The Odd Couple

Okay everyone who is waiting for updates can blame Wanda W for this one….and dulcesweet. You two put the plot bunny there – now we'll have to see where it chases our favorite villain.

That said, of course I don't own them…I wish I did, but I don't so I just make them jump through hoops.

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Chapter 1

She was chained in the bottom of the boat, struggling against the handcuffs they had strapped her to a pipe with. She was going to die. She could see it in all of their eyes, but one pair in particular kept sending chills down her spine. It was almost as if there was regret behind their jet orbs.

She half paid attention to the megalomaniacal ravings of Magneto, until he gave the order to put her in the machine…and HE ripped back the covering, and glared at her. Glared wasn't the right word, and she couldn't take her eyes off his face as he reached down, and snapped the cuffs like they were plastic. He grabbed her by the front of her coat, and lifted her, carrying her with his arm extended out in front of him, not as if he were afraid of her skin, more as if she were something he didn't like the smell of. She wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to use only two fingers, and he looked at her like she was something disgusting.

He dropped her into the stand, and the green skinned one, Toad, cuffed her to the handles.

"Hey poppet – how 'bout a kiss." He grinned at her, his long tongue snaking out to just brush against her skin, not enough contact to draw, but enough to make her shudder.

"Enough." The voice was harsh, gravely, and completely intimidating. She wanted to hide behind something, to make him look away from her. "Kid's gonna die up there, give her a little respect."

"From you – that's rich." Toad laughed and walked away.

"Let me go." She whispered to the giant standing guard over her.

"I can't." She heard regret in his voice. "Magnet head pays the bills."

"I ain't got nothin' ta offer ya… but please." She begged. She saw the contempt in his face.

"Oh you got plenty ta offer little girl – I just ain't got time ta enjoy." He snarled, and slammed the hatch on the machine, leaving her in darkness.

The rest of that night was a blur, Magneto touching her, forcing her to operate the machine, Logan risking his life to save her – and then nearly dying to bring her back to life. She sat by his side the entire flight back to the mansion. She still couldn't think of it as home.

She almost forgot about him, as the years went on. Oh they'd use him in the simulations, but it wasn't the same. There was something missing in the eyes of the simulated Sabretooth, something that haunted her dreams. Logan caught her sometimes, but he never said anything. She knew what he thought, at least the one in her head, about her quiet obsession. Everyone in the school thought she'd had a crush on Logan when she asked about healing factors, and life spans, and how fast and how strong that mutation could make a person. Logan was the one that caught her, in the Danger Room training against the simulations, training for the day she had to face him again.

She dated Bobby, he was safe, secure, the perfect boyfriend; but she always knew something was missing, and it wasn't his fault, it was hers. When she saw them, on the pond, it was relief she felt. Relief that she didn't have to pretend anymore; that she didn't have to hide from the telepaths, that she could finally be alone inside her mind, or as alone as she could be; alone with her dark dreams and darker nightmares.

Even the cure didn't change things. She took it, but kept training. She never wanted to see that contempt in HIS eyes again, and again everyone thought it was Logan she was training for. Then as the cure wore off, she found out there were worse things than being lead like a lamb to the slaughter. Logan brought her home, after she killed her, Carol, brought her home, and helped her heal. They all thought she'd be devastated when he took off again, but she wasn't. They'd tried to break it to her gently when they told her Logan had gotten married, she'd been thrilled for him, he was her best friend, and the one who kept her deep dark secret.

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He'd told Magneto that attacking the lab was a stupid idea. He'd refused to go along, and no amount of cash would change his mind. Looking back, it was a smart thing to do…besides he had bigger fish to fry. The Runt had taken off, leaving the school defenseless, the storm witch wasn't much defense, and that little group of theirs wouldn't keep him away from what he was after. The battle was over, but his war had just begun.

He vaulted over the fence, not even setting off the motion sensors. They really needed to tighten security around here. He looked down at the slip of paper in his hand. The Scottish woman had given it to him, told him exactly what he was needed to do. If the pay hadn't been worth it – and the chance to see HER again – he would have turned the old man down; they'd never been friends, even if he'd worked for Xavier a time or two in the past. He felt a thrill down his back as he realized someone was finally aware of his presence; finally some action.

"Don't move, Sabretooth." It was the last voice he'd expected to hear. What the hell did she think she could do against him, she'd taken the cure, and she wasn't even a mutant for crying out loud, just a damned frail? He turned on her with a contemptuous snarl.

"Well well, little girlie, shouldn't you go back, and let the grownups deal with this?"

"Now why would I want ta do that?" She stood there, one hand on her leather clad hip, and that's when it hit him. She was wearing one of their uniforms still.

"Frail little thing like you might get hurt." He snarled, letting her see just how unconcerned he was. She was no threat…and then she hit him, right across the face. Her hand was like a solid wrecking ball. He dropped to one knee, and came up claws flashing, snarling and hissing, ready to rip into her soft frail flesh.

He didn't even scratch her, shredded the leather, but her skin was untouched. He didn't even pause, just kept shredding. If he couldn't hurt her – there were other ways to win the fight. It didn't take him long, her uniform hung from her shoulders and hips in shreds, leaving her flawless skin exposed in the moonlight and he paused just a second to appreciate the view. She hit him in a full tackle snapping off the fifty year old tree she slammed him into at the roots. It came crashing down on them, pinning his legs to the ground with broken branches through his flesh. She shook of the tree like it was paper, and started yanking the branches pinning him to the ground out, ripping flesh and bits of his leathers along with them.

By the time he was free, his clothes were nearly in as bad shape as hers, and there was no way in hell she could miss his reaction to her.

"Getting a little excited there, pussycat." She smiled at him, and he snarled in return. No frail was going to out maneuver him, not in this area.

"I ain't the only one, Darlin…you sure smell good." He said as he stood up and brushed the shattered pieces of wood from his shoulders.

"What are you doin' here, Creed?"

"I got a message – for Storm."

"Then come in the front gate like everyone else."

"Now where would be the fun in that?" He said as he let his eyes wonder over her exposed body. He had to admit, she wasn't a kid anymore, she was all woman, and at least able to hold her own against him. "Besides, I wouldn't get ta see you like this, now would I?"

"Letch."

"Undeniable."

"So what's the message?"

"I have to deliver it to Storm – no one else."

"Then you can leave and come in the front gate."

"Fine – can I at least get a kiss first."

"Not on your life – Creed, ya have ta earn it." She turned and walked away, unabashedly swaying her hips as he watched her naked ass in the moonlight. Yep, she'd grown up alright…and turned into something worth fighting for.

He jumped the fence, and walked to his bike, revved the engine and drove to the front gate.