xxFleurdelySxx-- I know what you mean about the Jean/John thing. It kinda messed me up a little when I first saw Jean-luc LeBeau's name in print. About the proposals, be patient. The romance comes before the wedding bells, so you might as well enjoy it. And I'm sorry if you don't always get the X-treme references. But reading my story 'Quadruple Wedding' might summarize quite a bit of the history for you if you're interested.
xXrogue-demonXx--Doom is an old villain from the Fantastic Four. It's been a long time since I've read those comics, but I remembered him, and another reviewer suggested that I use him in the story and I felt it was a good idea. I'm really glad you're liking it, by the way.
Wishful Thinking2--So you like the fact that Bishop hadn't been that happy since he had polished his gun collection? Sweet! as for 'no more homework', I've heard different versions of that song, I just picked one and had Ororo think of it. As for Jean? Well, maybe I'm biased, but if I were Jean, I'd pick Remy over Logan any day.
T, Misa1124, Lucky439, Dema Davis-- I'm really sorry to have kept you guys waiting so long. Hopefully, ya'll will enjoy this chapter with all its drama and sub-plots enough to forgive me! So enjoy the read!
Sue Penkivech--I was actually quite careful with Franklin's choice in textbooks. I've been homeschooled myself, and I wanted the boy to get a good education. As for Logan, he seems to have escaped Robo-ben for the moment, but we'll never know, will we?
Pookie Sanchez--I may not have much time during the school year, but it's not much of an excuse for this long of a wait. But, I've got some more Storm/Davey this chapter for ya!
Green Eyed Lilys Daughter-- I understand the 'reading not reviewing' thing, since I do it myself. But if you break the habit, I'd reeeaaally appreciate it! As for Franklin, I don't really have too much difficulty with his character, because I sorta substitute myself for him in my writing. I was an only child with a semi-mature head on my shoulder, but I was still a kid. But until your review, I never thought of myself as an oxymoron. @_^ As for the Australia/foster home thing, sorry. I didn't exactly do my research back there. Heck, I didn't do any research. I just assumed. Can we just pretend I said 'foster homes'? I actually have quite a few mistakes in this story to correct. (like the 'Harry's Hideaway' in New Orleans thing) But I want to focus more on the story right now, and go back to correct the mistakes later. Till then, bear with me? Please?
Disclaimer: This is a *disclaimer* , which means that I am dissing Marvel for not allowing me to claim these characters for my own; otherwise, I wouldn't have bothered writing this sentence.
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CHAPTER 14: GUILTLESS CONFESSION
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Its lonesome whine bore a strong resemblance to the sound of metal creaking. Appropriate, since the chrome-colored mutt was indeed made out of metal. It wandered the halls in a desperate search for its adamantium-skeletoned, hairy, chewtoy. But the Wolverine was nowhere to be found.
He continued his small cry. His chewtoy was just the size he'd always wanted. His teeth had just begun to break the thing in with some permanent indentations when he'd lost it. He didn't know where he had left it, so he continued padding up and down the halls.
"Would you please--whatever that is--stop it!"
It was one of the precious few moments in which Sage showed any emotion at all. In such a case, agravation, but there was no one to see it. Looking down at the programmable puppy, she realized the problem, allowing an idea to form in her head.
"Robo-Ben, come here."
The dog did not respond. Sage paused and thought to herself. It shouldn't have surprized her that the dog payed as much attention to her commands as to Logan's. She considered his programmer. Reed Richards might have arranged for the small guardian to respond to Franklin's voice alone, but then how could he control the dog over his son? Perhaps there was some code-word used to elicit a response from a commander other than Franklin.
"Robo-Ben, please come here."
The pup trotted on its fours up to her feet. She shook her head in light amusement. No wonder Logan's pleas had gone unheeded; the thing only responded to people with manners.
She led the mechanical pet into her room and reached into her closet. Lugging out one of her extra computers, she extricated some wires from its control panel. After taking a minute to search the dog for an outlet, she plugged the wires into his ear. She then began to flip through one of her briefcases as she pulled a disk from one corner. She inserted it into the computer and began customizing the program.
When they had first gone into production, the mutant once known as Tessa had bought a child's toy called a giga pet. She had bought it out of a mild curiosity, interested in seeing how a computer-chip-based interface could be used to keep a child entertained. She was glad she had saved it; for now she was able to modify it to suit her new companion's needs.
In a matter of seconds, the puppy on the screen and the puppy before her became one animal: leaping, moving, and playing with a 2-dimensional ball that wasn't there. Sage smiled to herself. For now, they could both have their silence and peace of mind.
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She had just set his mind at ease.
I see someone I like, which is even better.
Funny how Ororo could make a guy have fun being serious. His smirk flowed into a sincere smile as he pointed to the clouds behind her with a wistful glance.
"With a beauty of a day like this, I'd be surfin' the waves back home."
"Why don't you do it here?"
He gestured out the window to the ground and swamps beyond.
"Nothin' ta make a wave with."
She leaned in close to him, adorning a secretive smile.
"That is where you are wrong."
His eyes narrowed in questioning as he helped her pull herself from the window into the gym.
"Wait here. I have something to show you."
Davis watched her glide out of the room. He felt a boyish grin cross his love-struck features.
When she finally emerged from behind the door, she was carrying a very special object with her....
"My surfboard!"
"You left it behind at the hospital, so I kept it for you."
"I....thanks Ororo."
She had held onto it for that long? His mind reeled at the meanings. Not only would it mean she wasn't angry with him now, but she hadn't even been angry when he left. At least, not angry enough to throw away something she knew to be precious to him. He gave her a look of gratitude as she continued to speak.
