Chapter 48: She Had The World Pt 1
Two weeks in the Brotherhood felt more like two months. Alyce didn't know exactly why it felt that way, it just did. The birds were chirping, the sun was shining and the trees were swaying. She was in a little house, and everything had a fairy tale feeling to it. Everyday she woke up with a smile on her face, and every night she went to bed just as happy.
It really wasn't so bad here. And these were supposed to be the bad guys.
It was such a better feeling to be here, than the feelings Alyce got when she was at the Mansion. She would wake up there, with dread, wondering what Jubilee would be planning for her. Every where in that Mansion was loud, she couldn't find a place to think. Every single minute of each day she would be with the X-Team. Over here, at the Brotherhood, whenever she wanted to be alone, all she had to do was either go outside, or sit in Pietro's room and read.
The members of the Brotherhood looked like they always got themselves into trouble, but it was actually quiet the opposite. The only thing that was a frequent problem was the parties. Alyce had been a first hand witness of the Chaos that is only known as, 'Wanda's Party'. And it was quiet a sight to see. On rare nights, sometimes even every night, mutants from all over would flock into the Brotherhood house. Mainly, from a group called The Morlocks. But it turned out to be fun, Alyce had even got Pietro to enjoy it.
Alyce stretched her arms up, putting her pencil down and cracking her knuckles. It had been ages since she had drawn something, and she had missed it. Alyce picked her pencil back up, looking back at Wanda, who was fixing her car outside.
The two had gotten close, as the length of Alyce's stay grew. And as Alyce would go about her day, Wanda would shout out quotes from Alice in Wonderland, and Alyce found herself replying back. They had even memorized a few lines.
Wanda stood up, getting out from underneath her car. She wiped the smudge marks on her face and looked over to Alyce, who was busy sketching.
"Who-Are-You?" Wanda asked, speaking in long drabs. She was going to be the smoking caterpillar this time. The one with the hookah pipe.
Alyce chuckled not looking up from her sketch book. The two had even watched the movie over, so they would get the quotes right. Alyce looked up from sketch book and smiled. "Why, I hardly know, sir. I've changed so much since this morning, you see... "
Wanda let out a laugh. "We know our movies, don't we?" She asked, opening the hood of her car and clanging her wrench around.
Alyce nodded, getting back to sketching. If Alyce really had to compare this place to the Mansion, she would call it a retiring home. Nothing ever happened here, there was no weekly training sessions, or classes to take. It was just wake up, and the day would make it self known.
"Hey, Mouse, let me see what you're drawing?" Avalanche sat down next to Alyce on the porch. Everyone called her different nick-names. Avalanche had begun calling her Mouse, from the mouse who slept in the tea-pot from the movie. He had went back to the Mansion about a week ago, to get the wires in his jaw taken out. He couldn't believe how fast it had healed, but then again it was Jean and Hank who mended him up.
Alyce handed over her sketch book to him, tapping her pencil. "What do you think? I haven't drawn in ages."
"Well, you made Wanda look way more cuter than she actually looks." Avalanche laughed as Alyce nudged him the ribs. He gave her back the sketch book and laid back on the porch. "Hey, I'm going to go see Kitty, in a bit. Want to come with?"
Alyce sighed, closing her sketch book. She didn't know what Avalanche was trying to pull, but every time he went to go meet up with Kitty, which was a lot, he always asked her the same question. And always, she responded the same way.
"No."
"That's pretty lame. I mean look, I'm from the Brotherhood, and I still hang with her. So can you."
"Our situations are completely different." Alyce spoke, getting up from the porch. She leaned on the staircase railing and looked down at Avalanche. "What do you have up your sleeve?"
Avalanche sat up, throwing his hands in the air. "Nothing...nothing up my sleeves. I'm not even wearing a long sleeved shirt." He got up from the porch and patted Alyce on her shoulder. "I'm just letting you know, no matter how Pietro sounds, they'll still welcome you back."
"I wouldn't think so."
"Why wouldn't they?" Avalanche questioned. "I've known Pietro for years. And when I tell you this, I know. He tends to exaggerate much of the time, he doesn't know he's doing it. But he does." He patted Alyce's shoulder one more time, and proceeded down the steps. Alyce watched as he walked into the garage and in a few minutes roared out on the road on his motorcycle.
It was good that Kitty and him where doing so well. It was cute the way he blushed when he spoke about her to Alyce. He would even ask Alyce help on what to buy her. It was adorable, you could just tell her really liked her. Every time he left though, Alyce had to fight back the urge to tell Avalanche a message.
"Say hi to John for me? Bella, and Remy?"
There where times when she had almost said it. But she had decided weeks ago, that she wasn't going to worry about them. She wasn't apart of their lives anymore. Shrugging the thoughts out of her mind, Alyce opened the screen door and made her way into the house.
"Alyceeeeee." Came a voice from the living room.
Alyce placed her sketchbook on a nearby table and walked into the living room, catching the eyes of Frederick.
"Alyceeee." He wined again, looking at her with pleading eyes. "Blob cannot find the remote."
"Did you check if you're sitting on it, again?" Alyce asked, watching as he got up from the couch. He looked from where he sat and smiled.
"Oh. Thank you, Alyce." He smiled, grabbing the remote in his big hands.
"Wait don'--" Alyce called out, but it was already to late. The Blob had already plopped himself on the couch, breaking it. He looked up at Alyce and chuckled. "Uh oh.."
From outside, Alyce could hear Wanda. "AGAIN?!" She called out. Frederick broke so many couches, but it really wasn't his fault. He just wasn't aware of his massive strength or weight. Alyce walked toward Fred and patted his shoulder. She placed her hand on the couch, and it popped back into place. This had to be the 30th couch, this week, she had fixed.
*
Where was Pietro? The last place she had seen him was, up in his room, sleeping. But it was already into the late afternoon, could he really still be sleeping? Softly, Alyce made her way up the stairs and opened the door to his room.
And there he was, still sleeping.
He turned on his back, letting out a breath. His white hair, that was usually slicked back with gel was bedraggled, falling into his eyes. The way he looked right now, began to remind Alyce of someone. But she wasn't going to admit to herself who she was thinking of. She pushed the thought out of her mind, and made her way to Pietro's bed. She sat down on the edge, and gently placed her head on his chest.
His heart was beating fast, super fast. But it was Pietro, his body was always moving faster than he could think. He suddenly woke up, placing his hands over Alyce, a sleepy chuckle escaping his mouth.
"You scared me."
Alyce smiled as she sat up. "It's late. Get up."
Pietro moaned, pulling his pillow over his head. "I'll only wake up, if you give me a kiss."
Alyce shook her head, rolling her eyes. It was the same routine every day. She wondered how she always fell into it. She snatched the pillow away from Pietro's face and quickly placed a kiss on his lips.
"You see, was that so hard?" Pietro asked, zooming off into the bathroom.
Alyce smiled to herself, sadly, sticking her hand up and catching the blanket that had been thrown up into the air by Pietro's speed.
It was hard.
Even though she was thinking of Pietro with her mind, Alyce knew full well who she was thinking of with her heart.
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