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Just a Couple of Kids, After All... - Parts 1-3 This story is mine. Really, all mine. Well, all the characters belong to Marvel, and I got part of the idea from a story by Mel (thanks, Mel!), but please don¡¦t sue me, it wouldn¡¦t be worth it. Thanks to Luba, too for the beta read and encouragement! This story takes place not long after the High Evolutionary de-mutantized everyone, but Hank and Bobby (obviously) are not in Genosha. I don¡¦t KNOW that Bobby and Kitty have never met, but I¡¦m assuming they haven¡¦t, or that, if they have, it was either in the middle of a battle or at Scott and Jean¡¦s wedding and they didn¡¦t really notice. Part 1 Bobby Drake drove up the long driveway to the X-Mansion in the beat-up old Pinto he¡¦d bought when he first started college. The car Warren had bought him as a graduation present had long since been blown up by some supervillain or another; the one he¡¦d bought himself to replace it had met a similar fate. ¡¦So, we¡¦re back together again,¡¦ he chuckled, stroking the steering wheel. ¡¦That¡¦s ok, you work as well -- or as badly -- as you did six years ago.¡¦ The car obligingly backfired in protest, and he laughed. Then he saw what remained of the school, winced, and thought, ¡¦Well, I guess you can never really go home again, huh? The mansion was a mess. No, that was putting it too gently, he decided. It was a disaster. The windows were smashed, the roof caved in over what had been Ororo¡¦s attic. The grounds looked as if they¡¦d come off the worse from an encounter with the Juggernaut. Even the front door didn¡¦t look as if it was hanging quite right. Bobby sighed. He felt a bit guilty about not being there for the rest of the team when the recent attack by the Friends of Humanity had occurred. They¡¦d put the mansion to the torch, declaring that they¡¦d get rid of those mutants once and for all. ¡¦Morons,¡¦ thought Bobby. ¡¦Didn¡¦t even realize there ARE no more mutants.¡¦ Hank had called him after someone -- he forgot who -- had scared off the FOH losers with a holographic fire breathing dragon who had caused, in Hank¡¦s words, ¡¦a plethora of the ignorant marauders to suffer severe episodes of incontinence.¡¦ ¡¦I¡¦d have like to have seen that,¡¦ Bobby thought, grinning. Perhaps he had a fellow prankster on the premises. ¡¦But still¡¦ He knew he¡¦d made the right choice when he left. He¡¦d had to decide between his families -- whether to stay with the X-Men, who were doing ok at the time, or to help his mom take care of his dad. ¡¦Tough choice,¡¦ he mumbled. While he and his father had never been close, his dad did make a stand for him when things got tough. But now his father was doing better -- not fine, he¡¦d probably never be ¡¦fine¡¦ again, but out of the hospital and back to puttering around the house. The accounting customers he¡¦d acquired while leading a ¡¦real¡¦ life were on maintenance basis -- no major issues to deal with, just ongoing support. And of course, the loss of his powers left him missing his friends all the more, and feeling guiltier about not being there when ¡¦they¡¦d¡¦ needed him. ¡¦Time to visit with Hank, drop twinkie wrappers on Jean¡¦s carpet, play a few tricks on Rogue just to prove I still have what it takes,¡¦ he thought mischievously. ¡¦Lend a hand with the repairs, too,¡¦ he added as he parked the car far enough away from the mansion itself that it would be safe from potentially falling debris. ¡¦Then again, maybe I should park closer and HOPE for falling debris -- nah, check on the insurance first, Bobster. If the mansion¡¦s in this bad of shape, the insurance may have lapsed. Or more likely been cancelled.¡¦ He got out of the car, and wandered up towards the door, noting as he did that all Ororo¡¦s ornamental grass had been ripped out or scorched by the battle. He grinned. ¡¦No allergy attacks this time!