Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men: Evolution, or any other Marvel or WB
property. The characters of Astrid and Johannes are the intellectual
property of the InterNutter, who is just lovely for letting me use them.
Notes: Sorry I've been away so long everyone! I took a promotion at work, so I've been working a lot more. Should slow down in a bit. Anyhow, this is a pretty short chapter. It's mostly just set-up for the end. I hope you all like it.
I want to send out a special thanks to Nemain, who played muse for me. And gave me muse kibble. Nice.
Taineyah: See! I thought that was right! I've never heard them on the show talk about when Kurt got his powers. Besides, for all we know, Kurt may actually be half demon now (comicverse). And it was life threatening! He needed those cookies!
Luinfirith: I'm not going to use German, because I'd have to translate entire conversations and then write down what they said at the bottom. Then a reader would have to interrupt the story to scroll to the bottom to understand what was going on. Personally, I hate that more than I hate brackets. As far as the accent is concerned, I suggest you take it up with my very German roommate (off the boat from Germany 6 months ago). He helped me with the accent. That's how he speaks. He's crying in the corner of my room because you think his accent is overdone. Poor Herbert (character in story named after him).
Roguehobbit: Good to see you back!
Everyone else: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH, SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT.
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The troupe traveled in a circular route around Germany. From Magdeburg they moved to Leipzig and Dresden. From Dresden to Munich. Leaving Munich, they arrived outside of a city called Frankfurt am Main. Kitty and Tabby were having a blast, but Kitty seemed to think that, for some reason, something was wrong. Astrid and Johannes didn't seem as happy as they had during their first shows in Magdeburg. Kitty had a sneaking suspicion that it was due to attendance. They hadn't sold out a single show since Magdeburg. As a matter of fact, they were lucky to fill up half of the tent in every show since that first night.
Kitty had woken up in the middle of the night, Kurt's arm still draped over her. Smiling, she thought that maybe it was time that she was completely honest with him. That way he could feel free to hold her every night. Kitty slowly eased out from underneath Kurt's arm so as not to wake him. After standing up, she put on a pair of shoes and left the wagon. She loved the camp at every time of the day. It was so. . .different. Different, that is, from anything she had ever seen before. Performers were constantly practicing and training. Children were always playing, or being taught by the older members of the kumpania. During the day, there was a wonderful feeling of community. That carried over into the night. The fires would dot the landscape of the camp, the wonderful smell of food cooking, mingling with the smells earth and incense.
Kitty especially loved the camp after everyone had gone to bed. There was a serenity there, the moon bathing the camp in a soft light, with a light fog close to the ground. The wagons would creak when the wind blew hard, and Kitty could close her eyes and pretend that it was her home, that she had always lived there. There was no one talking. There was no one training. There was no. . .music?
"Is that music playing here?" Kitty thought, listening to the soft tones of a violin.
Figuring it was someone playing music inside of his or her wagon, Kitty followed the sound of the music through the fog until she came to the edge of the camp. There, sitting on the hood of a car, was Franka. Her eyes were closed and she was playing her violin. It was a soft, sad sounding song, and Kitty stood there for a moment, watching the girl.
"Well, she wasn't lying. She can play that violin." Kitty thought to herself.
Kitty and Franka hadn't spoken since their first show together. The two avoided each other, almost religiously so, as if their lives depended on it. One wanted nothing to do with the other. Kitty saw no reason to break that tradition now.
Franka suddenly stopped playing and looked up at Kitty with a sour expression on her face, almost as if she had been reading Kitty's mind. Kitty stepped back, and, averting her eyes, walked away, toward her wagon. She heard Franka jump down from the hood of the car, and she could hear footsteps follow her own. Holding her breath in case she needed to phase, Kitty stopped walking and turned around. Franka was a few yards behind her.
"I haff a question for you." Franka said.
"What?" Kitty asked, exhaling deeply.
Franka looked her up and down, the sour look never leaving her face.
"Vhat is zhere between you and Kurt?" Franka asked.
"He's my best friend." Kitty said, avoiding the question and turning around.
Franka's hand came down on her shoulder, spinning Kitty around.
"Zat is not vhat I asked." Franka said.
Kitty looked from Franka's face to her shoulder, and then back at her face.
"Do yourself a favor and get your hand off of me." Kitty said.
Franka looked down at her hand on Kitty's shoulder, and then back at Kitty's face.
