Disclaimer: I don't own. I have a low amount of money since the windshield accident. I wouldn't recommend sueing. Tara and the currently unpresent Nanaki are property of Takamo while Julius and the currently unpresent Natasha belong to another friend, Fallen Angel Hell's Gate(until she changes it again). I own all others that are unrecognizable.
Chapter Two: Too Many Yeses, Not Enough Nos
"How hard is it to practice safe sex, Angel Elizabeth Blade-Lebeau? It can't be that hard since I'm sure your little boyfriend isn't ready to have a kid. Speaking of which, where is Kanteon?" Nanaki asked, pacing the length of their living room. She stopped for a moment to glare at the object of her questions and also anger.
Angel frowned. "...Canada..."
"Canada? You're pregnant and he's IN CANADA?!"
"It's a possibility, Nanaki. I didn't even have a guess that I could be until this morning when Natasha mentioned it...please don't kill Julius."
Nanaki stopped pacing and shook her head, chuckling. "I'm the least of your problems, Angel. Think about what Remy, Rogue, or even Logan are going to do if you are," she offered, feeling slightly guilty when Angel began to cry. She walked into the kitchen then returned with a box of tissues. "Crying isn't going to solve anything. Stop crying."
"Remy's gonna kill 'im," she said, but her tears gradually stopped and she wiped at both her eyes then used another tissue to below her nose. She hugged her pillow again. "I don't want 'im to die, Nanaki."
"When will you have an answer?"
"I should know by the time Tasha and Tara get home. Will you still be here?" she asked without looking away from playing with her pillow. She hugged it tighter and stared at the blank tv for a moment, frowning.
"Mort's watching Santiago so yes, I will be here. Would you prefer if I wasn't present...?"
Angel shook her head. "Better you then Rogue or Remy. They're gonna kill me or Julius one...maybe both."
Rogue and Remy had raised her since five when she was abandoned on the X-Men's doorstep with Tara and a message from her parents, a message to wait. She'd taken an immediate liking to Remy; she'd liked him even more after he let her out of the freezer and given her something called Gumbo. It had been gross when she was a kid but now was one of the few things Remy made that she would eat. Rogue and Remy considered her to be their kid but that made it worse.
No one, parents or not, wanted to hear that the five-year-old that used to steal their shoes and hide under the bed, or that the fifteen-year-old that played an off-key trumpet and argued in Spanish against French for fun, was now twenty-three-years-old and pregnant. Husband absent, father of the baby currently in Canada.
"Angel."
The sharply spoken way of the name drew her thoughts away from thinking about her so-called parents. "What...?"
"How are you going to tell Julius?" Nanaki came over and sat down beside her with the expression of someone that was concerned. Most of her anger had vanished within the few silent moments. "I don't think you can call Canada cheap..."
She was silent a moment then sighed. "He'll be back in three days. It was part of his current job to go there," she explained, twisting the ends of the pillow before chunking it across the room and knocking over something. She scowled. "I hate 'im."
"No, you don't. I'll make you something that's not fast food, we'll eat, and you can talk to me about anything you want...." Her words trailed off at Angel's sick look then quick bolt into the bathroom followed by retching.
"Are there nine months of this? I threw up something green and the last thing I ate was a few bites of Chinese food. Does that always happen?" Angel asked upon her exit, curling up in one of the chairs and pulling a blanket over her head. She stared at the backwards pattern but didn't remove her blanket.
"Morning sickness goes away after the first few months; about the fourth month you start to swell up like a balloon. I can't vouche for the green thing..."
"I hate Julius."
Nanaki gave up commenting and returned to the stove. "You do know that Remy's going to charge Julius and send him back to Canada in a wooden box, right?"
"Nanaki!"
Luigi's Pasta House (fake resteraunt)
"What do you want to eat, Tara?"
Tara blinked and realized for the first time that she'd been staring at the menu, without seeing any of its choices, for the last five minutes. "Uh...spaghetti and meatballs with uh, that bread stuff is fine," she mumbled, quickly, sweeping the menu once then putting it down. She avoided looking at her dinner partner after the waiter was gone with their food.
"Tara, what's wrong for real?" Landon asked, taking one of her hands in his and holding it. He studied her as if trying to find some hidden meaning in her face.
She shook her head, forcing a smile into place. "I'm fine. My classes at the university just make me tired, but I'm fine." She smiled and began to play with the salt shaker, pulling out packets and pouring them onto a spoon. She mixed some pepper in, stirring it around with her knife.
