Thanks to all who have reviewed, and Thanks to Majestrix for the beta.

~~~~~~~
Part VI

The next day, Victor had been home for a while, before Ororo got there.
There was a knock on the door. He hesitated to answer, but when he did, he was surprised at who
was on the other side.
Ororo had been riding the escalator in a crowded department store, when a hand landed on her
shoulder. An undercover policeman had see her hands dipping in and out of the purses and pockets
of the people in front of her. They took her into a back room in the store and then brought her
back to the apartment.
"What's the problem?" Victor said after opening the door.
"I understand you are the guardian of this child?"
"...Yeah." He looked down at Ororo. She
looked away.
"I caught her pickpocketing...."

Soon the officer left. Satisfied with Victor's concerned parent act, he gave Ororo yet another
"Don't let us catch you again" speech, and turned her over to him.
Victor watched the man walk down the hall. As soon as the officer was out of sight he slammed
the door and turned furiously. She took a stunned step back and he lunged at her, growling and
wrapping his hand around her throat, cutting off her air, and digging his claws into her skin.
His speed was unbelievable for a man his size, and his looks changed from passive but intense,
to wild and still intense.
When she felt the conciousness start to drain. She lifted her knees to her chest, and pressed
the bottom of her shoes against his stomach, and pushed him away. She fell to the floor coughing.

Ororo quickly skittered into the bedroom locking the door behind her, but failing to get to the
other. He burst through the unlocked door, and pushed her into the bed. She fell back onto it
and backed up.
He grabbed her ankles and pulled her legs out from under her pinning her under himself, raising
a claw above the both of them.
"Victor...I-I-I'm sorry. J-Just stop."
Before she knew it the apartment door slammed shut, and she was alone.


She sat up quickly, disoriented and alarmed. It was still dark out. She flopped back down, elbow
in the air, hand on her forehead. This was not the first time she'd had this nightmare.
They had been recurrent in the last week or two. The dream was a recount of that last night in
New Jersey. That had been an eye opener, reminding her that she could never be too careful.
The door opened and shut quietly jarring her from her thoughts. She remembered the events that
took place that evening. She put her arm down and shut her eyes, listening to the water come on
in the bathroom as Victor washed up like he always did.
The room door opened quietly, and he came in.
"I knew you were awake before I came in. Get up." He said turning on the light.
She sat up, squinting in the bright light, and scooted back to the headboard.

"I'm sorry I flipped out... earlier. I... was just... angry when I saw that you'd brought a cop
here."
She lowered her head, asking quietly, "Why would you be angry?"
"Look," He walked over to the window and stared out of it, "A few years back, when I was still
in the CIA, I... I did somethings that I'm not proud of." With his back to her, he rolled his
eyes. "My partner was murdered in a conspiracy against Me an' him. 'Cause we were the mutants,
y'know. They planned to put it all on me. Blame me for 'is death. When I found out I lost it...I
just completely...lost it. I wasted them all. Eleven guys, and two ladies." Ororo gasped.
"They've been looking for me ever since."
He hung his head and shook it slowly, running his hands through his knotted locks.
All for dramatic affect.
He turned and looked everywhere but at her. Her answer to his next question would decide whether
she died now or later. "I'll understand if you leave." He turned his back to her again.
He could hear the bed squeak as she stood. He clenched his fists, 'She ain't gettin' out o' this
apartment.'
Victor felt a hand land lightly on his arm and visibly relaxed, playing the part until the very
end. He couldn't bring himself to hug her. Instead, he let a sad smile tug at the corners of his
mouth.
"Go to sleep. I'll be here tomorrow."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Okay so I know these last two chapter were very short. I'll try to to
better when it comes to that. I tried to make up for taking so long and
posting short chapters by posting two chapters this time.
The nex part has someone special for Te. :)
Visit the site. www.geocities.com/yellow_n_blue_2002/Aone.html