[ I Turn To You ] by Todd Fan

Chapter Two: Reunion

The professor gave a deep sigh and put down his headset.

"What the matter professor?" asked Sidney, "I can give you more information if you like...".

"There's no need Sidney", said the professor, wheeling out of cerebro's control room and shutting it in, "we already know where Mr Tolenski is".

"You do?" said Sidney a smile sweeping across her face, "really? Is he here? I mean, I didn't see him at dinner, it's been six years, but I’m sure I’d recognise him. And.... why are you shaking your head?"

The professor looked up sadly, he didn't want to burst Sidney's bubble, but it looked like he had no choice.

"Todd is not a student here Sidney", he said, glumly, "he had the opportunity, but he turned us down".

"He's with those Brotherhood people the other were talking about, isn't he?" asked Sidney sadly, "the people who are our enemies".

"I am afraid so", said the professor, nodding, "I’m sorry Sidney".

Sidney sighed.

"I can't be his enemy", she said, shaking her head, "he's too important to me to loose over some stupid rivalry".

"I understand Sidney", said the professor, "I’m not making you stay here if you don't want to. If you wish to leave...".

"No", said Sidney, shaking her head, "I don't want to leave here, I'll think of something. Thank you professor".

The young feline mutant stepped out of the professor’s study and headed down the hall. She kept her eyes on the ground, taking in what she had just been told. Todd was her enemy? She couldn't believe it. All those things that the others had said about the Brotherhood were not like the friend she knew. Sure, he was a pickpocket and at times a little rude and anti-social, but that was just who he was. She couldn't shake the fact that she would have to fight against him, and she questioned herself, if it came to it, would she be ABLE to fight against him? She sighed sadly as she entered the common room, finding it deserted she sat on a chair to think things though. She was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't notice anyone enter the room until someone tapped her on the shoulder. Sidney jumped up and gave a hiss of surprise coming face to face with Kitty.

"Oh, like, sorry I startled you Sid", said the perky freshmen, who looked more shocked than Sidney was, "I was just wondering if you were alright, you look a little down and out".

"I'm sorry to jump at you like that Kitty", said Sidney sitting down, "I guess I was thinking too hard and you caught me off guard. Yeah, I’m down and out. Remember the friend I told you about?. Well I asked the professor if he could find him on cerebro, then I found out that he was already in Bayville, with the Brotherhood".

"Really?", said Kitty, thoughtfully "who IS your friend anyhow?".

"Todd Tolenski", said Sidney with a sigh.

"TOAD!!!", shouted Kitty in shock, then composed herself, "the best friend you have ever had is the Toad?".

"You know him then", said Sidney with a frown, " you know all the bullies used to call him that. I think I was the only person our age to actually call him Todd".

Sidney stopped and looked up at Kitty puzzled.

"Why are you so shocked that my best friend is Todd?"

"Well he just doesn't seem the 'best friend' type", said Kitty, shuffling her feet, "but I guess you can't judge a book by its cover".

"It doesn't matter anyway", said Sidney sadly, "he's supposed to be my enemy, and I know I can't fight against him. I don't know what to do".

Kitty looked in thought for a second them smiled, "do you want to go to see him?"

Sidney looked up in disbelief and blinked a few times.

"You know where he lives?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah. I'm..errrrr.. 'good friends' with their leader, Lance", said Kitty, blushing, "I’ll take you there now. But don't tell anyone where were going, Logan doesn't like us going over there".

Sidney was so happy she very nearly hugged Kitty.

"Okay, thanks a lot", she said, switching on her image inducer, fizzing up her holographic image, "lets go".

The two girls headed out of the house, unaware they were being watched.

At the Brotherhood boarding house, things were quiet.... too quiet, thought Lance. The leader of the Brotherhood sighed and walked out of the kitchen, looking around for trouble. He found it. Just as he entered the living room, he was hit square in the face by ball of pasta.

"Bullseye", shouted Pietro jumping up from his hiding place and laughing manically.

Lance groaned as he watched the white haired speed demon dash to his chair in less than half a second and sit down.

"Hey Rocky what’s up?", asked Pietro, innocently, "did you know you have pasta on your face?".

Lance looked around suspiciously.

"Okay, jokes over", he shouted, "come out you guys. I'm not, I repeat NOT in the mood for funny business".

To prove his point, Lance concentrated on his mutant power. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and a small tremor swept through the ground, shaking the house slightly. Defeated, two other figures appeared from hiding spots around the room.

"Okay Lance, just chill", said Fred, the large bulky blonde held up his hands in surrender.

"Yeah man, we give up already", said Todd, shaking his head.

Lance narrowed his eyes, that was easy, really easy. Something wasn't right about this..

"Gotcha", said a manically high voice and Lance felt something cold and wet being dropped down the back of his shirt. He'd been set up. He put his hand down the back of his shirt and picked up what Pietro had just dumped there. He brought the object out from his shirt to the front of him, not really wanting to look at it. When he finally decided to see what the offending object was he nearly gagged. It was a fish. Not a fresh fish, but one that must have been lingering in the bottom of the freezer for a long time. Lance gave a defeated groan, dropping the fish on the floor and sitting in his chair.

