Disclaimer: I own nothing of the X-Men except a deck of cards that doesn't go below nine. I wouldn't advise sueing since I never have money; I ain't even got a job, imagine that. Unrecognizable characters belong to one of the following people: myself, Takamo, or another friend (she knows who she is and her name changes entirely too much to keep it straight).
Chapter One: Shut up, Tasha
Natasha Creed closed the door to her shared apartment and instantly knew something was wrong. Papers and permanent marker drawn on binders littered the counter along with leftover fast food bags and several glasses or empty bottles.
"Tara! Angel!" she called, pushing aside the heap of bags and walking into the living room after hanging her keyes. Her hook gave a groan but told her that Angel was home from the other set with three keys and about twenty keychains on one hook.
Tara was still at work. The classes in Psychology that she taught often didn't end until around four; it was only about two-thirty. That meant her other room mate was the only one home.
"Angel, where are you...?"
"Bathroom," came the muffled reply through the closed door. The sound of retching met her when she knocked.
Natasha cringed. Hangovers sucked.
"How much did you drink last night, Angel?"
"Nothing; I got sick every time I tried to drink," Angel answered upon opening the door. Her face was pale and her eyes held dark circles under them; her hair was pulled back but she still looked sick. "Maybe I've grown an immunity, or something, to alcohol?"
"It's doesn't work that way, Demon. Here's a tough question- when was your last visit from T.O.M?"
"Uh..." She frowned and clsed her eyes, mumbling numbers. She shrugged after a moment. "Six weeks ago. Why?"
"Maybe you're pregnant," Natasha suggested, smirking at the thought alone.
Angel paled, visibly. "Shut up, Tasha."
"Six weeks, Angel."
She made a gagging sound then retreated into the bathroom, beginning to throw up. She didn't move off her knees or lift her head from her hands once she was through.
"Pregnant."
"Shut up, Tasha."
"You could be."
"Shut up, Tasha. I'm ignoring you."
"You're pregnant."
"Shut up, Tasha."
"Don't lie to yourself. How you gonna break the news?"
"I ain't pregnant."
"Thought you were ignoring me...?"
"Shut up, Tasha."
"The tests aren't that hard, Angel. You can know within the day."
"Shut up, Tasha."
Natasha rolled eyes at the five-year-old sounding arguement then walked into the living room, flicking on the television screen. She sat down and began to channel surf, watching for a few moments before changing it again.
"Just put it on cartoons and leave it. Smurfs is on," Angel announced upon her second exit; she didn't look any better. She laid down on the couch and buried her head under a pillow. "Is Jax coming over later?"
"Uh-huh." She flipped the tv onto an episode of Smurfs as the theme song began to wind down.
"Don't tell him what you think. I'll...get a test," she said, miserably, from the the comfort of her pillow.
"Thought you weren't pregnant?"
"Shut up, Tasha."
Tara Toynbee's attention automatically caught on her silent, tense friends. The only noise beside her keys on the table was the ending credits to an episode of Scooby-Doo; the ending music was fading out.
"I'm home. Nice to see someone bothered to find us food," she said, depositing several bags of take-out onto the table then walking into the living room and clicking on the light. The television cut off.
"Tara!"
"Sorry," she mumbled, flicking the light off and putting on the tv in it's place. "This place needs help."
"Angel's pregnant." Natasha's announcement threw her for a moment.
"Shut up, Tasha. We don't know that yet."
"You're pregnant, Angel?" Tara asked then made her way over to sit on the coffee table in front of her. She pulled the pillow away from Angel's face. "Is it Julius'?"
"If I am, it has to be...it's not a positive yes or no yet."
"Angel, you need to find out. Julius deserves to know he if he'll be a father within the next seven and a half months," Natasha pointed out after clicking off the tv and flicking on the light. She slammed her eyes shut at the brightness. "How are you going to tell Julius?"
"Julius? How'm I going to tell Remy?" Angel was quiet a few moments then buried her head in her arms and screamed, loud and drawn out.
"Remy's the father...?"
"Shut up, Tasha!"
Tara placed a comforting arm around her shoulders and hugged her, repeating a gesture that she'd used since they were kids. She rubed one hand across Angel's back in an attempt to stop her crying and incoherent mumblings.
Natasha broken their rsilence by beginning to rummage through the sacks that had come in with Tara. "Ooh, Chinese food!" she exclaimed, pulling out a container and some star shaped things.
There was a gagging sound then Angel shot off the couch and into the bathroom, slamming the door with a solid sound. It couldn't cover the sounds of her retching and gagging.
"Nice job, Tasha. Hand me the phone," Tara said after choosing her own food from the sacks and taking up a seat at the cluttered table. She pushed aside stuff then dialed a number, beginning to eat while waiting for a pick-up.
"Yes, Tara?" came the pleasant enough reply except for the underlying annoyance.
"How'd you know it was me, Nanaki?"
"The Jean Grey-Summers caller ID. What's wrong?" Nanaki's voice softened then there was yelling in the background. "Hold a minute...Santiago, leave you father alone."
