A/N: Since I haven't updated this story in a decade (apologies), I may reiterate some things from the previous chapter. I truly intend to complete my top stories and this is one of them. This new chapter is my holiday gift to you, my loyal and new readers. Happy holidays and cheers to 2023 (in a few days)! I've revamped chapters 16 and up.
Snow and Fire Don't Mix!
Ch. 23
Threats and Assurances
Rogue and Bobby stood side by side in front of the wooden chair that was upside down. A five-inch dagger with an obsidian-looking handle was taped to it.
Bobby glanced at Rogue as she continued to stare at the dagger. "What's on your mind?" he asked.
Weighing her thoughts, she responded when she finally decided. First, she turned to look him directly in his blue eyes, and said, "John can't find out. He won't handle the information rationally." She paused and took a deep breath. "He's going to blow a gasket and I wouldn't blame him, but I want to avoid that. It's in everyone's best interest. Do you agree?" He hesitated briefly but nodded. Rogue continued, "Her intent was to kill him. I'm mad too but I'm still grounded and I can restrain myself from taking immediate and final action. Justice isn't instant, but she'll get what is inevitably coming." Rogue bent down but stopped herself. "Can you get the Ziploc bag? It's in the bathroom by the sink. I was using it so that if certain products opened and spilled the contents wouldn't get all over my clothes and things." When Bobby went into the bathroom she heard muffled noises coming from Brooke. Bobby exited without saying a word to their unwanted temporary guest and made his way back to Rogue. Bobby held the bag open and Rogue pulled at her gloves to get them snug and secure. She knelt down on one knee, pulled at the tape, and removed the dagger from underneath the chair. Studying it, she turned it and angled the blade to catch the light to see if there were any marks. To the naked eye, the blade looked clean but that didn't mean it wasn't used prior. She rose and then turned to Bobby. "I think we should guarantee that her fingerprints are on this. I doubt she expected to get caught, but I don't want to take any chances."
"I agree; one hundred percent." Bobby held the bag at his side while Rogue kept the dagger in her hand.
Rogue sighed in relief. "Good. I didn't want to go through a pros and cons list or a debate. Plus, we don't have the time for either. I'll do the deed."
She started for the bathroom. He stepped to the side in front of her to stop her. "Are you sure? I know you said you have a clear head, but she tried to murder my friend and your boyfriend."
"I'm absolutely sure. It will be satisfying . . . well that, and it will help keep her out of society forever."
Bobby analyzed her eyes and face eventually moving out of her path. He held out an arm motioning for her to continue.
As she passed her always-reliable friend, Rogue took the Ziploc from him before it became an afterthought. She turned the bathroom knob and then pushed the door letting it swing open the rest of the way on its own. Veronica's brows were low and close together in an obvious frown. They didn't shift a millimeter as her eyes locked onto her weapon that now Rogue possessed.
In the threshold, Rogue's gaze was firm and confident including her tone, "I don't need you conscience for this, so be a good girl and I won't have to temporarily make your lights go out." If she did make skin-to-skin contact, Rogue would intercept more of Veronica's memories which wasn't ideal in the slightest. Rogue held back on the taunting because Veronica would accept the challenge with no hesitation and Rogue wanted peaceful dreams tonight instead of nightmares. Simple and direct was the best tactic for the bound individual before her.
Rogue stepped closer and crouched in front of Veronica's bound hands, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Dominant?"
The blonde wiggled her left so Rogue grabbed her right with a gloved hand and forced Veronica's fingers open, placing the hilt properly against her palm, making sure all of Veronica's fingers pressed against it. Rogue's hand was still securely fastened on top of Veronica's. "Slowly release your hold," Rogue instructed. Veronica obeyed so in turn Rogue loosened her grip and the dagger fell securely into the Ziploc bag Rogue held underneath. The young mutant cleared the blonde's mouth of the obstruction.
Veronica licked her dry, chapped lips. "I'll tell them this was staged," she threatened as best she could while looking nothing but helpless in the bathtub.
As Rogue closed the Ziplock, she answered nonchalantly, "Go ahead." She unbent her knees to return to her full height.
