FIC - The Reeducation of Remy LeBeau - 135a - Frost Bites (Adult, Xmen, Rogue/Gambit)
The Reeducation of Remy LeBeau – 135a - Frost Bites
Authors: vikingprincess and SciFiGrl47
Setting: Beyond the Movieverse AU
Characters: Rogue/Gambit, Nightcrawler, Beast, Emma Frost, Wolverine, Dryad, Iceman, Xavier, ensemble
Overall Ratings/Warnings: Adult/NC17 overall (language, violence, sexy goodness)
Summary: Emma continues her winning ways.
Dear Readers: Comments inspire the muse and make her happy!
PLEASE DO NOT ARCHIVE.

All prior chapters can be found here.

This chapter was too long to post in one part, so there is a link at the bottom of the first half which will take you to the second half.

Previously:

Nightcrawler patted Emma's hand, golden eyes gleaming, and canted his head to meet her blue, blue eyes. "I am quite certain you are not even close to being outcaste, Emma. Students here are always glad to velcome another lovely addition to the campus."

"Until she kills 'em," Remy said, snarky still.

Emma gave him a look. "You really like attention, don't you?"

"No more den you, it'd appear."

"And now Emma knows better than to play with things she does not yet understand," Kurt pointed out. "Perhaps Dr. McCoy will give you a lovely sling to pamper your shoulder, Remy. Then Rogue will feel compelled to care for you." He gave Remy a sober look, only a second long.

Remy grinned thinly, darkly amused. "Den Rogue'll feel compelled t' kill our newest student, an' dis one hates springin' loved ones from jail."


__________

Frost Bites


"Do you have many loved ones in jail?" Emma asked, saccharine sweet.

"Dis one has a large an' interestin' family. An' a weakness fo' shiny thin's."

"Jail and prison are vonderfully different things, Emma," Kurt informed her with a charming smile. "Prison is for the guilty. Jail is merely intended to contain the temporarily suspect." He opened the door into medbay for her. "After you, fraulein."

"What have you done this time, Remy," the rich voice of Beast inquired from back in his office, and the second blue and furry mutant in the mansion swung out to meet the three younger people. "Ah, Kurt, how lovely to see you! How long will you be staying this time?"

"Ven the Professor tells me to go, I go," Kurt said, with some resignation. "Probably in less than a veek. But I plan to fill the time by getting to know the lovely Emma," he added, and offered her a chair. "Remy has been favoring his shoulder, Dr. McCoy," the German mutant tattled without remorse.

"Remy heals fast," Remy pointed out, but knowing that his life would be a great deal easier if he didn't go within sight of Rogue with one arm misbehaving, he hopped onto one of the diagnostic beds. "An' you know Xavier can't say no t' any one o' us, Kurt, so why don' you jus' ask t' stay? Even a cavalier such as you'self needs a bit o' time t' rest 'mongst friends."

"Indeed," Beast agreed, and gently rotated Remy's arm with his massive clawed paws. "What happened, here?"

"Ve fell," Kurt said, utterly deadpan. "Don't vorry, Remy, this is a mission to vich I am eager to return. South France has many beaches," he laughed. "Filled vith sadly jaded beautiful women who appreciate the unusual, ja?"

"We can't all be soft an' fuzzy," Remy said, and winced as Beast pulled his shoulder back.

"And that is a shame," Emma said, her fingers stroking up Kurt's cheek.

"There is zomething to be said for skin like silk, as well," Kurt pointed out, in a not very oblique compliment.

Beast simply shook his head, long since resigned to such nonsense. "Remy, did you land on this? How could that have possibly happened, even if the two of you were playing pirates?" Well. Perhaps not that resigned; the reference might have a slim chance of embarrassing the overly-intrigued Nightcrawler....

"It was land on dat, or land on dis one's head. De head, it is used from time t' time an' in need o' savin'," Remy said, between gritted teeth. "Dere was a bit o' a problem wit' de Danger Room controls."

Dr. McCoy frowned. "Be sure to let the Professor know. And Wolverine, of course. And Scott. Who was monitoring you? Perhaps they have a better notion of what occurred."

"Emma was kind enough t' keep a good, close eye on what we were doin' from de control room," Remy said.

Emma shot him a nasty look behind various blue backs. Not that he cared, or felt like trying to care. His shoulder hurt. "It was my pleasure. You were both so cute."

