disclaimer: All recognizable characters are owned by Marvel and I expect to make no money off them. Damn it.

No Place Like Home
by Dizi

Chapter 11: Beginnings and Endings

"You sure 'bout this, runt?" Victor asked Logan, keeping the uncertainty out of his voice.

"Ya got any other ideas?" was the sarcastic reply.

"Huh, I asked you for help so you know the answer to that." He returned to the subject at hand. "But you trust this guy? I mean, he's a military type."

"Yeah, but ya can trust he'll do his best ta keep his word." Logan grunted. "Otherwise, ya gotta keep yer back up."

Victor nodded, deciding to stay alert no matter what. What was he getting himself into? And Jessie.

"Maybe he can come up with somethin'. If nothin' else ya won't be any worse off." Logan offered, not really offering any reassurance.

Victor grunted. There wasn't anything worse than the conclusion he'd come to.

"He seemed ta like the idea once I explained it ta him in detail."

A shadow came over the table as their visitor arrived.

"Yeah, I'm interested alright." Colonel Nicholas Fury, head of S.H.I.E.L.D., drawled as he sat down at their table.

"Jessie, how about another pillow?" Jubilee had been watching the other woman squirm on the couch for ten minutes and was getting a little worried about her.

"My back hurts," Jessie complained petulantly. "Victor usually rubs it and it goes away."

"Maybe if we walk around a bit?" Jubilee offered. "I've heard that's good for pregnant women, don't remember where."

"I'll try anything." Jessie said with a groan.

Jubilee helped her to her feet and they started pacing the hallway.

The third time back around, Jessie paused with a moan as her water broke.

After much negotiation, Nick finally agreed. "We'll put you on a trial basis and if it works out we can be of assistance to each other. Of course, nothing would be official."

"Oh, of course." Victor returned sarcastically, and brought up his main reason for the meeting. "And Jessie?"

Fury met his eyes. He wasn't unsympathetic to Victor's concerns, though he didn't really understand the bonding thing Logan had mentioned. "Relocating her won't be a problem. I can even promise to have someone installed as permanent protection for her."

"Would," he paused, knowing the answer but needing to ask anyway, "would I be able to see her?"

"That would compromise her security." Thinking quickly, Nick offered. "I might be able to swing satellite feeds and maybe once a year a... closer look." His voice softened. "But wouldn't it be better to leave her alone? Let her move on."

"If I could'a left her alone, I would'a done it years ago like I should have. Now... now I'll do the best I can." Victor would make no promises but would do what he had to, one way or the other. "Xavier said he thinks he can dull the side effects of the bond for her, make it bearable for her to be away from me."

"What about you? You'll be no good to me if you can't function." Nick was being as blunt as he could knowing Victor wouldn't like any compassion on his part.

"I've been away from her before for long periods but it's been awhile. Can't get any worse than I was before and that would just let people know I'm back which would fit your agenda." The plan was for him to work as usual but ultimately he'd report to Fury about every offer and every job. Fury would have full approval of all he did to put him in positions of benefit to S.H.I.E.L.D.

Logan's communicator beeped. Looking at the display he swore. "We'll have to finish discussin' details later. Jessie just went into labor."

Victor immediately stood to leave, his body language screaming panic. He'd been fidgeting for awhile and rubbing his back. Now he understood what was wrong. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a Cuban cigar and shoved it in Nick Fury's face. "It's a boy. You can congratulate me later when we see you again. C'mon, runt."

"She's surrounded by X-types. She'll be fine. We have to finish this now or the deal's off." Nick's voice was firm. "I can't let you leave without everything being settled. If it's not, I have to take you in."

"Ya cain't stop me." Sabretooth growled.

"Actually, I can."

Everyone in the room stopped their activities and stood at attention, revealing themselves to be agents, and Victor swore under his breath. This was not a good time.

He was pretty sure if he killed them it'd screw the deal. But Jessie needed him, he could feel it...

Taking a defensive stance, Sabretooth growled, "Let's play, then."

