Wanda and Fuzzy II: Nocturne

Chapter 17: Off to the Beach: Part 2

By

The Uncanny R-Man

Disclaimer- All familiar characters belong to Marvel.

After their little stop off at a motorway diner, Kurt, Wanda, and the rest of the group headed on to their destination. Little TJ was so excited that she could barely contain herself. Usually, the little blue elf girl would have fallen straight asleep as soon as she sat down in her booster seat and snuggled up to her blankie.

Little TJ peered out of the window as the X-Van pulled up in the car park near the beach.

'Ooh, the sea looks so pretty.' The little girl cooed. 'Can I go swimming now? Please, can I? Huh? Can I?'

'You have to wait until you get changed into your swimming stuff, sweetie.' Wanda told her daughter. 'Unless you want to go swimming in your clothes and end up getting the sniffles.'

'I'll wait.' Little TJ smiled sweetly.

The little blue girl sat patiently in her seat and waited until everything had been unpacked. It wasn't a proper trip to the beach without a cooler full of goodies.

TJ Senior had picked up a Frisbee and was throwing it to Kitty.

'I've got it!' The mutant girl know as Shadowcat called as she ran back towards the X-Van. 'I've got it!'

Kitty jumped up into the air in an effort to grab the Frisbee, but missed it by a few inches. The Frisbee bounced off the back of Remy's head.

'I don't got it...' Kitty winced as she picked herself up off the ground. Remy just muttered various curses under his breath as he rubbed his head. 'Like, sorry Remy.'

'Remy can tell dat dis is gonna be a loooong day...'

Everything had been unpacked from the back of the X-Van and everybody had changed into their beach gear. Wanda and Kurt had taken their daughter paddling in the sea while everybody started to sun themselves. Well, everybody but Rogue. The Southern mutant was sitting under the shade of the great big umbrella that she had brought with her, reading a book.

'C'mon, Rogue...' Kitty tried to persuade her friend to come out into the sun. 'Don't be such a spoilsport. Come out and like, join us.'

'Ah'm fine where ah am, thanks Kitty.' Rogue responded. 'Ah ain't much of a sun worshipper anyway. As if mah powers weren't bad enough, the sun only has to look at me, and ah turn as red as a baboon's backside.'

'Lovely mental image dere, cherie.' Remy smirked as he looked over the rim of his sunglasses. 'You always did have such a beautiful way wit' words.'

'Heads up!' Wanda called from further down the beach. Rogue ducked out of the way, but Remy wasn't so fortunate, the Frisbee that Wanda had just thrown hit him upside the head again.

'I said heads up, Gambit!' Wanda tutted as she retrieved her Frisbee. 'You have be careful and listen.'

Remy grumbled under his breath as he rubbed his head again.

'Perhaps Remy had better sit in de van for a bit...' The Cajun mutant grumbled as he started to get up.

Back down near the sea, Kurt was showing his daughter some of the rock pools.

'And you see zhat little guy viz ze claws? Zhat's called a crab.' Kurt explained as he indicated the little red crustacean.

'Eww. It looks icky.' TJ crinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue.

'Ze crab might zhink zhat you look icky.' Kurt countered. 'Don't be too quick to judge other people by zheir appearance.'

'What's that?' TJ asked, pointing to an orangey plant-like creature, its fronds waving in the water. 'It looks weird.'

'Zhat is an anemone.' Kurt told his daughter. 'Believe it or not, is isn't a plant. It is actually a living creature.'

'Why's it got all those wavy arms, anyway?' TJ continued to ask. 'Is it saying hello?'

'Ze anemone uses zhose arms to catch food.' Kurt explained.

'What's it eating?' TJ blinked. 'I don't see anything.'

'Zhat is because ze anemone's food is so small that you can't see it.' Kurt informed his daughter. 'You remember zhose big sharks we saw on ze TV the other day?'

'Yeah.' Little TJ nodded her head. 'They were in Scotland.'

'Zhis anemone eats ze same zhings as ze shark.'

'Ooh...' Little TJ nodded in amazement, reaching for the anemone. 'Can I take one to show Grampa Erik?'

'I wouldn't recommend it...' Kurt shook his head. 'Anemones sting people too.'

'Oh, that isn't good.' Little TJ pouted slightly. 'I'll go find him a pretty shell...'

Kurt smiled as he watched his daughter toddle away to find some shells to take back as presents. Little TJ was such a beautifully curious girl. Kurt thanked The Almighty that he had been blessed with such a beautiful daughter.

TJ and Kurt had returned from exploring the rock pools and had sat down to enjoy some ice-creams that Raven and Irene had bought from the nearby store.

'You know, I'm surprised that people are so accepting.' Raven said as she licked some melted ice-cream off her fingers. 'Don't they realise that there's a group of mutants amongst them? Nobody's brought their image inducer...'

'The world isn't full of mutant-hating bigots you know, Raven.' Irene told her friend. 'Just relax and enjoy yourself. It'll do you some good to take time off.'

'I guess...' Raven sighed. 'It's just that I'm used to people trying to kill us.'

'I don't see any Sentinels around here, do you?' Irene pointed out. 'Trust me, Raven. We're safe here.'

Raven just smiled back at her partner.

'You know, you always know how to make me feel better.' The blue-skinned shapeshifter sighed happily. 'I'm so glad that I have you to talk to.'

'Just to talk to?' Irene chuckled, cocking a curious eyebrow.

'Stop that!' Raven hissed. 'There are children present!'

Irene just chuckled and shook her head. Raven Darkholme was so beautiful when she was concerned.

A short distance away, TJ Senior was throwing a Frisbee about with John, Rogue, and Remy.

'Get ready for this...' Rogue warned everybody. 'Ah'm gonna throw it as hard as ah can. Try to keep up with it, 'kay?'

Remy was understandably skittish after being hit in the head by the Frisbee twice already.

'Just try to remember where you're supposed to be throwing de t'ing.' The cautious Cajun informed her.

'Don't be such a baby, Remy...' John smirked. 'You'd think that you'd never been hit on the head by a Frisbee before.'

'Oh, leave him alone, John.' TJ Senior rolled her eyes. 'You're only making it worse.'

'Heads up, everybody!' Rogue told them as she threw the Frisbee in John and TJ's direction. Unfortunately, the wind caught the Frisbee and sent it back over to Rogue. The Southern mutant managed to duck out of the way, but once more, Remy wasn't so fortunate.

'Ahh! My eye!'

'Oh, don't be such a baby.' Rogue tutted. 'It didn't even hit y'all all that hard.'

Remy curled into a foetal position and cradled his eye.

'Oh, the pain. The humanity...'

TJ Senior looked down at the cowering Cajun and shook her head.

'I think we'd better go home. I don't think Remy'll be able to cope with getting hit upside the head again.'

TBC...

Pietro meets his new girlfriend's family.