Some Things Will Never Change

The party continued. Angelica found a corner to talk with Lina. "So what do you think of the X-Men?" She asked.

"They seem kind of nice," Lina admitted. "I just wish there wasn't this rivalry between them."

"But we don't have to fight," Angelica told them. "It does seem kind of silly to me. I'm going to go over and talk to them some more."

She walked over to the kitchen. She accidentally bumped into Lance who was carrying two paper plates with slices of cakes and ice cream on them. "Oh I'm so sorry!" Angelica apologized.

"Well that's one way to finish off desert," Lance looked at his ruined T-shirt.

"I'm sorry," Angelica tried to clean off the mess with a paper towel.

"It's okay," Lance sighed. "I'm getting used to it."

"Meaning what?" Angelica looked at him.

"Well you have to admit you are kind of accident prone," Lance told her.

"You have a point," Angelica groaned. "But did you really need two cakes?"

"One was for Kitty," Lance told her.

"Oh," She sighed. "Come on, take off your shirt a second. Let me clean this off." Lance gave her the shirt just in time for Kitty to walk into the room.

"Pardon me," Kitty said icily. Then she walked out.

"Kitty!" Lance chased after her.

"Oh no!" Angelica put her hand to her head.

"What happened?" Peter walked in.

"I accidentally knocked some cake and ice cream onto Lance and I was going to clean his shirt for him," She looked at it in her hand. "When Kitty walks in here and jumps to the wrong conclusion!" She glared at the snickering Peter. "It's not funny!"

"Sorry," He apologized. "It's just these kind of things happen to Lance quite a lot."

"Yeah well it doesn't exactly help my rep as a jinx," Angelica sighed.

"You are not a jinx," Peter said.

"Yes I am," Angelica threw up her hands. "It seems no matter what I do something goes wrong! All I wanted was to get along with everyone and now everyone's going to think I have a thing for Lance and Kitty hates me and…"

"Hold on," Peter said. "Nobody hates you. Kitty is annoyed with Lance, not you."

"What is it with you two anyway?" Angelica asked. "I don't understand this whole love triangle thing. From what I've heard one minute Kitty likes you and the next she likes Lance and then she hates the both of you! Admittedly I've only heard the Misfit version of things but still…"

"You are not that far off," Peter sighed. "It is…complicated."

"Well how complicated can it be to choose between two guys?" Angelica asked. "Not that I would know."

"I find that hard to believe," Peter said.

"You're only just saying that."

"No you are quite beautiful."

"Well thanks for the flattery but it's still not going to get this shirt cleaned," Angelica groaned. "And I've got it all over my hands now. It's such a mess."

"Come on," Peter took her by the hand. "Let me help you get that cleaned up. There's some stuff Ororo keeps under the bathroom sink for clothing emergencies. We can get that out."

"Thanks," Angelica followed him. "But I didn't think you'd do anything to help Lance the way Pietro talks."

"Ha! Pietro believes that…how does that phrase go? The sun doesn't shine without him," Peter scoffed.

"Yeah that sounds like him," Angelica followed him into the ground floor bathroom. "So how did this whole mess start with you three? I mean I know Lance's side but he can be a bit of a jerk so…"

"For a Misfit that comment is amazingly perceptive. You really want to know?" Peter looked at her as he got a bottle from under the sink.

"Well yeah that's why I asked," Angelica remarked as he started to help treat the shirt. "For an X-Man you seem uncommonly understanding."

"You have a point. Well it's a long story," Peter sighed and he started to tell her. Neither of them noticed that someone else was watching the conversation.

At the same time Jean was talking to Scott in a corner. "I just hope this goes well," She sighed. "It seems like every time we try to interact with new members on either side something horrible goes wrong and we get off on the wrong foot."

"If I didn't know any better I'd say we were cursed," Scott groaned.

"I know," Jean ran her fingers through her hair. "I mean take Fred for example. I should have known he'd react violently to the tiniest rejection. He'd probably heard those things all his life."

Lina turned the corner behind them just in time to hear Scott. She stayed out of sight. "Face it Jean, the Blob has serious anger management issues."

"Yeah but I didn't think he'd react like a bully," Jean told him. "But I guess that's what he is or was. Maybe still is."

"Well as long as the Joes are controlling him he hasn't really been that much of a problem," Scott said.

