Chapter Eight

The group of teens tiptoed through the silent mansion. Instead of watching Starsky and Hutch and going to bed they also watched, The Italian Job, Finding Nemo and the Notebook in which all the girls had broken down into tears.

They all crept into the kitchen. And laughed when the door closed behind them. Peter opened the door of the pantry and got them all out soda. Bobby chilled them all and the group dispersed to talk.

Rogue was arguing with Bobby in a corner, they always seemed at each other's throats. Kitty and Peter were discussing the training with Jubilee and Warren was standing beside Rory looking out the window.

"What time is it?" She asked yawning.

"Four," Warren replied glancing at his watch.

"Oh god…I have promised Storm I would teach the fifth graders how to bake sugar cookies at ten tomorrow morning."

"You probably should have stopped watching after the Italian Job then," He said reasonably.

Rory shrugged, "M'eh, I was having fun." She looked at Warren and smiled. They had sat beside each other through all the movies.

"Yeah…me too." He added. Rory opened her mouth to say something she wasn't sure what but she was going to say but Rogue interrupted her.

"You're impossible!" She yelled at Bobby. All the girls followed with insane shushing but a slamming door upstairs soon followed it. All the teens looked at each other.

"Shit," Kitty whispered, saying what they were all thinking. Warren looked at Rory.

"What's up?" He asked quietly.

"There is an eleven o'clock curfew for everyone over sixteen." Rory hurriedly explained. He nodded.

Jubilee looked at the group. "Scatter!" She said and they all bolted for the door on to the terrace. Rory grabbed Warren's hand and dragged him behind her. The teens all ran down the steps of the terrace and into the enormous garden.

Once into the thicker brush they all dove behind an evergreen bush that surrounded the garden. They heard the door open.

"I know you are all out there!" They could hear Storm yell out into the garden. "And you can stay out here, cause I am locking up!" They heard the door slam and everyone burst into laughter. When the laughing died down Kitty sat up.

"You don't think she meant it do you?" The teens looked at each other before getting up again and running back to the door, which indeed was locked.

Peter pulled back a hand but Rory grabbed his arm before he could break the glass.

"Yeah that won't get us caught at all." She said.

Peter looked at her, "You got a better idea, Pussy Cat?"

"I told you don't call me that! And give me a minute to think," Rory looked at the door, then at the seven of them. "I've got it. Warren can fly us all to the third floor balcony, Kitty first and then she can walk us each through the door."

"Why don't I just walk us in here?" Kitty asked looking at Rory.

"Because the chances of all of us navigating through two floors of people dead silently are very slim." She looked at Warren, "You mind?" Warren shook his head, hands in his pockets. "Great, thanks. Lets get started,"

"What about me?" Rory turned to look at Rogue. She did pose a bit of a problem.

"Yeah and me," Rory looked at Peter.

"What about you?" She asked.

"I doubt Warren will be able to carry me three floors up." He said simply. Rory nodded thinking over the problem.

"Well Kitty can take you in here, I doubt you will make that much noise, and Rogue I doubt you will actually get contact with Warren." Warren looked up at the later part of the statement.

"I don't want to risk it." Rogue said standing her ground. Rory nodded.

"Okay well Kitty can take you in here too just don't make any noise when going upstairs."

Rogue nodded. Kitty took them both inside while Warren started to fly them all up.

Eventually they were all inside. Everyone dispersed except Warren and Rory who stood near the door. Jubilee noticed her friend's absence. Jubilee looked back into the common room.

"You guys coming?" She asked.

Rory nodded, "In a minute, you go ahead." Jubilee nodded and left the two. Rory turned to face Warren who was looking at her already.

"I just wanted to thank you for helping out the group like that," Warren shrugged at Rory's words.

"I didn't mind, it was nice to feel like a help rather the a hindrance for once." He gave her a quick smile. Warren's smiles were so brief and rare that Rory had come to treasure each one he shot in her direction.

"I have a few of your shirts ready if you want to get them," He nodded, "Okay come on," She walked into the hall way quietly. Rory looked both ways before turning in the direction of her room.

