Thanx to Spork or Foon, DemonRogue13, wayfarer-redemption and PomegranateQueen (your wish is about to come true) for reviewing!

I decided to put up 2 chapters at once 'cause the next one's kinda short. Hope you enjoy them – and if you do, please let me know!

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution. Nor do I own Thundercats, from whom the Cheetarah reference is taken. I own nothing! I still owe three payments on the sacrificial alter in the basement and I'm also broke, meaning that to sue me is a waste of time.

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            "Did Rogue and Kitty change personalities while I wasn't looking?" asked Logan as he surveyed the scene. Throwing a party for Amara's birthday had seemed a good excuse to let the students have some fun after the upheaval of the previous few months and most of them were having a good time. Kitty certainly wasn't. She was sitting away from the others, looking unapproachable. Rogue on the other hand was almost hyperactive, excited, nothing like her usual sullen self at all.

            "I believe Kitty is still upset over the failure of her relationship with Lance." The Professor frowned. "Rogue's been away from the mansion so much lately, I don't know what she's so happy about. I don't want to intrude on her thoughts, but I am concerned. She's not usually this … exuberant."

            "Want me to talk to her?"

            The Professor nodded. "It might shed some light on the matter. But not now. Do it tomorrow, after school." He looked over to where Rogue was talking animatedly to Tabitha and Amara. "Surely something that makes her this happy can't be a bad thing."

            "I dunno Chuck," replied Logan grimly. "I got a bad feelin about this one."

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Rogue ran up to her room at the end of the party, still excited and full of nervous energy. She'd spent most of the day lay on Pietro's bed, necking. Knowing how much she'd missed out on made her wish once again that she didn't have her powers and knowing that the serum might only be a temporary solution, as it had been for the Beast, made her determined not to waste any more time. As Pietro was about to leave after carrying her almost all the way back to the Institute, she asked him to break into the school again, this time to alter the computer records. If she had an approved day on record, no one from the school would contact the institute about her absence and she could skip the whole day. The best part was that it was the one day of the week that she didn't share any classes with any of the other X-Men, so she didn't have to beg silence from them. Pietro had immediately agreed and sped off to sort it out. She suspected he was swiping Kelly's keys to get in, but she wasn't going to ask.

            The room was in darkness, so she flipped on the light as she hurried over to her closet to choose something to wear. If tomorrow was the first full day when she wasn't going to hurt anyone if she brushed past them, she was going to make the most of it. Nothing with sleeves in, that was for sure. Something that Pietro wouldn't forget in a hurry.

            A movement from the corner of her eye made her jump and she turned to see Kitty turning over in bed. "Shit, ah didn't know you were in here!"

            "I just, y'know, didn't feel like partying tonight."

            "Are you ill? Or just a Kitty-clone?"

            "Fun-eee. I'm just still bummed about Lance."

            "Ah noticed." Rogue sat on the end of her bed. "Why doncha go over and talk to him? I bet you could work it out!"

            "Like, I don't wanna work it out! He totally attacked us, him and his asshole friends!"

            "Well, the Brotherhood's pretty easily led," Rogue told her. "When Kelly suggested a plan to get Scott outta school to Duncan, they just went with it. They weren't expecting the rest of us."

            "Wait, how do you know that? Have you been talking to Lance?"

            Shit! "Uh, no, ah haven't seen him in forever," lied Rogue, trying to think of a reason for her knowing that aside from talking to Pietro about it. "Ah, uh, picked it up the last time ah touched him, when we chased them to P…Quicksilver's rescue."

            "Oh."

            "So either go over there and get back together, or get over it." Rogue lost interest and went back to her closet. "Ugh, ah have nothing to wear."

            "Like, since when do you plan you're outfit the night before?" asked Kitty, stung by the 'get over it' comment. "You're totally acting weird lately."

            "What, 'cause ah'm planning what to wear? Maybe ah've absorbed your personality once too often and ah'm turning shallow. Probably why ah can't think of anything but shoppin and soap operas these days." Rogue stopped, surprised at herself. That was mean, even for her.

