Four more days and the second chapter is up and running! Hope you liked last chapter, and this one will have a bit more of a festive feel. Lorna has got settled and it's day two that she has been at the X-Mansion! Enjoy!
Key:
"…" Speech
'…' Thoughts
(…) Extra information
Songs are in bold"Telepathic thoughts are in italic and speech marks"
Chapter 2VvV Settling in VvV
Thursday 21st December, X-Mansion Rec Room; 11:30am
"Settling in then?"
"Mmm." Facing the TV, Lorna admired Johnny Depp's body and then faced Wanda, "everyone's really nice and…well, they're all kinda acceptance of the whole father situation. I'm gonna guess people know Magneto a bit, huh?"
"He was pretty famous in our mutant realm; it was always the X-men against him ahn his team. Ahn we won most of tha tahme."
"Did not!"
"Face it Lance, we totally rocked and you guys sucked." Not even bothering to face her husband, Kitty rocked her two-month-old son in her arms, pulling faces at him causing the young boy to gurgle. "It's a fact of life," mopping up her son's saliva from the babies chin with a tissue, Kitty faced Lorna with a smile, "that's why the Brotherhood and Acolytes joined us. Magneto got bored of fighting… guess he just got too old for it." Thoughtfully, Kitty frowned and then turned back to her son.
With an exasperated sigh as Ben Alvers simply gurgled on his chin again, Kitty rose, handing her son to the boy's father and Lance began to pull faces at his boy whilst the mother went to get some more tissues. Peace from everyone resumed in the room as they watched the movie playing, whilst Rogue flipped through a magazine, turning the pages back as Wanda examined the pages with her fellow Goth.
Suspiciously eyeing the magazine as she once again entered the room, Kitty spoke up after handing the tissues to her husband. "Why are you looking through that? You chose the, like, hottest dresses ever."
"Maybe ah made tha wrong choice…" Rogue flipped another page over but then went back to the other page again.
"Look, I told you I don't care what I look like, you have to look gorgeous and that's all I care about," ignoring the woman's complaints as Wanda closed the book on Rogue's hand, she turned back to John. "Besides, if John looks sexy then I'm satisfied…no matter what I look like."
"Ya, ya. Ah'm still not sure."
"'Bout what?" Remy appeared in the doorway with a wink reserved for Rogue that she smiled at before frowning again, "y' not fussing 'bout dose dresses are y'?"
"No…"
"Chere?"
"Ah want everyone ta look perfect! This has ta be tha perfect day!"
Raising an eyebrow, Betsy stopped chucking Ben's chin and looked to Rogue, commenting about the fact it was Christmas and 'how could it not be perfect?' "Ah dunno…what if those bluddy protesters cause trouble, huh? Ah'd be rahght pissed off."
"Dey won't."
Watching the movie as he listened in on this, Warren turned to Lexa as she spoke up, "get a grip Rogue. Logan would kill them first, but not before I got to them." It was quite amusing to hear this coming from a woman who was right now holding her 4-month-old daughter in the air above herself. Bringing the baby back down to her face Lexa then raised the baby back up whilst pulling faces at the girl from the ground. Pausing in her game gave Lexa a chance to raise herself from her lying position and she handed her daughter to Warren who watched as Lexa sat up before the mother took the young baby girl back. Contentedly sitting the girl in her Lexa scooped up her other daughter to join.
Iris and Tory both lay in their mother's lap and the metal boned Iris laughed happily as Lexa made baby noises to them both, only to be drowned out by Tory's squeals. Nodding to a bauble hanging down from the tree her husband was sat at, Lexa was passed it and she thanked Pietro with a kiss before he got himself one and the couple dangled both baubles over their daughters. Excitedly, the girls followed the 'toys' from side to side and both squealed whilst Iris reached out her hand to the object, laughing when Lexa lowered it to her daughters hands. Iris couldn't quite grab it and so the object fell onto the floor but Warren simply picked it up and swung it above the girls again.
