Cheshire ... Canuckle ... Spanky1988 ... previews make my day. And a couple days after that. So much appreciated.

Want to give a shout out to Canuckle and Cheshire ... only reason Greer and K end up this amazing is cause of your input. So thanks : )


"Come on ... Give it a try."

"This is a bad idea." Even from outside K clearly heard Colton's disbelieving rumble. Shooting him a look over Greer's shoulder, K went back to the tigress at hand.

"Ignore him. Just take it slow ..."

Greer slowly approached the horse with fear in her eyes and in that moment was having some trouble figuring out how she'd gotten into this situation. Things were at least ... well ... neutral between K and Colton. She didn't have to sneak around anymore so she'd taken to heading down after her tutoring hour to keep K company every evening when she closed up the barn. And then tonight ... K's class had run a bit late. Horses had yet to be put away ... one thing led to another ... Colton had been coming out of the forest ... and somehow K had convinced Greer that if she refused to ride a horse, at least touching one was a first step.

"Yea ... nice and slow." Greer muttered to herself. This was a huge beast that snorted and could kick a hole in her chest easily… The tigress cringed… She really didn't have a way with animals… Dogs hated her and always reacted badly when she tried to touch them so she wasn't sure how this huge thing was going to react… As she neared the mare, she stiffened upon seeing the horse's tail flick at a fly and how it started to paw the ground impatiently with a hoof.

She was convinced it was a bad sign…

"Maybe not K…" and Greer looked around the barn, she knew there was a wager going on between the students their. faceswere peeking between the bars of various stalls and around corners. Something about if it was possible for horses to be calm around… predatory animals… Most of them had been smart enough not to involve Colton and Greer was confused as to why she got caught up in this bet…

She looked at the brunette pleadingly but K just walked forward confidently. She grabbed her arm and Greer closed her eyes as she predicted the poor animal's reaction… To her surprise however there was nothing… Just the calm nickering of the horse as it turned it's head her way and hesitantly, Greer gently ran her hand over the mare's coat.

"That wasn't so hard, now was it, Cheerleader?" and opening her eyes, Greer caught sight of K now standing near the mare's head, smirking as some of the students reluctantly began pulling out dollar bills…

"I guess not…" Greer muttered before turning over and smiling at the mare and then that's when everything went south. One minute Greer was stroking the horse, the next thing she knew, the mare tensed up and stepped sideways toward her. The big animal bashed her into the wall and she lost her footing as the horse drew up in panic. As she fell, the horses' hooves came down on either side of her head and Greer snarled out in fear. Almost instantly, several of the horses in the nearest stalls panicked, whinnying and screaming as K quickly stepped in to calm down the herd, talking low as she reprimanded the mare and stroked her face.

Greer's ears lowered and swivelled as she caught sight of what was going on around her… She knew it. She KNEW this would happen… She could hear the students whispering and she looked around nervously… No, terrified as they tried to deciper who had won the wager as they glanced between themselves. They knew…. now they all knew…

K had finally gotten somewhere when she led the mare to her stall, once again calm, though she snorted and tossed her head a bit, almost as if she was craving the gentle strokes K was reassuring her with. The rest of the barn followed the mare's lead, however… as K noticed the tigress getting up, her ears lowered, her tail flickering like crazy and just by the look of her… K knew she was going to make a run for it. She quickly closed the stall door with the mare inside and rushed back to Greer. She was quick enough to grab the tigress's wrist before she darted out of the barn.

"Woah, where's the fire?" K she asked concerned, her brows drawn together.

"I'm sorry – I… I just want to go." Greer could still hear everything the students were whispering, the more she listened, the more it seemed like there were more of them, causing her to start panicking… K stared at the shaking tigress before shaking her head.

"You know we got a saying here about getting back up when you fall. It counts for more than riding," K told her gently as she held on in spite of Greer's mad thrashing. Their little spectacle attracted a fair amount of attention, including Colton who'd been surveying nearby. In an instant, he was behind Greer, growling loudly at K.

"What did you do?" He snarled, but K just returned it.

"You don't know what just happened, Fuzz, let me help her."

"I don't want any of your help. I just want to go!" Greer begged trying to pull away but K's grip just tightened and that's when she noticed more people starting to looking over. No…

"Greer, come on. Its not like -"

"I said let me GO!" and everyone froze from the ferocity of the tigress's roar including K who sighed in disappointment before she released her grip on Greer. She was genuinely shocked… She never expected to hear such a sound come out of her over something so little. Speaking of, the tigress was hunched over slowly hyperventilating as she locked eyes one more time with K before she sprinted the hell out of there.

