Disclaimer: I do not own any of the X-Men/Marvel/WB characters, some of these lines are not even mine but taken or paraphrased from various cartoons and comics I've read. What can I say, but I suck with dialogue. Just have some story in my head that won't go away so I'm writing it down. I don't get any money for this, only a mild break in boredom.


NINE TO FIVE: Chapter Five - A Walk in the Park

Remy easily picked out Peter from the crowd at the park. He was the tall, bulky guy carrying a sketchbook and a tackle box. What really set him apart from the others the most was the sad, lonely look on his face.

"Come, Peter, we'd better be gettin' back to base, if dere's anyt'ing left of it," Remy greeted his solemn friend.

"Yes, I do not think it was a good idea to leave John alone, playing with the gas stove. I do not think he was only making macaroni and cheese," Peter joked.

His friend laughed. "Oui, but I don' t'ink it would have been safe if we stayed either, non. I don' wish to be barbecued. 'Sides Mastermind an' Sabertooth bailed out 'fore we did, dey are just as responsible as us." Remy paused. "I hope it's still dere. I t'ink dat Monsieur Magneto would be non too pleased if dere was no base when he gets back." Remy mused for a second. "He'd have to put world domination on hold and work twice as hard on dose etch-a-sketches of his."

"When does Magneto return?" Peter asked.

"Sometime next week," Remy replied. "Don't worry, dere still be plenty o' time to t'row a wild party, non?" Gambit looked at his teamates still sad face. "What's wrong, mon ami?" Remy asked. "You look like someone just pulled off de head of your favorite action figure. De petite not in de park today?"

"No, she was there, like you said she would be," Peter replied as he got in the vehicle. "She was walking with her boyfriend today."

"Oh, I am sorry Peter," Remy knew the presence of a boyfriend would never stop him, but Peter is much more self-concious and timid than he is. "So you didn' get a chance to sketch de kitten?"

"No, I did."

