Scott stared at the mouth of the cave, as he saw the rain pouring harder. He looked at Jean, "Should we go get them?" He asked, worriedly.
Jean shrugged, "I think Betsy and Pietro will come back pretty soon. Just let him explain to her." She sighed.
Tabitha sighed, and looked at Brian, "This was fun! We should do this every year!" She smiled.
Brian grinned at her, nodding. "I didn't mean to let that slip." Toad apologized.
"Toad, don't worry about it. Betsy was bound to find out about it anyway." Wanda shrugged.
*~*~*~*
"Betsy, will you wait up?!" Pietro snapped, running towards her.
Elizabeth walked through the pouring rain, down the trail. "No! Leave me alone!" She yelled.
Pietro quickly used his speed, and rushed in front of her, stopping her. He grabbed onto her arms, "Now, look at me, and let me explain, okay?"
His heart ached, as he saw tears pouring from her eyes, her face and hair fully soaked from the rain. She shook her head, and pushed him away from her, "Don't you see? If it wasn't for you telling your father about me," She gestured to the red mark on the left side of her face, "This wouldn't have happened! I wouldn't have gone into a coma! My brother wouldn't have been stressed over me!" She snapped.
She then pushed him off of her, "Get away!" She yelled.
She then dodged him, and continued walking. Pietro walked behind her, following her, "Betsy, listen to me! I didn't know my dad would go that far! Besides, Sabertooth's attack on you was not my fault, or my dad's! He was only supposed to capture you unharmed and take you to my father so he could recruit you for him!" Pietro explained.
Elizabeth stopped, and swung around, staring at him. "So what?! So I can try killing people?! You're father's insane, Pietro!" She hissed.
"You think I don't know that?! But he's still my dad! He gives me money, puts food in my mouth! Even though he's not around for my sister, or me he is still our father! I only told him that there was a girl that I liked that was now living at the Xavier Institute!" He explained, "Yeah, stupid me, I told him your name. But he accessed the Institute's Cerebro files and found out about you! He did help Xavier build that stupid thing, you know!"
Elizabeth began choking back on her tears, and gestured to the crimson red mark, "But look what it's done to me!" She said, as she began to sob.
Pietro sobered, and looked at her face. "Betsy, you're still a beautiful girl!" He sighed.
They stared at each other for a few moments of silence, with only the sound of thunder rumbling in the sky above them, and the rain pouring onto the dirt around them. Elizabeth shook her head, and clenched her eyes shut. She buried her face into her hands, and sobbed as she remembered the attack on her from Sabertooth. She turned and began walking again. Pietro sighed, and rushed after her, "Betsy, come on. It's pouring rain!" He told her.
"Just please! Leave me alone!" She cried.
Pietro quickly rushed in front of her, stopping her, "Look, Betsy, ever since you walked into that damn cafeteria at school with Rogue, I thought I was looking at something unbelievable!" He admitted. "You have been one hell of a challenge for me! Your temper, your attitude, everything! But, you've been the most hottest girl I've ever laid my eyes on!"
Elizabeth looked up at him. "And, even without this stupid mark, you're still the hottest person I've laid my eyes on." He continued, and then sobered, staring at her, "I'm really sorry, Elizabeth, for everything I've caused. What do I have to do to make it up to you? Anything, I'll do. Even if it's eating the mud under my feet, I'll do it if you ask that of me. Why do you think we came to this stupid camp anyway? When I found out you were coming here too, I hurried up and jumped on that idea! I only wanted to be close to you, Elizabeth, that's all!" He apologized.
Elizabeth stared at him, her face sobering. "How can I trust you, Pietro?" She sighed, "I mean, how do I know that you're not going to be scrounging around on your dad's every word? Those people in that cave, and at the institute; they're my family!" She snapped.
Pietro looked down at the ground, and knelt down in front of her. He scooped up a pile of mud in his hand, and stood up. "Just tell me and I'll do it." He sighed.
Elizabeth looked at his hand, and then up at him. He put the mud towards his mouth, "I'm waitin' for your queue, Betts."
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, and pushed his hand down. He looked at her, "I'm sorry. For everything."
Elizabeth sighed, "Is that it? Are there any other secrets I need to know about? Because if there is, you better tell me now." She told him.
Pietro shook his head, "Nothing else. Well," He shrugged, "I like to sing in the shower, but that's about it."
Elizabeth stared at him. "You're scum." She told him.
Pietro nodded, "I'm scum." He repeated.
"You're worse than the scurvy on the dirtiest gums that any dentist has ever seen." She said.
"I'm the hair that grows on Toad's nuts!" He told her.
Elizabeth lifted her lip in disgust. He grinned at her, letting out a laugh. He then sobered, "So are we okay?" He asked.
She shrugged, and wiped her wet black hair out of her face, "We will be."
Pietro dropped the mud onto the ground, and smiled. He was going to hug her, but they flinched, as they heard a loud rumble of thunder. "We better get back, Betsy. It looks like the storm's getting worse." He uneasily said.
They looked up, as a bolt of lightning struck the tree above them. "Oh shit!" Pietro gasped.
A large tree branch came tumbling down towards them. Pietro grabbed Elizabeth, and rushed away from the branch. "Come on, let's go!" Pietro said.
Elizabeth nodded, "Alright. Let's go." She sighed.
The two ran back up the trail towards the cave.
*~*~*~*
"Say, what are we gonna do if the rain doesn't let up?" Rogue asked curiously, as they all stared at the mouth of the cave.
"Oh I know. We're about three miles away from the camp! There's no blankets in here!" Kitty said.
They saw two figures walking towards the mouth of the cave. "You guys okay?" Scott asked, as a soaked Pietro and Elizabeth walked into the cave.
Elizabeth sighed, and nodded, "Yeah, we're fine."
Jean rushed towards them, handing them two sweatshirts offered by Gambit and Bobby. "Here, change your shirts at least and put these on. Go sit in front of the fire before you two get sick." Jean said, handing them the sweatshirts.
The two took the shirts, and walked towards the darkness further in the cave. "Well, good to see that you two made up!" Amanda smiled, as Kurt wrapped his arm around her.
"Betsy could never stay mad at me; she worships the quicksand I walk on!" Pietro grinned.
Elizabeth sighed, rolling her eyes, "You wish."
"So, what do we do now?" Evan asked.
"Just wait, I guess. I just hope we don't get in a butt load of trouble for this." Scott sighed.
"If they say anything, I'm going to so slap them upside their heads! They should have listened to that damn news report!" Tabitha hissed.
Elizabeth and Pietro walked towards the fire in the middle of the cave, and sat down. They placed their wet shirts in front of the fire to dry. Elizabeth bent her knees up towards her chest, and wrapped her arms around her knees. Pietro looked at her, and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to him. They placed their foreheads together, "Sorry, Betsy." He whispered to her.
Elizabeth nodded, accepting his apology. "Well, shall we continue playing our game?" Amanda smiled, trying to lighten up the mood.
"Ask me something!" Toad smiled, raising his hand.
"Okay!" Amanda smiled at him.
