"What did you mean by that, kid?" Logan growled, pulling her closer to him.

"Uhh... what did I mean by what?"

"You said I had the claws back then, before the experiments." Logan said, his tone indicating he would tolerate no more stalling.

"Well, you touched Rogue, remember?"

"Yeah..." he growled. For a guy wearing an oxygen mask, he could still sound mighty threatening.

"Well, she's got them."

"Claws? Metal claws?"

"Uh, no... bone."

"Bone?"

"Yeah, Dr. Summers thinks that they're just, ya know, coated with metal. Like the rest of your skeleton."

Logan released Jubilee's hand and lifted both of his hands in front of his face. Unsheathing the claws, he didn't notice the blood that dripped from between his knuckles, a sign that he was still healing.

"Bone. Bone claws. They were right about me. I *am* an animal."

"Hey, who're you talking about? You're not an animal."

"How can you see these and say that?" Logan asked, staring at his claws.

"Ok, so you go a little nuts sometimes, maybe act before ya think, but you're not an animal. If you were an animal, you wouldn't have saved Rogue's life by risking your own. If you were an animal, your past wouldn't bother you so much. You wouldn't be interested in improving your life; you'd be happy the way things are." Logan retracted the claws, and laid his arms down. "Why can't I remember having them before?"

"You can't remember everything just yet. You said so yourself. Give yourself time to figure things out."

As the shock of finding out that the claws were part of his mutation wore off, the meaning behind what Jubilee had said struck him. "Rogue has claws?"

"Yeah. She was kinda, ya know, umm, surprised. She said they were sort of painful."

"Where is she?" Logan asked trying to push himself up to a sitting position. Jubilee stood, trying to push him back into a prone position, but he resisted. She felt the weariness of the past couple of days weighing on her, but she was still stronger than him.

"You're not well enough yet," she protested.

He changed tactics. Instead of trying to sit up, he instead started removing the oxygen mask, IV tubes, and sensors from his body.

~Dr. Summers!~ Jubilee mentally called, but she didn't get an answer from the doctor. Instead, she heard a muffled thump, like a body slamming against the door to the locked room where Rogue was.

The locked door opened, and Jubilee heard Rogue say, "Remy, I'm so sorr... serves ya right, Cajun... No! Stop!"

Then the tormented young woman/man, walked into the main med lab from the destroyed private room.

With Jubilee distracted by Rogue's entrance in the Med Lab, Logan seized his opportunity and tried to get on his feet. He felt responsible for what happened to Rogue. Heck, he sure wasn't used to caring for anyone, not even himself, but this situation was all his mess, and he cared for Marie.

It seemed that the Logan in Rogue's head had kept his suicidal intentions. Jubilee realized that as soon as Rogue lunged at a shaky Logan as he tried to stay upright.

"You got a death wish, bub?... Logan.. Oh my God..." growled Rogue.

Jubilee acted on instinct, as she had done a few days earlier while pushing away Logan from Rogue. She paffed Rogue, making sure to just startle her with the sparks.

She sure got Rogue's attention.

"Rogue, calm down. Everything's gonna be fine, 'k?"

"It's yer funerals.... Jubilee, please, help me...." Rogue started to cry.

Rogue saw Logan by the bed, barely standing, gasping for breath. A part of her wanted so much to put an end to his misery. It wasn't her, that she knew. but somewhere, in a part of her own mind, she wanted to help him. And this voice kept asking her, even pleaded with her, to help *kill* Logan.

"Just stay there. Where are Gambit and Dr. Summers?"

"Knocked 'em good.... I didn't want to... he made me do it..."

Logan stared at Rogue. She looked so tired and scared. He had done that to her. "Marie..."

Rogue looked at him, shaking from fear and anger, all at the same time. Fear was hers while the anger was all Logan's.

"Come here... I'll fix things..." he gasped, still looking for air.

"What are you going to do?" asked Jubilee, suspicious.

"Don't worry, kid. I ain't doing anything crazy," he reassured her.

Rogue walked to Logan, unsure if she should do as he asked, or if she should run. She glanced at Jubilee who nodded reassuringly back at her.

"What..." asked Rogue.

"Shhhh. I.. I'll fix things for you," explained Logan, reaching a hand to Rogue's cheek.

She jerked away, scared to death. "No! Don't...." she yelled.

"Rogue... I think Logan just wants to replace himself in you... I mean... uh... you know... so you get a better one in..." Jubilee tried to explain as she moved by Logan's side.

Logan glared at Jubilee. "Hey, what, ye're shaky and all, but ye're in a better mood, aren't ye?" joked Jubilee.

"But Logan, it's going to kill you, and I.... yeah, kill you, do me a favor..."

Logan raised an eyebrow, somewhat lost.

"See what you're gonna fix, Logan?" cut in Jubilee. "But I agree here. You're in no shape..."

But Rogue grabbed Logan and pulled him close. Half of her screamed to not do that while the other half, mostly Logan in her head, made her want her to touch him.

Logan didn't resist. First of all, he was too weak and he couldn't have even if he had wanted to. Secondly, he wanted to do it, no matter what. Because of him, Marie had suffered too much already. He had to fix it.

Rogue watched as Logan, oh so lightly, stroked her chin. She felt the contact establish between them. Then the Logan she had absorbed exhalted, probably thinking he was killing himself for good this time. The real Logan made her understand that he cared for her, and the amount of regret she felt from him made her cry openly.

The real Logan didn't want to harm her, nor himself, anymore. There was even a flicking spark of hope within him. He wasn't trying to kill himself this time; he was saving her in a way, from him.

The Logan in her head still fought against the idea of living. He was stronger than the real one. Rogue grabbed his body and pulled him closer to her, their faces now dangerously close. She stopped while only an inch separated them.

Hopefully, at that moment, the real, new Logan finally replaced the suicidal one in Rogue's head. She let go of him and he fell to the floor, convulsing.

"Logan! No!" Jubilee rushed to Logan's side.

"Damn... Rogue, go get Dr. Summers!" she ordered.

Rogue was already out of the room. Jubilee tried to stop Logan from thrashing convulsively. Her hands and arms were soon covered with fresh blood exuding from newly reopened wounds. More scary still, blood came out of his mouth. Jubilee hoped he only bitten his tongue, and that Jean Summers would get her butt in there quick..

"Logan, you stay with me! You hear me?!!" she ordered.