            Kitty jumped out of bed, her feelings hurt. "Are you calling me dumb?"

            "Well duh."

            "My grades are like totally better than yours!"

            "You probably get an extra mark for every time you say something pointless. 'One and one like totally equals two, y'know?'" Rogue did her best simpering Kitty impression.

            "You are such a BITCH!"

            The door flew open. Literally. "What's going on in here?" demanded Storm. "I could hear you two yelling from my room!"

            Rogue and Kitty glared at each other, not willing to continue their argument in front of their instructor. Storm folded her arms. "Well?"

            "Nothin," muttered Rogue.

            "Nothin." Kitty got back into bed and lay down.

            "The next time I hear 'nothing' coming from this room, I'll ground both of you!"

            Rogue waited for Storm to leave before resuming her search for something to wear. Kitty stared tearfully at the wall and swore to herself that she was never, ever going to speak to her roommate again.

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            Pietro sat in front of the TV with the remote in his hand, flipping channels so fast that no one else could work out what was on. He barely noticed himself. He was trying to think of a way to ask the others if they were leaving the house the following day. Try as he might, he couldn't think of a way to do it without arousing their suspicions.

            Hey guys, doing anything that'll get you outta here between 9 and 3-30?

            Magneto gave the order for you guys to cruise the mall and not come back all day!

            I'm gonna be here with Rogue all day and she can touch now and I really don't want you to be around tomorrow…

            Nope. He couldn't think of anything.

            Click. Click. Click.

            "Hey Pietro, slow down!" said Todd. "I can't see what's on."

            "He's distracted," grinned Lance.

            "Yeah," chuckled Fred. "Thinkin about his X-girlfriend!"

            Pietro stopped channel hopping and plastered a bored look on his face. "Which one? I've tons of ex-girlfriends!"

            "Sure," said Lance, not fooled for a moment by Pietro's act. "But only one X-Man girlfriend!"

            Pietro sprang to his feet and glared at the rest of the Brotherhood, who were openly laughing at him. "I-do-not-have-an-X-Man-girlfriend-it's-not-true-I-don't-know-where-you-got-that-idea-from!"

            Fred laughed harder. "Sure."

            "It's not true! It's not it's not it's not!" A second later Pietro was stood in front of Wanda's chair. "What did you tell them?"

            "Nothing," said Wanda innocently. "They worked it out for themselves."

            "They couldn't work out their way to the bathroom without a map!" yelled Pietro. "And anyway, there's nothing to work out!"

            If anything, the laughter just got louder. "Whatever you say, Quicksilver!" said Lance between sniggers.

            "What d'you think his X-Man name'll be?" asked Fred.

            "They like naming themselves after animals over there," giggled Todd. "Cheetah!"

            "Like on that old cartoon, the girl on it was called…"

            Simultaneously, the Brotherhood yelled, "CHEETARAH!"

            "GAAAAAH!" screamed Pietro, running up to his room. He threw himself on the bed and gave death glares to the ceiling as he envisioned horrible deaths for everyone else in the house. Thanks Wanda, he thought. Now I have to find a way to get them out of the house while I wait for Rogue and I bet they're plotting to catch us and take the piss…

            The solution to all of his problems came to him in a flash and he raced back downstairs, stopping in the middle of the living room floor and trying to ignore the sniggers. "Anyone seen my phone?"

            "Charging up in the kitchen," replied Wanda.

            "Going to phone your X-girl?" grinned Fred.

            "None of your business!" Pietro ran into the kitchen, grabbed the phone and ran back upstairs. He waited impatiently for a couple of minutes, then grinned as he heard a sound on the roof. Toad, listening in.

            Raising the phone to his ear, Pietro began talking, hoping that if Todd did manage to look in the window, he wouldn't notice that the phone was switched off. "Hey, it's me. Brotherhoods found out." Pause. "Don't know, but they might try to follow us if we stay in town. You wanna head out of Bayville tomorrow?" Another pause. "Ironback Survival Camp? Sure I know it; we went on that dumb army drill thing. We went home in the X-Jet and Lance puked." He laughed, remembering Avalanche's embarrassment. "Yeah, 11-30 sounds great. See you there!"