It had taken K about half an hour of tracking before she finally followed the scent to the source. She looked up the huge tree squinting carefully before finally catching sight of the tigress hiding among the branches...

"Go away, K." and the brunette shook her head before leaning against the tree.

"Well ... I would, but I just don't understand why you took off. What did I do wrong exactly - and you know, use small words, because whatever it was went right over my head."

Greer simply growled and curled a little tighter into herself… Her cheeks burning to the point of pain… She was certain K did this on purpose… Making her try riding, choosing a time slot where students were present… Refusing to release her…

"You had to know this was going to happen…" Greer snarled lowly getting a confused look from K.

"What was going to happen?" and Greer turned her back to K, certain the little berserker was out to embarrass her more

K looked up the tree again and was surprised to find the tigress's back now to her… She considered going up the tree but stopped herself… Trying the "gentle" way as Logan puts it…

"Greer c'mon. I don't understand what the big deal is. What was so bad that -"

"Everybody saw." and K noticed how Greer curled up a bit tighter.

"Everybody saw what?" and K now honestly had no idea what's going on.

"THAT! The horses freaking out. K, I'm half a tiger, half predator… Horses know that! That's why they reacted the way they did…" and Greer lowered her ears as the scene replayed in her head. "My friends ... the staff ... the - the students. I… I had just gotten all of them to forget and now they all know. They all saw it. Again..." and K was somewhat taken aback about how torn up this kid is sounding. Is… Was she missing something?

"Okay. That … that was not your fault. I'm pretty sure she got bit by a horsefly. She moved away from it and bashed you. I'm sorry for that .… I really need to get a better fly spray -" and K saw Greer's eyes flash open and in one move the tigress went from the top of the tree to the ground in front her.

"They didn't see me!" and K swore the more this kid tried to explain the more confused she got…

"I'm sorry ... they didn't see you? What the hell do you think they saw?" Greer closed her eyes and shook her head slowly lowering onto her knees.

"They didn't see me. They just saw what they always see when they – when they first lay eyes on me."

"What the hell are you talking about?" and Greer proceeded to wrap her her arms around her knees.

"You think I don't notice all those stares? The whispers when new students come here? Did you hear? We have a tiger for a gym teacher… She won't eat us will she? Hell ... even some of the older ones are still afraid of me. It took me /years/ to build myself up to the point that these people actually saw /me./ The real me and not - not ... this!" Greer suddenly announced throwing her hands out but K noticed how those hands went back to her chest, slowly tugging at the fur, as if Greer was trying to rip it off herself. K's mouth fell open the slightest as she finally saw what Jean had been trying to explain to her.

"I'm not like this… I'm not…But its so hard to try and convince people I'm not when I act like it… even when I don't want to… I snarl, I growl… I run on all fours… I just don't want them to see me like this!" K looked up as Greer suddenly roared out in frustration. In act that surprised them both, she desperately tore at her fur, ripping quite a handful out.

"STOP it! What are you doing?!" K asked, genuinely alarmed but Greer only lowered her head.

"Do you see what I mean?" she whispered and K just stared at her for a moment before her shoulders dropped and she looked as if she wanted to cry on her behalf.

"I ... ah, ... I don't .. *sigh*." she openly looks the distressed young woman up and down, one palm covering her mouth and the other hand resting on her hip.

"Okay. Help me here. Really, what's wrong with how you look - and how exactly, do you think they saw you before?"

"Oh please don't give me that bull line. You called me a tabby cat for christ sakes. You, them, the students…. You all just see me as this animal that's barely being kept on a leash… The mansion's resident pets… You all think if I'm left alone and unattended, I'm just going to hurt you because you all think I'm driven by instinct and not reason... So I'm dangerous, and obviously a threat. Didn't help when we first met you. The newer students all thought I was going to attack them like Colton attacked you…" Greer muttered bitterly before lowering her head onto her knees… She stayed like that and only looked up when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Look… I tease. That's what I do. But I didn't think you were some snarling ... animal. You looked terrified of the whole situation. Believe it or not, the fur wasn't the first thing that hit me about you. It was the look of shock on your face." Greer rolled her eyes.

