Chapter 40
Bayville High...
A couple of days into the new week and for once things weren't too bad. The way the X-Men assisted at the party actually got them some positive press. Hopefully they could keep the message the media put out positive for awhile.
Right now Amanda is looking for someone in particular in the halls before classes start. She finally spots him. "Clark!" she calls out.
Clark stops, turns, smiles and waves at her. "Hey Amanda. What's up?"
"Can I have a word?" she asks as she pulls him to the side...or more accurately Clark lets her pull him.
"Is something the matter?" Clark asks, concerned by her obviously agitated state.
"You know my parents are coming round to the Institute this evening right?"
"Kurt mentioned it, yes," Clark can confirm.
"I...I want it to go really, really well so I sort of need to ask you a favour."
"I don't think I'm permitted to throw everyone else into the sea Amanda."
"What?"
"Well if I throw them far away no-one can mess it up can they?"
"You're joking right?"
Clark chuckles. "Of course I am. It wasn't obvious?"
Amanda shakes her head.
Clark sighs. "Sorry. Been hanging around Rogue too long. She's really good at not looking like she is joking...or she really isn't joking. Honestly I'm still trying to work out which it is."
Amanda smiles a little bemused but shakes it off. "No I sort of...can you fix it..." she lowers her voice to a whisper, "so Superman shows up?" she requests.
"Why?" Clark asks back at a whisper while checking that no-one is listening.
"Because you saved us from getting car-jacked remember and I thought seeing you might put my parents in a more open minded perspective."
"Uh...isn't that cheating a little. Don't you want them to accept Kurt as is?"
"Course I do. It is just...I love him Clark. God I do and please, I can't bear the thought of not seeing him again."
The desperation and passion on Amanda's face makes Clark crack. He could never bear to upset any girl. "Ok...but nothing big," he lays a condition down as in he is not going to do something over the top just to make a good impression on Amanda's parents.
Amanda throws her arms around his neck and hugs him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," she enthusiastically says, grateful to him.
Clark smiles, pleased to be able to help.
The moment is interrupted by raised voices engaged in an argument. Both Clark and Amanda turn to the direction it is coming from.
"Does that sound like Bobby and Roberto to you?" Amanda asks.
Clark groans. "It is Bobby and Roberto," he can confirm with his infinitely better hearing and x-ray vision. "This is getting out of hand," he complains as he rushes down the corridor and round a corner to where Bobby and Roberto are nose to nose and he can see their powers flickering on the verge of being used which they are not allowed to do at school. It was part of the agreement that allowed them to keep attending. He puts his fingers in his mouth and whistles real loud.
Bobby and Roberto actually wince.
Clark marches up to them, looking stern. "What is going...no scratch that. I know what is going on. You're arguing about Cat again aren't you."
"He started it!" Bobby and Roberto accuse the other while they point at each other.
"Ok look, you two said when this started you could be civilised about it or words to that effect. What happened there?"
"It's his fault!" the two boys accuse the other at the same time.
Clark rolls his eyes. He had promised himself to stay out of this but that isn't an option right now. "Look from the start I didn't think this was a good idea but decided it wasn't my business. Now it is clear this cannot go on because if it does...how long until you destroy your friendship?" he asks them.
Bobby and Roberto share a look.
"Is that what you want?" Clark asks them.
"Well...no," Roberto says.
"I guess not," Bobby says.
"Then I think it is time you talked to Cat and sorted this out once and for all. A decision has to be made. I think you can both see that." Or Clark hopes so anyway.
Neither Bobby nor Roberto can argue against that.
"Alright. We'll bring it to an end," Roberto agrees to do.
"Yeah," Bobby agrees. "We'll talk to Cat."
"That's all I'm asking. Thank you," Clark says grateful and relieved at them agreeing to try and bring this to an end.
The bell ringing for class signals the start of the day.
Lunchtime that day finds Bobby in the office of the school newspaper chatting to Cat about what Clark said. She is in fact sitting in his lap.
Cat smiles and kisses him on the lips first off. "Ok. I think I can understand. Clark likes people to get along. He's sweet in that way. He's a boyscout but sweet."
