Early Morning Confusion

Part Three

Kitty shifted the leather chair, waiting for the double doors to open and Professor Xavier to call her into his office. This by far, the mutant thought, had to have been the second worse day in her life. "Note to self." She exclaimed, feeling a bit frustrated, "In the future, do not even think to try and keep a love affair secret in a house full of telepaths."

With a groan, Kitty thought back to this morning, just when it seemed everything was going good for once. She let Sarah know of her interest, she even kissed the mutant. After that, things just progressed so naturally, at least she guessed so, for when one has sex with a Morlock. Marrow grabbed a hold of her hand, and almost dragged her to the woman's basement room, and then for the next several hours made love to her. Marrow had done things to her, that she never dreamed that she would even let anyone even think about doing. Yet, red-faced she asked for more until they were both exhausted, and then they fell asleep in each other's arms.

She felt the touch upon her mind, if she had been less fatigued from Sarah's love making, Kitty would have realized that Jean had just contacted her. She would have heard the telepath saying "Kitty, breakfas…." Before the woman abruptly withdrew. Stirring in the basement bed, Shadowcat moved her arm around the bone protruding from Sarah's left shoulder and pulled the woman tight against her.

CRASH!

Kitty jerked upwards, phasing herself through Marrow, and the blankets into a sitting position as the top stairs door shattered open, while Sarah rolled naked out of the bed facing the stairs. A mass of footsteps echoed down the stairs. With the voice of Ororo Munroe, Katherine's surrogate mother leading the charge, "MARROW," came a loud unnatural screech, "GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY KITTEN!"

"Oh my god!" was all Kitty could get out as she phased the blanket, pulling it upwards to cover her body. Marrow not caring about her nakedness, confronted the outraged woman with a sneer, "Too late for that Stormy."

Following Ororo down the steps was Kitty's surrogate father Logan, know as the mutant Wolverine. He was calling out to the dark goddess to calm down, when he saw Marrow, then shifted his eyes to the bed containing Kitty. "Oh boy."

Then to Kitty's horror, stumbling down the steps behind Logan, came Bobby Drake, the team's jokester, and forever adolescent. Seeing the two nude women, he just pumped his right hand several times and yelled, "ALL RIGHT!" while continuing to leer at Kitty. Then in quick succession, came Jean, "OH MY GOD!" Betsy, "ABOUT TIME YOU REALIZED IT KID!"

And to Kitty's utter despair Jubilation Lee, "EEEWWWWWW…..GROSS!" Rubbing her forehead, she could only think, that this would have to be the day that Jubilee would visit Wolverine.

"FUCKING HO!" Marrow yelled at a screaming Ororo, only to have the bony mutant held back by a determine Psylocke, while Logan held onto a struggling Storm, who was yelling her own obscenities at Sarah.

Even though she wanted to phase into the ground, Kitty looked at the chaos around her. Aside from the screaming Marrow and Storm, with Betsy and Logan trying to keep them apart. Bobby had settled into a chair watching, as he yelled about wanting to see some naked wrestling. Jean had a shocked look as she tried to shield Jubilee from seeing anything. Yet the young Chinese girl kept dodging around the tall redhead making comments about how sick Kitty was, and that Wolverine was lucky to find out.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Kitty shouted to a room that quickly became still, with the shocked occupants staring at the girl. Shaking her head, Shadowcat spoke in a more calm tone, "Forgive my language, but can you all please leave. Sarah and I will be up in a bit, and hopefully." This time her gaze turned to Ororo, "Have a quiet, civilized conversation."

Storm was the first to move, with a shake of her mane of white hair, then tried to regain some dignity. "I look forward to that Katherine." She said in a tone that said she was not finished with Marrow. Turning, Ororo walked up he stairs stepping over the broken door. Followed by Logan, with Jubilee close at his heels mumbling how Kitty was a disappointment, and that he should have known that he could always depend on his Jubes.

With a wink to Kitty, Betsy took her turn to exit the room, while talking to no one in particular, "About time she realized it, kid been moping around the house trying to figure it out." Both Marrow and Kitty then turned their gaze at Jean Grey, who looked liked a deer caught in a cars headlights. Easing slowly towards the steps, the woman suddenly turned and ran up to the hallway while saying she was sorry.