"Why me?" he asked himself pitifully.

"Because ya an easy target yo", said Todd, leaping over to where Lance was sitting, his single jump carrying all the way across the room, "plus ya ask for it on a regular basis fer datin' that x-geek".

Suddenly Lance's arm shot out and grabbed Todd by the throat.

"DON'T CALL HER THAT", he shouted, tightening his grip on Todd’s throat with each word, "GOT IT?".

"Okay", came Todd's choked reply.

Lance nodded, satisfied and dropped Todd.

"Anyway, were not dating, were just 'good friends' that’s all", he said.

"Yeah right and I’m the queen of Sheba", came the fast reply of Pietro.

"Shut up Speedy", said Lance, feeling his patience start to slip.

"Okay, but I’m just saying that you are totally ga ga over Pryde", said Pietro tapping his foot, "all you have to do is admit I’m right and I’ll be happy".

"I'm not admitting anything Pietro", said Lance, "so you can just.."

"Hey guys", said Fred, who was looking out of the window, "Kitty's here".

Lance jumped out of his seat very quickly.

"Kitty's here? Now?" he said happily.

Pietro and Todd rolled their eyes in unison.

"Yeah and she's got another girl with her", said Fred.

Sidney looked up at the house that Kitty had brought her to. It wasn't the best place she had seen, in fact it looked like it was about to fall down.

"Todd lives here?" she asked Kitty.

"Yeah, I know the place is a fixer-upper, but the guys are happy here", she said.

Kitty had told Sidney about the other Brotherhood members on the way to the house, but seemed to talk about Lance a lot more than any of the others. But she kept on insisting that they were just 'good friends', though Sidney doubted this a lot. Sidney doubts were clarified when Lance Alvers came rushing out the house, a huge smile on his face. Sidney looked over to Kitty and noticed she had an equally as big grin. There was no doubt about it, these two were crazy for each other. They were just in denial.

"Hi Kitty", said Lance happily, "what are you doing here".

"Like, hi Lance", said Kitty, blushing slightly, "I’ve brought an old friend to see Todd".

Lance blinked for a second before looking over at Sidney.

"You know Todd?", he said, an eyebrow raised.

"Yep", said Sidney nodding, "is he in?"

Lance looked at her for a second again before looking towards the house.

"Hey Todd", he shouted, "come out here will ya?".

Lance turned back to Sidney.

"No one ever asks for Toad", he said, "especially not girls".

Sidney was about to retort something back at Lance when she saw Todd emerge from the house. She smiled, he looked the same as he had when she had left. Long, dirty blonde hair, big swampy green eyes, short, with his legs making up the bigger part of him. He was followed by who Sidney realised must be Fred and Pietro. They seemed as shocked as Lance that someone would ask for Todd, and obviously wanted to know what was going on. Todd made it over to them and looked at Kitty and Sidney.

"What?" he asked.

"Apparently, this girl say's she knows you", said Lance, motioning towards Sidney.

Todd looked at Sidney and blinked.

"You know me?" he asked, obviously trying to figure out who she was.

Sidney was about to yell at him for not recognising his best friend, when she realised her image inducer was still on. Of course Todd wouldn't recognise her with her holographic image. She smiled.

"Yeah, I think I could say I know you very well Todd", she said, turning off her watch.

As her holographic image frazzled and disappeared she couldn't help but smile at the look on Todd’s face.

"Sid?" he asked, blinking several times, just in case he was seeing things, "is it really you?".

"No it's the ghost of sleepy hollow", said Sidney with a chuckle, "of course it's me".

She ran over and gave Todd a hug, much to the amazement of his friends.

"I missed you, you creepy little frog-boy", she said with a smile.

"I missed you too you psychotic cat-girl", said Todd, hugging her back, "what are ya doin' here? I thought ya mother wanted ta keep ya outta Bayville".

"She did, but she decided on her death bed that she wanted me to move to the Xavier institute", said Sidney with a shrug, " go figure".

"Excuse me??", said Pietro speeding over to where Todd and Sidney were standing, "but you never told us that you had a friend Todd. Especially not another mutant."

He looked over to Sidney and grinned.

"Or a particularly gorgeous mutant at that", he said, still grinning at Sidney, "allow me to introduce myself. I am Pietro Maximoff, also known as Quicksilver".

He had rolled the 'R' in Pietro as he always did when he was trying to chat up girls. Todd picked up on it instantly.

"Don't even think about it Speedy", he warned.

Pietro looked innocently at Todd.

"Don't think about what??".

"You know what Speedy", said Lance, then turned to Sidney, "don't mind him, he'll get bored of trying to woo you in a few seconds".

"Hey stop stepping in on my territory Rocky", said Pietro, "you've got Pryde".

