Disclaimer: I do not own and am making no money from the X-Men. Vixen belongs to her creator Corrinth. Blaze is mine. That is all.

Scene Eight

They all swore solemnly to obey the house rules, feeling utterly bewildered by this woman's overreaction. As Tabby observed to Rogue on the way up to their rooms, it seemed a lot of fuss to stop them seeing that one of the cats had got into the trash cans.

Stomachs full of a surprisingly good blend of chowder, fresh crusty bread, cookies and tea, the girls were shown to two rooms on the second floor. The rooms had an adjoining door between them that Marjorie unlocked, "so you girls can gossip nicely for as long as you like." One room had two single beds, whilst the other had a double and a bunk bed. Tabby claimed the double as soon as she saw it, whilst Kitty had dibs on the top bunk. Reluctantly Rogue took the bottom bunk, whilst Jean and Blaze moved in next door.

Overnight bags were hastily unpacked and belongings scattered around the rooms. Tabby kicked off her shoes and changed the batteries in her MP3 player. Then she shoved in her earphones and lay back with her music a tinny hiss that resonated through the rooms. To Jean's amazement, Blaze simply turned her battered hold-all upside down and everything except the kitchen sink seemed to fall out.

"How did you manage to get so much stuff into one bag?" Jean asked.

"Practice," Blaze risked a worldly-wise smile. "Before I met Vixen and came to Bayville, I used to live out of this bag."

The tipping out of her stuff onto her bed was as unpacked as Blaze was ever going to be. She left Jean carefully arranging toiletries around the room's white washbasin and went next door. Scooting over Tabby, Blaze jumped on the double bed and sat with her back against the headboard. Kitty was nearly finished, whilst Rogue was at the mirror brushing her hair. When Kitty produced a stuffed toy bear with one eye missing, Blaze scoffed.

"Aren't you a bit old for cuddly toys Kitty?"

Kitty flushed and knelt back on the top bunk, "I've had him since I was a baby, Blaze. He's like totally a part of my childhood y'know."

"You mean ya'll didn't bring a soft toy?" Rogue asked Blaze. A quick glance to Rogue's bed revealed a moth-eaten white rabbit, a present to a young Rogue from Destiny. Blaze scowled; if she looked through the adjoining door there was a bubblegum pink elephant on Jean's pillow, and what was the lump she was sat on? Reaching underneath her, Blaze pulled out a banana yellow monkey. Tabby called out "Hey!" and grabbed the toy back, then went back to listening to her music. Blaze bit her lip.

"I'm surrounded," she moaned, "help!"

"You don't have any favourite toys from when you were little?" Jean pressed. She came through from next door and perched on the bottom of Tabby's bed.

"Nope," Blaze said sadly. Everyone (except Tabby) looked at her so strangely that she felt she had to quantify her answer. Shyly she added, "I lost everything in the fire."

"Oh you poor thing," the saccharine sympathy was from Jean.

"You'll have to get Gambit to buy you a bear," teased Kitty kindly. Blaze smiled.

"I can't see Rem browsing the aisles in a toy store," she replied. "He works too hard at his cool exterior, something like that would ruin his mojo."

"Oh I don't know," laughed Jean. "I think it's a good indicator of how hooked you've got a guy when you get him to do something out of character."

"What'd ya get Scott to do," Rogue asked mockingly, "stay out after curfew?" Jean blushed, making Kitty and Blaze giggled uncontrollably. "That's it," Rogue sniggered, "ain't it? You got him to stay out late. Wow, really rock 'n' roll Jean."

"It's a start," Jean told them with a shrug.

"So Blaze," Kitty asked mischievously, "how's it going with Remy anyway? Have those Cajun charms totally swept you off your feet yet or what?"

"Its good," Blaze smiled to herself, tucking a strand of her curly hair behind her ear.

"But?" pressed Rogue, sensing Blaze wasn't being totally honest.

"But…" hesitated Blaze, "I dunno… I've got my doubts, and what if I'm right?"

No one had an answer to that, and Blaze fell quiet. Changing the subject, Jean asked Rogue about life with Angel.

"Warren's a real gentleman," Rogue gushed. "He really knows how to treat ah lady."

"He does that," agreed Blaze under her breath.

"Have you managed to kiss him yet?" Kitty asked carelessly. Jean glowered at Shadowcat, but the damage was already done. The untouchable energy vampire shrugged nonchalantly, turning away so no one would see her little smile. Unfortunately she turned towards the mirror, so everyone saw it anyway.

"You have, haven't you!" exclaimed Kitty, "when? How?"

Rogue hesitated, but then replied. "When we first found Morose an' she sapped all our powers, an' we were outta phase with the mansion an' everybody…"

"Cool," gushed Kitty who was genuinely pleased for Rogue. "Was he a good kisser?"

"Kitty!" protested Jean.

"Blaze, you okay?" Tabby rejoined the conversation, tugging out her earphones and sitting up. "B?" Blaze had gone very still and she was clutching the sheets so hard her knuckles had gone white. "Hey, no burning my bed! Go set fire to your own!" Tabby slapped Blaze's hand to get her to let go. Everyone was looking at the fire elemental, everyone except Rogue who refused to meet Blaze's eyes…