A Thief in the Night

Warren paced and Kitty paced. Rogue sat on the couch and thought about Pietro. If he'd been watching them, he must have been doing it for Lance. He wasn't the stalker type. He was more of an opportunist than he was a planner. Opportunity had presented itself for mischief when Lance had been drunk and angry at Kitty. He didn't think about her that much. If he had, he'd have made a move before now. And why did he have a thing for her. The last thing she'd done in school was to try and encourage anyone's attentions.


Pietro slammed his car door angrily. They were in the parking garage for the Hilton Towers. Lance was sitting slumped in his seat. Pietro walked in and rented a suite, paying cash. He flirted with the girl behind the desk. She smiled back. He called the car phone and told Lance to put on his baseball cap and come into the lobby and up to the room. So far, the bracelets appeared to be keeping anyone from finding him or her. He didn't like the idea of being without his powers for any length of time; speed was the biggest rush for him. He could dodge bullets, he could run over the surface of water for a short time, and he could create a localized tornado with his speed. But he couldn't use any of these powers right now. If he did, Cerebro would find him and it would only be a matter of time. He needed a distraction.


Kurt and Logan arrived at the apartment and Warren left for his own apartment to shower and sleep. They would watch the apartment in teams until the professor deemed it safe for the girls. Cyclops and Jean were currently working with the professor to find Lance and Pietro. Kurt caught Kitty up in a fierce hug when he entered the apartment. She kissed him and hugged him back, relieved that he was with her.
"It's not me I'm worried about." She said to him. "It's everyone around me."
"I think we can handle it." Logan said with a wry smile. "And besides, you can only stay phased for so long. "
"Does Xavier have any idea how Pietro and Lance are hiding from Cerebro?" Rogue asked. Logan shook his shaggy head. When Kitty gave her a significant look, she continued. "There's something else." She bit her lip when all eyes turned to her. She felt really odd saying it out loud. "Pietro has something against me. Personally." She shook her head trying to come up with the right words. "Wanda said he used to have some stupid crush on me, Ah don't know when, but it got a little twisted and she thought that his reasons for egging Lance on to attack our old apartment might not have been just for mischief." Logan's face darkened and she went on, quickly. "Ah don't know if this is related to any of this or not. And anyway, Ah heard the information third hand and it might not be reliable."
"Where'd you hear it?" Logan asked. When she didn't answer right away, he guessed. "The Cajun?" She nodded. He growled and stomped away to the refrigerator. He opened it and took out a beer. He popped off the top and took a long swig. "I'm confiscating the beer." He said when he came up for air. "All of it. But I won't tell the professor." Rogue and Kitty exchanged guilty looks. They weren't really big drinkers, but sometimes a cold beer was nice after a long day. Kurt rolled his eyes.
"The plan is for at least three people to be here awake at a time." He said. Logan and Warren and I will take turns with each of you if that's all right."
"It's fine." Rogue said, Kitty nodded and walked into Kurt's embrace. Logan was still standing near the fridge when he suddenly stiffened and his claws extended out of his hands.
"Company." He said.
"Lance?" Kitty asked. He shook his head and grinned ferally at the door, waiting. A moment later, there was a hesitant knock.
"Who is it?" Rogue asked. Logan went to the door and opened it, revealing a tall, lean man, standing in the doorway. "Gambit." She said. He looked relieved to see her and his face relaxed slightly. Logan allowed him to enter the apartment but practically bristled as he walked past.
"Came to see if y'all right, Chere." He said, cupping her face in one gloved hand. He ignored the dirty looks thrown at him from Logan and Kurt.
"Do Ah want to know how you found out what's happening?" She asked. He shrugged and gave her a little smile.
"Non." He replied.
"I'd like to know." Logan said, locking the front door and returning to the living room. "And I'm also curious about how you got your earlier information on Magneto's whelp."
"I'd like to know why you used the front door this time?" Kitty piped in. He gave her a grin and a wink, making her blush slightly.
"Thought it a good idea since dis place bein' guarded like Fort Knox, P'tite." Then he turned to Logan. "Don' work for Magneto, no more, but I still talk to Wanda. She got nothin' against Kitty or Rogue personally, so she tell me 'bout Pietro pushin' Lance to attack de ol apartment." He moved back to Rogue's side and pulled her to his side. "She tell dis Cajun dat her brother got a 'ting fo Rogue back in school. Pietro can't ask her out cause his Poppa say no. But he still 'tink 'bout her and it gets a little twisted inside." He said, pointing to his temple. "Quickie got it in his head dat it's her fault he so unhappy. Den Wanda tells me dat he was really hopin' Rogue would be hurt when Lance bring down da house. Gambit start to keep an eye on him. He goes to see a scientist, couple a time in a few weeks. I check de man out. He work fo anotha comp'ny, but he hire himself out too. Don know what he was workin' on, but he's dead as of tonight."
"You do it?" Logan asked. Remy shook his auburn head.
"Come here tonight from his place. Found him, been a day or two." Rogue's arms went around his middle, unconsciously. "When Gambit sees de man, he come here and see you comin' in." He shrugged. "Heard dat Lance escaped, didn't tink he'd be stupid to come after de P'tite." He said, pointing to Kitty. "Guess he's stupid."
"Real stupid." Logan growled. "But he's got Pietro working with him, and though the kid don't have his Daddy's mind, he can think better than Alvers." He looked apologetically at Kitty. "Sorry, Honey."
"Don't worry about me." She said harshly. "I can only say that my taste has improved, just not my instincts."
Logan stepped forward and gestured to Remy.
"Can you take me to this scientist's apartment?" He asked. "Do the police know yet?"
"Take you dere, yeah, but didn't call no cops." He turned back to Rogue, "Be back soon."
"I don't have to tell you both to be careful." Kitty said to the two men who walked toward the door and left. Rogue took out some cold cuts and bread and started making sandwiches. She made about a dozen, wrapped them in plastic, and put them in the fridge.
"Since someone's always gonna be up, Ah just figured it'd be nice to have food ready." Once she was finished with her task, she began to pace. Kurt caught her by the shoulder and embraced her gently.
"We'll keep you safe, liebe." He said. "He's probably in another country by now."
"Somehow, Ah doubt that." Rogue replied, hugging her brother back.


Logan and Remy didn't talk much in the car on the drive over to the apartment where Pietro's scientist lived. He just gave directions to the stocky Canadian. He could feel the tension and distrust from Logan, but there was something else there.
"You know 'bout Rogue an me, non?" He asked, breaking the ice. The man's hands tightened on the steering wheel, indicating a sensitive subject.
"Yeah, I know about you and Rogue." The tension in his voice had an edge to it that Remy recognized. He was a little surprised that it came from Logan, but he pushed on carefully. Given enough time and incentive, he could get almost anyone to talk to him. It was one of his gifts.
"Talk bout it, mon ami?"