Leaning back to watch the movie, Lexa allowed her husband and friend to entertain the children whilst she relaxed, eyeing Lance who was now cleaning up Ben with some tissues. "Everyone bought their 'Crimbo' presents then?"
"Yup," Betsy opened her mouth wide in fake shock at Ben who had his own mouth hanging open, turning to Lexa from her lying position on the floor to nod satisfactorily. "Got them all delivered from the post, didn't I. Pure genius." Laughing, Betsy returned to the child but rolled on her back to look upside down at Ben before her eyes turned to Jean who had just entered the room. A hand supported an aching back whilst Jean looked around, "talking of presents; 8 months, eh Jean?"
"And a half!" Excitement filled the fellow telepaths eyes and she gazed adoringly down at Ben. Soon Jean would have her own, although she wasn't sure which it would be yet – her and Scott would wait. Talking of the man, "has anyone seen my husband?"
At the mention of the familiar name Lorna gazed up and smiled, "kitchen."
"Oh," nervously, Jean smiled at Lorna, noting how comfortable she looked; curled up on the sofa near Piotr whom Lorna had been getting on with suitably. "Thank you. Settling in ok?"
"Yeh, thanks."
"Good. Oh, and the Professor would like to see you in his office; completely forgot!" Jean rolled her eyes at herself and offered to show the way with a gesture, but Piotr told the pregnant woman to rest and offered assistance. The three left the room and Lorna smiled at her companion, nodding to Jean as the redhead turned into the kitchen before Piotr led her down a corridor.
She was grateful for the big guy's company; he was shy, gentle and quiet; three things Lorna adored in the Russian, not to mention his sexy accent. Comfortable was the only way to describe how Piotr made her feel when Lorna was around him, and she loved the feeling. Only knowing him for at least a day, it was surprising how much Lorna appreciated Piotr's company, not to mention how much he enjoyed the woman's own.
"Here you go. Ze Professor vill know you be vaiting," a polite smile and Piotr waved goodbye, leaving Lorna to enter the office, but not without watching the Russian walking away, his footsteps leaving Lorna trembling…and not in a bad way. 'God that man makes me feel so…'
"Come in Miss Dane."
The interruption was appreciated from the word Lorna had been thinking of.
VvVvVvV
Xavier's Office; 12:10pm"And your father?"
The conversation had been going this way for sometime; after greetings Xavier had begun the process of question and answer – a game Lorna felt not too comfortable with. But Charles made his newest pupil feel settled in his approach, he seemed to manage to disguise the questions so Lorna found herself asking them in her mind and answering them without prompting.
"I have no idea. To me he seems dead."
Steepling his fingers, Charles Xavier turned from Lorna and mentally moved his chair towards the window, privately signalling for the woman to join him by the mentor's side. "He might as well be. Look at them. Humans, at what they presume to be peace: in their view this is a peaceful protest, however…if your father had been around it would not have been so. That is why it is so strange nowadays. Things have changed from the way they once were; it must have been 5 years ago that your father disappeared. Magneto left his followers in my care around 6 years ago, deciding first to introduce you to your half-siblings…yet even after he had gone I kept in touch with Eric. I managed to do so with my old friend for averagely a year but then he disappeared…without a trace." Sadly, with a long sigh, Charles turned from the window whilst Lorna continually stared out – frowning at the protestors gathered at the gates. "He seemingly vanished from this earth, and for five years I have heard no trace of him and detected no trace of Magneto's powers. I admit…I – his old friend and once a strong enemy against a common fear – miss him, and fear for what may have happened."
"I would have thought after this disturbance he may have appeared?"
"No." with another sigh, Xavier turned his head slightly to look at Lorna who stayed facing out of the window, stern faced. "His powers have gone undetected upon Cerebro and I have heard no reports of any usage of them – he may have had his helmet to protect himself from my detection but not any more. Eric gave this to me as a parting gift at, what seems now, a very long time ago." Gesturing behind himself, Lorna turned and admired a helmet situated on a shelf – it stood still and plain, but the aura it gave was one of much destruction and great powers from the user. Something that would never be portrayed again.