Bobby grins goofily at the kiss he is getting. This is oddly his most serious relationship since his powers manifested. Odd in the sense he is sharing her with Roberto. "I'm not sure I'm happy with you calling Clark sweet," Bobby says.
"Don't be jealous," Cat gently teases. "First off you're sharing me and second Clark has a girlfriend. What kind of girl do you take me for?"
"Sorry," Bobby apologises if he was implying something. "And the sharing thing is why I'm here."
Cat sighs a little. "Don't take this the wrong way Bobby, you're a great guy, but it is not as easy a decision as you might think."
"Ok I'm not sure how to not take that the wrong way," Bobby points out, making a little pouty hurt face.
"Is Roberto that bad a person?"
"No...but he's not that good a person either. Not as good as me anyway."
Cat giggles lightly. She throws her arms around his neck and blows lightly in Bobby's ear. "Well my decision might be easier if you were willing to be more open Bobby," she whispers in his ear sounding very much like a temptress.
Bobby squeaks, "Open?" He clears his throat. "Open? How?"
Cat looks like she is thinking that over for a moment. "Well I know people like Paul, Taryn and Amanda have seen more of the Institute than I have. I mean if we're going to take this more seriously shouldn't I be fully a part of your world. At least as full a part as they do."
"I guess," Bobby says, not sounding very sure of that, although she has a point he supposes.
"Why don't you think it over but don't take too long," she advises. "I mean to be fair I have to make this same offer to Roberto. It's up to which one of you is the more willing to be serious."
"Ooh that's not fair. Me and serious...we don't get along," Bobby jokes.
Cat giggles again and kisses Bobby. "Just think on it," she requests.
Bobby smiles and moves to kiss her back. Loud coughing interrupts the moment. Both Cat and Bobby turn to see Rogue standing there, an indescribable expression on her face.
"Hey, um, Rogue," Bobby says. "Something the matter?"
"Ah was just looking for Clark. Ya seen him?" she asks since he never showed up to meet her for lunch.
"Not since this morning."
Rogue frowns. It wasn't like him to not at least leave her a message. Just as she thinks it her phone beeps. She pulls it out and sees it is a text from Clark.
Big fire downtown. Can't make it for lunch. Sorry. Make it up to you. Promise. Love you.
CK.
Rogue smiles a little. She guesses this is what is she gets for dating a wannabe superhero. Yes she said wannabe superhero. It always gets Clark fired up when she says it and a fired up Clark is fun.
The end of the school day finds Roberto now sitting in the school paper offices with Cat Grant on his lap discussing what Clark said this morning.
"Well as I said to Bobby I get where Clark is coming from," Cat says to Roberto.
"Bobby got here first?" Roberto asks, not sounding nor looking pleased at that.
Cat shrugs with a smile that tries to say it doesn't matter. "Who got here first isn't important Roberto," she tells him. "You're wanting the same thing he wants. Me to choose."
"Like it's a choice," Roberto mutters arrogantly. On one side there is him and on the other there is Bobby. It's no contest in Roberto's opinion.
"Come now. Shouldn't I at least let him down gently? You don't want his feelings hurt that badly do you?"
Roberto sighs. "I suppose not," he concedes. He isn't that much of a douche.
"Well I will let him down if you're willing to show me you're serious about us. I mean I'm not breaking his heart if I'm just going to be another notch on your belt."
"There aren't that many notches...I mean what belt? I'm not familiar with that phrase. Is it an American thing?" he asks, pulling the act of the confused foreigner in a strange country, who doesn't understand.
Cat looks at him before stroking his face and kissing him, letting it drop. "What I mean is sure you're a great, great guy Roberto but a girl needs a showy gesture once in awhile from her guy to demonstrate his feelings."
"I can do showy," Roberto insists.
"I'm sure you can. The bare minimum I want Roberto is that I want in."
"In?"
"Like Paul, Taryn and Amanda. I still feel like an outsider to your world despite my efforts to try and humanise you and your friends through my articles. I don't need a decision right away but think on it? Please," she requests with a flirtatious look.
"I'll think on it," Roberto promises.
Cat smiles and kisses him.
Loud coughing interrupts. Cat and Roberto look as once again Rogue finds herself walking in on something she would rather not have. 'Why does this always happen ta meh?' she asks herself.
