Canuckle, Cheshire and (welcome!) PinkSugar ... thanks for the reviews. You know I need them.
Sorry for the delay on this chapter. It's gonna be a pretty crazy month for me but it ends with me moving into a new apartment and definitely more time for writing. So hang in there a bit longer and Ill upload when I can.
Canuckle - all things get answered in good time. Yes, this whole wedding business will get minds thinking ... though if it's Greer's or Marie's well just have to see. As for the rest ... well sometimes the slow reveal is the best one ; )
"Why didn't I say something? I should have said something ... right?" Greer was talking with her hands ... or at least wringing them. How could he not see how awful Lauren was?
"Greer -"
"Does saying that make me a bad sister? Does NOT saying anything make me a bad sister? I mean ... he should know - I should tell him. I'm gonna tell him. But then again ... I mean this isn't about me ... right? This is about Gabe ... I should be focusing on Gabe. Right?"
"Greer why -"
"But she's just so horrible ... isn't she? I'm not crazy about this ... In fact ... God you heard her. 'Oh such a progression Greer… Being a gym teacher while me being a lawyer is nothing' psh… Agh she's evil. Pure evil. Gabe's not thinking straight ... maybe it's not too late. Maybe if I -"
"Greer!" Apex grabbed the quickly panicking tigress by the shoulders forcing her to stop her pacing, glad Greer had chosen an empty park to have her little meltdown ... otherwise his growl would have been hard to explain. The two were back in their inducers after having slipped out of the house. Greer might have been smiling and putting on a good show with the phone calls to family and pictures and congratulations but ... Apex knew she was barely keeping herself together. The erratic twitching of her tail and her shaking fist was indication that his tigress was seconds away from cracking and Him quietly asking Marie for some time to breathe was met with an understanding smile and an immensely relieved Greer who practically flung herself out of the door when he had asked her to take him for a walk.
Less than two minutes later the two disguised felines were walking through the night ... well Apex was walking. Greer was more stalking down the sidewalk in her heels, until she ended up at a nearby park where she had gotten into a good pace. But her getting this upset was worrying to the panther.
"Are you alright?" Greer looked up at Colton angrily.
"Am I - Colton have you not been listening to anything I -"
"I said ... are you alright?" Apex rumbled again, his hands moving down to rest more gently on her arms. Greer continued to look at him with her brow furrowed in anger ... until her features softened and she gave her head a little shake.
"Yes ... no ... I don't know." Greer let out a tired rumble of her own and leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist as he gently did the same, both felines taking a moment to just rest in their embrace and let their scents and calm the other.
Something had been going through Colton's head ... ever since he had stepped into Greer's home. It had been growing the more that he saw ... the more that he heard. He had tried dismissing it but ... after tonight ... there were some things that he just needed to know.
"Do you miss it?"
Greer untangled herself from Colton's grip a little.
"What?"
"I said do you miss it?" Colton rumbled.
"Miss what?" Apex looked away for a moment before continuing. The topic made him ... uncomfortable. But he wanted to know.
"This, your ... human life. The life you used to have before you became ..." there was an uncommon pause from the dark feral, "Before you became like me."
Greer felt her ears lower slightly as there was a few moments of silence before she realized he was waiting for an answer.
"It's complicated Colton. I mean - I'm still..." Greer took a shaky breath as she closed her eyes for a moment before letting out a slow breath and opening them with a grin, "You know what? It doesn't matter anymore. Why are we even talking about this?" Greer said it with a little laugh as she tried to slip away but Apex shook his head. That wasn't good enough. Not after what he'd seen. Not after how Greer had acted tonight and reaching out he grabbed her arm, taking a step to once again have her face him.
"It does matter." But Greer just shook her head, smile still in place as she fought lightly to get out of his grip.
"You're wrong ... it was all a long time ago. I'm over it. I'm not going to waste our last night her going over -"
"Tell me." Greer stared at her boyfriend. Tell him? Just like that ... did Colton really want to know?
"Why Colton … I mean-"
"Please." There was a different rumble in Colton's voice this time. One Greer hadn't heard before as she just stared at the panther now. She'd ... he'd never said please before. Greer slipped her arms from around Colton and wrapped them around herself. She didn't tell anyone this but that night … That night still gave her nightmares. About what Minos had done to her ... hell that psycho might he have done to him.
Greer lowered her head and let her raven hair hide her face ... she wasn't smiling anymore as she stood quietly in front of him.
"Greer." Colton kept one hand on her hip as he used the other to cup her face, once again raising her eyes to his. They stood like that for almost a minute until Greer finally spoke.
