Originally, I considered this to be more of a filler chapter, a random burst of inspiration that came to me during Drivers Ed one morning, but by the time I was finished I realized it was my longest yet! You see, I wondered what would happen if I started digging a bit deeper into the lives of the New Recruits, a group that has been greatly neglected in the past. There are some pretty interesting stories possible if you only look…
Lady Trunks—I did put a lot of thought into it, in fact. I'm glad you're enjoying the fic!
Neva—Ooh…I know what a gamma ray is! It's the highest energy, yet shortest wavelength, type of radiation! ^_^ see? I pay attention in Science class. And speaking of…I though it might be worth mentioning that my theory was even verified by one of my science teachers. Now, he doesn't know much about X-men, but from the hypothetical way I phrased the questions, he confirmed that it would be entirely possible. BTW—there will be more anti-Xavier, but little by little. Keep your eye out for hints… ^_~
Sabrin—Yup. Remy's an empathy. Actually, that lil fact comes into play next chapter, as you'll soon see.
Rynn—I confused you? Hmm…I tend to do that to people. Note to self: if you can't figure out what goes on in own head half the time, don't expect others to. (lol!) I promise to clear things up as I go. Don't throw things; my room's a big enough mess as it is!
gambitgirl—Like I mentioned before, it was something I came up on my own…although there will be hints of comic-influence later on. You'll see what I mean. Dear Lord, does mushroom-head NOT sound Cajun. He doesn't have ANY accent! *goes back to listening to audio clips of XM:TAS Gambit* What ever happened to Chris Potter, hmm? Why couldn't they get him?!
beth—Oh, lookie. Someone else I confused…bad, Jennie, bad! Ah, well. Now these three will be confusing, and I doubt it's gonna clear up anytime soon. Please bear with me.
Ore Goddess of Wonderland—Romantic? *rereads chapter* Eh…if you say so.
ishandahalf—[see commentary below]
Lady MR—Whoa! Slow down there, girl. You rant almost as much as I do. Lemme see how I can put this…. This so-called "catch" is really nothing that the normal girl would even consider, but then again Rogue's not exactly normal. I'm trying to see things from her point of view: confused, scared, and longing for something in her life where strings aren't attached. Yes, I wrote her as being just a little too melodramatic. That was on purpose. And since you asked sooooo nicely, I'll squeeze in a bit of Romy in the next chapter, tay?
To SouthernGal and Dragonfire: thanx for your reviews as well. I love you all! *Blows kiss* MUAH!
[Random Quote: "To assume is to make an ass out of you and me."]
Due to the shock of that morning's accident, as well as Rogue unexpectedly having fallen ill, the Professor allowed the rest of the mansion to take the day off. A rare treat. Logan had, of course, taken that as a cue to head off to the nearest pub while Ororo spent her afternoon in the garden up on the roof. Many of the older kids had opted to spend the day outdoors; they still weren't allowed off the Institute grounds just yet, with the city still on mutant alert, but that didn't mean they had to spend all their time cooped up inside.
Tabby and Ray, on the other hand, had a much better idea.
"You have no idea how lucky you are to get your own room, Tabs." Her boyfriend commented from where he sat in the oversized armchair, surveying the medium-sized room with a fair amount of approval. "With Roberto as a roommate, it's a wonder I ever get any privacy at all!"
"You're one to talk, Sparky." She quipped back, shutting the door behind her before joining him in the chair, positioned comfortably on his lap with his arms wrapped around her waist. "Trust me, there's no such thing as privacy around here, private room or not. You wouldn't believe how often I have people barging in…usually Jubilee."
"This from the girl who blows open locked doors and soda machines." She grinned, smacking her boyfriend playfully before moving to get up. But he easily caught hold of her arm, pulling the girl back down and forcing her to use the other arm as a weapon to free herself. He caught that one too. The couple was soon engaged in a mock tug-o-war, laughing in delight before Tabby finally managed to slip away long enough to make a break for it. Ray caught up with her inches away from the bed, knocking them both onto the soft mattresses.
It took a minute for them to calm down before they could sit up, facing one another. "I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard!" Tabby exclaimed between fits of giggles. "Thanks. I needed that." Wiping away the tears that formed from laughing so hard, she leaned in and kissed him.