Tara knew from the tone of voice that her nephew wasn't listneing. It had floored her and Angel the first time they'd learned Nanaki and Toad had a seven-year-old son that she didn't know. Toad had later explained his and Nanaki's first meeting and how they'd split up, leaving her with Santiago; he hadn't known about their son when he'd taken off. Tara still wasn't used to the kid, though he was now eleven.
"Nanaki, can you come over? We kind of need you to pick up something..." She ate some of her food while waiting for a response.
"What do you need? Maybe your brother can bring it or Remy...he's here."
"No! I mean, you should be the one to pick this up." She waited out the silence then continued. "We need a pregnancy test, Nanaki," she finished just as Angel exited the bathroom.
"No way. Don't you dare tell Nanaki! She'll kill me!" Angel exclaimed, falling into one of the avaliable kitchen chairs and looking through the food there. She gave up after a moment and played with some form of rice, attempting and failing to eat, while waiting for the next part of the one-sided conversation.
"Is it Tasha?" Nanaki asked.
Tara laughed. Nanaki always chose her cousin as the guilty part, knowing the girl was her own worst empty.
I won't tell unless she figures it out, Angel.
Thanks...
"You?" Nanaki asked in an unbelieving voice.
"Landon and I haven't slept together."
The other end was silent then she said, "Give Angel the phone."
Angel's face turned pale when she held out the phone. She shook her head and they held a small phone shoving match until Angel finally placed it against her ear, taking a breathe.
"Hi, Nanaki," she said with forced cheerfullness. Her smile dropped after a moment of listening.
Natasha cringed. "It's one of the safe sex lectures. Nanaki coming over...?"
"Uh-huh."
Why couldn't it have been Tasha? She's had more practice then me and Angel combined. Nanaki wouldn't be nearly as hard with her since she plays 'Scrabble' almost every night.
Angel's voice interrupted Tara's thoughts and Natasha's next question. "I know, Nanaki. Okay...I'll see you in a few hours. Bye," she mumbled then hung up the phone. "Nanaki's coming."
"I think Jax and I will go play Scrabble at his place tonight. We will have a yes or no by morning, Angel?"
"...Yes..."
"I'll cancel going out with Landon tonight..."
Angel shook her head, managing to get a bit of rice down. "You can go 'cause Nanaki won't kill me. She loves me. And I think Landon has something to talk to you about." Her smirk came into place across her face.
"You sure, I mean, after this stunt?" Tara asked without looking away from getting their table clear of junk and uneaten food. She ignored the second part, knowing it would be useless to question Angel since it would be like talking to David on a sugar high, Rogue before coffee, or Remy without cards.
"Positive."
"I thought you weren't pregnant?"
"Shut up, Tasha."
Chapter One: Shut up, Tasha
Natasha Creed closed the door to her shared apartment and instantly knew something was wrong. Papers and permanent marker drawn on binders littered the counter along with leftover fast food bags and several glasses or empty bottles.
"Tara! Angel!" she called, pushing aside the heap of bags and walking into the living room after hanging her keyes. Her hook gave a groan but told her that Angel was home from the other set with three keys and about twenty keychains on one hook.
Tara was still at work. The classes in Psychology that she taught often didn't end until around four; it was only about two-thirty. That meant her other room mate was the only one home.
"Angel, where are you...?"
"Bathroom," came the muffled reply through the closed door. The sound of retching met her when she knocked.
Natasha cringed. Hangovers sucked.
"How much did you drink last night, Angel?"
"Nothing; I got sick every time I tried to drink," Angel answered upon opening the door. Her face was pale and her eyes held dark circles under them; her hair was pulled back but she still looked sick. "Maybe I've grown an immunity, or something, to alcohol?"
"It's doesn't work that way, Demon. Here's a tough question- when was your last visit from T.O.M?"
"Uh..." She frowned and clsed her eyes, mumbling numbers. She shrugged after a moment. "Six weeks ago. Why?"
"Maybe you're pregnant," Natasha suggested, smirking at the thought alone.
Angel paled, visibly. "Shut up, Tasha."
"Six weeks, Angel."
She made a gagging sound then retreated into the bathroom, beginning to throw up. She didn't move off her knees or lift her head from her hands once she was through.
"Pregnant."
"Shut up, Tasha."
"You could be."
"Shut up, Tasha. I'm ignoring you."
"You're pregnant."
"Shut up, Tasha."
"Don't lie to yourself. How you gonna break the news?"
"I ain't pregnant."
"Thought you were ignoring me...?"
"Shut up, Tasha."
"The tests aren't that hard, Angel. You can know within the day."
"Shut up, Tasha."
Natasha rolled eyes at the five-year-old sounding arguement then walked into the living room, flicking on the television screen. She sat down and began to channel surf, watching for a few moments before changing it again.
"Just put it on cartoons and leave it. Smurfs is on," Angel announced upon her second exit; she didn't look any better. She laid down on the couch and buried her head under a pillow. "Is Jax coming over later?"
"Uh-huh." She flipped the tv onto an episode of Smurfs as the theme song began to wind down.
