Everyone who sent feedback, thanks: signals x lost, Risty, Pandora, raniatlw, Steven P. P, Eboni, Yuurei Kinhoshiou, T. Riddle, Bardic Feline, Ice Princess, DemonRogue13, Chibi Makoto, WormmonABC, UnknownSource, SkyDancerHawk
And many thanks to Bardic Feline for beta reading.
"Lance, wake-up." Jean said. "We're back."
Lance rubbed a hand over his face then glanced out the X-Jet's front window to see the interior of the Institute's hanger. He frowned in confusion. "How'd we get back here?"
Jean smirked. Scott shook his head. Lance shrugged. "So its one of those questions. Sort of like 'Why is Toad waking me up early for school?' I'm always better off not knowing the answer."
"Considering the things you called the Professor the last time he knocked you out … I'd agree, you don't want to know." Scott replied.
The three seniors, along with Storm, headed out to greet their teammates. At their first sight of Kitty both Lance and Scott's expressions darkened.
"Oh Kitty, that looks awful!" Jean exclaimed sympathetically. Kitty batted Jean's hands way as the older girl tried to tilt her head back to get a better look at the bruises.
"It happened at school didn't it?" Scott asked. "I knew I shouldn't have left."
Lance pulled Kitty close and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders. "Who did it?" he asked darkly.
"Lance you're all better!" Kitty exclaimed.
"Who did it?"
"It's fine Lance. I dealt with the situation. It's done and over. I don't want you playing avenger." Kitty stated firmly.
Lance looked over to Todd and Fred. "She threatened to cook for us if we told you," Fred said.
"I did not. I said I'd make you cookies if you didn't tell," Kitty said. "You're the ones who said you'd rather do survival training with Wolverine than eat my cooking."
"Then you told us if we felt that way about it you'd volunteer to cook dinner for the next week." Fred replied. "Even I can't stomach your cooking."
"Speaking of cooking… Kitty, did the school let you transfer into auto shop?" Lance interrupted before Kitty could ask his opinion of her cooking.
"Yeah, my Home Ec teacher was really helpful. She said there was nothing more she could teach me anyway." Kitty replied before turning to glare at Fred and Todd. "So there, I'm not bad at cooking."
Todd rolled his eyes. "You sure she didn't say there was nothing she could teach you period? Cause you don't know nothing about cooking."
"That's cool, we'll have two classes together when I go back Monday." Lance said. Then his voice darkened. "And I am going back. There's no way in hell I'm going to let anyone else hurt you."
"I can take care of myself, Lance." Kitty muttered as they headed out of the hanger together.
****** ****** ******
Wanda's stomach rumbled. She could smell dinner but if she went of the room he'd be there, looking at her, smiling at her, finding excuses to touching her. It was infuriating!
Her stomach growled again. "Arrg!" Wanda exclaimed. No one prevented her from going wherever she wanted. No matter how they did it. She threw open her door and glared at the bouquet of roses lying on the threshold. She blasted the roses with a weak hex bolt. Then, blushing fiercely, she scooped up the survivors and added them to her growing collection of battered, abused foliage.
As she stomped toward the kitchen she felt an insistent push away from the TV lounge. Xavier's little gift to ensure she and Pietro could live under the same roof without risk of bloodshed. As a side affect it impossible for her to forget her brother's presence, even for a moment.
" 'Llow me cherie," Gambit said falling into step beside her. He swept the kitchen door open bowing slightly as he did.
Wanda glared at him. She hated the way her made her feel uncertain, the way he ignored her personal space… That he dared to invade her dreams. Gambit pulled out a chair for her, his hand brushed her arm caressingly as he stepped back. It could have been an accident. It made her skin tingle where he'd touched her. She thought about hexing him.
Gambit smiled at her. She wondered if his eyes really glowed or if it was a trick of the light. She realized she was staring into his eyes. With a shriek of annoyance she stood up, knocking over her chair in the process and ran out.
