Both opponents continued to circle each other, darting forward, testing the other, pushing to see their weakness. Suddenly Cougar leaped at Wolverine and he sidestepped, but she did the impossible and still managed to land on his shoulders, clawing for purchase, doing her best to take him down. She was screaming and spitting like the great cat she'd been named for as she continued to rake her nails across his face and neck. He reached up and grabbed her only to throw her away from him.

She bounced off a wall and went down in a heap, struggling to rise. He charged, claws extended, intending to finish this once and for all.

He bounced off a hastily erected shield in the center of the room and turned to face this new threat, only to be immediately enveloped in Phoenix's telekinetic bubble. Try as he might, he couldn't struggle free. He was immobile.

Phoenix approached him, speaking softly, and the words began to penetrate the haze that had surrounded his mind. Slowly they began to make more and more sense to him and the bloodlust began to leave him. He caught her eye and retracted his claws, and she understood. She released him.

He dropped to his knees, his healing factor already dealing with the worst of his wounds. Phoenix then turned to where Rogue stood, holding a spitting, snarling, thoroughly enraged Cougar. She nodded, and Rogue let her loose, leaping skyward to stay out of reach of those claws.

Phoenix gave her the same treatment, encasing her in the bubble, holding her there until some of the rage began to drain from her. Cougar shook her head, as if to clear it, and slowly looked around the room, her eyes widening as she took in the scene. *What de hell happen here?* she asked herself, and the answer wasn't long in coming. *Idiot! Cougar what happen here? Y' got a deat' wish, girl? Y' take on Wolverine, drive him over de edge, an t'ink y' can still take him? Y' must be insane!*

#Cadie I'm going to release you now. Just try to stay calm and let's sort this out.#

She nodded slowly as Wolverine rose and moved over toward Phoenix and Rogue, and she moved herself over to stand by them as well. "Would _one_ of y'all please tell me what was goin on in here?" Rogue was saying.

She sighed. "What happen in here, chere, is dat Cadie lose control, go ballistic on Wolverine, an dat push him over de edge too." She shrugged. "Suppose, if y' hadn't come in, we'd mos likely knocked each oder out. Maybe worse."

Wolverine lit a cigar, and puffed thoughtfully. "Darlin, if they hadn't come in, we'd have killed each other. And that's a fact."

She paled. "Cadie be t'inkin dat, mon amour. T'ink maybe we need t' talk bout dis, non?"

"Think yer right, darlin," he said as he took her arm and they limped toward the entrance, leaving the two women staring at each other in confusion.

"I sure hope they don't end up like that again," Rogue said quietly.

Phoenix shook her head. "I don't think they will, but I think I'll be smart and keep a telepathic "eye" on them for a while, just to be sure. And one of us needs to tell Scott about this." She looked hopefully over at Rogue, who backed away with her hands out as if pushing the thought away.

"Not on yer life, sugah," she said over her shoulder as she turned to leave. "He's _your_ husband, honey." And she took off out the door.

*Great. Just great. Why do I find myself wishing I was trying to separate Logan and Cadie again?*

She sighed and made her way out of the Danger Room in search of her husband.