Disclaimer: I own nothing but the clothes on my back, food in front of me, and my characters and ideas! If you sue me... you will get jack.

Chapter 17: Unexpected Visits and FIGHT!

Author's Notes: Since the little squiggly button doesn't work anymore (at least not for me), I'll just use ## to mean 'dreams'.

Day 10/Wednesday

The flu epidemic that had caused all the mutant children without shots was finally over and everyone returned to their own selves and daily rituals. The elementary children went to BES (Bayville Elementary School) after a morning of pretending to still be ill, while the pre-school kids were just happy to get outside and play in the snow.

Lance pulled Gavin's snow cap over his ears and dark brown hair that need cutting. The little boy was very fidgety and anxious to get outside, as his friends were already starting to make a snowman and igloo without him. "Daddy, hurry!" he urged his father.

With a wave of Lance's hand in dismissal, Gavin was off, tromping through the snow like an Eskimo hiking through the vast Antarctic.

Just as Lance was getting comfortable in his reclining chair, the phone rang the annoying Christmas ditty Jamie had programmed into it as a gift from him to everyone. It was more like a curse to hear the incessant music going on and on, but nobody told him that, for fear they'd hurt his feelings. He was the youngest. "CAN SOMEBODY GET THAT?!" all the men of the Institute yelled at the same time (for the exception of Lance). Under his breath, the rock-tumbler muttered something incoherent and picked up the portable red phone.

"This is Xavier's School for Gifted Children. May I ask who is speaking?"

On the other line, a speedy voice replied, "Yes. Hello? Can-I-speak-to-Lance-Alvers-please?"

"Pietro!?"

"Lance!"

"How are you doing?" Lance asked as he shut the back door, blocking out the sound of maniacally laughing children (i.e. Jenna) so that they wouldn't disturb his conversation with his ex-fellow Brotherhood member.

"Good. Me-and-the-guys-were-wondering-if-you-know... we-could-stay-there-for-a-few-days," he said, adding in a whispered voice, "or-a-week-or-so."

"What do you mean?" Lance asked.

"We-haven't-been-paying-the-bills-since-Mystique-left-us-a-couple-weeks-ago. There's-no-light,-heat,-or-food. The-debt-people-(A/N: Sorry, don't know their names) repossessed-all-our-stuff! Blob-has-been-threatening-that-if-he-doesn't-eat-soon,-the-fattest-person-here-is-first-to-go. And-right-now...-that's-me!"

Lance was a bit hesitant to let the Brotherhood over. After all, they were sworn enemies to the X-Men. But, when he was still living in the BOM, he took an oath to serve and help any member that was ever in trouble, and he to uphold the expectations to the oath.

"Sure. You guys could stay... I guess," he said. Pietro was ecstatic. He said that Blob, Toad, Wanda, and their kids would be over right away. It only took two minutes for them up the sidewalk and ring the doorbell to the Institute.

Ding dong. Ding dong. Ding... dong.

Lance opened the door to see Pietro holding onto a young girl, about three and a half years old. She had blonde pigtails and a petite body. Her cheeks were rosy and her eyes were an icy blue color. In Toad's arms was a boy with rough skin (A/N: Probably needs lots of lotion), like his father, and soft black hair like his mother. He had dark brown eyes and was staring up at Lance with a questioning look to see if the man in front of him was to be trusted. Wanda was holding the boy's apparent identical twin. They both looked to be about four years old. 'There kind of cute, even though they are Todd's children,' Lance thought to himself.

Lastly, in Blobs arms, was a plump baby, only a few months old. She wasn't even at the stage to walk yet. She had soft and wavy curls of ginger hair and soft hazel colored eyes.

"Hi guys," Lance said nervously after not seeing his ex-teammates in about ten years.

The Brotherhood replied in unison, "Hi."

In the kitchen, the X-Men were having a conversation.

"... Why'd you let them in here?... trouble ... no good," Scott murmured.

"... used to be ... not ... bad," Lance said.

"... example ... kids ... our enemies," Bobby said.

"... Forgive and forget ... motto," Lance responded.

The three toddlers—Jim, John, and Ruth—were put outside with the rest of the Institute's kids while Fred's little girl, Nina, slept in her car seat that Blob had carried her all the way in.

"You guys look ..." Evan said, searching for the right way, as not to offend any of the Brotherhood members.

"Different ... and better looking than you ever were?" Pietro finished for him. This set Evan off and the men on both teams—and Wanda—had to stop the two from killing each other, especially in front of the children who heard the grown-ups yells and were watching with excitement to see who would win.

Wanda put a hex on her brother and sat him on the floor, facing the wall as if he were in timeout. Scott, Kurt, and Bobby used Evan's spikes against him to pin him to the wall so he couldn't move. The two grown men were ten feet apart from each other, which everyone hoped would keep the two from continuing their stupid argument over who had aged better over the years.

"My daddy would've betten (beaten) your Daddy!" Ruth said, making taunting faces at little Erin.

"Nuh uh," Erin replied, sticking out her tongue.

"Yeah huh."

"No. No. No. My daddy would've won."

Ruth grabbed a ball of snow and threw it into Erin's face. Erin made an angry face and gathered up a ball of snow to hit Ruth back with, but using her super speed, Ruth ran off, dodging all the snowballs that were coming at her.

Later that night, as Ruth was sleeping, Erin was still up, thinking about the earlier fight. An evil smirk came across her face and she giggled like a maniac. Rubbing her fingers together to make them warmer, she placed them at the temples of her forehead and concentrated HARD.

Ruth was sweating. This wasn't one of the dreams she usually had.

#Ruth was in a carriage with a strange looking man. He was smiling, but the only part of him that she could see was his teeth that glowed in the darkness that surrounded them. She felt curious, so she lifted up the sleeve of the man. He had dirty dark brown hair that covered his eyes. He took of his hood and stared into Ruth's eyes. He didn't have any eyes or a nose... or even ears! He had hair that surrounded his mouth and there was even some down it. He bent down to kiss her and since her head was so small, it got caught in his mouth and the hair scraped against her face. (A/N: I bet you guys remember this story! HAHA!)#

Ruth screamed and jumped out of her bed, running as fast as she could down the halls and into the guest room where her father was sleeping.

From her room, Erin smiled contently. Jenna did come in handy sometimes ... especially her twisted mind that came up with all kinds of disgusting and icky stories.

Erin laughed and went to sleep.

Yay! Review, please! I'm aiming for 100 reviews by the end of this fic. I really appreciate you guys' comments! Thanx! - xmengirlzrule