~Chapter 3~
"You have to be shiting me." Logan exclaimed, eyeing the pair. "You really think you can live here and not cause trouble?"
"I don't recall agreeing to that." Sabertooth rather cooly replied. Lowering his gaze and locking with brown, he cocked an eye brow. "Did you?"
Shaking her head, she looked down at her feet.
"See. I never said I'll be on my best behavior and..."
"As a residence here, you will abid by all the rules." Charles stated, from the head of the table. "True you are allowed on these grounds because I wish to aid Rogue, but you will under no circumstances cause mischief. There are rules for a reason Creed, that you will live by under my roof."
Narrowing his eyes and taking a step, a smaller body moved before him. Seizing in his assult, he glared down at her. "You got a problem with what I said, runt?"
Lifting her gaze and noding, she found a hand wrapped around her throat.
"I don't take orders from no one, any more." He growled, lifting her in the air.
"You still think this is a good idea?" Logan exclaimed, walking around the table and easing closer to the two.
Watching as they became locked in each other gazes, Charles pushed his mental print out. Catching Creed's vengeful one, he quickly launched into Rogue's. Just as he entered and moved to shift through her emotions, he was roughly forced out. Leaning heavily back, he tried to regain his bearings. From the little he did see in her mind, made him question who she really was, to have such control and walls in her mind. Catching movement ot his left, he shook his head. "No, she's fine."
Haulting, Logan gave him a pointed stare.
Frowning, Jean eyed him. "How can you say that? He's going to choke the life out of her?"
"No, he won't." Turning his attention towards the one in question who was dangling in the air, he motioned everyone back. "She's just as dangerous as him...maybe more."
Moving to reply, Jean quickly moved from the body being tossed her way. Turning and finding a tense and hazle eyed female staring back, she lost her voice.
Jumping back to his feet, Sabertooth gave a mock clap. "And here I was wondering, when the claws were going to come out." Walking over towards her, he ran a finger down her jaw. "Now back to what I said, I'm not playing Mr. Nice. If they don't like it, we are leaving." Dropping his hand, he tangled it in her hair. "You got that?"
"No." Her now raw and animalistic voice sounded, as she glared up at him.
"Do not play with fire, kitten. You don't want to go against..."
"You?" She finished.
"Exactly." Pulling her closer and lowering his face, he nuzzled her neck. "After all, I don't want to hurt what's rightfully mine, now do we?"
Narrowing her eyes and jerking back from his hold, she shoved him. "No one owns me!" She growled, as fangs could be seen out the corner of her pouty lips.
"You are..."
"Insane." Launching herself at him and falling onto the table, papers littered the ground. "You agreed to fight and help me escape, in return I stay by your side. That in no sense, makes me yours." Leaning over him from her position on his hips, she tossed her hair off her left shoulder. "You may have marked me as pack, but do not let it go to your head. I'm far from that weak and submissive little girl, Magneto kidnapped years ago. And you'll do well to remember that." Jumping off him, she turned her back.
"You got that right, runt. You're strong, but only until it wears off." Sitting up and ignoring his back that took the hard impact of that damn steel table, Sabertooth eyed her. "But we both know at the end of the day, it's only me that can give you that edge you need. Rather you want to admit it or not, you need me."
"No, I don't." Facing him, she folded her arms. "You are not the only consort I can have." Looking past him, she smiled. "There is another I can take freely from, without killing." Rogue smoothly replied, as before their very eyes she returned to normal, as the aura surrounding her became warm once more.
Following her gaze, he growled. Rushing her blindly, he roughly grabbed her arm. Ignoring the smell of blood that entered the air from where his claws ripped through her shirt, he visibly shook. "You will not touch him."
"If you remain as you are, then I will." Reaching out with her gloved hand, she placed it over his heart. "I cannot depend on you when you are like this. My life is on the line and..."
"You are mine to protect. Not his." His raw voice sounded, as his eyes pleaded with her to understand.
"I..."
"Am the one that sacrificed my life for you and ensured your survival. Was it not for me, Eric would've killed you the moment you refused to aid in his cause." Ripping her shirt open to reveal jagged and scared flesh over her chest, he traced it with his eyes. "Was it not for me, you wouldn't have that heart that now beats strongely inside you."
