The sound of gentle rapping on the bedroom door roused Max from a deep sleep. She squinted as she pushed herself up to peer over Logan’s shoulder, wondering who it was. What time was it? She slowly sat up and Logan tensed beside her, eyeing the door with a baleful gaze.

“Guys, are you gonna come out anytime soon? Professor Xavier wants to see you.”

It sounded like Jean.

Max relaxed, calling out, “We’ll be down in a few minutes.”

She heard soft footfalls pad away from the door and moved to place her chin on Logan’s shoulder, grumbling. “Well, we knew we couldn’t stay in here forever.”

“Yeah.” He rumbled, irritated. He wasn’t exactly looking forward to interacting with anybody else so soon after the extraction. Hell, he’d never been very personal to begin with, from what he knew.

Max grinned and kissed his shoulder, throwing off the covers and hopping over him. “C’mon. Let’s go put in an appearance.”

Logan grunted and sat up, running a hand through the bird’s nest his hair had become. A section of it stuck straight up and Max let out a sharp bark of laughter. Combined with the sour expression on his face, he looked like a malevolent puppy that had just been kicked awake. Logan gave her a look of mock irritation and she began laughing louder.

“Bitch.” He muttered before yawning and standing up.

“Yep.” Max grinned, raising an eyebrow. “Got it in one.”

A sly grin pulled at the edges of his lips as he padded off into the bathroom. She followed him in and turned on the shower as he relieved himself. She quickly jumped under the warm spray and began trying to work the tangles out of her hair. She heard a flush and leapt into the corner of the shower as the water briefly became ice cold.

“Dammit!” she growled.

Logan gave a low chuckle as he climbed into the shower with her. “’s what you get for laughin’ at me.” He chided, grinning now as he soaped himself up.

Max glared at him and smacked him, and he started laughing.

“What? Can’t take it? Get out.” He cocked a thumb, jabbing it back towards the door.

She quickly darted a hand forward and gripped a small patch of hair on his chest, yanking it out.

He started laughing harder. “That all ya got, pup?”

Max let out a subvocal growl and leapt at him.

--

An hour and a half later they padded downstairs into the foyer, hair still damp. As they made their way into the sitting room, Scott looked up from the book he was reading and shook his head.

“I really need to talk to Hank about soundproofing that room.” He murmured.

Max flushed briefly and Logan looked over at her with a wolfish grin.

“Ah, Logan – Max, I see you’ve decided to finally come down and grace us with your presence.”

The professor rolled into the room as they turned to meet him. Max felt Logan tense up and quickly squeezed his hand.

“Don’t.” she murmured, leaning into him.

She was right. It was his natural response to even the mildest challenges to react aggressively. In this place, it'd only make life more of a pain in the ass than he wanted to deal with. Logan took a slow breath in as Max said, “Sorry for making you wait.”

“It’s quite alright, Max. Let’s just say I’m not beyond a little needling myself, considering what you and Jean so helpfully stuffed into Scott’s locker last month.” He smiled and Max flushed again, letting out a quiet cough. “I believe it’s a trivial little thing called payback?”

Max spotted the hint of a smile on the professor’s lips. Logan turned to see Scott trying to keep from laughing, wondering they were referring to. Apparently a great deal had changed since he’d been gone. Of course she would’ve made friends – gotten closer with them. Why did he feel a small twinge of jealousy? Had he expected her to be miserable while he'd been AWOL?

Perhaps part of him did.

Still, there was a connection there that seemed awfully close. The kind that took a good while to build. Longer than he'd initially thought he'd been gone. He frowned and carefully asked, “How long was I gone, Max?”

She looked up at him and replied, “A little over six months.” She was frowning too now.

Shit. he paled, squeezing her hand tightly. They had me in that fuckin’ can for four months. He moved to lean against the back of one of the couches, grinding his teeth with a low growl.

“Logan..?” she sounded alarmed.

“Four months. Christ.” He muttered, letting out a shaky breath.

Shocked, Max stammered, “Not one, like you originally thought?”

Logan shook his head with a grim expression. His voice came out in a low rumble as he asked, “How’d you guys track me down again?”

“I believe I can answer that.” The professor offered, continuing, “I’d been trying to get a lock on you for some time, just to keep track of you – but your mind is remarkably resistant to probes. Combined with the chemical cocktail they’d administered, it was almost impossible to establish a firm connection.”

Logan wanted to be angry – the invasion of privacy bugged the shit out of him, but if it hadn’t been for Charlie’s nosiness, he’d still be on lockdown. Nobody’d know where he was. He eyed the Professor and gave the man a curt nod. “Thanks for that.”

Xavier returned his nod, his tone subdued as he replied, “I regret that I wasn’t able to find you sooner than I did.”

Logan murmured, “It’s enough you found me at all.”

Scott stood up and was walking over as he asked, “Was there any..permanent damage?”

