Disclaimer: I'll let you know as soon as I own them…

Olivia: We won't be hearing too much from her anytime soon…

AN: The first chapter has been completely revamped to better flow with the story, folks.

Reaction:Chapter Two

XM XM XM

"Wha-?" She tried to gasp as the hand clamped over her mouth and the breathing of her capturer on her neck before she felt herself dragged down the hall. She thought about screaming, but she knew that nobody was there; it was late on a Saturday, and every one had somewhere to be; save for the little Psychopaths, Anonymous, and they were most likely about to leave soon, too. Even her so-called boyfriend who'd forgotten their anniversary, apparently. She realized that a blindfold had been placed over her eyes, but she couldn't remember when that could have happened, and though she couldn't see, she had a pretty good feeling that whoever it is that seemed to be strong enough to have easily picked her up as they were now carrying her and moving swiftly. Most likely so no-one catches him, she thought bitterly. Not that there was anyone who could actually do anything about it to catch him, she reminded herself ruefully again.

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't realize for a minute that they'd stopped and that her feet were now touching the ground again. The arms that carried her were no longer present, and she found herself strangely missing the strong, smooth limbs that somehow reminded her of more familiar arms that she loved nothing more than to be in.

Slowly, she blinked her slightly blurry eyes, processing her surroundings, and upon her brain beginning to work again, she gasped in surprise.

She was in a room she wasn't quite sure she'd seen before, but she was almost certain that it was familiar for some significant reason.

Now, she realized, too, that her skin was in contact with a silky material that matched the color of her eyes which she thinks to use to gaze at herself. Two trestles of her hair dangled in little curls on either side of her face, the rest apparently piled in a bun on her head.

She stepped farther into the room from impulse, but doesn't seem to notice the door close with a breeze of wind, despite the fact that she was inside. Her glass slippers made a distinctive clink as she walked.

There was a table, set for two right beside an open bay window, the town lights twinkling on the dark background of the night off into the distance like a sea.

There were no lights on the room; instead, it was illuminated by various candles, some scented; that were placed on the walls, two of the tallest sitting on the middle of the table, right in the center of a small bouquet of flowers. The food on the plates was plentiful and looked as though it tasted better than it smells, and it smelled quite heavenly.

She was not the least bit surprised when the same arms from before grasped her waist and the same steady breaths beat down on her neck again.

"You didn't think I'd forget this Tabby, did you?" the warm breath tickled her cold skin as he whispered in her ear.

"Maybe for just a little while," she told him as he leads her to the table.

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"There is absolutely nothing to do around this dump," Bobby sighed as he fell back onto the couch, and coincidentally onto Jubilee's feet.

"Bobby!" she groaned and tried to kick him. "Move, you big oaf…"

He grunted and rolled over, apparently forgetting that doing so would inevitably land him on the floor. Falling hard on his side, he tried to break his fall with his elbow, and ended up in searing pain.

"Youch!" he yelled angrily as he sprang to a sitting position, cradling his arm tenderly. "Now look what you did…" he whimpered, glaring up at Jubilee.

Jubilee opened one eye, headphones still on her ears, music blasting. At Bobby's indignant yelp, she pulled them from her ears and leaned over to look at her fallen and pouting boyfriend.

"Ah, Bobby; it's not that bad. Besides, you were asking for it. Remember that little ice in the hall incident last week?" Bobby only continued to glower, so rolling her eyes, Jubilee ruffled his hair, and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek. He lit up like a Christmas light, and immediately dropped his arm. Jubilee climbed down beside him and into his lap.

"You are so pathetic, man," Ray chuckled from his place, lying on the floor. He turned his head so he could see Bobby better; his humiliating was cut short as a booted foot temporarily crushed the side of his face not on the carpet.

"And why is that, Raymond?" Amara asked suspiciously, looking at Ray skeptically. Ray stopped laughing and chanced a glance up at the angry princess. "Well?" she questioned again, grinding her feet into Ray's stomach where they'd been laying previously. He winced as she continued more furiously.