"I'm serious." Kitty said.
Franka took her hand off of Kitty's shoulder, Kitty pulling her shoulder back.
"Now, as for what there is between Kurt and I, that's really none of your damned business." Kitty said. "Just do us all a favor and stay out of our business, and keep away from me. Now that Herbert's fingers aren't broken, we don't even ever have to speak to each other again."
Kitty began to walk away again, leaving Franka standing there.
"You know. . ." Franka said softly. ". . .my aim is as good out of the tent as it is inside of it."
Kitty froze, turning around slowly to face Franka.
"Is that a threat?" Kitty asked.
"Take it however you like." Franka said, yawning as if she were bored.
"Well, I take that as a threat." Kitty said, advancing on her. "And I think that I'll treat it as such."
"And vhat does zat mean?" Franka asked condescendingly.
"It means that I attack before you have a chance to." Kitty said, and promptly swung at Franka.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------
Kurt awoke in the middle of the night when the door opened loudly. Sitting up suddenly, he felt dizzy and disoriented in the dark.
"Hello?" he said sleepily.
"Hey." Kitty said shortly, crawling into bed.
"Vhat happened? Vhere haff you been?" Kurt asked.
"Nowhere. Goodnight." Kitty said.
Kurt sighed, and settled back down. There was a couple moments of silence, and then Kitty broke it.
"Franka's going to have a black eye tomorrow." Kitty said.
Kurt's eyes snapped open.
"Vhat?" he asked.
"Franka. . .is. . .going. . .to. . .have. . .a. . .black. . .eye. . .tomorrow." Kitty said.
"Vhy? Vhat happened?" Kurt asked.
"Remember I told you I'd take care of it if something happened?" Kitty asked.
"Jah." Kurt said.
"Well, I took care of it." Kitty said. "I'm going to sleep. Goodnight."
"Good night." Kurt said after a few moments.
Turning over on his side, Kurt had problems falling back to sleep.
"Great." He thought. "I wonder what mom will say."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------
It turned out that Astrid said nothing. When the people of the camp had asked Franka what had happened to her to give her the black eye, Franka simply told them that she did it herself.
"Oh, it vas nozzing." She said at breakfast the next morning.
Kurt's parents had invited Franka and her parents to eat breakfast with them, Kurt, Tabby and Kitty that morning. Kitty and Franka were glaring daggers at each other all morning. Then, Johannes had asked Franka about her eye.
"Nozzing? It certainly looks like somezing." Johannes said.
"Oh, I vas playing my violin last night, and zis really annoying little mosquito kept flying around my face. So I smashed it. Only problem vas, it vas right under mein eye." Franka said, glaring at Kitty.
"A mosquito, huh?" Tabby asked.
"Jah. A disgusting, annoying, little bloodsucking insect." Franka said.
Kurt closed his eyes, praying that there would be no argument.
"Vell, I'm certain it'll heal soon." Johannes said.
"{I certainly hope so.}" Said Franka's mother. "{Johannes, Astrid, I think it's time to talk to Kurt and Franka.}"
Both Kurt and Franka's head snapped up, looking from their parents to the others.
"{What? Talk about what?}" Kurt asked.
"{Well, Kurt, you see. . .you know that we're not pulling in the crowds that we are used to.}" Astrid said.
"{Yes, I've noticed.}" Kurt said.
"{Kurt, we need your help.}" Franka's father said. "{You see. . .Kurt, Franka, we need to ask you both to help us. We need you to perform your old act.}"
"{What?!?}" Kurt exclaimed. "{Listen, I'm sorry, but I hardly think that it's appropriate.}"
"{I'm fine with it.}" Franka said, grinning at Kitty. "{I'll help in any way that I can.}"
"{Kurt, we really need you.}" Astrid said. "{You know what will happen to us this winter if we do not make enough money touring this summer.}"
"{But mama, we talked about this.}" Kurt said. "{I just don't feel comfortable. . .}"
"{Kurt. . .}" Franka began. "{. . .our parents are asking us for our help. You and I will leave shortly. They'll have to suffer this winter if they don't make enough money. We'll be fine, you in New York and myself in Prague. I think that it's our duty to help them as they raised us.}"
Kitty looked from person to person, wishing that she had kept up her lessons in the German dialect. For her part, Tabby picked up the gist of what was being said.
"{Please, Kurt? We need your help.}" Johannes said, looking apologetically at his son.
