A woman sat on a bench on the side of the street in the pouring rain. Tears streamed down her face as the rain hit the bruises on her wrists. She couldn't go back home, death would surely be waiting for her there. She had nowhere else to go. She had been sitting there for hours. No one had stopped to help her, it was probably close to midnight now. Her husband was probably fuming with fury with her disappearance.

"What's wrong?" Someone asked. The woman looked up, and flinched a little when she saw it was a man.

He held up his hands peacefully. "It's alright, I'm not gonna hurt ya, darlin'." She looked a him and went back to burying her face in her arm that was held out across the back of the bench.

When she realized he wasn't going to leave, she answered. "Nothing. I-I'm just waiting for the bus."

"There's not another bus fer the next six hours," the man replied, clearly knowing she was lying.

The woman sighed.

"I just wanna help ya... uh..."

"Ororo," Ororo replied. "But most call me Storm."

The man nodded. Then he looked over at her wrist. It was hard to see because of the darkness and her mocha skin, but he noticed some darker pigment. "Where'd ya get those?" he asked calmly. Though, he was raging inside wondering who would hurt this beautiful woman.

"What?" she asked, looking back up at him.

"Those bruises on yer wrist," the man replied. "Where'd ya get 'em?"

"Martial arts class," she said after hesitating for awhile. "Hazard."

"Clever response," the man replied, giving her credit. "Most wouldn't go there, but I know better than that. Those were made by fists."

Storm stayed silent.

The man sighed and sat down next to her. "Look, I'm not gonna make ya tell me what's goin' on, but at least come out of the rain and come back to my place."

She looked up at him suspiciously.

"No catch," he added quickly before she could say anything. "But you can't stay out here forever."

She could've laughed it off, but he did have a point. She couldn't stay out here forever. Her husband had connections in high places, and they were bound to find her sooner or later. She looked up at him and nodded, taking the hand he offered. He placed the leather jacket he wore around her, and they walked off into the trees nearby. Strangely enough, the rain seemed to let up, and the moon poked through the thick clouds that were in its way.

"By the way, my name's Logan."

SaS

When they reached the apartment, Storm took a seat on the couch and he went into the kitchen to grab a beer and make her some tea. When he came out, he found her huddled in one corner of the couch. She was also hugging herself as if she were cold. "Are ya hungry?" Logan asked, bringing the beautiful woman out of her thoughts.

She looked up at him, blankly for a moment- some of her hair shadowing her face- but then nodded to his question. "A little bit," she replied receiving the tea gratefully.

Logan looked at the clock above the kitchen table. "Pizza should be arriving soon, I hope you like pepperoni."

She gave him a small smile, which Logan considered a good sign, since that was the first smile he was able to get out of the woman. "I do, thank you."

"No problem, darlin'."

He got up and went back to the pantry to get some paper plates. When he got back, he noticed that the hair that had been shadowing one side of her face was pulled back, and the sight made him want to strike the guy who'd done this. She had a black eye that was partially bloody, and... was that a claw mark just below her eyebrow? A closer look confirmed it was.

Storm looked up when she felt his eyes on her, and then realized he saw her eye. She quickly tried to cover it up, but it was too late. Silently, he placed the plates down on the coffee table in front of her, and went back to the kitchen to get an ice pack. When he returned, he slowly sat down next to her. "Turn toward me," he told her gently.

She complied, but reluctantly. "What are you going to do?"

"Just hold still," he replied gently. He placed the ice pack on her eye, causing her to flinch. He recoiled his hand slightly, but gently applied more pressure again. Storm didn't recoil this time either, though Logan could tell that it was very tender. He looked down to see she had a ring on, and that meant one thing. "How often does he hit you?" he suddenly asked.

"He-he doesn't hit me," Storm said quietly, looking away from him. "He almost never touches me. The worst he's done is squeeze my wrist and shake me by the shoulders." She wasn't sure why she was spilling her problems to a perfect stranger, but it certainly helped lift the weight of the heavy burden she felt on her heart. "His goons always do it."

"Who did this to you?"

"The one they call Sabretooth. Victor I believe his name is."

Before he could ask anymore questions, the door bell rang. He got up and went to the door. There was a crash of thunder as he opened it, to reveal the pizza guy there. "Thanks," Logan said, giving the guy a tip. He turned back to the couch to see Storm relax as he brought the pizza box over. He opened it, and gave Storm a slice.

"Thanks," she said as she slowly began eating.

