"Here for the rest of your stuff?" Bobby asked as he opened the door for Rogue.
"Yeah." She took her engagement ring out of her pocket and handed it to him. "This is yours."
Bobby took it from her. "Gee, thanks."
"What do I have left here?" Rogue asked.
"Hmm. Let me see," Bobby said, walking over to the closet. He opened it up. "Well, this is probably yours," he said, throwing out a dress. "Yeah, this, too." He pulled out what was left of Rogue’s clothes one by one and threw them across the room at her.
"Bobby? What’s wrong with you?"
"What’s wrong with me? Nothing, Babe, just getting your clothes out for you. You’ve been slowly moving out of here for a week. I figured I might as well speed up the process a little. Would it be easier if I threw everything out into the hallway?"
"Why are you suddenly acting this way?" Rogue asked.
Ever since after the initial break-up, Bobby had been reasonably amicable towards her, not pleading with her to stay or even yelling at her for leaving him. He’d been helpful when she’d come over the last few times to get her things to move over to Logan’s room. Rogue had been afraid the other shoe would drop from the moment she noticed that Bobby was taking things relatively well, and now it appeared that it had dropped hard enough to put a hole in the floor.
"’Why are you acting this way?’ she asks." Bobby threw his hands up in the air. "What, you can’t figure it out. For the past week you’ve been flaunting your relationship with Logan, hanging all over him, smiling lovingly every time he walks in the room, and basically ripping into pieces whatever you left me with when you stomped all over my life. And everyone’s been saying how nice it is of me to let you go, not to make things difficult for you.
"Well, why the hell should I not make things difficult for you? You’ve made things pretty damn difficult for me. Did you stop and consider my feelings when you got drunk out of your mind and somehow found your way into Logan’s bed? Why should I try to keep from causing you any extra pain now?"
"Bobby, I didn’t mean to hurt you! And for the last time, nothing happened with Logan that night!"
"You know what, Rogue, I don’t give a damn anymore whether you slept with Logan or not. It’s no longer my problem who or what you fuck." He threw a couple more articles of clothing at her. "Get the hell out!"
Rogue gathered up what she could of what Bobby had thrown at her and ran out of the room.
Marie moved past Logan as soon as he opened the door, tossed the pile of clothes she was carrying on the ground, and threw herself on the bed.
"Uh, this is probably going to sound like a dumb question," Logan said. "But are you okay?"
"No."
"That’s the answer I was expecting." He sat down beside her on the bed and lifted her head so it was resting in her lap. "Wanna tell me what’s wrong?" he asked, petting her hair and shoulder.
"I’ve been having what has to rank up there as one of the three worst days of my life, right after when I discovered I was a mutant and lost everyone I cared about, and when I was kidnapped and almost killed by Magneto."
"What happened?"
Marie sniffled, and Logan looked down to see she was crying. "Oh, well, first I got in this huge fight with Jubilee because apparently she isn’t ‘willing to support’ my relationship with you."
"What business is it of hers?"
"None, but she thinks she can force me to correct everything she sees as a mistake."
"Is she still your friend?"
"I have no idea. Right now I don’t even want to have to deal with her."
"So what’s with the huge pile of clothes?"
"Oh those are from the other fun part of my wonderful day. Apparently, Bobby’s tired of being nice to me about all of this. He flipped out on me today when I went to get the rest of my stuff from our—his—room."
"I’m sorry, Darlin’. I never meant to cause all these problems for ya."
"I know, Logan. And I’m not blaming you for any of this. It’s just that Jubilee and Bobby have been close to me for a long time, and I hate to think I’ve lost them."
"You didn’t think that Bobby was actually going to be fine with you leaving him did you?" Logan asked.
"No, well, I guess not. It’s just that he’s been okay the past few days, and I didn’t expect him to go ballistic on me and start throwing clothes at my head."
"He threw clothes at you?"
"Yeah. They alternated with the insults."
"What made him finally decide he was angry?"
"Apparently he was sick of watching us together and pretending nothing was wrong for my sake."
"So he decided to take the exact opposite approach?"