"It's a long story." she whispered and she looked up in surprise as Colton wrapped his arms around her and led her to a more secluded area of the park… His eyes narrowed upon a tree, where he simply sat her down, his arm still around her another hand running down her long hair. The meaning was clear ... he wasn't going anywhere.
Greer reached up and wrapped Colton's arms a little tighter around her. She was pretty sure she was going to need it.
"Well ... I was sixteen. And you know," Greer let out a little chuckle, "just figuring how to win the next round of cheer regionals. Which sounds really stupid now that I think about it." Greer admitted, remembering how that had been the BIGGEST concern in her life back then.
'Oh how things had changed', Greer looked down at her human hand ... but ended up clutching it when she felt the claws and fur beneath.
'Go on," Colton rumbled. Greer looked up at him for a moment before snuggling in a bit more as she took a deep breath and continued.
"So yeah ... This man, Dr. Minos ..." Apex noticed how Greer bared her teeth at that name, her body tensing, but said nothing as she seemed to be someplace else ...
"He came to my school to give a talk about genetic splicing and how they were going to use it to make this new sentinel program to wipe out mutant kind and all that crap," Greer gave a little shudder, "and Gabe, being the idiot he is … Was all for it."
Now it was Apex's turn to tense up.
"Why?" Apex fought to keep his growl contained, thinking that perhaps him and Lauren were perfect for each other.
"I really don't know. Frustration? Anger? Apathy ..." Greer lifted one arm up in shared confusion before letting it drop, "I mean… Gabe's not a bad person… He's just… Well… He was just the complete opposite of me and, you know, high school can be brutal. He was bullied all the time by his classmates ... made to feel like shit Worthless. Hell ... turned out some of my friends took a go at him when I wasn't there. And Steven just made everything worse..."
"Steven?" Apex had never heard that name before.
"This asshole that was my stepdad for a while. He was the one that put three bullets into me when my mum - y'know..." Greer subconsciously rubbed her stomach as the panther hugged the tigress a little closer to him ... wondering whether 'Steven' lived driving distance ...
"Anyway, Gabriel ran away that night. I don't think he intended to be made into a sentinel though. It was more like he thought Minos was going to give him a job and do research or something ... so he just took off. And I, being the genious that I am ... I went after him."
Greer suddenly felt the urge to curl into Colton a little more, her unseen claws gripping his chest.
"Billy, my first ... boyfriend," Greer looked up briefly but Colton gave no signal for her to stop, "he gave me a ride but refused to follow me in. So… I went in alone. Unprotected and unprepared so of course I got caught." and Apex noticed how Greer's heart rate was picking up. Her claws now through his shirt and hooked slightly into his skin.
"I woke up and - and I was tied to a bed. And Minos ... He - He told me he had already spliced my brother and that I was too late. I screamed and yelled but he just smiled and … He ... He spliced me too."
"Minos ..." Apex's growl caused Greer to turn in sudden alarm. She recognized that sound ... that look. Little did she know that Apex had encountered the doctor before. They had never been pleasant experiences ... and what he had done to Greer ...
"Colton no! You don't have to - I mean ... I don't care about him. I'm happy going through life without acknowledging he exists. He's nothing to me. Trust me, he's scum ... below scum. He's not worth my time. Or yours…" and Greer forced the panther to look at her.
"Promise me you won't try to look for him."
"Greer..." Apex's growl filled the park but Greer was adamant.
"Promise me!" Greer sounded like she was practically begging. It took a number of breaths until Apex finally nodded his head, earning a sigh of relief from Greer as she turned back around and leaned against him.
"Thank you." She whispered suddenly exhausted.
But Greer's mind was racing ... that night ... god that night she had stopped being human. The hell she had been through ... It then occurred to her, more strongly than ever that it wasn't just her life Minos took from her. It was her entire identity … and that made the tigress start to shake with revelation. She usually never allowed herself to think about this. And to suddenly think about it now ...
Apex felt the slight trembles and brought his muzzle to the shaking tigress's head, trying to calm her. It took a while before Greer stopped ... her mind almost feeling trapped to replay the nights events in her head. Her change ... her humanity taken from her in those horrible, painful minutes. How did her entire life get derailed in just one night? The memories of the transformation were painful… But the memories of all the aspirations and things she had hoped to achieve… Things she could no longer do… They were the ones that hurt the most…
Neither one kept track of how long they sat there in silence. Apex wrapped around Greer, his muzzle gently nuzzling her face ... his attempts to let her know that he was there ... that she was safe. And eventually, Greer felt it too. The pressure of his arms around her, the warm tingle down her spine at his nuzzle, how his scent managed to block out the sprawling city around them.
