Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men Evolution or any of the characters within. They belong to Marvel and the Kids WB. I don't own Romeo, Juliet, or the basic plot. They belong to a five hundred year old dead guy. Gee. I hope he doesn't sue.

Well, here it is. The prologue is exactly the same, save a word here or there that needed to be changed for it to make sense. If you have read Romeo and Juliet before, or seen it acted, then you know what's going to happen, but try to act surprised anyway, all right? And if you haven't seen/read it…read it, you ignoramus! Just kidding. In that case, you will be surprised…so act surprised. ^_^ And don't let your older sister/parent/spouse/neighbor's cat tell you what's gonna happen. Because I can guarantee…the cat has read it. Anyway, enjoy.

            Two households, both alike in dignity,

            In fair Bayville, where we lay our scene,

            From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,

            Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean

            From forth the fatal loins of these two foes

            A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life;

            Whose misadventure piteous overthrows

            Do with their death do bury their 'parents' strife.

            The fearful passage of their strife-mark'd love,

            And the continuance of their 'parents'' rage

            Which, but their children's end, nought could remove,

            Is now the two hour traffic of our stage;

            The which if you with patient ears attend,

            What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

**

Act I

Scene I

            Frederick J Dukes strolled down Bayville's busy downtown street happily, sucking on a Popsicle. He'd had a good day overall, despite having no one but the overly motivated Tabitha as a companion. She'd suggested this morning over breakfast that the two of them go shopping together, and, being Tabitha, had made the idea a certainty without asking him for his opinion. In three seconds flat, she had planned out his entire Saturday, with no time for his own pursuits. This had annoyed Fred, the idea of wandering from store to store looking at hats or something didn't exactly appeal, but there was just no getting around Tabitha when she was in one of her enthusiastic moods. Luckily for him, the forced trip had turned out to be a whole lot of fun. It might be boring as all hell to go shopping with most girls, but not with Tabitha. She broke the mold. And so, here he was, heading back home carrying an enormously large bag holding the entirety of both their lists; cd's firecrackers, incense, movies, writing paper, and a new set of clothing for him. Tabby had insisted on that one, the only conceit to girlishness she'd bowed to. She said he smelled, and needed to get some new clothing so he could wash his more often. That was faintly insulting, but then, most of the things Tabitha said were. You just had to take them with a grain of salt.

            "Hey, check it out!" she exclaimed from somewhere around his elbow. The blonde girl pointed in excitement to a shop across the street. Fred looked. All he saw was a Laundromat, a crystal waving shop, and a comic book store.

            "What, the comics? I didn't know you liked them, Tabby." Fred snickered. "You never struck me as the nerd type before."

            She waved that off absently. "Not that! The Mystical Shoppe next to it. Come on!" And before he could protest she had grabbed him by one arm and was dragging him across the street. A car screeched to a halt an inch from them and honked loudly.

            "Hey, Bite me! I'm walking here!" Tabitha called gaily back over her shoulder and kept going.

            "You know. Maybe we should have used the cross walk."

            "Why?" She beamed up at him cutely. "I don't need to when I'm with you. You're the Blob. Everyone has to get out of your way. That's one of the reasons I like spending time with you." Freddy's ears were suddenly very hot.

            She steered his unresisting form into the dimly lit shop. The air was thick with incense, and not the light airy stuff Tabitha kept in her room. It was more of a leadsome, perfumed musk. Fred put a hand to his nose, and then sneezed, unable to stop himself. Tabitha didn't notice, she had let go of him to hurry over to the shelves, looking at all manner of bizarre gobbly-gook.

            The willowy woman behind the counter started to come forward. "May I help you?"

            The girl waved her off. "Just looking, thanks." The cashier looked at her, glanced uncertainly at Fred's large form hulking in the doorway, and then shrugged and returned to her book. The Inner Eye it was called, Freddy could see. What a nut. Shaking his head, he made his way over to his companion.

            "Um…Tabby? What are we doing here?"

            "Browsing."

            "Yeah, but …why? I mean, what would you want in this shop?" He glanced disdainfully around. "A ghostly chia pet?"

            She rolled her eyes, and then continued to look at the paraphernalia. "You're thinking of 'chi', Fred. They don't sell chia pets here."

            "I didn't know you were into this kind of thing."

            "Well, I'm not, really. I mean, I'm not a nut over it or anything. But some of it is pretty cool. Take this for example." She held up something that looked like a twisted sculpture turned into a wind chime. It had feathers attached at the bottom. "This is a dream catcher. You're supposed to hang them up, in your room or something, and then they keep nightmares away. Isn't that neat?"

            Fred didn't trust himself to answer.

            "So whenever I see one of these New Age shops," Tabitha continued. "I like to come in and look around a little. It won't take long."

            Fred shook his head. "Yeah, well. I still think you're nuts. I…" He trailed off.

            Thirty seconds later, Tabitha finally noticed. "Huh? What?" She looked up to find her friend staring blankly at the front door. The blonde swung her gaze around, and then grunted. "God. What are they doing here?"

            Scott Summers and Jean Grey had just entered the shop.

            "May I help you?" the woman at the counter asked them suavely.