"Looks like it."
"Are you going to be okay?"
"Yeah." Marie sat up. "Logan, can we go out tonight? I don’t want to be here right now."
"Sure, Darlin’, where do you want to go?"
"I don’t care. Just any place but here."
Marie looked around the restaurant Logan had taken her to. "Wow," she said. "No cigarette smoke, no bar flies, no unidentifiable, unpleasant smells. This is quite a change for you, Logan."
"What, I can’t take you some place decent now and then?"
"I’m not complaining. Just a little surprised."
"Would you rather go some place else?"
"No, this is good."
"You look really nice tonight, Darlin’."
"Now that’s gotta be just flattery. After the day I’ve had there’s no way I can look anything but haggard."
Logan grinned. "You always look beautiful to me."
"The Wolverine a smooth-talker. Who woulda figured?"
"Smart mouth."
"When have I not been?"
"Well, let me think. Not any time since you met me." He laughed. "I can still remember you lookin’ up at me and askin’ me ‘what kind of name is Wolverine.’"
Marie laughed, too. "I didn’t think it was any better of a name than Rogue."
He took her hands in his. "Yeah, well, when we’re together we’re just Logan and Marie."
Marie smiled. "I like there being someone I can still be Marie with. Sometimes it’s hard to be Rogue."
"I’ll bet." Logan reached into his pocket and pulled out his dogtags. "Here. I want you to have these back."
Marie took them from him and slipped them over her head, smiling at their familiar and reassuring feel around her neck. "You know, I’m glad to be wearing them again."
"They look good on you."
"You just like it being this obvious that I’m yours."
Logan shrugged. "Yeah, well…"
"I like being yours, you know."
"I know."
"What is it made of anyway?" Marie asked, fingering the chain.
"What makes you ask that?"
"Well, um, see I was really mad at you once, so I threw them at my wall and they made this pretty nasty little hole."
Logan chuckled. "It’s adamantium, Darlin’."
"That stuff that’s all over you bones?"
"One and the same."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Wow. No wonder you’re unbreakable."
"Yeah, no wonder."
Marie walked into the mansion with Logan to their room feeling more content than she remembered ever feeling before. Even with everything that had happened to her that day, just being with Logan somehow made her feel like all was right with the universe. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder as they walked to their room, and she couldn’t believe that only a couple of weeks ago she had been going to marry another man.
As soon as they got inside, Logan grabbed Marie before she could switch on the lights. "Y’know," he began, kissing her down her neck and across the top of her shoulder with every word, "I…must…be…the luckiest…man…in…the…world."
Marie giggled. "I’m a pretty lucky woman myself."
"I think we’re both about to get luckier," Logan growled against her ear.
"Oh? What makes you say that?"
Logan hoisted her up into his arms and carried her over to the bed. Marie sighed in contentment. She knew then what true bliss was.
Rogue watched as her class filled out of the door. "Don’t forget to read the chapter on the fall of the Mesopotamian Empire!" she called after them, doubting any of them paid her a bit of attention.
One of her students peeked her head into the door. "Hey, Miss Rogue, your boyfriend is coming down the hallway. May I just say he is one mighty fine lookin’ man."
Rogue giggled. "Yeah, I know. Now get on to your next class. And don’t forget your reading assignment. Just because homework isn’t written doesn’t mean it’s nonexistent."
The student gave her a thumbs up sign and said "You got it!" before darting out the door.
Logan walked in a moment later. "Well, if it isn’t the mighty fine lookin’ man himself," Rogue said with a smirk.
Logan raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"
"That’s what one of my students just called you."
"I’m flattered."
"So what brings you down here."
"Haven’t seen you all day since you were gone before I woke up," Logan said. "Oh, and to tell you that a pipe burst above us and our room got flooded."
Rogue turned pale. "What? Please tell me this is your version of a joke."
"Wish I could. Don’t worry, nothing was ruined. Everything’s a little damp, the carpet’s soggy, and there are these really loud fans everywhere drying it all out, but other than that it’s fine."
"Where are we sleeping tonight?"
