but the gloves were long, only a small ribbon of skin showing between the end of the gloves and her sleeves. She felt comfortable enough with Logan to sleep like this.

Marie worried briefly about getting Logan's bed dirty. Her jeans were just as bad as her gloves from trekking through the snow. Her jeans were stained from the bottom of her pant-leg up to her knees in dried mud but she couldn't do anything about it. Perhaps if one of the 'X-men' as they called themselves had shown her to a room they might have provided her with a change of clothes. But she hadn't wanted to be separated from Logan for even a moment. So she tried not to think about it and burrowed in the warm blankets. She hadn't slept in an actual bed in what seemed like months, park benches, bus stops, truck stops and doorways had been her bed of choice the last few months. Food was always more important than shelter, the constant ache in her stomach often reminding her that she might not even make it to Anchorage. She reminded herself that whatever life she'd led before was over. No more begging for change or food or rides. No more aching stomach and shaking from the cold. No more waking up with a stiff neck or back from sleeping on unyielding concrete or wood. Logan wouldn't let that life reclaim her. Of that she was certain.

Marie fell asleep to the gentle thud of Logan's footsteps, to the rumble of his voice and the sounds of the night outside once he opened the window. She smiled thinking that she could get used to this. But a niggling voice at the back of her head warned her not to. She ignored it for the moment, basking in the comfort of her surroundings, daydreams turning into pleasant dreams as she finally drifted off.

Logan didn't notice when Marie crawled into his bed and under the covers. He didn't notice when she finally drifted off and her breathing turned deep and even as she slept. He spent more than an hour pacing his room, only Wolverine in his subconscious aware of Marie and their surroundings.

He wasn't the type of man to lose himself in thought, to think deeply about anything. He wasn't stupid, he just didn't have the time or inclination to give a shit about the world around him. The years of the life he could remember were simple. And despite the odd mission Xavier roped him into from time to time, he kept it that way. Marie had gone and changed everything and he was trying to figure out where that left him. The certainty he'd felt only moments before was becoming lost under the weight of reality. Mystique's voice taunting him in his head. You know that once you've claimed her, she's chained to you for life? That might seem like a romantic dream for a teenager but once she realizes what you are she's going to hate you.

He would stay at the mansion for now. What other choice did he have? Marie was his but she needed stability and guessing from her age and the circumstances he'd found her in, she needed to finish high school. And the thought made him cringe. High school. And then his thoughts led from how long they would stay with Xavier to how they could even make their relationship work. And the realization that he already considered himself in a relationship with her had him half-scared and ready to bolt out the door. Never mind about her skin, there were deeper issues to work through. Like how he could keep her looking at him with the adoration he glimpsed when he stared into her eyes. How did he plan to not fuck up whatever it was they shared. How did he make her stay when a few years from now she could and would most likely be a completely different person. Teenage girls did not remain the same person, and they rarely stayed in love with the same person, if they even understood what it was. Marie had had it rough these last months but this was a new environment, with people her own age, with a welcoming atmosphere and a chance to become more than she'd ever hoped for. Where could he fit in that? What was he but an old, tired man still searching for some clue of who he once was.

He let himself look over at Marie and took in the sight of her buried under the covers with surprise. Her steady breathing told him she was asleep and for a moment he let his thoughts die. He didn't deserve her but she wanted him, right now, at this moment. And he'd take whatever he could, keep her as long as she let him.

Logan rolled his shoulders and stared at the trail of dirty footprints he'd left on the floor. Xavier would give him a scolding for messing with his beautifully finished wood flooring and the thought made him smile. He kicked off his boots, leaving them to rest at the foot of the bed and had the button of his fly undone before he remembered that he wouldn't be sleeping alone. Not tonight, and if he was lucky, not for a very long time. He considered trying a night out in the chair, his thoughts still haunted with the image of her above him, his claws impaling the soft skin of her stomach. His nightmares were often intense and his actions uncontrollable. He comforted himself with the knowledge that Marie could heal herself with his abilities. She wasn't completely helpless. And he hadn't always spent the night alone. He'd never once hurt any of the women he'd accidentally fallen asleep beside. He figured that even in his sleep he would be protective enough to keep her safe, from his nightmares and the Wolverine.

Hopefully soon Marie might feel comfortable enough to sleep with either of them undressed but he wasn't about to pressure her into anything. Slow and steady he reminded himself. She was young and they had all the time in the world to figure things out. He left his button undone but his jeans on. His leather jacket was thrown carelessly onto a chair in the corner as he pulled off his wife-beater. He scrounged up a sweater from his closet with the letter 'X' emblazoned on the chest. It made him scowl to see how idiotic he looked in the mirror but if it kept Marie safe from being tainted by any more of his memories than he would wear it until he found something more suitable. All of his things were still in his camper and he wasn't here often enough to keep a change of clothing handy.

Logan lifted the covers and froze with a frown on his face. His clothes were in the camper, as was anything she owned. He didn't care that anything she was wearing meant he would have to get someone to wash his sheets. He figured she must be uncomfortable sleeping completely clothed. He made a quick decision, gingerly tugging off of her pants, taking care to keep from touching any of her bared skin. He scowled at the sight of her pale skin. Her jeans couldn't have been very warm and she'd been walking around in the cold weather barely covered. Tomorrow he would demand that Xavier get her a complete wardrobe or he'd go out and buy it himself. Tonight he concentrated on making sure she could sleep comfortably. He left her socks on, and ultimately her gloves as well. She'd wrapped herself up pretty well in the blankets but if she moved around in her sleep he didn't want either of them to be surprised by an accidental touch. He kissed her head affectionately before he wrapped the blanket back around her. He finally stretched out beside her on top of the covers, his front pressed against her back, his body curled protectively around hers. He fell asleep to the gentle rhythm of her breathing and spent the night dreamless for the first time in a long time.

