Victor's Quarters

[The Phoenix]

Phoenix smiled as Victor placed his hand on her stomach. The baby moved at the touch but not as violently as before. It really did bother her that the baby was already showing so many signs of powers. She was excited about it but at the same time scared about what it meant. She should have known that it would happen though seeing how powerful she herself was. She didn't even know how powerful she really was. It seemed that her powers had no limits...well before she had transferred her mind into this blonde woman she now occupied. Her hand laid on top of his as she laid there.

"It will be. I'm worried though about it being this strong this soon."

She ran her other hand through her hair as she laid on the bed and he laid next to her. His presence comforted her in a way that nothing else could. She had been so fidgety while she was in Spain without him. She had actually welcomed it when he showed up in Spain. She had not expected him to. She had never expected him to come all the way to a different country to tell her to come home. He just didn't seem like that type of man. But maybe he was changing. She had changed so why couldn't he?

"We still need a crib, though. Either you put it together or find someone to do it for me."

[Victor Creed]

Victor gave a little nod to her concern about the baby's strength. He hadn't wanted to worry her though, even when he was thinking about the possibilities of what could happen. He could only hope that it was just their imaginations running wild. That the child would be fine and life could move on. He remained quiet for a moment then, just resting there next to her as he was lost in that thought. It was awhile but he finally responded to her concern. "I'm sure that everything will work out fine. We will deal with whatever happens...when it happens." He was attempting to be comforting to her. It wasn't necessarily a...natural trait of his.

He frowned as she mentioned the crib thing again. "You'll have your crib, stop worrying about it." He stopped himself from rolling his eyes at the way she kept going on about the damned crib.

[The Phoenix]

Phoenix nodded as he said that they would deal with whatever was to happen when it happened. She knew he was telling the truth because...well, they had to didn't they? They couldn't just run away from this if it all went wrong. This was their child and there was no turning back from whatever would happen. He was right, this child would be a force to be reckoned with when the time came. No one would be able to stand in it's way especially not with her and Victor with it, protecting it.

"Maybe...maybe I should see a doctor. I mean are there any that would know about this sort of thing? A mutant doctor or something?"

She laced her fingers with his and kept their hands on her stomach as she looked down at them together. She had never seen a doctor before and really had no idea if there were any doctors for mutants or any that would know what was going on in her womb. She knew Jean Grey was a doctor but she couldn't well go to her. She would have to kill her in the end and she still didn't know if the bond between them was broken yet. Victor had to know of someone, if not she knew that he would find someone. He had found her this body why couldn't he find a doctor for her to see?

[Victor Creed]

Victor thought about the doctor idea for a moment. Was it really necessary? Sure the kid had some power to it...did they need to find a doctor just for that? She seemed fine otherwise. There were options he supposed if it was really necessary. "I'm sure its just a minor side effect. The longer the world is unaware of our child...the better." Of course he also knew the doctor that he would have to contact. And that doctor didn't think in the same manner as they did. Whether he'd agree to help or not always simply depended on leverage. So while he was not worried about that he did not want to let the X-Men know about this if he could help it. An ace up the sleeve is always better after all.

[The Phoenix]

"I guess you're right. The longer people are oblivious the safer our child is going to be in the long run. I was just thinking out loud."

She closed her eyes for a second and let her mind wander throughout the room. She did this every so often now just to clear her thoughts. Her mind soon settle around her womb and picked up the mind of the baby. She felt curiosity at first, then recognition, excitement, and finally love. The love radiated through her mind and filled every empty corner. She realized that it wasn't just the baby's emotions it was hers as well. She loved this child more than anything and she wanted it to be safe.

She opened her eyes again and looked at Victor. She liked this moment they were having. It had been awhile since they had been able to just lay together without one of them getting annoyed and storming out. She was about to say something more on the subject of the doctor when out of nowhere the baby kicked up hard against their interlaced hands. It happened so suddenly Phoenix cried out in pain from it. She closed her eyes and bit her lip.

