The Boogie Man

Sequel to Kittens Have Claws, Too. Victor, Katherine, Tayla and Mystique discover the secret to helping keep female ferals alive…But will nightmares be the setback for an old friend, or will her personal Boogie Man be the one to save her soul.

I DON'T own them…at this point I wish I did…I would put them all out to pasture and go on with my LIFE…SOMEONE get Victor Creed OUT of my head. Wait, never mind. (Victor muse purring in the background as he throws back the covers on the bed…) I am going to pet the kitty while you guys enjoy the story.

A/N I am sorry for the editorial snafu, I was writing this chapter on a laptop in a car this weekend.

Chapter 16

He kicked the door open – she wasn't even struggling on his shoulder, which surprised him – he hadn't expected her to let him get this far. It had started as a joke – but the building pressure in his groin made it far more serious.

Physiological response she said – well by God she could respond! His entire body was aching – not just his groin and gut. He NEEDED her – he had been living in cold showers, trying not to pressure her, and she'd expected this. That was the splash of cold water he needed. He threw her down on the bed and turned to leave.

"What?" She said sitting up.

"You expected this – from me." He panted.

"No – this is a normal reaction to the mating bond – to be honest I thought something was wrong because you hadn't 'gone caveman' as Kat calls it." He turned and glared at her. She'd thought something was wrong.

"Ok – now I am totally confused. You are afraid of me – with good reason it seems; if this is the behavior you expected – and you are NOT upset by this?" He shook his head, blood returning to his brain as he tried to comprehend what she was saying. He was doing his level best to look anywhere but at the expanse of skin showing through the gapping opening of her blouse – the red lace bra wasn't helping matters.

"Logan your restraint has been – well heroic." She said matter of factly.

"Heroic. I ain't sure I like the sound of that."

"I fully expected to meet…"

"My needs. You fucking tried to KILL yourself – to keep from meeting my needs. I swear – woman!" He shouted. This was too much.

"Logan – please calm down." She tried to soothe him.

"Calm down – I have been avoiding you – trying to respect your wishes – making Storm keep it thirty degrees colder than the rest of the house in my room so I could sleep – and that was only a couple hours because I could fucking SMELL you, freezing my ass off in cold showers – and I mean cold, Bobby's been freezing the damned pipes for me, I think I have reason to be PISSED!" He shouted.

"You are right – you do." Her calm tone wasn't helping things a bit. He needed her angry – needed her fighting back – flat needed her, and she was telling him she was there for the taking. "You have every reason to be pissed. I have allowed my fear to push you too far – to push me too far. I have allowed my unreasonable fears to endanger both of us – I am the one to blame – no one else." She said softly, again.

"Blame – what blame? Right now I'm just trying to decide if I am going to throttle you before or after I make love to you. Who the hell do you think I'm gonna blame?"

"Logan – I am realizing – with the new research – that avoiding you for the next ten years is not only unreasonable – but impossible. We are never going to have a stable, peaceful time, neither one of our situations will allow that – but we can't take our animosity and volatile relationship out on this child." She said.

"HELL!" He growled, glaring at the woman on the bed. He wanted to storm of – she was driving him insane – but that little bit of red lace flashing every time she breathed just kept grabbing his attention. He deepened his growl and started climbing up the bed.

XXXXXXX

She watched his face as he climbed up the bed – it was a study in anger and lust and she knew arguing with him wasn't a wise move. His lips traced up the bare expanse of her stomach, and she closed her eyes letting her body relax, and enjoy his attentions. He gave her a surprised look – and a feral grin of victory. She smiled back – he wasn't the only one who had been taking cold showers to control frustration.

He reached the single button that held her blouse closed, and flipped it through the hole, sliding the fabric back along her sides, allowing him a nearly unobstructed view of her naked skin. He traced his fingers along the edges of her lace bra, his smile fading.

"How did you know I like red?" He asked, following his fingers with his lips, his soft breath raising goose bumps along her skin.

"I didn't?" She whispered.

He smiled before capturing her mouth with his. "I do." He said against her lips

"I think I've figured that out." She said with a slight nervous laugh. She didn't know what to make of him – one moment he was 'caveman' the next he was furious, and now he was almost playful, nipping and kissing her gently – the only indication of his intense need was pressed against her stomach.

"Tell me the bottoms match the top." He grinned, tracing her cheek with one finger.

She wondered just how far she dared go – and just grinned at him, shrugging. He reached between them, unfastening her jeans and sliding his hand under the waistband.

"You gonna help – or am I doin' this myself?" He growled.

"I think I can help." She said, slipping her hands up into his hair and pulling his face down to hers, grabbing his lower lip with her teeth. Neither one of them did much talking after that. She didn't know who took off what – but soon the only thing between them was air.