"But with him you never know," Jean shuddered slightly. "Sometimes he still creeps me out. I know he's been working on it but sometimes I can't help but see him as a big fat obnoxious brute."

"DON'T YOU DARE SAY THOSE HORRIBLE THINGS ABOUT FREDDY YOU…YOU…WITCH!" Lina shouted as she revealed herself.

"But Lina I…" Jean blanched. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to hear you call Freddy those horrible names!" Lina shouted.

"Lina wait I don't think you realize the whole story here," Jean said trying to be calm, however it came out in a patronizing tone.

"Oh I know the story," Lina said. "Freddy told me how he accidentally kidnapped you."

"Accidentally?" Jean shouted.

"Well if you hadn't led him on and only listened to him for a second instead of attacking him you wouldn't have gotten hurt!" Lina shouted back.

"Now hold on a minute sister!" Jean snapped.

"No! You hold on! Freddy is the nicest, sweetest person I have ever met and it's stuck up snobs like you that keep putting him down!" Lina shouted.

"What did you call me you deluded little…" Jean growled.

"Okay both you girls calm down now," Scott stepped between them.

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Both girls shoved Scott to the side before resuming their argument.

Meanwhile back in the bathroom Peter had finished pouring out his heart to Angelica. "Wow that's some story," Angelica remarked as she sat on the toilet. (Lid seat down of course.)

"You probably think the two of us are being fools," Peter said.

"Well…" Angelica said. "I think that the reason why Kitty hasn't been able to choose either one of you is that she really cares for you both. She doesn't want to lose you guys. Lance isn't that bad a person once you get to know him and you're really nice. I think she's scared what with everything going on in her life, especially now that her parents are divorced and with other people."

"Oh yeah," Peter nodded his head. "That situation is bizarre in itself."

"Let's face it the whole mutant thing here is bizarre," Angelica said. "What is it about being a mutant that your life automatically turns into some weird kind of soap opera or comic book?"

"A side effect of the X-Gene?" Peter grinned. "Is it me or is it suddenly colder in here?"

"Well I'm usually pretty warm with my powers but yeah now that you mention it?" She noticed that she could see her breath. Then she got up to open the door but found she couldn't. "Whoa! That's cold!"

"Cold?" Peter stood up and touched it. "It is cold!"

"But how…?" Angelica began to ask when she heard laughter on the other side.

"BOBBY YOU JERK!" Peter pounded on the door. "He froze us in!"

"Stand back!" Angelica heated up her hands. "I can handle this. I'll melt us out."

Back at the party. "Has anyone seen Angelica?" Lance asked the Misfits and X-Men in the living room.

"No but have you seen yourself?" Tabitha pointed at Lance's bare chest. "I know this is a casual gathering but…"

"Angelica has my shirt." He noticed Kitty's huff. "Kitty for crying out loud I explained the whole thing to you twice!"

"Well you have to admit it did look a little suspicious," Kitty said.

"I'd like to hear this story," Todd grinned.

"There is no story!" Lance said. "She spilled some stuff on me and was trying to help me clean my shirt when Kitty walked in on us."

"Oh," Althea nodded. Then she 'accidentally' spilled her drink on Todd's shirt. "Oh clumsy me! Here Todd, let me clean that for you."

"Nice try," Todd looked at her as he pulled away. "Like you haven't pulled that trick before! Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me forty three times…"

"Here we go again," Pietro groaned. "As much as I'd love for Angelica to be trying to seduce Rockhead here, she wouldn't do it."

"Well she's not that kind of girl," Todd remarked.

BOOOMMM!

Everyone in the living room ran to the sound of the explosion. "No," Rogue quipped when she saw the mess. "She's the kind that blows up bathroom doors!"

"Iceman froze the door shut on us!" Peter told them. "It was not her fault!"

"I guess I still don't have enough control over my powers yet," Angelica groaned.

"Us?" Kitty blinked. "What were you two doing in the bathroom together in the first place?"

"That's what I'd like to know," Lance folded his arms.

"Oh really?" Kitty looked at him.

"Okay before you jump to any conclusions, will you let me explain?" Angelica asked.

"They were talking," Bobby piped up. "Something about relationships."

"Way to go Angelica!" Pietro shouted. "I wanted you to hook up with Lance but this idea is much better!"

"It was not my idea!" Angelica shouted.

"Oh so Petey decided to have this little tete a tete," Pietro began.

