(Five)

Kimble waited on the landing pad, surprisingly still considering how wrecked he was inside. He didn't understand how any of this could be possible. His precious Kristalay had been dragged off to be executed by SHIELD years ago. Kimble had taken responsibility for his actions in Kristalay's capture and grieved deeply, knowing the death of his former Master would not have happened if not for himself. He could hear the voices of his internal companions jammering to be heard but he tried desperately to tune them out. Any hysterics on his part would not help matters here.

He watched as the Lucky Dragon landed gracefully under Fallen's skilled hands and saw the Complex's advanced cloaking device reactivate, hiding the landing site from view. From a distance, it looked only as though a supply plane had landed, not a craft from another world. The hatch opened and the ramp touched down. Henry and his team moved past Kimble quickly and was there to stabilize Creed as he was offloaded.

Kimble was surprised to see a heavily armed Wolverine come down the ramp after him. Kimble still wasn't used to the sight of guns on the man, but these were precautions the ever wary Wolverine was taking now whenever he went back to Westchester. Charles hadn't argued much so long as Logan didn't wear them around the halls of the Complex itself. The guns made Kimble nervous, but he then recalled the bitter rivalry between these two brothers. Actually Kimble took this as a good sign. If Logan still considered Kristalay a security risk, maybe he wasn't that bad off.

He couldn't have been more wrong. Sabretooth was wrapped in blankets and covered with tubes for fluids and oxygen. He was still very bloody but had been bandaged as much as possible. Kimble couldn't help but whine softly when he saw what a mess had been made of his former Master, but stayed put and out of the way.

He followed them down to the Med Bay, doing his best to not be a bother. On the way in, he noticed Remy sitting at a bedside and realized that Seth was curled up there, asleep. Torn now, he came to where Remy was. "Why's m' brother here?"

" 'E was workin' too 'ard again. No biggie," Remy replied, using his cane to rise stiffly to his feet like an old man. He had been sitting awhile and his leg, though better, had stiffened up on him. He wouldn't have dreamed of being anywhere else at that moment, knowing that Kimble would now need some emotional support in response to this new crisis. The two of them made their way to the glass walled trauma bay and waited.

Kimble was fidgety and moving restlessly from one foot to the other, unable to keep still as worry creased his brow. Henry and his crew was fast at work inside, doing all they could, but they were frightfully busy. A wary and scowling Wolverine leaned against the back wall inside the Med Bay just in case Creed became violent and couldn't be controlled. He glanced at Kimble and nodded at him in greeting, but didn't come out to speak with him.

Kimble startled a little when he felt gentle arms wrap around him and smiled at Molly as she grunted at him softly. Remy had called her as soon as Scott had hung up, asking her to come down for this as well. Kimble bumped his head against hers in a gentle thanks and leaned against her, happy now that both of his good friends were here. Knowing they were so close, he felt most of his anxiety slip away. They would look after him, keep him safe.

If Kimble hadn't been so worried about his beloved former Master, he might have been more sensitive to Molly's own vibrations of worry. He thought she was concerned for him, but her anxiety was quite a bit more than that. Molly had always known that Kimble and Sabretooth had had an intimate relationship some time back. Kimble had been kidnapped by Creed to be turned over to the terrorist Jael but the two ended up bonding instead. Somehow, Kimble had fallen in love with this brutal monster and there had even been talk of Kimble's powerful empathy having a therapeutic effect on Sabretooth's killing rages. It was hard for her to believe, but then she hadn't seen it for herself. Molly first met Kimble when he had returned from that relationship, she had never actually seen the two of them together. Later, she learned that Sabretooth was in fact the Lion Man - the one responsible for the loss of her voice, and the death of her family as well. Like Kimble, she had believed the Lion Man to be dead, now here he was. The fact that he was damaged and barely alive didn't alleviate her fears one bit.

Kimble might have been oblivious to Molly's fear, but Remy was not. This was his wife, the girl who owned his heart. Remy's hands reached for her as well, a silent understanding passing in between them. A much as he was here to keep Kimble from freaking out, he was now here for her, too.

