Chapter 35: Redeemer

"I don't see why you need to follow her." Bella watched as Alyce got out of the shower and began to get dressed. This whole idea that had Alyce had stuck in her head was just stupid. But then again, it was Alyce, and she tended to do some stupid things. Alright, maybe not stupid just reckless. Bella wondered if she was a mutant would she be just as daring, if not more?

"Alyce! Are you ignoring me?" Bella questioned. Alyce finished tugging on her shirt before looking at Bella with a silly look.

"I'm not ignoring you."

Bella rolled her green eyes and let out a sigh. "So then how come you didn't answer me?"

"Bella, c'mon. I know you're going to try to talk me out of this, but it's not going to happen." Alyce walked over to her closet, it felt funny being back in her old room, and pulled out her jacket. She slipped her hands through the sleeves and zippered it up, tightening the straps that lay across her chest. She gave Bella a dull look and began to look under the large bed for her boots.

Bella sighed and closed the closet door. She always found herself tidying up after Alyce. She picked up the wet towel from the bed and shook it, placing it over the headboard of the bed. "But you haven't even explained why you're following her."

"She's planning something. I'm going to find out what. Is that so bad?" Alyce poked her head up from under the bed and glared at Bella. "Well, is it that bad? She's told me she has some large plan forming, if it's something to harm the Institute, then why not go find out?"

"Not by yourself! Why not tell the Professor?" Bella laid down on the bed and waited for Alyce to finish looking for boots. Alyce reemerged from under her bed, a pair of clunky motorcycle boots in her hands. She sat on the bed and pushed them on, she tightened the buckle and patted her foot on the ground.

"I just want to find out on my own first. There's nothing wrong with that. If something gets out of hand then I'll let the Professor know."

"Alyce--"

"Bella, she's messed around with my perception of reality. She's....she's just messed with me. Just let me do this." Alyce turned around and looked at her cousin with a pleading eye. Bella sighed and rolled over on her back. Alyce had a way of doing things, she was always head on. If there was something she wanted to do she would do it not matter what anyone told her. Bella didn't think of it being courageous (not saying Alyce wasn't) but it was more like stubbornness. Bella began to chuckle, figuring that Alyce was, indeed, like John. Both of them stubborn and hard to win against.

"What's so funny?" Alyce asked getting up from the bed and tying back her long hair. It had been ages since she trimmed her hair, and now her hair reached down to her lower back. When she got back from her little adventure she had to make sure she asked her mother to trim it. "Well? What's so funny?"

"Nothing! You should go see John before you leave....how out of character is this...but he missed you."

The two girls shared a giggle, and Bella hopped off the bed. She grabbed onto Alyce's shoulders and lead her in the direction of the door. "Go, go see him."

"I can see him when I get back." Alyce protested, trying to steady her weight so Bella couldn't move her. "Bella, let go."

"Alyce! Stop being such a little baby. Just go see your boy--"

"O.K, fine, fine." Alyce spun out of Bella's grip and opened the door. She stopped and looked back. "I don't see why it can't just wait."

Bella gave Alyce one last final shove out of the door. "Because, I said so." She smiled before closing the door in Alyce's face, leaving her in the hallway alone. Alyce smiled and lightly kicked at the air with her boot. It felt good to be with her cousin again, but it made her feel ashamed. Ashamed that she had let Emma toy with her. Alyce quickly made her way to the boy's dorm area and began looking for John and Bobby's shared room.

*

Alyce smiled as she heard the arguing from inside the room. This was probably the daily norm between John and Bobby. She couldn't understand how the two didn't find their bickering funny. She leaned in a bit closer, her ear almost touching the door as she listened in.

"Drake...this is like the third time!"

"How is it me, John?"

"Oh...right, like it had to be me, because unlike you, I can get some action from my girl."

"The last time I checked you weren't...."

"Problem solved, pick up that shit you left in the bathroom."

Alyce chuckled softly. She really didn't want to know what they were arguing about, but it sounded serious. To them at least. The more Alyce tried to understand what it was they were bickering about the more disturbed she was getting. She shuddered and gently knocked on the door. The bickering instantly stopped.