Eventually she managed to speak ... though now at a nearly inaudible whisper.
"Yes," the panther slid up a little as he looked down the tigress who wrapped her arm around his chest.
"What?"
"I didn't answer your question remember? You asked me if I miss my human life ..." Apex looked at her expectantly.
"The truth is that even after all these years, and all the things I've done at Xavier's, and all my friends ... the answer is yes. I miss being human. I miss all the things ... all the things I was supposed to do." There was still a quiver in Greer's voice.
Apex felt his ears lower as he looked out, an uncomfortable feeling clenched in his chest. He had thought ... Well he didn't know what he thought. But he knew he had hoped for a different answer.
"But," Apex looked turned his attention back to the raven haired girl he almost recognized, "after meeting you ... I - I'm willing ... I mean - I'm…" Greer dug her knuckles into the side of her face before taking a deep breath and continuing.
"I don't mind living the way we do now. Because," and the tigress smiled before looking up as she closed the distance between them, quietly deactivating their inducers so that he could see her.
"When I'm with you ... I kinda forget that there was a different me ... that there was a before. And ... it makes the before just ... not matter so much."
"But what about tonight? I know it upset you." Greer smiled a little and shook her head.
"It did but ... that doesn't matter. Not when I have you. I love you ... No matter what. You know that right?" She said genuinely as she wrapped her arms around his neck. The panther rumbled affectionately before bunting his forehead with hers.
"I know…"
The two felines didn't get back till the house was dark. Keeping silent, they quietly made their way up to Greer's room and stripping down climbed into bed. It wasn't long until Greer was asleep, softly purring into his chest, her hand resting against his neck. But Apex couldn't fall asleep ... not until he finally settled on one thought.
He was going to find this Dr. Minos ... and end him.
For her.
Looking down Apex gently nuzzled Greer, earning a sleepy smile from the tigress as he snuggled in for the night.
...
The goodbyes that Monday morning had been quick, Greer and Apex having to get back in time for his classes. Though Greer didn't feel the need to point out with Lauren present those classes happened to be high school. The face she'd probably would have made ... that early in the morning ... probably would have ended badly. Instead Marie had given Greer and a very surprised Colton a kiss goodbye, a sleepy Gabe hugging his sister and shaking Colton's hand. Lauren had given something like an incoherent grunt and a wave and headed back to bed.
"You do recall that we agreed on no sleeping outdoors ... right?"
Greer was only half complaining. These last three forest-heavy weeks hadn't been as terrible as she made them out to be when muttering to Jean and the girl ... considering she was far from 'camping.' More like ... making up for lost time. She had barely had time to put down her bags and give Jean a hug before Colton had growled something about 'keeping her word' and whisking her out to the forest.
Greer rolled her eyes as the offending panther just rumbled a bit and tightened his grip. The two were deep enough into the forest so that they were alone, laid out on a fresh patch of grass ... and it was getting dark. Greer sighed a little and nuzzled Colton back as she wondered how she got herself into this mess. It had started simply enough... her just asking Colton to get her back into shape ...
Apex had looked up from his simulation, wondering for just a moment who the hell would interrupt him before he let out a low growl. Of course he knew ... the only person who he had actually given his codes to.
"You could have just said something…" the panther growled with a little in frustration. After all this was his first session back in the Danger Room since getting back from New York, but stopped. He recognized the look on her face… she wanted something.
"Sorry… I just need to talk to you about something important." Greer muttered before pulling off her shirt and unbuckling her jeans, getting Apex to raise an eyebrow, before revealing her old x men uniform beneath it. That got Apex to stare at her cautiously. He had a feeling he knew what she was going to ask. He just didn't knew she wouldn't like the answer.
"Colton, I think it's time you get me back into shape," Greer said firmly and she noted how her boyfriend's eyes were subtly lowering down to her…
"Hey!" Apex withdrew his gaze from Greer's unnaturally thin legs and back to her.
"You're not ready." was all he could say, which got the tigress to bare her teeth.
"What? You think muscle grows back itself? That's why I need you to train me ... get me back to fighting shape."
Apex rumbled low in his throat. He was certain he and Hank had ran through with Greer as to exactly why she should still take it easy but Greer … being Greer just refused to listen. Time for a different tactic.
"Why not get Betsy or Hank? They're the ones who have the knowledge to properly ease you back into doing more ... vigorous activities."
"Because I'm not asking them ... I'm asking you." Greer growled. "Because I have a boyfriend who probably knows everything there is about the human body so sue me if I want to take advantage of it." Before her tone softened and that's when Apex found Greer's arms around his neck. Seemed she was taking a different tactic as well ...