¡¦ No great loss without some small gain, after all. He¡¦d heard Ororo was off at some camp with Sarah when the attack occurred; no doubt she¡¦d have had everything replanted otherwise. As he put his hand on the doorknob, it swung open abruptly, knocking him off the porch. ¡¦Hey!¡¦ he yelled, as he inventoried himself for broken bones and ripped pants. ¡¦Where¡¦s the fire? I would have thought inside, not out¡¦¡¦ he trailed off as he saw a gorgeous face surrounded by flowing brown hair peering at him with a confused look. ¡¦Umm, hi, have we met?¡¦ he stammered. ¡¦I¡¦m
sooo sorry -- I was, that is, I just thought I heard¡¦who are you?¡¦ she
asked curiously as she reached down to help him to his feet. ¡¦Nope, sorry, just me, your friendly neighborhood former Iceman. Bobby Drake at your service, milady,¡¦ he said with a small bow. ¡¦And you¡¦re¡¦¡¦ ¡¦Kitty -- I mean, Shadowcat -- well, no I guess now it¡¦s just Kitty again,¡¦ she said somewhat distractedly, glancing past him down the road ¡¦Hey cool! You know, I think you¡¦re the only X-type I never met -- umm, am I holding you up? I mean,¡¦ he said, trying to catch her eye, ¡¦if you were waiting for someone¡¦¡¦ ¡¦Oh, no -- I mean, I was waiting for the mail, but it¡¦s really too early anyway. I¡¦m sorry,¡¦ she added, really looking at him for the first time. ¡¦I didn¡¦t mean to be rude. I¡¦m waiting for a package, and the mailman keeps thinking this place is deserted, so he sends it back, and then they re-send it, and¡¦¡¦ ¡¦Say something witty,¡¦ he thought to himself. ¡¦Gotta make a good impression -- my God, is she gorgeous!¡¦ ¡¦Gotta love the postal service, hey? My parents have lived in their house for thirty years, but the mailman still manages to misdeliver the mail. Drops it off next door, in fact. Try UPS next time if you¡¦ve got the choice -- they seem to have better maps.¡¦ She grinned at him then, and said, ¡¦I¡¦ll try that next time. But, you know, at least it¡¦s better than the British postal service. They never COULD figure out how to deliver the mail to Excalibur¡¦s lighthouse when we lived there. Meggan or Rachel would have to fly over to the mainland to pick it up every few days, and Meggan always got distracted flying back, so half the mail would end up in the Channel. I remember one time --¡¦ ¡¦Robert, my dear friend, I trust you had no difficulty finding out someone dilapidated but nonetheless reasonably comfortable abode?¡¦ Hank interrupted. ¡¦No, I got here just fine -- I was just knocked off my feet when I arrived,¡¦ Bobby replied, grinning at Kitty, who ducked her head a little self-consciously. ¡¦Ah yes, the mansion has had better days,¡¦ Hank replied, shaking his head. ¡¦With the Professor in absentia, we¡¦re having difficulty accessing his accounts to pay the local tradesmen, and for some incomprehensible reason they¡¦re demanding recompense in advance. But still, Robert, it¡¦s not as if you¡¦ve never seen anything like this before¡¦¡¦ ¡¦Nope, nothing like this before,¡¦ Bobby said absently, still looking at Kitty and smiling. ¡¦But I like the view.¡¦ Part 2 ¡¦Hey Hank, whatcha doin¡¦?¡¦ asked Bobby, as he wandered into Hank¡¦s lab. ¡¦Hello Robert,¡¦ Hank replied, looking up from his microscope. ¡¦I¡¦m attempted to recalibrate the magnification of this undoubtedly valuable but somewhat antiquated piece of equipment, as --¡¦ ¡¦Come on Hank, it¡¦s me! English, please?¡¦ whined Bobby playfully. ¡¦You know our agreement, no more than one three syllable word in a sentence.