Enchantedlight, Sliver of Melody, Cozy-rozy-etc, Crafty, PyroSprite (Courtney), Emma134, Le Diable Blanc, CandyJMF and Nocturnalwitch – Thank you all for your reviews! They are like little drops of happiness and candy….meh….that didn't sound like me at all….but thank you so much, cause if I didn't have reviews and from all of you, I wouldn't be writing.
Wolfbane2005 – Thank you for the review, and just to answer your question, she hasn't told the x-men yet, just Scott, but when she does, you will know. Hope you like this chapter. xXx
Gatermage – Thanks! Each chapter I try to build up something new. And I love puns, so pun away….pun away…It was a good pun anyway, made me smile.
What if Ah
Chapter 9 – Hospitality
Jean-Luc looked at Storm in front of him. He felt everything racing back at such a speed he almost couldn't see her anymore because pictures and memories were playing in his mind.
Storm saw this happening to the man and she walked over to him to comfort him like she used to do, but when he saw her moving towards him, he stood up and held out his hand to stop her.
"Don't, Storm. Just tell me why you be here."
Storm nodded and understood why he was being so blunt. He was always blunt when he wanted to know things that he was worried about. He hated small talk and Storm just remembered it well.
"A girl, Rogue, we have reason to believe she is here." Storm said, as she began to sit down on a chair that was in front of his desk. Jean-Luc sat down on his chair again and as he did, he noticed the look in the mans eyes that stood by the door. He knew he was there, he had the second they entered, but this was the first time he paid more than a thieves attention to him. He could tell this man was a mutant, the way he held himself told him that. He also knew this man was tough and was very within himself, but the second Storm mentioned that girl, he changed, he shifted at the door, and there was a flash of something behind his eyes. Jean-Luc just guessed this man was her father or a good close friend.
He got all that from a two second glance at him, and when he turned back to Storm, he saw the sadness and hope in her brown eyes. He was about to open his mouth and tell them that they found a girl, but he remembered. He remembered that Storm, the same woman that sat in front of him, was the reason his sister had fled, she had given her an opening to leave. She was the one who told her that leaving was for the best, for his sister and her loves safety.
He closed his mouth and eyes for a second, before opening them again to speak to her. "An' what 'reason' would dis be, your highness?"
Storm frowned at what he called her, and she looked down at her hands in shame and guilt. Logan just raised an eyebrow at them both, and his forehead crinkled, but he didn't say anything. Storm looked up to meet Jean-Luc's eyes and she saw the hate in them. It was something she had only seen once before. When she had seen him right after his sister had just said goodbye to him and told him that she was leaving forever.
She sucked in a deep breath and opened her mouth, "The man I am working for now, he detected her mutant DNA, I guess you could say, he detected it here."
Jean-Luc just stared at her and nodded. He smiled and told her gently, yet firmly, "Sorry, but dere are only four mutants 'ere, an' you know who dey are, an' none of dem are called 'Rogue'. If you don't mind, leave mon office 'fore I do something I should have done a long time ago."
Logan growled and walked over to the desk the man sat behind and slammed his fist down onto it. "Look, bub, I know you know somethin', an' if you don't tell me or Storm here what it is, you gunna know what it's like to be the butter that the knife goes through."
Logan had to give the man some credit, during the threat he didn't wince or jump or show any sign of fear. He just sat there, waiting for him to finish.
He turned to Storm, who had put her hand on Logan's shoulder to calm him, and told her, "If you have more questions you know de number, next time, ring, don' come all de way out 'ere from Westchester when I don' even know what you be talkin' 'bout."
Storm nodded and stood up, she knew she wasn't going to get anything more out of him. She turned and left with Logan next to her, looking extremely pissed off.
Just before Storm opened the door, Jean-Luc stopped them with his voice, "If you need help findin' your way, I'm sure Psylocke will help you, she should be waitin' outside."
Storm nodded and opened the door, leaving there as fast as she could. She saw Betsy and nodded to her and gave her a small smile. Betsy could see how flustered she was and decided to leave her be, she knew never to push her when she's apprehensive because she would only just become angry. By the looks of it Wolverine knew it too. So she turned to him and decided to just let Storm vent for a bit.
