The Not-Too Distant Future. Xavier Mansion, NY.

"I can't go on," he whispered, rubbing his head in his hands. "I can't go on."

His inner strength was gone now. He had always had it, fought with it, been legendary for it. It had satisfied him, even though it had kept him alone. Then, suddenly, he had not been alone. He had found friends, a family. They had been a better salve to his pain than any drink, any cigar, any berserk rage. He had loved them, and he still did.

But now things would be over soon, he knew. The man who had given him the family was dead- after he could have saved him. The woman he had wanted to start another family with was dead too- by his own hand. She had killed one man who loved her, and destroyed the other as well. Only part of her had even cared. The other part, the part he'd had to kill, had laughed at both of them, then set out to destroy the world.

"Jean," he recalled, shaking his head at her memory. "Jean. I miss you."

Before their final battle he had been able to put all thought of her aside, concentrate on the man who had always been a threat to both of them. A threat to their entire family, and their dream.

They had beaten that man, finally destroyed him. But then they had had to destroy Jean too. She was one of their own, and they had had to kill her. Specifically he had had to. The knowledge of that, the memory of what he had done, what he had tried and failed to do, was rooted inside him now. And it was worsening all his other pain.

"Logan," a voice said.

He looked up to see a darkskinned woman in black standing before him. Short white hair framed her aristocratic features.

"Storm," he said, smiling wryly. She had always trusted him, even though they barely knew each other. Even now, her presence brought with it a feeling of warmth. Of course, that feeling only slightly eased what lurked inside his bones.

"Ororo," she said, stepping closer. She knelt before the bed he sat on, took his hand in hers. "You should call me Ororo after all we've been through together."

"Ororo," he repeated, grimacing at the name. For only an instant, though. He liked it. Storm was nice too, but it was also uncomfortably close to the feelings he often had. Those feelings always disturbed him no matter what. Unlike his body, they did not easily heal.

"You were screaming," she said, looking up at him. "What happened?"

"Nightmare." He gasped, remembering. "I saw it all again. We fought Magneto, we defeated him. But then Jean..."

"I know."

Logan gasped. "This time she destroyed me. I wasn't strong enough to stop her. I died, just like Scott and the Professor..."

"You didn't die," Ororo reminded him, squeezing his hand.

"You're still here."

He took one look at her, then turned away, pulling his hand from her grasp.

"Logan!" she shouted. He did not look back. "Logan!"

"Go away," he snapped, waving his hand at the door of the room.

For a moment it clenched, the claws within about to spring forth.

Then Logan stopped himself, remembering Ororo was not his enemy.

"Get out of here," he told her instead. "Just leave me." Words, he knew from experience, could be sharper than adamantium.

Ororo shook her head, then stood up and sat down on the bed. She took Logan's face in her hands, turned it back towards her. He grimaced at her cool touch. For a moment he felt something inside change at its pressure. Then he frowned again, remembering all the reasons for his pain. The substance inside him, his body and yet not his body. The echoes of his long life, all the things he could remember and those he couldn't. The death of his mentor, his rival, and the woman he'd loved. His enemies had died too, but that didn't matter. Not when joined with the death of his friends. At their funerals and afterwards in public he'd held it all inside, but now his grief was coming out. He had always been alone, and suffered alone. The family he had now hadn't changed that, even though it had changed so much else.

"Logan," she said, looking directly at his eyes. "Logan, look at me."

For a long instant he was silent, trying to drive her from him with his naked fury. But she did not even seem to notice, or if she did, she did not leave. She only continued looking at him.

Then he turned and saw a reflection of himself inside her eyes.

"What?" he snarled, his tone changing. "What do you want?"

"You're in pain. You need help."

"Yeah, I am," Logan shrugged. No use challenging her impression.

"What makes you think you can do anything about it?"

She took a deep breath. "I've lost people too."

She had, he realized. Jean, Scott, and the Professor had also been her friends. How could he have forgotten?

"Yeah," he said, looking at her. "You did."

"Not just them," Ororo replied. She dropped her hands from his face. "I lost my parents, long ago. Charles gave me a new family, but now..." She turned away, tears coming to her eyes.

Oh my, Logan realized, staring at her. He wasn't the only one alone inside, he realized. She was too. He should have read the signs. So often she trembled in enclosed spaces, and seemed uncomfortable in the open too. So often she seemed to be sharing his own feelings about their family, living and dead. For so long he'd been confused by their misunderstanding. She saw the X-Men as a team, and himself as part of that team. He had not seen the true advantages of that viewpoint, though- not until their most recent battle. And even then, at the end of that battle, Logan had once again had to stand alone.

