Out of the Darkness
I don't own him, but I am beginning to join the can I chain him in my basement set….Marvel owns him, much to my regret at this point.
Where was Victor Creed from the end of X one to the end of X Three?
Chapter 3
She woke up in his arms again. It had been two weeks since Maryanne's father had gone to the hospital. He had been here every night. They fought, they laughed, and never once did he even mention the fact that she couldn't see. He left during the day, and she worked at her desk. He would come in, either with dinner, or he would cook something, and have it ready by the time Maryanne got home from the hospital. He was taking care of both of them.
Ashley knew he had been to the hospital a couple of times to check on Maryanne and her father. She knew he took care of the house for Maryanne. Even Frank and Victor were getting along, and Frank didn't like any man to be around the two women. She was a little nervous at how quickly this had developed, but she really liked him.
There were things she didn't know about him. He told her he owned a small contracting firm in New York, Creed Enterprises. She had called and had her publishing company check it out. The company was legitimate; they did situational analysis of corporate structures, and made cost cutting recommendations. The idea of him being a cut throat accountant was funny to her.
She didn't know anything about his family. He claimed to have a brother, but he didn't know where he was, the last time they had seen each other they had been in a huge fight. She didn't know anything about his parents, or where he was from, other than Canada. She knew her father was going to want to know the answers to all those questions, but somehow she never bothered asking them.
He was being so helpful, so kind, and actually having sex instead of fantasizing about it was a very new experience for her. He could be rough or gentle depending on his mood, but it usually didn't matter, because he always made sure she was satisfied. He was a good cook, helped keep the house clean, and somehow, her clothing was slowly being replaced with things that actually looked nice on her, according to Maryanne.
Two days ago, Maryanne's father had died quietly in his sleep. Today was the funeral, and she knew it was going to be a rough day.
She felt him begin to stir under her cheek.
"Good morning." He grumbled his chest rumbling under her ear.
"Good morning to you." She replied.
"I picked you up a dress for the funeral. There is no way in hell you were wearing that ugly thing in the closet." He said as he stroked her hair.
"Victor. I wore that to my MOTHER'S funeral."
"Damn, wish I had been here then. You must have looked like hell."
She slapped his chest. "Asshole."
"Ashley, you are a damned beautiful woman, and hell I LIKE looking at you, but woman, your wardrobe leaves a lot to be desired."
"You try picking out clothes without being able to see them."
"That's not the point and you know it. Even without seeing them, you can pick things that FIT. Half your clothes are three sizes too big." This fight had been going on most of the week.
"Well, I like comfort."
"You are not wearing that damned dress. I'll burn it if I have to."
"Prick."
"And you love me for it so hush, and get your shower." She felt him climb out of bed. "I am going back to my house, get cleaned up and dressed and will be back in an hour…and I am taking that damned ugly piece of shit with me."
"VICTOR!" But he was already out the door; she climbed out of bed and went to get her shower. She felt the dress hanging on the bathroom door. It didn't feel like a dress, more like a night gown, satin or silk or a good synthetic copy. There was no way in hell she was wearing a nightgown to the funeral.
She showered quickly, just rinsing her hair; Victor had scrubbed it for her last night before they went to bed. THAT had been an experience, and him sitting her on the floor while he sat on the bed and brushing it had been one of the most sensual experiences she had ever had, the soft hairs of his bare legs brushing against her arms as he ran the brush through her hair until it was dry.
She shook her head. She was going to a funeral – thinking about Victor's bare legs was NOT something she was supposed to be doing. She looked around the room for the dress she had planned on wearing, but he had been true to his word. It was no where to be found. She grumbled and slipped the dress he had bought for her over her head. It felt like heaven, soft, silky against her skin, and, as she ran her hands down her body there were no bunches, not points where it was too big or too small. She grumbled again – damn, the man had been right, it felt GOOD wearing something that fit.
She heard him come in the front door and slipped into the shoes that were on the floor. He had insisted on getting rid of her comfortable shoes as well, but the ones he had replaced them with were just as comfortable, just a little more stylish, according to Maryanne.
"Baby, you look good." He said from the door.
"That's not supposed to be the point. At least tell me this dress is BLACK."
"It is, and conservative, no cleavage showing, and comes to your knees."
"What the hell is it made out of, it feels so soft."
"Silk."
God, she was wearing a black silk dress to her best friend's father's funeral, she really didn't feel that was appropriate, but no matter how she argued with him, he wasn't giving her dress back.
"Fine, let's go check on Maryanne." She said finally.
She tried to push past him in the door to her bedroom, but he reached out and pulled her against his chest.
"I just left her, she was getting dressed herself." He brushed his cheek against her hair. "Baby, please, let's get through today, we can fight tomorrow."
She sighed against his chest and nodded. She felt so safe in his arms, protected, but not patronized. He gave her so much independence. He didn't treat her like an invalid, and that was one of the things she was coming to appreciate most about him.
"Well, someone is in a good mood." She heard him chuckle.
