New Year's Resolutions

In the spirit of the season – and remembering I don't own him, though I wish I did at times, here is my Holiday Greetings to all of you.

She woke to conflicting images in her head, and now she's resolved to do something about it.

Chapter 3

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She watched him sleep, the soft purr in his chest turning into a rumbling snore as it came out of his lips. Even Logan hadn't snored this loud. She was wondering if those nose strips came in a size large enough to help him when he rolled over, one arm landing across her waist, pinning her to the mattress, and he nuzzled right against her ear and let out another resounding snore.

The him in her head was rolling on the ground laughing so hard she didn't think he could even breathe - not that he needed to - but she was about to kick him into the corner, when she caught the joke...about the time he started licking and sucking on her earlobe.

"Haha - very funny, asshole." She grumbled. "Ah'm tryin' ta sleep here."

"Seemed ta me you were watchin' me sleep." He mumbled, the arm across her waist moving as one hand slipped up her bare skin, to cup one bare breast gently.

"And you tell the idiot in my head ta stop laughin' everytime you pull a joke or somethin', he keeps givin' you away." She rubbed her cheek against his, the stiff whiskers feeling like heaven against her skin.

He snorted a laugh into her ear and she pulled back from him a bit to look at his face. He was relaxed, she'd never seen him like this and brushed his lips with her finger tips, the long bridge of his nose, trying to memorize the feel of him, just having the ability to touch him was a miracle, that he was letting her, that was beyond a miracle.

The sudden crash startled both of them as the front door fell in, and a very pissed off Logan stormed in the door. She looked down over the railing, and groaned. How had she even considered him, he just was so...small...compared to Victor.

"VICTOR!" Logan roared and started up the stairs. His chest was heaving when he stopped, finally seeing them curled up in bed together.

"Hey Jimmy...how're ya doin?" Victor just grinned at him and Marie couldn't help grinning to. The whole situation was almost funny...if it wasn't for the adamantium blades sticking out of Logan's hands...then it hit her. Victor called him Jimmy?

"Jimmy?"

"Yeah...James Howlett." He snarled. "What's the matter, Jimmy Boy?

"Get away from her." Logan's chest was still heaving, his claws out, and his entire body was poised to attack.

"NO!" She shouted, jumping out of bed between them. "I chose to be here, Logan...now get tha fuck out, I'm with Victor."

"Get out of the way, Rogue." Logan snarled at her, reaching out to grab her and push her out of the way. She watched him hesitate, not sure where to grab her with nothing covering her skin...and then she watched dawning realization on his face. "How long?"

"Since Ah woke up." She snarled...a good imitation of either one of them.

"So you came to HIM!"

"YES! AH! DID!" She roared back. She could hear the intake of breath behind her and looked back over the railing...He'd brought the whole damned team. The look on Victor's face just made her angry. He was grinning at her, just laying there, blanket on the floor, not hiding his nudity - or arousal, and chuckling at her argument with Logan.

"JESUS MOTHER FUCK'N CHRIST!" She snapped at both of them. "It ain't like I don't have the two of you fightin' over me in my own head or nothin. Victor cover up, you're just tauntin' him like that. Logan...get over it already, it ain't like ya really love me or nothin...SHIT if ya did, I never woulda ended up here...but here is where I am and where I want ta be. YOUR LOSS BUB!" she snarled the last at him.

"Darlin' I love ta taunt him, and Jimmy, she's right get over it. You said you're done! Well then get your shit the hell out of my apartment, get your half of the money out of my damned investment accounts. YOU don't want Big Brother takin' care of you any more - then quit leavin your shit around un-taken care of. The girl came ta me, I marked her, you can take anything out of here but HER, SHE'S MINE!" He roared the last over her head, hands slipping around her waist, pulling her back against his chest.

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He didn't know when it went from amusement to anger at his brother's stupidity, but now he was really pissed. She was right, if Jimmy had stepped up to the plate, been a man and given her what she needed, she wouldn't have been in his bed all weekend...wouldn't have been in the damned hospital in the first place, it would have been Jimmy looking out for her, not him.

