The time has come, this author said, to talk of many things. Like Plot soup and mini-mutants and other crucial things! Greetings my friends! Guess what?! Life has been absolutely superb in the time since I last posted. For one thing...School's out for me!!! Wahooo! Second...I FINALLY got my learners permit so now I can learn to drive! I have been begging for my mom to take me forever! And now I have it! Third, I passed all my classes and my exams! I was so afraid I was going to fail my English and Geometry exams but I passed them and I can't wipe the grin off my face! Fourthishly...I HAVE OVER 100 REVIEWS!!! So in honor of how y'all have made my dream come true, we are going to be having a party. There is cake and ice cream and cookies and soda for ABSOLUTELY everyone! the Swedish ninja-like monkeys chatter happily in the background Oh right, the monkeys are overjoyed that this job has paid so well. And as a surprise, we have a visit from a few old friends today! Give it up for the trained assassin penguins! They are visiting as congratulations for the success.
Disclaimer: No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks...Oh wait I'm sorry that doesn't help much here does it? Okay. Does anybody honestly think I own X-men? hello! If I did, Evolution would still be on and season 5 would have started and been into season 6 already. And the pink sock is still AWOL. But according to Disney "when you wish upon a star, makes no difference who you are, anything your heart desires will come true..." Alas, I don't own that song Disney does. But all that aside...anybody know if tonight's gonna be starry?
And now to my reviewers, the responses to your reviews...
crazyspaceystracey- Yeah, I meant the whole name. But we aren't too sure about Rogue's first name are we? I mean wasn't there some comic where she said something along the lines of "when I was younger people called me Anna"? That doesn't say too much though. My sister was called 'noo noo', 'banana', and 'Allie Burger' when she was little and her name is Alta. And almost everybody called my cousin Kyle but his real name is Michael Charles. Any way, thank you for answering the question. I might be wrong but you never know in the X-men universe...Glad you love the chapter. Yeah, I read the one where Alex declared his love for another woman at his and Lorna's wedding. I didn't really like that so MY Lorna and Havok will be a couple. Muchas tres grande gracias for the review!
SperryDee- Glad you loved the 'so what'. Yeah, poor Remy oh by the way, he has something to say to you Smiles at 4 year old Remy Right?
Remy: T'ank y' very much fo' de yummy treats. smiles
Anyway, I'm not over-obsessed or anything :) thanks a ton for the review!
Flaming Fire Goddess- I'm glad you love this story. This made your favorites list? Uber awesome! That makes me happy! Its people like you who help make my day great. I thank you muchly for the review!
The Big Red Machine- My humble thanks for answering the questions. You have some interesting opinions...Aw, you think I should own X-men Evolution? I'm flattered! The author's joyous thanks are relayed onto you for reviewing.
xmengirlsrule- Yeah he most likely will. But wouldn't anybody? Yeah poor li'l Rem and Rogue. You'll just have to wait and see. Queen sized thanks for the review!
UniversalAnimeGirl- Cool name. I hope the overwhelming cuteness is a good thing. I am glad you love it. Yeah it is funny. Rogue's attitude is very funny. I think the image of her threatening the doctor was too cute for words. I stated earlier in the story but incase you missed it, in this story Mystique adopted Rogue when she was two instead of four as Evolution states. Oh she meant it alright. Hm, If I was a doctor and a tiny three-year-old girl was threatening me over a lollipop I would be torn between laughing myself stupid and being petrified. But it would be so cute! Hmm interesting theory, in all honesty I never really thought of that but it might be fun to toy with...Zaladane was Lorna's sister?! I did not know that. Maybe there is and maybe there isn't but I won't be using Zaladane. Oh yeah...It'll get interesting alright...Did I spell Havok wrong? I know how it's spelled but my beast of a computer randomly changes words without my knowledge so I am sorry for the mistake. I honestly didn't know. It's annoying to say the least. Are you a mind reader? You have an awesome theory on Angélique to hang on to. Good theory on Rogue's name. Rogue's getting her own series soon?! Awesome I bet that will answer so much. yeah everyone usually calls Rogue Anna or Marie. I'll laugh myself stupid if it turns out to be something nobody ever would expect like Mildred, or Gertrude, or Beatrice or something like that. Thank you heaps of happiness for the review and theories.
wandathetiger- Glad you like it even though there is a definite lack of Jonda. Honestly don't give up hope for it but I prolly shouldn'ta told ya that...(Reference to Hagrid in Harry Potter {Which I also don't own})wink Jonda's my favorite Wanda pairing too... And on that note I bid you adieu and thanks for the review!
une juene fille- I adore the name. Thanks for everything! Your sky sounds awesome! Mine is forest green with silver stars and blue, bronze, red, and gold striped clouds. I am glad you like the story. I hope all my readers have as much fun reading it as I do writing it. Thanks a super mega comic book hero sized heap for reviewing!
howlerdrode- Glad you thought that was the funniest chapter yet but if I may say so myself it will get funnier. Non, never broke a bone, except for that heel fracture in fifth grade. The pain descriptions and reactions came from two times; the summer Alix broke her right ankle and then two years later broke the left one. I'm glad it was good. Thank you for clearing up the criminal thing for me. Hm, yeah, I guess Evan is distancing himself. I don't think he's gonna stay in for two much longer. I have planned for a way to creatively remove some of the non-important characters as some of them never did have a real point to the plot. Thank you, I will enjoy my summer even though it will be busy.
whiterose934- announcerish voice Will whiterose934 come on down?! Johnny, tell our great guest why they are here.
Pyro: Well mate, whiterose934 is reviewer number 100 for Heartsyhawk's story
"Back in Diapers"!
Announcer: Well tell our lovely guest just what they've won!
Pyro: Well mate, whiterose934 wins a trophy, a gold medallion, a parade, special happy author cookies and oh my gosh can it be true? The most prestigious award anywhere! One of Heartsyhawk's patented katzillion watt smiles!
Yay! You are number one hundred. That means so much to me! smirks Beating Pietro up is great fun isn't it. But do be careful not to do any permanent damage to the poor guy. His role is gonna get bigger soon. So hands Pietro an icepack and bottle of aspirin You go relax until you are needed. And don't give me that 'I-am-gonna-die-of-boredom' act mister! I just had cable and internet installed in your room! Okay now back to the response...Yeah, I must agree, poor wittle Remy! Wow, yeah it is old. Guess my age is showing but-meh-who cares. I am not too old. Okay not intentionally sounding like an idiot here but which plot hole did you find, I've come across about four that I left as of yet...Yay! Thank you so much for the lollipop. It's my favorite but of course I'll share. Oh and the pie was great too...Not you Pietro! Just go watch TV or something! Sorry, Laughs since you asked so nicely I'll give him a role. It won't be as big as the one in the sequel I've planned but he will have a role. Tears of glee come to my eyes in sincere thanks for your review, you are an inspiration to me and others!
Pointyearzrule- Hey I am glad you like it. I will be writing more ASAP after my summer plans end.
Lady Farevay- It would be so awesome if we were allowed as many favorites as we wanted but nonetheless I am glad mine is on your list! Still glad you enjoy "my" Lance. It drives me nuts how there are so many fics where he is the bad guy who is abusive and mean or only into Kitty for ahem flushes slightly...certain reasons...I think he deserves so much more positive limelight! Come on writers! You know you love Lance! There are plenty out there that are awesome where he is just background but Lance definitely needs more good publicity! Lance Lovers Unite! Come on people I can not be the only fan out there who saw 'No Good Deed'! Don't worry, hellion sprog syndrome as I call it is only temporary if the poor dears contract it. But ya gotta admit kidlets are cute. I love li'l Marie too. Your mental picture of her is pretty similar to mine. Glad the length excited you. I aim to please but I am glad the cramps in my hands are not in vain. Not like I'd quit writing even if people didn't like the length...but whatever... glad you like the length. I really love writing it and you might be right about it being the longest chapter yet. Note the emphasizion on yet...Yeah, ickish memories for me too...Not my own personal breaks but Alix smashed both of her ankles and I blended in some pain from the time I fractured my heel bone and some of my dad's old injuries I've heard about. My heart went out fo' Remy as I wrote it. singing stirring, stirring, the thick plot soup! stirring with wooden spoon that breaks at first stroke Okay that was dumb....stirs with metal spoon and it snaps Uh...examines both broken spoons. I know! on cell phone in hushed tone Yes, Hello? Acme Adamantium supply? I would like to place an order for a spoon...Yes you heard me right and don't dare laugh! Next week? Okay. Bye. grins sheepishly Yeah, you may be right about the plot soup...but I get my new spoon soon so no worries! Thank y' fo' de review!