Kurt sighed before answering.
"{Of course. For you, mama and papa.}" Kurt said.
"{Great!}" Said Astrid's mother. "{We're happy that both of you have already said yes. We've already sent out new ads featuring the act.}"
Kurt's father smiled at Kurt, a smile of apology and thankfulness. Kurt smiled halfheartedly back, nodding slightly.
"Did you pick up what was said?" Kitty whispered to Tabby when the parents had resumed talking.
"Um. . .most of it." Tabby whispered back. "I'll tell you later."
Kitty nodded and looked up. Franka was staring at her, smiling. Then she turned to Kurt and smiled, making doe eyes at him.
"I hate her, I hate her, I hate her, I hate her, I hate her." Kitty thought.
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A few hours later, Kurt stood in the center of the circus ring, practicing with Franka, wondering what had happened to get him into this situation.
"I must have been very bad in a previous life." Kurt thought. "No, that can't be it. I'm Catholic, and I don't believe in that. Um. . .karma? No, that doesn't work either."
Franka was spinning in a graceful circle, her arms high above her head. She slowed, and fell into a tumble, turning over and somersaulting into a crouching position. She turned her lithe little body around, lying gracefully upon the floor. Kurt began to remember the story behind the dance. He laughed to himself, thinking of how ironic that his true form helped them come up with the act. Franka portrayed a young, beautiful girl, lost in the woods. Dying, she asks God for a savior. The savior shows up, looking for all of the world like a demon. He nurses her back to health, and the two fall in love. She returns to her town with him, only for him to be killed by the townspeople, mistaken for a monster. As he lies dying her in arms, she takes up a knife and takes her own life.
"How "Romeo and Juliet" meets "Beauty and the Beast" can you get?" Tabby asked Kitty.
Kitty didn't answer. She simply watched the two practice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------
"What?!?" Kitty asked Tabby.
"They asked him to perform that "lovers" thing with Franka because they're not pulling in the money that they're used to." Tabby said.
"And he said yes?" Kitty asked.
"Well, Kitty, he kind of had to." Tabby replied. "When you have a choice between doing something you don't want to and your parents starving through a winter. . ."
"Yeah, I know." Kitty said softly. "I really don't like her, Tabby."
"I know, sweetie." Tabby said, hugging Kitty for a short moment. "Come on, they're practicing in the tent. Let's go watch."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------
So, there Kitty sat, watching Franka tumble and roll across the floor with Kurt. She had a suspicion that if it had been anyone but Franka that was in the act, she would have thought the act beautiful and touching, incredible even. However, with Franka in the act, she hated every single moment of it. The two had drawn a crowd, the gypsies eager to see the act again. The act had reached a part where the two were in the "forest," and were falling deeply in love. To portray this, Franka was down on the ground, underneath Kurt's body as his hand gently caressed her face.
"{Do you think your little girlfriend is watching?}" Franka whispered teasingly.
"{Stop this, Franka. Neither of us, I'm sure, wants to do this act. Let's just get it over with.}" Kurt whispered back.
"{Who says that I don't want to do this act? Or for real?}" Franka said softly, seductively.
"{Stop, Franka.}" Kurt said, a warning tone in his voice.
"{What? Afraid that your little kitty cat will hear?}" Franka said, a little louder.
Kurt rolled backward, just as the act was supposed to go, when Franka rolled onto him. Kurt looked at her, confused, until she leaned forward and kissed him. Kurt simply froze, trying to remember whether or not this was part of the act. When she continued to kiss him, he knew that it wasn't, and suddenly teleported away, into the stands.
"{Damn it, Franka! I wish you would stop this!}" He yelled at her.
The gypsies, sensing that what was about to be said was none of their business, began to filter out of the tent. Kitty and Tabby, meanwhile, stayed.
"{What is it, dear?}" Franka asked. "{I was simply getting into character!}"
"{No you weren't! Franka, I'm being dead serious. Stop this. We have to do this act, now. It's been advertised that we'll do this act tomorrow. So you either get serious about it, or we'll look like fools tomorrow night.}" Kurt said.
"Fine." Franka said in English, signaling an end to the fight.
The two continued to practice until dinner, Kitty and Tabby silently watching them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------
Okay, see. Short chapter. Sorry about that. I promise to make the next one somewhat longer. I think that we're nearing the end here. Probably two more chapters left. I'll try to get the next one up as soon as I can. Should be faster than I got this chapter up.
