Disclaimer: I do not own X-men: Evolution, any of its characters, Emma Frost or Wing. They are all property of Marvel. I don't own Foxy, Barbie or Savant. Foxy is made up, Barbie is owned by Mattel and Savant is owned by Lynne Hale, who I also don't own. Thanks for my nails, Lynne!
Dedicated to Laine, who is not here to beta this. I hope you're having fun in South Carolina and working on your special project, sweetie!
There is no rest for the weary, or so Kitty discovered that Saturday morning. "Wakey, wakey, Kitty Cat," Tabby told her, pulling back her blanket as another sadist opened the blinds, angling it so the sunlight hit her eyes.
"Go away," Kitty grumbled uncharacteristically, rolling over and burying her head against her pillow. This alone would have caused the blonde to worry; generally her friend was bouncy and energetic, even at ten on a Saturday morning.
She gestured for Rogue and Amara to help her. The three forced Kitty to sit up. "No, uh uh, not anymore, hon. I've heard all about your moping around, and I was to put an end to it. I'm gonna cheer you up the Boom-Boom way!"
Kitty rubbed her eyes, finally realizing that Jean was also there, and looked half-asleep as well. "Yeah? And how do you propose to do that?"
"Ever hear of a little term called retail therapy?"
The brunette stared at Tabitha, then glanced at Jean for confirmation. The redhead shrugged, "They just got me out of bed too."
Kitty looked at the other three Sirens. "You know, we could totally take you."
Rogue grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet. "Get up, get dressed, get something to eat; we're going to the mall."
A mini-skirt and v-neck shirt were deposited and on her bed until Amara and Tabby went to make sure Jean dressed as well. Ten minutes later they were all downstairs, toasting English muffins. Then Amara asked, "And how are we getting to the mall?"
"Can't we use Scott's car?" Tabitha murmured through a mouth full of peanut butter.
Jean didn't answer, but Amara shook her head. "He said he had errands to run today."
The toaster dinged. "I guess we could always steal Lance's jeep again," the blonde suggested.
Kitty twitched and suddenly her breakfast felt heavy on her tongue. Rogue glanced at her quickly before answering, "Ah'm not sure if that's a good idea." The girls sighed and wracked their brains when Wolverine came in to get a cup of coffee. "Hey, Mr. Logan, think we could borrow the X-van to go to the mall?"
"It ain't no taxi service, Stripes. It's for missions. Take the bus. It's what public transportation is for."
Amara blinked. "What's public transportation?"
"Well, you know those yellow busses at school?" Jean asked. The princess nodded. "It's sort of like that. Buses have a route, and people can get on and off periodically."
"You mean, we have to ride with people we don't know?" Amara whispered, brown eyes wide.
"Generally how it works," Rogue smirked.
"Let's not do that!" Amara said quickly. "There's a reason Nova Roman doesn't—and probably never will—have public transportation."
"Do we have enough for a taxi?" Kitty wondered aloud.
"I do!" Amara volunteered, bouncing up.
"We're going to need more than one," Jean observed, "Unless we all want to squish together in the backseat."
"Don't worry about it, I'll pay!" The princess told them. "Just please don't make me ride the bus."
"Alright, Ah'll call," Rogue picked up the kitchen phone and dialed the local cab company. "They'll be here in about five minutes," she announced and sat back down at the table.
"So do we have a plan or something?" Kitty asked warily, eyeing her kidnappers.
Tabitha considered this. "Well…I figured we'd go try on things we can't afford." She glanced at Amara, "At least some of us can't afford it. Maybe buy some stuff. Spend half of our money in Godiva, listen to anti-male music…how does that sound so far?"
"Heavenly," Jean told them honestly. "You think we could get our nails done too?"
Amara squealed in delight. "Great idea! They opened that new spa down the street. I'm gonna treat everyone." She rested her head on top of Kitty's. "So cheer up and forget what's-his-face!"
Shadowcat smiled lightly. "Thanks guys."
The taxi honked from outside and the quintet ambled towards the front door, Rogue shouting to any teachers in earshot that they were leaving. Rogue and Kitty got into the first cab with Jean, Amara and Tabitha in the second.
Their first stop was Foxy and Tabitha headed straight for a rack of miniskirts. She pulled out a black jean one that was probably less than a foot in total length. "Here, Kitty, try this on."
"Tabby!" she protested, holding the material against her body. "This is practically underwear. Mr. Logan would freak."
"We're not getting it for Badger to look at," the blonde rolled her eyes. "It's for every male who isn't old enough to be our dads. After we're done with you, you're going to be a knockout."
"I'm slightly offended…" Kitty admitted.
Amara put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't be. You look great, and not like I can talk, but it's a bit…"
"Preppy?" Rogue offered. "Ah mean, you're no Catholic schoolgirl—"
"That would be Rahne," Amara interjected.
"But your wardrobe could take a little lightening up," the southerner finished.
