Okay.  Here it is.  This is THE chapter

Up way too late writing this.  Work in the morning. 

Ahhhhhhh! 

But I just had to write it.  Enjoy

Thanks to all my reviewers.  Hope this lives up to expectation.

Love and War

Mattie was shaken awake to find Rogue standing over her.

"Good. You're awake. Get up. We've got training."

Still not entirely sure that she was in the land of the living Mattie stared blearily up at her. Rogue. In her uniform. In Mattie's room. Standing over her. Not wearing a smiling face. Her brain attempted to make a connection and gave up. Mattie looked at her clock.

She'd overslept.

She was meant to be in a training session.

Rogue had come to get her.

Shit.

"Inaminuet. Justgivemeaminuet." She mumbled.

"No." Rogue hauled the covers off her. "Now. Get moving."

"I just need ten more minuets." Mattie protested, making an unsuccessful attempt to reclaim the cover.

"Hey guys." Paige protested from depth of her bed. "Take it outside will you. Some of us need our beauty sleep."

"Logan told me about what you and Bobby got up to last night." Rogue told Mattie, ignoring Paige.

"Hang on." Paige sat up. "Rewind. What was that? You and Bobby did what now?"

"Nothing." Mattie muttered.

"If you two are going one on one, then you are the one whose gonna win." Rogue told her. "Ah'm not having frostbite lording it over us."

"One on one?" Paige asked. "What happened?"

"What do you care anyway?" Mattie asked, slowly coming awake.

"Ah trained you." Rogue stated. "Ah'm not having the snowman beat you."

"What did you guys get up too?" Paige asked.

"Well I don't want him to beat me either."

"Right then." Rogue nodded. "Ah think that you need to get some serious practice in."

"Don't you think I stand a better chance of beating him if I'm fully rested? I mean I was up half the night. I can't fight well on only four hours sleep."

"Up half the night? Why? What were you doing? Tell me!" Paige wailed.

"Practice." Rogue rummaged through Mattie's wardrobe and pulled out her uniform. "Ah want you ready and in the Danger room in five minuets."

"Could you make it ten?" Mattie wheedled.

"What happened?" Paige repeated.

"Five. Get moving." Rogue turned on her heels and walked out.

"Am I invisible?" Paige asked. "What happened?"

"Trust me you do not want to know." Mattie told her, heading out the room to the bathroom.

"Yes I do!" Paige howled after her.

X

Rogue put Mattie through her paces. Then upped the ante and put her through those as well.

"Rogue." Mattie sighed. "Enough. Bobby won't have to beat me. You're doing his job for him."

Rogue squared up to her. "Come on."

Mattie sighed, but assumed her fighting position and waited for Rogue's first move. Punch, punch, kick, swing, duck, blow, counter attack, dodge, strike, down, roll, up, dive, leap, kick, punch.

Rogue kept her at it for a good thirty minuets straight. Then she stepped back and relaxed her posture. She gave one of her rare smiles. "Ah think you'll do."

"Gee, thanks for your confidence."

"Knock him dead."

Mattie gave a small grin. "Will do."

X

Mattie showered then headed back to her room. She was seized the second she entered the room. She found herself thrown into a chair by Paige.

"All right. We want details."

Paige had rounded up support in the form of Jubilee, Tabitha and Amara. Mattie looked from one face to another. They all looked far too grim.

"The others want to know as well." Paige continued. "But we thought that a smaller group would be easier to talk to."

Mattie looked at them, easy to talk to was not the first thought that sprang to mind. She tried to get up and was pushed back down.

Amara nodded at her. "Spill."

"Now." Jubilee added.

All four girls closed in on her, waiting for Mattie to crack.

"What?" Mattie asked, playing for time. What had Bobby said? Would he collaborate with her story? How much detail had he gone into. She didn't feel ready to describe her closet experience with anyone right now. Besides she wasn't sure of anything to do with Bobby. One second he seemed almost nice, the next he was shouting and screaming at her.