Gambit shook his head, smirking after the departed girl.
Tante Mattie, who had watched the whole scene from the door, smacked the back of Remy's head. "Y' leave dat girl 'lone. She don' understand your kind of games boy."
"An' dat be what makes dis s' perfect. Have yo' seen dat femme in action? Ain't like I could touch her in a fight."
"S' it be a good idea for y' to set out to break her heart? Remy, your friend was more shook up dan hurt. Why are y' doin' dis?" Mattie demanded.
Remy hesitated. "She's just like de ones who made Et get hisself kilt."
"Remy, Etienne is gone. Y' have to let dis go," Mattie pled.
"Dis has nothin' to do wit' Et!" Remy snapped. "She deserves to be hurt."
" 'M goin' home Remy," Mattie said. "I been 'way too long and I nevah did like watchin' y' self-destructed."
"S' long Tante," Remy said turning to follow Wanda out.
Mattie watched him go with saddened eyes. "Oh Remy, de only one left y' blame for Et's death is yourself. Do y' really t'ink I don' see dat?"
****** ****** ******
Pietro tentatively entered the lounge, following the sound of Lance and Kitty's voices.
"Umm-hey." he said quietly.
"Hey Quickie." Lance said. He gave Kitty a gentle nudge toward the door.
"I'll see you at dinner." She said then gave Lance a quick kiss before leaving the two friends to talk.
"Todd said you were okay again, your powers and everything." Pietro said. "I… that's-great… I-didn't-mean-for-everything-to-happen-like-that! I'm-sorry-you-nearly-got-killed-and-everyone-got-caught-and-the-mansion-blew-up-and-I'm-sorry-about-everything-okay?"
"I figured. 'Sides it ain't like I expect you to be able to control either Mystique or Magneto. They told me you were dead, that you got killed getting between Wanda and Magneto… You shouldn't let them use you." Lance said quietly. "Still, I guess I understand, they're your family and… And that's a fucking lie. What the hell were you thinking? The guy's your father, who gives a damn? He ditches us whenever we aren't useful to him. He sicced Sabretooth on you! Why does him being your father make his opinion matter so damn much to you? It's like a disease or something!"
"I don't know Lance." Pietro said. "I've been talking to Todd a lot. Talking helps straighten out things, makes them real. My memories of us, of the Brotherhood, they're starting to feel like mine again, but my other memories… It's-like-reading-a-book-I-know-what-happened-well-mostly-except-for-the-blank-spots-but-it-could-have-happened-to-someone-else-not-to-me. I-remember-sitting-down-and-thinking-why-I-didn't-owe-Magneto-anything-then-I-called-him-anyway. It-doesn't-make-sense-in-my-own-head-how'm-I-supposed-to-explain-it-to-you?"
"At least you know you're a mental case." Lance said.
"Do-you-want-me-to-leave?" Pietro asked.
"No!" Lance exclaimed angrily. "Your dad is trying to kill you! You have to stay here. Look Pietro, I'm not mad at you or anything, I guess. I will be if you run off and get yourself killed. Try it and I'll drag you back here then break your legs so you can't do it again. I mean we're still friends, it's just going to be a long time before I want to go into a fight with you again."
"Yeah," Pietro said staring at the floor. He turned to walk away shoulders slumped. "I understand I'll give you some space."
Lance caught hold of his arm for a moment. "I really mean it about us still being friends." he said.
Pietro's posture straighten, he gave Lance a quick grin. "I think dinner's on, you probably don't want to keep Kitty waiting. I'm going to see if I can find Rogue."
****** ****** ******
"Mom, Dad, you're supposed to schedule visits to the Institute ahead of time." Amanda protested as the Sefton's car turned down Greymalkin Lane. "Do you want to get Kurt in trouble?"
"Kurt didn't invite us and I doubt he'll get blamed for my decision to drop in." Mr. Sefton replied calmly.
