A/N: Thank you to those who continue to read. And thank you especially to the six people who have taken time to review: Lone-Angel-1992, Jade of Purple, Chigirl, Gothicpug, shejams, and EricaWolf

A/N 2: This story will be switching to an M rating soon. I hope I don't lose any readers, but if I do, thank you for coming along for the ride so far.

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The days that followed weighed heavily. Ororo could tell herself that she did not know for sure what had happened the night of Sabretooth's escape, but she would be lying. And she could tell herself that she hadn't genuinely enjoyed it, but that would be a lie also. Perhaps the worst part was feeling the need to hide it. If she told, there would be an uproar. The boys, those wonderful gentlemen, would surely demand Sabretooth's head on a platter, and Xavier would be hard-pressed to refuse them. From the females, there would be an upswell of sympathy for having been violated by someone so foul. But she didn't want any of that. She didn't want it, because she had liked it. It made her sick to think it, but it was true. Oh, Goddess, I liked it.

She felt especially guilty hiding the occurrence from Logan. Perhaps it was because she knew that if he were to come to her room, even now, he would probably be able to sense Sabretooth's presence. There was certainly some object that Sabretooth had touched that she had not wiped clean. Even his feet on the carpet might be enough, but whatever it was, she was sure that Logan would catch it, and she felt herself becoming distant from him out of fear that some friendly happenstance might bring him by her room.

Despite her shame, or perhaps because of it, the need to confide in someone began to gnaw at her. She weighed her her options, considering Logan and Xavier, before finally deciding that she needed to talk to a woman, a girlfriend. She waited for a day when Jean was working alone in the school clinic, and unceremoniously entered the office announcing, "Jean, I have to ask you about something that is troubling me. It is something..." She almost lost her nerve, but managed to continue. "It is something I'm ashamed of."

Jean made no attempt to hide the perplexity on her face. Ororo could tell that a variety of extreme possibilities were flitting around in Jean's head, and so she added. "It's about Sabretooth."

Jean's eye's widened. "What are you ashamed of regarding Sabretooth?" Sensing her friend's severe discomfort, she asked. "Ro, do you want to sit down?"

Ororo didn't answer. She wasn't sure if she wanted to sit. She just wanted the worries to go. When she realized that she was pacing, she shook her head 'no.' "Jean," she started slowly. "When I was on watch, there were times when Sabretooth would talk to me and he seemed, if not normal, then at least that he was trying to have a normal conversation, a friendly conversation." She could tell that Jean was unsure of where she was going with the conversation. "No, it's not just that. It seemed as if he was trying to become my friend. No, 'friend' isn't the right word. It seemed as if he wanted me to like him in some way."

Jean pursed her lips. "He wanted you to like him sexually."

"No," Ororo responded quickly, but then realized that was exactly what it was. "Yes. Yes." She paced back and forth. "Yes, exactly."

"I know," Jean said sympathetically. "That's why we didn't want you to stand watch. But Ro, that isn't something you should be ashamed..."

"That's not all," Ororo interrupted. "The truth is I was attracted him." There. She had said it, not the entire story, but the fundamental shame of it was out, and she waited nervously for her friend's reaction.

To Ororo's surprise, Jean smiled. "Ro, is that all?"

"What do you mean, is that all? Sabretooth is a terrible person. I feel disgusting."

Jean's face turned serious. She contemplated quietly for a few moments before speaking. "I think I understand. We are all aware that Sabretooth has killed and maimed people, and we presume that he has done even worse things we are unaware of. It is honorable that this concerns you." Jean smiled slightly, and came and put her arm around Ororo. "You're a classy lady, Ro." Ororo managed a half-smile. "You're a good person, and you're ashamed that you can feel attraction for a bad person. Is that it?"

"Yes."

"Do you think that he's bad?"

"Yes." Jean raised her eyebrows skeptically. "Well, perhaps I have some doubts about whether or not he is completely bad, but I don't know if my mind is tricking me into seeing something that isn't there."

"Goodness?"

"Yes. I mean when I talk to Logan, he's convinced that Sabretooth is evil through and through, and I wonder, am I deluding myself?"

Jean smiled mysteriously and said, "Well, Logan may have ulterior motives for telling you Sabretooth is evil."

Ororo looked curiously at her friend. "What do you mean?" But Jean just shook her head as if it had been nothing.

"Ororo, I don't think you should feel ashamed. Whether or not Sabretooth has an ounce of goodness in him, your attraction to him was based on believing that he does. And anyway, what does it matter now?" Jean laughed. "It's in the past. If we ever encounter him again, I'm sure he'll be trying to kill us."

Ororo nodded her head good-naturedly, but Jean's words didn't quite bring her the comfort she sought. "Well, I feel somewhat better having gotten that off my chest. I will leave you to your work, Dr. Grey," she said wryly. Then she gave Jean a hug and opened the door to leave, but before exiting she felt compelled to ask one last question. "Jean, do you think Sabretooth is evil?"

Jean's reply came tinged with regret. "I don't know if he's evil, but having seen inside his mind, I do think that he is beyond repair. Way beyond."