"You know what!" Tabby snapped at her. "Don't play dumb with us!"

"What happened between you and Bobby?" Paige eyed her suspiciously. "Tell us."

"Nothing."

"Bull shit." Tabby spat.

"Why are you two sentenced to the Danger room then?" Amara asked.

"What did Bobby say?"

Tabitha sniffed derisively.

"Not much." Paige told her.

"Called us a group of bitches is what he did." Amara said angrily.

"He wasn't very helpful, not very forthcoming with information." Jubilee said. She smiled brightly. "We think that you'll do better."

Mattie froze under her smile. The CIA had nothing on these girls. She ran the night through in her mind. Broken down into facts, the night was fairly innocuous. There really wasn't anything there at all. All her feelings, the fluttering in her stomach was down to her ideas of what Bobby might or might not have been thinking at any moment. And seeing as how she had no idea what he'd been thinking. She could leave that bit out. So that left the actual factual event of the night. That was all she could tell them. She could do that.

"Logan caught us up after hours."

"Ah ha!" Paige cried. "Now we're getting somewhere."

Amara pressed home the advantage. "Why were you up?"

"I heard a noise and assumed it was Bobby setting up some prank to get back at me. I found him in the hall busy setting something up. We argued, and then heard Logan on the prowl. We ran and hid. He caught us."

"So how come the one of one?" Jubilee asked.

Mattie shrugged. "Better than more pranks I guess. They must know what's going on. Come on. The Professor is a telepath. You're telling me that he doesn't know exactly what's been happening?"

Jubilee nodded thoughtfully. "She's got a point."

"Busted." Paige muttered.

"Too bad you guys got caught." Amara gave Mattie a sympathetic smile.

The four girls moved back slightly, Mattie breathed easier.

"Do you reckon this will end it?" Tabitha asked.

Mattie shrugged. "It was getting kinda dull. Hard to think up anything new."

"So what was Bobby up to?" Jubilee asked.

Mattie shrugged. "Not sure. Whatever it was he didn't have time to finish it. Lucky I caught him really."

"Why didn't you wake me?" Paige sounded reproachful. "I would have helped you."

"I wasn't sure that it was Bobby. It could have been anything. I didn't want to get you up on a wild Iceman chase." Mattie said then she grinned. "Now if it's all right with the Mutant Inquisition, I need some breakfast."

X

Suited up and feeling full of encouraging words from the girls, Mattie squared up to Bobby. Or Iceman. She found that it was easier to visualise winning if she narrowed him down to his code name. Logan was already suited up and stalking around them making them sweat. Everyone else had been banned. Ray was running odds of who would win, and there had been a crowd outside the Danger room when Mattie and Bobby had approached. Wolverine had sorted that out by ushering Chase and Iceman in, then slamming the doors shut. The moans of protest cut off by the thick set doors.

"Alright." Wolverine eyed them angrily. "You two can fight out your little war in here. Away from others and without causing anymore trouble around here."

Busted.

They so knew. They all knew.

Mattie bit her lip. She guessed that they were getting off lightly, considering. She glanced at Iceman. He smirked at her. Arsehole.

Wolverine glared at them one last time then headed up to the control booth.

Iceman and Chase circled each other for a while, trying to get an idea of how the other would play this out. The made a few feints, trying to see if the other would go for it.

Mattie glared at Iceman. "Ready?" She asked, and then started towards him.

"Oh yeah." He started to ice up the floor between them.

Mattie slipped on the ice and worked on her balance, keeping herself upright. She was not going to fall flat on her face right in front of him.

"Come on, Drew." Bobby hissed. "Impress me."

Sliding, Mattie leapt into a handstand. Pushing off with her hands she launched herself at Iceman and kicked him squarely in the chest, knocking him off his feet and sending him onto his back.

"How was that?" She asked, looking down at him with a raised eyebrow.

