Emerald eyes fluttered open before Gabrielle immediately sat up. She groaned and clutched at her head. It felt heavy, like she was waking from a terrible hangover. She muttered a string of curses under her breath before she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head and was met with warm brown eyes. The woman eased Gabrielle back down on the bed and placed an ice pack on her forehead. Gabrielle slowly relaxed as the woman explained she was in the nurse's office after an accident in her class. She was informed she'd been struck in the head but Gabrielle wasn't sure that was what happened.

She remembered beating Rogue. She remembered the way she doubled over. She'd reached out to touch her face. She'd felt her pale fingers on her skin and in a split second and overwhelming terror ensued. How could she have felt her fingers on her skin? Hadn't that mutant been wearing gloves? Did they rip? Did she take them off? Gabrielle couldn't remember but she distinctly felt her fingers upon her skin. It had been no more than a split second but that instance revealed enough for Gabrielle to fear their skins touching again. She couldn't recall what she'd seen but she was terrified to even consider trying to touch her again.

Touching her felt as if she was asking to be killed.

"Well, you seem better." The voice stated and Gabrielle flinched visibly before groaning softly.

"Hey, relax, it's just me." The voice stated again and Gabrielle squinted as she struggled to make out the figure.

"Lance?" He offered and chuckled as she tried to throw a pillow at him. "What? Not happy to see me?"

"How'd you know I was here...?" She mumbled and placed a hand on the ice pack to keep it in place.

"Rumors spread fast. The new Frenchie girl apparently kicked Rogue's ass and knocked her unconscious." He stated with a grin. "How'd that go?"

"I don't really remember... We were toe to toe then I kneed her. I knocked the wind out of her but she..." She frowned and turned to face him. "She's a mutant. She tried to do something to me."

His grin faltered and he became visibly concerned. "What did she do to you?"

"Nothing. I pushed her away before she could but I felt... like she was trying to take something from me..."

"She can take other mutants' abilities. They say even your memories, thoughts and shit. It's like she's taking away everything that makes you who you are."

Her emerald eyes widened and she felt herself hyperventilating. Lance yelled for the nurse and she came bustling in, shooing him away as she grabbed a paper bag. She coaxed Gabrielle into breathing in and out of it. She obliged with shaky hands and struggled to keep from crying. To think that Rogue had been so close to take such things from her made her fear that mutant more than death. After calming down, she'd been released but the problem still persisted.

Gabrielle's worst fear was alive and breathing.

"Gabrielle, come on, let me help you."

Lance had been pleading with Gabrielle for a good five minutes now but the French mutant was being quite stubborn. She had spent the better part of the day passed out in the nurse's office. She'd been released twenty minutes after school let out so she wouldn't be hassled by students. The Brotherhood had hung back like always but this time they planned to be productive. Lance had informed the others of Gabrielle's condition and they'd decided to help her but she wouldn't let them. Fred had offered to carry her to Lance's Jeep and she refused. Todd had offered to carry her bag and books but she'd refused as well. Pietro had offered to carry her all the way home and have her there within seconds and she'd immediately shot down his offer. She'd actually stated that would make her sick, giving only him a reason behind her refusal of his help. The only offer she hadn't shot down was Lance's offer to drive her home but she was having a hard time actually making her way to the car.

"Gabrielle, please, let me help you!" Lance pleaded as his patience had officially run out.

"I can make it on my own." She stubbornly stated as she stumbled left then right.

"Please... I wanna go home..." Todd whined from his seat, weakly thrashing about.

"Yeah. The house has food now." Fred stated and seemed ready to rock the Jeep.

"I said I can— Uh oh—" She mumbled as she started to fall face first into the ground. Her face was mere inches from smacking on to concrete and her teammates could only look on, knowing they'd been unable to catch her in time.

A swift breeze alerted everyone to his presence and the arms wrapped around her waist were enough for her to know it was in fact him.

"I tell ya, man, the girls can't help falling when they know I'm around." Pietro declared and smirked.

Gabrielle inhaled a deep breath as her hair messily hung over her face, thankful it was long enough to hide her flustered expression. She was too flustered to make any remarks of how idiotic his words were so she merely thrashed her arms around, earning another remark from Pietro.

