Hello again. I am sure many of you are on the edge of your seat, anxious to know how this will turn out. Well, EviltwinAlix of course knows and will kindly not tell. I myself know the ending I have in mind but its getting from point a to point z that is the adventure and I hope you guys stick around to enjoy it with me.
A warning to the Pietro fans, this is my field trip to the world of angst and I cannot guarantee a fairy-tale ending for you. As a precautionary I recommend keeping a stash of tissue and junk foods on hand to comfort yourselves particularly in the later chapters.
Disclaimer: Okay. Repeat after me. Heartsyhawk. Does. Not. Own. X. Men. Evolution. Or. Any. Other. Previously. Claimed. Products. Companies. People. Or etcetera. Ok is that clear enough?
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Everybody in the room gaped at Doctor McCoy.
"Please, tell me I have misheard you." Magneto said evenly.
Dr. Hank McCoy sighed. "I am sorry Magneto. But you heard what you don't want. Your son, Pietro, unless we have a major breakthrough and fast, has little over twenty-four hours left of life."
Eric Lenshurr blinked and looked at his shell-shocked seventeen-year-old son. Blue eyes filled with horror were wide as dinner plates.
"I...I-can-not-be-dying..." Pietro stammered. "I'm...I'm-too-me! I'm-too-too-perfect-and-good-looking-and-young! I'm-only-17-for-crying-out-loud!" He swallowed. "How-could-I-be-dying!" He demanded. "I'm-too-perfect-and-I-have-way-too-many-dates-lined-up-and..." He looked horror-struck. For a few moments the mask of age revealed the terrified little boy who had been hidden under the ego. A little boy, who was terrified of the prospect of death.
Wanda inhaled a sharp breath and tears filled her ocean-blue eyes. "No..." She shook her head in hopes that this whole thing would clear from her mind like a daydream. Or a nightmare.
Xavier looked sadly at the twins. Currently they both resembled the nine-year-olds they had never really grown out of being. One was terrified for his life, while his sister was terrified for her brother.
Kitty had clasped a hand to her mouth in horror. She had never been too fond of Pietro but she didn't wish him dead. And she could hardly imagine being told she had just a little more than one day to live.
Piotr placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, while glancing uneasily at his former boss. Lance tensed and looked away as memories both beautiful and painful replayed in his mind.
Wanda blinked repeatedly, trying to hold back a torrent of emotion. She clenched her fists while trying to keep her voice steady. "Why? Why him? Why now? Its...it's just...not fair! And...And...I...I just can't take this anymore!" She wailed and suddenly a potted plant in a corner of the room caught fire.
Some of the people franticly panicked while Xavier remained calm and attempted to soothe Wanda and calm her down. But Wanda saw the fire and panicked further. She had always been terrified of fire, it represented her fear and powerlessness and rage according to Agatha Harkness.
In a few moments the sprinkler system kicked in and doused the room. Everyone sat there drenched and nervous except Pyro who stood transfixed gazing at the spot where the flames had just been. He turned to Wanda in awe, regarding her as a Goddess of some sort. His own blue eyes searched out hers as water dripped from his soaked red-orange hair and onto his orange t-shirt.
"Are you okay Honey muffin?" Toad asked her timidly as she tried to regulate her breathing and clutched her arms around her body in fear and absolute misery.
"Just leave me alone, Todd please." She begged. He jumped in surprise as she had addressed him by his real name. He hadn't even been aware that she knew it. "And just don't call me those stupid names." She sighed. "Please just don't."
"Anything you say Angel-I mean Wanda." He said gently. He lay a comforting hand on her shoulder and stepped away. "But if you need a shoulder to cry on, I'm always ready for you." He bowed his head.
"Is he really going to die?" She asked miserably as she attempted to recompose herself.
McCoy nodded woefully. "That's what it looks like, but we are getting on solving this right away. Professor Xavier is contacting Moira MacTaggart as we speak. And then he will bring in Forge and a few others to help. Please Wanda, know that we will do all in our power to help him."
