Thank you to everyone who reviewed me! Because it was my first fic, I was TERRIFIED! But you made it cool.
Karone: I'm a Romy at heart too, but there were so many Romy fics out there that I was kinda put off. Then (for the purposes of the story – later chapters!) I thought, "who would be wicked enough?" and Pietro sprang to mind! Thank you! Yours was the longest review I received and I was pleased to get it!
SkyBlazer: I hope you enjoy the rest of the fic! Your review got me dancing round the room and singin (badly) – they meant loads to me! So thanks! Don't worry, it won't be a Romy – I should have made that clear. I probably will be leaving it as a Rietro, but somebody else keeps trying to worm their way in – see later chapters for all that! I was a little worried about characterization, but I'm having such fun!
FreakyXGoth – Sorry, I've misled you. When I said it might not stay as a Rietro, I didn't mean it would turn to a Romy! I hope to post a Romy soon, but I don't want to do so before I see 'Cajun Spice'. I haven't done yet, because the assholes at Toonami run about eight months behind! I hope you'll keep reading in spite of that. And I appreciated the review – thanks!
Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution. Yet.
***************************
"You've been a long time Rogue. Is everything alright?" asked the Professor as Rogue entered the mansion.
"Uh, yeah. Ah just needed a walk." Rogue hoped the Professor didn't pick up the lie telepathically. Fortunately, he didn't seem to, he was quite strict with himself about not reading minds without permission.
"Did you find out anything from the Brotherhood?"
"Ah spoke to Quicksilver." Rogue wandered over to the fruit bowl so the Professor wouldn't see her face. "He said Buckethead gets in touch with them and he'll tell him you want to talk to him."
The Professor raised his eyebrows with obvious doubt.
"He was laughin," clarified Rogue, picking up an apple she didn't really want. "Ah think he'll tell Magneto, but only because he thinks it's all a big joke."
"That's the one thing it isn't," replied the Professor soberly.
"Yeah, well. Ah'm goin to mah room."
"Oh, and Rogue? If you're feeling well enough to stay out all day, you're well enough to go to school on Monday."
"Great," muttered Rogue as she went upstairs. Kitty wasn't in their room, so she put on a CD and lay back on her bed, thinking about the day. Pietro was the last person she'd expected to open up to, but he'd turned out to be a surprisingly good listener. She hadn't mentioned to him that the Professor had wiped out the other personalities she'd absorbed and their powers – let the Brotherhood attack them believing that she had all their powers bar Wanda's – but she'd been frank about how she'd been possessed by all those other people. Pietro had whistled softly. "Wow. Even me?"
"Your ego!" she'd exclaimed. "Yeah. Even you. Used your speed to get away after ah pushed away the police cruiser."
She'd expected Pietro to say, "Cool!" or something similar, but instead he'd said, "That sounds really bad," and she'd kept talking, even telling him about Mystique adopting her and posing as Risty. From his reaction, Mystique hadn't shared that with the Brotherhood. She'd finished by telling him that Logan had talked her around and now she was fine. A lie, but it was Quicksilver she was talking to.
In turn, Pietro had told her how Magneto had brainwashed Wanda; how he was worried about the effects it might have on her. "I didn't know he was going to have her committed, didn't even really know where she was, I was just a kid and my powers hadn't really manifested – I was just a bit quicker than other people, I didn't have the speed I have now. Our father told me that it was the best thing. The only thing. Then, when she came back, she was so angry with me for not being able to help her. She was so intense, wanting to find Magneto and make him pay for that. When I went back to the Brotherhood and she found out I was there, she was so pissed. But she must have understood, because she didn't kill me or anything. She thought she could use me to lure Magneto out … and she got caught in a trap. She's easier to live with now, but I'm still worried that she might remember and lose it with all the Brotherhood for lying to her. And she is really scary when she loses it. She's like a witch with those powers!"
"She will be pissed if she remembers you betrayed her – and the Brotherhood – for Magneto," Rogue had said. "Why did you do it, Pietro?"
