AUTHORS NOTE: I have taken artistic liscence to change the X-men Movie story line around a little. In this fic, Jean Grey/Phoenix DID go physco and killed Scott Summers/Cyclops, however, Charles Xavier is still alive...obviously...I think.
Okay, onto the story.
CHAPTER THREE
The Wolverine and Sabertooths Emotions
WESTCHESTER SCHOOL FOR GIFTED YOUNGSTERS
"Whaddya want, Wheels?" James Logan Howlett asked as he sauntered into the Proffessors office, his usually Cuban cigar stuck in the corner of his mouth. The Canadian had just finished another training session in the danger-room and still stank of sweat.
"Ah, Logan. How are you?" possibly the most powerful telepath in the whole world turned his wheelchair to face the Wolverine with sympathy in his eyes.
James just growled at him. "Save the counseling session for another day, Chuck. Whaddya want."
The Professor Charles Xavier seemed to be inwardly debating whether or not to push the subject and Logan could see it in his eyes.
"Either tell me what you want or I'm LEAVING!"
"It's your brother." The Professor said quickly before Logan could make good on his threat.
Logan cocked an eyebrow at him. "I told you, Chuck. I don't HAVE a brother."
Charles Xavier took a deep breath and drew on his very deep well of patience. "I assure you, Logan, that Sabretooth is indeed your brother." he held up one hand to try to stall Logans rant. "But that is neither here nor there at the moment. As you know,I've been keeping track of the brotherhoods disbanded members, just to make sure they don't…..start anything."
Logan gave a curt nod, signaling the Professor to continue. "Yeah, and?"
"You are aware of the treaty I made with your brother, I believe?" Xavier asked. "He would have his own land to hunt and do as he chose, provided that he did not harm any being human or mutant."
"Get to the point, Charles."
"Well, he seems to have kidnapped a hiker."
Logans claws immediately sprung out and he turned heel and left the room. "I'm on it."
Charles Xavier thought of calling Logan back, but decided against it. After all, he HADto be wrong, there was no WAY those thoughts had been coming from Sabertooth, the thoughts of;
`…..mate…..must protect…..keep her warm…..keep her safe…..keep her fed…..mate…..`
No, that couldn't have been Sabertooth at all.
She was warm.
Comfortable.
Cozy.
`Wow…..` she yawned sleepily. ` I don't remember sleeping that well since…..`she wrinkled her nose in thought, still not opening her eyes. `…..gosh, since before third grade, I think…..`
She sniffed and wrinkled her nose. `But what's that smell?` It was pungent and musky and a little overpowering.
That's when the last nights events hit her with the force of a mac truck and her eyes popped open. She was wrapped in her captors arms.
"Morning." She said quietly, willing herself NOT to tense.
Her greeting was met with a warm purr.
"Sleep." He grunted.
Her jaw dropped.
"Still tired." Her captor stated and he shifted a little underneath her. "Sleep."
She sighed. Well, he hadn't hurt her so far. Deciding to press her luck, she let herself fall back asleep in her captors arms.
Sabertooth sat quietly in his cabin, emotions warring with themselves.
Emotions.
Normally, Sabertooths emotions were tied to his baser instincts, for example being annoyed if he was hungry, but mostly it was rage and anger or sometimes nothing at all.
Protectiveness…..he had felt that before, with Jimmy, but that had been decades ago. Happiness...had he ever been happy?
It he racked his brain, he seemed to recall a few things; sunlit days with Jimmy and a red-headed girl…..what had been her name?...playing in a river…..but then they had gone back to that huge house on the hill and he had had to go back to a drunken old man with whiskey and a belt.
He growled low in his throat at the memory, claws lengthening, and the frail in his arms stirred.
"What's wrong?"
He blinked, shocked out of his bad memories, and growled. Why was she asking him that!? Did she think he was weak!?
She groaned. "Great, did I say something wrong again?"
Both their stomachs growled then…..well, his roared more than it growled.
She looked up at him, trying to pretend he was someone she knew and trusted. "Are you going hunting again?"
"And you're staying here!" he growled low in his threat.
She held up both hands in a defensive gesture. "Okay, okay! Stay here. Got it."
He growled low at her. Obviously the man didn't trust her…..she didn't blame him, since she didn't really trust him either.
Still, the great mutant didn't stop growling. "How do I know you'll stay here?"
She bit her lower lip. "I…..I don't know…..are you going to, to…..hurt me?"
"NO!" he shouted and she jumped in his arms, covering her ears.
She looked back up at her strange captor. "Who…..Who are you? And why did you kidnap me?"
He growled out one word. "Protect….."
Cassie buried her face in her hands, letting her long hair become a curtain. "So you're protecting me…..from what?"
When he just growled at her, she groaned and looked back up. "And people say I have serious communication issues." Then, taking a deep breath, she held out her hand. "Let's start over. My name is Cassie, Cassie Marie Andrews. What's your name?"
When he just looked at her hand and growled, she sighed. "Okay, I can see it's been a while. This is called a hand-shake. It's typically done when you meet someone for the first time."
Sabertooth growled again, but his hand did come out, slowly, and grasped hers, dwarfing it.
Pieces of his memory were beginning to resurface, more human pieces…..like shaking hands…..fighting alongside other mutants back before mutants had ever been acknowledged by the public. His brother Jimmy losing his memory, forgetting all about his older brother.
He growled low in his throat. Now he REALLY needed to hunt. "Stay HERE, frail." He growled, very gently moving her off of his lap. He didn't know he could even DO gentle.
"What if I have to pee?" she asked.
"Outside." He grunted. "But don't GO anywhere." He pushed his face into hers. "If you do, I"ll hunt you down and use your skin for a hat." Of course, he would do no such thing (not that he hadn't done it before) but he wouldn't do this to his frail. Still, a little more incentive never hurt anyone.
Her eyes went huge and then, well he'd be darned if she wasn't attempting to hold back a smile! Surely his intimidation skills hadn't disappeared THAT fast.
"U-Use my skin for a hat? Well, I don't think it'd be a very pretty hat with all the scars and all." And then she GIGGLED!
But then her words really registered. `…..Scars?` He growled dangerously low. "What scars?"
Now her scent became that thick, almost woolly scent of embarrassment. If he had been in touch with his more human side, he might have rolled his eyes. He hadn't seen any scars when he had undressed her, but then again he had been really quick about it, wanting her warm. Now he just wanted to examine her properly.
She waved one hand dismissively. "It really doesn't matter. Besides, I guess they're not REALLY glaringly obvi—WHOA!" she let out a yell as he yanked the furs from her skin.
She clutched the furs to her chest as he grabbed one arm and brought it close to his face.
There were scars, yes. Not huge, raised scars, like a keloid, but most of them were redder than her normal skin, giving her arm a discolored mess. He growled low. They didn't look like knife scars, although SOMETHING had to have caused them, a sickness perhaps? "WHAT HAPPENED!?"
She flinched back. "Picking!"
For some reason she could tell that there was a question in that growl and it brought up her own frustration. "Look, it doesn't really matter."
His grip on her tightened painfully and she winced. "What…happened."
" I TOLD you, PICKING!"
His growl told her clearly that that was NOT a satisfactory answer.
She shook her head fiercely. "I don't know how else to tell you!"
Her distress was rising, he could smell it, and this distressed him. She needed to be calm. She needed to be calm RIGHT NOW!
Just then, there came a roar from outside of the cabin. "VIIIICCCCTOR!"
Sabertooths head snapped up and he smiled predatorily. "Jimmy….."