K.K.L. - Your wish is my command. But I've never done the pairing before, so I've got to go slowly. I really want to build this Kietro up so loads of tension and misunderstandings.

Storm-Pietro - no problemo, here you go.

No really much to say. I'm trying to draw this one out a little. But, they're only on the boat for three weeks and, lets face it, Kitty could avoid Pietro like the plague if she chose to, in Bayville. Unless he becomes very successful at part 2 of "operation destroy Kitty"

As usual, don't own evo or the characters, just the plot.

Disclaimer - I have nothing against Germans, one of my friend's parents are German and her dad is very into getting up at dawn to put his towel out. This is a joke reference for her.

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That evening they met Aims for dinner. They spent a leisurely three hours talking. She burst out laughing as Kitty described Rogue and Lance rushing in to see that she had flattened Pietro.

"Good job, Kiddo." She smiled, draining her coffee.

Rogue leaned back in her chair and sighed. She thought Kitty's aunt would blow up at them when she heard what had happened, but Aims found it more than funny. Kitty had been right, she really was cool.

"I suppose I should ask what you were doing with a guy in your room, by yourself. But I don't really wanna know." Smiled Aims, "But if your mum or the Professor asks then I gave you a lecture, OK?"

Kitty smiled, "Thanks. And hopefully they wont have to ask because they wont know." She looked pointedly at Rogue.

"Hey, Ah wont tell. You're the one who started rattlin' away." Rogue replied.

Aims stood up and placed her napkin on the table, "Sorry girls, but my boss wants my initial report by tomorrow morning, I've gotta go type it up and email him." She shook her head, "Oh, what a glamorous life I lead."

Kitty and Rogue laughed as she walked towards the door. After she was gone, Rogue asked Kitty, "Are ya sure ya OK?"

Kitty stretched out in her seat and smiled, "Sure I am. I'm on holiday, I met a nice guy and I got to punch Pietro Maximoff's lights out."

"Ya, but your nice guy thinks you an' Pietro are an item." Replied Rogue.

Kitty smiled and then got to her feet, "Well, I can sort that right now. I've just seen him walk past. I'll talk to you later."

And with that she ran towards the doors.

Rogue sighed and leaned back. She found herself wondering where Lance was. He wasn't in the dining room, she had scanned it when she walked in and every time the door opened she looked up.

'Only cause ah miss him as a friend.' She thought, 'Ah mean bein' with no one, but Kitty for three weeks would drive anyone insane.'

Feeling restless, she got up and headed back to her cabin.

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Kitty burst out onto the deck and saw Phil leaning against the railings. She took a deep breath and walked over.

"Hi." She said.

He turned to look at her and replied, "Hello."

Kitty wasted no time, "Look, I'm really sorry about what happened. I don't know what he playing at. If it means anything I punched him after you left."

Phil smiled a little, but then turned serious, "Look, Kitty, you seem really nice, but I am not getting in the way of a lover's tiff."

"Lovers .? Pietro and I have never been lovers. I can't even stand him." Stated Kitty, hotly.

"But, you do know him?" Asked Phil, he seemed to be believing her.

"Yes, he goes to my school. I don't know how he ended up here, but he loves causing trouble for me, and we end up arguing everytime that we meet." Kitty said in earnest.

Phil felt all doubt slip away and asked, "So he was just doing this to upset you?"

Kitty opened her mouth to say yes, but instead she heard, "AHA!" from behind her.

She spun round to see Pietro standing six feet away, with his arms crossed.

'Not again.' She thought.

Phil coughed uncomfortably, and that spurred Kitty into action.

"No, you don't. Not this time. Pietro, go away. I don't know what your problem is, but I'm sure a long stay in a hospital would help." She said, placing her hands on her hips.

Pietro remained in the same position, "So, now you're lying to him about us. And you think I need help, you bloody nympho."

Kitty's eyes grew large, "Nympho? What are you talking about? There is no us!" She turned to Phil, who seemed to have noticed the bruise forming where Kitty had hit him.

Pietro realised and started again, "This is what she did to me after you left. She's crazy. The only reason I stay with her is because she could hurt someone else or herself, well, that and I'm madly in love with her."

Phil started to back away, "Sorry, Kitty, but I've gotta be somewhere." He stuttered and ran.

Kitty turned back to Pietro, "Well, I suppose your happy with yourself? He was a nice guy!"

Pietro looked shocked, "What are you talking about? I should be the one upset, you carrying on behind my back, punching me and then denying the love you have for me."

Kitty took a step back, 'Have I stepped into the twilight zone?' She wondered.