Ororo had too, he knew now. She had led the team to safety while he took care of Jean. The new members of the group- Bobby, Kitty, and Peter- had all looked up to her. They had admired her, and

Hank too- but even that veteran had deferred to Ororo. Logan also respected her. She and him were the only ones left of the group from back when he'd first joined the X-Men. The girl he'd brought with him was still there, but she was no longer a mutant. Instead she was human, gone to what he hoped was a better life even though she was still part of Logan's. Scott, Jean, and the

Professor were gone too, gone farther away to something Logan knew had to be better. The only one who was there with him at the beginning who was still with him now and still like him was Ororo

Munroe.

Logan clenched his fists, looking at her. He still wanted to shove her away, get up and run as he always had in the past. Bear his own pain, forget about other people. But now, thanks to all they had shared, he knew he could not do that again. And also, he knew he shouldn't. Not when this woman was next to him, willing to share what troubled him now.

"St..." he began, then shook his head. Reaching out, he put his hand on her shoulder. "Ororo."

She turned and looked at him. "What?"

He coughed, then sighed, deciding to forget what was bothering him. Temporarily, of course. "I understand how you feel."

"Do you?"

He took her hand, nodding. "Yeah." Then he frowned. "Well, not exactly. I never knew my family. I can't even remember having one. Not until now."

She smiled at him. "We have to keep the family going. Charles is gone, and so many others. Scott, Jean, Hank..."

"Furball's still alive."

"Yes, but he has another mission now." She took a breath, looked down and then back at him. "Logan, you and I have to go on. We have to keep the school going. We're the only ones who can.

There's a cure now, but not everyone wants it. Some of us have useful abilities too. Things we have to manage, control..."

"I know," Logan cut her off. "I've been thinking about all that." He sighed. "I want to do it. I just ... I just don't know if I can." He wondered why he was being so open with her, then shook his head, deciding it didn't matter. Besides, from the look on her face, Ororo was reading his thoughts as good as Jean ever had, maybe even more so.

"It's easy," she said, taking his hand in hers. "Just think of us as the family you never had, what you always wanted. How would you live with that family, if you had the chance?"

"I don't know. I'm not this family's leader."

"This family's leader is dead, Logan. They need a new one now. I thought it could be Scott, but he's gone. Charles chose me to take his place."

Logan grinned, remembering. "Good decision."

"Yes. But I can't do it alone." She looked him up and down, then took another breath. "Every family needs a mother. And a father."

Logan's mouth fell open for an instant. Then he slammed it shut.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what," Ororo said. "You can lead them, Logan, teach them. They respect you. You're the strongest fighter here."

"Yeah," Logan agreed, raising his hand to his eyes. He looked at his palm for a moment, then smiled and dropped it. "I am the best at what I do."

Ororo nodded. "They know that. So do I. You can't bury yourself anymore, Logan. People need you."

"I guess so." He wondered why he was having trouble believing it. "But I can't be their father. That isn't me. I'll just be their friend."

"And their teacher too. They all need a teacher."

"Right." He took another breath. "Look, if you think I'm walking away from all this..."

She shook her head. "I don't, but I'm afraid. I've seen so much in you that worries me. I know that staying here is probably the hardest thing you've ever done."

Logan thought for a few seconds, then nodded. "You're right."

"And killing Jean. That was also hard for you."

"I loved her." He shook away a tear.

"She was a good friend to me too. But it was more than that with you and Scott, I know it was. It was something like I had with the man I loved."

Logan blinked. "I've never seen you with anyone."

Ororo sighed. "He was a student here before you came. He's dead now. You remember the clinic Magneto blew up, before San

Francisco?"

"Yeah..."

"The man I loved was there. I don't know if he was outside or inside, protesting the cure or waiting for it. I..." Her voice broke and she fell sobbing against Logan's bare chest.

Damn it, Logan thought. I didn't know. "Tell me about him."

"His name was Forge. He was a good man. A brilliant inventor.

There was nothing he couldn't create."

"Sounds like he was as strong as Jean."

"He was, but in a different way. I loved him as you loved her.

He saved my life several times, and I saved his. We were going to be married, but then..." Her voice caught, then deepened. "He told me he thought I'd say no. I hated him for that, drove him away. But now ... I would have said yes, Logan!" She pressed her face into his chest, crying and shaking against him. "If he hadn't told me his fear, I would have said yes!"

Logan looked down at her as she poured out her sadness. For some reason he felt his own lessen, or at least become easier to bear.

