Greetings from The Lady Mage!

Victor is going to get a little lesson in his transgressions in this one, folks. Just for funzies. LOL Hope you enjoy!

FERITY: (fehr-ih-tee) - (noun) - 1.) The state of being wild or untamed. 2.) Savagery; Ferocity.

"Fucking Magnet-head..." Victor grumbled, dialing another number into his phone. "You better pick the damn phone up, Bluebutt!... Gonna kill those fuckin-" He cut himself off as the phone clicked.

Mystique's voice came over the line. "Yes?"

"We got a problem." he growled.

"What?"

"When you spring Erik, I need you to talk ta him for me."

"...About what, tom-cat?"

"Zee and I had an argument- she's pissed."

There was a pause. "... An argument?" Mystique clicked her tongue. "About what, pray tell?"

"Look, Bluebutt- that's not important! We just had a stupid fight- just like we always do! Today, she's apparently visiting your magnet, and I know she's going to say something that will piss him off!" Victor growled again, digging his claws into his palm. "I need you ta go talk ta him before he tries to fuckin' off me before we finish this little business venture of his. Try to rip all the goddamn iron out of my fuckin' blood or some stupid shit!"

"...Rip the iron out of your..." Mystique paused again. "Mmm. Okay, how big of a fight?"

'Shit.' The blonde winced. "Just an argument."

"Okay, but how big of an argument?"

"Not very big- just a disagreement. Just fuckin' talk ta him, will ya?!"

"Disagreement, my blue ass!" Mystique hissed. "She called me this morning, asshole, and told me all about your little disagreement!"

"Goddamnit, Myst!"

"You really fucked up big time on this one, Viccy." said the shapeshifter. He could hear her moving papers around on her end. "I mean really fucked up!" Something slammed. "I mean, for Christ's sake, Victor! She calls you- crying- because she's actually concerned about your big, ugly ass, and you yell at her for it?!"

"Hey, she yelled at me first!"

"So what? You are such an idiot! She was emotional- she just had a baby a month ago! It comes with the whole mother territory! She thinks your ass is going to get killed- like our brother just got killed- and you hang up on her?"

"I didn't do a damned thing wrong! It's not like I invited a camera crew to- Look, I just need you to-"

"Aww, poor baby need a sugar-tit?" Myst cut him off. "Calm down, Victor. You're going to have to do something really big to make up for this. She was very upset when I talked to her this morning."

He growled again, leaning back against the truck's passenger seat, watching the cars drive by his parked vehicle. "Great."

"I mean she was leave-your-ass upset."

"What do you mean leave?"

"Leave! As in divorce or whatever the hell you ferals do to break shit off! You rejected her, dumbass! She thinks you don't love her anymore!"

"God damn! Frails ain't worth this shit!"

"Zee is not a frail! Is Zee worth this shit? You idiot..."

"You are the second person today to call me that. It's getting old fast!"

"Idiot?" Mystique actually chuckled. "Who the hell else called you a idiot today?"

"That damn Rogue."

"...HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Shut the hell up, ya yappy broad!"

It took a few seconds for the shapeshifter to calm down enough to speak again. "Oh, God, Vic... Priceless... Okay, now, in all seriousness, do you love her? Zee, I mean."

Victor scowled darkly. "Alright, Smurf-butt..." He growled loudly once more. "If ya have ya ask me that, ya really need ta have your head checked."

"I thought so. Well, if you love her then you have to do something to fix this mess."

"Yeah, but what?"

"Well, Bucko, you better think of something- and I don't think diamonds will work this time!"

"Why not?"

"Are you stupid? Did you mother have any children that lived?"

"Bitch, I'll show you fuckin'-"

"Look, Tomcat, I'm going to spell this out for you... in a language you can understand, savvy?" Mystique said calmly, her voice slow and even as though she were explaining something to a small child. "Victor- that's you, Dum-dum.. Screwed- as in fucked in a bad way... Up- as in the direction." She paused to let it sink in. "Victor- A.K.A. Dum-dum- needs to make it right- as in correct! VICTOR SLASH DUM-DUM needs to make ZOSIA- that's the pretty redhead you pissed off- HAPPY- as in no longer PISSED!"

