Getting back is Really Really Hard to Do

A door silently opened in the middle of the night. Rogue slowly crept out of her room careful not wake up Kitty, her new roommate, but then she looked down and let out a scream.

Bobby Drake quickly leapt to his feet, covered his hand with his t-shirt and pressed it over her mouth. "SHHHH! Shut up Rogue! Are you trying to wake the whole Mansion?!"

Rouge removed his hand and whispered back loudly, "NO! Ah was just tryin' to go to the bathroom and Ah find you camped outside of mah room! What the hell're you doin' out here Bobby? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Bobby grinned sheepishly and muttered, "I was just relaxing…Kitty…sleeping."

Rogue began to laugh, "You're sitting here at" she checked he watch, "four in the morning, listening to her sleep? You've got it bad."

Bobby looked ready to protest but then hung his head in defeat, "Yeah, I do."

Rogue pulled him by the arm and said, "Let's go to the kitchen."

They sat down at the table and Rogue grabbed some cookies and milk. She passed a glass to Bobby and said, "When did y'all even break up? Kurt told me you were havin' problems after Kevin, but you were still together."

Bobby shook his head, "We got into a big fight the day before Scott's birthday. We were yelling and I saw it coming so I ended it before she could." He looked at her helplessly "She doesn't talk about me at all with you?"

Rogue shook her head pityingly, "Of course not, she knows that you and me are friendly, why would she do that? Ah do hear her mutterin' 'bout Amara sometimes though."

Bobby stood up angrily, "Where did that thing even come from?! Warren was joking around about it JUST to me and Jean, how does everyone think there's a thing now?!"

Rogue laughed, "Settle down kid. Me an' you are gonna fix this, don't worry."

Bobby looked up from his milk grinning, "Really? Thanks a lot Rogue. I keep getting Jean to try and help but she tells me how we need to figure it out by ourselves. How're we gonna do it?"

"Girls like to play dirty Bob, so you gotta play dirty first." Rogue said.

Bobby grinned mischievously, "I'm quite good at playing dirty." His face fell, "But I tried that already. I specifically told her and Jean about an all guys night at that club. I thought that would piss her off."

Rogue roller her eyes, "Of course it ANNOYED her dummy, but it didn't really make her jealous. You were goin' to a place where she didn't know anyone and had no one specific to be jealous of. In the end she got YOU 'cause she got to make eyes at Spider-boy."

"So what do I do?"

Rogue frowned, "Ah pegged you wrong when Ah got here Bobby Drake. Ah thought you were the ladies man type who had it all figured out. Guess you're as dumb as every other guy out there."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Well if we're done insulting me, do you want to tell me what to do?"

"Magma" Rogue said simply.

Bobby shook his head firmly, "No. Nonono. She'll attack, she'll kill me in my sleep. Do you know Kitty? Don't be fooled by the cute innocent exterior, she's like a…an…I don't know what…but it's something vicious."

Rogue rolled her eyes, "And if she does that then it means she's jealous moron."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh."

Bobby smiled, inwardly laughing at his own stupidity and they began to eventually draw the conversation away from Kitty. They talked for a couple of hours when Rogue yawned suddenly.

Bobby nodded in agreement, "I know right. Back up to bed I think." He waggled his eyebrows, "You could always join me, you know, to make her jealous."

"Do you want to die?"

"Maybe I'm a masochist."

"You're just sick."

"Thanks."

Rogue looked at the clock, "It's almost seven. I'm heading back up." Suddenly Bobby grabbed her arm, his eyes wide with fear. "What?"

"What's the date?" Bobby asked nervously.

Rogue looked at the calendar hanging on the wall, "It's the fourth…oh no. WHY DID YOU WAKE ME UP?!"

Suddenly a voice bellowed through the halls, "FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!"

Rogue moaned and Bobby banged his head on the table yelling, "Why? Why?"

Wolverine came inside and arched an eyebrow at the two, "Bad night to be up late eh kiddies?"

"Shut up."

Wolverine chuckled, "Danger Room, fifteen minutes."

After a very long danger room session, the X-men ambled into the kitchen, visibly sore, where Xavier was speaking with the New Mutants, aside form Jamie and Longshot. When the X-men walked he looked over to them, "Ah, I was just speaking to the New Mutants entering their freshman year about high school. Care to offer any insight?"

Bobby looked up grumpily from his breakfast, "Don't do drugs."

"Hang out with Jean's friends, they're fast." Warren said.