James hadn't even bothered to look him up, and from the dumbfounded look on his face, hadn't even realized he still had shit here in the apartment.

"What...Brother?" James looked at him funny, like he really didn't remember. Victor knew better. It was just his "I'm Done" shit, just like always.

"Don't give me that shit, James. I've wiped your butt, wiped your nose, wiped your blood off the floor...you ain't the saint all these people think you are and you know it. You're just as bloodthirsty, just as hungry for the fight as I am...half this shit is yours and you know it...your room is down the hall, haven't touched it in years, waitin' for you to come get your shit. I'll get with the accountant in the morning and split the accounts, not like I'll miss it much, but it was nice combinin' them...interest on double the money went a long way." He leaned down and brushed his cheek across the top of her hair. She smelled angry...and aroused...he brushed against her back and smelled a surge, and almost laughed. Jimmy almost pounced at him, and she just leaned back and looked up at him, one hand moving from his clasped across her belly to his cheek.

"Brothers?" She asked.

"He didn't tell ya?"

"Sugar, he don't know...can't remember anythin before he got the claws." She whispered.

"That's bullshit." He growled, remembering the fight at the top of the statue, just like old times...only not. "James?"

"Its LOGAN, bub." James growled at him.

His knees suddenly went out from under him. It was one thing - to taunt his brother, pick at old wounds, but another to...take the only thing away from a man that couldn't remember anything.

"Jimmy...I didn't..." He sat on the side of the bed, his head in his hands, he felt the dip as she climbed behind him and put her arms around his shoulders.

"Darlin' he needs you." he whispered.

"No, you need me...he's got his damned martyr complex to keep him goin'." she hissed.

"Marie..." He leaned back against her, and knew James could smell his guilt. It was one thing to hurt him when he knew why, but to hurt him while he was down, like this, was just wrong, even in Victor's book.

"YOU TOLD HIM YOUR NAME!" James roared across the room.

He just looked at James, really looked at him for the first time in a very long time, and realized his brother needed him, just like he had when they were kids. He wouldn't admit it, hell he was using their damned father's name for God's sake. He'd wondered why she kept calling him that, Logan, but figured he was just keeping things quiet...after all he'd used it before the experiment too.

"And what if Ah did...it ain't your exclusive property." She snapped back...Victor glanced down through the railing at the rest of the X-Men getting comfortable on his furniture. That did it.

"Darlin, I'd say get dressed but there ain't much left of your clothes. Grab a shirt out of the closet, there's sweats in that drawer." He said as he got up, grabbing a pair of jeans off a pile on a shelf built into the wall. "You don't have ta resign."

"WHAT!" she turned on him in full rage.

"Get the temper under control, WOMAN!" He roared at her. "We're goin back with them...for now."

"Why?" He could see she was hurt. He reached over and ran his thumb over her lip, then leaned down and kissed her, taking her lower lip in his mouth and sucking on it until she kissed him back. He groaned as her body molded to his, and his claws scraped her bare ass as he almost forgot who was in the room from her taste.

"He needs me." He whispered against her mouth..."and you. You're still his friend...still care or you wouldn't be this pissed."

"I don't need nothin' from you, bub." James growled.

"Oh but you do...I got YOU...up here." He pointed to his head. "I know you better than anyone in the world, Jimmy Boy, or Logan, or whatever you are being called now. And I'm gonna make sure you get it back...then you can be "done" if you want. You're my brother...I told you once, no one kills you but me. Someone killed a part of you, and I'm gonna see to it you get it back."

"AHHH, I see my present finally arrived." They all turned to look at the old man in the red suit trimmed in white fur standing in the broken door. "I just wanted to make sure, before the missus and I take off for Bermuda...she loves it there this time of year. Good to see you awake, my dear." He waved a hand at Rogue and Victor snarled. "None of that, young man. It's a new year, start it right...with the family you need and love around you." They all watched as he just vanished..."HoHoHO!" echoing through the apartment, fading with the sounds of hoof prints on the roof.