To Err is Human
By Todd Fan
Disclaimer: "I came here to be with you. It's as simple as that. When you like somebody, proximity is a good thing, regardless of how they feel about you. Or don't, as the case may be"
Queen of the Jungle - Ahh, I applogise, it's what I pulled off the internet, bad internet, spreading lies! (Just ignore the bit about the snowglobe ;))
L1701E - Not to worry, your idea will be used, not for a few chapters yet, but I'm planning it :D
Chapter 23 - To Touch
By the end of December, the X-Men had returned for the anual New Years party that Xavier liked to throw. No one exactly knew WHY someone would want people, most of them teenagers, messing up their house.....most had the suspision that Charles was clinging to the vain hope that he was still 'cool'.
"I can't believe your parents actually MADE Lance sleep in the shed".
Kitty shook her head as she set the table in the dining room with Danielle.
"Yeah, and it leaks and everything!", said Kitty, "now he's all sneazy and ill, and I haven't got anyone to kiss when New year comes!!!!"
Danielle chuckled.
"You can borrow Roberto if you want", she said, "I don't mind".
"Errr...that's okay, Dani, I'll cope without"
Dani shrugged.
"Your loss"
The door suddenly SLAMMED open as Storm waddled in, trying to brush snow off her shoulders. Hank followed behind, carrying what looked like a very heavy suitcase.
"If anyone has turned my room into anything else, they will die", she growled.
Shortpack blinked, looking around nervously.
"Ororo's here, as anyone noticed that Ororo is here...with a suitcase!!!!"
Logan growled, popping out his claws.
"Did Forge break yer heart?", he asked, "I've been waitin' fer him ta do that, so I can go cut him up!"
"Oh, for Goddess sakes, Logan, Forge didn't do anything", snapped Storm, giving him a smack upside the head.
Hank sighed, putting down the case.
"Ororo is staying with us for tonight", said Hank.
Shortpack eyed the very large suitcase wairily.
"Just for tonight?"
"Well, Forge has to stay in New York all night tonight to work", said Storm, "once this job is done, he can work from home"
"He's gonna be a house-husband?", chuckled Shortpack, then squeaked as Storm glared at him, "so.....errr...why are you here?"
Storm patted her very large belly.
"Well, considering my due date is next week, Forge wants me to be somewhere near alot of people....just in case", she said, "plus, I make Warlock nervous"
"What about the rest of us", muttered Logan.
"Pardon?", growled Storm, glaring at him.
"Shut up, Logan", he told himself, backing away.
"NO. Tell. Me. What. You. Said", Storm replied, stalking over to him.
Logan paused, holding his hand to his ear.
"What's that, Charles? Ya need ta see me right away? Okay then!"
Don't you DARE bring me into this and into the line of fire!, came Xavier's voice into Logan's head.
Logan sighed defeatedly. Darn.
"I gotta...err....go", said Logan, before choosing to RUN through the house...it was a good thing Storm was no longer all that fast.
Storm glared at him, before starting for the stairs.
"Hank, carry my suitcase will you?....I might take a while getting up these stairs".
Hank sighed, trying to drag the heavy case up the stairs while Storm laboured her way up. Rogue was heading downstairs at the same time, arching a brow at the pair.
"Okay, that looks weird", she said, entering the common room.
"Yes, but it is very inspirational", piped up Piotr from a corner of the room, where he was going vastly unnoticed, no one was sure how such a BIG teen could blend in so well, but Piotr made it an art-form.
"Oh?", said Rogue, walking over to look at his sketchbook.
She had to laugh at the carricature of heavily-pregnant-Storm threatening a cowering Logan.
"That's actually very good", she said.
"Thank you", said Piotr, giving a cough, "it is only a quick sketch".
"Oh yeah, a'h forgot that all artists are supposed to loathe their own work", teased Rogue, "so, how was your family in Russia?"
"They are fine", smiled Piotr, "it is nice to be able to visit them again. Did you enjoy spending time with your brother's foster-parents?"
Rogue smiled.
"Yeah", she said, "even if I'm not...you know, his sister by blood or anythin', they were really nice to me. They treated me like a member of the family. It was...kinda nice, and Kurt was great, he showed me around and everything. Nearly froze, mind you".
Piotr chuckled.
"I spent most of my time pulling a sled for Illyana", he said, "I am glad my metal protects me from the cold, I can tell you".
He paused in thought for a moment.
"That reminds me", he said, "my sister pointed out something to me while I was at home. I think I should try out her theory".
"Oh? What's that?", asked Rogue, arching a brow as he 'metaled-up'.
"Give me your hand, Rogue", he said gently.
Rogue blinked at him as if he were crazy.
"Trust me on this one", said Piotr, a soft smile on his face.
Rogue sighed, offering him her hand, restraining herself from pulling away as he removed her glove. She closed her eyes, turning her head away in an attempt to block out the memories and abilities that would flood into her mind. They never came. She opened one eye, turning her head back, before gasping in suprise. Piotr's hand was resting on hers...and yet she wasn't absorbing him.[1]
"You....you can touch me", she said in an almost whisper, as if she spoke it too loud, it would not work.
"Yes, Illyana is quite a smart one", he said, brushing a metalic finger over her cheek, "I was not entirely sure it would work"
Rogue blinked, still trying to take it all in, she looked up at Piotr, before suddenly planting a kiss on hi lips. It was swiftly released though as she came to her senses.
