Present Day

New York

It was close to midnight before Kitty finally made her excuses and sequestered herself in her room. Rogue had been uncertain of leaving her alone and Logan insisted on checking her room before she was allowed to shut herself inside.

"I think you're all being a little ridiculous," Kitty said, arms across her chest.

Rogue slung an arm over her shoulders, "We just wants to make sure you're safe, now that we finally have you back."

Logan was still sniffing every inch of her room.

"Logan, really-"

"All clear," he finally said.

Rogue gave Kitty's shoulder's a loving squeeze before disappearing down the hallway with Logan.

Kitty sat in her room, door safely locked, with the stolen files spread across her bed until nearly four a.m. Reading about Logan's stint in Stryker's facility, the experiments performed and the aftermath.

But there was nothing about his supposedly memory loss.

Finally exhausted she went to sleep, knowing she'd have the entire following day to continue piecing together the facts.

The twin dark circles around each of her eyes made her a target for even more coddling the next day.

"Trouble sleeping?" Rogue asked when Kitty entered the kitchen around nine. Kitty opened her mouth to deny it but yawned instead. Rogue on the other hand looked well rested and utterly perfect in jeans and a peach sweater. Logan's eyes followed Rogue back and forth across the kitchen as she made the three of them breakfast.

"Where is everyone?" Kitty asked, the Institute was strangely quiet.

"Scouting out a potential new student," Rogue replied. Giving Kitty a little wink she added, "Maybe he'll be cute."

Logan harrumphed, but both women ignored him, and he disappeared back behind the morning newspaper.

"Peter's coming back this week."

Kitty tried to keep her expression neutral, all too aware of Logan peeking out at her from over top of his newspaper. She hadn't seen Peter Rasputin in months. The little black dress she'd stupidly bought for him came to mind. She instantly remembered Victor's expression the first time he'd seen her in it.

Rogue continued, "Maybe you'll be able to spend some time together, there's not much going on around here. At least until school starts."

Kitty lifted a shoulder, "We'll see I guess."

Breakfast was a pile of pancakes and enough bacon for ten people. Logan planted a kiss to Rogue's forehead after clearing their plates, "Thanks, darlin'."

He ruffled Kitty's hair on his way out and she swatted at him. Once he'd gone, Rogue pinned Kitty with a knowing look, "So, tell me everything."

Kitty provided a water down version of her days with Victor. Completely omitting the files she still had stashed upstairs and what they contained. She briefly mentioned Stryker's name and described his facility, saying whatever Victor had been searching for wasn't there when they'd gone inside. Rogue listened quietly, once Kitty finished explaining she asked, "You don't know what exactly he was after?"

Kitty shrugged, "He didn't say."

"And he never told you where he got the inhibitor cuff?"

"A friend owed him a favor, or something."

"Was he any good in bed?"

"Rogue!"

Rogue wagged her eyebrows, "I was only teasing."

Kitty's flaming red cheeks gave her away.

"You didn't," Rogue said, eyes wide. "Did you?"

Kitty traced her pointed finger around the rim of her coffee cup, "You won't tell Logan?"

Rogue's hand went to her heart, the other raised in promise.

"He wasn't bad."

"By the way you're blushing I'd say that's the understatement of the year," Rogue laughed. "Logan said you left him lying face down in the woods. Do you think he'll be back?"

Kitty shrugged, "I said some pretty awful things to him before Logan showed up. He may not want to see me again."

Hearing the words out-loud, Kitty put her elbows on the tabletop, dropping her face into her hands.

"And I don't know if that's a great thing, or the worst."

"Logan will tell you it's the best news he's heard all year," Rogue rolled her eyes.

"He's not all bad."

"Victor?"

"Yes."

Rogue looked her over carefully, "If he doesn't come after you, will you find him on your own?"

"Honestly," she replied. "I have no idea."

After an afternoon spent in the gym, Kitty returned to her room, anxious to get back to the files. Pulling them out from underneath her bed she picked up where she left off.

When she woke up it was two in the morning, her room was completely dark. She was still wearing her glasses and surrounded by paper work. Kitty rubbed her eyes, trying to remember when she'd fallen asleep. The inhibitor cuff at her wrist reflected the little bit of moonlight peeking through her curtains.

Kitty sat up immediately, opposite hand touching the cuff, her heart pounding, "Victor."

He shifted out from the far, dark corner of her room into sight. His slow smile didn't mask the fury in his eyes.

"You've got something that belongs to me, little kitten."

Victor's gaze lifted from the opened files around her, to the cuff on her wrist, "Actually, a few things."

Kitty gathered the papers on her bed into a pile, holding them tight to her chest, "Logan has a right to know about this."

"He'll know about it," Victor replied. "Once I've had a look."

"This has nothing to do with you," Kitty snapped. Standing up and glaring down at him, annoyed that she barely had to look down at all despite her bed beneath her.

