Disclaimer: Are these absolutely necessary? Is there someone out there who's deluded enough to believe that I'm trying to take credit for creating the X-Men? Because I can tell you right now that there's no way I'm capable of creating a character as irritating as Jubilee or as lame as The Dark Phoenix. What? WHAT!

!All my Author's Notes for this story will be posted in my forums on this site!

'Thoughts'

((Psyche in Rogue's head))

Flashback in italics

MIND GAMES and RAZOR BLADES

She was pretending to be interested in something she saw out the window, but all there was to see were miles and miles of white winter snow. The vast whiteness stretched on as far as the eye could see and seemed to go on without end. In reality, she was not looking out the window - but at it. It was in the windows reflection that she could keep an eye on the gruff man driving the truck.

What had she been thinking? She had needed help, that much was true, but why then had she turned to the most dangerous person she had ever encountered? How did she know she could trust him and why had she thought that he would help her?

((Because you're out of your goddamn mind!))

Marie cringed at the sound of the psyche invading her own thoughts. She thought they had all gone. They had been quite for the last day or so. She supposed she should have known better.

"You alright?" The gruff man asked.

"Fine" she answered and went completely still. She could see him looking at her sideways before turning his attention back to the road.

"Good." It was spoken after a brief pause. The way he said it implied he did not want to have to deal with there being anything wrong. When he said it, Marie instinctively thought 'now that's more like it'. Despite not knowing him, she felt his concern was as awkward for him as it was for her. Genuine concern had become a rarity in her life, ever since her powers manifested. Everything had changed since then.

She had changed.

((You can never go back.))

Rogue did not deem it necessary to argue with the taunting voice. She said it often enough her self. Whatever that meant. The psyches often voiced what she felt deep down inside anyways.

If she had known she would wake up one day to kill someone with a single touch – she would have slept forever. In her dreams she could at least pretend she was happy….and normal. Maybe that is why she chose him. He wasn't normal either.

Rogue finally turned to look at the man driving the vehicle. His skin looked warm to her. She could imagine touching him and then bursting into flames. It was an odd thought, but she thought it all the same. His hair was a wild black and stuck up at the sides, reminding her of a cat who had just been cleaning itself. Marie doubted the man would appreciate her comparison though and kept it to her self.

She found she was fixated by the strangest things about him. His nostrils flared up every once in awhile as though some potent smell had surfaced, but Marie could smell nothing. She also noticed how his hands, while firmly grasping the steering wheel, would clench and twitch at the knuckles. That was…unusual.

"What?" he asked, again breaking the silence she had become accustomed to since their journey began. She looked up to see that his eyes were still on the road but knew she had been caught staring at him.

"You don't have your seatbelt on." It was the first thing she could think to say. It felt a bit silly when she said it, but she tried not to let it show.

"And…?"

"You really should wear your seatbelt."

Raising his right hand in the air for emphasis, Logan started to explain the necessity of wearing a seatbelt. "No, people who get into accidents need to wear seatbelts. I don't get into...SHIT."

Life is strange.

One moment the camper had been spinning out of control and the next it had jolted to a stop when it hit a tree on the driver's side. Rogue was a bit overwhelmed by the collision but did not think she had been seriously injured. 'Good thing I had my seatbelt on' she thought. When she caught her breath, she even considered giving the gruff man an 'I told you so.' However, relief quickly turned to panic as she felt a painfully familiar sensation.

She never should have taken off her gloves. It was her fault. She should have known better. Marie did not know why but Logan's hand was on top of hers. Maybe he had wanted to make sure she was okay or perhaps it landed there after the accident. All she knew for sure was that his skin was touching hers.

She was unable to move at first but her eyes shot to their left and she saw blue and purple lines appear on the gruff man whose bare hand was resting against her arm.

She started to scream and fought to free herself from the seatbelt she had on. The scream quickly turned into an animalistic growl as she tore herself away from him and out of the restraining seatbelt. Rogue's eyes darted from the barely-conscious man beside her to the handle of the passenger door. With one last glance at the confused man beside her, she opened the door and bolted.

- NEXT DAY-

When Logan woke up, he felt like he had just been… well, he didn't really know what the hell to compare it to. He felt groggy, like he had been woken up at some ungodly hour of the morning after only getting a couple hours sleep. Make that only a couple of hours after a heavy night of drinking and god knew what else.

He had woken because he thought he heard someone enter the room. His nose told him who it was, before he even saw her.

"What the hell's goin' on kid?"

"I brought you some food" she started, as though she never heard him ask the question "I wasn't sure what you like so I just got you a burger and some fries." It was a lie. She knew exactly what he liked and how he liked it but she did not want to get into that right now.