"Let me guess. Looking for Clark?" Cat supposes.
Rogue nods.
"Not here. Sorry. Haven't seen much of him today actually."
"Well thanks anyway. Ah'll leave ya two ta whatevah y'all are doin," she says, making haste her escape. Rogue closes the door and blows out a breath. She then turns and looks at the door with a suspicious gaze. That Cat Grant...what she said to both Bobby and Roberto. Something is up there. Rogue has this feeling.
"Rogue?"
Rogue's head snaps round to find Clark standing there. "There y'all are! Ah've been lookin for ya."
"Sorry. Principal Kelly was giving me his 'Be more objective' speech again about my articles in the paper," Clark explains. When Kelly says 'Be more objective' Clark had realised that translated to 'Stop giving mutants a fair hearing and berate them damn you!' or words to that effect.
Rogue rolls her eyes. Kelly was such a dick. Treated mutants like dirt on his shoes. Only the school board's diktats kept him from expelling the lot of them.
Clark places his arm across Rogue's shoulders and they start to head home.
As soon as they exit the school building Rogue asks a question. "Clark how well do ya know Cat Grant?"
"Pretty well. Why?"
"Because there's something ah don't lahke about her. There's something..." she struggles for a descriptive word. "There's something...ah don't know...off about her."
"Rogue are you jealous I spend time with her?"
"NO!"
"Then what?"
Rogue explains the two conversations she overheard. "She's playin' them Clark," she says in relation to Bobby and Roberto. "Ah don't know what her objective is but ah know when someone is playing with people. She's playing them off each other ta try and get something."
Clark stops. Rogue looks at him and sees his eyelids are shut but can see his eyes moving underneath. Rogue gets mildly annoyed. "Y'all are not listening ta a word ah'm saying are ya?"
"I heard every word," Clark replies, his eyes still shut.
"Then ya don't believe meh?"
"I believe you believe what you're saying."
"Clark...what are ya doin?" Rogue asks, because his eyes are still shut.
"Replaying every conversation and every word I've exchanged with Cat to see if there is a pattern."
"Ya...ya can do that?" Rogue queries, not knowing he could do that.
"Yes. I pretty much have perfect recall. If you want I could tell you exactly how many times Kitty has said 'like' and 'totally' since I came to the mansion."
"Ah'll pass, thanks but why are you doing this?"
"Because you think something is up and I'm checking."
"Just because ah say so?"
"Of course. You're my girlfriend," Clark says as if it self-explanatory.
Rogue's face bursts into an enormous grin. See this is why she loves him.
"But if you're wrong I'll expect an apology to Cat."
And this is why she hates him.
"But I think you might be onto something," he reports as he works through his memories.
"How? What do ya remember?"
Clark opens his eyes and looks at Rogue. "It's more the things she doesn't say. When you replay them all in a row it stands out more."
"What doesn't she say?"
"Remember she didn't come to Chloe's birthday party because she said she had some family issue to deal with?"
"Yeah."
"That's the only time she has ever mentioned her family even vaguely. She has never mentioned her parents or any siblings. In fact whenever I raised anything along those lines she changed subjects."
"Maybe she just doesn't lahke her family?" Rogue proposes.
"Possible but she's attending school Rogue. She must be living with some relative but she's never made one mention. Heck even you grumble about Logan and you aren't exactly the most talkative person in the world when it comes to personal matters."
That was true Rogue must admit.
Clark's brow furrows. "You know it just occurred to me."
"What did?"
"When Cat approached me to write for the paper and I mentioned that Principal Kelly would object she said she would take care of it but never said how and how is the question isn't it. Considering how anti-mutant he is how did she persuade him to allow me to write. As Principal he can shut the paper down if he wanted to yet here am I writing my column about life at the mansion."
"Do we confront her about it?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"We have no evidence Rogue. I'm not doubting what you think but we need hard evidence that something is truly off about Cat Grant before we accuse her of anything. Otherwise we'll look like jackasses."
See this is why Rogue loves being in a relationship with Clark. If it was her she would already been storming back into that office and demanding answers and risk looking like an idiot. He's the calm restraint to her short temper. "So what's the plan?"
Clark cocks an eyebrow. "I'm a reporter Rogue."