"Why…?"
"You might want to tone down the rainbows at the funeral." He laughed.
The first time she had accidentally let him see what she could do he had just laughed, it had been a sound of pure joy, and that had caused even more rainbows on the ceiling and walls. He had been thrilled to find out about her mutation, had explained that he was a mutant himself, and had been afraid she wouldn't want anything to do with him because of it. He hadn't told her what his mutation was, and she didn't ask, but she knew it was something she was going to have to find out eventually.
"Oh, I almost forgot. The training academy will be bringing Tilly by this evening sometime."
"Your dog?"
"Yes. Don't you like dogs?"
"I like them fine, they don't always like me." She reached out and felt the edge of the dresser, and picked up the cane she knew was laying there. She didn't plan on going to the graveside service, just the one at the church. She knew Maryanne didn't want a whole bunch of people at the cemetery.
They headed down the stairs and out the front door. Victor was driving her to the church; the funeral home was picking up Maryanne. They walked next door and checked on Maryanne.
"Mar, you decent?" Ashley shouted up the stairs.
"Be down in a sec." She shouted back down. Ashe could hear the strain in her voice. Maryanne didn't want to admit it, but her father's passing had been a relief. She had been taking care of him most of her life, and was feeling a little guilty at her sense of freedom. They had talked late last night, before Victor had insisted that Maryanne go home and get some sleep.
She heard Mar's steps coming down the staircase. Victor let out a low whistle, and Ashley elbowed him in the ribs.
"Hey, can't a man appreciate a beautiful woman, even if she is grieving." Ashley was a little annoyed at his light attitude about this whole thing.
"Well, you certainly cleaned up nice." Mar said to them.
"I don't know what you mean." Ashley said, indignantly.
"I wasn't talking to you…you look nice too, but Victor, DAMN is that Armani." Ashley was going to have to have Maryanne describe him to her later.
"Only black suit I have."
"Sure, and the black shirt and black tie and black shoes, and the black hair tie just all go with it…." Maryanne was actually teasing Victor. Ashley was getting a very good mental image of her escort, and she knew it was going to be a very long day.
The car from the funeral home arrived, and Maryanne grabbed her purse and headed out the door.
"We will be right behind you." Victor said.
"Thank you. I don't know what we would have done without you these last few weeks." Maryanne said as they walked out the door. Ashley heard movement and knew that he was giving Mar a hug.
"It's been my pleasure." And he said it with a straight tone, Ashley was surprised.
He escorted her to his SUV and helped her get settled. They didn't say much on the way to the church. Maryanne was right; she didn't know how they would have made it the last couple of weeks without Victor's help. She depended on him, but not to the point that she couldn't do without him, the problem was, she was well past just liking him, and afraid of going all the way to loving him. She was going to have to make her mind up and soon, she was afraid her heart was already made up.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
He looked at the woman in the car next to him. She had pulled her long hair back into a pony tail with a simple black tie. The tailored dress had been a rush order, and he had been glad it was done last night. She looked wonderful. The white cane across her lap stood out in sharp contrast to the dress.
The last two weeks had been interesting. Mystique was going ahead with the plan to impersonate Senator Kelly, Erik's trial had been quick, and he was now safely ensconced in a plastic prison they built for him. Nothing had been heard from Toad, but he somehow knew the little pain had survived. Victor was at loose ends for the time being, and laying low here in White Plains had been a good idea. He was actually working at the office three days a week, and the company was actually growing. If he kept this up, he wouldn't have to take assassination jobs anymore. He hadn't taken one since Liberty Island, and wasn't going to until things settled down.
Ashley had proven to be a pleasant surprise. First, her passion had matched her beauty, and she had met him more than half way in every encounter they had had. She was intelligent, witty, and not afraid to argue and fight with him, which had proven to be fun, something he hadn't admitted to having in years. She didn't expect anything out of him, and accepted everything he gave graciously. She was strong, independent, and feisty, and he stayed out of her way and let her take care of whatever she chose to take care of herself.
He had never been around a blind person before, and except for her poor taste in clothing, he just didn't see why it was an issue. She handled everything so well. The clothing issue he was slowly fixing, with Maryanne's s discreet help.
He didn't understand the whole idea of a funeral. It wasn't that big of a deal to him. He was going because Ashley and Maryanne needed to go, but he was going to have to fight laughing through the whole thing. He knew Ashe was irritated with is callous attitude, but he didn't know how to explain to her that it wasn't something he gave a rat's ass about.
They pulled into the church parking lot, and he struggled to find a place to park, they could park in family parking, but they weren't going to go to the cemetery, so he chose not to.
They parked back from the entrance to the church. He had no idea Maryanne's father knew this many people. He walked around the SUV and opened the door for Ashley. She took his arm and let him guide her across the lot. At the door of the church stood a man that looked vaguely familiar to Victor, but he couldn't place him.
"Ashley." The man said.
"Dad." She smiled and he reached out to guide her into a hug. "I didn't know you were coming."