Iceman leapt to his feet and managed to block her first punch. She swung at him again catching him a glancing blow. They whirled around each other, blows lashing out. Then Bobby reared back.

"Okay. We've had it your way. Now it's my turn." With that he started firing icicles at her. Mattie backed up then started to retreat under the barrage. Iceman pressed his advantage, icicles flying like machine gun bullets. Mattie called on her advantage and ran, ice hitting the floor just behind her heels.

Chase was good. Bobby could see that. He wasn't going to catch her; she was too fast for him. And he wanted to get her. Her early advantage of landing him flat on his back had wounded his pride. Payback time. He changed his tactic and started to aim the icicles just in front of her. Chase caught herself on the first one but managed to regain her balance. She kept going, dodging, and leaping over the obstacles that he put in her path. She swerved left then right, and then jumped over a large block of ice. She'd almost cleared it; her toe just clipped the edge. It was enough to send her crashing to the floor. Bobby smirked.

"How's the weather down there?"

"Frosty." She kicked herself upright and landed a punch in his midsection. Iceman double over, but blocked her next blow and countered with one of his own that made her back up. They circled each other again. Looking for an opening. He started it this time. Launching the attack with a kick. She blocked him as he'd anticipated and this brought her in close enough for him to deliver a blow to her shoulder, knocking her own swing out. She thanked him for this with a round horse kick.

"You shouldn't hit girls." She chastised him, catching his arm and twisting it.

"If you see one, let me know." He grunted, freeing himself and re-launching an attack.

She wasn't trying. Bobby ducked her swing and swung at her on his way back up. She blocked and whirled away into a better position. He'd seen her in action. There was no way that she was hitting him with her full strength. She'd almost knock the cupboard door off its hinges. He'd seen her send a punching back soaring across the room. When she lent her speed to her punches she could send people through walls. He was going to be bruised in the morning, but so far he hadn't been through a wall. Not that he was going all out either. No matter how much she annoyed him, he couldn't bring himself to seriously pound on her. He tried not to think that it was because she looked so good in her skin-tight uniform. It gave her an unfair advantage really. He had to keep dragging his eyes away from her very appealing figure. And the fact that it really did show off all the right curves. He was rewarded for this thought by a box round the ears. Concentrate! He snapped at himself.

Mattie backed up as Iceman started on the offensive. She ducked and dodged. That last blow must have pissed him off. He was taking serious swings at her. She dropped down and knocked his legs out from under him with a sweeping kick. Iceman landed flat on his back for the second time. He glared up at her. Mattie smiled sweetly and blew him a kiss.

Alright that did it! He'd had enough. Bobby got to his feet. He was either going to pound her really hard or...

Mattie moved into a boxing crouch as Iceman climbed to his feet. He looked really pissed. She moved cautiously, keeping an eye on him. He dusted himself down then threw himself back into the fight with a flurry of movement. They danced around each other. Blow for blow, blocking, punching, kicking, and dodging. It seemed to Mattie that Bobby was moving almost as fast as she was. Each blow and counter blow snapping back and forth and over in an instant. They finally broke apart, taking a few precious seconds to draw breath and regroup.

Chase was breathing heavily; he knew that he was too. But it was her chest that was catching his attention. Rising and falling with each breath. God damn it the girl was hot! Her eyes caught his and she flashed him a grin.

"Give up yet?"

Iceman glared at her, as frostily as his name. Mattie smirked and took a deep breath. If they were going to go again then she needed a moment to recover. She rolled her shoulders to stretch the muscles in her back, and then flexed to work out the kinks.

Iceman eyed her steadily. "Drew." He lunged at her, grabbed a handful of her costume and jerked her towards him. "Come here." Hauling her into his arms he kissed her.