When Dan the clerk left to check the security room, Kitty briskly made her way into the small office behind the clerk's desk. She linked the iPad to the printer that was in this room. The flash drive was inserted into the iPad first. Once all of the files were highlighted to be printed, she tapped on the appropriate command. While the printer was spitting them out, she searched the Internet using the tablet for articles pertaining to murders carried out by Veronica Mathers. She worked fast to print as many media features as she could in the limited time they were given by the distraction they created. They wanted to be anonymous as possible and this was the only way. As the printer continued to spit out paper, Kitty spotted a tape dispenser on a nearby shelf. She grabbed the tape and then took the printouts. She heard John greet Dan as he approached so she left the small office in her gifted way and immediately went back in to investigate the shiny object that caught her eye at the last second. A small wicker container opened at the top was labeled Lost and Found. Kitty swiped the metal object and put it into her pants back pocket, leaving once again in less than twenty seconds.
Rounding the corner, she made sure John eyed her. He concluded the conversation with the clerk by using a practical excuse and joined Kitty by the stairwell.
She handed the printouts and tape to John to secure her grip on the tablet. He tucked the tape into his armpit and skimmed through the articles, grunting in disbelief and approval for their part to nail Veronica.
John grinned. "That chick is going down."
She nodded. "And we can tick off catching a serial killer from our bucket list."
He laughed and started ascending the stairs. "I don't think that's on anyone's typical bucket list."
"And to do it while on vacation," she added, climbing behind him.
The pyromaniac groaned and muttered something under his breath.
Knowing this trip would be one he'd rather forget, Kitty kept her amusement to herself and held back on laughter at his expense.
When John reached the landing for the second floor, he heard Kitty from behind asking him to wait. He turned around, noticing her outstretched arm. His eyes shifted to hers and then back to her hand, palm up with his Zippo inside it. He blinked a few times. "No way," he said, voice low and bewildered.
"Sorry," she apologized with absolute sincerity. "With everything going on, I forgot I had it. I literally just found it, well, someone found it outside and turned it in." She raised her hand a pinch higher and closer, motioning for him to take it.
Gingerly, he took it from her. Once the lighter was back in the custody of the rightful owner, she dropped her arm and then quickly used it to help reposition the iPad for a better hold—seeing as the pricy electronic device was being borrowed and would be returned in the same condition it was when acquired.
His lips spread from ear to ear in the biggest smile ever. "You found it!" he exclaimed, containing the elation a bit due to their current surroundings. "That's all I care about. Holy shit, I thought this was lost forever." He said the last sentence more to himself than to Kitty Pryde. Gripping it tightly in his fist, John placed it by his heart. He bent his head in a nod to her as a thank you in replace of a hug. A half hug crossed his mind but the curt nod gave the same sentiment, plus guaranteed he wouldn't drop anything.
Just outside the bathroom, stood Bobby waiting and ready in case Rogue needed backup. When she was clear, he closed the door cutting off Veronica's unfinished namecalling profanity.
She placed the baggie containing the dagger on the main dresser, turned towards him, and leaned on it with her legs crossed at the ankles. "She has a point, Iceman. Should we move her to a different room? Even if we do that . . . I'm very easy to identify."
"Does it even matter who we are? If we wanted recognition for her capture, we wouldn't do the work and then flee. Besides . . . we didn't use our real names to book the rooms."
While Rogue took some time to process the conversation, Kitty and John entered. John made a beeline for his girlfriend, dumping the things he was holding onto the top of the dresser, and gave her a sideways hug including a quick peck to her temple. "What's on your mind, babe? It appears that we have walked into a serious conversation."
Rogue's forehead creased in worry. "Do we move her? I forced her prints on that." She jerked her right shoulder behind her. John turned his head since the dagger went unnoticed earlier but his arm remained fastened to his girlfriend.
"So?" John spoke first. "If she used it in the past it'll match the wound sizes of her past victims."
Kitty smiled assuringly at Rogue. "He's absolutely correct. She can say what she wants but that dagger is utterly damning evidence." Shadowcat made her way to get a closer look and asked with evident and innocent curiosity, "Where did you find it?"