"Stop playing with the salt and pepper. I want to have your full attention, but I don't think I'm getting it. There's something bothering you; what is it?"
Tara shook her head then poured the mixture under the table around their feet. "Angel made a strange comment. Maybe you could help me with it...?" she asked, changing subjects and pulling her hand away to cross her arms, defensively.
"Maybe. What was her comment?"
"She said that you wanted to talk to me about something. I was just curious about what it was..." She trailed off in an attempt to get him to finish the sentence and explain things.
Landon choked on the drink of soda he'd just taken, barely avoiding making a water fountain across the resteraunt. "It's nothing. Everyone knows Angel's crazy, Tara. I have no clue what she could have thought up that I'd have to tell you," he attempted to brush it off, but there was something dishonest in the way he met her gaze and held it. She could read something undescribable there. "Oh, look, our waiter."
Tara sighed, scowling down at the basket of condiments that was between them.
The waiter set down their food, spaghetti with meatballs and bread, arranging it in some cute design that was more disturbing then anything. He retreated upon refilling their glasses, checking around eight times if they needed anything; he gave up when it became apparant he was being ignored.
"I hate annoying waiters." Landon began to eat, saying nothing else through their meal.
"I think you hate everyone or at least claim to," Tara pointed out, eating more of her spaghetti and bread. She ate at a slow pace to give him time to say anything he wanted to.
He said nothing.
They finished dinner in silence except comments about how good the food was or talking about doing something afterwards. She vetoed the option, making up the lie that she had a headache. She didn't feel like sitting through any more useless, empty conversations.
"Did I do something wrong, Tara...?"
"No. I just have a headache," she lied, playing with her straw before taking another drink.
Landon sat there a moment then held out one of his hands to her, holding the other under the table. "Give me your hand, Tara," he said, waiting for her to give him her hand before bringing out his other hand. Something was held in it from the curled way he had it resting. "I know I'm not in the right line of work or even a first rate choice but...will you marry me Tara?"
He held out the box and opened it, showing her the gold ring band with it's small jewel.
Tara gaped a moment then stared, trying to focus on an answer. "I think I have to ask Logan's permission first," she said, quietly but without looking away from him.
He laughed, shaking his head and slipping the ring onto her finger. "You can ask him later. What's your decision?"
"Yes."
Landon stared at her as if confused then smiled. "Good, now let's go before our waiter returns," he said, jotting a note on a napkin and putting it under one of the plates. He caught her hand and pulled her outside before she could see what it said. "It was just a tip," he passed off when she questioned their abrupt leave and the written on napkin.
Her expression turned amused but also disapproving. "What does this one say, Landon...?"
" Next time do a better job. The guy had it coming..."
"Landon!"
He smiled then kissed her to cut off any further speech. She gave up on trying to talk to him and instead kissed him back, leaning up, slightly, to wrap her arms around his neck.
Logan would not be pleased to find out the five-year-old that used to cut up his magazines and memorize his curse words for later uses, or the fifteen-year-old that banged on drums and brought her seventeen-year-old boyfriend home to have dinner with her family, was engaged to be married. Her new fiancee also worked for one of the 'bad guys' that spelled his name wrong until a few years ago and spent long periods of time in other countries or states, breaking laws or finding loop holes.
"You're thinking too hard."
Tara sighed. "I was trying to place Logan's reaction when I tell him that you asked me to marry you. He's going to kill you..."
"Hello, Australia."
"Landon!"
The Apartment (later that night)
"Nanaki? Angel?"
Angel looked away from the tv at her best friend's interest. "Hey, Tara. How was your date?" she asked, knowing Landon had intended to propse to her that day. She'd read his mind because he'd looked like someone going to the gallows; the poor guy probably thought she'd say no.
"Interesting. You can come in, Landon...it's just Angel and Nanaki," Tara said before coming in completely but leaving the door open.
You're letting him stay when I could be preggers with one of his best friend's kid?! You're crazy.
Calm down. He won't stay long and we'll just not mention it
Tasha better not come home until he's gone.
Nanaki's voice came from one of the bedrooms. "Is that Tara and Landon? I can hear them from a mile away."
"You're not a mile away, Nanaki."