He had thought he was the only one who felt as he did. Now he saw he was wrong. "Damn it." He paused. "You know, he might not be dead. We thought Rogue was at that clinic at first, but then she came back okay."

"No! He's dead! I know he is! He has to be!"

Logan sighed again, then threw his arms around Ororo, cuddling her close to him. "I'm sorry," he said. "I wish I could have met this guy."

Ororo ceased her tears and smiled, looking up. "You would have liked him. He had your free spirit, and your strength. Useful talents too. I was going to invite him back here- he would have made a good teacher. But now..."

"We'll find other teachers. Bobby will be one, and Peter, and

Rogue, and Kitty too. We'll find more."

She nodded. "I already have some people in mind. Charles left me names. Emma Frost, Alex Summers, Alison Blair..."

Logan gave her a look of surprise. "The disc jockey?"

"Another person who left before you came."

Logan nodded, then asked another question. "This Alex ... he's..."

"Scott's brother. There's a lot you don't know about us."

Logan laughed. "I guess so." He moved his hand down, wiped a tear from her eye. "Hey, look, we're going to move on. They're gone now. I keep telling myself that. We can't bring them back.

We have to go on."

"Yes," Ororo agreed, staring at him. "We have to go on, Logan."

She touched his hand, then moved up against him, pressing her body against hers.

"What are you..." Logan gasped out, then was interrupted by her lips.

"We have to go on," Ororo repeated, pulling back from the kiss.

She looked at him, smiling once more. "Together."

Logan grimaced. The feel of her against him was nice, but...

"Together?"

"Yes, Logan. Together. You have pain and so do I. We can..."

He put a finger against her lips, shaking his head. "No. I can't get close to people. They all die, they all..."

Again her voice stopped him. "I'm still alive, Logan. And I want you."

"You..." He paused, glancing her over. She was lovely. Her body was inspiring, and her spirit as well. This wouldn't be the first time Logan had eased his pain with the help of a woman. But such a woman as this ... something about her scared him. He shook his head, wondering what the matter was. Jean was gone. Ororo's lover was also. She had obviously been nurturing some sort of feelings for him. He had for her too, he now realized. Jean wasn't the only strong admirable woman he'd met since he came here long ago.

Ororo was equally interesting, perhaps even more so. There was no

Cyclops between them, and she was alive.

"You want me."

"Yes," Ororo said, running her fingers over his cheek. "Do you have a problem with that?"

He chuckled. "No. Just, uh ... It's so soon for both of us. Are you sure you..."

She put her hand against his lips again. She said nothing, only nodded. Okay, Logan thought. Glad you know why I had to ask.

Pushing that aside now, he grasped Ororo in his arms and pulled her into him. He planted his lips on each of her cheeks, then her mouth. Her tears fell anew as he did so, but he sensed a different feeling behind them now. Sadness was still there, and something else also. He wondered how long she'd wanted this.

"Logan," Ororo said, pushing herself closer to him. He felt the softest part of him, the only part of his body that did not contain adamantium, begin to grow strong.

"Hey," he replied, running his fingers through her hair. His claws started to come out, but he held them in, just as he always had to at moments like this. She was keeping her power in too,

Logan knew. They both had learned their lessons well since coming to the school.

Ororo's lips touched his, and ignited sparks that flashed through Logan. The weather wasn't the only part of nature Ororo could stir up, he reflected. There was something of nature in him, feral and primeval. Perhaps the connection would enliven a relationship between himself and Ororo. Maybe they could...

Such thoughts flowed deep into his mind as she traced her hand down his torso. She felt the lean muscles of his chest, then his stomach. Logan let several long breaths out as she moved on to his waist. It had been a long time, he realized. Too long. And he was certain now that there was no way this would not be great.

He smiled, stopping her hand with his. He moved his other hand over the curves beneath her black leather bodysuit, probing for the zipper. Finding it, he pulled it down. Gleaming dark skin was revealed, covered in sweat and other fluids. Ororo's nipples were small and hard against his palm. Logan rubbed each of them, then reached his hands up and pushed the suit over Ororo's shoulders.

She helped him, pulling her arms free of the sleeves and letting the suit fall back.

His hands roamed across her sides, squeezing her arms as they once again encircled him. Logan pulled her closer, grabbing and massaging her lower back and then her rear. His hands moved around the latter, took hold of Ororo's belt buckle and unsnapped it. Another push, and the suit was off her hips. With powerful thrusts of her legs, she kicked it off and away. Logan looked at the white patch of hair revealed between her thighs and chuckled.

"I was wondering about that."