"Hey, take it didn't go well then?" She asked lightly.
Logan looked into her eyes and nodded. Her voice was light, but she held a deeper quality to it, like she had had experience in a lot of things. He saw her flash him a smile and he gave a slight Logan like smile to her in return. She turned and began to walk down the hall, the way they had come, giving Logan a nice view of her ass. He smirked and followed her, Storm walking, head down, behind him.
"So what you here looking for?" Betsy knew, she had looked in Wolverines mind, she now knew his name was Logan, or at least that's what he called himself. He had a self healing ability for his natural powers and metal claws which came out of his knuckles, which definitely weren't natural. When she pried his mind to find out why there were here, she saw a flash image of a girl on top of him, it was dark so she could only make out her pale face and the fact his metal claws were imbedded in her chest. She then pulled out of his mind. She didn't know what he and the girl were doing, and as much as she would like to find out, something was stopping her, like a glass wall that only let her peer in to see that one image, but no other. She knew he didn't have mental powers but that wall was strong and she knew that there was no way she could get past it unnoticed.
Logan grunted and shrugged at his jacket. "A friend. Me an' Storm think she might be here, so we're gunna be stayin' here for awhile."
Betsy nodded. She knew that a new girl had just joined the guild, but from what she'd heard, this girl had white hair, and she would have seen that in the memory. "Good to know, Luv. Maybe we could all go out an' party. Things round here get really dull really quickly." It was true to her, to most people what goes on around there would be crazy and unreal, but she'd seen a lot in life, and had already been there and done it herself so after getting shot, mutant powers, thieving, wars and weddings were all just a normal day to her.
"Sounds good." He said as they approached the door they came in and she turned around to look at them, "Wolverine." Logan nodded towards her as his introduced himself.
Betsy smiled and looked up to him, "Well, if we're going by code names, I'm Psylocke."
At this, Storm's head shoot up. But she didn't say anything, just give her a sideways stare. Could this be the Psylocke that she had briefly met with years ago? Maybe it was just her code name, not Betsy. But it wasn't a very normal or common name. but she didn't look like Betsy, she was the same height, but Asian, the Psylocke she had known was British. Storm took a deep breath in as she felt many things crash down on her.
As they stepped outside, Storm walked over to the roses she had seen earlier. She gave a sad smile and knelt down to delicately stroke one. A silent tear ran down her face and Logan walked over to her, as did Psylocke. They both bent down to her, and Storm briefly acknowledged them.
"I…I helped his sister. That's why he is acting the way he is. He is a nice man, very kind, yet very business like." She said, very quietly. This was the first time she had spoken about it, since the Professor.
"Why would he be pissed at you if you helped his sis out?" Logan asked. He felt Betsy stiffen beside him and that told him it wasn't going to be a good answer.
"She wanted to leave…she was in love and scared. So," Storm's voice broke and she rubbed one of her fallen tears into the petals of the pink rose she was facing. "So, I gave her a path. She took it and it broke Jean's heart. She was the only thing he had left."
Logan understood then, he pulled at his jeans so he could sit down on the grass with her. He took out a cigar and was about to light it when Storm grabbed it out of his mouth.
"Logan, I planted these roses and I don't want your smoking to stop them getting the right carbon dioxide they need."
Logan nodded and tucked the cigar back in his pocket.
Storm continued and as she did she cried more, her breathing became harder and she felt like she was trapped in a box which was closing in on her. Yet she couldn't find the walls, couldn't touch them to try and push them out to save her.
"Even if he knows anything about Rogue, which he most likely does, he wont tell me. He wants me to suffer the pain and agony of losing someone like he did." Her tears became sobs and Logan turned to Psylocke and grabbed her by the top of her arm, he led her away from the breaking down Storm and looked up at the grey clouds gathering above them.
His anger had built up and now he needed answers.
"Is she here?" He growled at the purpled haired woman.
Her eyes widened before narrowing at him, her face turning to stone and it was only met with Logan's equally cold stare. "If Jean-Luc didn't tell you, why do you think I will?"