Later.
Notes: Sorry I've been away so long everyone! I took a promotion at work, so I've been working a lot more. Should slow down in a bit. Anyhow, this is a pretty short chapter. It's mostly just set-up for the end. I hope you all like it.
I want to send out a special thanks to Nemain, who played muse for me. And gave me muse kibble. Nice.
Taineyah: See! I thought that was right! I've never heard them on the show talk about when Kurt got his powers. Besides, for all we know, Kurt may actually be half demon now (comicverse). And it was life threatening! He needed those cookies!
Luinfirith: I'm not going to use German, because I'd have to translate entire conversations and then write down what they said at the bottom. Then a reader would have to interrupt the story to scroll to the bottom to understand what was going on. Personally, I hate that more than I hate brackets. As far as the accent is concerned, I suggest you take it up with my very German roommate (off the boat from Germany 6 months ago). He helped me with the accent. That's how he speaks. He's crying in the corner of my room because you think his accent is overdone. Poor Herbert (character in story named after him).
Roguehobbit: Good to see you back!
Everyone else: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH, SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------
The troupe traveled in a circular route around Germany. From Magdeburg they moved to Leipzig and Dresden. From Dresden to Munich. Leaving Munich, they arrived outside of a city called Frankfurt am Main. Kitty and Tabby were having a blast, but Kitty seemed to think that, for some reason, something was wrong. Astrid and Johannes didn't seem as happy as they had during their first shows in Magdeburg. Kitty had a sneaking suspicion that it was due to attendance. They hadn't sold out a single show since Magdeburg. As a matter of fact, they were lucky to fill up half of the tent in every show since that first night.
Kitty had woken up in the middle of the night, Kurt's arm still draped over her. Smiling, she thought that maybe it was time that she was completely honest with him. That way he could feel free to hold her every night. Kitty slowly eased out from underneath Kurt's arm so as not to wake him. After standing up, she put on a pair of shoes and left the wagon. She loved the camp at every time of the day. It was so. . .different. Different, that is, from anything she had ever seen before. Performers were constantly practicing and training. Children were always playing, or being taught by the older members of the kumpania. During the day, there was a wonderful feeling of community. That carried over into the night. The fires would dot the landscape of the camp, the wonderful smell of food cooking, mingling with the smells earth and incense.
Kitty especially loved the camp after everyone had gone to bed. There was a serenity there, the moon bathing the camp in a soft light, with a light fog close to the ground. The wagons would creak when the wind blew hard, and Kitty could close her eyes and pretend that it was her home, that she had always lived there. There was no one talking. There was no one training. There was no. . .music?
"Is that music playing here?" Kitty thought, listening to the soft tones of a violin.
Figuring it was someone playing music inside of his or her wagon, Kitty followed the sound of the music through the fog until she came to the edge of the camp. There, sitting on the hood of a car, was Franka. Her eyes were closed and she was playing her violin. It was a soft, sad sounding song, and Kitty stood there for a moment, watching the girl.
"Well, she wasn't lying. She can play that violin." Kitty thought to herself.
Kitty and Franka hadn't spoken since their first show together. The two avoided each other, almost religiously so, as if their lives depended on it. One wanted nothing to do with the other. Kitty saw no reason to break that tradition now.
Franka suddenly stopped playing and looked up at Kitty with a sour expression on her face, almost as if she had been reading Kitty's mind. Kitty stepped back, and, averting her eyes, walked away, toward her wagon. She heard Franka jump down from the hood of the car, and she could hear footsteps follow her own. Holding her breath in case she needed to phase, Kitty stopped walking and turned around. Franka was a few yards behind her.
"I haff a question for you." Franka said.
"What?" Kitty asked, exhaling deeply.
Franka looked her up and down, the sour look never leaving her face.
"Vhat is zhere between you and Kurt?" Franka asked.
"He's my best friend." Kitty said, avoiding the question and turning around.
Franka's hand came down on her shoulder, spinning Kitty around.
"Zat is not vhat I asked." Franka said.
Kitty looked from Franka's face to her shoulder, and then back at her face.
"Do yourself a favor and get your hand off of me." Kitty said.
Franka looked down at her hand on Kitty's shoulder, and then back at Kitty's face.
"I'm serious." Kitty said.
Franka took her hand off of Kitty's shoulder, Kitty pulling her shoulder back.
