1/8 Instance: Peekaboo

[NachtcGleiskette]

after the tj/cess


Rogue: Rogue sat at the kitchen table, idly twirling a soda bottle by the cap. She chewed on her lip as she poked at the food on her plate. It had sounded good when she made it, but she couldn't bring herself to eat. She pushed her hand through her hair and sighed.

Talia: Talia walked into the kitchen, sweaty from her workout, and Johnny fussing on her hip. "Hey," she greeted Rogue as she grabbed a bottle of water for her, and some cookies for Johnny. He took them, but still frowned at her.

Rogue: Rogue looked up and gave them a weak smile, "Hey, y'all." TJ looked like she'd been busy in the danger room, "Startin' trainin' back up?" She tried hard to give Johnny a better smile to make him stop fussing, "Lil Sugah, what's wrong with ya? Mama not givin' ya enough cake?"

Talia: "He's feeling neglected I think.." she said, taking a bit swig of water and sitting down, Johnny squirming til he could get to the floor. "I spent the last few hours training with Cess and he had to stay in his playpen...he slept through some of it, and even managed to play by himself for a bit, but then he got pissy I wasn't playing with him."

Talia: TJ frowned. "Really, I haven't played with him much in the last few days...which is totally unfair...he shouldn't have to like, suffer with this.."

Rogue: "Ah cain't imagine how hard it must be ta try an' keep him happy when ya feelin' so lousy. Ah mean, tha small amount Ah've seen y'all, tryin' ta make him giggle an' play with him is an effort." She shook her head and looked down at Johnny, then back up to TJ, "How's it goin'? Trainin'? Like, ya gettin' back inta it ok?"

Talia: "Trying to, yeah...I'm way out of practise.." she took another sip. "I wasn't training at all before while everyone else was...but there's like, no way I'm not gonna go help get them out."

Talia: Johnny sat on the floor, looking up at TJ, and throwing his cookie at her. "MAMA!" She looked down. "I can see you, baby, I'm right here!"

Rogue: "Ah don't blame ya f' wantin' ta help get 'em home." She laughed when the cookie went flying, "Maybe that's his power, cookie throwin' ability!" Rogue shifted in her chair so her legs were over the side of it, facing Johnny, "Hey, Lil Sugah. Whatcha throwin' cookies for? Ya supposed ta eat 'em. Cookies are too good ta be wasted."

Talia: "That better not be his power," she turned to him. "Alright, you got my attention. You wanna go play with Mommy and Auntie Rogue?" She looked back to Rogue. "Well, if you wanna...like, you don't gotta if your busy."

Rogue: Johnny watched Rogue with his best pitiful-baby look, "He doesn't even have ta try, does he?" She laughed, "Ah'd love ta go play with him. Ah'm really not doin' anythin'..." She stood and cleaned her plate off into the disposal then stuck it in the dishwasher, "Where to?"

Talia: "Oh! Let's go to the ballroom and play on the slides. We haven't been there in like, at least a week," she picked Johnny up in her arms, but he squiggled again. "You wanna try walking all the way, sweetie?" she put him on the ground and grabbed his hands, a drooly smile on his face as he stepped.

Rogue: Rogue laughed at Johnny taking wobbly steps with his mama's fingers clutched in his tiny hands, "Alright then." She let them walk by then followed them out of the kitchen as Johnny took awkward steps towards the ballroom.

Talia: He knew exactly where he was going as he led them straight to the ballroom. Upon getting there, he laughed excitedly, and let go of TJ, dropping to his knees to crawl quickly to the set up. "You are so excited, aren't you!" she smiled and followed, Johnny looking behind himself at them as he levered himself up against the steps to the slide.

Talia: She looked to Rogue. "He's getting so so close to walking."

Rogue: Rogue gave TJ a grin, "He's gettin' big, that's f' sure. Has he stood by himself yet? Like f' even a second or two?"

Rogue: Rogue laughed as Johnny made an irritated noise since he couldn't get up the steps by himself, so she walked over and put him on the top, "Do y'all go down with him, or do ya just catch him at tha bottom?"

Talia: "He likes to go down by himself," she replied. "You can catch him at the bottom, but he's a little daredevil." TJ sat down on the mat. "He's not standing just yet, but like...I think he can. I bet he could..he's just not trying..."

Rogue: Rogue grinned as she started to go around to catch him at the bottom, having to jog to make it in time, "Ya not kiddin'!" Just like his papa. Rogue decided it was best to keep that to herself, she didn't want to upset TJ any more than she was.

Rogue: She caught him and set him down on his feet, holding his waist lightly, "Ah think ya right. Ah'm not even really holdin' him up. Just kinda there f' balance..."