¡¦ Hank looked at him woundedly. ¡¦But Bobby, you know it¡¦s for your own good. An enhanced vocabulary is a sign of --¡¦ ¡¦Someone who can¡¦t talk English that anyone can understand. Humor me, ok? I haven¡¦t had my coffee yet this morning,¡¦ Bobby replied, yawning. Actually, it was more lack of sleep than lack of coffee that had him yawning. He¡¦d lain awake most of the night, Kitty¡¦s face floating past his eyes while he reconstructed their whole conversation, concluding that she probably thought he was an idiot. He leaned back against the seat of a stool, poising himself to nonchalantly bring up the topic he wanted to discuss. Hank signed. ¡¦All right, Bobby. I¡¦m trying to adjust this microscope, which is very old and much in need of repair. Better? Or shall I try to simplify it further? Bobby grinned. ¡¦Much better, thanks. What happened to your old equipment? This lab¡¦s pretty bare¡¦¡¦ ¡¦Casualties of war, my friend. I lost much of it some time ago to Bastion, and more was damaged by the fire, which, while it was unable to penetrate the immediate area, nonetheless generated sufficient heat --¡¦ ¡¦You¡¦re creeping up on a multisyllabic attack again¡¦¡¦ ¡¦Made things hot enough to damage a lot of the higher end equipment, so I¡¦m attempting to make do. Satisfied?¡¦ Hank concluded, looking at Bobby with a somewhat smug look. ¡¦Much better, there may be hope for you yet. Data survive intact?¡¦ ¡¦Thankfully, yes. I thought some of the Legacy virus data was lost, but it was admirably reconstructed by our young Shadowcat. She¡¦s quite a genius with computers,¡¦ Hank added, shaking his head in admiration. ¡¦Not only did she get the systems back up on line, but she also made some improvements to my database structure and integrity.¡¦ ¡¦Here¡¦s my opening,¡¦ thought Bobby. ¡¦Now, don¡¦t blow it.¡¦ ¡¦Shadowcat? Oh, the girl who opened the door yesterday?¡¦ Bobby asked innocently. Hank glanced quickly at Bobby with a sparkle in his eyes, but masked it quickly. ¡¦Yes, that would be her. I forgot, you¡¦ve never met before, have you?¡¦ he replied, turning back to his microscope. ¡¦I don¡¦t think so. Didn¡¦t she used to be with X-Force or something,¡¦ answered Bobby, still trying not to sound too interested. ¡¦Excalibur, my young friend, Excalibur. Though she was with the X-Men before the massacre in the Morlock tunnels. Honestly, Bobby, don¡¦t you ever look at the logs?¡¦ ¡¦Come on Hank, you know me better than that. Research? Me? Actually, he¡¦d been doing that quite a bit last night, trying to find out as much as he could about Kitty, but the data he¡¦d found had been terse reports of missions, not at all what he¡¦d been looking for. Hank merely hmphed, gave the dial on the microscope a final spin, and sat down. ¡¦Enough is as good as a feast, or, to put it more clearly, I¡¦ve had it with that thing. So, Bobby, what brings you to my humble yet reasonably comfortable laboratory so early in the morning?¡¦ ¡¦Just visiting, just visiting. What were you saying about Excalibur?¡¦ Bobby said, trying desperately to direct the conversation back where he wanted it, namely, Kitty. ¡¦Excalibur? Even you must be familiar with the term, if not the team complement. King Arthur¡¦s sword, Camelot¡¦¡¦ ¡¦Yeah, yeah Hank, got it. I remember the Idylls of the King -- you had to help me through it, but the story wasn¡¦t bad. But you were talking about --¡¦ ¡¦Ah yes, I remember that term paper,¡¦ Hank mused. ¡¦I believe you tried to justify that Tennyson was critical of male/female relationships because he was at heart a prude and quite possibly homosexual. The professor was unamused, but I thought you did a marvelous job arguing your case, especially for your age.¡¦ Bobby thought he recognized a mischievous twinkle in Hank¡¦s eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. ¡¦No,¡¦ he thought, ¡¦I¡¦m being subtle here. He ¡¦can¡¦t¡¦ be catching on. It¡¦s just my imagination.¡¦ But while part of him was still unsure, he was pulled into the topic change despite himself. ¡¦I wasn¡¦t that young, was I?