A/N: This is my first attempt at a humor fic, so be kind. I was inspired to write it while beta-reading for Krall.

Disclaimer: Characters are not my own creation. I am borrowing them for entertainment purposes only and not for profit. No infringement is intended.

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Double Time
By Randirogue

Bobby and Amara stepped out back. They each had a large rake and a box of garbage bags. Their assignment, given no choice about it, was to rake all the autumn leaves on the yard, bag them, and take them to the dump.

"Awww, man!"

There was a lot of yard at the Institute.

"What are you complaining about? I didn't even do anything and, still, here I am."

They couldn't use their powers either.

"It's your fault we can't just burn them like usual," Bobby whined. "You're the one who--"

"I know," Amara said. It was curt.

"Plus, I also had to scrub the locker rooms," he said and shivered.

"Hehe... you shivered! The iceman shivered! Ha... hahahahahaha!"

"I did not!"

"Oh, yes, you did." She laughed so hard she had to lean on the rake to keep standing.

"Pipe down, you two, and get to work!" That was Logan. He was supervising from a lawn chair, underneath an upturned brimmed hat that kept the sun out of his eyes. Actually, it was tilted over most of his face. But, then, a guy with enhanced smelling and hearing didn't need to watch them to know they were doing as they were told.

"You and your stupid pranks," Amara mumbled haughtily as she set to work.

The night before, under the watchful eyes of Jean and Scott, the New Mutants had gone on a trip to the movies. Just as the newer group had hoped, Jean and Scott weren't all that watchful. New to their relationship, they had often gotten distracted by their own blushes and awkwardness, and that gave Bobby the perfect opening for his oh so perfect plan.

Amara, spoiled little princess that she could sometimes be, enlisted the help of all the other girls there, Jean, Rahne, and Jubilee, to make the boys get all their snacks while the girls held their seats in the theater.

"It's the gentlemanly thing to do," Amara said.

"Screw that," Beserker said. "This isn't some weird-freaky-group date thing."

"Unless you want to give up a kiss," Bobby said with a fiendish smirk.

"Ach! Don't ye even think it," Rahne squealed.

Jubilee shoved both Roberto and Bobby away with a shove of her feet to their backsides. "Just do it. I swear, you can be such lazy bast--"

"Go with them, Scott," Jean said, just in time.

Couldn't let the young ones give a bad impression of teenage mutant-kind with using less than savory language in public.

"They won't get into too much trouble if you're with them," Jean reasoned. "I'll stay with the girls." A peck on his cheek got him moving.

Scott released Jean's hand reluctantly and got up. "Come on, guys. You heard the ladies."

The boys all groaned. "This sucks!" "Why do we always have to do the work?" "At least you're getting something out of it, Scott!"

The girls cheerily shouted their snack orders. "Diet soda and JuJu's!" "Lite popcorn, no butter or salt, and bottled water!" "Ach! None of that diet stuff for me. I want lots of butter and salt, and real soda!" "Yeah, me too. Actually, scratch that. Nachos, chocolate-covered almonds, and cherry soda!"

There must have been a long line. That, or their order was just that large. Whatever it was, by the time they returned, they'd missed the beginning. Amara expected Bobby to be cranky when he plopped down beside her, expected her snacks to be shoved haphazardly in her lap, expected to be spilled on. She most definitely didn't expect his broad grin and saccharine words.

"Your order, my princess," Bobby said with a playful bow of his head before he presented her diet, butter/salt free snacks to her.

She eyed him warily, but took the proffered food.

"...Thanks," she said.

"My pleasure, princess," Bobby said, his grin splitting wider.

She missed the next ten minutes of the movie inspecting her popcorn and soda. He had to have done something to it. He was just too happy.

Opened the lid and looked inside. She shook it around, the ice making that swirling sound. Nothing odd there. She closed the lid and stared at it. Finally, giving him a suspicious sideways glance, she took a tiny, careful sip.

"Something wrong with it?" Bobby asked, noticing her distrustful behavior. "Want me to get another one?"

"No," Amara said, quickly. "No, it's fine."

"Okay," Bobby said, smiling, and turned his attention back to the movie.

She set her drink in the armrest holder and eyed her popcorn. She smelled it. It smelled fresh, no scent of that greasy butter or salt... or a trick of pepper or something. She poised a hand over top, ready to rifle through it, expecting to find some strange thing in there. Perhaps, even some dead bug.

She shuddered.

Then dug her hand in.