Wanda smiled weakly. Then she turned to her brother. "You better get well. Or else. I swear...I'll never forgive you Pietro."
He rolled his eyes. "Don't-worry-about-me-Wanda. I'm-too-perfect-to-die. I'm-immortal. I-won't-die-because-I-am-indestructible."
"No you aren't." She shook her head sadly. "Don't die Pietro. I'm serious."
He gave her a look that plainly said not to worry. "Hey-sis-with-my-immune-system, I'll-be-good-as-new-in-about-two-hours." He smirked and Magneto, Dr. McCoy and Xavier shared a distressed look.
"Pietro, don't be a fool.." Magneto scolded sharply. "For the first system to fail will be your immune system. Then any number of things could go wrong and shorten the time even more."
Pietro had clearly reached the denial stage. He rolled his eyes.
"Ok" Xavier said in his calm voice. "Moira's on the way as we speak, as is Forge, and a few others I feel will be of service.
McCoy nodded. "Look kids, staying down here isn't a good idea. Pietro needs a brief rest as I feel this may be too much excitement for him in his current state.
The teen scowled. "No-let-them-stay! I-am-not-a-baby-and-I-don't-want-a-nap!"
"Very well then, I will have to give you something to help." McCoy said vaguely and examined a medical cabinet. He located a small bottle and a syringe. He filled it and took the young mutant's arm.
"Hey-what-are-you-doing-with-that? What's-in-that-thing?" The boy strained to get up and pull away but the IV tugged at his arm so he didn't pull again.
"Don't worry so much Pietro. This is just a mild sleeping draught. Don't get so excited."
The doctor plunged a tiny bit of the syringe full of clear liquid into the speed demon's arm.
"Ow! What's-it-do? Is-it-supposed-to-make-me-tired? I'm-not-tired-yet! I-feel-wide-awake-and-man! I-am-bored-out-of-my-skull! Still-not-tired! Am-I-supposed-to-be-sleepy? I-don't-think-that-stuff-is-work-" He blinked and his eyes shut halfway. He leaned back onto the pillows and yawned. He looked as if he hadn't slept in a week and McCoy smiled gently at the boy as he drifted off to sleep.
"I do believe my sleep serum is working perfectly." He said quietly.
"What did you do to him?" Magneto asked angrily.
"A serum that helped him to fall asleep." The doctor explained. "It won't in anyway harm him or increase the speed of the collapse of his systems."
Wanda frowned. "Why does he need it?" She asked suspiciously.
"I need to examine his brain waves in a passive state. I need to know if his body is even reacting to what's happening. If he is sleeping then other factors won't influence the waves and interfere with the interpretation and the results.."
Wanda nodded and pretended she understood what the doctor had said.
"Its the most safe, fast-acting, no-side-effect serum I have in my stock at this time. It will keep him out for exactly one hour. Don't worry I promise this won't do anything wrong to young Pietro."
Xavier nodded. "Come, Eric, I must attempt to pull the memories from you so we may do the necessary research. And I suggest all of you go enjoy this hour as I have a feeling that the next twenty-five will be the most hectic yet.
He wheeled out to head to the quiet of his library with Magneto close behind. Fred went off in search of the kitchen. Piotr steered Kitty out of the room to help her unpack from the trip to the mall. Wanda clutched her sleeping brother's hand nervously.
"Come on Pie. Get better!" She whispered. "We're twins, we're supposed to share pain."
Lance put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Don't give up hope."
She smiled at the gesture of comfort coming from her brother's best friend who looked on the verge of an emotional breakdown. "You either." She looked at him pointedly with a small smile.
"We can't give up. Losing him would be a catastrophe. He's obnoxious but...he is my best friend and your brother."
Toad looked at the two and looked crushed. "I'll just go find Freddy, yo. Don't want to mess up a 'magic moment'." With that he sadly hopped off.