Ororo smiled, then kissed him again. Maybe I wasn't the first,

Logan thought. Then her hands were back on him, moving quickly to his pants. Unsnapping his fly and pulling down the zipper.

Grasping the edges, yanking them apart. Logan smiled as he watched her disrobe him. Like most women who got this close to him, Ororo seemed pleased with his manhood's shape.

She looked confused as she ran her fingers across him. "They didn't..."

"No," Logan replied, smirking. "Looking back, I'm kind of glad."

She returned his pleased expression, then began tickling his shaft's underside. Her fingers sent a charge into him, exciting

Logan's every nerve. He moved his left hand back to her breasts, returned her touches with his own. His other hand swept down across her tight belly. It lingered there, then leapt onwards, entering the forest of Ororo's snatch. Logan sighed as he felt the heat there, and the humidity.

"Nice."

"Yes," Ororo agreed, massaging him. "Be nice to me."

"You got it."

With that, he thrust his fingers into her, pulling apart Ororo's folds. Just as with battle, Logan was long experienced in this art, and he was good at it. He was different here than in a fight, though. He knew that women liked gentleness, for the most part. So he used it. And soon, he could feel it working just as it always did in the past.

"Yes!" Ororo moaned as Logan caressed the sides of her interior.

He soaked up her essence with his fingers, longing for the flood that he knew was waiting to burst forth. Her hand remained on his shaft, squeezing it as it lengthened. Ororo's other hand touched his shoulder, then pulled him close, touching his lips with hers.

Her mouth was open this time, and her tongue came out to touch

Logan's. He met it with his, sucked on the organ, then involuntarily clenched it in his teeth. He bit down, then withdrew.

"Ah!" Ororo gasped, shaking and pulling back from him. Logan frowned and opened his mouth to mutter something. Before he could, she shook her head, smiling. Then she took hold of his shoulder and his cock, squeezed both, sent a charge into them.

Logan grimaced, feeling his body vibrate. Then he grinned. This was different than when Magneto manipulated his bones. He liked it the way Ororo did it. Haven't been with many mutant women, he thought, and never one with her abilities before. Damn, I think this could really be fun.

"Let's go," he said, then stroked his fingers faster within her.

Two shoved inside, then three. Logan found Ororo's clit, pulled on it with all his strength. He slacked off, hearing her let out a scream. Then she shook her head again, throbbed back and forth against him. He laughed, then once more touched her most sensitive part gently. He set up a rhythm to his touches, varied the pressure. First he was soft, then he let his animal lust out, then he was tender, then once again hard. Ororo moaned and gyrated at each emotion, growing tighter and wetter. Logan smiled, his inner turmoil almost forgotten. Just as with Ororo, something new and glorious was bubbling forth beneath his skin.

"Logan," she said, fingers wrapping around his shaft. They pressed deep into the skin, touched his balls for an instant and then resumed holding Logan's member. Ororo's other hand left his shoulder, moved to his side. "I need you."

"Okay," he said, removing his hands from her pussy and breasts.

He took hold of Ororo's thighs, pulled her groin into his own.

She opened herself to him, accomodated his manhood, then closed her inner folds tight around it. Logan felt something within him let go with her contractions. She grabbed him hard with every fiber of her being, and he now felt he should mimic that.

Growling, he swept his hands up, took hold of Ororo's shoulders.

He rolled her down onto the bed, feeling her arms and legs wrap around him as he did so. Stabbing himself deep into her body, he rubbed her back and kissed her lips. He pulled out, then thrust again, matching each motion with an oath or a snarl.

"Yes!!" Ororo cried between his touches. "Yes!!! Oh yes!!!!"

Logan grinned, predicting what was coming.

Another gasp, and then Ororo quaked heavily around him, the flush of an orgasmic hurricane coming to her face. Her eyes flashed white, and electricity briefly sparked through both of them. One quick charge, then it died. "Sorry," she frowned, feeling Logan shake.

"It's okay," he said. "I kind of like it." Grimacing, he pressed her down into the bed. "Don't be afraid. I'll heal."

"I didn't mean to..." Ororo said. Then her words were cut off as

Logan again pushed into her. He thrust himself forward with all the strength in his bones, squeezing her shoulders and kissing her in the same motion. Then, right before he felt Ororo shaking, he pulled back. "Yes!" she moaned, raindrops falling from her eyes as she vibrated against him. Her breath got faster. Logan felt its warmth on his face, and the warmth of her body close to his too. Gentle, then strong, matching his motions. He kept hold of Ororo as she kept hold of him, pushing forth and then back.

Keeping things going for both of them, building up passion, until...

