Tyger Stripes
I don't own Vic – or Logan or any of the crew –but sometimes I wish I did, – Diane is mine as is Victoria.
Chapter 11 Public Outcry
Diane couldn't believe it. The debates had been wonderful, even garnered some local press coverage. She couldn't believe they had turned it into something so ugly. She looked at the slip of paper in her hand.
We regret to inform you that due to parental objections we have to terminate your contract. It is not the position of this school to take a stand one way or the other on the mutant issue, and the debates fostered by and sponsored by you have created an image of tolerance and acceptance of mutants. Our parents have expressed an extreme displeasure with that position. Please find enclosed your severance package. Please sign the last page and return to the office when you pick up your check.
Fired – not because she was a mutant – but because the local press had turned the debate over mutant's rights into some sort of platform; she was furious. Not only that, but they had cleaned out her desk FOR her, she wasn't even allowed back on school grounds except to go to the office. She couldn't contact her students to let them know what had happened.
VICTOR! How was she going to deal with Sabretooth? She didn't want him going insane and attacking the school's executive board.
She looked at the case of vials on her nightstand, two injections per day, almost three now, in a twenty four hour period. She didn't know if she should even bother any more at this rate. She just sat on the edge of the bed, the notice in her hand, fighting the tears.
"Diane." His voice was soft in the window.
"WHAT!" She snapped at him.
"Did you know there's a crowd out front – with "MUTIE LOVER" and other interesting signs?" He climbed in the window.
"Yes, I know. It was kind of hard to miss them with my car when I went to the grocery store." She snapped.
"Just wondering."
"What the hell do you want? And don't you know how to KNOCK?"
"Waspish today aren't we?" He grinned at her. She glared back. "I like it."
"What the hell?"
"Pack – now." He said sharply.
"No."
"NOW woman – or I'm packing for you." He snarled, snapping his fangs at her.
She jumped back. This wasn't the concerned parent – this was Sabretooth. He was in his element – and she was slowing him down. She glared again, and he just picked up the bag he'd brought with him and started opening her drawers in her dresser and throwing clothes in.
"I said PACK!" He roared at her, making her jump again.
"Alright! BOSSY pain in my ass annoying idiot." She muttered as she grabbed the bag from him and started loading it. He picked up the case of cure from the nightstand and she let out a loud protest when he slammed it to the floor.
"You won't need THAT anymore."
"Why did you do that? I could have…"
"No you couldn't have. You are coming with us, me and Vicky, NOW!" He snarled again.
"What."
"This place ain't safe – these people are on a feeding frenzy. Victoria trusts you – that's enough for me. I can dump you two someplace safe – and get the fuck on with my life." He snarled.
"And I have no say in this, WHY?"
"Because I said so – now MOVE it woman, before I give you a reason to move." He loomed over her and she stood her ground.
"NO!"
"Fuck this!" He snarled grabbing the back of her head and forcing her to look up at him instead of at his chest. "It ain't safe here – that crowd out there is out for blood – YOUR blood. You have two choices – come with me – or I throw you to the wolves."
She gulped. "Why would you do that?"
"Ta give me and the cub time ta get OUT! Distraction – let them get you before they notice US!" She could tell he was lying – he was actually afraid, she could smell it.
"Fine – I'll go with you – for now." She hissed and finished packing the bag.
He slung it on one shoulder and grabbed the eave of the house pulling himself up onto the roof. He reached a hand down, but she copied his move and landed next to him.
"At least you can USE what ya got." He snarled, before loping off across the back roof of the house. He dropped to the ground near her back door, and she dropped down next to him. She followed him as he darted from shadow to shadow in the night, until they reached his parked SUV three blocks over.
"Not bad – for a beginner." He said as they climbed in. He turned over the engine and threw the car into gear, pulling out without turning on the lights. He didn't turn those on until they were out of town – miles out of town.
"Where are we going – where's Victoria?" She asked.
"I got my cub out first – I'm not an idiot." He snarled.
"Oh."
He pulled into a small motel, and pulled up to one of the rooms. The light was on, and she could see Victoria looking out the curtains.
"Cub should know better by now." He muttered as he turned off the car. He reached into the backseat where he'd thrown her bag and climbed out. She followed on the passenger side.
"Ms. McGrath I'm so glad you're safe. Dad – sorry – Vic said he'd get you out. I was watching the stuff on the news." The little girl threw her arms around Diane as soon as she walked in the door.
"You two have the room; I'm sleeping in the truck." He muttered.
"Where are we going?" Diane asked.
"I don' know yet. I'm makin' this up as I go." He snapped, slamming the motel room door as he walked out. Diane looked Victoria, who was piled up on one of the beds flipping channels on the television. She shrugged, and decided she needed to know what was going on, so she sat down next to her, and watched the news coverage. There was her house, and then suddenly it was engulfed in flames. He'd saved her life.
XXXXXXX
Damn the woman – did she have to be so damned stubborn. He tried to tell her the crowd was getting ugly, but she had to ask questions, had to want to know WHY? Why couldn't she just do what she was told? This was why he didn't want the cub – didn't need a frail, he worked better alone. He could see the two of them through a crack in the curtains. He should go and close them, but he couldn't help watching.
He tried to tell himself he was keeping an eye on Vicky. She was his cub, his responsibility, but his eyes kept straying to the woman next to her. Damned stupid stubborn frail; ok she had really nice legs, and a nice ass, and… he stopped that train of thought right there.
If he wanted sex – there were far less complicated ways of getting it, and she was a huge complication. He had the radio on and heard about the explosion about the same time she reacted to the news on the television. The cub was calm, but not her – no she was shocked, amazed that they could be so heartless. Woman didn't even know what a blood hungry pack of wolves could do.