"Greer ..." Apex tried to slow her down but her claws were already working through his fur.
"I miss being out in the field with you. I want to go running and leaping out of helicopters again and mostly ... I want to help."
"Help?" He still had his hands firmly at his sides as Greer continued to work her hands through the fur at the back of his neck.
"You know ... with X force stuff." Greer whispered and that's when Apex brought his hands up to her waist, forcing her to step back, his head already shaking.
"No."
"What do you mean 'no?'" Her growl was back.
"You know what I mean. After last time ... I won't risk you again. You should be working to rejoin the X-Men." Now it was Greer shaking her head.
"That's not your call to make."
"I disagree." Apex growled but Greer was adamant. She had thought hard about this and she knew what she wanted.
"Well I don't really care. Or do we need to do this all over again? You sneaking out and us fighting ... not talking? Because in case you forgot, I watch your back too." Greer accentuated her point with a few pokes to the chest.
Apex took a few moments to consider what Greer had said before letting out another growl.
"I'll train you ..." Greer broke into a wide grin, moving to get close to him again but he held her firm, "but only to rejoin the X-Men."
"Colton, that's not what I want." But Apex shook his head. He'd made this decision on the plane ride back ... when he hadn't been certain if Greer would ever open her eyes again.
"I know ... but it's what I'm offering. I'll train you, but only if it leads to you rejoining the X-Men."
"But what about -" Apex quited the tigress by sweeping a bit of hair out her face, his hand resting against her cheek.
"No more secrets. I've already spoken with Logan and I'll be rejoining X-Force. But I'll only do it if you agree." Greer just stared back for a few moments ... she'd come in there to talk Colton into training her and rejoining X-Force. Not to give him permission to go right back into danger without her. She growled a little at how easily he'd turned this around on her ...
"Fine…" the tigress crossed her arms.
"Fine what?" Greer looked back up at him.
"You can go back to X-Force. But!" Greer pointed a claw, "You are going to train me as if I was coming with you." Apex narrowed his eyes.
"That's not what I said."
"I know what you said ... but that doesn't mean I'm going to just go along with it. If anyone asks, you're training me to rejoin the X-Men. I'll just need to convince you that I belong on X-Force." Apex glowered a little.
"That's not going to happen." But Greer just grinned up at him as she finally closed the distance and wrapped herself around him.
"We'll see..." Apex let out a final rumble and returned her embrace.
"You have to be committed and you have to listen to me. Understand?" Greer nodded a little into his fur. Sure ... whatever he said. She'd do his training, get back into shape, and kick so much butt he'd have to let her rejoin X-Force. But ... one step at a time.
"So are we going to start right now or..." she asked smoothly, a clearly excited look on her face as she glanced around at the numerous targets frozen in space around the Danger Room. Apex tried not to smirk. She thought she was so clever ...
"Tomorrow…" he rumbled before suddenly hiking Greer up, her shins resting against his thighs as he dug his muzzle into her mane. Greer tilted her head back, his sudden attention catching her breath and momentarily chasing away thoughts of secret mutant black ops teams ... before letting out a purr and returning the affection.
"Yea ... to - tomorrow ..." Greer managed to breath out as Apex carried her back upstairs.
...
But Greer should have known better. Sure that night had been amazing after the long weekend of mandated PG-13 but ... maybe she shouldn't have been so quick to agree to doing whatever Colton said.
Or so he reminded her when instead of simply nuzzling her goodbye for his morning run, he had informed her that until further notice ... she would be joining him. Every morning. She had tried growling but all that got her was the covers thrown off and a growl right back that either she did what he said, or stay behind.
And that had just been the start.
Weight Training ... Strength Training ... Endurance Training ... Every moment Colton or Greer weren't in class was spent training. OH! And that had been another thing. Greer had to resume her gymnastics class. And while that had gotten a number of students excited and running to sign up, Greer had to spend hours in the gym on her own time, polishing her own skills while quickly building a routine for the girls.
Suffice it to say ... it wasn't long before Greer started getting back into shape. And each time Greer found herself hunched over gulping for air, or massaging sore muscles or looking up at a higher jump, Colton would calmly ask if she wanted to be left behind. And each time she'd shoot him a look and growl right back, 'What's next?'
And the time the two weren't either in their respective classes or training? The woods. They spent basically every free moment in the woods. Which is where an exhausted Greer currently found herself draped across her boyfriend, her chin resting on his chest as she used a claw to play with the bits of grass around them.
"Colton? Did you hear what I said?"