Marie woke up completely contented. The blanket was still wrapped tightly around her, the solid warmth at her back letting her know that Logan had finally come to bed sometime after she'd fallen asleep. She tried to ignore the brief feeling of disappointment that he hadn't woken her up and focused on the positive. She'd fallen asleep in his bed and rather than sleep somewhere else or wake her and get her to sleep somewhere else he'd joined her. His arm was thrown carelessly across her midsection and she could hear his breathing near her ear, his head resting on the same pillow as hers was.

She squirmed, a little too warm under the blankets. Logan's arm tightened around her, his breath warm against her neck making her shiver as he spoke against her ear.

"Morning M'rie"

She attempted to kick the blankets away impatiently and turned towards him. Their faces were close, too close for her comfort so Marie tipped her head back and stared into his eyes. His gaze was a mix of golden possession and warm brown affection. It was only when her bare knee came into contact with his jeans that she realized that she had no pants on. She shrieked and threw herself away from him, effectively throwing herself off the bed. Logan uttered a grunt of amusement as he heard the thud of Marie's landing, her legs still trapped in the blankets with her feet sticking up in the air.

"Logan! Why aren't Ah wearing any pants?"

Logan considered helping her up but as he got to his feet and walked around the bed he realized that it was much more amusing to watch her struggle to her own feet. She flailed and cried out in dismay as she tried to untangle herself from the blankets. The entire time Logan watched with a smirk. The amusement died as Marie finally got to her feet, her chest heaving and her glare murderous. She was beautiful, her hair a tangled mess, her shirt tight, accentuating her flared hips and breasts. Her legs were pale and plump and he wanted to lift her back onto the bed and touch all of her bared skin, to part her legs...but those thoughts were unacceptable for now. First he needed to get her new clothes.

"Yours were dirty with dried mud." She looked guilty and he sought to clarify. "Must not have been real comfortable to sleep in. So I got rid of 'em."

His gaze ran over her in appreciation quickly before he forced himself to turn away. In the wardrobe he quickly pulled out another sweater matching his, a pair of sweatpants and a towel, each item visibly emblazoned with the letter 'X'. Logan pushed them into her arms.

"There's a bathroom through that door. I'm sure after being on the road so long you'll want to take a shower. Just put these on. Leave everything else in the laundry basket that's in there. We'll find you more stuff to wear later."

Marie seemed put off by his sudden mood-swing but she nodded and closed the bathroom door behind her.

Logan could probably use a shower himself but he'd much rather find something to eat. Marie wouldn't take long and he didn't want to face another scene like the one the night before. He directed his thoughts that Marie needed new clothes and not to disturb them for a bit and hoped that the Professor or Jean had managed to receive something from him. Then he stalked to the kitchen. Despite their exhausting day yesterday, they hadn't slept long. It was 7 am on a Saturday and most of the kids in the mansion were still sleeping. He'd hoped not to encounter anyone but he got the next best thing he supposed. Ororo was leaning against the island in the kitchen, chatting animatedly with Kurt as he prowled around the kitchen, his prehensile tail and hands waving around as he spoke. Both of them managed a distracted greeting before they were lost in a conversation again.

Logan wasn't sure if any of the students were aware of the budding relationship between the weather goddess and the blue imp. He figured most of the teachers had to know. It was hard to keep a secret from a feral like Hank or himself, or telepaths like the Professor or Jean. And he figured Jean shared close to everything with Scott. Those two were sort of sickening with their open displays of cuteness and affection.

'Ro and Kurt's scents were all over each other, simply from the amount of times they touched, from simple hugs and congratulatory slaps on the back among other things. Just how comfortable the two were around each other was evident, Kurt's tail wrapping around Ororo's leg as he came to stand beside her, his arm slung over her shoulder companionably as she offered him a bite of her apple. Logan watched them with amusement as he pulled items out of the fridge. When he turned to leave he offered a halfhearted goodbye which neither seemed to hear. At least they weren't as bad as Scott and Jean after any time spent apart. He walked into the room, his arms laden with food for Marie to choose from when he spotted her sitting on the bed brushing her long hair.

He dropped his offerings on the bed and waited. He'd grabbed everything she could eat without heating, from fruit and leftover ham to ice cream. "Thought you might be hungry, Darlin'"

Marie dropped the brush on the bed and eagerly started to sort through the items on the bed. "Mmmm ice cream! But I can't eat ice cream for breakfast Logan," she protested even as she grabbed a spoon and pulled the lid off. The second the first spoonful touched her tongue she moaned.

Logan growled in appreciation as he watched her devour the rest of the ice cream and then lick her spoon clean. He watched as she chose an orange next. Her made a face at the combination of sweet and tangy but continued to eat as fast as she could. Logan ripped a piece off the ham and started to eat. Surprisingly they finished almost everything he'd brought. Marie had been hungry, her body slim and slightly malnourished and Logan had always had a large appetite. He shoved the remaining empty containers and orange peels in the garbage can next to his bed and cleared his throat and turned towards Marie with a grim expression. She was sitting cross-legged on their bed, her face expectant.

"We need to talk Marie."

Dun dun duh. Hopefully it wasn't too horrible...