A/N: Hmm.... None at the moment.....
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I cried the entire night. I even skipped supper, which made Fred really worry about me. The next morning I put on my best bravado, and acted like nothing had happened. It seemed to satisfy them. Tabby had missed most of it, so she was oblivious to everything. She stopped being mad at me. I think. She might be pulling one of those 'I'm acting nice to ya but on the inside I'm sending mental death threats.' things that girls pull.
I didn't say anything at work. Murray kept asking what was wrong, and I kept telling that nothing was. He probably knew I was lying, but backed off after a while. It wasn't until I picked the others up at school that I lost my cool. As they were climbing in, I saw Kitty. I stiffened, not able to take my eyes off of her. She saw me, and just stood there. I swear I saw tears in her eyes as she ran off in the direction of Scott's car. I wanted to call out to her, but I restrained myself. No, I thought. Don't let her get to you. That's what they want. But damn, it was hard.
"Hey Lance, we just gonna sit here all day, yo?" Todd called from the back. I started up the jeep and sped out of there as fast as I could.
"Jeez, what's up with you, Rocky?" Tabby teased. I said nothing.
When we got home I went straight up to my room and turned the radio on, as loud as I could. I wanted to drown out every thought I had. It wasn't working, so I turned it up louder, and louder, til it wouldn't go any further. I could still here my thoughts. It took me a second to realize that someone had turn my radio off. I spun around and saw Tabby.
"Seriously, Lance. What's wrong?" She never called me Lance. Never.
"Nothing! What do I have to do to prove it to you guys?" I knew I sounded exasperated. And I was.
"You're really hung up on her, aren't you?" Tabby said, walking over and sitting down on my bed. She patted the space beside her, and I sat down.
"Look, I'll admit, I was once upon a time. But not anymore. I don't have time for that shit." I told her.
"Maybe you should make time. I know you're trying to do everything all by yourself, but face it, you can't. You're not Superman, contrary to what you may believe. You're only 19. And you have a big responsibility on you're shoulders. But you're life ain't over. Live a little. You're not ready to be an old man." She hugged me. After a minute I pushed her away.
"Too late. I'm already an old man. Maybe not physically, but look in my eyes. I've seen more things and done more things than I should in a thousand lifetimes. I know you're trying to help. And you are in some ways. But leave my life to me. Leave my choices to me." She stood up in anger.
"If you never listen to me again, listen to me now. It's never too late. The more you push people away, the harder and harder it's going to get for you. I, of all people, should know."
"Get out of my room. NOW!" She left, slamming the door behind her. I didn't want to here that load of bullshit. Not now. Lies, that's all it was. Lies, lies, and more lies. Well you know what? I'm sick of lies. Sick and tired of everything. I'm going to do things my way, because it's the right way, and it's for the best. For everyone.
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Tabby refused to speak to me. I didn't care. Why should I? I didn't need to talk to her. Or anyone else for that matter. I just needed to work, bring in the cash, feed, clothe, and send them to school. That's it. And that was all I was going to do. I proved that fact the next night.
When I picked the others up, Tabby wasn't with them. I didn't ask where she was. She could find her own damn way home. Probably went back to the X-Freaks, where she could be babied to death. She couldn't handle the hard life. At home, I spoke to no one. Just sat and watched TV.
"It's eight, man. Don't ya think Tabby should be home by now?" Fred asked me. I shrugged.
"Maybe she is. Anybody check her room, yo?" Todd asked. Fred and Pietro shook their heads. Pietro dashed upstairs, then dashed back down a few seconds later.
"I found this." He held up a note. "I'll read it. It's addressed to us. 'Hey, I'm skippin' town. Doubt I'll be back. I want to say goodbye to you all, except that is, for Lance. I don't think he cares. Bye.' It's signed Tabitha."
"What she talkin' about? Lance cares, don't ya Lance?" Fred asked me.
"And why in the blue hell should I?" I told him. "I'm goin' to bed, I need to get up early." I started up the stairs, but Pietro appeared in front of me.
"What do ya mean ya don't care? I thought you were the one of the few who did!"
"Are ya deaf? I don't give a damn. I bring the money in. That's all I am to you and everyone else. A source for cash." I tried to push by him, but he got in front of me again. He started to say something when the house shook. Literally shook.
"STOP IT LANCE!" Todd yelled from the first floor.
"IT AIN'T ME!" I shouted back. And it wasn't. But who and/or what was it?" I soon found out.
The door flew open, and the wind roared through the house. Then, in the doorway, stood a figure clothed in shadows. I squinted, to see who it was, then I felt my eyes go wide with amazement at who it was.
"I have returned, my followers." The baritone voice said. The wind died down, and stepped forth into the light. I heard Pietro gasp behind me. I stood up, and walked slowly down the stairs, until I faced him.
"Welcome back boss." I said, grinning. Yes, he was back. And he would fix everything. He always did.