Logan could tell that she was scared, even if she didn't physically show it, the stench of fear was very strong on her. He didn't press her any further. It wasn't his business anyway, but he still wondered why she put up with what she was going through. Or if there was something more to it.

They finished their meal in silence. Logan got up to go to a closet and grabbed a pillow and some blankets for her. When he came back, he found her asleep on the couch, his jacket around her. She looked peaceful and serene. Gently, he took the jacket away from her and placed a pillow under her head, and the blankets around her body.

Satisfied, he went to his own room and to go to sleep. But he couldn't stop thinking about the broken battered woman on his couch.

A/N: So I've had a bit of a bad day, and when that happens, I get kinda dark in my writing. But it helps soothes my nerves usually, and I usually make sure it has a happy ending. As long as that happens, who cares how dark it is? Just long as I don't cross the line of so dark you can't bear to read it. BTW, any guess on who the "abusive" husband is?

Storm awoke to the smell of eggs and bacon. She looked down to see that she was wrapped in a blanket and there was a pillow under her head. She looked around in confusion, wondering if her husband had found her. After a moment, she realized that she was still in the stranger's apartment. She rested back for a minute in relief. Anywhere was better than with her husband.

"Morning, darlin'," Logan called from the kitchen.

"Good morning, Logan," Storm answered timidly. He brought the breakfast over to her and they ate in silence. When they were done, Logan cleaned up and Storm headed for the shower- after asking Logan where it was. She looked into the mirror as she waited for the water to heat up, and sighed mournfully at the sight. Bruises, cuts, and scratches covered her back and shoulders. Most of them were old, but there were still a couple that were fresh, and those were the ones that were most painful. She stepped into the shower and almost moaned as the hot water hit her sore spots, relieving the pain.

When she was done, she wrapped herself in a robe- which Logan had assured her was freshly washed, and stepped out into the hallway. She saw that Logan was ready to go somewhere. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"I have some business to attend to," he replied, not unkindly. "Feel free to stay if you wish, I'm not gonna push you either way.

"Thank you, Logan," Storm replied, shocked by his kindness. He gave her a smile and then left.

SaS

By the end of the day, Storm was exhausted. She had tidied up the place a bit- Logan was no slob, so there was not really much to be done, aside from some dusting and vacuuming- and then went to the bank to make a withdrawal. She knew that was a risky move, but she didn't have much choice, and spent the money shopping for some clothes.

By the time he got back to the apartment, she collapsed on the couch, dozing off not too long afterwards. It turned out to be a fitful dream. Her husband was dressed up in his uniform, as he slammed her against the wall. She begged him to show her mercy. That was when he grabbed her by the hair and forced her onto her feet. He threw her inside a bare room. This all happened because she had accidentally burned the food.

The next thing she knew, the wind had been knocked out of her and she looked into the animalistic eyes of the creature who beat her regularly, instead of her husband. She squirmed beneath his weight, but nothing worked. He slapped her, catching her cheek with his claws, and leaving a couple of ugly marks. His teeth were bared and they started to come down toward...

A rough strong hand shook her shoulder, waking her from the nightmare. She gasped when she saw Logan there, not realizing who he was. "Take it easy, 'Ro," Logan said soothingly. "It's only me."

"I'm sorry," she said shakily. Logan went to the kitchen to get her a glass of water. "Drink," he told her.

She complied without hesitation.

"Do you mind me asking what it was about?" Logan asked when he was sure she was calm.

"Last week when I accidentally burned dinner," Storm replied. "I got distracted on the phone talking to a very dear friend of mine, and because of that, he sent me to Sabretooth."

"Who is Sabretooth?"

"A mutant that doesn't deserve to be called even remotely human," Storm said darky. "He mauls women in his past time, or so the rumor goes. I've seen what he's capable of, though, and only my husband has kept me from facing Victor Creed at his worst."

"Why don't you just leave the guy?"

"He said that if I ever tried, he would kill me," Storm replied with a shudder that shook her whole body. "And he means it. He won't do it himself, but he'll definitely have Sabretooth do it."

A/N: I'll probably expand this chapter but for now, this is what I got for ya.

I remember tears streaming down your face
When I said, "I'll never let you go"
When all those shadows almost killed your light
I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone"
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight

-Safe and Sound, Taylor Swift

As the tears began to fall, Logan gently stroked them away. Despite his appearance and calloused hands, his touch was soft like velvet. For a brief moment, she felt like she was wrapped in her husband's embrace when they were in love, but that moment lasted for only a second. She turned her face away from him, trying to hide anything that shows weakness.

