***
Disclaimer – I don't own X-Men: Evolution
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"Jean an' Scott are spendin' a lot of time in her bedroom." Rogue commented sitting at the kitchen table helping Ororo prepare dinner. She placed her hand on her stomach. "Ah bet they're gonna end up with a li'l bundle of joy befoh ya know it." She then handed the Weather Witch diced up vegetables.
Ororo nodded, dropped the bits of vegetables in then stirred the bubbling concoction. "Do you ever think about how your life is going to be after the twins are born?"
"Other than hectic? Naw, not really." She brushed a strand of white hair out of her face. "Ah never even though Ah would have a kid."
"And now look, you're having two." Ororo set the wooden
spoon down next to the pot of soup. "Natural childbirth?"
Rogue's face deadpanned. "Gimme all the anesthetics ya have. Ah'm bringin' two kids inta this world." She laid her head down on the table and sighed. "Ah can't wait." She mumbled with very little enthusiasm.
"You and Remy getting along alright, Child?" Rogue lifted her head up slowly. She wasn't used to Ororo prying like this. She was surprised by the question—Had her or Remy showed any tension between each other? The Southern didn't think so. She still loved Remy, even got used to his perverted mind and comments. He was slowly molding her into him.
"Yeah." She answered, a smile forming on her face. "Ah really love 'im ya know."
Ororo smile and nodded. "I can tell. I remember when he first joined—you weren't too crazy about him then."
Rogue almost laughed. It was true. She quickly judged him, noting that he flirted with every X-woman and even herself. She was annoyed by all of it, but things changed. "It's hard ta believe that he fell in love wit' me befoh Ah learned ta control mah powers." She smiled at the memories. And rolled her eyes at the memories of his roaming gloved hands. Now he didn't need gloves. Some things never change, Rogue thought to herself.
"You don't use your powers much anymore, I noticed." The African said, picking up the wooden spoon. She started to stir the soup again.
"Ah like it that way. Ah like mah head without all the company. There's a red light flashing 'Vacancy' in 'ere an' it's stayin' that way. The last thing Ah need is ta have mah powers manifestin' when Ah'm pregnant." She ran her fingers through her white fringes. "Mah body get too weak after it, Ah'd end up havin' a miscarriage o' somethin." She looked away from the back of Ororo's head. "An' Ah don't want that happenin'."
Ororo turned and stared at Rogue. It was hard to believe this was the sixteen year old who had joined the X-Men years earlier. She was more opened now, unlike back then. She's going to make a great mother. Ororo thought, turning back.
***
"No."
"Please!"
"No."
"Pretty please!"
"No."
"With sugar on top?"
"Absolutely not."
"I'll love ya forever."
"Nope."
"I'll buy ya a pony."
"No."
"A goldfish?"
"No."
"How 'bout a volcano then?"
"You're going to buy me a volcano?"
Pyro scratched the back of his head. This was a toughy. "Oy! I can.." He frowned. "Alright, so I can't."
"Then.. no."
"Aw, come on 'Mara!"
"No."
"I'll give you a cookie."
She shook her head.
"Why not?"
"I'm not powering up so you can make me dance."
St. John sniffed. His brilliant green eyes got glossy and his lower lip started to tremble. He bashed his eyelashes at her and then sniffed again. "Puh-lease 'Mara. For me?"
Amara sighed heavily. How was she going to get herself out of this?
***
"Can't you just forget about it, Jubilee? I said I was sorry. Just learn to forgive and forget, okay?" Bobby asked standing in the middle of Jubilee's room. "I'm glad you can stay. I'm thrilled—"
"You look like it." She sat on her bed, her arms were folded across her chest and she glared at the older male. Strands of her dark hair fell in front of her face.
"Don't act this way, Jubes." He made a fist. A blue light peeked out from the spaces. He then held out a hand, a rose was rested upon his palm. It looked just like a blooming rose bud, except it was see through, and was ice. She rolled her eyes.
"Is that how you're going to apologize to me? By giving me some sculpture made from your power? Thanks for the effort." She snapped, standing up. She jerked past him and made her way out of the room.
Bobby sighed and dropped the rose. A piece chipped off from it when it hit the ground. He looked down at it, grunted and then left the room. Girls. He huffed, stomping down the hallway. Don't even appreciate anything these days.
***
"'Dey're really startin' t' piss me off." Gambit mumbled, throwing himself into a chair. A deck of cards was clutched in his fist.
"The feelin' is mutual, Gumbo." Logan muttered, leaning against Xavier's desk. "I'm startin' to agree with Pyro when he said we should kill 'em all now."
"Now, now Logan." Hank spoke up. "We have to show them we mean no harm."
"Mean no harm? We've been on his planet this long and now they want to do something about it?" Scott sputtered, throwing his arms up in the air. "This is pathetic."
"Calm down, Honey." Jean cooed, giving him a small smile. Gambit and Logan exchanged glances. The red head looked over at the Professor. "I still think we should set up a few safe houses. Warren is already getting the one ready, down south."
"Down south?" That seemed to get Gambit's attention. "Were down 'ere?"
"Not sure. But he did say to send down at least two people for some help. You can.."
He shook his head. "I ain't leavin' Rogue."
