Changes

By Daughter of the Black

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men or anything, and I only have a right to dream about Logan.

A/N: Sorry this took so long, I got major writers block, so anyway Review and I will start to work on more.

Chapter Two: Lost

Rogue stared past her parents and sister, her eyes unfocused, she was remembering. She started to fidget with her hands and they found a cigar tucked into a small pocket, the lighter next to it also was scooped into the gloved hands. The cigar firmly gripped in her hand, to everyone's shock, she tried to master the lighter, put the hand shook so badly that she could barely get her finger to move. Sighing, Logan took the lighter from her hand and lit her cigar. She put the thing to her lips and as she drew in her breath, a look of pure euphoria came over her.

David had finally looked over to see someone he never thought to again, there she was, the one girl he had never been able to get his mind off, she may be a mutant, but she was pretty and quiet, a complete pushover. She was different, more elegant, she was in a wheelchair, escorted by what looked like a bodyguard and smoking a cigar. That was not right, and why was she in a wheelchair; others at the party had seen this odd party and had chosen to slip away. He remained, rooted to the spot.

"I have seen all I needed to, let's return to the institute," Rogue was calm and quiet, only Logan heard the small sigh that came with the comment.

"Wait Marie, where have you been, what happened to you, who are these people," Rogue's mother asked.

David's voice cut in before any answer could be made, "What are you doing back here?"

Rogue's father stepped forward and yanked her out of the chair; he shook her thoroughly, and left her to stand there. Except she crumpled to the ground, her legs too weak to do much. Bobby started forward then hesitated, it was best not to ever touch Rouge especially around the Wolverine. He was right; Logan was by his girl's side in two seconds flat, gathering her into his arms, careful of her legs.

"I suppose I should tell them, everything I mean, that way I don't have to feel guilty no more," Rogue whispered into the warm chest of the man she loved.

The muscles tensed as he nodded stiffly, then the wind as he walked towards the house. Everyone followed Logan into the house, some more purple than others. Bobby was followed by David, and did not realize until the man brushed past him and the wheelchair. Logan had set Rogue down on the couch and was taking her pulse, carefully moving her joints and rubbing small circles into her palm with his thumb. A weak smile pulled at her lips, and she leaned against him slightly. It was like a war zone in the room, the x-men on one side, and the humans on the other. It seemed as if a mutual decision had been made, that David had a right to be there. Bobby sat next to Rogue, and Shadowcat and Jubilee next to him. It was silent, everyone one waiting for the young woman to start speaking.

Rogue was nervous, not sure where to start, but new she had better start, "After I ran away, I hitchhiked to Canada. I had to ride with complete lechers, all of them had the same look in their eyes, except for one, and he was more focused on running than I was. Anyway, I met him in a bar, he was a cage fighter, best there was. He sat next to me at the bar, and one of his opponents tried to stab him, well I screamed and he flexed his hand and three claws came out from between his knuckles. Well the bartender said he didn't want no mutants in his place, and he had a shotgun trained on this man. He just used his claws to slice right through the barrel of the gun. Then he left, didn't even look back, just so cold. Well I figured I had a better chance to go than stay so I hid in the back of his trailer. After a couple of minutes he stopped and pulled the tarp off me, he didn't even look phased. Anyway, he told me to get out, and I said needed a ride and he just left me there. But not a minute later he stopped and let me get in. Of course, he tried to touch me, my hands I mean. I told him about what happened, it didn't scare him. Then a tree fell down in front of the truck, well he went through the windshield and another mutant beat him up, but he got up and then was knocked out. I watched it all, while I tried to get the seatbelt unstuck, cause the fire in the back was close to the gas tank. Then two more mutants showed up and saved us, one with weather powers and another with deadly vision, like lasers. Then they took us to an institute, and that's were I been for the past couple of years.

"When we got there, heard the man dreaming something awful, so I went to wake him and he sat up and stabbed me through the chest. He had almost killed me so I borrowed some of his healing ability. I got better, but another mutant told me I should leave. So I did, and the man came after me, swore he would protect me, and he has. But the Magneto he hates all humans, he kidnapped me from the train, chained me to some machine atop the statue of liberty. He was trying to change all the world leaders into mutants, I was a battery, a tool for him to do it. It was killing me, then he stopped the machine, the man I had met I mean. I was already dead, or the brink of it, he put his hand on my cheek and he was ready to sacrifice himself for me, it brought me back, but I still have some of his habits. The white stripes are my souvenir from that experience. He left after I got better, I really missed him, he was the first person I trusted to be there.

"When he came back, I had a boyfriend, everyone meet Bobby. Well not long after, the military raided the school we all had to run. We went to Bobby's house in Boston, the cops came and a lot died. We finally left, and when the jet was hit by a missile, I got sucked out and I was so frightened I was gonna die. But Nightcrawler saved my life, but then we had to go to Alkali Lake to save the children. Jean died there, she died to save the rest of us.