"I don't know if you are strong enough to use your powers yet. Teleportation, even at a short distance, is hard work and Surfer's Paradise is very far away. But I have a solution to our dilemma, and we won't even need an ocean. Will you fly with me?"
"Oi! Yes!"
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"Allright, Sugah, now what's got ya tail in such a bind that ya can't even see straight?"
Remy LeBeau opened his mouth to reply...then paused. It had seemed so simple when he'd asked to speak with her. Tell her immediately what had nearly happened between Jean and himself before he returned to the habit of lying to Rogue. But now that she was here, in front of him, it was all he could do to just stay silent. His chere had such a look of love and trust in her eyes, that even though he had done nothing wrong, he still felt between a rock and a hard place. Gathering his courage, he began again.
"It...it be about Jean, petite."
"What about her?"
"I don' t'ink she be feelin' right in de head."
"Well, Ah heard thangs had been rathah rocky between her an' Scott lately, so that's gotta be rough on her. But what makes ya think that?"
The moment of truth.
"She tried t'kiss me."
Rogue just stared.
"Ah...Ah don't think Ah really know what ta say..."
Both southerners looked down for a minute, not daring to be the first to face the other. Finally, Rogue spoke again.
"Um...back, before we got back togetha...when we were leadin' the teams--When Scott was absorbed by Apocalypse and 'ro was on vacation--did she seem at all attracted to ya then?"†
Remy almost breathed a sigh of relief; she didn't blame him.
"Non. She was friendlier--prob'ly a lot lonlier--but she didn' try t'make anyt'in' of it. Chere, I really don' t'ink she's after me, or anytin'. I t'ink she just misses Scott."
"Well, there's only one thang ta do about that."
"Oh?"
He saw her smile return.
"We gotta get Cyke an' Red back togethah before she tries ta take away mah man!"
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"Tell me another!"
Neal scratched his head. Another? He didn't have any left. He looked down at Franklin. The boy's attention was focused solely upon the Indian X-man, completely engaged in the tales of Sinbad the sailor. Neal had felt that such a young boy shouldn't spend so much time in front of a TV, and had begun telling him the tails of high adventure that had trapped his own attention when he was the boy's age.
Perhaps there were a few more to tell, as well as the stories of Scheherezade, but he wanted to save those for another time. If he was going to tell the child another, he would have to make it up on his own.
"Alright. I'll tell you the story few know...of the woman Sinbad loved as he loved no other."
"Will there be monsters in it?"
"Wait and see."
The young Richards quieted down.
"On one of the great Sinbad's travels, he wrecked his ship upon a reef of yet another mysterious island. Though his crew did not die, they became separated from him. Somehow, Sinbad ended up on the opposite side of the island. When he woke up, he was startled, because had had never seen a woman like the one that was tending him."
"Was she the one he loved--"
"Hush! I'm getting there!"
The boy quieted, and Neal fought to visualize his inspiration.
"She had golden skin, and wide blue eyes that sparkled like lilies on the water. Strange other-wordly designs showed themselves on her face and arms. Her nails were long and sharp, though her hands were gentle. She was as tall as he was, and the scales on her body--"
"Scales?"
"Hush! Yes, scales!
"Ya sure she wasn't a monster?"
Neal grumbled to himself. Surely he had never been this bad in interrupting his father's stories when they had been told to him. Had he?
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They all told their stories. Heather listened with close attention to the man vending sunglasses on the street.
"...So den, I say t' m'man, Theo Boudreoux, 'Dat all y'got, homme?, or are y'gonna start howlin' like dat monkey now?'"
The man laughed at his own joke, leaving Lifeguard with a slightly puzzled expression. She looked down at her choices. If the man had been nice enough to tell her a story that (he thought) was entertaining, she could at least buy a pair of sunglasses from him.
She carefully dipped inside her purse. Remy had warned her to do it often, since he knew firsthand what kind of thieves roamed the New Orleans' streets. She quickly figured that she had enough money to buy one pair, the only question was 'which one'?
She picked up a rose-tinted pair, as another young man walked up to her.
"No, no," said the man, "That'll never work for you. Try these." the man extracted a lightly dark tinted pair that seemed to come from nowhere. "They'll protect you're eyes, but their light enough that you can where them indoors if you feel like it."
"Oh, okay. Thanks." She checked the mirror; they did look pretty sharp on her, actually.
She paid and turned the thank the man, but he was already gone. She checked her purse. Well, he might've been strange, but at least he wasn't a thief. She wondered at his lack of accent. Perhaps he was a tourist, or simply new to the state. With these few ponderous thoughts, she returned home. She'd gotten in her shopping, she just hoped it would make up for any fighting she had to do with Neal once she returned home.
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Author's Notes: I am very very sorry. I can't remember ever taking this long to update. I just hope ya'll haven't forgotten this story completely! I've just been very busy with school and had a hard time sitting down to type. It's been quite hectic. I also apologize for not giving thanks and shoutouts last chapter. I had intended to, but I got in a hurry to post and didn't realize that I hadn't even typed up the thank yous yet. But, if you review (yes, YOU!), I will try not to do it again and update much sooner. See ya then! Adieu!
† My apologies to anyone who doesn't keep up with the comics. During the 'Mutant Revolution' when Chris Claremont first returned to writing X-men, there was a time when the X-men were divided into 2 teams. Gambit led one, Rogue led the other. Cyclops was gone and Ororo wouldn't lead for some reason. Jean was on Gambit's team. Some people wrote a fanfic story or two paring Jean and Remy together. I kinda addressed it here.
PS.-- Anyone still interested in joining the hit list so you can know when I update?