"Now, as for what there is between Kurt and I, that's really none of your damned business." Kitty said. "Just do us all a favor and stay out of our business, and keep away from me. Now that Herbert's fingers aren't broken, we don't even ever have to speak to each other again."
Kitty began to walk away again, leaving Franka standing there.
"You know. . ." Franka said softly. ". . .my aim is as good out of the tent as it is inside of it."
Kitty froze, turning around slowly to face Franka.
"Is that a threat?" Kitty asked.
"Take it however you like." Franka said, yawning as if she were bored.
"Well, I take that as a threat." Kitty said, advancing on her. "And I think that I'll treat it as such."
"And vhat does zat mean?" Franka asked condescendingly.
"It means that I attack before you have a chance to." Kitty said, and promptly swung at Franka.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------
Kurt awoke in the middle of the night when the door opened loudly. Sitting up suddenly, he felt dizzy and disoriented in the dark.
"Hello?" he said sleepily.
"Hey." Kitty said shortly, crawling into bed.
"Vhat happened? Vhere haff you been?" Kurt asked.
"Nowhere. Goodnight." Kitty said.
Kurt sighed, and settled back down. There was a couple moments of silence, and then Kitty broke it.
"Franka's going to have a black eye tomorrow." Kitty said.
Kurt's eyes snapped open.
"Vhat?" he asked.
"Franka. . .is. . .going. . .to. . .have. . .a. . .black. . .eye. . .tomorrow." Kitty said.
"Vhy? Vhat happened?" Kurt asked.
"Remember I told you I'd take care of it if something happened?" Kitty asked.
"Jah." Kurt said.
"Well, I took care of it." Kitty said. "I'm going to sleep. Goodnight."
"Good night." Kurt said after a few moments.
Turning over on his side, Kurt had problems falling back to sleep.
"Great." He thought. "I wonder what mom will say."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------
It turned out that Astrid said nothing. When the people of the camp had asked Franka what had happened to her to give her the black eye, Franka simply told them that she did it herself.
"Oh, it vas nozzing." She said at breakfast the next morning.
Kurt's parents had invited Franka and her parents to eat breakfast with them, Kurt, Tabby and Kitty that morning. Kitty and Franka were glaring daggers at each other all morning. Then, Johannes had asked Franka about her eye.
"Nozzing? It certainly looks like somezing." Johannes said.
"Oh, I vas playing my violin last night, and zis really annoying little mosquito kept flying around my face. So I smashed it. Only problem vas, it vas right under mein eye." Franka said, glaring at Kitty.
"A mosquito, huh?" Tabby asked.
"Jah. A disgusting, annoying, little bloodsucking insect." Franka said.
Kurt closed his eyes, praying that there would be no argument.
"Vell, I'm certain it'll heal soon." Johannes said.
"{I certainly hope so.}" Said Franka's mother. "{Johannes, Astrid, I think it's time to talk to Kurt and Franka.}"
Both Kurt and Franka's head snapped up, looking from their parents to the others.
"{What? Talk about what?}" Kurt asked.
"{Well, Kurt, you see. . .you know that we're not pulling in the crowds that we are used to.}" Astrid said.
"{Yes, I've noticed.}" Kurt said.
"{Kurt, we need your help.}" Franka's father said. "{You see. . .Kurt, Franka, we need to ask you both to help us. We need you to perform your old act.}"
"{What?!?}" Kurt exclaimed. "{Listen, I'm sorry, but I hardly think that it's appropriate.}"
"{I'm fine with it.}" Franka said, grinning at Kitty. "{I'll help in any way that I can.}"
"{Kurt, we really need you.}" Astrid said. "{You know what will happen to us this winter if we do not make enough money touring this summer.}"
"{But mama, we talked about this.}" Kurt said. "{I just don't feel comfortable. . .}"
"{Kurt. . .}" Franka began. "{. . .our parents are asking us for our help. You and I will leave shortly. They'll have to suffer this winter if they don't make enough money. We'll be fine, you in New York and myself in Prague. I think that it's our duty to help them as they raised us.}"
Kitty looked from person to person, wishing that she had kept up her lessons in the German dialect. For her part, Tabby picked up the gist of what was being said.
"{Please, Kurt? We need your help.}" Johannes said, looking apologetically at his son.
Kurt sighed before answering.
"{Of course. For you, mama and papa.}" Kurt said.
