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CHAPTER 12: RETURNS & EXCHANGES
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As emotionless as she often was, there were times when Sage genuinely disliked her powers. The perfect memory was a blessing, but her analytical mind made things too predictable. She would have liked a surprize for once. Jean arrived within a day of her last phone call exactly as expected.
The data-oriented mutant was even able to open the door before Mrs. Grey-Summers had even knocked. At first, the redhead was startled and blinked. Then, remembering who she was watching, she sighed and treaded into the hallway.
“Is Franklin here?”
“No. He went shopping with Rogue. I suspect that they will not be back until later this evening.”
Jean didn’t seem terribly dissapointed.
“That’s alright, I suppose. I wanted to stay a while anyway. But when I leave....!”
“Let us worry about that later. For now, welcome.”
“Thank you.”
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Rogue smiled at the overloaded shopping cart. At first, Franklin hadn’t seemed to care one way or the other what they did at the sale. But then, he started glancing at the books Rogue had chosen, and began making suggestions of his own. He would open a table of contents on each tome she selected, and look through the chapters to see if it was a quality text or not. He handled himself like a professional.
Rogue looked over the selection. Pre-algebra, science overviews, history books, geography maps, miscelanious computer handbooks, and abridged versions of classic novels. Coupled with a few impulse-buys and gifts for friends, it was quite a haul. The boy and the lady smiled at each other. Packing the items in bags, they prepared to head home.
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Remy groaned into his pillow. As far as he was concerned, there really wasn’t any privacy in the house anymore. He had grown tired of listening to Heather and Neal’s arguments over the image inducer. In order to escape their disruptive debating, he had gone upstairs into the make-shift gymn area. He escaped intruding on their quarrel, only to intrude on Ororo and Davis making ‘twiterpated’ glances at each other. He shook his head; Franklin had been making him watch ‘Bambi’ too many times.
Remy sighed. He really didn’t know Slipstream very well. The majority of the Australian’s bonding time with the X-men had taken place when Remy was held as prisoner and gate-way for a group of inter-dimentional invaders. All the same, he was glad that Ororo was finally opening up to someone again. Until Davey, it had seemed that Forge had destroyed Stormy’s ability to love that way again. It was good to see her flirting and smiling once more. He’d just have to keep an eye on this Cammeron boy to make sure he did right by her.
And now there was Jean. Bad enough having to deal with a hoard of loud mutants, but a telepath among them? It was enough to make him squirm. He had heard Bishop muttering about ‘telepaths’ and ‘too good at dislodging secrets’ and felt inclined to agree with him. Though why Bishop worried about secrets of all people was still a mystery to Remy.
He could hear the sound of packing a few rooms away. Logan didn’t carry much, but he had some extra clothing to stuff in his bag. The Cajun sighed. Even Wolverine had seen enough. Something must have malfuntioned in that robotic brain belonging to Franklin’s dog. The metalic mut had self-programmed its puppy hide to tail the Canadian wherever he went and it was driving Logan crazy. The fact that Jean would now being staying in the house only served to hit him lower as a reminder of things he’d lost long ago. So the clawed mutant was leaving. He was wanted elsewhere too for that matter. Warren’s team and Scott had both requested his presense several times for different missions. By bailing out of New Orleans, Logan would finally be able to comply. Remy sighed. He’d miss having the knuclehead around, but he knew Wolverine couldnt’ stay.
Gambit winced. His furtive ears could hear through the walls, disturbed by Jean’s unpacking, Lifeguard and Thunderbird’s arguing, and the distant sound of Logan’s motercycle. Finally, he retreated to Sage’s room for peace and quiet.
Sage had added extra insulation into her private quarters to allow her to work undisturbed. Remy--being a thief--knew that he could join her without disrupting her research. He entered her room to see her typing away on a letter to a contact, asking for information. He tried to read the letter.
“I would appreciate it if you were to stop spying over my shoulder, Remy.”
