When In Rome: Part 7 by Mice >**Standard Mice Disclaimer** Mice is in no way associated with the Marvel Comics Group. She is merely trying to write a story and this is all she has to show for it. A noble effort. Though she would one day like to be paid for writing, please don't send her any money (send mail to [email protected] on instructions to send her money). Bobby Drake, Jubilee, Hank McCoy, etc, do not belong to her, but to the Marvel Comics Group. Annie Peckenpaugh, Nan, and Harpo Lubbock are of her own mind. Any archiving of this story that is unaware of her attention will be ily received (Read: Tiki Curse). If you e-mail her, explain your intentions to archive the story and address of your archive, she will be MORE than gracious and will probably do something nice for you, like bake you brownies, not to mention permission to archive the story. In truth, she just wants to know where she can drool over the sight with her name. *G* If you want to e-mail her comments (read: FEEDBACK), do it at [email protected]. Good or bad, you・l still probably get some brownies out of the deal, but it・ not really that great of a reward because she can・ cook. ・ell, aren・ you
going to model them, Hank?・/font>
・ean, they are
tiny and satin and in no way is it going to find it・ way on my derri・e.・/font>
・our uniform is
comprised of just as much material,・Jean pointed out as she continued
to swish around the male lingerie in her hands.
・ have a belt.
The belt helps.・The argument had made perfect sense in his head, but
upon saying it out loud, Hank McCoy saw the toothpicks his theory was
built on.
・ive them to Bobby.
Bobby will wear anything distasteful.・/font>
With the mention
of Bobby, Hank nodded his head once. ・・ glad he and Annie are together.
They make a good match.・/font>
・ou almost said
that with no trace of bitterness. You want to try again?・/font>
・・ being honest,
Jean. Annie・ a silly girl who・ thoughts turn to a more simple breed
of man...and who better than my best companion? My little buddy?・Hank
shrugged as he swiped back his satin thong. ・esides, I am casually
seeing the delightful Emily Clay-Poole who dotes on me and gives me
wonderful gifts. Life is wonderful, Jean. Everything is exactly as it
should be.・/font>
Jean shook her
head. ・xcept that your panties are nicer than mine.・/font>
-2- Annie groaned
as the music played and began to teeter from one side to another on
her ice skates. ・or crying out loud, Bobby, I think you requested more
songs by Duran Duran than what they actually put out!・/font>
Bobby pouted, his
features untouched by the cold that plagued Annie・ usually ruddy face
and the unfortunate twin peaks on her chest. For Bobby, the ice rink
was the premiere place to take his dates. ・hey must play View to a
Kill. And Save a Prayer.・/font>
・ hate Save a
Prayer,・she flatly replied before rubbing her nose again, causing the
redness to spread. She sat down to give the huge blisters that were
forming on her feet a rest. Lord, how she hated the ice rink.
・ake that back.・/font>
・ hate that song,
Bobby. I can・ stand it. It・ too long and there・ nothing to it.・/font>
・ake that back.・/font>
Annie stared at
Bobby, waiting for him to smile and give her a quick hug. None of that
was about to happen. ・t・ just a band, Bobby...・/font>
・nd I suppose
you think the music of the Barenaked Ladies is just cute, too.・/font>
・t・ okay.・/font>
Bobby groaned.
・ suppose you・e going to tell me that your favorite band is Heart.
Your favorite band is Heart, isn・ it? Dear God, my girlfriend likes
Heart!・/font>
Annie stared down
at her skates. ・nn Wilson has an incredible voice.・/font>
Bobby brought his
head to his hands and shook. ・ell me that you have no Wilson-Phillips
in your collection....please, Annie, just say no to Chyna...・/font>
・ have both albums
actually.・/font>
・ape or CD?・/font>
・oth. Hank upgraded
me.・/font>
・ugh!・/font>
Just then, Save
a Prayer played over the rink.
・ugh!!・/font>
-3-
・o, then, I thought
for my campaign posters, I・ going to have this really pretty green
and blue color scheme with stripes. They・l be eye catching, but not
too aggressive. What do you think, Jubilee?・/font>
・ think I just
wasted half an hour of my glorious teenage years on you again, Guthrie.・
Jubilee got up to leave her room. ・ gotta go.・/font>
・ubilee, this
election is very important to me! If I win, I・l be president of a large
and prestigious boarding school. Brown University will just want to
eat me up next fall!・/font>
・hat happened
to the whole, ・ want to lead the X-Men・dream?・/font>
・ did some research
and concluded that I do not meet the height requirement.・/font>
Jubilee blinked
at her roommate. It was something she did a lot when she didn・ understand
Paige Guthrie・ logic. This was 392 for the day.