He watched her walk over to him, place the bag of food on the night table, then walk over to a chair in the corner and sit down.

"Ain't ya hungry?" She asked him. He was, but he was a little reluctant to do anything before getting some answers. However, the smell of the beef patty was making his mouth water so he snatched the bag off the table and dove into it greedily. One hand darting in to grab at some fries and the other busy with unwrapping his burger.

Marie's mouth also started to water and she could feel her stomach rumble. She had grabbed a bagel at the diner because it was all she had been able to afford with the change in her pocket. Feeling uncomfortable and satisfied that he was not going to ask any questions, Rogue got up from her seat.

"Sit." He told her, and then took another big bite of his burger.

"But I've got to go to the washroom."

"How'd we get here and where the hell are we?"

"Can we talk about this later?"

"Who paid for this room? The food?" He asked her, already knowing the answer. The girl was obviously a run away. He would never have found her where he did if she wasn't and Logan had never known any rich runaways before. She must have taken some cash from his wallet.

Feeling guilty, Rogue sat back down and sighed before giving him a rundown of what had happened. She started by explaining her mutation. She had the ability to absorb other people's memories, thoughts, feelings….essentially everything about them with only a touch. She was, in a sense, a vampire. He snorted when she had used the analogy, but the look in her eyes told him she did not find it amusing in the least. Then she went on to explain how she had absorbed him. It had felt like an animal had taken over at first. She had fled off into the woods before returning to the vehicle. With a newfound strength that she could only assume had come from him, she moved the tree that had fallen down in the middle of the road and gotten into the driver's seat. She drove in the direction of what she hoped would be the fastest route to the hospital, but quickly realized that a hospital would not be a very good idea. Not for him. Not for her. After checking him over again for signs of life, she realized he was breathing, but barely. Therefore, she decided to stop at the closest motel and get him a room, where she would wait until she knew he would be okay. The only way she could get the room however, was by taking the money from his wallet.

"So, the truck's alright?" There were other questions he wanted to ask but he could tell she was upset and did not want to push her. Logan knew all about keeping things private.

"It's a little banged up. It's parked right outside the room." She told him, her gaze turning to the door that led outside and to a parking lot.

"Good."

Rogue sat there nervously, unsure of whether he would allow her to get up or if he had other questions to throw at her. He seemed content finishing off his food and he did not seem to be mad at her…

"One bed?"

"Don't worry, I'm not staying. I was actually gonna leave now that you're okay." She got up and looked around for a bag, a wallet or some other personal item only to realize that she was wearing everything she owned. How humiliating! She was looking around for something to take with her but nothing was hers!

"Sit down kid."

"Look, I'm sorry I spent your money okay? I didn't know what else to do. You were just tryin' to help meh out and I've caused you enough trouble, so please, just let meh go."

"No. Now sit down." The girl's nostrils flared and her fingers curled inwards to form fists.

"Yer startin' to piss me off bub." One second she was glaring at him and the next her eyes went wide and her hands went over her mouth.

"Is that how I sound?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I guess so."

"Hmph." Was Logan's only reply as he went back to devouring his food. Now that she was being forced to watch him eat, her stomach growled loudly in disapproval. Marie briefly wondered if the people in the room beside them had heard it.

((Jesus kid, if you're hungry just ask.))

"Jesus kid, if you're hungry just ask." The gruff man said, now standing directly in front of her and handing her the remainder of his fries.

"Huh, oh, it was you." She said, giving her head a shake.

"Do you need medication or sumthin'?"

"What!?"

"Nothin'" he grunted back.

Rogue tugged at the sleeves of her shirt angrily and avoided the Wolverine's gaze. Just what was he implying anyways?

((That you're fucked in the head! What do you think?!)) The voice was right, he thought she was crazy. ((Well, you DO hear voices in your head.))

Obviously, the voice had distracted her because next thing she knew there was a hand with some money being held under her face. Looking up, she saw the gruff man looking down at her. She was reluctant to take it, not knowing what it was he wanted from her. He had not done anything to suggest he would try to hurt her in any way, but she had learned the hard way to never let her guard down. Just because you felt safe did not mean that you were.

"I thought you might need some stuff. They must have a convenience store or somethin' near by."

"Okay…" She responded, still not understanding why he was handing her money. Of course, the money was tempting and she did need a few things, but, she had just technically stolen from the guy. It did not feel right taking anything else from him.

"Look, if you don't want it…" he said, already withdrawing his hand. Before she could stop her self, her hand reached out and grabbed the money from him. Her cheeks were warm and she could only assume she was blushing from embarrassment at her actions. Sometimes doing the right thing was just too hard.