Wanda stared after him. "He seems really hurt."
"Ah he'll get over you and it's not like he has anything to worry about." The older mutant smiled warmly at Wanda. "Don't take any offence Wanda, but my heart already belongs to somebody else." He sighed miserably and stared at the spot Kitty had stood in before being sheparded off. "Even if she doesn't want it."
Wanda nodded. "Kitty right? Well that's kind of good. Not that you're miserable but I really don't like you like that. And I really am not offended. You're like an older brother to me and it would just be weird, you know?" She grinned to show him she hadn't really thought anything romantic was between them. "As for the Kitty and Colossus situation, why not get some 411 on them. And maybe my brother's right, maybe moving on would be a smart idea."
Lance sighed and shook his head. "I'm being selfish. If I can't have Kitty, I don't know if I want anybody. And I know the end is near when Pietro is right about my love life."
Wanda smiled. "I'm going to go exploring. Maybe find something here that's worth my attention. You staying or coming?"
Lance cast a last fleeting glance at his friend, lying in the hospital bed, connected to the IV and machines, and breathing softly and evenly. "Coming. This is depressing."
The two teens headed out of the room unaware that they were followed by a young mutant whose blue eyes were still filled with awe and admiration.
Meanwhile down in the rec room...
Rogue was perusing the DVD's trying to pick one to watch. She was unaware that she had an audience. She grumbled and muttered incoherently at each one.
"Scamper the Penguin? Mahghty (Mighty)Morphin' Power Rangers: the movie? Pokémon: Heroes? Sponge Bob's Spongiest Adventures? Ok these hafta be Jamie's...Tony Hawk: An autobiography? Nope, Evan's dumb movies...no. Beauty an' the Beast? Cinderella? The little Mermaid? The Lizzie McGuire Movie? Tuck Everlastin'? Jeez, mental note: Kitty, Jubilee, and Amara own only corny happily ever after movies. Lets see...Star Wars, Star Trek, Boston Red Sox movie, ET, Superman, Batman Returns, Catwoman, this is gittin' meh nowhere fast. Especially goin' through Kurt an' Bobby's movies. Hm, Bay Watch? Ugh. Ray and Roberto's crud. No, nuh-uh, not in this lahfe tahme (lifetime). Why don' we got anythin' good ta watch?" She asked as she glared at the cover of Anastasia.
"Chére, if y' expect dat movie t' answer y' den maybe y' should be askin' Ol' Mags fo' de address of dat place he left his fille (daughter in French) in."
Rogue rolled her eyes. "Go away Swamp Rat. Go bother Jean or somebody who wants ya ta flirt with 'em."
"Now where be de fun in dat?" Remy winked gently as he leaned onto the armrest of the couch. "De scenery in dis room be tres belle. (very beautiful)."
"Git lost or Ah swear Ah'll call Logan."
"An' tell de homme what? Dat he gotta kill Remy fo' complimentin' y'?"
"No. Ah'll tell him ya harassin' meh. An' if he don' kill y' Ah will. That should guarantee ya a death date. Do ya have any next of kin or relatives ta contact? Or would ya like ta plan ya own funeral? Hm, Ah'm feelin' generous. How do ya wanna die?"
"Of old age." Remy smirked and removed a pack of cigarettes from his trench coat pocket. He lit one and took a drag.
"Not an option. But Logan won't have to worry if ya keep up that nasty habit of ya's." Rogue frowned and waved the smoke away, her nose wrinkling at the scent of it. "Yah do know ya paintin' ya lungs black rahght (right)?"
"T'ought y' liked black Chére." He drawled with a smirk.
"Ya are aware then that ya killin' yahself (yourself)?" She frowned as she waved another drift of the offending smoke away from herself.
"Aw, Remy knew y' cared Chérie." He smirked and took another drag.
"No Ah don' care. Yah wanna die ya go rahght (right) ahead swamp rat, no skin off mah back. But don' take meh with ya."
