Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men , X-Men:Evolution or any of its
iterations
The horror known as Sconda – aka Scott/Wanda concludes with this chapter. Lame-o, my humor muse, promises to take a summer vacation now. The sun is rising over the hillside – there's hope this demon will crawl into the crypt and never resurface.
:Denotes private thoughts:
Out of the Blue – Chapter 9 – A Second Proposal
It was late evening in Caldecott, Mississippi – warm for a spring night as a fog hung in the air. The commercial flight to return here had been delayed longer then she was capable of tolerating. The flight attendants, counter agents and other innocent passengers all had suffered her wrath for the inconvenience. She skipped lunch in anticipation of getting on the 'earlier' flight and then – some part she had never heard of broke. The plane had sat on the runway since the gate was needed for other incoming and exiting flights.
She hated to admit it but working for "ol' bucket head" had its advantages – including that private plane. But that relationship was no longer in place.
It had been over a month since she had seen her friend Irene Adler and she was looking forward to the reunion and a good home cooked meal. Time to catch up on the gossip concerning events in Bayville.
The limo driver had waited at the airport for three hours while the plane was grounded in who knows where – but he knew better then to wait for a tip when he dropped his passenger at the ranch home. Raven Darkholme had a funny reputation at the driver's company that the only tip you'd ever get from her was the point of a knife when she killed you for the cash in your pocket. Little did they know how close to the mark that joke was.
Raven walked from the street towards the front door. A sudden sound pierced the quiet of the night – a scream from inside the house. She quickly dropped her travel bag and reached into her purse, removing the plasma pistol. The sound of Irene's cries continued to ring out – Raven vowed a long and brutal torture session for whoever was harming her companion.
A quick survey of the front door and windows revealed no sign of forced entry. So it must be someone Irene knows – someone we trust that was allowed in. Mystique ran towards the rear entrance and not wasting any time, kicked the door in. With pistol in front of her, she scouted her way through the kitchen, down the hallway towards Irene's voice – which now sounded like giggling – uncontrollable hysterical giggling. Was it laughing gas – she forgot to hold her breath coming into the room.
Mystique found her friend seated in the living room, wiping tears from her eyes. In between breaths she said, "the phone – get the phone!" as she pointed to the receiver on the desk. Just then, it rang and Raven recognized the name and number on the caller ID – Harkness, A.
"Hello?" she ventured. A familiar voice answered, "Ah Raven, I'm glad I reached you. We have a situation in Bayville." Mystique continued to survey the house for an intruder just to be safe – and Irene continued to laugh in the background begging, "Oh please – make it stop!"
Mystique hissed, "What is it? I'm in no mood to wait right now!" Agatha sighed deeply and explained, "Wanda is getting married tonight – she's eloping." The shapeshifter was mortified, "Eloping?!? That's insane! With who?" Agatha paused then hit her with it, "Scott Summers of –"
Agatha heard the receiver hit the floor and Irene started hyperventilating again, laughing hysterically in the background.
Destiny reached out – there was Raven on the floor where she fainted and the phone should be right about... here. She picked it up, took a deep breath to regain her composure and then said, "Dearest Agatha, I haven't had a good chuckle like that in a long, long time. And don't worry about Raven, she'll be up and around in five minutes. And I'll explain it was all an April Fool's joke after I fix her some blue corn chip nachos to calm her down."
Agatha laughed, "Tell her I send all my best and that Wanda is doing well." Irene replied, "I will and if you see the kids, tell them I send my love and Raven sends her neglect, her spite and few sneers for good luck. See you on the twenty-third later this month."
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Wanda stood in the corner, drumming her fingers on her arms. Tonight was very educational.
These X-girls had boyfriends to command at their every whim. Rogue was in the foyer giving the business to Gambit over the phone. Jean was watching Scott do everything he can to keep her attention. Lance didn't move more then five inches from Kitty. And what really infuriated the Scarlet Witch – Amara had no less then three boys at a given moment vying for her attention. And Wanda was standing in the corner - alone.
This was just not right and she did not care to watch this anymore. She was the Scarlet Witch after all and deserved better then this. The stupid TV made her think women had to give up their lives for men and she decided to pass on having a relationship – it was clear here at the mansion, just the opposite was true. The men served the women.
She walked up to Lance and announced, "We're leaving now - let's get the others." Kitty frowned at her, then whispered into her boyfriend's ear, "You can always sneak back." He noticed that special smile and knew he'd be setting a speed record to the Brotherhood house and back tonight.
Across the room, Kurt grabbed Scott by the arm and dragged his friend towards the kitchen saying, "T Minus 10 minutes and counting till the launch of the honeymoon express." Scott grinned but Kurt could tell his buddy was concerned. :Got to keep him busy so he doesn't overthink it and lose his nerve.: "You shouldn't be worried – you've faced worse then this before – Magneto, Juggernaut, Apocalypse, you know – the various villain of the week. You can do this."
Scott smirked and said, "But this is Jean we're talking about." Kurt tried to keep a straight face, :He's got a point there.: Kurt decides one last distraction should push them beyond midnight saying, "Let's get some more soda out on the tables." They entered the kitchen and were surprised at what they saw.