Sabretooth began to thrash and moan, making it difficult for Henry to work. He was being most uncooperative, snarling and lashing out with his bloodied, useless hands. Henry said something to Logan and he waved Kimble in. Kimble came in cautiously and Henry directed him to stand at Creed's head. "Talk to him, try to calm him down."

Kimble stood at the head of the trauma table and lay his palms on Creed's cheeks. He leaned down over him and whispered with a sad smile, "Kristalay..." "Eh? Kim...unhhnn..." Creed wheezed and quieted.

"His arms 'n legs're broke," Kimble advised, switching to English. He could 'feel' Victor's pain.

"Yes," Henry replied, knowing that was only just the beginning of Victor's troubles. Interesting that Kimble was able to diagnose that by touch, something for discussion later. "Just keep him steady. We'll take care of him."

Kimble returned his attention to his former Master. "Still hurtin' ya bad?"

"Uhnn...felt worse. Only it didn't... ever last so long."

Kimble closed his eyes and rested his forehead against Creed's. He shivered and let go with another pulse of Kundatesh, this one more powerful than the first. He could feel the pain still there in that large body and wanted it gone. Kimble had had some time to think about that strange exchange he had shared with Molly. He was still ashamed and feeling guilty over the matter, but Zander had whispered to him softly about how his use of power had affected her.

You kin do things with yer feelin's, Zander had been saying, doing his best to boost Kimble's poor fragile ego. Kimble needed to be shored up, he was so insecure and unsteady, not the way a proper Courtesan should be. Things without the fuckin', things just by thinkin'. Good things, Kim. You ain't always so bad.

Kimble knew there was truth in those words. The Professor had said something similar years ago when he had eased the passing of a poor sick Clansman. Bruce had been desperately ill and on his way to dying, but was lingering, suffering. Kimble had touched him and then Bruce had died in peace. He could help with his power in a way that didn't involve that oh, so dangerous physical intimacy. He was being brave now, letting Henry's confidence in him prompt him to try it again here with his former Master who was suffering so terribly.

Victor laughed softly, drunk on the rush of endorphins now flooding his brain. It shot right down to his groin though and he was instantly hard. Henry made no comment, recognizing this as an unexpected side effect of Kimble's power, and simply rearranged the blankets, piling them up a bit in Victor's lap so it wasn't so obvious. It was the scientist in him that cataloged this interesting fact away. He had hoped Kimble might be able to do something of value here, he'd been there when Kimble had once used his empathy to ease the Clansman Bruce's suffering and assist him in dying, Henry was glad he thought to ask Kimble to help out again now. The result was better than he had expected. It was prompting more than a few questions about a certain Cajun thief's accelerated recovery, but he had no time for that now. He was happy enough that his current patient was out of shock without the use of drugs that might complicate things later. He knew Creed was going to have a long night, most of it in surgery.

"Better now?" Kimble mumbled low into Victor's ear.

"Hhmm...fergot how nice that was. Been a long time."

"What happened to ya?"

"Jael caught me up in Afghanistan...zapped me with some kinda gun. It ...it took my healin' away."

Henry's head picked up. He was still working, but he had a question, this one he would vocalize. "Excuse me, Creed? This gun takes away mutation?"

Sabretooth rolled his tawny eyes up to the doctor. The whites were so bloodshot, he looked almost evil. "It ain't Creed no more. It's Kris... Kristalay. Jus' like Kimble here said."

Henry looked at him perplexed wonder. Why should the name matter? "All right then, Kristalay. This gun? It takes away mutation?"

"You tell me, doc. It sure... looks that way ta me. Look at me... I'm a fuckin' mess."

"Yes. I see. Perhaps we'll find out if this effect is permanent or not."

"What... makes ya think... I even got that long?"

Henry froze and Kimble shuddered, tears springing to his eyes. The Siskan began to bawl, "Don'tcha says that, Kristalay! Yous only just come back!"

Kristalay shifted and looked up into Kimble's pale blue eyes. "Sorry, kid. You know I ain't... one ta sugarcoat anything. I'll tell ya this though... just since I'm too fucked up ta care...it was worth it. It was worth it just ta see ya again ... just ta feel yer power touchin' me..."