¡¦ Bobby said. ¡¦I mean, I must have been about sixteen by then¡¦¡¦ ¡¦Only compared to the rest of us,¡¦ Hank reassured him. ¡¦Of course, you were the youngest, so it¡¦s hard to remember you as other than a somewhat mischievous early teen.¡¦ ¡¦Yup, that¡¦s me, poster child for the youngest X-Man ever,¡¦ Bobby said, somewhat disgruntled. ¡¦No one EVER takes me seriously.¡¦ ¡¦I thought that was your goal? Besides, you aren¡¦t the youngest X-Man ever -- or at least, not by yourself. Kitty shares that distinction with you.¡¦1 ¡¦Really?¡¦ Bobby asked, surprised. ¡¦I was only thirteen when I came to Xavier¡¦s. I remember Scott, at least, was opposed to my inclusion in the team. She was that young?¡¦ ¡¦I believe so. I was with the Avengers at the time, you understand, but I remember Scott discussing the new teammate. You¡¦d just started college, I believe. He said she was one of the smartest kids he had ever met, though she had quite a temper. He wasn¡¦t sure that Xavier¡¦s allowing her to join the X-Men was appropriate, given her age. As you mentioned, he had a problem putting those he saw as children in danger.¡¦ They grew quiet for a bit, both remembering their friend, now lost in battle with Apocalypse. Bobby had gone back home direct from Egypt, and they hadn¡¦t had time to really talk since. ¡¦I¡¦m surprised Xavier allowed it,¡¦ Bobby finally said. ¡¦That whole team was older than we were when we started out, and I got the impression he preferred it that way. Not,¡¦ he put his hand up to stop Hank as his friend tried to interject, ¡¦that he didn¡¦t enjoy teaching, just that I think he always had qualms about sending kids into dangerous situations.¡¦ ¡¦Ah, but as you say, he was always a teacher at heart, and I believe he felt the young Shadowcat needed the X-Men as much, if not more, than they needed her. He did attempt to remove her from the team when the New Mutants -- you recognize the term, I hope, but I refer to the next class to go through the school -- arrived on the scene, but I believe she fought the demotion most vehemently. Eventually, she convinced him that she belonged with the X-Men, and he reinstated her despite her youth. Not long after, he departed for Shi¡¦ar space, leaving the X-Men in Magneto¡¦s then fairly capable hands.¡¦ ¡¦I never quite understood that, either.¡¦ ¡¦Well, I never have myself, I admit. But from all accounts I have heard, Magneto ¡¦was¡¦ an excellent teacher, if a bit lacking in disciplinary skills. Still, friend or no, I don¡¦t believe I could have left the X-Men and New Mutants in his custody.¡¦ ¡¦Well, the X-Men disappeared not long after he took over, didn¡¦t they? The whole road trip to Australia thing. Isn¡¦t that when Excalibur was formed? And, to show you I ¡¦do¡¦ occasionally read the logs, the original team consisted of Nightcrawler, Rachel, Kitty -- ¡¦Yes, that was a confusing time for all. To mourn one¡¦s friends as dead is a tragedy, but to have them reappear, while certainly a time for rejoicing, leaves one with the feeling the he or she expended a great deal of energy despairing for no reason.¡¦ ¡¦I¡¦m surprised Excalibur didn¡¦t disband and return then,¡¦ Bobby replied, trying desperately to get the conversation back on track. He was almost certain now that Hank was pulling his chain, and he was starting to sweat, a disconcerting occurrence for someone who until recently could control his body temperature without thinking about it. ¡¦After all, if they only formed Excalibur because they believed the X-Men were gone --¡¦ ¡¦Do I detect a relatively subtle effort to turn the conversation back to our illustrious young Shadowcat? Or is my imagination perhaps running wild today?¡¦ asked Hank, drumming his fingers on the countertop beside him and grinning. Bobby mumbled something noncommittal. ¡¦Now, now, Bobby. Have I not always been your confidant in the past?¡¦ ¡¦Only when Rogue was unavailable. Where is she, anyway?