Sabretooth and others belong to Marvel, the rest are mine.

Comments welcome.

The house was quiet, everyone gone for the afternoon. Alex to work, Gren to finish his last exam of the term, and Freddy with momma to buy groceries. Papa was looking for him, but he would never find him in the cupboard of the extra side board that stood in one of the side halls on the main floor. It smelled like dust and old wood, but it was empty and Collier fit perfectly inside.

He needed to scratch his leg but for a moment thought he had heard a footstep and froze.

It had been a long time now. He was starting to worry that papa had given up or disappeared all together and Collier would be left in his hiding spot all night. Another light footstep creaked far away. He hugged his knees close to this chest, the corduroy of his pants rough against his cheek, his bladder starting to complain as his anxiety of trying to keep quiet rose.

One last, random footstep knocked on the wood floor right outside the cupboard and then silence. After what felt like an hour to a little boy, Collier finally, softly, poked the door open an inch, and then opened it wider. No one was standing there.

"Papa?" He asked quietly.

"Found you."

Collier turned upward so sharply in shock that he fell out of his hiding spot. His father was crouched like an animal on top of the sideboard, grinning down at him, his features looking not quite friendly, not quite sane.

Instinctively fear started to tremble in his little tummy. "I don't like this game anymore." He whimpered, adamant that his father's shadow had grown and was trying to close around him.

"Whaddya mean, this is fun, ain't it?" Creed's right leg extended to the ground then his left, and he hunkered over his son with a look of frustration.

"No, you're scaring me." A tear broke down his chubby pink face, still laying sprawled on the floor, afraid to move. Finally the spell was broken and Collier scrambled to his rubber soled sneakers and ran as fast as his little legs could to find his mother who wasn't home, thunderous noises following him as his father bounded after him like a tiger running down his prey.

"MOMMMMEEEEEEEE!" He shrieked with his arms open wide and pee running down his pant leg.

Creed had skidded to a halt once the screaming started and gracefully came to standing as he tried to suppress his animal instinct to hunt, and find his humanity. Collier was trying furiously to open the front door to escape.

"Kiddo..." Victor purred, approaching slowly. "C'mere."

Collier's screaming rose in pitch as he shook the door by the locked knob with his father creeping up behind him. Creed clenched and unclenched his fists, unsure of how to make the boy stop crying in any way he was unaccustomed to. He sat on the step of the sunken foyer and made a chirping noise like a cat.

"Son, c'mere."

Collier quieted slightly but didn't budge from the front door, instead watched cautiously from over his shoulder at the monster sitting feet away from him.

"You listen to your father. C'mere now. No more crying." Creed tried to remain patient but knew he was beginning to scowl and it was probably not conducive to gaining the boy's trust. Collier shook his head lightly, testing the situation.

"Come. Here."

The boy sank to the floor instead. Victor filtered the scent through is nose without even trying. His son had moved past instinctive fear and was now angry and embarrassed, with a hint of stubbornness. He was on the edge of a tantrum and Creed wasn't sure he would be able to negotiate his temper.

He stood and grabbed his son around the waist, picking him up under one arm, the torrent of wailing and flailing unleashed now. Without any reference to good parenting, Victor was up the creek without a paddle. He kicked in the door of the first bathroom he encountered on the second level of the mansion and felt a familiar wave of deja vu wash over him.

Collier, still screaming, his face turning red, was gently put down while his father went to a closet to retrieve a towel. The boy ran out of the washroom towards his own room, but didn't make it far. Victor grabbed the little wrist and as his son collapsed rag doll-like in the hall, he didn't hesitate to literally drag him back into the bathroom.

They struggled for a moment as Victor tried to get him undressed and Collier made it as difficult as possible by going rag doll one moment, and fighting tooth and nail the next. Finally Creed gave up and shredded the clothes with his claws. But with his son's wriggling, he nicked a spot on his side, causing it to bloom red with blood. This made Collier shriek.

Fed up, Creed inhaled deeply and roared over the boy, flashing his fangs, spittle snapping from his mouth. Collier lay quietly on the ground with his head cranked against the tub. "Stay there and stay quiet or I'll eat you!" Victor's fringe was already smoothing away with the vent of frustration. He opened the knobs to the tub and ran a lukewarm bath. In the meantime as the tub filled, he pulled Collier up to standing and had a good look at the scratch he had caused.

Thankfully, all it was was a scratch and was already mending, possibly with the help of an inherited healing factor gene or two. Creed reached over with his son still standing in his arms, and turned the water off. He used his head to butt Collier into turning around to face him and Victor nuzzled his son with his nose and rubbed against him with his neck. Collier, unbeknowst to his actions, nuzzled back and let himself he preened.

oooo

Emma found them after half an hour in the house. She stood in the door way of Collier's room as both her son and husband were snoring lightly on the tiny bed in each other's arms. Victor had scooped him up like he was the stuffed animal hanging from her own son's arms, and was breathing into Collier's neck, ruffling his light brown hair upon the exhale.

His eyes opened into slits, for half a second they were bright yellow before turning back to their normal green. Creed looked over at her, assessed the danger, then closed them again and faded back into napping.