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Rogue was sitting in a chair reading when Emma walked into the infirmary. Gambit was still laying there. He hadn't moved in about three hours.GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS written by Echo
"What are you reading?"
Rogue looked up and smiled politely. "As if you really care."
Emma was taken aback at the bluntness of the other woman's statement. "Excuse me?"
Rogue set the book down and leaned forward, looking critically at Emma. "Since we haven't actually had a conversation before, I'll just assume you want somethin, sugar."
Emma decided not to step around the issue. "I wanted to see if he was awake." She waved her hand towards Gambit and continued on. "Since the girl escaped while he was talking to her, I assumed he'd know why she tried to kill Sean."
Rogue raised an eyebrow doubtfully at her. "Is that the real reason, Emma?"
Of course it is! I'm concerned about the well being of the headmaster of my school -our school." She corrected herself and continued on. "He's been on the phone with Moira for over an hour, as if she can be of any help. I don't know why he bothered calling her, this is strictly X-Men business. It's not as if she can hop on a plane and fly here, now is it!" She stopped as she realized Rogue wasn't listining anymore. She was laughing to hard and struggiling to breath. "Just WHAT is so funny?"
"You!" Rogue managed to gasp out. "You- you- you have feelings for him, don't ya!"
"WHAT!" Emma stopped her nervous pacing. "I have WHAT!? For Sean Cassidy!? No-no- I most certainly am NOT in love with him! I may feel atracted to him, but who wouldn't be?"
Rogue listened to the familiar argument Emma was having. She'd done the same thing when someone mentioned she had feeling for the cunning Cajun man. It had been true that she loved him, and it was true that Emma, although she might not be in love, had feelings for Sean Cassidy.
"I could have any man that I want! Why would I even try to settle for him? He's shown no interest in me! He's to much of a.. a... a-"
"Challenge?" Rogue supplied helpfully.
"Yes! A challenge! Which is why I love him - NO! Which is why I don't love him!" She stared in openmouth astonishment and then groaned as she dragged a chair and sat down across from Rogue.
"I love him, don't I?"
"It's one of the curses of life. We want somethin' we just can't have."
Emma looked closely at Rogue. "You won't tell anyone will you?"
"Now what kind of a friend would ah be if ah did that?"
Emma looked surprised. "Friend? You consider me a friend?"
"Just because we've had differences of opinions, doesn't mean that I don't consider you a friend. I came out a little harsh when you came in the room. Sorry." She ttok a deep breath. "I need all the friends ah can get and I'll assume you do too. Besides, I'm the worlds foremost expert on unrequited love." She picked a book off of the stack at her feet. "Your goin' ta need a lot of these though."
Emma took the book from her hand. "What is it?"
"It's a romance novel."
Emma laughed as she read the back. "Lady Brenna and the Prince of Darkness? 'The Last Arrow'? What's it about?"
"It's a version of the Robin Hood story only this is about Robin's sister-"
"Brenna?"
"It's a good novel!"
"I'm sure it is... I think Jubilee would call this a smut novel."
"Not really," Rogue sifted through the pile at her feet. "They only have sex twice."
The two women laughed as they talked through the rest of the day, completely ignoring their silent patient, in favor of forming a new friendship.
Gambit awoke three hours later in the infirmary. Emma had left but Rogue was sitting on the floor leaning against the wall staring at him.
"I was wonderin' when you'd want to join the land of the livin'," she murmered.
At first he couldn't say anything, he was so caught up in her eyes. They seemed to burn right through him. Even though there wasn't that burning passion he'd once seen there, she was still able to take his breath away.
"I'll go get Storm. She should hear what ever ya have to say about that little criminal that did this to ya."
Emma strode into the room with a stack of board games. "I could only find Monopoly, Life, Yahtzi, Scrabble, and- Oh, he's awake!" She dropped the stack and rushed over to the bed. "Your awake. Good. Rogue, go get Storm and Banshee."
"On my way," the other woman said.