"Danke, Emma," Kurt said. "Such a lovely audience vas inspiring."

Dr. McCoy's frown deepened, and he looked sternly at both Remy and Kurt. "As I understand it, Miss Frost has not been here nearly long enough to be acquainted with the Danger Room controls."

"Could be why thin's didn't go quite t' plan," Remy agreed. "An' yes, dis one knows better. But dis one's got poor judgment when it comes t' a pretty face, yes?"

Kurt patted Emma's shoulder, not quite patronizingly. "Has anyone shown you around Westchester, Emma? It is no Muunchen, Paris, or Istanbul, but there are one or two places which serve decent food and play passable music."

Remy watched as Emma struggled to keep her sweet face on. Only the tiniest hardening of her smile that hinted at her true feelings, gone in an instant. "Oh, you're so sweet," she said, biting her lip, her eyes limpid with gratitude.

"Which ain' a yes, you'll notice," Remy said to Beast in an undertone.

"I have ears, Mr. LeBeau," Beast agreed, and prodded Remy's shoulder again. "Would you care for a sling?"

Kurt flashed another smile at Emma. "It is only one of my many charming qualities. Vould meeting at eight in the foyer be convenient for you, liebchen?"

"Christ no," Remy said, undercutting anything Emma was going to say. "An' am sure dat Miss Frost needs t' adjust t' her new life an' her new classmates 'fore she'd be ready t' make de arduous trip int' town."

Kurt gave him a wounded look, and Beast chuckled. "Since Emma was monitoring the controls, I am sure the Professor would like to speak with her. As well as Wolverine.... and Scott."

"Do bet dat Miss Frost'd love t' take a bit o' a walk around de grounds, instead, Kurt," Remy told him. "Show her de local sites 'fore you gotta go t' town." He met Emma's eyes, his own gaze steady. "An' den de three o' us can go tell Logan what happened, yes?"

Kurt laughed. “Vile you get patched up in a way that will not have Rogue handing you your head, ja? Of course, Remy; Emma, would you care to come view our beautiful school?"

Beast rumbled quietly to Remy, "You are far more a demon than anyone else in this room," his tone amused.

"De eyes ain' jus' fo' show, an' dat's fo' true," Remy said, taking a deep breath as Beast straightened his arm one last time. His head gave a particular ache, and his eyes narrowed on Emma. "Kurt, could you do dis one a favor first? Could you bounce upstairs an' find dis one somethin' clean an'... Well, no' tights t' wear? Am sure Emma'll keep dis one company."

"I shall return forthvith," Kurt declaimed, and swept a bow to them all, his eyes twinkling up at Emma. "Just tell me there are no traps in your room today, ja, Remy?" Grinning widely enough to show his delicate fangs, he bamfed away, leaving a lingering cloud of stinky smoke.

"What an... interesting person," Emma mused, eyes speculative, before she turned to Remy. "Oddly, I was under the impression you didn't care for my company."

Remy waited until Hank headed for the back to get an ace bandage before he replied. "Mess 'round wit' dat man, an' dis one'll be severely displeased. Dere are dose here dat know how you’ kind of power games get played, but he ain' one; he’s as ready to be charmed as he is charmin’. So, be good. Or as good as you know t' be."

One elegant eyebrow arched high. "Really. We're only flirting, Remy. He's... darling." Unlike you, her tone implied.

"An' when you get bored, you' be infinitely less charmed. Think you bore easy, don' you?" He grinned. "Be interestin' t' see jus' how far you get 'round here. Or rather, don't get."

Emma reached up to neaten hair that was already perfect, one long, graceful hand tucking it behind her ear. "My, that sounds positively... ominous. I might be hurt, except that more people have been welcoming than not. It's very... sweet." She swayed a little bit closer. "But I suppose you have reason to be a little bit unhappy with me, Remy, for what happened back there. Let me… make it up to you?” She licked her lips.

Remy arched an eyebrow at her. "Dis one's got a girl dat'll rip you head off. Maybe in a literal way." His lips curling up, he added, "Like dis one's girls on de wicked side, but it's more fun corruptin' 'em, rather den worryin’ 'bout a dagger in de back."

Emma paused in the act of licking her lips, and leaned just a little closer, blue eyes intent on Remy's as she asked a leading question for the thoughts it would provoke. "Have you always been this distrustful? That's very sad."

