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On the Beat
By KazeRogue and Cat Smith

Part 9

Xandra sat there, staring at the television in Logan's apartment. She wasn't watching it, though. It was just there, on, to keep her mind from thinking. It wasn't working. Creed had nearly killed her; no surprise there. The thief had saved her life. Now there was a big surprise. Why on earth would he do that? Risk himself - his freedom - like that? Logan could have been there. She could have recovered. It had been days, almost a week. He'd taken a big risk. Why would he do it? The question ran round and round in her head, and with a sigh, she realised she would never know, not unless she asked him.

Instead, she turned to difficult questions she could answer. Why had she reacted so badly to seeing Creed? Yes, it had been a surprise, and yes, she had reason to be scared. But to ignore all the training both her mother and the police had given her, especially when she had as much of an advantage on him a he had on her? It had been stupid - crazy. Perhaps she did feel guilty about Mystique. But she had broken the law. And Xandra knew, she smiled, that Raven still cared about her, and wouldn't want to see her dead.

Leaning back, she sighed. Mystique regretted hiring Creed. He could do the job, yes, but he was a maniac, completely insane with a lust for blood that was horrifying. Closing her eyes, she remembered how brutal he had been on several of the missions, how disgusted even Mystique was at how far he would go.

A door opened and Xandra sat up, grabbing the gun that lay on the table beside her, taking the safety off and pointing it unwavering at the door. To her utter relief, Logan walked in. She could have cried.

"Logan!" She cried out, and tried to stand, but sat down quickly when her head spun crazily. He walked over quickly and knelt next to her.

"What the hell's been goin' on? You really been in a fight with Creed?"

Staring at his severe, stubbled face looking sternly at her, she wondered how on earth he could know that, and asked as much.

"Got a phone call this mornin'. Cajun guy." He glanced sideways at her, to let her know he was very suspicious about this fact. "Tole me that you'd been in a fight with one Victor Creed and was recoverin' at my place. This true?"

"Ah ... Yes." She paused, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Ah'd hardly call it a fight, tho'. I was so ahfraid." Her eyes glazed over as she remembered. "Ah couldn't move. An' ... I would have died. Should have died, but he - the thief saved me. Why would he do that?"

Logan stood and sighed, pulling out one of the cigars he always carried. Walking to the other end of the room, he picked up a stool and put it down next to her armchair. For a second they both stared at The Partridge Family, then Logan, still looking at the television, started to talk.

"Why did ya fight him? You coulda got back up. An' I'm sure there was a reason you didn't, but ya coulda called me. Yer real lucky that this thief was around, which is pretty damn suspicious anyway, or yer woulda got yourself killed. Ain't-"

"Ah know, ah know!" Xandra put her head in her hands. "But. Ah've been thinkin'." She paused. What had she been thinking? "This thief ... He's obviously got some soft side. He saved mah life, raht? So ... If we wanna catch him, I could exploit that." She hated it. Hated to say it, would hate even more to actually do it. This thief had a caring, gentle side that had nothing to do with crime, that Xandra was starting to like. But she had a job to do. Didn't she? Something inside her was starting to feel uneasy about this. Ignoring it, she continued. "He must be watchin' me, or somethin'. So ah need ta start watchin' him. At least fahnd a way ta meet up with him. Start ta play him."

Logan was looking at her very seriously. Xandra started to feel uncomfortable, those grey eyes looking at her so seriously. He put his cigar out. "Girl, I don't wanna see you get hurt again. If yer do this, make sure ya stay neutral. The guy saved yer life, fair enough that ya might start ter feel fer 'im. But don't. Don't, okay?"

Xandra waved a hand. "Ah won't, Logan; ya don't need ta worry." Logan stood, and walked over to turn off the television. He then turned around and folded his arms.

"I'm gonna find Creed. I'll deal with him; you deal with our thief. In the meantime, yer gettin' ter the doctor."

Xandra stood, more slowly this time, so that she didn't get as dizzy. She felt stronger today, but still not as well as she stood. She took a small comfort in the fact that she knew the thief hadn't slept for days - he needed time to recover, too, and she doubted he would be able to steal a little of Logan's power to heal herself the way she could. With a smirk, she followed Logan out of the door. Who's the master thief now, sugah?

Xandra sat on the bed in the police infirmary, knowing it would be a while until she got seen. For a while, she thought about the work she could be doing, and got mad, and was about to complain, but then she sighed. She'd just have to wait, anyway, and kicking off would only make it worse. She settled back and picked up a magazine that lay on the table next to the bed. Flicking through several uninteresting articles, until she realised they were all boring, and started to read the problem page. As such, she wasn't taking much notice of what was going on around her, and almost jumped out of her skin when she heard a voice.

"How y' doin', chere?"

She looked up in amazement as she saw the thief, dressed casually in tight jeans and t-shirt, red eyes alert, face less gaunt than it had been, auburn hair looking just washed. Pushing away the urge to ask him what shampoo he used to get his hair that smooth and shiny, Xandra instead asked the question that had popped into her head the moment she saw him.

"What in th' hell are y'all doin' here? Are ya crazy? Do ya wanna get caught? Ah-"

He stopped her raving by putting two gloved fingers to her lips. "Shh, Detective. I don' wanna get caught, so I'd 'preciate it if y' were a l'il quieter."

With astonishment, Xandra couldn't help but stare at the thief for a moment. He didn't want to get caught, yet he'd walked right into the police station - right into the arms of the people who were after him. She couldn't think of a single thing to say. Despite herself, she didn't yell out, didn't try to get him caught; though as for why, she had no idea. Maybe she wanted to catch him, rather than just this, caused by, seemingly, his stupidity.