"Well no duh, Raven. Knock it off with the baby-talk!"

"Victor-slash-Dum-dum..." Mystique ignored him, continuing. "Need to find something that will make Zee- that's the pretty redhead- SMILE again... before her big SISTER- and that would be ME- comes to KILL him!" She paused with a sigh. "Now, Dum-dum-Victor is the one fucking Zee- Victor should know what makes Zee smile: you know, the HAPPY face?" She snorted, holding back a chuckle. "Or else, Victor will be much less fucked than previously stated."

"ENOUGH, RAVEN!" Victor growled. "I didn't go to college four times to put up with this shit!"

"Ha! Where'd you go? Dumbass University? You certainly have a master's degree."

"God DAMN! What I don't have is a fucking translator for female to fucking logic! I'm about to hang up on your ass!"

"Okay, Sylvester, let's try and draw a diagram here."

"Is this going to be like the sex talk, because I don't have a chalkboard this time-"

"Shut up and be serious for once! There's a point to this madness." Mystique said. "Okay, here is ZEE- CRYING!... in NEW YORK! Here is Victor- FUCKED... in NEW-FUCKING-YORK! Are you with me, Snaggletooth?"

"Yes, I'm fuckin' with ya!"

"Here is telephone-"

"I already tried that and she-"

"Here is telephone with record feature-"

"Record? Wait- I have an idea."

"And that would be?"

"Last truck I had was a piece of shit- radio stuck on some God-awful station. I heard this one dumb song- one of those sappy, pussy songs that all them damn frails like. I can record it and she'd like it."

"...Vic, you're a dork."

"What? She'd know I was thinking about her."

"She needs to know more than just that, you dork!"

"Well, it's a fuckin' love song!"

He heard a loud slapping sound across the phone. "Hear that? That's me hitting myself because you're so dumb." hissed the shapeshifter. "You need to do more than just that! She needs to know you fucking give a shit!"

"Hey, I give a shit! I gave her a fucking cub!"

"That's your daughter you're talking about there, stupid. This is why you are am idiot."

"Hey, I know that's my daughter! I ain't pissed at Sari."

"Well, you told Zee that everything was all her and Sari's fault, you over-grown tit! Now she thinks you don't want either of them anymore."

"I did NOT! Where the hell did... SHIT! SHIT-FUCK-SHIT!" He kicked the dash, cracking it.

"Idiot!" Mystique did a convincing impersonation of Zoe's angry growl. "Yeah, you gave her a screaming, crying baby and then dump her and it off on our enemies for her to raise it! Try thinking about it from her point of view, you ass!" She paused, out of breath. "Victor, I'm going to do something I don't normally do, but because she is my sister and I love her, I'm going to try and save your fucking relationship."

"How the hell do you think-"

"One- you get her pregnant. Yes, I know she wanted it, but you promised you would be there to help her raise it! Two- one week after said baby is born, you dump her with her enemies. Three- six weeks later, you are seen galavanting around New York buying Twinkies! And four- she calls you to tell you she is worried and wanting a little reassurance, and you hang up on her! Yes, she is blowing it up out of proportion but she's only known you for a couple of years- and never known you to have to run from the law like this. For all she knows, you are dumb enough to get caught without caring about what would happen after. But did you try to calm her down and tell her this? Did you try to explain some of the past you keep so hidden from her?" Myst hissed.

"No, I-"

"Well, why didn't you? If you're going to be with her forever, maybe you should tell her about your past. Do you think she'd never find out on her own? Maybe if she knew just what you're capable of, she wouldn't have freaked out so much."

"Some shit she don't need to know."

"But that you're safe and know what you're doing is."

"She'll figure it out."

"Okay, that's it. I'm hanging up now. I tried."

"WAIT!"

