Return to the Insanity! What are Mystique and her group up to? Find out in the next installment of…

Rock Your Blues Away!

2. A Family Affair

In Mystique's car, things were a little bit better. But they had not even gotten on the road for five minutes before trouble started.

"So, since when do you two band together?" Jean asks. Rogue, Wanda, and Kurt exchange glances before replying…

"Excuse me?"

"When Bobby mouthed off." Jean says. "Last I checked, you were still angry."

"No, you were." Wanda says, correcting Jean. "We made up." 1

"And you said Ah didn't have any friends." Rogue said mockingly.

"When did I say that?" Jean asks defensively.

"It was implied." Rogue returns.

"And welcome back to another edition of ze 'Argument Hour', featuring Rogue and Jean." Kurt quips. 2

"Hey!" Jean protests. "What did I do?"

"You started it!" Wanda cut in.

"Did not!"

"Did too!" Rogue shouts.

"Did not!"

"Did too!" Wanda and Rogue shout together.

"I didn't start anything!" Jean protests.

"If the three of you ladies do not stop this I will turn this car around and you can wait out on the parking lot with Cyclops!" Mystique shouts in frustration.

"I zink ve should turn around." Kurt says. "Ve're going ze wrong way."

"He's right." Jean agrees. "We need to go the other direction."

"Then why didn't you speak up sooner?" Mystique growls. She pulled into some driveway and turned around.

"So, now that you aren't arguing, vat did you get from the stands?" Kurt asks.

"Wristbands." Wanda and Rogue say at the same time. They look at each other in shock, and then started giggling. 3

"That's just strange." Jean gazes questioningly at the pair. "What did you bring home?"

"A Trunk Junkers cd and a poster from the Ornan's Floor booth." Kurt says. "You?" 4

"A T-shirt and a pin." Jean says. "And the band members' autographs from each band." 5

"Cool!" Kurt smiles.

"Wow, she focused on someone other than Scott!" Wanda says, feigning shock. "Somebody call the New Your Times!"

"Funny." Jean replies wryly. "You two come back with matching tattoos as well?"

"No." Rogue says. "They didn't have a booth for that, but now that you mention it…"

"Nobody is going to get a tattoo!" Mystique shouts from the driver's seat.

"And we won't get back to Bayville at this rate." Wanda says. "We're about ten miles away from town!"

"Do you know where to go from here?" Mystique asks.

"…."

"That's what I thought," she finishes. "now shut up and one of you look for a map."

"I thought you knew your way around Bayville?" Jean asks.

"Not the outlying area, dear." Mystique replies in a sarcastic tone. "Now put that so called mind of yours to good use and figure out exactly where we are."

"Ve're not that far from Beech Street." Kurt says. "It runs into town at ze corner by ze park at Wilson Street."

"Thank you, Kurt." Mystique sighs.

"Didn't you and Amanda spend over three hours at the park on Beech and Wilson?" Rogue asks.

"Uhm…" Kurt grins nervously. "Maybe."

"And we will be having a nice discussion when we get back." Mystique says under her breath.

"Lahke you're the one to give us that talk!" Rogue huffs.

"Just one moment,"

"What?" Rogue exclaims. "Exactly how many guys have you slept with?"

"What difference does that make?" Mystique shouts.

"How can you lecture us about stuff you can't even keep straight?"

"So you don't screw up as bad as I have! That's how!"

"And they're off." Wanda quips.

"Shouldn't…"

"Save it, Grey." Wanda says. "Unless you want to be slaughtered, wait until after they finish tearing into each other to say anything."

"You were never around!" Rogue yells.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to try to juggle being a top assassin and a parent?" Mystique shouts.

"I hope Ah neva do!"

"Keep wishing, you'll end up there sooner than you think at the rate your life is going!"

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm nothing like you!"

"Really?"

"Really!"

"Cyclops and Angel make me think otherwise!"

"Yeah, two crushes make me you!

"Then explain Gambit. I've been dying to hear your take on him."

"What Ah do with tha damn Acolyte is none of your business!"

"It is entirely my business!"

Meanwhile, the car has started to weave all over the road, throwing the others to the side. The Darkholme ladies, however, keep arguing and don't even seem to notice.

"Can't you stay out of our lives for ten seconds?" Rogue asks.

"It seems to me that you need all the help you can get!" Raven shouts.

"There's this whole road thing you don't seem to have down." Jean says.

"Stay out of it!" Raven and Rogue shout at the same time, then glare at each other.

"We were betta off without you!" Rogue shouts.

"And since when do you know about life with me?" Raven asks. "You won't even let me give an appology without biting my head off!" 6

"We don't need you!"

"Since when?" Kurt asks.

"Stay out of it!" Rogue says. "Ah can't believe you're siding with her!"

"Don't yell at him!" Raven shouts.

"Do you want me to drive?" Wanda asks bluntly.

"No!" Raven answers sharply.

"Zen vould you!" Kurt shouts. Raven looks up and sees the car heading straight for a ditch.

"Oh shit!" She swears, then jerks the wheel to the right and managed to regain control of the car. 7

"Well, that was a fun show." Wanda said dryly. "Can we just get to the institute now?"

"We'll be there soon." Raven said. "I missed the turn didn't I?" 8

"Yep." Kurt nodded. "But you can pick up zat road and go left, and it should run into it, I think."

"I appreciate your confidence." Mystique quipped. She turned and the group continued on their way.

1) Don't you think that those two would be the most likely to be friends?

2) I imagine this to be a regular occurance at the Institute. Those two are complete opposites and they have to express their dislikes somehow.

3) When I went to Shoutfest (the experience from which this was based), I picked up a leather wristband from a booth hosted by and indy group called Fabrik. The band made everything but the T-shirts.

4) Trunk Junkers is made up, but Ornan's Floor played at a camp I went to last summer.

5) My cousin did this at Shoutfest. She brought a scrapbook that was completely blank and went around getting autographs. She got about 80 of the bands there.

6) Everyone saw Ascension pt. 2, right?

7) A slightly altered scene from Twister.

8) True, we got lost about five times when Serenity tried to drive me and some other guys home. I know the backroads around town well enough to know what leads where, but she lives in another city and was constantly taking us in the wrong direction, or went down the wrong road.

Stay tuned for more wild and crazy stuff. What kind of stuff? You tell me! I haven't got a clue yet. Oh, and I must put in a shameless plug for my story on the Winx board. It's an XMExWinx story, and i've been getting tons or reviews. Check it out!