"No! Yes!" Peter groaned. "It is not what you think!"

"I'll bet!" Kitty glared at Angelica.

"Wow now Angelica is after both Lance and Peter!" Tabitha said. "The Flirt is dead! Long live the Flirt!"

"I got another name for her!" Kitty fumed.

"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" Angelica shouted. "Besides you're one to talk!"

"Excuse me?" Kitty snapped. "Are you always this rude?"

"I dunno. Do you always have to be the center of attention?" Angelica shouted back. "You know it is possible to be friends with a guy without wanting to hook up with him!"

"Oh is it?" Amara folded her arms.

"What do you mean by that crack?" Angelica snapped.

"All right let's settle down before any more furniture is broken," Shipwreck stepped between them. "Hey! How about some more cake! Who wants some cake?"

"That's how this whole mess got started," Lance groaned. "Can I have my shirt back?"

"Here…oops!" Angelica gulped when she realized that her hands were still glowing and she had accidentally set the shirt on fire.

"Okay you can't tell me that's an accident!" Amara said. "Unless her powers really are weak!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Angelica glared at her. "Just what is your problem?"

"Professional jealousy," Pietro shrugged. "She's a fire starter too."

"No I just don't like Kitty being hurt!" Amara snapped.

"That wasn't how you felt a while back when you thought she was trying to steal Ray," Wanda said.

"Well that was mostly his fault," Amara pointed at Ray.

"You're right," Tabitha nodded. "He screwed us all up."

"HEY!" Ray snapped.

"Truth hurts dude," Forge shrugged.

"Looks like I'm not the only one that gets into these type of situations," Angelica said to Kitty.

"Oh really? Well let me tell you something…" Kitty started to shout. Soon everyone was shouting at each other.

"SHADDAP! QUIET!" Shipwreck shouted. "All of you!"

"Listen to Shipwreck," Ororo said.

"We should all love each other!" Shipwreck put his arms around Ororo. "Right Stormy?"

"GET YOUR SLIMY PAWS OFF OF ME!" Ororo shoved him into the wall. "AND DON'T CALL ME STORMY!"

"How about Love Goddess?" Shipwreck asked. "You can call me the Love God!"

"YOU CAN CALL YOURSELF AN AMBULANCE BECAUSE YOU ARE GONNA NEED ONE!" Ororo growled as her eyes started to glow.

"Back up everyone," Logan sighed. "Here comes the light show."

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Shipwreck shouted as he ran from Ororo and her lightning blast down the hall.

"Oh well so much for those two helping…" Hank sighed. Then he noticed that the kids had gone right back into bickering with each other.

"Come on we'd better…" Warren began when a high pitched scream got his attention. "What was that?"

"Now what's going on?" Low Light groaned. Just then Jean and Lina fell into the room. Both girls were fighting each other.

"Get off me you crazy…" Jean shouted only to have her mouth closed up by Lina's spray. "MMMMMHHHHFFFF!"

"Wow! I've wanted somebody to shut her mouth up for years!" Pietro shouted. "Get her Lina!"

"Wow for somebody who doesn't like to fight she sure has a good right hook," Althea admitted.

"It's official," Fred grinned. "Today is the best day of my life!"

Scott staggered into the room and saw the two girls going at it. "Hey! Break it up you two!" Scott grabbed Lina from behind in order to get her off Jean.

"HANDS OFF SLIM!" Fred shouted as he grabbed Scott and picked him up into the air.

"Put him down ya yahoo!" Rogue shouted as she used her super strength to tackle Fred.

"Them's fighting words!" Pietro shouted. "Yeow!" He dodged some snowballs.

"Oh yeah?" Angelica flew in the air and hit the snowballs with her heat beams. "Bullseye!"

"HEY NO FAIR!" Amara shouted. "YOU CAN FLY!"

"Still think my powers are weak?" Angelica shouted.

By now a full-blown melee had broken out. The remaining adults had given up trying to stop the madness and watched the fight. "Why does this always have to happen?" Xavier groaned. "How can my dream of achieving peace with humans when we can't even make peace with each other? Why?"

"Well if they weren't Misfits before, those two girls are now," Cover Girl remarked.

"Yeah I think things are pretty much back to normal," Low Light sighed.

"They'll fit in perfectly around here," Roadblock sighed. "Just what I was afraid of!"