I Want You Back

Disclaimer: Nope, ain't gonna own it. Not even after I get married and have bouncing, barfing, shrieking babies.

Chapter 7: Confrontation

"I called the garage and told your boss you couldn't come in," Wanda said when Lance walked into the kitchen at 11 the next morning.

He looked like a mess. Bruises were under his eyes from the lack of sleep as his hair was more dishevelled than usual.

"Call him back," he snapped as he took a seat next to Fred who was going through his third helping of cereal. "I'm working. I have a job to support you guys."

"Look, Lance, maybe-she's-right, maybe-you-should-stay-home-today," Pietro said, setting a bowl in front of him and pouring the older mutant cereal.

"Thanks," Lance said, then frowned. One, for Pietro who was pouring his cereal for him when he was perfectly capable of doing it himself. And two, for Wanda calling his boss claiming he couldn't come in. "Look, it's nothing alright. I can go to work. It's not like I have a hangover or anything."

Pietro looked to his sister for help. "Well, he does have a point," she said finally with a sigh.

"Hey, yo, when you come home from work, can you buy me some new mouthwash?" Todd asked.

"Sure, Todd," Lance said. He turned to his bowl and started eating. After that he took a shower, got into the jeep, and drove off to his job.

"Lance? I thought you weren't coming in today?" his boss, Rick Anderson, asked.

"Change of plans, Rick," Lance said as he went to the back to put his overalls on. "It's not like I got shot or anything. 'Sides, I have a family I need to support."

"So dedicated," Rick said. "Well, get to work. Garage 3 has a car there that needs some major repairing. Collision with a tree. It's half done already so there's not much you need to do."

Lance inwardly groaned as he set to work with another man who was ten years his senior. They were done by two in the afternoon.

He was enjoying his break watching TV and drinking cheap beer. He sighed as another memory invaded him.

"Lance," Kitty said, staring at him pointedly with her hand held out. She was at his workplace. They had originally planned on hanging out the entire day but Rick had called and had needed him to come in.

Lance grumbled, "It's just cheap beer," but gave the can to her anyway.

"Good boy," she said, patting his head and giving him a kiss on the cheek as the rest of his co-workers howled with laughter.

"Everything's gotta be a living memory with you, doesn't it?" he mumbled under his breath.

A tow truck came in about half an hour later with a silver convertible. Riding in the passenger seat of the truck was, oh joy of joys, Piotr. He was cursing in his native language.

Instantly, Lance felt sick and now wished that he had just stayed at home. He wished that he hadn't snapped at the others. Heck, he actually wished that he was in a whole load of pain, crying on his bed with his door and windows bolted shut.

"Put her in Garage 3, Lou," Rick said. "Lance, give these papers to the owner to fill in."

Lance nodded numbly. Clutching the papers he walked nervously towards Piotr. But as he got nearer, he suddenly found the whole thing stupid and strode quickly to him.

"You have to fill these, sir," Lance said.

Piotr looked up confused for a moment then realized that Lance was standing there. "Wait, aren't you-"

"Lance Alvers, a.k.a. Avalanche. Yeah. What's it to you, tin-man?" he sneered as he crossed his arms. "You have to fill these."

"I heard you the first time," Piotr said. He frowned. There was something itching at the back of his brain. And then he remembered. This guy used to go out with his girlfriend. "After I fill these, can I have a word weeth you?"

Lance shrugged and walked away. He started examining the car without much interest. After all, why did he want to help out his ex-girlfriend's current boyfriend?

"Here," Piotr said, handing him back the papers. "Can we talk?"

"Rick, I'm taking five!" Lance yelled. He followed Piotr out. "So talk."

"I want you to stay away from Katya," he said.

"Who?" Lance asked, confusion on his face.

"Katya. Or Keety as you call her, am I right?" the Russian said.

Avalanche frowned. "Look, me and Pryde are over, tin-man. I'm over her. I don't care about her. Have her for all I care." His heart thudded painfully as he said the words that were lies.

"That ees not true," he said. "I saw the way you looked at her at the shopping complex the other day."

"So what? I wouldn't be the first to make goo-goo eyes at her," Lance snarled, rolling his eyes. "Kitty's pretty attractive, though, isn't she? Blue eyes, silky brown hair. She could have any guy she wants, anytime she wants, and yet she goes for you. I seriously wonder why that would be. And, oh, just a few months after our break up. It almost makes me wonder if she ever was faithful to me. Heck, I know I was!"

"Stay away from her, or else."

"Or else what tin-man?" Lance challenged, clenching his fist as the ground rumbled slightly.

Piotr didn't answer. He focused and his hand turned into metal. He grabbed a metal pole and effortlessly crushed it. "Or that'll be you," he said, flinging the pole at Lance. He strode over to Rick. "When will it be fixed?"

Lance drowned out the voices as he willed himself to calm down.

He had no right… absolutely no right to threaten him if he came close to Kitty. He vaguely wondered if he could lure him into an alley after work and perhaps attempt to kill him and bury his body where no one will ever find him. Tch, tin-man threatening him? He who could destroy the entire earth if he had that much power? It was absolutely appalling.

But then, he sobered up from his anger. If he killed Colossus, Kitty wouldn't be happy. Heck, she'd probably be even more devastated than she was when they had broken up. And if anything, it would only probably increase Kitty's indifference towards him. He instantly felt guilty about what he said about Kitty. He had known her better than anyone else and yet she had accused her of seeing Piotr behind his back. He knew she had been faithful towards him. She always had. Even when Scott had claimed she was seeing someone else behind his back in an attempt to break them up, he still took Kitty's side. Even when Kitty would sometimes blow him off to hang out with Kurt and Bobby, Lance knew that he had her heart, as she did his. He never had problems of her loyalty to him. He shook his head. A mild headache was slowly forming.

"Rick," Lance said through gritted teeth as he interrupted Piotr and Rick's conversation. "I'm not feeling too good. I'm gonna head off early. I'll make it up tomorrow."

"Alright, Alvers. Get better. And you better be here at 9 a.m. sharp!" Rick said sternly as Lance shed the overalls. He went to his jeep and got in and drove back home.

He stopped by at a store to buy Todd's mouthwash. As he waited for the cashier to ring his sales up, his eyes darted towards the many brands of cigarettes lined behind the cashier's head.

"Two boxes, please," he said, and pointed to one.

He paid for it and returned home.

"Uh, hey guys. Lance's home early!" Freddy said from his position on the couch. "Did you get food?"

"Sorry, Freddy. I'll pick up something tomorrow. Give this to Todd will you? I have to go lie down," Lance said and retreated to his bedroom.

Once there, he closed the door behind him, took out a pack, and puffed his life away.

A/N: Okay, I absolutely suck at confrontations. The only confrontation I had ever been in was when I accidentally took someone else's bag by mistake. As it so happens, our bags were identical. A stupid thing to be confronted by really. Ugh. So tell me how it was. Give me suggestions so I can repair the worthless piece of crap I typed up. Oh, and for the most part, I have no idea how long they work on cars. Whenever my dad sends the car for servicing, I'm always at school. Heh.