Sparky Genocide: You know you're right about that. I got a few ideas brewing for future conflicts already in other stories.
TheLegendaryManHimself: Yes you will see some of that in this chapter. As for the single girls I know. I mean the only single boys are Alex, Forge & Roberto and I need to hook them up. Although I got something planned with Alex and Illyana is out of the picture now.
Red Witch: You know it, and the Hellions haven't even arrived yet.
SiriusAboutMarauders: Yes he is, but he's perfect as that you got to admit and yes you will see a little of those two getting together plus a few more.
slickboy444: Yeah I'm going for some Kiotr in this story now. As for Jean's reaction I say turn about it fair play. If Scott had to go through all that crap with Duncan I way it's Jean's turn.
Ruby631: Personal experience about that? Yeah I know I just wanted someone to ruffle Jean's feathers a little and she could always do that.
Ldypebsaby: well I think she's just a bad girl not evil. And yes Kitty and Piotr will get a little close in this one.
The Uncanny R-Man: You're welcome, and you know that triangle will be fun to watch down the road. Yes when Amara stands up to Selene in a fight you know it will be good.
Thanks to: X00001, DemonRogue13
ADJUSTMENTS
CHAPTER 15: NEW RELATIONSHIPS
It was another day at Xavier's School and Xavier himself was busy doing research into the new school opening up. After Wanda, Amara and Tabitha had returned he was very concerned by what they had learned. Plus the fact that Scott told him about the encounter that he and Jean had, Xavier doubted it was just a coincidence either.
He had spent the majority of yesterday trying to find information on this new school and any information on Emma Frost or this Selene. But he doubted he would get much on Selene if she was what Amara claimed she was.
Xavier leaned back while in the Cerebro chamber. The new computer systems that Forge had made during their last upgrade allowed him a vast computing power now in the room, but he was still getting nowhere fast. So far he found out that this 'Hellion' school was being backed by a group known as the Hellfire Club.
As soon as he heard the name he didn't like the sound of things. So far he only found out the Emma Frost was some kind of teaching assistant there and a Miss. Selene Gallio was in charge of the new boarding school. He also found records that Emma was accepted to the same collage as Jean and Scott and he knew this wasn't another coincidence. He tried to find out more about this Hellfire Club but nothing showed up.
He considered letting a couple of certain students who had expertise in gaining computer access a try but decided against it...for now. He would have to wait until he was sure those two were needed. He considered his options and knew that there was a chance he would have to call in a couple of favors. He just hoped that they would agree to this.
Outside Piotr was out near the pool sketching in his book. Well he was trying to, but his eye kept wandering to Kitty not too far away talking with some of the other girls by a table. They were what he guessed was called gossiping. He didn't understand when it happened but he was starting to develop strong feelings for Kitty. He closed his sketchbook unable to fully concentrate anymore. He got up and decided to put the book away in his room.
The girls at one of the tables were Dani, Kitty, Amanda and Blink. They were just talking about anything, at least until Dani notice that when he was still there Piotr there stealing glances at their way every now and then. "Looks like you're admirer is still interested." She said smiling to Kitty.
The other girls took a quick look as Piotr's head was down drawing. "Oh so the new guy has it for you does he?" Amanda said grinning to Kitty.
Kitty blushed. "Well...h-he's like a nice guy." She tried to say blushing slightly.
Blink sighed and rested her head on her hand. "You're so lucky to have a cute guy after you."
"Yeah tell me about it." Dani said. "Including the time spent underground I haven't had a guy interested in me for years." She said slightly depressed.
Amanda felt a little awkward seeing she was the only one in a relationship at the moment. "I'm sure you two will find someone." Amanda said trying to bring them up.
"Hey I'm still single." Kitty said.
"Please I've seen the way you two have been looking at each other." Dani said to her roommate. "Why not just go up and ask him out already?"
"I-I just don't know." She replied biting her lower lip.
"Kitty this doesn't have something to do with your breakup with Lance does it?" Amanda asked her putting her hand on Kitty's. Everyone had known she had taken the break up hard. "Are you still not over him or something?"
Kitty's face fell at the mention of Lance and she just shrugged. "I don't know. I mean looking back on it I knew we couldn't make it work but...it just hurt so much to break it off." She said sadly.
Blink tilted her head slightly. "Kitty, you're not afraid of going through that with Piotr are you?"
"Well..." Kitty said shuffling a little and started to rub her left arm.
"Kitty you can't just let that stop you." Dani told her. "What happens, happens. You can't just let yourself be intimidated by what could happen."
"Yeah I saw go for it." Amanda told her. "I mean if I didn't, Kurt and I wouldn't be together now and look at us now."
PAIGE & SARAH'S ROOM
Paige was looking for some new clothing she wanted to wear when Sarah walked in. She saw the pile of clothes all over the ground and let out a small growl. "What are you doing?" She asked her roommate seeing the mess.
Paige looked up from the drawer. "Oh sorry, ah'll clean it up ah promise."