"See? My presence is making her desperate for me to notice her."

Her small hands clenched into fists and shook angrily before she whipped her head around to glare at him. "That's not even close, you jerk!"

"It's okay to be in love with me, Gabrielle."

"What—?!"

"Ooooooooh~" Todd called out from somewhere in the backseat of the Jeep.

"He's at it again." Fred declared and shook his head, knowing that Gabrielle and Pietro would soon ensue their bickering.

"Guys..." Lance groaned as he threw his arms up in surrender and walked to the Jeep.

"Don't worry, Lance. We're going home." Pietro declared as he carried Gabrielle as if she were a sack of potatoes.

"I swear I'm going to totally knock you out." She mumbled under her breath as she hung around his arms, feeling like she was a rag doll.

Pietro seated Gabrielle in the backseat with Todd and slid in beside her. He then wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. She would've objected but she still felt exhausted. He grinned when he noticed she didn't pull away or make anymore remakes. Lance glanced at them and raised a curious brow, wondering if she was feeling okay. Todd was slumped at Gabrielle's left, groaning about being hungry. Fred happily piped in that he was hungry as well. Lance's hands tightened around the wheel as everyone decided to voice their hunger like children. Lance drove for ten minutes before he lost it and slammed on the brakes, parking alongside the road and turning to glare at them all.

"Enough! How am I supposed to drive when you all won't shut up?!"

"Maybe... Feed us?" Todd asked hesitantly and flinched at Lance's overpowering glare.

"Come on, Lance, please?" Gabrielle whined softly and fumbled around through her bag until she pulled out a small silver wallet. "I'll pay."

Gabrielle's offer to pay was the only incentive Lance needed to get rid of their whining and earn a win for himself. Lance didn't want to warn Gabrielle that her wallet would be cleaned out by Fred alone. It was payback for her participating in the whining with the others. Ten minutes later, they were parked in the parking lot of an all you can eat buffet. Fred was ecstatic and Todd was delighted that his stench repelled people from sitting anywhere near them. Gabrielle simply sprayed Febreeze around their table and showered Todd with it a bit so she could enjoy the food. Customers couldn't help but look at them, scrutinizing their every move but they didn't care. They were all eating to their hearts' content and making small chat.

Fred devoured everything that came his way sloppily so he'd settled himself in a table alone. Todd had been kicked to sit at a table alone as well because his scent ruined the scent of the food. He'd whined but Lance and Pietro had threatened to best him if he refused. Lance distractedly poked at his food as he ate, uncomfortable with all the staring and immersed in his thoughts about a certain X-Men he fancied. Pietro actually took his time to eat but only at Gabrielle's insistence that they'd seem normal, lest he wanted to be the reason they got kicked out of there. He kept stealing glances at Gabrielle, wondering why she seemed to be mindful of her table manners. She took small spoonfuls or forkfuls of food and slowly chewed. She'd dab at her lips with her napkin and slowly sipped her coke. The staring became too much so Gabrielle turned and poked Pietro's cheek with her fork, narrowing her eyes.

"Stop staring at me."

"How can I resist when you're so beautiful?" He asked as he flashed her a charming smile.

"Fuck, seriously, Pietro?" Lance stood up and took his plate with him to another table, not wanting to be near the speedster when he was trying to lay his charm on the only girl to date to reject him.

"Pietro, when are you going to take the hint? I'm not into you." She declared and exhaled a heavy sigh before she chewed another forkful of pasta.

"Soon as you admit that you've got it for me, which is why you keep trying to shoot me down." He leaned closer to her and waggled his brows.

She turned a little and looked at him, slapping him with her spoon. He didn't even seem fazed by this, which she found unsettling. "Look, why would I be interested in you?"

He smirked and began to list his reasons by holding an additional finger for every one he considered to be a reason she should be interested. "I'm charming. Fastest guy alive. Handsome as they come. Pretty damned toned for a guy my age. Funny. Know how to show ya a good time. Irresistible. Always saving your fine a—"

Gabrielle shoved a biscuit into the speedster's open mouth to keep him from finishing his last statement and rolled her eyes. "You're so full of yourself."

