As Betsy approached the table she smiled. She waited patiently as Peter moved over making room for her. Trying to be as casual as possible she placed her tea on the table and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. Rogue was the first to start the conversation.

  "So as mah an' Petey boy were sayin' here sugah, I think we had a good time in Australia."

  "I think I agree with you Rogue." Betsy said while leaning back on the seat and sipping her tea, more relaxed now. "Even though it all ended terribly, we still had a great time. I mean the time we went to America and saved Jubilee. I hadn't had much fun for a long time."

  "Yeah dead on sugah, that bar was a heaven." Rogue said blushing. Betsy looked at her and chuckled.

  The puzzled Piotr glanced at them. "Just what exactly did you do there ?"

  "Nothing Petey boy. Nothing really. We just met some really interesting men." Rogue replied before bursting out with laughter again.

  Peter raised a black eyebrow and smiled faintly."Then few days later me and my comrades went out to Sydney. Now that was a wild afternoon."

  "Oh yeah ?" Betsy asked sipping on her tea. "Just tell me tovarisch how many aliens did you stop ?"

  "There were thousands of them !" Colossus cried out.

  "Yeah right." Betsy replied with sarcasm.

  "You don't believe us ? But... but it was true. Me Havok and Longshot fought the aliens while Logan played poker..." Peter stopped halfway through his sentence. "Boszhe moi ! No wonder you don't believe us." And again Betsy and Rogue started laughing as his face went red.

  "Seems to me tovarisch like you had one beer too much that night." Rogue pointed out.

  "I'll have to talk to Logan about this." Peter mumbled turning back to his coffee.

  "Hey Ah was always wonderin'. Did ya guys ever notice how Alex had somethin' for Madelyne ?"

  "No, Rogue why do you think that ?" asked Colossus looking sincere not sensing yet another trap.

  "You're a guy Petey. It's normal that you don' see it. What about you Betsy ?"

  "I have to agree with Rogue. Alex definitely had something for Maddie." she said with a wicked smile. "Actually." she said leaning closer to Rogue and Peter. "One night, before Maddie died I went into Alex's mind because I was asking myself the same question as Rogue, and it was true. He was stunned by her, even dare I say he'd fallen in love with her."

  "See told ya Petey. It's kinda gross too, falling in love with your brothers wife."

  "That depends how you look at it." pointed out Betsy. Everyone silenced for a while each one of them remembering in their own way how they found out that Madelyne was a clone of Jean. Finally Colossus broke the uneasy silence.

  "You remember how we fought Brood in Denver ?"

  "Do we ?" Rogue said. "That was one of the best fights ever. Even though the stupid aliens got to me and Bets."

  "If it wasn't for Logan then we wouldn't have won that day, da ?"

  "I agree Petey. The guy is the only one of us capable of fighting the alien egg while it's inside him. Where is he anyway ?"

  "No clue. He's been gone for a week. Jubilee said he had some business to attend to, but you know what blabber mouth she is, you can never trust her."

  "I must say comrades that little girl is getting on my nerves." Peter confessed. "Does she ever shut her mouth ?"

  Betsy laughed. "The kid is apparently scared of me, I still don't know why. And answering your question Piotr, no I don't think she ever shuts up. Her mouth is like a mechanism that has to blabber every moment. If you know what I mean."

  "Believe me tovarisch I know very well." said Peter grinning.

  "So Bets Ah, Ah was wantin' ta ask ya thins for long time.... do you know anythin' 'bout, 'bout how ya changed ?"

  Betsy frowned and remained silent. She knew the conversation would head to the siege in the end. After sipping her tea for few more seconds she put the empty cup down. "No I don't. Last thing I remembered was walking into the Siege. Then I woke up later controlled by Mandarin, and looking like this." she said pointing at herself. "I've got no one but myself to blame though. I was the one that forced everyone into the Siege."

  "Don't be so harsh on yourself Elizabeth you saved our lives."

