"I don't want to stay here!" I yelled into the phone after Logan locked me into the office. He'd actually called Mr. Creed himself before shoving me into the room with directions to pick up the phone and talk to him. "Please! I can't stay here anymore! I want you!"

"Pup, what's going on? Jimmy says you're flipping out," Creed asked, his tone was verging on serious. He obviously wasn't sure what was going on, and he apparently didn't know which road to take – to scold me for being ridiculous or be worried for me and angry at someone else.

"Nothing!" I whined, "I just don't want to be here anymore!"

He growled over the phone, he knew which road to take now, and snarled, "Don't you fucking lie to me little girl. Tell me what happened, now."

I whimpered and sunk down onto the floor near the desk even though there was a chair right there. I didn't want to talk about this. I wanted to leave. "I want to be with you…" I tried to distract him. It didn't work and he growled more over the phone and quickly I stammered, "H-he said it was my fault! He said ev-everything was my fault and that you were just using m-me, and that you were going to… to leave me here when you were finished!"

"I told you I'd be on a plane at the end of the week, and I'd think about staying in the mansion," He reassured me before asking, "Now who said all of this? What did he say was your fault?" I knew that tone, he thought I wasn't being reasonable. Logan had just used the same tone on me, but I wasn't being unreasonable. I didn't want to be in this place. I'd been here for more than a month; it was more than enough time to know I didn't want to be here.

"He said you didn't really want me and that it was my fault those people in the parking lot died!" I cried, and I could hear growling from not only Mr. Creed, but Logan too as he stood outside the door. "He said I killed them, and I didn't belong here! Well! I don't want to belong here I want to be with you!"

"Who?" His voice was deadly serious, and I just shuffled closer to the desk, trying to hide there, even though I knew he couldn't see me. I wasn't going to tell him but he demanded, "Tell me who said this, or I won't come to see you."

"Mr. Summers…" I mumbled out quickly, "Ms. Grey said he didn't mean it, that he was just frazzled, but he did." You didn't say something like that on accident.

"Nina baby, I'm going to be done working in less than an hour, I can try to get there sooner," He sounded so frustrated, his voice was rough and on edge. There was a solid thud in the background of something hitting something else, what I didn't know. "Just stay with Jimmy, Darlin', I don't want you to run away." There was a pause and he insisted, "It dun matter what he said, I want you, and you're going to stay with Jimmy." I could tell he was aggravated, but he just wanted me to stay where I was… But, I didn't belong here…

I hadn't wanted to think it, and I wasn't sure… but Creed would know… I didn't want to ask, and I cradled the phone between my shoulder and the side of my head so I could wipe at my face. I wasn't even sure why I was crying, I didn't want to cry over this I just wanted him to come and get me.

"Come on Pup, don't you cry. You're not just any frail. You cut that out." Creed tried to coax me into being stronger. I didn't feel strong though. I just wanted to be held. That was all, I wanted to be held and I didn't want it to be true, what I did. I was almost positive I'd done it.

"But… I killed someone. I killed someone didn't I Mr. Creed?!" I sobbed my question.

There was silence for a couple of moments before he said, "Pup we'll talk about this when I get there."

That meant I did, didn't it?! It was practically proof.

"I want to be with you!" I cried as I started to curl in on myself. Behind me I heard the door open, and while the phone had fallen I could hear Creed trying to say something. Logan sat down behind me, pulling me to him before he retrieved the phone.

"Creed, you can't do anything to him," Logan insisted as he held me to him. I could hear Mr. Creed on the other end as well. "I know he caused all this, but she would've remembered eventually."

"If he so much as looks at her funny I'll rip his eyes out Jimmy," Creed snarled. I turned and pulled myself closer to Logan, wishing he was Mr. Creed. "How did this happen? You're supposed to protect her Jimmy!"

"I am Victor, I'm protecting her, it doesn't mean I'm keeping her attached to my belt loop," Logan sighed, frustrated. By the look he was giving the floor, I supposed he was frustrated with himself.

"Until I get there she better be now!" Creed practically yelled into the phone, if my ears weren't practically super-glued to my skull I figured they would be now. It made both me and Logan cringe. "Now give her the phone."

"Hi…" I breathed when Logan put the phone about where my ear used to be.

"You stay with Jimmy; I'll be there as soon as I can get a different flight," Creed insisted, "Do not run away. If you run away you will find out why they keep telling you I'm a bad man. You understand me Pup?"

"Yes, Mr. Creed…" I told him as I leaned against Logan more. After that all I heard was the dial tone, and Logan leaned up putting the phone back on the receiver.