"Thank you."

"Sure." Rogue did not waste anytime and left for the store. Logan just ran a large hand down his face, utterly confused and frustrated about the situation he had put him self in. He had problems of his own and some how he had signed him self up for someone else's as well. "Shit."

Rogue clutched the money tightly in her hand and walked down the hall and into the main lobby. The man at the counter barely even glanced her way, for which she was thankful. Thankful he did not seem interested in her and thankful he did not ask any questions when she had checked in to get a room. Who knew what types of things the man had seen running a cheap little motel off the side of the road.

When she got into the store, the first thing she saw was a shelf lined with chocolate bars. Not really thinking about anything other than how hungry she was, she grabbed a Sweet Marie candy bar and opened it.

"Hey! You have to pay for that!" The older female working behind the counter put down her magazine to yell at Marie. Marie went right ahead and bit into the chocolate, using her free hand to pay for it. Her hand remained out and open until the cashier gave her the change.

"Don't open anything else before paying for it." Rogue nodded her head but for the most part chose to ignore her. Her eyes were already searching for things she would need. Her tongue ran along the top of her teeth and she knew a toothbrush and some toothpaste were in order. She tried not to draw attention to her self as she turned her head slightly downwards to smell her clothes. No doubt she was in need of a shower. She grabbed a 2in1 bottle of shampoo with conditioner and a small bar of soap that came with a small travel case to put it in. She was quick to grab a hairbrush as well.

Marie briefly considered grabbing tampons or something of the like but knew it was probably un-necessary. She had not had a period since her mutation had surfaced. She did not know why that was, and she had no one to ask. It was a little scary, but she chose to view it as the one and only perk to come from her situation.

After grabbing a few more things, including a package of disposable razors, she paid for the items and went back to the hotel room.

Marie stood awkwardly at the entranceway while Logan waited for her to say something. "Um, is it alright if I use the shower?"

"You don't have to ask for permission kid."

"O-Okay."

She walked in closing the door behind her and locking it. She caught a glimpse of her self in the washroom mirror and had to stop. She did not know what she was looking at. Marie stared into her own eyes and beyond, to find an emotion stirring within them. When she found it, the emotion threatened to crush her. Her heart felt like it had stopped and she clutched her chest, forcing her self to look away. She quickly took off her clothes and felt disappointed when she realized that she would have to change back in to them. She had nothing else to wear. The idea of cleaning up just to put on dirty clothes seemed a little pointless.

Something prompted her to take a bath instead of a shower and so she put a plug in the drain and let the water run into the tub. Marie turned the hot water tap as far as it would go while the cold-water tap remained untouched. She was going to burn the filth off her skin. She removed her clothes and tried not to look at her body; it disgusted her. Marie jumped into the tub before it was full and allowed the water to continue running. It hurt, she could see steam flowing from the tap, but she tried to be strong and push past the pain.

That was the problem though. She never tried to deal with anything. She would just run away to 'avoid problems or suppress her feelings'. That last bit had not been Marie talking. It was someone else.

Marie recognized the voice of the young female she had accidentally absorbed one day. Rogue always pictured her as being a university student. She sometimes caught her explaining a psychological event or legal situation, and the description just seemed to fit her. It was weird knowing things you knew you had never learned. Sometimes she wondered if she made all the stuff up her self, but Marie did not think her self capable of sounding so intelligent on her own.

It was weird, some of the people Rogue had absorbed would speak directly to her and others would speak as though they were having a conversation with them selves or as though they were giving a lecture. She did not know if those who carried on by themselves were aware of their situation or not. Those who spoke directly to her did, she knew because they were angry. They were aware of their situation and blamed her for it.

Then there was Cody. He did not seem to blame Rogue or to be angry with her. He was just scared. Sometimes she would hear him whimpering, but he never really said much. Maybe it was because he had been the first victim of her powers and neither of them understood what had happened. He was the only one she had ever really tried to reach out to but he kept distancing him self from her as much as he could. He was frightened of her. He acted as if she was some kind of monster and sometimes that was worse than anything the other psyches said or did.

"You are a monster."

Marie shuddered despite the temperature of the bathwater. She shook herself creating a bit of a splash, while trying to shake the guilt that was starting to eat away at her. All she wanted was to take a bath. She did not want to have to fight with the people in her head. She just wanted some peace and quiet.

The voices ceased and she grabbed the bar of soap she had purchased as well as a shaving razor and started lathering up her right leg. When Rogue started to run the razor over her leg, she cut her self. Although it stung, it was not a bad cut, only a little blood started to seep out.