Sarah stood in the middle of the basement still naked, with her hands on her hips staring after the departing Jean, shaking her head. "You know Kit, I never expected Red to fall apart like that?" Turning to look at Kitty, Marrow saw that the young woman was rubbing her forehead as if she had a headache. Concerned about her new lover, Sarah asked if she was okay?

"Bobby, get out." Kitty said simply.

A brief groan came from the chair in the corner of the room, as Drake stood with a huge grin, and backed up towards the stairs, his eyes locked on the nude woman. "Looking good Marrow." Taking a step backwards up the stairs, Bobby stumbled slightly but quickly regained his balance. "Kitty, see you later, like to have a man to man talk about women if you don't mind." As he kept walking backwards up the stairs, Bobby kept bowing lower and lower, until finally his view of the basement was cut off. Then a pathetic tone floated downwards, "Hey, where did everyone go?"

"Well, that went better than I thought it would," Marrow said as she walked over to the pile of clothes on the floor, searching through them until she found a pair of panties.

With a roll of her eyes, Kitty dropped the blanket that had been shielding her, and joined Sarah at the pile, rummaging for her own clothes. "I need to borrow one of your shirts," Kitty quietly said as she looked over her black tank top, then glanced at the bite marks on her breasts and stomach. "Things are going to be hard enough, without them seeing these.

Smirking, Marrow walked behind Kitty, and lightly nibbled her neck, "I could give have bit where it couldn't be hid." Turning to the dresser, Sarah dug around then pulled out a green, extra-large New York Jets jersey. Turning, she watched as Kitty bend over the clothes pile still searching for the rest of her clothes. Walking closer she placed a hand on her lover's rear, smiling as Kitty jerked upwards. "You best not wear a skirt, cause if a updraft catches it, you'll have more than just bites on your tits to explain.

With her face turning red, Kitty quickly slipped on the baggy jersey, and pants. Having only her heavy boots from last night, she decided to forgo shoes. "I had hoped to delay this." Kitty said in a low voice, "Not sure how they all would react to me….and you."

Marrow blinked not sure how to take what Kitty meant, being who she was; it was not something she could let pass. "What do you mean by that?" Sarah asked with hands on hips. "React to me, as in being a woman, or Morlock?"

Hesitating, Kitty looked at Sarah, then let out a sigh, it already had been a grueling morning, and she didn't need to add to the difficulty, yet lying was not something she ever good at. "React to you as being the former leader of Gene Nation." Kitty replied, her brown eyes watching Marrow carefully. "Ororo, has always been picky on who I have chosen to have any relationships with. She has high goals for me, and with your past, well, you saw her reaction just now."

Keeping an even expression, Marrow tried to hide the natural rage that was building up inside her, "What I did in Gene Nation's was justice, I revenged the Morlock's murdered by the up worlders."

Starting to reply, Kitty halted before the first words left her mouth, then shook her head. "They're waiting for us upstairs, lets finish this conversation later, okay?"

Already turning for the stairs, Marrow started upwards, as she heatedly called out "You can bet on that!"

Coming out of her recollections, Kitty looked at the door leading to the professor's office, wishing it would open and get it over with. Leaning back once again, she started going over once again their breakfast with the rest of the team, followed by her disastrous fight with Sarah. Maybe she was wrong, this was not her second worse day ever, it had to have been the worse.

Part Four

She watched as Sarah walked up the steps then quickly followed, not wanting her lover to confront her friends by herself. Kitty gave a brief shake of her head over the clothes she was wearing. An extremely baggy N.Y. Jets jersey, jeans, and barefoot, "Great choice Pryde," she told herself, "You look like a stereotype lesbian." Taking the steps two at a time, Kitty phased though the broken door wondering if Storm used her powers, or just knocked it off it's hinges?

As expected the hall was empty, so she hastily made her way into the kitchen, where she found her adopted family all sitting at a quiet breakfast. Sarah was at the stove cooking some eggs, but looked up smiling, "You like them over-easy right hon?" Grimacing at the look Ororo suddenly gave Marrow, Kitty replied with a nod, as she walked over to make some toast for the both of them.

"Kitty," Bobby suddenly piped up, "Think you can introduce me to any girls, maybe we can go out on a double date?" Seated next to him, Jubilee rolled her eyes, while pausing in eating her bowl of Sugar Bombs "Jeez, Bobby, like buy a vowel, you think any girls Kitty knows would be into guys?"