His head tipped to the side, and she got nothing but an annoying buzzing sensation. How aggravating. "Nope. But learned real fast t' judge when someone was manipulatin' de field. Wit' words, wit' sex, or wit' powers. What happened t' you?"

Emma laughed, a charming silvery sound. "Things don't happen to me, Remy. I'm a thermostat, not a thermometer. I cause things; I'm not a victim of other people's... issues."

"Uh-huh. Cause every little girl is born lookin' t' use sex t' twist people." He wondered why it bothered him so much. "Gets hard seein' everybody's thoughts, ain't it? Knowin' exactly what dey think o' you? How old were you, when dey first realized you could do it?"

Emma didn't even blink, and her voice was innocence personified. "What makes you think I'm a telepath, Remy?"

"'Cause you can't get a handle on dis one's head, but no' fo' lack o' tryin'." Remy's teeth flashed. "Dis one knows what a sneaky little brain spy feels like, an' you' been tryin' you' best t' get in. It's enough t' give a fella a headache."

"Oh, my," Emma said, and allowed one hand to flutter to her throat in what passed for distress. "And here I was just sure your Professor would have made certain you all were protected against such things. How careless of him...."

"Oh, no, you misunderstand," Remy purred back. "Dis is jus' dis one. Au natural. Dis one is no' even tryin'," he whispered, his lips just inches from her temple. "Dis is you no' even able t' figure out what part's de central cortex, an' it's makin' you crazy, ain't it?" He grinned. "If dis one actually tried, well, den, you'd jus' be left graspin' nothin' at all. 'Least dis time, you got some clue."

Cooly, Emma turned her head, bringing her mouth within a breath of Remy's, and quite enjoying the feel of being challenged, even if she was certain she would win in the end. One way... or another. "Fascinating," she breathed.

"Dis one's been called worse." Remy held his ground, eyes at half mast, lips curled up. "Today. So, you'll forgive dis one if he don' burst out cryin'." He met her eyes. "Don' make a nuisance o' yourself, Emma. You may think you' tougher den everyone else, but sure an' true, you ain'."

She smiled, slow and wicked. "I don't have to be. Just... smarter." And it wouldn’t take much, either. Not with the monumental naïveté around this place!

"Wouldn't put odds on dat, either." Remy grinned at her. "Oh, but do think it needs sayin'... You don' wanna make an enemy o' dis one."

She fluttered her lashes. "Now you're going to hurt my feelings, Remy. I'm not trying to make enemies. I'm trying to make—" and that smile was back, less wicked, more inviting— "friends. With you."

"Dis one got friends. An' a girlfriend dat can, no’ t' belabor de point, use you' as a very dense missile. So think we can skip de clumsy attempts at seduction."

"Your Walmart-wearing, super-strong, bad dye-job, backwoods trailer-trash girlfriend," Emma purred, not giving an inch, "doesn't scare me. Neither do your friends, and neither, gorgeous but dense Remy, do you. And so long as no one gets in my way," she whispered, as though telling intimate secrets, "no one gets hurt. Promise."

Remy's hand closed around her throat with a flick of his fingers, the move almost too fast to be registered by human vision. "Daddy always said," he whispered back, "dat dere were two types o' dead bodies: de ones dat served as a warnin' t' others, an' de ones nobody ever finds. Don' fuck wit' dis one's friends."

Rather than backing off, delighted to have provoked him into actual, physical action, Emma leaned into the strong hand at her throat. "That's more like it," she purred, the sounds vibrating through her flesh and into Remy's grip. "Show me more, Remy."

"Well, no' if you're enjoyin' it," Remy told her with a grimace. "Defeats de purpose o' threats o' violence." He gave her a little shove back. "Now, dis one's short o' swamps up dis way, so please? Let's no' need killin'. Dis one'd consider it a personal favor, Em."

She laughed, and shook her hair back. "I don't do favors. I make trades. What's in it for me?"

"You get t' live, seems fair t' dis one."

She frowned faintly. "Oh, really now. I don't cave to threats, either, no matter how charmingly delivered. What's behind door number two?"

He considered her. "A partin' gift. Pray you never see it."

Emma rolled her eyes in exasperation, and no little boredom. He wasn't nearly as much fun as he had looked, which was too bad. "Not impressed, and not praying," she retorted. "Also unlikely to be leaving. Possibly unlike you, dear Remy. After all, you've laid hands on me in a threatening manner in a place with security cameras. How careless."