Jessie screamed as a contraction gripped her and Jubilee, holding her hand, winced at her grip.

"The baby's is coming quickly." Hank stated calmly. "Don't worry, Jessie. Everything is proceeding normally, if a bit fast. You are currently in transition."

Panting as the pain eased, Jessie released Jubilee's hand, making her sigh in relief. In a flash, Jessie grabbed a handful of blue fur on Hank's chest, jerked him down, and shouted at him, "I WANT VICTOR. NOW!"

Pulling up in front of the mansion, Victor barely took the time to turn of the engine to his motorcycle before he was running through the mansion's front door to the med-lab.

Briefly, he hoped he hadn't hurt any of the agents too bad. Oh well, he'd left them all cigars.

Victor arrived just in time to hear Jessie's shouted "I WANT VICTOR. NOW!". Pushing Hank aside so hard he went skidding across the room, he took her hand, "I'm here, little girl, I'm here."

Holding his hand against her face, Jessie started crying. "Victor, it hurts. Tell Billy to wait. I don't want to have him yet. I don't want you to go."

Shaking her hand to get the feeling back in her fingers, Jubilee felt tears filling her eyes. She couldn't imagine being separated from Logan and with Jessie having Victor's baby it had to be worse for her.

"Don't worry about it right now, little girl." He reassured her. "We gotta concentrate on the pup. He wants to see his Mama."

As another contraction started, she screamed "Can't he WAIT!", and squeezed his hand for all she was worth. Victor was glad for his healing factor as he could swear he felt a bone crack from the force.

Snarling, Victor turned on Hank, "Do something!"

"Being as your son will arrive at any moment, it would be quite useless to anesthetize her at this point."

Victor snarled again as Jessie screamed and somehow increased the pressure on his hand.

Logan walked in and put his arms around Jubilee who was watching the whole process in horrified fascination. "How's it going?"

"Well, Jessie didn't break my hand but it was close." Jubilee didn't take her eyes off the other couple. "How'd the meeting go?"

"Vic managed ta get out without killin' anyone. Nick says he's in." Logan shrugged. "Jessie goin' inta labor played right inta Nick's hands fer the test he wanted. He didn't believe me when I told him Vic would be able ta get out without killin' anyone." He grunted. "The man's never satisfied, now he's worried Vic's gotten too soft. Told him once he's away from Jessie an' goin' outta his mind he'll be more'n Nick can handle."

"I'm more worried about Jessie. How's she going to make it without him?" It had bothered her from the beginning, she knew she couldn't be separated from Logan. How could Jessie, who was more dependent, possibly remain sane?

"They been separated before when Vic was workin'. Theory is the baby'll help, an' Chuck's gonna dull the link by foolin' her brain inta thinkin' he's jus' gone fer a while. If that don't work, Vic'll come back ta her and kinda wean her from him, but he's gonna try cold turkey first."

They both watched Victor climb onto the bed behind Jessie so he could support her back as she leaned against his chest. Between contractions he'd been wiping her sweaty face and nuzzling whatever part of her he could get his face near. With every contraction Victor would snarl at Hank and afterward Jessie would say, "I love you, Victor."

"You realize," Jubilee warned with a smile, "I'll be paffing you senseless not saying 'I love you' at this point."

"Darlin', you go through that any other way but wantin' to kill me an' I'll kill the clone an' start lookin' fer the real Jubilee." Logan said placing a hand on her belly.

"Really?" She smiled dreamily. "I do love you."

"I know." was his smug reply.

"But remember I know whose fault this is. You pick fights just for the make-up sex."

Logan's face blanched. "Ya know about that?"

"Well, yeah. Duh." Jubilee smiled. "I like make-up sex too. I just don't pick fights to get it." she added silently, That's your job.

Watching Jessie struggle and fight to push her baby into the world, Jubilee went pale and placed a hand on her own belly, thinking it would be her about seven and a half months down the road. "Wolvie, I don't want to have a baby anymore."

