Dear readers. This is brought to you in spite of bleeding tonsils, frequent power outs and cold. I am awesome like that. I will also try and put more time into this because I have priorities and depending on my financial situation, which is as usual dire, I might start uni early next year. So.

Angel897

Thank you for liking it, I am trying to keep y'all on your toes. The fact that I am having the ideas while writing the story helps-I keep surprising myself :P

JohnPaulGeorgeandRingo

Where would I be without your comments. A few steps further away from insanity. I do like Canada, I have lived there for a few years god damn it. So I did not eat an atlas or anything. I simply lived there. The penguins in the WEM are freaking boring compared to two ferals. Everything is, really. Tuna. Tuna might stand a real chance.

The Reserved Reader

My family is a train wreck, though not as bad as my online family. This is where the real nuts can be found. Lovely nutcases, really.

I know that about chapters feeling to short when you read them, but believe me, some of them feel like they are miles long when I write them^^ Let's see if I can twist and turn some more :P

SharkGurl

Uhm, thanks? Not sure how to interpret that one^^

CaptMacKenzie

Well, I am a HUGE fan of Sabertooth in the comics and Origins. X1 does not count. With a fandom as huge as X-Men it is hard to come up with plots nobody has nevereverever done before but I do believe that as long as you add your own stuff to it it can work. This site is full of great examples. As far as Victor goes… I will not write essays here, but he was incredibly loyal to Logan until he abandoned him. Of course he has had his reasons, but that's exactly what it was to Victor. Brothers look out for each other and all that. And nobody has said he'd be sweet to a woman :P Vic's chicks could tell many delightful tales on that but that's what other fics are for.

ZivaDavid

Your wish is my command^^

BlindingFirefly

Same goes for you. Feel free to try and borrow Logan for some action but be warned. My British accomplice is very protective and does not like to share^^

So. I have actually written a little, kind of smutty and disgustingly gory (preparing myself for reviews like that :P) piece about how Victor and the mysterious woman met. It will be posted at the appropriate time, separately, and you will be notified once that happens. This is, after all, mainly a Rogan. Just thought I'd mention that.^^

Be patient. Things are inching forward.

Beware of language and feral banter. I do not own anyone and would really like to complain about this, this simply can not be! So I DEMAND my own ferals for Christmas. The latest. Ya hear, Marvel? Disney? I promise I will not make any money with them. Just have some fun.

If all else fails Hugh and Liev would be alright too. Just sayin'. Could live with that. Would be hard but I'd manage.


For a long while nobody says anything. Victor leads them into the house, which has clearly been turned upside down. Sturdy wood furniture has been chopped to pieces, not one thing had been left untouched. When they walk into the kitchen she gags. They sure didn't…

"Nice." Logan grumbled.

"I get the impression they wanted to piss me off." Victor's face remains blank but she can smell the anger rolling off him in waves-nobody needs to identify the emotion for her, her instincts, or Logan's, pick it up and identify it right away.

"Quite literally."

Logan walks around, taking in every detail and stepping over the wet spots on the floor. Rogue can't believe that anyone would do this. She tries to ignore the other scents that are sticking to the kitchen counter, several spots on the walls and the floor…there are claw marks to confirm her suspicions and she fights down the embarrassment. Victor chuckles, of course he can smell that.

"Why would they take her? That's a subtle hint to tell us what the fuck's going on here." Logan is closer to her again now, right between her and Victor and she can't help but feel relieved. No matter what, she finds his presence unsettling.

"There's a certified nutjob called Dr. Windsor, I believe he is the one behind all this. Might very well be an alias, but it has been linked to quite a few mutant disappearances. Looks like he's collecting mutants with different powers, much like our friend Striker did-you'd know that if you had gotten your head out of your ass and put any effort into remembering things."

"I have no idea what you're talking about…"

"As much as I'd enjoy chatting with you about the past and display some brotherly love I thought this was about saving your girl's ass. They kidnapped my mate and messed up this place so since they think I'm a big, instinct-driven dumbass I'd be speeding towards them by now. This place is a rental, if they had bothered to spend two minutes on the phone they'd know that, and they left traces so obvious even the little girl could follow them, without knowing jack shit about tracking. They weren't exactly subtle when following you, but they were more careful. What does that tell us?"

"They're really trying to set you up. They're probably waiting for you. And still looking for us."

"Good boy."

Victor chuckles and Logan growls at him. Under different circumstances she might have enjoyed that banter-you have to be blind to not see that they are brothers.

"So we need to find out more about that Dr. Windsor and his whereabouts then." She feels the need to participate in the conversation; after all it is apparently about her.

"If you want to call your nerdy friends, do that. But please don't have them come rushing over like the fucking cavalry. Just because I tolerate you two for now doesn't mean I will team up with the dominatrix squad. I don't intend to capture and question that guy."

"Glad we agree on that."

A few hours later they have the address of a doctor who has been linked to Dr. Windsor numerous times, who has specialized in mutants… And has his office not too far away, near Vancouver. She doesn't know what exactly she has expected to happen, but certainly not that Victor gets in the truck with them after throwing a large duffel bag on the backseat. After some more banter, this time it is more aggressive, she moves to the backseat and takes the decision off them. She agrees with Logan, having Victor sit behind them is unsettling, to say the least. So she curls up in the backseat, turning sideways so she can rest her feet on the seat and while staring at the backs of their heads she mulls over the two ferals.