"Go answer the fucking door, Drake. I ain't doing shit until you pick up that mess you made in the bathroom."

The doorknob began to slowly open. "For the last time, it wasn't me. Stop being such a----oh...Hey Alyce."

Alyce smiled and raised her hand. "Hey." She took a step back as the Bobby opened the door and stepped out. "Just leaving?" She asked. Bobby nervously scratched his head and nodded, before taking off down the hall in a quick jog. What was his problem? Alyce stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. She leaned back and smiled over to John, who sat on his bed.

"What happened in the bathroom?" Alyce asked, after a few minutes, breaking the ice between them. John rolled his eyes and laid back on his bed.

"Drake fucking girls in the bathroom, again. Leavin' condoms and crap around. Shit is gross. Ever since he broke up with Rogue, he's been going berserk in there." John groaned, as if he was remembering some horrible mental image and placed his pillow over his head. Alyce chuckled and sat down next to John. She placed a hand on his leg.

"I'm going out for a bit." She whispered, gently laying her head down on his stomach. She closed her eyes and synced her breathing with his. John took the pillow off of his head, surprised that Alyce had laid on top of him.

"Where you going?" He asked nonchalantly, placing his arms behind his head and looking up to the ceiling. He took in a deep breath as Alyce cuddled up next to him, placing a kiss on his neck. "Before you answer that, you know, it feels weird."

"What?" Alyce asked quietly, her feelings a bit weird. "And before you answer that, I'm going to follow Emma."

John let out a groan. "Just let the bitch go, why do you have to follow her?" John let out an exaggerated sigh and placed a hand over Alyce's head. "I meant it feels weird having you back. It felt like a long time."

What was currently marveling Alyce, was the ability the two had to keep two conversations going at the same time and not get confused. Alyce smiled and gently bit his neck, feeling him shudder. She knew he liked it. "It was only three days, I don't want to talk about that though. I'm following Emma because I want to find out what she's up too."

Lightly, John wrapped his fingers in Alyce's hair and pulled her back from his neck. They both knew they couldn't go any farther with what they were doing. He looked at Alyce and gave her a look, letting go of her hair. The only thing she was doing was getting him excited, there was no point if there was nothing that could be done about it. "What do you mean, what she's up too?" John let out a breath trying to calm himself down.

Alyce laughed at how flustered he was getting. She nibbled on his ear, another thing he liked. "A day ago, she told me she had something she was planning. I want to find out what it is, especially if it's something against the school. She's already separated it in half..."

"Let the Professor deal with it." John was getting sick of Alyce tempting him. He pulled away from her and gently rolled on top of her, pinning down her hands. "If she's doing something, let the big guys handle it."

"I'm sure Bella wanted to tell me the same thing. But this is personal." Alyce arched her back up and pulled him into a kiss. It was a hard, rough kiss, something that both of them had wanted for the past few days, but couldn't get. She wrapped her legs around him and pushed him down on top of her. Bracing himself on one had, he used the other to make his way up Alyce's shirt.

"Why do you always have to go off by yourself?" John let out a huff, a heavy feeling in his chest from the excitement. He rubbed his hand over her soft tummy and moved higher up her shirt. He pulled her hands over her head and held them down with his free hand. He placed another kiss on her lips, not wanting her to answer. Why couldn't she stay? A part of him suddenly wished she was super girly, so she wouldn't be so defiant. But it was what attracted him to her, how bold she was. He traced his fingers over her side, and she let out a giggle.

"Going by myself--" She chuckled, feeling his fingers going higher. "--so no one else can get hurt."

"Just don't do anything risky." John asked back, stopping himself from going to far and pulling his hand out from her shirt. Alyce smiled and placed a few more kisses on him. She wanted so bad to draw him back in, but she knew she had to go soon. He let her go of her hands and slowly moved away. She got up from the bed and chuckled. She turned to him and placed another kiss on his lips.

"Life isn't fun without any risks."