For a moment Mattie was too stunned to move. Then, at the insistence of Bobby's tongue she parted her lips and let the tip of her tongue touch his. The reaction was like a bolt of electricity shooting through her entire body. Every single part of her was alive and reacting to Bobby's touch. She wound her arms around his neck, her fingers raking thorough his hair. She curled them into the hair at the nape of his neck as the kiss deepened. Bobby's hands held her tightly to him, she could feel them, and she could feel each and every finger, burning their way through her uniform. Bobby's tongue was dancing its way across hers, her knees felt like they were made of water and she was entirely thankful for Bobby's strong arms holding her up.

"When you two have quite finished."

They sprang apart. Legs still feeling like jelly, Mattie staggered slightly. Bobby reached out to steady her.

Wolverine was scowling at them. "I think that you're done for today. You can hit the showers. And by the look of it, they'd better be cold ones."

Mattie flushed, Bobby merely grinned at him. "Yes Sir."

X

In the shower Mattie tried to think. Her brain felt like it was wrapped in cotton wool. What the hell had happened? Well, Bobby had kissed her and then her brain had pretty much shut down. She remembered leaving the Danger room and finding the rest of the Institute waiting for them. Everyone crowding round, wanting to know what had happened, who'd won. Bobby had told them that it had ended in a draw. There were groans as people realised that they'd lost their bet. Ray just grinned like the cat who got the cream. When Mattie and Bobby had left to get in the shower, he'd been surrounded by people who wanted their money back. They'd split up to get showered. They were meant to change and then give the others a description of the fight. What was she meant to say? What was Bobby going to say? He'd kissed her! He'd kissed her! He'd kissed her! So what the hell did that mean? The warm water pounded on her back, soothing out the knots from the fight. It had been a good fight, with a less than expected ending. What was all that about? Did Bobby like her? He must do, he was the one who'd kissed her. God he was a good kisser! Mattie sighed as she re-lived the moment.

"Oi! You planning on living in there! Hurry up!" Tabitha shouted through the door.

Mattie jumped. She bit her lip nervously. She'd have to face, Bobby and the rest of them. And she had no idea how to play it.

X

Everybody was in the Rec room by the time that she got there. Bobby was in full swing, recounting the fight. She stepped nervously into the room. Paige beckoned her over to where she sat; there was hardly anywhere left to sit, Mattie perched on the edge of the sofa.

"My partner in crime." Bobby said with a grin. He winked at her.

"So what happened next?" Jamie asked.

"Where was I?" Bobby asked.

"Flat on your back." Jubilee told him.

"For the second time." Tabitha added. This got a laugh.

Bobby gave her a glare and then moved on. "So anyway. We're going at it, punches, kicks, and the works..."

"You okay?" Paige asked frowning up at Mattie.

Mattie nodded. She was totally on edge, her heart was in all likelihood about to be crushed into a thousand pieces, but she was fine.

Paige frowned again but said nothing more.

"We stopped for a breather." Bobby continued. "And then the fight stopped."

"What?"

"Why?"

"How?"

Bobby grinned at his audience, loving the limelight. "Well... It went a little like this."

Grabbing hold of Mattie he pulled her up and into his arms. Then he kissed her with the same devastating passion as he had before. Mattie could hear the whoops and cat calls. She could feel herself blushing deep red. She knew that she should be furious with Bobby. But somehow she couldn't find it in herself to be even slightly irritated. Instead she threw herself into the moment and felt a surge of disappointment when Bobby let her go.

Paige was smirking at her.

"I knew it!" Jubilee was hugging Tabitha. "Didn't I tell you? I knew it!"

"I don't think she minded too much." Bobby said, his arm wrapped possessively around her. His gaze met hers and for a second her look nervous. "Did you?"

"Not as long as you promise to repeat the performance." Mattie told him.

Bobby raised an eyebrow and grinned wickedly. "I think that can be arranged." And he did so.

"Get a room!" Ray yelled.

Tabitha covered her eyes. "Jubes this is all your fault!"

"I've created a monster." Jubilee muttered, doing her best not to look at the new couple.