AUTHOR'S NOTE: No, the story isn't over yet. So keep your pants on my peeps.

This place, it preys on the weak. It wants to corrupt them. Kill them... It tests them. So that only the strong survive. This place, this is where I belong. This place, it's mine now. And it's time to hunt. – Remy LeBeau

Chapter 11

Victor ranged far and wide for most of the night. He thought about his life. How he had come to be where he was at today. Whether it had ever truly meant anything. After he had tended to his mother, had sat with her during her last days he had gone out to look for the man called Logan. Years later down the road he had forgotten why he had ever kept hunting down the other man. Only that there was always that insistent need to find him.

Being a mother, Victor wondered has his mother had known about that all along. Her favorite son being attracted to men rather than woman. Where his brother Luther loved to pull the wings off insects and roughhouse with the other boys, Victor was had been the opposite growing up. Tending to the animals as he spoke to them gently. Having almost a magical touch when it came to them. Able once to bring a still born lamb back from the threshold of death. Wrapping it in a warm blanket and gently massaging its throat. Blowing gently into its nose to help it breathe.

Crying, the lamb had come back to life. His mother had been sobbing at the loss on a bench outside. When Victor had walked out with the baby animal in his arms she had looked up at him mournfully. Then stared in shock at the bleating lamb as it struggled to get to its mother for milk. His mother had fallen on him with hugs and kisses, praising him for having saved the animal. Luther had leered at his younger brother from the fence. Commenting they would probably have the animal for dinner.

When his father had tried to kill the very same lamb a year later Victor's mom would have none of it. Even threatening to leave him should he dare to touch her precious pet. His father had been furious stating he saw no reason to keep the animal alive. It was around that time his father had begun to call Victor a monster beneath his breath. An abomination touched by the devil as he took Luther outside to show him how to tend to the horses. Ignoring the fact his oldest son mistreated the animals when he had his back turned.

Was what Remy said true? He never had a chance to grow up? When Victor stopped to truly consider this fact he found it bothered him. On his own, out here, he actually liked the isolation. He felt no need to defend himself. No one was attacking him. There was no government coming after him to make him their attack dog. Victor found great pleasure in creating things rather than destroying them.

I should have left the Cajun where he was. He would be dead by now. Me coming across his body in the morning.

Had he left the Cajun to die, though, he would have never have fallen for him. Would not find himself being this happy. Talking to Remy in the middle of the night in bed. What he wanted to do in the morning. Discussing whether they should start another garden on the side of the house. What games they would play when winter came to them in the mountains.

Closing his eyes Victor stopped near the river. Kneeling down beside it he splashed water onto his face. Feeling the cool droplets dampen his long blond hair as he considered his next move. He had been walking in a constant circle all night. Already he could hear the birds start up to herald the coming of the sun. In about an hour the sun would rise.

He lied to me. The fucking Cajun LIED! He wanted to die all along. Wanted the runt to come along and do away with him. Logan is probably on his way right now. When he finds Remy in that house, soaked in my scent, he'll kill him without a second thought.

Victor felt a twist in his gut at the thought. This must have been what Logan felt when the man had been with the woman known as Silver Fox. When Victor had come in the middle of the night and killed her. Raped her bloody and then left her body for the Canadian to find on the floor of the cabin.

Will Logan hurt him like I did Silver Fox? No, he would never do that. Runt never had a real stomach for torturing people. He still does it though when he feels justified. Does he know the decision Remy had to make?

Mouth suddenly dry Victor imagined coming back to the house. Finding Remy's lifeless red on black eyes gazing up at the sky. His throat slit as he bled out into the Earth. A pool of blood slowly spreading around his body. Beginning to congeal and thicken as Logan walked away. Taking out a cigar to smoke as the man no doubt headed towards another nameless bar. Having done his business and on his way.

No…NO! I'll just watch the Cajun leave. Make sure the runt doesn't come after him.

Victor thought to himself as he began to walk back to the house. Then picking up to a jog, then a flat out dash as if racing his rival to the house. Imagining Logan already on his way. Crouching in the bushes as he gazed out at the house. Silently unsheathing his claws as he began to make his way towards the front door.

When he reached the place Victor skidded to a stop near the trees. He sniffed the air anxiety making him feel sick. He didn't catch the runt's scent. When he circled the house on the outskirts, still nothing. Relief flooded through him. With a tired sigh Victor leaned against a tree deciding to keep watch over the house.

He would just make sure Remy left unmolested. That was all. Yet as the sun broke over the trees, there was no movement from inside the house. Still Victor waited deciding he would give the Cajun an hour. The hour passed slowly, but still nothing. It wasn't until nearly two hours the man himself stepped out onto the porch.

