Chapter Eighteen

"How is she?" Remy crept up behind Lorna who sat comfily in the school library.

"Holy!" Lorna put her hand over her chest frightened by Remy's low voice. "Remy you scared me half to death." She closed the wedding magazine she was reading and turned in her chair to face him.

Remy sat on an adjacent desk in the surprisingly empty library. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it with a burning card.

"You know you shouldn't be smoking in here."

"I won't tell if you won't." Remy exhaled the tasty smoke.

Lorna watched Remy take a drag from his smoke and tilt his head up to the light. He did look yummy especially how his eyes burned deep he was worried.

"She's fine or better then yesterday I should say." Lorna answered his questioned after a few seconds of silence. "They don't know what happened, but they say she just needs rest."

"You don't seem to think so?"

"Doesn't add up to me" Lorna explained. "John is the Pryo but she was the one who got the most heat and flames, the fire extended off her into the room." She looked around the library like someone could hear them, she leaned in closer to Remy. "I know John had something to do with it. Everyone here is trying too hard to make two and three equal four when it comes to the accident, if you get what I am saying."

"Yeah." Remy took one last drag before he put his cigarette out in an old romance novel.

"John has some meeting to night…" Remy ears lit up. "I noticed that Anna is alone after six when Johns goes for a workout and when Scotts done rounds." Lorna smiled and went back to her Magazine "An interesting fact I thought I would share."

"Thanks for sharing petite." Remy gathered himself and departed the green hair temptress.

"Oh and Remy." She called back at him as he was about to exist.

"Thanks for not snitching me out to the others. You know for the whole me almost killing John thing. Looking back I'm glad you came in the kitchen when you did or I really wouldn't have killed him. I can't fucking stand that guy I swear if Anna didn't…" Lorna paused and composed herself. "Thanks for not telling the others what I did and for taking the accusation like a…Gentlemen."

"Vert beauté aux cheveux. Remy smirked Lets keep this our little secert.

"I see why she had a crushed on you for all these years, you actually are a good guy."

Lorna bared her dimples as Remy walked off, which only faded when she faced the window and saw John wondering the grounds on that annoying cell phone of his instead of being with his ill bride to be.

The sight caused her head to hurt so she packed up her things and went off to see Anna to finalize minor wedding details.

"I'm fine sir, she on the other hand is a different story." John rambled on his phone.

"I know sir I will remain loyal this changes nothing a minor set back if you will. Using his hand John waved his hand trying to express himself further.

"She is and has remained pure untouched and ready for the greater cause." The fiery blonde did his best to convince his true leader that all was well and going according to the higher plan.

"Believe me sir, these x-men as they say are too concern with their love affairs to even notice what the hell is going on in the real world."

John looked up and saw Ororo sitting on the edge of the roof he gave a fake smile and waved her off, before walking further on the grounds to get more privacy. Ororo nodded her head but didn't buy his bullshit act. She flew off into a near by open window. Soon as she turned the corner John flipped her the bird.

Ororo landed softly on her carpet in her room. It had been three days since the mansion blow up. Anna's room was totally trashed and burned to a crisp. If Bobby had gone out that night it would have been near impossible for the flames to be contained.

Ororo herself was lucky not to be in room at the time. But due to smoke ash and sod Ororo moved her things to the addict loft. Spacious and private she decided to make it her permit home. More and more she was being less of the Storm her teammates knew and more of the swan she knew she was. Sad to say that meant less X-men contact.

Only there to grab some more of her boxed things, her visit to the main floor was brief so naturally to her misfortune she clashed with Che again in the halls.

"Sorry Miss Monroe I didn't see you coming." He was sweaty from his workout.

Remembering what Remy said, she didn't yell at him or act rude but gave him an offering.

Che looked at her like he had something to say when really he just enjoyed the view. "Don't worry about it." Ororo said to get his attention back to her face.

"I have an extra ticket for a show tonight Remy baled and Wolverine is well Wolverine would you like to come along?" She asked fast, not really wanting to ask in the first place. Che could tell but he accepted her attempt anyway.

"I could arrange that." He had an ear to ear grin on.

"Goody." She was less then enthused. "Its at seven." Ororo walked past him. "Oh and stop staring at my ass!"

T'challa laughed but didn't stop staring until Lorna's grunt caught his ear. She huffed and puffed as she reached the last stair. Lugging a massive book and two suit bags she near collapsed from exhaustion.

T'challa jump too assist her.

"Thank you hugh." She rested for a moment. "Those stairs are gonna kill me!"

"ha" T'challa laughed. "I will be happy to carry these for you."

"Th….annnk…..you" Lorna struggled to get some needed air.

"Going to Anna's room?" he asked as he carried all her things.

"Uhha" Lorna walked slow "Can you tell I didn't make the x-men cut?"