Remy sighed and flicked the cigarette out the window. "Better?"
Rogue smirked. "Much. Though Ah jus' pass up an oportunity ta watch ya suffer a long painful death."
"Dat hurts Chérie." He put a hand over his heart.
"Yah know if ya smoke inside the professor won' like it. Hm, maybe he won' even let ya join the team...Oh professor!"
"Shh Chére!" He moved in and clamped a gloved hand over her mouth. "Yah'd be sendin' po' Remy t' someone worse den Mags if y' tattle! Remy'll never do it 'gain if y' stay quiet!" He pleaded with a pitiful expression on his face.
Rogue pushed his hand away. She was about to yell for Logan or the professor or both but the look in his eyes made her hesitate. "Who could be worse than Magneto?" She asked curiously.
"Y'd be s'prised." Remy sighed. "Mon pére fo' un."
"Yah father?" She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow.
Remy nodded. "De man t'ink Remy just a bit o' property fo' him. Dat an' he be tryin' t' bury de hatchet in Remy's skull. Or maybe Remy's heart..."
"What's he tryin' ta do?"
"Yah remember de rippers? An' Julian? De crazy homme who tried t' kill y' down in N'Awlins (New Orleans)?"
"Which one?" Rogue smirked. "Ah seem ta remember a whole mess o' homicidal guys after meh an' tryin' ta git meh killed y'all bein' no exception ta that."
Remy frowned. "Told y' Remy was sorry. But dat beside de point."
"Yeah Julian was the one Ah absorbed. Blonde hair? Blue-green eyes? Guy who tried sinkin' the boat we were in with a machine gun?"
"Oui, dats de homme. Well he got a li'l sister..."
"Let me guess, ya did somet'in' t' her an' now he wants ya dead an' ya dad says he can off ya." She smirked.
"Non. Dat fille be obsessed wit' Remy. Yeah Julian hates Remy but its cuz he don' want Remy fo' a li'l brot'er in law."
Rogue's eyes instantly flashed with shock. "That would mean the gal's..."
"De mos' evil li'l witch on de planet." Remy finished bitterly. "Ot'erwise known as Remy's fiancée."
"Yah engaged?" Rogue practically screamed at him as she backed away.
"Not like Remy had any choice." He frowned. "Chére please, it ain' what y' t'inkin' at all! Let Remy explain it t' y'..."
"No choice mah foot!" Rogue glared. "Don' worry about explainin' Gambit. There's only one reason ta git down on one knee an' propose ta a gal. An' we both know it!"
"Non, y' don'." Remy said desperately. "Remy don' want t' marry her!"
"Yeah. Right." Rogue snapped. "Ah don' believe this! Yah engaged! An' ya never told meh an'...argh! Ya stupid inconsiderate jerk! Ah was...an' Ah thought...Ugh. Just go away Gambit. Ah ain' in a good mood fo' this right now!" She glowered and turned away from him.
He sighed miserably. His empathic powers were adding her own feelings to his and mixing the hurt and betrayal with his own and the surge of emotion was unbearable. "Chére..." He started. "Listen, I don' love de girl. We bin engaged since Remy was four. It would've been longer but I was adopted. Remy knows y' upset...but...it really ain' a typical situation."
Rogue looked at him as if to scowl. But she took pity on him. "An arranged marriage?"
Remy nodded. "Stayin' up nort' is de on'y way out. Y' can' send Remy back t' dem, please Rogue." He begged.
She was taken aback by the fact that he addressed her by her chosen name. She blinked and pretended to think. Remy's face fell and he sighed heavily.
"Ok. Remy get it. Just gonna go an' pack now...See y' round Rogue." He cast hurt eyes to the floor and hung his head.
"Aw wait up swamp rat." She called and he turned. "Ah'll hate mahself fo' this tomorrow, ah heck Ah'm hatin' mahself now but...Ah ain' gonna tattle on ya. That's Ms. Perfect's job."