"I'll say this so you can understand, OK? You are not, or never have been, my boyfriend. I hate your guts, you hate mine. That is the only sort of relationship that we have. I don't know what your problem is, but, do not make it mine. Understand?" She said slowly.

Pietro walked up to her and took her hand, he pressed to his heart, "I love you, Kitty. Why are you doing this to me?"

Kitty lost her temper, "Are you insane?" She yelled, "Did you hit your head? Just get lost before I give you more bruises."

She turned to walk away, but heard Pietro say, "I love it when you talk dirty."

"You are unbelievable" She screamed, spinning on her heel.

Pietro merely smiled and said, "Yes, that's why you love me."

Kitty saw that she was getting nowhere, and she just glared at him once more before storming towards the stairs. She was half way down before she realised that Pietro was inches behind her.

She got to the bottom of the stairs and then asked him, "What exactly are you playing at?"

"Driving you mad." Replied Pietro quietly enough so Kitty couldn't hear properly.

"What?" She demanded.

"I said, Coming with you. Where else would I be going?" Said Pietro louder than before.

"No, you didn't. I don't know what little game this is but, stop it! You're freaking me out." Kitty stamped her foot, she was getting frustrated. Pietro was bad enough when he merely hated her, but this was verging on claustrophobic.

She carried on walking to her cabin. When she reached her door she turned and said, "Shoo, now. I'm going in and I intend to stay in here by myself."

Pietro made no movement, Kitty placed her hand on the door knob, "Don't try and follow me in, OK?" She narrowed her eyes at him, and he nodded, obediently.

"Good." She went to push the door open, when suddenly Pietro leaned in and kissed her cheek. Kitty jumped back, like she had received an electric shock, tripped over her foot, and sent the door flying open, as she fell through it.

Rogue, who was lying on the bed, reading, bolted upright, dropping her book.

Pietro grabbed Kitty's hand and pulled her up. Kitty couldn't talk, but just stared at him dumbly.

Pietro kissed the back of her hand and murmured, "Good night, Sweetheart." Before disappearing down the hall.

Kitty nodded to thin air, visibly shocked. She looked at the back of her hand. It was tingling and she felt weak. She slowly turned to see Rogue, now standing at the end of her bed, with the arms folded.

Kitty looked at Rogue and the older girl asked, "What the hell was that?"

Kitty shook her head, "I have no idea, He wont stop following me."

"Mahybe ya did more damage than ya thought, when ya hit him." Replied Rogue, then she added, "Unless ya'll are havin' an affair an' ya don't want me tah know."

"NO!" Cried Kitty, "he's following me around, acting like we've been an item for years. He scared Phil off." She sighed and sat down on her bed.

"Well, ya did hit him hard." Offered Rogue, helpfully. She picked up her book and placed it on the nightstand. She walked to the bathroom and opened the door, "Or mahybe, he's just fallen in love with ya."

Kitty paled and flopped back on her bed. She heard Rogue start the shower, and she dragged herself to the closet. Grabbing an old T-shirt and a pair of short, she changed for bed and climbed in, turning off the main light.

Half an hour later, when Rogue emerged, she presumed Kitty was asleep. She turned off the lamp and climbed into bed.

Kitty rolled over in the darkness and rubbed the back of her hand again.

'Why did it tingle?' She thought to herself, 'Must have been shock. What on earth is he playing at?'

Kitty fell asleep trying to figure it out.

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Pietro smirked to himself in the darkness. Lance hadn't said anything to him, when he came back. He had been acting odd though. Pietro had heard him talking to himself in the bathroom, but couldn't make out what he was saying.

Toad and Fred had managed to stay mostly out of trouble, so it couldn't be that. Pietro just put it down to Lance going insane, and carried on congratulating himself on his excellent plan.

The first part had gone off so well. She'd already gone from yelling at him to pleading. Another three weeks of it and they'd be just about even!

A small voice spoke out from the back of his mind. 'You kissed her, twice!' Pietro put it down to impulse. It had worked well though. She had been too shocked to talk, and it really hadn't been that bad. 'Kitty is quite pretty.' Said the little voice, again.

'Just stick to the plan.' He thought, drifting off to sleep.

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Rogue woke the next morning. She rolled around in the duvet for about ten minutes, before giving in and getting up. Glancing at the alarm clock, she groaned. It read 7:30 am.

She stumbled into the bathroom, and an hour later emerged looking, somewhat, more alive. She opened the closet and grabbed a pair of track suit bottoms and a vest top, and dressed. She glanced at Kitty, who was snoring gently with her head under the sheet.