・ife falls in
patterns, Jubilee. It makes things efficient. The more clearly we see
the patterns in others, the clearer we can see the patterns within ourselves
so we can change them for the better instead of the worse.・/font>
393. ・here the
hell did you get this shit, Guthrie?・/font>
Paige held up a
worn book called, ・cience as Karma: The Actual and Factual Cycles of
Life・by a Dr. E. Clay-Poole.
-4-
・nnie?・Hank called
out into Bobby・ room. He settled himself down onto Bobby・ bed and
stared at some of his best friends impressive action figure collection.
He picked up a Chewbacca, Han Solo, and the semi-precious stone that
was Leia in the gold bikini figure. ・ello,・the Han figure told Leia.
・y name is Bobby Drake and I think you・e dumb. I don・ like you.・
Chewbacca went up next. ・ello, I・ Henry and I・ a Virgo. I have a
PhD, a Nobel Prize, and I can cook.・Leia looked at Chewbacca. ・ow,
Henry! You sure are nifty, but Bobby thinks I・ dumb! Tee hee! I think
I・l go out with him!・/font>
・ou may want to
start with someone who doesn・ have as many standards as Leia, Hank...Emperor
Mego over there may agree to coffee...・/font>
Startled, Hank
threw the action figures into a pile of clothes before collecting himself.
・arren, greetings. Funny meeting you here in Robert・ room.・/font>
・he same, overly
formal one.・Warren went over and sat on the bed with Hank. ・m I just
not seeing it?・/font>
・eeing what, Warren?・/font>
・ mean, the girl
is cute and that・ about it. She・ amusing...she・ smart enough...but
there・ not much else.・/font>
・・ afraid I don・
get you, Warren.・/font>
・hy in the world
are you and Bobby so hot for this one girl? He did it, and now you figure,
・hat the hell? Bobby・ doing it, why not me?銕
Hank rolled his
eyes. ・ am not! I have a woman friend whom I am seeing on a casual
basis--・/font>
・ou・e screwing
Emily Clay-Poole just so Annie can bend her knee comfortably.・/font>
・isten to me,
Warren. Annie is my student--・/font>
・ho your best
friend is now heavily interested in. And now you・e interested. You
guys always do this.・/font>
・o what?・/font>
Warren smiled.
・o you remember when you started dating Vera? What was the first thing
Bobby did?・/font>
・e asked her friend
Zelda out.・/font>
・ight. When I
was dating...ah, what・-her-face...one of the Arquette sisters...I don・
remember which, I can never tell Rosanna and Patricia apart....anyway,
when I was dating one, Bobby didn・ try to date the other. But when
you started dating, Bobby started dating.・/font>
・hat means nothing.
When all of us left the X-Men, he went with you to form the Champions.・/font>
・nly after he
tried for the Avengers.・/font>
Hank blinked. ・obby
was never an Avenger.・/font>
・ never said he
was. I said he tried to be. They turned him down. They didn・ think
he・ be an asset of any kind. He was so upset, he came out with me to
Los Angeles.・/font>
・ didn・ know
that...・/font>
・nd Bobby hates
Twinkies. He really loathes them. He only started eating them to be
like you. And remember when you went and started to date Trish? Remember
what Bobby did? He went out and found someone just as annoying to date,
just so he could be like you.・/font>
・o far, you・e
only given me examples of what Bobby・ done to be like me.・/font>
・ell, up until
now, you had everything he wanted. Now he has what he wants. And now,
you want what he has.・Warren began to smirk as he got up off the bed.
・emember that pool you, Bobby, and I had about Scott and Jean? Who
would ask who out first? Who・ make the first move, etc?・Hank nodded
slowly, trying to keep up with his friend. ・e・e already started one
about you, Annie, and Bobby. ・/font>
・ don・ follow.・/font>
・ank, of all the
things you and Bobby have done, you・e never fallen for the same girl.
This is going to be interesting.・With that, Warren left the room.
・ HAVE a woman
friend who I am seeing on a casual basis!・Hank reminded his friend
as he left. He picked up the nearest action figure to signify it. ・he・
smart, she・ respected, and she・--・Hank looked at the action figure
in his hand. ・he・ Jabba the Hut.・/font>
-5- Annie limped
feebly into the restaurant.
