So yeah, bed rest. Turns out when all you have to do all day is take a lot of pills and not be able to figure out how to turn on your mom's stupid T.v. that has way too many controllers and you're mom took off all day to the spend the day with dad three hours away, a girl gets lot of time to write. Huh- good stuff. Speaking of parents, please enjoy,

Taunting Repartee

Chapter Seventy:

Later that night, Charles, Rogue, Emma, and Graydon and Kurt sat in the infirmary. Emma sat in front of Rogue on one of the beds; sitting indian style. Charles sat a few feet away from the bed, his eyes closed. Graydon and Kurt watched as both Charles and Emma were in Rogue's mind, fixing the latest issue his little sitter was having.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Kurt asked.

"Emma knows what's she's doing. Rogue's gonna be just fine," Graydon said reassuringly.

"That's good," Kurt sighed in relief. He watched his little brother staring off into the corner.

"Anything else on your mind?" Graydon asked.

"Yeah, Victor ah- he gave me a lot to think about," Kurt said.

"Yeah?" Graydon asked.

"What was it like growing up with them as parents?" Kurt asked.

"Ah- it was interesting. When I was really young, we moved around a lot. Before Mom and Dad got married I used to go back and forth a lot between the two of them and sometimes Irene used to take care of me. When I turned eight, Ameila's opened and since mom and dad traveled a lot for work I used to live there, while they were away," Graydon said.

"In the orphanage?" Kurt asked in disbelief.

"It's a little weird, I know. But that's where Irene ended up working and she was nanny my whole life. Rather than try and find me a new nanny they thought it would be a good idea to have me be around kids my own age. Mom and Dad got an apartment pretty close by. Whenever one of them was in town I went and stayed with them instead. I gotta say it was nice being in the same school for over a year for once. I actually got to keep the friends I made. I wasn't always the new kid anymore. It was a nice change. Things were good for a few years. And then Mom and Dad made it official and got married, adopted Rogue. We moved again, down south to Mississippi. I was the new kid in eighth grade for junior high, but whatever it worked out for me and Rogue was four and half and so she started pre-school as soon as we moved.

"Things were good for a couple of years, really good. We were all happy for a while. We did normal stuff, go to movies, have family dinner's and holidays. Irene always had this rule, one sport, one instrument. I was into baseball and and then football in high school and I played the drums in the school band. Rogue played soccer and softball most of her life. She played piano for a while, untill-" Graydon started to say before he laugh.

"Until what?" Kurt asked.

"Okay, great story. So one night mom comes and picks me up from football practice. We go home. Rogue's like six years old at this point. We walk in to Rogue and Dad are watching an old Twisted Sister concert on tape," Graydon said.

"Twisted Sister?" Kurt asked.

"It's a rock band form the eighties. They had a bunch of hits: "I wanna rock:" "We're not gonna take it:" "Hot Love:" "You can't stop rock in roll." A bunch of good songs. Dad loved that band and a bunch of others from the eighties too. But that's the band they were watching that night. So, me and mom walk in to the living room," Graydon started to say as he began laughing again.

"Yeah?" Kurt asked with a smile on his face.

"And Dad and Rogue are jumping around the room, both of them head banging like crazy to the song "I wanna rock". Me and Mom are just standing there in the doorway for a full minute, just watching them. Imagine a little six year old in her pj's running around the living room, jumping from couch to couch, in and out of dad's arms, screaming at the stop of her lungs "I wanna rock." Right after that line, there's an echo in the song, where someone screams "Rock," after that line and that's what Dad was doing. Every time Rogue screamed "I wanna rock," he'd follow up in this low growl with the word "Rock,"" Graydon growled as he balled his fists in front of his face, shaking them slightly. "That's what dad was doing too, holding his fist in front of his face, growling the word "Rock,"" he said trying to the do the best impersonation of his father's voice that he could. "I'm not the doing the story justice. I- I can't even explain to you how funny it was watching them just have fun," Graydom said as he and Kurt laughed.