¡¦ ¡¦As to your first comment, it is unfair, and I hope, untrue, as we have been friends for far longer than Rogue has been among us. As to your second,¡¦ Beast continued, now counting on his fingers, ¡¦she and Remy are enjoying a little personal time --¡¦ ¡¦Cool. I thought of her the first time I tried to ice up and couldn¡¦t,¡¦ Bobby interjected, taking advantage of the opportunity to change the subject. ¡¦What a lucky break! If anyone asked me who benefited most from the loss of their powers, I¡¦d say her in a heartbeat. That Cajun¡¦s a lucky guy --¡¦ ¡¦Robert?¡¦ ¡¦Yes, Hank?¡¦ ¡¦You are definitely trying to change the subject, aren¡¦t you?¡¦ ¡¦Yes, Hank,¡¦ Bobby sighed in resignation. ¡¦Want to tell me about it instead?¡¦ ¡¦Will you give it a break if I say no?¡¦ ¡¦Of course not.¡¦ Bobby sighed melodramatically, and looked at Hank sitting across from him. After so many years of seeing his friend with blue fur and fangs, his human appearance still surprised him at times, but it was something he felt comfortable with, and he knew that Hank was happy about it. ¡¦Ok, I give. I haven¡¦t been able to think of anything else since she nearly ran me over yesterday.¡¦ ¡¦Really?¡¦ Hank replied, his eyes sparkling. ¡¦And why is that?¡¦ ¡¦Oh, I dunno -- maybe because I¡¦ve never met anyone like her before. She¡¦s funny, she¡¦s smart, she laughed at my jokes, she¡¦s absolutely gorgeous¡¦¡¦ ¡¦As was Zelda. And Lorna. And Darkstar. And Cloud. And Marge. And Lev. And Infectia. And of course Opal -- shall I continue?¡¦ ¡¦Come on, Hank! I¡¦m not kidding here!¡¦ Bobby stood up, angrily brushing Hank¡¦s hand aside as the latter reached out as if to calm him. ¡¦I think I could really get to like this girl. Who knows, maybe she¡¦d even like me. I know you might think that¡¦s impossible, but -¡¦ ¡¦Actually no, I don¡¦t. But I do have two things to say.¡¦ ¡¦Which are?¡¦ Bobby asked, calming down a bit and sitting back down on his stool. ¡¦Please keep in mind that while Kitty is undoubtedly a rare beauty, very intelligent, and considerably more mature than you are, she is chronologically four years your junior. She is also very close with Logan, not the most emotionally stable of guardians at the best of times.¡¦ ¡¦Point taken,¡¦ Bobby said, wincing slightly at the thought of Logan¡¦s reaction to his interest in Kitty. ¡¦What¡¦s the second?¡¦ ¡¦Why, simply endeavor not to do anything I wouldn¡¦t do. And, my friend,¡¦ Beast added, leaning over to place his hand on Bobby¡¦s shoulder, ¡¦Good luck.¡¦ Part 3 ¡¦Knock, knock -- Kurt, are you awake?¡¦ Kurt Wagner rubbed at his eyes and glanced at his alarm clock, then muttered a curse under his breath in German. Granted, at 8:00 in the morning he could normally be found doing his workout in the now little used danger room, but he normally got to bed before 3:00, too. The seminary, he decided as he pulled the pillow over his head, gave out far too much homework. ¡¦Come on, Kurt, it¡¦s me, Kitty. Are you awake or should I come back later?¡¦ Kurt considered his options. Granted, Kitty ¡¦would¡¦ be as good as her word -- if she left, she¡¦d wait a couple of hours before coming back, which was more than he could say for many of the inhabitants of the mansion. On the other hand, she sounded a bit upset, as if she¡¦d had to work up the courage to come and speak with him about something, and he hated to turn her away. ¡¦Nein, Katzchen, I¡¦m awake. More or less, anyway. Could you give me a moment to pull on some clothes, though?¡¦ He heard a giggle, quickly stifled, before her reply. ¡¦Aw Kurt, you¡¦re just no fun since you decided to study for the priesthood. Should I come back in fifteen minutes? Or did you want to catch a shower?¡¦ ¡¦Is the hot water fixed yet?¡¦ ¡¦No.¡¦ ¡¦Grrr.