"Then a cure was introduced, I went to take it, while the others had to stop Magneto from killing everyone. Jean was resurrected, and almost killed us all, the Professor died and so did she in the end. I took the cure and came back, but it didn't work right. Or rather it worked perfectly, you see my draining power was draining my other powers, so I only knew about the one. When I took the cure, it taught me how to control it, then I became an empathy, then a telepath, then telekinetic. Now you know what has happened to me, the strength of my powers is to much for my body right now so I am not allowed to walk. I am one of the most important mutants now, because only I know the secret, and I wont tell, plus I am the only one who can use cerebro."

"You have a boyfriend, I am happy for you," Marie's mother had turned to Bobby and he had scooted back.

Logan chuckled, "Actually, they broke up."

David choked out another question, "Who are they, I mean it's not as if anyone would be able to not be frightened of you."

Logan had jumped up an expression of extreme outrage plastered on his face, "No Logan, they have a right to know. A small miniscule right to know that I am not what I used to be, that I am self sufficient, or as much as you will let me be. So I will introduce you all, correctly that is. Mr. and Mrs. D'Ancanto, David, and my twin, these are my friends and co-workers, Bobby Drake, Kitty Pryde, and Jubilation Lee. This man, this is the man. The one who saved me, the one who I will always remember, the one I owe great debts to."

"That's right. Great debts, and that is exactly why I stick around," Logan had chuckled and patted her head.

Rogue mocked pouting, "Is that all, I thought it was because I was just to damn tempting." Invisible fingers tickled his neck and ruffled his hair, an unsettling sight to some in the room. Logan only laughed and playfully smacked the real hand, which rested on her leg.

David cut in, "So you're not dating anyone?"

Rogue and Logan exchanged a look that asked just how dumb this guy could get, "Hmm let me think, he takes care of me, doesn't mind if I take a walk down his memory lane. Generally tends to catch me alone in deserted rooms, and likes to hold my hand and talk as I fall into nightmares of death and despair. And his voice can stave off that dark which I fear, the dark where he comes for me, and I can do nothing but what he wants. No, I am not dating anyone, I have fallen for the mysterious guardian angel."

The X-Men chuckled, while the others looked confused and disturbed. Lilliane who had not quite listened to everything was eyeing up a gorgeous man who was unaware at the attention he had earned. She watched his unchecked manner and his relaxed and sexy aura.

She honeyed her voice and addressed him, "How old are you? And what is your name?"

Startled, Logan only sunk into momentary silence, "They call me Wolverine, as for my age, the verdict is still out. Some believe I am over 80, others think more."

Lilliane laughed thinking it was a joke, "Tell the truth."

"I believe we are done here, I have all the closure I will ever need. So let us return, we have classes to teach on Monday, and I have no wish to not be able to rise. For you have a serious need to hang in midair since my dear friend Magneto no longer…I mean that he isn't available," Rogue said, quickly covering her mistake.

Logan frowned and groaned at the same time, "I say when you are fit enough to do anything more than sit there and look pretty, and that includes your little habits. So no drinking and no smoking."

Rogue whimpered, "But they're your habits to begin with, and don't tell me that I can't because I can get cancer and all that shit. Because I know you would lend me some of your powers, plus I always have things to blackmail you with." She leaned up to his ear and whispered something only Logan ever knew.

Logan laughed and slipped his hand to the back of her neck, seamlessly he had the net off her hair. Rogue gasped in indignation, and her hands went underneath her hair, sweeping it out. Logan caught a lock of it and was twisting it around his finger, ignoring the stares he got. Remembering what she had been thinking, she rose unsteadily and tried to walk toward the door, David stood in the way, and she stumbled into his arms.

"Marie, what have you been doing at that institute place? What have they done to you?"

Bobby collected his ex-girlfriend from his arms and stiffly answered the questions, "Her name is Rogue, and she is a literature and combat teacher. And Professor X has done nothing to her, none of us has."

Rogue only smiled faintly and thought of one man who had been there when Logan ran from her, someone who had comforted her when her powers began to change. One man who may love her for the wrong reasons, one man who with every look tends to do damage, he too is lost. Then there are the others the ones who see nothing beyond her exterior, and then there are those who see nothing of that. Then he is there, Logan sees both, but so does the man, both are broken and try to hide it. Rogue is just breaking one more than she can believe.

While she thought, she was settled into Logan's arms and the group trotted out the door, Kitty slipping a small slip of paper to David as she passed him by. The doorway was crowded as the X-Men walked across the street and piled into the cars. Logan let the top of the car down and Rogue could be seen laughing and smiling. Logan due to her persistence hit the gas and watched her hair roll out behind her, fluttering and dancing in the wind.

The drive to the hotel in town that they were to stay at until they decided to leave, Storm who was always considerate made sure they were in the penthouse were they could be together and have their own rooms. When they arrived, Rogue saw one person she thought never to see again, her mind reeled with the terror and that disgust she had long ago repressed.

Yay, second chappie done. I am so proud of myself, I have so much stuff to do but I finally got this done, more chapters to come, I just need to think about where I want to end up with all this. So if anyone has any ideas, just tell me. Oh, and I am writing an epilogue for Her Curse, Her Cure, just to tie things up and give more detail. So hopefully that should be out today too. So until next time. Use purple button, right Shiny make sure to review!

Daughter of the Black