Swallowing tightly, his voice was hoarse and his eyes wide as Victor William made his appearance, "Don't blame ya, darlin'."

"Will you do it for me?" Jubilee whined, her whole body trembling.

His arms tightening around her and trying not to shake himself thinking about what she would go through for their child, Logan replied, "Not even if I could, darlin'."

"Maybe I don't love you quite as much anymore."

"Too bad."

Five hours later, Victor stood beside the bed and drank in the sight of mother and baby together. Both were asleep, Jessie unwilling to let Billy go. He brushed the hair from her face and ran a knuckle down Billy's soft cheek. He wanted the moment to last as long as it could. What he really wanted was for it to last forever.

But he knew better. That wasn't the way his life went. He was Sabretooth and nothing would ever change that, no matter how much he might want it to be different now.

He went outside to the bench where the smoking residents congregated and lit a cigar. About halfway through it, he pulled out another and held it out to Scott Summers.

Clearing his throat as he took the offering, Scott said, "I wanted to apologize, I've seen how much you love Jessie. If someone had been trying to kill the woman I love, I would want to kill them too. I didn't have that opportunity, it wasn't men who took her from me."

Victor shrugged in acknowledgement of the apology. "It doesn't really make you feel better, but it's a definite release. In Jessie's case, it makes her that much safer."

"She's a special woman. Charles told me what you're going to do. I wanted to say, I know what it is to live without that love, even though I got her back, I... well, I'm sorry."

Victor nodded, not saying anything. They would never get along but both understood what it was to lose someone they loved. It was strange to have something in common with the goody-two-shoes, but that was just something else that had changed in his life.

"Yeah, I love her." Having admitted outloud something he'd only ever told Jessie, though everyone knew, he threw the cigar away and stood. "She never shoulda been allowed near someone like me. She wasn't mean for me and I should never have touched her. I made a mistake for the last two years in forgetting that. Now I gotta pay for it."

Saying aloud what he'd always known to someone who had always seemed to agree strengthened his resolve, and he walked around the mansion to his motorcycle still sitting out front.

Forcing himself not to look behind him, he left everything he wanted most and never knew it. He left the dream of happy ever after. He left the woman he would love and be faithful to until the moment they both died, because he knew he would die with her.

Victor Creed left his heart behind, and Sabretooth drove down the road.

to be continued.

note:
Elizabeth Robbins- Hey now, don't try to make me feel guilty. I warned everyone in the beginning. I did.
draelyn- Have you ever had a sweet little kitty who constantly wants to be petted and is always wanting attention? You think its the sweetest thing that ever lived. Then you see it outside when some other cat has invaded its territory and you wonder what happened to your sweet kitty. I figure they had seen the sweet side for a while now so that even if they KNOW he's a psychotic killer, the immediacy of that just wasn't there until he started defending his territory again. I mean they let him out and everything. Man, you've got me doing these poetic things too now. Cool.
TriciaLee, Beany, and Rogue14- It was a little obvious I know. Couldn't be helped. Of course, if I hadn't made it obvious everyone would be screaming "What do you mean he has to leave her for her own safety!" but I made it clear from the beginning what was important to him. So, no complaints! Kidding. In retrospect the bonding may not have been the best idea, but this IS Sabretooth, and he IS a psychotic killer, and so deserves to suffer for his sins. I just couldn't give him a happy ending. Maybe a sequel. When I'm not so busy. No promises.
Captain Tish- Your review made it just in time! Its nice to know I'm in people's minds. Good or bad, your still thinking of me and my story so I have made an impact. And that's what's important, right?

Remember I said "bittersweet" in the beginning. This is close but not quite there. One more chapter to go and I'm not giving any hints on that one. Sorry, but it would totally ruin it.

And if you like Jessie and Vic, check out "Adventures in Childbirth" by Elizabeth Robbins. It's kinda a spoof on this one with Wolvie and Jubes too. Being as I've never had children and we kinda came up with the idea togther through IM's, I told her she could write it and there it is. Enjoy!

Thanks for reading and the support,
Dizi