Fandom: X-Men Movieverse
Authors: Dilly R
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Bobby used to think that Xavier's was the best place for him, but things change.
Notes: This is a collaboration between FFN users dilly r and mysticalsoul.
My passions were all gathered together like fingers that made a fist. Drive is considered aggression today; I knew it then as purpose. - Bette Davis
"There never tell us anything," Jubilee said as she slouched onto the couch. "And all of my reliable sources are failing me."
Bobby fingered through the papers in his folder and pulled out a physics assignment. "You're just nosy, Jubes."
"Yeah, and?"
Marie was at the foosball table spinning around the blue goalie. "Aren't you curious, Bobby?"
"Last time we had Marie to tell us about Logan," Jubilee said. "But this guy didn't bring a friend."
Marie flipped the goalie around loudly, then went over to the couch to sit down by Bobby.
"I'm not as curious as you two are," Bobby said. "I need to bring up my grades so I don't have to ace the final."
Jubilee batted her hand. "Pfft, grades. You're just not interested because you don't appreciate his hot factor."
Bobby glanced at Marie, then opened his Physics book. "I guess I'm not the person to complain at, then."
"You're such a jerk sometimes, Bobby," Jubilee said cheerfully.
"Is this a study group or are we just going to gossip?" he asked.
Jubilee pushed herself out of the armchair to her feet. "I'm getting snacks first. Can't study formulas on an empty stomach. Ancient truth, that."
Bobby watched her go, then down at the text book. He could feel Marie squirming on the couch cushion next to him. "Something wrong?" he asked, not looking up.
He felt her shrug next to him. "I don't know what use Physics is to me."
"Xavier wants us well-rounded." He did look up this time, despite himself. "But that's not what's bothering you."
"You worry too much." She moved closer to him, so that their legs were touching, and tugged at his textbook. "Share books with me. I left mine in my room and I don't want to go get it."
None of it seemed that monumental at the time. Nothing big really does.
A man had arrived at the door a few weeks before that study session. He was apparently friends with Ororo. Bobby could tell right away that they were old friends and close, but not lovers. Jubilee had immediately come to that conclusion, but Bobby knew that wasn't the case. They were too comfortable together. There was too little animosity there. No passion, just closeness. Bobby had tried to explain it and Marie had just given him a look and said, "So, your theory is that they like each other too much to be romantic?" Then, she and Jubilee laughed. Marie is pretty when she laughs, so he didn't get mad.
The topic of just about every conversation after that had been the mysterious stranger. Bobby had gotten tired of it right off. Something about the guy made his stomach tighten.
His name was Remy-- Remy with something French-sounding after it. He had a grating accent. Jubilee said it was hot and Marie didn't argue, but it just annoyed Bobby. His mutation had given him red and black eyes, and his natural bad taste gave him tattoos down his arms and a brown leather duster which he wore in any weather. That was all Bobby knew about him up to the point he walked in on their study group.
Jubilee came back with a bag of chips and three sodas, and they'd just started getting into nuclear fission when Remy came into the game room and looked around, as though trying to find someone. Jubilee spun to look at him so fast that she nearly flipped backward out of her recliner. Marie simply looked up silently and exchanged looks with Jubilee.
He lingered by the entrance for a few moments, watching. Bobby tried to go on with the studying, but Remy approached them.
"Sorry to bother you three," he said in that uneven accent.
"Oh, it's totally no bother," Jubilee said cheerfully.
Remy smiled. Bobby looked at Marie. She was still watching Remy, expressionless. "'Ave any of you three seen the lovely Miss Munroe about?"
"She's usually in her classroom," Bobby answered flatly with his eyes on his textbook. "She tutors this time of day."
"Oh, well. Wouldn't want to interrupt that, would I?" Remy smiled; it wasn't a normal smile. It was Kind of crooked and without any of the cheer a normal smile would convey.
Jubilee perked up. "There's tons of stuff to do in here while you wait."
"We are studying, Jubilee." Bobby lifted up the textbook slightly to emphasize his point.
"It's about time for a break anyway," Jubilee said. "Do you like air hockey Mr... Remy?"
Remy snorted. "I do at that. But no mister, please. Jus' Remy."
"So, you're the mystery man," Jubilee said, grinning.
Remy looked shocked. "Mystery? Mais non, Remy's no mystery."
"Prove it, then," said Marie. "Tell us about yourself." She pushed the half of the textbook on her lap onto Bobby's.
"Nothing to say about Remy, cher, that you can't tell just by looking at him. Except maybe why a classy lady like Miss Munroe is friends with him. But that her story, not mine."
"Why are you here?" Bobby asked.
"Ah. Remy been having troubles with his power. Police don't like it when you blow things up, but sometimes Remy touch things, they just blow up like they got their own mind to."
Jubilee perked up. "Hey, that happens to me too. Well, with electronics. I kind of killed an X-Box so I'm not allowed to play video games until I figure out how to, well, not blow them up."
Remy barked a laugh. "That's how it be, that's how it be. But, that professor, he's a good guy. He can get in Remy's brain and keep him from blowing up things he don't want to."
"How long are you staying?" Marie asked.
"Not sure yet." Remy leaned toward her slightly, ignoring Bobby between them. "It's not that easy to get rid of Remy."
Marie looked down at her hands, balled up in her lap. "That's not what I..."
"Are you bothering the students, Remy?" Ororo walked into the room, carrying a folder of papers under her arm and smiling.
"Guilty as charged," Remy said, standing. "Some of your students aren't so little as the other ones." Remy was looking at Marie. Bobby clenched his jaw.
Ororo's eyes darted to Bobby and Marie, then back to Remy. Her expression didn't falter. "We have all ages here. Now, leave these three to study, we have much to talk about."
