The challenge was this: Apocalypse finds a way to open doors between simensions and to test out the stableity of the protals he throws Sabretooth into it and it closes behind him. A year goes by here but in the other dimension years go by and Sabretooth is a slave.

When the portal opens again and Victor comes out he is a changed man and decides to go to Professior X for help adjusting to life back in this world.

Must haves: Victor hooking up with one or more of the other boys in the list on the group homepage.

This is my answer to the challenge:

Timeline: movieverse after X2. Pairing: Sabretooth/? (slash) Rating: R for adult themes and language, will go up for sex later. (Probably an overly conservative rating but I prefer to err on the side of caution)

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Chapter One

He hurt. That was Sabretooth's first thought as he lay on the ground, trying to catch his breath. Of course, pain was no longer a stranger to the blonde feral mutant. In fact, it had become so familiar he had begun to hate his healing factor, cursing it, trying to wish it away, because, without that, maybe it would end. Forever. Sabretooth had never thought of himself as suicidal before. However, it was truly amazing what days, weeks, months, of captivity and pain with no hopecould do to you, teach you. Especially when there was no more hope.

Eventually, the pain began to subside and Sabretooth breathed deep, testing the air around him distrustfully, suspiciously. He had never been given this long to recover before but that did not mean anything. They could be standing just out of sight, waiting, testing. Anticipating him forgetting his hard learned lesson and raising his eyes from the floor, a perfect excuse to punish him, torture him again.

His nose brought him smells of oil and metal and, underneath it, people. Two men he swore he would never forget and never forgive. Apocalypse and that bastard, Magneto. He breathed deeply again and found their scents to be old, several months. Lifting his eyes cautiously, ready to retreat at the least threat.

This was the room of his nightmares. It was in this room he had been used as a guinea pig and introduced to his own hell. It was in this room, that he was betrayed by the one person he had believed in. The room still held the machines that haunted his memories but they were no longer glowing like a manic kaleidoscope. In fact the place was covered deeply in dust, held the sense of a place long unused. He was back. It was hard to believe but his sense told him it was real and the one thing that had never lied to him was his senses. He had returned but he could not stay here, could not risk seeing that traitorous son of a bitch any time soon. Not when he was like this. He had to hide from Magneto until he recovered. He needed help.

His lips twisted into a humorless smile. How things had changed. Before...just before, he would have rather died than admitted he had needed help. Well, he had learned that there were worse things than dying and, without help, he would probably be condemned back to it. So, he forced himself to stand and he began to walk. He did not stop for supplies, did not stop for anything. He could not take the chance that they would return, pick up on their experiments once more, and find their guinea pig here.

Trudging through the snow was not easy, not without proper boots or clothes but Sabretooth had no choice. Besides, he had suffered worse in his life. His healing factor was in prime shape and he would survive the ten mile hike to the nearest town. The discomfort of it did not matter, only the next step, the next foot that brought him closer to what he hoped was his salvation or, at least, a place to rest.

After an eternity, he reached the outskirts of the town. It was dark and the streets were empty, which suited Sabretooth just fine. He did not want to be seen, not as he was now. He pressed 0 for operator and asked her to help him place a collect call to the last place he ever thought he would willingly call.

A groggy voice came over the line, "Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters."

The operator's voice was clipped and efficient. "I have a collect call from a Victor. Will you accept the charges."

Sabretooth had used his real name, knowing they would hang up if they knew who it really was.

"Yes, we will accept the charges."

"Thank you."

"Hello."

First hurdle down, many more to go. Sabretooth recognized the voice. It was the leader. Well it could be worst but it could be better. He let his voice reflect his exhaustion and desperation. These were not things he would usually allow anyone to see, especially not in the hell he had just left. However, now, they were his only chance. "I...I need t'talk to the Professor."

"Victor, my name is Scott and we want to help you. Tell me where you are."

"No, please, let me talk to Professor Charles Xavier." He knew the name well. Magneto had talked about his counterpart incessently. Toad had always joked that he sounded like an obsessed teenage girl. Charles this, Xavier that. The two Brotherhood members had, when truly drunk, one time theorized that Magneto had a little notebook somewhere with his name and Charles's combined with little hearts and bows. Of course, they had been very careful not to let the Master of Magnetism hear them. "Please, can I talk to him. It's really important." He hated begging, hated himself for doing it, hated Magneto and Apocalypse for making it necessary. He had to speak to Charles. Magneto had always talked about the telepath's weakness, his compassion. That was what Sabretooth needed right now, the only way he was going to get help was to gamble on a possible bleeding heart. He had to beg a man he had despised. It was funny the humiliations one could learn to live through.

"Just a moment." Scott's voice revealed the worry he was feeling. Sabretooth guessed he must really sound pathetic. "I'll go wake him, just stay on the line."

There was a few moments of silence before a very anxious, "Hello."

"Professor Charles Xavier?"

"Yes, Victor, tell me how I can help you?"

"I...I'm a mutant and I know you are too. I know you're a telepath."

The anxiety in the voice was joined by fear and suspicion, "How do you know that?"

"I...I worked for Magneto, please, don't hang up!" Victor paniced and did not bother to hide it. This was it. His only chance.

"I'm not. Just..." He could hear the telepath take a calming breath before continuing in a gentler voice. "Tell me who you are and what happened."

"I'm...you'd know me as Sabretooth. I know you don't owe me nothing but pain but I'm in a real bad way. I need help bad and I got nowhere else."

"I...see. Why the change of heart?"

"Magneto's fucked up. I should've seen it. He preaches mutant solidarity but he was gonna kill a mutant kid. I didn't see it and...and I was next. He let a guy name Apocalypse use me in an experiment and...look...can't ya just read my mind. I don't want to have to say it."

"No, you're too far away right now. I can't reach you without Cerebro. Tell me where you are and I will come."

"Promise you'll come, not just send the others. They won't bring me back. They're not gonna trust me."

There was a long pause and Sabretooth found himself holding his breath. "I'll come. I promise I will bring one person to fly the plane and no one else. Where are you?"

Sabretooth quickly gave the Professor the directions and prayed the Professor was a man of his word and just as 'weakly compassionate' as Magneto had always claimed. He shivered in apprehension and cold. The battle harness and leggings he wore were no defense against the cold and he was tempted to steal something else. He instantly pushed the though away. The Professor would never believe him, help him, if he started this by hurting those the Professor would call innocent. He would just have to put up with it until the Professor arrived. He could take it. He would survive.