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Shadenfreude: Chapter Four



Peter was the first one brave to move and speak. He had put his arm around Kitty and turn her around so that her back was facing the stunned crowd.
“Kayta, you know very well that being nosy gets you nowhere.”


Kitty couldn’t help but to get lost in those earthen eyes. She new juicy news when she saw it, and that letter screamed, “JUICE ME, BABY!” With Peter looking at her like that, she was bound to give in, verbally.
“Fine, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” The huge grin on her face said other wise.


Peter was wise enough to not press the issue. Instead he fished through his letters and found one for Cecilia and another one for Ororo, as well as the dreaded bills.
“It looks you there’s no luck for you, Karma,”Peter said sincerely.
“Oh why doesn’t anybody loooove me,” Xi’an playfully whined. “Shut up, Emma, and your roots are showing,” she added before the realalisticly brunette said or thought anything.


It was quite obvious that this meeting was over. Logan stole a glance at Ororo, and she looked ready to collapse.
“I think on that note that we can stop this debacle.”
“Thank you Cecilia. He’s right everyone. Emma read my proposal, and get back to me.” With that she snapped off the computer. “Alright everyone, I know that this may be a shock, but I do need everyone to be a little more patient with me until I can get this situation under complete control. I will give all of you details about this merge after lunch. So instead of worrying about future problems, just keep on doing what you are. The only thing that will change dramatically change is recruiting students. This will have to be put on hold until we can insure them the proper expertise. We are good, but we are also few. Any questions, no, excellent.”


As the teachers were leaving, Logan decided to linger. He was worried about his boss-lady, and his curiosity about the letters was a little to much.
“How about I take your first History class; you need to need to get yourself clean.”
“Thank you, Logan. I appreciate that. Oh, and while your at it can you make sure that Peter and Kitty get to their classes, on time, and hickey less.”
Logan walked right up to her and cradled her face in his hands. He saw how she was looking stunningly skittish. He kissed her widow’s peak, rubbed his stubble against her forehead, and inhaled her dirty hair. She stilled smelled like wet earth, rain, and unpolluted fog. A soft content rumble came out, and he knew that was a sigh of peace that escaped her.
“Ro?”
“Hmm...”
“Take yer time today, especially with that bath because ya really need it, darlin.”
“Logan?”
“Hmm...”
“Get out!”
On his way out he made a mental note to make sure that Kitty helped him out on a matter. While getting close enough to touch Ororo (which was a treat in itself), he has able to see the name on the second letter. He wanted know why a powerless Magneto was writing her, and who the hell was Pietro Maximoff. Did she know something about Magneto’s whereabouts? The last time the person in charge at the Institute kept secret, it killed them. He was not going to let that happen again.


**********
Ororo’s Loft
**********


Ororo was just mesmerized by the still full waters of her three-person jacuzzi bath. She ran several fingers through the water testing the temperature, still contemplating wether or not she wanted to get in.

“Works better, you know, when you get all the way in.”
Ororo turned around, and there she was, just casually sitting in her sink.
“Jean!”
“Hi! Surprised to see me?”
Ororo had paused before lifting her muddy shirt over her head to seriously contemplate that question. After a moment she got fully undressed and settled herself in the tub. *Oh Bright Lady, is this nice* After she was able to regain her thoughts, she opened up her eyes and her sister was still there, nearly laughing at her. She closed her eyes, and felt bubbles and hot water in her face that wasn’t her own fault, followed by a giggle, again not her own.
“Hmph!”
“What,” came the far too innocent reply.
“Don’t you have something far more interesting to be doing?”
Jean gave a very unlady-like snort. “What would you have me doing, Oh High and Mighty One. I got a little bored with decomposing and resting in peace. And I’ll have you know, it is quite difficult trying to rest in peace with someone above you babbling away.”
“Girl, please.”
“Sooo, what are these,” Jean asked in a sing-songy voice that showed she already knew. “Hmm, ...bill, bill, bill, ad, Magneto, bill, oooooh what have we here! A letter from Pietro. Let’s have a looksee shall we.”
“Um, NO!” Before Jean could react, Ororo had moved out of the tub, grabbed the letter out of her sister’s hands and ran into her bedroom. Just to make sure Jean understood how to mind her own business, she dashed back to the bathroom and splashed her pouting sis with two hand fulls of water, then dashed back out again.
“Jesus woman, put some damn clothes on. I never understood how you don’t have a problem with all your stuff hanging out and flying all about.”