[Victor Creed]

His eyes widened slightly as she screamed. But it really was the combination of the feeling of that harsh kick when she screamed in pain. At this rate the kid was going to pry itself out of her. He frowned and pushed himself upward to get up off of that bed. He looked down at her for a moment as thoughts wandered through his mind and plans started to develop. If this kept up he would have to do something about it..or watch her die. Wouldn't that be perfect. Finally found a woman that could keep up with him and she was going to die from their child.

Unfortunately his quarters wasn't really equipped with anything that could see if he could track down anyone to help her. He left the room without a word and headed to the main computer room. He spent a few minutes on that database searching for doctors that would be the best in this situation. Of course he was aware of Dr. McCoy but there were other doctors out there. The only other ones that came close to knowing anything about mutate DNA or any form of mutations was Dr. Moira Mctaggert and Bruce Banner. Last thing he needed to deal with was the large green man and really he usually was off the grid as it was anyway. Even Moira didn't seem to have an exact location, the only guarantee was Beast. He would have to do. Once that was decided he headed back to his quarters to let her know what was going to happen.

[The Phoenix]

The pain was seeping through her muscles as she tried to regain her composure. She felt Victor suddenly get up from the bed and leave the room. She wanted to reach out and grab him to come back. This was worse than any of the other times the baby had kicked her. This pain wasn't going away and the baby wasn't letting up on it's assault on her womb. Her hands gripped at her stomach. Her mind reached out to it trying to calm it down but it wouldn't stop.

It was starting to become more than she could handle. Another sharp kick assaulted her body and the loud cracking sound of a breaking bone resonated through the room as one of her ribs broke. She cried out in pain again. It continued to kick and move around inside of her causing her broken rib to move more and prolong the pain she was already in. What the hell was happening? There was no denying it she needed to see a doctor and fast.

She sat up on the bed and scooted forward until she was on the edge just sitting there and holding her stomach trying to calm the baby down. Trying to get it to stop moving for just a little bit so she could get a reprise from it all. She heard the door opening again and she looked up to see Victor coming back into the room. She was holding the side that her rib had broken and the other hand was on the base of her stomach. Pain was etched on her face as she looked at him. Her mouth opened to say something to him but before the words left her mouth a searing pain shot through her and she coughed raising her hand to her mouth. Her eyes widened as she pulled her hand away and saw that it was covered in blood. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth and the coppery taste of it filled her tastebuds. She looked up at the man in front of her suddenly scared out of her mind.

"Victor....."

[Victor Creed]

Unexpected Surprises

Victor frowned as he stared at the room Phoenix was going to use as the baby's nursery. It seemed she had gone a little overboard with the decorations. That wasn't really unusual..but that didn't stop him from shaking his head. Walking further into the room he found that box that held the crib he had been put in charge of assembling. His eyes leveled at the sight of it. She called that a crib? He opened the packaging mostly out of curiousity to see what the thing looked like. Once he opened it, the box was filled with a mess of bits and pieces. Who created such a thing? Did no one appreciate craftsmanship anymore? He then found the instructions and looked at them, seeing the huge amount of A's and B's that connected to C's and H's. Who came up with this? Whoever it was needed their head examined. And with that Victor gave up on the whole idea. If she wanted that travisty put together she was going to get someone else to do it. He would have no part in it.

Unfortunately for Victor the whole crib thing nagged at him in the back of his mind. Mainly because he knew if Phoenix found out that he refused to put it together then she was going to have a field day. And as much as he'd happily slap the woman for her mouthing off at him....right now it wasn't the best idea. He already learned that lesson the hard way. But he wasn't going to resort himself to that contraption. Probably was a deathtrap anyway...so he would just have to come up with another idea.

When the time came, Victor would be no where to be found. Well that was untrue, he'd be relaxing in his chair in their quarters while he was reading a paper. It kept him busy for the moment, while Phoenix was probably peering into that nursery. The silence was nice and really he hadn't seen her in awhile. The doc probably was keeping her fairly busy as well. Either way he was enjoying the quiet while it lasted.