"I'm getting a picture in my head," Kurt told him with a smile.

"Good. Okay, if Mom ever asks if I told you this story, I stopped there. That's where I stopped. Got it?" Graydon asked.

"Got it," Kurt said with nod. "So, what happened next?" Kurt asked excited.

"So," Graydon laughed. "Me and Mom are looking at them, then looking at each other. They both have their backs to us, so Dad still has no idea we're there watching. He completely caught up in the moment. So, I'm looking up at Mom, she's trying not to laugh. We make eye contact. So, I ask her "Do you want to join them?" She says no, quickly, shakes her head. We go back to watching them. Mom looks back over at me and asks "Why? Do you?" she asked. And I say, "A little, it's like fun." She nods, agreeing with me, "It does look like they're having fun." I say, "You know, they already closed all the curtains, Mom. No one's ever gonna know about this, unless we tell people," I pointed out. She thought about it for a second and a huge smile came to her face. She turns to me, holding out her hand and says "To the grave?" I nodded, shook her hand and we made a deal. Which is why you can never tell her I told you. My life, your hands little brother," Graydon stressed jokingly.

"Got it," Kurt laughed again. "To the grave," Kurt exclaimed as he held out his hand. Graydon laughed as he reached for his brother's hand. But Kurt pulled it back, "Until I decide to tell someone else about it, then I'll just make them make the same promise I am now," Kurt smirked as Graydon laughed.

"Deal," Graydon laughed as they shook hands. "So, then me and Mom wait for the chorus to come around again. As Rogue is screaming "I wanna rock," me and Mom leap over the back of the couch into the living room, just in time to scream "Rock" with dad. It was perfect. We all dancing now. Mom picking up Rogue, lifting her into the air. Rogue is laughing so loud, having the time of her little life. Me and Dad are headbanging at first. Then he starts with the air guitar again. Course, he knows how to play the guitar, so his air guitar is actually paying the song, just minus a guitar," Graydon explained.

"Got it," Kurt smiled.

"And I know how to play the drums. So, I'm playing air drums. We'll all having fun. We play out the rest of the song. It ends, Mom and Dad are just looking at each other: they end of kissing. Rogue turns and looks up at me and says "I wanna rock," with the hugest smile on her face. She was adorable as a kid. I don't know what happened," Graydon said jokingly. It was then he was hit with a pillow to his face.

"Rogue, darling, I need you to sit still," Emma reprimanded lightly.

"Sorry, Emma, Graydon just asked me so politely to hit him with something. I couldn't say no," she smirked. Emma laughed under her breath.

"Graydon, don't ask your sister to hit you with anything until we're done here," Emma ordered.

"Spoilsport," Graydon muttered under his breath. "This one," he said pointing at Emma, "always ruining my fun," Graydon said with smile to Kurt. Kurt let out a soft laugh.

"Careful, or I'm gonna start hitting you," Emma warned.

'Promise?' he asked knowingly: into her mind. Emma let out a loud laugh.

"Stop distracting me," Emma laughed. "Precise work, we're doing here," she pointed out.

"Please," Charles Xaiver added sternly.

"Sorry, Professor," Kurt said.

"Come one, I'll tell you the rest of the story out in the hallway," Graydon said.

"Nah, let's go to the kitchen," Kurt said he held out his hand. Garydon took his brother's hand and within a second they were in the kitchen.

"Cool," Graydon said as he let go of his brother's hand.

"Yeah," Kurt said with a smile. "So, what happened next?" Kurt asked as he took a seat at the table.