At this Kitty blushed and this caused Pietro and Lance to start a full-scale argument again. Sidney looked over at Todd.

"You live with these people?" she asked, an eyebrow raised, "are they sane?".

"Yes unfortunately", said Todd "and in answer to your second question, I doubt it".

Pietro had pulled himself away from his fight with Lance and before Sidney knew it she had been picked up by the speed demon.

"So what do you say you and me go see the sights sweet stuff", he said with a grin.

Sidney narrowed her eyes at Pietro before smiling seductively. Todd groaned, he knew what was coming.

"You want to take me out?" asked Sidney playfully running a clawed finger under Pietro's cheek.

"You betcha I do", said Pietro, grinning like an idiot.

"Too bad", said Sidney with a shrug.

Pietro looked confused for a second then Sidney's eyes began to glow.

"Here we go", Todd muttered under his breath.

Pietro looked over at Todd nervously then looked back at Sidney. Suddenly he no longer had the pretty mutant in his arms, but a huge lioness. The lioness gave a low growl. Pietro buckled under her weight and fell flat on his back. The lioness stood over him for a second before swatting his head with a paw BIGGER than his head. The lioness snorted and walked over Pietro, her head in the air. She turned round and put her face right by Pietro's. Pietro gulped, this was it, he was going to be eaten by a psychotic lioness. He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. When it didn't come he opened his eyes slowly. Where the lionesses' face was, there was now Sidney’s. She smiled evilly.

"I don't date jocks", she said with a grin, "and another thing, don't ever call me sweet stuff again, okay?"

Pietro gulped and nodded.

"Okay, got it, it won't happen again", he said in a panicked voice.

"Good, see that it doesn't", said Sidney, walking away from him to stand next to Todd again.

It was at this point that everyone else burst out laughing.

"Aww man Speedy", said Lance trying hard to talk, "you should have seen your face".

"Definitely a Kodak moment", said Kitty, "Evan's gonna love this!!".

Pietro stood up quickly, despite the fact he felt he had been mauled by a wild thing, well actually he had, kind of.

"Don't you DARE tell Daniels", he said, “I’ll never live this down".

Pietro gave one last shout of humiliation before dashing into the house. A few seconds later the slamming of a door could be heard.

"Touchy touchy", said Sidney shaking her head in amusement.

Fred came over from where he had been standing at the door.

"Hey that was pretty cool", he said, "not may people can get Speedy flustered like that".

Sidney grinned and made a mock bow.

"Thank you", she said with a smile, "you must be Fred right?"

"Yeah", he said then made a funny face and sneezed.

"Bless you", said Kitty, who was still trying to recover from watching Pietro.

"Thanks", said Fred then sneezed again, and again, and again, "I’m going inside. I think I’m allergic to cat hair".

The big boy left and disappeared into the house, still sneezing away.

"Oooops", said Sidney," I’ve scared off two of the people you live with already Todd. Somehow, I don't think I’m giving the right impression".

Todd chuckled.

"Hey it ain't your fault, ya jus' bein' you", he said, "an' besides ya ain't scared Rocky off.... yet".

"Keep that 'yet' in mind", said Lance.

Sidney chuckled then smiled evilly again.

"I just remembered Todd", she said, "you still owe me a soda from when I beat your butt at snakes and ladders before I left. I think it's time a collected my winnings".

"But we were nine years old!!" protested Todd, "but, a promise is a promise. We'll go to the gut bomb".

Sidney nodded.

"Good, I want to see how Bayville's changed anyhow. Hey the gut bomb's still standing? Wow", she smiled and nodded over to Kitty and Lance who were deep in conversation, "besides, it'll give the 'just good friends' there some time alone".

"I heard that", said Kitty, looking up.

Sidney rolled her eyes and it was then she noticed the discarded fish that Pietro had put down Lance's back.

"Hey do want that thing?", she asked pointing to it.

"It's old, it's smelly, it’s been down my back AND on the floor, so I guess I don't want it", said Lance with a shrug, "why?"

Sidney smiled and walked over to the fish, picking it up and eating it in two bites.

"'Cause I’m hungry", she said with a grin, licking her lips.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeew", said Kitty, gagging, "that's, like, so totally gross".

"Well, she shares Todd's disgusting eating habits" said Lance, "the fact that she's his best friend is becoming more and more believable".

"What’s wrong with Todd's eating habits?", asked Sidney.

"You’ve got to be kidding", said Lance.

"You are aware that he eats", Kitty paled for a second, "bugs".

"So?", said Sidney with a shrug, "I eat rats, big whoop".

"Yup, definitely friends with Todd", said Lance, shaking his head.

Sidney made a face.

"Fine", she said jokingly, "me and Todd will take our eating habits elsewhere. We'll leave you love birds alone, come on Todd".

She turned her image inducer back on and headed off towards the centre of town, Todd following close behind. In the distance she heard.

[ Chapter One ]   [ Chapter Three ]