"Emma?" he whispered. "Don't try t' con a conman. No' unless you want someone takin' a good hard look at jus' what buttons you were pressin' in de Danger Room, yes? 'Cause you' reaction didn't look much like dis one was threatenin' at all. In fact, you did seem more den a bit turned on. So be hard t' convince anyone you were in mortal terror fo' you life."

"Oh, I assure you, I was quaking on the inside. Really." Another eyeroll, and she pushed to her feet, getting into Remy's space, and then sauntering on past him as she added her own whisper. "Everyone has a price, Remy. Yours is just a little unusual. Thanks for sharing."

He chuckled. "You want door number two, Miss Frost?" He glanced at her, ruby eyes gleaming. "Den do what even Charles Xavier can't. Get int' dis one's head. You do dat, an' dis one'll give you entry t' a world o' limitless possibilities fo' a woman o' you’… inclinations."

"Hmmm," Emma murmured, her tone bored. "I'll keep that in... mind."

At that moment, Beast came back out from the supply area, Ace bandages clutched in his enormous fists. "They're always in the last place I look," he informed both students with a jovial air. "It's as though Lily deliberately rearranges things when I'm out of town!"

Emma gave Remy a small smile, smug in her ability to confuse the doctor without his even realizing it. .

"She does," Remy lied easily, his guts gone cold at the implications of that smile. "Wit' malice aforethought an' all. She's mean. She's a mean, vicious lady who considers de Hippocratic oath t' be a mere suggestion."

"For heavens' sakes," Beast grumbled. "It's not mere guidelines! Back up on the table, Remy. We'll give that shoulder some support."

Remy did as he was told. "Now, be good, Emma!" he said, baring his teeth at her. "You got class t'morrow. So no stayin' up late."

"Darling," she purred as she stalked out into the hall, unescorted in a secure level of the mansion, "I'm better than good. I'm amazing."

*

the next afternoon

“I’m saying, there’s not much point.” Cipher sipped her tea, face expressionless as a block of wood.

“Really?” Emma crossed her legs and leaned back. “And why is that?”

“Remy has been immune to such machinations since— roughly the age of twelve. He may flirt, but he’s not stupid. Piotr is so old fashioned that you’re just creeping him out. The more you push, the more he’ll retreat. And Bobby—“ Cipher’s lips curled up, just a bit. “It is not in his nature to cheat. He might well break up with me, but he will not cheat.” She set her cup aside. “So, no point."
"Unless she's actually looking for a date," Callie pointed out. "It's possible she's just looking for a date." She gave Emma a smile, still trying. Emma returned a look of disdain.
“There are plenty of boys at this school who are looking for a date, or merely a good time. I don't think you're interested in any of them," Ci said to Emma.
Emma laughed, a sharp, hard edge to it. “I don't think I have to clear my potential dates through you. You're not my matchmaker and you're not my chaperone."
Cipher shrugged. “No.
“You pose no threat to me at all, darling.” Emma's voice had a diamond sharp edge. "Just so we're on the same page? I'm not interested in being friends. I'm not interested in 'hanging out,'" she said, adding finger quotes to the words. "I don't want to bond, I don't want to giggle about how adooorable the boys are." There were faint lines of strain around her perfect mouth, her voice climbing into a thin, stressed pitch. "God, why I have to waste my life in this hellhole of children and morons, I'll never know."
“No?” Her eyebrows arched in polite disbelief, Ci added, “maybe, for all your disdain, you're exactly where you should be.”

Emma gave her a nasty smile. Cipher’s head snapped back, her teacup falling from suddenly nerveless hands and smashing on the ground. She toppled out of her chair, her body spasming as if with a seizure. Callie screamed, grabbing for her, trying to keep her head from hitting the floor, just as the door opened.

There was an instant of stillness, Emma perched like a very pretty gargoyle on the window seat, Cipher’s body jerking in Callie’s arms, blood marking her lips and trailing from her nose. The boys and Rogue in the doorway. Remy lunged for Emma, but wasn’t fast enough. Bobby didn't even have a chance to react before things turned violent.

