Chapter 11.
I should have seen it coming when roses died
Should have seen the end of summer in your eyes
I should have listened when you said good night
You really meant good bye
Baby, ain't it funny, how you never ever learn to fall
You're really on your knees, when you think you're standing tall
But only fools are know it alls and I played that fool for you
I cried and I cried
There were nights that died for you baby
I tried and I tried to deny that your love drove me crazy, baby
If the love that I got for you is gone
If the river I cried ain't that long
Then I'm wrong, yeah I'm wrong, this ain't a love song
Baby, I thought you and me would stand the test of time
Like we got away with the perfect crime
But we were just a legend in my mind
I guess that I was blind
Remember those nights dancing at the masquerade
The clowns wore smiles that wouldn't fade
You and I were the renegades, some things never change
It made me so mad 'cause I wanted it bad for us baby
Now it's so sad that whatever we had, ain't worth saving
If the love that I got for you is gone
If the river I've cried ain't that long
Then I'm wrong, yes I'm wrong, this ain't a love song
If the pain that I'm feeling so strong
Is the reason that I'm holding on
Then I'm wrong, yeah I'm wrong, this ain't a love song
I
cried and I cried
There were nights that I died for you baby
I tried and I tried to deny that your love drove me crazy
If the love that I got for you is gone
If the river I cried ain't that long
Then I'm wrong, yeah I'm wrong, this ain't no love song
If the pain that I'm feeling so strong
Is the reason that I'm holding on
Then I'm wrong, yeah I'm wrong, this ain't a love song
If the pain that I'm feeling so strong
Is the reason that I'm holding on
Then I'm wrong, yeah I'm wrong, this ain't a love song
Yes, I'm wrong, yeah, I'm wrong, this ain't a love song
One more day and her house arrest/baby-sitting stint would be over. Logan glared through the control room viewing window down at Victor, watching him as he slashed holographic villains. She was tired of watching Victor fight the same simulation over and over again. Did the man have no creativity?
He'd taken to fighting in nothing but a pair of worn, tight jeans, and Logan suspected it was just another one of his attempts to rile her. It wasn't working. The last thing Logan cared about was Victor Creed's perfectly formed chest.
"Hey frail, wanna come down here and give me a real work out?" Victor leered up at her.
Logan decided not to dignify the question with a response.
"Aw, come on, darlin'. It just ain't the same fightin' with anyone else but you."
"I'm not your darlin'," Logan mouthed through the glass.
Victor blew her a kiss.
She flipped him off.
"Is that an offer?"
Logan rolled her eyes and went back to the book she was reading.
"You afraid to come down and fight me? Afraid I might get the better of you?"
Logan rolled her eyes. As if…
"Fine, stay up there. It would just be a waste of my time anyway. You'd never beat me just sparrin', frail. You have ta use those ginsu knives of yers to get anywhere with me."
Logan's head whipped around as she glared down at Victor. "Yer on!" she yelled, throwing her book down and running to the Danger Room.
Victor looked up and down her body as she walked into the room, grinning at her painted-on jeans and white tank top. "Nice outfit, frail. I always like something that shows yer rack."
Logan snarled, dropping into a fighting stance.
Victor grinned psychotically, crooking a finger at her. "Bring it on, darlin'."
"What have I told you about calling me that?"
Victor's grin grew longer. "Maybe I just need to make ya my darlin'."
"In your dreams, Creed."
He licked his lips. "And what sweet dreams they are."
Logan lunged at him, knocking him to the ground. Victor grinned. "I like this position, darlin'."
"Stop that!" Logan hissed, raising her hand to strike him.
Victor grabbed her hand, twisting it hard. She cried out and he flipped her, so their positions were reversed.
"Well look at what the big, bad kitty cat caught," he said, looking down at her. Logan struggled, but realized that Victor had her pinned. Normally, this is where she'd use her claws, but she couldn't this time. He'd challenged her…
She tried to break free, wriggling under him. Victor's eyes fogged over, and he growled low in his throat, the sound almost a purr. "Keep doin' that, frail. I like it."
Logan smelled the wave of lust that washed over Victor, and her eyes grew wide as she realized what she'd done. She grew stock-still.