"Why are you throwing all you're clothing all over the place?" Sarah demanded. She hated disorder it was one of the things she couldn't stand.
"Well after the last training session this morning with Jamie and Vince, Jamie asked if ah wanted to check out this new arcade in the mall." Paige said looking throw her clothing. "Ah just want to look nice but ah can't decided."
Sarah rolled her eyed. She noticed the girls had a tendency to be like this with only the boys or girl in Gale's case as she caught her doing the same thing earlier that day when she left to meet Amy. Sarah just didn't understand it, why would wearing any other clothing matter to the other person? Didn't they like them for other reasons? It was just one of many things she was trying to understand about normal living.
"So are you and Jamie...dating?" She asked searching for the right word.
"What?" Paige said shocked. "W-w-we're just friends."
Sarah was unconvinced. "I've noticed a few things while staying here. About attraction to another person there are certain sighs I've noticed." She began folding her arms across her chest. "First are things like this, when a person is worried about their looks, another is blushing and other physical signs and then there are the smells."
"Smells?" Paige asked her looking confused.
Sarah nodded. "You can't smell them but I can, nearly all the time too." She said clearly not happy about it. 'No wonder Logan goes out all the time, how does he stand all the smells?' She had to wonder. "Whenever someone is attracted to another I keep getting this smells off of them, their subtle but they're there."
"Ya mean pheromones?" Paige asked her.
Sarah thought about it and she remembered a lesson she had not too long about the subject. "Yes, I think so, anyway the couples all got it and whenever you and Jamie are together I can literally smell the interest you got in each other." She finished rolling her eyes again.
Paige was silent for a moment then she seemed to brightened up. "Ya mean he feels the same?" Sarah nodded and Paige smiled broadly. "Then ah got to get the right thing." She said and went back to the clothing with a vengeance.
Sarah just groaned and walked out of the room hoping she didn't have to clean up after or she might not be able to control her anger. She was still feeling the effects from the latest anger session with Logan a few hours ago.
While the girls were helping out Kitty, Piotr was on his way to his room. He opened the door and saw his roommate Vincent there on his bed what seemed to be drawing in his own book. As soon as the door was open he quickly closed the book.
"Man give a guy some warning." He said slightly annoyed.
"My apologies, I am not used to having to share a room, I will remember to be more curious." He said seriously. Vincent nodded and placed the book in the closet.
"Why do you hide your work if I may ask?" Piotr asked him.
Vince sighed and turned to face the slightly older boy. He scratched the back of his head. "It's just personal to me. I put a lot of myself into it and well...some of what I draw in there are things I need to get out somehow."
Piotr seemed to understand. "So it's like a look into your most person thoughts."
"Some of it yeah." He went back onto his bed. "Plus the only one that knows about it other then you is Rogue of course."
Piotr was silent for a moment then he sat down on his own bed across from Vincent. "Can I ask you, how did you know she was the girl for you?"
Vincent's head popped up and he raised an eyebrow. "Well I'll tell you if you answer a question of mine after." Piotr nodded his head and Vince got a smile on his face and got up. "Well I'd like to say it was love at first sight, but I found her a nice, beautiful girl. At first we were just friends and it just, well, evolved into something more."
"So you just one day found yourself caring for her more then a friend?"
"Pretty much, came as a complete surprise to me too, but I don't regret one moment of it." He said grinning. "Now it's my turn. Is there a girl you're interested in? Actually I think you wouldn't be asking me this if you weren't, so just tell me who."
Piotr shifted uncomfortably a little. "Katya, I mean Kitty."
"Ah." Vince said nodded. "So let me guess you like her but not sure if she likes you?" The other boy nodded. "Well all I can say is take the chance. You never know and you might get a rejection, or your heart broken...but...if she likes you too then it was all worth it."
"You think I should try and ask her out?" Piotr said visibly nervous at the thought.
"What's life without a little risk? I say go for it, or you can torture yourself for who knows how long." Vincent said to him. Piotr thought about this and decided to go and think on things.
"Thank you for the advice." He said to him as he left.
"No problem." He said back with a smile and a small two finger salute with his right hand.
At that moment Kitty was being led inside by her friends. "Guys like come on, I can do this myself." She said trying to wiggle out of their grip.
"Sorry but we have to make sure you don't chicken out." Blink said grinning.
"Don't you guys like have something better to do?" Kitty whined.
"No." All three girls said at once. Then they noticed Piotr walking not too far away heading for the main door.
"Well now's your chance go for it girl." Amanda said pushing her forward.
"Alright, alright." Kitty said slightly annoyed. She took a deep breath and ran forward. "Piotr can I talk to you?"
Piotr quickly turned when he heard her voice. He was going out to think on matters and to see if he wanted to talk to Kitty about how he felt and now here she was. He couldn't help but admire the carefree way she moved and the smile that he thought lit up a room.