"Really? Do tell," Remy said as they drove to the base.

~~~FLASHBACK~~~~

Peter sat down on a park bench overlooking a fragment of a forest and a path that Remy said Kitty Pryde frequented. Remy had followed Kitty's activities for a few days in order to arrange a "chance" meeting between Peter and Kitty. Okay, I am to sit here sketching and when she walks by I am stunned by her beauty and walk up to her and say, "You are most beautiful. I was drawing the park, but it was missing someting and I think it was you. Do you mind if I draw you in my scene?" Piotr sighed. I think that I will do well on the stunned part but speaking to her? And remembering what to say in English?

He heard footsteps coming around the bend and tensed up. Uh, oh. I cannot do it. And around the bend he saw...an older woman walking her two dachhounds. You should relax, Piotr. Pull out your sketch book and start drawing. She will never believe you if there is no drawing. He pulled out his box of pencils, opened his sketch book to a fresh page and got lost in the curves of the leaves and the negative spaces of the trees.

Time flew by. Peter finished the scene, and he did feel that there was something missing. He looked at his watch: 6:00PM! The sky was just starting to show the signs of a sunset. The streetlights over the path were lighting up. Peter sighed. Kitty is not going to walk through the park today. He glanced at his drawing. Still needs something. It will have to wait for another day.

The Russian began to pack up when he heard a sweet giggle. He looked up excitedly but his face fell as he saw the whole scene.

Sure enough, the sweet giggle belonged to Kitty Pryde, but close by her side was the cause of her giggles, Lance Alvers. They were too far away for Peter to hear what they were saying but their movements gave it all away. Lance would say something, Kitty would giggle and shove him off the sidewalk. He walked back over to her and grabbed her hand. Lance swung her around and grabbed her other hand. They stood there facing each other, hands intertwined, underneath a street lamp.

Peter had never felt so envious or lonely before. He glanced at his sketch. That is exactly what is missing.

Peter picked up his sketch book and headed toward the couple. He was hesitant yet eager to interrupt. "Excuse me, sorry to bother you..."

"Damn straight!" Lance shot at him. That made Peter even more nervous, and he backed away.

"Lance!" Kitty shouted apologetically after Piotr, "I'm sorry. Hey you were at Vinyl Vintage the other day, when Rogue got her job."

"Uh, yes." Peter didn't think she'd remember. "It is nice to see you again."

"You, too," Kitty smiled. Peter's face lit up.

"Wait a minute," Lance now recognized Peter. "You're one of Magneto's new recruits!" Lance put himself protectively between Peter and Kitty. "What do you want?"

Feeling the resentment from Lance, Peter gave up. "Um, I am sorry. I think I will go now." He turned to leave.

"Lance!" Kitty scolded and came out from behind him. "No, I'm sorry. Peter, right?"

"You know his name?" Lance exclaimed, but his comment was brushed off by Kitty.

"Peter, come back, Lance just felt the need to prove how macho and full of testosterone he is. He's sorry." Peter walked back to the couple.

"'M not," Lance muttered under his breath. He didn't dare say it any louder, because he knew Kitty would give him a verbal lashing if he did.

Kitty addressed Peter again, "Now, what is it you wanted to ask?"

Peter shifted his weight uneasily. "Well, I, See, I was drawing before. . ." Peter held up his sketch. ". . . and, well, when I finished, I thought it was missing something, and, uh, when I saw you two standing here, I thought, uh, that it would look good in my drawing, and I wondered if I could draw you, both of you, together here..."

A big grin emerged across Kitty's face. "Of course you can, right Lance?"

Lance continued to be protective. "I'm not so sure Kitty, I mean, It could be a trick. Magneto may have sent him here to -"

She interrupted him. "You know, Lance, it isn't like we're on, like, Charmed or something. I don't think that we're going to be sucked into his drawing. Are we?" She addressed Peter on that last part.

"Uh, no. At least it has never happened before," Peter replied.

"See, it's totally safe," Kitty reassured Lance.

"Okay, I'll do it," he agreed.

"So, Peter, where do you want us?"

"Right here, under this light, facing each other and holding hands." Peter helped them back into the position they were in before he interrupted. Peter backed up toward the bench where he was sitting before and started drawing.

About twenty minutes later he was done with the preliminary sketches and didn't need his models anymore. Reluctantly he got up and thanked them.

"Well, can I see it?" she bubbled.

Peter grew self-conscious. "It is not good. It is not finished, it is just a sketch."

"That's okay," Kitty replied. "I'd really want to see what it looks like. I've never been in a drawing before." Kitty smiled graciously at him.

Peter was beaten by that smile. He slowly opened his sketch book to the page and handed it to them.

"Wow!" Kitty exclaimed. "You're really good!"

Peter blushed. "No, it is only a sketch."

"Don't be so modest." Kitty complimented, "I don't know anyone who can draw this well. You're the best artist I know." Peter caught her eye for a second, and they had "a moment."

Lance noticed the mild flirtation. "Yeah, it's great. Keep up the good work, big guy. Kitty, shouldn't we be getting you home for dinner?"

Kitty was blasted back to reality. I never realized how deep and blue his eyes were. "Yeah, okay, Lance." The started to leave when Kitty hollered back to Peter, "Thank you. I'd really like to see it after it's all done, if you don't mind."

"Sure, Kitty." Peter grinned. I will get to see her again. As he watched them walked away, his smile faded as he found himself wishing he was the one taking her home.

~~~~END FLASHBACK~~~~

"Don' be so glum, Petey," Remy said at the conclusion of Peter's story. "You'll get to see the Kitten again soon and impress her with all your sensitivity and creativity."

Peter didn't say anything. They pulled up to Magneto's base. From the outside the building looked fine, despite the worries of leaving a firebug alone in a secluded area for much of the afternoon. "Let us go see if anything remains inside," Peter suggested.

Author's note: I know the time line doesn't quite line up with Remy having like two hours or something before he actually went to see Rogue. I just couldn't fix it so Peter would be sketching in daylight and Remy would get to the music store at 6. So, just pretend that Remy wanted to wait until Rogue would be alone in the store...or he when grocery shopping or something...you use that brilliant little imagination of yours to figure out what he was doing. Bon voyage:)