"I'm extra chipper after all those extra chips, yo," Todd patted his belly as he sat back. He chewed the last of the mint chocolate cookies and swallowed. Jamie, Todd and Fred had polished off the three remaining jumbo boxes of cookies, down to the last crumb along with two gallons of milk. The former cabinet door complete with lock was on the floor near Fred's feet.
From the other side of the kitchen, Wanda and Lance walked in searching for their teammates. She said, "I told you I could smell him in here." Lance laughed when he saw the empty cookie trays and the three boys in a sugar induced sleepy state. :Just wait till the chocolate hits their bloodstream – we'll have three Pietro clones – maybe more with Jamie's powers.:
Wanda looked around the kitchen at all the boys and an idea hatched in her head. Two random thoughts had come together into one – 'comparison shopping' and 'you can tell by his kiss.'
She started to chant softly and her hands started to glow blue. Kurt was the first to notice he could not move his feet – something had grabbed hold of him. The German boy shouted, "What's going on?" Scott tried to turn around to see what his friend was talking about and found that he couldn't – his feet were encased in blue. "Bobby – cut it out!"
Lance was sliding across the floor, then bumped into Scott. He growled, "Try again, red eye. It's not Drake who's goofing around – it's your sweetheart." Now it was Todd's turn to snarl as he looked towards Lance and Scott. Kurt noticed the blue glow had also captured his archrival as he slipped into place between Lance and Todd.
Jamie looked down and noticed his feet were still free and decided he wasn't going to wait till he got caught. He jumped down from the kitchen stool and scurried across the floor towards the rec room. All those hours playing spy games on the gaming console were paying off. He burst out the door to the rec hall.
Wanda paused the chanting and motioned with her hands – causing the four trapped boys to line up single file. Wanda looked at Fred and asked, "If you would be so kind as to guard the door. I have contest I am running and noone is allowed in."
Fred stood and walked towards the door saying, "Got it." He looked towards his buddy and silently wished him the best of luck – this was it.
Kurt tried again, "Can someone tell me what's going on?" She eyed them one at a time as she replied, "Consider this an interview – to see which of you is worthy to worship and serve me."
Kurt was really starting to lose it. "But we all have girlfriends, we're all taken – except for Todd." The Scarlet Witch responded, "You're available if I say you're available."
In the rec hall, Jamie ran to the Professor and began his explanation in between breaths, "Wanda... kitchen... trapped them... Scott and Kurt... Lance and Todd..." Hank, Ororo and Logan started towards the kitchen and stopped at the sight of Fred standing guard.
Jean, Kitty and Amanda joined Jamie at the professor as they heard their boyfriends' names mentioned. Kitty asked , "What's going on?" Charles motioned to the three girls to wait. "Let's not do anything rash and just let things sort themselves out." He surface scanned the boys and understood what was happening. There was a one in four chance this would work out with the best resolution. He was willing to gamble on this - he had totally blown the date Scott would ask for Jean's hand and was determined to prove his ability to predict the future again.
Wanda cracks her knuckles and says, "Here's the deal. Scott against Lance, Kurt against Todd. Losers leave, winners try again. Got it?" She heard four murmurs of agreement.
Scott realizes this is as close to a bachelor party as Jean will ever allow so he decides to enjoy himself. Besides there's no way Wanda would pick him. She steps forward and kisses Scott and he kisses her back – for quite a few minutes.
The Scarlet Witch breaks the embrace and steps back to catch her breath. She gives Scott a shy smile and walks towards Lance. He thinks to himself, :Hey, if Boy Scout here can have a good time, so can I. I can kiss better then that jerk any day. I've always wondered what it would be like to be with her. She's crazy – but she's my kind of crazy. I could beat him at this with my eyes closed and wipe that stupid smirk off his face. This could be cool – score one for the Brotherhood.: As he leans forward, he eyes Todd and then reconsiders – he won't do this to his teammate. :More importantly I can't do this to Kitty. What would she do to me if she found out.:
Lance puckers up but then thinks of Kitty's power – imagining her face poking through the wall behind Wanda, out of the cabinet beside Todd, in the middle of the table like the time he tried to join the X-Men. He twists his head around in a panic and is totally not into it. Wanda steps back, obviously disappointed.
The Scarlet Witch gestures towards the floor and Lance starts to slide towards the entrance Fred is guarding. Scott is dumbfounded, uncertain how he got in this position - how could he have won. She pushes Lance out the door and he shouts, "Give 'em hell, Todd!"
Lance slid past his teammate into the rec hall. Kitty squeals with delight to see her boyfriend. Amanda grabs onto Jean, who says, "I'm not worried – Scott and Kurt will be out next." In that order, she adds to herself. Amanda peeks at Charles and notices he does not look as confident as the red headed telepath.
In the kitchen Wanda steps before Kurt. His tail is working over time, twitching at supersonic speed from one shoulder to the next. She reaches out and touches his face, sliding her fingers over the fur on his cheek. It is very soft and she kneads it gently. Kurt realizes this is the first time he's ever seen Wanda up close and he notices she is quite pretty in person – without the blue bolts on her hands. He manages a weak smile and she notes his fangs. She leans in for a kiss and traces the line of his fangs with her tongue. But the back and forth motion of his tail is distracting her to no end – he's just too nervous. It reminds her of that... that thing on the piano during her childhood lessons that made her insane. It was used to control her – and she hated even the thought of someone exerting influence over her. Maybe this might work in another lifetime. If the man she picks tonight doesn't pan out, he may still have a chance in the future.