"Because he actually appreciates his girlfriend?" she scowled.

"Ouch!" Ray screamed as one of her feet moved just a bit too far. He scrambled up, and looked incredulously at her. "Damn, Amara; do you know how much those boots hurt?!?" Amara continued to stare at him irately, her arms crossed over her chest in irritation.

"…come on, you know I appreciate you…" he tried submissively. Standing, he held out his arms to her and moved closer, pulling her into a somewhat reluctant embrace.

"And this would be the reason I don't have girlfriend," Sam muttered. "You guys have no idea how to handle them…"

Amara, meanwhile, gave into Ray's warm embrace, burying her head into his shoulder; Ray smirked over her shoulder at Sam, who rolled his eyes skywards.

"You have no idea what you're missing, dude," Bobby sighed dreamily in contentment as Jubilee cradled his head against her chest. He looked up innocently at her. "You know I appreciate you, right?"

"Yeah," Jubilee smiled as he swept a hand through her locks.

"When was that last time I showed you how much?"

Her cheeks flushed pink as she gripped hand now resting on the side of her face. "Bobby, is that really something you'd like to discuss right here…?"

"Not that!" Bobby interjected hastily, ignoring the unsuccessfully suppressed snickers from Sam. "I mean, did something nice for you? Like take you out to dinner, or something? Get out of this place for a while, for some 'us' time?"

"Oh, Bobby, I don't know…" Jubilee looked extremely relieved at the direction of the conversation.

"How about tonight?" Throwing a cocky glance to Sam and Ray, he leaned up and met Jubilee's lips briefly. "Would you like that? Go get ready, and we'll leave in just a little while, ok?"

"Yeah, Amara," Ray thought suddenly. "What about you? I appreciate you. We can go out tonight, too. Paint the city red, huh?" He looked up at her pleadingly, and then closed his eyes, gently rubbing against her leg.

"You know begging doesn't work with me…" Amara began half-heatedly. "…You also know you're just too cute…" She ran a hand through his hair and brought her face close.

"Sure thing, lover boy; we'll light up this place!" Her eyes caught fire and, winking at him, she sprang off the couch and ran toward the door, pulling Jubilee after her. She paused at the door, throwing a kiss over her shoulder before Amara tugged her more firmly, and both disappeared in a fit of giggles.

Sam looked between the two smirking boys who'd yet to move. "You know you're not getting laid tonight, right?"

"Is that what you think this is about?" Bobby gaped innocently at Sam.

Sam didn't reply.

"……so, you'll tell Roberto try asking Rahne again tonight?"

"Yep. You've got to remember to always help out a fellow guy," Ray winked.

"Strength in numbers, dude," Bobby smirked.

XM XM XM

"Well, this isn't so bad, now is it?"

Wanda glared.

"O…..k…." Remy glanced at Jamie for help. Jamie was too busy stocking up on as much popcorn as he could to be of much help though. "Look, why do you have to be so hard on me? You're never this hard on Jamie! …why do ya like that kid so much, anyways?"

"Why did you have to come?" she mumbled angrily as Jamie and two of his clones approached. One of the clones handed Wanda a box of chocolate candy, which took without she so much as a scowl. "Thanks, you little squirt," she told the original before turning swiftly on her heels and stalking toward the theatre.

Remy and Jamie stared after her silently. "Why the hell does she like you so much?"

"Well, duh," Jamie began from somewhere behind a stack of popcorn. "I mean, come on; who could resist my charm?"

"Hey, hey, hey, now. Slow down there, kid; I'm the one with the charm, remember?"

"Oh, of course; I forgot; that's why your charm impresses Rogue sooo much." Jamie smirked, claiming victory, but Remy looked away and didn't say a word. The smirk left his face, and Jamie looked in sympathy to the side at Remy who'd stuck his hands into his pockets. "Gee, Remy; you know I didn't mean it; I'm sorry; the irritating thing kinda comes with the territory, you know?" He grinned widely and comically.