He raised an eyebrow quizzically at her. "Y' pullin' Remy's leg? Cuz it ain' nice t' kick a homme (man) when he down petite."
She shook her head. "Ah'm serious. Ah...won't rat out ya smokin' habits...taday.."
Remy's black and red eyes lit up mischievously. "Guess Chére care fo' Remy mo' den she says, non?"
"No is right Swamp Rat." She rolled her eyes. "Ah'm doin' the gal a favor. Goodness knows Ah wouldn' wanna be stuck with ya fo'ever." She crossed her arms and smirked.
"Wouldn' be fo'ever. Dat fille (girl) would kill Remy de first time he don' take out de trash on de first call." He mumbled serious again.
"Well, ya owe me one then." She gave him a small half smile.
He smirked impishly. "Remy know how t' repay dat debt Chére..."
SLAP!
"OW!"
"Ya stupid sex crazed jerk!"
"Remy didn' mean nuttin' bad. Just dinner." He widened his eyes innocently as a faint blush hit her cheeks. Then he smirked in amusement. "Does Remy's Chérie got a dirty mind?"
"NO!" She frowned. "Ah just know ya. Remember ya psyche's in mah brain." She scowled.
Remy shook his head. "So no objection t' dinner den? T'night?"
"That depends, will ya be smokin'?" She asked as she twirled a thin lock of white hair.
"Chére, Remy even quit if y' want him too." He searched for a reaction and smiled gently as she rolled her eyes with an almost invisible half-smile.
"Yah promise? No mo' smokin' ever?"
Remy nodded while grinning at her. He figured he could always smoke when she wasn't around.
Rogue smiled softly. "What did ya have in mind?"
He smirked. "Well first, Remy was gonna take y' fo' food and den dancin' an' maybe find some nice preacher t' marry us an' den Remy was t'inkin' we could move out an'..."
"Yah turkey! Ah meant fo' dinner." She scolded with a frown.
"De lady gits t' pick de first date petite." He smiled gently.
"This ain' a date!" She snapped.
"Uh-huh, den what would y' call it? If y'd rat'er t'ink bout it as de test run fo' when we git hitched..."
SLAP!
"What de heck was dat fo'?"
"Sorry but Ah had ta git that illusion out of ya head. What makes ya think Ah'd marry yah ever? Cuz Ah wouldn' even if mah soul depended on it. Ah would marry that Julian guy first." She snapped.
"Remy pickin' up de hints." He smirked. "Y' scared of gittin' attached ain' y'? Wow, an' dey say it de hommes who got de commitment phobias." He chuckled.
"Yah one ta talk. Jus' five minutes ago ya were beggin' me not to make you go home and marry your fiancée of what, fifteen years?"
"Sixteen an' if y' ever met de fille, heaven forbid, den you wouldn' even joke bout sendin' Remy back t' her." He frowned.
"Whatever." Rogue frowned. A worried look came over her face. She turned her head slightly to the door that led down to the med-lab. "Um, can Ah take a rain check on dinner? At least until Pietro's better?" She asked softly.
"Y' really care fo' Quickie doncha?" Remy asked her gently.
She nodded. "Ah don' like him or nothin' and he can be super obnoxious but he's like a baby brother ta me from when Ah was with the brotherhood. And Ah'm worried." She sighed and shook her head. "Ah know it sounds silly but..."
Remy wrapped an arm gently around her shoulder. "Remy don' mind. It means a lot t' y' so de date can wait til Quickie gits his scrawny li'l rear healt'y again."
Rogue frowned. "It ain' a date!"
While this was going on, Wanda and Lance were walking down by the danger room in a relaxed and comfortable silence. He was showing her around what he remembered from his brief spell as a member of Xavier's team.
All of a sudden, the elevator doors burst open. Lance walked straight into Kitty who hurried out and didn't pay attention to where she was going.
"Oh, like, sorry. Clumsy me..." She smiled but then realized who she had run into. "Hi...Lance." She cast her eyes down.