"I'm going insane… I'm helping Victor Creed," Logan breathed as he leaned over me, holding me tighter. "Kid, why couldn't you have taken to someone else?"

"I don't know…" I mumbled hopelessly. "I just can't help it…"

ooo

"Nina, child, I'm sorry that Scott treated you in such a way," Professor Xavier said as Mr. Summers stood next to his desk. Logan stood behind me, his arms crossed over his chest. "He's just very nervous about Mr. Creed coming to the mansion."

I didn't say anything; I just looked down at my hands as they sat in my lap. I didn't care if he was nervous or scared, I just didn't care. I wanted Mr. Creed to be here. I wanted to just hide in Logan's room, even if I didn't have a roommate yet and would have been alone in my room. When the silence continued, and I didn't move Logan shifted his weight saying, "Well thanks to Slim over there, he's currently trying to get here faster."

"Nina, none of what happened back in Las Vegas wasn't your fault," Professor X insisted gently. "Your parents were involved with the wrong people, and Mr. Creed was defending you, and you were defending yourself."

Only I wasn't.

I'd attacked that man because they'd kicked Mr. Creed, who at the time I thought was dead. Frowning I muttered, "I just want to go to my room." At least Ms. Grey and Professor Xavier promised to stay out of my head from now on.

I wasn't looking at any of them; I didn't know their reactions to this. However, after a moment Professor X sighed saying, "Of course Nina, you can go up to your room."

I didn't waste any time I shot up and headed out of the room. I was already outside when I heard Logan say, "Slim you're just digging yourself a big hole messing with that girl. I don't know what shoved that stick up your ass about Nina, but you better get Jeanie to remove it before Creed gets here. If he catches you pulling this shit he won't hesitate to go after you. You don't mess with a feral's mate like that."

"Mate? She's thirteen!" Mr. Summers practically screeched jolting me to a halt.

"Doesn't change a thing, bub, she is what she is to him."

"Professor you can't possibly let them be together!"

"He's not going to be able to stop them, maybe there can be some rules imposed on them… maybe. If he tries to keep them apart though, Creed will tear the school apart to get her, or Nina will just run away to find him."

Wolverine was right, but there was also that feeling skimming lightly across my brain.

"Both of you need to stop," the professor said shortly, "Logan, Nina is waiting for you in the hall."

After a moment Logan walked out of the office and over to me, putting his arm around my shoulders as he said offhandedly, "You really shouldn't eavesdrop on people Kiddo."

Once we started walking I frowned as I asked, "Is there something wrong with me?" There had to be a reason that Mr. Summers didn't like me, and why I couldn't get along with most of the student body. It was just too much sometimes. I didn't like being swarmed… I didn't really like people that much anymore…

"Nah, there's nothing wrong with you. You're just a regular kid," Logan said as he looked down at me, before grinning as he added, "You know except for the puppy ears, and tail. Of course it could be worse, you could be blue. I mean ask Hank or the elf, it's apparently very difficult to be blue."

I smiled at that and tried to joke, "Or I could have metal rulers that come out of my fists at inopportune moments." Actually Dr. McCoy had told me that too when I'd complained about my ears.

Logan laughed good naturedly at that saying, "There's always that."

"Is a mate what I think it is?" I asked quietly as we made it to more populated parts of the school.

"More than likely," Logan sighed as I looked up at him. He was frowning, and looked mildly uncomfortable.

"I'm thirteen Logan, I got the talk already," I told him, which didn't seem to make him any more comfortable so I assumed that I really was right. "Is that why he's like that with me? Why everyone doesn't like him, but I do?"

"Probably," Logan said he lead us towards the dorms.

"I feel sort of crazy…" I mumbled.

"You're not the only one," Logan mumbled back, "Look, Victor is probably going to stay in the mansion now. I don't want you to instigate anything between him and Cyke. Got it? If you turn them against each other too badly then he's not going to be able to stay here."

I nodded, saying, "I'll try not to do anything to make it worse."

AUTHORS NOTES:

Alright, so I'm posting this a little late tonight, but it is still Tuesday! Where I am .

And Victor is piiiiisssed, and both Nina and Logan feel nuts, what more is there to say?

Also tonight or tomorrow night I'll be posting another chapter it'll depend on how fast I can edit the next chapter. This is kind of just in thanks to my reviewers! As few as they are but still I figure I'll do a double post this week, it'll just be how fast I can manage.

REVIEW REPLIES:

Flowers-Can-Have-Thorns - Thank you luv!

Dark Lord of the X-Men - Yup even Creed can be different when he has something to protect. Of course as we move on he won't be completely different when this stops being so new and weird.

Comments, replies, and reviews are always welcome!