"The Professor set us up in one of the guestrooms. He said we can stay there until ours dries out."
"Is there anything in our room that I can salvage for the time being, or is it all wet?"
"I went through your clothes, found the driest, and brought them over to the other room."
"You are so wonderful."
"I know."
"So where is this other room?"
"I’ll meet you after your last class and we can walk there together."
"All right, that works. My next class should be walking through the door any minute now, so I’ll see you then, okay?"
"Sure thing, Darlin’." Logan leaned across her desk and kissed her. "Love you."
"Love you, too."
"So exactly how bad is our room?" Marie asked once she’d settled into the guestroom.
"Let me put it this way," Logan said. "Every time you walk on the carpet you hear a squishy sound and water flies up and hits you in the face."
"Did you just say ‘squishy’?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
She burst out laughing. "That’s funny."
"How is that funny? That’s the sort of sound it makes. Squishy."
Marie laughed harder.
"Hey, this is serious, you know. The carpet might have to be replaced."
"Why do you care? It isn’t your money."
"Good point."
"Say it again."
"Marie…"
"Please?"
"Squishy," Logan muttered under his breath.
"You’re so cute."
"Glad you think so."
"So how long will our carpet be squishy?" Marie asked, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a giggle.
"I’m never going to live that down, am I?"
"Not as long as I’m around."
"So I guess I’ll be hearing it for a while, since I certainly don’t plan on making it so you’re not around any time soon."
"I should hope not!"
Logan smiled at her. "So you like the word squishy, huh?"
"It’s so cute when you say it!"
"You know, I don’t think anyone but you has ever referred to me or anything I do as ‘cute.’"
"That’s because with you, ‘cute’ is an understatement."
Logan raised an eyebrow. "Understatement?"
"Yep. Greek god-like gorgeous fits you a bit better."
"Okay, now that’s an overstatement."
Marie shook her head. "Nope. You are the sexiest man I have ever seen."
"Don’t get out much?"
She lightly hit him on the arm. "Logan…"
Logan took her by the hands and lightly pulled. "C’mere."
Marie smiled and let him pull her into his lap. She snuggled up against his chest. "I like it here," she said.
"I like you bein’ here."
"So never stop holding me, okay."
Logan hugged her to him tighter. "You got yourself a deal, Darlin’."
The next day Marie went alone up to the squishy-floored room to survey the damage and make sure Logan didn’t forget anything she needed.
She was only in there for a couple of moments when the telephone rang. She picked up the receiver.
"Logan?" the voice at the other end of the line asked before Marie even had a chance to say hello.
"No, this is Rogue. Who’s calling?"
"Can you get me Logan?" the strange woman asked. Marie noted that she had a very definite Asian accent, most likely Japanese.
"He isn’t here, but I can get him to call you back if you’ll leave your name and number."
"My name is Mariko Yashida, and Logan knows my number. Tell him he must call. It is urgent."
There was a click and the other woman was gone.
Marie hung up the phone.
Logan got home late that evening to find Marie waiting up for him. "Hey Baby," he said. He leaned over and tried to kiss her, but Marie moved away.
"What’s wrong?"
"Who’s Mariko Yashida?"
All the color drained from Logan’s face. "Where the hell did you hear about her?"
"She called you earlier."
"Did she say what she wanted?"
"No. Just that it was urgent."
"Dammit." He went over to the phone, practically pushing Marie out of the way to get to it. He dialed the numbed quickly and from memory. The ensuing conversation was in Japanese, which prevented Marie from understanding anything but the inflection in Logan’s voice. That alone, however, was enough to make her sit on the edge of the bed and glare at the back of his head the whole time he was talking to Mariko.
"I have to go," Logan said as soon as he hung up the phone.
"What!?" Marie yelled, jumping up. "You can’t go!"
"I have to."
"Where? For how long?"
"I can’t tell you."
"No! Logan, you promised you wouldn’t do this again."
"I’m sorry. I didn’t know at the time that something like this was going to happen."
"So what, some woman calls and all the promises you made to me go out the window? What, am I just your girl at this port?"
