Uncanny Excalibur

Chapter 14: Party Games

By

The Uncanny R-Man

Disclaimer- All familiar characters belong to Marvel.

R-Man's Random Note- Meggan's favourite television programme used to be Crossroads.

Braddock Manor-

Little Betsy Braddock had already shredded open her presents. Brian and Meggan's daughter couldn't be more pleased with her gifts. The more guests that went to her party, the more presents she received. Not that Betsy Junior was shallow like that.

The birthday girl was sitting at the head of the table while her guests sat around her.

'But mummy, I wanna play party games.' Betsy sulked.

'You can play games after we've had some food, okay sweetie?' Meggan smiled at her daughter. 'Then after the games, you get your cake.

'Yay! Cake!' Betsy cheered. 'I love cake!'

'Uh. no offence or anything Meg...' Kitty piped up. 'But... did you make the cake yourself?'

'With my own fair hands.' Meggan nodded. 'My culinary skills have come a long way since I almost burnt down Muir Island making toast you know.'

'That didn't actually happen did it?' Betsy Senior's eyes widened in surprise. 'I thought that was just a legend.'

'Oh, laugh it up, the whole lot of you.' Meggan rolled her eyes with a sigh. 'And you, Elizabeth Braddock, I have heard all about your drunken attempts to make beans on toast.'

Betsy turned to her twin brother with a venomous glare. Brian just whistled innocently as if nothing had happened at all.

'I like having Spaghetti-O's and Cheez-Whiz for breakfast.' Wade piped up with a grin.

Everybody shot the former Merc-With-A-Mouth with disgusted looks.

Wade decided that it may be a good idea if he changed the subject.

'Ooh, is that strawberry jelly?'

After tea-

Betsy's birthday tea had finished with a minimum of mess. Most of the mess had been Wade having trouble grasping the concept of jam donuts, but that wasn't important. What was important however, was the party games!

'Okay, what game do you want to play first?' Meggan asked.

'Pass the Parcel!' Betsy Jr. squealed.

'Musical chairs!' Betsy Sr. clapped her hands in almost childish excitement.

'Pin the tail on the donkey!' Guido cheered.

Jamie looked at his rather large friend with a 'what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about' expression.

'What?' Guido asked innocently. 'I rule at that game!'

'Let's play strip poker!' Wade bounced up and down excitedly. Somebody had eaten too much jelly and ice-cream.

'Uh, Wade... You do realise that this is a kid's party, right?' Rachel pointed out.

'So?' Wade countered. 'The sooner we start Li'l Betsy on the grown-up games, the better.'

'I don't think that we will be playing strip poker, Wade.' Brian told him.

Wade opened his mouth to try and convince Brian to change his mind, but Brian shot him a warning look.

Wade smiled at everybody embarrassedly.

'So, pass the parcel anybody?'

Everybody sat in a circle on the floor while Meggan went to the kitchen to get the package that she had prepared especially for the game.

'I've never played this game before.' Amora said as she plopped down beside Forge. 'Tell me, how do you play it?'

'You're asking the wrong guy, Amora.' Forge shot the former immortal Enchantress an apologetic look. 'I've never played it either.'

'Ooh. Do you think it involves kissing?' Amora's eyes sparkled mischievously. 'You know, like spin the bottle?'

'I somehow doubt it.' Forge shook his head.

Meggan walked out of the kitchen with a well-wrapped parcel.

'Okay, for those of you that don't know how to play this game...'

'Meaning, you dumb Yanks.' Betsy snickered.

'Hey!' Wade shot his girlfriend a glare.

'It's how I know you best, luv.' Betsy gave Wade a reassuring pat on the head.

'If I can continue?' Meggan frowned slightly. 'Now, you play the game thus... The parcel is passed person-to-person until Brian...'

'Hello.' Brian gave everybody a little wave from his position next to the stereo.

'Until Brian stops the music.' Meggan continued. 'Then, whoever has the parcel in their hands must unwrap one layer of paper. One layer, mind. We don't want any cheaters. And just as an secret bonus, in-between each layer is a special little surprise.'

'Wow, stop the crazy whirly-gig off fun.' Sarah muttered sarcastically. 'I'm getting dizzy.'

'Sarah, shush!' Jamie hissed to his girlfriend. 'Don't make Meggan angry. Don't you remember what she did to Nanny a week or two ago?' (1)

'Shutting up.' Sarah smiled innocently.