Kimble sobbed, wounded deeply all over again. "Nnooo...!"

"Shush now, quiet. You – you kept me goin', Kim. When it was all so dark...dark an' awful...I never fergot ya. Not even when they tried ta wipe ya outta m' mind. Not even when Jael was cuttin' me..."

Kimble wailed through gritted teeth, breaking inside. Kristalay had no idea what he was saying. It upheld everything Lin had been warning him about and only justified his decision not to take another permanent lover. This was all his fault, this was payback for Kristalay not turning him over to Jael years ago. This was his responsibility.

"Hey! Quit that shit!" Kristalay managed after a deep wheezing breath. "I didn't tell ya none of that ta make ya cry. I done it ta show ya...how strong ya are. You left a Mark on me... not just this big ol' scar. An' ya know what? That scar... I was proud ta wear it. To show that ya touched me."

Kimble choked back his pain and tried to clear his eyes. "Ya means that?"

"Sure enough, kid. Now you just sit there quiet...and keep on pumpin' me full of yer charm... whatever it is that yer doin'. It's better than any of Blue Boy's shit, I can tell ya that fer free."

"All right," Kimble replied, laughing softly at the joke. He relaxed and worked his Kristalay like any client, soothing his pain away and maintaining his high. He let go only when Henry nodded and moved Kristalay away for surgery.

The moment Kimble had gone into the trauma room, Remy's arms came around his wife, pulling her close into his deep embrace. He could feel her vibrations change as she watched Kimble's gentle treatment of the monster on the table. She began to shake as her vibrations tumbled into him. / Kimble's in love with Lion Man, she was sending out without speaking a word. / I've always known this, but it just didn't really mean anything until now. It's impossible. Kimble...he's so good and kind. How could he love someone like that? The Lion Man killed my momma, my sister. He's supposed to be dead!

"Easy, chere," Remy whispered softly, sending out a strong vibration of reassurance to calm her. "Nobody's gonna let 'im 'urt Kimble or anyone else. Dis prob'ly 'is last day nohow. Just relax."

Unlike Molly, he also knew another secret. The Lion Man was really her father. It had come out years back, but it had been decided to keep it a secret from her because she had just been too young and upset at the time to handle the news. Remy had discovered the secret, but became part of the conspiracy of silence, agreeing that it was best if she didn't know. It wasn't long after that that SHIELD had come for Creed, taking him away to be executed.

Gambit was just as surprised as his wife to see the return of this horrible man. He had learned Creed was still alive long ago but he never expected to see him again. All these years a small X-men team was on the lookout for him, but there had been no sign. Remy had actually begun to believe that maybe Sabretooth had died after all. Now all that hope had just been dashed. It meant future instability for his world. He now had to watch for both his wife and Kimble. There was no telling what was going to happen next, the vibrations of fear and anger were strong from Molly, while Kimble was vibrating a deep love for this freak, love and more fear as well. Kimble was sure to blame himself for the damage done to his former Master. If Sabretooth had turned him over to Jael as he was supposed to, this horrible mutilation would never have happened.

What's going to happen now? Molly signed, her face tense and worried.

"Good 'ol 'Enry's gonna try an' save 'im. We get lucky, de po' bastard gonna croak. Kimble gonna grieve a little, den life go on."

And if he lives?

"Den we deal wit it like we always do. Mebbe de Lion Man 'ave an unfo'tunate accident. Dere's lots of folks 'ere wantin' to see dat encule de mere dead. Not jus' you an' me."

Would you kill him for me...if I asked you to?

Remy shuddered. He was a strong man, certainly the task was well within his capabilities, especially now with Creed's healing factor gone. He had his own reasons for wanting this monster dead, his love for his wife not withstanding. They had a history that went way back. He had seen Sabretooth slaughter dozens of innocents. That same day, Sabretooth had slashed his body open, leaving the long jagged scars he still bore today. He had watched in agony as his Kimble fell in love with this freak and the damage it had caused to Kimble's poor fragile psyche. It had taken him years to help the Siskan recover from it. The last thing he needed was this. More than that was Molly's pain. He loved her more than anything. She was his whole world and he couldn't live with her pain.