A moment later a boy fell out of the sky with all the force of a cannonball. Mr. Sefton slammed on the breaks. The boy hit the ground and plowed a deep furrow across the road with his shoulder before loosing momentum. Mr. Sefton leapt out of the car and ran to the boy's aid. The gawky, sandy haired teen stood up and dusted himself off then glanced back at the road with a groan. "Mr. Logan ain't gonna be happy," he commented.
"Are you all right?" Mr. Sefton asked.
"Oh… um, yes sir, thank yah for asking," The teen replied, obviously nervous. "Happens all the time. I'll have this fixed in a jiff." The boy began scooping up arm loads of gravel and depositing them back in the furrow. "Oh, hi Amanda," he said noticing the girl.
"Hey Sam," Amanda said.
A blur of motion appeared from the direction of the Institute then resolved into a silver-haired boy. He stood glaring at Sam, hands on his hips. "What's taking so long?" he demanded. "I'm bored."
"What do yah think?" Sam replied rolling his eyes and gesturing to the damage. "I gotta get this fixed."
The silver-haired teen gave an exasperated sigh then disappeared. The Seftons watched in bemusement while the furrow across the road seemed to magically fill itself in. A second blur, darker in coloration, joined the first.
A moment later the job was done, "All done." The speed demon announced. "Hey Rogue… Rogue? Why does she keep running off? Every time she starts to talk to me this happens. If she were mad, she'd avoid me all together, wouldn't she?" He demanded of Mr. Sefton.
Sam poked at the loose gravel in the road. "Ah still think it needs some work," he said. Then he put his fingers to his mouth and blew an ear splitting whistle. "Hey Amara!" he yelled.
A few moments later a girl with long, dark hair and what the Seftons hoped was a large dog and not a wolf joined the two boys.
"I'm not a dog, don't whistle for me." The girl complained.
The wolf's form wavered and was replaced by a slight girl with short reddish hair pulled into pigtails. "And speaking for all those with canine hearing: Ouch!" she complained rubbing her ears.
"Sorry." Sam said. "Amara, could yah?" He gestured to the road.
With a sigh the dark haired girl walked over to examine the damage. She held out a hand and the asphalt heated to liquid temperatures. It flowed around the loose grave, sealing it back into the road.
"Thanks Amara, Ah owe yah." Sam said. "Okay folks, the road's all fixed, sorry 'bout the delay."
"Wait!" Amara exclaimed. "It's too hot, it'll melt their tires."
"Bobby!" All four teens yelled in unison.
A number of other mutants joined the foursome. "Mr. and Mrs. Sefton!" A slight, blue furred mutant gasped then disappeared in a cloud of sulfurous smoke.
"Where's Bobby?" Amara asked.
"Did any of you see where Rogue went?" The silver haired boy asked. "Or Lance and Kitty, for that matter, everyone else is here."
The largest of the teens looked to the sky with an innocent expression. "Lance and Kitty sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G…" he sung.
"Rogue wanted to talk to the Professor." An older girl with long, fiery hair said. Then added smugly, "Bobby's taking a little time out nap."
"Jean, I think you're letting power go to your head." an older boy in red shades murmured quietly.
"We kinda need him." Sam pointed out. "So couldn't yah, just wake him up?"
A few moments later two more boys joined the group. The blond was yawning and glaring at Jean. The other boy immediately made for Amanda's side. "Amanda, guten tag," Kurt said with a grin so fake Amanda wondered if he'd programmed it into his image inducer.
While Bobby cooled off Amara's pavement patch Amanda introduced Kurt to her parents. "Mom, Dad, this is Kurt. Kurt I'm sorry about just dropping in, but Dad insisted."
"Mr. and Mrs. Sefton, so very glad I am… To meet you." Kurt stammered nervously.
"We thought it was high time we met all of Amanda's friends." Mr. Sefton said.
"The road's good!" Bobby yelled.
"Would you like to come in?" Jean asked the Seftons politely as Kurt quietly whispered to Amanda, "Vhat do they vant?"