Jean smacked him upside the head, "Gross."

Kurt clapped Roberto on the back, "Bobby and I vill protect you from zhe seniors on zhe soccer team."

"Don't go near any of the boys in that school. They're all slimy jackasses." Kitty said harshly to Jubilee and Amara, "Well, I guess Scott, Warren, Kurt, and Peter are ok." She added as an after thought.

Way to show you don't like him anymore Kitty Jean said in her head.

Shut up.

Xavier clasped his hands, "Well you should all take those kind words of advice to heart, and now it's time to go. Scott, you will take four into your car, four will go in Jean's truck, and Warren can take the other three."

The X-men and the New Mutants filed out of the kitchen to the garage. Kurt jumped into the front seat of Scott's car, while Rogue and Bobby piled into the back. Bobby looked hopefully at Kitty, but saw her get into the front seat of Jean's truck, followed by Amara, Jubilee, and Evan getting into the back. Peter, Roberto, and Sam jumped in with Warren, and Ray took the last spot in the back of Scott's car.

The halls at school were filled with the normal first day back buzz. There were lighthearted greeting from some, but every student seemed to have the same look plastered on their face. The look that plainly said, "Why the #$( am I here?"

Bobby casually said hi to as many girls as he could, but after each he looked around to try to see Kitty, but she was never there. He finally arrived at his locker and sank to the floor leaning up against it.

Kurt came and stood next to him, "Bad morning locker buddy?"

"Locker what?"

"Ve're sharing, remember?"

"Oh yeah."

"So vhat's up?"

"Dunno. Don't see Kitty anywhere."

Suddenly Rogue came running over and pulled Bobby to his feet. "Come check this out. You too elf."

The three ran down the hall to a poster. Bobby quickly read it. It was a sign for a back to school talent show that would take place in two weeks.

"So?"

Rogue rolled her eyes, "You're dumb. Ok. Ah know what song y'all are doin'. You play guitar and Kurt can do drums right? Ah'll play keyboard for you Ah guess but we need a bass player."

Bobby looked from Kurt to Rogue confused, "I still don't see what-"

Suddenly someone grabbed Bobby from behind and said, "Give me all your money punk."

Bobby froze in fear briefly but then stepped on his attacker's foot, and judo flipped him on to the floor. He looked down to see Johnny Storm rubbing his backside in pain, and Kurt and Rogue laughing hysterically. Bobby reached down to pull Johnny to his feet, "What the hell was that about."

"What the hell was THAT about?"

"You attacked me!"

"You flipped me over!"

"Whatever, why are you here?"

Johnny grinned, "Sue and Reed decided that I need to finish my edumacation...I told them I read good but they didn't believe me."

Bobby rolled his eyes, "So you decided to slum down here with us?"

Johnny laughed, "Well the Baxter with it's twenty floors of scientific goodness was getting a little boring."

Kurt put an arm around Bobby and Johnny, "Looks like zhe terrible trio is back together!"

An arm suddenly flew out and knocked Kurt into his locker. Bobby, Johnny, and Rogue spun around angrily to see Lance Alvers, Fred Dukes, Todd Tolensky, Pietro Maximoff, and John Allerdyce, also known as the Brotherhood of Mutants standing behind them. Johnny pulled Kurt to his feet who got right in Avalanche's face.

"Vhat are you losers doing here?"

Avalanche smirked at him, "We go to school here."

Bobby addressed the next question to Toad, "Where's the witch."

Toad lowered his eyes sadly but Pietro answered for him, "She's looking for my father, obsessively I might add."

Suddenly the X-men found themselves joined by Scott, Jean, Peter, Kitty, and Warren. With the addition of his other teammates, Bobby was a little braver, "So you losers decided to show and mess with us even though we saved all of your asses?"

Avalanched blushed, "So you joining the loser squad Torch? Didn't know a big time super hero would want to be around these jokes."

"These jokes are my friends." Johnny replied angrily.

Avalanche laughed at him, "Maybe you should find better ones." He grinned at ran a finger down Kitty's cheek, "Except the cat of course." The Brotherhood casually walked away.

Johnny rounded on Bobby, "You're just gonna let him do that to your girl." The X-men all looked around awkwardly. Kitty grabbed Angel and said,

"Come on Warren, walk me to class."

Angel looked around, "Why me?"

"Just come." Warren shot a fleeting apologetic glance over his shoulder at Bobby before walking away with Kitty.

