Present Day

New York

Kitty woke up to a headache and Hank looming over her.

"Hank."

His dark eyes flicked upwards, his hand instantly coming to rest on her shoulder, "Don't sit up yet."

She groaned, her ribs aching nearly as painfully as her head.

"What happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Hank asked, sitting down beside her. He adjusted the IV embedded in the crook of her arm.

Kitty closed her eyes, thinking, "I was leaning over Logan, he was starting to wake up."

"And then?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

Kitty's eyes snapped open at the sound of Victor's voice.

"Victor," Hank said. "Give her a minute."

She heard Victor's grumbled response.

"That's the last thing I remember," Kitty said. "I was standing beside him and then everything went black."

"You suffered a blow to the head."

"No kidding," she winced.

"Katherine."

Kitty picked her head up to look Victor in the eye, pressing up onto her elbows despite Hank's disapproving look.

"Where's Logan?"

Victor tried to smother his growl of impatience.

"He's resting," Hank replied. "Safely, thanks to you two."

"Did he see anything?" Kitty asked. "Does he know what hit me?"

"We know what hit you."

Kitty looked up at Victor, finally taking in the dark circles under his eyes and wrinkled flannel. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

"How long have I been out?"

"Two days," Hank replied.

"So what was it?"

"Who," Hank corrected.

"Who was it?" Kitty asked again.

"Mister Sinister," Victor replied.

Her brow furrowed, "Sinister?"

"He was in disguise."

Understanding dawned in her violet eyes, "Windsor."

"Smart girl," Hank shook his head. "You're pushing yourself, Kitty. You should lay back down."

Kitty hesitated but Victor pinned her with a glare, "Do what he says."

She relented, easing herself back onto the pillows behind her. The moment her skull connected with the plush bedding she felt her eyes drifting shut.

"Hank-"

"It's alright, Kitty. Sleep."

Over the next two days Kitty stayed awake more frequently, even managed her own shower. After four days in Hank's infirmary Kitty was as eager for information on Sinister and their next move, as she was to be released.

Rogue stayed with her through the afternoon, answering her questions and keeping her from scurrying out the door to the Professor's office to ask him herself. Close to nine o'clock Kitty frowned, eyes wavering between the clock on the far wall and Rogue's face, "Where's Victor been all day?"

"Planning his trip to New Orleans," Rogue replied.

Kitty frowned, "New Orleans?"

Rogue nodded, prodding Kitty back towards her bed, "Come on."

"I feel fine."

"You're white as a sheet," Hank said from the doorway. Kitty grumbled something about pushy hairy men but allowed Rogue to guide her back onto the mattress, tugging the covers up to her chest.

"Rogue-"

"You've been on your feet, walking around for hours."

"Your body has had enough for one day, Kitty," Hank agreed.

Rogue pressed a sisterly kiss to her forehead, "Victor will be here in the morning, now get some sleep."

When she woke up it was Victor's broad frame shadowing her bed, just as Rogue had promised. She could hear Hank somewhere in the background, ticking away at his computer.

"Mornin' sweetheart."

At Victor's endearment the typing stopped and Hank appeared over his shoulder.

"Give us a minute," Victor said, his tone suggesting it was less of a request and more of a command.

Hank hesitated briefly before picking up his glasses and moving aside, "She needs to rest, Victor."

"She needs to know what's going on," Victor replied quietly.

Hank scowled as Kitty's brow furrowed in confusion, "What are you guys talking about?"

"I'll leave you two alone."

Victor didn't take his eyes off Kitty as Hank made his way to the door, closing it firmly behind him.

"How do you feel."

"Like hell."

Victor reached out, pushing curls back from her forehead. Expression darkening as he assessed the faint bruises still lingering on her skin, "If I ever get my hands on that bastard, I'm going to kill him."

"I thought Sinister was gone for good," Kitty said quietly.

"We all did."

"How do you know it was him?"

Victor rubbed a hand over his face, "I recognized him."

Kitty heard the hesitation in his voice.

"Recognized?"

"I worked with him."

Kitty stiffened, "What super-villains haven't you worked with?"

Victor lifted a shoulder, "I've been around a long time, Katherine."

Deciding that was a conversation for another time Kitty let it go, attention returning to Hank's parting words.

"What does Hank not want me to know?"