At first, it was a simple peck on the cheek in gratitude, but before she had fully pulled back Ray met her lips halfway for another. She smiled inwardly at his enthusiasm, but the kiss remained soft and tender, very innocent-like. Within moments, however, he grazed his tongue over her front teeth, silently asking for her to open her mouth. She happily obliged.
Before long, the evil of hormones was beginning to take over, fueled by their initial lust. While still being as gentle as possible, Ray grew a little more forceful. A warning light in the back of her mind went off, but Tabby did the best she could to ignore it and enjoy the moment for what it was. One hand trailed up her leg, finally resting just above her hip where smooth skin showed beneath her pink crop-top. The touch sent shivers up her spine, but it wasn't until she realized that Ray was slowly—subtly—lowering her back down onto the bed that caused her to stiffen and pull away sharply, leaving them both gasping for air
"Is something wrong, Tabs?" Ray asked innocently, not understanding what had just happened. He could feel her starting to quiver suddenly, rubbing her arms as she got up.
"No, it's nothing. Just feeling a little…chilly, is all." Came the reply, "Maybe I should close the window." She did so, despite the unusually warm breeze drafting in for that time of year. Even without Storm's influence, Mother Nature always like to play a twisted game with the residence of Long Island by issuing sporadic climate patterns that drove the meteorologists insane.
Once the lock was set in place, Tabby felt a strong pair of arms encircle her waist. She smiled, enjoying the warmth that her boyfriend's touch always seemed to inflict upon her. Leaning back against Ray's well-toned chest, she felt him rest his head atop her shoulder.
"You sure you're feeling okay?" He whispered in her ear.
"Hmm?" She mumbled, lost again, enjoying the tickle of his breath. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Good." He lightly kissed her on the cheek, earning a faint chuckle from her. Gradually, Ray began trailing kisses down her neck, each one longer than the last, as she melted further into his embrace. His hands practically took on a mind of their own, thumbs gaining hold of her front belt loops. Her alarms went off again, though, as they started traveling up her shirt. Eyes widening, she quickly jerked away, giving him a sharp slap before either of them realized what was happening.
Time seemed to freeze in that single instant.
Placing both hands to her mouth, covering both it and her nose as if trying to hide, Tabby shrunk back in fear as it all began to register. Ray held his now reddened cheek with one hand, staring at her with a look of…anger?
"Tabby?" He questioned, taking a step forward. But she just took one back, eyes wide. She looked…scared. Scared, timid, and (above all) suddenly very un-Tabby-like. Then she took off like a rocket, locking herself in the adjacent backroom door. "Tabby! Tabby, open the door!" He banged on it furiously, mixed emotions running through his head. What is going on with her?
Inside, Tabby leaned up against the adjacent wall as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She could hear Ray's voice, clear as day, shouting from the other side of the door, but was too far gone to hear what he was saying. Voices from long ago, those of her parents, rang too loudly in her mind as she relived the memories of her past….
"Mommy?" Tabby nervously questioned, her ten-year-old eyes wide at the sight of the large bruise on her mother's cheek. The young woman placed an ice pack gently to her cheek as she turned to her daughter. "Mommy, what happened?" Her mother tried smiling as gently as she could, despite the pain.
"Nothing for you to worry about, honey. Daddy just got a little upset, is all." One of her eyes was nearly swollen shut, the other from simple weariness; she seemed more delusional than conscious by then. "You know what happens when girls like us don't give them what they want. It's probably my fault, after all." Speaking more to herself by then, Mrs. Smith staged over to the bed, flopping down in exhaustion. "I mean, what else am I good for?"
A voice spoke up from the doorway. "Nothing, that's what. Listen to your mother, Tabby, she knows how it is." It was her father—drunk as always when coming home from the bar. He hiccupped once.
"How what is?" She asked timidly.
Walking into the room, he paused briefly to give the girl a rough pat on the head. "Women be good for only one thing: keepin' their man satisfied. Just give 'em what they want, and maybe you'll even get what *you* want. Remember that, and you'll always have a one up on the other girls in life…."