"You can stay here as long as you need to, 'Ro," Logan whispered. "You'll be safe here."

"Thank you, Logan," she whispered.

Logan got up to take a shower. When he came back, Storm was once again knocked out on the couch. He once again placed the blanket over her shoulders, and went to bed. If he ever got a hold of the son of a gun that was destroying the woman, he would make sure that he never laid a hand on her or anyone again. The mutant called Sabretooth... he would deal with later.

SaS

About a week later, Logan brought Storm to the place he worked at. It wasn't until she got to the conference room that she realized where Logan worked. "Storm?" a blonde woman asked.

Storm turned to see Sue Richards, aka the Invisible woman standing there. "Hi, Sue."

Sue ran over to hug her. "Oh my gosh it's been forever since I last saw you. How've you been doing?"

Storm faked a smile. "Alright, I guess."

"We need to call up the other girls at some point and have a girls day out," Sue said. "We've missed you so much."

"You two know each other?" Logan asked.

"Storm and I have worked together on a couple of assignments, and happened to best friends in High School," Sue said. "Well, I was one of them anyway."

"I see," Logan said. "Well, I'll let you two catch up. Nick wants to see me about somethin'."

They were about to part ways when a familiar voice was heard. "I don't care if you break her legs to bring her back. Just get the best men you can find, locate her, and bring her back!"

Storm tensed when she heard it, and jumped at the sound of the cell phone slamming shut. She began looking for a way out. "What's wrong Storm? It's just T'Challa... granted he's angry about something at the moment-"

"Is there anyway you can get me out of here?" Storm asked Sue hurriedly.

"You know the Panther?" Logan asked.

"He's my husband," she whispered almost inaudibly, but with someone with enhanced hearing, it could be heard very clearly. T'Challa's footsteps were coming closer and Storm's breathing and heart rate were increasing drastically. "Get her outta here," he whispered to Sue. "I'll distract the Panther."

Sue nodded, clearly confused by what was going on, but she still guided Storm to another stair case. While Logan headed toward the Panther. However, he was stopped in his tracks when Nick Fury called him into his office. This was going to get interesting.

SaS

"You're harboring Black Panther's wife?" Nick demanded.

"I'm not sure harboring is the right word," Logan replied icily. "The guy has other men beat her into submission."

"You have any proof of that?"

"The bruises on her wrist speak for themselves."

"You do realize the dangerous waters you're in? He has been looking for her for over a week. From what I hear he now has hired thugs and other dangerous criminals to finally find her."

"She has been staying at my place for over a week," Logan pointed out. "And they haven't found her."

"Do you realize what T'Challa would do if he found out you had her?"

"Other than kill her? Nothing's happened, Nick. She was sleeping on the couch at first, but then I insisted she take the guest room."

"It won't matter to him."

"Well it should," Logan said, rage boiling in his veins. "She's a nice girl."

"She is," Nick agreed. "But she's the wife of the King of Wakanda who is a very respectable ally."

"You're only saying that because of his money and technological power."

"Logan, I'm not gonna argue with you about this. Return her to her husband, and nothing bad will happen."

"What if she doesn't want to go back?" Logan asked.

"I don't care, and it's not our problem. If you don't return her, and he finds out she's with you, you'll cause an incident within our ranks."

SaS

"Thanks for getting me out of there, Sue," Storm said, when they were outside.

"No problem, Storm," Sue replied. "But, why are you avoiding T'Challa?"

"We're just having some issues and need some space," Storm lied.

Sue shrugged, knowing there was something more to it, but left it alone and walked back inside with a final goodbye. Storm began walking back to the apartment.

A hand snaked around her waist and pulled her back into an alley, clamping her mouth shut. Her assailant slammed her up against the wall, her mouth still clamped as she tried to scream for help. Normally he would relish in that, but they were in public, and the last thing he needed was people helping the witch. "Your king has been looking for you, he whispered in her ear. "He's very angry that you left him. " He inhaled her scent, picking the scent of another on her. It wasn't very strong, so he knew that they hadn't been intimate with each other, but it was enough for him to get what he wanted. "I'm sure when he finds out that you've been with another he'll be more than happy to hand you to me. Then I'll bide my time with you."

She twitched her face out of his grasp. "Youre a monster."

He grinned, and struck her. "I'll show you the monster I can be if you don't come with me quietly."