"So, I look down at Rogue and what is there to say aside from "I heard you?"Graydon asked with a laugh as he sat across from his brother at the kitchen table. Kurt laughed. "Rogue runs up to dad. "Daddy," she says as she's tugging on his pants: breaking Mom and dad out of the kiss they sharing. "Yeah, kiddo?" he asked. "Again?" Rogue asks. Dad laughs and says "Not that song, but you know what's coming up next right?" he asked her. She though about it for a second. "We're not gonna take it," Rogue screams all excited. "That's right," Dad said as he picks her up and kisses her cheek. "How many time have you done this, that she remembers the order of the songs?" Mom asked. "A couple of times," Dad answers. "So many times," Rogue screams with smile, "so many, Mommy,"" Graydon said as both Graydon and Kurt are laughing.

""Anna, what did we say about getting Daddy in trouble with Mommy?" Dads asks. "Hmm- so many times?" Rogue asks. "No, sweatheart, the other one," Dad laughs. "...Don't?" she asked. "Yes, don't," he said as he ticking her. I'm sitting on the cough at this point. Just watching them," Garydon laughed. "So, the next songs starts and Rogue gets into it within a second. She grabs Mom's and Dad's hands and gets them start dancing with her while she singing the start of the song: "We not gonna take it." Rogue pulled me up from the couch. We getting all into it again. Dancing around the room. Then Dad and Rogue start singing different lyrics then the song," Graydon said.

"What lyrics?" Kurt asked.

"Dad and Rogue start signing "We're not take it, no, we're not gonna take it, we're not gonna take piano lessons anymore. We're gonna take bass lessons. Yeah. We're gonna take bass lessons. Yeah. Or guitar lessons, whichever mommy will agree to," they signed together. "You're corrupting our six year old," Mom claimed trying so hard not to laugh. "I am making our six year more awesome," Dad yelled out. "Mommy, I wanna rock. Please, let me rock?" Rogue asked. That's when we all lost it, all of us are laughing our asses off."

"Gray?" my dad starts to ask me, "How much do you love your drums?" he asked me. "I wouldn't pay any other instrument. It was good move, Dad," I told him. "See? It was good move," Dad said. "Right out of the boy's mouth. Let me make our daughter even more of little bad ass then she already is," Dad said. "Victor, language" Mom yelled at him, she hit him on shoulder. He just laughed it off as Rogue walked over to the couch where I was. She reached up to me so I picked her up and put her on my lap. She leans her head back against me chest and looks up at me "Gray, do you think they're gonna let me rock?" Rogue asks me. I lose it again."

"Mom walked over to the couch and leans down in front of Rogue. "Yes, baby we'll let you rock," Mom answers: trying to keep a straight face. "Yay," Rogue screams at the top of her lungs as she wraps her hands around Mom's neck. Mom picked her laughing and she gives Dad this look like this is a bad idea I don't know how you got me to say yes. And Dad just looks at her and says, "Let's give it a try. If she hates it, she'll just go back to piano. No harm, no fail." You can't say no to that," Graydon said. "And it was great she'd loved the bass, she loved Dad teaching her how to play. The three of us used to jam sometimes. Sometimes we were able to get Mom in on it to. I remember this one time, Rogue was learning how to play "Fire and Ice." A Pat Benatar song. It was a lot of fun. Mom was able to copy voices, so she would copy Pat Benatar's or whatever song we were signing at the time, and she would just sing with us. Those have gotta be some of my favorite memories growing up. Just the four of us playing together. It was awesome... for a while," Graydon said he voice losing some of it's mirth.

"What happened?" Kurt asked. "Was it the affair Mother had?" he asked.

"Yeah," Graydon said sadly. "It broke the family up," he answered. "Things were never the same after that. Mom and Dad could barley stand to be the same room together and Rogue was caught in the middle. She was only ten. She hates talking about it- But... I'm pretty sure she's the one who first saw them together," Graydon said.

"Saw who together?" Kurt asked.

"Mom and Irene," Graydon said. "Having an affair," he said as Kurt's eyes widened. "Yeah," Graydon said dryly.

"That's terrible," Kurt said.