Now it's Todd's turn. This is what he's been waiting for and there is no way he's going to lose to both these X-Geeks. He over does it and gets too eager when he rushes his tongue into her mouth and tries to impress her. Wanda picks up on the mint cookie taste on his tongue and it surprises her that it is pleasant. She had imagined his breath to be terrible. She is happy he is trying because Kurt's fear of her is not to her liking.
Wanda pushes Kurt out past the door and Amanda rushes into his arms. Now Jean begins to worry – she was sure Wanda would have kept Kurt – he is much more agreeable. Scott and Wanda just couldn't stay together for long – could they? Then she remembers Wanda has been quite hands on with Scott since Jean returned to the mansion today. Mentally she begins to prepare herself for a battle against Wanda for Scott. Another part of her roots for Todd – something she never thought she'd find herself doing.
So it has come down to Scott and Todd. Wanda commands Todd to drink water and rinse out the chocolate mint cookie crumbs – she figures out the flavor remaining on his tongue is having an affect on her.
Wanda tries Scott again. He realizes his mistake from before and tries to do poorly this time. Todd frantically tries to remember the tips for the perfect kiss in that magazine Fred kept for him. She rewards the X-teen with an evil grin and teases him, "Now Scott, don't play hard to get. You can do better then that."
Todd thinks to himself, :So that's it – she's already made up her mind.: He decides that the pressure is off of him. This obviously will be the last time he will be with her. He decides this final kiss will be one to remember her by. He brushes his lips against hers with light pressure then slowly slips her the tongue. He caresses her lips gently but lets her control the kiss. Wanda responds to the fact she is in charge and likes it a lot.
Wanda comes up for air – and asks the other man in the room, "Scott, do you smell anything?" Confused he takes a deep breath and says, "No, I don't think so." She smiles at Todd and says, "Yeah, I don't either. Thank you for playing Scott – but better luck next time." Scott is relieved to be sliding across the floor. Wanda strokes Todd's hair and says, "Now let's play that game where I'm the innocent snow bunny whose megalomaniac father is about to have her brainwashed and you're the blond ski instructor to the rescue."
"Anything you want, Wanda." He had picked up on the fact Scott never called her by a pet name like babycakes, snuggle bunny, or some other silly description. She grabs his hair and takes his tongue for another spin.
As soon as Scott clears the door, Kurt glances at his watch – it's 12:05am. He says aloud, "Let's try this again." He and Amanda teleport to the table grabbing a bottle of soda and a stack of cups. They run around making sure everyone has something to drink.
Jean smiles triumphantly and leaps at Scott. He grins sheepishly and pulls her into a long embrace. She whispers in his ear, "You really had me worried there for a minute." He smiles back at her, "I really had me worried too, but Todd was much more determined, I guess."
Ray, Sam and Bobby try to pass on the refills of soda, but Amara notes Kurt nodding towards Jean and Scott. In her best command tone she declares, "You'll all take some soda right now." The boys hold their cups out while Amara smiles to herself. Nothing makes her day like obedient servants.
Scott takes a deep breath and grasps his girlfiend's hands in his. "Jean, I've got something to ask you. Since the first day I saw you, I've been head over heels for you. It's a major bonus you're someone I respect, admire and adore. I'm asking for you to stay with me, to join me in the journey of the rest of our lives, to be my conscience, to be my partner, to be my best friend the rest of my days." Scott reaches into his pocket and takes out the ring box, then gets down on one knee. He looks up at her and asks, "Jean Grey, will you marry me?"
She gasps as she looks into the ring box – she had dreamt of this many times, just not this soon. The room is very silent.
Scott begins to panic and tries to think it out, :If it's too soon, we can always wait till after we finish college.: But she holds her hand out for the ring and says, "Yes, Scott – I will marry you." He is beaming as he slips the ring on her finger.
Kurt jumps in and says, "Everyone, please raise your glasses to celebrate the union of Scott and Jean in marriage." For the second time that night, everyone drinks to the toast and this one sticks. The group collects around the lucky couple with best wishes.
Scott says quietly to his fiancée, "I've got the Velocity all gassed up and we can make to Las Vegas in about four hours." Jean is surprised at such a suggestion and shakes her head. "No way, mister. We're not eloping. We're getting married on these grounds after some careful planning. This will be the wedding of the century."
A collective delighted squeal comes from the trio of girls that collects around Jean and they rush her off. Amanda volunteers, "I'll help you with shopping for the bridesmaid dresses and shoes and pocketbooks and the registry at all the local stores and...." Amara jumps in, "I'll help you with the politics of the seating arrangements for the reception." Kitty pipes up, "You know you have to have a vegan friendly menu and no eggs in the cake!" The whirlwind of wedding planning moves off to the couches in the corner.
Scott is puzzled – wedding of the century? That's a pretty tall order since this is only 2004 – very early into the new hundred-year cycle.