"I'd rather die than go back with you."

He grabbed her by the neck, lifting her up off her feet. "That can be arranged," he growled, squeezing tighter and tighter. It wasn't long before she was struggling to breathe. As a last resort, she charged other air around her and brought down a bolt before he could react. She waited for her breathing to return to normal, then scrambled to her feet. This time, she didn't walk- she flew home. Praying that the beast wouldn't wake up to follow her.

SaS

It was almost six o'clock when Logan came back. He was surprised to see Storm curled up on the couch again. "What's wrong, darlin'?" He asked her.

"I-I saw him," Storm replied, her voice trembling.

"Who?"

"Sabretooth," she replied.

Logan walked over to her. "I'm not letting you go back, 'Ro," Logan said firmly, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'll protect ya at all costs."

After a few minutes, he got up and took a shower. During that time, Storm picked up a magazine and began to read it. The back door was broken into though, startling Storm. She was about to get up and run, but then a whip came out of nowhere, striking her back. She screamed in pain as the whip tore through her thin shirt. "Hurts doesn't it?" a deep malicious voice whispered, flogging her again. He relished the screams he got from her, as he continued his torment until she couldn't scream anymore. He flipped her over, causing a gasp to escape from her lips as the wounds touched the cold wooden floor.

"That was just a little hello gift from your husband," the animal said, his lust filled amber gaze traveling over her body until they reached the beautiful brown eyes that were dilated by fear. "I can't wait to see what he has in store for you when I get you back to him."

He was about to strike her again to knock her out when someone pushed him away from her.

"Sorry, bub, but she ain't goin' anywhere with ya." There was a distinct SNIKT sound and a moment later, Storm saw two pairs of three metal claws glinting in the moonlight.

The animal growled, but seeing as he was outnumber- the witch was bound to use her powers if he was brawling her protector- he left, but not without a final twisted smile at the witch.

When he was gone, Logan turned to her. Tears reluctantly began falling, and he gently wiped them away. "It's okay, Storm," he said gently. "He's gone now, he can't hurt you when you're here."

She cried harder into his shoulder, and rain began to pour down outside. Logan placed his hand on her back, only to recoil when she gasped. "What's wrong?" He asked worriedly. he looked at his hand, and the familiar metallic smell of blood rushed into his nostrils. He then realized that the creature that had tried to kidnap her had brought a weapon to use against her.

He gently picked her up, though it was hard to avoid the slashes on her back, and carried her to the bathroom. Gently, he placed her on the counter while he went to soak a towel in ice cold water. When he returned, he helped her remove her top, and unhook her bra so that he could see her back entirely. He regretted doing it. Her back was covered in scars and fresh lashes. The sight made him want to go in a berserker rage and kill the man who did this to the woman. After a moment of trying to keep a cool head, Logan gently washed the wounds, although the only response from her was hisses and cried of pain. When he was finally done, Logan carried her to the spare room, laying her down on the bed gently.

"Don't leave me alone," she whispered looking up at him through teary eyes.

"I won't," he replied, smoothing out her hair. She laid on her side, making sure her bandaged wound did not touch the sheets. Logan thought about how he had ended up with the prettiest girl alive, and yet, she was treated like garbage.

When he was she sure she was asleep, Logan went into his own room, grabbing a blanket, and headed back to Storm's room.

A/N: So for all you who guessed BP, you were right. Right now I just don't like him, so if you're a fan of this guy, I do apologize if I offended you. On a different note, I never took T'Challa as a guy to beat his wife himself, hence the reason why he has someone else do it. It wouldn't surprise me. He did let Storm get arrested by rebels. And he even had a plan to fight his own wife and cut off her powers.

Just close your eyes

The sun is going down

You'll be alright

No one can hurt you now

Come morning light

You and I'll be safe and sound

Logan awoke to the sound of thunder outside. He looked over at Storm, who was tossing and turning in her sleep while moaning and whimpering like a scared little girl. "'Ro, wake up darlin'," he whispered shaking her shoulder.

Storm awoke with a gasp, shooting up. it wasn't long before the stinging in her back began to register, and she reached back to feel.

"I wouldn't do that darlin'," Logan said, stopping her hand before it could reach the wrap.

she looked at him curiously, but then gasped as the events from earlier that night came rushing back at her.

"It's okay, 'Ro, he's gone."

Storm looked away, hugging her knees to her chest as tears slowly streamed down her face once again.