"Oh please. This coming from the feral that could pass for a model," Greer countered as K rolled her eyes in return. "Fine. How about just being able walk outside and go anyplace you want. Do you have any idea how much I'd give to look like you? To - to be normal. You know the last guy to come after me wanted to mount me in some trophy room? Or how about every scientist that I run into ... every superhero with a lab ... they all ask if they can /study/ me, like some lab rat." and Greer shuddered… She was a lab rat once… Never again…

"I could not pass for ... " and K shut her mouth before looking to the heavens and shaking her head. "Alright. I admit, I don't know what its like to look like you. But I DO get the lab thing. Everywhere I go. Hell, they come looking for me. And ... I know what it's like to have some j*** want to have you mounted ... just ... well. Nevermind. Maybe that is different." Greer couldn't help but smirk at K's horrid attempt at a joke.

"Yeah but they still see you as human weapon, they call you agent… You can go on undercover missions and infiltration missions… Me? They'll sic me like some sort of guard dog…" and Greer bared her teeth at that but K just shook her head.

"No. Not a human weapon. Just a weapon, but that's semantics. Those that know what I am – honestly they do not look at me as if I'm human. I'm an asset with resources they want." and K didn't even look up to know Greer was going to again point out the physical differences. So instead, she cut her off before the tigress could pour on the self loathing.

"Do you think Jean ... Rogue ... Betsy … any of your friends – do you really think they think of you like you're an animal?" K asked softly.

"No I -" Greer shook her head sadly, "I don't know. They all tell me that I'm normal but ..."

"You don't feel normal." and K just watches as Green hesitantly nods and hugs herself a little tighter. "They love you - regardless of what you look like. But," Greer lifted her head to look at the little feral, who looked far too serious. "You're right. Something is a little off around here. I just ... I need some time to figure out where the trouble is. All I know is whatever it is." Greer looked up at her with her brows drawn, wondering what the hell K was talking about. "I just know ... it's not your looks. I'd put my life on it."

Greer sighed…"Its getting late." she mutters before gesturing back towards the Mansion. "But what are going to do about-"

"Do about what?" K asked as she turned her attention back to the weary tigress.

"K ..." Greer growled low, tail twitching in irritation.

"Fine ... the snarl thing. Jeez," K rolled her shoulders, "Just … Walk in like nothing happened. Hold your head high, and no one will say a word. It just ... it didn't happen."

"That's your master plan? Denial?"

"No ... not denial. It was nothing, so don't show that it bugged you. Act like nothing happened. Just try it. Trust me. From the girl that has made more mistakes than you can imagine ... just act."

"There's no way that's going to work."

"OK then ... what do you usually do?" K asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Hide in my room for a week and under a blanket until Colton or Jean drag me out. Start all over." Greer's muttered, her head down…

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea," K muttered sarcastically before shifting her tone. "That isn't how it's done, sweets," she said softly, getting out of her defensive stance… She offered a hand but Greer just shook her head.

"It's ok. You go one without me…" she mumbled.

"I don't know. Are you sure?"

"Yeah… I just want to stay out here a little longer… alone." K let out a sigh and nodded, the woods were a great source of comfort, she knew that.

"Well okay. If you're sure." It took a bit more convincing but soon enough, the brunette silently slipped away like a ghost. Greer watched her go before climbing back onto her tree. She watched the sun sink in the sky until it slipped below the horizon line and she was suddenly enveloped in more than one dark shadow.

"I'm ok…" she whispered to Colton as he wrapped his arms around her.

"And K, what was she doing here?" he rumbled.

"I think ... I think she was trying to help." Greer confesses before turning in his arms and wrapping herself around colton and nuzzling in.


"Alright ... hold on a second. Lemme see if I got all this straight." K was pinching the bridge of her nose as she slumped back into the cushy chair in Jean's office. Everything that the two women had told her so far had given her a migraine. She was sure that's what a migraine was supposed to feel like.
She, Jean, and Ororo were situated around Jean's office with the windows open to let in the mid-afternoon breeze. It had all started when K had texted Jean that morning to see if she was free to talk. When she'd finally relented and told her what it was she wanted help with ... Jean decided that having Ororo there to join the chat would be a good idea.

"So Greer got turned by this Dr. Minos idiot - who, naturally ... no one has any idea where the hell he was or is - and she ended up getting shot by her d*** of a step father. Then you," K pointed at Jean, "found her bleeding in an alley and brought her back here." So far the redhead was still nodding and looking positive. "And one of the first things you do once you get her here - which ... you sold to her as a safe place ... was to give her an inducer that makes her look like her old self ... and you just put her right back into high school?" Her brows were raised high in a mixture of disbelief and confusion - both of which seemed to miss their mark with the redhead, though Ororo had the sense to shift uncomfortably in her seat and clear her throat lightly.