Talia: She shrugged. "I guess whenever he's ready he'll do it. Maybe he got like...my procrastinating," TJ said, as Johnny climbed onto the bridge next to the slide, peeking through the windows with a giggle.

Rogue: Rogue laughed, "That's a possibility." She crawled over to the windows, hiding below them, then popped up at Johnny, "Boo!" Johnny's eyes went wide then he went into a fit of giggles. "So, TJ, have ya heard anythin' 'bout what we're plannin' now, since ya just were with Cess."

Rogue: She stopped and looked back at her, what she just said dawning on her, "Ya were just with Cess... Did ya ask her 'bout Remy an' Rachel? Does she know what happened?"

Talia: Talia took another swig of the bottle. "She doesn't really know exactly what happened...she told me about what they saw, and how Rae got seperated accidentally..but Remy went on his own. They were supposed to meet him...but he didn't.." She frowned.

Talia: "I dunno what the plan is. We don't got one just yet. But, we're training again....I guess you guys will be too soon..."

Rogue: "Yeah, Ah don't doubt that we'll start soon... So.. they were with Rae when she... How?" Rogue stood and walked back to TJ.

Talia: "She fell through the vent," Talia told her. "And got caught that way...it's so scary how many ways everyone got caught.."

Talia: "Like, who knows what to expect?"

Rogue: Rogue shook her head, "They really shoulda had that buildin' inspected 'fore movin' in," she tried to make light of the subject, but couldn't even bring a smile to her own lips. "Well, seein' as how we met up with some of Essex's goons an' guards, Ah'm guessin' that it'll be close ta tha same with that, only, probably heavier equipment f' them... 'Course, who knows if this Essex guy is the only person behind all this... Crap..."

Talia: She took a long, shuddering breath. "I don't know. About any of it. Except we gotta go in and get them back." Johnny regarded them with a frown, and threw a ball in their direction. "MAMA!" TJ looked back, then moved closer to him. "At least I have him..."

Rogue: Rogue grinned, "Yup. Ya do. An' he's such a cute lil guy ta have 'round too." Her face sobered and she turned to look TJ in the eye, "Look, Ah hate ta..." She took a breath, "Ah don't really wanna bring it up, but... What if somethin' happens ta you? Then what 'bout him? That worries me."

Rogue: "Ah'm not gonna try an' stop ya from goin'. Ah think ya have every right ta go. But Ah want ya ta promise me that you'll be careful... An' if things start ta go bad, ya leave."

Rogue: "Please?"

Talia: TJ rubbed her face, and bounced a ball with one hand, to keep Johnny occupied. "I really try not to think about that.....it scares the hell out of me..."

Talia: "I'm not gonna let that all happen, we're gonna go in and get everyone, and Johnny will have both his parents. That's exactly whats gonna happen."

Rogue: "Ah know.. An' Ah'm sorry, Ah just worry too much, Ah guess. 'Specially with how things went before..." She nodded her head once at TJ's last statement, "Ya right though, he will have both his parents an' everyone will come home."

Talia: Talia nodded in agreement. "Yeah," she peeked her head in at Johnny, him giggling. "There's Johnny!! Ohhhh where's Mommy?!" She ducked down, before peeking up again. "Peekaboo!" Johnny squealed and clapped his hands.

Rogue: Rogue laughed, "He's lovin' this." Rogue put her finger in front of her mouth when she caught TJ's eye, then snuck around to the backside of the playset and popped up in a window, "Boo!"

Rogue: Johnny turned towards her with a start then giggled loudly at her.

Talia: "He loves peekaboo," she ducked again, before pooping up in another window. "Boo!" Johnny laughed, and reached out the window to her. She grabbed his hand and pretended to eat it up. "I'm gonna eat your hands!"

Rogue: Rogue let herself laugh at that, "Uh oh! Mama's gonna get ya! Baby hands are her favorite!" She reached through a window and tickled Johnny at his ribs until he giggled hard.

Talia: Talia laughed with them, then sobered a bit. "I'm so happy he's too young to really know, you know??"

Rogue: "Ah know exactly what ya mean. Makes it a bit easier, huh? Not much, though, Ah can imagine." She looked at her friend through the windows with a smile, "Things are gonna go back to normal so quick, he won't even realize he was gone."

Talia: TJ rubbed her hand over Johnny's head. "Oh, he already knows he's gone. He just doesn't know where or why...."

Rogue: "Yeah... But once he gets back, Johnny'll f'get he was gone in no time, ya know? He'll get too wrapped up in playin' with him that he'll f'get."

Talia: "Exactly," TJ said, smiling slightly. "Our family'll be back together and everything will be normal again." She truly hoped. God knew what was really in store for them.