Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men. Do ya'll ever get tired of reading that?

Author's Note: Some fluff in this chapter too! Not too much though. Oh heck, what do I know? Just be warned it's a little bit lemony. Of course, what is the big difference between lemon and fluff?

V.V.V.V.V.V.V

The next day Brooke was just finishing up an email to her parents when Etienne poked his head in her room. "Busy chere?" She turned around in the chair to face him. "Can't you ever knock?"

He tried to look hurt. "If y' didn't want company why isn't y' door locked?"

She sighed and shook her head. "You'll never learn. What do you want?"

He grinned. "Since de end o' summer is fast approaching, I figured we could go on a picnic down at de lake."

She looked down and he could tell she was upset. "What's wrong?" He walked in and closed the door, sitting on the bed to face her.

She sighed. "I haven't decided what to do about school yet."

He nodded. "Do y' still want t' go back home?" He secretly dreaded her answer, but he needed to know.

She shook her head. "I can't go back home yet. I still can't control my powers very well. I was thinking of staying here and attending the community college in town." She looked at him worriedly. "It'll take a couple years to get the basics I need and after that I can transfer the credits anywhere."

He breathed out, just then realizing he had been holding his breath. He had been so afraid she was going to say she was leaving. "If dat's what y' really want t' do, go for it."

She studied him. "What are you going to do?"

He grinned at her. "Worried bout not spending enough time wit' me since you'll be going t' college?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "As if! It was just a simple question."

He got serious. "I don't know yet."

"Xavier is going to make you go to school."

He nodded. "Yeah, I already discussed it wit' him. We're waiting on de test results t' come back befo' deciding anyt'ing."

She looked at him in surprise. "What test results?"

He looked slyly at her. "De N' York State GED Exam."

Her mouth dropped open. "What? When did you take that?"

"Bout a week an' a half ago."

"But why?"

He shrugged. "Took a couple night classes back home. Figured I don't need t' go t' high school since dey weren't a problem. De Professor agreed an' helped me arrange t' take de GED t' prove it."

"You do realize Remy isn't going to like it? He's going to miss not having you around to bug all day."

Etienne laughed. "He won't mind a bit. Dat way he gets t' follow Rogue around."

She smiled and he could tell she was feeling better. "So, is that offer for a picnic still open?"

He nodded. "Sure is."

"Then you go make the sandwiches and I'll change into my bathing suit and grab a couple towels and a blanket."

He grinned and before she could move away, gave her a peck on the cheek.

V.V.V.V.V.V.V

When they got down to the lake, they had the entire stretch of beach to themselves. Brooke looked out at the swimming platform anchored out in the water about 300 feet from the beach. "How about a swim before we eat?"

He followed her gaze. "T' de platform out dere?"

"Yeah, why not?"

He grinned. "Y' want t' race?"

"Hey, I grew up 15 minutes from the beach city boy. Do you really think you can beat me?"

He smirked. "Yeah. What am I going t' get when I win?"

She thought for a minute and then grinned back. "How about a kiss, and I don't mean a peck on the cheek."

His smirk changed into a leer. "I t'ink dat's just fine."

They lined up at the edge of the water. "Okay, on the count of three. One, two, three!"

Both of them ran until the water was hip deep and then dived in. Both of them stayed neck-in-neck until about half way when Brooke started to slowly pull ahead. She stayed slightly ahead of him for the next 50 feet. When they got closer to the platform, Etienne closed the distance. They had 15 feet, then 10. Brooke slapped her hand on the platform only to look over and see Etienne do the same thing. "Well, it seems we have a tie."

He nodded, not taking his eyes off of her. "Oui."

She licked her lips. "So who gets the prize?"

He reached out and pulled her to him, turning so that she was sitting on the underwater steps that led from the water to the platform surface. "I t'ink we both share de prize."

She was busy staring at his mouth. "Yeah, that sounds good."

He grinned and slowly leaned in, touching his lips to hers gently. When she offered no resistance he deepened the kiss, causing her to sigh as he pulled away.

He pulled her off the step and into the water, wrapping her legs around his waist. "Guess I'm not such a bad kisser, no?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Mm hmm. Suppose you want to make up for yesterday?"

He was more than happy to oblige her, trailing kisses down her neck and using his thumbs to tease her nipples. She moaned and tilted her head, giving him better access to continue his ministrations, feeling like she was on fire. She ran her hands through his hair, knowing what she was doing to him and loving it. Suddenly, they both froze as they heard someone yelling their names. They both looked back to the beach only to see what appeared to be Kitty, Kurt, Rahne and Sam waving their arms to get their attention.

"Merde!" Etienne reluctantly let Brooke go, turning to wave back to the beach that they had seen the others.

"Talk about bad timing." Brooke sunk low in the water so that no one would notice her fixing her bikini. "I suppose we better go back."

He sighed. "We better take our time or everybody is going t' know what we were doing out here."

She grinned and ran her hands down the front of his pants, feeling the bulge and causing him to suck his breath in. "Get a little excited did we?"

"Witch!" Without warning he dunked her under the water. She came up sputtering and cursing while he laughed.

"Jerk!" She hit him with a wall of water that he inhaled, making him choke. They proceeded to have a water fight, which left both of them sputtering their way back to the beach.

By the time they reached land, everyone else had made themselves comfortable. "Like, we never thought you guys were going to come out of the water."

Brooke laughed. "We weren't expecting company."

"Well, we figured you guys had a good idea. You don't mind, do you?" Kitty looked at them looked worriedly.

"Nope, the more the merrier." Brooke joined Etienne on their blanket and grabbed a sandwich. "Hey, roast beef!"

He poked her with a bag of chips. "I know that's your favorite kind of sandwich meat."

"Your too good."

"Keep dat up an' I'll get a swelled head."

"Thought you already had one of those." At the sound of muffled laughter Brooke turned around to look at Kitty and Kurt. "What?"

Kitty just shook her head unable to stop laughing. Kurt stood up quickly. "I think I vill go swimming." He made an undignified escape before Brooke could say anything else that he didn't need to hear.

"I t'ink y' embarrassed him chere."

Brooke looked from Etienne to Kitty. "I didn't know he was such a prude. I'll apologize when he comes back."

Kitty looked at Brooke. "He's not a prude, he just grew up sheltered. I had to give him his first kiss he was so nervous."

"You did not!"

She nodded. "Sure did. I thought he was going to have a heart attack."

Brooke laughed. "Got a watch?" When Kitty nodded affirmative, she continued. "Can you let me know in twenty minutes so I can flip?"

"Sure."

"Thanks." She lay back on the blanket next to Etienne. "This makes me think of home, except I should be able to hear the ocean."

"Y' can go home an' visit." Etienne rolled over on his stomach to look into her face. "De Professor don't keep us locked up here y' know."

She gazed at him, pondering. "I think I'll call my parents when we get back and see if they have any time before school starts. I know Dad's school begins after ours."

"Your Père's in school?"

She smirked at him. "In a manner of speaking. He teaches high school math."

"What about your Maman?

"She's a nurse."

"Hmmm." He leaned over to nuzzle her neck.

"Would you like to meet them?" She held her breath, half expecting him to say no.

He lifted his head up and considered. "I think I can be encouraged." He grinned at her. "It could be fun."

She let her breath out not knowing she had been holding it. "Cool."