"How tragic. It was wonderful meeting you." Remy took Jubilee's hand and kissed it. Then, he took Marie's to do the same. He ran his thumb along the fabric of her glove curiously, then kissed it. He extended his hand for Bobby to shake it. It took a great deal of Bobby's willpower not to give the guy frostbite. As it was, Remy rubbed his hands together to warm them as he walked away with Ororo.
"Wow," said Jubilee once they were gone.
Marie laughed quietly, looking down at her hands "He certainly has a personality."
"I wasn't looking at his personality." Jubilee grinned diabolically.
Bobby picked up his book and folder. "If we're not interested in studying here, I'm going to do it in my room." He stood up and left. Marie followed him and grabbed his arm to stop him.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Oh, I don't know," Bobby pulled his arm free. "You could at least flirt with him when I'm not there to see it."
Marie rolled her eyes. "You always do this. Why are you so possessive? It drives me crazy."
"I'm so possessive because I love you and you don't love me."
Marie stared at him, her mouth slightly open as if she were going to say something, but she remained silent. Bobby turned around and went to his room.
Something was strange about living in an empty room. The only time Bobby had ever had an entire bedroom to himself was a few years after his family had moved to the bigger house. Then, he'd come to Xavier's and shared his room with John. Xavier had never gotten around to assigning him a new roommate, and Piotr had moved out a while back. Family issues. Bobby wouldn't have minded someone around, even if it were John with his snide comments. It'd be someone to listen to him. He didn't really have that now. All of his friends were really Marie's friends. He was sure that he couldn't talk to them without something getting back to Marie. And that was how it should be, really.
Bobby sat up studying late into the night until his back was sore and he laid down to study. He tried a couple of times to rest his head and sleep, but an image of Remy kissing Marie's hand would pop into his head again and he'd be wide-awake.
He'd finally begun to drift off when his cell phone rang. He opened his eyes and looked at it glowing on the bedside table. Xavier had given them to the students for safety, but Bobby never used his. He couldn't even remember anyone not in the school who knew his number.
He turned it on. "Hello?"
The line was quiet, but he could hear breathing.
Bobby sighed. "It is way too late for a prank call, guy." He pulled it away from his ear to turn off, but then he heard a voice.
"Bobby, wait."
He paused and put the phone back to his ear. "Is that you, Ronny?"
Silence, except for a faint staticky sound.
"Ronny, what are you doing?" Bobby's heart was beating harder, but he wasn't sure why.
Ronny sniffed into the phone, and then there was the hush of a breath against the receiver. "I think I'm in trouble."
Bobby sat up. "Tell me what's going on. Do Mom and Dad know you're calling?"
"No. They don't know shit. They never do." There was a clattering sound somewhere in the background. "I think I'm one of you people. They'll kill me. They'll really kill me.."
"What? They? What are you talking about?"
"Fuck, Bobby. I'm a fucking... I'm a fucking mutant. That guy you brought over said it's Dad's fault. It's no wonder."
Bobby was quiet for a moment. When he did speak, the words came out slowly. "Mom and Dad aren't going to kill you over this. It's not as bad as you think. You can come out to Xavi--"
"Not Mom and Dad," Ronny interrupted. "There are these people from a chat room and I met them. They're anti-mutant, and they find mutants and, like, beat them up and stuff. If they find out I'm one, they'll think I'm spying or something. They always talk about that--they're real paranoid--and say if they find out one of us is one of them, they'll kill us."
"What are you doing meeting people from online? Especially people like that? What were you thinking?"
"Yeah, because I called up for a lecture."
"Too bad," Bobby said, heat rising in his face. "Too bad, Ronny, because you're getting one. After what you did, you're lucky I didn't hang up the phone when you called."
"So, you don't care if they kill me."
"I care," Bobby spat. Then, he took a deep breath to calm himself. "I care," he repeated. "I can tell Xavier. He'll know what to do about this."
"No."
"Ronny."
"I mean it. No. Just you. If Xavier shows up, he might tell Mom and Dad and it might get back to these guys. I'm serious. They'll kill me if they find out. They're dangerous, man. And you can't let anyone know you're there. If you're going to come, come by tomorrow night at like, three in the morning when Mom and Dad are asleep. I'll be waiting by the backdoor." There was a voice in the background. "Just a sec, Mom," Ronny shouted. "Look, Bobby, I have to go. If you're coming, tomorrow at three in the morning, all right?"
"O--" The phone line clicked off. Bobby looked at his cell phone for a few moments, then turned it off.
He closed his eyes to think for a moment. He had to remind himself that Ronny was young and his opinions weren't his own yet. Dad had taught them from the very beginning to hate mutants. He didn't say it directly, of course. He would just talk about how the mutants were a danger to everyone else. The way they'd take everyone's jobs, how they could hurt people, how they couldn't be trusted. Hell, Bobby had hated mutants before he found out that he was one... and then for a while longer after that.
Sometimes, Bobby still called mutants "them". The habits his father had taught them were hard to break.
If Bobby couldn't sleep before, he certainly couldn't sleep after that phone call. He emptied his book bag and began rolling up clothes for the next day. He'd been saving up the allowance Xavier gave each of them and he had enough for the train ride, but not for a cab to the station. He'd have to leave early to walk there.
Morning seemed to come quickly. He'd barely packed the bare minimum of what he needed. Luckily, it was Friday and Friday was mostly physical education, so he didn't need many books in his backpack. He had to run to the weight room to get there on time. The older kids did stretches, cardio, and weights to get ready for the Danger Room training later in the day. Marie was already on the treadmill when he got there. He caught her eyes for a moment, then looked away to do his stretches.