"{Great!}" Said Astrid's mother. "{We're happy that both of you have already said yes. We've already sent out new ads featuring the act.}"
Kurt's father smiled at Kurt, a smile of apology and thankfulness. Kurt smiled halfheartedly back, nodding slightly.
"Did you pick up what was said?" Kitty whispered to Tabby when the parents had resumed talking.
"Um. . .most of it." Tabby whispered back. "I'll tell you later."
Kitty nodded and looked up. Franka was staring at her, smiling. Then she turned to Kurt and smiled, making doe eyes at him.
"I hate her, I hate her, I hate her, I hate her, I hate her." Kitty thought.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------
A few hours later, Kurt stood in the center of the circus ring, practicing with Franka, wondering what had happened to get him into this situation.
"I must have been very bad in a previous life." Kurt thought. "No, that can't be it. I'm Catholic, and I don't believe in that. Um. . .karma? No, that doesn't work either."
Franka was spinning in a graceful circle, her arms high above her head. She slowed, and fell into a tumble, turning over and somersaulting into a crouching position. She turned her lithe little body around, lying gracefully upon the floor. Kurt began to remember the story behind the dance. He laughed to himself, thinking of how ironic that his true form helped them come up with the act. Franka portrayed a young, beautiful girl, lost in the woods. Dying, she asks God for a savior. The savior shows up, looking for all of the world like a demon. He nurses her back to health, and the two fall in love. She returns to her town with him, only for him to be killed by the townspeople, mistaken for a monster. As he lies dying her in arms, she takes up a knife and takes her own life.
"How "Romeo and Juliet" meets "Beauty and the Beast" can you get?" Tabby asked Kitty.
Kitty didn't answer. She simply watched the two practice.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------
"What?!?" Kitty asked Tabby.
"They asked him to perform that "lovers" thing with Franka because they're not pulling in the money that they're used to." Tabby said.
"And he said yes?" Kitty asked.
"Well, Kitty, he kind of had to." Tabby replied. "When you have a choice between doing something you don't want to and your parents starving through a winter. . ."
"Yeah, I know." Kitty said softly. "I really don't like her, Tabby."
"I know, sweetie." Tabby said, hugging Kitty for a short moment. "Come on, they're practicing in the tent. Let's go watch."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------
So, there Kitty sat, watching Franka tumble and roll across the floor with Kurt. She had a suspicion that if it had been anyone but Franka that was in the act, she would have thought the act beautiful and touching, incredible even. However, with Franka in the act, she hated every single moment of it. The two had drawn a crowd, the gypsies eager to see the act again. The act had reached a part where the two were in the "forest," and were falling deeply in love. To portray this, Franka was down on the ground, underneath Kurt's body as his hand gently caressed her face.
"{Do you think your little girlfriend is watching?}" Franka whispered teasingly.
"{Stop this, Franka. Neither of us, I'm sure, wants to do this act. Let's just get it over with.}" Kurt whispered back.
"{Who says that I don't want to do this act? Or for real?}" Franka said softly, seductively.
"{Stop, Franka.}" Kurt said, a warning tone in his voice.
"{What? Afraid that your little kitty cat will hear?}" Franka said, a little louder.
Kurt rolled backward, just as the act was supposed to go, when Franka rolled onto him. Kurt looked at her, confused, until she leaned forward and kissed him. Kurt simply froze, trying to remember whether or not this was part of the act. When she continued to kiss him, he knew that it wasn't, and suddenly teleported away, into the stands.
"{Damn it, Franka! I wish you would stop this!}" He yelled at her.
The gypsies, sensing that what was about to be said was none of their business, began to filter out of the tent. Kitty and Tabby, meanwhile, stayed.
"{What is it, dear?}" Franka asked. "{I was simply getting into character!}"
"{No you weren't! Franka, I'm being dead serious. Stop this. We have to do this act, now. It's been advertised that we'll do this act tomorrow. So you either get serious about it, or we'll look like fools tomorrow night.}" Kurt said.
"Fine." Franka said in English, signaling an end to the fight.
The two continued to practice until dinner, Kitty and Tabby silently watching them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------
Okay, see. Short chapter. Sorry about that. I promise to make the next one somewhat longer. I think that we're nearing the end here. Probably two more chapters left. I'll try to get the next one up as soon as I can. Should be faster than I got this chapter up.
Later.