Rogue shot Bobby a look and hastily replied, "We forced Veronica to tell us. It was behind the dresser."
"Don't worry," John told Rogue softly as he rubbed her shoulder, "we'll be fine. Oh, and Kitty saw my lighter in an office while we were downstairs. It is safely back in my possession." He gave his pants pocket a single pat that contained the shark Zippo.
She looked over at him and the corners of her mouth tugged up in a gapless smile. "That's great news! And I'm immensely grateful you're not dead."
He flashed her a wide grin. "Me too. Would've been a bummer if I was, huh?"
Uncrossing her ankles, Rogue's mmm was muffled as she wrapped both arms around him and pressed her face into his chest. John felt her relax as she continued to embrace him.
Eventually and reluctantly John had to excuse himself from his girlfriend's affection to relieve his bladder. He insisted on using the bathroom Veronica was confined to due to convenience but that was only a half-truth. As soon as Veronica saw him, she lit up like a lantern, while he remained neutral, pushing the door closed behind him with his elbow. The pyromaniac didn't say anything as he pulled the shower curtain closed for privacy. He took care of business and purposely left the faucet running when he pushed the curtain open with more force than needed. Veronica gazed intently, drinking him from head to toe with her eyes. "Well, well, look who's back," she purred.
He folded his arms across his chest as he regarded her before saying, "You've changed your tune since we last spoke." He scoffed, figuring out the reason, and then pointed at her. "You think you can play me like a fiddle."
"It worked before." She winked and added, "Just sayin'."
John clenched his jaw as he mentally weighed his options for what was next; he sure as hell wasn't speaking to Veronica to reminisce. Taking two small steps forward, his neutral demeanor shed and was replaced by low-knitted eyebrows, narrowed angry eyes, and an unmistakable fierce frown. "Accept your fate. Leave my friends and me alone," he told her sharply without raising his voice. "You know that we can get to you behind bars, underground, or even one hundred thousand miles away. And if you didn't know, well, now you do. We will find you." John paused to inhale and exhale and then he bent down and left a one-foot gap between her head and his. Keeping his voice low but firm, he said, "Believe me when I say . . . it won't be difficult or take long to get to you."
She leaned her head back and swiftly lunged forward, but he was faster and backed away before her head made contact with his.
He smirked and pointed to his eyes using his pointer and middle finger spread apart with this thumb folder under and then turned the same hand gesture to her to indicate I see you. "I don't have telepathic gifts but I read you like a good defender in a high-stakes football game." His lips lowered into a straight line and then he half shrugged. "With that said, I don't blame you for trying. But let's not get off track . . ." John turned to turn off the faucet and then faced her again with a hard, piercing gaze that matched his tone, "Accept your fate if you want to keep breathing." In a swift motion, he left without giving her a chance to get a word or syllable in.
Closing the bathroom door behind him, John walked into three sets of eyes giving him their full attention that immediately stopped him in his tracks. "What?"
"You take a very long time to wash your hands, dude," Bobby said.
He held both of them up for a brief moment. "They are sterile to operate with. What's the procedure?" he replied, his tone oozing with sarcasm.
"Hate to break it to you," Bobby said with mock sincerity, "but they aren't. You touched the door handle."
For show only, John threw his hands dramatically. "Good because you wouldn't want me opening up your insides in the first place. Rewatching ER doesn't actually make me a doctor, though that show is fairly accurate."
Bobby started to speak but Rogue interjected before he could get in a full word, asking, "What did you say to Veronica?"
John respectfully matched her candor. "I told her not to fuck with us. Basically." He broke eye contact and strode to the window. His stomach dropped at the seemingly infinite thick white blanket that covered everything. However, he was still thankful the storm was over and that more snow wouldn't be added to the total that had already fallen.
The sound of Pyro's Zippo opening and closing broke the silence. Rogue made her way to him and gently put her hand on his back, feeling him slightly flinch instinctively. He looked at his hand holding the Zippo realizing he was absently performing his notorious harmless habit. His girlfriend hugged him from behind, her arms slid under his and met encircling his middle. He closed the lighter, pocketing it without another thought. They stood at the window entwined. His hands caressed her covered arms and she responded with an encouraging squeeze.