"Told you she'd play dirty." Rogue said smugly.

"Wait what happened?" Johnny asked.

Bobby ignored him, "But it's not like Amara, Warren doesn't have an interest in her."

"Wait what HAPPENED?"

"It doesn't matter! Did it annoy you Bobby?"

"Yeah."

"So it worked."

"WAIT WHAT HAPPENED?!"

"We broke up man what do you think?!"

"Oh sorry."

By now Jean, Peter, and Scott had walked away and Rogue continued, "But we're gonna get her back."

"How?" Johnny asked.

"We're gonna do a song for the talent show but we need a bass player."

Johnny looked thoughtful, "I know a guy."

"Who?"

"Me."

Rogue pumped her fist, "Alright. You're comin' over right after school. I have a bass, we're practicing."

"Okay..."

The Brotherhood had gathered by a nearby water fountain. "What was that about with Kitty?" Fred asked.

Avalanched shrugged, "Just screwin' with Drake."

Just then a young girl with dark black hair walked up to them, "'Scuse me? Can you tell me where I'm 'sposed to be?"

Avalanche gave the girl a cold look, "No beat it."

Pyro slid up to the girl and glared at Avalanche, "Where are your manners mate? What's ya name cutie?"

"Risty. Risty Wilde."

"Well allow me to walk you to ya' next class Ristay." Risty nodded and the two walked away. She spared one more glance over her shoulder at the others, and her eyes glowed yellow.

The school day passed without much event. Johnny went to Xavier's with Scott since Bobby, Kurt, and Roberto had their first day of soccer practice. When Bobby and Kurt finally got back to the mansion, sweaty and tired, they walked into their room, where Johnny was sitting on Bobby's bed with Rogue's bass and she was on Kurt's bed with her keyboard.

She was showing him what to play, "Ok so on the "Ah think Ah found mah best friend' you're gonna-oh hey guys!"

Kurt flopped on Bobby's bed next to Johnny while Iceman sat down next to Rogue, "So what are we playing."

Rogue smirked, "Somethin' that's gonna melt Kitty in her seat."

The next week went by a little too slow for Bobby's liking. Even with Johnny's constant presence at the Mansion for practicing their song, he still got upset when he saw Kitty. As per Rogue's request, he spent as much time with Amara as possible, which in turn led to more time with Jubilee and Ray, not that either of them were bad, but their presence wasn't as fun as Kurt and Johnny's. In retaliation Kitty tried to find another guy to hang out with around the Mansion, but it didn't work. Scott was unavailable, Kitty knew that Kurt and Johnny would immediately know what she was doing, and after the first incident Warren avoided her. She would've tried one of the New Mutants, but Roberto was too grateful to Bobby about soccer, and Ray was always around him and Magma. Sam and Evan were options, but Kurt had managed to warn them before Kitty could close in, and Jamie and Longshot were too young and too weird respectively. Kitty suspected her roommate's involvement, because every time Bobby was alone with Magma, Rogue would shoot Kitty a very smug smile.

Finally, on the day of the talent show, Kitty wandered alone to the auditorium. She was able to find one of her non institute friends, Stevie Hunter, and sat down next to her. Nearby she saw Jean, Scott, Peter, and Warren who were all sitting together and giving Kitty furtive glances when they thought she wasn't looking. She glared back suspiciously but then the show started. Kitty sat bored through a long list of acts including a classical pianist, a karate demonstration, and the world's fastest pickle eater.

At exactly the point that Kitty was bound to fall asleep the new principal, Mr. Kelly, stood up, "For our grant finale, we have our very own all student band led by sophomore, Robert Drake."

As Kelly walked offstage he passed by Iceman, and Kitty saw him mouth to the new principal, "It's Bobby," and she giggled.

Bobby rubbed the back of his neck nervously. Kitty smiled to herself, she knew for all his cockiness, he had a little bit of stage fright. "Um this song is dedicated to...someone...you know who you are." He looked over at Rogue who nodded encouragingly. Bobby looked directly at Kitty and nodded. Kurt counted, "One, two, three."

"Maybe it's intuition
but some things you just don't question
Like in your eyes, I see my future in an instant
And there it goes,
I think I found my best friend
I know that it might sound
more than a little crazy
but I believe...

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life

At the pause in the music Diane leaned over and whispered to Kitty, "How did you let that go?"

"I have no idea."