Even Lorna knew something was wrong and that she may never see her father again, this single thought drew a long sigh from her: she may never have known him like Pietro and Wanda had but the woman still loved Eric like any other devoted daughter. Hurting inside like nothing before caused a change in conversation, one that Charles permitted; "what will we do about them?"
Without a second thought to her father, Lorna turned from the window and the chanting mob unheard from their distance, leaning against it whilst her companion turned to face her. "The protestors?" obvious as it was, the answer was given in a nod from Lorna and Charles continued with another frown, "I don't know."
Sighing, frown lines crinkled Charles's appearance and Lorna tilted her head; he was getting old…the man looked so wise and noble that age didn't even come into thought when you first met the genius. Now though, she could see the way he had aged; Charles Xavier didn't have the answers anymore that he did when he first met Lorna, things weren't that simple anymore and they were growing more complicated. It showed in his face.
"Keep them off until the wedding is over I suppose; I just hope things will work out ok. Trouble is not something the couple want on their special day; they both may ask for it most of the time…but everyone just wants it to go perfect." Escaping his lips, the sigh held in the air and Lorna didn't feel like disrupting it and instead she moved towards the door, waiting until she was beside Charles before placing a hand on his wheelchair.
Sympathetically smiling at his worries, Lorna could only find it in herself to nod; words wouldn't do anything and besides, it was Christmas. If she was cheerful maybe people would pick up on it, she stood out enough but in this place the newcomer still caught attention and her smile always went noticed. "Thank you for your time Mr-"
"Please, call me Charles, Xavier or even Proffesor X, as I am called by many of my pupils," laughing, Charles turned to Lorna and placed his other hand upon her own, "I haven't been called 'Mr' in a long time. I don't think I shall start now. And it was my pleasure." As the woman walked from the room, a voice spoke up quietly and she turned to face her mentor as he spoke, "merry Christmas."
VvVvVvV
The entrance foyer; 1:20pm"AAAAAAAAH!" the scream rang through the foyer and Lorna used her initiative, jumping back as Tabitha ran in her direction. Yelling, the girl ran down the stairs two at a time whilst Bobby Drake followed on; icing up himself to slide safely down the banister. Unfortunately safety was not on Tabby's mind and as she stumbled on the last steps she felt herself falling, only for Lorna to watch as Bobby caught her.
"TAG!"
"YOU CHEAT!" grumpily stomping her foot, Tabby followed after the iceman, speeding in her pace as he slid with expertise on a slope of ice.
Betsy crept up on her victim and took Lorna from behind; her leap catching the woman by surprise as the model jumped on Lorna. Allowing her to recover was the only politeness Betsy gave before she shook Lorna in what the younger woman assumed to be an amusingly fake, desperate manner, "where'd he go? Which way did he go!"
Unable to control the laughter, Lorna let it out and then doubled up as Warren stepped out in full Navy gear, including the hat. "Coast clear Cap?"
"That's Captain to you!" Betsy replied. The act was immature for these two, but Lorna played along.
"Port side Captain!" Lorna received confused faces but was stopped when she made to give more detail when John and Wanda ran out from where Warren had been hiding previously, the woman giving directions as she grabbed Betsy and Lorna.
"That's left! They're heading to the Rec Room," the five of them reached the bottom of the steps and Wanda turned to her right, "to the kitchen!" Saluting to this, John was wrenched from his position as Wanda dropped Betsy and grabbed him instead, allowing the purple haired woman to grab her blonde lover.
A yell of 'hey!' rang out and the group realised they had been spotted by Bobby, but before they moved Wanda turned for a split second to Lorna. "You playing?"
"Su-URE!" the last bit was let out as a yell as Lorna found herself being dragged along. The mansion was a crazy house and no matter how hard you tried – as Rogue soon discovered – you could never escape it.