Nothing. Just normal unsalted, unbuttered popcorn. She even dared a bite and found it fine in that respect as well.

Still... she just couldn't trust it.

Bobby still had that grin plastered on. He did something. She just knew it.

Or... he had something planned.

Laughter erupted from the theater. Amara jerked her attention to the screen. Too late, though. Whatever was so funny, she missed it. She'd missed a lot actually, she realized. She had no idea how long she'd been obsessing over Bobby's surprising jubilance. Well, she wasn't gonna miss anymore of it. She settled back in her chair and watched the screen.

She grabbed a few pieces of popcorn. Opened her mouth, and... checked it.

Fine. It was just fine. Nothing wrong with it.

She ate it.

Fine. It was just fine. Nothing wrong with it.

"Ha ha ha!"

"Dang it!" She'd missed another funny part.

More determined not to miss any more of it, she gave up on her popcorn all together. Setting it by her feet, she stole a glance at Bobby. That same grin was still there. Huge and promising... threatening. It was so full of proud mirth.

Amara shook it off. She was being ridiculous. If he was going to do anything, he'd have already done it. Plus, for all she knew, his whole plan was just to get her so preoccupied over it that she missed the movie. And the movie had been her choice.

Bobby grinned. Maybe he just liked the movie a whole lot.

But the movie wasn't that good.

Bobby grinned. He laughed. Most everyone laughed.

She didn't understand why everyone was laughing so much.

They laughed again. Bobby grinned.

It seemed very bland to her. And it was dragging. How long was it, anyway? It had to be almost over. She'd been there at least an hour and a half already.

At least all her paranoia over whatever Bobby's prank was to be sure made it seem that long.

They laughed. Bobby grinned.

"Ugh!"

Bobby looked at her. And winked.

"That's it!" Amara abruptly stood.

"Shut up!" Came from the row ahead of her.

"Sit down!" Came from behind her.

Bobby tugged on her sleeve. She yanked away from him and glared.

"You okay?" He asked. He wasn't grinning.

He wasn't grinning!

She looked around the theater, sheepishly.

"You're blocking the screen!"

She ducked down. He wasn't grinning. She was thankful the dark room concealed her blush, her embarrassment.

"Bathroom," she answered Bobby.

"Can't hold it anymore, huh?" Bobby said, chuckling lightly.

She grimaced at his crudeness. But, oddly, she was reassured by it.

"I hate that," Bobby continued, then added, "I'll tell you what you missed."

She nodded, then left. Though, she admitted to herself, it wouldn't matter what she missed while she was gone. She missed everything else with her ridiculous worrying.

In the bathroom, she splashed water on her face, and fixed her hair and makeup. She kept stalling. She couldn't bring herself to go back in there. She'd made such a fool of herself with her outburst.

Someone entered, and she ignored it. Probably some random movie-goer.

"Amara?" It was Jean.

Sigh. "I'm here."

"You all right? You've been gone awhile."

"I'm fine." Sigh. "And don't scan me to find out for sure. That's so rude."

A faint blushing smile graced Jean's face. "Tell me then, Amara. I know there's something wrong. You picked this movie."

"I know." A deep breath. "It's just so stupid of me. Silly, you know. I feel like... I don't know."

"Well, what happened?"

"Bobby."

"Ahhh... what did he do this time?"

"Nothing. And that's the problem."

"I don't get it."

Another petulant, self-conscious sigh, then Amara explained it all to Jean.

"I see now," Jean said when Amara was done.

Amara grinned sheepishly. "So, I'm just waiting out the movie. I've missed it all anyway."

"Want me to wait out here with you?" Jean asked.

"You don't have to," Amara said. "Go on and finish watching it." She smiled, teasing. "You and Scott still got plenty of cuddle time left, I bet."

Jean reddened, then cleared her throat. "If you're sure you're fine here by yourself."

Amara quirked a sardonic brow. "It's the women's room, Jean, not Trask's headquarters. I think I can handle myself."

Jean chuckled lightly. "Okay. Want me to come get you when it's over?"

"I'll be by the entrance."

And with that Jean left Amara to her own devices. She got a new drink, abandoning the one she had in the theater along with her popcorn, and sat at a bench at the front of the theater, people watching.

Every time a flood of people headed from the direction of the theater they were in, Amara looked up, checked the crowd for the faces of her friends, then checked the clock. The third flood of theater-goers proved to finally be Jean, Bobby and the others.