Logan's grip tightened and he pulled her closer to him. "'Cause he didn't see these." At that Logan bought his other hand up and he let his left hand claws pop out in all there glory.
Logan gave her credit, she didn't flinch. She just bought up her right hand and he saw purple flame like energy surround it. He let go of her arm and they both stepped back from each other, neither breaking eye contact.
"Go see Storm. Then leave for awhile. Maybe then you'll find answers."
Logan stared at her for a bit longer. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but so far he liked what ever it was he was seeing. Finally he broke the contact and he sheaved his claws back into his hands. He heard Psylocke take a deep breath out, he then turned and walked over to Storm, who had calmed down a lot now. He took her hand and helped her stand up. She was now holding a small bud of a rose that she had picked from the garden. When they were walking towards the jet he heard Psylocke coming towards them again. He turned around and saw she was about a hundred metres behind them. They both stopped and waited for her to catch up.
When she did she handed Logan a piece of paper. She held her hand in his a bit longer then was needed but he didn't make any movement to let go. She turned to Storm and smiled, her blue eyes sparkled. "Ororo, when that rose has lost its bloom, ring me on that number an' come to that address." Then quickly she turned and ran towards the mansion.
Logan raised an eyebrow as they started to get back on the jet. "Did you tell her your name?" he asked Ororo, and she shook her head. Logan just absently nodded, he needed a beer. All this emotional crap was tiring.
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Kate saw black for a second before she saw a bit of light seep through her slightly open eye lids. She let out a groan which caused a hand to touch her shoulder and gently rub it, to comfort her.
She tried to sit up but she felt the same hand hold her down gently. She pushed it away and sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"What happened?" She looked around and saw Bella sitting in a drivers sit of a car, Kate was in the back, with Merci sitting next to her. She looked out the window and saw some trees flying by, the fast image made her feel sick and she held her stomach.
Bella turned and glanced at her before looking back at the road again, "Ya passed out, after going all crazy on me!" she shouted back to her as she drove down a long road, fast.
Kate looked down at her hands, confused and was about to ask something, but then she realised, she didn't have anything to say. How does one react to being told they were crazy and had a fit before passing out? She remembered talking to Bella about some things, Remy was one of them, she also remembered being pushed and her back hitting something hard, but she didn't know what or how.
She felt Merci's hand touch her shoulder, but she flinched away, making Merci sit back and take her hand away. Kate turned to her to apologise, "Ah'm sorrah. Ah don't know what's goin' on……Ah wish ah nevah woke up. Ah wanna go home, ah wanna……Ah wanna remember." She bought her knees up to her chest and she felt tears coming down her cheeks. She felt Merci change her sitting position uncomfortably, and she heard Bella sigh. As they turned a sharp corner her small body swayed and hit against the car door lightly, it didn't hurt, it just made her feel stupid.
She began to think in the silence that was in the car. Only this morning she was kicking Remy's butt, she felt strong and confident and happy, but now she was crying and weak and she hated it. Wiping away her tears she looked out the window with blurry eyes and saw a massive mansion. She knew it was the LeBeau estate, but it would never cease to amaze her, it was huge and so glorious. She sat down properly and took a couple of deep breaths and made a silent promise to herself to never be this fragile again.
She remembered one thing and decided to ask the two girls something. "Are any of ya'll mutants too?"
Merci's eyes widened and she made a sort of gagging noise. At that Bella snorted and glanced back round to Kate. "Nah, me an' Merci ein't, but some of us are, but dat be dere stories to tell. Not ours."
Kate nodded. She liked Bella, she was blunt and didn't sugar coat things and that's what she needed. Kate looked out the window again and saw the mansion closer and clearer now. She looked up at the grey clouds, rapidly disappearing from the sky above the mansion. She found this slightly weird and she frowned. She then spotted a big black object rising from behind some trees that were far behind the mansion. She widened her eyes and tried to guess what it was. It seemed like a plane of some sorts and she saw it glisten before it quickly fled high and fast away from the mansion.