Rogue taps Scott on the shoulder and smiles, "Congrats, Scott. I'm happy for you." They watch the girls entering ideas for the wedding into a database in Kitty's computer. Rogue starts to say something, but stops and smirks. Before she walks off, Scott says, "What? Tell me – I could use a good laugh right now." She points towards the kitchen, "You could go with your original idea and take Wanda to Vegas." They look over as Fred peeks into the kitchen where Wanda still has Todd in a lip lock. "Or not. I guess you're stuck with Jean and Super Wedding."
Fred jumps in surprise as he's grabbed from behind. "Fredster, I'm glad you're here!" He turns to see Tabby dragging him from the kitchen doorway. She starts to beg, "These X-Geeks are too wiped out to dance with me since I made my grand entrance. Ya gotta help me out here." He tries to wave her off, "C'mon, Tabby you know I can't dance." She persists, "I know and I promised I would teach you – so there's no time like now. Please, please, pretty please, Freddie?" He takes a deep sigh and knows he can't deny her.
Logan returned from the instructors' office and hands Ororo the envelope containing her cash winnings. He mutters, "Another two days, it would have been mine."
She simply smiled and counted the cash. This would be needed to pay off the balance on her Rodger's jewelry credit card – those twenty four percent interest charges were outrageous. She knew Scott would pay her back promptly. There was still plenty left over for that dress and shoes she decided to reward herself with for her good work.
Hank shook his head, "Scott always struck me as the slow calculating type – this seems awfully impulsive for him." Ororo knew the coupon she gave him helped but getting Scott to be able to use her charge card was a pure stroke of genius. She had timed it just perfectly. She knew Hank was right – the teen approached life in a slow and calculating manner – except when Jean came into play and all bets were off. Or in her case – the bet was won.
Hank smiled as he looked around the room. "So the next pool will be what? How about we guess who's married next?" The other two instructors smiled in agreement as they surveyed the room.
Hank spoke first, "Has to be Kurt and Amanda – I've never seen a stronger bond - except for tonight's lucky couple of course." Ororo knew Hank was partial to his blue protege and secretly hoped the German teen for the happiness that eluded the Beast.
Logan grumbled, "Nah, I bet Lance does right by Kitty next." Again wishful thinking for his own pet student. These men always bet with their hearts and not their minds. Ororo cleaned up in the NCAA college basketball pool when it hit the sweet sixteen – the mens' picks were so far off she had won long before the final four.
She loved the excitement of getting Scott to pop the question so close to Logan's transition date. As Hank would tell her – the joy was in the hunt, not in the prey. Now, as she looked around, where was the challenge here? Amanda and Kurt were close but her parents factored in heavily on delaying any nuptials for a long time. Kitty and Lance were also close – for now. But that rollercoaster ride they were on was due for a dip downward. So who was left? Amara and Sam. Bobby and Jubilee, Roberto and Rahne – all still too early for any serious commitment. Rogue and Remy – a strong bond but not the marrying type – not any time soon anyway.
So who was next – who could she help out? She turned towards the kitchen..... and a small smile crept across her lips. Payday.
She said confidently, "Todd and Wanda." Hank wasn't convinced, "They're not technically X-Men so I'm not sure we should include them in our wager." Logan smiles and says, "I'll let her choose them. C'mon, Hank, we're looking at easy money over this. Here's the deal - $500 bucks a head – the money will sit in an interest bearing account till the wedding or elopement. Good luck to all and no meddling."
Ororo was pleased – she had a new special project. It was obvious she could start immediately – she could work on Todd when Wanda spent time with the Professor. She knew to tone down the 'babe magnet' training to a mere 'attractive to one special girl.' That way she wasn't meddling – just lending her assistance.
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Author's note: A little hidden puzzle – compare the four ice cream flavors (in chapter 8) Scott and Wanda sample to the four boys in the contest. They were cherry vanilla, blueberry and lemon sherbert, rocky road and mint chocolate chip. Each flavor represents somebody – try to guess before end of notes.
Well that's over. I have to admit I have a lot of fun doing this story. I was always intimidated by trying the various Brotherhood characters, other writers like The Lost Maximoff do them so well – I was afraid I would not get the details of them correct. But I decided to jump into the deep end of the pool and so I just wrote Wanda angry and the boys as comically as I am capable of.
This story really had a life of its own - it started as a one shot with just Wanda, then I added Scott's story and then it all took off with no end in sight.
Regarding Mystique's fainting – yes she's normally much tougher then that and you would expect her to run to Bayville plasma pistol in hand but look at the details. She skipped lunch and dinner, she's been chewing other people out all day long, she thought someone was hurting Irene and she was exhausted. The joke just pushed her over the edge.
One detail I totally forgot – Code W2 the professor told Amara to follow in chapter 2. Code W would be decorate the rec room for Scott and Jean's engagement party with mansion residents attending. Code W2 was the same with Brotherhood attending – remember Amara asked if he was sure. Luckily banner was a generic one – congrats to happy couple.
Ice cream flavors - Scott was the cherry vanilla – what she thought she liked but decided against later, Lance was (what else) Rocky Road, Kurt was blueberry and lemon (blue and yellow ie fur color and eye color) blend and Todd was the flavor she finally decided she liked – the mint chocolate chip.
As for Wanda and Scott not smelling Todd – remember the stink New York City bar Agatha and I both like – it reeks at first but you forget the smell not too much later.