"Hey, if Mystique brought you up the way that Magneto brought us up instead of trying to protect you, you wouldn't dare to say no to the parent either," Pietro had said with a shrug, then changed the subject.
After four cups of coffee, they'd gone to the mall for a while. Pietro had told her that she needed to lighten up and have fun for a while. It had been fun too, the high point being when they had seen Scott and Jean exiting a record shop, obviously having some private time away from the Institute after school. Rogue had murmured "Bus – ted!" as the pair turned in their direction – and suddenly Pietro had scooped her up and sped off, straight past Scott and Jean and out of sight before the X-Men had realised that they were there. They may have felt the draught as Pietro ran past, but by the time they realised, he and Rogue were long gone. Pietro had carried her all the way to the park and they'd collapsed into a laughing heap on the grass. It was then that Rogue realised how long she 'd been out for and reluctantly told Pietro that she had to return to the Institute. She was supposed to be recuperating, after all. He'd walked her back to the mansion at regular speed and stopped a few minutes walk away.
"Far as I go, Rogue. Don't want to get you into any trouble, fraternising with the enemy and all that."
"You're not…" She'd stopped before the sentence could be completed. "Well, thanks. Ah had fun."
"Uh, wait." He'd looked at the floor. "You wanna hang out tomorrow?"
"Well, uh, yeah, sure," she'd replied, surprised. "Ah'll meet you here, say ten?"
"Yeah, uh, cool. See you tomorrow – slowpoke!" And he'd sped away and she'd gone back to the institute wearing her first genuine smile since she'd realised Risty was back.
Must be pretty dull at the Brotherhood house if he wants to spend Saturday with me, she thought, before rejecting the idea. Life around Pietro was never dull.
***********************************
"Cut it out Lance. You've played nothing but that morbid shit since Kitty ditched you."
Lance glared across the room at Pietro, who'd been looking pleased with himself ever since he got in. "Back off Pietro!" he snarled, turning his attention back to his guitar.
"It's true though," added Toad from his seat in front of the TV.
"I mean, come on Lance." Pietro smirked at his teammate. "Those X-freaks wouldn't want one of us dating one of them. Kept telling you to back off, probably telling Kitty-cat that you couldn't be trusted, 'til one day she decides to listen to them…"
"Whadda you care?" snapped Lance.
"Just think it's sad." Pietro sighed theatrically. "One of the Brotherhood and an X-Man. Destined to fail…"
Lances eyes rolled back in his head and Pietros chair began shaking backwards. Pietro leapt off and to safety before it crashed into a wall.
"Don't know why you're so interested all of a sudden," said Lance, returning his attention to his guitar.
"Interested? Who said I'm interested? I'm not interested!" Pietro stopped as he saw the startled looks of Lance and Todd. "Oh, forget it," he muttered and sped upstairs.
"He's actin weird," observed Lance, glancing towards the stairs.
"He's probably after Kitty-cat himself, yo – AAARGHH!"
*****************************
Smooth move, Pietro! Quicksilver thought to himself as he slammed the bedroom door. Now everyone thinks you're dumb. He scowled and threw himself onto the bed. He'd only wanted to know how much Lance and Kitty's relationship and eventual break-up had been affected by the teams they were with, but he couldn't just come out and ask. Now he'd blown it and he'd never know …
…And why the Hell do you care anyway?
He'd never been serious about a girl in his life. At school, there had always been some one new throwing themselves at him and his bad boy rep had only made it easier. Since he'd left, his social life had suffered – everyone knew that the Brotherhood were mutants and it turned some girls off – but not unduly so, he could still find a date whenever he needed one. He certainly didn't need an involvement with an anti-social Goth who couldn't even kiss him.
That was another thing. What the X-Men might do was the least of his concerns – the important thing was that he couldn't touch her. Not ever. Not without taking a half-hour nap every time he put his hand up her shirt.
Sounds like a challenge.
The thought made him grin. Maybe – just maybe – he could work something out. Pietro Maximoff always got what he wanted.