She never quite understood what it was her father tried to bestow on her until Junior High. It was a very simple game: follow the rules, get the goods. But at the time, it had never been more than harmless flirting, using the 'feminine wiles' God had so graciously endowed her with. She never wanted to be in a relationship, not a serious one…but all that changed the day Ray Bezerker walked into her life
"Tabby, please open this door; I'm worried about you." Wait…he was worried about her? "Look, I'm sorry. What it was I did, I'm so very sorry I did it…but please, talk to me!" There was a moment's pause, then a distinct *click* as the door unlocked.
She slipped through the doorway in a very cautious manner, her eyes staying glued to the ground. "Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything." She murmured once the door was shut behind her. Ray had been standing there, utterly befuddled, but now his eyebrows raised in further confusion.
"Tabs, come here. I think we need to talk." She wordlessly nodded without looking up. Gently, he guided her back to the edge of the bed so they could both sit down, placing his hand over hers and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Maybe I tried to push you, maybe you felt pressured. I don't know. But what I do know is that I would never—never—want you to think you have do something you don't want to just because I do."
"But…you know about my reputation, Ray. I mean, why else would you have wanted to go out with me? It's what all guys want, isn't it?"
"Well, yeah—I mean, no! I mean…" He stuttered for a moment, caught off-guard by her question, then sighed, "That makes no difference whatsoever. The point is, I know about your so-called 'reputation,' Tabs, but I've also come to know you better than that."
"You mean I'm all talk, right?"
He smiled gently, tilting her head up to look at him with one finger. "You can put it that way if you want. Tabby, do you know why I asked you out in the first place?" She shook her head. "It's because you're a beautiful, fun-loving, outgoing girl who's full of surprises and I wanted to get to know you better. Nothing more, nothing less." This earned a faint blush and a smile from her, at least.
Seeing her relax a little, Ray pulled her close for a tight sideways hug. He placed a kiss atop her forehead. "Now I'm not even gonna bother trying to figure out what's going on in that head of yours right now…but if you want to talk about it, I'd be more than willing to listen."
"It's just…when I was younger…" She shook her head then, as if trying to rid herself of the thought. "No, I don't think I want to go there just yet." She looked up at him, a spark of the old Tabby returning. "Someday soon, Ray, I promise. Just…not yet. It still kinda hurts.
"Fair enough." Showing no signs of hurt at her wishing to remain silent, he allowed the girl to lean her head against his shoulder. "I'll tell you what. We'll take it slow for a while. Ease into things until you feel more comfortable. Sound good to you?" She looked up at him, the appreciation showing in her eyes, and silently wondered what she did to deserve someone like him.
"Ray?" Tabby spoke up after a brief silence, her voice sounding like she was already close to falling asleep. Most likely from emotional drainage.
"Yeah?"
She paused briefly. "Let's just keep this between us for a while, okay?"
"Of course. It'll be out little secret." He chuckled. "Wouldn't want to ruin your reputation, after all."
"Oh, shut up." They laughed briefly before settling back into their position, her eyes fluttering shut. She eventually fell asleep in Ray's protective arms with a much more peaceful look than he'd seen her with in a long while. With extreme care, he placed her on the bed properly (even though she was still in her day clothes) and tucked her in. With one final kiss on the forehead, he left the room. As the door shut behind him, he frowned.
I wonder what could've happened in the past to make her react that way? He silently mused, turning to head back to his own room. More importantly…what can I do to help her?
With a sigh, Kitty shifted position in her bed once more, Lockheed still held tightly in her arms for comfort. The afternoon had seemed to fly by (she could already see the first traces of sunset though the window), despite the fact she had remained unable to fall asleep. A plethora of thoughts were running through her head a mile a minute, making it impossible to relax as Jean had suggested she do. And then there was that little voice in the back of her head…
Okay, I can remember us arguing, clear as day. She thought to herself, her brows furring in deep concentration. I remember the shouting…the look of hatred in his eyes…but not what we fought about? Why is everything so fuzzy?
It was as if she had unintentionally blocked the entire situation from her mind completely. Or else…
A knock at the door interrupted her mid-thought. "Kitty? C-can I come in?" The voice sounded young and timid. Jamie. He waited about half a minute before taking it upon himself to open the door a crack, just enough to stick his head through. "Kitty?"