"HOW AM AH IT? AH AIN'T EVEN PLAYING!"
In reply to Remy's unacceptable 'oh well,' the Cajun soon found himself on it as Rogue ran up the stairs.
"Merde."
Upstairs
"Shit."
"What is it?"
"Rogue's coming this way…"
"Is she it?"
"Should we run? Hide?"
Amara took control over Ray and Sam with a glance down the corridor as the Goth began to head in their direction – although it was unknown to Rogue at the time. "She doesn't look like she's on it…Tabby or Bobby must have tagged her cause they couldn't get the other one and Rogue probably tagged Remy; last time I saw they were next to each other discussing plans. Lets just go the opposite way," whilst she had been speaking, Amara had already been heading in the opposite direction as to where Rogue was. But the young girl was stopped in her tracks and soon enough, Amara looked up into the mischievous gaze of Remy Lebeau.
"…"
Staying perfectly silent, the boys watched as in one swift moment Remy patted Amara on the shoulder and turned to run. "What does that mean? Am I it?" Unluckily for her, Amara's answer came when Remy was turning the corner.
"IT!"
"Damn…" Amara turned to the other boys with a twinkle in her eye, "heya Ray..." and with that the boy was advanced on – before he could even think about it, he had been tagged and both Sam and Amara were heading off. Fortunately there was one option left and it came around the corner in the form of a frowning Rogue.
She took one look at Ray and growled, "tag meh ahn ah swear ya won' have anything ta tag with, boy."
"Ok…" with that Rogue turned the other way and began to walk off, but wasn't quick enough as Ray tagged her and sprinted off, ignoring her yelling threats.
Kitchen
Eyeing the figure bent obviously behind the Island counter, Remy leant against the door frame and shook his head, "Johnny boy, Remy can see y' from 'ere."
"Good eyesight?"
"Non. Obvious hiding place, et anyways, mon Chere be upstairs – she be it, heard 'er having a go at Ray fo' tagging 'er."
"That boy has shit-loads of courage," Remy watched amusedly as Wanda stepped out of a cupboard, and then as Betsy and Warren appeared from beneath the table. "I…I can hear someone…"
Just Outside the KitchenRogue frowned. No one was in sight and this was turning out to be more hide and seek than tag. But no matter what, the woman kept searching and her first target was the kitchen – Wanda and Betsy's group had disappeared in there quite a while ago but no one had reappeared. Upon entering, the first thing she noticed was a back sticking up over the counter, which quickly fell below it when Rogue snapped the door shut tight. The next thing visible was a feather laying beside the table, which was no doubt hiding Warren beneath it…and by the sounds of things from the almost silent room, it covered Betsy too. Stuck in a cupboard however was Wanda, noticeable by the red and black tinsel sticking out of the door – something she had stolen from the Christmas tree earlier that day.
Which one to get? Rogue didn't know. And so she decided to play a child's game of 'I wonder where they are.' Her footsteps caused Remy to hit John who was trembling with laughter as Rogue's combat boots headed in their direction and then moved away again.
"De fille knows we be 'ere…" Remy's whisper was quiet, but not quiet enough although Rogue really didn't need it to find the boys.
Unluckily for John though he was closer to the other side of the Island, "ah sure do." the voice spoke from behind and John gave a yelp as Rogue pinched his leg, signalling with a yell that he was it.
Too slow to catch Remy as this sunk in, John bounded up and in no time had cornered his fiancée – who had tried to make a run for it – and Wanda now found herself trapped by John's hands against the cupboard behind. With a kiss on the lips, John signalled Wanda was it and when she tagged him the fire-boy ran off yelling about 'no tag backs.' This Wanda accepted as she stalked to the table and in no time by just sticking a hand underneath she tagged someone, and Warren rolled out after tagging Betsy who growled. "DAMNIT! WANDA GET BACK HERE!"