Yes he did think she was attractive too but he also saw in her a kind and caring spirit. She was truly a good person and always seemed to try and make those around her happy. She also made his pulse rate clime whenever she was near and he had a tendency to get nervous too.
"Yes Kitty?" he said trying to fight off the waves of nervousness.
"Um...well like you see, I was, just you know and well I ..." Kitty tried to get out what she wanted to say but was always a little nervous at times like this. It didn't help that the other three girls were watching. "Can we do this outside, away from prying eyes." She said giving a look to the three girls.
Piotr noticed the three people watching and quickly nodded his head and opened the door for Kitty and closed it as he left right behind her. The three girls were disappointed that they couldn't watch.
"Now what?" Dani asked.
"I know!" Blink said suddenly as she got an idea.
While outside Kitty and Piotr stopped by the fountain. Neither one of them said anything hoping the other would start things off.
"Kitty/Piotr" Both said at the same time, and they both let out a small laugh.
"Please ladies are first." He said to her.
"Like okay. Well I've like noticed that you've been looking at me at times." He visibly blushed and looked away a little at this. Kitty couldn't help but keep a smile off her face. 'He just looks so adorable like that.' She thought to herself.
"Well I just wanted to let you know that, well, I like you." She said blushing herself and fiddling with one of her bangs.
His head shot up. "You do?" He asked hopefully.
She smiled and nodded. "Yeah I do...so...do you want to like go somewhere?"
He smiled kindly at her. "I would love to escort you somewhere Kitty." He said to her bowing his head slightly. Kitty couldn't help but giggle a little. She liked how he always seemed to act all gentlemanly to her, she never had anyone treat her with such dignity and respect before and she liked it.
She took his arm in hers and they walked off to the front gates.
Little did Kitty and Piotr know that a few of the residents were watching them leave arm in arm. Amanda, Blink and Dani couldn't help but watch them leave from one of the rooms. Even Vincent was looking at them go from one of the windows on the main level with a smile on his face.
"What are ya lookin' at?" He turned slightly to see Rogue coming up to the window next to him. She looked out and saw the two people leaving. "Well it's about tahme she found someone to take her mind off of Lance."
"Yeah, I just hope it last better then that did." Vince said to her.
"Know one can know what exactly the future can hold." Rogue said to her. "And ah used to live with someone would could see the future."
Vince smirked slightly. "Actually I think we got a preview not long ago remember?"
Rogue looked confused then it hit her. "Lady Mayhem?" (1)
Vince nodded. "It's not everyday you see the daughter that could be, even if it was a little weird to actually meet her. At least we know we got a shot at making our relationship last."
Rogue couldn't help but smile at the thought. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around her waist and she did the same. She watched her best friend leave and hoped she would be as happy with Piotr that she was with her own boyfriend.
She also promised that if Piotr hurt Kitty like Lance did then he better run far and run fast from her wrath.
The three girls watched the two of them leave the grounds then pulled away from the window. "Well at least that's over with." Dani said smiling.
"Yeah, so now what?" Amanda asked.
"Well I'm going to the green house now girls. Ororo and me are putting some new plants in today." She said to them.
"You know you two really are getting close." Amanda said. She remembered when Blink first arrived and Ororo had taken the responsibility to care for her.
"Yeah I know." Blink said smiling. "It's...well...it's like having a mom again." She said happily. The other two girls couldn't help but smile at their friend's words.
NEW YORKWarren paced back and forth in his spacious apartment. His parents were finally coming to town. He had been avoiding them for nearly a year, they left countless messages and they knew that he rarely left his apartment.
How they knew he could only guess, the most likely source was that they had hired someone to keep an eye on him. Well it was difficult for him to keep his wings hidden. He had to strap them down which was not only uncomfortable but sometimes painful too if they were bent wrong.
He was mainly a prisoner in his own home, barley able to go out and enjoy life like he had before his wings sprouted. It wasn't easy keeping it a secret now that mutants were know common knowledge to the world. He was able to keep appearances when he needed them for the company since his parents wanted him to take over for them, he had no troubles with that, but he wasn't sure if the other board members would like having a mutant as the head of the company.
And if word of that got out then who knows what the company's stature would be after that. So he left only when he had to, he had no visitors and was alone most of the time and it was killing him inside. He resisted the urge to just fly out into the city, at least in the morning, at night it was safer for him to do so and it was one of the few moments of peace he had.
He knew his parents were just worried but every time he picked up the phone trying to call them and to explain everything to them, he put it back down unable to go through with it. Now the last message he got was that they were coming to see him.
He considered leaving, just opening up the window and fly out, it was easy for a guy with wings after all. But he knew he had to face them eventually. He sat down then waiting for the inevitable as he looked at the clock across the room.
'In two hours the moment I've been dreading will be here.' He thought to himself. 'I think I'd rather go up against Apocalypse again.'
NEXT UP CHAPTER 16: A NEW ARRIVAL
(1) See "Reality Trip: the Lost Chapter" by Ruby 613 for more details