Logan looked over at him and let out a harsh chuckle. “There never is.”

Max leaned into him and he wrapped an arm around her waist.

Logan asked the professor, “Think you can try that thing we did before?”

Xavier nodded, but replied, “I want to insure that you’ve had ample time to recuperate before we..”

Logan cut him off, saying, “I’m ready.”

Xavier blinked and paused for a moment, frowning. “You’re certain?”

“Yep.” Logan set his jaw, then added, “She comes with.”

At this, Xavier raised an eyebrow. “You remember what happened the last time.”

Logan grunted and nodded. “She’s a part of this - of me now.”

Xavier let out a small sigh. “As you wish, Logan.”

Max wanted to chime in with, Don’t I get a say?, but it was enough that he wanted her there with him. She’d let him roll alpha on her as long as he stayed considerate about it. It also helped that the way he'd put it made her heart do a low, thumping roll in her chest. She felt her pulse quicken, as Logan's arm around her waist tightened. He'd known the effect his words would have on her.

“This would best be done down in medical, I think, considering what you’ve been through recently.” Xavier explained. He turned to go and Logan moved to follow, pulling Max gently along with him.

“Why medical?” Max asked, confused.

“Charlie’s gonna have to strap me down for this, darlin’.” Logan rumbled.

Max balked, stopping in her tracks. “He what??”

“I wrecked one of the chairs in his office last time.” He explained, his expression sour. “Busted it down to kindling. Prof didn’t take it too well. He said it was an antique. Got an earful afterwards.”

Max winced, letting him pull her along again. “Wow. That bad, eh?”

“Yeah. It’s gonna get nasty.” He frowned and continued, “Truth to tell, I’m not really sure I want you to see what’ll happen – but if you’re gonna be with me, you gotta know what you’re getting involved with.”

She threaded her fingers through his on the hand at her hip. “You’re saying I haven’t seen how bad it can get?” She almost didn’t want to think about what could possibly be worse than the condition they’d found him in in that cell.

Logan let out a weak laugh and replied, “That’s just blood and guts, darlin'. The psychological shit that came up last time was almost too much.”

“Then why are you going back into it?” Max asked, bewildered.

“I gotta know. I need to see the faces. The reasons.” His face closed down, his expression going stony.

Yeah. Max could understand that.

--

The initial screams should’ve been the worst. They sounded like they were coming from a wounded animal as Logan twisted on the table, pulling at bonds that were proving to be surprisingly strong. The Professor sat at the head of the hospital table, his hands resting on either side of of Logan’s head and his expression one of fierce concentration.

No – it was the weeping that broke her down. Tears trailed down her cheeks as she stood beside him, wanting to reach out and touch him – to reassure him. To do anything to help. God, he sounded like a little boy who’d just watched his beloved pet run over. Logan's entire body was rigid as he wept - as if the sensation was too unbearable. Like he was fighting it. Five minutes in, the Professor pulled away and opened his eyes, his expression remote.

Logan slumped, breathing heavily. He sounded as if he’d just run a marathon. Max placed a tentative hand on his arm and his eyes snapped open, his gaze malevolent as he stared back at her. Holy crap. If looks could kill..

“Logan.” She murmured, placing her wrist under his nose. She’d wiped it under her armpit, collecting the strong tang of her scent and using it as a way to re-orient him, hoping it’d pull him out.

His nostrils flared and she watched as he relaxed back into the hospital table, his breathing slowly returning to normal. No wonder he'd been trepidatious about her presence during this.

“Talk to me, Charlie. Tell me you got somethin’.” Logan muttered, his voice still a little rough from the damage inflicted on his vocal cords from the screams. Anybody else would’ve been hoarse for a day or two afterwards.

Xavier quietly murmured, “Logan, I’m so sorry I didn't find you sooner..”

"Don't." Logan growled, his tone dangerously sharp. "Just tell me you got somethin'. And get me outta these fuckin' things." He flexed his arms and Max quickly moved to start unbuckling the straps.

He looked over at Max who was now watching him with sad eyes. "Not you too." he snapped, sitting up.

Max bristled and grated, "Hey fuckhead - you're my mate. I get to be pissed off and worried for you."

Logan grunted and looked back over at the Professor who was calmly peering back at him. "I believe I might have found something, but I'm going to have conduct some research to be positive."

Logan let out a slow sigh as Max wrapped her arms around him. He couldn't quite remember now what had gotten him so agitated - so utterly furious, and it bothered him. Like all the other memories, it'd creep up and hang out right at the edge of his mind's eye, then dart away when he tried to inspect it. It was maddening. Something had to give.

"Logan, once again I find I must caution you about letting these malignant subconscious memories fester. I can recommend a very good.." The professor wasn't at all suprised when Logan cut him off with a growl.

"I ain't goin' to a fuckin' shrink. Period."