Victor looked down with disappointment. "Aw, is that it?"
"Sorry, Creed, that's all the tease you're getting tonight."
Victor licked his lips. "Then maybe you should give me something other than a tease."
"Hell no."
Victor smirked. "I can smell yer heat, frail. You want me, too."
Logan did release her claws then, the hot metal slicing through Victor's hands. He howled, rearing up. She used the opportunity to get up, backing up from him.
Victor looked up from the floor, watching her through hooded eyes. He licked the blood from his hands and grinned. "Don't ya wanna play, frail?"
"No."
"Liar."
Victor lunged at her, grabbing her and pinning her to the wall, using one of his massive hands to hold her arms above her head. She looked back at him defiantly.
"I want you, Logan," he said, his voice suddenly more full of need than sarcasm.
Logan trembled, unable to speak.
"I know ya want me, too."
"Don't, Victor…"
"Don't what?"
He didn't let her answer. He kissed her, his fangs piercing her lip so he could taste her blood. Logan groaned.
Victor smiled against her lips as he realized she wasn't going to fight back. He reached out with his talons, bringing them down across her chest.
The tatters of her shirt fell to the ground.
Logan wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him flush against her body. Victor shivered.
This time it was Logan who kissed him, her teeth that bit through his lip. She kissed up his jaw, trailing his blood with her lips. "Let my hands go, Victor."
He did, and they went down, expertly undoing the clasp of his jeans. Victor sighed with relief. Logan looked down and smiled slightly.
"Like what you see, darlin'?"
Logan gave him a smile that Victor was pretty sure was the same damn look Eve had had when she gave Adam that apple. He ripped at the clasp of her jeans, growling when he couldn't get them to give. With a grunt of frustration, he ripped them from her body, leaving her naked to his eyes.
"You look even better than I imagined."
Logan reached up, running her fingers though his tawny mane. Victor purred. "I've wanted you for so long, Logan. So long…"
"Just shut up and do it, Victor."
Victor grinned. He liked his women feisty.
Logan slid away from Victor, picking up the tattered remains of her clothes. Victor reached out, touching her shoulder. "Darlin'…"
"I'm not your darlin'."
Victor pulled his hand back, as if he'd been burnt. "Oh."
"It's time for you to go back to your cell again, Creed."
"Logan, I…"
"Save it."
Victor picked up the sweatshirt he'd worn into the Danger Room. "Here."
Logan took it without question and slipped it over her head, the massive garment falling down to her knees.
They said nothing on the walk back to his cell. Victor stood outside the door, shifting uncomfortably in the awkward silence. "Logan, um…"
"Just get back in the cell where you belong, Creed."
Victor reared back, shock in his eyes. Even he wasn't that cold… "Yeah."
"Don't expect to see me tomorrow. I'm done playing nurse maid to you."
Victor nodded and walked back into the cell, sitting on the bed and waiting for Logan to shut the door.
When she did, it echoed in his cell long after she was gone.
Remy opened his door to see a sad-eyed Logan on the other side. "What's wrong, chère? Y'look like you jus' lost all your money in a crooked poker game."
"Can I come in?"
"Me casa et su casa, chère."
Logan walked in a flopped on his bed, her face in her hands. "Remy…I…" She sighed. "I did something really bad." Remy's face paled.
"Oh merde, y'slept with Cyclops, didn' you?" Logan looked up sharply.
"What?! No!" Remy sighed with relief.
"Oh. Good. Well den, it can't be dat bad. Why don' ya tell Remy all about it?" He could have sworn Logan looked close to tears.
"I can't, Rem. I…I just need someone to tell me it's okay." She took in a shuddering breath. Remy went to her and wrapped her up in a hug. The last thing he wanted was his best friend crying. He knew Logan's pride would never recover.
"It'll be okay, chère. Whatever it is, I'll still love ya." He smiled.
"I dunno about that," said Logan softly. "I'm a bad person, Remy. I'm no better than Creed." Remy's face darkened.
"Don' say dat. Don' you ever say dat, Logan. You a million times better den dat animal could ever wish t'be."