"Oh." Jean said quietly. "I'm sure she'd agree to go down with you."
"Non." He gave her a solemn look. "'Dere is already 'nough stress 'ere. Goin' down 'dere would only cause mo'."
"I understand your concern." She said, even through she clearly didn't. "But the help is needed."
"I'll go." Jubilee entered the room, shyly. She was wearing jeans and a white shirt under her usual yellow jacket.
"You're—"
"I'm not too young. This is what we've been trained to do and I want to help."
"I shall go down with her." Hank said, smiling at Jubilee. "There's also a safe house opening in Canada and out more in the West that could use help."
The Professor did the steeple thing with his hands and exhaled slowly. "I'll gather the others. We need to discuss this all together."
***
"Yoah separatin' us?" Rogue asked; her voice was full of un-certain-ness. The X-Men (and X-Women, those sexist fiends! :o) sat around in the living room.
"Mutants need us. Over in California they have two locked up." Hank said, remembering the articles he had read online. "It will not be long before they start conducting experiments." Just about everyone in the room glanced over at Logan when the word 'experiments' was said.
"What?" He asked, offended. It was the last thing he wanted; for any mutant to get experimented on. He thought about everyone in the room, his family. He would dice up anyone who tried to experiment on them. Literally. Suddenly, he sniffed the air. "Somethin' is burnin'."
"The biscuits!" Rogue gasped, then tried to sit up but failed. She felt like she was glued to the couch.
"I'll go. You stay here, Child." Ororo patted her shoulder as she walked past her and down the hallway, towards the kitchen.
"Ororo and I will stay here with a few of you. Logan will be heading to Canada with Ray, Roberto and Jamie. Bobby, Jubilee and Hank will be going down south." Xavier explained. Bobby shifted uncomfortably in his seat and Jubilee tensed up, but no one noticed. Charles looked over at Pyro. "St. John, You, Magma, Jean and Scott will go on the X-Jet and pick up mutants from other countries."
Pyro frowned. "Why can't I stay here an' protect the
institute? Those blokes won't know what hit 'em!"
"And that's why you're not stationed here." That made a few people in the room smile but it was the truth.
"How long is all this stuff gonna keep up?" Rogue asked the Professor. Remy could sense the sudden fear in her. He gently put his arm around her shoulders. She would be giving birth in a few short months and the last thing she would want to do is go into labor during the middle of a rally against the existence of mutants.
"Right now, the future looks a bit cloudy." Jean answered softly. Rogue was surprised that Jean was even trying to be nice to her. Not that surprised as seeing as how Scott was back.
Ororo then walked back into the room. "The biscuits are nothing but charcoal now, but other than that, dinner is ready." Everyone started talking at once as they stood up and made their way out of the room. Rogue and Remy still sat there after everyone left.
"Y' okay petite?" Remy asked, removing his arm from around her. He could tell all of this mutant haters shit scared her, he knew how she loathed her powers (Especially when they were uncontrollable) but he could tell something else was wrong.
"Do ya regret ever comin' here, Remy? Do ya think things would be better if we never came here?" She asked, without looking at him. She just stared straight ahead. "Think 'bout how different things woulda turned out if we never came." Now, she turned her head and looked at him, her eyes met his. "Ah love it here. Wit' mah family.. an' ya."
He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I love y' Roguey." He looked serious and sincere. "An' I want t' marry y'." He kissed her lips softly. "I never want t' lose y' chére."
Pyro and Magma watched from the doorway, bored expressions were written upon their faces.
"They act like they're in a bloody soap opera." St. John said, giving a little eye roll. "Where is the dramatic effect of music in the back'round?"
Amara just sighed. "Who needs to watch television when you have a real life series surrounding you."
"Welcome to X-Men; The Real World." Pyro licked his lips. "Now let's go get somethin' to eat, 'Mara."
"If Ah could get up, Ah'd kill 'em." Rogue mumbled, looking in the now abandoned doorway. She looked down at her feet. "An' if mah ankles weren't so damn swollen." She allowed Remy to pull her out of the couch. "Ah wish men were the carriers."
He shook his head. "Y' filles be much stronger 'den us. 'Dat is why y' are 'de one who carries 'de li'l future demons."
"Ah can't imagine ya wit' a beer gut, sittin' in front of the TV, half on an' half off the couch, eatin' bon-bons an' complainin' 'bout yoah back pains and swollen ankles."
"Ain't 'de what y' do now? Jus' put me in yo'r place." Her jaw dropped. "Kiddin'! Jus' kiddin' ma not so petite chére."
"Remy?"
"Oui?"
"Run foh yoah life."
Remy gulped. "Way head o' y' Roguey." Just as he was about to make a dash, she put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it.
"Oh mah gawd, Remy." She placed her free hand on her stomach and gasped. "Oh mah.."
"What? Are y' okay?" He suddenly panicked.
"Ah'm fine.." She took her hand from his shoulder, took his hand and placed it on her stomach. "They're kickin'." She smiled.
***
This has to be the worst chapter I've ever written. I kept mixing this chapter up with the next chapter to Learning to Trust, which kept confusing me. It's all rather confusing. I just hope this chapter wasn't too bad. I'm sick. Take that into consideration for ALL the parts that make no sense. I'm a bit delirious.
Read and review. :)