・ would have carried
you in, Annie.・/font>
・ would have loved
to see you try, short man.・/font>
・・ 5・0!・/font>
・n the waking
world that we all inhabit?・/font>
They sat on a bench,
waiting to be seated. ・ still would have carried you in.・Bobby grabbed
her hand gently and placed it in his lap to hold. ・・ sorry that skating
didn・ work out, Annie.・/font>
・t just hurts
a lot.・/font>
・ know, I just
wasn・ thinking...・/font>
Annie frowned as
she put her head on Bobby・ shoulder. ・ know you don・ understand about
my knee...a lot of people think it・ just something so frivolous, especially
compared to whatever you and your friends deal with, but it hurts me.
It interferes directly with my life every day. Some days, I have to
crawl out of bed because it hurts so bad. Some days are better than
others, but it doesn・ mean that it doesn・ exist. Having Hank arrange
that surgery for this Friday was probably the best thing that・ happened
to me all year.・/font>
With that, Bobby
let go of her hand. ・h. I・ sorry.・/font>
She sighed, frustrated.
・o you always have to be so sensitive?・/font>
・ell, my girlfriend
is more excited about going to the hospital than going out with me,
am I supposed to be happy?・/font>
・top calling me
that.・/font>
・top calling you
what?・/font>
・・ not your girlfriend.・/font>
・h.・Bobby ran
his fingers through his hair. ・h.・/font>
・e had sex, Bobby,
it doesn・ mean we now have a commitment...I like you, I really do,・
Annie explained, not moving from her previous position.
・t・ just that
you love Hank.・Annie hit Bobby. ・hat was that for?!・/font>
・ didn・ say anything
about Hank. This has nothing to do with Hank. This has to do with what
we did and how we・e going to deal with it.・/font>
-6-
・o then she・
all, ・oh, aren・ my posters pretty? And I read this book that says
that if I eat only carrots and garbanzos beans at 2 p.m., a rainbow
will burst through my ass!・and I・ all, ・eah. Sure.・You・ think after
a few years at this school, I・ get a new roommate, but no.・Jubilee
sighed into the phone. ・arpo thinks that I should do something. I asked
him what, and he said that I・e already thought about it and I need
to realize the idea myself instead of having someone else point it out
to me. It・l make the idea that much more precious, or something. He
said something really sweet and Harpo, and all I could think about was
that if he were here, we・ so be making out after that, but he・ still
in Texas and it sucks. It sucks, Nan. It just sucks.・/font>
・ave you thought
about it, Billie?・/font>
・bout what? What
I・ going to do? I guess talk to Mr. Cassidy about a new roommate--・/font>
・hat・ your GPA
right now?・/font>
・.9.・/font>
・re you a leader?・/font>
・ell, yeah, naturally.・/font>
・re you a better
dresser than her?・/font>
・hat goes without
saying. Why are you asking me all this, Nan?・/font>
・ust making sure
my Billie is going to be able to do all the extra-curricular activities
she wants this year. Some things have a minimum GPA, you know.・/font>
・o where does
style come into it?・/font>
・ want to make
sure you look better, that・ all. Looking good is half the battle. Look
at the election 2000 -- if Gore had grown a goatee and showed a bit
more of his style, there would have been no mistake about who would
be in the White House right now. Clinton had style. That・ why there
was no other choice. I miss Clinton, I really do.・/font>
The wheels turned
slowly in her head as her call waiting beeped. ・old on, Nan...・She
clicked over. ・ello?・/font>
・ow that you・e
made your initial decision, can Ah be your campaign manager?・/font>
-7-
・ want a hamburger,
medium rare -- I love it when the middle is still pink. I want Swiss
and real cheddar cheese dripping off of it with three strips of grease
drizzling bacon and a small colony of grilled onions and mushrooms.
I want my fries done well -- so well that the potatoes weep for it・
fate. After that, I want a piece of cherry pie heated with a scoop --
no, two scoops of chocolate and vanilla ice cream. To drink, I want
beer. I don・ know why, but I just want something thick, heady, and
that I haven・ had in a while. It・ a weird feeling. That・ what I want.・/font>
・he・l have the
soup and a glass of water.・/font>
・ know that, but
he asked me what I wanted, not what I could have...big difference, Bobby.・
Annie rolled her eyes and folded the menu back up.
・f you want something
sweet, I・l let you have one of those peppermints after dinner.・/font>
・ee, thank you,
Saint Drake.・/font>
・ou・e just cranky
because you haven・ eaten decent food in three days.・/font>
・harp as a tack,
Bobby, that・ what you are.・/font>
The waiter winced
at their exchange and cleared his throat. Annie sensed the tension that
was rising all over the restaurant since she and Bobby had gotten there.
Arguing about where to eat at the rink was bad, the bickering in the
car on the way to Harry・ was unnerving, but this was just pathetic.