They went through the routines of exercises, Bobby just missing Marie at every machine. They were put in separate teams when they get to the Danger Room. Bobby suspected that it had to do with Jubilee being the captain of Team B that Friday. The Danger Room exercises they took part in were very low level. Logan and Scott, who took turns overseeing the activities, were not allowed to put the danger level over three. The first two exercises, the teams took turns, but for the last, they worked against each other. They all wore specially made suits that would protect each other from their powers, but it tallied points. It was fun, like a more complex version of paintball, but they were assured that it was also very important in case they wanted to join the X-Men when they came of age. They were down to five students after a few minutes of team A vs. team B exercise. Bobby, Kitty, and Theresa were left standing on team A, while Marie and Jubilee survived on team B. Team B had the high ground, but team A had cover. Bobby and Theresa would pop out of their cover to do some damage with Bobby's ice and Theresa's screaming while Kitty would stay phased out until she got a chance, then phase in to hit one of the two girls with the "weapon". It was really just a rod that, when it came in contact with the suit, would act as a power and subtract points.
Kitty phased in to get Marie, but this time Marie was ready for her. She grabbed Kitty by the wrist and, before Kitty could escape, the points on her suit went down to zero. Marie headed toward where Bobby and Theresa had taken cover. With Kitty's power, in theory, she was phased out and her suit took no damage. She got Theresa first, then she turned on Bobby. Bobby put up his hand and put a shield of ice in font of him to block her off.
"Theresa," Marie said. "I have your power. Scream."
Theresa frowned, but she had no choice. She used her power and the mind numbing sound shattered Bobby's ice. She placed her hand on his chest, and his points went down to zero.
"Nicely done," Scott said over the intercom system. "That's all for today. Go have lunch."
Bobby looked into Marie's eyes for the first time since they'd parted the day before. She held his gaze for a moment, then she turned away and headed to the girl's locker room to change out of her suit.
"Wait," Bobby said, as she neared the door. She didn't stop. He jogged after her. "I just need to tell you something."
She stopped walking, but didn't turn toward him. "What?"
"I have to go home for a little while. I don't know how long it'll take."
Marie turned her head so that he could see her in profile. "Home? Why are you going there? I thought..."
"I thought too, but something came up."
"When are you leaving?"
Bobby took a deep breath. "After my last class."
Marie was quiet. Jubilee passed by on her way out of the locker room and touched Marie's shoulder, asking if she was all right. Marie nodded and Jubilee left them alone.
"Do you really think that..." Marie paused. "Do you really believe what you said?"
Bobby pressed his lips together for a moment. "I was just upset."
"Okay." Marie went into the locker room. Bobby watched the door close.
Bobby was asleep before the train even left the station. His dreams were riddled with Ronny, the faceless enemy, and the constant chattering of the man on his cell phone sitting across from him. It wasn't normal sleep, because he was aware of what was going on around him and he raised his head up for a moment whenever they made a stop to make sure they haven't gotten to Boston yet. When his stop finally came, he didn't feel able to move for a moment. He sat there lethargically with his backpack watching other people head for the doors. Maybe he shouldn't show up, he thought. Maybe this is some kind of trap Ronny's setting.
Maybe it's not.
So, Bobby got to his feet and hurried toward the crowd of people, even at this hour, milling around the doors. The hallways were surreal. He wasn't sure if it was the lighting or his lack of sleep. Possibly both. He found he exit and was suddenly out by the street. There was someone shouting, and it was a moment before he realized the man was shouting at him. A cabbie looking for a fare. Bobby dug in his pocket and checked the money he has left before sliding into the backseat. He should be able to make it home on what he had. Just barely. Once Bobby told the guy where to, he started to chat about his daughter and her husband. Bobby didn't quite catch all of it, but he nodded, watching the cabby's face in the rearview, half obscured by darkness.
He got off about a block from his house, noticing that the meter was getting close to his limit, and walked the rest of the way. Seeing the house was strange. There was still a huge spot in the front yard where the grass wouldn't grow from being burnt so badly, and the top line of the bushes was uneven. Bobby's stomach hurt. He went around the back of the house to the sliding glass door. He could see Ronny's shadow, waiting just outside the door.
"You actually showed up," Ronny said.
"What did you expect?"
Ronny shrugged.
"So?"
Ronny looked back and forth, as if expecting someone to be watching them. "Come up to my room. It's probably safer up there."
Bobby followed after his little brother. It was a strange feeling to be sneaking into his own house. There had always been something intimidating about it at night. It felt something like walking through a school's hallway on the weekend. Ronny's room was basically as he'd remembered it, pretty much circulating around his computer. He had a new computer since the last time Bobby had been up there though. It was a nice one. The posters were still up everywhere, proclaiming 'Mutants Suck!' with a strange swamp creature crawling toward the viewer unlike any mutant Bobby had ever come across. One of them had a razor slash through it now, though, all the way through to the wall.
Ronny went directly to his computer and clicked on a link in his favorites. A site loaded. It was simple enough; plain red, blue, and cream table layout with big white letters. Friends of Humanity. Bobby grimaced.
"This is them," Ronny said. "I mean, I don't know the main guy, but there are all kinds of offshoots. The one around here is called Allies. Uh. There's not a website, but there's an AIM chat that is always up. The name changes sometime. If you're a member, you get the new one in your email."
Bobby had to bite his lip to keep himself from lecturing again. Ronny was a smart kid, somewhere deep down, but sometimes he really didn't show it. He opened up AIM and typed in the name of the chat: Alliance43625263Chat. The window opened up and screen names filled up the side window.
"The guy in charge is this one," Ronny said, pointing to the screen name MlltntMtntH8r. Bobby raised an eyebrow. "He's the one who keeps dropping hints he knows something." Ronny fielded a few people in the chat who were greeting him.
"RonnyDark?"
"Shut up, it's a nickname."
"Brilliant," Bobby said flatly. "So, they know your real name."