She looked over to Merci who was just looking out the front window, she wondered what it was and remembered she had seen something like it before, this morning or afternoon, she wasn't sure. She looked down at the watch she had got and saw that it was nearly five. Sighing, she remembered dinner was at half five.
She wondered why things like this were happening to her. Were things always gunna be like this? Had her life always been so complicated? She wasn't sure she wanted to know. They had driven up to the garage now and Bella and Merci were gathering their things and starting to get out, so Kate followed and grabbed a bag that was by her foot. She looked down into it as she got out and saw a box in which she guessed had a pair of shoes in them. Like most of the bags Merci had.
Stepping out of the car she was greeted with a pissed off looking man, he was bald and had a small goatee. She remembered him, she had seen him around, but didn't know who he was. He walked up to Merci and gave her a light, delicate kiss on the lips before hugging her and whispering something to her. Kate took this in and guessed that this was Henri.
She saw Merci gasp and look over to her before turning back to the man and hugging him quickly and handing him her bags. Kate smiled at Henri's reaction, he sort of looked down at them like they were a bomb then sighed and started to walk back to the Mansion like a child who just got told he had to tidy his room.
Merci walked over to her and smiled. Something in the smile made Kate wearily. And she narrowed her eyes.
"Dat was Henri. De love o' my life." She said, jokingly. Kate eased up but didn't let her guard down. Kate smiled and she handed her bag to Merci.
"Am ah goin' crazy, or did ah see a plane leavin' here?" She asked. After all, she wasn't sure if that was an every day thing around here. After all they were a guild of thieves, who knew what normal was to them?
"Jus' some people wantin' somethin' we don't ave." Merci said simply.
"Oh. Is that normal round here?" Kate asked casually.
"Meh……It happens every now an' again. But anyway, dinner in couple minutes an' we wanna get dere 'fore everyone else does." Merci smiled and turned, Bella followed her and she held a couple bags in her hands. Kate looked up at the place where the plane had taken off and she looked back at the Mansion. Smiling she followed, and she had a sudden thought, what was going on with her? This voice, was it the old her or something else? She looked at her bare hands and hoped it was something else. She didn't think she could handle the fact that she was so…..inhuman in her past life.
She caught up with Bella and Merci and she joined in on their conversation. "So we all got bets goin' on when Henri gunna ask Merci to marry 'im. You want in? So far we got 'bout three million in de pot."
Kate's eyes widened and she nodded. She would have to watch Henri at dinner, by the sounds of it, to them three million wasn't a lot but wasn't pocket money either, to her she was sure that her new life would be pretty good if she won that bet.
As they entered the Mansion she was hit with a great smell of food, only then did she realise how hungry she actually was. She ran a hand through her hair and as they reached the kitchen she saw Remy, he smiled at her and winked, causing Kate to smile and blush. When Remy saw Bella his smile fell and if his eyes weren't covered in those damn glasses, she would have seen something flash in his red eyes, but she didn't.
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It was dark, he couldn't really see where everything was, but he knew what was where. This wasn't the first time he had just sat in the darkness.
He had always sat in the darkness when he was a boy. His brother was afraid of the dark so he knew he wouldn't come in when he didn't have the lights on.
Now though, he was trying to forget. Forget everything, his family, his powers, and maybe if he was lucky, his dead girlfriend. He couldn't help but blame himself for what happened, if only he wasn't helping those children! He would have seen what she was doing and stopped her. He knew it was stupid, but he needed her, he just felt empty and colder….his powers were going crazy. The other day he froze his pencil during a test. And that day he had formed a layer of ice over his hand.
Sighing he ran a hand through his hair, running it down the side of his face, he sucked in a breath as he felt how cold it was. He needed help.
He heard a slight buzzing sound that he only knew as Kitty's phasing. He didn't move though to greet her, he just continued to stare at nothing in front of him. He felt the sofa move next to him, he guessed Kitty had sat next to him.
Kitty sat there, not knowing quite what to do, she wanted to comfort him, but she didn't know how. She had always had a thing for him, but he was so happy with Rogue, she never wanted to wreck that. Now she felt guilty for what had happened, while they were fighting for their lives and dieing, she had gone to Chicago with some of the younger students and looked after them at her parents' home.