"You are being an idiot, Creed." He muttered to himself, as he watched her sit up, his eyes trailing down her chest.
"She's here for the cub – not you, damn it." He muttered. It wasn't like he couldn't just take what he wanted – he usually did. He just didn't want the cub involved in it. She didn't need to be a part of that part of his life – he didn't want her killing – and he didn't want her witnessing some of the things he did when he was away from home. He kept telling himself that, it was because he was protecting Vicky that he didn't just take the woman, as he watched her undress.
Shit – he needed to close that curtain.
He closed his eyes, trying to sleep. The radio reports kept coming in. The body they'd found in the living room was charred beyond recognition. He wanted them to think she was dead. If they thought that – then where ever he set up her and the cub there would be less chance of anyone looking for them.
He was trying to decide where to go. The cub needed school – needed cubs her own age, he wasn't going to try to deny that – but she needed to be safe, where this kind of shit wouldn't touch her. He kept coming back to one answer – for both problems – and hating it.
Xavier would take them both – but not him. He couldn't work in a team – wouldn't work with the Runt, and he couldn't live with that pansy ass telepath's rules. There had to be another answer, it was right in front of his face, but he just couldn't figure it out. Victoria needed stability, she still had nightmares about her mom, and she needed a mother figure to help with that frail shit he hated dealing with. It wasn't like he didn't give a crap – he did, he just didn't know how to deal with it.
It didn't help that he had to be in work mode to keep them safe either. He had allowed himself to relax around Victoria – and around Diane by association, now both were seeing the ugly side of him, which made him even more certain at least the woman wouldn't want anything to do with him after this, his cub could just deal. The door to the room opened and Diane stepped out. She had on an oversized T-shirt and pair of sweat pants.
"Victor – come inside. There are two beds." She said as she opened the door to the SUV.
"No. I want to keep my eyes open."
"Victor – they think I'm dead – I am not sure how I feel about that, at the moment, but for NOW it's a good thing, no one knows you and Victoria are even gone yet, so please, relax."
"No." She didn't even know the half of it.
"Victor either you come in, or I'm sleeping out here." She snapped.
"Woman you are on dangerous ground, get your ass back in there." He snarled.
"No." She said and climbed into the passenger seat.
He didn't know if he was going to throttle her or … there was no or. He reached over and grabbed the back of her neck, forcing her face close to his. He kissed her, roughly, his body responding to her anger and fresh spike of fear. He knew he was treading on dangerous ground, and needed to stop this – get out of there quick, before he did something that would put them in danger.
"Victor – please." She whispered against his lips.
"Get back inside – or get in the back." He snarled.
"No."
"You STILL don't get it – I am out here so I don't rape you in front of my cub – now be a good little stupid frail and get the fuck out of the danger zone." He snapped.
"It wouldn't be rape." She whispered.
"FUCK!" He let go of her, throwing her back into the passenger seat. "You just don't know when to leave well enough alone, do you?"
"What is your problem?"
"What's my problem? Let me list 'em for ya. One – I have a twelve year old daughter who's too much like me, it worries the hell out of me. Two – Her mother's dead so I can't even get out of it by dumping her with her mom. Three – I'm probably the most wanted man in the country – hell the fucking world, even WITH the damned pardons. Four – I have this woman I want, who's driving me insane. Five – I have a town full of mutant haters who will probably be on my ass – and the asses of my kid and said woman. Six – I am holding onto my control by a fucking thread, and you are pushing it to the breaking point. Seven – the only fucking workable solution I see is dump you and the cub with people I HATE and never see either one of you again, a solution I ain't gonna live with very well, and EIGHT!" He looked over at her, she was fucking smiling. "YOU are grinning like a fucking loon."
"Victor come inside."
"Woman!" He roared.
"Or not. But you are going to need to get some sleep if we are getting out of here tomorrow, and if all three of us sit down and try to work out a solution instead of one of us, and the other two just get thrown around like so much baggage I'm sure we can come up with something."
"Solution to which problem?" He muttered.
"Well lets see, one – not much we can do about that, Victoria's just the way she is, you are the one who's going to have to deal. Two, basically seems to have solved itself since her mother's dead. Three, and your point is? Five, we get out of here and start over someplace else. Six, quit holding on. Seven we can come up with something better I am certain, and Eight, it beat laughing in your face."
"Ya left out four." He muttered.
"No solution for that one – I tend to drive people insane."
He just pounded his head on the steering wheel.
"Now what were those options you gave me get back into the room or get in the back?"
He looked over at her, and just shook his head.
"Do you even KNOW what you are doing to me?" He whispered raggedly.
"Honestly – no." His jaw dropped.
"FUCK! Never fails."
"What?"
"FUCKING VIRGINS!" He muttered before opening the door and storming out of the SUV.
"What does that mean?" She stormed after him.
"Amy – damn it, the only other time I dealt with a fucking virgin I ended up with VICKY!" He roared.
"I never said I was a virgin."
"I ain't talking about SEX! You don't know SHIT about what I do, about how I live, Amy didn't either – she thought she did, she was a fucking cop for crying out loud, but she ended up dead because of my world – the mutant world. You have fucking hidden from it, hiding behind those damned shots, those damned vials of poison that have been slowly killing you because you couldn't face the world you should be living in. I ain't letting Vicky grow up that way, and I ain't gonna let her grow up like me and I don't fucking know how to stop it." He sat on one of the parking space stops and held his head in his hand. He hadn't opened up like this to ANYONE before.
"Victor…"
"Just get your ass back into that room; I can't deal with THIS crap right now. I need to deal with keeping us alive." He snapped. He watched her back up, and go back into the motel room. He just didn't know what to do. For the first time in his life people depended on HIM, people he cared about. He stopped. He wasn't sure he wanted to follow that train of thought, but the words crept across his mind anyway. People he loved.