"But before I go, PULL YOUR STUPID MALE HEAD- AND I MEAN THE ONE ON YOUR SHOULDERS- OUT OF YOUR ASS- AND YES I MEAN YOUR ASS- AND FIND SOME WAY TO LET HER KNOW YOU HAVEN'T ABANDONED HER AND YOUR BABY! THAT YOU ARE COMING BACK FOR HER- THAT YOU LOVE HER- THAT YOU NEED HER AROUND- AND DO IT IN A WAY THAT SHE WILL FORGIVE YOU FOR BEING SUCH A SELF-RIGHTEOUS DOUCHEBAG!"

(*click*)

Victor pulled the phone from his ear and dropped it into his lap, staring down at it like this whole mess was its fault. "Damn frails..." He sighed. "Zee... maybe I am an idiot..." The edges of the phone began to blur, and he blinked hard. He must have something in his eyes.

She sat on her knees at his feet, listening to every word that spilled from his mouth, fearing that this should be the last time she would ever hear his voice- afraid that this was the last time she would ever set eyes on him alive. His quiet murmuring voice soothed her frazzled nerves, and she could feel all the stressful knots in her back loosening as she listened. She missed Erik, but until that moment she hadn't realized just how much.

Would he be put to death for his crimes? Charles had said that with Victor no news was good news. Would the same hold true for Erik? He was already locked up; would they throw away the key for a dream that, however misguided, had never come to fruition? Her heart ached to see him like this. This cold, sterile room was so below his station. Would he ever be free again? No way could she free him. She was but one; the guards were many. Giving away that she knew him outside of whatever excuse Charles had used to bring her here would be catastrophic. Sari was so helpless- if she weren't there, who would protect her?

His voice wove around her subconscious, lulling her into a thick daydream of time spent with her adopted father. The two of them would sit in his study or his private chambers, reading book after book. Sometimes, he would lay down on the couch or his bed, and she would real aloud to him. Other times, she would sit quietly while he lectured her- teaching her things, details that he felt she should know about. Her favorite times were when he would tell her about his life- his experiences. Some of his stories would raise such passion in him that he would unknowingly switch from English to German and back. Sometimes he'd start off into Polish, and she'd have to quietly remind him she didn't understand. Polish was to be her next big lesson, he'd say, but they had never seemed to get around to it.

They would do their study, their bonding, until Mystique would come home or come back in for the afternoon. Could even her sister rescue him? Was she scheming to do so now? Surely so- surely Mystique would free him. They'd been together for years- pulling each other out of countless scrapes. They only question now was how she'd get him out of this overgrown mouse trap.

Suddenly she was dying to say so- to reassure him that Mystique would be along soon enough. But certainly he already knew. She was lost here, torn between wanting to save him and the need to protect herself and her daughter. Any affiliation outside of being a student of Xavier's could mean death. Loyalty or no- and she was very loyal- she couldn't risk Sari's life- not for Erik, or Victor, or even herself.

So she remained quiet, taking immeasurable comfort in the sound of his voice as he exchanged banter back and forth with his oldest friend. Goddess but she hoped this moment would stick with her. Please, let this spell not break and life return to the shell it had become. She did not want to go back to the school! She wanted to go back to their home in the cold mountains with Mystique and Warts and Victor!

Victor... The thought of him brought a new lump to her throat, and her eyes began to well with tears. What had she been thinking? What had he been thinking? Why hadn't she just shut up and watched Scott's stupid movie to she wouldn't have seen that he was on television? She could have lived on in blissful ignorance while he did whatever, risking all their lives. She loved her mate, her husband, her lover, but did he love her?

She realized then that Erik and Charles had gone quiet, and she felt their eyes on her. She must have been thinking to loud; Charles had picked up on her thoughts.

"Are you alright, my dear?" Erik asked, reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder. The feral could only nod at him. If she tried to speak now, she'd burst into tears.

"She's just fine." Charles said on her behalf. "Just thinking a little loud, hmm?"

Again she nodded.

"Are you sure?" Erik didn't seem convinced. His brows drew together in a frown as he looked down at her. "You look upset."

