Disclaimer: I still don't own X-men Evolution, which is sad because I could really use some extra cash about now.
Author's note: Sorry I haven't updated this in forever, but I was completely at a loss for how the story should progress. Now my muse has dumped some ideas on me but I'm juggling a couple other stories at the same time. Such is life I guess.
"Gee, she looks like her puppy just died," Amara remarked, studying X-23's sullen features.
"I don't have a puppy," X-23 responded.
"See? She's having loads of fun," Jubilee told her.
X-23 gave her a forlorn look. "This is your kind of fun, not mine."
"Oh...you know what you need?"
"A boy?"X-23 asked.
"Well, that...and something to eat. Let's stop for lunch. Everyone okay with that?" Nods of agreement were all that was needed for Jubilee to grab X-23's hand and drag her through the mall once more.
Pizza, soda, and breadsticks were all that were needed to bring back some liveliness to the huntress's once pallid face. Food was good, no doubt about it. X-23 barely caught a whiff of a familiar scent before the voice confirmed it. "Um, guys," Kitty broke in, "code red. You can get home by yourselves, right?" Nods came from Jubilee, Amara, and Rahne. X-23 stared in wonder as Kitty thanked them and hurried off as quickly as she had arrived.
"Code red," X-23 questioned, looking toward the direction Kitty had hurried off to.
"Basically it means she'll be back when she's good and ready. Social crisis. If she's not back by dinner we're supposed to say she's studying at the library."
"It happens often enough it has a code?"
Rahne studied her for a moment. "Since she's gotten her license? Yes. Or do you mean in general? Combined or just Kitty?"
"Forget I asked," X-23 replied.
Kitty wasn't at dinner but no one seemed opposed to lying to the professor. X-23 could smell the anxiety associated with the lies told to the telepath. She was positive Logan could smell them as well but the Professor seemed blissfully unaware, which X-23 found odd. A telepath should know when he's lied to.
Her companions explained his moral code in regards to reading minds when she later questioned them on it. It didn't make sense to her. If he was gifted why should he stop himself from using it? She couldn't turn off her sense of smell or gifted hearing so why would he choose to cripple himself more than he already was?
X-23 trudged up to her room after an evening of movies and popcorn. Kitty still had yet to appear and X-23 was beginning to feel...guilty? She wasn't sure that was it. A knot had begun to form in the pit of her stomach but she had a hard time believing that was guilt. Quite frankly she had a similar feeling when eating something that didn't agree with her. She chose not to think any more about it and crawled into bed. After all, she was here to cure herself of petty emotions, not to gain more.
Sleep did not come easy, her mind refused to let her worry about Kitty's whereabouts go. At the sound of a creaky stair X-23 leapt to attention, claws unsheathed she crept to the door. She could smell the intruder. She leapt into the hall.
"Ahhh," Kitty let go a small scream before clamping her hands over her mouth.
"You're out late," X-23 informed her.
"Isis, you scared me. Don't do that again, okay?"
X-23 took another whiff of air. "You smell different."
"How could I possibly smell different?"
Sniff, sniff, "you were with a guy...a big one."
"I met Piotr at the mall. We caught a movie."
"I can smell him all over you."
"Can we please discuss this later, Isis," Kitty hissed. "When are you going to get a real name, anyways?"
"You're changing the subject," the smaller girl replied. "And why don't we discuss this now?"
"Fine," Kitty ducked into X-23's room. X-23 bristled at the invasion but decided that if she got some answers it would be worth it. X-23 closed the door behind her upon entering and watched as Kitty paced the room.
X-23 studied her for a moment before speaking. "Are we going to talk?"
"Of course," Kitty snapped. "It's just...oh, I can't stand living here sometimes. You're all so damn nosy."
"Go on," X-23 commanded. "Explain why you're sneaking back in so late, why we all had to lie to cover your absence and why you smell like this...Piotr person. I can tell you right now you didn't just sit near each other, there was contact. Probably some of that lip-touching nonsense I see all over the place."
"You mean kissing. And yes, if you must know Piotr and I did share a kiss."
"More than one," X-23 circled her, sniffing. "Like I said before, I smell him all over you. Is this a frequent thing?"
"Is what a frequent thing?"
"This sneaking out with this guy. I'm amazed Wolverine hasn't questioned you about it...or are you normally so quiet you don't think he hears you and quickly shower to wash the stink off you."
"Isis, you're making me feel uncomfortable. Would you stop looking at me like a hungry wolf?" X-23 continued to stare. "You know what? I don't have to justify my actions, least of all to you."
"Then why are you?"
The question caught Kitty off guard. She sat down on the bed to think for a moment. X-23 grimaced. Now her bed would reek of people. It hadn't mattered that Ororo's feint scent had been left on the sheets when the bed was made but now Kitty's as well as her secret...friend would be there as well. X-23 would have to talk to Ororo about washing the comforter.
"You have to swear on your mother's grave you won't breathe a word of this to anyone," Kitty told her.
"I don't have a mother," X-23 whispered, "not even a dead one...not really." This thought made something catch in her throat. Was this regret? Sadness? She pushed the feelings aside. The sooner she got rid of them the sooner she could leave. Kitty gave a look that X-23 could only assume was one of exasperation. "I promise on my stolen blood," X-23 told her.
"Your blood isn't stolen," Kitty told her, "but I appreciate the idea." She took a deep breath. "Piotr and I are dating..." Kitty noticed the confused look on X-23's face. "Like Scott and Jean," she offered, glad when X-23 nodded her understanding. "The problem is...well, there's a lot of problems, not least of all the fact that he's 19 and I'm still a minor...it's against the law for us to date. And then there's the whole 'used-to-work-for-Magneto' thing. Nobody knows about this except you. I don't plan on telling anyone else."
"Neither do I," X-23 told her. "Word of advice though. Stay away from Wolverine's room before you wash. I guarantee he can smell you too; he's just trying to pretend he doesn't. Keep the smell away and he'll think the problem has gone away."
"Thanks", Kitty told her, a little weirded out by X-23's frankness and suggestion. X-23 ventured a smile. Kitty quietly giggled. "You might want to work on that smile of yours, because it looks like a dog bearing its teeth. Not too friendly. She then phased out the door and tiptoed down the hall.
I now have a secret, X-23 mused. Quite a promise to keep but I think I can handle it. She slipped back into bed wondering why she had even been curious about what Kitty had been doing. What other surprises could be in store for her as life became more complicated than she could have ever imagined?