Sparkling-illusens- Glad you like it. Rain of gratitude for the review!
Sparkling-illusens- Ah, I see you found a plot hole...good work! Bountiful thanks for reviewing my story.
Kaylariana- I am glad you are enjoying this. Yes, those kids seem quite popular.
Maggie- Yeah, he is brave isn't he? I am glad you like it and sincerely thankful for your review.
ThessalyD- I am glad you like my story. hatfuls of happiness at your review.
Allie- That is an...interesting plot bunny. I love the analogy. Glad you love it. I loved getting your review!
EviltwinAlix- Bout time you reviewed you lousy excuse for a sister! Glad to see you finally got your bum off groundation from internet privileges. Thanks for the congratulations. You know where I was, you turkey brain! Amy invited me to her church retreat in New York remember?! Oh and rumor has it that you know where my pink sock is...Well, I also know where YOUR Evanescence cd is. Mwahaha! Any body smell black mail? Oh and I read your story. You should be ashamed for making me cry! But uber big thanks for the review anyway.
Carla-P- (response to all eight reviews) First: Who me?! Evil? Nah yah musta mistaken me for my twin sister. EviltwinAlix. She's the evil one in the family. Thank you for all the praise you gave me! Second: I'm glad you like the kissing scene. I am also glad you liked the cat and dogfight with Remy and Rogue. Third: I am glad you like it and I am happy that you enjoy my humorous notes. Fourth: I am glad to have brought out your inner squealer. Its nothing to be ashamed of. Granted I never was much of one but I even squeal while writing this stuff. Fifth: I am glad you are loving it. I honestly love writing it. And I am glad you like the kidlets. Sixth: Don't take this as conceited but I really don't mind the repetitive awws. I appreciate each and every one of them. I am tickled to know you like Remy's reaction of indignation at the baby lead thing. Seventh: Yeah, they are major cute aren't they? Eighth: Hm, I am glad you are all caught up and hope you stay with me for the rest. And thank you uber muchly eight times for the reviews!
SickmindedSucker- Well, with old Mags you never know how many kids he has, winks well I do but hey, authors gotta have SOME privileges here, right? Its okay that the review wasn't instantaneous because you still took time to review it anyway! Gee, I wonder, how WOULD the professor and Wolverine react to finding out...But you can bet your brain they'd both be peeved off...smirks You'll just have to wait and see now won't you? Thanky fo' Reviewing Back in Diapers!
Spunkypippy- Interesting name. Glad you love the whole story. I'll keep putting up more as long as I have ideas in my head and readers at the ready. Wait...no, no. I'll keep writing even if I don't have any readers...Thanks a juggernaut sized bucket o'thanks for the review.
:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
Lance's jaw hit the floor and Pietro's eyes were comically huge. "Wha....how...who...why...Aye aye aye."
Lorna looked quizzically at him. "Um what?"
Lance regained his ability to speak. "You can control...metal???" Lance said in a high, squeaky voice that was not his normal one by any stretch of the imagination.
"Yeah...So what?"
Both boys stared at her. They were reasonably shocked. That was the prized power of none other than Magneto! Pietro's father! She was looking for Pietro's father, who she was claiming was also her own father. Pietro blinked and mouthed like a fish out of water. He sat down abruptly. As if one sister wasn't bad enough?!
Lorna backed slowly away from the boys. "The two of you are starting to scare me... Why the heck do you care who my father is? And what's the big deal about my powers?!"
"Do you know...who precisely the mastery of metal power is usually associated with?" Lance breathed heavily.
"Yeah," she frowned. "My...My father. If you could call him that..."
Pietro gulped. "How old are you exactly?"
"I am beyond confused now. But I turned eighteen May 14th." She shrugged.
Pietro's already pale face lost the slight tinge of color it had as he did the math in his head. This girl was almost exactly nine months older than him...so she could be his sister. It made theoretical sense, and logics and the math backed her story.
"I-think-I'm-gonna-be-sick..." He frowned and hurried out of the room.
"Please tell me what's going on?" Lorna pleaded to Lance.
Lance was unable to speak for a few seconds. He took a deep breath to calm himself. "Well, uh...you see...I don't know if I should be the one to tell you this, but...we...unfortunately know somebody...with...those...powers..."
Lorna gave him a funny look. "And that makes him nauseas because...?"
Lance paled. "That person....Magneto as we call him....is his father."
Lorna's face grew pale as Pietro's. "Oh my Gosh..." She whispered in an awed tone of voice. "So, if we're talking about the same guy...that makes him...my..."
"Little-brother." Pietro said flatly from the doorway. He reentered, still pale and ill looking. "You're-almost-exactly-nine-months-older-than-me." He said sullenly.
Tears welled up in Lorna's eyes. "Oh my God! Oh my God! Do you know what this means?"
Pietro glared at her. "It-means-that-my-father-cheated-on-his-wife-before-me-and- Wanda-were-even-a-thought. That's-what-it-means-to-me."
Lorna looked as if he had slapped her. "I...I...didn't think about it that way..."
Pietro slumped back down into a chair. "Not-like-it's-hard-to-believe. He-didn't-love-me-and-my-sister-so-why-should-he-love-our-mother?"
Lance saw the misery welling up in the girl's eyes. He felt her pain. He knew what it felt like to find somebody you can relate to as family only to have them want nothing to do with you all too well. "Pietro!" He snapped. "Don't be like that! You're acting like you blame her!"
Pietro sighed. "Yeah...I-guess-I'm-not-handling-it-right-sorry." He cradled his head in his hands. "Its-just-that-well-I-just-found-out-I-have-ANOTHER-sister...Geez-and-I-thought-Wanda-was-enough!"
Lance smiled and shook his head. Lorna looked at Pietro curiously. "Who's Wanda?"
"A creepy homicidal Gothic chick." Pietro said with all manner of seriousness. "Or at least, she WAS homicidal..."
Lorna looked visibly disturbed. "She is his twin sister. And he's exaggerating."
"Pah! Not much!" Pietro snorted. "She did want me and Father killed!"
Lance smiled ruefully. "Too bad nobody let her."
Lorna laughed nervously. "I have a twin little brother and sister? Wow! I thought Ally was bad enough. I can't believe I get two more little siblings!"
"Aw-geez! I-get-TWO-sisters-out-of-this?" Pietro pouted! "This-is-wrong! I-feel out-numbered. Lance-you-are-so-lucky-to-be-an-only-child."
Lance rolled his eyes. "I feel like I am in the middle of a soap opera here."
Lorna smiled. "Yeah, so...Pietro, what is Eric...well, Father, I guess...like? You are so lucky to have grown up with parents."
As soon as this was out of her mouth she regretted it at the look on Pietro's face.
"I-wouldn't-know." He scowled. "On-me-and-Wanda's-ninth-birthday-he- abandoned-both-of-us. Wanda-and-I-were-separated-and-she-was-in-some...hospital, and I-was-ditched-into-some-children's-services-bureau-in-New-York-City." The bitter look on his face spoke volumes of his opinion of this. "What's-he-like? He's-a-horrible-old- man-who-has-world-domination-aspirations-and-is-still-living-in-World-War-II-because- he-thinks-mutants-will-get-the-same-treatment-as-Jews-did-back-then. He-was-a-great- father-until-our-ninth-birthday-when-he-took-us-out-for-ice-cream-and-a-"surprise". That-was-six-months-after-my-mom-died."
"I'm sorry." Lorna whispered. "I didn't think...I was just so happy to have found family..." She hung her head. "This isn't how its supposed to be...I always pictured my family reunion so perfect and happy."
"Don't worry about it." Lance tried to smile encouragingly.
"So...Pietro, if I am nine months older, then you are seventeen...right?"
The albino nodded, frowning slightly. "My-birthday-is-February-fourteenth; Valentines-Day." He smirked at the perfect irony of it all.
