Animeluvr: All things will become clear in time, impatient one from the Garden.

AN: The truth or dare game may have some references that may make it inappropriate for young eyes, so if you don't have the maturity to deal with it, skip it.

Chapter 29: Road Trip to D.C.

As the X-Men walked on to the bus they quickly decided to take possession of the back section of the bus.  Luckily, this bus was one of those where the lavatory was in the middle of the bus, so they didn't have to worry about the stench.  As the X-Men sat down, they carefully arranged it so that, not only would the established couples be together, but so that Amara and Kyle would be forced to sit together.

Their plan almost died at birth, however, as they made the fatal mistake of allowing them two different places to sit.  Luckily, it was saved by the intervention of some deity or another... Or it could have just been that Tabby and Peter were on the trip as well. Tabby because she was in one of the earlier Civics classes that was going, and the teacher had allowed her to sit with the other X-Men, rather than with the rest of her class on another bus.  Peter was a 'student assistant' on the trip.  Seeing the plan in the works, Tabby quickly grabbed Peter's hand, and drug him into the pair of seats closer to the front of the bus, forcing the two teenagers to sit in the back.

"Well, I guess ye' jus' 'ave ta be sitten thare."  Said Rahne, even as she silently laughed at the look on Peter's face, as the Russian tried to figure out what had just happened.

Kyle and Amara settled into the seat, both blushing furiously.  Neither one suspected that, by the end of the trip, they would be a couple. That is, if the rest of the mutants present had a say in it.

As the busses began to move, the talking that is so characteristic of road trips began.  For most teenagers, it was things like their classmates, rumors, and various other normal teenage things.  For the X-Men, it wasn't any different... Okay, so maybe most teenagers don't discuss their latest training session in the Danger Room, but you get the idea.

(AN: Even though I know that it probably wouldn't take place this way, the trip will be a six hour one. That way, they can have fun in fast food joints on their way to D.C.  Or, more specifically, on their way back.)

A little bit over an hour latter, the topic had somehow found its way to the one topic that both Amara and Kyle had been hoping it would avoid, the one topic that is unavoidable in teenage discussions...

Relationships.

"So, Rahne, I heard that you and Sam finally got it together." Said Tabby, hoping to both progress the plan, and have some fun teasing her friends.

"Who told ye' tha' lass?"  Asked Rahne, her face red.

"Paige was, like, telling everyone." Said Kitty, grinning at her younger friend.

Sam's face took on such a stricken look that the X-Men couldn't help laughing.

"Ya'll've turned mah sistah inta a gossip mongah?" asked Sam.

"No, she did it all by herself." Said Jubilee between giggles.

"What about ye', lass? I heard that ye 'nd Bobby done 'nd got ye' act togetha."

Now it was Jubilee's turn to blush, as the ravaging forces that were teenager girls hungry for gossip, swept down on her.

"It's not like we did anything big, we just went to the movies." Said Jubilee, her face the color of a ripe apple.

"Sounds like a date to me." Said Amara, not realizing that she had just played into the trap.

"And what about you, Miss. Princess, any prospective Mr. Aquilla's?"

Amara's face was almost instantly the color of her hair streaks, as she stuttered out, "N...no...not r..re..real..really."

Tabby grinned, "Are you sure?" she asked.

"Quite sure."  Responded Amara.

"Positive?"  Kitty injected.

"Yes, I am Positive." Responded Amara.

Kyle chuckled, amused at the girl's tenacity.

"And what about you Kyle? Any possible Mrs. Trevais's?"  Kitty turned on the young man. Kyle's eyebrow's rose slightly at the question.

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Really," Said Lance, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"Yes, Lance, really." Kyle responded, his face telling him quite plainly not to mention what was said in the Library.

"Sure, right man."  Said Bobby, his tone speaking volumes.

"Bobby, are you implying that I'm lying to you?" Asked Kyle, his tone flat.