"Marie, dammit, you know you mean more to me than that! Now I don’t have time for this shit right now, so don’t pull it."
"Logan, I don’t think I’m the one acting irrationally here. You say you love me, that you want to be with me, and you won’t ever leave me, then the next thing I know you’re going off and you won’t even tell me where to."
"It’s just better if you don’t know where I am."
"Can’t you at least tell me how long you’ll be gone?"
"No."
"You promised you wouldn’t leave again."
"Look, Darlin’, I’m sorry I have to break my promise to you, but this is real important. Mari needs me to help her out."
Mari… It sickened Marie how much like her own the name he called her was. "Well then go to Mari," she spat. "I don’t give a damn anymore."
"Marie, please don’t. I need to know you’re gonna be here for me when I get back."
"When will that be?"
"I don’t know."
"Can you answer me one question then?"
"Maybe. What is it?"
"Is she an old flame?"
"Marie…"
"Answer the fucking question Logan!" Marie yelled, suddenly so angry she was shaking.
"Yes. I loved her once."
"Great. Now I feel so much better about you leaving."
"You asked, Marie."
"You’re an asshole."
"I’ve never denied that."
"Just get out. If you’d rather be with her than me, then fine, go. I don’t care anymore."
"Marie, it isn’t that I want to be with her more than you! I love you! It’s just I have to help her. I can’t turn my back on her."
"Why not? You’ve turned your back on me plenty of times."
"Not when it really counted."
"Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?"
"Marie, I don’t have time for this. I have to be on the next plane outta Westchester." Logan went over to the closet and grabbed out a bag that was already packed, thanks to the disaster upstairs that had made him move all his stuff.
"I won’t be gone forever," Logan said. Marie was sitting back on the bed, her face hidden by her hands. Logan knew she was crying. He reached his hand out, almost touching her. "Marie…"
"Go."
"Marie, please."
She looked up and ripped his dogtags from her neck, throwing them at his feet. "Get the hell out!"
Logan gave her one last look before leaving.
As soon as he was gone, Marie slumped from the bed to the floor. She grabbed the dogtags and clutched them tightly, crying the way she had years ago when Logan loving her had been nothing but a dream.
When Marie woke up alone the next morning, she found herself grateful that she wasn’t in Logan’s room. She wouldn’t have been able to stand being alone with so many memories.
She got ready for class almost mechanically. She couldn’t believe this had happened to her again, that she’d let Logan in only to have him leave her the same way he had before.
Marie sat down on the bed and tried to access any of Logan’s memories that might have had something to do with Mariko. She couldn’t find anything clear, but that really didn’t surprise her. It had been so long since she had last absorbed him on the Statue of Liberty, and many of his memories had started to fade. Besides, Marie had no way of knowing when Logan had met Mariko. For all she knew, it could’ve been after he’d fallen in with the X-Men
But he had said he’d be coming back. And he hadn’t said it was over between them or that he was going to be with Mariko. Marie picked his dogtags up from her pillow and put them back around her neck. She could cling to the hope that he would come home to her soon. Rogue tucked his dogtags into her shirt and walked out into the hall, ready to face her day with forced optimism.
Over the next couple of days, Rogue noticed that everyone around her seemed to be walking on eggshells every time they spoke to her. Logan and his current whereabouts was never the topic of conversation, and many people avoided having a very in depth discussion with her about anything at all. She knew that they thought Logan had left because of her, or that their relationship had ended and Rogue was broken hearted ,and she wasn’t particularly in the mood to sit down and set them straight. Besides, she didn’t even know where she stood with Logan. What if he fell back in love with Mariko Yashida and never came back at all? What if he came back only to tell Rogue it was over for good this time?
Rogue found herself restless at night. She wanted them to be finished laying the new carpet in her room upstairs. The fear of being alone with Logan’s memories had been replaced with the desire to be near anything that could keep her believing he’d come home to her.
Logan had been gone a month, and he hadn’t even called. That didn’t really surprise Rogue. He’d never called before, and she hadn’t expected that to change now. She’d moved back into their room, and she couldn’t decide how being there made her feel. She decided to drown out the silence with background noise from the television or radio so she wouldn’t have to think.
