Victor smiled as he watched the hustle and bustle around the normally quiet mansion. Charles and Erik were men he'd always considered that rarest of things for him - friends. Watching the young people rushing around brought a life to this place that had been missing for thirty years or more.

The red head was particularly interesting, intoxicating and infuriating. In the week he'd been here she had been remote, friendly, offended, aroused, angry and tauntingly tantalizing all in the space of one hour on any given day. He couldn't keep her scents straight. The late night telekinetic visits were another issue he wasn't sure he wanted to bring to Charles' attention about his prized pupil. The girl had a lust and imagination to match the fire in her hair, and part of him wanted to see if she could really handle the real thing.

He watched her running around the track behind the house. He knew she knew he was watching because she sent a telekinetic squeeze straight to his groin. He watched as Summers walked up to her. Summers was another issue. He remembered who it had held him prisoner, and made no bones about wanting to return the favor.

"Charles wants to see you." He heard Summers say.

"I know," she snapped. "I told him I'm not finished with my run.".

"He said its important."

"It can wait!". She pushed Summers halfway back to the house with a thought. The kid picked himself up and dusted off his pants.

"Fine, be a bitch, Jean. He's just worried about you." Summers said a he stormed off. Victor could see why, the girl was obviously unstable, if very talented with her mutation. He grinned at her from his place on the porch. She gave him a haughty look and walked slowly past.

He let out a soft growl as she passed by, and whispered "Last night was the best one yet, Red. Let me know when you want to go for a real ride." She glared at him again, looking coolly down her nose where he was reclining, chair leaned back against the wall, as he smoked his cigar. He grinned, and let her hear his moan of appreciation as he felt her mental strokes up and down his cock. He knew she'd tease him like this the rest of the day now, just to remind him she could, and tonight, she'd project a fantasy image into his mind and provide a telekinetic surrogate for him to fuck, just like she had every night since Charles agreed to let him stay.

XXXXXXX

Jean, don't tease Victor like that. He is trying to get his animal instincts under control.

And your point is. He is an animal, his mind is so primitive, I'm just giving him what he needs to prevent him going after some girl in town and hurting her.

This is not the way to help him, or you.

You're not helping me. The power is growing, and sometimes its hard to control, at least teasing Victor gives me something to do with it, keeps it from overwhelming me sometimes.

You should apologize to Scott.

That wimp, he needs to stop being such a push over.

He is your friend and is very concerned about you, and your lack of control.

He just wants to get in my pants, and frankly he's just too tame for me.

Jean, you have to get these impulses under control. I know adolescence is difficult and with your powers even more so, but you are almost twenty, you need to start exerting some self control.

Ororo opened the door and they both turned to look at her.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt, but there is a young boy at the door, I think a run away, he seems very scared."

"Please have him come in, and get a room ready. He will be staying for a while." Charles said quietly. Jean glared at him. Letting another person horn in and take more time and more energy from him. He had enough on his hands.

"I'm going to go see Hank, and set up for the new profile." She said quietly. Charles nodded but didn't smile at her. "I'm fine, Charles. I have to turn in a paper to Hank anyway and he wanted help with an experiment later this week."

"Please, think about what I said." Charles said in his soft, controlled voice.

"I think about it all the time. I just want to help." She said softly. She did. Victor needed the outlet, and she knew that physically he'd hurt any woman he tried to touch right now, possibly kill, without thinking about it. Jean set the blocks in her mind that kept Charles from reading her most private thoughts. She didn't want her mentor to know she was seriously considering Victor's proposition.

She walked out of the office and toward the elevator. Scott walked out of the kitchen door, and stopped when he saw her. She saw him look around as if to run.

"Scott, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you that hard, I'm just having a bad day."

"You need to get some control over your temper, Jean. I'm worried." She tried not to wince. Everyone seemed worried about her and her temper and her power and how dangerous she could be. She was tired of it, tired of everyone walking around on egg shells around her.

"Scott, I'm fine, everyone has a bad day, I just have to be more careful of the people around me because I can really hurt them. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I just care about you and don't want you to lose it and regret it, you'd tear yourself up over it." She smiled at him. He did care, and was a good friend. Their few dates had been quiet, not exciting, but comfortable and she really did like him.

"Maybe we can see a movie this weekend." She said.

"That'd be great." His face lit up and she knew she'd made the right peace offering.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Victor, I cannot help you if you don't let me in." Charles said.

"I just don't like people messing in my head, Stryker did enough of that." He snarled.

"I'm not messing, but I need to see what caused this reversion to a more primitive state. It is more than just James leaving."

"Betraying me more like. The runt just told me "we're done." Like blood doesn't matter." Victor felt the rage growing inside him again. James was his family, the only person that had been with him his entire life, and to not have that companion, he couldn't control the rage anymore.

"It is more than companionship Victor. And it is more than just James' betrayal. There is something with your mutation, something forcing the primitive aspects to the fore. I would like you to submit to a CT scan, and a full medical work up."

"I did."

"Not the preliminary, but a full workup. Something is forcing you into a full primitive rage and I am concerned for your well being."

Victor snarled but nodded. Charles was right. The only thing that had kept him from going out and finding something to kill was Red. Somehow she'd found a way to satisfy his lust without hurting anyone, and if Charles knew what she was doing he'd stop it.

"I have spoken with Jean about her actions, but I am allowing her to continue as long as no physical contact occurs. It does have a calming effect on you."

"Stay the fuck out of my head unless I invite you." He snarled.

"You were projecting."