Lorna smiled. "That's cool. Look, if you don't want to, you don't have to act like I am your sister. I don't even know if its true and I wouldn't want to throw everything into turmoil on a guess. We should just pretend that this whole issue was a dream or something..."
Pietro nodded while frowning. "There's-thankfully-a-chance-that-this-is-all-just-some-horrible-mix-up-right?"
Lorna smiled ruefully. "Yeah...but you have no idea how much having a real family would mean to me and my sister..."
"Well-if-you-want-you-can-have-Wanda." Pietro smirked. "She-wants-a-real-loving-family-too."
"I'll tell her you said that Pietro." Lance frowned. "You know you are all she has right now. She's your sister and she does love you...God only knows why though."
"Fine-Dad." Pietro said mockingly. "I-won't-try-to-get-rid-of-my-twin. You-happy-now?"
"Very." Lance smirked. Lorna giggled slightly.
"You two are hilarious. But anyway, Pietro, until I have actual proof that we could be siblings, one little sister is plenty for me thank you very much."
Pietro sighed in mock exasperation and nodded. Then an odd look crossed his face. He looked nauseas again. "Oh...my...G-d (is that how the Jewish do that or am I crossing religion?) This-cannot-be-happening-to-me! My-life-is-so-screwed-up-now! How-the-heck-could-Father-do-this?"
Again Lorna looked as if she had been smacked. Tears filled her pale green eyes.
"Hey Pietro," Lance snapped. "Don't be such a drama queen."
The result of this was a cold glare from Pietro and a nervous giggle from Lorna. "Shut-your-fat-mouth-Lance. Life-as-I-know-it-has-just-been-dissolved. And-you-have-no-clue-what-its-like!"
Lance rolled his eyes. "Whatever, your royal dramatic highness."
Before Pietro could respond, the door opened and the doctor reentered the room. "Thank you Lorna. You are needed upstairs. Please do hurry, the head nurse claimed it was urgent.
Lorna nodded and hurried out.
"Now, I find it imperative to discuss a few issues with you two boys." He frowned slightly. "I reached a young lady at the number young Remy provided. Angélique, she said her name was. Anyhow, she seemed most distraught that her brother was injured. She was slightly hysterical as she ordered me to not inform her father. The debt and insurance money is on the way so you two have nothing to pay. But I am curious to know why you did not call home to tell the family."
Both boys gulped. "Um...We thought it would be better to get him here first." Lance said nervously.
The doctor cocked an eyebrow in suspicion. "Very well. Another matter I found most disturbing was upon examination I noticed several odd bruises on the child. He seems happy enough to rule out abuse, but..." He looked at Lance expectantly.
"Well, he is only four, sir. He's really active and rambunctious and hyper." Lance smiled uneasily.
"What child isn't? But still, a black eye, a split lip, swollen nose, and bruises all over? I think that is a bit much."
Lance frowned. "The kid isn't abused, sir. We would never, ever-"
"Look son, I'm gonna be honest. I don't really think you are hurting him. You care too much about all three of them to be abusive." He gestured to Kitty who was curled up on her chair much like her namesake, fast asleep, and then to the two southern toddlers who were talking about God only knows what. Lance smiled at how sweetly the three were behaving. The doctor smiled as his point was confirmed.
"But, you are still a teenager. And as such, I wonder if you know how to properly care for a group of young children." At Lance's nervous gulp he continued. "I believe that the issue at hand is not one of abuse but of neglect."
Lance's jaw dropped but Pietro responded first. "Listen-to-me-you-pompous-overbearing-idiot! Those-kids-are-anything-but-neglected! We-have-spent-so-much-freaking-effort-with-the-little-weasels-that-it-makes-my-head-spin! And-you-stand-here-saying-that-you-think-were-neglecting-them? Did-you-get-your-PhD-out-of-a-25-cent-machine!?"
The doctor allowed the distressed teenager several moments to calm down. "I fear your temper is not healthy. I am legally obligated to report neglect or abuse of children. Yet, I hesitate."
Rogue and Remy looked over at the non-infants with mild interest.
"D' yah know wass (what's) happ'nin' Remy?" Rogue asked.
"Non, not really." The four-year-old shrugged confusedly. "But Remy t'inks dey be gittin' in trouble fo' somet'in'. Peetro an' Lance look like dey gonna git hitted ou somet'in'."
Rogue grumbled in irritation. "Ah hate it when the growed ups f'git weh (grown ups forget we're) heh (here.)."
She climbed off of the examination table she and her friend were sitting on and moved over to the three who were talking about things she didn't care about. She gently tugged on Lance's pant leg to get his attention.
"Scuze meh (excuse me) but wass goin' on?" She asked slowly. "Y'all a talkin' an' me an' Remy feel lefted out." She pouted and Lance smiled at her.
"I'm sorry Marie. We're just talking about a grown-up thing." He said knowing the response.
"Why?"
"Because...well, because we have to get something settled."
"Like when Mama wants ta talk ta the man at the bank or heh (her) boss at work ta talk 'bout gittin' paid mo'?" She frowned slightly.
"Yes." Lance nodded. "Kinda like that."
"That sounds real borin'." Rogue commented dryly.
"It is." Lance assured her with a smile. "So why don't you and Remy just play a game and Pietro will play with you too. I just have to talk to the doctor."
Rogue nodded happily and grabbed Pietro's hand and before he could protest she skipped over to where Remy was watching with curiosity.
"Okay weh gonna pway a game. Any ideas?" She asked both boys.
"Yeah, the Pietro-isn't-gonna-play-baby-games-with-babies-game." Pietro said sarcastically.
"Nope." Rogue smirked. "Lance said yah would play with us."
Pietro whined some more and then sulked because Rogue won and they were playing with some plastic figurines they had found in a box.
Lance watched this for a few moments with an amused expression but then turned to the doctor seriously. "Sir, I know it looks bad but we aren't abusing or neglecting them. Please believe me when I say that Remy is just an active four-year-old." He pleaded.
The doctor sighed. "I could probably get into serious trouble if I let it go with nothing. I want to trust you, believe me I do but I have seen too many cases where somebody says nothing's wrong but then they turn out to be beating the child."
"Sir, no disrespect meant, but there is no way in God's Earth that I would ever dream of hitting a child. You could come and watch all of us everyday if you want but you would never ever see me harm those children." Lance said in a low tone with narrowed eyes. "I won't disillusion you into thinking I'm guardian of the year award material or anything but these kids are treated extra-ordinarily well."
"Yes, had you or your friend let me finish, you would have heard this. I was going to say that I did not believe it was intentional or anything of the sort. I merely was going to give a warning."
"A warning?" Lance echoed doubtfully.
"Yes." The doctor said calmly. "I wish to tell you that nothing will be done at this time but if any of these children show any further signs investigation via Child Services."
At this Lance paled and gasped. "Ch-Child Services?" He squeaked. "No, not them anybody but them."
Rogue suddenly heard what was being said and she grew paler too. She whimpered and pulled her knees close to her chin.
"Marie? What be de matter?" Remy asked in concern. He looked in panic at Pietro and then Lance. "What be wrong?"
"Holy super-sized bag of pixie-stix!" Pietro was hit by the memory of the fact that Mystique had adopted Rogue through Child Services and the girl had never said anything but he knew what she had gone through because he'd been there once too.
Apparently Lance remembered this too. He hurried over to the little girl who had squeezed her eyes shut to keep the tears from coming.
"Shh, its okay Marie. We're here. You won't go back. I won't let them get you."
The doctor turned to Pietro for an explanation. "For-you're-information, she-was-adopted-from-child-services." Pietro sneered. "We-aren't-completely-sure-but-we-think-she-had-a-very-tough-time-with-them."
The doctor frowned in shock. "Fine, no child services but DCF will hear from me if I still see signs. So I think I will send over a messenger every week to check your situation out."
Pietro sneered and turned to Rogue. It was definitely unnerving him to see her so pathetic and helpless. He knew what it felt like to have gone through child services uncared for and unwanted. But he had been nine years old and couldn't imagine how hard it would be for a baby which was what the little girl in front of him really was and had been when she was there.
He unconsciously reached out a hand and put it on her back. She looked at him with soulful eyes that were pooling with tears.