Suddenly, Emma’s shirt parted, the fabric seeming to tear cleanly under its own weight, at the belly and high across her throat. She jerked backwards, and Cipher reappeared above her, holding a fistful of blonde hair that she’d just sliced off. Blood dribbled from her nose as the Cipher in Callie’s arms disappeared. “See,” she said, her voice calm, “There’s a tiny flaw in your plan. Namely, right now, you can’t feel my mind anymore. Hiding from you is as easy for me as breathing,” Cipher exaggerated. This was exhausting her; Frost was almost as strong as Jean or the Professor! “"You can't hit what you can't 'see', and I'm very good at being invisible.

“So that is the last attack you’ll get in on me. You, meanwhile, have to sleep sometime. And you will not see me, not hear me, never have a clue I’m there.’” Cipher’s fingers flicked and a blade thudded into the wood mere inches from Emma’s hand. “Think very, very hard about that.”

Emma came to her feet with a snarl. Before she could make another move, a calm, very hard voice cut through their heads. ~~That is quite enough.~~

“Got caught,” Remy said to Cipher, his breathing hard. As if by instinct, he turned to Rogue, right beside him –late to the afternoon get-together, and she was rather glad of that— his hands brushing her shoulders, her hair, instinctively checking for any damage.

“Ah’m fine sugar,” she assured him quietly, touched. “Everyone is. Even if they don’t deserve t’ be and are about t’ get one hell of a dressin’ down!”

“What makes you think I was avoiding that?” Cipher replied, wiping blood away from her upper lip. “Damn, but that hurt.”

“Dis one’ll kill her fo’ you.” Rogue elbowed him sharply.

“Thank you, Mr. LeBeau,” Xavier said dryly.

“You cut me!” Emma said to Cipher, her voice artfully high and panicked.

“No, I cut your shirt. Your skin, you might notice, is entirely intact.”

"That's my girl," Bobby murmured, finally under enough control that he wouldn't punch Frost in the face or freeze her into a statue where she stood, and he came to Cipher's side, offering her a handkerchief for her nose and dipping his head to meet her eyes. "I know you've taken much worse. But are you all right, sweetie?"

Ci avoided his eyes. "I'm fine." Always nice to be seen as a rabid dog in front of those you loved.

“I am disappointed in both of you,” Charles said. “Ladies, perhaps you will join me in my office.”

“Of course, Professor.” Cipher straightened up, blotting at the blood still dripping onto her shirt.

“She cut me!”

Xavier looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “While Cipher’s actions were ill-advised, Ms. Frost, perhaps you were not paying attention during orientation. Attacks on your fellow students are to be confined solely to the Danger Room. Mental attacks are both improper and uncalled for, no matter what your provocation.”

He gave Ci a sharp glance. "And I have no doubt that this was, in fact, provoked.

She gave a faint shrug. "It was going to happen. Better to me than some of the others." Still, she'd been shocked by the blank rage of her own response. The mental attack had been a bit more of a violation than she'd anticipated and now, fear was rolling around inside of her like a loose bowling ball, smashing around and making a mess of things.

Rogue observed the grim set of the Professor’s patrician features; she noted Cipher’s nosebleed, and Emma’s air of outrage. And her pretty mouth thinned, just a trifle, as she determined that talking to Logan about the concept of rescheduling her early morning Danger Room workout for the next day to accommodate a… partner had suddenly become even more urgent than it had seemed before Emma had actually hurt someone she loved.

Someone needed a real sharp lesson.

Emma stalked out, with Xavier behind her and Ci breaking away from Bobby with reluctance to bring up the rear. She glanced at Rogue, and added for hers and Bobby's ears, "Remy's going to be cranky. Keep an eye on him?" Moving out quickly to duck any further discussion, she followed them down the hallway.

"She gonna die now," Remy said, his voice terrifying.

Rogue wrapped him in a hard hug, shaking inside. He was capable of it, she knew that all too well. Had already killed for her, the night that should have been their second date, exploding Marq’s heart in his chest. “No, Remy,” she whispered urgently, “y’ can’t. There’s better ways t’ deal with her than that. Ah promise,” she said fervently.

"Noooooo, bad Remy!" Callie said. She was pale and a little freaked out, but resolute. "It's okay, it's okay, the Professor won’t expel them, right? Cause that'd be bad."

Bobby put a reassuring arm around her shoulders. “No, he won’t. Remy and I hurt each other much worse than that before. Much worse,” he reiterated, awarding the Cajun a cool and bracing look. “And nobody got to kill us, either,” he pointed out.

