I burst into the hospital room where the Professor's consciousness resided. I pulled a chair up to the side of the bed and thought, "All right, Professor. Spill."

I heard his sigh, and then, "I knew this would happen."

"What?"

"The barriers broke."

"What barriers?"

"The ones in Victor's mind."

"Who put them there?"

"I did."

I was kind of shocked. I hadn't actually expected the Professor to be the culprit. "Why?"

"Are you sitting down?"

"Yes."

"About 2 months ago, the Victor Creed that we all know and love came sauntering in here, distraught. It took me nearly and hour to get any kind of lucid thought out of him. He kept babbling about a girl and how much he loved her and how he couldn't be with her because he didn't trust himself. Finally, I got more details. He told me that he came to the mansion to talk with Logan, but watched from afar for a few days to see what the routine was. He saw you with Logan and was fascinated by you. He eventually became obsessed. He told me he watched you sleep every night from the tree by your window. He told me that he thought he was in love with you, but he didn't know. He'd never been in love before. He asked me to probe his mind, and in the process, he got some information out of mine as well. He saw that you knew who he was and he was enraged. I had also gleaned that he truly did love you, but the animalistic part of him wouldn't let him realize it. They were at odds in his head. Fighting over who would run it. He had never felt the compassion he felt for you until then and it was a weak part. That part won a time to speak, however, and he begged me to fix his mind. Fix it so the animal wouldn't come out anymore. He had heard what I did for Jean and he wanted the same thing. I told him it was a risky process and I needed time to make the barriers stronger. But, we all know Victor. No patience. So, over the next couple days, he stayed with me, and I worked on trapping the beast inside him into a secluded part of his mind. It appeared successful. I told him to come back if anything seemed to be going wrong. He agreed. I haven't heard from him since."

I was speechless. My mind was in overload and I couldn't think. "Wait, he had been watching me?"

"Yes."

"And…why did you do it if you knew it was risky? After what happened with Jean?!"

"Because everyone has the right to be relieved of their insane side. Not everyone's comes out as prominently as others. And he loved you. He truly truly loved you."

Tears were rolling down my face. "I asked him one night, what changed him? He said that I did. I didn't understand then. I do now."

"Oh, Leslie. I'm sorry."

I wiped tears away and shook my head. "I don't blame you…too much. I'm glad you gave me what time I had with him. I don't suppose I'll be seeing him again."

"Why not?"

I glared at the motionless body on the bed. "Professor, he just ran off into the woods after trying to kill me. How can I…"

"Love him."

"What?"

"He needs you to love him. He needs you to see the good in him. Make it stronger so it can fight the bad. Go after him, Leslie."

"H…how do I find him?"

"Use your instincts. The ones that told you there was something he wasn't telling you."

Crying again, I whispered, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now go get him, girl."

I jumped up and almost ran out the door, but I turned and asked, "Would you mind filling in Logan on all of this?"

"I shall do that."

I nodded and rushed out. I ran all the way back to the mansion. It was a good hour run. I needed the time to think. Where would Victor go? I only had one thing in mind, and I hoped it was the right one. Once I was back on Xavier property, I ran into the woods and tried to retrace my steps from the night Victor and I first met. I managed quite well. I reached the rock wall and examined it for signs of him. I didn't have to look long. "What are you doing here?" he growled from above me.

I looked up at him, crouched on the ledge. I was afraid, but I was determined not to let it show. "The Professor told me everything."

"Yeah, he's pretty good at that. All the nice gory details." He dropped down right in front of me but remained in a crouch. "So what do you intend to attempt to do to me?"

"I don't intend to do anything to you. Besides love you, of course."

He glanced up. "Love me," he scoffed. "How can you love this?!" He stood up in a flash and slashed out at me. His nails caught me across the face.

I winced and gasped a little, but I didn't heal them. I looked at his angry face and told him, "I love you no matter what you are. I always have."

He reached out with the other hand and caught the other side of my face. "Do you?! Do you really?!"

I could feel blood dripping down my face, but I wasn't going to heal them. "Look in my eyes. Am I lying to you?" Something was going on inside him, and it was very conflicting.

He spun away and leaned on the rock wall. "Go away, Leslie."

"You told me that you were afraid that if you let go of me, you would lose me." I took a step towards him. "Don't let go. Hold on to me."

Again he told me, "Go away," but there was more tension in his voice.

"Don't let the animal control you, Victor! He is not who you are. The man you are is the man that I have been with for the past 2 months. The man you are is the man that loves me."

"Be quiet!"

"No! You know what I'm saying is true! Fight the monster down, Victor! Don't let him control you!"

He spun to face me. "What do you know?! You're just a silly girl!"

"I know that! I'm a silly girl who let a stranger escort her home. I'm a silly girl who kept a very dark secret from her best friends. I'm a silly girl who is going to love you no matter how this turns out for ever and ever amen!" I was slightly surprised at how corny I sounded, but I was voicing my feelings again. His fingers were digging into the rock. "Please," I said weakly. "Come back."

Nothing happened. Birds were chirping overhead and little bugs were buzzing about, but the two of us were silent. I stared into his face, looking for the part of him I knew. I tried to fight it, but very soon, tears were streaming down my face, stinging like hell in my cuts. I was overcome by the feeling of a hole in my gut. I wrapped my arms around my midsection and fell to my knees on the ground. I sobbed my heart out watching tears mixed with blood fall off my nose and into the dirt. I was crying so loudly, that I didn't hear the footsteps approaching me. I nearly fell backwards when I saw Victor kneeling in front of me. He caught my wrists and pulled me to his chest. He sobbed, "Don't cry anymore, my love. I'm here. I'm here." I, being the girl that I was, simply cried all the harder. I grabbed fistfuls of his coat and held tight, afraid that if I let go…I would lose him. He pressed me against him, crying into my hair. "I love you," he told me. "I love you so much."

I pulled back and looked into his teary eyes. All hint of the beast was gone. Beaten by the only love he had ever felt. I cupped a cheek in my hand, relishing the feel of his skin again. "And I you. For ever and ever amen. That is my creed." He leaned in and kissed each one of the cuts on my face. As he did, I healed them.

He sniffed and said, "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Will you marry me?"