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I cried the entire night. I even skipped supper, which made Fred really worry about me. The next morning I put on my best bravado, and acted like nothing had happened. It seemed to satisfy them. Tabby had missed most of it, so she was oblivious to everything. She stopped being mad at me. I think. She might be pulling one of those 'I'm acting nice to ya but on the inside I'm sending mental death threats.' things that girls pull.
I didn't say anything at work. Murray kept asking what was wrong, and I kept telling that nothing was. He probably knew I was lying, but backed off after a while. It wasn't until I picked the others up at school that I lost my cool. As they were climbing in, I saw Kitty. I stiffened, not able to take my eyes off of her. She saw me, and just stood there. I swear I saw tears in her eyes as she ran off in the direction of Scott's car. I wanted to call out to her, but I restrained myself. No, I thought. Don't let her get to you. That's what they want. But damn, it was hard.
"Hey Lance, we just gonna sit here all day, yo?" Todd called from the back. I started up the jeep and sped out of there as fast as I could.
"Jeez, what's up with you, Rocky?" Tabby teased. I said nothing.
When we got home I went straight up to my room and turned the radio on, as loud as I could. I wanted to drown out every thought I had. It wasn't working, so I turned it up louder, and louder, til it wouldn't go any further. I could still here my thoughts. It took me a second to realize that someone had turn my radio off. I spun around and saw Tabby.
"Seriously, Lance. What's wrong?" She never called me Lance. Never.
"Nothing! What do I have to do to prove it to you guys?" I knew I sounded exasperated. And I was.
"You're really hung up on her, aren't you?" Tabby said, walking over and sitting down on my bed. She patted the space beside her, and I sat down.
"Look, I'll admit, I was once upon a time. But not anymore. I don't have time for that shit." I told her.
"Maybe you should make time. I know you're trying to do everything all by yourself, but face it, you can't. You're not Superman, contrary to what you may believe. You're only 19. And you have a big responsibility on you're shoulders. But you're life ain't over. Live a little. You're not ready to be an old man." She hugged me. After a minute I pushed her away.
"Too late. I'm already an old man. Maybe not physically, but look in my eyes. I've seen more things and done more things than I should in a thousand lifetimes. I know you're trying to help. And you are in some ways. But leave my life to me. Leave my choices to me." She stood up in anger.
"If you never listen to me again, listen to me now. It's never too late. The more you push people away, the harder and harder it's going to get for you. I, of all people, should know."
"Get out of my room. NOW!" She left, slamming the door behind her. I didn't want to here that load of bullshit. Not now. Lies, that's all it was. Lies, lies, and more lies. Well you know what? I'm sick of lies. Sick and tired of everything. I'm going to do things my way, because it's the right way, and it's for the best. For everyone.
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Tabby refused to speak to me. I didn't care. Why should I? I didn't need to talk to her. Or anyone else for that matter. I just needed to work, bring in the cash, feed, clothe, and send them to school. That's it. And that was all I was going to do. I proved that fact the next night.
When I picked the others up, Tabby wasn't with them. I didn't ask where she was. She could find her own damn way home. Probably went back to the X-Freaks, where she could be babied to death. She couldn't handle the hard life. At home, I spoke to no one. Just sat and watched TV.
"It's eight, man. Don't ya think Tabby should be home by now?" Fred asked me. I shrugged.
"Maybe she is. Anybody check her room, yo?" Todd asked. Fred and Pietro shook their heads. Pietro dashed upstairs, then dashed back down a few seconds later.
"I found this." He held up a note. "I'll read it. It's addressed to us. 'Hey, I'm skippin' town. Doubt I'll be back. I want to say goodbye to you all, except that is, for Lance. I don't think he cares. Bye.' It's signed Tabitha."
"What she talkin' about? Lance cares, don't ya Lance?" Fred asked me.
"And why in the blue hell should I?" I told him. "I'm goin' to bed, I need to get up early." I started up the stairs, but Pietro appeared in front of me.
"What do ya mean ya don't care? I thought you were the one of the few who did!"
"Are ya deaf? I don't give a damn. I bring the money in. That's all I am to you and everyone else. A source for cash." I tried to push by him, but he got in front of me again. He started to say something when the house shook. Literally shook.
"STOP IT LANCE!" Todd yelled from the first floor.
"IT AIN'T ME!" I shouted back. And it wasn't. But who and/or what was it?" I soon found out.
The door flew open, and the wind roared through the house. Then, in the doorway, stood a figure clothed in shadows. I squinted, to see who it was, then I felt my eyes go wide with amazement at who it was.
"I have returned, my followers." The baritone voice said. The wind died down, and stepped forth into the light. I heard Pietro gasp behind me. I stood up, and walked slowly down the stairs, until I faced him.
"Welcome back boss." I said, grinning. Yes, he was back. And he would fix everything. He always did.