The rat-a-tat of Ronny's typing paused for a moment, then he hit enter and turned to Bobby. "Will you stop it? I know I made a mistake."
"A mistake?"
"I know how it works." Ronny's face has gone pale with anger. "I know that if you're a mutant than it's pretty likely I'm going to be one too because we got the same parents. Thing is, everyone else knows that too. That's why they're looking at me now when they weren't before. Not only is my brother a mutie, but he brings his mutie friends around to attack the police. I thought I could make it seem like these crazy mutants just attacked us, okay, but your picture was all over the fucking newspapers."
Bobby pressed his lips together. He fixed his eyes on the slashed poster above Ronny's bed. "You've been showing signs?"
"Not too many, but. Man, if I slip, I'm dead. If I try to drop out of the Allies now, I'm dead, because they'll know. I've convinced them, I think, that I'm not... one of you guys. But I keep slipping other places. Like around Mom and Dad. I think they're starting to suspect."
"What are they exactly? The signs."
Ronny turned around in his chair, away from the computer. He held his hand out in front of him, the palm toward his face. It took a moment of concentration, but soon, Bobby saw it. Water began to slide down from the tips of his fingers. Not much of it, just little droplets. Ronny made a fist. "I can't do too much or I get thirsty. The fantastic Dehydration Boy." He turned back around to face his computer and wiped his hand off before going back to typing.
Bobby was quiet for a moment, watching the back of his brother's head. He sighed. "So, what do you need me to do?"
"I don't know," Ronny said. "Just figure something out. I need to get out of this." His voice was without emotion, but Bobby knew his brother well enough to understand that there was desperation in there.
"Let's think about this." Bobby took a deep breath and sat at the foot of Ronny's bed. "You're sure you don't want Xavier's help.
"I'm sure."
Bobby nodded. "All right. Then, the goal is to get out of this little gang or whatever and them not to know you're a mutant, yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Right." Bobby laid back, thinking. "And they know I'm a mutant."
"Yeah."
"Could you get off the computer for a minute to talk about this?"
Ronny let out a breath, but he soon closed the chat window and turned around to face Bobby.
"Do you know anyone else who's gotten out?"
"A few people."
Bobby nodded. "All right. How did they do it?"
"Most of them just moved. A couple of them, their parents found out and didn't want them messing around with that."
"Couldn't you tell them Mom and Dad found out?"
"Mom and Dad already know."
Bobby stared at him. "They know you're part of this thing and they haven't made you get out?"
Ronny snorted and shook his head. "They've taken me to a couple meetings."
It was like the air was sucked out of the room. Bobby wasn't sure he could breathe for a moment. Yeah, he knew his parents weren't the most pro-mutant people in the world, but this... it was ridiculous.
"Okay," Bobby said slowly, pushing his emotions away. There wasn't time to deal with those just that moment. "So we're going to have to be a little more creative, since I don't think Mom and Dad are moving out of this place any time soon." He paused. "Do you have a meeting coming up sometime?"
"Yeah, tomorrow. That's why I called."
Bobby sat up. "All right, so how about this? I pretend to come across you outside of the meeting and we get into an argument, right? You could tell your little buddies that I found out about it and... I have mind-reading powers, so you're worried that I'd do something to them sometime if you know where meetings and stuff are... so you got to drop out?"
Ronny nodded thoughtfully. "Okay, okay. That could work. And they know you've got those creepy friends, so they might be freaked out enough that they'd want to keep you away, right? But you show up by a meeting like that... man, these people are dangerous."
"Right... You think you could find a place to hang out afterwards with a few of them? Like, just a couple of the meeker ones could come to lunch or something with you, and I'll show up there."
"We go to that pizza place. The one that we used to go to? I never remember the name."
"Yeah, I know the one."
Ronny stood up. "So, cool. I'm going to bed."
"Oh," Bobby got up, getting out of the way so Ronny could get in his bed. "Uh. And I'm supposed to sleep where?"
"Oh yeah." Ronny slid open the door to his walk in closet. An old blanket and pillow were set up on the floor.
Bobby raised an eyebrow. "I'm going to sleep in your closet?"
"It's the only way to make sure Mom and Dad don't see you before they go to work."
Bobby let out a world weary sigh and rubbed his forehead. "Right now, I could sleep just about anywhere." He stepped into the closet uncertainly and watched Ronny slide the door shut behind him.
Bobby had been to the restaurant a thousand times before. The only real differences he could see were an extended salad bar and a replaced window, which had been cracked as long as Bobby could remember. He thought, at first, that the chairs were smaller than they used to be, but on further inspection, he realized they were the same ones.
Nothing really big has changed. It's just that Bobby used to belong there, and he didn't anymore.
He ate a slice of greasy pizza and washed it down with a soda while he waited for Ronny and his friends. He loved the stuff when he was little, but he had to pat it down with a napkin to make it palatable now.
"I've been eating at the school too long," he muttered to himself, suddenly longing for the cheeseless chicken pizzas that Mr. Summers had become slightly famous for a few summers back. Ms. Grey used to make them with him, so he hadn't made one in a while. The pepperoni and mozzarella weren't settling too well with all of the eyes on him. There were a couple people around who he recognized vaguely from school or from the store. They must all know about what happened.
Bobby felt a strong wave of relief when Ronny appeared with his friends. He was last among them. A girl was practically dragging him in. Bobby furrowed his brow and left at tip at the table before approaching them. Ronny's eyes widened when he saw him coming, and he began shaking his head furiously.
Bobby wasn't about to stop now. "Ronny." Ronny ignored him, but the group with him all looked at Bobby. The girl who had been dragging Ronny went slack jawed. She must recognize him. "RONNY," Bobby said again, and he grabbed his little brother's arm.
Ronny tired to jerk away, but Bobby kept his grip tight. "Go away!"