"Ehat happened to your back?" Logan asked sitting down next to her on the bed.

"T'Challa," Storm whispered. "The first time he sent me to Sabretooth, I used my powers on him. T'Challa was extremely angry that I used them; he grabbed a whip and made one of the guards flog me until I was about ready to pass out from the pain." She sniffed and sobbed for a moment before continuing. "Ever since then, I've held back on using powers on Sabretooth, but sometimes my control slips and he has me flogged until either I'm about to pass out, or I'm bleeding to heavily for him to continue."

"What exactly ae your powers, darlin?"

She gave him a small smile. "Shouldn't it be obvious? I manipulate the weather." Her eyes became pure white with a flash of thought; the storm that had been brewing outside dissipated in a matter of seconds, afterwards her eyes reverted back to normal.

"So you're the reason for the dreary weather," Logan said teasingly, hoping it might cheer her up a bit.

storm nodded sadly. "Unfortunately my powers are linked to my emotions. I have to keep a tight leash on them, or else I could cause a disaster."

Logan nodded understanding the need for control or risk doing something that he would regret later. "I understand that very well," he said quietly.

"You have to watch your anger or risk a bezerker episode," Storm finished for him. Logan looked at her in slight surprise. "T'Challa used to tell me all about the avengers and their missions," she explained. "So, I know a lot about the people involved."

Mentioning that brought back a lot of painful memories for her, and she choked back a sob. Logan wiped the tears from her eyes and hugged her protectively. He would protect her whatever the cost, he felt like it was his duty to protect her, not only as an Avenger, but as a token to his honor code... and perhaps something more.

SaS

The beast walked into the penthouse, returning to his master. "Did you find her?" The Black Panther asked.

"Yes," Sabretooth replied. "Gave her a nice whipping too. Unfortunately, the runt got in the way, so I wasn't able to extract her."

"The runt?" T'Challa demanded, whirling around to face his minion. "She's been staying with Wolverine?!"

Sabretooth nodded. Anger coursed through Panthers veins, causing his fists to clench and tremble. Sabretooth decided to leave out the part that she hadn't been sleeping with Wolverine. What would the fun in that be?

"I want her in front if me by the end o he week," he growled. "I don't care if you have to burn down all of New York to get her. Age just better be in from of me... Alive."

A/N: so, if it wasn't made clear earlier, I'm basing this off of if they never met before. I'm also a big hugger, so if you're wondering why so many, that's just me.

Don't you dare look out your window, darling,

Everything's on fire

The war outside our door keeps raging on

Hold on to this lullaby

Even when the music's gone

Gone

Storm hung out with Jean Grey- aka, the Phoenix and Storm's closest friend, who was more like a sister to her than anything else- for most of the day a few days later. Jean was ecstatic that Storm was finally able to hang out with her and began a long story about what was going on at the school, her relationship with Scott, etc. "So, how have things been going between you and T'Challa?" She suddenly asked.

Storm looked up in surprise, but then sighed and shook her head. She couldn't lie to Jean. "Not very good, Jean."

"Oh?" Jean inquired.

Storm looked away, tucking some hair behind her ear. "It-it's hard to talk about..."

do you mind if I look into your mind? Jean asked telepathically.

There was a slight hesitation, bit then Storm shook her head. No.

the tingly sensation she felt a moment later confirmed that Jean was gently probing her mind. Storm made sure to keep herself calm and relaxed, the slightest hint of negative emotion could cause the slightest hint of static and give Jean one heck of a headache.

For Jean, though, she would've preferred anything else than what she was seeing right then. It all came to her in small flashes, but those flashes were enough to give her the gist of what was going on. She saw T'Challa throw Storminside a room, and Sabretooth attack her right after; Storm being whipped by someone as the Panther watched; the worst part of it was when he forced himself on Storm- doing anything but raping her, since she wasn't struggling or resisting in any way- which was probably out of fear for being whipped again, and maybe because she still had feelings for the guy. There was a look of disgust on her face, but she did well to hide it from T'Challa and pretend to enjoy herself.

Jean had enough of what she saw, and escaped Storm's mind with a sigh of relief and disgust. "Storm, why didn't you call me? Or even Sue for that matter?"

"T'Challa wouldn't let me contact any of you, or I risk another beating," Storm whispered. She took a sip of her drink and looked away. Feeling very uncomfortable under Jean's gaze.

"Storm come back to the mansion with me. We can protect you there."

Storm shook her head. "I can't. He'll have someone posted there to take me back to him."