Lowering her gaze, a tear fell. "You should've let me die and..."
"Then that fool would've won." Dropping her and watching as she fell into a heap at his feet, he took a step back. "Eric is the one that will always come out on top. With you, he will never know what to expect."
"So that's the real reason why you let me live?"
"Yeah..."
"I won't do it."
Kneeling, he smirked. "You don't have a choice runt. It's life or death. Now choose." Regaining his footing, he faced the silent group. "Sorry bout the mess, have Wolverine clean it for me. And if you need me, I'll be in the gym working out."
Watching as he left, Charles slowly wheeled over. "Are you alright, my dear?"
Closing her shirt and standing, she shakily leaned back on the wall behind her. "Yeah. I had worse."
Frowning, he motioned Kitty over. "Take her to get cleaned and a change of..."
"I'm fine. Don't worry about it." Rogue stated, pushing free of the wall and heading towards the door. The moment she got it open and took a step, her knees buckled. Closing her eyes and waiting to meet the ground, she found herself craddled in a warm and toned chest. Opening her eyes and looking up, she found amused brwon staring down at her.
"You're a stubborn one, aren't you?" Logan teased.
Blushing and lowering her gaze, she fell silent.
"Rogue," Charles began. "I know that you are very tired and would like to get cleaned up, but can you answer something for me?"
"Sure."
"Why the sudden change a moment ago? You seemed rather out of your own skin and more brash...ferral even?"
Lifting her gaze and finding everyone's gazes on her, she sighed. Leaning further into his arms and relaxing, she looked down at her hands. "When I take another mutant's 'gift', I also absorb their characteristics. Earlier when I touched Victor, the ferral side of him and his strength also was taken."
"So when you absorb another, you take on their personality...Marvelous. I think I may be able to help you gain more control quicker then I think." Sighing, he gave the impatient man a nod. "Go. Take her to the showers and make sure she has a change of clothes. Wait for her and help her to a room in the teacher's wing."
"Charles, I don't think that would be a wise idea." Storm sounded, as she eyed the pale female. "I mean, she is a young..."
"Creed will stop at nothing to get to her whenever he wants. I do not wish to endanger the student's well being. So for percausion, she will remain in the teacher wing."
Noding, Logan led his precious cargo towards the locker room.
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Tossing her head back and allowing the hot boiling water to caress her face, she moaned.
"You alright in there darling?"
Jumping and turning around, Rogue sighed as she saw the shadow of him behind the glass door in the distance. "Yeah." She called out, killing the shower and retreiving a towel from the bench. "I'll be out in a minute."
"Take your time. I ain't got nothing planned for the night." Logan calmly stated, leaning on the wall.
Drying her hair and grabbing the brush, she pulled her long dark tresses into a pony tail. "You don't have to baby me." Slipping into a matching set of black panties and bra, she bent to retreive her jeans. Just as she fastened them and moved to her top, pain wrecked her body. Gasping and falling to her hands and knees, she cluched her chest.
"Rogue?" Logan's voice boomed, through the door. " What's going on?"
Moving her hand and spoting blood, she frowned. "Not again." Her weak voice sounded, as her breaths began to shorten.
Receiving no answer, he growled. "I'm coming in."
Looking up and catching his blurry figure rushing over, she tried to open her mouth to tell him not to touch her.
"Kid," he called, kneeling and reaching out to grab her.
Using the last of her energy to jump back, she fell against the lockers. Groaning as her head began to throb, she blinked to stay woke.
"What the hell? You need to..."
"Skin...kill...you..." She panted.
Instantly understanding, he stilled his hands. Moving towards her and studying the wound on her chest, he quickly retreived her abandoned towel. Pressing it to her chest, he frowned. "How did you reopen it? It was closed earlier."
"It never...fully heals."
"Creed...you feed off his life force so it won't open?"
Noding, a smedge of blood fell from her lips.
"How much do you need to take?"
Eyes widdening, she shook her head.
"Unless you want to die, you don't have no choice." Reaching up and brushing a loose strand of hair that escaped it's binding, he smiled. "I'll be fine. I heal."
"No...you don't understand..." Pulling herself up more and leaning heavily upon the lockers, she faced him. "I take...and you...and I...are connected."
