Lilith strolled back, with what looked like a cup of coffee in her hand. She set it down on the table and reached for her fork, then paused frowning. "The fork was on the other side..." Her eyes immediately went to Pietro.

His eyes went wide. "What did I do?" he asked innocently.

She pointed at the fork. "This!"

"What makes you think I did it?"

"Because it's you!"

"Now I'm offended." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I was standing over here the whole time, right guys?" Lilith looked to the rest of them, an eyebrow raised.

"Not ac'ordin' t' my new friend Hamilton," Remy chuckled holding up the ten-dollar bill.

"You sellout!" Pietro yelled. Lilith smiled at him. It was not a nice smile, closer to a baring of teeth. He took a step away from her and she turned back to Remy.

"You were betting on his stupidity?"

"Oui."

"What did he do to it?"

"Just took a bite," Lance said.

"Traitors!"

"Any diseases I should know about?"

"Only of the mind..." Tabitha said, grinning.

"I don't have ANY diseases. Period!" Lilith sat down, picked up the fork and went back to her dessert. Pietro frowned uncertainly. "That's it?"

"No, but I can't think of anything bad enough to do to you off the top of my head." Pietro just stood, watching her eat. "That is distracting, you know."

"I want my seat back."

She looked at him, her eyes clouded over with an indescribable emotion. "I've been on my feet since nine o'clock this morning and YOU want your seat BACK? Do you have any idea how hard this job is?"

He smiled wickedly at her. "You want me to take over for you? I'd get the job in 10 times as quick."

She was not amused. "You may be quick on your feet, but you don't have nearly enough patience for these people."

"YOU have patience?!" He doubled over laughing.

"I haven't killed or seriously maimed you yet. I'd say I'm doing pretty well."

"I'm gonna have to give her credit for that one," Lance said.

"Me too," Todd seconded.

"Same here," Rogue and Tabitha said at the same time.

"I have to question whose side you guys are actually on."

"It's outta love," Fred smiled, licking a bit of chocolate from his lip.

"Oh, yes, I can feel all the warm fuzzies," Pietro said sarcastically.

"Ooh!" Lilith sat up straight, a gleam in her eye, and quickly finished off the last of her dessert.

"What?!What?!Whatdoyoumean'ooh'?!"

"You just gave me the idea for your punishment!"

He took a step backwards. "IhavethefeelingIdon'twannaknow."

Lilith cackled, yes, cackled. The rest of the table looked at her strangely. Rogue's eyes met Lilith's and the brunette nodded. 'But how did she know...'

As quickly as she could, Rogue was up from her seat and holding Pietro with his arms locked behind his back. She figured it would be harder to do in his panicked state, but it seemed he was frozen with fear.

She kept her feet planted firmly on the ground as Pietro realized he was screwed, as in flipped over and done up the ass. "Wait,no,youdon'twannadothis!" He began squirming frantically, though it was futile against Rogue's super strength.

"Oh, yes, I do." Lilith grinned, an evil gleam in her eyes. "Now we're going to go find Karen, Pietro. Doesn't that sound like fun!" She sounded almost... gleeful.

Karen?" Todd asked.

Lilith smiled evilly. "Karen." Then she looked past Pietro to Rogue. "If you would mind following me?"

"Not at all." Rogue smiled. She was tired of sitting down anyway.

"C'n I come f'r de torture, too?"

Lilith shrugged. "Sure. Anyone else?"

"Uh... no. We're good," Todd said, taking a sip of his drink in an attempt to hide a smile.

"You'renotgoingtohelpme?!?!"

"Sorry, but we DID warn you," Lance said, not unsympathetically.

"Oh," Lilith paused and half turned as a thought struck her. "Um, would you mind terribly taking the desserts to everyone else?" she asked Tabitha.

"No prob." The blond grinned at her.

"Okay, James up at the bar is gonna want the hazelnut coffee cake with the shaved white chocolate on top, Hans likes the apple strudel with the tons of caramel sauce, Sven likes the chocolate-raspberry truffles, and the rest you can drop off in the employee lounge. Ask one of the boys and they'll tell you where it is if you tell them Lil sent you. Thanks!"

"No!No!Please!I'llbegood,Iswear!"

"Too late."

After all of Pietro's histrionics, Karen turned out to be a blond, rather motherly looking (by the 50's sitcom standard) waitress.

"You're not particularly attached to that fuzzy pink sweater you keep forgetting in the coat room are you?" Lilith asked hopefully. Pietro got a look of dread on his face.