"Ah don' wanna go back Peeto." She said softly in a miserable tone that made his heart break. "Don' make meh go." She whimpered.
The doctor smiled in sympathy. "Do not worry child."
Remy stuck his tongue out at the doctor. "Leave her 'lone!" He hugged Marie close and she stopped whimpering to smile at him.
"I give up." The doctor sighed. "Nothing will happen as long as I have no evidence that something bad is happening." He shrugged. "But I had better never see these kids injured again."
"We'll do our best sir." Lance said coldly.
" Now, on a lighter note, we need to talk about how to care for Remy now that he has a cast." The doctor smiled and changed the topic.
Pietro rolled his eyes and took a seat in the chair next to Kitty. He grabbed a copy of Time from the counter and started reading it.
Remy and Rogue climbed back onto the examination table as their involuntary playmate had abandoned them.
"So what d' y' wanna do?" Remy asked, boredom not suppressed.
"Ah dunno. What da yah wanna do?" Rogue asked passively.
"Remy aksed (asked in four-year-old-ese) y' first." He challenged.
"So?" Rogue frowned. "Ah aksed yah second." She retorted.
"So...Y' gotta answer Remy." He said stubbornly.
"First is the wost, an' secon' is the bestest." She said impishly in a singsong tone. "So yah pick what ta do."
"Dats not fair." Remy frowned and Rogue crossed her arms.
"Life ain' fair kid." She gave him a look.
"Fine, Remy'll pick." He frowned. Even as a kid he seemed to hate losing an argument to a girl. "We could play...we could play...Oh I know! We could play like we're esplorers (explorers) in the Amazin' (Amazing = supposed to be Amazon) Brain Fortress (rain forest)." He smiled proudly.
"Kay," the three-year-old smiled at her friend. "How 'bout we find lotsa nanimals an' ginormous askeetos (lots of animals and ginormous mosquitoes) an' stuff like that."
Her friend nodded and they started playing.
"Wow look a efelant (elephant) Remy!" She squealed as they imagined themselves into the heart of the jungle.
"Wow, iss 'mazin' (amazing) Marie." He smiled. "An' look ober dere (over there)! Iss a saber-toofed Tiger! (saber toothed tiger) An' a alligator. An' fumingloes! (flamingoes)! Dis is so cool!"
"Remy, lets not be mean splorers (explorers) tha' hunt an' kill the nanimals, please?" Marie asked with a grin.
"Kay, we could be de kinda splorers dat take de naminals pitchers. (kind of explorers that take the animal's pictures.) That's acuz (because) Remy don' wanna hurt no nanimals ou peebles (animals or people). Its just really bad t' do dat t' dem, ain' it?"
Rogue looked at him with reverence. "Yah realleh (really) are smart." She said in awe. "Ah don' thank (think) anyone should hurt anehthin' (anything). Never, not ever."
"Then we kin be like de people on de Wild T'ornbirdies (Wild Thornberry's a tv show that Nickelodeon studios, not Heartsyhawk, owns.)" He smiled and remembered one of the commercials they had seen.
Rogue smiled and they began taking pictures of all sorts of the animals their crazy toddler imaginations brought to them.
"Oh, Remy git a good shot o' tha' (that) Turtledactar (pterodactyl)! Oh an' the goldfishies an' the monkeys!" Rogue squealed in excitement as she took pictures with her pretend camera.
"Ah! Oh no! We gotta git outta here! Issa killer acramarantula (tarantula with a Harry Potter creature reference for the other Potter people out there wink)" Remy said sounding genuinely frightened.
The two hurried away, up in front of them was a mountain if only they could climb it the giant tarantula couldn't follow. But there was a giant polar bear in their way! It reached down and picked them up and both explorers screamed but as they did, the big mountain turned into an examination table and the bear turned into a rather ticked off seventeen-year-old speed demon.
"Peeto! Don' let the trampala git us!" Rogue clutched his arm.
Around the two, their amazing pretend jungle faded away.
"What-in-the-name-of-Magneto-has-gotten-into-the-two-of-you?" Pietro asked disgusted at the toddlers clinging to his arms in sheer terror.
"Well, we were takin' pitchers of the naminals..." Rogue started sheepishly after releasing Quicksilver's arm with a look of her own disgust. "An' I jus' getted (got) a real good one of the monkeys an' the Painqueens (penguins)!"
"An' den Remy seed (saw) a ginormerous (variant of ginormous) trampala (again tarantula)!" He shuddered.
The doctor and Lance had to laugh at the look on Pietro's face.
"Well, they do seem to be happy, normal, toddlers." The doctor smiled gently.
"Okay-then-if-that-is-normal-behavior-I-don't-want-kids-of-my-own. Not-EVER!" Pietro frowned and rolled his eyes.
Lance rolled his eyes.
Remy huffed indignantly. "There really is a ginormous trampala!" He whimpered.
"Sure there is kid. And Pietro's the toothfairy." Lance smiled.
"Really?" Rogue wrinkled her nose. "He don' look like the one in Mama's storybook. But maybe he'd look better in a blue tutu an' silber (silver) tiara..." She giggled. "Nah, Ah don' eben (even) thank (think) a green tutu would make him look betterer."
Lance quickly turned his laugh into a coughing fit and the doctor hid a smile behind a hand.
Pietro scowled at the little girl. He couldn't think of a comeback that would hurt her enough to be worth it. He vaguely considered calling her a tomboy but this was Rogue, not Pryde so it would probably be taken as a compliment.
He sulked and sat back into the chair. He frowned because his ego was severely bruised by a three-year-old. Then he frowned because frowning would eventually leave frown lines to ruin his perfect face.
"Remy swear dat de tarampala really is here." The little boy pouted. He pointed over to the wall. In the corner, a reasonably small spider had made its web between the wall and the examination table.
Rogue moved over to it. "Aww iss jus' a li'l spider." She cooed. "Iss so cute, ain' it Remy?"
The kid Cajun shook his head franticly. "Non! Iss yucky! An' creepy!" He shuddered and backed away from it.
Rogue shrugged and let it crawl onto her hand. "Ah wanna keep him. Ah'll name him...Esplorer (Explorer)!" She smiled and turned to her friend. "Wanna pet him, Remy?"
The four-year-old's eyes widened in horror. "Non, Remy no wanna pet dat monster! It'll eat Remy!" He backed away further.
"Aw gee Remy," She said soothingly. "He'd neber (never) trah (try) an' eat yah. He's a fiendly (friendly) li'l guy." She approached him.
"NON! Marie, don' y' dare come no closer t' Remy wit' dat t'in'!" He snapped and hurried behind Lance. "Lance, make 'er stop!" He whined.
Rogue followed him. "C'mon, please Remy? Ah'll be yo' bes' friend if yah jus' pet 'im." She pouted and held out her spider.
Remy shuddered and closed his eyes. "Please don' make Remy do it Marie?"
"Remy, Ah swear he won' trah (try) ta eat yah. If he gits humgry (hungry) Ah'll gib (give) him ta Peeto or that li'l brat Jean. Ah promise."
Pietro chuckled from his seat. "This-is-priceless. The-fearless-little-four-year-old-is-terrified-of-spiders!" Then what she had said hit him. "Hey!"
Lance smiled too but approached Rogue. "Marie, you're not being nice to Remy. If he doesn't want to touch...Explorer then you shouldn't make him."
Rogue smiled up at him. "But who wouldn't want ta pet him? He's really cool, isn't he?"
"Yeah, he's kinda cool Marie but he scares Remy. How would you feel if Remy was trying to make you touch something you are scared of?"
"Hmph. Ah ain' ascared (scared) of nuttin' though." Rogue tilted her head to the side.
"You and I both know that isn't true Marie." Lance smiled gently. "And I think you owe Remy an apology."
Rogue sighed. "Fine. Remy Ah'm sorry that yah don' like Esplorer. An' Ah'm sorry Ah tried to make yah pet him when he scares yah."
Remy looked at her and smiled. "T'anks but put de t'in' down, s'il vous plais? (please in French)."
"Yes," The doctor said softly. "I think the spider would be happier outside, don't you Marie. He belongs with his family so maybe if you just put him in this jar, I could take him out later."
"But...Ah wanna keep him as a pet!" She frowned.