There's just no rhyme or reason
Only the sense of completion
And in your eyes, I see
the missing pieces I'm searching for
I think I've found my way home
I know that it might sound
more than a little crazy
but I believe...

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life

At this point, Amara, Opal, and Zelda had all stood up and cheered. Rogue leaned into the microphone and said, "He ain't talkin' to you ya idiots...look where he's lookin'." Along with every head in the auditorium, the three girls snapped around to follow Bobby's gaze at Kitty.

A thousand angels dance around you
I am complete now that I've found you

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life

I knew I loved you before I met you
I think I dreamed you into life
I knew I loved you before I met you
I have been waiting all my life "

After the song ended the auditorium erupted in cheers. Scott, Jean, Warren, and Peter leapt to their feet applauding. Jean turned and looked expectantly at Kitty. Kitty however, began to push her way out of the auditorium. Jean then turned and looked at Bobby. Bobby looked after Kitty sadly and Rogue put a hand on his shoulder.

"'M'okay," he said.

Avalanche and the rest of the Brotherhood was watching with disgust as the crowd applauded the X-men. He turned to the Brotherhood smirking, "You know, it's great that the crowd recognizes the Xavier kid's talents. Maybe we should tell them all of his skills, while revealing a few of our own." The Brotherhood all smirked.

The next night was the home opener for the soccer team. Kitty had managed to go to Diane's house right after school and then snuck into her room while Bobby was at dinner. She was then forced along to go see the soccer game by Jean and Scott. All of the mansion's residents were at the game, including the teachers, Jamie, and Longshot, who needed the basics of the game explained to him, since he was wondering what the ball did to deserve to be kicked. The announcer was currently shouting out the starting lineup for Bayville, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand finally the first three players in Bayville Boy's Soccer history to make varsity prior to junior year, number 2 Bobby Drake! Number 9 Kurt Wagner and number 12 Roberto DaCosta!" The three X-men ran out onto the field waving.

Rogue leaned over and whispered to Kitty, "Doesn't he look good." Kitty rolled her eyes.

A voice rang out over the rest field, "Actually Mr. Announcer, we aren't quite done with a bio of the three newest varsity soccer team."

All the heads in the stands turned and saw Lance Alvers in a strange costume standing on top of the risers along with Pietro, Fred, John and Todd. Avalanche held out his hand and all of a sudden, a crack began to form in the soccer field, wrenching to two sides apart. "You see everyone, you may know me as Lance Alvers, a senior here, but I'm also a mutant who can create earthquakes, I call myself Avalanche. My buddies over here are called, Pyro, Blob, Quicksilver, and Toad, but we aren't the only mutants around."

Risty looked up from the stands and muttered, "Idiots." She got up and walked away before the chaos could begin.

Avalanche pointed down at the field, "Have you ever wondered why a big celebrity like the new kid Johnny Storm hangs out with Bobby Drake and Kurt Wagner? It's because they're both mutants. They along with the rest of the kids at the Xavier institute all have special abilities. That includes Miss Popularity Jean Grey and her loser of a boyfriend Scott Summers, and rich boy Warren Worthington. All of them are mutants."

Scott stood up and turned to Xavier, "Can we?"

Xavier nodded, "At this point we must."

Cyclops, Jean, Angel, Colossus, Rogue, and Shadowcat all jumped down onto the field. The New Mutants and Human Torch all rose to their feet but Xavier stopped them, "This is not your fight."

"What about Roberto?" Jubilee asked.

"He's already down there." He turned to Wolverine, Beast, Storm, and Banshee. "I need you all on crown control. I'll try to start erasing memories, but we need everyone to stay here."

The X-men lined up across from the brotherhood. "It's nine on five losers! You think you're gonna win?" Warren asked.

Avalanche laughed, "Does it matter? We've already exposed you all for what you really are. Do you think they'll look at you the same again."

Cyclops laughed back, "Jokes on you again then retard. Xavier is already erasing the memory of everyone that heard you say that. It's over."

Avalanche snarled angrily, "Whatever, we'll still take a few of you down with us!"

Jean laughed, "I doubt that."

Within a few seconds, Jean had thrown Quicksilver into a wall, Rogue had absorbed the Blob, Nightcrawler reluctantly knocked out Toad, and Bobby froze Pyro's flamethrower.

Cyclops grinned, "Still feelin' good?"