            A yell and a crash from outside indicated that Toad had finished on the roof. Pietro ignored him and lay back on the bed. Sometimes he impressed even himself. It had taken over two hours to drive there the last time and if he'd figured the Brotherhood right, they'd be at Ironback bang on time, hang around for an hour or so and drive home, pissed at being fooled. By that time, Rogue would be long gone.

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After the early morning Danger Room session, Rogue managed to jump into the shower first. The session hadn't gone too well. She couldn't concentrate and Kitty had been ignoring her. Kurt had tried to diffuse the atmosphere with dumb jokes, but it hadn't worked. Storm had not been pleased. Rogue didn't give a shit.

            She dressed carefully in a sleeveless vest and jeans, threw a coat over the top to avoid awkward questions and pulled on a pair of gloves. When a sullen and silent Kitty went to use the shower, Rogue quickly gulped down a dose of the serum that she had brought from the Brotherhood house. When Kitty returned, Rogue had finished her hair and make-up. They exchanged glares and Rogue stalked out of the room and down the stairs.

            "Rogue, wait!" yelled Scott as she went to leave the mansion. He wandered towards her, a piece of toast in his hand. "You want a ride to school?"

            "Uh, no thanks. Ah'll walk today." Being with Pietro had made Rogue almost forget about her crush on Scott, but he looked very good that day and she almost wished that she could confide in him about the serum. He was one of the two X-Men who might understand, his optic blasts being almost as much of a hindrance to his day-to-day life as her absorption powers. The other one was her brother, and she certainly wasn't telling him.

            "OK." Scott hesitated a moment. "Uh…is everything alright with you?"

            "Sure! Ah just feel like some air."

            "I mean – you've been gone from the mansion so much lately and arguing with Kitty…"

            What he means is ah've not been miserable and making cow-eyes at him lately thought Rogue, getting irritated. "Look, just 'cause I don't hang around the mansion all the time doesn't mean ah'm gonna join the Acolytes any time soon. As for Kitty – well you share a room with her for a while and tell me not to argue with her."

            "OK, calm down!" Scott held up his hands in a 'surrender' gesture and smiled at her. "I know it can be tough to share your space, but it's a lot easier when you're not at each others throats. Why don't you talk to her, try making peace?"

            "Alright, Ah'll apologise." Like hell I will. Get of mah case!

            "So, sure you don't want that ride to school?"

            "Sure ah'm sure."

            "Well, see you at lunch!"

            "Ah doubt it," muttered Rogue as she hurried out of the Institute before anyone else could stop her, completely unaware of Scott's gaze on her back as she left. She was planning to spend the whole day at the Brotherhood house. In Pietros room.

            Her heartbeat quickening in anticipation, Rogue got through the front gates, didn't see anyone around and began running to the Brotherhood house.

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            "You guys're up early," said Pietro, trying to look surprised.

            "Field trip." Lance was attempting not to smirk and failing miserably. "Up for it?"

            "Can't. Busy."

            "Isn't that a shame. Anything special?"

            "Nope." Pietro dashed to the fridge, trying not to smirk himself. They fell for it! He grabbed a can of cola and slammed the fridge door. "Well, see you soon!"

            "You don't know how soon," murmured Lance as Pietro sped out of the door. Todd and Fred laughed and Lance stood up.

            "You think he'll be far enough away yet?" Todd asked.

            "Quicksilver? He'll be miles away by now." Lance pulled his keys out of his pocket. "C'mon, let's go!"

            "Want to come too, Cuddlebumps?" Toad hopped over to Wanda and tried to look endearing. Wanda rolled her eyes in disgust and hexed him into a wall. Toad collapsed in a heap on the floor. "Guess that's a no."

            "Come on Todd!" yelled Fred as he and Lance headed for the front door. Toad picked himself up and followed them outside. They climbed into the jeep and Lance drove down the street and away. None of them noticed Pietro hiding behind a parked car and laughing to himself.