"Sweetie, spiders don't make good pets for little girls. "The doctor said sympathetically. "Especially when your big brother doesn't like them."
Rogue sighed and said goodbye to the spider and watched ruefully as it was placed into a jar on the table.
"Ok what d' yah wanna do now?" Rogue turned to Remy forgetting completely about the pet she had only had for ten minutes or less.
"Remy don' know, what d' y' wanna do?" Remy smiled.
Rogue surveyed the room. Kitty had woken up and crawled off the chair to play with a small set of blocks from the little toy box. "Wanna play with her?" Rogue asked.
"Non, not really." Remy said hesitantly. "Don' take dis de wrong way but she's kinda a baby. A baby fille. An' blocks are fo' babies. So kin we not play wit' her, if y' don' mind?"
"But Ah'm a girl too." She said sadly. "Does that mean yah don' wanna pay (play) wiv (with) meh?"
"Don' be silly. Remy said she a baby fille. Y' not a baby. Y' t'ree! Dats almos' praticy (practically) a growed up!" Remy smiled. "B'sides. Y' not like de ot'er filles (other girls) Remy knows."
"Are yah callin' meh weird?" She demanded sharply.
"Non, jus' diffren'." Remy pulled a face. "Y' don' like Barbies an' dat kinda junk like Kitty an' Belle (growl! Hiss! Spit! hehe sorry. Lost my cool for a second there...) an' eferbody (everybody)."
"Yuck! Barbies? Ah don' thank (think) aneh (any) o' dat crud is cool. Ah can't stand that pink an' princess-y stuff." Rogue grimaced.
"Yeah, an' neit'er do boys." Remy smiled then frowned in thought. "Corretion (correction). MOS' boys wouldn' be caught dead playin' wit' dat creepy stuff. Mais dat Scott kid? He creeps Remy out an' Remy wouldn' put it past 'im."
"Ah bet if dat prissy li'l brat Jean tode (told) him ta, he'd pay (play) anehthang (anything) she wanted him ta." Rogue said in a disgusted tone.
"Dat jus' ain' right." Remy frowned. "Boys are s'poset' (supposed to) do what dey want not what their girlfriend wants 'em t'" Remy drawled, saying the word girlfriend like a filthy curse.
"Ewww!" Rogue squealed. "Yah realleh (really) thank (think) theh (they) are boyfend an' grilfend (boyfriend and girlfriend)?"
"Mos' def'n'tly (definitely)." Remy said in a grim voice. "An' dey gross Remy out! Remy can' stand watchin' anot'er boy souping (stooping) so low fo' a fille." He frowned and then looked at Marie. "Um, Remy don' mean no 'fence (offence) t' y'."
"None taken." Rogue nodded. "It makes meh wanna frow up ( throw up). Ah hate that mean Jean. Scott might be kinda cute if he wasn' under de evil witch's spell."
Remy chuckled in amusement. "An' Jean migh' (might) be jolie (pretty in French) if she wasn' such a brat."
The two children laughed at the thought.
"Like dat could eber (ever) happen." Rogue snorted.
"Well, y' neber (never) know. In de movies people change all de time." Remy reasoned. "An' in comic books too."
"Remy, that's called actin'." Rogue rolled her eyes. "Like when guys jump out of helopanes (mixture of helicopter and airplanes to combine the vehicle referenced by toddlers and mini-mutants alike) an' don' git hurt. Or when people kin flah (fly) or read peoples minds an' stuff. An' lahke (like) how some people wear their underwear outside their pants. That ain' how it happens in real life." (heehee! Sorry couldn't resist...)
Remy pondered this and then reluctantly nodded. "Maybe y' right, but wouldn' it be cool if dat stuff was real?"
"Yeah!" Rogue grinned. "But Jean an' Scott ain' neber gonna change. Ah'd bet yah that they'll be this way when their real old too. Like eighteen or nahneteen (nineteen)."
"Wow, dats a long way away." Remy said sagely. "Dats like a kazillion years from now."
"Hm." Rogue nodded. "Yeah."
"So what should we do now?" Remy asked, bored agian.
"Don' know. We could have a starin' contest..." Rogue suggested.
"Kay. No blinking on the count of one...two...t'ree-go!" Both kids stared at eachother.
"Yah gonna lose." Rogue said in a singsong voice.
"Y' wish." Remy said in a challenging voice. "Y' kin keep on dreamin' Marie. Remy neber loses!"
"Sounds like a challenge..." Rogue smirked impishly.
"Hey! Thats-not-right!" Pietro scowled. "That-is-so-my-phrase! She-cannot-use-it! I-forbid-this!"
"Aw shut up Pietro." Lance smiled.
"Why-should-I? You-don't-hear-me-going- 'Don't mess with tha Rogue' or 'Mah poweh is yo' poweh an' Ah kin take more'n one!' Do-you-Lance?"
Lance gave him a look and rolled his eyes and Pietro's mature response was to stick out his tongue.
Meanwhile, Kitty watched Remy and Rogue's staring contest with fascination. She had abandoned her baby toys as her two fellow mini-mutants were much more entertaining.
She clapped and giggled as each Southerner pulled hilarious faces in attempt to make the other person laugh and blink. So far the only one it was working on was Kitty.
Lance, Pietro, and the doctor all watched in amusement as Rogue came close but then rolled her eyes whilst crossing them at the same time. She stuck out her tongue and crinkled her nose. This caused Remy to smile slightly. His eyes were wide and watery. Then Rogue reached out and gently poked his nose with the tip of a gloved finger. He blinked in surprise and Rogue squealed in triumph.
"Ah winned!"
"Non fair! Y' cheated!" Remy frowned. "Y' poked Remy's nose an' y' can' do dat!"
"Oh yeah?" She challenged. "Says who?"
"Says...says...um...says efferbody! (everybody)!" He pouted.
"Nuh-uh! Theh ain' no rules that say Ah can't!" She said superiorly.
"But...But..."
"No buts; no cuts; no coconuts." She shook her head in all seriousness.
"But...Remy ain' neber (never) lost t' nobody at Starin' Contexts (staring contests)! An' Remy ain' neber loss (lost) not'in t' a fille! (girl)!" The look on his face was pricelessly indignant; even more than when he had found out he was supposed to wear a baby leash.
"Well yah jus' did!" Rogue chirped happily.
Remy pouted and looked ready to cry. "Remy hates girls."
Rogue looked at him sourly. "Yah just a so' (sore) loser Remy."
"And-this-is-what-you-called-normal-doctor?" Pietro snorted. "I-really-would-hate-to-see-what-you-call-weird."
"Yes, well, all small children have insane imaginations. Though these two are quite eccentric with theirs. I see untapped potential and way too much energy that needs to be expelled. It would be wise to invest in a constructive channel for that energy."
Lorna the nurse reentered the room. "Yes, I've finished what the head nurse requested. I came to tell you that Aunt Elaine-I mean your wife called to tell you something important and she's on line two." Lorna smiled gently.
"Excuse me please." The doctor said as he stepped out to the lobby. "Lorna will answer any further questions you have and she'll see to it that you are dismissed."
The boys nodded.
"So, what did I miss?" Lorna smiled nervousy. "I heard some shouting and hoped everything's okay."
"Ah it was nothing." Lance shrugged. "So where'd you go?"
"The head nurse's "urgent issue" was just to change the curtains in the room of a patient who becomes rather nasty if his arbitrary demands are not met immediately. And also, the nurse wanted a coffee break so its always call the go-fer." She rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Go-fer?" Lance raised an eyebrow. "Er, should I not ask?"
"I'm new so everybody always asks me to run meaningless errands and go-for this and go-for that. Hence the name go-fer."
"Oh. Erm Okay."
Lorna took a brief moment to review the notes her uncle had taken. "Right so we're on care of the child and cast." Lorna nodded. "Okay, well he can't get it wet. And he shouldn't do too much with his arm obviously. Let me see, oh and push the calcium to help his bone repair quickly."
"Okay, no water, no working, lots of milk anything else?" Lance asked.
"Well, I recommend a batch of freshly baked chocolate-chip cookies personally." Lorna smiled.
"What-the-Tampa-Bay-Devil-Rays-will-that-do-for-the-kid's-arm-healing-process?" Pietro frowned. "I-mean-what-on-this-planet-are-cookies-good-for?"