Pietro struggled to make a rather lewd remark but Gabrielle found herself unable to silence him because her fingers had grazed his skin at just the right moment for her to hear it echo in his thoughts. Her cheeks turned scarlet and her emerald eyes widened in shock at the remark she'd heard in his mind. She turned to face him completely and slapped him, mentally cursing as this only caused her to read more of his thoughts. She also caught a glimpse of the visual for the remark, causing her to shove him out of the booth. She stood up and made sure to walk over him as she left, slapping a few bucks down on the table as a tip for whatever unfortunate waiter or waitress would have to deal with Pietro.

"Yo, Gabrielle, where ya goin'?" Todd called out as he saw her make her way to the exit.

"Home." She stated and walked up to Lance, slamming her hands on his table. "Take me home."

"Whoa— Watch i—!" Lance began to cry out before he stopped, blinking before taking in Gabrielle's flustered appearance. "Whoa, Gabrielle, are you—?"

"Now, Lance!" She demanded and slapped her hands on the table, visibly shaking as she found herself unable to cope with all the lewd images in her head from Pietro's mind.

"Okay, okay! We're going!" He cried out and stumbled out of the booth as she began to drag him behind her.

Lance kept crying out for her to slow down. She wouldn't hear any of it. She didn't want to stop until they were in the car. They reached the car and she practically barked at him to speed away before they even entered the Jeep. She climbed into the passenger seat beside him and crossed her arms over her chest. Lance climbed in and gave her a final glance before he started his precious baby and started to drive away. Pietro sped up to their side and tried to climb in but it was as if he hit an invisible wall. He stopped running at full speed and simply plopped on to the floor beside the Jeep. Lance blinked and eyed Gabrielle but she only glared at Pietro and ordered Lance to take her home. Lance was a tough guy but even he didn't feel like messing with the fuming female at his side. He obliged and drove her home in silence until Gabrielle blurted out Pietro's ideas.

"Pietro wants to sleep with me!"

"Huh?" He blinked and gave her a look before focusing on the road again. "Yeah, so? What else is new?"

"Lance! Pietro wants to... sleep with me!" Gabrielle choked out and shuddered at the vivid imagery she had seen.

"Gabrielle, he's made that pretty obvious." He stated and cut off some idiot who was driving way below the speed limit. "Why do you say that like it surprises you?"

"Because it does!"

"Hmmm... Not really." He stated bluntly and began to drive with one hand as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Pietro's a big flirt. Talks a lot of game. It's not a shock that he'd want to sleep with someone, not even you. Hell, especially not you. Never seen him try so hard to get a girl before. Must be you shooting him down that's fueling his ego."

She frowned and scrunched up her nose a bit as she tried to process Lance's words. "So you're saying... If I stop rejecting him and such, he'll give up and not want to sleep with me?"

"Yeah probably. If it's his ego talking like always, he'll lose interest when you cave in." He slowed down as they came to a red light. He turned to look at her for a few seconds before focusing back on the traffic light. "Where'd this come from anyways? Did he tell you that he wanted to sleep with you?"

Her cheeks burned scarlet and she punched Lance's arm, causing then to swerve a bit. He shot her a look but she only glared at him with scarlet cheeks. "That's none of your business!"

He couldn't help but smirk at her words. "Ah... So he did. That's why you wanted to leave."

"Silence!" She shouted and crossed her arms tightly over her chest.

"He had you so flustered with that and you couldn't help it. That's why you told me to bring you home."

"Lance! I'm warning you!"

"Well, well, what do you know? Our little French princess has a weakness. And that weakness is Pietro Maximoff."

"Aaaaaauuuugh!" Gabrielle cried out and slumped down in her seat, mentally cursing for telling Lance about her problem.

Lance couldn't help but laugh and mock poor Gabrielle's romantic misfortune for the rest of the car ride home.

Author's Note

I apologize for the late update. Working on posting an update schedule on my profile so you'll know when to expect an update for the story. Updates will be coming in pretty slow for a while but that doesn't mean I'm not working on them! As always, I'd appreciate it if you left a review so I know how my readers feel about the story. Any feedback helps with the progress of the story!