It is hard for her to picture Victor being with someone, the stories she has heard about him along with the experience she has had with him draw a picture that won't allow that piece of the puzzle to fit in anywhere. But she also has a few of Logan's memories, from the dreams he doesn't seem to remember. He has been fiercely loyal to his brother and whatever happened between them, something had destroyed that but that doesn't mean he can't share that same bond with someone else, just in a different way. She has never had siblings but has always pictured it like that, the older one being some sort of protector, looking out for each other, all that. Of course her fantasies never included killing people, but it is just… It is them. She can't deny that Logan is very good at it, fighting, killing. Even by himself. So she doesn't really want to find out how good he can be with a partner. Someone as reckless and vicious as Victor.

Part of her wants to know who that woman was that has been at the cabin with Victor. At first she thought it must have been someone he kidnapped, brought there against her will. But the entire place smelled of lust and sex and he had referred to her as his mate…. She is drawn back to reality when she hears Logan mention that word.

"So, your mate, why would they want her?"

"They don't want her. They want me. And they know if they take her, ultimately they will get me, one way or the other."

"No special powers for her?"

"She's a feral, but she doesn't have a healing factor like we do. We both heal really quick, that is not common. Smaller injuries she takes relatively easy but larger ones… it takes a fucking long time."

Rogue can't see his face but his voice tells her enough. He has seen her badly injured and didn't like it one bit. So he does care about that woman. Somehow, that is reassuring. That there is some form of humanity in him after all. Possibly. After all animals have mates too…

"Anything else?"

"Unless you count being a damn good fuck as special abilities, no. She's a fox, she can't even climb. But she's scrappy, she will survive."

"So you think they want to get you and your mutation."

"Yeah, because I'm all that Jimmy. They tried to recruit me a few months ago. I sent the messenger back in a box. People don't appreciate small gestures anymore."

The way he talks about killing someone like that makes her shudder. Victor turns his head to the side, his nostrils flared and he grins. Logan throws a glance over his shoulder to see if she is okay. She smiles to reassure him, then looks out of the window. Being this close to two men with their senses won't be easy. The landscape is flying by, it is getting dark out and from time to time she can see a fire over the tree line, indicating an oil camp. Imagining that those are ancient castles, guarded by dragons and knights she dozes off.

When she wakes up again, it is quiet all around her. A sleeping bag that oozes Logan's scent is covering her and when she cautiously peeks out she notices that they are parked outside a diner, Logan is leaning against the hood of the truck, smoking a cigar. Victor is nowhere to be seen but she hopes he is buying food right now. Her head still feels sticky from sleeping in the car, she actually really hates doing it, her whole body aches. And she smells. Not bad enough for other people to notice, but she is travelling with two ferals who happen to have sensitive noses.

Logan turns around and when he sees her awake, walks up to her.

"Hey, you alright?"

"I smell, I have slept in the truck with a lunatic around and someone wants to kidnap me once again. I am perfectly fine."

She is rewarded with one of Logan's lopsided grins.

"Hey, I'm not that bad. Victor's getting breakfast. I'd rather have him kill the waitress than leave you out here alone with him. I still don't trust that guy."

"As long as he's telling the truth… He knows more than we do, apparently."

"We'll be visiting that doctor after breakfast, his practice is down the road."

Her stomach drops instantly. They have undoubtedly worked out some sort of plan to get the information they want, but she doesn't feel comfortable-especially having seen Victor work first hand.

"So, what are the plans?"

"Mine or his?"

She smiles as he casually wraps the sleeping bag tighter around her.

"The one we are actually going to use."

"Jury's still out on that one. I want to go in and talk to that dickhead, Victor thinks it would be a great idea if you talked to the doc."

She pauses a moment to process the information first. The way Logan said the last bit through clenched teeth is indication enough. He doesn't like it. Of course not, it would put her, the kid, in danger. Then again, how dangerous can talking to a doctor be?

"I know you won't like hearing that, but I think he's right."

"I don't like the idea of it, but he'll probably know who you are. And those people like to ramble about themselves. So he'll probably tell you more than he would tell us. Just don't tell the pussycat I said that."

Marie giggles and tries to get out of the truck without falling over or losing the sleeping bag. It is nice and warm and it does smell like Logan, the relaxed version of him, too. She isn't ready to give that up just yet, especially now that she sees Victor approaching.

"We should probably eat breakfast somewhere more…quiet."

He throws a meaningful glance at Logan and shoves a styrofoam container her way before folding into the truck's passenger seat.

"Great. If you keep killing people nobody will be able to find us. Very subtle."

Victor chuckles and opens another container to rummage through it's contents and come up with a sausage patty.

"I didn't kill anyone, Jimmy. Just hurt them. It's what they expect me to do, I am an enraged animal. Now buckle up little girl this might get a little wild. Jimmy, why don't you floor it. Just a little. The owner has a shotgun and is aiming it at us."

Logan growls and, spraying gravel, manoeuvers the truck out of the parking lot at top speed. He throws a glance at his brother who is munching his sausage patty as if they are on a picnic.

"Let's hope you choke on that. And it's Logan."

"Now, that wasn't very nice. Why do you get to randomly pick new names for yourself by the way? Jimmy was the name the man who thought was your father gave to you, deal with it."

"I don't get why they didn't just drown you like they always do with unwanted kittens."

Marie has been trying to keep quiet while attempting to eat breakfast in the back of the pickup that is currently swerving around bends in the road-the very bumpy road-because she can sense the anger those two are building, but now she has enough. She throws her head back and laughs out loud-the fact that she can see both of them raise an eyebrow at her through the rear-view mirror makes things even worse.

"Your girl is nuts."

"She's been perfectly normal before you showed up."

Part of her refuses to rejoice at the fact that Victor has called her Logan's girl-and that Logan hasn't said anything to deny it. It is however only a small part. The rest of her is doing a happy dance.