Xavier nodded, disappointed.

"We done here?" Logan grunted, wanting to get out of this place for a little while.

"Yes, Logan. We're done."

--

Max watched Logan knock back his fifth beer in the last five minutes.

"You trying to get trashed, cowboy?" she asked, picking at the bowl of peanuts on the bar. They'd gone to a roadhouse dive that Logan made a beeline for the moment they were off the mansion grounds.

"Can't." he grumbled, placing the empty beer on the counter and reaching for the next one. He had five more lined up. "Mutation won't let me."

Max gave a sober nod, sipping at her coke. Her kind couldn't really get drunk either, so she'd stopped trying years ago. It was too damned expensive to try to get anything remotely resembling a buzz on, and she'd never really liked the taste of alcohol. It left her mouth dry and just ended up making her thirsty. The twang of seedy country music echoed out of an old jukebox in the corner, making Max's lip curl. Ugh. The only country song she'd ever liked had been Devil Went Down to Georgia.

"How can you listen to this crap?" she asked, looking out at the mostly empty bar. Perhaps it got more rowdy at night.

Logan eyed her and knocked back the rest of his beer, his tone derisive. "Your taste is in yer mouth, girl."

His eyes were laughing in their depths as he reached for her and kissed her. She found that she really liked the taste of beer on him. It washed off the tasted of that shitty cigar he'd been smoking since they first stepped up to the bar. It sat in an ashtray off to his left, smoke curling in a lazy swirl just above it. She grinned and pulled out of the kiss, catching the bartender glaring at her. The woman was obviously disappointed that he was with somebody. Max looked back over at Logan who was pulling another beer off the bar and knocking it back.

"Do you even notice them?" she asked.

He quickly drained the beer, then burped. "Notice who?"

Classy. Max rolled her eyes at him. "You're like the pied piper of rough sex, and you're not even aware of it?"

Now that they were out in the world, among pinks, Max couldn't help but note the reactions of most women when they saw him. Did it really not register with him?

"You don't say." he replied with a pleased grin.

Max slowly slid her hands up his thighs and his grin grew wicked. "Is it a pheromone that women respond to, or is it just you? And why is it that almost every female we run across has that little heated spark that lights up in their eyes when they see you?" She was honestly curious. Was it also what attracted her so strongly to him as well?

"Oh." he murmured. "That." And down another beer went. He'd have to ask for more soon.

Max stood before him, sliding her hands around to the outsides of his thighs now. He eyed her as the beer quickly emptied into him, happily journeying to parts below. He placed the empty back on the bar and said, "Fuck if I know. I just know it happens. Why?"

"Some of them give me the black look when they realize that you're with me." she explained, not being entirely comfortable with it.

In the pack, nobody really cared. Mated pairs still slept around, but the bond was usually solid enough to withstand almost anything. Pinks were almost painfully demanding and possessive of their mates, and the pairings didn't usually last that long because they tended to look for all the wrong things in a partner. Turnskins were more pragmatic about the whole affair - which wasn't to say that there weren't dramatic tussles from time to time. Blood in her kind always ran hotter, so disagreements usually jumped pretty quickly into bloodloss - but as soon as the conflict was over and wounds were healed, the dispute was settled.

Logan crooked an eyebrow and asked, "You the jealous type, Max?"

She quietly replied, "I can share, as long as it's understood that I'm Prime - in everything."

Logan raised an eyebrow, asking, "Prime?"

Max explained, "The Prime has the final say on any external couplings in a given relationship. Both 'skins in the initial mated pair have control over who their mate sleeps with. This is pretty much in case one or the other makes a poor choice in bedmates - IE sickness of mind or body.." she let her words trail off at the look on Logan's face. He looked pissed.

"I don't share, Max. Period." he growled.

She smiled and murmured, "I kinda figured. Honestly? I always sucked at the sharing thing m'self." She let her relief show and felt him relax as he collected another beer.

"Good," he murmured.

She took another look around, wincing at the decor. It really was a shitkicker country joint. There were assorted dark splashes on the wall, presumably from where people had haphazardly thrown their beers. The jukebox looked as if it had seen better days as well.

"Ok. Next time, I get to pick the place. This blows." she chuckled, taking another sip of her coke. She looked over to see the bartender giving her an acidic look.

Max smiled back at the women, revealing even, white teeth and letting some of the predator bleed into her eyes.

Mine, bitch.

The woman balked, taking a step back before turning around and wiping down a section of the counter.

Max heard Logan chuckle beside her and looked over to see the smug grin on his face. "Jealous." he grunted, tipping the rest of his beer back.

"Possessive and asserting my place." she corrected, leaning into him and gently squeezing his cock through his jeans.

He choked and glared at her, taking the beer away from his lips with a growl. Max grinned and pressed her hand against his length, sliding along it. Logan groaned and grabbed her wrist, setting the unfinished beer gently back on the bar.