Remy gazed out at the morning. A cup of coffee in his hands. Sitting down in a chair he sipped it quietly unhurried. Victor waited expecting the younger man to leave, but nothing happened. Instead the Cajun picked up the Sudoku book Victor had left outside. Flipping to the puzzle the feral had been working on. Victor saw Remy study the puzzle, picking up the pencil and putting down a few numbers himself. The feral hated it when the Cajun did that. Hadn't he forbade Remy from working on his puzzles?

Still the Cajun did not leave. In fact, he was dressed only in a pair of Victor' sweatpants. He continued to drink his coffee and work on the puzzle. Victor watched with a growing mixture of anger and astonishment. What the hell did the man think he was doing? Or did he want to die?

After twenty minutes the Cajun seemed to grow bored of the puzzle. Finishing his coffee the younger man gazed out at the dawn. He seemed completely unaware he was being watched. Then he picked up the cup and went back inside. A minute later he came back out. Victor felt a chill go down in his spine.

In Remy's hand was a revolver.

Calmly, Remy opened the chamber of the gun. He loaded a single bullet into it and snapped it shut. The younger man paused gazing out at the dawn again. Closing his eyes Victor saw the man whisper something under his breath. Flick off the safety as he closed his eyes and raised the gun to his head.

Victor had even been aware he was moving. He cleared the space between them in three easy bounds, already climbing the porch steps. His heart jolted as he reached for Remy's wrist. There was a bang in the clearing. Remy's eyes snapped open his gaze locking on the blond feral. The gun smoking in his hand having missed shooting Victor by only inches.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" Victor screamed in the Cajun's face. He wrenched the gun from Remy, crumpling it into a useless hunk of metal. Tossing it far away into the bushes as he glared down at the younger man. For a moment Remy just gaped at him, shocked the feral had come back. Then rage darkened his features as he glared at the man. His red on black eyes like hellfire as he spoke.

"Why do you care? You said I had until morning. Can't you let me die in peace?" Remy spat at him. Victor snarled as he grabbed Remy by the shoulders shaking him like a rag doll.

"I said for you to leave! Not kill yourself! What are you, an idiot?!"

"You said I had to leave. You didn't say how." Remy snarled right back. Victor growled, resisting the urge to dig his claws into Remy's shoulder. In his chest his heart hammered from the close call. If he had not come back when he had…

"You just can't go off killing yourself whenever you damn well feel like it!" Victor roared at him. By now Gambit was shaking, gritting his teeth as he glared daggers at feral. Damming him for having interfered in his plans.

"Why do you care?! You never loved me! You never even bothered to care! Non, it's all just a big joke to you, isn't it? Sabretooth, getting to torment one the former X-Men! It's for when I tried to make you feel guilty when you were our prisoner, wasn't it? Yeah, well, go ahead then, Sabretooth! Laugh it up!" Remy screamed in his face.

Victor was on the verge of screaming back at him. He held back, though, as in his arms Remy broke down. His shoulders shaking as he dissolved into sobs. Despite his initial anger, the feral could not bring himself to yell back. He simply pulled the Cajun into a silent embrace. The man tried to fight him back, to resist, but it was halfhearted at best.

They stood there for what seemed like hours. Victor holding the younger man in his arms as Remy sobbed into his chest. Sheltered there against the world beside probably the worst monster of them all. It was then the feral realized with a jolt he had been terrified. Scared to lose the Cajun. He really would have returned to a dead body.

"I never…I do love you. I'm in love with you." Victor said quietly. The Cajun's head was buried in his chest, but heard the man take a shuddering breath. Refusing to meet his eyes as he listened intently.

"I never meant to actually kill you, Remy. Never. If I was going to do such a thing, I would have done it a long time ago. Now though…I….I don't know anymore. I barely know right from wrong. There are times when my true nature takes over and I just can't…function right."

"When you turn into Sabretooth." Remy whispered quietly. Victor closed his eyes, burying his head into Remy's soft hair. For the first time he saw his feral abilities as a blessing. As he inhaled the Cajun's scent it soothed him. He felt a dampness on his cheeks. When he opened his eyes the world around him was blurry. Victor rested his chin on top of Remy's head, stroking the other man's long hair.

"Then why did you say it?"

"I didn't…he did. I think I was…that other part of me was trying to protect you. In his own strange, morbid way. I can't explain it, Remy. Sabretooth and I are one and the same. It's not quite split personality disorder or any of that crap. It's just…" Victor struggled for the right words. How could he say it in a way the other man understood?

"He's the beast inside me, that's all I can say. He and I are fully aware of each other. I guess you could say he's my instincts in their rawest form."