"Logan." She whispered – looking at his body, compact muscle creating an image of male perfection.

"What?" He groaned, pulling back. She reached out and traced the three small scars on his side.

"Nothing – just admiring." She whispered.

"No offense – but can we do that later." He said with a strangled moan as he leaned over and kissed her, his hand tracing over the very slight bulge of her belly. "I don't want to hurt you." He whispered.

"You won't." She whispered back tracing one finger along the curve of his cheek.

He leaned down, slipping one hand between her thighs as he captured her mouth with his. She thought she felt the ground shake as he began to tease her, and then he pulled his hand away, and she felt the ground shake again.

"SHIT!" they both said, looking at each other before jumping for their clothes.

"Darin – either our timin' sucks or theirs does." He muttered, moaning as he zipped his jeans. She silently echoed the sentiment.

"Get a – FUCK their timin' SUCKS!" Victor said sticking his head in the door. She and Logan just glared at him, as she buttoned her blouse.

XXXXXXX

Victor grinned at the Runt. Tayla certainly looked like she'd been enjoying herself – so there wasn't a reason to try to kill him – yet.

"We have 8 robots heading this way." He said as the ground shuddered again. "And they have missiles."

"I kinda think we figured THAT out." Logan grumbled as he pushed past Victor.

"Chuck and Mags are downstairs. The kids are in position, and so are your teams."

"What about you and Kat?"

"Kat's down with Chuck and Myst. I came ta find you two."

"I want Kat and Tayla out with the kids – the little ones." Logan said, and Victor agreed with him, but he knew the two women in question – that would go over like a lead ballon.

"NO way in HELL! These people have done enough damage – and personally I am sick of running." Tayla snapped as she pulled on her shoes and rose to follow them.

"Woman – that's my kid you're carryin' I want ya safe." Logan said.

"Fuck you." Tayla replied.

"Later – right now we have a battle to fight." She stuck her tongue out at him, and Victor laughed. He hadn't seen her this playful – this peaceful – in months.

He followed the pair down the hall, listening to the sniping back and forth. He had fought this particular pairing – even knowing there wasn't another mutant with that particular type of mutation – but watching them, he felt a small surge of hope.

Kitten walked over to him as soon as he hit the bottom step, slipping her arms around him. He leaned down and kissed her, crushing her against him. He hadn't actually fought along side her – not like this, and he honestly didn't know how he was going to handle this.

The Prom fight had been a brawl, with very little chance of anyone being hurt – but Graydon and the FoH were out for blood. His wife had BETTER keep her head and her ass down and let him protect her. He snorted at his thought – yeah right.

At least the military seemed to be helping – there were jets and helicopters in the air, firing on the giant robots marching on the school – not that they were doing much good. The ground troops – if you could call them that had already breeched the outer walls and were moving through the grounds of the school. Storm was on the roof, throwing lightning and hurricane force winds, trying to slow them down.

Bobby and Pyro were sniping at each other, but each one was taking what chances they could to slow down the robots. A sudden blast of red light startled Victor – he thought optic boy was dead. He looked and saw a blonde boy throwing the same type of laser blasts from his hands. At least they had that. There was a boy throwing long bone spikes that he produced from his body, and a girl that was causing molten magma to come up under the feet of the robots. She managed to stop two of them before she had to rest.

The first assault team kicked in the front door – assault rifles blazing. Victor and Logan surged into action, while Kat and Tayla pulled Charles out of the line of fire. Mystique was moving, her training taking over, as she ignored the pain of her injuries and started snapping necks – or any other joint she could get her hands on. Magneto stopped the bullets before they were able to do any damage and turned them back on the men who had fired them – sending them ripping through the assault team.

The next team was a little smarter – they were using plastic weapons and bullets, but didn't fare much better than the first. Victor threw Logan a grin as they both ripped into one of the men, Victor's claws ripping out his throat, while Logan's ripped through his gut.

"Pick your own target, Runt." Victor grumbled good naturedly.

"Fuck you, Creed I was on him first."

"Quit KS'in' my ass."

"FUCK – quit playin the dumb online games."

"KS'er."

"No – you KS'ed me."

"Will you two geeks quit and fight – shit what are you gonna talk them to death." Kat snarled, her claws extended ready to enter the fight.

"Get your ass back woman – that's my cub you're carryin'" Victor snarled as the third assault team came through the door. He could hear sounds of battle in the rest of the mansion and hoped his kids remembered their training.

Logan glared at him over the pile of bodies between them and turned to meet the next assault. This team went down a little slower – they were better trained – but still died. NO one was getting close to their mates.

There was a sudden lull – and then the ground was shaking again – two of the robots had made it to the grounds, and were firing missiles at the building itself. Victor lunged, throwing his body between falling rubble and his wife.