"And?" she asks.
"I go investigate Cat."
"How will ya start?"
"Her school record. It will have her full name, address, parents' names, her previous school before she moved here."
"Address? Have ya nevah been ta her house?"
"Nope. Don't know where she lives in fact. It's another of those things she has never mentioned." Clark takes Rogue's hand. "Come on," he says to her.
"Where are we going?"
"Outside the school records room. I can scan them with my x-ray vision."
"Couldn't ya just get Kitty ta hack inta tha computer records?"
"I will but the thing about computers is that they can be hacked into and altered. Paper copies are a might harder to do that with. You get both and then look for discrepancies between them...and you can actually thank Cat for teaching me that one," he says with a wry smile at the irony.
They soon reach the wall outside the records room. Clark pulls his glasses down to the end of his nose and peers over the top of them as his eyes flash electric blue. It takes a few moments scanning through records.
"How do ya do it? This scanning thing?" Rogue wonders.
"I've learned I can peel back layers. In truth even though I call it x-ray vision it's not an accurate description. I just don't think MRI vision sounds quite as cool."
Rogue snorts out a laugh before her brain registers something. "Wait...does that mean you can actually just see through clothes?"
"I would never do that," he swears. Ok except when he's on red kryptonite. Thanks to that he knows exactly where Chloe's birth mark is. If she ever finds out how he knows that she'll kill him.
"That's a yes," Rogue realises.
Clark sighs. "Yes it's practically possible for me to do," he confesses. "But I don't," he reaffirms. "In your case I don't really need to do I. My silver tongue does all the work for me," he says with a little bad-boy smirk.
Rogue puts her hands on her hips, not looking pleased. "Well it sure as hell won't beh working tonight. Ya can sleep in your own dang bed."
Clark really should just know when not to make a joke. Maybe he has been hanging around Peter too much. He continues with his work. "Huh. Cat's middle name is Jane. I never knew that," he reports from reading her record.
"Focus Clark. Ya get what ya need?"
"Yeah. I've got it."
"Next step?"
"Want to drop in on Cat's house?" Clark asks her. "Or do you want dropped off at the mansion 1st?"
"No. Ah'll come with," she decides.
Clark looks around and checks no-one is watching before he picks Rogue up bridal style and the two vanish in a blur. It's a shady spot in a park in the suburbs Clark brings them to a stop. "This is the closest I can get without risking being seen," he explains as he places Rogue down.
From the park it is a 10 minute walk to a nice pretty house. Garden and white picket fence and all. It was so clichéd and homely Rogue felt like retching. She and Clark slowly walk by, not stopping as that would arouse suspicion. His eyes glance over, scanning the house at speed.
"See anything odd?" Rogue asks.
"Yeah. No sign of anyone else living at the house."
"What?"
"There's only evidence of one person living there. Only one bedroom is used. Only one closet has clothes. There's only enough food for one person. It's how a single person would live I guess."
"Only in a family sized house?" Rogue queries.
"Must be for show...and you should see the security system the place has," Clark adds from what his eyes can see.
"Sophisticated?"
"It's on a par with the mansion and we order the stuff the military uses."
"Who tha hell is she ta have that?"
"That's a very good question," Clark says in a extremely serious tone. "It also means I won't be breaking in there any time soon to get answers. I can't see a way round it without setting off the alarm."
"Maybe ya could ask Dom or Logan," Rogue suggests. "They might have some experience."
Clark shakes his head in disbelief at one thing. "I still can't see Logan as once being a spy. I mean he isn't exactly subtle...or I have just watched too many spy movies and have the wrong impression."
"Nope. Ah agree with ya. Ah can't see it either."
Clark and Rogue keep walking along.
"So what will ya do now?" Rogue asks his next step.
"Ask Kitty to help me have a look at Cat's electronic signature."
"Her what?"
"Chloe explained it to me once. We all leave an online record. If you buy something from a shop it keeps a record of you. Your online searches are stored by the company whose engine you are using. There is a trail of almost everything you do that can be pieced together if you know how."
"Ok that's kinda givin' off 1984 vibes," Rogue says in reference to the famous novel.
"Welcome to the digital age," Clark says sarcastically.