Gambit watched her go while Emma stared at him. He smiled politely at her, but she wouldn't look away.
"Is 'der som'tin I can help you wid', Emma?"
"You can tell me what happened with that girl. Like, why you let her escape."
"I didn't exa'tly have a choice in de matter."
She smiled secretely at him. "Riiiight. You didn't have a choice. I suppose she snuck up on you and ambushed you? Maybe you didn't hear her coming?" She was on the other side of his bed in a fraction of a second. His monitor's were quickly unplugged and she had her arm pressed down on his throat, cutting off his oxygen.
"Who is she!?" Emma said through gritted teeth. "You knew her! That was the only reason Storm let you talk to her! Maybe you let her escape! Perhaps you didn't notice but she tried to KILL Banshee! Now who is she!?"
"How do... you expect.. a 'body to answer... when your cutting off... his Oxygen supply?" Gambit managed to squeak out.
"I don't see a man hear," she countered. "Just a snake!"
"Emma!" She turned at the sound of her name. Banshee and Storm were standing in the doorway with Rogue behind them grinning. Emma could plainly read her mind.
//Whoa, Emma!//
//I'm being a little harsh aren't I?//
//It's not like that little swamp rat can't handle it, but I think Banshee's going to pop a coranary.//
"He's all your!" Emma realeased her hold on him. She kicked the boardgames out of her way on the way out of the room.
Gambit was gasping for breath while Rogue picked up the games and followed her friend out the door. Leaving an injured looking Gambit and two extremely mad leaders to question him.
"All I'm saying is that they could have told us where she's going. We wake up the next morning and our teacher's gone! What does that say about how much they trust us? I can't believe he won't tell us were she's gone!"
Jubilee was sitting on the bed in her room, she was braiding Paige's hair. Paige was typing on a lap-top computer she'd brought along. Monet was sitting on the bed opposite of her, braiding Clarice's hair. Clarice was flipping through a copy of "Newsweek" that Paige had brought with her.
"They're adults. They are not required to tell us anything, besides, she'll be back. It probably had to do with something at Frost Enterprises. It doesn't concern us."
Paige pushed a few buttons and a picture of X-Force appeared on the screen. "Actually, Monet, our teacher could be on an undercover assignment. Mr. Cassidy was nearly killed and that perpatrator is still on the loose."
Monet looked at her doubtfully. "I think they'd tell us if that was the reason."
"Actually I've looked through quite a few X-Men files and some of them didn't tell anyone when they were on assignment."
Monet still looked doubtful. "Like what?"
"When Siryn was on an undercover job at an insane asylum,, Professor X and Cable were the only ones to know. Then there's Cable. He went on secret missions all the time without telling X-Force. The only mention of it is a quote from Domino, "Cable took off again. This is the third time this month. I hope he still decides to come back." You see?"
"Yes, that's true. But X-Force is just a group of criminals that wear the letter X."
"Monet! Paige's brother was a member!" Paige looked hurt as she stared at Monet. Jubilee looked ticked and Clarice continued to look at the magazine. Monet continued to smirk at the two girls.
"They are criminals. Paige's brother was a criminal when he was with them too."
Paige stood up and went to stare out the window, trying to hold her temper. Jubilee clenched and unclenched her hands.
"At least Sam was trying to help people." She said through gritted teeth. "Which is more than you can say about your brother."
There was total silence as Monet took a deep breath. Clarice closed the magazine and quickly melted into the floor and jumped out of the wall by Paige.
Monet just stared at Jubilee, with murder in her eyes. "You did not want to go there, Lee."
"Whats'a matter M? You can't take it as well as you dish it out?"
"You little brat!" Monet jumped across the space between the two girls. She tackled Jubilee and knocked her to the bed. Jubilee let loose a round of pyrotechnic displays that knocked M to the floor.
"C'mon St. Croix! Was that it? I thought you had super strength?"
"Your so dead, Lee!" Monet was ontop of Jubilee then, trying to pull her hair and get a good shot to the body. Paige jumped onto Monet's back, trying to pull her off. The three girls were a mess of blond and black hair and kicking legs.