One of the boys with him stepped toward them. "Hey, you better leave Ronny alone or--"
"This is a family concern," Bobby said calmly. "Ronny, I need to speak with you."
"Okay. Okay, just let go of my arm." Bobby let him go, and Ronny straightened out his shirt. The girl with him looked at him. Ronny nodded at her reassuringly and let Bobby off to the side.
"That better have been an act, Ronny," Bobby whispered once they were out of hearing range of Ronny's friends.
"Look, I changed my mind, okay? I was overreacting before."
"You said they'd kill you if they found out."
Ronny shrugged. "I said I was overreacting. Just... never mind, okay? Sorry I dragged you out here."
"You're so--" Bobby lowered his voice. "You're sorry? Ronny. You do not need to be hanging out with people like that."
"You don't even know who they are."
"I know well enough."
Ronny crossed his arms over his chest. "Just forget about it. And get back to school or I'll call the cops. I know you got away with attacking them and everything, but the ones around here wouldn't mind, you know, framing you for something if they had to."
"I can't believe you." Bobby's hands had balled into fists. He wasn't entirely sure how he avoided hitting Ronny, but he did. "Don't bother calling me again, you stupid brat."
He didn't wait for Ronny to reply. He left the restaurant and walked. There was no destination in mind, he just needed to walk some of the pent up energy off. He was three blocks before he stopped at a payphone and called the mansion up collect, to ask for a ride home.
Bobby unpacked his things. He hadn't taken much, but as soon as Mr. Summers had gotten him back to the mansion, Bobby had fallen asleep on his bed and was just getting around to unpacking at three in the afternoon. He could hear the other students getting back to their rooms after a day of classes. He felt guilty for having missed and causing Mr. Summers to cancel a couple classes, but he'd already spoken to Mr. Summers on the ride back, and he'd been surprisingly understanding. Family seemed to be important to him.
Once he'd gotten his backpack empty of everything but school supplies, he dumped it out on John's abandoned bed and grabbed his history book to do his reading for the night. He'd gotten a paragraph in when there was a knock at his door. She didn't wait for him to respond to her knock; Marie came right in and closed the door behind her.
Bobby didn't look up from his book. "Yeah?"
"I heard you're back."
"I am."
Marie sat at the foot of John's bed. "So, you went home."
"I told you I was going."
"Didn't go well, did it?"
"Didn't expect it to." Bobby glanced at her over his book, then back down to the same paragraph he had read through three times now, and he still couldn't process it.
"Let me guess." She slurred the last word into about three syllables. The emergence of her accent was a sure sign of irritation. "You don't wan' talk about it."
Bobby sighed and set his book aside. Reading wasn't doing any good at this point anyway. "Ronny's part of a militant anti-mutant group. Which, honestly, isn't surprising. But he's found out he's a mutant, and he's afraid they're going to kill him. He wanted me to give him a way out, so we came up with one. Then, he changed his mind, and I came back home."
"You what now? You just left? Does the professor know about this?"
"I haven't directly talked to him about it yet, if that's what you're asking."
Marie leaned back on the heels of her hands. "I assume you're going to, though."
"I don't know," Bobby said with a shrug. "Ronny asked me not to, but--"
"So you're going to just let these people kill him?"
Bobby frowned. "That's not what I said. You interrupted me. I was going to say that since he changed the terms since I said I wouldn't tell Xavier, yes, I'm going to talk to Xavier."
"You don't gotta..." She sighed. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I know you're looking out for him. Don't know why exactly, after he treated you like that. You're a nice guy for dropping everything for him. You know I just start lecturing when I'm upset, doesn't matter who I'm actually upset at. I didn't mean nothing."
"I know. I'm not mad."
Marie was quiet for a moment, then she moved to Bobby's bed and rested her head on his chest. "I missed you today."
"I wasn't gone all that long." He brushed some hair away from her cheek, habitually careful not to touch the skin.
"Yeah, but." She propped her head up a little so she could see past his chin. "I'm just used to you always being around, you know? Guess we're spoiled, seeing as we've always lived together as long as we've been going out."
Bobby smiled a little. "I don't mind being spoiled."
Marie took his cue and smiled back at him. "Neither do I." She shifted her position until she was on top of him. Bobby drew a breath sharply, then let it out slowly.
They found ways around Marie's mutation. A thin sheet (cotton-blend, the only kind Marie didn't hate the feeling of) between Marie and Bobby's mouth worked for her, and a condom between Bobby and Marie's mouth worked for him. They stole quick kisses despite themselves. Sometimes Marie would have to push Bobby away when she felt too much of his consciousness seeping into hers.
Twice that night she had to push Bobby away from her. He held her too close, he was being too careless. After the second time, she pulled away from him completely, sitting with her knees hugged against her chest at the edge of the bed.
Bobby pushed himself up and put his hand on her still-clothed back.
"Bobby, what're you doing?"
He pulled his hand away. "I was just trying to comfort you."
"No, I mean." She twisted herself around to face him. "I mean why are you kissing me like that? You're holding on way too long. You must be feeling it."
"I guess I missed you too." He lay back again with his hands behind his head. "Sorry."
"You don't understand," Marie said quietly. Her voice had an edge to it that Bobby knew meant that she was on the verge of tears. "You don't understand how it feels when you do that."
Bobby quirked an eyebrow. "When I want to kiss you?"
"Yes," she spat. "You're just reminding me that you want to touch me and you can't."
"You'd... rather I didn't want to touch you."
Marie bent over, pushing her fingers up into her hair. "I told you, you don't understand."
"I'm sorry, Marie." Bobby's eyes were focused on the ceiling. "I've had a rough day. I guess I kind of forget the rules on a rough day."
"That's my point." Marie stood up. Her eyes were red, but there were no tears. "I'm going to my own room."