            Jean glanced around the darkened room uncertainly, and then nodded. "Yes. We're looking for something to give as a present to someone. She likes this sort of thing and her birthday's tomorrow, but I'm afraid," her eyes slid along the objects on display. "that I don't know exactly what to get her."

            Scott nodded. "Yeah. And she's really got her heart set on a perfect sweet sixteen, so we want to get something nice."

            The woman nodded with a mysterious smile. "Ah. A young lady coming into her womanhood. You've come to the right place, my friends. Come. Let me show you a few pieces you may find acceptable."

            Somehow, miraculously, the two newcomers had missed seeing Fred, and thus didn't know that two of their worst enemies were in the store with them. They nodded, resigned, and followed the lady to the back of the store.

            Tabitha was fuming. "How dare they come shop at the store I was shopping in! Now this place is tainted."

            Freddy cast a disdainful glance back towards the X-Geeks. "Tell me about it. Let's just get outta here."

            He should have known it wouldn't be that easy. "No. By God, they're going to pay for this!" And she marched right over to the two newcomers and tapped the taller one arrogantly on the shoulder. Scott turned around.

            "Yeah…Tabitha?!"

            "You better believe Tabitha," she retorted. "What do you think you're doing here, Shades?"

            He looked at her as if she were crazy, an idea that Freddy was starting to consider. "Shopping?"

            She shoved a finger at his chest. "Yeah well, this is where I'm shopping, and you're not welcome here."

            Jean spoke up, a pacifying smile on her face. "Look, there's no reason we can't all stay in the same place like civiliz…"

            "Hey, stay out of this, Princess!"

            That got a rise out of her. "Don't call me 'Princess'! I haven't done anything to you!"

            Tabitha sneered. "You're here, aren't you? That's enough to offend anyone."

            The cashier tried to intercede. "Please. Your anger is disrupting the aura of the shop."

            "Oh, piss off," Jean said irritably. "How about how her anger is disrupting my aura? I didn't do anything to deserve that from this tramp."

            Okay, now she was going too far. Nobody insulted Fred Dukes' friends, and Jean Grey had no right to call anyone else a tramp. He lurched into view, scowling, and the two X-Men noticed him for the first time. It was a dim shop.

            "Don't call Tabby a tramp, you lousy X-Freak loser," he growled, trying to put as much menace into his voice as he could. And to emphasize the point he flipped her off.

            At that Jean grew very cold. "Do you flip the bird at us, sir?"

            The thin shop owner had hurried away and was even now on the telephone, casting nervous looks back at the brawlers in her store. Fred glanced at Tabitha, suddenly nervous. If the cops showed up…

            "Is the law on our side if I say yes?" he asked her.

            Tabitha had followed his gaze and his thought. "No," she replied grimly.

            Fred retracted the offending article. "Then no, I don't flip the bird at you…but I did flip it," he couldn't help but add.

            Scott had lost his temper too. "Look. Do you want a fight, Dukes?"

            Innocent look. "Fight? Why no. What could possibly make you think that I'd want to fight with you?"

            Jean glared at him. "I say we mop the floor with them." In her anger all traces of self-control had disappeared.

            Tabitha glared right back. "I'm game."

            "Well, I'm not!" The shop owner shouted and pointed outdoors violently, the bracelets around her wrist jangling a jarring dissonance. Her aura was very disturbed. "If you want to brawl, do it outside!"

            "Fine!" Scott snapped and marched onto the street. The others followed grimly.

The minute they had left the shelter of the shop's overhang Tabitha raised her arms, a menacing grimace on her face. "NOW we'll fight!" Jean raised her arms as well, but instead of trying to punch her, Tabitha made a cupping motion with one hand and then hurled a small glowing ball at the redhead. Jean squealed and ducked as the marble of light passed over her head. It landed on her other side and exploded, showering bits of dirt on her.

            "Are you insane?!" she spat at Tabitha. "We're in a public place in broad daylight. We can't use our powers here!"

            "Just watch me!" Another ball arced up. It stopped in mid-air, and with a flip of her hand Jean sent it spinning back towards its maker. Now it was the blonde's turn to duck out of the way.

            Freddy, meanwhile, was taking advantage of his bulk to push Scott around. Literally. The auburn haired boy stumbled back at a belly bounce from the Blob, and his face flushed angrily. He put a hand to the ruby red sunglasses covering his eyes and eased them down slightly, revealing a glowing scarlet light behind them.

            "Knock it off, Fred," he ordered. "You don't want to see the shades come off."

            The other just sneered and advanced again. "Give me your best shot, Summers." The two groups fought.

            Across the street Logan came out of a small store and held the door open for Charles Xavier as the latter glided out in his wheelchair.

"Good idea for a present," Logan said approvingly to the other. "But do you really think she'll like it?"

Xavier smiled. "I know she will. If there's one thing Kitty has a weakness for…Hello. What's going on?"

Logan followed his friend's gaze and cursed. "Damn it. I knew those kids would take things too far." A scarlet beam of light speared out and bounced off of Freddy's hide, not hurting him but nevertheless driving the tall teenager back to fall to the ground. Roaring with anger the Blob surged to his feet once again and charged Scott. Tabitha was hurling energy bombs left and right, laughing insanely all the while.