Picking up her book and a towel, she walked to the door, intending to grab a quick breakfast and then spend the rest of the morning in the company of Jackie Collins on the pool deck. She'd have a better chance of catching Lance up there, if she could beat the German's to the sun loungers.

'Just tah check in with him, not like it's anythin' else.' She thought to herself, opening the door. She stepped into the hallway and tripped over something.

Rogue climbed to her feet and turned to look at the obstruction.

"Pietro? What are yah doin' sittin' on the floor, like that?" She cried, picking up her book and towel. Pietro stood up and smiled.

"Waiting for Kitty. Is she up yet?"

"No! An' I don't know what this game is ya playin', but stop it. She's gonna get hurt." Said Rogue. She crossed her arms and glared at him.

Pietro feigned confusion and asked innocently, "Why? She's the last person I would hurt."

"We both know ya hate her an' this is some sick way of playin' with her mind an' feelin's. Now let her be!" Rogue grabbed Pietro's shirt and dragged him to the stairs.

"Push off. Ah mean it. Ah'll tell Lance what ya doin' and ah'm sure he'd be happy tah lock ya up for the rest of the holiday." Rogue released him and turned to walk away.

"Oh, Lance was going to look for you. He said something about some Germans on the pool deck" Said Pietro innocently.

Rogue eyed him suspiciously, "Are ya gonna go bug Kitty again?" She asked.

Pietro could tell that she was dying to find Lance, so he replied, "No. Promise. I'll go find Todd or Freddie or something." He turned the corner and disappeared.

Rogue followed and looked around the corner after him. She couldn't see him, so she turned and walked back towards the pool deck.

As she walked out into the sunshine, she saw Lance straight away. He was lying on his back with his eyes shut.

Rogue sat on the lounger next to him, and grinned. Someone, no doubt Pietro, had written TOSSER across his chest in sun screen.

Rogue couldn't contain her laughter, and Lance's eyes shot open. He looked at her, puzzled.

"Am I that amusing?" He asked, with a grin.

Rogue put her hand to her mouth and shook her head. Despite taking several deep breaths she burst into a fit of giggles again. Lance merely placed his hands behind his head and looked amused.

"I can wait until you're fit enough to speak."

Rogue calmed down and said, "Are ya inta advertisin' now?" She pointed to his chest.

Lance glanced down, and then cried, "I'll kill him!" and began to rub it in.

Rogue watched him for a minutes and then, when Lance saw her she quickly shifted her eyes to the pool, where Toad was harassing a group of girls, who quickly left the pool, as he jumped in.

"Ah thought he hated water." Said Rogue, nodding towards Todd as he climbed out and backflipped back in.

"Only if there's soap in it." Replied Lance. He had finished removing Pietro's handy work and was trying to see if there was any damage.

"Has it left any marks or anything?" He asked, looking at the Goth.

Rogue, deliberately casual, cast an eye on Lance's chest.

"Nope, looks great ta me." The words were out of her mouth before she knew what she was saying, "Ah mean ... no tan lines or anythin' ... Ah just pointed it out in tha first place cause we're friends an' all."

Blushing crimson, she sat back on the lounger and put her book up her face.

Lance coughed uncomfortably, "Yeah, thanks. I mean I knew what you meant. You're just being a good friend. That's all."

"Right." Came the reply.

Lance looked at the book she was reading, "Jackie Collins? Isn't that a bit steamy for you?"

"No." Squeaked Rogue. She allowed her eyes to come above the top of the book, "Besides, a girl needs a little romance every now an' then."

"Just every now and then?" Teased Lance.

Rogue blushed again and cleared her throat, thanking God that Lance couldn't see through her book, "Y'are supposed to be mah friend. Don't tease."

"And as a friend, I was just saying you deserve to let yourself have fun now and then." Replied Lance smoothly. Rogue just put her head back in her book.

Lance looked at her, while she was pretending to ignore him. Even though she had deliberately put on baggy clothes to hide herself, she still outshone every girl there.

'Not that I look at her like that.' He thought hurriedly, 'We're just friends.'

Rogue realised he was staring at her and looked up, "What?"

Lance felt his mouth go dry, "Oh, I was just thinking, um, I'm glad we're friends again, you know, with everything what happened and all."

Rogue gave him a relieved smile, "Me too."

Lance stood up, "Drink?"

Rogue replied without looking up, "Dirty Martini."

She over the top of her novel at him as he walked to the bar. Why did she feel so miserable? They were friends again. That's all that mattered wasn't it?

'Just friends,' She thought, 'Just really good friends.'

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Hope the Rogue/Lance is working for you. I'm trying to build it up slowly. Any suggestions send a stamped addressed envelope to my email address!!!! LOL.