Bobby nodded slowly and listened to her as she left. He turned on his side and looked at the opposite bed. It was empty except for his text books, which made it a few text books fuller than Bobby's bed.
Bobby told Xavier about his brother before classes the next morning. It was pretty clear that Xaiver already knew about what Bobby was telling him, but Xaiver nodded thoughtfully as he listened, as though it were the first time he was hearing the information. It made Bobby remember how weird it had been to him at first, living in a house with a telepath.
"Then, I called here and asked for a ride home," Bobby finished. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before I left, but..."
Xavier held up a hand. "Understood."
"So... Can we do something about it? I mean, maybe bring him here or something? I'm really worried about him. The kids he was with didn't seem too rough, but the way Ronny talked about it, it's not just harmless kids he's dealing with."
"Your concern is understandable and perhaps warranted. I can speak to your brother and his parents about him coming here to study."
Bobby frowned. "But, for one, they'll never agree to it. And for two, if you go there and he doesn't come back with you, you're putting him in more danger, not less. If anyone finds out he's a mutant, he honestly believes they'll kill him."
"We can't force him to come here, Bobby," Xavier answered calmly.
"But." Bobby sighed. "Can't we do something about the anti-mutant group, then? I mean, they're doing bad stuff and--"
"Did Ronny tell you of any specific crimes the group has committed?"
"Well, no, but--"
"We can't attack them unprovoked." Xavier rolled out from behind his desk and to Bobby, who was sitting across form the desk. He put his hand on Bobby's shoulder. "I understand why you're upset. The X-Men and I strive for peace between mutants and humans above all else. If Ronny's group has done nothing to harm any mutant, then we cannot attack them unprovoked. This is a key principle of our organization, Bobby, and it sometimes leads us to difficult decisions."
"What if they kill my brother? Will that be enough?"
Xavier was silent, his lips pressed together, for a long moment. "Keep in contact with him. If there's any sign of trouble, tell me."
Bobby nodded slowly.
"Now, go to class."
Bobby left Xavier's office feeling worse than he had when he'd gone in. He trusted Xavier's opinion, but he had no idea how he was going to keep in contact with Ronny after their last conversation.
"Bobby!" Kitty shouted from down the hall, breaking through Bobby's thoughts. She jogged down to him. "Hey. You're back!"
"Yeah."
She was still trying to catch her breath while she walked next to him toward their class. "What were you doing with Xavier?"
"Getting the work I missed," Bobby said. He hated lying, but if he told Kitty anything it would spread like wildfire.
"Ohhh." Kitty went quiet, but continued walking beside him. Bobby looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Okay, what is it?"
Kitty looked at him, eyes wide. "What's what?"
"You have something on your mind. I can tell."
"I thought Xavier was the telepath," she said, sulking playfully. Then, her expression grew more serious. "Did you and Marie break up?"
Someone was laughing somewhere and it filtered down the hall, bouncing off the walls.
"Not that I know of," Bobby answered.
"Oh. 'Cause I'd heard stuff. Not from Marie, just. From sources."
Bobby shrugged. "Stay tuned. I know as much as you do. If not less."
"Are you guys having problems?"
"I don't know."
Kitty frowned. "That means yes."
Bobby shrugged again and opened the door for Kitty as they reached class. "Like I said, stay tuned for the exciting conclusion to tonight's episode. I can't tell you anything, because I don't know anything."
"You don't know anything? So much for cheating off you on the Physics test."
Bobby grinned. The expression seemed to lift his spirits. He could hug Kitty for making him smile, but instead, he sat at his desk and pulled out his notebook and pencil to take notes on Ms. Munroe's lecture.
Jubilee and Marie came in just before Ms. Munroe began, so Bobby couldn't speak to them when they sat on the other side of Kitty. He watched the side of her face as she situated herself. She didn't look back at him. Maybe they had broken up and Bobby just hadn't noticed.
He tried to pay attention in his classes--he'd already missed too much--but his mind was on lunch. He always ate with Marie and her group of friends outside at one of the picnic tables. If he could draw her aside and talk to her, apologize for the night before, maybe they could put whatever this was behind them. He didn't want to have trouble with her, not with everything else going on.
When his last class let out (Ethics. Marie had Pre-Cal for this period.) he grabbed something from the kitchen and hurried out toward their picnic table. His long, quick strides slowed to a stop when the table came into view.
Remy was there. Sitting next to Marie. She was laughing.
Kitty seemed to be the only one who noticed him right off. She bit her lip and looked away. Bobby thought of turning right back around and eating inside, but he found himself approaching the picnic table anyway.
"Hey Bobby," Jubilee said too loudly. Marie jerked her head around to see him. Bobby wasn't sure if the expression on her face was surprise or guilt. He couldn't quite think of a reason that she'd be surprised though.
"Hey," Bobby said, and he sat down across from Marie and Remy.
"I 'ope I didn't take your seat, Mssr. Drake."
"No problem," Bobby said with a forced smile. Yeah, the guy was nice enough. Bobby shouldn't be rude to him. "We don't really have seats anyway. We just sit wherever."
"Remy just came by to tell us about the new class he's going to be teaching," Jubilee said. "Sounds awesome. It's like, superphysics. But more interesting. Because Remy's teaching it!"
"I am teaching it with Mr. Summers. It is more his class than mine," Remy said. He wasn't quite smiling, but the area around his eyes was crinkled. "He is much more knowledgably than Remy, I can guarantee that."
"It'll be great," Marie said, moving the leaves of her salad around aimlessly with her fork.
Bobby tilted his head slightly. "Thought you didn't like Physics."
Marie looked at him, her expression unreadable.
"It's not just physics," Jubilee said quickly. "It's like, a mixture of stuff that'll be helpful to us, no matter what our power is, right?"