"Now ah feel lahke ah shouldn't have bought that new smart phone," Rogue mutters.
Clark leans over and kisses her on the temple. "Sorry about that."
They walk on further down the street. Clark glances back at Cat's house silently asking the question, 'Who are you Cat Grant?'
Later at the Institute...
Amanda stood with her parents at the door, nervously twirling her long hair around her finger while they waited for it to be open. She can't believe her parents really think this is necessary.
The door is opened by an woman with red hair.
"Hi Mrs Kent!" Amanda greets her warmly.
"Amanda," Martha returns the greeting with a warm smile. "These are your parents?"
Amanda nods. "George and Margali Sefton. This is Martha Kent," she does the introductions.
Handshakes are exchanged and Martha invites them in.
"So you're here to judge whether it is safe for Amanda to date Kurt?" Martha queries from them, her tone a little sharp.
"Judge is such a strong word," Margali tries to mediate that.
"But accurate. You'll find I'm not one for mincing words Mrs Sefton. In which case my opening point would be that these are some of the finest people I have ever known...and this comes from a run of the mill human whose son happens to also be dating a mutant."
George feels he is instantly on the defensive. "We just want to get the...the lay of the land. This whole thing with mutants is new and there's what they say on the news. We just want our daughter to be safe."
"I can certainly understand that but as someone who knows Kurt very well I know he would do everything in his power to keep your daughter safe. Now. I've said my piece. Charles' view was that I give you a tour, you meet the students and then you can discuss whatever you wish with him."
George and Margali share a look. "That sounds fine," George says.
Martha then leads the Seftons on a tour. The word had been spread around beforehand for the students to be on their best behaviour...as they should be whenever they have guests. The lower levels are not part of the tour for obvious reasons. One look at the Danger Room would probably have Amanda's parents banning her forever from returning.
They meet Jonathan tending his farm, getting it ready for the approaching winter. It was deep into autumn now. Around were a few of the students helping out. Primarily Sam and Paige at the minute.
The meeting with Hank was a little tense and awkward in the same way seeing Kurt for the first time had been. It eased a little when Hank pointed out they had met before when he was a teacher at the High School. The Seftons could remember how nice a man he was.
They meet Paul and Taryn who had been roped into helping Amanda's cause...ok roped is too strong a word. When they heard what was happening they volunteered to be there and be two extra humans showing no fear or worry about hanging out with mutants.
As the tour draws to an end and Martha escorts the Seftons to meet the Professor, they have to admit at being surprised by how normal in reality all the students are. How...human essentially. Margali noticed it for the first time in Kurt's unusual yellow eyes when they met him again just how much humanity there really was in him.
As they near the Professor's study the two adult Sefton's gasp as a figure walks out of the kitchen with a snack in his hand, biting into a sandwich. He stops and blinks before swallowing. "Mr and Mrs Sefton," he greets them. He looks down a little. "Amanda."
Amanda grins like a goof while mentally remembering to thank Clark later. "Hi, um, Superman."
Margali and George take several moments to look the figure over his his red boots, blue pants, blue jacket with the red S on the golden shield on his chest. "Y-you remember us?" George asks.
"I remember everyone important I save," Superman replies. Clark had once saved the Seftons from a car jacking and this is him keeping his promise to Amanda for Superman to show up.
"W-we're not important," Margali says.
Superman looks at her kindly and says with gently sincerity, "Everyone is important. Every single person matters."
"What brings you here?" George asks.
That's the question Martha is asking with a single raised eyebrow as in what is 'Superman' doing here?
"Even though I don't live here the Professor is kind enough to allow me to come over whenever I wish...and raid the kitchen," Superman jokes, holding his sandwich up to illustrate.
Amanda giggles at that.
"Why don't you live here?" George asks.
"I'm not a student nor a teacher nor an X-Man. They are my friends and allies. This Institute has a particular function in helping mutants understand their powers and their place in this world. I have my own path to follow. There always comes a day when a child leaves the nest and walks their own path. As parents I think you can understand that."
The Seftons could see that. One day, as much as they didn't like to think on it, Amanda would leave home and stride out on her own.
"May I add you have done a wonderful job with Amanda. She's a wonderful person and Kurt is lucky to have her."