The first thing she would see in that nursery would be the box he left in shambles of those pieces that apparently made up a crib. It made no sense to him so he didn't even bother boxing it back up. Hopefully before she went to go yell at him she'd look up past that box and see that there was indeed a crib sitting there. But this crib was far different from what she had picked out. It was made out of wood and perfectly balanced, and each piece of wood had various carvings upon it. Leafy vines coiled around the legs while cut outs of little woodland creatures were left to adorn the ends of the crib. There was even a little mobile that he had ended up cutting off the original ornaments and added wood carvings of little birds.

Whether Victor would ever even admit that he had done such a thing...was still left to see.

[The Phoenix]

Phoenix was feeling better. Better than she had in about a week. Her ribs were healing and the baby was being calm. Mostly from the drug that the doctor was giving her to make her calm. But Phoenix partly thought it was because she was feeling better as well. She was walking along the corridors of the brotherhood's base just trying to not be bored. She had been stuck in their quarters for what seemed like forever. She had finally gotten the nursery to what she liked of it but she knew that she was going to change things. It was decorated modern but still childlike and girly. The walls were a landscape of trees and gardens full of flowers. The ceiling was painted like a bright sunny sky with white fluffy clouds. She had had the furniture delivered and she hoped that Victor had put together the crib she had bought.

She was walking back slowly wearing a pair of grey yoga pants and one of Victor's white t-shirts. Her hair was pulled up into a messy bun on her head and she wore no makeup but she seemed to be glowing. She wasn't pale like she had been and she just had that glow about her. She even seemed happy for once. Before she went back she wanted to make a small change in where she was putting the clothes she had bought for the baby. When she walked into the room that was parallel to her's and Victor's room she stopped dead in her tracks and frowned as she was the box that had contained the crib she had bought in shambles. It looked like he hadn't even attempted to put the crib together. She huffed and was about to storm into their room and confront him about it when she turned and her eyes fell on well....a crib.

The blonde woman walked over to the crib and looked it over with a bit of shock on her face. Her hands ran over the smooth wood that still smelled like it was freshly carved. It was innately carved and as she looked over it she saw vines and small woodland creatures on the wood. There was also a mobile hanging above the crib with small wooden birds attached to it. The crib was sturdy and it really was an amazing piece. She even had to admit that the one she had bought would never compare to this. She had an idea of who had made this. She slowly walked to the door that connected the nursery to their quarters and she walked in leaning on the door frame looking at Victor who sat in the chair reading. She studied him for a second then walked over to him and sat in his lap looking at him smiling. She was actually smiling! She leaning in and kissed him.

"You made that didn't you?"

[Victor Creed]

Victor couldn't help but frown as she suddenly plopped herself into his lap while he was trying to read. Woman was always getting in the way of things. But then as her lips met his, he couldn't help letting out a purr like growl to her while he kissed her in return. As much as she could annoy him, there was still something about her. SOmething that kept him attracted and interested. It was surprising but perhaps it was a good thing in the end.

When their lips parted he arched a brow at her as if he had no idea what she was talking about. "I didn't make anything..." Did she really expect him to admit that he took time out of his life to put such thought into the sleeping area of his offspring? He had a reputation to uphold after all. Who would be afraid of such a man? Not that Victor was any ordinary man.

Yet even has he acted like he hadn't done anything to show that paternal side of himself...his hand had wandered down to rest upon her stomach while she sat in his lap and he attempted to go back to reading the paper in his other hand. Certainly Phoenix would end up demanding more of his attention but he'd be content with this alone if she'd stay quiet. He doubted that would happen though.

[The Phoenix]

Phoenix smiled even wider and even laughed slightly as he said he had no idea what she was talking about. It was just like him to deny making the crib. She figured she wouldn't get it out of him but she had to try at least. Phoenix wasn't the woman to give up easily. He should know that better than anyone. She leaned her head on his shoulder after he kissed her back. It made her smile again. No matter how much she could be mad at him he did something so small but it effected her so much. She could never stay angry with him no matter how hard she tried.

"Thank you, Victor. Its amazing."

She looked down as he placed his hand on her stomach and continued to read his paper. Things were actually calming down between them. They weren't fighting as often as they used to and they were actually talking to one another. It was nice. Maybe it was all from that fact that the body she as in almost died taking their baby with it. Phoenix would have still been around but locked away in Jean's mind again and who knew how long it was before she would have woken up or even found a new body.