"And you think staying with Logan is your best option?" Jean asked pointedly. Storm had a sneaking suspicion that she knew about the incident from a few days ago With Sabretooth.

Logan moved us to a hotel, but he thinks that we should be able to go back to his apartment within the next day or two."

"Us?" Jean inquired.

"Not like that, Jean."

"Whatever you say, Storm."

SaS

Storm flipped on the news after reaching the hotel as she sat on the queen sized bed. Logan had insisted that he take the couch and she the bed, so she obliged him, since she knew arguing with him was pointless. The news report talked about the latest arson attacks on buildings close to the Avengers Tower, Baxter Building, and one was even hit in Westchester.

Logan walked into the room a few minutes later. "Hey, Storm," he called.

"Hey," she replied, sighing as she flipped off the television. "How was the mission?"

"Wasn't needed today, though Fury did have me monitoring some of the young students that are potentials. How's business on your end?"

"I filed for divorce just before I met up with Jean," she said, hoping to keep the tension she felt out of her voice.

Logan sensed it immediately, though. "Somethin' wrong?" He asked, walking over to her.

Storm sighed. "These buildings that have been targeted for arson...I can't help but think that it's for me." She shuddered and Logan placed a comforting arm around her. "It's going to be okay, 'Ro. I'll be with you every step of the way."

SaS

After Logan brought Storm back to the apartment at the end of the week, he took her out to a nice dinner. "You didn't have to do that," Storm said as they walked back to the apartment. "You've already spent too much on me when it came to room service."

"You're worth every cent, 'Ro," he said, placing his arm around her shoulders. He sensed the tension in her muscles, but knew that it wasn't him causing it. "Worried about the divorce settlement?"

Storm nodded. "A little. I don't care about the money, but I'm worried about how he's going to handle it."

Logan looked at her and sighed. "Probably not very well; but, he'll have to deal with me first, if be plans on laying a single hand on you."

Storm gave him a small smile, and he kissed her on the head. Over the past couple week, he knew something inside of him had changed. It was a good warm feeling that he'd never felt before- or at least he thought he hadn't- and he strangely welcomed it. the need to protect Storm grew everyday, including the need to protect her from himself, should the need arise. He longed to see her happy. it wasn't long until he realized that he wanted to see her happy with him. But he dismissed the thought before it completed itself. He was beyond worthy of a woman like this. Once the divorce was final, she could have a go at anyone, and he would just be a memory to her.

They entered the apartment building, and he thought about possibly leaving her here for awhile- but then thought better of it. He wouldn't be able to live with himself. After she said goodnight, she went to her room and Logan went out for a walk, making sure that the door was locked. He needed to clear his head.

After about an hour of debating, Logan came up with the decision to let Storm decide if she had feelings for him or not. If she did, he would let things unfold between them and see where it went; if not, he's keep his mouth shut. The smell of smoke brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked up in horror as he saw the floor he lived on on fire. He was about to race up there when somone knocked him over the head.

SaS

Storm awoke to the sound of sirens and walked to the window. She could only see the building in front of her was on fire, but she could sense that that the buildings on all sides of the apartment were also on fire.

her eyes flashed white as she conjured a storm to help with putting out the fires, but she was interrupted when she smelled smoke. She turned to see it seeping in through the bottom crack in the door. She reached for the knob, gasping as it burned her , but still grasped it and tried to move the door, but it wouldn't budge. She then went for the window, but it was sealed shut. "Logan!" She called through the door several times, coughing up a storm as she continued to inhale smoke. She once again tries to use her powers to break the window open, but it was difficult to concentrate since she was coughing so much. It wasn't long before she felt light-headed dans soon passed out.

The door was smashed open, and someone picked up the Goddess, and escaped out the freshly broken window.

A/N: Who is it?

Sabretooth dropped Storm in front of the Black Panther. "Go," T'Challa ordered. Sabretooth obeyed without arguement, knowing that he would get his share in the torment later. Storm stirred, and her eyes fluttered open. "Ororo, Ororo, Ororo..." he began, tapping his palm with a folded whip, she gasped and sat up like a bolt of lightning. "How long have we known each other? Since we were children, right?"

Storm just stared up at him, fear coursing through her body. "T'Challa... please-"

"SILENCE!" T'Challa barked, raising the whip. Instinctively, Storm raised her hands to block the blow. After a moment, he lowered the whip, and continued circling her. "I gave you everything, Ororo. Everything you would ever need; I made you a Queen... and you threw all that away!" He whipped her once, then again. "Spat in my face!" He listened to her screams with satisfaction. "Tell me, Storm... did you enjoy making love to him?"

