The skies overhead grew dark and overcast.  As he sped down the road, Logan could feel his adrenaline pumping.  In his mind he kept replaying the phone call he had received not more than fifteen minutes ago.  If you want to see Rogue alive again, come to the Statue of Liberty.  Come alone.  The voice had been electronically distorted and Logan was well aware that it could very well be a trap.  Was most likely a trap.  Still, he couldn't take that chance.  For almost three months he had searched for Marie only to arrive too late every time.  If he had even the slightest chance of getting her back, he had to take it.  Coaxing the bike up to 90 miles an hour, he willed physics to bend and put him at his destination faster.  As the top of the Statue of Liberty came into view, remembered dread flooded through him.  Logan could recall all too clearly the last time he and Marie had been here.  Parking his bike close to the dreaded statue, Logan swore he could still hear Marie's desperate screams.  Suddenly, the hair on the back of his neck rose.  His enhanced senses heard crying.  Terror raced through him as he realized that Marie was tied to the edge of the Statue of Liberty's torch. 

"Logan!"

Suddenly another figure caught Logan's eye.  Fury burned through his veins as he recognized another figure up there with Marie.

"Magneto."  The name came up as a feral growl and Logan felt himself running up the stairs.  As he burst out at the top he looked wildly around for the damned man that had taken his beloved Marie once again.  Reduced practically to the animal that was his namesake, Wolverine almost didn't hear Marie as she called him.

"Logan!  Logan, help me!"  Marie cried out.  Rain was starting to fall.

Dashing over to where Marie hung tied over the edge, Wolverine struggled to untie her.  Suddenly Marie jerked at the ropes and one by one they snapped and fell away.

"No!"  Logan yelled, desperately trying to grab one of her wrists to keep her from falling.  As she fell just out of reach, Logan suddenly realized she'd stopped.  His jaw dropped as he watched Marie rise into the air.  Her face was set in hard lines and her hair was being whipped around her in the building winds that were picking up.  Logan stared at her in bewilderment.  Slowly his eyes took in the whole sight.  Marie was floating in the air a foot from the edge.  Her clothes were torn practically to shreds, revealing flushed skin.  Her breasts showed round and full under the torn cloth, her nipples beginning to harden as the rain and wind chilled her body.  A soft stomach showed through the tears, droplets of rain dripping enticingly lower.  Logan felt his body react as he took in the woman that hung in the air in front of him.

"Look at me Logan.  Ah'm a grown woman.  Ah don't need your protection."  Rogue's eyes flashed as Logan tried to drag his gaze from its exploration of her body to look her in the eyes.  Slowly he shook his head.  Rogue drifted closer and Logan backed up into the area under the cover of the statue's crown.  Rogue followed, but kept herself in the air so he had to look up into her eyes.  It also put her breasts directly at his eye level.  Images of what she would look like naked flashed through Logan's mind and he tried to fight them down.  Rogue noticed.  "Ah need something else from you," she whispered. 

Still confused, Logan mumbled, "Magneto . . ."

"Magneto was never here Logan."  Logan shook his head.  Rogue flew a little closer until her body almost touched him.  She reached a bare hand up and stroked his cheek.  Automatically, Logan's hands came up to steady her and brushed against her hips.  Letting her body drop, Rogue let his hands continue to slide upwards.  Logan held his breath as his hands traced flesh he'd never expected to touch.  Her skin was slick with rain and he slid his hands up and down her body.  When one hand slid under the cloth covering her breasts, Rogue's breath hitched in her throat.  Logan gently took one nipple into his hand and rolled it gently between his fingers.  Rogue moaned and he felt himself harden as he brought his other hand up to mimic the motion on her other breast.  Rogue's breathing came faster and she flew closer, pushing her breasts into his ministrations.  As she subconsciously began to lower herself, Logan gave her nipples a sharp pinch, drawing a little squeal from Rogue.  Turning her eyes downward she fixed him with a look heavy with passion.  As she came down to his level she slowly peeled off what little clothing she had.  Mesmerized by the sight before him, Logan leaned in to take a breast in his mouth, but Marie floated back.  Grabbing his jeans in her hands she tugged hard and ripped them down the center.  Then she tossed them aside to join the remains of her top.