"Sinister didn't just knock you over the head and leave you for dead, Katherine."

Kitty waited, watching Victor from her prone position in bed.

"Hank can explain the specifics better than I will," Victor continued. "But the short of it is, whatever Sinister did has neutralized your mutant gene."

Her eyes drifted closed, Victor watched her try to phase her hand through the bed beneath her to no avail.

"Katherine."

"Neutralized," she repeated softly. "For good?"

"Hank's not sure," Victor admitted.

"No wonder Hank told me not to use my powers."

"He didn't want to frighten you."

Kitty laughed softly, "I'm twenty-four, not four."

"He wanted to wait until the rest of you was healed," Victor replied.

"Sinister is a genius, he-"

"How smart could he be," Victor interrupted irritably. "He put his hands on my mate."

Kitty looked him over, taking in the rumpled flannel and dark circles under both his eyes, "You look like hell."

"Hank couldn't get you to wake up," he said quietly.

"You thought I was dead when you saw me next to Logan."

He nodded shortly.

"I'm worse than dead," she said softly.

Victor's eyes blazed upwards, he had to curb his instinct to take her by the shoulders and force her to meet his gaze.

"What did you say?" He demanded.

Kitty was looking down at her hands, nearly as pale as the sheets covering her.

"What am I without my powers?"

"You seem to be forgetting you've been without them for almost two month now, thanks to me."

"So?"

"So?" Victor repeated, his expression entirely incredulous. "So you've been a terror since the day I picked you up. Powers or no powers you're one helluva woman, Katherine."

Her cheeks tinged pink. Victor watched as she lifted herself onto her elbows, and leaned her shoulders against the headboard. Her curls were tied in a knot at the top of her head and Maverick's marks had yellowed over the past few days. All Victor wanted to do was drag her into his chest. She smelled like medicine and the Ivory soap Rogue had been gently washing her with. He wanted her to smell like him again, and even more than that he wanted to smell her on him.

Her brow was creased in thought.

"What's the matter, kitten."

"Maverick knew about the inhibitor cuff," Kitty said slowly, eyes tracing her freshly freed wrist.

Victor's head jerked up, eyes narrowing, "So?"

She tipped her chin up to meet Victor's gaze, "Who gave you the cuff, Victor."

He didn't reply, studying Kitty's wary expression. It was reminiscent of the accusing look Logan had given him when he'd asked the same question two days prior.

"Victor-"

"You think I got the cuff from Sinister."

It was Kitty's turn to stay silent. He stood up, his back to her. After a moment Victor slammed both fists against the top of Hank's desk, she flinched instinctively at the sound.

"Jesus Christ, woman."

"You worked with him before!" She shot back.

Victor didn't reply, she could hear him muttering under his breath.

"You said he's neutralized my powers," Kitty continued. "Isn't that exactly what your inhibitor cuff does?"

"Yes," Victor ground out.

"Then I'd be stupid not to ask."

He swung around to pin her with a glare, "How stupid does that make me then?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You told me you trusted me."

Kitty's chin lifted, "I told you I trusted you with me life. I'm working on the rest."

His expression warred between hurt and furious at her admission.

"I'm trying," Kitty repeated.

"So am I."

"Then tell me about Sinister, about the cuff."

He ran both hands through his cropped hair, finally settling back into his seat, "I worked with Sinister years ago, when he wanted to wipe out the Morlocks. He put together his team of Marauders, and I was on it."

"I remember."

"You were too young to-"

"Logan's talked about it. About Angel."

Victor shook his head, "It was a massacre."

She shuddered, strapping her arms around her middle, "What does any of this have to do with the cuff?"

"Hank's been running all kinds of tests, on you and the inhibitor cuff," Victor continued. "He thinks Sinister used the same isotopes to neutralize your powers as the cuff does."

Kitty nodded, "I think it's safe to assume he's behind the cuff."

"There's more to it than that."

"What else?"

"I got the cuff from Remy LeBeau."

"Remy LeBeau," Kitty repeated, racking her brain for any memory or mention of that name. "Where did he get it?"

"I didn't ask at the time," Victor admitted.

"You told me you got the cuff off someone owing you a favor."

He nodded, "LeBeau. For saving his hide in New Orleans five years ago."