"T'Challa... n-nothing-" she was cut off as he whipped her again.

"Don't lie to me," he growled. "I know you were with him."

"He was sheltering me," Storm replied, tears coming down her face.

"Oh," T'Challa sneered, "he was sheltering you. Did he give you food? Water? A nice warm bed?"

"If you mean warm by blankets, then yes," she replied. All that earned her was another slash of the whip.

"You're lying, Ororo!"

"No, T'Challa-" he silenced her by flogging her repeatedly, her screams echoing down the halls. Sabretooth was at the doorway, and heard it all. He had a sick twisted smile on her face, imagining what he would be doing to make her scream.

SaS

Logan woke up on the street, someone shaking him to wake up. "Logan...Logan..." a southern female voice said. Logan looked up to see a girl with a white streak through her hair.

"Rogue?" Logan asked.

"What happened, Logan?" Rogue asked.

"Someone must've knocked me out," Logan said, rubbing the back of his head. He looked up to his apartment building on fire... the very floor he lived on up in smoke. "No!" he growled.

"Logan!" Rogue called going after him. "Logan there's no one in there!"

"What?"

"There's no one up there; the fire department has already checked the place out."

SNIKT! The claws came out. "They have her."

"What?" Rogue asked, perplexed by his behavior. "Who has her?"

"Sabretooth has her, and more than likely the Black Panther too."

"Who're ya talkin' 'bout?"

"Storm."

"Panther's wife?" Rogue asked, really confused.

"I'll explain to ya on the way, but I'm gonna need yer help. Are ya in?"

SaS

Storm was too weak to move, the pain overwhelmed her senses. T'Challa looked down at her in disgust, throwing down his bloody whip. "Victor!" Sabretooth walked in the door. "Get her out of my sight. Do what you like with her. Make sure she doesn't make it to court tomorrow."

Sabretooth smiled, grabbing her body, he took her to his quarters.

SaS

When the two heroes reached the Wakandan embassy, Logan and Rogue entered through a window. "You look for 'Ro, I'll look for the Panther." Logan sniffed the air. He hurried to a marble room where the walls were splattered with blood, with a small pool in the center of the room. He was about to figure out whose blood it was, when someone attacked him from above.

"I figured you'd come," Panther growled. Logan aimed a punch, but missed as the Black Panther dodged to the side with the grace of his namesake. SNIKT! the claws came out.

"Where is she, bub?" Logan demanded.

"No where you'll ever find her," Panther replied, circling his opponent.

Logan lunged at the Panther, with a growl, his hand ready to strike.

SaS

Rogue flew high in the ceiling, making sure to keep out of sight. She wished she had imprinted Logan so that she had his heightened sense of smell. Suddenly, the smell of a graveyard hit her nose. As much as she didn't want to follow the stench, she didn't want to let Logan down.

SaS

Storm was still in a lot of pain as she woke up, however, it dimmed a bit. She opened her eyes to see she was in a dark room. The stench of blood and wet dog. Her back stung like a thousand bee stings, but it wasn't as bad as before. She sat up, looking around. It was too dark to see if anyone was in the room, but if she was quick enough...

"Hello, your majesty," a sneering growl came from the shadows. Storm gasped, looking toward the direction the voice came. A moment later, someone grabbed her by the shoulders, claws piercing the skin, and knocked her to the floor. She cried out in pain as her back touched the floor. Sabretooth followed her to the floor, grabbing her forearms and pinning them just above her head. "The more you struggle, the worst it will be," he growled, his horrid breath hitting her face as she tried to turn away from him. "Of course," he added, inhaling her scent through her exposed neck. "I might be gentle if I heard that scream I've been looking for..." she aimed a punch at his face.

SaS

Rogue found the room when she heard a cry of pain. The door was closed, but it stunk of Sabretooth. She heard the ragged rapid breathing of someone else, clearly afraid. Slowly, she opened the door and saw Storm on the floor, with Sabretooth on top of her. She couldn't quite hear what he was telling her, but obviously, it was something she didn't want to hear as the punch she threw landed square in the jaw. "Ouch!" Rogue muttered. "Nice one sugah."

Sabretooth was not amused at all. He slapped her across the face, causing a cry to be released. Rogue slowly closed the door, and flew off to find Logan.