“Not much of a spy compared t’ you, chere. Y’had us fooled for years on end, neh?”
The quiet woman frowned.
“I’d rather we did not discuss my years within Shaw’s Inner Circle. The memories are not pleasant, and that time is long gone.”
Remy bowed his head. “Sorry. But on anot’er note, what ya writin’?”
“An old ally of Shaw’s. He is unaware of my departure from my former life, and will still be willing to provide data.”
“Why can’t you jus’ hack int’ de system dat contains de info ya want?”
“Not all knowledge is uploaded onto a computer, Remy. There are some things that can only be told through a tightly reigned word-of-mouth. In this case, email.”
Gambit nodded. “Make sense.”
There was silence between them for some time. Even though he knew Sage’s walls were well-insulated, he somehow sensed the entire house grow quieter. Jean must have settled in by now. And Neal and Heather seemed to have stopped fighting for the moment. His mood lightened accordingly.
He decided to go see Jean. She had seemed rather depressed when she arrived, as though she could use some cheering up. He wasn’t opposed to her, really. So long as she didn’t try to bother Franklin, he recalled her company as being rather pleasant. And besides, if she was moping, it was his duty as the resident charming Cajun to lighten her mood. It was a beautiful day, and far to precious to waste.
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Heather knew the day for what it was and also knew it shouldnt’ be wasted. The hot sun reminded her of the good ol’ days in Surfer’s Paradise, where she and Davey had led a simpler life. A life where her mutation actually made things easier, where her and Davis’s main concern was making ends meat and putting propper food on the table.
The memories left a small pang in her chest, telling her to focus on the present, and that those old days were gone. Lifeguard saught to sway her thoughts. But, realizing that to do so would force her to think about Neal, she retreated back into her memories.
Learning that she was half-shiar was something she could only imagined in her wildest 7-year-old dreams. She and Davey would often make up stories of what their parrents must be like as they grew up in the orphanage. By the time that they were adopted by a nice couple living near the shoreline, the dreams had become more realistic.
By the time they were both teenagers, they had stopped caring. Both had ocean-oriented lives with Heather as a lifeguard and Davis as an avid surfer. The difference was that Heather could make a little money with her occupation. Davey, now a young man, was still as reliant on his older sibling as always.
Heather smiled. Even as they broke away from their folks, trying to live their own lives, Davis still seemed more of a boy than a man. Boyish naivette, boyish smile, boyish interests, boyish clothing...she hadn’t been kidding about what she said to Neal when they first went to chaperone her brother’s date with Storm.
With light-colores slacks, shoes, and bright print shirt, it was the most she had ever seen her brother dress up. Heather sighed. As angry as she could be with the X-men for bringing her into this lifestyle, she had to admit...it had done Davey good. His crush on the regal weather witch made ‘acting as an adult’ seem more appealing. It made him want to grow up. She smiled beneath the inducer’s illusion. She was proud of him.
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The lacky was proud of his work; he had finally found her. He gazed at the blond-haired Australian woman on the data screen.
"Is that the one, master?"
"No, you blithering idiot! That is his sister; show me the man!"
"He...he is beyond our scope, master. We do not have access to the inside of their houses."
"Then get access, or you will be beyond all scope of existance."
"Y...yes, master."
Doom frowned. He desperately wanted his revenge, but he dared not rush things. His plan would not work without a teleporter. The blue one, Nightcrawler, did not have the raw power. The Cheney woman, the singer, was out of reach in some shi'ar galaxy. Only the Cammeron one would do: the one called Slipstream.
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Author’s Notes: I’m incredibly sorry for delays, but I’ve been getting ready for school to start again and have been trying to enjoy my very last day of freedom. I’m not sure if the start of school will give me more or less time to work on this story, but in the meantime, I have a question: Outside of anything involving Rogue, Remy, and Franklin, what’s your favorite sub-plot? Something to think on till next time! ^-^
