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A/N: Big thanks for the reviews!

CHAPTER 4

Two days later Victor took his usual place across the TV, where the news headlines rolled over the screen. Marie approached him, her eyes glued to the report, telling that a major player in the human trafficking scene had been found dead this morning at his summer cottage, together with his two bodyguards. The brunette huffed and opened her note pad. "Somehow Ah doubt it was a grizzly shredding those men." Her chocolate eyes swapped to his claws. "Sounds more like a cougar or a really big cat."

Victor flashed her his canines. "You might be right, Stripes."

Many little girls were sold as sex-slaves by Sabretooth's latest victim, if the children survived the transport in the containers, that is. So in Marie's eyes that bastard deserved to meet Victor's claws. "What can Ah do for ya today, sugah?"

The mutant scented the air and was a little surprised that the girl seemed to be at ease even with his confession about his latest kill. "Beer, the cheeseburger with ham as extra toppin' and a blueberry muffin for take-away."

"Will be there in a minute." Marie whirled around and told the orders the cook, before she returned with his beer. "Here ya go."

"Thanks." He eyed her a moment, his forehead wrinkled. "You fine with the death of that bastard?"

The brunette leaned closer to the other mutant and lowered her voice. "He deserved it for what he did to those girls."

He hitched a brow at her comment and whispered. "So as long as I kill the bad guys, you fine with it?" He saw her shrug her shoulders, but her eyes told him that it didn't really bother her. "At least I look much better than that Dexter guy in the TV."

"Ya got a point there, but different than him, your appearance screams 'serial killer'."

The feral hitched his brow in half surprise. "Really? What happened to the sassy Southern Belle? You call me sugar and now you compliment me." His tone dropped to a rasp whisper and he looked at her amused features.

"Nothing happened to her, Vic." She winked at him. "Just telling the truth." With that she turned around and approached another customer while Victor stared at her long legs, licking his lips.

He could tell that she never let her guard down around him, but her self-confidence in his presence had already reached a level, where she wasn't scared to death anymore and wouldn't watch her every word and movement. The young woman began to treat him like a normal person – something only his little brother did or dared to do, but she still held in mind that her life and that of her unborn child were at his mercy. He liked that. And he liked her attitude. Not to mention her curves. 'Oh shit! Now I find a chick worth a try to get her willingly between the sheets with me and she has to be my friggin' brother's mate! Life truly hates me!'

Victor wasn't on good terms with his brother since Lagos, now almost 25 years ago, but they were still brothers no matter what and he wouldn't betray James – even if the other man's betrayal and words still ached his heart after so many years.

He had always put his brother and his demands and welfare first, staying in Japan with him after WWII and treated the frail, James' had called his wife, civil. Even with his knowledge about the backstabbing bitch Kayla, he hadn't killed her, though he wanted to do nothing more back then, but Victor knew that if he had done it then he would have destroyed his brother and the bond they shared. He had been so delighted as James had turned his back on the bitch after finding out she had only used him. But other than to see that Victor had once again watched out for his brother and even had held himself at bay to not really kill her, the love-sick and moral ridden idiot changed his mind and made it clear that Kayla wasn't free to kill.

This had hurt Victor even more and that his brother truly wanted to kill him a few moments later and his life was only spared by the frail's begging. But even then Victor had jumped beyond his own shadow and helped his brother fight Deathpool, only to receive the cold shoulder as reward.

Despite what everybody including his dear little brother thought about him, he wasn't as cold and self-centered. James would always stay a part of his life and he would look out for the younger man, even if it included beating the crap out of him on his birthday and not making a move on his girl.

X

The days flew by and both of them began to look forward to his daily visits. He would taunt her or annoy her and she would snap at him or tease him with some cat related comments. Sometimes they would make some flirty comments to make the other smile. But what both enjoyed the most were their talks about Logan.

Victor wouldn't tell her anything really important about his brother's past, like his name or what had really happened at Three Miles Island, but he told her stuff, he hadn't thought he would tell anyone ever. Sometimes his stories about some idiocy his brother had done decades ago made both of them laugh and stirred a similar story about Logan's antics from the brunette.

The large mutant truly liked her – not that he would tell anyone – and his initial concern for his brother's child had grown to genuine concern about the young woman's well-being. This was the reason why he took a seat at the counter this day and not at his usually spot.

Marie looked up at him and greeted him with her bright smile – something else he liked about her, her smiles wasn't faked any longer. "Hey, sugah. What can Ah do for ya today? Oh, we just got cherry-muffins." The brunette still wondered why he took his desserts away instead of eating it at the diner like everyone else, but she had given up her probing… for now.

"Then I'll have one of those, sweetheart. And the fried chicken." Victor eyed her a moment as she placed his beer in front of him like usually. "Where were you yesterday?"

The young woman shrugged off the feeling that she might have picked up worry in his dark voice. "Switched shifts. Ah had a doctor's appointment." She answered honestly after telling the cook his order.

Victor furrowed his forehead at her carefree expression. "You fine, Marie?"

"Sure. It was a baby doctor, Victor. Just the monthly checkup," she whispered, before her voice returned to its normal volume. "If ya won't stop fussing about me, people might think Sabretooth would care for a little Southern gal like me."

He returned her grin, showing his fangs in the process. "Don't flatter me. Might damage my reputation."

"Uhu." She rolled her eyes and headed over to another customer, fully aware of Victor's lustful eyes on her bottom.