"You're stronger now.  Any other powers you'd like to tell me about?"  Logan asked.  His voice came out hoarse.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"  Rogue murmured smugly.  Hiding a grin, Logan reached out and snaked an arm around her waist.  Jerking her body against his, he popped part of one claw out and slit the crotch of her pants.  Before she could pull away, he sheathed his claw and slid one finger inside her.  Rogue gasped as his finger stroked her from within.  As she leaned more heavily against him, he slid a second finger into her warmth.  With a fiery cry Rogue brought her mouth to cover his.  Delving deep into his mouth she mimicked what he was doing to her, with her tongue.  As he pushed his fingers deeper inside her she pulled away with a moan.  Groping down his body she took his hard length into her hand and stroked it firmly in her fist.  Logan groaned as he felt himself quickly racing towards a climax.  Desperately holding back, he leaned forward and took one of Rogue's breasts into his mouth.

"Oh God, Logan."  Rogue felt her head spin and let go of him.  Clutching his hair in her hands she clenched her fingers as his mouth worked over her breasts one by one.  Her reaction excited Logan further.  Groaning again he released her breast and removed his fingers from her center.  Looking up into her eyes for permission, he moved his hands to hold her hips and position her wetness above his manhood.  Rogue closed her eyes and wrapped her legs around his waist, pushing him out from the wall.  Logan turned them around so he was pressing her against the wall and slowly pushed himself inside her.  He had to hold still for a moment, to let her adjust to his size as well as to give himself a moment to regain control.  Soon he began to move inside her.  Pulling himself out until he was barely inside her he smiled as she whimpered.  Then he thrust inside her to the hilt.  Rogue cried out.  As he began a steady rhythm she met him thrust for thrust.  With the sensations sweeping over both of them, it wasn't long until Logan was at his climax.  As reached his peak, Rogue opened the transfer slightly.  Logan's orgasm rushed over her, triggering her own climax.  For several moments, both of them rode the waves of pleasure the other had brought them.

When it was over, Logan eased himself out of her and gently set her down.  Holding her close to him he buried his nose in her hair. 

"I love you," he said softly.

"Ah love you too Logan.  Ya dumb animal." 

Logan chuckled.  "So it takes me awhile to catch on."

"Five years is "awhile?"

"Hey," he said defensively. 

"Ah'm sorry.  Ah'll stop."  Marie smiled as she snuggled against his chest.

"You set all this up didn't you?"

"With a little help from my friends."

"What about the thief?"

"Remy?  He's a friend.  Just a friend."  She leaned back and looked at him.  "How did you know about him anyway."

"Never mind."  Logan pulled her back to him.  "Marie?" he whispered.

"Mmmm?"

"How are we going to get back to the mansion like this?"

Rogue looked up in confusion.  Then she spotted their clothes lying in tatters a few feet away.  For a moment she chastised herself for not thinking things through before she destroyed Logan's clothes.  Then she spotted a bag lying just at the top of the stairs.  She made a mental note to thank a certain thief later.

"Ah think we'll be all right."

*          *          *         

On the streets below, Mystique looked up at the statue from her position on Gambit's motorcycle.  Allowing herself to shift from Magneto to her true form, she sighed.

            "Second thoughts, Mystique?"

            Mystique looked up as Gambit walked up to the bike.

            "I do not allow myself second thoughts, thief."

            "Gambit smiled.  "Y' did de right thing.  How did you know dis would work?"

            "Logan saved her life up there on that statue.  That's a powerful memory, one that won't easily be overridden.  As long as he remembered her as weak and fragile, he could never see her any other way.  The only thing to do was to give him a new memory.  Now he knows she can take care of herself.  He'll have to form a new view of her."

            "No child of yours could ever be called weak, chere.  Dey inherit too much strength from dere mother.  And wit her beauty, I'm sure Rogue won have any trouble forming a new image in de Wolverine's mind."

            Mystique smiled.  As Gambit climbed on the motorcycle in front of her she looked up one last time.  Suddenly she tapped Gambit on the back.  "By the way, Cajun, where did you run off to just now?  I thought you were going to wait here at the bike?"

            "Gambit had to run something up t' Rogue."

            "What?"

            "A change of clothes."