“Damn straight,” Rogue agreed. “Though there was some real temptation a time ‘r two.” She looked up at Remy, and shook him a little. “We’ll find a better way,” she told him again. “Ain’t gonna let nothin’ stand in the way of marryin’ y’all, Remy, and th’ idea of conjugal visits in a prison are just wrong.” Not that he’d ever stay imprisoned for long! She’d break him out herself and live on the run the rest of her days, rather than exist without Remy at her side, if he didn’t beat her to it.

Bobby shook his head in disbelief. “You are a single-minded woman. Callie, you were here; did anything happen that was different from all the other times Emma’s picked at one of you girls? And where’s Kitty?”

"Kitty said she wasn't coming if Emma was, and she used a lot of swear words, and some Yiddish words that I'm pretty sure were swears, too." Callie sighed. "Emma causes swearing. And no, she was just being cranky, and Ci said something to her, about her belonging here, and then there was bleeding and twitching and I don't feel so good."

Remy leaned against Rogue, taking deep, even breaths. "Dis one, neither." He hugged her tight. "Ci don' do so good wit' people in her head, rootin' around like a pig after truffles. She freaks de hell out, even when it's no' bad stuff, soon’s she’s alone."

Bobby looked at him levelly. "How about if she's not alone?"

"Dis one used de sheep. De sheep worked well in luring her out when she was hidin'." Remy gave Bobby a shrug, not letting go of Rogue.

"I'll go wait for her outside the Professor's office," Bobby replied. "Don't do anything stupid." He looked at Rogue. "Don't either of you do anything stupid.

"Good plan, sugar," Rogue agreed. "Callie, Ah know Emma's been right unpleasant and not gettin' any nicer; can't say as how Ah have any fondness for her at all my own self. But simple meanness doesn't give telepathic nosebleeds. That's just... rotten. Entirely rotten and needless. So why do it, when it'll make everyone take that much more against her? Makes no sense." She had her theories, though. Some people just couldn’t stand not being the center of the universe for everyone they encountered. Emma struck her like that. And Rogue just didn’t like or trust her.

"I think some people just can't deal with kindness," Callie said, shrugging. "She might be one of them."

"So she courts meanness and distrust? That'll be great for team-buildin'," Rogue said dryly, and laid her head on Remy's shoulder. "Ah don't like her," she sighed. "Been a while since Ah wanted to smack someone so darned bad."

"Don't," Bobby reiterated, except he was Iceman at that moment, talking to a team-member on a mission. Rogue jerked a nod, and Bobby returned it. "Going now," he added, and left.

*

Professor Xavier waited until both girls were seated before he spoke. "I take it my suggestion of a cup of tea did not have the intended result." There was no response from either, and he sighed. "Miss Frost, no matter how frustrated you are at your present circumstances, I must request that you not take out your feelings on the other students.

“Miss LeBeau, deliberately forcing a confrontation is both dangerous and in many cases unnecessary. Please take care, both of you, because there are many students here who are a great deal less resilient, and the damage you could both do is indescribable. Additionally, there are a number who are a great deal tougher, who could do indescribable damage to you; a knife that cuts both ways, if you will."

He paused. "Consider this your first official warning, both of you. Emma, you have extra Danger Room sessions for the next week. Pray you participate to your fullest extent, or I will be forced to extend the time you spend with your classmates and teachers in this endeavor. Do we understand each other?"

"Show up, do my job, or you'll extend the sentence until I do it properly. Crystal clear," she said, sounding petulant.

"Quite correct. Miss LeBeau, You will attend every one of your classes this week, you will have have no involvement in any missions of any sort, for either the X-men or involving your other responsibilities, you will sand, mend, and re-stain the window frame which you chose to puncture, and you will present me a paper on conflict resolution that does not involve knives."

She blinked at him, startled, but managed to nod.

"Thank you ladies. That will be all."

Ci wasn't exactly steady on her feet when she stood, but since Emma was in such a rush to leave, her stumbling went unobserved.

"Miss LeBeau."

Ci glanced over her shoulder at the professor. "Sir?"

"You did well." He smiled, his eyes gentle. "You were afraid, and yet, you didn't actually hurt her. I'm not pleased with the threat, but I am very pleased that despite the very real fear, you did not hurt her. You could have, and I will admit, I was afraid that if you were backed into a corner, you would. I am proud of your control, Cipher."