Remy glanced at him out of the corner of his eyes. "What territory you talking about, you little squirt? The 'most annoying baby that ever graced the mansion halls' territory?"

"Ha, ha, ha," Jamie smiled dryly as Remy removed a few of the popcorn buckets to lighten the load. "You got your ticket stub –"

"Hey, do you two idiots want to hurry it up?" Wanda was glowering at the entrance to the theater. Remy and Jamie scampered to catch up to her before she decided to take drastic measures.

"It's bad enough that you two forced me here; are you going to make us miss the entire thing, too?" Exhaling sharply, she held open the door, but kept her back to them as she waited for Jamie and Remy to enter

"Now hold on a minute," Remy began, but had to halt as he readjusted the popcorn so it wouldn't go toppling. "You dragged us here, remember? You're the one who absolutely had to see this stupid thing…"

"What was that?" Wanda spun back around to them.

"Nothing, Wanda," Jamie beamed. "Hey, Wanda, could you help me with this stuff? I can't really carry it all…"

Wanda's gaze moved to Jamie, but it wasn't unkind. "…..yeah, all right, kid." She grabbed two of the buckets and walked into the theatre.

"Hey, Remy; word of advice?" Remy turned around and looked at Jamie who was still smirking. "Let me handle the ladies, ok?"

"You better be glad I can't get my hands on you, you little punk kid." One side of Remy's mouth lifted upward, and the two followed after Wanda, who'd already found a seat. "And remind me to deal with you later. After I have a little talk with Roguey."

XM XM XM

Freddy grunted loudly as he replaced the weight and sat up, grabbing his towel and wiping swear from his face. "Hey, Lance, man. Thanks again for coming with me."

"No prob," Lance nodded from where he had collapsed. "Ow…" he moaned quietly and gripped his arm.

"Er, Lance?" Freddy turned so that he could see the rock tumbler. "Hey, man, are you going to be ok?"

"Yeah, fine." Lance reassured him, waving him off with one hand. He winced from the pain. "God, I thought you were just joking when you said that was all muscle…"

"Yep!" Freddy beamed. He flexed his right arm, then struck a few poses. "I haven't worked out in a gym other than the one at the mansion for a while. Kinda needed to get out, see something new, you know?"

"Sure…" Lance managed as he exhaled sharply.

A look of concern settled on his slightly flushed face. "You don't look so good…."

"I'm fine!" Lance moaned. He closed his eyes and leaned back, extending his legs. "I'll be fine."

"Ok. But you're not lying, are you?"

"No, Fred."

Fred left it at that as Lance's breathing slowly returned to normal and he managed to push his damp bangs out of his eyes.

"Thanks again."

"Like I said," Lance repeated, "it's not problem. Anything for a fellow Brotherhood brother, you know?"

"But that's just it, man," Freddy shook his head and sat down beside Lance. "We're not Brotherhood brothers anymore; we're….we're like…X-men, in a manor of speaking, you know? It's different." He sighed and got a reproving glance from some of the other people working out in the gym. Freddy didn't even scowl. "We've changed; I mean, when was the last time someone called me 'Blob'? And even my temper's gotten better!"

"Yeah, sure Freddy; we getting ready to blow this Popsicle joint?"

"Can't we stay for a little while?" Freddy gestured to the other occupants. "Look at me, man; I'm free! I…I don't feel like hiding from the world anymore, Lance." He smiled dreamily. "It feels good…really good. I mean, heck, I know most people still don't accept me, but now…I can accept them. And that's all that really matters, right?"

Lance stared at Freddy with something between pain from the exercise he's just been forced to endure, and question. "What the hell? You've been talking with those do-goody- X-men for too long…"

"I'm not the one who loves one of them, you know," Freddy smirked as he glanced at Lance.

"I had a crush on her, at one point, I'll admit." Lance averted his gaze. "But that was a long time ago; she's just a friend; nothing more. She was never meant to be anything more."

