Thank Yous:
Elizabeth Braddock-Grey, thank you and your wish for Betsy and Wanda friendship shall be granted. Also, that Wanda video is da bomb!
Winter Fire, yes the Braddocks are incredible characters and I totally hope they get Evolutionized asap. :-)
The Scribe3, I do tend to pair Amara with Bobby for some reason, but so far in this fiction I've no plans for them to be linked romantically. I plan on changing up quite a few things in this series and I've come to think of another man for our Magma. It's not a pairing I've seen done before, but as I plan it out it works in my head so hopefully y'all will like it when it enters the story.
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Discussions
"That was some session," Charles said to Logan as the man stalked past him. "The infirmary is so full of battered students that I think it may need expansion if this is the way you intend to prepare them for facing Apocalypse."
"Don't worry, Chuck, today was a one off," the Wolverine growled as he came to a stop for the conversation the bald man obviously intended to have. "I had to see how they handle themselves in no win situations."
"And are you satisfied now?"
"I'll agree with you that we've now got a chance," Logan admitted before turning to continue on his way to the Danger Room.
"You do realize your exercise has left the institute without protection until all those weapons can be replaced," the Professor said sternly as he again halted the other man's progress.
"Our most vital defenses are still operational," he defended. "Even if they weren't we ain't got anything to worry about. Apocalypse won't be comin' 'round, Magneto and Mystique are dead and their lackeys are with us now."
Though he would have liked to discuss the severity of the training session he'd witnessed more thoroughly, Charles realized his friend was in no mood to talk and simply watched as the other man stalked from sight.
Sighing, the Professor turned his wheelchair toward infirmary to check on the students there.
As he made his way through the building, he hoped that Logan was right in that they had nothing to worry about because Xavier's own instincts were telling him that they were about to get an surprise visit.
~*~*~
With a groan and the help of Kurt, Wanda sat upright on the bed she'd been laid on by the furry blue X-Man.
"Feeling better?"
"As good as I can for feeling like I've been hit by a truck," she said with a wince as her side protested her stretching. "No wonder you guys always kick Brotherhood butt if all your training is like that."
"Ve've not had much luck beating you all zince you joined zhe teamed," his yellow eyes twinkled a bit and they exchanged smiles.
"Lunch ready?"
"Zhat's vhy I am here. Vould you like me to bring you something?"
"I'm fine except for a little soreness. I can handle getting food myself," she said though his willingness to wait on her was heartwarming.
"You may change your mind about zhat vhen you see vhat a madhouse zhis place becomes at feeding time," he smiled at her as they began walking toward the elevator to head upstairs. "It's even vorse now zhat ve've got so many newcomers vith very big appetites."
They stepped into the lift and were silent for a moment as they each leant against a wall of the car.
"I haven't thanked you yet for last night," Wanda said suddenly while fidgeting with the rings on her fingers.
"Zhere is no need. You helped me as much as I helped you."
The elevator arrived at the ground level and the doors opened.
Amanda, who'd been waiting for Kurt to return from the lower levels, gasped when she saw the pair smiling warmly at each other in the lift.
"Is that why you won't forgive me?" she asked the Nightcrawler with tears forming in her brown eyes. "Are you with her now?"
Blinking in surprise at the questions the pair in the elevator exchanged a look then turned back to face the upset girl. As they both opened their mouths to explain, Amanda's hurt changed to anger and with a glare she turned on her heels and raced off toward the staircase.
"That can't be good," Wanda sighed in the direction the other girl had fled.
Kurt, the smile erased from his mouth, simply shrugged and stepped from the lift with a sigh of his own.
"Should I - " the Scarlet Witch began only to break off when he slowly shook his furry head in response to the question he knew her to be asking.
"It vould do no good. Zhings between us are … unsettled."
Having been given some idea of what was going on in his relationship with the newly identified 'Daytripper' the night before Wanda nodded in understanding.
"Perhaps you should try settling them now," she said gently with a friendly hand on his shoulder.
"I … I just don't know how I vant zhem settled," he sighed with confusion in his gaze while he reached up to hold the hand she'd placed on him with his three fingered left hand.
"No matter how it may be settled, it's obvious you both need to talk," she brushed back some stray strands of his soft navy hair.
He nodded in acceptance of her words and they exchanged weak smiles before he teleported away in search of Amanda.
Silently wishing him luck in coming to some kind of closure if nothing else, Wanda continued on to the kitchen and dining rooms she was sure to find the others.
Numerous conversations and scattered laughter told her that the area was jumping with mutants recovered from their torturous training session that morning.
"Good to see you up and about, luv," Betsy said with a smile as she moved to join the Scarlet Witch. "How are those ribs?"
"Sore, but not damaged."
"You did an excellent job out there. You've great control of your powers," the telepath complimented.
"It's taken some practice, but yeah, I can wield them pretty well now. How'd you and your brother get so good? I've never seen anyone fight so well."
"Let's just say it runs in the blood and rigorous training, luv. The more detailed explanations are so complicated they give me migraines."
Exchanging smiles they entered the kitchen and found it filled to capacity with mutants grabbing much needed food.
"Hiya, pretty, where you been?" Pietro asked as he rushed to Betsy's side and threw his arm casually around her shoulders.
Wanda rolled her eyes at her brother's actions then chuckled aloud as the girl beside her calmly raised a hand and removed Quicksilver's arm from her.
"The name is Elizabeth, luv," the telepath stated with a deliberate flip of long hair that sent the purple strands into his smug face.
"I think I like you," Wanda said as the other girl's actions made her brother all huffy and sulking.