"I'm the lucky one,"Amanda insists.
"That was going to be my next line."
"Oh. Sorry."
Superman chuckles lightly and shakes his head. "Don't apologise. It is not necessary. Well I should leave you to get back to your tour. I should go. There are always people who require my aid especially with this so-called Prankster around lately," he mentions. By the way Clark so didn't come up with that name but there was this guy committing crime related pranks...yes really. Clark seems to attract all the lunatics since he started this hero gig. Anyway this Prankster was causing all sorts of mischief around Bayville lately and Clark hadn't caught him yet but he was on the case. He looks to Martha. "Mrs Kent. A pleasure to see you as always," he says, for the act.
"And you Superman. You are always welcome here," Martha says back, maintaining the act while mentally noting to wring out of Clark what this is all about.
"Mr Sefton. Mrs Sefton. Amanda," he says as his farewells before he blurs off, kicking up a gust of wind.
George and Margali look at their daughter.
"What?" Amanda asks.
"You know Superman?" her father asks her to explain how.
"Well I bump into him occasionally when I'm visiting Kurt," she explains that off.
"Perhaps we should continue to the Professor's study," Martha proposes.
They soon reach the office where chairs and refreshments are already laid out in preparation. The 3 Seftons sit.
"How did you enjoy the tour?" Charles asks them in friendly tones.
"It is certainly an interesting place you have here Mr Xavier," Margali says.
Charles smiles kindly. "Yes. That's certainly one term to describe it. I believe if Logan was here he would make a remark about how that is why he tends to take long bike rides," he says in light humour. Charles brings his hands together and places them on his lap. "I understand your worry for Amanda. I worry about the safety of all my students."
"The incident at Stark Tower didn't help," George points out sounding rather unkind.
"Daddy!" Amanda protests. "You saw the news. The X-Men helped protect all those people."
For once the news media had been slightly more positive about them after that. Charles thinks Tony Stark somehow did it.
"May I point out Mr Sefton that the 6 people responsible for that attack were not mutants. They were human," Charles feels he has to say. "My mission is, and always has been, to try and promote peace between humans and mutants. Sadly there are others, both mutant and human, who would rather see us at war with each other. This Institute is to teach control of their powers and their use in aiding a troubled world. Everyone here believes in that goal. I would not tolerate the presence here of anyone who would deliberately endanger the safety of others. Can I 100% guarantee Amanda's safety? Can you? Can anyone?"
The Seftons glance at each other. They had to concede that no, not even they can 100% guarantee their daughter's safety.
"Now if you still have any remaining questions I am willing to answer them," Charles offers.
Rogue is in her room trying to do her homework when there is a knock on the door. She slides off her bed and opens it to find Logan standing there, looking kinda nervous. "Is something tha matter?" she asks him.
"No. Why?"
"Logan ya look more nervous than a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Ah hate ta burst a bubble...actually no ah love ta burst a bubble, that ain't normal for ya."
Logan frowns. "You can blame Jon-Boy for this."
"Mr Kent? Why?"
"He said I should talk to you."
"About?" Rogue asks, having little to no clue what is going on.
Logan takes a breath. "Look, ya heard me and Ro are goin' out tonight right?"
Rogue nods while she folds her arms across her chest. "Yeah," she confirms she has heard Logan and Storm are going on a date.
"Well Jon-Boy said I should ask if you're going to have a problem with that."
Rogue blinks. "Me? Why would ah?"
"Because you're my daughter."
Rogue instantly becomes uncomfortable looking.
"Look I know I'm really not good at this and probably shouldn't have needed someone else to tell me to come see ya and ask but I'm here now and if you have a problem just say it."
Rogue half looks up to the side so he can't look into her eyes. "Ah don't have a problem."
"Be honest with me kid."
Rogue scowls. "Ah told ya, don't call meh kid," she snaps at him.
"Got a reaction didn't I."
"Ya are tha worst parent evah," she says with a glare.
"Probably," Logan concedes, with a tiny smirk.
Rogue's scowl softens. "Look ah don't have a problem."
"Truthfully?"
"Yes. Ah lahke Ms Munroe and...and if ya lahke her too then by all means date her," Rogue gives her permission. She can't think of any reason to have issue beyond it being slightly creepy to think of her father dating.