"Yeah?" She forced herself to sit up in bed to greet him. "You can come in, Jamie."
The twelve-year-old nervously slipped into the room, wringing his hands behind his back and trying to look casual. He kept his gaze more towards the floor than her, and a faint tint of pink was beginning to appear on his cheeks. The sight of him looking so anxious brought a grin to Kitty's face; as an only child, she used to pray all the time for a little sibling to have around, and found herself looking to the younger boy as the little brother (or occasionally brothers) she never had. He was just too adorable!
"Well, I—I mean—the gang was starting to get a little worried about you." He finally spoke up after finding his voice. "You know, we haven't seen you all day, and after this morning…" She held up on hand to silence him.
"Thanks for the concern, Jamie, but I'm fine. Honest."
"So, you're not still upset over…you know?" He saw Kitty visibly flinch, instantly regretting the words that had flown out of his mouth. Stupid! Stupid! "'cause, you know he was a loser, anyways, giving up someone as pretty as you over a stupid argument that you probably don't even both remember, and you deserve a whole lot better and shouldn't have to worry about what happened in the past and besides, Ray says there's a whole bunch of fish in the sea…or something like that, though why anyone would wanna date a fish is beyond me…"
"Jamie!" He took a big gasp of air as she finally cut off his incessant rambling. "…did you just say I was pretty?"
His eyes went wide. "Umm…did I? Er…" Kitty smiled knowingly and pushed herself off the bed, walking right up to him. She bent down to meet him at eye-level.
"Listen, Jamie. You're a really, really sweet guy." At this, perked up. "…but you're also, like, four years younger than me."
Jamie's face fell dramatically. "Oh. I understand." As he turned to leave, she felt a pang of guilt gnaw at her.
"Hey, Jamie?
He turned around. "Yeah?"
"Thanks for cheering me up." She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. His eyes went wide with surprise, placing a hand over where the skin still tingled from her touch. In somewhat of a daze, he managed to mumble 'anytime' before wandering out of the room, luckily not bumping into anything. Kitty closed the door behind him, giggling. He's taking advice from Ray now? Oy, vey…
"Good Kid. Bad influences."
As Jubilee and Rahne walked along, deep in the middle of a very animated discussion, the oddest sight greeted them. Jamie Maddox, still dazed from before, staggered down the hall towards them. He had a goofy grin on his face, despite having already run into the wall a couple times (spilling out a few clones in the process) before finally locating the stairs.
"…what do you suppose that was all about?" Jubilee asked after a moment, breaking the silence. Rahne shrugged and the two returned to their previous conversation. "So what happened next?"
Rahne rolled her eyes, yet was unable to keep the smile off her face. "What do you think? He kissed me, then asked me on a date this weekend." Jubilee squealed with excitement, ambushing the wolf-girl with a sudden embrace, almost knocking them both over.
"It's about time!" She exclaimed. "You two've been such good friends for so long, I was starting to grow impatient!" Rahne laughed at her friend's over-enthusiasm, having grown used to it by then. Ever since she and Bobby had first started dating, Jubilee was determined to see the other two girls as happy as her.
Upon reaching their destination (Amara's and Rahne's bedroom), Jubilee knocked on the door. "Hey, Amara…you in there?" Silence greeted them. Figuring she was either out or couldn't hear them, Rahne walked in anyway. There—amidst a bed full of sheets and notebook paper, some written on and some blank—sat a very distant-looking Amara. She was wearing headphone, explaining why she hadn't responded to them earlier, and chewing on the eraser of her pencil, apparently in deep thought.
Not one for being patient, Jubilee ran over to where her friend sat and jumped on the bed beside her. "Hey! Earth to Amara!" Amara let out a shriek of surprise, pulling down her headphones upon realizing she was no longer the only one in the room.
"Jubilee!" She screeched, scrambling to save most of her papers from getting wrinkled. "You startled me."
"Well, it serves you right for zoning out like that. Anyways, you'll never guess what happened…Sam and Rahne are officially a couple!"
Amara's eyes went wide as Rahne wordlessly nodded with a faint blush. "Really? That's wonderful!"
