Logan slowed the motorcycle as the Mansion came into view. He pulled to a stop in front of the large iron gates. Looking through the gates, he could see that nothing had changed. Nothing but, him. This surprised him.

After all, if he had changed then so too should everything around him. Okay, so maybe that was a little egotistical, but, that was the way he felt. And damned if he could reason why.

Five years. It had been five years since he had last laid eyes on this place. Since he had last seen the person he was here to see. Marie. Did she even remember what he looked like? Would she be glad he was back?

She had written him letters through the years. But, about three months ago, the letters had stopped. And he wanted to know why. That was the reason he was here. At least that's what he told himself. A little voice in the back of his head kept saying "Bullshit". He ignored it.

He reached over and punched in his security code. The one that Chuck had given him before he had left. Before him, the gates eased open and he pushed the motorcycle through them. There was no reason to wake everyone up. Especially when there was only one person he wanted to see right now, anyway.

He walked the bike up the drive and noted that Ro had added some more flowerbeds. They added a charm to the old place. Kinda made it less intimidating. Well that was one thing that had changed. He wondered if there were more and he just hadn't noticed them yet.

Parking the bike in front of the garage, he went around to the back of the house. Looking up he saw that there was no one up. And since he didn't have a key then he was going to have to knock and wake someone up. Damn he really didn't want to talk to anyone yet.

Just then, he noticed a lace curtain fluttering in the breeze outside one of the windows. Well maybe he wouldn't have to wake anyone up after all. He grabbed hold of the drainpipe and started hauling himself up toward the window.

When he was halfway there a familiar scent caught his attention. It was Marie's scent. He would recognize it anywhere. She always smelled of peach blossoms and innocence. So, the open window belonged to her.

Something else that had changed. She had been on the first floor of the Mansion, sharing a room with some of the other girls when he had been here last. Now she had her own room. Well that shouldn't really come as a surprise. After all, she was twenty-two now wasn't she?

She was twenty-two. A woman now, not a child. But, would she want to be his woman? Now that was the question wasn't it? Another question he wanted an answer to. He'd probably think of more questions before the night was over.

Pulling himself up level with her window, he lunged for it and managed to grab a hold of the sill. Damn, he'd almost ripped his arm out of the socket. He pulled himself up and leaned his chest into the window. Since there was nothing in the way, he decided to go ahead and tumble inside.

He landed hard on his shoulder, but, thankfully didn't make enough noise to wake her up. Getting up he crept towards the bed. Moonlight gilded her face making her look ethereal, like some angel come down from heaven. He was hoping she was an angel of mercy and forgiveness because he was gonna need it.

He stood over her and just watched her sleep. No need to wake her just yet. His questions could wait. And in the mean time, he could look upon her and relearn the lines of her face. The gentle turn of her cheek, the little pugnacious flip at the end of her nose, the determined chin that was always ready to rise up stubbornly at the least provocation. Her lips so lush and sweet, lashes fanned out on her cheeks hiding eyes the color of the forest floor in spring.

And her body. Oh God her body. She'd filled out in the five years he'd been gone. Were there had been a modest chest and slim hips there were now lush curves. Curves that his hands itched to touch. He found himself reaching out as if to do just that, but restrained himself.

First, he needed to talk to her, then he could explore to his heart's content. Well if it was all right with her that is. And why wouldn't it be all right he thought. Hadn't she written to him of her longing to have him home again? Yes, she had. But then again she had never told him that she wanted him home for any other reason than his company, either.

Shit. Well he'd just have to wait for her to wake up and then he would know if she wanted him like he wanted her. The way he'd treated her he had his doubts though. He had never once written a letter to her. And she had religiously sent one to him every week.

Boy if that didn't make him feel enough like slime, then the fact that he had never attempted to come and visit her was. He hadn't even come to her birthday parties. She had invited him, but he had always stayed away. He hadn't trusted himself. Or that was what he kept telling himself.

Yeah, a convenient lie was always there to keep him away. He wasn't good enough for her, he would corrupt her innocence, he would only hurt her. There was always something he could tell himself to help him keep away. Always a way to push his feelings into the back of his mind. To lock her out of his heart.

He kept telling himself it wouldn't work. He was too old for her, she was too young and innocent, he was a man who hated to stay in one place and she was the type that wanted roots. He was all that was rough and no good; she was all that was pure and untouchable.