"Don't tell him what you think. I'll...get a test," she said, miserably, from the the comfort of her pillow.
"Thought you weren't pregnant?"
"Shut up, Tasha."
Tara Toynbee's attention automatically caught on her silent, tense friends. The only noise beside her keys on the table was the ending credits to an episode of Scooby-Doo; the ending music was fading out.
"I'm home. Nice to see someone bothered to find us food," she said, depositing several bags of take-out onto the table then walking into the living room and clicking on the light. The television cut off.
"Tara!"
"Sorry," she mumbled, flicking the light off and putting on the tv in it's place. "This place needs help."
"Angel's pregnant." Natasha's announcement threw her for a moment.
"Shut up, Tasha. We don't know that yet."
"You're pregnant, Angel?" Tara asked then made her way over to sit on the coffee table in front of her. She pulled the pillow away from Angel's face. "Is it Julius'?"
"If I am, it has to be...it's not a positive yes or no yet."
"Angel, you need to find out. Julius deserves to know he if he'll be a father within the next seven and a half months," Natasha pointed out after clicking off the tv and flicking on the light. She slammed her eyes shut at the brightness. "How are you going to tell Julius?"
"Julius? How'm I going to tell Remy?" Angel was quiet a few moments then buried her head in her arms and screamed, loud and drawn out.
"Remy's the father...?"
"Shut up, Tasha!"
Tara placed a comforting arm around her shoulders and hugged her, repeating a gesture that she'd used since they were kids. She rubed one hand across Angel's back in an attempt to stop her crying and incoherent mumblings.
Natasha broken their rsilence by beginning to rummage through the sacks that had come in with Tara. "Ooh, Chinese food!" she exclaimed, pulling out a container and some star shaped things.
There was a gagging sound then Angel shot off the couch and into the bathroom, slamming the door with a solid sound. It couldn't cover the sounds of her retching and gagging.
"Nice job, Tasha. Hand me the phone," Tara said after choosing her own food from the sacks and taking up a seat at the cluttered table. She pushed aside stuff then dialed a number, beginning to eat while waiting for a pick-up.
"Yes, Tara?" came the pleasant enough reply except for the underlying annoyance.
"How'd you know it was me, Nanaki?"
"The Jean Grey-Summers caller ID. What's wrong?" Nanaki's voice softened then there was yelling in the background. "Hold a minute...Santiago, leave you father alone."
Tara knew from the tone of voice that her nephew wasn't listneing. It had floored her and Angel the first time they'd learned Nanaki and Toad had a seven-year-old son that she didn't know. Toad had later explained his and Nanaki's first meeting and how they'd split up, leaving her with Santiago; he hadn't known about their son when he'd taken off. Tara still wasn't used to the kid, though he was now eleven.
"Nanaki, can you come over? We kind of need you to pick up something..." She ate some of her food while waiting for a response.
"What do you need? Maybe your brother can bring it or Remy...he's here."
"No! I mean, you should be the one to pick this up." She waited out the silence then continued. "We need a pregnancy test, Nanaki," she finished just as Angel exited the bathroom.
"No way. Don't you dare tell Nanaki! She'll kill me!" Angel exclaimed, falling into one of the avaliable kitchen chairs and looking through the food there. She gave up after a moment and played with some form of rice, attempting and failing to eat, while waiting for the next part of the one-sided conversation.
"Is it Tasha?" Nanaki asked.
Tara laughed. Nanaki always chose her cousin as the guilty part, knowing the girl was her own worst empty.
I won't tell unless she figures it out, Angel.
Thanks...
"You?" Nanaki asked in an unbelieving voice.
"Landon and I haven't slept together."
The other end was silent then she said, "Give Angel the phone."
Angel's face turned pale when she held out the phone. She shook her head and they held a small phone shoving match until Angel finally placed it against her ear, taking a breathe.
"Hi, Nanaki," she said with forced cheerfullness. Her smile dropped after a moment of listening.
Natasha cringed. "It's one of the safe sex lectures. Nanaki coming over...?"
"Uh-huh."
Why couldn't it have been Tasha? She's had more practice then me and Angel combined. Nanaki wouldn't be nearly as hard with her since she plays 'Scrabble' almost every night.
Angel's voice interrupted Tara's thoughts and Natasha's next question. "I know, Nanaki. Okay...I'll see you in a few hours. Bye," she mumbled then hung up the phone. "Nanaki's coming."
"I think Jax and I will go play Scrabble at his place tonight. We will have a yes or no by morning, Angel?"
"...Yes..."
"I'll cancel going out with Landon tonight..."
Angel shook her head, managing to get a bit of rice down. "You can go 'cause Nanaki won't kill me. She loves me. And I think Landon has something to talk to you about." Her smirk came into place across her face.
"You sure, I mean, after this stunt?" Tara asked without looking away from getting their table clear of junk and uneaten food. She ignored the second part, knowing it would be useless to question Angel since it would be like talking to David on a sugar high, Rogue before coffee, or Remy without cards.
"Positive."
"I thought you weren't pregnant?"
"Shut up, Tasha."