"He's a person too, Remy. We're alike."
"Creed don' have a heart. You do. Whatever you did, y'could never be as bad as dat."
"I'm not as far removed from that part of me as I want to be. It's always just a few steps behind, like a bloody shadow."
"Shhh," said Remy, holding her against him. "It'll be okay, Logan. I promise."
Logan wished she could believe him.
Victor lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. In all his fantasies where he finally got Logan, it was never like this afterwards. She always wanted to stay.
For some reason, Victor had always held the idea that if he could just have Logan, things in his life would be better.
He had to laugh at his own naïveté. He, Victor Creed—Sabretooth—believed that some woman could make a real difference in his life.
He sat up, hitting the wall of his cell with a growl. The hard metal shattered his hand, but he didn't care. He relished the pain as long as it lasted. He could deal with physical pain over mental pain any day.
"Victor."
Sabretooth cursed under his breath. "I ain't in the mood fer a shrink right now, Chuck."
"I haven't come here to discuss your psychological issues, Victor. I have noticed that you have changed considerably since your…incident with Logan…"
Victor's eyes grew wide, until he realized that Xavier meant the deal with the claw in his brain. He relaxed again.
"I believe that it wouldn't be inadvisable to allow you more freedom to roam about the mansion. I have prepared a room for you that will be unlocked during most hours of the day. However, should you attempt to escape, you will be at the mercy of the security system of the mansion."
Victor nodded. "Don't worry, doc, I don't have any intentions of leavin' this popsicle stand." Creed decided not to add that leaving would bring him too far away from Logan.
"Very well. Come with me and I will show you to your room."
Victor followed the professor, realizing that it was all really quite absurd. An hour ago he'd been screwing Wolverine on the floor of the Danger Room. Now he was following Xavier around like one of his X-wearing lackeys.
Xavier took him up the elevator and through the upper levels of the mansion. Victor noticed it was deserted. "Kinda dead around here."
"I arranged for the X-Men to be elsewhere while you are transferred. Too many mixed emotions come into play where you are involved, Victor."
"Ain't that a shame," said Victor. Xavier rolled to a stop in front of a plain-looking wooden door.
"These will be your quarters. Your door will lock at 1 am sharp. If you are not inside at that time, you will go straight back to your cell." Victor smiled.
"Gee pop, can I have the car keys too?" Xavier pursed his lips like a bald prune.
"Do not take advantage of my hospitality, Victor. You will be unpleasantly surprised." Victor opened his door.
"Whatever, Chuck," he said before shutting it in the Professor's face.
Logan pulled her bike up to the Auger Inn. It had been three months since she'd been able to leave the mansion, and she needed a place where she could get enough liquor to out-drink her healing factor.
"Logan! Long time no see!"
"Just shut up and keep 'em comin'," she growled to the bartender.
He frowned. "Rough night?"
"No, it's been all moonlight and roses. Now let me get drunk, dammit."
As many years as he'd been serving liquor to Logan, the bartender knew when to keep his mouth shut. "You got it."
Logan slammed back the shots as soon as he put them in front her. "Why don't you just give me the bottle?"
The bottle of Jack slammed down in front of her. She took a swig. The bartender walked off to deal with some of his more talkative patrons.
"Hey there, sexy."
Logan glared up from under the brim of her hat. A blond. She rolled her eyes. Just her damn luck. She turned away and went back to her drink.
"What's your name pretty lady?"
Logan continued to drink.
"Mine's Vic."
Logan stared at the bottle. Had she had too much to drink already? "Get the hell away from me," she growled.
The man stood up, deciding that maybe pursuing an intimate relationship with this woman was not the best of ideas.
Logan took a series of deep breaths. What was she doing? What had she done?
The jukebox played some sappy country love song, and Logan restrained herself from stopping it with her claws.
Even the bar was too much for her that night. She felt surrounded. She left, all but running to her bike. She didn't know where she was going, and she didn't care.
The sun was already rising before she made it back to the mansion. She slumped up to her room. She froze when she noticed Victor's sweatshirt was still in a wad on her bed. She picked it up, his scent surrounding her. She clung to it as she curled up in a ball and fell asleep.