"I'm pretty sure, Rogue ended up asking dad about it. He put two and two together. This all took place before I got home from practice. But- um- Dad went a little crazy after finding out. There was a lot of broken stuff when I got home: tables, chairs, a couple of holes in the walls. Dad kicked Irene out of the house: threatened to kill her if she ever showed her face again. When I got home, they were still yelling at each other. I ran upstairs and found Rogue. She was in her room, under her bed, crying her eyes out. I got her to come out from there. She just said one thing to me: "It's all my fault, Gray." I did the only thing I could do. I took her to my room, turned on my stereo and loud at it could go, so she wouldn't hear them anymore and I held her till she fell asleep. I tried to tell her it wasn't it fault. But I don't know if she ever believed me. Things went downhill from there, really fast. It wasn't long till I was off to college and as soon as that happened the whole family fell apart," Graydon said.

"How did Rogue end up living with Irene? If she was cause of your family breaking?" Kurt asked.

"Honestly... After I went off to college. Dad moved out of the house. As soon as that happened, Irene moved back in," Graydon said.

"Oh no," Kurt said.

"Yeah," Graydon said dryly. "Pretty sure, Mom and Irene were trying to be in a relationship together. Not that that lasted," Graydon sighed. "Thanksgiving day that year, was the worst. Dad showed up, cause it was holiday, he wanted to see his kids. He didn't know Irene had moved back in. Things got crazy again. That was the year I brought Emma home to meet the family. I should've known better, but she said she didn't want to go home to her own family. Emma was having issues with her dad at the time. Which, I understood. So, she came home with me. As soon as I saw the look of rage on my dad's face, I scoped up my little sister, grabbed Emma and we booked it out the back door. We took Rogue out for ice cream and spent the night in a hotel," Graydon said.

"I left the hotel in the morning. I asked Emma to stay behind with Rogue, keep her happy. They spent the day together while I went back to the house to see if anyone was dead. No one was, of course, but the police had been called. Dad had been arrested. I swear, that temper of his, is his worst enemy. Mom and Irene ended up taking him to court. Got a restraining order against him. He wasn't allowed within 500 feet of the house, or Mom or Irene. And since Rogue was with both of them. He didn't get to see her much. There was one time and I got it to work where I had Rogue with me in New York and Mom wasn't there. I got dad to come up to New York too," he said.

"Thing was- I know Rogue didn't mean it. But- who knows how many hours she was under her bed that day listening to him yell and scream and break things. Rogue was a little afraid of Dad. He picked up on it quickly, and it got him anger, and I saw it in his eyes. The fact that his little girl was afraid of him: it broke his heart. But she was so young, ya know elven years old," he sighed. "Dad asked me to not try and get them together again. I told him Rogue needed more time, that a lot had happened. But Dad just said as long as Rogue was living in a house with Irene, she was gonna turn his little girl against him and after that they didn't speak for a really long times. Years," Graydon sighed. "It's kind've a miracle that they're talking now, ya know?" he asked. Kurt nodded. "Kurt I- of course, I wish that I had known you your entire life. I wish we had those memories together, but you seem like a really happy, well adjusted kid, ya know? I mean, am I wrong?" Graydon asked.

"No," Kurt answered. "I had great parents. Very loving. Nothing happened like what happened to Rogue, ever. We were very happy," he said.

"I glad," Graydon said earnestly. "I don't know, hearing that? Maybe Mom did you a favor, keeping you out of that. Keeping you away from Irene," Graydon said. "I don't know," Graydon shaking his head.

"I think I understand," Kurt said. "We have time to get to know each other now, right?" Kurt asked with a slight smile.

"Right," Graydon agreed as he nodded. "I got something to do during the day tomorrow, but do you wanna get dinner or something while I'm still in town? You can tell me about your childhood this time? Happy memories, please?" he asked with laugh.

"I can do that," Kurt smiled.

"Okay," Graydon said.

"Okay," Kurt said.

So, who knows, maybe the next chapter will be tomorrow night :) Don't hold me to that! ;p

Thank you so much for reading: please review? ^.^