She came out of the room, smiling and holding a book. "I never knew Natasha read books. I thought she stopped reading beyond magazines and Self-Help books. Hi, Landon, Tara.."
"Hello, Nanaki." Tara frowned, looking at her friend. Something was obviously wrong from the many stupid comments she was making and the fact that she hadn't thrown something at Landon yet. "Are you planning to go home tonight?"
"I don't think so. Why go home when I can stay with my girls...?"
That was even weirder. Nanaki usually referred to them by their names or called them 'those two/three', depending on how many of them were present. Her expression was even worse since it looked much too bright and vibrant for her.
"Uh-huh. Ohh! What a pretty ring, Tara." Angel picked up her hand to study the ring, but her smirk was evidence enough.
"You knew," Tara accused but with no real conviction. She shrugged, helplessly, at Landon's questioning look. "I tell her to stay out of your mind and she tunes me out."
There was a gasp from Nanaki then she threw her arms around both Tara and Landon, hugging them. "I'm so proud of you both!"
In the next instant, her eyes turned red as she pulled away and began to laugh. "It'll never work."
"Go away, Celesta." (check bottom for note on this)
Celesta continued to laugh a moment then was gone.
"Is she drunk?" Landon asked, tightening the arm he'd kept around Tara.
She nodded then turned back toward the door. "Yeah, oddly enough. I think you need to go; I'll see you tomorrow. Night, Landon." Tara leaned up and kissed him on the cheek before shutting the door and then turning back to the remaining two in the room. "What happened to Nanaki? I thought she was unable to get drunk...?"
Angel sighed. "She isn't. I think she's faking to make everything seem like a weird dream or the product of a hangar; neither of which she'll get," she explained with a shrug before walking back toward the bathroom.
What did I do to deserve this...?
"I think you're just lucky. What's a plus sign mean, Tara...?" she asked upon coming back into the room, holding what must have been the pregnancy test.
Her mouth dropped open with another look at Nanaki who was again drinking. "I think I figured out what's wrong with Nanaki..."
"Really? What?"
"You're pregnant, Angel."
"I hate Julius."
"Ditto."
"I second the thought."
"I'll call Remy tomorrow..."
Note:
Nanaki has a split personality-Celesta-from when she was younger. Her other personality is rather violent and in many opinions evil; she shows up sometimes but not very often. Celesta's eyes are red or Nanaki's turn red instead of their normal green. Now you know...Celesta.
Chapter Two: Too Many Yeses, Not Enough Nos
"How hard is it to practice safe sex, Angel Elizabeth Blade-Lebeau? It can't be that hard since I'm sure your little boyfriend isn't ready to have a kid. Speaking of which, where is Kanteon?" Nanaki asked, pacing the length of their living room. She stopped for a moment to glare at the object of her questions and also anger.
Angel frowned. "...Canada..."
"Canada? You're pregnant and he's IN CANADA?!"
"It's a possibility, Nanaki. I didn't even have a guess that I could be until this morning when Natasha mentioned it...please don't kill Julius."
Nanaki stopped pacing and shook her head, chuckling. "I'm the least of your problems, Angel. Think about what Remy, Rogue, or even Logan are going to do if you are," she offered, feeling slightly guilty when Angel began to cry. She walked into the kitchen then returned with a box of tissues. "Crying isn't going to solve anything. Stop crying."
"Remy's gonna kill 'im," she said, but her tears gradually stopped and she wiped at both her eyes then used another tissue to below her nose. She hugged her pillow again. "I don't want 'im to die, Nanaki."
"When will you have an answer?"
"I should know by the time Tasha and Tara get home. Will you still be here?" she asked without looking away from playing with her pillow. She hugged it tighter and stared at the blank tv for a moment, frowning.
"Mort's watching Santiago so yes, I will be here. Would you prefer if I wasn't present...?"
Angel shook her head. "Better you then Rogue or Remy. They're gonna kill me or Julius one...maybe both."
Rogue and Remy had raised her since five when she was abandoned on the X-Men's doorstep with Tara and a message from her parents, a message to wait. She'd taken an immediate liking to Remy; she'd liked him even more after he let her out of the freezer and given her something called Gumbo. It had been gross when she was a kid but now was one of the few things Remy made that she would eat. Rogue and Remy considered her to be their kid but that made it worse.
No one, parents or not, wanted to hear that the five-year-old that used to steal their shoes and hide under the bed, or that the fifteen-year-old that played an off-key trumpet and argued in Spanish against French for fun, was now twenty-three-years-old and pregnant. Husband absent, father of the baby currently in Canada.