"Oui, chere," he whispered to her softly. "Gambit's no killer, but dis...dis 'e would do fo' you."

(break)

Kristalay dozed in and out as the medical team worked, answering only those questions posed to him by Kimble. Henry's team worked on him for over an hour before moving him into a nearby surgical room. Kimble was left behind, he would have to wait until his former Master came out. He paced the now empty trauma bay slowly, shuddering when he saw all the blood and debris left from all the activity. He didn't even think about it, but grabbed a broom and started to clean up the mess as if he was somehow responsible for it. Molly and Remy came in and helped him. This wasn't a regular hospital with a full staff and their help would be appreciated. Mostly, Kimble needed something to do while he waited.

Remy worked alongside him as best he could, being handicapped as he was. He would keep glancing up at Kimble, worried. He just knew Kimble would take this personally. He would believe it was his fault Kristalay got injured. If Kristalay hadn't held onto him like he had, this wouldn't have happened. Kimble was very sensitive and prone to guilt and self loathing. He had been much better since Angel came along, but it still happened now and again. He and Molly would have to keep an eye on their wayward pilot and make sure he didn't get too carried away.

Logan was still there, too. He ignored the others, but stood at the door of the surgical room to look in through the glass window. He was still in a numb kind of shock. The idea that someone could wave a gun around and take his mutant abilities away was horrifying to him. Might not be so bad for someone like Rogue who suffered constantly, but he wasn't about to let Jael turn that device on him. Creed wasn't his favorite person, but he would have to be avenged and the menace removed. He looked at his watch and turned to Remy. "I'm gonna head back. Karen an' May're still at the house. I don't wanna leave 'em alone."

"P'etetre, you guys should just stay 'ere, non?"

"There's still too much stuff there ta leave unprotected, too many folks still needin' help. Don' worry, soon as things slow down, we'll be outta there," Logan promised and gave Molly a quick kiss before walking out. He'd sensed her disquiet and wanted to show her some support.

Remy watched him go and as he worked, let his thoughts ramble. Kimble was on his mind as always and he was concerned at how Kimble might react to his former Master coming back. Kimble certainly was preoccupied at the moment, he wasn't being very organized about how he was cleaning up, he kept missing things, and Gambit figured cleaning was the last thing Kimble was concentrating on.

Remy hoped it was clients, clients appealing enough to keep him from renewing his relationship with Creed as a bitter substitute for his own withdrawal of favors. It hadn't been a healthy relationship and Kimble was just weak enough right now to fall back into it. With more desire than ever, Gambit released a silent prayer for Sabretooth's quick demise.

Hours later, Henry stood over Creed's bed, checking his IVs and charts. The surgery to put this man back together again had been long and complicated. The internal injuries had been severe, twice Henry had lost Creed on the table, both times he had been able to bring him back. Henry was a skilled physician, but truth be told, he was an emergency surgeon only, a veritable M.A.S.H. hack. He could sew and repair with skill, yet there were limits to his ability, he was no specialist. He had called in a favor to an old friend for Remy's leg pins, he didn't do that delicate procedure himself though he had stood by and watched with fascination. He might have to call in some more favors here depending on how well Creed could hold it together.

Even without his healing factor, Creed's drive to survive was formidable. All of his limbs were broken in one way or another, his chest and belly were now crisscrossed with sutures, marring the edges of the scar Zander had given him. Henry had to put in twice the usual amount of stitches to stop all the bleeding, Creed's blood simply would not clot. It would be a long time before Victor would be up on his feet to stalk the innocent again.

Beast raised an eyebrow when he heard Logan come in. Fallen had brought Logan and his people back just a few minutes ago and Wolverine had wasted no time in getting down her for an update. Henry smiled at him, his eyes tired from the surgery. "Yes, Logan?"

"How's he doin'?"

"He's alive, for now."

"Did you read the note?"

"Of course. I sent it up to Charles."

"He say what he's going to do about it?"

"I believe his response was, 'Anything Jael is willing to kill for is something we should be willing to die to protect'. Or something to that effect. He doesn't want Kimble to know about it of course, for the obvious reasons."