Avalanche nodded, "Yeah I am actually." He raised his hands and columns of rock shot up from the ground and he pushed them at the X-men. Roberto stood protectively in front of Rogue and shattered the rocks, while Bobby, Kurt, and Scott jumped into a bubble put up by Jean. Kitty phased and Angel took to the air. Bobby had a rush of energy and jumped out of the bubble and rushed Avalanche on an iceslide.

Lance laughed and shot a rock at him, which caught Bobby in the arm. Bobby roared in pain and fell to the ground clutching his arm. Kurt looked over in horror to see that the rock had ripped his skin and the bone was visible through the blood gushing out. Kitty unphased momentarily in concern, but was quickly met was a rock up the side of the head, causing her to fall to the ground unconscious. Bobby looked up weakly and saw Kitty out cold on the floor. He was suddenly filled with rage and got to his feet.

He iced up, and unlike his normal form, he was larger and covered in icy spikes. He walked towards Avalanche freezing and then shattering every rock that came his way. "I. Am. Going. To. KILL. You." He said emphasizing every word by breaking a rock. When he got right up to Avalanche he looked down at him, his frosty breath causing Lance's helmet to fog over. He grabbed Lance's shoulder and drove his knee into his abdomen.

"You're LUCKY I didn't kill you."

He ran over to Kitty bloody arm forgotten and pulled her into his chest. "Come on Kitty, wake up."

Meanwhile, Xavier had erased almost every mind around, "One more left." He turned an looked at Principal Kelly who was hidden behind the bleachers. He did his best to erase his memory, but blacked out before he was sure if the job was done.

Hours later, Xavier woke up in the infirmary. He sat up quickly but Logan pushed him back down gently.

"Easy Xavier."

His vision came into focus and saw Logan, Ororo, Hank, Sean, Scott, and Jean crowded around him. "Did everyone...come home?"

Hank nodded, "Yes. Johnny Storm is staying with us for the night, something all of the faculty is very happy about. Kitty is still unconscious but she'll wake up soon. I was also able to stitch Bobby up and set his bone, but he'll be out for the soccer season, something he isn't happy about."

Xavier propped himself up on his elbows, despite a warning look from Storm, "Where is he."

Banshee jerked a thumb in the direction of an adjacent room in the infirmary. "In there at her bedside." Xavier looked over and saw Bobby sitting solemnly next to Kitty, his arm in a sling.

Rogue walked in and sat down next to Bobby, "How is she?"

"Not awake."

"Well if there's something you wanna tell her while she isn't awake 'nuff to here ya."

Bobby nodded and Rogue walked out. He looked down at Kitty, "So. Um. I'm not really good at this...as you know...and probably have known. I care about you a lot Kitty. I would say that I love you...but I'm not sure if you love me back, you know what screw that. I love you. I was a dick...Kevin...he got to me...he probably didn't affect you guys too much 'cause you weren't thinkin' about what he was saying before he said it. The stuff that he told me...I believed him cause it was stuff I thought about myself. Stuff like how you all think I'm dumb and worthless and how if my dad can't love me how can anyone else. It just bothered me. And that thing about Magma? Bullshit. Total bullshit. Angel was making a joke and I laughed and it kinda took off from there. It's been you since I saw you, actually before I even talked to you, I saw you from behind, it was a good behind...that was a dumb thing to say...and not what I mean...even though it's true. But, that's why I sang that song for you...not because of the butt thing...the other thing. Look at me, I can't even talk when you can't respond and call me an idiot."

Kitty smiled still with her eyes closed, "You're not an idiot."

Bobby sighed and hugged her. She opened her eyes, "I have a good butt?"

"The best."

"Why thank you. Did you mean everything that you just said?"

"Of course."

"Well then you are an idiot. None of the stuff that that loser said to you is true. No one here thinks you're worthless or dumb...you're dad loves you...and so do I." She began to blush.

"You're pretty when you do that."

"Thanks."

Bland ending I know...didn't know how to end it. Being a male this gushy stuff didn't come easy but I wanted to put up the first four episodes of season 2 as a set. This episode was a rough one, I had a skeleton but the filler was a toughie. I wanted to have the Avalanche thing at the soccer game and the talent show separately but it didn't work. So I want to get away from Bobby and Kitty and Kurt, Johnny, and even Scott, and Jean for an episode so I'm open to any suggestions for a character to have an episode centered around them. Before you start on me about Kurt and Johnny, one of the episodes stuck on my laptop was very heavy on the both of them. Actually after this one Rogue isn't an option either, sorry. So suggestions barring the parameters I've given you please.