"No." Responded Bobby, slightly nervous at Kyle's tone.

Kyle smirked, "Good.  Hey, Lance, got a question for you."

Lance smirked, "Which is?"

"How did Scott and Jean take you hooking up with Kitty again?"

Lance laughed, "How do you think. They don't approve."

Jubilee chuckled, "Big surprise."

Tabby shook her head, "They're too strict some times."

"Well, Tabby, what about you, found someone who could stick around for more than a week and a half?" Asked Lance, his tone teasing.

"Actually, Mr. Rictor Scale... No, no there isn't." Said Tabby, her face falling at the realization that, indeed, there wasn't such a prospect.

At Tabby's pronouncement, the group became uncomfortably silent, a tension building over them. As the tension built, a headache of monstrous proportions built in Kyle's head.  Finally, he couldn't take it any more, he had to break the tension.

"Well, you'll find someone eventually." Said Kyle to Tabby.

The blond bomber turned to Kyle, "How would you know?  It's not like you have any experience in this."

Kyle chuckled, "Because, no one ever makes it through life without a companion.  You'll find someone eventually, it may just take some time to do so. Or to realize that you already have found them."

Tabby smiled slightly, "You might be right, who knows?"

With the tension broken, the X-Men continued their discussions.

Several hours latter, the Civics teacher, and the twelve chaperones that were coming along, had made the joint decision to pull over and grab some food.  The six buses pulled into a mini-mall, which contained four different restaurants, and the group's poured out, heading into the building.

The X-Men entered a dinner, and quickly grabbed a table, waiting for a waitress to come. While they waited, the group of teenagers teased each other mercilessly about various foolish things they had done.  Finally, the waitress arrived.

"Hello, I'm Sandy, I'll be your waitress today." She said, as she shot a flirtatious wink at Kyle.  "What will you all have to drink?"

"I'll be 'avin' a Coke, lass." Said Rahne.

"Ah'll have the same." Said Sam.

"Dr. Pepper," Said Bobby,

"Root Beer," Said Peter, not realizing that it was not actual beer.

"Dr. Pepper," said Jubilee.

"Surge" said Tabby.

"Lord help us." Said Kurt, "I'll have a Coke."

"Diet Coke, please" said Kitty.

"Dr. Pepper." Said Amanda.

"Same," Said Amara,

"Ditto" shot in Lance.

"Make that another Dr. Pepper," Said Kyle.

"Sure!" Said Sandy, as she walked away, making sure to sway her hips at Kyle.

Amara glared at the girl as she left, not liking the way she flirted with her man.  Wait, they weren't even dating, how was he HER man?

Jubilee caught her glaring at the girl as she flounced off. "Amara, chill girl.  It's not like she's going to get anywhere trying to flirt with Kyle."

Kyle's eyebrows rose almost to his hairline, "She was what?"

The other X-Men chuckled at his reaction, as Kyle shook his head.  "its times like this I'm thankful I'm blind. That way, I don't have to watch complete strangers try to flirt with me."

The X-Men laughed outright at this statement, and had barely gotten it under control by the time the girl had returned with their drinks.  Amara glowered at the girl as she left, and this time it was Kitty who spoke.

"If you, like, glare any harder, you might, like, totally fry her." 

Amara shook herself.  Kitty was right, besides, hadn't Kyle already said that he had no interest in her, in fewer words.

From that point on, the X-Men had a blast poking fun at their flirtation waitress behind her back.  When they finally received their food, Kyle asked that they change topics, so that he 'didn't get sick while eating and listening to their interpretations of their waitress's attempts at flirting.'

So the topic changed to a favorite topic at the institute, hometowns.  While it may seem like it was an easily exhaustible topic, certain topics just don't ever seem to run out of steam, this was one of them.

"So Kyle," began Amara, "Where did you come from before you came to Bayville. Or did you always live there and we just missed you?"

