This is the extra chapter I've put in at the same time as the epilogue, because the main criticism of my fic was that it didn't cover the build-up of Pietro/Rogues relationship very well and after looking back, I agree. So here's extra fluffiness! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Fred sat on the disclaimer and squashed it. He says it wasn't him, but I think he's lying.

"Ah'm goin to the mall," Rogue told Kitty hurriedly as she tried to get past the other girl. "Ah'll see you later."

            "Wait, who are you going with?"

            "Just on mah own."

            "Hang on a few minutes, I'll go with you."

            "NO! Uh, I mean, ah just wanna be on mah own for a while. Ah'm not shoppin for shoes!"

            "You sure?"

            "Yeah. Ah'll see you tonight!"

            Breathing a sigh of relief that Kitty hadn't followed her, Rogue left the mansion and headed towards the place where she and Pietro had departed company the previous day. All the while, she wondered what she thought she was doing. Sure, she'd had fun with Pietro yesterday, but meeting him again today was just asking for trouble. He didn't expect her to turn up on his doorstep, but their whole day out might have been part of a last minute plan and when she arrived at their meeting place, he'd have the whole Brotherhood waiting for her. Or worse, Magneto or Mystique.

She'd hardly slept the previous night, unable to decide whether or not she should go and eventually she'd elected not to – but that morning, she'd known she'd turn up. Although they hadn't lived in the Brotherhood house together long, she'd always enjoyed the verbal sparring between her and Quicksilver. He was a born flirt and she was the only female in the house that wasn't blue. She wasn't against flirting, but it was much more fun to brush him off with a sarcastic comment. Her apparent lack of interest had hardly seemed to bother him then. Hanging about with Pietro had been a welcome relief from being with the X-Men almost exclusively for the past few months. All off them had been ostracised and they were all depressed and unhappy about it. It was hard to cheer up when the people she was around were miserable. Even harder when they were being cautious around her, trying not to remind her that her best friend had turned out to be Mystique. At least with Pietro, they'd not just been able to talk about the problems they'd had in recent months; she's also had the most fun she'd had in a long time.

Rogue got to the place where she and Pietro had parted company the day before and discovered that although it was five past ten, there was no sign of him. Typical! She thought, turning to leave. All that worry, all that sneaking around and he stood me up. Ah should never have trusted –

The thought was cut off as a sudden gust of wind blew her hair into her face and she was picked up and carried along at high speed. Pietro, she realised, closing her eyes against the sting of the air and reaching blindly for his shoulders. Where's he takin me?

It was about 30 seconds later that they stopped and Pietro set her carefully to her feet. Rogue may have been disoriented, but she didn't miss his hand lingering on her waist just a second or so longer than was necessary.

Opening her eyes, expecting to find the Brotherhood or the Acolytes waiting for her, Rogue instead discovered she was in Bayville Park. Pietro stood in front of her, grinning. "What's up? Think I was gonna kidnap you or something?"

"No," lied Rogue, trying to untangle her hair with her fingers. "Ah just got caught off guard. Ah thought you weren't gonna show!"

Pietro produced a comb, causing Rogue to roll her eyes. Trust him to have one. "Hey, I had to use an alternate exit out of the house!"

"Oh yeah?" Rogue accepted the comb and began sorting her hair out. "Brotherhood babysitting you now?"

"Uh, no." Pietro looked a little shamefaced. "I, uh, kinda forgot some one was comin over today."

"Let me guess. A girl?" What do ah care? It's not as if ah like him THAT way.

"Well, yeah."

"So what did you do?"

"Toad already opened the door to let her in, so I asked Wanda to make an excuse for me and, uh, left outta the window."

Rogue laughed at the image for a second. "Why did you come here instead of staying with her?"

Pietro shrugged. "You're more fun. Hey, let's get ice-cream!"

"Are you supposed to have sugar?"

C'mon Rogue, live dangerously!"

They bought cones and found a secluded patch of grass to sprawl out on. Pietro started to tell a long and extremely explicit joke about three men in a brothel, sneaking glances at Rogue as he did so. The punch line caused her to laugh into her cornet, getting ice cream on her nose.

"You know, not everyone can carry off that look."

"You're hilarious." Rogue hastily wiped the mess away, hoping she didn't look too stupid. "All gone?"

"You missed a spot." Pietro leaned over to brush off the last spot and was startled when Rogue caught his wrist.

"Don't."

"Oh yeah." Pietro pulled his hand away, embarrassed. He'd completely forgotten about her mutation. She turned away and stared around the park and he was just about to launch into another dirty joke when she turned back to him, eyes wide.

"It's Kurt! Quick, get us outta here!"

"Maybe he won't recognise us," replied Pietro, glancing over to where Kurt was approaching in his image-induced form.