"Thank you," Logan says softly. "Are we...good?"
Rogue smiles a little at how silly that sounds coming from Logan. "Yeah. We're good. Go," she waves him off. "Go and have a nice tahme...dad."
Logan just looks at her. She has never called him 'dad' before. It's strange sounding yet nice at the same time. He can't help a small smile in response. Maybe this whole being a parent thing isn't so bad after all. Although he can't promise Ro a nice time since he is trying to scare her away but even in that case Jonathan had been right in saying he needed to speak to Rogue. Now that's one problem dealt with he just has to work his nerves over on his actual date and that annoying part of him that is saying he shouldn't be doing this to Ro. The quicker he drinks that part of him into silence the better.
The Seftons only have a few minor questions left and once answered things really are at the decision point. They ask for Kurt to be present. The Professor sends the telepathic summons. A few seconds later there is a knock on the door and Kurt sticks his head in tentatively.
"Come in Kurt," the Professor beckons him.
Kurt nervously wanders in, holding his tail as he does when he is nervous. Amanda is nervous too. She didn't know what her parents were thinking. Her mother was the more open to the idea Amanda knew. Her father's thoughts were a complete mystery and in the end that meant the decision really rested on him.
George looks at Kurt with a stern unreadable gaze. "I can see that you and your friends aren't like the media describe you...so I will allow you to continue dating my daughter."
Amanda leaps up and makes a little squeal of joy as she does so. She rushes round and hugs her father round his neck. "Thank you daddy!" She then goes and hugs Kurt and they share a little kiss.
"Don't get overexcited Amanda," her father cautions. "Should anything ever happen to you, Kurt here, won't be able to teleport far enough away from me," he says, being deadly serious.
Kurt gulps before looking Mr Sefton in the eye. "I assure you Mr Sefton I vould never let anyvone or anyzhing hurt mein Liebe." In response to saying that Kurt's tail protectively wraps itself around Amanda's waist.
"I will hold you to that," George vows.
After that there is not much more to say. The elder Seftons leave with Amanda staying for awhile longer with her boyfriend...whom she loves and now has her parents' permission to date. If that is not a reason to go do some serious making out then nothing is.
After saying bye to her parents Amanda walks hand in hand with Kurt back inside the mansion where they find Logan pacing about the lobby.
"What's up with him?" Amanda asks at a whisper.
"He's going out on a date vith Storm," Kurt whispers back.
"Really?" Amanda sounds surprised by that. "How did that happen?"
"I don't know. It happened zhat night I vas at your house zhat zhey arranged it."
"I guess they could be a cute couple," Amanda supposes if she stretches her imagination a little.
"Shh," Kurt begs her. "He'll hear you," he says in fear of Logan's reaction.
Logan heard her alright but he's too worked up to do something about it. Ever since he left Rogue his nervous energy had been building up. Why the hell did he let Storm talk him into this he has no idea...but it's one night. She'll see him as he really is and run a mile just like every other woman he can remember dating. That way she'll be safe. Logan fiddles with his old beat-up leather bike jacket a little as his nose catches that familiar scent of Ororo. It's easy to tell it's her. She smells like her name. She smells like the fury of a storm all bottled up.
Logan turns his head and mentally groans. He had told Ororo to dress 'down' and she had. Really she was actually in jeans and a patterned top covered by a plain blue jacket. Problem is she is so gorgeous even dressing down doesn't hide her ethereal beauty.
"Are we ready to go then?" Ororo asks him with her silky smooth tones and her eyes full of excitement, looking forward to this. She was not a woman to back down from a challenge, which Logan had set this up to be and he was going to find that she is a woman who was not easy to scare away. Besides she had challenged him to say he felt nothing and he couldn't do it so they had already crossed a line in admitting there was a mutual attraction between them. Now they just had to take the next step.
"Yeah. Lets get this over with," Logan mutters with absolutely no enthusiasm for whatever this night holds.
Author's Note: I thought I would make a passing mention of one of Superman's villains, in this case the Prankster, to show even if I don't write about everything Clark gets up to he does have his own problems being Bayville's protector outside what he and the X-Men face. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; The investigation into Cat continues and Logan and Storm's date.