Tabitha shoved several shirts and skirts into Kitty's arms. "Now, you go try these on and we'll bring you more stuff." She gave her a shove in the direction of the changing rooms and started going through the racks.
Shadowcat grumbled and shuffled away as Jean started helping them look. "I don't have a boyfriend anymore either, why aren't you guys treating me like your life-sized Barbie?"
Rogue shot her a look. "Because if guys stared any harder at you, their eyes would fall out. As if you're gonna have any problem replacing Scott."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jean asked.
"Nothing. Just…nothing. I'm gonna go check over there." Finding a sale rack thirty feet away, she walked over quickly.
Jean stared at her retreating back. She'd thought that Rogue had had a crush on Scott a while ago, but whether or not she was over it by now…after they'd gotten together, she'd simply assumed. "She can not be mad at me for breaking up with Scott, can she?" the redhead wondered aloud, more to herself than anyone else.
"I think she's just disappointed," Amara explained, checking the tags on a pink skirt. "You know she liked him. I think all the girls did at one point or another."
"I didn't," Tabitha snorted.
"No, you liked Kurt. But Rogue knows that even though you guys broke up, there's no chance for her. Scott would cut his head off it would make you forgive him and he's not gonna settle for anything less."
She was silent for a moment. "I'm gonna go check on Kitty…" Jean walked towards the dressing rooms. "Kitty?"
"In here!" Her friend stuck a hand up over the door of the room. "Something up?"
"I was just checking on you. Let's see how you look." The lock on the door slid open, revealing her friend in a short white skirt and a striped shirt that was tighter than anything she'd normally wear.
"I feel self-conscious," Kitty admitted. "Do I look ok?"
"Great," Jean smiled at her. "But you know, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. I know Tabby's kind of…forward, but you can always say no."
She shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal. I don't mind adding to my wardrobe, spicing it up a bit. Paying for it is a completely different matter, of course."
"I might be able to donate to your fund," she offered with a smirk.
"Don't bother." Kitty's ponytail swung back and forth as she shook her head. "We're doing this so I can be independent or whatever. I'm not going to take money from you."
Jean blinked. "Well…well, good for you, Kitty."
The younger girl grinned. "Yeah, I think so too!"
The rest of the quintet shuffled in a few minutes later, congratulated Kitty on how nice she looked and then made her try on a whole bunch more. When they'd finally exhausted that, Kitty bought the outfits she liked most, along with a few pairs of shoes. Tabitha insisted she change into some of her new clothes, and happily obliging, she was soon attracting the attention of quite a few members of the opposite sex.
Rogue carefully put her arm around Kitty's shoulders. "So, how are you feeling about you-know-who?"
Kitty glanced at her friend proudly. "I have absolutely no idea who you're talking about."
"Good girl."
The five walked over to Savant, the new spa, and Amara approached the desk. "Hello. Can I see a list of your services for today?"
"I'm sorry," the receptionist asked, "Do you have an appointment? You need to make an appointment."
Tabitha groaned, but Amara didn't falter in the slightest. "Oh, really? Because I'm willing to pay upfront in cash." She pulled out her wallet and flashed the woman several hundred dollar bills that she'd extracted from the ATM machine.
"Welcome to Savant!" the woman smiled. "Give me one moment and I can print up any openings or cancellations for you girls."
Within a few minutes, Kitty, Amara and Jean were laying down for massages as Rogue and Tabitha decided to check out the sauna. Kitty couldn't remember the last time she had felt so good. The masseuse worked out every kink in her body, unknotting the pain that she'd caused herself.
A small sigh erupted from her throat, which she hoped her friends would take as one of contentment. Stop thinking of Lance, she commanded herself. You're supposed to be a strong woman who doesn't need a man. Kitty adjusted her arms to wipe the tears coming from her eyes. From now on, Lance Alvers no longer exists.
Scott Summers briefly wondered if there was a heard of pigs flying behind him. After running some errands for the professor, he was doing something he said he'd only do when hell froze over. Apparently, Bobby and Satan had had a poker game earlier.
He pulled up the driveway of the Brotherhood house and shut off the engine of his convertible. Scott knocked on the door, half hoping no one would answer it. Unfortunately, Pietro opened up. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I need to talk to Alvers. Not fight, just talk."
The male twin sped away, calling something like, "Hey, Lance, Summers is here to talk to you. I think something's wrong with the Universe."
Within a minute, Lance was at the door, looking at him as if he'd just grown two heads. "What the fuck do you want?"
"I want to talk to you about Kitty."
"There's nothing to talk about. She cheated on me, I hate her, and I never want to see her or any of you X-Geeks ever again." Lance crossed his arms over his chest angrily.
Scott hadn't known that she had cheated on him. "I know you don't hate her."
"Oh, so you're a telepath too now?"
He willed his temper to stay down. "No, but how could you hate her? Kitty's sweet and kind and she really loves you. She's been a mess ever since you left her. All she does is stay at home and cry. She misses you."
