Hey everyone! Thank you so much for reading! Life got a little crazy the last few weeks. Work has been insane and I had to go to the ER yesterday for Shingles! How does a 25 year get Shingles!? :Sighs: So, I'm on bed rest still the end of July 4th weekend. So, I have a little more time to breath than usual. Not having to go to work in fear of getting others sick will do that to a girl.
Anyway, I've been fighting with this chapter for a while, writers block and such, along with the overworked thing. So, I posted and slightly shorter chapter than usual and I'm going to start with a fresh blank word document for chapter 70 and see what the keyboard decides it's wants to type on it. :) Thank you again for everyone who has been reading and showing their support! It has been an utter joy to write this all these years and I have no plans to stop till at least 4 months time after the end of season 4, so we still have a ways to go! :) Thank you again and please enjoy:
Taunting Repartee
Chapter Sixty-Nine:
On Friday night Rogue sat with Victor at a bar in pool hall. From across the room she saw Graydon, Kurt and Emma playing a game of pool. There were smiles on their faces. Everyone was having fun. She and Victor had just finished up their first game, and were taking a quick break.
"You learn extremely fast, you know that?" Victor asked before he took a sip of his drink. Rogue smiled at that. "You were only three balls behind me," Victor said: he looked proud.
"Hey, round one was just me getting over the learning curve. Next game, you're going down," Rogue teased. Victor asked.
"Big talk," Victor exclaimed with a smile as Rogue let out a laugh.
"Big game," Rogue smiled as she stood up: she turned to head back to the pool table. It was then she felt her dad's hand on her arm.
"Hold up a second," Victor said.
"Yeah?" Rogue asked as she turned back towards him.
"There's something that's been bugging me all night," Victor started to say before he took a sip of his beer.
"Yeah?" Rogue asked before she took a sip of her Pepsi.
"If I ain't that kid's father, than who the fuck is?" Victor asked. Rogue let out a sigh.
"There's like five or six people it could be," Rogue said.
"Seriously?" Victor asked.
"Yeah," Rogue said dryly.
"Fucking Raven," Victor exclaimed.
"Repeatedly," Rogue added dryly. Victor let out a soft laugh at that as Rogue took a sip of her drink.
"That's fucked up," he laughed. "...But I wish I could say I was surprised," Victor said with sigh.
"Yeah, me too," Rogue sighed.
"The fuzzball know?" Victor asked.
"You see the way he is. How innocent he is? How do I tell a kid like Kurt that his birth mother is a slut?" Rogue asked.
"Yeah, that's a tough one," Victor said before he took another sip of his beer.
"I'm kinda just hoping I can put off the conversation for a few years," Rogue started to say as she glanced up: Graydon walking towards them. "Tell him when he's older, ya know?" Rogue asked.
"That ain't a bad idea," Victor said as Graydon walked up to them.
Graydon let out a sigh as he walked up to the bar. He could not believe what he was about to ask.
"You change your mind about the beer?" Victor asked.
"No," Graydon answered again. "I'm still driving them home- It's ah-" Graydon started to say, fluttered. "Kurt just asked me something," Graydon said.
"Yeah?" Victor asked.
"He ah- he just asked if there was any chance you were his dad too," Graydon said.
"You gotta be kidding me," Rogue exclaimed.
"Is he?" Graydon asked alarmed.
"No," Rogue and Victor said at the same time.
"God damn it," Rogue exclaimed.
"Send the kid over here," Victor ordered. "You," Victor said as he pushed on Rogue's shoulder, "go play pool," he ordered as she stood up. "I'm gonna talk to Kurt," he said.
"Seriously," Rogue said as she made eye contact with Graydon.
"Yeah, seriously," Victor. "Now," Victor ordered.
"Okay," Graydon said. "Come on, Rogue," he said as he grabbed onto her arm and pushed her back towards the pool table.
"So?" Kurt asked anxiously.
"Dad wants to talk to you alone," Graydon said.
"You okay with that?" Rogue asked.
"Yeah," Kurt said fluttered as he nodded his head. "Okay," he muttered to himself as he headed over to the bar. They watched him take a seat next to Victor.
"So, he is?" Emma asked.
"No," Rogue answered again.
"So, what are they going to talk about?" Emma asked as Graydon watched his father order a second beer.
"Huh?" Rogue asked as Victor opened the beer and handed it to Kurt.
"Oh shit," Graydon laughed.
"What?" Emma asked.
"Dad's gonna give Kurt the talk," Graydon laughed. "That's awesome," he exclaimed amused.
"You mean, the talk? Birds and the bees?" Emma asked with a slight laugh.
"That's the one. I had my first beer when dad gave me the talk too," Graydon said.
"When was that?" Rogue asked.
"When I seventeen," Graydon explained. "Dad had to gently tell me that Mom was having an affair with the nanny and we had the whole conversation, just to get it over with," he said. "He was actually really informative about a lot of stuff. Also, a little unnecessarily graphic, but that's just Dad being Dad. You gotta love him," Graydon said with a smile: which Emma and Rogue returned.