"Bobby….Why are you sitting in the dark?" she asked him quietly, finding her voice, but it was still shaky.
"Thinking." Was his simple curt reply.
Kitty shifted, he wasn't making it easy, but she never expected it to be, "How's….how's that going?"
"I...I keep thinking back at all the things that I could have done, that...that could have saved her. But, butnone of them….none, can save her now." He said, anger rising in his voice.
"I'm sorry." She said lightly, she hated seeing him like this. Putting her hand on his shoulder, he shrugged it off violently.
"Why couldn't you have been there? You could have phased her! Saved her! But you weren't, you didn't! You weren't there….." he turned and hugged her in his strong arms, he was crushing her but all he could do was cry.
Kitty didn't know what to do, she just put her arms around him and patted his back lightly, while he cried and held on to her.
She heard him mumbling words like, 'Why' and 'Oh God'. Her heart broke as she felt waves of pity and sadness out towards him. She hushed him and made soft calming noises hoping to help him.
She remembered the words that Jean had told them, the words thatRogue had given as her last. "At least she saved all of you, she died...she dieda hero."
Bobby sat back and pulled away from her. He looked into her eyes, his eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and he felt that things were going to be tough, everything he had ever loved and felt so strongly for had been taken away from him, his family, his girlfriend and his bestfriend. He gave a weak smile, and Kitty returned it.
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Everyone was sitting round the big table. They were in a fancy room full of dark oak furniture and antiques, although this room would have usually been looked at as overpowering it didn't feel like it when it was filled with all these people, laughing, eating and talking.
Kate smiled and took a bite into a bit of the bread she had in her hands. Next to her was Henri, who was currently holding hands with Merci under the table. And on the other side of her was Bella. She looked over to her and smirked, nodding her head over to the happy couple. Bella nodded at her and they let out a laugh. Kate had agreed with the bet and now had May fifteenth. Bella leaned over to her and whispered in her ear.
"God, I hope me and Rem' didn't look like dat when we were datin'." Bella glanced over to Remy and smirked. Kate looked over at him too, he was looking down into his soup as someone Kate didn't know was telling him something, he had long golden blonde hair, which was tided back in a pony tail, and long sideburns. She didn't know why, but she felt something unfamiliar in her stomach. She only hoped it was the spicy food.
Remy was busy trying to ignore Lapin, he turned to the man and frowned.
"Why you hidin' yor' eyes? Everyone know what dey like, no one cares." Lapin said, he was a good friend, his cousin, but sometimes he butted in on things that he didn't want him to.
"Not everyone, mon amie." He looked up at Kate who was taking a sip of water and smiling at Bell while she told her something, which caused her to let out a laugh.
Lapin saw this and smirked. "Remy hidin' dem from de newbie? Intrestin'."
Remy glared at him, "Shut up. Remy jus' don't wanna freak 'er out by showin' 'er mon demon eyes."
Lapin laughed and picked up his drink, he took a sip before talking to Remy again. "Freak 'er out? She be de on who burnt Emil's eye brows off? She be a walkin' supernova. An' yo' scared dat yo eyes will be a problem?"
Remy just turned back to his dinner and gave a lopsided smirk as he remembered Emil coming back without any eyebrows.
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As Kate went to leave, she was caught up by Merci, she flicked a long bit of her blonde hair over her shoulder and giggled up at Henri who was standing behind her, with his arm around her waist.
"Hey, Jean-Luc wants to speak wit' yo'. Henri 'ere will show yo' were 'is office is, I'm off to get ready." With that she turned and gave Henri a quick kiss, and winked at Kate. She waved and began to walk away.
Kate smiled at Henri and he gave her a nod. She knew that he was going to be hard to befriend. He had this sort of vibe coming off him, she was taken aback by the change. On second he was happy and smiling with Merci and now he was kind of cold. She guessed that Merci had a big effect on him.
"So why Jean-Luc wanna see meh?" she asked casually.
"He jus' wants to welcome you, I'm guessin'."