"Well, no..." The woman looked vaguely worried. "You can have it... but..."

Lilith ushered her aside. "It'll be fine, Karen. We really appreciate you letting us use it. Oh, how rude of me," she giggled. "These are my new friends, Pietro, Rogue and Remy. You guys, this is Karen."

"Hi," Pietro said timidly. Both Rogue and Remy smiled brightly and said their versions of hello.

Karen nodded to them in greetings and looked back to Lilith. "You're not planning to do anything to him, are you?" She motioned to Pietro, who was still in Rogue's tight hold.

Lilith's eyes went wide with shock, feigning insult. "Karen, I'm hurt. I thought you had more faith in me than that."

"Right, of course. Well, I guess you can take the sweater." She started to walk away. "Nice to meet you, everyone."

"Likewise," Pietro squeaked, seeing looks of evil return to the eyes of Lilith as the woman turned her back on them.

A small sinister laugh rang out of the brunette's lips. "And now the fun begins."

A gasp was heard behind them all. "Are you plotting Pietro torture without me?" It was Courtney's turn to pretend she was insulted. "Really, Lil, I thought we were a team!" She faked sobbed. Then she got a look at Pietro and how helpless he was and couldn't help but grin. "Now I know why I had a sinking feeling something would happen if I stayed away too long."

"You malign me with your unfounded and cruel accusations! I had every intention of finding you before any entertainment whatsoever was had!" Lilith protested.

"Uh-huh, yep." Courtney smirked and rolled her eyes. Then her eyes glazed over with an evil glint quite similar to Lilith's. "So what's in store for our buddy here?"

"You'll see. We need to visit James real quick though…"

Rogue quirked her eyebrow. "James? What for?"

Lilith began leading them out. "Let's just say that alcohol mixing is not his only specialty."

"Ooh! You evil genius you!"

Lilith grinned and rubbed her hands together. "Ah, but it takes an equally demented mind to comprehend the truly vile workings of my underhanded schemes."

Courtney wiped an imaginary tear from her eye. "Lil... I don't think I've ever been so complimented in my life."

They came to the bar, dragging a very reluctant Pietro. James held up a finger in a "I'll be there in a minute" gesture, set down a margarita, a strawberry daiquiri, and a kiwi wine cooler in front of a trio of giggling college girls, flashed them a dazzling smile, and made his way over the teenagers, mutant and otherwise.

"Always a hit with the ladies," Courtney teased.

"I try."

Lilith leaned on the counter and smiled. "Jaaaames..."

The bartender's eyebrows perked up immediately. "Didn't I give you enough to drink t'day, luv?"

Courtney snickered as Lilith snapped upright with an affronted look. "What makes you think I'm here for that, hmm?" James shrugged. "What we really need from you now is that special 'adhesive' you put together." She said 'adhesive' in a hushed tone so as not to upset Pietro, but alas, he heard anyway.

"Adhesive?!"

Rogue twisted her arms so she could hold him tighter, producing a squeak from him. She placed her chin on his shoulder. "Not as kinky as ya thought it would be in this position."

"Believe me, my mind couldn't be further from thoughts of that."

"Good," Remy huffed. Rogue smirked and then puckered her lips at Remy. He did the same and kissed the air between them.

While Rogue felt a blush rush onto her cheeks, Pietro numbly murmured, "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Good," Remy repeated.

James frowned at Lilith and Courtney who were both grinning widely. "I know you both too well to be able to give it to you in good conscience. However, if I were to set it on the bar..." He placed a small dropper bottle on the counter. "...and then I turned away to get a drink for someone and it disappeared... then I can hardly be blamed, can I?"

"YOU'RENOTACTUALLYGIVINGITTOTHEM?!?!"

James blinked. "I have no idea what you just said."

"He gets that a lot," Rogue smirked.

Lilith smiled sweetly and pointed out a man who had just sat down at the bar. "I think he's in need of your assistance."

"So he is. You be good, girls."

"Of course, James," the two waitresses said in perfect, sing-songy sync. Pietro shuddered in Rogue's arms as Remy reached up and palmed the bottle.

"We have the glue?" Lilith questioned.

"Oui."

"Good. There's an alley out back where the deliveries come in. It should be deserted. We don't want the screams to upset the rest of the customers."

"And who says you don't have leadership skills?" Courtney snickered.

"Leadershipskills?!" Pietro cried out in disbelief, causing a few people to turn.

"Quiet." Lilith gave him a look that could rival the coldest day of winter. He shrank away from her. Then she started to lead them all out to the alley.

TBC...