¡¦ Kurt grumbled as he climbed out of bed and wrapped a bathrobe around himself. ¡¦I may be willing to get up for you, liebchen, but an icy shower on top of it? No. I definitely need some coffee first. I¡¦ll tell you what -- if you don¡¦t mind, could you bring up a cup? By the time you return, I promise to be presentable.¡¦ ¡¦That¡¦d be a first! Back in five, then,¡¦ she added quickly, before his sleep-deprived mind could formulate a witty reply. Kurt rubbed his hand through his hair, marveling again at how different it felt to run five fingers through hair that stopped at his forehead. He wasn¡¦t entirely sure he liked being a ¡¦regular guy¡¦. While it was certainly nice to be able to blend into a crowd, he¡¦d done that easily enough with an image inducer anyway. The loss of a great deal of his agility and the practice it had taken to adjust to the change in his balance made it all seem a mixed blessing. He knew Kitty felt the same -- she told him about the number of times she¡¦d walked into doors the first weeks, so accustomed was she to walking through them instead. He wondered what brought her to his door this morning as he hastily donned a t-shirt and sweatpants. She hadn¡¦t sounded upset, he decided, but she certainly sounded as if she had something important to discuss. It had been hard for her, he knew, to return to the mansion. She¡¦d initially returned to her old room, but after only one night had moved down the hall to one that had been vacant for as long as he could remember. Too many ghosts, she¡¦d said, and he thought he understood. The last time she¡¦d actually lived here she¡¦d been sharing a room with Illyana, and Doug Ramsey¡¦d been in the adjacent wing. ¡¦Both gone¡¦, he sighed. Far too many gone. A knock at the door brought him back to the present. ¡¦So, Kurt, are you decent yet? Or should I wait until you¡¦re ordained?¡¦ ¡¦Hah, hah, Katzchen, very funny. Do you think that would be long enough? No, seriously, come on in.¡¦ Kitty opened the door, carrying in one hand a tray with two cups of coffee as well as some toast, fresh fruit, and juice. She looked somewhat preoccupied, but, he congratulated himself, not upset. She glanced down at the table spread out with various books, notes, and crumpled paper, and asked, ¡¦Where can I put this?¡¦ ¡¦Sorry, Kitty, I wasn¡¦t thinking. Here,¡¦ he replied, sweeping it all into a pile. ¡¦What brings you here this morning?¡¦ ¡¦I wanted to ask you a question. I need an honest opinion, and I know you¡¦ll give me one. Won¡¦t you?¡¦ She looked a bit apprehensive now, and Kurt wondered why. ¡¦How long have you known me?¡¦ he replied, his eyes searching her face. ¡¦Five, no, six years I think. Why?¡¦ ¡¦Have you ever known me to be less than honest with you?¡¦ ¡¦No.¡¦ ¡¦Well then, why would I start now? Go ahead,¡¦ he continued, sitting down and beginning to peel an orange, ¡¦ask away.¡¦ ¡¦Okay, then,¡¦ Kitty said, nervously drumming her hands on her coffee cup, then taking a deep breath and looking him square in the eyes. ¡¦Do you think I¡¦m pretty? And would you go out with me?¡¦ ¡¦What Katzchen, I never knew you cared!¡¦ he answered jovially, taken by surprise by the question. ¡¦You should have¡¦no, liebchen, I¡¦m sorry. You¡¦re serious, aren¡¦t you?¡¦ he added, as she blushed. ¡¦Very.¡¦ She looked upset now, as if she felt this had been a bad idea. ¡¦Before I answer, may I ask why you¡¦re asking?¡¦ ¡¦I¡¦d rather hear your answer, first.¡¦ ¡¦All right then.¡¦ Kurt leaned back in his chair, and pretended to look at her critically. ¡¦Beautiful hair frames a pixie face. A petite body which masks the strength and training of a ninja. Yes, Kitty, despite the vows I plan to take, and those I have already taken, I must say, I do think you¡¦re pretty. As did Peter, Doug Ramsey, Alisdair Stewart, the crown prince of an alternate Britain, Pete Wisdom, and that SHIELD intern you met last year, just to name a few. If it weren¡¦t for my vows, and the fact I consider you a very close friend, I would certainly be interested in going out with you, as you put it. I assume that¡¦s the question you meant to ask, yes? Now, can you tell me what this is about? For,¡¦ he added jokingly, ¡¦if you have come to seduce me, I do have a prior obligation.