She then watched her hand move back over her leg and make a larger and deeper cut. 'Oh my gawd!' she thought as she watched her cut a deep gash in her leg. A few of the voices in her head cackled. Then someone growled.

Logan could sense something was wrong and it was not long before he could smell the blood from his spot on the bed. Jumping up and bounding over to the washroom, he knocked on the door and called out to Rogue, but received no answer. He unsheathed his claws, destroyed the handle on the door, and burst into the washroom.

The water in the tub was red. He did not know just how badly she was hurt or even how she was hurt but figured it out quickly when the girl took the razor in her hand and cut her leg from knee to mid thigh.

"Kid what the hell are you doin!?"

She would not look at him though; her eyes remained where the cut was. He looked back as well and watched as the cut closed itself up. While it was something he should have been used to, he felt unsettled. The entire situation was both familiar and foreign to him. He had seen many naked women before, so the fact she was naked barely fazed him. He did however notice that she was horribly underweight. Blood was also something he saw all the time, but watching a young girl cut her self was not. The fact he felt so much concern towards anyone, was new too - and possibly the most unsettling part.

Marie sat in the tub speechless, while Logan stood by not knowing what to do. Then she went into hysterics and started slashing wildly at her own flesh. Logan was grabbing the offensive object out of her hand before his brain could fully comprehend the situation.

"What were ya doin'?"

"I wasn't doin' anythin'. It was…someone else." She looked at him with haunted eyes. It was a look he recognized and it made him uncomfortable.

"Let's get you out of here."

"No!" She shouted, bringing her knees into her chest and hugging them. "I ain't got no clean cloths to change in ta." She added shyly.

Logan gave her an odd look before getting up and backing away from her. His eyes did not leave her until he was out of the room and then she heard him take off and open the door to the parking lot. Marie sat in the tub staring at the white tiles in front of her. She wished Logan had not left. She did not think she could handle being alone right now. He must have thought she was a complete lunatic. He thought she was too much trouble. As fresh tears made their way down her face, she heard Logan return.

"It might be a little big on ya, but it's clean." She turned and looked at him completely confused. In his hand was a rather large flannel shirt. On shaky legs, she stood and was glad the Wolverine had turned around to give her some privacy. "Here's a towel" he said, and passed it to her behind his back. She took it from him and quickly dried herself before throwing on Logan's shirt and buttoning it up.

"Okay, thanks." She said and he turned slowly to face her. She had the sleeves of the flannel tugged down past her hands and had clenched the extra material in her closed fists. Marie supposed she should have felt self-conscious about only wearing a shirt and nothing else around a complete stranger but he had walked in on her completely naked in the bath. 'Oh my gawd! He saw me NAKED IN THE BATH!'

Logan offered her his hand and helped her walk over the edge of the tub. He took the cloth, which she had dropped on the floor, and dried off her feet. "So, that was your power? When I…when the cuts went away?"

"It's a nice thing to have, if you enjoy livin'." The answer he gave her was a loaded one, and they both knew it. He let her walk out of the room before reaching into the bath and pulling the plug out to let the water drain. He dried his hand off with the towel that was now wet with red blotches covering it. Running his hand over his face, he turned to follow her.

She was standing in the middle of the room and her big eyes were turned on his, looking for answers. He did not have any though. What did he know about these types of things? 'Only everything' he quickly realized.

"You didn't have ta…" she started, but was not able to finish before more tears fell down her face.

"Didn't what?" He asked confused more in that moment then he ever had been before.

"You let me wear your shirt." She managed to get out.

"Jesus kid, it's just a shirt." It was not the most considerate response, he supposed as she began sobbing even harder afterwards.

"I'm sorry."

"Look, don't be sorry, just, stop cryin' alright?"

"Sorry." She apologized again, trying hard to stop the tears from coming but failing. He watched as Marie used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe her nose. Sighing, Logan decided it might be best for him to just shut up. The two of them stood awkwardly in the middle of the room.

Logan suddenly walked over to left side of the bed and pulled the bed sheet back. He then patted the bed, indicating he wanted Rogue on it. She hesitated slightly before coming over. He moved out of the way so she could climb on and then pulled the blanket over her legs.

"You can have the bed, I'll take the chair." He walked over to the chair and heard her say something to her self.

"I'm a freak."

'You ain't alone there kid.'

Alone. It was something Logan had been for a very long time. It was what he was comfortable with. It was how it was supposed to be. He could tell that was about to change. As he watched the young girl sleep, he realized the idea of not being alone anymore was not an entirely unpleasant one.

-Fini.