"Yes, you're right so far." Jean nodded with a serious look on her face. It was clear she was still buzzing from having K come to her for insight on her favorite Tigress. Jean had been taking K's lead for the last week or so on her best friend and it seemed as if had been physically painful to do, so naturally, it was a great relief to be back in the drivers seat. K closed her eyes and let out a deep breath before continuing. It was clear she thought the story was already a clusterfuck.

"Okay. So. After all ... that - Greer spent the next few years fighting with the X-Men ... while going to high school," K looked around to nodding heads, "and during that time she gets assaulted on some cruise ... and chased by a mob in New York City when she lost her inducer. Then, her high school principal ... Kelly - gets her rejected from college for being a mutant, so instead she just stayed here and become a full time team member?"

"I mean ... that's part of it." Jean's smile started to fade. When K put it like that, it didn't sound much of anything like when she'd first given her all the details.

"So during that time ... from the time you found her until basically, what? Two years ago? She went through rejection from her home, rejection from college, some idiot guy assaulted her, an attempted lynching ... and to cap it off she was captured by Weapon X where she got treated like an animal and worse ... dealt with Creed?"

"Well I don't -" Ororo seemed a bit flustered at K's summary but it was nothing compared to how ticked off Jean who quickly took her feet of her desk to face the little feral easier.

"Hey! A lot of good stuff happened in there too you know, in case you were listening. Not sure why you need to sum up six years of her life with a few bad accidents."

K's face didn't change as she leaned forward onto her knees.

"But how often does everyone remember the good stuff? It's always the bad that works on you and tears you down." Jean's glare dropped a bit when it was phrased that way. K watched for her features to soften a hair before she continued. And as soon as Jean's shoulders dropped the slightest, she started again, her voice gentle and soothing as she meant to coax the answers from the two women.

"From the time you gave her the inducer until she was taken by Weapon X ... how often would you say Greer went without her inducer?"

Ororo and Jean shared a silent look before answering.

"I - I dunno. I mean she basically wore it all the time. Not that you can really blame her I mean we'd go out and -"

"Not that you could really blame her?" K's eyebrow arched high before she buried her face in her hands and laughed mirthlessly before she leapt to her feet and darted toward the door, only to pause and turn back to face the two before she stepped outside. "and no one here ... not a damn one of you stopped to consider that maybe ... just maybe her learning to love who she is might have been an important step for someone that had gone through something that ... awful?" Her voice was raised a bit by the time she finished. "And ... what the hell makes you so much more fit to make these decisions for her? What about her family? She had to have had a mother or an aunt or someone who gave a damn about her! Why wasn't someone that knew her before involved?"

"Well, that's a tad more complicated ..." Jean started to say. She had come to realize quite suddenly that the little feral may have a point. Of course, she wasn't about to tell her that. "It would be easier if I just ... showed you."

K only hesitated for a moment before taking a seat across from Jean, and seeing Ororo already with her eyes closed, calmed her mind to the focusing psychic ...

Hesitantly Greer turned the doorknob and cautiously entered Xavier's office. She nearly burst into tears when she saw the look of shock on her mother's face. It had been so long since she saw her ...

"Oh my God! Greer… Greer? Is that really you?" Greer despite wanting nothing more than to wrap herself around her mother and never let go, drew back quickly behind a chair, knowing her mother would feel the fur ... and felt her stomach twist itself into a knot when she saw the hurt on her mother's face as she slowly took a step back.

"What's wrong darling?" she asked. Greer lowered her head ... Darling ...

"Mrs. Nelson is the girl standing before you your daughter?" Professor Xavier suddenly interrupted while Ororo silently moved to the door. Marie however kept her eyes on Greer.

"Yes of course she is. Greer honey ... What's the matter? Is something wrong?" Marie asked again and again Greer drew back.

"Please Mrs. Nelson, I need you to understand Greer has been through a great ordeal and it would be best if you both sat down." The professor said gently. Both mother and daughter sat down, though Greer taking great precaution to not look her mother in the eye.

"As we both know Mrs. Nelson, science and technology have been a great asset to mankind in recent years." The professor noticed the look of mild frustration on the woman's face and decided to quicken his speech. "However, there are men out in the world which abuse this power of knowledge for their own selfish purposes. Greer was a victim of one such man and..."