Meggan turned to give her husband a thumbs-up, his signal to play the music.

Betsy Jr. was the first to pass on the parcel. She passed it on to TJ, who passed it on to Rachel, who passed it on to Piotr, and so on...

Brian stopped the music. Wade was left holding the parcel.

'Yay! I'm first!' The slightly hyper Wade grinned happily as he began to shred off a layer of paper. Wade stopped once he felt something plop into his lap.

'Ooh, Smarties.' Wade's eyes shone in excitement.

'Great.' Betsy Sr. groaned. 'That's just what he needs, more sugar!'

Wade passed the parcel onwards as Brian started up the music again.

Several rounds of shredded paper and Smarties later-

The parcel had been well and truly unwrapped and everybody had won a prize. Okay, it was only a tube of Smarties, but it was a pleasant surprise anyway. As you could have guessed, Betsy Jr. was the one that ended up with the grand prize.

'Yay! I win!' Betsy cheered as she waved her prize above her head. 'Harry Potter! Wheeee!'

'And it's the new movie as well...' Wade pouted. 'I wanted that movie.'

'Oh, shut up and eat your Smarties.' Betsy Sr. shook her head.

'Well, I can honestly say that this has been the most fun I have ever had that hasn't involved trying to seduce Thor.' Amora enthused as she helped Forge pick up the shredded paper while Meggan and Brian prepared the birthday cake. 'Don't you think so, Forge?'

'It was... different.' Forge admitted.

'Oh, don't act all grumpy around me, Forge.' Amora gave Forge a poke. 'I saw you crack a smile when you unwrapped your Smarties!'

Forge put a finger to his lips in a 'shush' motion.

'Shh, don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to uphold.'

'Oh, I'm going to get you to laugh one of these days.' Amora frowned. 'Even if I have to grab you and tickle you half to death!'

Nearby, Rahne leant over to whisper into Jamie's ear.

'Is it me, or is Amora crushin' on Forge?'

'Oh, it's not you.' Jamie shook his head. 'Amora's been making goo-goo eyes at Forge ever since she smacked him on the head with a wrench.' (2)

'I'll never be able tae understand these Asgardians.' Rahne shook her head and popped the last of her Smarties in her mouth.

A collective gasp rose from the room as the lights were turned off.

Betsy Jr. whimpered in fear, but a comforting squeeze of the hand from Kurt put her at ease. It seemed that Betsy got along with the fuzzy elf almost as much as her mother did back in the day. Well, minus the lusty wrong feelings. Kurt wasn't a cradle snatcher, you know.

Brian held the door open as Meggan carried the cake into the room.

'Happy birthday to you...' Meggan sang, before nodding to the others as if telling them to join in. 'Happy birthday to you... Happy birthday dear Betsy, happy birthday to you...'

'And you smell like one too. Heh.'

'Wade!' Betsy Sr. hissed.

'Sorry.' Wade bowed his head like a child that had just had a jolly good telling off.

Betsy Jr. clapped in glee as she took a seat in front of the great big SpongeBob cake that Meggan had made especially.

'Blow out the candles and make a wish, luv.' Brian told his daughter.

Betsy Jr. scrunched up her eyes as she thought of a wish, before opening her eyes and blowing out the candles with a great big puff of breath.

'You do know that isn't hygienic, right?' Pete pointed out.

Everybody shot the Brit mutant identical glares.

'Shutting up.'

'Well, what did ye ask for?' Moira asked.

'I can't tell you.' Betsy Jr. smiled cheekily. 'Or it won't come true.'

'I bet it's a pony.' TJ guessed. 'Every girl wants a pony.'

'Not me.' Sarah shook her head. 'Unless you meant wanting a pony to eat. Y'know, I could really do with one of those right about now...'

Betsy Jr. looked up at her mother with an alarmed expression.

'Aunty Sarah doesn't really eat ponies, does she?'

'Of course I don't, sweetie.' Sarah smiled, ruffling Betsy's hair. 'Eating ponies is only for stinky French people.'

'Blech.' Betsy Jr. stuck her tongue out in disgust. 'French people are icky!'

TBC...

Next: No TV And No Shopping Make Meggan Something, Something...

Meggan and the girls go shopping while Brian and the lads appear on the TV.

Author's Notes-

(1)- Meggan opened a can of whupass on Nanny in Chapter 12.

(2)- Amora 'recruited' Forge in Chapter 10.