"Yes, we were hoping to meet Professor Xavier and your other instructors." Mrs. Sefton said. Amanda and her father walked back to the Institute with the various students while Mrs. Sefton finished driving their car up to the Mansion.
Jean and Scott fell in beside Mr. Sefton making polite small talk.
As the group reached the front door they heard a nearby clap of thunder. It was followed by an extremely localized down pour. "Storm!" two voices exclaimed angrily. A moment later a drenched pair of teens ran up the driveway.
A woman with snow-white hair that contrasted vividly with her dark complexion followed them. "I felt a cold shower was called for." She told the soaked couple with a serene smile. Mrs. Sefton almost laughed at their expressions which were caught somewhere between outrage and embarrassment.
A large, fanged, blue-furred mutant with arms like a gorilla met them in the lobby. "Amanda, Mr. and Mrs. Sefton, such a pleasure to see you again."
"Mr. McCoy?" Mrs. Sefton stammered recognizing the voice and manner of her daughter's instructor for chemistry and gym.
"None other, thought I've recently switched barbers and no one seems to recognize me." McCoy replied with a grin. A moment later he apparently thought better of it and restrained himself to a close-lipped smile, one that kept his fangs hidden from view. "Amanda how are your classes going?" he asked.
****** ****** ******
Rogue dashed into Xavier's office.
//Have you spoken to Pietro yet?// he asked her.
"He-hasn't-needed-an-excuse-to-stay." Rogue said. "Ah-mean-he-was-pretty-withdrawn-at-first-sticking-to-his-room-and-all. Not-that-Ah-blamed-him. It-ain't-like-he-was-overly-welcome. Ah'm-not-saying-anyone's-really-mad-at-him-or-anything-its-just-that-Todd's-the-only-one-who-wanted-to-make-the-first-move."
//Rogue, you need to talk to him.// Xavier projected. //You need to learn to manage your new abilities and as you pointed out Pietro needs to feel that he still has friends here.//
"Ah-think-Todd-talking-to-him-and-having-Lance-say-he-didn't-hate-him-was-what-Pietro-needed." Rogue said. "And-Ah-don't-want-to-tell-him. You're-sure-we-can't…"
//I'm sure we don't want to find out the hard way.// Xavier replied. //We know your genome has rewritten itself to incorporate Pietro's mutation in addition to your own. We don't know how your power will react to him anymore and I don't want to see either of you hurt.//
****** ****** ******
"I figured it out." Wanda said stepping into the room where Gambit was staying and closing the door behind her. "Now I understand why I can't get you out of my head."
"I could've told y' dat cherie." Gambit said setting down the magazine he'd been thumbing through with a suggestive smile. "It's cause I be irresistible."
"No that's not it." Wanda replied. She snapped her fingers and the curtain ties on the window came to life, wrapping themselves around Gambit's arms and legs until he was thoroughly bound.
"Didn' know y' were into dis sort of t'ing. Well Gambit, he don' mind obligin'." Gambit said. He wondered if he could get her to blush.
Wanda's brow furrowed in confusion. A moment later she shook off his comments as irrelevant. "You worked for Magneto. You know where to find him," she declared.
"I don' bet on him bein' dere no more," Gambit said.
"Take me to Magneto!" Wanda spat. Gambit's bonds tightened in response to her rage until his breath escaped in a hiss of pain.
Gambit forced himself to take a few deep breaths before replying. "A road trip wit' y' cherie? That I can do, but y' don' need 'xcuses to get me 'lone beautiful girl."
"Stop calling me that!" Wanda snapped.
"Of course cherie."
"ARRRG!!!!"
"Dat hurt chere, not so tight!"
****** ****** ******
Xavier brought his chair to a halt just short of the doors as he escorted the Seftons out to collect Amanda. "So did we pass the test?" He asked them.
Mr. and Mrs. Sefton exchanged a glance. "It was that obvious?" Amanda's father asked.
"It's hardly surprising that you should want to meet your daughter's friends." Xavier said.