"You two GET OUT!" He snarled at Kat and Tayla. He noticed a few bodies nearby, with signs of his wife's claws on them. Magneto was out side trying to deal with the robots, Charles was down in Cerebro, trying to force Graydon to call this off.

"No Victor – there isn't anyplace to go" Hank said as he came out of one of the back halls.

"What?"

"That last salvo caused the evacuation tunnels to collapse. It appears our escape is effectively cut off." The blue man said, holding a cut on his head. Tayla went to bandage him. "Thank you – but not necessary, my factor is only slightly slower than Victor and Logans."

Victor looked over at his mate – a surge of fear ripping though him. He couldn't lose her – it would kill him.

XXXXXXX

She watched the panic spread across her husband's face. Kat knew he was afraid for her – not himself. He didn't understand – she was afraid for him. She needed him – he was more important to her than air.

He pulled her fiercely against him.

"Kitten – please try to get out – get someplace safe. I can't lose you." He whispered. She knew Logan heard it – probably Hank. He hated showing weakness – being frail – but here he was begging her to try to leave.

"Not on your life, Victor Creed. Not unless you come with me."

"Stubborn wench."

"And you love me."

"Desperately."

A sudden strangled cry from the doorway grabbed their attention. Mystique had Graydon Creed by the throat, they both watched as she spat in his face.

"It's time I fixed my mistake – you are a waste of flesh and space and air – and I intend to change that." She snarled into his face. Victor saw the flash of the knife in his hand and lunged to stop him but was too late. The knife plunged into her gut, ripping open the bandage of the other wound he'd given her.

She grinned into his face, her hand tightening on his throat.

"Mother – it is my great pleasure to end your life – even if it is with my last breath." Graydon snarled, gasping for breath.

"I hate to disappoint you – son." She smiled pulling back to reveal that the wound was still stitched closed, the knife had missed. She was still smiling into his face as she snapped his neck, dropping his body to the floor.

Victor just nodded at her, as a single tear traced down her bloodstained cheek. Kat watched as they shared their silent communication over the body of their child. Mystique nodded back, and turned, looking for something else to fight. He picked up the body of his son – and carried it out of the ruined mansion doors – throwing it in front of the fighting forces on the lawn. He shuddered as one group opened fire on him, filling his body with bullets.

He just snarled, and turned back into the building. She watched in slow motion as he took three steps toward her and collapsed onto his knees, and then onto the floor, blood flowing from hundreds of wounds on his body. She could hear someone screaming – but didn't know who.

It was Tayla's arms around her shoulders – holding her back as Hank and Logan pulled him back from the door – that brought her around. She shook her partner off as she ran across the danger zone, bullets flying around her, to get to her wounded mate. She didn't even feel them hit her as she slipped in his blood. Her hands began trying to stop his bleeding – as his healing factor kicked in and the hundreds of pieces of metal began to drop onto the marble floor with soft metallic pings.

"Kitten – you're hurt." He muttered pulling her against him.

"No – YOU are." She said and then felt a sting in her back as her own body began to force the projectiles onto the floor.

"Good thing we both heal." He grinned.

"If you ever scare me like that again – I'll kill you myself." She hissed.

"Woman!" He growled. The sudden silence startled all of them. The ground had stopped shuddering, the guns had stopped. He tried to push her behind him as a uniformed man walked in the front door.

"Where's Professor Xavier." He said, removing his helmet revealing a scarred face with an eye patch.

"Nick!" Logan said cautiously.

"Logan – good to see ya."

"Colonel Fury, thank you for your assistance." Charles said from the open elevator door.

"Not a problem – we've been after this group for a while, nice to know we cut the head off this one." Fury said with a grin, reaching out to shake Charles's hand.

The scared man nodded at Creed. "Victor?" He said, a nod at Katherine. She glared at him. He was on that list – the one Victor had made for her years before, and she had very specific instructions on how to deal with him.

"Fury." Her husband growled, pushing her further behind him.

"Who's the beauty" He said with a half – smile

"None of your damned business." Victor growled, trying to get to his feet.

"Tayla – get the hell out of here." Logan growled at his mate – who ignored him, walking to his side.

"DAMN! Where are you growing them? You BOTH have one." Fury said with a leering grin at Tayla.

Logan pushed his mate behind him, putting his body between her and Fury.

"Thanks for the help – now get the hell out Fury." Logan snarled. "and keep your men out."

"Howlett – come on, you think I'd hurt your lady there, or you Creed?"

"We KNOW you Fury, stay the fuck away from our mates." Victor growled. Fury just grinned, and turned and walked out the door. Victor pulled her against his side.

"Who the fuck called SHIELD!" Logan snapped.

"I did." Charles said

"FUCK!" Both men said.