Institutionalized

INSTITIONALIZED CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT (NC-17)
Disclaimers Apply

A/N Goddess Foxfeather, Queen of Mad Plotbunnies and BUSIEST WOMAN ALIVE (tm), Tim is snarking into the coffee this morning...I think he is accusing Dodo of giving all the chocolate to the mermaid...I can't be sure. InterNutter, TC and Maxwell Pink are loverly for archiving. :) Readers/Reviewers: Oh, I hope I'm starting to make sense here... And just to warn those who might squick easily...There is going to be a slashy scene in a chapter or two. I'll make sure to give ample warning and set off the section with a mark or something so you can skip ahead to the rest of the story if you don't want to read it. And the Killer Kitties (tm) and their Minions (tm) want to start a bathhouse, so I'd be worried if I were y'all.




"This is painful for me to admit," Mystique began, pausing not for effect but rather to gain some sense of balance as the blood rushed past her ears, "but I need your help." She received no response other than a considering gaze. "Fine, I'm sorry. I'm weaker than you, I will never have the power you wield and I have made several grievous errors in the recent past because of my haste to bring about the rebirth of the Brotherhood in my image." The rope holding her high above the ground by virtue of her ankles tightened painfully for a moment before relaxing, not letting her go. Mystique knew that she could easily get out of the situation and probably kick some major ass on her way out the door, but she knew that she had to do this, suck it up, as the kids say, and swallow her pride. "I beg your forgiveness and ask for your help."
"What do you have to offer me?"
"My..." she sighed and closed her eyes, "My abject assistance in all you do. I'll give up my attempts to lead the Brotherhood, I'll give up Emma..."
"What brought about this change of heart?"
Mystique did not know how much of the truth she should tell him. She settled for, "I was foolish in thinking I could take on Xavier and the Hellions without a force of my own. I abandoned the constant in my life without looking back, burning the bridge that brought me so far. I can't apologize anymore without it sounding trite."
"Let her down."
Mystique fell with a thud and lay on her back for a moment, mostly in an effort to calm her temper before rolling easily to her feet. She took a good look at what had been holding her-an old-fashioned noose suspended from a surreal tree1-and then gave the girl next to it an appraising glance. "Interesting gift."
Tarot inclined her head and smiled slightly. She looked past Mystique to Pietro, who slipped from the room on cat-feet, silent even as he broke into a run just outside the door. "Magneto thinks so."
Magneto smiled thinly. He would have dearly loved to see the two females tear into each other, if for no other reason than for the sheer bloodiness of it all, but he was on a tight schedule. "Down, girls," he murmured, coming around the heavy oak desk as the tree produced from Tarot's card disappeared in a blink. "Mystique, you have been playing with fire and now you're burned. You expect me to salve your wounds?"
She did burn then, her anger welling inside. She wanted to tear into him then, tell him she could not care less if the Brotherhood was rebuilt as he desired because she was taking it from him the first chance she got. Mystique knew better than to mention Roberto, no matter how much of a coup it was that one of Emma's own had come to her seeking to sever ties. Instead, she said "I think I can bring some help to your cause if you have me back."
"Help? Another teenager running around to muck up the place? No, thank you." Magneto glanced at the wall clock and nodded to Tarot, who slipped from the room by the same door Pietro had used, leaving the older mutants alone with the Westminster chimes signaling six o'clock in the evening.
"No...not another teenager," she lied. "It's no matter who. I'm just ready to come back...to stop Emma."
"What is so fascinating about Emma Frost that you feel the need to stop her?"
Mystique ground her teeth in frustration, knowing that Magneto was toying with her, not giving her an answer just to watch her squirm. Instead of answering him, she said "Eric, it can be like old times...you, Sabretooth, me...all of us introntrol again...think of it..." She shifted her stance, her natural blue form meaning a distinct lack of clothing as she rolled her hips slightly, tilting her head as if inquisitive. True to her intentions, Magneto's gaze swept her from head to toe, lingering on some portions of her anatomy longer than others. "Just...like...old...times..."
Magneto's gaze became shuttered and he looked away, checking the time again before saying "It is not so easy, Mystique, to regain my trust. You must prove yourself to me..."
"How?" she asked, hearing the echo of her conversation with Roberto in this one.
"I'll tell you when the time is right." Magneto turned on his heel and strode from the room, followed by a dim mist Mystique had not noticed before.