・oup and water.・
Annie nodded to the waiter and he left quickly. She then turned her
head back to Bobby who was seated in front of her. ・o you remember
the part in my life where I broke off a nine year relationship?・/font>
Bobby nodded, chastised
by his almost girlfriend. ・ut I thought that you were over it and--・/font>
Annie shook her
head and took his hand. ・hat man...no matter how much he hurt me...I
loved him, Bobby and I・ still getting over it.・Her teeth found the
top part of her bottom lip and she began to gnaw gently on it, in desperate
search of something to say to make him understand. She only found a
familiar salty taste instead. ・ave you ever been in love, Bobby?・/font>
・ure I have.・/font>
・ mean really
in love, Bobby, where the other person loved you and there was a form
of strong commitment. Have you ever been in a relationship?・/font>
Bobby shook his
head no. ・・e been in love, but all my relationships pretty much fizzle
out.・/font>
・o you find it
easy to fall in love?・/font>
He looked her directly
into her eyes, as if to almost accuse her. ・hen it・ the right girl,
it・ the simplest thing to do.・/font>
・ don・, Bobby.
With Lindsay, it was easy. Ever since he asked me out, everything was
so easy, whether it be going out, talking, or even putting up with his
cheating. It was easy -- almost no effort on my part. When I broke off
the engagement, I felt like a lot of weight had been lifted off of me.
Weight that I・e been carrying around for a long time. And when you
start saying that I・ your girlfriend, that weight comes back and it・
not as easy to put on as it was before. Do you understand what I・ saying?・/font>
・・ burdening
you.・/font>
・ou・e suffocating
me. Bobby, all we did was sleep together when we were both drunk when
we were both pretty weak. It・ not like we love each other.・/font>
Bobby looked at
her with wet eyes. ・ut I do love you.・/font>
-8-
Scott Summers pulled
up a patch of land next to one of his oldest friends. ・ank?・/font>
・・ dating Jabba
the Hutt.・Hank turned to Scott in hopes of words of wisdom to pour
out of his happily married mouth.
・itches, man.・/font>
・ardon moi?・/font>
Scott shook his
head. ・itches. You go from Trish Tilby to Emily Clay-Poole. Hank, what
were you thinking?・/font>
・ou・e getting
a kick from being part of the pool, aren・ you?・/font>
・amn straight.・
Scott took a dramatic moment and sighed. ・ou know what the easiest
part of being married is, Hank? I know Jean・ moods. I know Jean. I・e
spent a good deal of time learning how to deal with Jean, and I know
that there is no one that could handle Jean more than me. And I know
that I couldn・ handle anyone else but Jean. Those times when Jean was
dead and I went looking for another relationship...those were hard times.
I knew how Jean reacted, what Jean wanted. I didn・ want to devote anymore
time into learning another woman・ system.・/font>
・nd then there
are the pancakes.・/font>
・nd then there
are the pancakes.・He turned to Hank. ・o you want to get used to Emily
Clay-Poole・ system? You need to decide that now, Hank, before you get
roped in.・/font>
・mily won・ let
me eat pancakes.・/font>
Scott clucked his
tongue. ・itches, man. Bitches.・/font>
-9- ・nnie, that
was phenomenal!・/font>
Annie basked and
blushed in her praise and if she could have, she would have done a dance.
Praise from Hank McCoy was the kind she looked forward to the most.
He・ even pat her on the head affectionately. If only this praise wasn・
for the fact that she could now take apart and assemble back into working
order a multitude of machinery that populated the mansion.
・on・ be so modest,
you and your abilities are growing at an alarming rate! It・ wonderful!・
He grabbed her up in a hug. ・o more blushing.・/font>
・hat・ so bad
with blushing,・she said, trying hard not to bury herself into Hank・
silky and furry arm. ・ou do it all the time.・/font>
・o not.・/font>
・ur or no fur,
Hank, I can always tell when you blush.・/font>
Hank began to break
out in nervous titters as he separated himself from Annie. ・ find that
very distressing.・/font>
・on・ worry...I
don・ think anyone else notices...unless you do that, ・w, shucks, ma・,
t・in・ nothin・to it・routine.・Annie smiled, looking up at him with
shining eyes. ・・l keep it my little secret.・/font>
・hank you, Annie.・
Hank returned the smile back to his student. ・re you all set for tomorrow?・/font>
Annie・ head nodded
at rocket speed. ・ have my bag packed and I・e only eaten the things
Dr. Clay-Poole allowed for the past twenty-four hours.・/font>
Hank scratched
his head. ・he gave you a list of foods?・/font>
・eah...they・e
really weird and they all smell like horse spit. Tastes about the same,
too.・/font>
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