¡¦ ¡¦Oh you!¡¦ Kitty laughed. ¡¦Even if you were to renounce your calling, I¡¦d have to beat a path to your door. Right behind Cerise and Amanda, and who knows how many others. No,¡¦ she continued more seriously. ¡¦It¡¦s just, well, I don¡¦t have a very good track record with relationships, you know?¡¦ ¡¦Neither do I, if you think about it.¡¦ ¡¦None of your ex¡¦s are dead, either.¡¦ ¡¦No, but it¡¦s been close a few times, true? Add in that Cerise is now with the Shi¡¦ar, and Amanda in Limbo¡¦¡¦ ¡¦It¡¦s not the same,¡¦ she replied, rubbing her hand through her hair. ¡¦They¡¦re still alive, and they could come back. In both cases, they¡¦d probably both be willing to pick up where you left off, true?¡¦ ¡¦Do you think that death changes that? That if Doug, or Pete, or that officer you told me about that you and Rachel met in World War II Britain, could return from the dead, they wouldn¡¦t be interested in you anymore?¡¦ he answered seriously. ¡¦I -- I don¡¦t know. Doug and I never really dated, you know. We were just the team supreme, computer hackers extraordinaire. Emma Frost once said he was in love with me, but I was never sure if I should believe her or not.¡¦ ¡¦Just because you hadn¡¦t reached that stage in your relationship doesn¡¦t mean it might not have happened, you know,¡¦ Kurt replied gently, reaching out to touch her hand. ¡¦I¡¦m almost certain it would have, had you not been dating Peter at the time.¡¦ ¡¦Who dumped me for an alien healer he couldn¡¦t even communicate with,¡¦ she retorted. ¡¦His problem, not yours. And no,¡¦ he interjected as she opened her mouth to object, ¡¦let¡¦s be honest. Peter has a knack for wanting things he can¡¦t have. And remember, he did come back to you, didn¡¦t he? Too late, far too late, but he did come back.¡¦ ¡¦Yeah, I know. Pete wouldn¡¦t, though. I didn¡¦t even know he was with X-Force until we got their message.¡¦ ¡¦Well, liebchen, Pete had his own ghosts to fight. And don¡¦t be so sure he was unaffected by your breakup, either. I never told you,¡¦ Kurt said seriously, ¡¦but Meggan went to see him not long after we left Britain.¡¦ ¡¦She did? What did he say? Why didn¡¦t she tell me?¡¦ Kitty asked angrily. ¡¦Well, as I understand it, he didn¡¦t say much, being rather too intoxicated to make much sense. Meggan did say he kept muttering about how he wasn¡¦t good enough for you, and how he always knew salvation couldn¡¦t be that easy. She didn¡¦t tell you,¡¦ he added as she began to look upset, ¡¦because when she returned later, he¡¦d checked out of the hotel she¡¦d found him in, and she didn¡¦t want you to worry. By the time she told me, we¡¦d already received the news from X-Force, and I didn¡¦t see any point in troubling you.¡¦ ¡¦I kind of wish you hadn¡¦t, now,¡¦ she said, obviously disturbed. ¡¦Do you think, if I hadn¡¦t broken up with him¡¦¡¦ ¡¦He might still be alive? Perhaps. Or he might still be dead, and you with him. Or you might have broken up over something else. Your relationship was already strained, by that point. Perhaps applies only to the future, never to the past.¡¦ ¡¦Well, except for Rachel.¡¦ ¡¦Even for Rachel. Even Rachel, with her temporal powers, could not change things that had already occurred in her personal past. Do you think if that hadn¡¦t been the case she wouldn¡¦t have tried to save the X-Men? Or Franklin Richards? But we¡¦re getting off the subject. If not for a sudden desire to seduce my irresistible but unavailable self, why all these questions? Did you meet someone at the University?