"How do you mean?" Remy asked quietly. He pulled back to gaze up at his partner. Remy could not put into words the relief that flooded him when he saw those familiar amber eyes. Victor's features were smoothed over, not so fierce up close. Yet even in those depths he saw a flash of Sabretooth. Watching him from a corner of the feral's mind.

"Sabretooth never meant to kill you. He forced you to make a choice. One I…knew needed to be made, but I couldn't bring myself to make you do it. So he came out and did it for me." Victor explained. Remy gazed up at him as if he had lost his mind. He let out a irritated sigh, hugging the younger man a second time. Being sure to give him an extra hard squeeze just for the sake of it.

"Come on, let's go inside. We need to sit down and talk." Victor whispered to Remy.

So they did. They sat out on the back porch beside each other. Victor did not know where to begin, so he just started talking. Telling the Cajun about his mother. Growing up with his brother and father. How he had first come to hear about the runt. Tried, in his best way, to explain how Sabretooth was the part of him that made all the hard choices. A side of him that came out when the world began to turn on the feral.

Remy listened to the entire story. Only stopping him now and again to ask him a question or clarify a detail. When they finished their coffee Victor paused to make tea. On high alert to make sure Remy did not go anywhere or try anything. When he came back they continued talking. Since neither of them was hungry they skipped lunch altogether.

When it came to the Cajun things were not so complicated. Remy told him how he had been depressed for a while. How he had never been truly able to get over what had happened to the Morlock's. Trying to redeem himself by joining the X-Men. How glad he had been when he found out Storm, a woman he had saved she had been merely fourteen years old, had survived to join their ranks. His heartbreak over Bella Donna and the betrayal of his father. Being exiled from New Orleans for winning a duel.

Gambit paused when he reached the part about Rogue. The Cajun admitted that, for a time, he had serious feelings for the young woman. They were nearly ten years apart though. After agonizing his emotions for the woman for six months Remy had made the decision. He would pursue Rogue and see where it led.

It had not been meant to be. Rogue had her own difficulties. She struggled with her own inner demons which Remy tried to help her with. Still young, she did not know what to make of the Cajun's feelings towards her. Only later when she had been about to accept him Rogue had found out his actual preferences. The two had decided to remain as friends. To stand by each other's side through hell and high water because they had found something precious. Beyond love, they believed

Then Rogue had left. Joining Magneto on his endless endeavor to make mutants the ultimate species on the planet. After that Gambit had felt lost. That was when Wolverine had taken a more active role in his life. At first, the Cajun had feared the man would come at him fists flying. When all Remy wanted to do was pull into himself and be left alone. He did not want the Canadian's harsh words or growling voice to pull him back down to reality.

"I remember one time we had just finished a mission. I can't remember which, but he just got done arguing with Scott. I came walking around the corner and didn't even see him. Next minute I know he's thrown me up against the wall storming past me."

"What a dick." Victor growled. It was late afternoon by now. Remy blinked, giving his lover a sideways glance.

"Yeah, well, after that I stopped going anywhere near him. If I saw him in the gym I walked away. Danger Room, I waited for two hours or watched. Missions, I didn't even voice my concerns. Just let him do as he pleased." Remy explained reaching out to take a gulp of tea. Then finding his cup empty he sighed. Victor poured him another cup as the Cajun continued to talk not wanting to interrupt the flow of conversation.

"I think Logan was already on to me. One day it was just me and him in the mansion. The students were all out on a field trip. When he came into the common area I got up and began to walk out. He looks right at me and says, 'Cajun, sit your ass down. We need to talk.'"

Victor chuckled despite himself. Despite everything, there were days he missed the short man's friendship. They had been close once. If he could go back in time he would not have taken the orders to betray Logan.

"What'd you do?"

"What could I do? He's the Wolverine. Everyone knew he was the one calling the shots. But I thought he was going to punch my lights out. So I told him I couldn't. When he asked me why not I said, 'Cause cher, if I'm the one sitting down I'll be checking out your ass.' Then he got this shocked look on his face. Poor guy never suspected I was gay." Remy answered, cackling at the memory.

"After that I just ran like hell. I really thought he meant to try something. He caught me eventually. Cornered me down one of the halls. His entire face was red and at first I thought he was angry."

"Was he?"

"Sort of, but not really. When he came up he just kind of coughed. Then muttered he didn't swing that way. Then asked me if everything was alright. When I told him it was fine Logan asked then why did I keep avoiding him?"

"Did you tell him the truth?"