Untouchable. Now there was another lie he used to stay away. Her skin had always been a convenient excuse. Not because he was scared to touch her, but, because he didn't want her to absorb any more of his fucked up memories. She had written to him and told him that she sometimes woke up covered in sweat from one of the nightmares she had absorbed.

But, he was only fooling himself. There were ways to get around her skin. A man of his experience knew that. Yet, he told himself that he shouldn't be the one to teach her those things. But, it didn't seem as if anyone else was going to step up to the plate and show her. So why couldn't he?

Or maybe she had finally found someone. Maybe that was why she had stopped writing to him. He sniffed the air above her experimentally. But, he could only smell her. That didn't mean there wasn't someone else. It just meant that she hadn't gotten close to them yet.

He started to turn around and look for a chair to sit down on when the moonlight glinted off a chain around her neck. He knew that chain. Knew exactly how many links were on it and what lay at the end of it. Dog tags. His Dog tags.

If she was still wearing them than that must mean that she still felt something for him. It meant that there was still hope that she could be his. He took his riding gloves out of his jacket pocket and put them on. Then he reached down and picked the chain up.

The tags slid from beneath the silky nightgown she wore drawing his eyes once more to the rounded globes. He tore his gaze away and looked down at the tags. They were warm from her skin; he could feel that even through his gloves. He could also tell from the patina on them that she never took them off, not even to clean them. Not even to clean herself.

That thought brought the image of her all wet and naked in the shower, his tags snuggled between her breasts. The image made him instantly hard. His hand convulsed and he jerked on the tags involuntarily, which woke Marie up.

"Logan." She mumbled sleepily.

Dropping the tags, he stepped back. "Sorry I didn't mean to wake ya up, darlin'."

"Is it really you?" She asked as she scooted up to a sitting position, rubbing at her eyes.

"Yeah, it's really me." He said.

"What are ya doing back?" She asked with a yawn.

"You stopped writing to me."

"Yeah, Ah didn't want to keep bugging ya when it was obvious that ya didn't care to hear from me." She yanked the covers up angrily around her reclining form.

"What makes ya think I didn't want ta hear from ya?" He asked.

She held up her hand and started counting the reasons off on her fingers. "One, ya never once wrote back ta me. Two, ya didn't call me. Three, ya never came back ta see me, even on mah birthdays. Four, Ah finally got it that ya still think of me as a kid." She closed her hand into a tight fist and held it to her lips.

He could see the tears swimming in her eyes. "Oh baby. I'm so sorry I hurt ya." He came to sit by her on the bed. "I didn't write 'cause there wasn't anything to write about. I didn't call because I couldn't think of anything to say. And I didn't come back because I knew it would be too hard to leave again. As for me thinking of you as a kid, well if I did before, then I don't now."

She looked up at him and he let all the burning desire he felt for her show in his eyes. "What's that supposed ta mean, Logan?"

"It means darlin' that I want ta be more than just yer friend and protector." He stroked a finger down her cheek and down into the valley between her breasts. Flatting his hand over her frantically beating heart. "Do ya want ta be with me?"

"Yessss.." She hissed as his gloved hand curved downward cupping her breast.

"Good." He looked around anxiously for a scarf. But, couldn't find one. "Where's a scarf, baby?"

"Ya don't need one." She said as she leaned forward and captured his mouth with her own.

Logan jerked in surprise. Pulling himself away from her lips, he asked. "Since when can ya touch people?"

"Since about a year ago." She replied, trying to recapture his lips.

He evaded her questing lips and asked her another question. "Does anyone know?"

"Just Scott." She tried to put her arms around him.

Again, he evaded her. "What do ya mean just Scott? How come he's the only one that knows?"

She sighed and settled back against her pillows. The look in her eyes told him just how much she disliked the interruption. "He knows 'cause he's the reason Ah know Ah can control my powers. Ah'd been practicing with some techniques the Professor thought might help me. Well something musta worked because mah skin touched Scott and nothing happened."

Logan thought she might elaborate, but when she just stared back at him, he prompted her. "And how was it that Scooter touched yer skin?"

Rolling her eyes, she said. "Scott and Ah were training. He got me in a headlock. And Ah felt his skin touching mine. His shirtsleeve had rolled up when he slid his arm around mah neck. When Ah noticed Ah tried ta jerk away but he didn't realize that anything was wrong. And apparently, nothing was wrong. He's okay and Ah can touch people now." She shrugged. "Not that Ah've been going around and touching people. Like Ah said Scott's the only one who knows and when Ah asked him not ta tell anyone he agreed not ta."

