As said in a couple other updates, Life and health are keeping me from being more frequent with updates little Darcy's. I only hope this chapter finds you in good spirits and good health, all my kisses and love!

Chapter 11: Sister sitting prt. 3

"Victor yah sure-"

"Do me a favor and shut the hell up little one, I gotta concentrate."

"Okay but yah gonna do the tips right?"

At his look of incredulity, Marie sighed and sank back into the couch pillows, grabbing another handful of candied pecans and resumed watching her brother in law give her a much needed pedicure.

"Yah know, at a real salon they wouldn't tell meh tah shut up." She pointed out. He continued to clean and trim her toenails, surveying his work with a critical eye.

"No they'd be nosy nellies and egg you on. So talk. What's somethin real crazy you've done?"

Marie frowned,munching thoughtfully. The late night chat and taco feast had brought the pair a lot closer together and when a new day dawned it showed. He'd caught her struggling to paint her nails (being pregnant didn't lend itself to much reaching) and promptly took away the bottle, proclaiming it both junk and cheap.

Twenty minutes, one drug store run and a near miss with the local authorities for public indecency later, he'd set up the Victor Creed version of a pedicure salon, complete with foot soak. He even had a few different colors to choose from and one of those little kits for designs on the nails. Too touched to really tease, Marie had taken a seat with her current favorite snack and let Victor have at it.

"Once ah went skinny dippin." She finally admitted. He made a noise of surprise and buffed another nail. "No shit? Never woulda taken you for an exhibitionist little one. But it was only one time?" Victor arched an eyebrow, grinning when she began to turn pink.

"How many times? Twice? …. Three times?...More than three times?!" His grin turned evil when Marie began to fidget.

"A few times okay?! When yah have tah cover up all the time it.. it feels good not tah. Once in awhile." She explained defensively. Victor shook his head, still smiling.

"I knew you couldn't be all southern belle, your blood runs too hot. The Rogue has too much fire for that. Jimmy know about this?"

Realizing that in some odd way, Victor was proud of her, Marie now began to smile a little herself.

"He was with meh a couple a those times."

"You crazy kids. Bet you gave the fish a real show too hmm?"

Marie rolled her eyes while Victor smirked back.

"It's always about sex with yah Victor."

"Hey, I'm a lonely old man with few friends. I have to live vicariously as best I'm able little one."

Marie returned his smirk with one of her own.

"Please. Yah a two hundred year old perv who's gonna get a good hard slap one of these days."

"You kinky little tease."

She snorted in laughter and took another handful of nuts.

"It was his idea the first time. Go for a night swim ah mean, not the naked part!" She explained hastily, slapping at his leer. "So we went together that first time but then mah suit got caught on somethin in the water, a branch ah think. One thing led to anotha and that was mah first time skinny dippin." Marie summed up with a laugh. Victor shook his head, painting a delicate looking blossom on her big toe.

"Dunno how Jimmy did it, keeping his hands to himself for so long. If I had a mate.." He trailed off, refocusing on the foot in front of him. Marie noted his change in tone and nudged him lightly with the foot he wasn't currently working on.

"If yah had a mate..?" She prodded.

"You ask a lot of questions little one."

Hesitating only briefly, she took the plunge.

"Are yah lonesome Victor?"

For a few minutes, he let her sit in silence, working on nail designs. Eyes still on her toes, he switched to the other foot before he spoke again.

"It's nice to be a pack again." He began.

"But.. it could be nicer. Don't yah think?" Marie asked gently.

"Yeah.. don't suppose you have any hot friends looking for a good time?" He joked. Instead of responding, she pet his hair gently, accepting his soft embrace.

"We'll find yah somebody big brother. A real nice lady, one who can give yah a family with lots of little psycho babies of yah own." She teased. He smiled against her belly where the baby kicked, adding in their own two cents.

"Look at that, ain't even out yet and the kid likes me better. You know it's not too late to pass off this baby as mine-"

"Yah such a dork. And don't change the subject! What kind of woman are yah lookin for? Maybe ah can keep an eye out."

"I'm not discussing this with you."

Pouting, she started on another handful.

"Why not? If we work together ah bet yah we could find somebody before the year is out."

"Because we- hold that thought." He said, pausing when the phone rang. She made a little 'gimme' motion with her hand and he poked her with mock menace before handing it over.

Still giggling, she pressed the talk button and watched him start to tidy up.

"Howlett residence- oh hi Professor wha- he's what?" The blood drained from her face and Victor was at her side in an instant. "They-... when? Ah understand. No, Victor's with meh. We'll be raght yah, we're on our way." Hugging her belly for comfort, she looked up at her big brother.

"The blackbird went down and the team missed the last two check in's. The Professor says they're missin."

The only reason this wasn't the fastest Victor had ever driven was because he had his pregnant sister mate in the passenger seat. It was bad enough that Jimmy was on the away team that was missing, to have Marie inconsolable and possibly putting the baby in distress was something just as worrying.

Barely waiting for him to stop, she jumped out as soon his SUV pulled up to the building waddling as fast as her swollen little feet could carry her into the school. Truthfully Victor wasn't certain whether she would be pissed and demand to go on the rescue team or sobbing in worry. It seemed, however, that both were pretty likely in equal measure.

It should have been a routine mission for him, get in, get the kids, get out. They'd sent a team of six fully trained, powerful and deadly mutants to free mutant children from a lab. The intel had been checked out, it was good. There was no reason for this radio silence now.

Unless something had gone wrong.

Or they hadn't had time to request radio silence.

Or it was a trap.

Or- dammit now he was starting to panic. He'd lost his little brother once, he wasn't sure he could go through that again. Not when with a kit on the way, a pregnant sister mate and the pack coming together to reform once more.

Trying to push away the negative thoughts, Victor pushed a mug of chamomile tea into Marie's trembling hands and all but dumped her into a chair.

"When was the last communication?" He asked. The professor was checking his intel now, big blue sitting beside him with the same level of worry for his mate as Marie, if not more. The weather witch was one of the missing.

"It's been nearly 16 hours."

"And yah just tellin meh now?!" Marie roared. The professor remained collected, but his fingers flying across his keyboard did falter.

"There are often delays while on missions, which you yourself are familiar with. We weren't overly concerned until the second check in was missed and we couldn't raise the away team on any of the frequencies. I understand that this must be very frightening for you but-"

Glaring, Marie pushed herself up with one hand, batting away Victor's attempts to help irritably.

"Are yah pregnant too?"

"I beg your pardon?"

Gritting her teeth, she slammed the cup down on the desk, letting her beverage slosh over the sides.

"Ah asked if yah pregnant."

Plainly confused, the older man shook his head, She stalked forward, with enough menace in her step that Victor wondered if he might have to break up a brawl.

"Cause if yah not pregnant and yah don't have a mate missing, ah'm willing tah bet yah DON'T understand one BIT what this is like so don't pretend otherwise! Just find mah damn mate or so help meh ah'll steal one of yah fancy ass planes and find him mah self!"