"Are you trying to convince me, or you, Lance?" Freddy heaved himself to his feet and turned back to look at him. "You still love her. You know. I know. The whole mansion knows it. There's nothing you can do about except move on."

Lance glared at Freddy in silence before finally standing himself. "You ever considering going into the line of shrinks?"

Freddy shrugged his massive shoulders. "Maybe once or twice."

"Don't." Lance smirked. Freddy patted him a little too hard on the back, and Lance winced as he held a hand to his shoulder.

"Let's blow this joint."

"You up for ice cream?"

XM XM XM

"Tabby?"

"Isn't this so romantic, Pie?" Tabitha asked as she gently shifted in Pietro's arms, loving the feel of his ice blue shirt that really gives his muscles justice against her skin. He gently tiled her head up so that their eyes met, and the light twinkling in her sapphire eyes was reflected in his.

"Tabby," he began, his voice low, "I brought you here because…I wanted to celebrate this. It's something special to me, and…I love this whole new world you've opened up to me." He gestured out toward the city glimmering below outside. "…It's like I'm actually seeing the beauty of the world, and all that's in it for the first time… And it's because of you. You really are my sunshine," he smiled.

"That's so sweet," she mimicked his smile as she unglued her eyes from the view and focused on him.

"And there's something else, Tabitha," his voice wavered slightly as he spoke louder. "…I think I just realized that …I love you."

Tabitha felt her mouth drop open. She wasn't exactly use to hearing those types of things that. At least, not having them be said to her and actually be sincere. Not in the way they did when they came out of Pietro's mouth, at least, that made her suddenly feel warm, starting wherever his skin met hers, and then working its way through her body.

"I did a lot of things I pay for, and I hate that I did them," he whispered as he twirled a trestle of her hair between his fingers. " I hurt people I love, people that love me, and I've been giving all the wrong reasons for everything. I feel like I…I don't know…maybe I don't deserve this. Maybe I should follow the same path as my father, you know, Tabby?" he gently caressed her cheek with the back of his hands. "I thought I did. I know a lot of people still think that it doesn't hurt, the things he does, the things he did, the things he made me do, that things that he makes me have an impulse to do still. But, you looked beyond that, and…you saw what I once was, you saw the shadow of the good, and you brought it back. You brought me back. I never thought anyone would ever be able to do that, but you did. And that only makes me love you more."

They sat in silence for a long time, both enjoying the warmth and the comfort the other gave them. He let his hands continue to skim lightly over Tabitha's silky soft skin, and she grabbed the back of his head as she reached up for a long, breathtaking kiss. She left her fingers twirling in his silvery tresses as one of his hands gripped her free one.

"Pietro," her voice broke the silence that enveloped the two of them. "If anyone had told me a few years ago that I'd meet that man I'd fall in love with while kicking his ass… I'd have looked for the guys in the white coats waiting to take them off to the asylum." She smirked slightly, feeling the chuckle building in his chest then throat long before it erupted from his mouth.

"And yet here we are," he whispered as he stopped chuckling. He removed the hair piece holding up her hair and ran his fingers through it as it cascaded down her back. After a minute, he used both hands to gently massage her shoulder as he leaned closer and whispered, "Who would have thought? The bad-ass cat has a soft side to her rough-and-tumble persona after all."

Tabitha gently smacked his arm with her hand which he immediately took in his own as he turned her and brought her closer, leaning back for a kiss which she returned enthusiastically, pulling her down with him.

"Wait until the others hear the Speed Demon likes to cuddle," she purred as she found herself laying on top of a Speed Demon Pillow and Pietro snaked his arms around her waist, seizing her lips with his own again in a less than chaste manner.

XM XM XM

Roberto growled slightly as he glared at Rahne, still sitting innocently on the edge of the lake.

"What?" she asked placidly. "I didn't do anything, I swear…" she smiled sweetly, honey dripping off of every word spoken with her Scottish accent.

"Oh, so the water just jumped in my face then?!?"

Roberto was trying to be angry.

Really, he was.