"That's a surprise." Logan said.

"Why's that such a surprise. Scott's a good guy. He was here for me when ya weren't." She pointed out.

Logan winced. "Yeah, well I'm here now. Ain't no reason fer ya ta go looking fer help from him no more."

"How long are ya planning on staying Logan? One week, two. Ya gonna stay forever. No matter what ya do Scott's still gonna be mah friend. Ah ain't got many of those and Ah ain't giving one up not even for you." Marie stated stubbornly.

He realized she was serious and he didn't want to make her mad. "Okay. Ya can stay friends with him. I guess there ain't no harm in that."

"Oh thank-ya. So glad Ah have yah approval." She replied sarcastically.

He frowned at her. "I don't want ta fight with ya. That's not why I'm back."

"Oh ya coulda fooled me. If that's not the reason ya came back, what is?" She asked.

"I came back 'cause of this." With that said he leaned over and kissed her.

The kiss held more passion than her first tentative one had. He stretched out on the bed beside her, sliding down he brought her with him. She didn't protest and he took that as a good sign.

His hands roamed over her new curves and she moaned into his mouth. He swallowed the sound and deepened the kiss. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as if she were afraid he would disappear. He cupped her breast in his hand and squeezed it gently. She moaned again and arched her back pushing her breast insistently into his hand.

He obediently paid it more attention. Massaging it with his fingertips. Her nipple peeked and he pulled on it gently causing her to gasp. He planted kisses down her jaw onto her neck and further down to the shadowed valley between her breasts.

Once there he nudged the material of her gown away and feasted upon the succulent globes. He kissed and licked his way toward her right nipple and swirled his tongue around it before sucking it firmly into his mouth. She bucked beneath him and he realized he had rolled on top of her.

He released her nipple and blew softly against the wetness he had left behind. She shivered and goose flesh marched across her skin. Now that she could touch, he wanted to give her every sensory pleasure he could. He moved onto her other breast and gave it the same attention he had given the other.

When she was writhing restlessly beneath him, he rolled away and lifted her up. Reaching down he grabbed the hem of her gown and yanked it over her head. She protested a little then tried to cover her nakedness, but, he pulled her hands above her head and looked his fill.

God she was beautiful. He told her so and she blushed. The blush covered her whole body and he found that charming. Releasing her hands, he shrugged out of his jacket and leaned over to pull his shirts over his head. When his chest was bared, he settled back over her. Pulling her hands back over her head, he rubbed his furred chest over her sensitized breasts. She moaned and tried to move away.

He refused to let her go and instead reached down between their bodies and found the waistband of her panties. He pulled them down and off of her. That done he looked at what he had uncovered. The hair covering her feminine mysteries was a darker shade of brown than the hair on her head. And he could see that she was already wet and ready for him.

However, he didn't want to stop his explorations just yet. Transferring both of her wrists to one hand, he continued to orally examine her breasts. Despite her protests to stop torturing her, he could tell she was loving it. He reluctantly left her breasts to continue on down her body.

He nuzzled underneath her breasts then dragged his mouth to her ribs. Once there he nipped at them. Gently grazing his teeth along a prominent rib. He moved on down her torso. Stopping here and there to bite her gently only to lave at the tiny hurts with his tongue. He reached her belly button and dipped his tongue inside. She squirmed under him some more and he chuckled.

The place he was aiming for was too far down to retain his grip on her wrists, so he released her. She immediately tried to pull his face back up to hers, but he resisted. Instead, he kissed her right above the furred crevice between her legs. She begged him to stop, telling him it was too embarrassing, but he ignored her.

He slid her legs apart. She tried to keep them clenched together, but, he gently but firmly pried them apart. He settled his forearms on her lower thighs and looked at her opened to him. It was the most awesome sight he had ever beheld. He inhaled her scent and knew he could have her right then if he wanted. But, he still wasn't ready.

He bypassed the pink wetness before his eyes and instead laved the inside of her thighs with his tongue. Teasing her by moving up to just the joint of thigh and pelvis before moving onto the other thigh. She whimpered and clutched at his head. Her fingers plowing through his hair. She tried again to tear him away.