"But if the cuff is Sinister's, what did LeBeau have to do with it? Could he have helped with the design?"

Victor laughed, "LeBeau? No, if anything he stole it."

"I don't understand," Kitty frowned. "You think Sinister is behind the cuff, then how did LeBeau manage to take it from him? Sinister doesn't strike me as someone so easily fooled."

"I agree," Victor said. "Sinister wouldn't have allowed anyone to just take the cuff."

"So what," Kitty laughed. "LeBeau asked for it?"

Victor shrugged, "Sinister and LeBeau have history."

"What kind of history?"

"LeBeau recruited me for the Marauders."

Kitty's head snapped up.

"Exactly."

"If he worked for Sinister in the past-"

"He may still have something to do with the bastard," Victor nodded.

Kitty mulled the information over, trying to make sense of LeBeau and Sinister and Victor's entangled histories.

Finally she said, "Is there's a chance I can get my powers back?"

"More than a chance," he replied. "Sinister is a genius. He's also a man that doesn't do things half way. If he discovered how to cancel mutations, he sure as hell knows how to bring them back."

"I hope you're right."

"The only way to get to the bottom of this mess is to start with LeBeau," Victor said. "Your Professor agrees with me."

"Rogue told me you've been working with him," Kitty replied. "And I agree, LeBeau is the best place to start."

"I leave tomorrow for New Orleans."

Kitty frowned, "Tomorrow? Hank won't release me for at least another day or two."

"You're not coming with me."

"To hell I'm not," Kitty snapped, already fumbling with the IV taped to her skin. Victor encircled both her wrists, easily trapping them against her thighs.

"Katherine-"

"You can't keep me out of this," she interrupted him. "Sinister is as much my enemy as he is yours."

"I know that, but that doesn't mean you should continue putting yourself in harms way."

Kitty stared up at him, her expression disarmingly bleak.

"It's because I don't have my powers."

"I already told you, that has nothing to do with-"

"Then take me to New Orleans."

Victor shook his head slowly, trying like hell to ignore the tears collecting in Kitty's eyes.

"So what?" She demanded, trying to jerk her arms out of his grip. "I'm supposed to sit around here until you find LeBeau and bring down Sinister?"

"I never said that."

He released her arms, to plant his hands on either side of her hips. Victor brought his face close to hers, demanding her full attention.

"I'll be in New Orleans less than a week, and then I'll be back for you."

Kitty didn't say a word. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then turned for the door.

"Katherine."

She looked across the room at him, framed in the doorway.

"I expect you to be here when I get back, do not make me go looking for you."

Kitty didn't say a word.

"I mean it, Katherine."

"Fine."

"Good girl."

She was still glaring at him, blue eyes diamond hard despite the lingering tears. Despite the bruises, the hospital bed, her fury, she was heartbreakingly beautiful. Victor let out a growl of surrender and strode back across the room to her bedside. Slinging an arm around her waist he crushed her to his chest, kissing her thoroughly. Kitty's hands clung to the front of his flannel, moaning when his free hand trailed a delicious line from her thigh to her breast.

"I'll see you before the week is out."

He was gone as quickly as he'd come back to her. Kitty laid back down, heart hammering, plan already forming in her mind.

"You'll see me sooner than you think, Mr. Creed."

Closing the door behind him Victor didn't hear Kitty's murmured promise. He came to face to face with Hank.

"I told her I'll be in New Orleans looking for LeBeau."

"You expect her not to follow?" Hank asked.

Victor narrowed his eyes, "What I expect is the rest of you will keep an eye on her."

"Of course."

He nodded shortly and continued down the narrow hallway towards the front of the Institute. Logan stepped between him and the door.

"Where are you going, bub?"

"I'm going to see LeBeau."

Logan frowned, "We agreed on leaving tomorrow."

Victor shook his head, "I'm not taking you with me."

"If this is about your damn pride-"

"It's about Katherine. She knows I'm going and she's already hell bent on coming with me."

"To fuck she is," Logan ground out.

"Exactly," Victor said. "You need to stay and make damn sure she does too."

Logan mulled it over, finally relenting.

"I'll be back for her, and then we're going after Sinister."

Pulling the keys to his truck out of his pants pocket, Victor strode towards the door. Logan tracked Victor's progress through the Institute back to Kitty.