Wolverine grinned as Rogue grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the Rec Room into the hallway. Jean tried not to look after them and turned back to the television.

"So," Rogue said exhaling. "Did she ask you to join the team?"

Wolverine nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

"Cyclops was asking me to join too." She rolled her eyes. "Ah think he was trying to seduce me."

"Really," Wolverine said feigning interest. He looked back into the Rec Room. "Well, shit, give me a few minutes, maybe Jean wants to—" He was cut off when Rogue gave him a playful smack on the arm. He laughed.

"Ha ha," Rogue said dryly. Then her face got serious. "Wolverine, Ah don't wanna join the team, but Ah am gonna have to stay here for a while so Xavier can work with me."

Wolverine nodded. "I know. How long you think it's gonna take?"

Rogue sighed and leaned back against the wall.

"Ah don't know." She laughed shortly. "Ah've never been in therapy before."

Wolverine looked down. "Yeah, I know."

For a few seconds neither of them said anything. Finally, Rogue took a deep breath.

"Wolverine, look," she said slowly. "If you wanna leave, it's okay. Ah mean, Ah know you kinda took me in cause Ah had no where to go after leavin' the Brotherhood, but Ah'll be all right here. Ah know you have things to do and if you don't wanna stay here Ah'll understand."

Wolverine quirked an eyebrow at her. She was staring down at the ground now and he could tell she was anxious about what he was going to say next. He sighed and stepped closer to her. She looked up in surprise as he put his hands on her arms and forced her to look him in the eye.

"Hey," he said seriously. "I'm not going anywhere. Believe me, I know what it's like to be alone with these people, and I wouldn't do that to you." Rogue smiled a little and Wolverine could tell there was something else on her mind. And he had a pretty good idea what.

"Besides," he said casually. "I still have things to teach you."

Rogue looked at him, confusion in her amber eyes. "And what's that?"

A wicked glint sparkled in Wolverine's eyes and, in answer, he pulled her to him in a searing kiss that brought that morning rushing back into Rogue's mind. She melted into the kiss as Wolverine's mouth plied hers into willing submission, her arms rising to drape around his neck. His hands drifted down from her arms to rest lightly on her hips. When they finally parted, his eyes were dark with pleasure and Rogue's heart pounded in her chest. It took her a moment to get her breath back enough to speak.

"Well," she whispered. "Looks like Ah'm goin' back to school."

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, Stealing Rogue and Beast in Rogue are the first two stories in a three story arch. Chapter one of the final story "A Rogue's Revenge" will be posted on the same day as the epilogue to Beast in Rogue.