SaS

Logan had finally managed to land a good blow to the Panther's rib cage, breaking a few ribs. "You had no right to treat her the way you did," Logan growled, raising his hand to deliver another blow to the Panther.

"Wolverine!" Rogue called, making Logan pause for a second.

"What is it, Rogue?" Logan asked, holding the Panther by the jugular.

"It's Sabretooth! He has Storm!"

Logan felt his beast ready to take over, but he had enough self-control to sheath his claws before punching the Panther again, knocking him out. "Where are they, darlin'?"

"Follow me!"

SaS

Tears stung the scratches on Storm's face as the animal bit into her skin. Suddenly, she felt his claws going up her thigh and knew what was bound to happen if she didn't stop him. "No..." she whispered, putting up her hands to try and stop him.

The door bursted open, and Logan rushed toward Sabretooth. The two brawled for a moment, when Rogue took off one of her gloves and absorbed Sabretooth's psych. She shuddered as his thoughts became hers.

"'Ro?" Logan asked as he slowly approached the battered woman. She was in worse shape than the day her found her nearly a month ago. "Darlin'..."

She looked at him, fear, shame and disgust were all in her eyes. He knelt down next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, praying she wouldn't strike him with a lightning bolt. When she realized who it was, she leaned into his open arms, and began crying her heart out again. "It's okay, 'Ro, you're safe now," he murmured into her ear.

Rogue cleared her throat. "I hate to ruin this moment, but I think we should get outta here, before the Panther wakes up."

Logan nodded, gathering Storm up in his arms, and racing outside.

Several weeks later, Storm was looking out over a balcony in a hotel room. "'Ro?" Logan called, coming up behind her. She turned and smiled at him, kissing him lightly on the lips. "What's wrong, darlin'?"

Storm sighed. "Are we sure he didn't track us?" she asked, looking into Logan's eyes. Logan enveloped her in his embrace. Since the day he rescued her from certain death, he had not let her out of his sight. About a month ago, he had proposed to her, after the divorce between the Panther and her had been final. She of course got nothing, and that was fine by her.

"I ain't gonna lie ta ya, 'Ro, I can't be certain of anything," he told her. "But, I can take precautions to keep ya safe."

Storm chuckled. "Yes, the Penthouse is definitely the best spot for us."

"It is for a honeymoon vacation," Logan said, kissing her. "I love ya, darlin'."

"I love you too, Logan," Storm said, slipping away from him as she walked out onto the balcony. It was pitch black out there, and the fireworks were to begin soon.

"What's wrong, darlin'?" Logan asked, joining her out there in the balcony.

"Second thoughts I guess," Storm replied. "I know that I love you, and you love me...but, I'm scared that this marriage will end badly again."

Logan wrapped his arm around her. "You know I could never hurt ya like T'Challa did," he said softly. She nodded, but kept her eyes averted from his. Logan sighed, kissing the top of her head. She gave into his embrace, knowing that he was speaking the truth. Unlike Sabretooth and T'Challa, he had a code of honor. Whatever he said, he meant.

"I'm sorry, Logan," she said, turning back to face him.

"No need ta be sorry, darlin'," he replied, holding her tighter. "I understand perfectly."

Storm looked up into his eyes, searching his eyes. He looked deeply into hers, and kissed her deeply. She returned it with just as much passion. That was when the fireworks literally went off, and Logan's watch beeped. They broke the kiss then to look at the time, then smiled at each other. "Happy New Year, 'Ro," he whispered.

"Happy New Year, Logan," Storm replied, kissing him.

SaS

Logan slipped under the covers next to his newly wed wife. "Hey," she said.

"Darlin,'" he said, picking up his wine glass and clinking it to hers. "To the New Year." She echoed him, finishing up the last of her wine and placing back on the bedside table, propping herself on her elbow.

"What're you thinking?" he asked as she traced her fingers through his chest hair. He closed his eyes in content.

"How did I get so lucky?" she asked him. "You found me battered at a bus stop with nothing, took me in, and now here you are as my husband."

He reached up and stroked her hair back. "Maybe fate has a way with things." She smiled and kissed him. He turned them over, so that he was on top, kissing her back. He trailed kisses down her neck to her chest and back up again. She moaned with every breath. By the time the last firework went off, the two were breathlessly lying down next to each other. "Happy New Year, 'Ro," Logan whispered into her ear breathlessly. She moaned, barely stirring in her sleep as Logan wrapped his arm around her.