            Enjoy the ride guys, he thought and ran home. Wanda looked up from her cereal with her eyebrows raised as he hurried into the kitchen and stopped.

            "I knew you were up to something," she remarked. "You got them to drive all that way on purpose, didn't you?"

            "Why didn't you go with them?"

            "I'm not stupid, I knew what you were up to. And five hours in a jeep with Toad? UGH!" She sighed as she saw the look on her brother's face. "I'll take off for the day."

            "You're the best!" Pietro went into the front room and turned on the TV.

            Click. "…Our range of designer beds…!"

            Click. "…Teenage daughter skips school and sneaks out to have sex with her no-good boyfriend…"

            Click. "…Put his hand on my…"

            Click. "…Started making out and she took off her…"

            Click. "…Shows Doctor will be taking calls on premature ejaculation…"

            "WANDA, YOU ARE NOT FUNNY!" Pietro yelled as he noticed his sister in the doorway, aiming hexes at the TV.

            "Fine, I'm leaving. But you owe me for this."

            "Sure. The next time you want some alone time with Toad…" Pietro leapt off the chair just in time to avoid a hex, which threw the chair through the already broken window. "Come on! It was a joke!"

            "I'm going now, before I really lose it." Wanda left the house and Pietro looked thoughtfully at the broken window. It was the first time since her brainwashing that she's aimed a hex at him. He hoped she wasn't getting her memory back.

            When Rogue knocked at the door some fifteen minutes or so later, he'd tidied up a little – a very little – and put on a CD. He answered the door and grabbed her hand, her gloves having been removed almost as soon as she left the mansion, and pulled her into the house. "Did you get away from the Institute OK?"

            "Piece of cake. Did you change the computer?"

            "Took about a quarter-second."

            Rogue smiled as she took her coat off and threw it in the corner. "We got away with it. No one suspects a thing!"

            "Uh, about that…"

            "Forget it." Rogue snaked her arms around his neck – she was never going to get enough of feeling her skin against his. "Tell me later."
            "Later," agreed Pietro, leaning in to kiss her. She immediately responded, running her fingers through his hair. He started pushing her vest up, running his hands up her ribcage, not sure if she'd go mad if he went any higher. She broke off the kiss and for a second he thought he'd blown it.

            "If you're gonna do that, you might wanna close the door," she said. Pietro looked up and sure enough, the door was still open and an elderly woman was glaring at them in disapproval from the road.

            Rogue turned around and closed the door herself. "Goodbye audience. Where were we?"

            "I was just putting my hands up your top."

            "Oh yeah." Rogue took hold of the bottom of the vest and pulled it over her head. Pietro gaped – he couldn't help it – and Rogue grinned at his expression, though she looked a little shy. "You were goin too slow, Speedy!"

            "You'll be thanking me for not being too fast if you keep this up!"

            "That's mah plan."

            "Uh…Are you sure you wanna do this?"

            "Sure ah'm sure." Rogue leant against the door, looking as serious as she could with no top on. "Ah have no idea how long ah'll be able to touch for or if ah'll ever be able to touch again if the serum stops working. You said it yourself; this might be our only chance. So ah'm sure. Now get over here."

            Pietro didn't need telling twice. He went over and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her. He could feel her hands under his T-shirt, exploring his chest as he managed to undo the clasp on her bra, yanked it off, threw it to one side. She broke off the kiss long enough to pull off his T-shirt and then he pushed her back against the door, bodies as close as they could get in the confines of clothes, Pietro's hands on her breasts, her fingers sliding down the light dusting of hair on his chest and finding the buckle on his belt. As she began to unbuckle it, he broke away from her lips and began to rain kisses on her neck instead.

            Rogue gasped as he gently bit the skin on her neck. "Tempting though it is to stay right here, ah think we should take it upstairs, don't you?"

            "Upstairs. Yeah. Upstairs is good." Pietro picked her up by her waist and carried her upstairs, slower than he'd ever done before because he couldn't leave her alone the whole way up.

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