Soon, almost all conversations had dwindled down to pity-filled looks, and Rogue felt as if she’d been reverted to the untouchable girl who’d arrived at the mansion so many years ago. Her friends never came around anymore; she ate all her meals alone. If it weren’t for her classes, and Jean’s continued understanding—which Rogue attributed to the fact that her powers allowed her to know what Rogue was truly feeling—she would’ve had almost no contact with other people at all.
It was during the third month of solitude that Rogue realized she’d given everything away for Logan, and now she didn’t even have him.
It was then that the emptiness came.
"You should tell Rogue."
"Kitty, I haven’t talked to her in months, and this isn’t exactly something you can just walk up to someone and say."
"Sure it is. She has a right to know."
"You tell her then."
"No, Jubilee, you need to."
"You’ve seen how Rogue’s been acting ever since Wolverine left her high and dry—again. For all I know, she wants him back and she’ll flip out on me when I tell her."
Rogue stopped short when she heard the conversation between Kitty and Jubilee. She knew she shouldn’t be listening since it was obviously not something she was meant to hear, but she couldn’t bring herself to walk away either.
"She probably should. You basically killed the friendship over a choice she made that really wasn’t any of your business and then hooked up with her ex and didn’t even bother to tell her. Wait, make that not only kept from telling her, but actively worked to hide it from her as well."
"My ex?," Rogue thought. "Jubilee and Bobby?! Well, I guess I should’ve known that was a possibility after the way she reacted to me hurting him."
"You’re one to talk, Kit. When’s the last time you sat down and shared some quality time with Rogue?"
"We’re not talking about me here. Besides, you have to admit that Rogue hasn’t been the easiest person to get close to these days. She’s been so distant."
"Yeah, because being close to anyone has meant being surrounded by pity loosely veiled by ‘friendly’ smiles, and you’ve been the queen of it. Anyone would distance themselves from that, Katherine."
"Yeah, probably because she’s gone back to her old routine of sitting around and pining for Logan as if getting him—and keeping him—is actually an obtainable goal for her. You’d think she would’ve grown up by now," Jubilee said.
"And talking about people behind their backs and sneaking around with a guy are two incredibly mature behaviors," Rogue thought sardonically.
"Don’t be so harsh on her, Jubilee," Kitty said. "Look at her situation. She has the perfect relationship with Bobby, one based on real love, but she makes the mistake of throwing it all away for the physical attraction she has with Logan. She confuses lust for love, but Logan—of course—knows the truth. He gets what he wants from her, gets bored, and then leaves her alone and brokenhearted. Once the dust settles, and she starts to see things clearly again, Rogue realizes that she’s lost the love of her life and her best chance at happiness. How else could you expect her to react?"
Rogue gaped in shock at Kitty’s words. "Is that really what they think?"
"Yeah, I know. It’s just hard to put up with her and her fantasy world sometimes."
Rogue had heard enough. She stormed into the room, glaring at her two supposed friends. "I can’t believe y’all!" she yelled. "I’m the one living in a fantasy world? From what I just heard it sounds like the two of you are the delusional ones here. For one thing, I don’t want Bobby back in any way, shape, or form. That relationship was never meant to be. Jubilee, if you can give him something I never could, then great, I’m happy for the both of you.
"And as far as Logan is concerned, we’re not broken up. He had something he had to take care of and he left. Yes, when he left we were arguing and things aren’t exactly the best they’ve ever been between us right now, but it’s nothing bad enough to throw me into the depths of despair as everyone seems to think. And if you people think that Logan and I aren’t sincerely in love, then fine. You’re wrong, and I thought that people who once called me their best friend would know me better than that, but apparently that isn’t the case.
"And as of now, I don’t particularly care what you think about how what I feel for Logan, Bobby, or anyone else for that matter. You can take your opinion of me and my love life and shove it. I’m an adult, in a relationship with another adult and that’s no one’s business but mine and Logan’s. If you want to sit here and pick apart everything in my life and put intentions that I’ve never even taken into consideration on my every action, then fine, go right ahead. Ever since Logan left everyone’s been deciding how I feel, keeping away from me because of it, and then dubbing me closed-off and emotionally unstable. Well, that’s just fine. I don’t give a damn about any of you anymore."