Carefully she opened the door and snuck in. She waved her hand to show Warren to follow her into the room. Once they were both inside she shut the door carefully and flicked on the light.

Her room was pretty basic. There was a desk like in everyone else's room her bed was a roomy single with a purple sheet set. There was a stuffed cat on her bed that she had had since she was six. On the walls there was a poster of the first concert she went too and her favourite hockey player. Aside from that nothing special stood out.

"Here," Rory picked up a shirt and held it up for Warren to look at. The back housed two enormous holes that were now hemmed around the edge so there was no fraying. "I assumed you didn't want any embroidery around the edge." Warren looked at her and actually gave a small laugh, that actually sounded more like he was exhaling strangely but Rory loved it. "Try it on." Rory offered.

Warren looked at her. "Right now,"

"Sure, I need to make sure the holes are the right size before I do anymore of your shirts." Rory said calmly. Warren nodded seeming to understand the concept. He went to leave. "Wait! Where are you going?" Rory asked before Warren could leave.

"To go and try this on," He answered looking at Rory.

"We can't wander up and down the halls, we'll get caught, try it on here." She said Warren just looked at her.

"Here?" Warren asked looking at Rory.

"Where else? Oh come on Warren, it isn't like I have never seen a guys chest before." He looked at her for a while before starting to unbutton his shirt. Rory started to feel warm as he was doing it. Seeing a guy's chest wasn't the problem, it was the fact that it was Warren's chest that was bothering her. He wasn't as built as Peter but he was certainly easy on the eyes. He stood up when his shirt was off.

"Well uh right," Rory stuttered taking his discarder shirt. Warren crossed his arms self-consciously. "Here is the new shirt." Rory handed him the shirt. He took it and Rory found herself staring at his chest.

"Uh…what do I…?" Rory looked up at Warren's face when she heard his voice. He was looking at his arm. She followed his line of sight. His arm was in the sleeve but he couldn't get it any further because of his wings.

"Oh…uh," Rory came over and took the shirt and went round to look at his wings. "Maybe you have to put them in first before you put your arms in the sleeves." Rory took the shirt and carefully started to put one of his wings through the hole. They were so unbelievably soft and quivered slightly under Rory's touch. "Sorry," She said withdrawing her hands immediately.

"Oh, it's nothing…just no one else has ever touched them before." Rory nodded at Warren's words. She knew the feeling, not many people had touched her tail except by accident. Rory continued to work the shirt on.

"I remember the first time someone touched my tail on purpose. I was fourteen and I was here. Peter had lost his football in this enormous maple tree. So they guys asked me to climb up and get it 'cause of my claws. So I did. Got the ball down then I fell and broke my tail in two places. Wasn't one of my brightest moments," Rory got stuck at the up pointing joint of the wing. "You are going to have to stretch out the wing." She said. "Jean set it for me, my tail is still slightly kinky around those areas."

Warren glanced over her shoulder and stretched the wing as flat as he could. After carefully guiding in some feathers the shirt fit. "There, how does it feel?" Rory asked.

"Uh a little tight," Warren answered.

"Okay, I will widen the holes a bit so they fit and are easier to get over your wings." Warren nodded.

"Thanks,"

"It isn't any trouble," Rory's hands carefully went to the base of his wing to get the shirt off again, "It will probably take a little practise to get it on and off again but you will get used to it." She said confidently. Warren nodded as Rory drew the shirt off the wings.

Rory held the shirt in her hands as Warren put the shirt he had been wearing back on. He looked at her when it was buttoned up again.

"I should get back to my room," He said quietly.

"Yeah, I should probably get to sleep anyway." Rory said looking out the window, the sky was starting to light up as the sun started to rise.

"Right, well…" Warren turned and opened the door.

"Warren I…" Rory whispered. Warren turned and looked at her. "I…" The words weren't coming… nothing at all was coming... her mind had gone completely blank. "I…" She had nothing, absolutely nothing. Warren was standing at her, "I will tell you when your shirts are done." She said quickly.

He stared at her a little surprise, "Okay, well night,"

"Night," Rory said weakly. He closed the door behind him self. Rory fell on her bed throwing herself head face down into her pillow.