"What... what are you saying? Was Greer ... violated? Oh my god ..." Marie suddenly demanded before turning to look at Greer, "Honey what happened to you? Please tell me! Is - is it these people? Sweetheart, I need to know what happened so I can help you." but Greer still refused to reply, though she felt her heart squirm every time she had to force herself to look away from the hurt and confusion on her mother's face. Marie moved to get to Greer but Xavier subtly kept her seated.

"Mrs. Nelson please calm yourself. Your daughter's safety and well-being is of utmost importance to everyone here and I want you to remember that. Greer for better or for worst is now ... different. But she now possesses extraordinary gifts."

For the first time Marie seemed to process that something was going on and her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Gifts ... you say." Xavier's smile was tight.

"Yes. Gifts. Greer, why don't you show her?" and Greer felt her heart plunge to the pit of her stomach. This was it. The moment she had been dreading for so long. Trying to keep her cracking facade in check, Greer stood up.

"Mom..." she said softly, almost whispering… "Just - just don't get scared ... OK?" and slowly she reached for her image inducer and deactivated it.

Greer knew time didn't slow but ... it felt like it. Like one of those nightmares you can't get out of. To see her mother's face transform as she knocked her chair… Greer could almost read what flashed through her mother's head: Shock ... Fear ... Loathing. But a piece Greer told her to wait, that maybe her mother could look past it. That they'd just all go home after this. So Greer held her ground. Not making a sound as she allowed her tail to swing nervously back and forth. She watched as her mother gawked at her as if she was some kind of attraction at the zoo before turning to the professor.

"What the hell did you do to her?! She's… She's a monster!" and the impact of the words struck Greer before she had even registered it. She winced at the sting but said nothing. Her own mother … Thought that she was a monster ...

"Mrs. Nelson your daughter is not a monster!" Ororo cut in angrily.

"That!" and Greer shrunk away as her mother pointed at her forcefully, "That thing is not my daughter!" and Greer lowered her head further.

"Mrs. Nelson ... I assure you that -" But Marie cut Xavier off, clearly irate.

"Look at her! Who are you? Why did you people - why did you drag me here?! Where is Greer!?" and the tigress tried to hold in her tears as she heard the cracks in her mother's voice.

"Mrs. Nelson please that is your daughter. We invited you here because Greer misses you and we thought it best that we brought you two together so you two could be-"

"Stop! Just stop!" Marie shook her head and Greer noted this was the first time she had seen her mother look truly angry.

"I don't know what kind of fucked up scam you're running here but THAT thing isn't Greer! I know Greer! I'm her mother! Greer's human and she most definitely is not..." and Greer noted this was the first time her mother looked long and hard at her after she removed the inducer. "that thing." Marie sneered, her voice now rigid ... and cold.

"MRS. NELSON!"

"You really expect me to accept that my daughter is now some sort of ... zoo oddity? Of course that's not my daughter! This thing is an animal! It belongs in a cage! " Greer visibly recoiled as if struck. So this... This was what her mother saw her as now. Animal ... Freak ... Monster ... And f her mother saw her like this... Then what must the rest of the world see her as ... Oh god... She was... She was... and Greer had to grip her chest to stop herself from hyperventilating right there. What was she thinking when she let the Professor talk her into this? Everything seemed muted and Greer only barely registered the professor and her mother still arguing. No... She had to say something... She was still her... She was still Greer Grant Nelson.

"Mum..." and everyone turned to look at the stunned tigress. But Greer only focused on the pair of olive green eyes that glared at her.

"Mum it - it's me. Please ... I... I'm sorry if... I just - I need you to accept me." but her mother's piercing gaze didn't waver. In fact, she looked at Greer like she was insane ...something dirty.

"You really think you can pass off as my baby girl? When you aren't even human? I know my daughter and you ... you are not her." and Greer stepped back ... unable to defend herself ... unable to even move. Ororo was stunned silent and the professor must have noticed this as he mercifully intervened.

"I think this has gone far enough..." he spoke very low. "Ororo will you please bring Greer to another room."

"Come child..." and Greer barely registered being Ororo leading her back to the waiting room next to the study. It was only when out of sight from that piercing gaze Greer felt the pit of her stomach violently turn, and dropping to her knees she threw up into the garbage. She couldn't believe it... It was over... It was really over... She was such a freak that... That even her own mother didn't want her... All this time, she had led herself to believe that what happened last time t was because her Steven was there or because her mother couldn't recognize her in the dark... That there was still hope... That there was still someone that loved her...

"No one loves you... and no one will ever love you..." and something snapped inside of Greer... Rejecting comfort from Ororo she curled into herself and cried.