Logan shook his head. Not in disagreement, he was just disgusted with the whole thing. The Game had only just begun it seemed, and it was already getting out of hand. "So Jael did this just to get our attention?"

"Oh, more than just that," Henry replied, a tired resignation in his voice. "He did it to track us."

Wolverine looked up at him. "Come again?"

"I removed three separate tracking devices from the wreckage that was once this man's guts. Jael knew we would take him in and now we can only assume he knows our exact location."

"Cripes!" Logan cursed. "We're gonna hafta get ready for him. Probably won't be long."

"Indeed. Good thing I just stocked up my infirmary. We will probably have to limit who comes in from the outside now, too. That will be a shame. We are supposed to be helping people, not turning them away."

Wolverine grunted in agreement but then asked, "What's up with Seth, why is he down here?"

"He was working too hard again," Henry replied, falling back on an excuse Logan had heard before. He would keep Seth's secret for now. "I gave him something to sleep. He should be up soon."

Logan grunted and shifted weight, his fists clenching. The news he had gotten from Henry had him worried. This was impossible. They were facing a war on two fronts, the pissed off humans and Jael. This Complex was a marvel, but it was no fortress. Wolverine had serious doubts it could withstand a full on assault. The best he could hope for was that Jael would take his time to scope out the place, giving him time to build up and add to its defenses. Just because Jael knew where they were, didn't mean he'd come in immediately, all of his attempts to take Kimble at the Mansion had ended in embarrassment. This place was stronger than that. Jael would have to consolidate and that would take time. Time they needed to utilize as best they could.

They would have to be watchful for the inevitable spies coming in with the refugees, that was most likely Jael's next move. It was a real shame, too. Logan knew as well as anyone that things were really heating up outside for mutants, he knew there were folks out there who needed help. Thing was, it was every man for himself to a point. They had to protect the ones they knew against the ones they didn't. More security measures would have to be put into place.

"Creed won't wake up for a while," Henry said, motioning to the bed. "Go get some rest, I'll call you when he wakes."

"Thanks."

Henry watched as Logan left, happy now for some peace and quiet. He was exhausted himself after so long a surgery but would stay up awhile longer in case he was needed. He set Creed's charts down and left the room. He smiled as he saw Seth sitting up on his bed, rubbing his eyes. "Good morning," Henry teased, it was actually well after midnight. Not that you could tell with no windows in this place.

Seth looked up at him with a smile, but Henry noted that his arms were still shaking and his eyes were squinting against the light. He came closer and handed Seth his glasses. "Fallen was here. I told her I would call her when you woke up."

"I'm good. I'll just go home. It's not so far."

"You're still shaking."

"I'm okay, really."

"I want to run some tests."

Seth turned to him, worried. "I'm good. I - I just need some time to adjust."

"Tests first. Adjusting later."

"Okay. Just ...just don't tell Fallen what I did. She worries enough about me as it is."

"And why is that? You've never been sick."

"She's afraid I'm gonna break like Kimble did. She doesn't say it, I just can tell," Seth admitted without going into details. He had never told anyone besides Remy that he could feel the vibrations. It was limited, or it had been before this, and he didn't think it was a big enough deal to spread around. Remy was good to his word and kept the confidence, Seth's secrets were safe.

Henry grunted in surprise. Funny how the thought of Seth's psyche splintering as Kimble's had had never occurred to him. Seth had always seemed stable and right on track. He never took fits like Kimble did or seemed to brood and hide away. Henry lay a hand on his shoulder. "And how do you feel?"

"I'm okay. I don't hear voices or anything."

"And now?"

"I feel better. I needed the nap. It's not so bright and loud."

That was true, but he did still feel Henry's vibrations of worry with a clarity he did not want. At least Henry wasn't as frightened as he'd been when he first found him. Now there was a gentle curiosity and concern for his well being. He would do the tests and Henry wouldn't worry any more. He wouldn't have to feel those vibrations of concern.

"Good. I'll just bring some of the equipment around and do a quick scan. If it's okay, I'll let you go home."