Thanks for reading – I really had a blast writing this – I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
The horror known as Sconda – aka Scott/Wanda concludes with this chapter. Lame-o, my humor muse, promises to take a summer vacation now. The sun is rising over the hillside – there's hope this demon will crawl into the crypt and never resurface.
:Denotes private thoughts:
Out of the Blue – Chapter 9 – A Second Proposal
It was late evening in Caldecott, Mississippi – warm for a spring night as a fog hung in the air. The commercial flight to return here had been delayed longer then she was capable of tolerating. The flight attendants, counter agents and other innocent passengers all had suffered her wrath for the inconvenience. She skipped lunch in anticipation of getting on the 'earlier' flight and then – some part she had never heard of broke. The plane had sat on the runway since the gate was needed for other incoming and exiting flights.
She hated to admit it but working for "ol' bucket head" had its advantages – including that private plane. But that relationship was no longer in place.
It had been over a month since she had seen her friend Irene Adler and she was looking forward to the reunion and a good home cooked meal. Time to catch up on the gossip concerning events in Bayville.
The limo driver had waited at the airport for three hours while the plane was grounded in who knows where – but he knew better then to wait for a tip when he dropped his passenger at the ranch home. Raven Darkholme had a funny reputation at the driver's company that the only tip you'd ever get from her was the point of a knife when she killed you for the cash in your pocket. Little did they know how close to the mark that joke was.
Raven walked from the street towards the front door. A sudden sound pierced the quiet of the night – a scream from inside the house. She quickly dropped her travel bag and reached into her purse, removing the plasma pistol. The sound of Irene's cries continued to ring out – Raven vowed a long and brutal torture session for whoever was harming her companion.
A quick survey of the front door and windows revealed no sign of forced entry. So it must be someone Irene knows – someone we trust that was allowed in. Mystique ran towards the rear entrance and not wasting any time, kicked the door in. With pistol in front of her, she scouted her way through the kitchen, down the hallway towards Irene's voice – which now sounded like giggling – uncontrollable hysterical giggling. Was it laughing gas – she forgot to hold her breath coming into the room.
Mystique found her friend seated in the living room, wiping tears from her eyes. In between breaths she said, "the phone – get the phone!" as she pointed to the receiver on the desk. Just then, it rang and Raven recognized the name and number on the caller ID – Harkness, A.
"Hello?" she ventured. A familiar voice answered, "Ah Raven, I'm glad I reached you. We have a situation in Bayville." Mystique continued to survey the house for an intruder just to be safe – and Irene continued to laugh in the background begging, "Oh please – make it stop!"
Mystique hissed, "What is it? I'm in no mood to wait right now!" Agatha sighed deeply and explained, "Wanda is getting married tonight – she's eloping." The shapeshifter was mortified, "Eloping?!? That's insane! With who?" Agatha paused then hit her with it, "Scott Summers of –"
Agatha heard the receiver hit the floor and Irene started hyperventilating again, laughing hysterically in the background.
Destiny reached out – there was Raven on the floor where she fainted and the phone should be right about... here. She picked it up, took a deep breath to regain her composure and then said, "Dearest Agatha, I haven't had a good chuckle like that in a long, long time. And don't worry about Raven, she'll be up and around in five minutes. And I'll explain it was all an April Fool's joke after I fix her some blue corn chip nachos to calm her down."
Agatha laughed, "Tell her I send all my best and that Wanda is doing well." Irene replied, "I will and if you see the kids, tell them I send my love and Raven sends her neglect, her spite and few sneers for good luck. See you on the twenty-third later this month."
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Wanda stood in the corner, drumming her fingers on her arms. Tonight was very educational.
These X-girls had boyfriends to command at their every whim. Rogue was in the foyer giving the business to Gambit over the phone. Jean was watching Scott do everything he can to keep her attention. Lance didn't move more then five inches from Kitty. And what really infuriated the Scarlet Witch – Amara had no less then three boys at a given moment vying for her attention. And Wanda was standing in the corner - alone.
This was just not right and she did not care to watch this anymore. She was the Scarlet Witch after all and deserved better then this. The stupid TV made her think women had to give up their lives for men and she decided to pass on having a relationship – it was clear here at the mansion, just the opposite was true. The men served the women.
She walked up to Lance and announced, "We're leaving now - let's get the others." Kitty frowned at her, then whispered into her boyfriend's ear, "You can always sneak back." He noticed that special smile and knew he'd be setting a speed record to the Brotherhood house and back tonight.
Across the room, Kurt grabbed Scott by the arm and dragged his friend towards the kitchen saying, "T Minus 10 minutes and counting till the launch of the honeymoon express." Scott grinned but Kurt could tell his buddy was concerned. :Got to keep him busy so he doesn't overthink it and lose his nerve.: "You shouldn't be worried – you've faced worse then this before – Magneto, Juggernaut, Apocalypse, you know – the various villain of the week. You can do this."
Scott smirked and said, "But this is Jean we're talking about." Kurt tried to keep a straight face, :He's got a point there.: Kurt decides one last distraction should push them beyond midnight saying, "Let's get some more soda out on the tables." They entered the kitchen and were surprised at what they saw.