Logan watched the spectacle for a moment and then growled in disgusted anger. "That's it. I'm stopping this." He started forward.

Jean concentrated and lifted Tabitha into the air, disconcerting the sophomore so much that the bomb she'd been making vanished into thin air. The redhead smiled grimly. Now she had the advantage and she could…

"All right, THAT'S ENOUGH!!!" The roar could probably be heard for miles. Everyone froze and turned to Logan, who was striding furiously across the street towards them. He reached the center of the arena and glowered at Jean hotly until she gently lowered Tabitha to the ground again. "I have had enough of this senseless rivalry! There's no point to it and you're all acting like foolish children." He speared his glare around, sparing no one. As one, X-Man and Brotherhood, they dropped their gazes in shame. "You're destroying public property, and worse yet, dangerously using your powers out in the open, easily revealing your secret to anyone who happens by and has two eyes in his head!" Jean opened her mouth to retort that they hadn't started that, but swallowed it with a gulp as Logan's sizzling look landed on her. "And I mean it. This is where it stops. Now. From this point on there is no more feud. And if I catch any of you fighting again …no matter what side they're on, well …" Here his claws popped out, nearly a foot of glistening razor metal. "They're going to have to answer to me personally. Now do I make myself clear?" Once again the dangerous stare made its way around the group. Silence reigned. "Well?!" Murmurs of "Yes, Logan," and "We understand," were heard, mumbled and unclear, but there all the same.

"Good. There'd better not be any more messing around, because I've had it up to here with these fights. Just keep that in mind." Without another glance at them he turned and stalked back to Xavier. "Come on, Chuck. Let's get out of here before I'm forced to destroy something."

Xavier sent the children an unreadable look, and then nodded. "Very well."

***

Across town, in the Brotherhood Boarding House, a very different scene was unfolding. Lance Alvers fell across his bed with a heavy sigh and stared listlessly out the window. His door opened, whoever it was not even having the decency to knock.

"Hey, Lance!" Todd Tolensky's voice. It figured. "Do you have my Green Day CD? 'Cause I can't find it anywhere." Lance didn't bother to reply. What was the point? The Toad would just find his disk sitting inside the other's CD player, anyway. And then he'd go away. Away was good.

Todd didn't seem inclined to do any such thing, however. Instead he chose to come over and wave a hand obnoxiously in front of his friend's face. "Good morning, Lance. Are we awake yet?"

"Morning?" Lance replied and blinked at the scene outside his window. He'd been staring at it for a good twenty minutes and hadn't noticed. "It's still morning? I thought it'd be four at least, by now."

"Uh…no. It's nine. A bit early, I'll grant you. For a Saturday, at least. But Fred and Tabitha are up already, and Pietro took off…waking me up with the racket he made, I might add, so I figured why let you sleep?"

Why must he chatter on so? Oh well. It could have been worse. It could have been Pietro who came into the room. Well, as long as Todd was here, he was in for some prime bitching. "Sorry Toad. It's just that the hours seem long this day."

Todd cocked his head, observing the other boy's morose expression. "How so? What sadness is it that lengthens your face?"

Lance barked a bitter laugh. "Not having anything worth smiling about."

The freshman arched an eyebrow, a new suspicion rising. "You thinking about a chick, yo? Is Lancey-poo in love?"

He decided to ignore the Lancey-poo crack. It was so much easier than pounding Todd's face in. "Out of," he stated simply.

"Out of love? That don't make any sense.

"Out of her favor. She doesn't even know I'm alive!" He heaved a big sigh.

"Um…just so I know, who're talking about?"

"Tabitha."

"Tabitha?! Are you kidding?"

"No. Why should I kid you? Have you seen Tabitha?"

"Yeah. That's why I was wondering if you were serious." Todd dodged the thrown pillow easily. Lance wasn't done yet, however.

"She calls me Rocky. Isn't that cute? If anyone else tried giving me a pet name I'd have to kill him, but it doesn't sound bad on Tabby's lips. She is too fair, too wise; wisely too fair, to merit bliss by making me despair."

"God, Lance. Next you'll be quoting Shakespeare."

Lance rolled his eyes. "That was Shakespeare, nimrod. The point is that she's awesome. She's pretty and funny and fiery…and pretty."

Todd snorted. "I get the picture."

"But she's not interested in me. She's all caught in that Kurt mania of hers." He flopped down onto his bed once again. "What am I going to do?"

"Get over her?" Todd suggested. "Stop thinking about it?"

"Oh, teach me how I should forget to think!"

"Well, there are lots of fish in the sea, and…um…a lot of other corny clichés. You, my friend, need to get out more. Find another chick. One you don't have to share a bathroom with."

Lance thought about this for a minute, and then shook his head. "No. That won't work. There isn't a woman alive who's hot enough to make me forget about Tabitha."

"I'll find one," Toad said confidently. "You can count on that."

Well, there's Scene I done. What did people think? Was it well done? Should I do more or less of the Shakespeare in future chapters? How's the casting? Was it any good at all? Hello? Someone write me. Please.

Review!