Logan came inside her with a deep long roar. His face took on the aspect of his namesake creature, and his viciousness increased likewise. His claws almost came out, but he caught them, feeling their points against his skin. Logan grimaced at the pain. He didn't like pain, and yet it was such a part of him.

He could not ignore it. It was always there, it never healed. It only got worse. Everyone close to him passed on, and...

Suddenly Ororo shook around him again, and his thoughts fled as he watched. She was calmer now, he noticed, keeping her power inside. Her spasms were more frequent too, and deeper. Logan smiled. Perhaps she can teach me how to deal with things, he thought. Affect me as I'd hoped Jean could, teach me to get comfortable with what I have inside. Ororo controls her ability, and she doesn't need illusions and mental blocks to do it. Maybe if Jean could have lived, Ororo could have shown her how to keep this kind of control. It might have calmed her rage. But Jean wasn't willing to give anyone a chance. She was too scared of herself, scared like I was. I know I am not going to repeat her mistake.

"Ororo," he said, grasping her shoulders as she calmed down.

"Thank you."

"Thank you," she replied, grinning back. Her hands moved over his rear end, gripping the muscles there. "You're still..."

"Yeah. It's my power. Once I get started..."

"I thought so," Ororo said, breathless. Then she laughed. "Go ahead, wear me out. I want you to."

Logan returned her chuckle, then resumed his frenzied motions. I hope you're ready for this, he thought. But you probably are. You seduced me. I was shocked, but now I'm glad you did it. Thanks to you, Ororo, I feel great. I think I can stay here, and enjoy it.

Just as long as you stick around too.

"Don't leave me," he said, pushing himself into her to the hilt.

"Never," she promised, kissing his mouth.

Downstairs, in another part of the mansion, someone else was also feeling a new confidence.

"Bobby," she said, touching his hand. He stared at her agape, but did not wilt. No trace of his self slipping away was revealed to her. She smiled at the sight- for so long she had doubted it could happen. Only now, touching him, did she feel sure what she'd done was the right thing.

"Rogue," Bobby said, staring at her hand on his. "You ... This isn't what I wanted!"

"It's what I wanted," she smiled, gripping his hand and tossing back her dark red hair. The white streak was still at her temples. She had considered getting rid of it along with her power, but in the end she had decided not to. She still wanted to feel different, unique, and her streak would be a symbol of that.

The other difference- the bad one- was gone now. She had rid herself of it. It had to be so, she reminded herself. She could touch him now, kiss him, do all that she couldn't before. Still, though, she felt a very deep loss inside.

"Rogue," the young blonde man repeated, his blue eyes locked on her brown ones.

"Marie," she corrected him. "My name is Marie, Bobby."

He only shook his head, still unable to believe what was happening. "You had gloves on when you got back," he rambled. "I thought you didn't go through with it. But now you..." He looked at her hand, then again at her face.

"Yeah," Rogue smiled. Marie, she corrected herself. "You knew I wanted to do it. I had to."

"Yeah, but..."

"I told you about this already, Bobby. That counselor I talked to before I went into the treatment room."

"Right," said Bobby. "You told me she told you it wasn't reversible, and that really got you thinking your power was part of your identity. You didn't want to give it up. That's why you came back." He frowned. "But I thought you kept it." He started to pull his hand from Rogue's, then grimaced, liking the touch.

"I let you think that, Bobby," Marie told him. "But now it's time for me to stop lying." She took a breath, then resumed her speech, trying to recall what she'd rehearsed. "The counselor told me other things too- things I needed to remember. All my friends are here. My life is here now, it has been for years. I couldn't give it up. I can stil be a teacher here too, even now.

Anyone who's thinking about giving up their power, I can talk to them about it. That's why I came back- I'm valued here."

"But without your power..."

"Bobby, please stop coming back to that. Don't you remember our talk about how my power was the only thing wrong with me?"

He paused, then nodded. "Right."

"That's why I had to get rid of it. So I did. Then I came back.

Where else could I go? I didn't tell anyone at first, because I wasn't sure how people would react, but then I decided I had to."

She waved her hand. "The people here are my friends. They wouldn't just turn their back on me, right?"

A hundred different thoughts ran through Bobby's mind. She could have gone back to her family, he thought. No, wait, I tried that and it didn't work. Damn it. He gulped, then voiced his next thought. "Your power was what made you special. If you gave it up..."

Marie shook her head. "I'm still special, Bobby. I always will be. You think mutants are the only special people in this world?"

Bobby frowned. "I didn't mean. I..."

"Look at it this way," Marie cut in. "You remember that favorite show we had before they took it off the air? One girl was the