While Ororo searched her echoing closet for something to wear, she could have sworn she heard a soft powdery cough behind her, somewhere around her bed. She ignored it, and found a beautiful cream suit. Unfortunately it was nearly parallel to the one that Emma was wearing today, so it got put back. She settled on a floor length shiny black skirt and a white see through blouse with a tight black corset underneath. She told herself to thank Xi’an for the new taste in clothes. When she grabbed her accessories she heard the cough again. Somebody was trying to get her attention. *Dammit Jean.*


She stomped, nakedly, out of her closet, with her clothes in hand, to come face to face with......Scott! Well, wasn’t she Miss. Popular on a day when she wanted nothing else but her own company. She threw her clothes on the bed, then sat at her vanity and began to attack her hair with a brush. She tried not to let it show how much it hurt without the leave-in conditioner. Scott casually sat on the edge of her bed, like nothing was out of the ordinary.
“So, I heard you got a letter from- -“
“Oh Good Lady, not you too.”
“Aw man, she got to you before I did, darn.”
Ororo wiggled in her seat hard, uncomfortable, anvil shaped, and satin covered vanity seat. For the first time since she sat down, she turned to really look at him, and found a pair of cobalt eyes that could rival her own. She grabbed his face in her hands and rubbed her thumbs against the rarely seen stubble. When she had her fill, she brought their faces centimeters apart and took a look at those NEVER before seen eyes.
“I really miss you.”
He wrapped her in a tight hug. “You mean you miss me doing all the grunt work, ie conducting meetings, and calculating spreadsheets better and faster than Excel, and disciplining.”
“Na uh,” she said, but it came out muffled because it was buried in his shoulder.
“How about you telling me what’s in those two letters?”
“How about, NO!”
“ It’s pretty obvious that Pietro wants you back. But, I don’t understand why Magneto would write. I don’t feel right about that.”
“I’m not to worried about it. Whenever he wrote Charles and referred to himself as Eric, the subject was always about personal matters, which would imply that it would be about Wanda. The Goddess knows, he never said anything about Pietro over the years. I remember how Charles would have to remind him that he had a son.” She picked up the letters and began to shuffle them. She wasn’t to worried about them before, but now she was terrified. Something just didn’t feel right.
“I’m going to leave you to your own devices. If anything goes wrong, we got your back, Sis. So, trust your instincts, and let us be your safety net, for once. Oh yeah, Ro, one more thing...”
“What?”
“Nice landing strip.”
That earned, yet another, foot stomping.


Now that she was finally alone she was able to get dressed. Afterwards she threw caution to the wind and opened up Eric’s letter first.


Dear Little Ro,
I know that it was difficult for you to open this, so I would like to thank you first for letting by gones be what they are.
I am unsure if you knew that I wrote Charles on a regular basis. But if I recall correctly, he always confided in you, and knowing you as I do, I do not believe his confidence in you was ever misplaced.
I hear that the mansion is still standing, and the children are happy. Rumor has it that troubled times lie ahead for the school. I know that you will find away to survive, as you always have.
I also know that you must have your hands full, but I must ask you for a favor. I am usually able to contact Wanda on a regular basis, and lately I have not. I fear something is wrong, and since I do not have the resources I used to, I was wondering if you could tell her to contact me. I would appreciate any help in this matter that you can spare.
Thank you again, and good luck in your future endeavors.

E. Lensherr


Ororo felt an invisible hand turn up her worry notch a few pegs. She opened up Pietro’s letter, hoping it wouldn’t be about the same subject.


Dear Rory,
I’m pretty sure you’ve heard from Dear ole Pops by now. Wanda is missing. We ususally talk everyday, but she hasn’t called in two weeks. I stop by and she’s not home. I thought she was kidnaped, but no ransom note, and there wasn’t a struggle at her apartment. To tell you the truth, I’m scared shitless.
I went to the cops, and they laughed in my face. The response I got was, “That’s one less mutant I have to worry about.” What the fuck! The chief told me to take it to District X. I wasn’t expecting anything out of their precinct. Its out of their jurisdiction. I was able to get the message to Lucas. He said he’d look for her on his own off the clock.
I’m so sorry to bog you down with this. I was hoping that you could use some of Charles’s contacts to help me.
I’ll stop by in a day or two to fill you in on all the details. I do miss being around you, but believe me when I say, I wish it were under completely different circumstances.
You’re a doll.

Tro


*Oh Shit!*





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