"Of course you realize what this means, don't you?" Jubilee continued on, a familiar smirk appearing. Amara raised an eyebrow, knowing what was coming next. "You and Roberto are the only ones left who have yet to couple up!" Yup. That was it. Rolling her eyes, she opted to turn her attention back to the papers in her lap rather than the risk of facing Jubilee, the demi-goddess of romance. "Say…whatcha got there, hmm?"
"A letter."
Jubilee leaned in closer for a better look. "Well, duh. I can see that." She managed to sneak a glimpse before Amara irritatingly pulled the sheet away. "Who's Jesse?"
Amara kept her eyes focused downward, determined not to let Jubilee get to her. "Someone from back home."
"Oh? Is he your brother?"
She shook her head. "I'm an only child."
"Cousin?" Again, a shake of the head. "Friend?"
This time, the answer came hesitantly. "Sort of."
"'Sort of'?" Jubilee gave a laugh as she repeated her friend's cryptic answer. "Don't tell me he's your boyfriend or something…" But her giggles ceased abruptly upon noticing Amara suddenly stiffen. "…oh, my God. He is."
Amara did her absolute best not to burst out laughing at her friend's bewildered expression right there and then. She inwardly sighed. I guess I can't keep it a secret forever…not from Jubilee, anyways. "Not boyfriend. Jesse is my…" Oh, what's the word they use over here? "Fiancé."
There was a collective *thump* as both Rahne and Jubilee simultaneously fell off the bed they had been sitting on.
"FIANCÉ?!" Jubilee manage to gasp out as she climbed back up next to a very confused Amara.
"Yes. That is the word for one you are to be married to…isn't it?"
"Well, yeah…" Jubilee sputtered out. Rahne was still in the process of finding her voice. "But you're only fourteen! How can you be engaged at fourteen?!"
Amara shrugged casually. "It's tradition. When a future heir to the throne is born, he or she is set up in an arranged marriage at birth. Jesse is the eldest son of my father's dearest friend, and who had been born closest to the time of my own birth."
"Arranged Marriages?" Rahne finally spoke up, sitting back down (this time, on her own bed). "That must be awful!"
A mischievous look appeared on the mutant princess' face. "Oh, it's not so bad…"
If there was one thing Jubilee knew, it was the opportunity for juicy gossip. It didn't take much pleading from her before Amara caught the bug as well, happily divulging all the details with two of her best friends. Jubilee and Amara already knew about Amara's royal heritage, as well as the fact that she was a real princess, so she was able to skip past all of that to the parts about her fiancé.
Jesse was about fifteen/sixteen years old and stood little more than a head taller than Amara. He had jet-black hair, deep brown eyes, and richly tanned skin. He was incredibly smart as well as strong, but also one of the sweetest guys she had ever known. To the best of her knowledge, Jesse seemed almost as pleased with the "arranged" marriage as she was, affectionately calling her "'Mara" whenever they were alone (this little fact earned a happy sigh from both girls). Growing up, they had been nearly inseparable and the best of friends.
"…he took the whole 'mutant' thing really well, too." She sighed happily in remembrance. "'said it was just another way of proving how special I really am. And when then Professor came to bring me to the Institute, he promised to write me every chance he got."
Rahne had long since joined the other two girls on Amara's bed. "Has he written at all?" She asked.
"That's just it." Amara took on a sudden look of confusion, though there was some sadness hidden in her eyes as well. "I got one letter a few days after I fired arrived here, so he obviously knows where and how to send them…but then, I haven't gotten another one since. I write at least once a week and give my letters to the Professor so he can mail them off for me—since he was the only other person who knew about Jesse—so I know he must be getting them…." Her voice trailed off.
Seeing her friend was close to tears, Jubilee wrapped her arms around her in a comforting hug, resting her head against Amara's shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about it. You know how messed up the postal service is these days; his letters are probably on their way right now." Amara leaned her head against Jubilee's, managing a smile. Rahne came over on her other side and joined in the group hug.
"I know." Amara sighed as she put her other arm around Rahne. "I just miss him. And home, too."
Jubilee grinned. "Look at it this way…it things don't work out with you two, at least you'll always have Roberto."
This prompted a fit of laughter from the three girls, the close bond between them crating a more lighthearted moment in spite of everything.
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TO BE CONTINUED…