But it was rather difficult when the person he was trying to be angry at was the girl he as infatuated with, and whom he was extremely cute with her piercing emerald eyes and soft, silken mane, the most beautiful shade of red to ever grace the earth (in his opinion), especially with the moonlight glinting off of her the way it was right then, and the dancing light in the water….

"Argh!" he yelled, charging into her and sending her flying into the drink. She yelped in ire as she came back up. A scowl on her face, she crossly spit the water out in perfect imitation of the fountain. Roberto only continued to laugh. Loudly and extensively.

"Why you dirty little cheat," she snarled at him. Roberto shrugged his shoulders.

"That's the way the cookie crumbles, babe," he smirked. He blinked, and Rahne was gone. Leaning further over the edge to see better, he narrowed his eyes in confusion. "What the –"

Rahne reappeared suddenly, soaked to the bone, as she quickly pulled Roberto, causing him to topple in beside her.

She delighted in the fury on his face as he came back up, hair dripping into his eyes.

"That…was…soooo….not…fair…" he informed her through gritted teeth. "You realize, of course," he continued, throwing his head, causing his long hair to be removed out of his face, "that this means war."

Scooting back, Rahne laid on her back, raising her feet up in the water, and gestured for him to advance.

"Bring it," she smirked.

With a half grin and a war cry, Roberto launched himself at her, pulling them both under again. Rahne fought against him, but he twisted her arm behind her back and pulled her closer, coming up and diving back down immediately.

Rahne wiggled her way out of his grasp, rising to the surface again. In one quick movement, she was behind Roberto, and before he knew what had happened, she'd jumped on his back, officially dunking him. Roberto fell back in, eyes halfway open. He gripped one of her legs and gave it a swift tug, and in the next second, Rahne joined him underwater. Roberto and Rahne up, gasping for breath at the same time before he scooped her up, the most devious grin imaginable on his face.

"You know I love you, right?" he asked coyly.

"Ri –" Rahne was stopped short as he threw her back in. He tried to block the swift splashes she created as she kicked underwater, but it was too much, and Roberto was overwhelmed.

He chuckled slightly as Rahne reappeared in front of him, none too happy, angry lining every feature of her face.

"Forgive me?" he squeaked timidly.

"Oh, I'll forgive ye all right," she beamed, going back under and yanking down his pants. "I'll get ye shorts later, of course…"

"Hey!" he yelled, but Rahne just kept smiling as she swam away and then threw the pants a safe distance away.

She turned to grin, satisfied, when she felt herself being pushed under again as her shirt was lifted over her head.

"Roberto!" she yelped. "'s no fair!" In return, she yanked his shirt over his head, both articles of clothing landing near the pants.

She yelped again as two strong hand reached out and tickled her soundly. Rahne doubled up with laughter, and Roberto took the chance to draw her to him, a sneer in place on his face.

"You're going to pay for that, Roberto," she threatened.

"Ok," he nodded. "But can I pay later? I have other plans, right about now…" He pulled her closer and kissed her, his tongue roving over her lips which she parted to allow his tongue entrance. He pulled back and smirked.

"I guess I can forgive ye, and forget this until later…" she grinned as she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

"Now isn't this so much more fun than that walk in the park we left off?"

"Oh, yes," she murmured as Roberto's lips found their way to her neck. She lifted her head to allow him better access, and he traced his way along her shoulder to the strap of her bra which he nibbled at.

"Nuh-uh-uh," she teased, and Roberto whimpered playfully as he continued. "That stays on until later. When we get back home…"

Roberto kissed his way back up to her neck, then captured her lips again, sinking into the water until it reached their necks.

"Whatever you say," he smirked as they let go, their breath having run out. His hands found their way to her thighs, and he pulled her even closer than she already way. "Whatever you say…" he repeated.

"Do you see me taking off your boxers?" she asked as one hand trailed down his chest and abs, sinking into the waistband of said clothing.

"Not yet…"

She brought her face beside his own, nibbling on his ear. "Then move your hands, Roberto…" she whispered in his ear.

"Whatever you say…"