"Duh! To go with the milk!" Lorna smiled. "But seriously, its a scientifically proven fact that chocolate chip cookies are good for everything that ails you. Or at least that is what my boyfriend's foster mother always said."
"I-am-surrounded-by-freaks!" Pietro whined.
"I'll take note of that 'miracle cure' of yours." Lance winked, ignoring Pietro,
"It's always worked for me and my sister." Lorna smiled. "I'd bet my spine that it'll help Remy too." She winked. "Sugar helps all pain." With that she turned to the small metal jar of lollipops and removed three. "Here you guys go." She handed Remy another a red one, Rogue a green one, and Kitty a pink one. "You guys have been such angels." She smiled at the three grinning kids. Then she held out the can to the older boys. "Want one? I know you aren't really little but hey, candy is candy."
"We'll pass, thank you." Lance shook his head. "We have to get home and get dinner."
Lorna nodded. "Understood. Good-bye." She showed them to the door. They exited and headed out to the jeep.
"Okay what do you guys want for dinner?" Lance asked as they walked. "We might as well pick something up." He unlocked the doors and helped Kitty into her baby seat. She cooed and sat peacefully.
Next up was Rogue. She struggled while being locked in. But once the seatbelt clicked she just sat and sulked.
Lance boosted Remy into the jeep and helped him buckle a normal seatbelt.
"Ha ha Marie." He taunted. "Remy don' gotta sit in a baby seat."
She tried to hit him for that comment but the seat restricted her mobility and he easily dodged. "Lance! Whah (why) don' he?"
"Cuz Remy be a big boy." He said triumphantly. "An' y' just a petite fille. (little girl in French).
"Whass (what's) the REAL raison (reason) Lance?" She whined.
"Well-little-obnoxious-and-whiney-Roguey," Pietro smirked. "Maybe-has-something-to-do-with-the-fact-that-he's-a-boy-and-you're-a-girl. And-everyone-knows-boys-are-totally-better-than-girls-any day."
Rogue pouted and tears jumped to her eyes. That comment really hurt and a growed up was telling her it was true so it just had to be.
Lance turned to Pietro in exasperation. But before he could say anything, an unlikely rescuer spared Rogue.
"Y' take dat back! We bot' (both) know dat ain' true at all!" Remy snarled viciously at the shocked teen. "Don' y' lissen (listen) t' dat stupid jerk Marie. He just lyin' t' y'." He gave Pietro a dirty look. "Remy's pére (father in French) tode (told) Remy t' always treat filles like dey be Remy's equals or super-ears! (superiors)." He scowled angrily. "An' tantie (auntie in French) Mattie says dat boys who treat filles (girls in French) bad are jus' vers des terres (worms in you guessed it, French)! Marie, jus' li'ler (littler) den Remy an' she needs t' be in de seat so she be safe. It ain' cuz Remy be betterer den her!"
Pietro seemed thunderstruck. He gaped incredulously at the seriously ticked off Cajun child.
"Did-he-just...What-the...Wow."
Lance smiled because Remy had stunned Pietro to speechlessness but was still bewildered. "Wow." He turned to Pietro. "I bet Rogue and Kitty would have thought that was really sweet. Who knew that he cared so much about Southern chivalry? If the two ladies accompanying us were fifteen years older they'd be squealing about how romantic and sweet and adorable that was."
This broke Pietro's shock enough to allow him to snort. "Yeah, right Lance." He said sarcastically. "Sweet? Romantic? Adorable? Pryde-maybe. But-I don't-even-think- those-words-are-part-of-Rogue's-vocabulary." He raised an eyebrow. "She'd-probably- punch-his-lights out-and-say-she-can-take-care-of-herself. Or-accuse-him-of- being...effeminate." Pietro chuckled at the thought of what would happen if that scene actually played out.
Lance rolled his eyes. "Yeah, now that I think about it..." He smiled. "Can you imagine his reaction if she basically said he cared so much because he was...yeah you know "effeminate" as you put it. Geez, I didn't even know you knew that word."
Pietro frowned at the insult. "Yeah-but-she-can't-really-say-that. This-IS-Gambit-and-just-about-any-body-could-vouch-that-he-is-a-card-carrying-skirt-chaser...Or-at-least-he-used-to-be. Now-he-is-more-of-a-white-hair-stripes-and-creepy-Goth-chaser." He smirked and looked at Marie who had no clue what was going on or who this "Rogue" and this "Gambit" were.
"Who are y'all talkin' 'bout?" She asked curiously.
"Don't worry about it Rogue." Lance said quickly. "But I am still taking requests for dinner..."
"Remy don' want no food till Peeto 'polegizes (Pietro apologizes) t' Marie." The four-year-old crossed his arms stubbornly.
"Lance, I-am-not-going-to-apologize-to-her! Don't-you-dare-give-me-that-look, Lance-Alvers. You-are-not-my-father-I-don't-have-to-obey-you." Pietro frowned.
"Pietro, please?" Lance said in a desperate tone. "That kid will hold a grudge until you just apologize." He sighed. "And none of us get dinner either."
Pietro grimaced. "Fine. Sorry-Ro-I-mean-Marie. I-shouldn't-have-done-it. I'm-a-very-bad-boy-and-I'll-go-straight-to-my-room-when-we-get-home." Pietro rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Good-enough-for-you-Mr.-Women's-Rights?" He asked Remy.
Remy nodded that he was satisfied by the apology and Lance smiled. "Now what should we get for dinner?"
"Well, usully (usually) Tantie Mattie's Saturday (favorite) dinner's blackened catfish wiv (with) cone bread (corn bread) an' coller greems. (collard greens)" Remy said and then paused. "But Remy usully gibs de coller greems t' Henri wit'out nobody knowin' cuz Remy don' like dem much."
"Yeah, that sounds really good." Rogue commented mildly.
"Well..." Lance said thoughtfully. He wasn't about to cook a full Southern dinner as he preferred delivery to his own cooking any day of the week. "I don't know about that guys, but what else do you like?"
The two thought for a moment. "Oooooooooh! Remy knows! Lets have pitza (pizza)!"
Rogue nodded and smiled. Kitty giggled and cooed in her agreement.
"Pizza it is then." Lance smiled. He turned to Pietro. "Should we pick it up or have it delivered?"
"You-think-I-care?" Pietro grumbled. "Lets-just-have-it-delivered. I-want-to-make-sure-the-dates-I-lined-up-for-tomarrow-are-still-on."
Instantly Lance's mood shot down. He mournfully looked into the mirror at the backseat and sighed. "Lets not talk about dating right now." He said dully. "Seeing as mine would've been starting right about now if it wasn't for that lousy, no good, science geek Forge."
Pietro shook his head with a customary eye-roll. "You-know-Avalanche, if-you-really-want-to-go-out, it-wouldn't-kill-you-to-actually-go-out-with-somebody-else-while-Pryde's-literally-a-half-pint-as-Wolverine-calls-her." He looked at his friend as if to say this was such a great compromise.
Lance's jaw dropped. He stared at his friend with horrified shock. "Ever hear of something called loyalty, Pietro?" He asked angrilly.
Pietro nodded. "Yep-but-that's-for-dogs. You-aren't-her-pet-you-know." He gave the older boy an infuriating smirk. "You're-just-her-boyfriend. Not-that-I-can't-picture-you-fetching-her-the-newspaper-and-her-slippers-if-she-asked-you-but-still-you-are-entitled-to-your-share-of-fun."
Lance looked incredulously at Pietro. "How the....do you even...well that explains a lot." He frowned bitterly.
Pietro frowned. "And-that-is-supposed-to-mean?!"
"Your lack of loyalty. To girls; to your friends; to the Brotherhood; your own twin sister. You think loyalty is just for dogs." Lance growled. "It also explains that you acted like something was important and then when Magneto called you deserted it. You're just like a dog chasing a squirrel and then being called by your master."
"That-isn't-true!" Pietro sneered.
"Oh?" Lance growled, reminiscent of Wolverine. "It isn't? Is it? Okay one example. You told Mystique you didn't know what Magneto had planned and then that same exact day you betrayed us all and set us into a trap." Lance's temper was causing the car to rock a little and seriously increasing the earthquake.