"Angel."
The sharply spoken way of the name drew her thoughts away from thinking about her so-called parents. "What...?"
"How are you going to tell Julius?" Nanaki came over and sat down beside her with the expression of someone that was concerned. Most of her anger had vanished within the few silent moments. "I don't think you can call Canada cheap..."
She was silent a moment then sighed. "He'll be back in three days. It was part of his current job to go there," she explained, twisting the ends of the pillow before chunking it across the room and knocking over something. She scowled. "I hate 'im."
"No, you don't. I'll make you something that's not fast food, we'll eat, and you can talk to me about anything you want...." Her words trailed off at Angel's sick look then quick bolt into the bathroom followed by retching.
"Are there nine months of this? I threw up something green and the last thing I ate was a few bites of Chinese food. Does that always happen?" Angel asked upon her exit, curling up in one of the chairs and pulling a blanket over her head. She stared at the backwards pattern but didn't remove her blanket.
"Morning sickness goes away after the first few months; about the fourth month you start to swell up like a balloon. I can't vouche for the green thing..."
"I hate Julius."
Nanaki gave up commenting and returned to the stove. "You do know that Remy's going to charge Julius and send him back to Canada in a wooden box, right?"
"Nanaki!"
Luigi's Pasta House (fake resteraunt)
"What do you want to eat, Tara?"
Tara blinked and realized for the first time that she'd been staring at the menu, without seeing any of its choices, for the last five minutes. "Uh...spaghetti and meatballs with uh, that bread stuff is fine," she mumbled, quickly, sweeping the menu once then putting it down. She avoided looking at her dinner partner after the waiter was gone with their food.
"Tara, what's wrong for real?" Landon asked, taking one of her hands in his and holding it. He studied her as if trying to find some hidden meaning in her face.
She shook her head, forcing a smile into place. "I'm fine. My classes at the university just make me tired, but I'm fine." She smiled and began to play with the salt shaker, pulling out packets and pouring them onto a spoon. She mixed some pepper in, stirring it around with her knife.
"Stop playing with the salt and pepper. I want to have your full attention, but I don't think I'm getting it. There's something bothering you; what is it?"
Tara shook her head then poured the mixture under the table around their feet. "Angel made a strange comment. Maybe you could help me with it...?" she asked, changing subjects and pulling her hand away to cross her arms, defensively.
"Maybe. What was her comment?"
"She said that you wanted to talk to me about something. I was just curious about what it was..." She trailed off in an attempt to get him to finish the sentence and explain things.
Landon choked on the drink of soda he'd just taken, barely avoiding making a water fountain across the resteraunt. "It's nothing. Everyone knows Angel's crazy, Tara. I have no clue what she could have thought up that I'd have to tell you," he attempted to brush it off, but there was something dishonest in the way he met her gaze and held it. She could read something undescribable there. "Oh, look, our waiter."
Tara sighed, scowling down at the basket of condiments that was between them.
The waiter set down their food, spaghetti with meatballs and bread, arranging it in some cute design that was more disturbing then anything. He retreated upon refilling their glasses, checking around eight times if they needed anything; he gave up when it became apparant he was being ignored.
"I hate annoying waiters." Landon began to eat, saying nothing else through their meal.
"I think you hate everyone or at least claim to," Tara pointed out, eating more of her spaghetti and bread. She ate at a slow pace to give him time to say anything he wanted to.
He said nothing.
They finished dinner in silence except comments about how good the food was or talking about doing something afterwards. She vetoed the option, making up the lie that she had a headache. She didn't feel like sitting through any more useless, empty conversations.
"Did I do something wrong, Tara...?"
"No. I just have a headache," she lied, playing with her straw before taking another drink.
Landon sat there a moment then held out one of his hands to her, holding the other under the table. "Give me your hand, Tara," he said, waiting for her to give him her hand before bringing out his other hand. Something was held in it from the curled way he had it resting. "I know I'm not in the right line of work or even a first rate choice but...will you marry me Tara?"
He held out the box and opened it, showing her the gold ring band with it's small jewel.
Tara gaped a moment then stared, trying to focus on an answer. "I think I have to ask Logan's permission first," she said, quietly but without looking away from him.
He laughed, shaking his head and slipping the ring onto her finger. "You can ask him later. What's your decision?"
