Title: A Stranger's Touch: Allied Strangers
Rating: PG
Summary: A bond between two people can take many years to develop. Or a
few weeks. [First part in what will hopefully be a series]
Type of fic: Story
Disclaimer: All recognisable characters and places are not mine. They
belong to Marvel and/or Marvel Studios, WB, Film Roman (I think), and whoever
else claims rights to them.
Distribution: FF.net and Random Thoughts. All else, please just ask.
Author's notes: Sorry there's quite a bit, and with more to probably
follow!
#01 - / denotes psychic thoughts /
#02 - This is pretty much - and very much - an AU story, however a lot of the
stuff that's happened in Seasons One and Two WILL be included. Not all, but
some.
#03 - My accent-writing ability extends only to "Ah" and "mah". I suck
at it majorly.
#04 - This story is under the assumption that the Brotherhood members do NOT
know that Mystique and Ms Darkholme are the same person, and that it was
Mystique who recruited all the members. Remember - AU.
#05 - Thanks to wolviesgal's
Home Page
for the use of transcripts.
***
Allied Strangers
Chapter Six
The atmosphere in the Brotherhood house was tense. Fred was furious. Todd was much jumpier than usual. And Rogue…
Rogue had reverted to the scared, sullen, and hostile girl whom Mystique had first introduced. She refused to talk to anyone, to him. She refused to explain herself, to defend herself against Fred's enraged finger pointing. In fact, she refused to say anything at all. She hadn't joined them for dinner, and had left the house before any of the others had even woken up.
Lance hated it. He had heard Fred's claims that Rogue had helped the X-Geeks, but he didn't want to believe it. Why would she help them? She despised them, for what they tried to do to her back in Mississippi. She wouldn't dare help them. Would she?
Lance slammed his bowl down onto the sink, not caring whether or not it cracked. 'Why won't she talk to me?' he muttered in frustration.
'Maybe it's because she's with the X-Freaks,' Fred said scornfully.
'Shut up, Blob!' Lance snarled, whirling around to face the newest Brotherhoood. 'This is all your fault.'
'I wasn't the one who turned my back on the Brotherhood,' Fred shot back, glaring hard back at him. 'She was the one who attacked me!'
'Then she did it for a reason!'
'Yeah, like she's in love with one of them!'
Lance was stunned, not at all expecting Fred's reply. Without another word he turned and walked away, grabbing his bag from the floor as he stalked out of the house. He angrily threw the bag into the passenger's seat of his Jeep, jamming the keys into the ignition. But he didn't start the engine yet, the words echoing in his head.
…she's in love with one of them!
It didn't take a scientist to figure out which one of "them" Fred had been referring to. Lance himself wasn't completely blind to Rogue's wandering interest. He had seen her watching the X-Geek when she thought nobody was looking.
But he was.
*
'Rogue, wait!'
She paused at the sound of her name, but then continued towards the library, her refuge during many lunchtimes. Rogue refused to look back, to wait, knowing whom the voice belonged to.
'Damnit, will you wait!'
She allowed herself a small smile at Lance's persistence. She knew that he would never take "no" as his first answer, if ever. Although she didn't stop, she slowed down enough to let him catch up. 'What do you want, Lance?'
He frowned at her. 'I wanted to talk to you. You've been avoiding me since yesterday.'
'No Ah haven't,' she said weakly, then scowled. She didn't have to justify any of her actions to him, and she knew what it was that he wanted from her. Answers.
'Yes, you have,' Lance insisted.
'Ah've been busy, alright?'
'Look, I don't care about Fred. But I wanted to know if you're okay.'
Despite herself, Rogue softened at his words. She knew that Lance cared for her, and it was an experience she had to get used to. She'd had Irene, but that was different. Irene had been her guardian, and it had been her job to look after Rogue. But Lance was different. Lance didn't have to care about her, nobody was forcing him. He cared about her out of his own free will, because he wanted to.
'Ah'm okay, Lance,' she told him quietly, looking down at the grass.
'Look, Rogue, whatever reason you did what you did-'
'Ah did it because it was the right thing to do!' she interrupted, lifting her head to glare at him. She was angry, but she wasn't sure why exactly. 'Ah don't have to explain mahself to you, or to anyone else!'
His eyes flashed. 'I was just about to say that I didn't care about it! Why do you have to be so defensive all the time?' Lance shook his head. 'I thought we were on the same side, Rogue.'
She sighed, her anger abating. 'It's not about sides, Lance. We both know what Ah think of Miss Perfect, but Fred was a complete jerk and Ah don't think even she should be kidnapped like that.'
Lance just looked at her for a moment without saying anything, as if studying her. She began to feel awkward and embarrassed under his scrutiny, but she didn't want to let him see how he was making her feel.
'Uh, Rogue?'
*
Scott looked down at the book in his school bag, and frowned. He didn't remember having packed it the night before, as he didn't have that class for the day, but he knew that it was his. In fact, he didn't even remember seeing the textbook at all last night, the last time he had had the book had been in the park with Rogue when they had rehearsed. He didn't have it with him when he had teleported with Kurt, so he must have left it behind.
And Rogue returned it to him.
The events of yesterday afternoon came back to him. The meeting in the park, where she had opened up to him. Kurt's arrival and bad news, and his accusations. Scott felt bad for having instantly assumed her guilty, and he knew he had to apologise. Especially after the way she had helped them rescue Jean.
It wouldn't have been easy for her attacking her own team mate, and he didn't want to think about what had happened at the Brotherhood house that night. Scott hoped that Rogue hadn't gotten in too much trouble. What would Mystique do to her? Would she be punished?
Scott shook his head, not liking that last thought. He picked up his bag and headed outside. He wanted to find Rogue, to not only apologise but to thank her. For the return of his book, and more importantly, for her help. He wasn't sure where to start.
He decided to skip searching the cafeteria, knowing that she avoided it as much as she could. He headed towards the courtyard, having to walk around the side of the main school building. But he didn't get far as he saw her just outside the library steps. She wasn't alone.
Scott hesitated, not liking the idea of a confrontation with Lance Alvers. But the other senior didn't look to be leaving any time soon, the two Brotherhood members in a seemingly heated discussion. Rogue looked angry, then Lance looked angry. Interrupting them would probably not be a good idea…
He walked purposely towards them. By the time he reached them, both had calmed down a little and were just staring at the other. Scott felt foolish at the idea of turning around and walking away, so he decided to just go for it.
'Uh, Rogue?'
The two of them looked at him in surprise, which was quickly replaced by a scowl on Lance's face. 'What do you want, Summers?' the other boy demanded.
Scott threw him a dirty look. 'I'm not talking to you, Alvers.' He turned back to Rogue, who was now frowning. 'Rogue, look, I wanted to thank you for yesterday.'
If possible, the girl seemed to actually pale beneath her makeup. 'Ah didn't do anything.'
Scott suddenly realised that it was probably a very uncomfortable topic for them, and he quickly amended himself. 'For bringing me back my playbook from the park. Thanks for that.'
'Whatever,' she muttered, ducking her head. 'Ah'm out of here.' She walked away from the both of them.
'Look, Summers, stay away from her,' Lance warned in a low tone, his eyes narrowing.
Scott was annoyed that Lance seemed to be playing the big brother role. 'And who's going to make me?'
Lance narrowed his eyes. 'Just stay away. She's with us, Summers. Live with it.'
end part six.