  "At what cost Piotr ? Look at me, I don't even know who I am, Havok became a magistrate in Genosha, Allison is still missing, and you, well at least you got what you wanted."

  "That's my point exactly. I finally became the painter I've always dreamed of becoming."

  "Still I never got to say this, but I'm sorry I've made you go through. It was the only way to escape from the Reavers I suppose, but still..."

  "Petey got what he wanted. So did I. Who knows maybe Allison too." Rogue pointed out.

  "Me too, I suppose. In a sick twisted way. Just that it was the bastard Matuso that did this to me, and not the Siege. Then again who knows ?" Betsy frowned. She was so concentrated on the conversation she didn't hear someone walk into the kitchen. Even though he walked without making any sound with her ninja skills she should have heard him, or at least her telepathy should have picked him up. He was moving to quietly for Rogue and Peter to hear and kept to the shadows so they didn't see him either. When two hands sprang out from behind Betsy it was too late. They grabbed her eyes and a figure of a man raised. He winked at Rogue and Peter mentioning them not to say anything.

  "Guess who chere." he whispered into Betsy's ear.

  "Casanova ?" Betsy replied fighting to keep a straight face.
 
  "Close." answered Remy and he let go of her eyes, letting her see him. ^God he's beautiful.^ Betsy thought. ^Everything about him is unbelievable. His red eyes, that brown hair, the body, his smile, I haven't seen such a gorgeous smile ever in my life^

  "So Casanova what do you want from Betsy ?" asked Rogue winking at Peter. She already knew the answer.

  "Me and Betsy, we need ta talk." said Remy grinning. He then grabbed Betsy's arm and pulled her out of her seat. He headed for the door. "Bon Voyage." he said smiling waving his hand at Peter and Rogue. Then they were gone.

  ***

  Betsy breathed heavily as she ran after Remy. Where was he going ? They had been running around the mansion like crazy. They went yet around another corner and suddenly Remy stopped. She activated her brakes and with all her strength fought not fall on him. "What now ?" she asked standing behind him.

  "Now we go up." said Remy as he opened the door in front of him and revealed stairs leading upwards. And they were on the run again. Running up stairs was harder than running around the mansion but this time Betsy kept up the pace. In mere moments they reached the top and they were in the attic. Flowers hang from the ceiling everywhere, there were plants on the floor, tools, buckets, bags of soil. "Dis Stormy's place." Remy said before opening a skylight in the roof above them. He climbed it and then pulled Betsy in behind him. He closed the door and looked at her mentioning for her to sit down. It was night, the stars spread across the black sky, moon in quarter phase.

  "So prince charming will you tell me why you brought be here ?" asked Betsy looking at him.

  "I just want to make sure our dinner be still happenin'" he said grinning.

  "You brought me all the way up here just to make sure we're still going to dinner ? You are crazy." she said smiling.

  "You wouldn't know how 'Beth." he said while leaning closer. The space between them was shortening. "Crazy 'bout you." he said. Then he placed his hand on her lap and moved forward to kiss her.

  In that moment fate must have been looking and wanting to play a trick on Remy. Betsy's hand that she was leaning on slipped and her body having nothing to lean on began sliding down the roof. She swore under her breath as she fell down, while Remy stared at her confused. Before he could do something she went over the edge. "Betsy !" he cried out in fear. In one swift move he was on the edge careful not to fall himself. He looked over prepared for the worst.

  "Hey gorgeous, so much for my ninja training, eh ?" said a voice. Scared to death he almost lost his grip as well. He looked down and saw Betsy hanging on the edge her hands gripped tightly around the gutter. She didn't show any fear, she was more embarrassed.

  "Are you okay ?" Remy asked while he helped her up the roof again.

  "Yeah I'll be fine. Just shows what kind of a ninja I am. But I think we should end this roof thing."

  "Yeah me too." Remy said still breathing deeply. Betsy laughed at him as they went back inside.
 

  End Part Three