¡¦ ¡¦No,¡¦ she laughed. ¡¦Or not really, anyway. A couple of guys have asked me out, but I¡¦ve turned them down. No, I take that back, I went out for pizza with one, but we just weren¡¦t on the same wavelength.¡¦ ¡¦It must be hard, trying to talk to ¡¦outsiders¡¦, so to speak.¡¦ ¡¦How¡¦d you guess? I mean, how do I answer questions about what I¡¦ve been doing the last six years without revealing that I was a mutant who belonged to the X-Men and Excalibur. Despite being powerless now, even former mutants are targets, as the recent FOH attack demonstrates. And let¡¦s face it, most 19 year olds haven¡¦t been out of the country, let alone the galaxy. It makes it a bit difficult to find a common frame of reference.¡¦ ¡¦I can understand that. It¡¦s funny,¡¦ Kurt mused. ¡¦Most of us used to date outside the superhuman community. Oh, not Scott and Jean of course, but the rest of us. We didn¡¦t hide what we were from our significant others, but it didn¡¦t seem to matter as much. I¡¦m not sure when or how that changed. But, back to the issue at hand, if not someone at school, then who?¡¦ ¡¦Umm, Bobby Drake.¡¦ ¡¦Bobby?¡¦ Kurt nearly stabbed himself with his orange peeler in shock. Laying it on the table, he continued, ¡¦You¡¦re joking, correct? Why, you¡¦ve known him -- no, you haven¡¦t, have you? He left the X-Men before you joined the team, and by the time he returned we were in Britain. But I thought you¡¦d met at Scott and Jean¡¦s wedding, at least?¡¦ ¡¦We might have, I suppose. I was pretty busy videotaping, so I didn¡¦t really talk to anyone, and when I did, it was mostly the former New Mutants. But what¡¦s wrong with Bobby? I just met him yesterday,¡¦ she continued, watching Kurt¡¦s face carefully, ¡¦but he seems nice.¡¦ ¡¦Nothing¡¦s wrong with him, I guess, you just took me by surprise. Yes, Katzchen, he is very nice, and has quite a sense of humor. A bit warped, at times -- I recall he once attempted to stick the tip of my tail in a bucket of ice water while I was sleeping to see if -- well, anyway, that was some time ago. I can¡¦t say I know him very well, actually. He left for college shortly after I joined.¡¦ ¡¦He went to college? A real college?¡¦ Kitty asked, surprised. ¡¦Yes. I think Jean said he majored in finance, or something dismal like that. Quite a prodigy, now that I recall the conversation, he started college at seventeen. Though I believe he was ahead in his studies from being forced by circumstance to attend classes with Jean, Scott, Hank, etc.¡¦ ¡¦Oh, he was with the first class of the X-Men then -- I guess I didn¡¦t put two and two together.¡¦ She looked disappointed. ¡¦He was probably just joking, then -- all of them still see me as a kid.¡¦ ¡¦Well, they see me much the same way, despite my obvious decrepitude.¡¦ As Kitty snorted, he added, ¡¦But then, given the way Jean spoke of him, they see Bobby much the same way.¡¦ ¡¦Why? He was one of their class, after all.¡¦ ¡¦For the same reason Wolverine and Storm have had a hard time realizing you¡¦ve grown into the beautiful young woman you are. He was the baby of the class, a couple of years younger than the others. That¡¦s a tough mental adjustment to make.¡¦ ¡¦Hmmm,¡¦ Kitty chuckled. ¡¦So we do have something in common, at least. That¡¦s a start.¡¦ She stood up, then leaned over and kissed Kurt on the cheek. ¡¦Thanks, fuzzy elf, I needed that.¡¦ ¡¦You¡¦re welcome. But while I appreciate the sentiment, I don¡¦t thing the term applies any more,¡¦ he replied with a grin. ¡¦Sure it does. You haven¡¦t shaved yet this morning!¡¦ And, laughing, she turned and walked into the door, winced, opened it, and walked out, her shoulders squared against his laughter. ¡¦Ah, the joys of being a baseline human,¡¦ Kurt said to himself with a chuckle. ¡¦Bruises for Kitty, and, almost certainly, razor burns for me.¡¦ He sighed, picked up his bathrobe, and went to confront the icy shower that awaited him. |