"Wanda, there you are," Pietro said as her words finally alerted him to her presence. "Feeling better?"
"Yes, thank y - " she broke off with a glare as her brother raced off to flirt with Kitty before she could finish her response.
"Quite the player, isn't he?" Betsy smirked as she watched the Shadowcat roll her eyes at something the boy said before pushing him away to go back to her conversation with Colossus.
"In his delusions, yes," Wanda laughed at her brother being spurned by the X-Girl.
"Nice to see you up again," Nate said to Wanda as he stepped up behind the pair.
"Nice to be up," she responded. "Those discs are a bitch."
"I imagine so. Lance is still out cold from the one that clocked him."
"You all going to stand here chatting all day or eat?" Brian asked as he pushed past the trio in the doorway to make his way into the kitchen beyond them.
Nate gave Betsy a wink and smile before following her twin into the fray.
"We could wait until the rush subsides, but something tells me there won't be much left," Betsy observed as she saw all the boys in the room with plates heaped to almost overflowing with food.
Not really looking forward to the idea of going in and getting jostled all about with her sore side, Wanda wished she'd had Kurt bring her something in the infirmary.
"I don't mind a bit of a tussle," the girl beside her said, "I'd be happy to get you something."
Wanda blinked at the offer and Betsy blushed a little guiltily before tapping her head.
"Kind of overheard you worrying about your ribs meeting up with elbows in that mess."
"Oh," the Witch nodded with understanding. "Thanks for the offer. Could you get me some of that pizza I see floating around in there?"
"I'm on it, luv."
The young woman smiled and bravely dove into the gathering to grab a plate and start filling it with the requested food.
~~ Wow. They've got everything here, luv. What do you like on your pizza? ~~
Unused to communicating with telepaths, Wanda jumped at the question from Elizabeth that suddenly was heard in her mind.
Um … everything works for me, she thought in response after a moment.
~~ How many slices and want a soda to go with them? ~~
She considered the questions then answered with the thoughts, Three and sure.
"Voila," Betsy said a minute later as she returned to Wanda's side with a plate of pizza and an icy cold can of cola.
"Now that's service," the Witch said with a grateful smile. "Thanks."
"No probl - " Elizabeth's words stopped and her eyes widened as her telepathy sensed something out of place.
"What - " Wanda began only to break off and simply follow the other girl as she suddenly moved past her toward the foyer.
"Mystique?!"
In utter shock, the Scarlet Witch watched the blue skinned shapeshifter calmly close the front door she'd just stepped through.
~*~*~
"So you're telling me Wanda means nothing to you?" Amanda demanded again of Kurt as their conversation continued going in circles.
"No, I am not saying zhat. I am saying zhat she is mein friend now and I vill not listen to you insult her," he said with a sigh. "Besides, zhat is not vhat I am here to talk about."
"Why should I care what you're here to talk about? You weren't willing to listen to a word I had to say last night," she countered.
"Amanda, none of zhis has been easy for me. I know I'm not handling it vell, but I know of no ozher vay to do it. I've never been in a situation like this, be patient vith me," Kurt sat tiredly on the edge of her bed as his yellow eyes pleaded for understanding.
Her anger melted away under that look in his gaze and she hesitantly sat down beside him.
"I'm sorry. It just … hurt. You were so cold to me last night and to see you smiling at another girl today … it hurt," she whispered.
"I am sorry as vell. I did not mean to hurt you."
"Are we … do we have a chance now?" she raised her worried brown eyes to his.
"I care for you a great deal, Amanda, but I cannot answer zhat yet. I try very hard not to let betrayals embitter me as zhey did mein mozher and Vrogue, but vith you and your lying to me it is hard. I trusted you. Confided in you my fears and insecurities about being a mutant. I felt such guilt in zhinking zhat you vere a human vrisking so much to be vith me and zhinking I was not vorth it. To learn zhat you're like me, zhat you've hidden zhat from me, is a shock and at a very bad time for me to be receiving shocks," he dropped his gaze to his hands. "I can – no, I do - forgive you for not yet being able to reveal yourself as a mutant in zhese sensitive times for our kind, but I cannot yet forget that you obviously did not trust me as much as I trusted you."
"I think I can accept that," she said with a slight sniffle as she reached out to touch his furry hands with one of hers. "I'll make it up to you somehow."
They smiled a bit awkwardly then chuckled as Kurt's stomach rumbled loudly.
"It is missing lunch," he joked while rubbing the noisy thing.
"Well then let's go get some before it gets cold," Amanda said as she hopped to her feet feeling quite a bit better than she had in a day.
Smiling he took one of her hands in his and teleported them from the room she was staying in at the mansion down to the foyer rather than the kitchen where they'd probably scare quite a few people by suddenly appearing.
The smile was erased from his face as his yellow eyes took in his new surroundings and found quite a surprise awaiting him.
"Mozher?!" he gasped in little more than a whisper as his wide yellow eyes met the almost identical gaze of Mystique.
Having heard Wanda's stunned exclamation of the female mutant's name moments before Kurt appeared, team members began pouring into the foyer to see what was happening.
Toad gulped and hopped to safety behind Fred when he arrived on the scene and saw the leader of the Brotherhood whom he'd treated with quite a bit of disrespect in stone form back in the flesh.
The members of the X-Men who knew of how that stone form had been shattered all gasped and stared at the mutant in disbelief wondering what trick their minds was playing on them.
Logan pushed through the throng to stalk furiously toward the shapeshifter as Charles wheeled toward her from another direction.
"Was I missed?" the woman asked with a smirk before making a running leap out of the Wolverine's path.