"Hey...Kitty..." He attempted to smile but failed and looked more miserable than ever. "So...how's everything going?" He asked lamely.
"Fine." She answered shyly as she played with the sleeve of her shirt. She avoided his eyes carefully.
Wanda nodded to Lance. "I'm going to go check on progress. See you too later." She then headed off to the med lab.
Kitty followed the girl with weary eyes. "So you and Wanda huh?" She said almost sadly.
"You and Colossus." Lance pointed out dryly. "Is he good to you?"
"Piotr? Oh he's great." She said in false enthusiasm. "Real...sweet and nice you know?"
"That's good." Lance nodded feeling incredibly stupid. Here was his chance to show her how much she hurt him and he was too busy studying every detail about her that he had missed so sorely from her pretty brown hair and loose bangs to her sapphire blue eyes to the tiny freckles on her nose and her beautiful voice.
"Well, I'd better go..." She said softly. "I was, like, looking for Jean. I thought she might be down here but I can see she isn't and so I better try somewhere else." She babbled. She turned to go back onto the elevator and Lance put a hand on her shoulder.
"I just thought you should know..." He started and as her eyes met his he felt himself get lost in their depths. Me and Wanda? We aren't together." With that he let his hand fall to the side and he turned to go find the stairs.
As Kitty rode the elevator up she felt increasingly awful. The look on Lance's face was like he was a puppy she had kicked. And she knew the instant he told her that he was not with Wanda she knew he hadn't moved on.
She blinked back tears. It wasn't fair. She was happy now. She was in a good relationship with a really sweet guy. She and Piotr had no problems and the whole thing was a beautiful relationship. Wasn't it?
"What's wrong Kitty?" A German accented voice called and startled her. She whirled around and then finally looked upward where her friend Kurt was hanging from the ceiling fan by his tail. She smiled up at him.
"Kurt you fuzzy menace! Like, don't startle me like that."
"Sorry Kitty." He teleported down in front of her. "So what is the matter?"
Kitty smiled shakily and then her eyes welled with unshed tears. "I just...I, like, totally just literally ran into Lance." She sniffled.
"Oh." Kurt said with a frown as realization hit. "What did he say? Did he do something? Because if he did..."
"N-no. It's not that. That's, like, the total opposite." She burst into tears. "That's what's wrong! He was being so...decent and polite and I could totally see that talking to me was hard for him and now I feel like I'm, like, a terrible person."
Kurt sighed and wrapped a comforting arm around her. "Kitty, you are not terrible. He shouldn't make you feel that way."
"Kurt, the fact that made me feel so bad is the fact that I'm supposed to be dating Piotr!" She wailed. "I hate that I'm hurting him Kurt." She said softly with a distant look in his eyes.
"You don't know its you Kitty." Kurt said firmly. "His best friend is lying in the med-lab with a sentence of just twenty-five and a half hours left to live. That might have him upset too."
"No. I know he's hurting about me and Piotr. Call it women's intuition but I swear there was a look in his eyes like I had just ripped out his soul when I told him how Piotr treats me. And when I thought he and Wanda were, like, together..." Kitty sighed. "Why is love so hard?"
"If I knew that, I would write a book and get rich quick, Kitty." Her blue fuzzy friend smiled gently. "You could talk to Jean or the Prof. but I doubt even they know."
"So I take it that things are, like, not going too well with Amanda?"
Kurt sighed and shook his head. "Nein. We've been...very distant lately. She told me that she thinks perhaps we should see other people."
Kitty frowned. "Why would she say something like that? I thought she wanted this to get serious..."
"It's her parents." Kurt sighed. "They do not like her seeing me."
"What? Why not?" Kitty cried.
"Because they do not like the fuzzy one." He frowned. "Also they are moving to a place where mutants are not allowed and forcing her to join an anti-mutant school for girls."