None of them noticed as Lorna peeped her head around the side of the bin with a quiet laugh, "I'm good." Hearing a voice above though, Lorna looked up only to find Betsy staring down at her from the ceiling.
"Not good enough, luv."
VvVvVvV
Rec Room; 3:30pm"Ah'm tired." Much agreement met this remark and Rogue looked around, snuggling sleepily into her fiancé's side as if to prove her point, "ah feel lahke relaxing…but getting out at tha same tahme, ya know?"
"Yeh, I've only just come here and already I've seen too much of this Mansion for today," laughter met this remark from Lorna and then she faced the rest of the group. "Is there anywhere to go to have fun and do something interesting, but relaxing?"
Sighing as she moved her daughter to her other leg, Kitty rubbed the dead spot on the first leg, sighing in relief as Betsy offered a light massage, which was greatly appreciated. "Yeh, but somewhere where you could, like take babies?"
"Why don't we all go check the wedding stuff, you know, loyke the flowers to just see how it's going?"
Turning to tune in on John, eyes widened at his suggestion and the man frowned, muttering about how he was never appreciated. "No! That's a great ahdea, meh, Wanda ahn Remy needed ta do that anyway. How 'bout it?"
Consent resounded around the room and then everyone turned to Lorna who was sat quietly, unsure of how to react, "y' wanna come Lorna? Remy t'inks dat it would be bien t' tell y' 'bout the wedding, seeming as y' now be invited."
"Really!" her astonishment was met with a laugh from Wanda who stood up, signalling the time to get ready.
"Of course, how could you not be invited? We'll need to get you a dress and things, but we can do that whilst the guys sort out Piotr's tux – surprisingly the trousers need to be shortened," once again laughter resounded throughout the room and people bustled as life sprang into the once peaceful room. Piotr waited a moment whilst people passed and gestured for Lorna to go first before he walked out behind the girl, and it was quite noticeable that throughout the whole trip their arms were linked and they mostly stuck together.
In the short time she had been there, Lorna and Piotr had become quite attached to each other.
VvVvVvV
Rec Room; 3:50pm
Pushing the red room door open, Jean surveyed a picturesque setting of the 'New Mutants' – a name that, even though it didn't fit anymore, had stuck since they joined the ranks – all doing their own thing in peace and quiet, for once.
Happily arguing, Tabby and Bobby – a content couple now – were fighting over something that Jean couldn't quite see until Tabby straddled Bobby, revealing the remote the blonde was now attempting to seduce out of her lover's hand. Whilst this was going on most of the other mutants were watching the TV, and – as to her unasked question where the girl was – Jean moved out of the way to let Jubilee pass when she entered the door with a drink in hand.
Time was of the essence though and Jean didn't have enough of it to look around so she chose to speak to the room in general, praying someone would hear or even possibly notice. "Right, me and Scott are going to the Doctor's…" nobody was listening but the redhead continued nonetheless. "Everyone else, and I mean everyone, is out so you'll all be alone until people decide to come home." At this people looked up, so after repeating herself, Jean gave a short wave goodbye and received enthusiastic encouragement and eager waves out of the room.
Waiting patiently until the front doors closed behind the couple, the mutants only moved when the doors had shut with a snap. "Man! This is the first time in a bloody year we've all been here alone! What is it with them leaving us at Christmas?"
Ray's announcement caused a murmur to ripple throughout them all until Tabby spoke over the noise, drowning it out with the twinkle in her eyes, "let's not waist it then!"
End of ChapterRay's right…what is my thing with leaving the New Mutants alone at Christmas? I don't know, but personally I think it's great! And you should too, I think a chapter of fun and flirtations will be up next, so look forward to it! Question: do you like all of the baby's names? What should Jean and Scott's baby be called? And should it be a girl or a boy? Ooh! And can you guess who's Marriage it is: JONDA or ROMY…it's one of the two…but WHICH?! Enjoy! Happy Christmas! .x.Thrills.x.