"Like-I-had-a-choice!" Pietro snapped. "He-is-my-freaking-father-Avalanche! Not-like-you'd-know-what-that-kind-of-loyalty-is-or-anything-now-would-you? No-you-never-knew-your-father-long-enough-to-have-to-obey-did-you?" The albino sneered.
Lance slammed on the breaks. He opened Pietro's door and roughly shoved him out. "Get out of my car Maximoff." He said coldly. His eyes were narrowed dangerously. " I don't care what happens to you. Get home on your own. I can't stand looking at you right at this moment! You are fast turning into Magneto." With that he slammed the door and took off driving towards the mansion as fast as he could, leaving a thunder struck Pietro on the road side and an earthquake that was probably about a four on the Richter Scale rocking the ground. Kitty was crying softly and Rogue and Remy exchanged edgy glances.
Lance just sighed and pulled into the garage. He helped Kitty and Rogue out of their baby seats and stormed inside with Remy at his heels.
When he entered the lobby, several frantic teens hurried over.
"What took so long? We were worried!" Ray frowned.
"How is Remy?" Colossus asked softly.
"Is it, like, absolutely horrible?" Jubilee piped up.
"Didn't Pietro go with you?" Wanda asked curiously. "Where is he?"
Lance looked to Amanda for support.
"Woah. Easy guys. One at a time. Don't bombard the poor guy before he even is in the door." Lance smiled in gratitude.
"Okay we were gone so long because hospitals take absolutely forever. Remy...well he's alright now."
"What was wrong? He's, like, wearing a cast..." Jubilee pointed out.
Lance gained a grim expression. "Broken arm, three places. Hairline-fracture in another. Cast for six weeks with a recommendation for extra calcium and T.L.C."
"Ouch." Amanda winced. "Poor kid."
"How on earth did ya manage ta pay fo' that bill?" Sam asked with a knitted brow in concern.
"Didn't have to." Lance shrugged. "Remy gave them his home address and somebody there paid in full. And they used their insurance for him too. Look, I know its risky letting his family know but I didn't have any real choice since the stupid doctor asked the kid and not me."
Suddenly Colossus took in a sharp breath. "Did they tell you who they spoke with, Avalanche?"
"Angelica or something like that, why?" Lance asked curiously.
"Angélique?" The Russian asked in concern.
"Yeah, I guess that sounds right but why does it matter?"
"It matters because if anybody else had been spoken to, my comrade (friend in Russian?) would be in grave danger. He...is not exactly on what you would call...speaking terms with his family."
"Like, What?!" Jubilee frowned. "Why not? He's likeable enough."
Piotr nodded ruefully. "Yes, but he was banished from the family."
"Huh? Why?" Amanda asked curiously. "When?"
"It was when he was sixteen. The reason...it is not my place to tell you that."
"Oh come on Colossus!" Sam begged. "Yah got us interested!"
"I would not feel right...telling secrets in front of a child that haven't yet happened to him...And also, though he never directly told me not to tell anybody, I am of the understanding that friend's keep secrets. Please do not force me to further explain." He bowed his head. "Just know that Gambit's family secrets are part of what got him involved involuntarily with Magneto."
"Okay dude. We can respect that I guess." Ray said hesitantly.
"So anyway, where's everyone else? You know, the others and the kids?" Lance asked warily. "We are going to have to keep an eye out for them better. That doctor was starting to get on my case due to bruises and injuries to Remy that he felt were signs of abuse and or neglect." He frowned. "He threatened to call in child services and D.C.F."
A few people gasped slightly. They knew that they had to avoid that at all costs. Not only could they not send the kids into foster families because they already had families, but because in reality they were not the helpless children they appeared. Even if they really were only toddlers, they were still mutants.
"That would, like, not work at all." Jubilee said nervously. She had run away from child services and countless foster homes as a young child before she was adopted. "These kids have real families and they aren't even babies! What if they were put into homes and then the people who took them in discovered their mutant powers or what if the de-age thing wore off?"
"Yeah, Ah can' imagine someone who takes in a cute li'l four year bein' too happy ta suddenly be in custody o' a nahneteen (nineteen) year ol'." Sam smiled gently.
"I do not think Scott or Gambit would be too happy about that. And neither, I must add, would Jean or Rogue. All four of them are legal adults."
"Yeah whatever, so where is everyone?" Lance asked, shifting Kitty's weight in his arms.
"Oh, we found two really good ways of looking after them and keeping them amused." Amanda grinned. "Follow me." She led the way down to the elevator to the basement.
Once down in the basement, they stood before a huge steel door. "The danger room?" Lance raised an eyebrow. "We're keeping the kids in there?"
Amanda nodded. "Its perfect." She looked around embarrassed. "Um, I am not exactly programmed into the computer..."
"Don't worry about it." Jubilee pressed her palm to the scanner and the doors opened.
The small group entered and Lance blinked. "Huh?"
Jubilee giggled. "We, like, had Colossus bring the playpens and beds down so tonight we can all stay down here. You wouldn't believe it but the kids actually want to be here. They think its a space ship or something."
Lance smiled and nodded. "I can see where they got that impression. Its definitely a good place. We can keep an eye on them here alright. And since Wolverine has the safety installations after that Arcade kid played the danger room against a few of us, nothing will happen."
Amanda smiled in satisfaction.
"But I thought you said there were two things?" He questioned her in slight confusion.
"That I did." Amanda smiled and nodded softly. "You see, Lance, there are three things you can count on all kids liking. Or at least this flock of them. Number one: anything that has sugar and can make a mess. Number two: a big shiny metal 'spaceship'; or the Danger Room depending on how you look at it. And Number three..." Amanda stepped to the side.
"Doggie!" Kitty squealed in delight. "Pu' me down, Wance! Peez!" The squirming two year old begged Lance, who smiled and set her down.
The little girl took off toddling at top speed. "C'mon Remy!" Rogue giggled and grabbed his hand as the two of them hurried to see the dog that Amanda had revealed when she moved.
"Rahne, I guess right?" Lance asked.
Amanda nodded. "Somebody remembered that babies love furry cuddly animals. Berserker actually insisted on getting a tarantula." She shuddered. "Needless to say, Majority out ruled him. We were seriously talking about going and adopting a pet until Rahne volunteered her power. Its a pretty cool idea, since it saves money and we don't have to paper train a puppy. And she loves the kids."
"But isn't she a wolf?" Lance asked intrigued. "She won't hurt them will she?"
"Nah, Rahne has control over the instincts. And though she is a wolf, she's just like a big puppy. She says the wolf doesn't mind the attention or the petting. Between you and me, I think she's more like a dog then a wolf."
Lance smirked. "Well, if they are all having fun who am I to call technicalities. She can keep an eye and a nose on them better than anyone."
Rahne heard this and barked her approval. As a young somewhat hyper girl/wolf who rarely ran out of energy she was having a blast playing with little kids of the same energy levels.
Lance shook his head in amusement. "Well at least they all seem happy."
Amanda nodded. "Yeah, anyway, we should probably get these kids some dinner so we can figure out how the whole bedtime thing will work."
"Good idea. The consensus here is for pizza. Will anybody deliver here?"
"Yeah we may be mutants but we are still paying customers." Lance smirked grimly.
"Okay then I'll go order some pizza. I'll just get cheese because I don't know these kids well enough to pick their pizzas." With that she headed upstairs.
"Lance?" Wanda asked quietly. "Can I ask you something?"
"Uh sure go ahead." Lance said distracted with watching Kitty giggling and petting Rahne, and Rahne looking like this was the most joyful and important thing in the world to her at the moment.
"Have you seen my brother?" She asked softly. "I know he went to the hospital with you but...I haven't seen him and I'm...promise not to ever say I said this...but I am kinda worried about him."
Lance's memory of the argument came back and hit like a ton of bricks. He turned to the girl, who's crystalline blue-greenish eyes were brimming with concern for her brother. Lance felt absolutely terrible. "Um...we kind of had an argument. He made a few off color comments...and I kinda sorta made him get out of my Jeep..." He refused to make eye contact with Wanda.
"What?" She asked, upset. "You just left him somewhere?"
"Well he knows his way home and I figured he'd just speed himself back home." Lance said sheepishly. "I wasn't thinking too clearly. I assumed he'd be back before me and the kids honestly."