"I'm extra chipper after all those extra chips, yo," Todd patted his belly as he sat back. He chewed the last of the mint chocolate cookies and swallowed. Jamie, Todd and Fred had polished off the three remaining jumbo boxes of cookies, down to the last crumb along with two gallons of milk. The former cabinet door complete with lock was on the floor near Fred's feet.
From the other side of the kitchen, Wanda and Lance walked in searching for their teammates. She said, "I told you I could smell him in here." Lance laughed when he saw the empty cookie trays and the three boys in a sugar induced sleepy state. :Just wait till the chocolate hits their bloodstream – we'll have three Pietro clones – maybe more with Jamie's powers.:
Wanda looked around the kitchen at all the boys and an idea hatched in her head. Two random thoughts had come together into one – 'comparison shopping' and 'you can tell by his kiss.'
She started to chant softly and her hands started to glow blue. Kurt was the first to notice he could not move his feet – something had grabbed hold of him. The German boy shouted, "What's going on?" Scott tried to turn around to see what his friend was talking about and found that he couldn't – his feet were encased in blue. "Bobby – cut it out!"
Lance was sliding across the floor, then bumped into Scott. He growled, "Try again, red eye. It's not Drake who's goofing around – it's your sweetheart." Now it was Todd's turn to snarl as he looked towards Lance and Scott. Kurt noticed the blue glow had also captured his archrival as he slipped into place between Lance and Todd.
Jamie looked down and noticed his feet were still free and decided he wasn't going to wait till he got caught. He jumped down from the kitchen stool and scurried across the floor towards the rec room. All those hours playing spy games on the gaming console were paying off. He burst out the door to the rec hall.
Wanda paused the chanting and motioned with her hands – causing the four trapped boys to line up single file. Wanda looked at Fred and asked, "If you would be so kind as to guard the door. I have contest I am running and noone is allowed in."
Fred stood and walked towards the door saying, "Got it." He looked towards his buddy and silently wished him the best of luck – this was it.
Kurt tried again, "Can someone tell me what's going on?" She eyed them one at a time as she replied, "Consider this an interview – to see which of you is worthy to worship and serve me."
Kurt was really starting to lose it. "But we all have girlfriends, we're all taken – except for Todd." The Scarlet Witch responded, "You're available if I say you're available."
In the rec hall, Jamie ran to the Professor and began his explanation in between breaths, "Wanda... kitchen... trapped them... Scott and Kurt... Lance and Todd..." Hank, Ororo and Logan started towards the kitchen and stopped at the sight of Fred standing guard.
Jean, Kitty and Amanda joined Jamie at the professor as they heard their boyfriends' names mentioned. Kitty asked , "What's going on?" Charles motioned to the three girls to wait. "Let's not do anything rash and just let things sort themselves out." He surface scanned the boys and understood what was happening. There was a one in four chance this would work out with the best resolution. He was willing to gamble on this - he had totally blown the date Scott would ask for Jean's hand and was determined to prove his ability to predict the future again.
Wanda cracks her knuckles and says, "Here's the deal. Scott against Lance, Kurt against Todd. Losers leave, winners try again. Got it?" She heard four murmurs of agreement.
Scott realizes this is as close to a bachelor party as Jean will ever allow so he decides to enjoy himself. Besides there's no way Wanda would pick him. She steps forward and kisses Scott and he kisses her back – for quite a few minutes.
The Scarlet Witch breaks the embrace and steps back to catch her breath. She gives Scott a shy smile and walks towards Lance. He thinks to himself, :Hey, if Boy Scout here can have a good time, so can I. I can kiss better then that jerk any day. I've always wondered what it would be like to be with her. She's crazy – but she's my kind of crazy. I could beat him at this with my eyes closed and wipe that stupid smirk off his face. This could be cool – score one for the Brotherhood.: As he leans forward, he eyes Todd and then reconsiders – he won't do this to his teammate. :More importantly I can't do this to Kitty. What would she do to me if she found out.:
Lance puckers up but then thinks of Kitty's power – imagining her face poking through the wall behind Wanda, out of the cabinet beside Todd, in the middle of the table like the time he tried to join the X-Men. He twists his head around in a panic and is totally not into it. Wanda steps back, obviously disappointed.
The Scarlet Witch gestures towards the floor and Lance starts to slide towards the entrance Fred is guarding. Scott is dumbfounded, uncertain how he got in this position - how could he have won. She pushes Lance out the door and he shouts, "Give 'em hell, Todd!"
Lance slid past his teammate into the rec hall. Kitty squeals with delight to see her boyfriend. Amanda grabs onto Jean, who says, "I'm not worried – Scott and Kurt will be out next." In that order, she adds to herself. Amanda peeks at Charles and notices he does not look as confident as the red headed telepath.
In the kitchen Wanda steps before Kurt. His tail is working over time, twitching at supersonic speed from one shoulder to the next. She reaches out and touches his face, sliding her fingers over the fur on his cheek. It is very soft and she kneads it gently. Kurt realizes this is the first time he's ever seen Wanda up close and he notices she is quite pretty in person – without the blue bolts on her hands. He manages a weak smile and she notes his fangs. She leans in for a kiss and traces the line of his fangs with her tongue. But the back and forth motion of his tail is distracting her to no end – he's just too nervous. It reminds her of that... that thing on the piano during her childhood lessons that made her insane. It was used to control her – and she hated even the thought of someone exerting influence over her. Maybe this might work in another lifetime. If the man she picks tonight doesn't pan out, he may still have a chance in the future.