All the got was a rumble and a slight shiver as she felt his hand slip under her shirt and a claw starting up her back ... only to slowly trail back down, getting Greer to hike her shoulders to her chin ... and flex out into a very deep stretch which her sore muscles greatly appreciated. Of course, that just got her to sink a little heavier into the panther underneath her. Which she assumed had been his plan all along.
"No fair ..." Greer grumbled, managing to at least turn her head so she was facing him, a slight satisfied smirk on his muzzle. After spending that weekend in the city, Apex had a little trouble understanding how Greer wasn't asking to spend more time out here. He knew he wanted to.
"Colton, come one ... I want to talk to you about something." Apex opened his eyes a little before kind of wishing he hadn't. She was pouting at him again ... she always seemed to get what she wanted when she pouted at him.
"You really want to head back inside?" He raised an eyebrow as his claws traced the edge of her jeans. If she wasn't going to fight fare, he saw no reason why he had to.
"Well ... I was kind of hoping we could ... renegotiate."
"I wasn't aware we were 'negotiating.'" Apex felt Greer shift a little at his efforts to distract her.
"You know what I'm talking about ..."
"You're not joining X-Force." Apex growled, a little tired as Greer kept trying to find creative ways to bring it up.
"What? No, I wasn't talking about that." The pout and sleepy tone were gone as Greer posted herself on Apex's chest, her claws digging slightly into his fur. Apex let out a slow breath ... he actually enjoyed the feeling.
"Then what is it you wanted to negotiate?"
"I just ... want a bit of balance that's all." There was a brief pause.
"Balance ..." Greer took the rumble as her opening to continue.
"OK so like, the running? How about three days a week?" Once again ... a pause.
"Six."
"Four."
"Five."
Greer bit her lip before answering.
"OK ... five." Apex nodded his head a little before moving on.
"You're done with your diet." Greer jerked her back a bit. She hadn't intended for this to be two ways ... and -
"Hey! What's wrong with my diet?" Greer had been rather proud when she had let Colton know that she had taken the initiative to work out a new 'get-in-shape' diet along with Jean and Rogue the morning after he had agreed to train her. The two of them had already been discussing something along those lines and when Greer had gotten involved all three had agreed to follow it together. Of course when she had handed over her meal plan to Colton he had been ... less than supportive. He failed to see how a diet focused on what not to eat constituted a plan for her to regain her strength.
"It's cutting out the bad stuff. You know ... sugar, caffeine, salt, fat. And you're forgetting all the stuff I'll be eating, see look," Greer had pointed down the list, "lots of vegeies and whole grains, beans, tofu, fish, chicken."
But Apex noted the schedule. How was Greer supposed to regain her strength if she planned on one serving of protein two days a week?
"Listen, you're a guy. You can eat all that meat and carbs and crap all you want. Some of us actually need to watch what we eat." He had honestly tried to get her to see reason but she had been adamant. Greer's retort had been that she had brought up those same concerns to Jean and Rogue, knowing what he'd say, and they had just shaken their heads and asked if Greer wanted to get in shape or just shapes. That had been enough of a warning for the tigress though Apex had just rolled his eyes. But now that they were renegotiating ...
"It's ridiculous."
"It is not! Jean and Rogue look great. And what ... you're going to tell me you haven't seen any results?" Greer raised a dangerous eyebrow as she waited for an answer. It had only been three weeks but there was no question she was seeing results. She felt stronger, could almost keep up with Colton again on their runs and her clothes were at least starting to fit like they were supposed to.
"I didn't say that."
"Damn right you didn't." Greer growled a little and quickly moved on to her next target. "And I want back in the Danger Room."
Thus far Apex had kept Greer strictly to training. His reasoning being that until she was ready physically, she wouldn't be ready for combat training. But she was feeling anxious that Colton intended to just train her till she quit from pure exhaustion.
"Fine."
Greer caught herself ... that was way too easy.
"Just- just like that?"
"Sure ... the X-Men train tonight." Greer fought the urge to growl and instead eased herself back down so that her chin rested on the panther's sternum.
"And ... with you?" Apex looked into Greer's eyes, trying to see a way out of what he knew she was angling for.
The panther sighed a little and shook his head. He had started all of this to keep Greer away from danger ... to go after the people the X-Men wouldn't ... or couldn't. The worst people. And now ... here she was still fighting to join him.
"We can add the Danger Room to our current routine ... happy?" Greer was grinning again and inched up the rest of the way to plant a gentle kiss on his muzzle.
"Negotiations over," Greer purred lightly, before finally pulling the grumbling panther to his feet. Because if there was one thing she wasn't negotiating ... it was sleeping outside.
