A year later
Javier sat, reading some papers, and muttering to himself. Blob, Pietro, and Toad were sitting on the sofa, Pietro channel surfing. Lance sat, not paying attention to any of them.
"There's nothing on."complained Pietro.
"What do you expect to be on?"asked Javier.
"Couldn't there be a movie?"
Javier shrugged.
"I'm bored."said Pietro.
"Bored? Why don't you find something to do? Like…go take a walk. That's always an option."
"I don't think anyone should take a walk just now."said Lance. "Not after what happened to Mariana."
"Mariana's death was certainly a tragedy. But that's no reason to lock ourselves up. Why don't you guys go shopping? You should go with them, Lance. Just tell the bodyguards."
"I don't want to go anywhere."
"Hmm. Then you guys go."
Javier reached for some money, and handed it to them.
"Now, just why are you depressed? I see no reason. Sales are excellent. Not to mention we have that concert to plan, and everything. Your biography is up on several internet sites. You have your own forums, and fanclubs, and such. I think another change of image should do us some good. Let's see. I think we should make some adjustments to your old outfit. The one you used to wear, for that Mystique. We should just change the colors. It would be good for the video. I thought you should consider some behind the scenes work."
"Maybe. Whatever you say."
"Maybe you could tell me what's on your mind. Lance, I though we'd gotten over that, already. It's been almost a year, we have everything we've ever wanted. The other guys are happy, why shouldn't you be happy? Is there anything I can do?"
"No."Lance said simply.
"Why don't you…"
"I'm fine. I just don't want to do anything right now."
"Fine. I gotta go get these things in order. We have an interview coming up in three hours about your latest album, don't you forget that. And as soon as we take care of that, it's back to the recording studio."
Later, as Javier worked on his computer, he spoke to Ma.del Carmen.
"I just don't exactly see the reason. I mean, I think I'm right, and I probably am, but…just why? I thought that perhaps with that little thing the investigator told me, he would forget about her. It seems I achieved the opposite result. Thank God, though that it hasn't affected his singing or acting at all."
"El es hombre de un solo amor."she said unhappily.
"You just have to put more effort, that's it. I mean, he can't just go on mourning for that lost love for the rest of his life, can he?"
"Apparently, he can."
He sighed.
"Look on the bright side. He never has to see her again. Just…think about her all the time. If there was only some way he could completely forget about her."
"Well, he did say she was the very first mutant, other than himself, that he had ever come across. Add that to…and well, I guess I can see why he just can't forget about her."
"At least he doesn't drink to forget about her."
"Oh, no!"
"That's something comforting to know."
"Well, look on the bright side. There's something we hadn't counted on. That is that, thanks to him, it looks like we're helping the economy."
"How?"
"It's simple. See, thanks to the fact that Lance is a mutant, well, there are several others moving in, taking into account the fact that here, there is almost no persecution. Oh, you get these small groups, and all that, but nothing big, not like in the US. Maybe with a little help, I've always thought we could get back at them. I'll never forget como esos Americanos colgaron a Pepe y mataron a Pablo."
"I can't forget that, either."
"I honestly though it was for the best."Javier told her.
"What was for the best?"
He told her all about the fact that he and Pietro decided to lie to Lance about Kitty.
"We'll just get back at them. For everything they have taken from us. For the way they have treated out people."
After two hours of recording at the studio, Javier insisted that Lance was to tired to go on any further.
"I felt just fine."he said.
"I thought your voice sounded a little tired."
"I don't think so."
"Well, anyway, I could tell that you really didn't want to go on. Look, I just…I was going to tell you something. You remember what I said about the investigator, coming and…telling me that…you know."
"And you have to remind me?"
"Well, yes and no, because I'm not sure it was true."
"What?"
"You see, what happened was that…Pietro said that you should be paying attention to…well, that you should just forget about Kitty. And we came up with this that I would tell you that…I'm not going to say I lied, because you never know, it might just have been the truth."
"What!"
"Caramelo convinced me to tell you. Honestly, she was so mad. She doesn't like lies, believe it or not. She doesn't think there's a good reason to lie at all. Or to hide the truth, either, which in her opinion is the same, or even worse. I though that you should forget about her. I still think she really wasn't worth your time, or anything."
"That was up to me to decide."
He grabbed Javier.
"Why did you lie to me?"
"I already said. I though it was for the best."
"Now…now…"
"Now, I did my homework. Apparently, let me see…"he pulled some papers. "She still lives in New York, and she…well, is just…still with those X Men. So, I guess you know where to find her. I don't know if it's a good idea to go there, considering all the persecution and evrerything."
"You mean…"
"Well, I'm not doing this for her, of course. I am doing this for my cousin. She convinced me to. She helped me find out where Miss Pryde was. By the way, not married. I don't think she's dating, either. I'm guessing Caramelo always wanted you to pay attention to her, but…knew you never would, and she's not the type who has the nerve, should we say, to go chasing after people. She prefers to leave well enough alone. And, she also doesn't want to be responsible for someone else's unhappiness. You wanna know anything else, you go to her. She can give you the full details."
Lance did go and look for Ma.del Carmen.
"Oh, well, see,"she said. "I didn't know. If I had, make no mistake that I would have told you immediately."
"I didn't really believe him, or I didn't want to believe him."
"Well, just don't hold it against him. He honestly thought he was acting for the best."
"But…"
"No buts about it. Pietro convinced him, it seems, and he though it was a good idea. I, however, think that you should know the truth. That's all. I suppose you might want to talk to her? See her?"she asked.
He didn't say anything.
"Well, I must say, you really are, well, what I always wanted."she said. "In just about every respect. But I guess it doesn't work the other way around, does it? That's all right. I always figured I would have to live my life well, by myself. The only thing that ever torments me is the fact that marriage is one of the seven sacraments. I guess I could always go into a convent."she said. "I always did want to be a Carmelite. Just Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz. My father always laughed at that, though, so I never actually said anything. My parents said I could never survive in a convent. Perhaps they're right."
"You want to go into the convent?"
"Maybe, perhaps."
"But I always thought you liked doing what you do. You know, being a veterinarian and all that."
"I do like it, but, well…I don't know. I might go someday, perhaps. It's never too late, and I'm not married, or anything."
"I always got the impression that you liked to pray."he smiled.
"I do."
"Hopefully it could work out for you. I'm sorry that I just don't…"
"That's all right. I never expected much anyway. Not someone like me. Once, someone said I was too much of an old soul. I should have been born in a different time period, or something. I have to see a patient, anyway."
"Oh, you shouldn't go into a convent. What would your patients do without you?"
She smiled.
"Well, like I said, my parents would laugh, and they wouldn't be happy at all. Besides, hopefully, Miss Pryde will see just how lucky she is to have won your heart. If you have other women chasing you. Remember that's how el Doctor Felipe won Eva's heart. She didn't want to admit it, but, she fumed every time she saw him with another woman."