"It's impossible to overlook how much potential danger your students represent." Mr. Sefton answered. "But at the same time they all appear to be good kids. Your school seems well supervised… I'm not going to try to forbid Amanda to spend time with the friends she's found here."
****** ****** ******
"Femme, while I am enjoyin' dis, do y' know how to drive?" Gambit asked as they sped along on his motorcycle. His arms were wrapped around her waist with his wrists bound together.
"Shut up!" Wanda snapped. Gambit snuggled closer to her. Her control of the bike faltered. Gambit lunged forward. He managed to get a hand on the handlebars and stabilizing their course. "And stop doing that!" Wanda shrieked pushing back.
"Come on cherie. Yo' got me tied to yo' what d' y' 'xspect?" Gambit whispered in her ear.
The motorcycle swerved but Wanda managed to keep control. "I told you to stop it!"
"What am I supposed to t'ink cherie?" Gambit continued his lips brushing against the sensitive skin on the side of her neck. "Y' kidnap me, take us off all on our lonesome an' y' couldn've picked a more intimate way to travel. I t'ink y' like me!"
"I do not!" Wanda exclaimed.
Gambit chuckled sexily. "I don' believe y'."
"I don't care what you believe! Where now?"
"I'll 'member after we have dinner cherie. I know just de place." Gambit replied.
"Fine, anything to get you out of my personal space! Where?"
"Three blocks turn right."
****** ****** ******
Pietro sat in the window his body half turned toward the desk where Todd perched.
"So you and Lance made up." Todd said. "That's good, Freddy'll have to give in now and everything'll be great."
"Yep," Pietro agreed cheerfully. "I still can't believe Lance doesn't hate me, but he doesn't."
A mental throat clearing alerted both boys to Xavier's approach. Todd hopped off the desk to open the door for the telepath. "Yo Prof, how's it goin'?" he asked.
"Very well, thank you Todd." Xavier replied with a sigh. "Pietro, since your return to the Institute I've noticed that you've exhibited fewer signs of your powers than before. I'm concerned that they might have been impaired by your recent experiences."
Pietro disappeared from the window seat for a moment then reappeared with a glass of water in his hand. "Nope, no problems." he said.
Xavier looked perplexed.
"I just haven't felt like it," Pietro said.
"It was 'cause of Lance." Todd volunteered. "Quickie don't like doing things half-way. When he wants to act normal he does. He only slips when he's really excited or upset."
"Then perhaps you could be of more help to Rogue than I'd hoped." Xavier said. "She seems to have gained your powers permanently. She's having a very difficult time managing them. I've encouraged her to ask you for advise, but she's been reluctant to approach you on the matter."
"Why?" Pietro asked. "I was starting to think she just didn't want her friends to see us together after the stuff I did."
"No, she's not angry with you." Xavier replied.
"I'm sick of this." Pietro exclaimed. "I'm going to go find her."
"Thank you Pietro."
"I better be going too, yo." Todd said. "Everyone's going to the mall and Rahne specifically asked me to go to the ice cream parlor with her, it sort of sounds like a date. Do you think I should go brush my teeth?"
"Yes Todd, that would be a very good idea." Xavier sighed.
****** ****** ******
As Wanda followed Gambit's directions the sounds of tinny music and laughter swelled in the air. She scowled in surprise and confusion when he told her to stop outside of an amusement park. "This isn't what I expected." she said.
"If yo'd prefer a romantic, candle-light dinner..."
"No!"
"De carnival it is den." Gambit said. "Y' are goin' to have to untie me cherie, else we be getting' some very funny looks. I promise not to stray too far from your side."
"I'm not worried. If you do I'll just hex you." Wanda stated.
"It be good to hear y're enjoyin' m' company s' much."
Wanda rolled her eyes but decided not to comment. She also decided to ignore when he took her hand as they walked along. She even moved closer to him when they joined the milling crowd outside the gate. She justified her actions by thinking that she didn't like people bumping into her and he did seem good at moving in a crowd.