"If y' wan' know why I'm here, I jus' wanted t' know how y' were. If y' were okay." He sat down on the bed beside her, and looked at her. There was worry in his eyes, and it looked genuine. Xandra stared at him for a few seconds, then shook her head, realising that she'd never know the way this man's mind worked.

"Ah'm fahn. Just waitin' foh the doc tah tell me that so ah can get back on yoah tail." She paused for a minute, then grinned. "Actually, sugah, ah got real bettah, real quick, as ah'm sure ya noticed." She pulled the t-shirt up to reveal a bandage-less, almost healed torso. "An if ya wanna know why, its 'cause ah stole some o' Logan's healin' power." She lay back, and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Not even you could manage that. Jealous?" She smiled, eyes still on him. She was shocked at herself. She was flirting shamelessly with this stranger, this thief! But she couldn't seem to help herself.

The thief merely smiled, a mischievous glint in those exotic eyes of his. "Logan? Mon dieu, dere's name I never t'ought I'd hear 'gain." Then his expression sobred up, and he answered her question. "Non. Jus' relieved. I'm ver' glad t' see y're okay." He looked at her for a second, then moved so he was facing her. Xandra's heart skipped a beat as he gazed into her eyes. It meant something to be looking into someone's eyes for this long, she knew, and she shouldn't be doing it. But she couldn't look away. Those dangerous eyes seemed to hold her, to bewitch her. He seemed just as entranced as her. Watching as closely as she was, Xandra noticed a look in his eyes as though he'd just made a decision. For a second, she wondered what it was, and then found out as he lowered his head until his lips were mere inches from her own, then stopped.

He was giving her a choice. Xandra knew what she wanted, and knew this moment may never come again. Lifting her head up, she held her mutant powers in check as their lips touched. It had been a long time - too long - since someone had kissed her with passion; with a passion strong and unyielding, a passion that, in this case, could never be fully realised. Thief and policewoman kissed each other deeply, enjoying every moment while it lasted. Then he pulled back, reluctantly, and looked at her. Xandra was startled by what she saw. In his eyes was pain, bitterness. Is this what he felt, because he couldn't have her? Surely, he couldn't really feel anything for her - she was the one who would rob him of his freedom. And yet... she looked into his eyes deeply, and this time she kissed him. It was a sweet, chaste kiss, and she pulled back.

"You havta go," she whispered.

"I know," he said, just as quietly. He stroked her face softly, whilst his eyes roamed each of her features. "Oh, ma cherie, I wish I didn't. I-"

He was interrupted as Logan pulled back the curtain and looked in with interest at the two of them. He raised his eyebrows at Xandra, but she warned him with her eyes to stay silent. The thief observed Logan for a few seconds, then turned his attention back to Xandra. Standing, he gave her a dazzling smile to cover up the hurt she had just seen, and kissed her hand softly. "You are right, petite. I havta go. But I t'ink we'll meet again."

"Ya can bet on it," she said, meeting his eyes. He nodded, then walked away, without looking back. Logan watched him until he was out of sight, then turned to look at Xandra, eyebrows raised in something approaching amusement.

"That the reason you dumped Cody?"

Xandra scowled at him. "Ah didn't dump Cody. It was over, both of us knew it. An' no, he ain't the reason. Ah hardly know 'im, really."

"Anyone I know?"

Xandra paused before she answered. For some insane reason, she didn' want the thief to be captured. Not right now, in any case. After a few seconds, she judged he'd have had enough time to get away, and to get away without Logan tracking him. He seemed to know of Logan, after all. "That was th' thief."

With amusement, Xandra watched Logan's face as it changed from amusement, to disbelief, to shock. Then grim realisation came, and he ran out of the infirmary.

~~~Interlude~~~

Remy stopped his sprint, as he judged himself to be safe. Dropping down into the sewers, where the stink would not allow the infamous Logan to tell his scent from any other, he walked along the little path and lit a cigarette. Oh yes, he knew of Logan, the once Canadian spy/assassin/bodyguard. And he had even seen him, when he had visited Canada, just after he had been exiled from the guild. From what he understood, Logan had been rather unfriendly with the Canadians, and had provided a nice distraction while he made his pinch.

Just as he was making a nice distraction now, from thoughts of Xandra. The image of her immediately filled his mind, the thought of her touch sent shivers down his spine.

"Why!?" He asked the emptiness around him. Why did she have to be a cop? Why had he fallen in love with the dedicated policewoman who was on the case after him? The policewoman who was so dedicated she had even put her own adopted mother in jail. He cursed himself for not doing enough research. After her encounter with Creed, he had read everything he could find on her, and found out with horror that they had once been allies. Therefore, he knew her, and she knew him all too well. He did not wonder that she feared him, and now he knew why she had frozen. He must have said something about her mother, Mystique. This must have conjured up guilt over incarcerating her mother, and made her freeze. If he'd have read this before, he would have known. Would never have let her find Creed. Would have protected her, to have her safe and happy and warm, the way he wanted her to be.

Sighing, he pushed all thoughts of Creed away. Xandra was all right now, that was all that mattered. Joy raged with depression in his heart, but depression won out. She had responded to him, was no doubt attracted to him. But she didn't know him like he knew her. Even if she did, Remy doubted that would stop her from arresting him. If she hadn't hesitated to arrest her mother, she wouldn't hesitate to do the same to him, no matter what.

His jaw set as he looked into the dimness ahead of him. He had a pinch planned. He would go ahead with it. If she caught him, then bravo to her. Que sera sera.

Continued in Chapter Ten.

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