"Cher can tell if I'm lying, can't he? I didn't know what to say, really. Finally I just mumbled being scared of being on his bad side. He looked me straight in the eye then and said I wasn't. Turns out the man was just worried about me. Said I always seemed to be down about something. He honestly just wanted to sit down and talk with me. See how I was doing and if there was anything he could do to help."

Both men fell silent at this. Victor knew there were times the runt acted his age. Others where the runt became so hateful of those around him he could care less. Logan knew how to be hard and soft when it came to people. Coming down like thunder on those who were wasting time doing nothing with their lives. Forcing them to grow a pair and go after what they had meant to do. In others the man knew how to be exceedingly gentle. He could understand how Logan must have seen something was troubling the Cajun. Deciding to reach out to him in order to help his team member.

"Did you bring up him shoving you in the hallway?"

"I did, and he told me he was sorry. Just pissed off at the time. Though Logan did warn me if he was in a mood I should probably just stay out of his way. He offered to buy me a drink but I said no. After that he started having me be his partner on missions. He didn't really need me but…"

"He wanted to look out for you."

"Yeah. When I messed up he never yelled at me about it. I knew he must have been frustrated sometimes. Never once raised his voice to me though. Even when he was angry Logan never yelled. Just told me in a quiet voice he needed some time to work out his anger."

"Sounds like you grew attached." Victor said. He tried to hide the note of jealousy in his voice. He didn't like the idea of his Cajun and the runt ever being friendly with one another. At this Remy gave him a benign smile reaching out to put his hand over the feral's.

"I did, mon chat. Logan was probably the only person there who didn't hold my past against me. The others…well, other than Storm and Hank really, they just never accepted me. All because of that one night." Remy said brooding over his cup of tea. Victor felt his mouth go dry at the memory. He had been one of those mercenaries who had slaughtered the Morlocks. Had enjoyed it, in fact.

"Cajun, there was nothing you could do."

"I led you guys right to them. I'm just as responsible as you are. I may as well have killed them myself." Remy said his voice growing thick. Victor took a deep breath, his voice hardening as he reached across the table to grab Remy's hand. Squeezing it as the younger man met his gaze.

"What chance did you have? You were a fox leading a pack of blood thirsty wolves to a flock of sheep. Sure, you fought us back, tried to stop us. In the end though, Remy, you had no chance. It wasn't your fault. Dr. Sinister tricked you into doing that. And me and the others were just…we were monsters." Victor said quietly. He hated to admit it, but what choice did he have? Suddenly he could not stand the thought Remy would blame himself for something that was not his fault.

"You thought you were leading us to another group of fighters. Not innocent people trying to get by. Tell me, how can a fox stop a pack of wolves? It can't. All it can do is bite, lash out at them, but the wolves are just to strong for it. You're lucky I didn't….I didn't…" Victor began then froze.

He had been the one to reach out to slash Remy across the chest that many years ago. Had cackled as the Cajun fell back, doubling over as he bled out. The man's face growing pale as Sabretooth and the others left him to die there in the sewers. Intent on the slaughter of the Morlocks. His partner brought him back to reality by squeezing his hand hard.

"Mon chat, I don't hate you for that. The fact is you didn't. I think you're a good person. So much shit has just happened to you it's a miracle you can even think straight."

"Heh, funny, since I don't deserve a second chance."

"Yes you do, cher. Everyone does. Logan has had a second chance. Why not you? And he's done just as much damage as you have. He's made mistakes along the way but…he tries." Remy whispered quietly.

There nothing more Remy could bring himself to say. He and Victor had at one time been enemies. Trying to kill the other. Strange, how they had come into contact so many times with one another. Yet never even suspecting their paths would ever cross in such a way. How close they would become out here. Away from the rest of the world there were no demands for them to fight each other. They could just be themselves without any consequences from the outside world. Away from the rest of their peers.

"If you had the chance to go back right now, would you?" Victor asked Remy. His Cajun thought about it for a moment. After a minute he shook his head with a tired sigh.

"Non, I've had enough of the world. Tired of running, hiding, and fighting each way I turn. Actually, cher, I'm glad to have you around. I feel safe."

"Safe?"

"Yes, because you can tell if anyone gets to close. For the first time since leaving New Orleans I can relax. Be at peace with myself. Let the others fight if they want too. Last I checked the Sentinels were losing. The president actually decided to try and work with the mutants rather than against them last I heard." Remy told him. Victor nodded, but he had never been one to follow the politics involving his kind.

"So you're okay staying out here with me? Even though it's just the two of us?" Victor asked him. He held his breath not daring to hope. Yet there was no pause as the other man gave him a whimsical smile. Not hesitating in the least as he answered.

"I'm ready to stand by your side for the rest of my life.