"Jubilee, shut up," Ororo said tensely her eyes locked on the smiling Marrow.

It hurt, Kitty gave a quick glance at Jubilation, she knew that at times the girl was jealous of Logan's feeling for her. Yet, she had thought they had gotten past that and became friends. Telling herself that she'll talk to the girl later about it, Kitty could not but help feel the tension in the air. Plus the fact, that breakfasts have always been loud, far too much talking across the table, each person trying to be hear above the other, it's what helped in making them a family.

Guessing it was up to her to start it off, Kitty looked at the woman sitting next to Logan, "Betsy, what did you mean that you always known?"

Startled, Psylocke looked around the table seeing that everyone was focused on her. Thinking that she'll have to get Shadowcat back for singling her out. "Well, when I had to hold your essences together after you were injured by the Marauders. Our minds merged, and I felt your feelings for Illyana and Rachel, even though you were denying them at the time.

"RACHEL" Jean suddenly said, looking at Kitty her eyes slightly glazed over, the fork she was holding tumbling to the floor.

"Oh great," Kitty mumbled as she rubbed the bridge of her nose, then looked at Rachel's, mother, or future mother, or….. Damn, she thought, why does things always get so bewildering when the Summer's clan got involved. "Jean, nothing happen between me and Ray," Kitty said softly, "It was only the confused thoughts of a fourteen year old."

"Jeez, Kitty," as Jubilee spoke up, "How many girls has there been, like pick a number."

"Jube's," Logan said in a deep tone, "Shut up."

Setting a couple plates on the end of the table, Sarah scooped the eggs onto each with a grin as she looked at Storm. "Judging how good she was last night Jubilee, a few."

"OHHHH…SHEEZZZZZ, LIKE I REALLY DIDN'T NEED TO KNOW THAT, THANK YOU!"

"Jubilation," Jean said, her eyes watching for Storm's reaction. "Shut up."

If Storm was upset, Kitty didn't notice, she was seeing red herself, "Sarah, don't use me, or what happen last night to take pot shots at Ororo, you really don't want to go there."

A tightening of the lips was all of Marrow's response at first, then after putting the skillet back on the stove she sat down at the table while Kitty, served the toast. "Fine, then Stormy can tell you why she's so upset with you being with another woman?

"No Marrow," Storm said in a calm even tone, her rage so apparent in the basement now gone, "If Kitty is attracted to women, and it sounds like she may be." Glancing at Kitty expecting a response, Ororo took just a moment to see that Shadowcat only seemed interest in pouring two cups of coffee, one which she placed in front of Sarah, who while still looking at Storm, placed her hand on top of Kitty's. Only to scowl when the mutant phased her hand and sat down in front of her breakfast refusing to look at Marrow with a frown passing over her features.

"I have no problem with it then." Ororo continued, "What I have a problem with is that I think she's showing a lack of judgment in choosing someone that will only cause her grief, in short, a murdering terrorist that's killed over a hundred innocent people. Without a hint of remorse, or even a apology to the spirits of those she killed "

"That was justice," Marrow savagely said, her eyes turning hard as they stared at Storm, "And revenge for killing my people, all we wanted was to live in the Up-Worlders sewer, eat their trash, the flat scans wanted a war, I gave them one!"

"No, Marrow," Wolverine said suddenly, "Mutants killed the Morlock's, the people you killed knew nothing about Morlock's, that was just you wanting to kill." Having said what he wanted to Marrow, the mutant turned his attention to Kitty who was slowly picking at her food. "Pumpkin, you know how I feel about you, and how you live your life is your own business. But I think you're making a mistake choosing Marrow to live it with."

Turning to look at the silent Kitty, Marrow raised a bony eyebrow, "Excuse me Kit's, but you're welcome to jump in here at any time."

Her eyes were still on the eggs as she stirred them around the plate, "If both of you felt that way about Marrow, why did you bring her into the team?"

"THAT'S IT?" Marrow screamed at Kitty as she stood, "Listen, this is the part where you suppose to stand up and tell them to fuck off, that you'll screw whoever you want."

"Gods, Kitty," Jubilee piped up, "First Wisdom, now Marrow, you really can pick classy people."

"Shut up, Jubilee," Betsy said, her attention on Kitty.