Kyle smiled, "No, actually, I originally lived in Boston.  Beautiful place during the winter, or so I'm told.  Lots of colleges, and lots of history.  During the summer it's hot, and during the winter... Let's just say that you don't walk outside without four layers, unless you want to catch Hypothermia."

Tabby smiled slightly, "Not much like my old home.  I was raised in Arizona while my parents were together.  Down there, it was two temperatures. Hot and hotter."

Amara smiled fondly, "Same back home for me, but we had lots of trees for shade."

Jubilee grinned, "Well, that's part of living on a tropical island."

The conversation continued, and the X-Men eventually finished their food.  They watched, amused as hell as Sandy cleaned the table while shooting Kyle a good view of her cleavage.  They stood up, leaving a small tip for their waitress, in the form of a note saying, "The guy's blind, hon."

Climbing back onto the bus, the X-Men were immediately struck by the scourge of road trips.

Boredom.

"Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of beer. Take one down pass it around, ninety-eight bottles of beer on the wall."  Began Tabby.

"Oh hell no!" Said Amara.

"Why not, it's not like there's anything better to do.

"How about truth or dare?"

The group looked around at one another.  It wasn't like anyone could think up anything better to do.

"Okay then, Kitty, truth or dare."

Kitty looked at Amara for a long moment. "Truth."

"How far have you gone with Lance?"

Kitty blushed hard, then answered. "Some heavy necking, a little groping."

Kyle shook his head, "Didn't need that image."

Kitty glared at Kyle, "Kyle, Truth or Dare."

Kyle smiled, "Truth."

"What kinds of things did Sensei teach you?"

Kyle's smile decreased slightly, "Let's just say that I know twenty six different places to hit to kill a man."

As the group mulled that over, Kyle asked his question.

"Tabby, truth or dare?"

Tabby looked at him, "Truth."

"Name three things you wouldn't do for money."

"Well, one, I wouldn't sleep with Freddy, no way in hell.  Two, live with my father for a month.  And three, go on one of those reality T.V. Shows.  Bobby, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"Impersonate a president."

"My fellow Americans. I did not have sex with that woman.  But I gotta say, she gives one damn good bj."

The group broke down in laughter.  "Jubilee, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"Go ten minutes without calling anyone by name."

Jubilee nodded, "Okay, Am... Princess truth or dare."

"Dare."

"Sit on K... the blind boy's lap for the next five minutes."

Amara glared at Jubilee, but complied.

"Lance, Truth or dare."

"Dare."

"Scream, 'I love B&D' out the window."

Lance stared at Amara for a minute, then, sticking his head out the window, screamed the requested phrase.

Pulling his head back in, he turned to Peter. "Peter, truth or dare."

"Truth."

"What do you do with that pallet all the time?"

"Draw whatever catches my attention."

Lance shook his head, he had expected something else, but let it go.

"Rahne, Truth or dare?"

Rahne looked up.

"Dare."

Peter thought for a moment, then grinned "show us what Paige meant when she said that your 'tongues were doing the mambo.'"

Rahne's face turned beat red for a moment, then she grinned wolfishly.  Turning to Sam, she slipped on his lap, and their tongues proceeded to not only do the mambo, but the samba and the tango.  After a long time, they broke the kiss, and, slightly panting, she turned back to the group.

"Amanda, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Just how dexterous is Kurt's tail?"

Amanda blushed for a second "Lets just say that you don't know what you're missing."

"Kyle, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Who do you like?"

Kyle's face went red for a moment, " 'Mara." Was all he said.

As Amara soaked in that statement, shocked, he spoke up. "Kurt, truth or dare."

"Dare."

"Every time Bobby speaks for the next ten minutes, you salute and say, 'Hail to the Chief.'"

And so it continued, the game, getting progressively sillier, until finally, multiple hours latter, the bus had reached their destination.

(AN: A somewhat crappy road trip chapter, but I had a goal in mind with this one.  The trip back, however, and their time in D.C., for the most part, I have no goals for. R&R, please)