"Get real. How many teenagers in Bayville have white hair?"

"I've got an idea. Wait here!" Pietro sped off and Rogue went back to watching her brother. It didn't look like he'd seen her yet, but if he did he'd come and join her and if he realised who she was with, he'd go nuclear.

A moment later, a blanket dropped over her head.

"What the –"

"Shhhh!" Pietro was hidden under the blanket with her and she could feel his breath near her cheek. "You'll give us away!"

"You want us to hide from Kurt under a blanket? You don't think he'll notice? Look at it, it's tartan!"

"Yeah, he'll see us but he'll just think we're what we are." She could hear the smirk in his voice. "Two horny teens!"

"Pietro!" Rogue sneaked a glance from under the blanket and saw to her relief that Kurt's girlfriend Amanda was approaching. Hopefully, the two would meet up and then go away. "Where the hell did you get a blanket from anyway?"

"Swiped it from a pickernic basket," replied Pietro in his best Yogi Bear voice, causing Rogue to start sniggering.

"Ah think they're goin," she said in relief as the two began walking away from the park. Kurt nudged Amanda and pointed to the blanket, causing the other girl to giggle into her hand. Rogue doubted they'd be laughing if they knew who was under it. A few seconds later, Kurt and Amanda were lost from view.

"We should hide under here a few moments longer," said Pietro. "Just in case."

"Ah don't think they're comin back." Rogue pulled the blanket off quickly. Being close enough to share body heat with Pietro was not a good idea, not when she was enjoying it so much.

"Spoilsport." Pietro crawled out from under the blanket. "Doncha like bein under the covers with me?"

"Ah'm gonna suffocate you with that blanket in a minute!"

"You're blushing!"

"Ah am not!" Rogue glared at him and tried to think of another reason for her cheeks being so warm. She was saved from replying by a new voice.

"Pietro Maximoff, you scumbag!"

"Oh! Hi Tiffany!"

Rogue looked up at a girl she knew vaguely from school, a slim blonde who wore white jeans and a pink top. No gloves. Instantly, she hated her.

"You stood me up!" The girl, Tiffany, put her hands on her hips and scowled. "I thought you were ill and now I find you here with her?"

"I got a better offer," replied Pietro unapologetically.

"You…you…" Infuriated, Tiffany looked at Rogue instead. "Well, I'd be careful around him, Goth girl. This morning, his sister told me he had genital warts!"

Rogue burst out laughing at the look on Pietro's face. She couldn't help it. "Oh mah God, that's great! Ah've got to hand it to Wanda."

"You think that's funny?" Tiffany seemed more annoyed by Rogues mirth than being stood up in the first place.  "I should have listened to my friends! They warned me about dating a freak and your weird mutie girlfriend proves they were right!"

Immediately Rogue stopped laughing and Pietro put an arm around her and smirked at Tiffany. "Face it Tiff, us muties gotta stick together 'cause you normal humans are just too damn ugly to date."

"You asshole!" Tiffany turned and stormed off.

 Rogue watched her go, felling guilty. "Pietro, that was mean."

"She started it."

"And you can take your arm off me now."

"Do I have to?" Pietro caught her look and took his arm away. "OK, OK. But don't worry about her. She'll get over it."

"Ah've got to go to school with her."

"So you'll get new respect for being seen with me."

"You are so egotistical!" Rogue gave him a playful shove and the pair soon forgot about Tiffany as they talked and joked about other things. They walked around the park a few times until Rogue looked at her watch and told him she'd have to go.

"Rogue! It's Saturday!"

"Yeah and ah've never got anything to do on a Saturday, so the others're gonna think it's strange if ah don't go home soon."

"Didn't tell them you were meetin me?"

"Didn't hidin from Kurt give that away?"

"Yeah. They'd go nuclear, huh?"

"They wouldn't have minded at one time, but with Mystique pretending to be the Professor and Magneto exposing mutants to the world, not to mention the rest of the Brotherhood attacking us outside the school…well, it wouldn't be taken very well."

"I didn't tell the Brotherhood either. Who needs the aggravation?" Pietro paused for a moment. "So, can you think of an excuse to come out tonight?"

"What?"

"You just said you never do anything on a Saturday. Just thought you might like a change in routine."

This is not a good idea thought Rogue. "Sure, why not?"

"OK then. Want a lift back to the mansion?"

"No, but you can walk with me if you like."

As he walked her back to the mansion, it was Pietros turn to wonder what he thought he was doing. Spending all this time with Rogue was not good for his mental health. He should just forget about the whole thing right now, let her go back to being an X-Man and he could go back to – well, he had lots of things in his life besides her. Trouble was, he couldn't think of anything he's rather be doing than spending time with her

Maybe one other thing…