Now it's Todd's turn. This is what he's been waiting for and there is no way he's going to lose to both these X-Geeks. He over does it and gets too eager when he rushes his tongue into her mouth and tries to impress her. Wanda picks up on the mint cookie taste on his tongue and it surprises her that it is pleasant. She had imagined his breath to be terrible. She is happy he is trying because Kurt's fear of her is not to her liking.
Wanda pushes Kurt out past the door and Amanda rushes into his arms. Now Jean begins to worry – she was sure Wanda would have kept Kurt – he is much more agreeable. Scott and Wanda just couldn't stay together for long – could they? Then she remembers Wanda has been quite hands on with Scott since Jean returned to the mansion today. Mentally she begins to prepare herself for a battle against Wanda for Scott. Another part of her roots for Todd – something she never thought she'd find herself doing.
So it has come down to Scott and Todd. Wanda commands Todd to drink water and rinse out the chocolate mint cookie crumbs – she figures out the flavor remaining on his tongue is having an affect on her.
Wanda tries Scott again. He realizes his mistake from before and tries to do poorly this time. Todd frantically tries to remember the tips for the perfect kiss in that magazine Fred kept for him. She rewards the X-teen with an evil grin and teases him, "Now Scott, don't play hard to get. You can do better then that."
Todd thinks to himself, :So that's it – she's already made up her mind.: He decides that the pressure is off of him. This obviously will be the last time he will be with her. He decides this final kiss will be one to remember her by. He brushes his lips against hers with light pressure then slowly slips her the tongue. He caresses her lips gently but lets her control the kiss. Wanda responds to the fact she is in charge and likes it a lot.
Wanda comes up for air – and asks the other man in the room, "Scott, do you smell anything?" Confused he takes a deep breath and says, "No, I don't think so." She smiles at Todd and says, "Yeah, I don't either. Thank you for playing Scott – but better luck next time." Scott is relieved to be sliding across the floor. Wanda strokes Todd's hair and says, "Now let's play that game where I'm the innocent snow bunny whose megalomaniac father is about to have her brainwashed and you're the blond ski instructor to the rescue."
"Anything you want, Wanda." He had picked up on the fact Scott never called her by a pet name like babycakes, snuggle bunny, or some other silly description. She grabs his hair and takes his tongue for another spin.
As soon as Scott clears the door, Kurt glances at his watch – it's 12:05am. He says aloud, "Let's try this again." He and Amanda teleport to the table grabbing a bottle of soda and a stack of cups. They run around making sure everyone has something to drink.
Jean smiles triumphantly and leaps at Scott. He grins sheepishly and pulls her into a long embrace. She whispers in his ear, "You really had me worried there for a minute." He smiles back at her, "I really had me worried too, but Todd was much more determined, I guess."
Ray, Sam and Bobby try to pass on the refills of soda, but Amara notes Kurt nodding towards Jean and Scott. In her best command tone she declares, "You'll all take some soda right now." The boys hold their cups out while Amara smiles to herself. Nothing makes her day like obedient servants.
Scott takes a deep breath and grasps his girlfiend's hands in his. "Jean, I've got something to ask you. Since the first day I saw you, I've been head over heels for you. It's a major bonus you're someone I respect, admire and adore. I'm asking for you to stay with me, to join me in the journey of the rest of our lives, to be my conscience, to be my partner, to be my best friend the rest of my days." Scott reaches into his pocket and takes out the ring box, then gets down on one knee. He looks up at her and asks, "Jean Grey, will you marry me?"
She gasps as she looks into the ring box – she had dreamt of this many times, just not this soon. The room is very silent.
Scott begins to panic and tries to think it out, :If it's too soon, we can always wait till after we finish college.: But she holds her hand out for the ring and says, "Yes, Scott – I will marry you." He is beaming as he slips the ring on her finger.
Kurt jumps in and says, "Everyone, please raise your glasses to celebrate the union of Scott and Jean in marriage." For the second time that night, everyone drinks to the toast and this one sticks. The group collects around the lucky couple with best wishes.
Scott says quietly to his fiancée, "I've got the Velocity all gassed up and we can make to Las Vegas in about four hours." Jean is surprised at such a suggestion and shakes her head. "No way, mister. We're not eloping. We're getting married on these grounds after some careful planning. This will be the wedding of the century."
A collective delighted squeal comes from the trio of girls that collects around Jean and they rush her off. Amanda volunteers, "I'll help you with shopping for the bridesmaid dresses and shoes and pocketbooks and the registry at all the local stores and...." Amara jumps in, "I'll help you with the politics of the seating arrangements for the reception." Kitty pipes up, "You know you have to have a vegan friendly menu and no eggs in the cake!" The whirlwind of wedding planning moves off to the couches in the corner.
Scott is puzzled – wedding of the century? That's a pretty tall order since this is only 2004 – very early into the new hundred-year cycle.