He distracted her by kissing her right at the top of her cleft. She stopped moving, even stopped breathing. He slid his tongue down and flicked it over her clit. She cried out and stopped trying to pull him away. He continued his ministrations until she was once more bucking beneath him.

He moved his hand up and slid a finger inside her tight wet opening. Her hips bucked so violently he almost fell off her. He moved his finger in and out matching the rhythm with the strokes of his tongue. Her body started to tense up and he looked up into her eyes. She was watching him with a passion-glazed statement. Her eyes were fever bright.

"Come on baby ya can do it. Come for me baby. Let go." He prodded her.

She shook her head back and forth on her pillow and clenched her hands more tightly in his hair. He retaliated by adding another finger. Increasing his tempo, he could feel the tension in her body peek and her mouth opened in a silent scream and he growled against her clit. She did scream then one long drawn out sound.

When his ears stopped ringing, he realized it had been his name she'd been screaming. Rolling off her, he quickly pulled off the rest of his clothing while she still lay panting. Before dropping his pants he took out his wallet and retrieved the condom he always kept there.

He hurriedly put it on before rejoining her in the bed. Rolling over he settled himself comfortably between her legs. Looking down on her, he said. "This might hurt a little." She nodded and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

He guided himself into her wet entrance and slid inside slowly inch by careful inch until he was nudging against the evidence of her innocence. He kissed her crushing her mouth beneath his own. Pulling back he pushed forward breaching her hymen. She stiffened beneath him and he stopped.

He broke off from the kiss and leaned his forehead against hers. "Are ya okay, darlin'?" He asked. He felt her nod and opening his eyes he looked down to see her biting her lip. He made her release it and soothed it with his tongue. She started to relax beneath him and he flexed his hips experimentally.

When she didn't tense up again he began a steady rhythm. After awhile she began to lift her hips up to meet his thrusts. He tried to keep it slow, but, when she started clenching her inner muscles around him, he lost control. He increased the speed and strength of his thrusts until he was pounding into her. She rose to meet him with every thrust. Her nails bit into his back and he didn't care if she drew blood.

He could feel that she was close, but, he knew he'd be there before her. So, he reached between them and pushed against her clit. Her eyes flew open and her nails raked down his back. He swallowed her scream this time and a minute later, he joined her in completion. Her inner muscles milked him and he collapsed on top of her completely spent.

He'd never in all the years he could remember ever been so completely satisfied. He rolled off her but kept her closely tucked into his side. When they both could breath, she said. "Wow!" He chuckled and said "Yeah."

They lay in silence for awhile before she asked. "Why did ya really come back?"

"I told ya and showed ya why, darlin'." He said huskily.

"Ah don't think that's the real reason why ya came back at all." She said playing with the sweaty hair on his chest.

He sighed. "Yer right. That's not why I really came back. But before I tell ya why I came back ya got ta tell me why ya really stopped writing ta me." He put his finger across her lips before she could tell him she already had. "Nuh-uh, darlin'. I can smell a lie remember. And what ya told me was just that."

He watched smugly as she gritted her teeth. "Okay." She said surprising him. He had expected her to argue but she didn't. "Ro's the reason Ah stopped writing ta ya."

"Wha..?" He asked not understanding.

"Ah asked her why ya weren't coming back when Ah had all but begged ya ta. And she told me that there was no reason for ya ta come back. Mah letters gave ya a convenient reason ta stay away. Ah told ya all about what was going on here and that Ah was okay. She said if Ah stopped writing ta ya then ya would get curious and come back ta find out why?" She peeked up at him through her lashes. "Ah guess it worked huh. 'Cause yah here."

He grinned down at her. "Yer half right darlin'. I did come back partly 'cause I wanted ta know why ya stopped writing and partly 'cause I needed ta see ya again." He paused to kiss her. "I guess I finally realized that I wasn't running away from ya 'cause I thought I might hurt ya. I was running 'cause I didn't want ta get hurt by ya."

Her eyes widened. "Are ya saying what Ah think ya are?"

"If yer thinking that I love ya than yer right." She squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck showering his face with kisses.

"Oh Logan, ya idiot. Ah love ya too. Ya wasted so much time. And just 'cause ya thought Ah might hurt ya. Silly man." She smiled gently at him.

"Yeah, well I'm home now, baby and I ain't gonna leave willingly ever again." They kissed again and Logan finally admitted to himself that this was home and that home was were his heart was.