Remy nodded. The crinkles around his eyes were gone. Maybe he could sense the tension. "That's the plan." He stood up. "I hate to eat and run, but I have to be going."
"Aw, that's too bad," Jubilee said.
Marie was looking up at him. "We'll see you later."
Remy smiled down at Marie. She smiled back. Bobby looked down at his food until Remy had left.
"Can I talk to you?" Bobby asked.
Marie speared a lettuce leaf and dipped it in her dressing. "Go on."
"Somewhere else?"
Kitty and Jubilee exchanged glances nervously, but Marie was nonplussed. "Why?"
"I just want to."
"We could go," Kitty said. She stood, tugging at Jubilee to stand with her. "I'm done anyway."
"I'm done too," Marie said. "We can talk later, Bobby. I want to study a little before class." She walked back toward the mansion with Kitty and Jubilee in tow. Bobby stayed with his food and ate. He didn't feel particularly hungry, but it seemed like the thing to do.
The late-December break saw many students leave the mansion to spend time with their parents during the holidays. Marie and Bobby didn't go, of course. They spent holiday breaks together. There had been talk of the two of them going with Kitty to Illinois, but that had fallen through without anyone noticing it. Kitty left by herself on the twelfth, Jubilee left on the twentieth. By the twenty-third, only three or four students were still around, but most of the teaching staff remained. The mansion was their home, after all. And most of them didn't have families to go home to.
Marie dominated the holiday plans. No matter what was happening, she found a way to whip up some holiday spirit. Even after Jean had died almost a year ago, she'd helped bring them out of the funk a few months later with a huge outdoor Fourth of July barbecue with Jubilee providing the fireworks. Bobby remembered watching her that night in the bursts of colorful light and thinking about how lucky he was. Maybe he should have told her that, but he just held her hand and watched her.
Now, he was watching her decorate the rec room with holiday decorations. Most of them were Christmasy, but there was a healthy mix. "Just so everyone feels right at home," she'd said.
They hadn't spoken much lately, but they didn't recognize an argument between them either. Sometimes she'd come to his room, but Bobby didn't say anything that was on his mind.
"Bobby, help me with the tree, would you, Sugar?"
Bobby glanced around to make sure no one was around to hear her calling him by that cringe-worthy nickname. Yeah, secretly, he liked it, but John had always made fun of him for it.
But, of course, no one was around. Especially not John.
He got up from the couch and joined her at the foot of the tree. She was digging through a box of ornaments. Less than half of them had been there before Marie had come to the school, but her first Christmas, Marie had raided every dollar store and online shop she could find and filled the box right to the brim with little santas and reindeers and nutcrackers and things. Each one was crumpled up in a section of newspaper. Marie was picking out the ones wrapped in funnies first, so she could read them once she got the ornament out.
"You be careful, now. There's some breakable in there."
"I'm being careful. I'm not the one reading more than unpacking."
Marie crumpled up the paper she was reading and pitched it at him. It bounced off his forehead. "There. Now see what you went and made me do. I was right in the middle of Garfield too."
"Don't worry. All you missed was a lasagna joke. Or Odie falling off a table."
She stuck out her tongue, but she couldn't keep from grinning. Damn, she was really on her game during the holidays. It was like when they'd first started calling each other girlfriend and boyfriend. She dug through the box again, and pulled something out. Her face brightened even more.
"Mistletoe! I found the mistletoe!" She shook the paper off the fake plastic mistletoe she'd gotten from a grocery store last year and went over to the entrance of the rec room. She reached up toward it. "Com'ere. I'm too short."
Bobby sighed, pretending to be quite put out by the whole ordeal, and went to help her. "I can't reach it either, you know."
"Well, pick me up then. Whatcha waiting for?"
Marie smiled at him as he approached her and made a whooping sound when he lifted her up by her legs. "You better not drop me!"
"You aren't that heavy."
"You save those compliments for after Christmas dinner, when I'll need 'em." She attached the mistletoe over the door with a strip of scotch tape. "Now lemme down."
He lowered her back to the ground, but stayed close. She turned around to face him. "Well, lookit that. We're under the mistletoe."
Bobby grinned, then bowed to give her a quick kiss. He had the timing down perfect by now, but it was always hard to pull away again. "It's nice having you all to myself," he whispered.
"Aw, what do you mean?"
"I don't know." He pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "No Jubilee. No Kitty. Not as much Remy..."
Marie's smile faded, and she pushed away, heading back toward the ornaments.
"What?" Bobby followed after her. "What?" He repeated.
She swung back around to face him. "You always do this. You always do this jealous thing which you must think is really cute, but it just ruins everything."
"I was just saying..."
"Like when I was excited about Logan coming back, you had to play alpha male with him. Then, when that new kid Josh was starting to be my friend, you had to scare him off. Now, he won't even look at me! And now this Remy infatuation."
"Yours or mine?"
Marie's face went white, then red. "Dammit, Bobby, why don't you trust me?"
"Because," Bobby said vehemently. Then he pulled his emotions back and lowered his voice. "Because, it feels like you're losing interest in me, and I don't know what to do about it."
"I'm... I'm what?" Marie let out a frustrated breath. "I'm not losing interest in you, that's ridiculous. You're the one who acts like he's settling for someone like me. Actin' all put out and shit whenever you can't touch me. How do you think that feels?"
"I'm not settling. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. You're imagining things."
Marie put her hands on her hips. "You're the one imagining things. Sometimes I think you only stay with me so no other guy can come near me."
"What sense does that make?"
"I don't know. You tell me!"
Bobby felt a little breathless at the lack of logic coming out of Marie's mouth. He shook his head. "Marie. I'm not imagining things with you and Remy. And if I'm jealous, it's because I love you and you're throwing yourself at another guy."
"Throwing myself?" Marie threw up her hands and headed for the door. "Throwing myself. How could I throw myself at anyone?"