Looking at her stomach and doing the math in her head she figured she was about six and a half months along but her stomach didn't look like it. It was slightly swollen but not overly. She looked to be around four months still. She didn't want to bother Victor with this but it was obvious that she was concerned as she laid her hand over top of his.

[Victor Creed]

It would be quite silly of Phoenix to think that he had actually noticed something like that. Certainly he knew she was growing but it wasn't like he'd know what one month of a pregnancy looked over another. He wasn't a doctor and frankly he didn't care. As long as she was in one piece and the child was okay...that satisfied his list of responsibilities.

Victor ignored her thank you for the most part. He recognized the gesture but he said nothing in return for it. He simply remained there with her in his lap as he continued to read the article before his eyes. She could sit there for however long she wanted as long as she didn't bother him. Though knowing this woman it was only a matter of time before she broke the silence or demanded his attention in some manner. How did he end up with a woman that was so high maintenance? Perhaps this was just the beginning and their relationship wouldn't last. It wouldn't be a surprise to him. Women grew boring and they caused too much drama. Yet he was still here, practically cuddled up with a woman that was carrying his child. He had to admit things were changing in some manner. Funny really...

[The Phoenix]

"Hank said the baby isn't growing. Its developed but....not growing...."

She spoke softly as he head laid against his chest. She knew that he didn't liked to be bothered while he was reading the paper but in all honesty she was scared. She put on a tough face but what if something was seriously wrong with her daughter? What if the doctor couldn't fix her? What if they lost her? All these what ifs were running through her head and giving her a headache from all the worry. This wasn't like her to worry and it wasn't like her to care about anything other than herself. But she loved this child more than anything and she would be damned if she lost her.

She pulled her legs up a little bit and squeezed his hand a little bit. She watched him and studied him as they sat there and she started to wonder what their daughter would look like. Would she look more like Victor or herself? What powers would she have? She knew she already had some mind powers but what about Victor's? She snuggled closer to him breathing in his scent. It was comforting to just sit here with him. It was funny how things had changed...

[Victor Creed]

The news was odd but it really didn't surprise him. The child must have inherited his healing factor....but then what did that really mean? Barely even born it had more access to mutant abilities than he could have fathomed. Certainly the entity "The Phoenix" wasn't meant to procreate...at least not in this manner. Though Victor's set of powers seemed to be the one causing all the problems. It made him wonder how this would work out in the end.

Meanwhile the hand upon her stomach was lightly strumming his claws upon her skin, just barely tapping rhythmicly. The darker side of him was constantly thinking about ripping the child from her stomach...it'd be easy and quick...well normally it would be. But it was a passing thought that he couldn't really control...it was like a primal case of teretts.

And finally after that long moment and finishing the article he was reading he spoke to her again, "Must be the Healin' Factor. Mine kicked in when I was a boy....prolly didn't look like I was over nineteen until I was fifty." Victor mentioned the information non-chalantly. If she was stuck being pregnant for longer than usual...that was her problem really. Granted there was the fact that he'd have to put up with her for that long too...

[The Phoenix]

The blonde Latina woman laid there with her head on his chest listening to his breathing. His voice echoed in his chest. She looked down at his hand on her swollen stomach. His claws were tapping her skin. A part of her recoiled a little from the touch of his claws on her stomach. The baby twitched but after a minute of realizing nothing was going to happen relaxed.

Phoenix watched his claws and thought about all of the times he had cut her with them. The long scars that were on her shoulder were a pleasant and constant reminder of the old times they had together. She wondered once this baby was born if they could get that back. She missed the primal, bloody, and passionate nights that they had shared together. The marks she would be covered the next morning had always put a wicked smile on her face. But after this baby was born would they be able to get any of that back?

"The doctor said he needed your blood to try and figure out how to fix this so I'm not pregnant for a year or longer."

She hoped that he would agree to give the doctor his blood. She didn't want to be stuck being pregnant for longer than she had to be. She would most likely go insane and go on a killing spree. He would probably get a kick out of that but he would be her prime target in the spree. She would hunt him down and kill him. So right now she hoped that he would give his blood to the doctor. She didn't want to get him....not yet anyways.