"Its not for all of us. Some of us are wedding planners." He smiled and handed her, her belonging outside Anna's Room. "Wish her good health for me I sent her flowers this morning." He was kind enough to open the door for Lorna before leaving.

Making her way back for one more round of boxes Ororo stopped and watched Lorna and T'challa talk before she came out. She hadn't seen Anna since her accident and felt like she was bitch in the scenario for not doing so.

"Will do." Lorna waved T'challa good day and entered Anna's Room.

Ororo passed by Anna's door but found her legs stuck, and her ears burning. She paused to listen even though ease dropping wasn't her style.

Still winded from walking all the way from the east wing library Lorna fell back onto Anna's bed. Her friend watching T.V out of boredom looked down her in pity.

"You really are out of shape." Anna shook her head.

"Hey you chose your lifestyle and I chose my mine." Lorna sat up "What's on?"

"Nothing Johns room doesn't have cable." Anna's face fell. She had been moved to John room since she had a meltdown and burned her room to crisp.

"What kind of guy doesn't have cable?" Lorna made an unimpressed face.

"A writer." Anna gave lazy look to Lorna.

"You and your fetish for the soft spoken artist type anyway I'm not here talk about your questionable taste in men. I'm here on maid of honor duty. First off Any luck on finding two more bridesmaids seeing how you and the next two chicks who were suppose to be in the wedding aren't talking" Anna shook her sadden a bit. "Well fingers crossed if not it will be me walking down with three hot dudes."

Lorna fixed herself so she was parallel with Anna. Opening the massive book she began her list.

"Ok seating plan done! Flowers done! Cake so done its scary good….ummmm limo all good but the weather that day is calling for clouds and possible rain not to mention I have no ideal which salon to go to or make up artist to book."

Anna was stunned to silence everything sounded so final, so permit. Her fingers dabbled at the empty space at her neck, starching at it harder she noticed her necklace was gone.

"My necklace where is it?" Anna screamed.

"Anna you ok?"

"I need it where is it?" She became more fanatic.

"Claim down its on the dresser, what's wrong." Lorna was concerned, afraid Anna was having another episode.

"Nothing…Nothing I just I need umm I need some water." She ran her fingers in her tangled hair.

"Ok." Lorna got off the bed and poured her some water from the nightstand. "Here" She handed it to Anna. "Relax and breath."

"Sorry just its my mom necklace and my something old I just didn't want to loose it too."

Ororo knew that Anna and her weren't best friends or like sisters but their relationship before Remy came in to their lives was a decent one. With room to grow if it wasn't for conflict of a handsome man they could have been closer. The void was disruptive to both their lives Ororo needing a girlfriend to lean on and Anna needing the same. With everything in the light Ororo couldn't and wouldn't allow past things to dictate her current life or future actions. Honesty was her only way out and into better pastors.

Ororo pushed Anna's door opened uninvited and it cause for a pissed off face from Lorna and shocked expression from Anna. She went in kindness blazing.

"Seven days until the big day we got work to do."

"What is it that you want…" Lorna said she wasn't quick to buy Ororo's act.

"I am a bridesmaid am I not? So I'm doing what bridesmaid do planning a friends wedding." She stood at Anna's bedside eyes wide showing Anna she was sincere in her fresh start.

Anna raised her brows and gestured to the seat at the edge of the bed.

Ororo took the seat and crossed her legs.

"You and I both crossed a point where we should have communicated our feelings. I was engaged once and Jean took the trill of being with my husband for the first time from me, as well as every man that walked through these school doors. Jean is, was my closet friend you have to understand I didn't want to believe she was capable of all that When Remy came here I thought for once I had one I could call my own but he wasn't my own. I realize that now, I thought if I ignored it, it would go away we all know that didn't work. I never meant to be a bitch to you I guess I just saw you as a new Jean and took my strain out on you instead of her. And for that I do apologize."

"I'm sorry for that time I took from you with him as well. We all loose control in different way but I won't do that again to you."

Ororo looked down she was mad slightly cause it was true Anna was having an affair with Remy and Remy was in theory seeing her but more so upset she was fooled again.

Taking in a deep gust of air Ororo moved past it all.

"Now hair and make up I say we get ready here, I know a terrific stylist that can come do hair make for make up lets stay local and ask Jubilee. As for the weather I'm sure the sun will be out all day I happen to know a weather witch."

Lorna's eyes bloomed into huge green excited orbs she lunged forward and squeezed Ororo tightly in a hug "Oh thank you!" Anna cracked up thinking Lorna was going to cry from all the stress she had to do alone. Ororo opened her arms and pulled Anna into the love.

"Ok what else is there to do time is ticking!" Ororo twirled her pen and broadened her smile.