"Kay……So……" She was beginning to feel really uncomfortable, she began picking at her skin on her hands, she wondered if that was a bad habit she had.
"Yo' remeberin' anythin'?" Henri asked her politely. He seemed curious but he tried to hide it by asking like he didn't really care.
"A couple thin's. Ya got the net here? Maybe I could google some of the thin's, see if that can help meh." She asked Henri, which she got a warm smile from him.
"Yo' best bet is to ask Theo, he be de one who deals wit de computer thin's. if yo want, I'll talk to 'im, I got bout 3 hours to spare, only take me half hour to get ready." Henri was trying to be friendly, he still didn't really trust her, she had taken down several of their men without even moving. But she didn't seem like she wasn't going to do that again, and she was part of the guild now, and if Jean-Luc trusted her, that was enough for him.
They turned round a corner, both had been silent for a while now, and Henri stopped at a door. Kate stopped too and suddenly she started to panic and get nervous.
Henri put is hand on her shoulder. "Don' worry, he's not gunna bite or yell or anythin'."
Kate looked up to him and nodded. Before knocking on the door and entering before she got a reply.
The first thing she noticed was that Jean-Luc was looking at a picture of something she couldn't see. He looked sad and guilt. She walked over to his desk and sat down. Quickly he shoved the picture into his draw and turned to look at Kate.
He smiled and his eyes turned from the sad brown they were into warm and calmness. "Well, les get dis started off. Welcome, you be de newest member of de Thieves Guild. How yo' trainin' goin'?"
Kate smiled and nodded, "It's good, ah didn't think ah had it in meh. Remy's really nice, an' is helpin' meh a lot."
"Bon, bon. So hows everything else?" He asked, he rested his arms on the table in front of him and looked into her eyes.
Where to begin? A lot of things had been happening over that past week. Had it really been a week?
"Well, ah'm havin a couple problems wit' the fact ah can't speak French….Ah've remembered a couple things, but none of it makes sense. Theres somethin' inside meh that ah can't control an' ah have no idea what ta do. But, Merci is the greatest person ah've met. Or at least the greatest person ah can remember, ya all so nice ta meh, givin' meh a home, inviting meh inta ya family." She said, everything was out. All her worried, all the problems she had. And she felt so much better now, like a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. She sighed and wiped her eyes. She looked up and saw Jean-Luc looking at her, she felt comforted by his presence. She gave him a weak smile, which he returned. He reminded her of someone but she couldn't put her finger on it.
"Well lets see what we can do." He took out a bit of paper and jotted down a number and handed it to her, "Dis is de number of a woman who is in de Guild, she's a mutant with physic powers, she will help you out with your mental problems." Kate took the paper from him and saw the name above the number. 'Betsy Braddock.' "De French, I don't think dat will be much of a problem, none of us speak it all de time, we only slip in petite words, which you will pick up after awhile." He smiled. "An' with dese memories, I'm sure dere be somethin' we can do."
"Henri said that a guy called Theo could help me search the net." She saw Jean-Luc smile and nod.
"Oui, he be de computer genius of de Guild. I'll make sure you have a computer an' de internet installed in yo' room." He replied. Kate was shocked by how much he was willing to give her and help her. He opened another draw and pulled out a folder.
"Dis is yo' new life Kate, in 'ere is yo' birth certificate, a credit card wit unlimited spendin' money, an' I.D cards etcetera." Kate's mouth gaped open.
"Oh mah gawd, Ya too kind ta meh. Why are ya doin' all this for meh?"
Jean-Luc smiled warmly at her and stood up, he walked round the desk and handed her the folder. "Cause you be part of de family now." Kate smiled up at his and took the folder he had given her. She stood up and hugged him.
Jean-Luc was taken aback. He hadn't been hugged in years, not since his sister was still here, Jean-Luc had to admit to himself, that this girl was just like his sister, and he smiled to himself and hugged her back.
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Hope you liked it! It might be awhile til I update again, so sorry! But hopefully not too long, it wont be longer then 2 weeks. I hope.
Please Review, cause there the reason Im still writing. Thanks xXx
Your loyal fanfictioner,
xXxUntouchablegothxXx