"I was only thinking, mein Lehrer." she managed to murmur. "About home." She looked up into his eyes. "I don't want this to be the last time I hear your voice."

"Now, child, you listen to me- and you listen good!" Erik said, his eyes losing some of the concern she had put there. He pointed at Charles as he spoke. "Don't you listen to a word he tells you. A bunch of humans can't keep me locked up forever! You know that as well as he does, and when I do get out I expect you and Mystique to be waiting for me at the door!

She cracked a half-smile. "Count on it. Engine running, ready to go."

Erik put his hand on the crown of her head. "You've much to learn yet, my dear. They can't take me while there is still so much for me to teach you."

"Speaking of teaching..." Charles gently cut in. He smiled down at Zoe, then turned his eyes back to Erik. "I have watched your pupil very closely, Erik. She shows great potential. Not only is she a very learned young woman, but she is quite good with the younger students. Her genius seems to rub off on them."

"I should hope so." Erik returned. "She has a great capacity for learning. Your point, Charles?"

"I think that the school has gone far too long without a language course in its curriculum." said the professor, turning his eyes down at Zoe. "How would you like to become our new German tutor? I think the children would benefit greatly in the long run, and certainly know they will enjoy it."

"Become a tutor? For your lot?"

"It would be something to occupy your time while you are with us. Do you think you would be up for it?"

The ride home was uneventful. She sat in silence, contemplative. Scott and Charles spoke quietly between themselves, leaving her to her thoughts. Part of her was trying to remember every single word that Erik had said- to print it all in memory for safe keeping. The other part was trying to remember the exact layout of the building, where it was located, and the names and faces of the guards working there. When it was silent tonight- when the students and teachers were sleeping- she would step outside to make a phone call to Mystique. She didn't understand why such a decision left her feeling quite torn. Perhaps because she would have to hide that she had aided in the jailbreak? Was this guilt? Why should she feel guilt- who wouldn't want to help their loved ones? Surely her allegiances weren't on the change.

Victor drummed his fingers on the little table of his motel room. His lunch of the Colonel's chicken and potatoes was laid out in front of him, growing cold. For some reason, his appetite was gone. The gravy was a congealed gelatinous blob on top of potatoes that were growing crusty as they dried out. The chicken's breading sagged as it grew soggy, grease beading up around where it touched the plastic plate. Even if his appetite came back, he didn't think he'd be able to eat fried chicken for a few years.

His hands kept finding their way into his pocket to pull out his phone. Every time he'd catch himself, he'd put it back, yet it kept ending up in his hand like an expensive blarney stone. Zoe's number kept rattling off in his head, but he'd managed to keep from calling it so far. What would he even say if he did call? She'd probably yell, then he'd yell, then she'd yell some more, and he'd never get to apologi- er, make her see his side before they both got so worked up that they would be even worse off than they already were.

Par for the course. Zoe always seemed to blow shit out of proportion. And she harped. And nagged. And bitched... Life was so much easier when they could just beat the hell out of each other to get past this shit... Did he really need this shit?

His chest ached, and he growled. "God-damnit." Pounding his fist upon the table, he took to his feet.

*ring...ring...ring*

"Come on, Myst... pick up." Zoe half-growled, pulling her furs around her body to keep out the cold. The feral had scaled up to the top of the school, and sat perched on the edge of the roof like a gargoyle come to life. The moon was out and full, lighting up the yard below her, casting shadows around the grand fountain and rows of landscaping. "Mystique..."

*ring...ring...ring-*

"Hello? Zosia?"

The feral sucked in a breath. Mystique's hushed voice sent a shiver down her spine. "Myst- I must speak with you."

"Is this about you and Sylvester again?"

"No, no- forget that." Zoe half-growled. "It's done and over with. Never mind it."

"Okay."

"I saw Erik today. They're keeping him in a ceramic box."

"I know. I have the schematics for it. I know the layout of the building."

"...Oh. Alright then." murmured the feral. "I thought perhaps I could help."