Wanda sighed. "What on earth had you so upset? And what did he say?"
Lance looked at her sharply. Two main things had already had his temper on the uneasy mark before the fight. The child services thing and the fact that the nurse could very well be Magneto's daughter. But could he really tell Wanda that? She was still sort of under the impression that her father wasn't as bad as everyone else thought. The shock had nearly crushed Pietro and he knew his father was lousy.
"Its...been a long, tough day." He said ruefully. "First with the de-aging and all this stress and the nurse at the hospital said something that just nearly set me off. I'm sorry Wanda I really just lost my temper. It was wrong to toss Pietro out, but what he said..." He frowned.
Wanda smiled ruefully. "Ah, he'll probably be okay. He probably deserved it, I know that better than anyone. He's probably just sulking because his over large ego is bruised."
"You don't know the half of it." Lance laughed. "Before the argument, Remy of all people gave Pietro a 'how you're supposed to treat girls' lecture. I can't say he was too thrilled."
"Are you serious?" Wanda raised an eyebrow with a soft laugh to accompany it. "Wow, that must have been cute."
"Did you just use the word cute?" Lance nearly fell over in shock. "You?! Wanda whatever your middle name is Maximoff?! I didn't know you knew that word." He gaped and she rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, so what?" She rolled her eyes again. "Its just a word. And I bet it was cute."
"Alright. This has to be a sign of Apocalypse." Lance said half jokingly.
"Oh shut up!" Wanda laughed and playfully hit his arm. Then she gained a serious air. "No, a real sign would be Grey not being a brat."
The two laughed. "Seriously, she tried to declare that the littler kids had to worship her as their queen."
"You have to be kidding me." Lance smiled.
"Nope. I kid you not. But that ended fast. When little Pyro asked her if he could burn her doll as a sacrifice to her." Wanda smiled and shook her head.
"Thank God." Lance smirked. "Can you imagine how things would be if she was the queen?"
"You want a better laugh?" Wanda raised an eyebrow. "I don't think anyone told her yet, but they nominated Rogue as their queen."
"Now I know you are joking." Lance gaped.
"Of course Grey and Cyclops were not exactly thrilled to be replaced by Rogue and whoever she chooses to be her king." Wanda rolled her eyes as Lance chuckled.
"I'll give you three guesses who she'll pick and your last two don't count."
"Lets see, I think she'll pick her beloved Cajun companion." Wanda said in mock uncertainty.
Lance smiled and nodded out to where the two sat playing tug of war with a rope chain with their new 'pet'.
"Isn't it weird that at three and four years old they are the best of friends but when you add fifteen years they are at each other's throats?" Wanda mused.
Lance smiled ruefully. "They don't really hate each other you know. Or well maybe Rogue hates him but its not for the reasons she gives out.
"Yeah I know. I've suspected for a while that she hates him because she likes him. I guess that when you bring her back past the time where she needed the mental and emotional barriers she doesn't need to hide being so close to him." Wanda shrugged. "Hey, lance, do you think that since she is having a presumably better childhood then her original one, when this whole thing gets sorted out, it might affect her as an eighteen year old?"
"I can only guess Wanda." Lance said lightly. "But who knows? It might just do that."
"How long do you think it will take Forge to fix it?" Wanda asked softly while looking into the direction of Todd and Amara in their walkers and bumping into everything as if they were in bumper cars. Then her gaze shifted to the two year olds all petting and playing with Rahne.
"I don't know Wanda." Lace said gently whilst looking distantly at Kitty who giggled and grinned as Rahne barked in joy at this attention. She had always been the baby along with Jamie but now she was the center of attention. "But I hope its not too long. I don't know what would happen if this really was permanent."
"I don't want to think about that." Wanda shuddered. "It would be so sad. And we'd have to tell all their parents."
"Not all of them." Lance reminded grimly. "Some of them don't have parents to call, like Toad and Blob and Cyclops. (I don't know anything about Toad and Blob's parents except that Blob is from Texas. And Mr. and Mrs. Summers are dead or at least that is what it says in X-men Evolution even if Scott's dad did survive according to the comics.) Some of them have been excommunicated with their families; namely Pyro and Gambit. And Mystique is AWOL. (Absent With Out Leave), so that means that Kurt and Rogue don't have anyone to tell. The only ones with actual parents are Amara, Kitty, Tabby, and Jean. And what would we tell the parents? 'Oh yeah, here's your kid sorry but you have to re-raise them thanks to an accident?' I somehow don't think the Nova Roman royal family, the Prydes, the Greys, or Mrs. Smith would be thrilled do you?"
"No, I wouldn't be either if it was me." Wanda agreed. "But aside from that, if it was permanent what would happen to the other eight kids?"
"I don't know. They'd probably have to be adopted out by somebody else. I bet the professor would do his best to either take them himself, or put them into mutant homes. I could probably be an eligible adopter if it came to that."
"Lance, I really think we should call the professor. Xavier could help. Or at least Beast could." Wanda looked sadly at Lance knowing he wouldn't call. "I know you think we can handle it but we're all just kids, really. Please Lance?"
"Wanda...I can't." Lance said with a haunting emptiness in his eyes. "This is my fault and I have to make sure I help fix it."
"How the heck is this your fault?" Wanda asked incredulously. "Personally I seem to remember it being Forge's goof up with the experiment, not yours."
"No, it is my fault. I could have said no to Forge using them as guinea pigs. I could have said he should demonstrate it for us. I should have not let Kitty or Rogue or Toad or Gambit or any of them volunteer."
"Listen to me, Alvers! And listen good! This whole mess is not your fault. You did not know the thing would go haywire, did you? You could blame Gambit for opening the door, or you could blame Pietro for existing at the time but you aren't. You are blaming you and you didn't do anything wrong at all."
Lance gave Wanda a mild eye roll. "Whatever you say Wanda. But it is still my fault and nothing can change the fact that I could have stopped this whole mess."
"Oh geez," Wanda rolled her eyes. "Let's see...I could have stopped it, my brother could have stopped it, Jamie could have stopped it, any of us could have stopped it! Even the twelve who were the guinea pigs could have stopped it, Lance." Wanda glared. "Quit blaming yourself you had as much control as I did. Or do you blame me too?"
"Huh? Of course not!" Lance frowned indignantly. "It's MY fault not yours. Why would I blame somebody who had no control over what happened?"
Wanda rolled her eyes and frowned. "That's a case of Toad calling Pietro obnoxious."
Lance opened his mouth ready to retort but then the phone rang.
Ring, Ring, Ring! Ring, Ring, Riiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnngggggggggg!
Lance shook his head and picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Hello Lance. It's Ororo. How is everything going?"
Lance paled about seven shades. He covered the mouth piece and whispered in a shocked voice. "It's Storm."
The room fell into an uncomfortable hush.
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Hi! It is me! Heartsyhawk! Let's have a show of hands; who honestly thought I dropped off the face of the earth? I assure you I haven't. First I had camp and then I had a church retreat and I've been babysitting and going crazy trying to fit in typing this alongside my social life. It is a wonder I have found time to sleep. And also the creative process did not cooperate, nor did my computer. I will tell you I had this almost completely typed before I headed to camp but my computer went and caught a virus so the program I was using became corrupt. So I got a new program and retyped it from the very beginning. And my creativity refused to cooperate and let me find a suitable chapter ending point for a long time. I hope the next update will be faster. Summer is fast ending and I want to put more out.
Okay moving on, I accidentally oopsed on last chapter's preview poem; it was for the chapter after this one so sorry for confusion. I hope you guy's like this as much as I do.
Okay now for the question of this update.
If you could have any three super powers, what would you choose and why (no cheating and saying Rogue's power to slip in more than three. Actually no Carol Danvers's power either cuz she has too many.)
Now for the quote of today: Okay new idea I'll give you a quote from an episode and y'all can tell me where its from (only joking its optional)
"Here's a lesson teach, don' mess with the Rogue!"
This is the part where I bid you adieu but first I invite you to have fun in the name of Heartsyhawk's hundred review party.
Okay how was the story? Like it? Hate it? Think the trained assassin penguins should peck me to death? Speak now or forever hold your piece cuz this is the last chance since they only came cuz I got 121 reviews! And remember the monkeys desperately need the reviews! Please review for their sakes!