Rogue taps Scott on the shoulder and smiles, "Congrats, Scott. I'm happy for you." They watch the girls entering ideas for the wedding into a database in Kitty's computer. Rogue starts to say something, but stops and smirks. Before she walks off, Scott says, "What? Tell me – I could use a good laugh right now." She points towards the kitchen, "You could go with your original idea and take Wanda to Vegas." They look over as Fred peeks into the kitchen where Wanda still has Todd in a lip lock. "Or not. I guess you're stuck with Jean and Super Wedding."
Fred jumps in surprise as he's grabbed from behind. "Fredster, I'm glad you're here!" He turns to see Tabby dragging him from the kitchen doorway. She starts to beg, "These X-Geeks are too wiped out to dance with me since I made my grand entrance. Ya gotta help me out here." He tries to wave her off, "C'mon, Tabby you know I can't dance." She persists, "I know and I promised I would teach you – so there's no time like now. Please, please, pretty please, Freddie?" He takes a deep sigh and knows he can't deny her.
Logan returned from the instructors' office and hands Ororo the envelope containing her cash winnings. He mutters, "Another two days, it would have been mine."
She simply smiled and counted the cash. This would be needed to pay off the balance on her Rodger's jewelry credit card – those twenty four percent interest charges were outrageous. She knew Scott would pay her back promptly. There was still plenty left over for that dress and shoes she decided to reward herself with for her good work.
Hank shook his head, "Scott always struck me as the slow calculating type – this seems awfully impulsive for him." Ororo knew the coupon she gave him helped but getting Scott to be able to use her charge card was a pure stroke of genius. She had timed it just perfectly. She knew Hank was right – the teen approached life in a slow and calculating manner – except when Jean came into play and all bets were off. Or in her case – the bet was won.
Hank smiled as he looked around the room. "So the next pool will be what? How about we guess who's married next?" The other two instructors smiled in agreement as they surveyed the room.
Hank spoke first, "Has to be Kurt and Amanda – I've never seen a stronger bond - except for tonight's lucky couple of course." Ororo knew Hank was partial to his blue protege and secretly hoped the German teen for the happiness that eluded the Beast.
Logan grumbled, "Nah, I bet Lance does right by Kitty next." Again wishful thinking for his own pet student. These men always bet with their hearts and not their minds. Ororo cleaned up in the NCAA college basketball pool when it hit the sweet sixteen – the mens' picks were so far off she had won long before the final four.
She loved the excitement of getting Scott to pop the question so close to Logan's transition date. As Hank would tell her – the joy was in the hunt, not in the prey. Now, as she looked around, where was the challenge here? Amanda and Kurt were close but her parents factored in heavily on delaying any nuptials for a long time. Kitty and Lance were also close – for now. But that rollercoaster ride they were on was due for a dip downward. So who was left? Amara and Sam. Bobby and Jubilee, Roberto and Rahne – all still too early for any serious commitment. Rogue and Remy – a strong bond but not the marrying type – not any time soon anyway.
So who was next – who could she help out? She turned towards the kitchen..... and a small smile crept across her lips. Payday.
She said confidently, "Todd and Wanda." Hank wasn't convinced, "They're not technically X-Men so I'm not sure we should include them in our wager." Logan smiles and says, "I'll let her choose them. C'mon, Hank, we're looking at easy money over this. Here's the deal - $500 bucks a head – the money will sit in an interest bearing account till the wedding or elopement. Good luck to all and no meddling."
Ororo was pleased – she had a new special project. It was obvious she could start immediately – she could work on Todd when Wanda spent time with the Professor. She knew to tone down the 'babe magnet' training to a mere 'attractive to one special girl.' That way she wasn't meddling – just lending her assistance.
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Author's note: A little hidden puzzle – compare the four ice cream flavors (in chapter 8) Scott and Wanda sample to the four boys in the contest. They were cherry vanilla, blueberry and lemon sherbert, rocky road and mint chocolate chip. Each flavor represents somebody – try to guess before end of notes.
Well that's over. I have to admit I have a lot of fun doing this story. I was always intimidated by trying the various Brotherhood characters, other writers like The Lost Maximoff do them so well – I was afraid I would not get the details of them correct. But I decided to jump into the deep end of the pool and so I just wrote Wanda angry and the boys as comically as I am capable of.
This story really had a life of its own - it started as a one shot with just Wanda, then I added Scott's story and then it all took off with no end in sight.
Regarding Mystique's fainting – yes she's normally much tougher then that and you would expect her to run to Bayville plasma pistol in hand but look at the details. She skipped lunch and dinner, she's been chewing other people out all day long, she thought someone was hurting Irene and she was exhausted. The joke just pushed her over the edge.
One detail I totally forgot – Code W2 the professor told Amara to follow in chapter 2. Code W would be decorate the rec room for Scott and Jean's engagement party with mansion residents attending. Code W2 was the same with Brotherhood attending – remember Amara asked if he was sure. Luckily banner was a generic one – congrats to happy couple.
Ice cream flavors - Scott was the cherry vanilla – what she thought she liked but decided against later, Lance was (what else) Rocky Road, Kurt was blueberry and lemon (blue and yellow ie fur color and eye color) blend and Todd was the flavor she finally decided she liked – the mint chocolate chip.
As for Wanda and Scott not smelling Todd – remember the stink New York City bar Agatha and I both like – it reeks at first but you forget the smell not too much later.
Thanks for reading – I really had a blast writing this – I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.