Seth nodded and was patient as Henry got the machines and ran his scans. As far as they could tell, Seth was exactly the same as he had been the last time Henry scanned him. Henry wasn't stupid, he knew that all that meant was that Seth was the same chemically, it wouldn't check for codes, no one knew those except for Seth himself. Still he had no real reason to keep Seth here. He patted him on the head and let him go.

Seth made his way home quickly. He knew Fallen was probably going to be upset, he just wasn't sure how badly. She knew he had these spells where he needed to be put to sleep. It happened regularly enough that he hoped she wouldn't be mad about it this time. He found their apartment and quietly slipped inside. "Fallen?"

She heard him and came out from the bedroom, her eyes heavy with sleep. "Hey. You okay?"

Seth was instantly relieved. She wasn't upset at all. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said, moving over to her quickly to pull her into his arms.

It was a mistake. As soon as she was there he was bombarded with her vibrations. / Thank God. I was so worried, she was thinking, after all. / Why does he do this to me? Make me worry! Of course he had to do it while I was gone so it frightened me even worse! Sometimes he's worse than a child!

Seth stiffened a little and pulled back, unable to hide the fact that he felt that.

"What?" she asked, reaching out to brush his face.

"Nothing," he answered with a frown. "I'm a little hungry. Any soup left?" he asked, just needing the excuse to move away.

"Yes. I'll warm it up for you."

They moved to the kitchen and she warmed his soup, humming a soft little tune. Seth sat at the table, trying not to cry. He wasn't a child and resented the fact that she thought him one. Sure he had troubles, but that was why he had worked on his codes in the first place. He was tempted to tell her what he had done, perhaps it might change her attitude, but then he remained silent. The changes hadn't worked. Nothing had changed, not really. It wasn't worth mentioning. She set the bowl down in front of him and kissed him. "Do you want me to stay up with you?"

"No, I'm fine. Go rest," he said, just wanting her gone. He really did desire her company, but didn't want any more painful vibrations. He didn't want to know her thoughts.

"Good night, then. Don't stay up too late."

"I won't," He smiled at her and she left, going back to bed.

As soon as she was gone, Seth bowed his head and let the first tears fall. He didn't want this. This wasn't supposed to happen. He was supposed to be stronger now, better. Now all he was, was worse. How could Kimble stand it? Knowing all these thoughts from people, the ones where they did one thing but felt another? The answer to that was obvious. Kimble wasn't coping with it, that was why he was going nuts. Now it was probably going to happen to him, too. What had he done?

I have to talk to Remy, he thought. He'll help me.

He has his hands full with Kimble, he doesn't need this, too.

Seth wiped at his face and reached out to the pair of black cubes on the table. Fallen had given them a charge before she left and they were full of Ristle energy. Her power seeped into him, making him feel warm and much happier. All this will pass. It didn't happen, he told himself. I am stronger than this, I am not a child.

He ate his soup and cleaned his dishes, ever dutiful. Truth was he was around more than Fallen was and did the bulk of the chores, taking care of them both. He had cooked this soup as he did most of their meals, a fine recipe that Kimble had given him. They were strict vegetarians, Fallen would eat no meat, but he didn't mind. He was Siskan and everything tasted good to him. If he wanted meat, he would nibble from Remy's plate if he had a chance. Gambit was always moawing down on some sort of spicy cooked up hunk of meat. Protein, Remy would say. Does a body good, hein?

Seth wiped his hands and then made his way to the bedroom. He wasn't really sleepy after that nice big nap, but he didn't want to be alone any more either. He slid into bed, wrapping his body around his Mistress, careful not to wake her. She shifted, laughing softly and curled into his arms, blasting him with a vibration of love so powerful, it almost took his breath away. Now this wasn't so bad, he thought now, tears fresh again, this time from pure joy. "I love you, Fallen," he whispered happily.

"Love you, too," she mumbled and brought his hand to her lips for a kiss.

He relaxed against her and let her sleep. He was content now just to hold her and drink up these lovely thoughts of hers. She was aroused by his body next to hers, but was just too tired to do anything about it. Perhaps when she woke later. He smiled to himself. He could wait. It was enough just to have her close and smell her hair. It wasn't long before he drifted off himself, his belly full of soup and his mind blessedly free from fear. Nothing had happened, nothing at all.