I couldn't get any more out of him that day. Or the next. Or the next. A week passed and I left it alone. It wouldn't do to bug him about it. He would tell me, or I would find out on my own. Either way, the truth would be bared. Logan came back on Thursday of that week. I walked into the kitchen to find him there at the table with Storm and Bobby. He glanced up and automatically said, "Hey, kid." He added a small smile. It heartened me. "Les, can we talk?" he asked.

"Of course," I said gratefully. I'd been dying to. We walked outside into the warm April evening and headed towards the path that had been made in the woods. "It's really good to see you back, Logan."

He smiled and answered, "I'm glad to be back. I'm glad to see you…unharmed."

I raised an eyebrow. "Likewise."

He just laughed at me and shook his head. "Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I'm not angry with you anymore. I forgive you."

I sighed in relief. "I'm glad. I never really got to tell you…I'm sorry."

"Come here, kid." He held his arms out for a hug. I happily ran into them. When we parted he said, "I have to be honest with you. I still don't like you being with Victor."

"I know. You act like I can't feel every single thing you're describing."

"You just have to hear it. It's only fair that way."

"Granted. So, you're not gonna go back in there and kick Vic's ass are you?"

"Not unless he gives me reason."

I nodded, but added, "Make sure it is a legitimate reason, Logan. Or else we'll be at odds again."

He chuckled. "We're always at odds over something or other. Nothing new."

"True…true." With brilliant smiles at each other, we headed back towards the mansion.

Another few weeks passed. April turned into May, and the days got even warmer. One afternoon, Victor and I were laying out on the front lawn together. He had an arm around me and my head was on his chest. He started laughing. "What?" I asked.

"Jimmy and I got in an argument about what your favorite color was. I said black and he said blue."

I sat up and turned to look down at him. "My favorite color is green." I tried to keep a straight face, but I failed. "You had an argument about my favorite color? What the hell?"

"I know, right! It was really stupid. Shows how much we know, huh?"

I threw my head back and laughed. "You two crack me up!" Feeling playful now, I jumped up and cried, "Bet you can't catch me!" I took off across the lawn. He jumped up and tried to chase me on foot, but he decided to just switch to his cat-like bounding. I admit, it was much more effective. He very nearly caught me multiple times, but I would switch directions when he was centimeters away which threw him off. Finally, he caught my shins, but it was with his claws. As I tumbled to the ground, I tried to avoid landing on my legs. Once I had stopped, I sat up and cried, "Shit, Victor! Did you have to use your claws?" I looked down at the bleeding cuts and healed them then wiped the blood off. "Victor?" I looked up at his still form. He was standing with his back to me a few yards away. I jumped up and walked over. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" He whipped around and clamped the fingers of his right hand around my neck and hoisted me into the air. "What…? Victor! I…can't…" I choked. Then I saw his eyes. Those weren't the eyes I had been looking into for the past 2 months. They were wild, crazy, and rage-filled. Logan wasn't feeling strongly enough for me to utilize anything, so I did all the was left in my inventory. I screamed.

Victor ran and slammed me into a tree. "Shut up!" But it was too late. People were already pouring out onto the lawn.

Logan yelled, "Victor! NO!" Victor dropped me and turned to face his brother, claws extended and fury abundant. They rushed at each other, ready to tear each other to bits.

I staggered up and screamed, "VICTOR!" He froze. Logan stopped to see what would happen. Victor turned to face me. "This isn't you!" I yelled across the space.

"Isn't it?" he said darkly. "I told you to be careful." He looked around at everyone before turning and taking off into the woods.

Logan tried to pursue him, but I cried, "Logan! Don't!"

"But…!"

"NO!" Logan let out a huff of frustration, then ran over to me.

"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine and of course he did. But it wasn't intentional…I think."

"What happened?"

"We were just messing around. He was chasing me and he caught my shins with his claws. When I got up, he had his back to me, so I went over there. He spun around and grabbed me."

"I knew it. I told you he wasn't safe. I told you!"

"No, Logan, there's something more going on here. I had a dream where I faced the Victor of 15 years ago. Africa to be exact. He said something about how maybe that part of him was still in him and that he would break loose like Phoenix did."

"It was a dream, Leslie."

"But it makes sense! You said it yourself, sometimes if you cage the beast, the beast gets angry. We just have to find out who caged the beast."

"And how do you suggest we do that?"

"Go to the man who did it last time."