Even as they worked on getting the Wagners settled in the boathouse, making sure to keep Rogue safely away from the main house, Kitty was extremely worried. Wanda, Logan and Storm had set about searching for Tabby, telling the teenagers to act as if everything were normal. Cecilia was in the med lab, spirited in without being seen with some difficulty and a lot of help from Storm, distracting the students by creating such a tremendous thunderstorm that the power went out for several minutes. Kurt was giving every appearance of nonchalance, helping his mother unpack her few bags as his father settled Erika, Katja and Anja in the small upstairs bedroom. It had taken much cajoling, but the entire clan had agreed to stay in the boathouse. Rogue was dozing on the sofa next to a smirking Todd, who looked entirely too pleased with himself despite the afternoon's chaos. Lance and Amara were nowhere to be found, nor was Tarot.
"Katzchen," Kurt murmured, stopping her as they passed in the narrow hallway, "what is it?"
"Tabby," she said shortly.
"Schatz," he said, turning her to face him fully and stepping close enough to press her back against the wall, "look at Todd and Rouge. Do they look worried?"
"No," she sighed, "and that worries me, too."
"They aren't worried because Logan is going to find her. You know this happens more to her than anyone we know, and you know it's probably Pietro again."
"But Cecilia..."
Kurt sighed and pulled her into an embrace. He could feel the worry radiating off of her like electric shocks as she pressed against him, her fingers knotting small clumps of his fur mindlessly. He had seen the scorch marks on the table in the doctor's office and knew that, whatever had happened to her, it had not been from within the woman. "Kitty," he said seriously, "Logan, Storm and Wanda will find her. I promise. And Cecilia is going to be fine. Beast won't let her die. He'll take her to the hospital himself before it gets that close." He pushed her away slightly, enough to look her in the eyes. "The Professor is looking for her with Cerebro and he thinks...he knows that she's still alive."
Kitty sniffled then, her eyes red with unshed tears. "I can't believe I'm so worried about Tabby."
Kurt stroked her hair, mindful of his family all around them, and said, "You care about people, Kitty. And with Tabby, you've got two to worry on!"
Kitty gasped. "Oh, my God! What if the baby..."
He sighed and pulled her close again. "Schatz, they're both fine! I promise you."
"How can you promise me that?"
"I'm the amazing Nightcrawler...I'm special like that."
Kitty smiled weakly and kissed the tip of his nose. "Special in all sorts of ways."
He grinned and nuzzled her neck, making her giggle against her will as she held tight to his shoulders for balance when he tried to literally sweep her off her feet. "Want to count how many ways?"
"Kurt!" she squeaked, trying to push him away without much effort behind her hands. "We have the party tonight..."
"Not all night...and I'll bet Tabby is back long before midnight."
"And if she's not?" she asked, becoming serious again, resting her hands against his chest solemnly.
"Then we'll worry about it then."
"And if she is?"
"Then I'll do many wicked things to you so I will have something good for Confession this week."
"I knew I liked Catholics for a reason..."