"You are where you need to be with the baby, Zee." said the metamorph. "I know where he is and who put him there. What I don't know is the security detail."

"There were only fifteen guards that I counted. Only three were female. Military training, the lot of them." She tried to remember faces. "There are four big computers controlling his cell, and one computer set up solely to run a metal detector you must go through before being allowed into the cell."

"You wouldn't happen to know when they change shifts, would you? Did you notice?"

"Two of the guards monitoring the computers kept yawning, and it was the middle of the day. Perhaps they change shifts in the afternoon?"

"Perhaps. But that could be pure coincidence, too."

"I am sorry I cannot tell you more."

"No, you've been very helpful, Zee. Thank you."

Perched as he was, sitting on the bough of a tall oak tree, he could see the entire back of the school Most of the windows were dark. Considering that it was just after midnight, he wasn't surprised. Taking a deep breath, he couldn't differentiate Zee's from the others- not from this far back. He'd found her kills covered with a fresh blanket of snow, and followed her scent trail back to the school.

Hitching his bag up onto his shoulder, he dropped over the edge of the wall, landing in the flowerbeds inside the wall without a sound. With feline grace, he stalked up to the side of the school, skirting along the edge, just under the windows, smelling for some trace of his mate. Finally, along the back corner, he caught a whiff of her scent. He looked up.

A window was cracked open on the third floor for letting steam out of a bathroom. A gentle wind blew, washing the weather witch's scent, his mate's scent and the scent of vanilla shampoo over him. With a smiling smirk, he quickly scaled the side of the building, pulling himself up onto the bathroom ledge. The bathroom was dark and empty, but he could see a sliver of the bedroom through his perch. There was a desk and a rocking chair, and his mate's phone was settled on a pile of folded clothing there. He had the right room.

He took a deep breath at the window. The weather witch had been the one in the shower; her scent was stronger in the bathroom than his mate's was. She had been in here earlier, though, as it lingered on the hairbrush laid on the bathroom counter. With a sharp claw, he tapped on the window, loud enough his mate would hear him, then pulled himself the six feet up onto the edge of the roof, slinking behind a battlement.

*click, click, click, click, screeech*

Zoe cocked an ear to the bathroom door, laying Sari down on the bed beside Ororo. The weather witch put an arm over the cub, cuddling the baby to her in her sleep. Zoe smiled at them, then turned and walked into the bathroom, pulling the door closed behind her.

The little bathroom window was cracked as usual to allow steam out from Ororo's hot shower an hour before. She stalked up to it with a curious scowl. There was no tree by this window- what had clicked on it? She pulled it open a little more, and a gust of wind blew her hair back from her face.

Victor?

"Vic?" She opened the window, looking down to the ground below her. Were those footprints in the snow? She pulled the window open all the way, stepping out onto the window ledge. Looking up, she noticed the icicles were missing along the rooftop above her, so she gracefully leapt up. She grabbed a battlement's edge, pulling herself up onto the roof.

She could smell him up here, and her heart lurched. He was here- he'd come. "Victor?" She stalked along the battlements, walking around the side of the tower. There he was, leaned against the wall, one foot propped up behind him, arms crossed over his chest. The smaller feral leapt for him, landing against him with her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

"Took you long enough." he teased lightly, wrapping his big arms around her. "I been freezing my ass off up here waiting on you."

"Serves you right." she murmured against his neck, "Meanass... Hanging up on me."

"You wouldn't calm the fuck down!"

"I was scared..." She leaned back enough to meet his eyes, bringing her hands up to cup his cheeks. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I'm sorry I blew up."

"Don't worry about me, lieb." he returned. "I'll be fine. I been running for a long time." She only nodded, bringing her face forward and kissing his lips. He pulled back when she shivered from the cold. He set her down and gave her a gentle shove towards her corner of the mansion. The smaller feral grabbed his hand, pulling her along with him as though she was afraid he wouldn't follow her.

Together they walked to the edge, jumped down, and climbed into the small bathroom window.

The Lady Mage