After Jean finished 'showing' K Marie's reaction, the little feral grew unnaturally still and quiet. Jean wasn't even sure she was breathing had it not been for the fact that that she could see the loose tendril of hair in front of K's face gently swaying with her breath.

"Now do you understand what I"ve been trying to tell you? She just wants to be normal." Jean startled back a hair when K locked eyes with her.

"Oh, I understand alright. And I can't believe you're missing it. The message is always the same, just phrased differently. ... You're safe, but wear the inducer for your protection. If she can't go without it here - among other mutants then where is she safe? And why would she ever think she could be safe when her own mother did ... that. Something tells me that bitch didn't get mother of the year did she?" Jean was shocked to see the level of anger that flared up on mention of Marie. K's teeth were clenched together as she snarled. The images K was projecting out ... well, she hoped Marie never met K in a dark alley. Or ... a lit one for that matter.

Before Jean could try to talk to her K headed for the door again - "Wait! I want to explain-" but K had already stalked out.

"Hey darlin' thought I heard - hey where you goin'?" Logan reached out to stop his fiance but between the snarl and the look on her face he pulled back, letting the click of her heels reverberate down the hall.

"What hell you do Red?" Logan looked back to see Ororo and Jean standing in the doorway clearly alarmed ... and reeking of guilt.

"We - I didn't -" Ororo put a hand on Jean's shoulder.

"She knows about Marie."

Logan just stared at the two women ... and then it hit him.

"Damnit." Without a word he was on K's trail. He found her heels kicked off half-way to the barn and he got there in time to see K come out on her horse bareback, her hair trailing behind her as she galloped for the tree line. It wasn't long before he grabbed the closest mount and was rushing to catch up.

Logan kept his distance and let K lead. It wasn't like she didn't know he was trailing her and the fact she hadn't disappeared outright made it clear that she didn't care if he followed. After a few miles K's horse finally began to slow as they came to one of the few clearings that dotted the forest, K didn't bother to wait for the horse to come to a full stop before she smoothly slid off her and stood waiting, arms crossed as she watched Logan dismount.

"Is there a reason you followed me out here?" K was pacing, her hands clenching and unclenching in irritation.

"Wanted to make sure you were alright," he said calmly as he watched her fume.

"Were you here? I mean, I know you were around, but were you HERE for her when she showed up?" She asked with a glare. "Because I would have put money on you actually trying to help her if you were." He let out a breath and looked to the ground for a moment "You have got to be kidding me," she grumbled. "You were! You were and you left her for them to screw up!" She continued to pace as he looked for a way to break into her thoughts.

"It's a freakin' miracle she's only as messed up as she is ... do you realize the mind-fuck that all this has done to that girl?"

"She was in good hands. Charlie and Jeannie are the best there is."

"You are blind when it comes to that girl. Jean is the worst one when it comes to this. She thinks she knows what's best ... and she's ... she's ..."

"What? What the hell did she do?"

"She made Greer ashamed to be herself. She pushed her to pretend to be like her and she's not, Logan. She's not a ... her mutation is physical as much as it is mental and they want to act like it's not a factor."

"The hell're you talkin' about - mental?" K stood across from Logan, her breathing close to haggard.

"What I mean is that she's is a feral ... and not just any feral, but an honest to God tigress. And she has this ... misguided idea that that side of herself is something to be pushed down and controlled." Logan's shock showed on his face at their obvious failure to see eye to eye on this.

"Alright, I was around but that don't mean I was sitting on my hands. Greer's had some dark spots, I grant you that. But she hasn't gone feral in a long time. I helped her to get that under control. I agreed with the course of action. She needed to rein it in, and she's done a damn good job of it."

But K just stared back at him in disbelief.

"You are so wrong right now, it's causing me physical pain. And that's the exact problem I'm talking about. She doesn't need to have it under control. There is nothing to control. She isn't part tigress and part Greer. It's not a split personality. But giving her that damn inducer and tellin' her to keep that facet of herself controlled has her so fuckin' self-aware that she doesn't even know who or what she is anymore. Those methods aren't full proof. They don't work on everyone. And even when they do work ... it's not reliable. Try and tell me I'm wrong. Doesn't even work for you all the time."

"K ..."

But she didn't wait to hear a response before she turned and let out a shrill whistle. From the other side of the clearing, her horse came at a near gallop, and she simply took a few steps along side it before she grabbed mane and sprung onto it's back, disappearing before Logan could catch his horse and follow.