Disclaimer: With the exception of the original characters, I don't

own them, Marvel does (unless you've been hiding under a rock you already knew that)

a/n first x-men fic-hold the flames a minute ...gets flame retardant bodysuit and extinguisher...ok, flame away

Telepathic conversation

Prologue

Unwilling to fully surrender her nap to wakeful consciousness, Sasha 'Shox' Manning-Creed determinedly kept her eyes closed as she burrowed deeper into her warm cocoon which consisted of her husband's chest and favorite down comforter.

"Wake-up sleepy head. We have to meet with the contractor in thirty minutes."

Feigning sleep, Sasha ignored her husband. "Sash, you know I know yer awake. I don't want to go either, but this was yer idea to build a house and move outta the mansion, so I ain't going alone. The twins are already with Rogue and the damn Cajun downstairs." All the while, Victor Creed allowed his hands to roam the pregnant form of his mate. Her body responding to her husband's heated touch, a moan of pleasure escaped her lips. Shifting her position in his lap, of their own volition, her thighs parted slightly and draped her legs over his.

Taking one last look at what he considered the most beautiful woman he'd set eyes on, Victor closed his eyes and silently cursed his newfound sense of responsibility and accountability, while alternately counting to 100 in Russian, hoping that he'd have to the strength to leave the bed given his very aroused state.

"Ugh, Creed yer gettn' soft. Ain't too long ago you'd leave a woman like this fer a pansy assed frail contractor. Damn them X-geeks fer makn' me soft!" he thought to himself.

Having reached 100 and opened his eyes, Victor realized his hands had continued to stroke Sasha's body unconsciously. Groaning inwardly, he took a deep breath and kicked the comforter from the bed. Abruptly sitting up, well as abruptly as one can be at seven months pregnant, as the room temperature air hit her body like a bucket of ice water, she faced Victor and glared daggers. Chuckling to himself as his feet hit the ground, "a few weeks ago she would've jumped me."

"Wipe that smirk of your face Vic! This isn't funny." The sparkle in her eye belied the anger in her voice. Deciding to change tactics she asked "how much time do we have?" Seeing the blush creeping towards her cheeks, shaking his 'no', Victor replied, "not enough."

The two finally made their way downstairs with time to spare. Victor and Sasha stuck their heads into the rec room to kiss their twins goodbye. Sitting on the couch between their favorite babysitters, Hunter and Brianna sang along as they watched 'The Wiggles'. Sensing their parents, two curly, honey blonde heads turned and Brie as she's known as to the mansion's residents, teleported herself and brother into her father's waiting arms.

"You did a good job 'blinking' (teleporting) puddn'. Yer daddy's girl." Giving her father an angelic smile, Brie nodded her head in agreement. Looking at his son, Victor continued. "Yer mama and me gotta see the man fixn' us a house, 'kay? I want you to be good for yer Aunt Rogue and the damn Cajun and take care of yer sister. Yer daddy's chief?" With that the little boy changed into his lion cub form, bared his teeth and gave a Simba like roar. Smiling proudly, his father rubbed his head and tickled his belly as the little cub licked his father's face before changing back into a three year old toddler.

Due to her pregnant state, Shox had to be content to reach over to kiss her children goodbye. Kissing each child and assuring them that they were 'Mommy's favorite munchkins', Victor and Sasha took their leave. Brie 'blinked' her and Hunter back to their seats on the couch and resumed singing along with the television.

From their respective seats in the room Logan, Warren, Storm, Betsy, Emma, Scott, Jean, Mystique, Magneto and Bishop watched the entire goodbye exchange unfold before them with varying degrees of amusement. Rogue, who was too busy laughing at Remy who was engrossed with the Disney program, missed the exchange entirely.

Telepathically, Emma mused I've seen it a million times but who would've thought Victor Creed, Sabretooth, would be in the running for 'Father of the Year'? You know it gives me hope for Logan, Bishop and Cable. From the kitchen Cable yelled, I heard that! There was telepathic laughing amongst the X-men gathered in the rec room. You know, I never thought those two would make it. You weren't the only one Jean, replied Ororo.

Surveying the domestic scene, something he never would have imagined included Magneto or any member of the Brotherhood for that matter, Logan recounted the events from the last several years that had brought them to where they were now.