Once they were inside the fair Gambit led the way to the food vendor's aisle. At the end of the row Wanda noticed a glass box containing fluffy pink clouds of spun sugar. Almost without conscious thought she hurried closer pulling Gambit along with her.
"Y' like cotton candy cherie?" Gambit asked.
"Cotton candy…" Wanda said testing out the feel of the words. "Yes, I like it!" she declared. "Pietro doesn't, it's messy; he doesn't like getting all sticky."
Gambit produced a wallet. Wanda was certain it was a different one than he'd had when he paid for their passes, but he used it to buy her the cotton candy and she immediately forgot the mystery of his multiple wallets.
Wanda pulled a tuft of the sugary substance free and giggled as it melted between her fingers.
Gambit smiled. "If y're goin' to do dat I won' hold hands wit' y' no more."
"Good." Wanda said around a mouthful of cotton candy.
"Let's wander 'round a bit." Gambit suggested. "We'll get real food… Or somet'ing closer to dat… After your hands be free."
"Okay." Wanda agreed easily.
As they strolled through the park Gambit watched Wanda's child-like reaction to the sights. Suddenly she stopped and pointed to a water tap apparently hanging unsupported in mid-air, a stream of water pouring from it into a bucket. "I could do that." She said.
"Put your hand under the spout." Gambit suggested.
Wanda frowned sulkily as she felt the clear pipe camouflaged by the stream of water that created the illusion of water coming from nowhere. "That's cheating!" she announced in outrage.
Remy chuckled, a warm, genuine sound that drew a puzzled stare from Wanda. She tried to pinpoint what was different about his laugh. "Least I got one hand clean 'gain." He said. He kept that hand captured so she couldn't contaminate it with more spun sugar.
Wanda shrugged and took a bite directly from the cone in her other hand.
When she eventually finished Remy directed her attention to a concession stand selling hotdogs. "I'm not hungry now." Wanda stated.
"Wanna go on some rides?" Remy asked. When Wanda failed to object he pulled her into the nearest line.
After a few second of being twirled around by the ride Wanda declared. "This is boring!" Before Remy realized what she was up to she hexed the ride. While Remy held on for dear life and the other passengers shrieked in absolute terror. Wanda laughed with delight. Ten minutes later, subjectively an eternity, the machine wore down and the shaking passengers scrambled out of their seats.
"No more rides, 'kay?" Remy suggested in a weak voice.
"Wimp." Wanda challenged.
"All right cherie, one more." Remy said letting her pull him toward a roller-coaster. His expression would have been more appropriate if she'd been leading him to the guillotine.
Five rides after that Remy sighed with relief as the carnival workers shut all the rides down to look for the mysterious electrical problem that was making them go wild.
"Lets go back and eat now." Wanda decided. "I want hotdogs and curly fries and a strawberry milkshake. Not a chocolate one. Mom and Papa always make me and Pietro split and he likes chocolate, but I don't. I'll share with you, but we're getting strawberry."
"No t'ank y' cherie." Remy groaned. " 'M just goin' to get some 7-Up if it's all de same to y'."
Once they'd eaten the sounds of a concert drew them away from the exit. Remy found a clear spot in the grassy meadow below the stage and they sat down to listen. Wanda fidgeted for a few minutes then discovered that Remy made a comfortable leaning post. As the evening deepened into night she fell asleep, her head pillowed on his shoulder.
Remy gently picked her up as the concert ended and started walking to a hotel he'd seen a few blocks away. He hushed the desk clerk and managed to check them in without waking her. Setting the sleeping girl on the bed, he went to pull several chairs together for himself then paused gaze down at her. Asleep Wanda's face lost its customary scowl, leaving her looking vulnerable and young. "I don' care," Remy said. "Even at your best y're still a brat, femme. At your worst y' be de devil incarnate. We're gonna play dis hand to de end, even if it destroys de bot' of us."
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