Mommy Mystique (cont.)

It was extremely humiliating for Raven Darkholme, a.k.a. Mystique, to be carried into the Xavier Institute like a helpless child. But Logan, her . . . actually, she wasn't sure what he was to her; they'd had one night together, which had resulted in the conception of twins, but it wasn't as if that entitled him to anything, was it?
She realized she was babbling, but she couldn't help it.
Logan brought her to the Medical Ward and laid her gently on a bed.

"She's in rough shape, Doc . . ."

A physician friend of Xavier's had stepped in to help.
"Let me see . . ." he said, looking her over. "How far along are you?"
"Almost five months," she said.
"And when did these new symptoms start?"

"I've been having them for at least a day and a half..."

"We think she caught the flu from Kurt," Logan told him. "These pains are something new."
"Do you think . . . are the babies in trouble?" Raven was terrified at the thought of anything happening to the twins.

"Highly unlikely, but it couldn't hurt to check."

The next few minutes involved a lot of whirring, beeping machines, some of which were unnecessarily invasive. All the time she was afraid for the twins....

Eventually, the results came back.
"You can relax," the doctor said. "They're fine."
"Thank God," Mystique sighed.
"I'm more concerned about you. According to this, you're becoming dehydrated. You need to drink as much fluid as you can--juices, soups, and especially water."
"I could," she protested, "but it won't stay down."

"It won't?"

"All the books I've read," she explained, "said that morning sickness was supposed to stop around the fourth month or so. Either they lied . . . or it affects mutants differently."
"I can give you something to help. It really is important that you drink something."

"What do you have?"

He gave her a small vial of dark liquid. "This should help ease the nausea enough for you to keep something down."

Skeptically she took the liquid. "Oh well," she said. "Bottoms up."
It tasted horrible, which was about what she had expected. But once she'd swallowed the last drop, her stomach settled.
Great. Now all she had to worry about was this horrendous cough.

"This just doesn't seem to be my day, " she quipped in a voice growing hoarser by the minute.

"This is where the liquids come in," said the doctor. He turned to Logan. "Get her some tea to start with. If that goes down well, try some fruit juice, and then--"
The door crashed open.
"Where's Mystique?"

"Not now, Toad!"

"You tell us what you did with her or we'll--"

"Ach, get a grip, Toad!" Kurt cut in abruptly.

"We want her back! That Logan guy kidnapped her from our house! He can't do that!"

" What?!!"

"It's okay, boys," Mystique called out to them. "I'm fine. He didn't kidnap me."

Now they were really confused. "Well, then . . . what are you doing here?" Lance asked.

"I think I'd better explain." Xavier said at that moment.

"Because Mystique needs medical attention that she can't safely get elsewhere, I propose that she remain here until she recovers from her present illness."
"But what about us?" Toad demanded. "Who's gonna watch us?"

"YOUR OLD PAL MR.RABBIT!" Pietro boomed, pulling out a hand puppet he'd somehow smuggled in with him.

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Kurt ripped the puppet off the speedster's hand and stomped it to "death".

"Hey!" Pietro protested.

"What is this thing you have with puppets?" Mystique asked.
"Hey, at least it wasn't the X-rated--ow!" said Toad.

Pietro took out a second puppet . . . "THAT WAS A MEAN THING YOU DID TO MR. RABBIT! MR. BADGER DOESN'T LIKE MEAN PEOPLE!"
"Vell, I don't like Mr. Badger!" Kurt destroyed the second puppet as easily as the first.

"MR.SALAMANDER IS VERY UPSET ABOUT WHAT YOU DID TO MR.BADGER!"

"Not for long." Rip rip, stomp stomp. "Any more little friends?"
Pietro handed over Mr. Possum, Mr. Tree Sloth, Mr. Porcupine (who'd begun life as Mr. Pincushion), and Mr. Wolverine.

The real Wolverine scowled at the tiny likeness of himself. "Not funny."
"You should see what he does with--ow!" Toad rubbed his shin. "Hey, quit kicking me!"

"You asked for it, Toad."

"Can we just take Mystique and go?" Pietro demanded. "We'll take good care of her."

Mystique just groaned . . .

"As I've already explained," Xavier said patiently, "Mystique needs to stay here until she gets better."
"But what about us?"

"YES! AND WHAT ABOUT YOUR OLD PAL MR. RABBIT?" Pietro had smuggled in a spare rabbit puppet.

"Can't we just kill him?" asked Toad.

"WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO DO THAT, TODD?"

"Because you're an annoying little pest and you're driving us crazy?" Lance ventured.
"AW, MR. RABBIT'S NOT ANNOYING!"
"Who's talking about Mr. Rabbit?"

"YOU ALL SHOULD WORSHIP THE GROUND PIETRO WALKS ON!"

"That's it!"
The whole house started shaking. Lance stormed over to Pietro and grabbed him by the throat. Then Fred pulled him off.

"Let me at 'im!"

"Boys," Rogue said, entering the room. "Ya just can't leave em alone."

"Oh, uh, hi, Rogue."

Pietro quickly hid his next puppet behind his back. "Hi, Rogue. What are you doing here?"

"I got home and saw a note that said Mama was here. Is she okay?"

"Not really," Pietro said, trying desperately to make sure Rogue didn't see the puppet.

Xavier explained once again Mystique's current condition . . . while Rogue eyed Pietro suspiciously.

"What's behind yer back?"
"Uh . . . nothing," he said, dropping the puppet and trying to kick it under the bed.

"Nothing, huh?" she said, starting to peek under the bed.

He moved quickly between her and the bed.
"Um . . . why don't we let your mom get some rest, and we'll go . . . somewhere?"

"Out of mah way, Pietro."

Pietro grabbed her by the arm, shoved his head towards hers, and kissed her.
It wasn't a very successful distraction--it lasted all of four seconds before he slumped unconscious to the floor (he'd forgotten about that part). But it left Rogue standing there, stunned, for what seemed like forever.
"What the heck was that all about?" she wondered.

"Uh . . . let's get outta here," Toad said, picking up Pietro's limp form and hightailing it out of the room. With puzzled expressions, the others followed.