"When you say connected, you mean..."
"We are like one...we can feel each other...but it's...different with...each person." Coughing up more of her life essence in her hand, she struggled to breath.
Watching as her body began to shut down, Logan palmed her jaw. Instantly, every ounce of his body ached and begged for peace. Feeling his skin rip open throughout his being, he gasped. Staring into her dull eyes that was gaining color as well as her skin, he forced a smile despite the agony coursing his frame.
The moment she could move without feeling such an affliction, she moved her face. As his hand fell to her lap, she kneeled beside him. Reaching over him to the bench and hastily pulling on her purple shirt and gloves, she bent and gathered him in her arms. Standing with him in her arms, she ran for the medical wing.
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Feeling a soft hand caress his chest, he smiled. "That tickles."
Shaking her head, she found deep brown staring up at her. "How you feeling?"
"Like a truck just ran me over." He stated, slowly sitting up.
"That's an understatement." Moving towards his chart, she began to mark it up. "Are you feeling dizzy and..."
"I'm fine." Cutting her off and standing, he streatched.
"That's good to hear, considering how we found you."
Tilting his head, he raised an eyebrow.
"You don't remember what happened, do you?"
"No."
Sighing, Jean placed the chart down. "Logan, you touched Rogue and she fed from your life force. She was..."
"Going to die...How is she?"
"Fine. But she's been a little busy." Hearing a commotion getting louder by the minute, she folded her arms. "No doubt you'll see why."
Opening his mouth to reply, in came a tall and obviously angered blond man.
"You bastard! You had no right to touch her!" He yelled, moving in his personal space.
"So you wanted her to die?" Logan rather cooly replied, haulting as he placed his shirt on the bed.
Biting his jaw, he fell silent.
"Like I thought. So get over it."
"You have no idea what you did."
Sighing, he folded his arms. "Then spit it out."
Sniffing and stepping back, he shook his head. "No, you'll see instead."
Moving to reply, the door opened and in walked Rogue.
Sporting a pair of dark blue hip huggers with an indian studded belt buckle, the newly pierced belly ring attracted the naked eye. Not to mention the small white tank that barely stopped under her rather large breast. Opting for no long sleeved gloves, she had on a biker pair that was fingerless and strapped at the wrist. But it was the tattoo on her neck of a howling wolf as a moon sat in the back drop. Hair tied to the side to show it off as her long tresses graced her shoulder, she smiled as she walked over.
"Woke finally, I see." Her southern voice sounded.
Doing a double take of her, Logan was rendered speechless.
Raising her hand and revealing a Molasas, she smirked. "Thirsty?"
Accepting it and popping the top he took a rather large gulp. Sighing, he raised an eyebrow. "How'd you know I wanted one?"
"Let's just say, you need to go buy another pack."
"It's five in the..."
"I kind of finished them while you were out."
Looking from her to a pissed Creed, he gave a nod of the head. "I'll get right on it, darling."
Turning, she moved to leave.
"Where are you going?"
Pausing, she eyed him. "Why? You're not my keeper, Victor."
Growling and marching over, he back handed her. "I am tired of this attitude, runt. Get a hold of yourself!"
Turning her head back and revealing three slashes across her glossy skin, she licked the blood from her busted lip. "Then leave. I don't need you."
Watching as the marks on her healed before their very eyes, Jean gasped. "She still has your mutation."
"Still?"
Noding as they glared at each other, she frowned. "When you lost conciousness, she carried you down here. When he entered, they got into a fight that Scott and Ro tried to interven in, but with them two...they were like wild animals, they way they were tearing into each other. It's safe to say, she has your healing, strength, and a taste of your personality."
Eyeing her, he pulled his shirt over his head. Walking over and throwing an arm around her shoulders, he spared the other man a look. "I'll watch her."
Watching as she smirked and leaned into his body, Sabertooth growled. "Don't get to comfy. When she loses your traits, you'll have a little girl on ya' hands. And don't forget she doesn't belong to you."
Shaking his head, Logan led her out towards a night in his shoes.
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Yeah I know that it's kind of short, but the next chapter will be where their bond actually starts and evolves from. I know I added a few things that may be confusing, but as you read along more and more is going to be revealed. Don't forget to review.
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