"Well Dan was a good friend, and after everything we went through, I had to be here. Who's this?"
"Dad, this is Victor, Vic this is my father, Howard Case." He reached out and shook her father's hand.
The older man glared at him, and somehow Victor knew it was because of the possessive way his hand rested on Ashley's elbow. He gave the man a smile, and tried to relax. Her father, SHIT! He hadn't been expecting to meet her family.
"So what do you do, Victor?"
"I own a small independent accounting and consulting firm in New York." It came out so smoothly now.
"Really, a big boy like you is an accountant." He swallowed his growl.
"Well, I hire accountants. I do the corporate analysis and leave it to the accountants to find the cost cutting measures for companies that hire us."
"AHHH, you are a corporate head cutter."
"Something like that. What about you, Mr. Case?"
"I own a bar, in Salem Center." SHIT! He lived near the Geeks.
"Really."
"Enough small talk lets check on Maryanne." Ashley was very uncomfortable, he could sense it, she was even a little afraid.
The three of them went back into the family room of the church; Maryanne was there with an older man, her uncle, and his wife. They were the only family she had left. They stayed and talked quietly until it was time for the service to start.
Victor and Ashley sat behind Maryanne and he tried hard to hide his amusement and boredom with the whole event. Ashley's father gave the eulogy, and he was curious about her start of surprise. He tried so hard not to go to sleep, only the sounds and smells of tears from in front of and beside him keeping him awake as he handed both women handkerchiefs when they needed them. Finally the service was over, and everyone went by to view the body. To him it looked like a wax dummy lying there, he had seen more corpses than anyone here.
He finally escorted Ashley back to the car, after the family and procession to the cemetery pulled out. Her father was waiting, his car parked nearby.
"Victor…?" He was waiting.
"Creed."
"Not the one they are looking for from the Statue of Liberty?"
"No, just a bad coincidence." His father didn't look convinced.
"Ashe, baby, I'll come by later on in the week to check on you."
"I'm fine dad…Tilly is coming home today and Victor and Maryanne have been a huge help."
"Sure, thing, baby, just be careful."
"DAD!"
Howard climbed into his car and drove off. Victor helped her into the SUV and walked around to the driver's side. He was going to have to check out Mr. Case, very carefully.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Victor was quiet the whole trip back to the house.
"I hope my dad didn't upset you."
"No." He laughed. "I just have never been to a funeral before. It was weird."
"Weird?"
"Just never experienced anything like that before."
"You didn't go to your parent's funerals?"
"No."
"I'm sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry about." She could hear the tension in his voice and decided to drop it. "I have some work to do at the house. I'll be over for dinner." He was upset about something.
She went upstairs and slipped out of the dress, hanging it on an empty hanger, and then pulled on jeans and a T-shirt. She went down to her study and sat at her desk trying to get some work done when the phone rang.
"Hello."
"Hey, Baby."
"Dad!"
"Just checking to make sure you got home ok."
"Yeah, right, you are checking to see if Victor is here. NO he isn't he had work to do at home."
"Where's home?"
"DAD! Across the street."
"What?"
"He rented the house across the street."
"Is that how you met him."
"Dad, I am not discussing my love life with you."
"LOVE life?"
"DAD!!!"
"Are you SLEEPING with him?"
"DAD!!!!!!!!!"
"I'll take that for a yes."
She heard someone at the door, and a dog barking.
"Dad, they are here with Tilly, I have to go."
She hung up the phone and hurried to the front door. Their trainer was there, and she could hear her baby puppy panting near the ground. She wasn't really a baby anymore; she was a full sized, pure bread German shepherd trained Seeing Eye dog. They had been going through this training for six months, and she was so glad that Tilly's final training was done and she could come home.
The trainer gave a few last minute instructions and left Tilly to get settled back into her home. The dog curled up under Ashley's feet at her desk. She heard Victor's footsteps before Tilly's warning bark, and stood, walking to the door with her baby at her side.
The front door opened, and Tilly let out a low warning growl.
"Tilly, DOWN!" She said, but the dog kept growling. "DAUNEN!" She reached down and put a hand on the dog's shoulder. "I don't know what has gotten into her; give her your hand to sniff."
She heard Victor growl, and then felt Tilly lunge at him. "SHIT!"
"What?"
"She didn't bite me but she won't let me in." He said the low growl still in his voice.
"Tilly SICHER!" The dog backed down, but kept up the low growl. "SICH SEITZEN!"
The dog finally sat down and let Victor in the front door. She didn't know what she was going to do about this. She needed her baby, but she was finding that she needed Victor too.
"I am sorry about this, Victor; I had no idea she was going to react to you like this." She was almost in tears.
He reached out to pull her into his arms; the dog growled but let him. "Don't worry about it, I told you sometimes dogs just don't like me. She'll adjust, because I ain't going anywhere." He whispered the last against her hair. She just nodded against his chest. Tilly would have to adjust.