"I'm, like, so totally sorry Kurt!" Kitty calmed down instantly. She gave her friend a pitying look. "I feel like such a jerk. I've been being such a baby but you have worse problems!"
"Kitty, you are more than entitled to your own romance troubles. I think girls are more prone to it anyway. Do not worry. I will be okay." He smiled and she grinned in return. "So can I ask a question?"
"Sure." Kitty shrugged.
"Do not be angry or anything but do you still have feelings for Lance?"
Kitty frowned but not because the question offended her. She had to think about the answer. "Well, I...I'm, like, not too sure." She looked confused.
Meanwhile, Wanda had wandered upstairs. She really wasn't too sure that she was ready to hear the verdict on her brother. So she just drifted onto the grounds and vaguely explored her surroundings. The light snow didn't bother her, in fact she somewhat enjoyed it. She headed back up into the gazebo she had been in earlier. She sighed and stared out at the institute. She mulled the thoughts of today in her head.
She really wanted her brother to be okay. Just this morning he had been his typical annoying self and when he had refused to get her coat she had been agitated enough to wish she was an only child. But she wasn't serious! She was just frustrated and she hadn't meant it but now she was getting her horrible wish.
"Pie, please don't die!" She pleaded aloud.
"You're brother really means a lot to you don' he Sheila?" A curious Australian voice said softly.
Wanda spun around glaring, her clenched fists glowing blue. She found herself face to face with a red-headed Aussie who looked just as startled as she did.
"Okay! Oy get it Sheila, don' suprise you!" He threw his arms in the air to show her he wasn't going to hurt her and he backed up slowly.
Wanda calmed down a little. "Sorry." She mumbled. "I don't take well to being snuck up on."
To her surprise Pyro burst out laughing. "Oy didn't sneak up on ya, Sheila!" She frowned not quite seeing the humor. "Oy've been following you since we left the infirmary, luv."
She scowled. "A: My name is not Sheila. B: I am not your love. And C: Why were you following me?" She crossed her arms.
He grinned. "Oy know who ya are. Ya ol' Maggie's Sheila right?"
"My name is Wanda." She snapped.
"Well, Bob's you're uncle." He grinned.
"I don't have an uncle named Bob." She frowned in confusion. He burst out laughing again.
"No, its an expression, love." He grinned. "Mean's there ya go." (My Australian camp counselors said that so sorry if it is wrong.) "Ya told me your name and then I knew ya were Maggie's Sheila."
"I already told you that my name is not Sheila you idiot." She growled.
Pyro smiled. "Sheila's Aussie talk for girl, love." He said gently, clearly amused that he had to explain it. At her glare he grinned again. "And love's just a term of endearment. Prolly picked the habit up from me mate Gambit." He shrugged.
She rolled her eyes and looked away.
"You never did answer me question." He coaxed. "You really care for ya brother a lot huh?"
Wanda frowned. "I don't want to talk to you. You work for my...father." She snarled bitterly.
"Correction, Oy'm the only Acolyte the bloke has." Pyro looked down miserably. "Since Colossus defected and came here, and Gambit's trying with everything he's got, and ya brother defecting and going back to the brotherhood and even Sabretooth out playin' with a ball a yarn somewhere...its just li'l ol' Pyro."
She caught the loneliness and bitterness in his voice and remembered his frequent visits he had made to the brotherhood. She felt a wave of pity flutter to her stomach. She didn't know if she could handle it if her friends all left her alone. She had never been comfortable being alone.
"That must be really difficult." She said softly.
"Tell me about it." Pyro nodded, the grin had faded from his face. "Can ya imagine ya best mates in the whole bloody world abandoning ya for the people who ya supposed ta hate? First the one ya respected like an older brother goes AWOL because he didn't like the way ol' bucket head treated us, not that we got treated too well in honesty but talk about sensitive." Blue eyes filled with malice revealed that this hurt very much and he was affected greatly. "And then your best mate ever goes to the same people all for a pretty Sheila." He grumbled miserably.