Rogue walked away, leaving both Kitty and Jubilee dumbfounded.
It was four months before Logan came home. Rogue was sitting on the couch in the living room talking to Jean when he came in, and he didn’t even bother to stop as he walked past.
Jean and Rogue exchanged surprised looks, and Rogue quickly got up and ran after him. She caught up with him at the top of the stairs. "Logan!"
He stopped and turned around with obvious reluctance. "What is it, Marie? I ain’t exactly in the mood to talk right now."
Rogue glared at him. "After running out on me for four months you better be in the mood to talk."
"Later."
"No, Logan. There’s no later. There’s here and there’s now."
"Fine, what do you want to know?"
"Did you fuck her?"
"What?"
"You heard me."
"Is that all you think about?"
"Well, seeing as before you got that phone call I was the woman you professed undying love to, but you ran off as soon as she crooked her finger at you, I’d have to say, yeah, that’s pretty high on my list of concerns."
"I was only helping her."
"For four months?!"
"She needed a lot of help!"
"You’re the one who needs help."
"Look, Marie—Darlin’—I still love you, okay? Mariko’s just an old friend that needed me."
"Then why couldn’t you call me or write or anything while you were with her? Why did you do to me what you promised you’d never do again?"
"I’m sorry. It’s just that there are some things in my life you can’t be part of. If you’re going to be with me, you’re gonna have to understand that."
Marie’s expression went cold. "Okay, Logan. I understand that."
"You all right?"
"Perfectly fine."
"I’m goin’ to our room to unpack and get some rest. Meet me up there in a little while, okay?"
"No problem, Logan."
Rogue walked back down the stairs to finish talking to Jean.
Logan was sleeping when Marie came into the room. She climbed on the bed with him, leaning over him. His eyes opened, and when he saw her he started to say something, but she put her finger to his lips to silence him.
"Shh. Don’t say anything. Just make love to me."
Logan rolled her over, more than happy to give her what she’d asked for.
I don't wanna lose you,
I don't wanna use you
Just to have somebody by my side
And I don't wanna hate you
I don't wanna take you
But I don't wanna be the one to cry
That don't really matter to anyone, anymore
But like a fool I keep losing my place
And I keep seeing you walk through that door
Logan woke up slowly, trying to figure out exactly what he was hearing. Music? He looked over at the clock. Three twenty-seven A.M. Why in the world would he be hearing music? Then he heard another sound, softer, more delicate than the song. Crying. He reached out and realized Marie’s side of the bed was empty.
But there's a danger in loving somebody too much
And its sad when you know it's your heart you can't trust
There's a reason why people don't stay where they are
Baby sometimes love just ain't enough
He sat up and looked around the room and found her sitting by the window. She was wearing headphones, and he realized that was where the music was coming from. She had them turned up louder than what was probably good for her ears, and with Logan’s heightened senses he was able to hear the song fairly well. He got out of bed and walked towards her.
Now I could never change you
I don't wanna blame you
Baby you don't have to take the fall
Yes I may have hurt you
But I did not desert you
Maybe I just want to have it all
It makes a sound like thunder
It makes me feel like rain
And like a fool who will never see the truth
I keep thinking something's gonna change
"Marie?"
Logan’s voice and his hand on her shoulder made Marie jump. She slipped the headphones off her ears and down around her neck with the song still playing.
"Logan, you startled me."
Logan crouched down beside her. "Why aren’t you in bed?" he asked, his voice so tender and full of concern that Marie thought the pain inside her was going to make her explode.
"I couldn’t sleep."
But there's a danger in loving somebody too much
And its sad when you know it's your heart you can't trust
There's a reason why people don't stay where they are
Baby sometimes love just ain't enough
And there's no way home
When it's late at night and you're all alone
Are there things that you wanted to say
Do you feel me beside you in your bed
There beside you where I used to lay
"Come on back to bed, Darlin’. It’s cold over there without you."