"Piotr..a'hm...a'hm sorry", she said, backing away, before tearing off out of the room.
Wanda sighed, rubbing the towel through her hair, the thought coming over again to let it grow long once more. Now she was out of that whole 'out for revenge' kick...it seemed that perhaps she should let it grow once more, she'd liked it long. She was brought out of her revire suddenly as her eyes caught something peeking out from beneath her pillow. She frowned, walking over to it, pulling it out. It was a small parcel, wrapped in Christmas paper, a little bow artfully put on the top. She blinked, turning over the label.
'To Wanda', it read, 'From Santa'.
"What on...", she muuttered to herself, before carefully opening the parcel.
Inside was a small, cheesy snowglobe. The scene was a plastic beach, a plastic Santa surfing on a plastic ocean Wanda turned the globe over, then back again. The 'snow' floating down was brown in colour, resembling sand rather than snow. Wanda watched it for a moment, before letting a small smile cross her face. She put the globe on her bed side table, watching it for a moment more, before heading off to get changed. Once done, she walked downstairs, ignoring the sounds of Pietro and Freddy arguing which would win if Woodstock and Tweety Pie ever had a face off. [2]
She got into the living room, where Lance was curled up on his chair, shivering with a blanket around him.
"Hey, snuffles", said Wanda, "have you seen the idiot?"
Lance blinked at her for a moment, as if trying to recognise her.
"Wiigd idiod?", he said with a stuffed up nose.
Wanda blinked, asumming he had asked her 'which idiot'...what's what it SOUNDED like, anyways.
"Pyro", replied Wanda, crossing her arms.
Lance, waved a hand in the general direction of the garden.
"Outsideh"
Wanda nodded, striding off. Lance groaned, trying desperately to pull tissues out of a very empty box. Before he could blink, a full box had been popped into his hand.
"There you go, buddy!", said PIetro cheerfull.
Lance arched a suspiscious eyebrow at Pietro.
"Id's a liddle eardly ford drinkhink"
Pietro blinked.
"Dude, get rid of the sinsey, mucousey crap, I can't understand a word you're saying!"
"He said 'It's a little early for drinking'", commented Todd as he hopped past.
"I'm not drunk!", said Pietro, then grinned, "well, maybe I am, ON LOVE!"
Lance and Todd exchanged a glance, before collapsing in fits of laughter..which resulted in Lance hacking even more.
"IT'S TRUE!", whimpered Pietro.
"Pietro, you wouldn't know what love was if it danced around you wearin' a big sign sayin' 'I'M LOVE'", said Todd.
"Wad he sed", said Lance.
Pietro crossed his arms.
"Come on, guys I'm serious!".
"Okay, I'll humor you", said Todd, "who is she?"
"The girl I went on a date wiht last night. She's really, really pretty. She's got long, blonde hair and her name is Crystal. And she's beautifull like a Crystal too", said PIetro, staring off into space, "I could sit still and watch her for hours"
"OH MY GOD!", screamed Todd, "Pie said he'd sit still.....he's must be dying!"
"I'm not dying!", protested Pietro, "I'm in love".
"Ahd she thinks?", stared Lance.
"Well, actually she hates my guts", said Pietro, slightly deflating, but then looked hopefull, "but I can fix that...right?"
The other two looked balnkly at him. Pietro blinked, before moaning, banging his head on the wall.
"Oh my God, I sound like YOU losers!"
Pyro was, indeed outside, shoveling snow happily. Snow at Christmas was a novelty for the Sydney-bred teen, so he had volunteered himself for the job of keeping the garden clear.
"Allerdyce!"
Pyro glanced up, grinning at her.
"Alo, Sheila", he said, "want to help me shovel snow?"
"......Not really", said Wanda, arching a brow, "I got your 'present'".
Pyro stopped, leaning on his shovel, grinning.
"It wasn't from me, it was from Santa", he said, going back to shoveling, "did you like it?"
Wanda shrugged.
"It was cute...I guess", she said, then eyed his suspiciously, "why did you give it me?"
"Santa gave it..."
"Cut the crap, St.John", said Wanda irritably.
Pyro winced, before offering her a smile.
"Just thought you'd want a present, that's all", he said, shrugging, "everyone deserves something in the holidays".
Wanda sighed.
"Thank you", she said quietly.
"You're welcome", he said, then smirked, flicking his lighter on, "shoveling's boring now. Not going fast enough"
"Pyro!"
Too late came the warning. Pyro sent a huge gust of fire, melting the snow, clearing the path in three seconds flat. Unfortunately, the flame hit a nearby tree, which fell down upon the house, shattering a window.
"HEY!", came Pietro's shout from inside.
"Then again...", said Wanda, "good job"
[1] - Yup, this is true, it has been done in cannon. Yes, I know Rogue has absorbed Piotr in metal form in Evo, but let's just call that a tremendous lack of research on the creators part.
[2] - I've seen a cartoon panel with that in, seriously, it's fantastic. It has all the cartoon birds egging them on (pun not intented) Pitty I can't remember where.
Bwahahaha. I am introducing so many Marvel characters in this Chronicle, it makes my head spin. Obviously, THIS Crystal will have a slightly altered past, 'cause her original one confused the hell out of me 0.o Do review. Until next time...