"Don't leave," Bobby said quietly. Maybe Marie didn't hear him, because in a moment, she was gone.
Bobby didn't see Marie again until Christmas Eve. She showed up at his door with a Santa hat on her head.
"We're all opening one of our presents up at midnight, so we're having a little party before that in the rec room. I thought you might wanna come."
Bobby stood silently in the doorway, looking at her. She sighed.
"Come on, Bobby. It's Christmas Eve. All arguments from the last year get nixed on Christmas Eve, didn't you know that?"
"I didn't."
"Now you do."
He sighed and opened his mouth to speak, but she tugged at his forearm. "Come on, please? I forgive you, now it's your turn."
"All right," he said. "All right, I forgive you back."
She tugged on him again, and he let her pull him into the hallway. "Now, I look adorable in this hat, and you always look adorable, so we need to go downstairs and adorable the place up. How's that?"
Bobby managed a smile and let her lead him downstairs to the rec room.
Ms. Monroe and Professor Xavier were with the two younger kids who didn't have anywhere to go for Christmas. They were watching the old claymation Rudolph in Hi-Def. Remy and Logan were hovering by the pool table, talking more than playing. Mr. Summers was sitting near the tree in the little loveseat by the window sipping on hot cocoa. Marie hurried over to the floor by the television, pulling Bobby after her. They ate caramel popcorn and watched five more Christmas cartoons until midnight.
"Everyone to the tree!" Marie announced. The two younger kids bolted for the tree and started sifting through the presents for the one they most wanted to open before the real Christmas morning. The adults stayed back, watching the children. Bobby, for his part, stood up from his spot by the TV and sat by Mr. Summers.
"Okay," Marie said, grinning. "For all you old people who won't be fun and undignified, I'll hand out presents. I've got the Santa hat after all." She began to dig under the tree with the kids. The phone by TV sofa rang. Ms. Monroe went to answer it, wondering aloud who would be calling at such an hour.
Marie picked up a small package and skipped over to Bobby, handing it to him. "This one's from me, so you've got to open it now."
"Bobby," Ms. Monroe said. He looked at her. Her expression was odd. "Your mother's on the phone."
Bobby frowned. "Um. I'll open this in a minute, Marie. Hand out the other stuff." He wandered over to the phone, not waiting for a response from Marie.
"Mom?" he said, once he had the phone in his hand. He moved to the hallway with it, so the others wouldn't hear.
"Bobby." His mother's voice was hoarse.
"Mom, what is it?"
"It's your little brother, Bobby."
Bobby heard something brush against the receiver and a muffled sound.
"Mom, tell me what's going on."
She didn't say it with any inflection, just: "He's dead, Bobby."
He blinked. "Did they kill him?" came out of his mouth before he could think.
Again, there was a muffled sound.
"N-no one killed him. He had a heart problem. We though he just had a bug, but it was something wrong with his heart. By the time we got to the hospital..."
Bobby tried to swallow, but his throat was too tight, so he coughed. "I'm coming home."
"No," she said immediately. "No, Bobby. I think it would just make things worse."
"What? When's his funeral? I need to be there, Mom."
"No, Bobby. I'm asking you not to come. I just... I thought you should know. I'm sorry I called the school, but you weren't answering your cell phone."
"It's back in my room." He paused. His head hurt. "Mom, let me come home."
"Bobby," she said firmly. "Don't."
Someone in the rec room laughed. Bobby pressed his back against the wall. He wasn't sure he could stand up by himself.
"Okay," he said, and he turned the phone off.
Two hours after Bobby had left the rec room, Marie found the phone on the floor in the hallway. First, she went to her room and threw her Santa hat on her bed. Then, she stood there, feeling silly at her own reaction for a good five minutes. Then, she went back down the rec room, got Bobby's gift, and ran upstairs to his room.
She had to knock three times before Bobby finally answered.
"You disappeared," she said. Something was strange about his expression, but she couldn't put her finger on it. She just stood awkwardly in the doorway holding his present while he stood across from her, blocking her entrance into his room.
"Sorry."
She held the box out to him. "You want your present?"
"Okay." He took it and held it.
"Uh. Can I come in?"
Bobby stood silently for a moment, then finally drew away. She went into his room, feeling the strange urge to tiptoe. Bobby didn't share his room anymore. It wasn't like she'd wake anyone up.
"So..." she said. "Did you have it out with your mom or something?"
"Something," Bobby answered. He sat at the edge of his bed. His present was in his lap.
"Want to talk about it?"
"No."
Marie pulled out Bobby's desk chair and sat. She picked at her fingernails, trying to think of something to say. The only thing she could think of was stupid, but she blurted it out anyway. "Am I still your girlfriend?"
Bobby blinked, but he didn't look at her. His eyes were focused on the bed across from him. The one John used to sleep in.
"You tell me," he said.
She slumped her shoulders. "I don't know what to tell you. I mean, for the last... I don't know how long. For a while. Maybe since Remy came here or maybe before that. It's like we've had this big misunderstanding about something or somethings, and we're always mad at each other. I don't know where it's going anymore."
"I didn't know where it was going to begin with," Bobby said.
Marie sighed. She went to him and sat next to him on his bed. "Let's just stop being angry."
"Okay."
She looked up at him. "Could you hold me for a minute?"
He looked back at her, then he nodded slowly. He put his arms around her and she leaned against his chest. She could feel his heart beating and the amplified sound of Bobby drawing a sharp breath into his lungs. His muscles were strung so tense that she was worried something might pop. She slid her hand around to his back and rubbed at it.
"I'm sorry she ruined Christmas for you," Marie whispered. "You didn't deserve that."
She felt him swallow. "Yeah."
They sat together in silence for a long time, and she fell asleep there, against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.
When she woke up, he was gone.