"I'm the only family he's got left," he said, slowly circling closer. "I've got every right to know what's happened to my own flesh and blood."

"Since when do you care about anyone besides yourself," she demanded.

He replied with a warning growl.

"Logan may be the bastard son," she said quietly, expression hard. "But you're the real bastard."

Victor was on her instantly. Slapping the files out of her hands and dragging her off the bed and into his arms. Before he could berate her, Kitty pressed her mouth to his, tongue sweeping past his lips. Instantly stock still, Victor's hold loosened just enough for Kitty to knee him square in the balls and scurry for the door.

"Fucking pain in my ass-"

His hand closed over a hank of her hair, dragging her back into his chest.

"You want to play that game, sweetheart?" He asked into the shell of her ear. Kitty squirmed as his free hand made an exploratory track down the front of her body.

"Victor," she hissed.

"You started it," he growled.

Kitty reached up, gripping his wrist between her hands in an effort to stop his progress. When his hand finally reached the desired destination he stroked her gently through the cotton of her underwear, "Did you miss me?"

She swallowed a moan, "Victor-"

"I asked you a question," he said. A flick of his claws ridding her of her underwear. His fingers slipped inside her, opposite hand still tangled in her hair.

Her answer was a quiet, defeated yes.

Victor released her hair to curve his arm around her waist, easily turning her around to face him. He kissed her lips apart and groaned at the feel of her nails digging into his biceps.

"I'm not just here for the files, Katherine."

She met his eyes, lifting her cuffed wrist and replying, "I figured."

Victor laid her out on the bed, kissing every inch of her exposed skin, and making quick work of exposing the rest of it.

"This is mine," he said quietly, holding up the t-shirt he'd just removed.

She chewed her bottom lip, "I took it from your car when I grabbed the files."

Victor gave her a slow smile, dipping his mouth to her neck. His marks had scarred, twin pin pricks against her otherwise perfectly pale throat.

"Victor."

He continued to nuzzle her neck, "What, kitten."

"I want to help you get Stryker."

Victor lifted his eyes to hers.

"I've read the files, I know what he's done to Logan," she continued. "I want to help you."

"It's too dangerous," Victor replied.

"Can't be any more dangerous than breaking into his facility."

Victor shook his head, "There's more to it than that."

"I'm not taking no for an answer."

"You don't have a choice."

"No," she replied, holding up her cuffed wrist. "You don't have a choice."

"I'll remove it."

She pointed to the files strewn across the floor, "I've read all of them. I know everything and I'll take it to Logan and the Professor if you don't let me help you."

Victor made a noise of frustration, "Katherine-"

"Five minutes ago you were ready to kidnap me, but now that I'm ready and willing to come away with you there's a problem?" She lifted her brow, giving him a wry smile.

"You're assuming a lot, kitten. How do you know I wasn't just here for the files."

Kitty met his gaze, "I know you better than that."

He crushed his mouth to hers, hands sliding up her thighs to part her legs.

"We're not done discussing-"

Victor ground his hips to hers, "Yes we are, kitten."

Before she could continue arguing he undid his jeans and entered her. Closing his eyes and burying his face into her neck as he began to push deeper, and deeper. Kitty bit her lip to keep her moans at bay, knowing the last thing they needed was Logan barging in.

Pressing her hands into his shoulders, Kitty forced him onto his back, lowering herself onto him slowly.

His claws dug into her hipbones, he growled her name. Spreading her hands across his chest she continued her slow pace, smirking down at him beneath her. When she thought he'd had just about enough of her teasing, she lifted her hips a final time and pushed downwards, grinding her hips to his. Victor's orgasm was instantaneous, the muscles in his neck cording with the effort to not make a sound.

After a minute or two he looked up at her with payback in mind. Sitting up he was careful to remain deep inside her, slipping an arm around her waist and cradling her to his chest as he flipped their positions. Victor caught each of her calves in his palms, drawing both of her legs up and over his shoulders, enjoying the way she arched her back, leaving her neck exposed to him. He drove into her, hands covering her breasts, mouth on her neck.

Kitty gripped his shoulders, eyes squeezed shut as she tried to remember to stay quiet. Victor didn't stop at the feel of her first orgasm rippling around him. She tried to wiggle out from beneath him but he captured her wrists, pinning her to the mattress, both legs still hooked to his shoulders.

"Not yet, baby."

When he did finally lift himself off her she groaned, running a hand down his chest, fingers tangling in the hair there. Tugging playfully she pulled him down for a kiss.

"Time to go, sweetheart."

She shook her head, "I don't want Logan coming after me. We'll leave tomorrow, once I've told him what's going on."

Victor settled down beside her, brushing her hair back from her forehead. Her sleepy eyes were velvet blue in the dark.

"And if he refuses to let you leave?"

Kitty nestled her head into his chest, eyes fluttering closed.

"I'll sic Rogue on him."