"You're just bound and determined to get yourself in trouble, aren't ya?" he murmured.

"You were gone for an awfully long time." Max purred.

"Can I at least finish the fuckin' beer?"

She gave another squeeze and his eyes fluttered shut. Suddenly, her hand was gone and the glorious sensations stopped. Logan's eyes snapped open and he looked over to find Max perched back on her barstool with an innocent smile.

"What?" she asked, taking another sip of her coke. "Still want that beer?"

He didn't know if he wanted to hit her or kiss her. He growled and slipped off his barstool as she chuckled and said, "Pay the woman - then keep up. If you can."

He reached for her, but she deftly slid out of the way, jumping off the barstool and walking towards the front door. "Too slow, old man. Doesn't bode well for the chase.."

Logan grabbed a wad of cash, tossing it onto the bar and turning to stalk her. "Don't play, girl - you won't like what happens."

"Oh, I think I will." Max crooned in a singsong, then quickly slipped out of the bar.

Interlude

--

They arrived back at the mansion much later that night, covered in mud and leaves. They were both howling with laughter as they rode up to the gate on the motorcycle that Scott had lent them for the night. There would be a substantial amount of cleaning to do in the morning in order to get the mud out of the creases in the leather. They quieted down a bit as the wrought iron gate doors opened, but it was mostly due to Max's prompting. She didn't want to wake anybody.

Logan pulled the motorcycle into the garage and Max hopped off, still giggling. Logan shut off the motor, then picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, grinning from ear to ear. As they walked up to the front door, Logan spotted Scott standing on the porch with his arms crossed. He didn't look pleased.

Scott cleared his throat as Logan walked up to him. "This isn't a flophouse. It's an institution of learning. There are certain rules and a certain code of conduct that need to be maintained."

Who the fuck did this kid thing he was? Was it any of his damned business? "What're ya tryin' ta say, scooter?"

Scott's expression darkened and Max said, "Logan, put me down."

Once back on her feet, Max turned to face Scott and said, "We just went out to blow off a little steam. I think after everything he's been through, it's the least he deserves."

Logan and Scott glared at each other for a moment, then Scott relented, looking back over at Max. "There are impressionable children that live here, Max."

Logan growled and she stepped forward, "Can we please talk about this tomorrow?"

Scott cast a momentary glance over at Logan, then said, "Just please be quiet about getting to your room, ok? Almost everybody else is asleep. Classes start early tomorrow morning."

Max nodded, placing her hand back against Logan's leg and giving it a squeeze. "Ok."

Scott turned to head back inside and Logan looked over at her, frowning, "Classes?"

"There are enough children here now for there to be an actual curriculum. Granted, they're really small groups, but it works." she explained.

Logan took a step back, taking in the measure of the mansion. "I don't know if I can do this, Max."

"What are you talking about?" she murmured, moving over to him. "Scott's a little tight, I know, but.."

"No.." he grated his teeth, continuing, "I don't know if I can actually live in a place like this."

"Too many rules?" she asked, figuring that this would be the big wedge.

"Kids." he croaked, looking discomfited - like he didn't even want to take a step inside.

"There were kids here the last time you were at the mansion, Logan." This was wierd. What had gotten into him?

"Someone like me doesn't need to be around kids, Max." he muttered, looking away from her.

"Someone like you?" she breathed, placing a hand on his arm. "Logan.."

He pulled away from her and snapped, "I'm an animal, Max. I kill people. It's what I'm best at."

Max smiled and murmured, "I'd argue that you're pretty damn good at at least one other thing."

Logan's expression became pinched as he grated, "Don't." She didn't understand. How could she? She'd never truly seen him fall into the blackness entirely, consumed by it. She'd never seen the aftermath. If she had, this is the last place she'd want to bring him. "You have no idea.."

Max stood her ground, glaring now. "Don't you think that the Professor has a pretty good goddamned idea of what you're capable of, even if I don't? Do you think he'd let you stay here if he thought you were any threat to these kids?"

She had a point. A pretty damned good one, actually.

"Give it time, Logan. If it doesn't end up working out, I'll go anywhere on this earth with you. Truly. Just..give it time, okay?"

Logan looked over at her, seeing that she meant every word she said. He let out a slow sigh, then murmured, "Or you'll cut my heart out, right?"

Max leaned into him and smiled. "Yeah. That's pretty much the size of it."

"Well, seeing as I have no choice.." he wrapped an arm around her and began walking up the stairs to the porch. "I guess we better get inside."

Go back to Chapter 13 - Go to Interlude - Go to Chapter 15

To reiterate: MARVEL owns the rights to most of the elements in this story. Max, and her subsequent backstory, is my own creation, but everything else is either sub-canon, or warped canon yanked from the X-Men storyline.