Pausing in the stirring of her eggs, Shadowcat kept her eyes downcast, this was not going how she thought it would. Instead of Ororo or Logan expressing disappointment in her, they went for the one thing that she had trouble with before she had a chance to talk with Sarah. With a deep sigh Kitty went back to stirring the eggs, "Sarah, first of all I thought what happen last night was more than a simple, excuse my language, screw." Casting her gaze to her lover, she saw that Marrow was the faint traces of red edging onto her face. "Second, I think it's a good question, if they think you're a murdering terrorist, why ask you to join the team? And last of all, they are part of my family."

Though she was nodding, Marrow didn't pay any attention to what Kitty was saying, she only knew that she was not speaking up for her. "So, your family can talk trash to me, and I'm suppose to stand here and take it." Pushing away from the table, Marrow raised herself up to her full height while looking down at Kitty, "So tell me, do you agree with your *family*, do you think I'm a murderer?"

"Sarah, please, let's talk about this later, by ourselves."

"NO," Marrow said a bit to loudly, "Cause that's what you think isn't it? That's what you want, being with a killer, that's why you LOVED what I did to you last night, next time I'll use something better than my te…"

Marrow didn't get a chance to finish; with incredible speed Kitty rose from her chair, clamped her hand over her lover's mouth and using her forearm, forcefully shoved Sarah against the kitchen counter before her plate finished falling to the floor. Kitty's hand muffled the cry of Marrow's pain as the counters edge slammed against the small of her back. So swift had been Shadowcat's reaction, even Logan was only just pushing away from the table, open mouth as Kitty's plate shattered on the floor.

Marrow struggled to break loose, only finding that she had severely underestimated Kitty's strength. Try as she might, it was as if an iron bar was pressed against her chest, with another push, Marrow finally remembered Kitty's muscular physique from the night before, now hidden by the baggy jersey, as she looked into a pair of furious brown eyes.

"I told you Sarah," Kitty growled through clenched teeth, "Not to go there, but if this is the only way for you to learn that I mean it, then I hope you learn fast."

The other stayed in the chairs not wanted to aggravate the situation, "Darlin," Wolverine said after a few seconds of heavy breathing between the two women. "Let her go darlin, this isn't your way." Logan was not sure that Kitty was even listening, then just as abruptly, she released Marrow of her grip and took several steps back still staring at her.

Returning the stare, Marrow then shifted her gaze to the room, looking at each shocked face, then returned back to Kitty, before whirling and stalked out of the kitchen screaming out, "FUCK YOU PRYDE, FUCK YOU!"

Silence filled the room for over a minute before Jubilee spoke up, "I thought Marrow already did that?"

"Jubilation," Kitty said angrily

"I know," she replied with a sigh, "shut up."

Hand on hips, and red-faced, Shadowcat faced her family not looking at anyone in particular, "I was still with Excalibur when all this happen, so why….why if you feel this way did you ask Marrow to join the team?"

No one said anything, just looking around at each other before Logan spoke, "The professor, he insisted that we take Marrow in."

"We asked why," Bobby, said as he looked around the table, realizing the seriousness of the situation he didn't try to make a joke. "But you know how the Professor is like when he gets into one of those, 'because I say so moods'"

Nodding in agreement, Jean looked a bit uneasy, "Not much of an excuse Kitty, but I guess we're used to it."

Biting her bottom lip, she looked towards the hallway, then with a determined nod of her head wondering where Marrow went, "Then I guess me and the Professor are going to have a talk, cause I'm not used to it, but first," she added as she sniffed at the jersey, "I need a shower, been a long night."

Jumping from her chair Jubilee looked disgusted, "You mean, you hadn't showered since you and Marrow….." Waving her hands in circles as if it would get her words out, the Chinese mutant finished up by saying, "OHHHHHH THAT"S NASTY!"

"JUBILEE," came a chorus of voices from the group around the table. "SHUT UP!"

***********************************

"Kitty," a voice in her head called. Snapping her eyes open, Shadowcat looked at the door leading to the Professor's study.

"I'm sorry for the wait." The telepathic voice of Professor Xavier continued. "But I had an unexpected phone call that I wish to speak to you about, please come in."

Rising from the chair, Kitty walked to the door phasing through it, determined to get some answers to her questions. Then afterwards, she and a certain sparkplug are going to have a talk.