She twisted her hands in her shirt. "I really didn't want to be asked to leave," she said, at last.

"But it was not a rational decision. You acted on instinct, during fear and anger, and even with all that, you did not hurt her. I am glad."

Ci swallowed. "Me, too."

*

Bobby waited just outside of the Professor's door for Cipher. Unfortunately, he hadn't taken into account that Emma might be the first to be dismissed, moving fast and looking severely out of sorts.

Emma ground to a halt, nearly running face first into him. She gave him a cutting look. "Do you have any hope of controlling this pack of wild dogs you call a team?" she said with a sweet smile. "Out of all of them, I had high expectations for you."

Bobby gave her a cool look. "Thanks, I think," he said with irony. "And yes, actually. We work very well together, and don't even keep track of who's saved whom's life lately." He crossed his arms, and leaned against the wall. "Emma... tell me something? What, exactly, were you hoping to get out of coming to Xavier's, besides your parents off of your back? I don't think anyone knows. You're not exactly share-girl."

Behind Emma, Ci shrank back from the door before she could be seen. Anxiety washed over her, and without even thinking about it, she went invisible. Slipping past Emma, she tried to get past them both without being noticed. On some level, she wondered why she bothered; Bobby always seemed to find her.

As he waited for Emma's reply, senses as extended as he could make them, Bobby's fingers twitched against his own forearm, a simple hand signal that meant, 'wait.' He thought there were three people, not two, emitting water vapor with every breath in the hallway, but he wasn't entirely sure. The signal was a backup.

Ci shrank back against the wall, hoping against hope that he was just here to bother Emma. Emma didn't know the signals, though, so that meant she was pretty well caught. She paused, chewing on her lower lip.

"I'm sorry, I must've missed the part of the entrance application that required a background essay," Emma said, fluttering her eyelashes at him. She slid up to him, leaning into his space, all soft cleavage and polished makeup, her perfect lips pursed. "Are you really that interested?"

He couldn't help it. He really couldn't. His eyes flickered briefly down to her breasts, and then back up again to lock on her eyes, blue staring into blue. "Usually am, when someone tries to blow my girlfriend's brains out of her nose," he agreed. Again, his fingers fluttered in the 'wait' signal. "I was actually waiting for her, but I would still like an answer from you. What are you looking for, here, at this school? Not your parents. You."

Emma walked her fingers up his chest, her glittering snow white nails flicking against his shirt. "I want to do whatever I want, whenever I want to do it," she breathed, her eyelashes sweeping against her cheeks. "And I will. Wanna come along for the ride?" She swayed in, her arms sliding around his neck. "It's going to be an amazing one."

"No thanks, I have a girlfriend," he reminded her, then Bobby planted his palm on her sternum, and pushed her back, not roughly, but not gently, either. "If all you can give me is BS like that, I'm sorry I bothered to ask." He slid away from Emma with a look of disgust. "At the rate you're going, by the time you decide to be honest with yourself and everyone else, no one will want to listen. Have a nice evening, Emma," he said with chilly politeness. "I'm sure Cipher'll be showing up soon, and I'm here for her."

"You have a girlfriend," she agreed. "Which is, in essence, a temporary thing. See, that's what boys like you always forget. Having a girlfriend does not preclude you from doing something better. Something less... Childish. Like have sex instead of babying a little girl." She swished her hair over her shoulder with a flick of her hand. "And your mistake is thinking that everyone has some grand plan. Some people just go where they end up going, and make the best of a bad situation, darling."

"If you say so," Bobby replied cooly, locating that third cloud of water vapor and leaning right next to it, one hand shoved in a jeans pocket. "But it looks to me like you're a person who's taking a situation she thinks is bad, and doing everything in her power to make it worse. Pretty counterproductive."

Ci leaned her cheek against Bobby's shoulder, her heart pounding. Feeling guilty about it almost instantly, she pulled away, intending to follow Emma before he locked on to her.

"I know you're there," he whispered. "Don't go." More loudly, he added, "Thanks for the invitation, Emma, but no thanks. I think I have to wash my hair every single minute from now on."

"Well, my shower's open." Emma disappeared down the hall and was gone.

Bobby turned and hugged Cipher hard. "When Kitty's right," he whispered into her hair, "she's really right."
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part two of 'Frost Bites'
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