"Yes."
Landon stared at her as if confused then smiled. "Good, now let's go before our waiter returns," he said, jotting a note on a napkin and putting it under one of the plates. He caught her hand and pulled her outside before she could see what it said. "It was just a tip," he passed off when she questioned their abrupt leave and the written on napkin.
Her expression turned amused but also disapproving. "What does this one say, Landon...?"
" Next time do a better job. The guy had it coming..."
"Landon!"
He smiled then kissed her to cut off any further speech. She gave up on trying to talk to him and instead kissed him back, leaning up, slightly, to wrap her arms around his neck.
Logan would not be pleased to find out the five-year-old that used to cut up his magazines and memorize his curse words for later uses, or the fifteen-year-old that banged on drums and brought her seventeen-year-old boyfriend home to have dinner with her family, was engaged to be married. Her new fiancee also worked for one of the 'bad guys' that spelled his name wrong until a few years ago and spent long periods of time in other countries or states, breaking laws or finding loop holes.
"You're thinking too hard."
Tara sighed. "I was trying to place Logan's reaction when I tell him that you asked me to marry you. He's going to kill you..."
"Hello, Australia."
"Landon!"
The Apartment (later that night)
"Nanaki? Angel?"
Angel looked away from the tv at her best friend's interest. "Hey, Tara. How was your date?" she asked, knowing Landon had intended to propse to her that day. She'd read his mind because he'd looked like someone going to the gallows; the poor guy probably thought she'd say no.
"Interesting. You can come in, Landon...it's just Angel and Nanaki," Tara said before coming in completely but leaving the door open.
You're letting him stay when I could be preggers with one of his best friend's kid?! You're crazy.
Calm down. He won't stay long and we'll just not mention it
Tasha better not come home until he's gone.
Nanaki's voice came from one of the bedrooms. "Is that Tara and Landon? I can hear them from a mile away."
"You're not a mile away, Nanaki."
She came out of the room, smiling and holding a book. "I never knew Natasha read books. I thought she stopped reading beyond magazines and Self-Help books. Hi, Landon, Tara.."
"Hello, Nanaki." Tara frowned, looking at her friend. Something was obviously wrong from the many stupid comments she was making and the fact that she hadn't thrown something at Landon yet. "Are you planning to go home tonight?"
"I don't think so. Why go home when I can stay with my girls...?"
That was even weirder. Nanaki usually referred to them by their names or called them 'those two/three', depending on how many of them were present. Her expression was even worse since it looked much too bright and vibrant for her.
"Uh-huh. Ohh! What a pretty ring, Tara." Angel picked up her hand to study the ring, but her smirk was evidence enough.
"You knew," Tara accused but with no real conviction. She shrugged, helplessly, at Landon's questioning look. "I tell her to stay out of your mind and she tunes me out."
There was a gasp from Nanaki then she threw her arms around both Tara and Landon, hugging them. "I'm so proud of you both!"
In the next instant, her eyes turned red as she pulled away and began to laugh. "It'll never work."
"Go away, Celesta." (check bottom for note on this)
Celesta continued to laugh a moment then was gone.
"Is she drunk?" Landon asked, tightening the arm he'd kept around Tara.
She nodded then turned back toward the door. "Yeah, oddly enough. I think you need to go; I'll see you tomorrow. Night, Landon." Tara leaned up and kissed him on the cheek before shutting the door and then turning back to the remaining two in the room. "What happened to Nanaki? I thought she was unable to get drunk...?"
Angel sighed. "She isn't. I think she's faking to make everything seem like a weird dream or the product of a hangar; neither of which she'll get," she explained with a shrug before walking back toward the bathroom.
What did I do to deserve this...?
"I think you're just lucky. What's a plus sign mean, Tara...?" she asked upon coming back into the room, holding what must have been the pregnancy test.
Her mouth dropped open with another look at Nanaki who was again drinking. "I think I figured out what's wrong with Nanaki..."
"Really? What?"
"You're pregnant, Angel."
"I hate Julius."
"Ditto."
"I second the thought."
"I'll call Remy tomorrow..."
Note:
Nanaki has a split personality-Celesta-from when she was younger. Her other personality is rather violent and in many opinions evil; she shows up sometimes but not very often. Celesta's eyes are red or Nanaki's turn red instead of their normal green. Now you know...Celesta.