"Well…I don't miss her." Avalanche was having trouble scowling now. After a few days, the thought of Kitty just hurt more than it made him angry.
From his seat on the stairs, Todd coughed, "Lair."
"SHUT UP!" Lance commanded, causing the ground to shake under them.
"Look, be as macho as you want, Alvers, but Kitty misses you. You're making her miserable and I hate it. She's like a sister to me, and you know there's no way I'd ever come unless it was a big deal. At least talk to her and stop being such an ass," Scott finally said before marching away and getting back in his sports car.
Lance glared at the convertible until it was out of sight, then sighed and looked at the ground. A headache was already forming in his mind.
"Maybe…you should go," Toad suggested. "I mean, she wasn't so bad as some of the others. She did say "like" a lot, but you were a lot easier to live with before. I'm your friend, Lance. We all want you to be happy. Well, maybe not my snookums, but otherwise…"
He started going up the stairs and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Thanks, Todd. I…appreciate that. I'll think about it." The two exchanged a smile and Lance had a feeling that even without Kitty, everything was going to be alright.
A few hours later, the girls were back at the Institute and Jean had decided to make smoothies for everyone. She'd taken over the blender with a mixture of ice cream, berries and bananas. "Here you go, Rogue," the redhead handed over the last bit to her friend.
"What's going on in here?" Emma asked sweetly, sitting at the table.
"Making smoothies." Suddenly, Jean got a spark of inspiration. "Do you want one?"
The blonde woman considered it. "Yes, that would be nice."
The blender started again, and after she'd finished making it, claiming it was, "Special, just for you," Jean passed it to Amara to give it to Miss Frost as Storm came into the kitchen.
"Jean, dear, did you put out that rat poison like I asked you too? Goddess, what I wouldn't do to have Rahne back to take care of the vermin."
"Oh, yes, the rat poison is exactly where it needs to be." She pressed the button on the blender again, before removing the last of the smoothie and pouring it down the sink.
Emma stared at the drink in front of her, skin turning whiter than usual. "Actually, I'm watching my weight, but thank you anyway." She pushed the cup away from her and exited the room quickly.
Amara picked it up and brought it back to her friend. "What do you want me to do with this?"
"Just toss it," the elder X-man instructed. "You, uh, might want to throw away the cup too…"
"You didn't!" the princess protested, though the rest of the girls laughed loudly and eagerly. Since Ororo looked primed for a long, strict scolding, Kitty hopped up when she heard the doorbell ring. "I'll get it!"
Quickly, she skipped towards the front door, in a good mood after the new clothes, treatment at the spa, and Jean's delicious, poison-free smoothies. Pulling open the door, she greeted the visitor with a, "Hel…lo…"
He looked at her, pushing the dark brown hair out of her eyes. "Hey, Kitty."
As she stared back, all of the confidence that had been built up over the day fled like a bat out of hell. "Lance."
A/N: This is a short chapter, barely making my 2,500 point (if it doesn't make that, it's not finished). But this is a transitional chapter and it included my patented rat poison smoothies. My birthday is next Wednesday, so next week is going to be extremely busy for me. I will try to work as much as possible though. Ironically, my birthday is going to be spent at a spa, which I didn't even find out until after I wrote that part of this chapter.
Since I'm sure most of you are Lancitty fans (if you don't like the pairing, why would you be reading this?), I'd like to point out my new Lancitty oneshot called No Good Way. Some of you have read it already and I'm glad you liked it! This is the end of my shameless advertising.
Questions, comments, reactions and reviews are greatly appreciated.
Review Responses:
Starrydreamz: The scene with Kitty and Scott is one of my favorites as well. I love their relationship. By now you should know what Scott was up to, which was an extreme personal sacrifice. I hope you liked it!
Jacx: Everyone hates Emma. Welcome to the club. Now all we have to do is let Marvel know…
DOJ: I'm so happy you liked it! I really enjoy writing for Logan and when I see his voice actor again in September I'm going to make a list of the lines I want him to say. Because yes, I am an obsessive fangirl. I got to here him sing "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" last time and it was the best.
Kitkatfox: I seem to write Rogue with a better opinion than what I actually think about her. I do believe she really cares about Kitty though, so I try to fit that in as often as I can, since I write about Kitty a lot.
ScrewSociety666: Yes, let's make a mob and kill Emma Frost! I hope you like this chapter.
Silentxloudmouth: I'm so happy that you love it. Well, Jean almost succeeded in the death of Emma today. Sadly, it did not work. Though that would be a pretty anticlimactic ending, don'tcha think?
Lancitty Lover: You will find out the answer to Lance and Kitty's relationship squabbles in the next chapter. Whether or not the get back together will be answered!
E-HERO Edgeman: Thank you.
Rogue14: Now, Rogue would never have killed Wing. She can only kill her parents, of course. I hope you like this chapter.
Sofie: I'm doing my best to up the number of Lancitty fics in the world, but it's slow going. Next chapter you'll find out whether or not they get back together! Thank you for reviewing!