Bobby, to the side with Roberto and Sam, was laughing heartily. Sam grimaced, seeming to chastise the other two for what they were saying, but they were too far away still for Amara to tell just what had been said. Still, it was enough to re-ignite her paranoia of a prank.

Then Roberto stole a glance at her. Whispered something to Bobby. The trio laughed, even Sam, though he'd been more shy about it, like he couldn't help himself. Then Bobby caught her eye. He winked. He grinned.

That same beaming, proud and mischievous, grin.

Amara stomped right up to him. "I know you're planning something so you can just stop. It's not going to work."

"Huh? What?" Bobby asked. The other two seemed just as startled as he did.

"Don't play dumb with me," Amara snapped. "I know you're planning a prank on me, so don't bother."

"What gave you that idea?"

"You did. That smile. You've had that... that look since you got back with the drinks. I know you're planning something."

"Oh my God!" Bobby laughed. Between chuckles and catching his breath, he got out, "That's what this is all about? You have to get over yourself."

"You realize, Bobby," Roberto said, laughing as well, "that she missed the entire movie obsessing over this."

"That's why you left?" Sam asked.

Amara glared at them. "It won't work, Bobby."

"Sure it will." Bobby winked.

Amara stomped her foot. He was so infuriating.

The trio laughed.

"You're so easy, Amar--"

His smile vanished. His laughter gone. His jaw hung open.

Amara figured, 'Finally, here it is.'

Roberto followed suit.

Amara rolled her eyes. "I'm not falling for it."

Bobby pointed. Behind her. Beyond the glass front of the theater.

"What is it?" Sam asked. But then he saw too. And he gaped just like them.

Good old southern manners Sam looked shocked.

"Sentinel," Bobby whispered.

Amara was transformed, her body the darkened center of liquid like flames licking the air surrounding her in repeating flickers, before she had fully turned around.

"...."

There was no Sentinel. But there were screams.

"Fire!"

"She spontaneously combusted!"

"Aaaaaaaah!"

"Run!"

"Put her out! Put her out!"

"Fire!"

"Get out!"

"I don't want to die!"

They were in a theater. People started running everywhere. They were screaming, panicked, scared.

Amara, however, burned with anger. She fell for it after all. Her, and all the theater-goers fell for the prank, much to her embarrassment... and anger. And in her anger, she forgot to power down.

The fire was spreading. The carpet had caught. A poster nearby caught too. It was moving too fast. Everything was too fast. More screams. More running. People slipping over spilt popcorn, butter, nacho cheese, soda, and each other.

"Fire!"

"Run!"

"Aaaaaaaah!"

"Put her out! Put her out!"

Bobby, Roberto, and even Sam were laughing. They were huddled out of the way, against the side wall.

Scott, always the hero, had gotten the fire extinguisher from somewhere and was spraying the flames. Amara was in the heart of the flames. Scott didn't even see her. She got doused.

Bobby laughed all the harder. "That was priceless! Princess got extinguished! Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"That stuff is really cold, you know that, Bobby?" Amara said. She was tying up her third garbage bag. Only a little more than an hour had passed. They hadn't even made a dent into the leaves. There really were a lot of trees on the property.

"I know it is, for you, at least!" Bobby laughed all over again. "I couldn't have planned something like that. I mean, wow! He put you out with a fire extinguisher!"

"And that stuff got everywhere!!" Amara exclaimed with a pout. Muttering to herself, she added, "Even ruined my panties. And I loved that pair. The palest pink..."

Bobby leaned in. He was caught at 'panties'.

"Real satin, too," Amara continued to herself.

Bobby leaned in closer.

Mumble. "The most delicate lace trim."

Closer.

Grumble. "Thinnest side bands."

More.

Louder. "Matched the bra, too."

More.

Grrrr. "Came as a set. I can't just replace the--"

Woosh! Bobby leaned too far. Amara gave the smallest push at his shoulder and he upended into his own neatly made pile of leaves, many of which were now fluttering all around him.

"Pig!"

"It was worth it." He rolled onto his back. A satiated smile making his eyes glimmer with mirth.

She kicked the pile. More leaves covered him. More leaves fluttered all about.

From below her, Bobby said, "Got a blue set too, I see."

"What?"

"Baggy shorts, gotta love them."

"Bobby!?!?!" She squealed and hopped back out of his view.

"Don't melt him," Logan called from under his hat.

"Try and stop me!"

Logan's nose twitched. He smelled smoke. He smelled a lot of smoke. He pushed up his hat so he could see.

"Aw, hell."

Dry leaves catch quick.

"Get the extinguisher!"