Wanda instantly caught that he was not happy about the Rogue and Gambit relationship. She smiled gently. "Colossus and Gambit, huh?" The older mutant sighed and nodded.
"Ya have no idea what that kind of betrayal feels like." He closed his eyes.
"Actually..." She started and he turned to her surprised. "Actually, I know exactly how much betrayal hurts. I just found out that my memories got tampered with so I would forget my father's abandoning me..." She frowned as he stiffened at what she was saying.
"Wait a moment..." She closed her eyes as a memory came back to her.
Wanda was hanging off the edge of the bridge until Scott and Jean helped her up.
"Was that Pyro after you?" Jean asked in concern.
"Yeah. He's delivering a message from my father. He wants me to stop looking for him...and his errand boy, my brother."
"But Pietro isn't hiding," Jean said confused. "He's back with the brotherhood."
Various scenes played back for her memories, including snowboarding after the same mutant she was talking to now and waking up in a large metal room and seeing the Acolytes standing at attention and then her father saying something and then Mastermind approaching her and pain in her head and her own screaming.
She gasped and jumped away from the guy she had just been talking to. He looked at her in concern.
"You stay away from me!" She shrieked. "You! You were the one who tricked me into...This whole mess is all your fault!" She cried as the gazebo glowed blue and shook worse than if Avalanche used his power.
Wisely he stepped back. "C'mon Wanda, Oy didn't want any trouble! Oy had to do what the boss said. Oy didn't even know why! All I know is that was the day the boss let me go and play with the lovely fire on the bridge..." His eyes took on a dreamy quality as he remembered the fun he had while causing trouble. He was brought back to earth by the menacing glare she aimed at him. "Would Oy'm sorry be good?" He asked nervously.
"You made it possible for my memories to be wiped away you evil horrible pyromaniac." She hissed. "You led me into a trap! You tried to kill me! You helped my father mess up my mind. You're an Acolyte! You work for my father! You stand there and are treating me really nice and civil and you're the reason that I can't remember everything!" Her shoulders shook with suppressed emotion. "Now, I can't tell what's real or not and my brother is lying down in the med-lab and if the scientists and Xavier and my father can't fix it he's gonna...d-d-die in just on day and then everything will be impossible to fix and I wished him dead so its happening now!" She burst into tears and sank to the floor while he tried to pieced together what she had said.
He kneeled beside her as she buried her face in her arms and sobbed. "Calm down, Sheila," He whispered. "Oy guess ya been keepin' a lot of stuff bottled up. Just let it all out. But don't get too worked up..." He awkwardly patted her arm soothingly.
8)8)8)8)8)
Hi again. It is me. What did you think? Angsty enough Alix? So how was it? With Pietro temporarily out of commission and The Romy blissfulness and the Lancitty Angst, and The one sided Tonda angst and the Wanda/Lance friendship, and the mild Jonda, I am proud of this chapter.
So here's to all the reviewers.
Athena Good to hear it's off to a running start. I am glad you are interested.
Tamara Well, it does just start slow, but a large area can be covered at once. Also think about the word 'slow' and then Pietro. And I am not being apologetic. Just giving credit where credit is due.
Boston Girl Interesting Tolstoy theory. I am glad that you like it.
ishandahalf I'm glad you like it. And I can't give you those answers...yet at least.
howlerdrode thanks. The Nightcrawler reference is from the episode Shadowed Past. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.
EviltwinAlix Trust me sis, it hurts me to do it (actually more than I thought it would...). Yeah poor you.
ldypebsaby Glad I got your name right. You'll just have to wait and see.
Artemis000 Um...sorry? You kinda do sound like a parent. I am glad you like it. Yeah Toad is foul. I honestly don't know, it just worked out that way. Plus, part of super speed is a super fast brain so you figure he does have to be intelligent. Hm...you'll see. Ew! Lance and Wanda together romantically? Gross! I won't ever do that! It's just wrong."