Disclaimer: X-Men are the property of Marvel.  I do not own rights to any of these characters.

Reviews: Always welcome.  There is a sequel to this story called "Though Dreams May Come"  More reviews may lead to a third story.

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A lone figure walked through the streets, the wind rustling the strands of hair that stubbornly stuck out from underneath the hood of her cloak.  Tucking them back in, she continued to make her way to the little restaurant on the corner.  As she finally entered her destination, she nodded at the hostess and walked to a corner in the back.  A young woman with shoulder length black hair and black wire rimmed glasses smiled as she watched Marie approach.      

            "Hey Rogue."

            "Hey Robin.  Have you ordered yet?"

            "No.  I waited for you."

            Marie nodded as she sat down and picked up her menu. 

After they had both ordered, Marie leaned back in her seat.  Robin watched her as she shifted around to get comfortable.  Her eyes stared at the table and she shuffled her feet under the table.

"Something on your mind Rogue?"

Marie smiled sheepishly and hesitantly looked up. 

Robin recognized the look on her face and frowned.  "Oh no.  Don't start this again."

"But Robin, Ah just know you'd like it at Xavier's.  You could join the team and we'll train together—"

"Rogue, I'm not going to say this again.  I do not want to join the X-Men.  If you want my friendship that's fine, but I am not going to join your little superhero team just because Jubilee and Kitty went off to college and you need someone at the mansion to take your mind off Logan."

Marie looked hurt.  "Ah want you to join because you're mah friend and Ah think it would be good for you.  And why would Ah want to take mah mind off Logan?  Our relationship is fine."

"Yeah sure.  If that were true you wouldn't always be moaning about him and how even though he's been back for four years he still sees you as a kid."

"Ah'm not moaning about him.  Robin what's wrong with you?"

"Absolutely nothing.  Which is more than I can say for you."

"Why are you bein' so mean today?  You know Ah'm very happy with mah friendship with Logan.  We're very close.  And anyway," she added, "he won't always see me as a kid."

"Why not?  What are you going to do to change it?  You're not a teenager anymore, why do you still act like one?  He sees you as a kid and you just play along.  You don't have the guts to start anything."

"Ah started a friendship with you!"

"No, I started a friendship with you.  I was the one who suggested meeting after we talked online.  If I hadn't we would be having this conversation by keyboard."

"Ah'm not sure Ah wanna have this conversation at all."

"No of course not.  Just like you never want to have a conversation with Professor Xavier about finally helping you with your powers.  Not that you'd have time since you spend most of it mooning over Logan."

Marie ignored the comment about Logan.  "The Professor is trying to help me.  He's looking into it-"

"Didn't take him long to find something for Logan, did it?  He just came right up with that little bit of information didn't he?  The X-men go through a battle and he comes out of a coma and all of a sudden, he's ready to help poor old Logan find evidence of his past.  What has he done for you?"

Marie avoided her look.  "Ah have ta go."

Exasperated Robin reached for her hand, but Marie stood up quickly.  "Rogue, your food hasn't even come yet.  Come on, don't run away.  That's something he would do."

That was the last straw.  Clutching the dogtags around her neck, Marie ran out of the restaurant.

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Later that night Marie and Logan were sitting on the couch watching a movie in the den.  Marie was huddled up in a jogging suit and Logan was lounging in sweatpants and a t-shirt.  They were watching When Harry Met Sally.  Logan snorted.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this."  He muttered.

"Aw Logan, you know you like it.  Ah love this movie."

"That's the only reason I'm watching it."  Marie smiled.  Logan rolled his eyes.  "What does that guy mean men and women can't be friends?  We're friends."

"Well, he and Sally do end up being friends, so at first he thinks he was wrong. But—" Marie stopped suddenly and blushed.

Logan looked over at her.  "But what?"

"Um, then they end up having sex."  Logan quirked an eyebrow and Marie blushed even harder.

"So basically men and women can't be friends because they'll end up having sex." 

Marie frowned.  "Well they do fall in love at the end."

Logan looked at her and smiled.  "What if they loved each other as friends before they had sex." 

For a moment Marie thought she had fallen asleep and was dreaming.  But the look in Logan's eyes was sincere.  "Ah suppose that changes things."

Logan smiled and stretched.  "Well, as much as I'd like to see how the movie ends, I'm goin' out.  One eye has me scheduled for an ungodly early training session and I plan to sleep late."

Marie laughed.  After Logan went up to bed, she finished the movie and then went to her own room to sleep.  As she laid in bed she thought back on what Logan had said.  Finally she got up and turned on her computer.  Typing in a message for Robin, she sent it and then turned off the computer.  Going back to bed she slept peacefully the rest of the night.

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  Robin: I'm sorry about earlier. Maybe you're right about me being too scared. But I know that Logan and I have a very special relationship and who knows?  Maybe someday it will be even more special.

Robin frowned as she read the message Rogue had left her.  She had thought that after her harsh speech that morning Rogue would be ready to give up on Logan and focus on herself and her powers.  She rolled her eyes.  Obviously something had happened to make Rogue think her chances with Logan were getting better.  This was not a positive development.  Wolverine was the one person who let Rogue forget about her powers.  He hugged her without flinching and had even allowed Rogue to absorb him on a few occasions.  If Rogue actually had a chance at a relationship with this insolent Canadian then Robin was certain they would find a way to simply deal with her powers instead of trying to control them.  Rogue lacked the discipline to do this on her own.  And if she never tried to control her powers, she would never have reason to delve into her own mind.  She would never remember.

Robin turned off her computer.  Activating her mutant power, she let her body shift and reshape itself into an older woman with flowing red hair and a curvy figure.  It was time to take action.