Marie nodded. Logan took the headphones from around her neck and turned off her CD player. He then stood up, took her by the hand, and led her back to bed.
Marie moved close to Logan, wrapping her arms around him and burying her head against his shoulder. "I love you," she said. "No matter what happens, don’t ever forget I love you."
Logan kissed her forehead. "I won’t, Darlin’. I promise you, that’s one thing I’ll never forget."
And there's a danger in loving somebody too much
And it's sad when you know it's your heart they can't touch
There's a reason why people don't stay who they are
Cause baby sometimes love just ain't enough
Baby sometimes love just ain't enough
Logan woke up a few hours later to find the bed without Marie again. He looked around the room and saw she wasn’t in there. He frowned as he realized most of her things were gone as well.
He got out of bed and went over to the closet. Her half was empty. Panic hit Logan. He got dressed as quickly as he could and ran out to try to find Marie.
He found her downstairs sitting on the couch. "I was wondering when you were gonna wake up," she said.
"Marie, what the hell is going on?"
She stood up and walked over to him. "I’m leaving, Logan."
Logan didn’t quite now how to process what she had just said. "Leaving? Leaving me?"
Marie nodded. "Yes."
"But you can’t."
"I have to."
"Why?" Logan heard himself ask the question although he knew the answer. He knew exactly why Marie was leaving and he wished he could go back and change everything he’d ever done to hurt her. He couldn’t believe he’d been blind enough not to realize how much he’d been pushing her away.
"Because I can’t live like this anymore, Logan. I can’t live with you. Since I was seventeen years old I’ve never known where I stand with you, if you’re even going to be in my life from one day to the next. I love you more than I’ve ever loved anyone, probably more than I ever will love anyone, but I’ve cried more tears of pain over this relationship than I have tears of joy. This just isn’t good for me, Logan. I need to find a new way to live—a way to live without you."
"Marie, please, stay. I’ll change, I’ll let you in my life. Please, Baby, don’t do this to me. Don’t leave me."
Marie unhooked his dogtags and put them in his hand, mimicking what he had done the first time he had left her. "You’re gonna have to take care of these yourself now."
"No…Marie. Marie, I don’t want you to leave. I don’t want to lose you."
"Sometimes less than what you want has to be enough."
Rogue walked away from him and away from the mansion, forcing herself not to look back.
Logan stared at the closed door, holding his dog tags as he heard Marie’s car drive away.
And If I'm not over you by the time I get to Georgia
Then I guess I'll be Alabama bound
There was a time when I'd do anything for ya
But this time, baby, I won't turn around
I always wanted to get married, and I thought you were the one
But you never, ever asked me, and I was tired of hangin' on
You know a girl can only be let down so many times before she runs
And now this little bitty town's only got room for one of us, yeah
You always said I'd never leave, and if I did I wouldn't go far
So I know how I must look, with my tank 'a gas and beat up heart
Well baby, I'm gone for good, you can count on that
Yeah, I'm gonna keep headin' west 'til I'm too far gone to come back, yeah
And If I'm not over you by the time I get to Georgia
Then I guess I'll be Alabama bound
There was a time when I'd do anything for ya
But this time, baby, I won't turn around
I only got ten miles to go before I cross the state line
I can feel my hands shakin'
'Cause they usually turn the wheel around about this time
I heard that same ol' voice inside, I had to drown it out
So I found me a radio station playin' something fast
And I turned it up real loud
And If I'm not over you by the time I get to Georgia
Then I guess I'll be Alabama bound
There was a time when I'd do anything for ya
But this time, baby, I won't turn around
There was a time when I'd do anything for ya
But this time, baby, oh I won't turn around, yeah
No, I won't turn around
If I'm not over you by Georgia, then I'll head to Alabama
Roll on to Mississippi, or maybe Lou'siana
I'll drive all the way to California
Oh, I won't turn around
No, I won't turn around
No, I won't turn around
No, I won't turn around
I won't, I won't turn around, no I won't turn around
End Part Five