"Little sis," Graydon started to say as he wrapped his around Rogue's shoulder, he was careful not to touch her skin, "our brother left this side of the room but a boy, but... he will return a man," Graydon exclaimed dramatically as Emma let out a loud laugh. Rogue smiled. "Or an emotionally scared little boy, one of the two," Graydon added quickly. Graydon watched Rogue's eye widen. "I'm kidding," Graydon laughed. "Relax, will ya?" Graydon asked as she took a deep breath. "Dad knows what he's doing. He's had this talk before. So, let's play pool," he said.
"You'll take Kurt's place. Him and Graydon were playing on the same team. You two are solids, and it's your turn, darling," Emma told her pleasantly as she handed Rogue a stick. Emma made eye contact with Graydon.
'She's been on edge all night,' Emma thought.
'We all know what she's going though. Can you really blame her?' Graydon asked as Rogue walked up to the table and took her turn.
'I suppose not,' Emma said.
"Bob," Victor called out as Kurt took a seat next to him, "Another beer," he ordered. The bar tender pulled out another beer and opened it, handing it to him. "Here," he said passing it to Kurt. Kurt's eye widened in shock.
"Victor, you can't" the bar tender started to say as he reached for the beer.
"The kid came over here to ask me if I'm his father," he explained. "He gets one. Just one," Victor said. "My son Graydon, over there," he said pointing to his son, who was laughing for some reason, he noticed. "He's driving the rest of them home. Kid ain't getting into any trouble tonight," he said.
"Victor, what if a cop-" he started to ask as Victor downed the rest of his beer.
"Then the kid stole my beer for one sip," he said as he handed the man the empty beer bottle. "I give him a little smack on the back of the head, and take it back, no harm, no fail," Victor finished. "Take a swig, kiddo," Victor ordered as he turned to Kurt, who sheepishly did as he was told. For a brief moment there was a disgusted look on the boy's face, but he managed to sallow the beer. "Heh, Gray almost spit it out too, the first time I gave him a beer," Victor said with a smile.
"Really?" Kurt asked.
"Yeah, you remind me a lot of him when he was your age. A real optimistic, sweet kid, like you, Kurt... Kiddo, if- if I had known about you," Victor said as he made eye contact with Kurt. "If I knew you existed I would've raised you along with your brother and sister, without any fucking hesitation. I wish I had known about you. Wouldn't of mattered that you ain't biologically, my kid. It didn't matter with Rogue. That girl's my daughter, blood or no blood," he said. He paused for a moment, giving Kurt a second to process what he had just told him.
"That's- that's good to know. Thank you," Kurt said. Victor smiled at him.
"How were the people who did raise you?" Victor asked.
"My parents?" Kurt asked surprised. "They were the best," he exclaimed.
"That's real good to hear, Kiddo. I know some people who wouldn't be so accepting of how you really look," Victor said.
"There were a lot of people who weren't," Kurt sadly. "I had to hide a lot, as a child. I couldn't go anywhere without wearing this huge cloak. Ah, in the summer. It was a nightmare, so I didn't leave home a lot. I grew up a little farm with my parents, so they were the ones who went into town if we needed anything. I wish I had gotten out more, as a kid- but I have no complaints about my parents. They were very good to me. I actually miss them a lot. Holidays and phones calls, it's not the same as being home," Kurt said.
"I hear ya, after me and your mother split up- I travel a lot for work- but for a good five years I always knew where I was headed at the end of job, home. It was- ah- interesting not having that anymore. I missed coming home to my kids," he said before he reached over and took the beer back from Kurt. He took a large drink before he placed the beer back on the table. He let out a sigh before he turned back to look at the boy. He was at a loss: no idea how to respond. 'I should change the subject before I bum the kid out more,' he thought to himself. "Wagner, right?" Victor asked.
"Huh- oh, my last name, yeah it's Wagner," Kurt answered.
"Any relation to Count Baron Christian Wagner?" Victor asked.
"The Count?" Kurt asked surprised. "A distant cousin, I think. He lives a few towns over from my parents in Germany. We don't talk to those Wagners- I mean, they don't talk to us, the peasants," Kurt said as he rolled his eyes.
"Huh, I guess Raven gave that prick what he deserved then," Victor laughed.
"What do you mean?" Kurt asked.
"Your mother was married to the Count, for like a year and a half," Victor said. He watched Kurt's eyes widened.
"When? Do you think he might be my father?" Kurt asked.
"He could be your father, Kurt, but- I don't know, son. Faithfulness ain't exactly your mother's strongest virtue, if you get what I'm saying," Victor said.
"Oh," Kurt said quietly.
"She cheated on me too, back in the day, when we were still married," Victor added.
"I'm sorry," Kurt said earnestly. Victor looked at Kurt for a moment.
"Don't worry about it, kiddo. It ain't your responsibility to apologize for the things your mother's done," Victor said as he reached over and ruffled Kurt's hair. "Maybe it's a good thing, you didn't grow up around me and Raven arguing all the time. It is a shame you didn't get to know your siblings sooner, but you can get to know them now. I know Graydon's really excited to spend some time with you," he said.
"I can't wait to get to know him either. I didn't even know I had a brother till last month," Kurt said.
"Then why the fuck are we sitting here for?" Victor laughed. "Come on, let's go play more pool," Victor said. Kurt smiled as he stood up and they both walked back to the pool table.