Trials and Tribulations
I don't own them, Bronwyn Tillman and Daniel Varden are all mine. Most of the rest belong to Marvel Comics – and if there are any that don't – and don't belong to anyone else, I guess they are mine too.
A/N Ok at one point I realized that Victor Creed has to have some way of laundering all that money he makes on illegal assassination and terrorism, and since the comics have him shown in a more traditional business environment on several occasions, I concocted this whole 'alternate universe' of him in a business world. As far as I know Creed Industries doesn't exist in the Marvel Universe but I think it should.
A/N I didn't plan on doing a sequel but something about Daniel and Bronwyn struck me as needing more – along with Bronwyn and Victor, so here it is the sequel to Dictation.
The office was quiet. Victor and Daniel had been gone for a month. She basically sat in the office all day, answered his phone and took messages which she forwarded to Daniel's email account. Logan wasn't grumbling as much – especially since he put the ring on Marie's hand. It seemed Kitty was getting Marie's room, since Logan couldn't leave the mansion, so Marie was moving back.
Bron groaned as the phone rang again.
"Mr. Creed's office." She answered.
"Bron, it's Daniel, how are things going?"
"Great, where are you – or can you tell me?"
"Actually we are at Heathrow, heading back to New York. It seems he left some work unfinished, so we'll be back for a couple weeks."
"I'll get the office ready – and alert personnel."
"Good idea – I'm not sure exactly what's going on, he's keeping it from me."
"That's not good." She was worried now.
"I don't think it's bad, just a secret."
"Are there any department heads I need to alert?"
"Not that he's told me about."
"Will you be in the office tomorrow morning?"
"We'll both be there." His voice was light and she grinned. She'd missed him, her partner in crime. Between the two of them, they kept Sabretooth on the straight and narrow. She couldn't keep the grin off her face as she straightened up the outer office. No one had been inside Mr. Creed's office since he left, and she glanced inside to see if she needed to call housekeeping. The light coating of dust needed to be cleared before morning so she picked up the phone and ordered a cleaning team.
Daniel's desk was clear – but his inbox was full, she quickly sorted it so that he could get anything that Mr. Creed needed to him at once. She checked the coffee supplies, and made sure Mr. Creed's cups were clean and ready for use. Things were going to get busy again. She was still grinning like an idiot when she finally made it home that night, her small purchases for the next morning seeming to weigh nothing at all.
"What are YOU grinning about?" Logan grumbled as he helped Marie pack another load for the mansion.
"Dan…errr Mr. Creed and Mr. Varden will be back tomorrow."
"Dan…Who the fuck is Dan?"
"Mr. Varden." She grinned.
"Who the fuck is that?"
"Sabretooth's personal assistant." She snapped.
"And you have a thing for him? He works for fucking SABRETOOTH – HELLO! Am I the only one to see a problem with this?"
"I work for Sabretooth, Logan, and Mr. Varden is a nice man, and he makes me laugh, and makes it a hell of a lot easier to work for Sabretooth – alright. I like him – I don't have a THING for him, I just LIKE HIM!" She slammed her bedroom door, almost glad he and Marie were going back to the mansion this weekend. Kitty would be a much easier roommate to deal with.
The faint knock on her door made her turn and yank it open.
"AND ANOTHER THING…."
"What'd I do?" Jubilee asked a pout on her face.
"Nothing – just Logan giving me hell again."
"So Dan's coming back?"
"Yeah."
"I kinda figured something was up when you stopped meeting us for lunch."
"Nothing's up, he and I just took a couple working lunches, that's all."
"Sure…that's why you bought the new suit and shoes right before he left."
"I bought them because Mr. Creed is still on my ass about my wardrobe."
"Sure you did, that's why you are grinning like a lunatic, and you have a box of Daniel's favorite coffee supplies and Godiva chocolates in the bag."
"You can smell Godiva a mile away."
"Come on – you LIKE him. I was kinda scared you'd go for Creed – and that would be WEIRD, but I met him, and I like Varden."
"I don't LIKE him – I like him."
"SURE!"
Bron blushed and shoved Jubes out of her room. She had to decide what she was wearing tomorrow; she didn't want to disappoint Mr. Creed and his nit picky attitude towards her wardrobe. She grabbed the pale blue shirt that Varden told her brought out her eyes, and dug out the new pinstripe suit with the matching stripe. She even had a pair of navy pumps she'd just bought that would go with the outfit.
She was trying to decide between straightening her hair, or putting it up in a French knot when Kitty barged into the room
"You are SICK! You know that."
"What?"
"Everyone saw you buying coffee supplies and chocolates, and Peter said he has it on good authority that Creed's coming back to New York tomorrow."
"It's for DANIEL! God! Creed can suck my big toe." Bron groaned. It was all starting again. Everyone STILL thought she and Creed were sleeping together – he was probably the last – okay not the LAST man on Earth she'd sleep with – but close.
"Who the hell is Daniel?" Kitty said, dropping onto the bed, and glaring at her clothing preparations for the next morning.
"VARDEN! Daniel Varden, the guy I work with, sheish…get your minds out of the gutter people." Bron griped, grabbing the silk shirt from Kitty and hanging it back up with the suit.
"Nice suit."
"I like it – so does Daniel." Bron blushed as she said it. Shit – maybe she DID have a thing for him. Workplace romances never worked out for her – but he was so sweet, and funny, and artistic…okay she had a thing for him.
"Damn." She sat on the bed next to Kitty.
"What?"
"I have a thing for him."
"Creed?" Kitty glared at her.
"Varden. God can't you follow a conversation?"
"So you really have a thing for him – a middle aged male secretary?"
"He's not a secretary – he's a personal assistant – and he's not THAT old." Bron said.
"OH God this is almost WORSE than you having a thing for Creed!" Kitty said.
"Shut UP! And I thought it would be easier with YOU for a roommate!" Bron groaned. Jubilee and Kitty would be right in the middle of her personal life – what little bit of one she had. She was beginning to wonder if she could convince them both to move back to the mansion and just leave her the apartment to herself.