_I will not stare. I am an adult. Kind of. I will not stare. I'm staring. _ Jono watched Paige on the ladder, her rear in his direct line of vision and very, very tempting. _*Need help? * Bollocks...why do I say things like that? _
Paige turned and eyed him warily. She was still irked at his refusal of her attentions the other night, but she was finding his proximity to cause her to be very forgiving of his transgressions. "Sure," she said lightly, "hold this." She tossed him one end of the roll of streamers and stepped carefully down the ladder, the other end of the crepe paper attached to the ceiling with tape. "I want to make it loopy..."
_*Loopy? * _
"Loopy..." She dragged the ladder to another spot several feet away and climbed up it, reaching for the streamers without further comment.
_*So do you think this Rogue girl will like this? _ *
"No," Paige said, trying to make the loop just so. "But I think everyone else will. They seem like a party bunch."
_*Paige... _ *
She paused and looked down at his shrouded face, her expression openly curious but guarded. "Yeah?"
_*Are you...I mean... _ * He would have sighed if he had a throat. _*Have you met Kitty? _ *
"Briefly..."
He knew she was looking at him like he was an idiot and maybe, he thought to himself, he was, but he soldiered onward. _*She's with that blue kid, Kurt. _ *
"You going somewhere with this Jono? I mean, I'd love to keep talking to you but I need to finish before Amara and Jean get back with the cake and everyone piles in..."
_*Right. Okay, the thing is... _ * He looked up at her again and paused, stricken almost by the way the overhead light seemed to throw a halo behind her blonde hair and illuminate her features. Oh, bugger all. You've got it bad, old man.
"The thing is?"
_*Why aren't you afraid of me? _ *
"I don't need to be." She cocked her head and looked at him quizzically. "What does that have to do with Kitty and Kurt?"
_*They seem really good together, you know? I mean, she doesn't care that he looks like...like that, and he can deal with her chattering... _ *
"Are you having scone deprivation or something?"
_*Scones? _ *
"First British thing I could think of other than James Bond..."
_*Ah. Well, I was thinking about them earlier and what I said to you...I don't think it'd be fair to lead you on, but I want to say that I do have feelings for you. _ *
"Feelings." She sounded flat and empty. "Jono, people have feelings for liver and onions. They have feelings for cars, for sports...people don't have feelings for each other!"
_*What do they have then? _ * He was suddenly annoyed with her.
"They just feel!" She turned on the ladder to face him, hanging on with one hand and gesturing as she spoke. "Jono, I am not going to tell you I love you, but I do like you. A lot. I have perverted little thoughts about you and I would love to act 'em out sometime, but you know what? You're never going to let that happen because you are afraid of me!"
_*Me? Afraid of you? You're completely daft, aren't you? _ *
"Yes, afraid of me!" she snapped, nearly slipping but not quite. "You're afraid of what you feel for me. You're afraid that you're not good enough for me just because you look different. Guess what, Jono? This isn't marriage...it's just feelings. We like each other, we're attracted to each other. Deal with it!"
_*I am dealing with it! _ *
"By acting skittish as a newborn colt! One minute you're friendly as Hell and the next you're moping in the basement! Pick one!"
_*Fuck it... _ *
"That's right!" she called as he turned to leave, "run away from little Paige Guthrie!"
_*I'm not running away! I'm locking the damned door! _ *
Paige felt her jaw drop as he did, indeed, lock the door. He was back before her in an instant, grabbed her waist and pulling her off the ladder but not setting her on the floor. "What are you doing?"
_*Dealing with it. _ * He honestly was not sure how to proceed but his back brain took over when his forebrain turned to mush. Paige was so close and actually in his arms, the feel of her against what flesh he had dizzying. He wished he could smell her skin, her hair, her clothes, but did not linger on those thoughts as they would only ruin the moment. Instead, an image of her bare breasts flashed through his mind as they pressed against his chest, her breathing slightly ragged and eyes luminous as they looked down on him. _*I can't... _ * he began to say, trying to explain that he could not kiss her how she would expect.
"I can," she breathed, leaning down enough to press her lips against the edge of the dark cloth covering his missing jaw, then again just below his eyes and again on his forehead. "If I take this off..."
_*I don't think it will hurt you...I don't know. _ *
"Then we'll wait on that..." She slid her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, making him stagger slightly from surprise and the shift of her weight. "Jono, we don't need to rush anything. I don't expect it all from you right away."
_*I can never give you all you deserve. _ *
"Let me be the judge of that."

1 In most packs of tarot cards, the Hanged Man is suspended upside down by one or both feet, sometimes from a gallows and sometimes from a tree. Some packs have him hung by his neck, but usually it's upside down.