Clarice did the only thing she could do: jump through one of her portals to were Banshee was sitting down to a cup of coffee. The shock of seeing his student jump into the kitchen sent his cofee cup crashing to the floor.
"Lass? What 'er ye doin' here?"
"Quick Mr. Cassidy! They're going to kill eachother!" Without waiting for an answer, Clarice grabbed Banshee's hand and pulled him into the portal.
They apeared just as Jubilee was getting the upper hand. Paige was 1/2 under the bed, with her legs sticking out. Monet was laying on her, causing her to be trapped. Jubilee was laying punch after punch into Monet's gut, screaming the whole time.
Banshee didn't even blink but let out a sonic scream that sent Jubilee flying off Monet and into the wall. Monet rolled and landed next to the bed. Paige crawled out from under the bed and sat on it, gasping for air and staring up at Sean.
"What on earth were ye two lasses doin?"
"She insulted Sam-"
"She was teasing me about-" They both started at the same time.
"ENOUGH!" he bellowed. "Paige? What happened?"
"Well-sir... um- it was just, um- well..."
"Spit it out Hayseed."
"JUBILEE! Go on Paige."
"Well, Monet insulted Sam and then Jubilee insulted Emplate and then they were fighting and then I tried to stop them and then they were still fighting and then you showed up."
"Well..... it seems ye both were at fault."
"But-"
"C'mon Cassidy-"
"Be quiet!" He looked sternly at them both. "I'm not goin' to punish ye," they both looked relieved. "This time. The next time this happens, we may have to re-think the mixture of students at this school. Your lives depend on eachother. Do you understand?"
They both nodded. "Good. Now, I had planned to take you into Salem Center. Do ye still want to go?" All four girls nodded their heads smiling.
"Alright. I'll give ye all one hour. Then I want ye downstairs and ready to go!"
"Are you sure this is a good idea, Sean?"
"Why wouldn't it be, Orora?"
"Douglass Ramsy was killed on a similar excursion."
"Oh, Storm," he smiled at his friend. "This bunch of kids are more powerful than the New Mutant's were. I think they can take care of themselves."
Storm just sighed but nodded her head. "I believe there's a new dance club, I'm sure they'll have fun there."
Wolverine came downstairs with the three boys behind him. "Well these boys are as nice looking as their going to get. Where are the girls?"
"Right here, ya'll!" Rogue came the stairs, dressed in a green, sequined evening gown. The slit was up to mid-thigh but the colar was high around her neck. It had long sleves that turned into gloves at her wrist.
Wolverine let out a long whistle. "Well, well, well. Rogue, you look mighty nice."
"Wuh, thank you! I'm goin into Boston for the night."
"Care for some company? A beautiful woman should never go unescorted."
*ahem* Orora pointed to the top of the stairs were the girls were just starting to come down.
"Sure," Rogue whispered in his ear as the procession started.
Paige was first. She proceeded down the stairs in a deep brown. It was floor length with a high colar and long sleves. Chambers eyes were huge as she came over and took his arm.
Monet was next in a strapless, long, red dress. She came down the stairs unsmiling and stood next to Paige. Her eyes flicked to were Rogue and Wolverine were standing, causing her to smirk.
Jubilee came next with a short, spagheti strap dress. It was bright yellow with sunflowers around the bottom. Everett's eyes nearly popped out of his head and Jubilee had to close his mouth. Wolverine gave her a stern look but smiled as Rogue elbowed him.
Clarice was the last to come. Angelo hadn't been paying close attention but as he saw her dressed in a blue, Gaesha style dress, he pushed forward to meet her at the bottom of the stairs.
"Hi," she whispered.
"Wow," he managed to stutter.
"Alright kids, let's go!" The couples exited; Banshee escorting M; Paige and Chamber; Jubilee and Everett; Clarice and Angelo; and Rogue and Wolverine. Storm just shook her head as the procession left.
