A/N: This is a continuation of X-Men: Evolution following the series finale and featuring new characters from the comics adapted to the X-Men: Evolution setting. Tags will be updated as the story proceeds. Rated T (for now), subject to change. I claim no rights to the show or the characters. The story is also posted on Ao3 under the same name. Follow me on tumblr: iamlokilocked. :) Thanks for reading!

Bamf.

"Kurt!" Kitty dropped the tray of cookies, startled, but he caught it with his foot and balanced it with his tail. A couple inches taller than her and covered in fur, her best friend ported into the kitchen with his mouth stuffed full of burger, a bag of chips in one hand, and no napkins. Kitty gave him a reproachful look and snatched the tray back.

"I should have let them drop," he grimaced, realizing what it was he'd just 'saved' from the floor. Kitty was baking again. Oh man. He flashed her an apologetic smile, nodding to the cookies. "Oatmeal?" He tried to smooth things over.

Kitty frowned at him. "No, they're sugar cookies."

"Ah. That's why they're so… lumpy. Mmm." He patted his stomach unconvincingly, tail twitching. His eyes widened slightly and he swallowed a belch.

"It's the recipe, Kurt," Martha Stewart, thank you very much. Kitty had gotten a lot better with her cooking, that should count for something, right? "They're supposed to look like this," sort of, if you squinted, but she didn't let her uncertainty show, "And besides, they're not for you anyway." She missed the relief in his yellow eyes, and he muttered something in German that she didn't catch.

She did shoot her friend a questioning look, and he smiled at her, clapping his hands together. "So this is for the newbies?"

"Exactly." Things had 'settled down' after the summer, but it wasn't the same. Nothing was ever going to be the same after Apocalypse, but the Xavier Institute was still open and taking students. Kitty just wished there were more familiar faces around, too. Logan wasn't here. He left to… well, he didn't really say but Scott said it was because he didn't trust the Professor's decision to let Magneto stay at the Institute.

Kitty didn't think she'd ever see the day. Magneto wasn't the most trustworthy person in the world (understatement, much?). He'd tried to abduct and brainwash half her friends freshman year. And then there was that whole battle-in-the-streets-of-New-York with the Sentinel and Acolytes last year.

Kitty didn't blame Logan for leaving, but she missed him. Scott was a lot little less forgiving, but even he had a hard time stomaching Magneto as a teacher – especially in the Professor's absence. He and Jean had left two weeks ago. It had something to do with whatever Apocalypse had shown him over the summer. Scott had wanted to go with them. Instead he was here, teaching and training the younger X-Men, and both Kitty and Kurt were worried about him.

"We have to pick up the slack," she reminded him, "At least until Jean gets back. Which means I'm in charge of getting the New Recruits settled and making them feel welcome…"

"And giving them food poisoning?"

Kitty ignored the 'joke'. "What are you doing here anyway?" Besides popping in on her and pumping his arteries full of greasy junk food. "I thought you were running the obstacle course with Laura." For Bobby, Ray, Roberto, and the others. Jubilee hadn't come back yet. Neither had Rahne.

"Yeah, right," Kurt leaned back against the kitchen counter, "She doesn't need my help." Laura didn't need anybody's help (as she was fond of reminding them). Like Logan, Laura was strong, healed in record time, and with her skills, she was definitely not a 'new recruit'. What she wasn't good at? Working with other people. Kitty was surprised that she didn't go with Logan when he left. She didn't seem very happy here.

"Kurt…"

"Relax, Kitty. Rogue's with her," he assured her. He wouldn't just leave a teammate high-and-dry for burgers. And chips. For under five dollars. Kitty shook her head when Kurt popped open the bag of Ruffles and offered her first dibs.

"That stuff is so bad for you," she said. Kurt made a protesting sound but his mouth was full, so he jabbed a finger at the glossy print on the front of the bag. 'Baked'.

Before Kitty could make her usual case about kale chips, she heard the buzzer in the foyer. It meant that someone was at the gate. She brightened, and set down the tray of cookies on the counter. "They're here. Come on." Kurt cast a quick glance back to the cookies and the trashcan (wondering if he should do everybody a favor and get rid of the toxic treats). But that'd mean he'd have to put down his chips, and he couldn't do it with Kitty right there. So instead he ported them both outside.

Kitty tucked a few strands of brown hair behind one ear, the rest of it pulled back in a high ponytail. She was wearing jeans and a blue top, short sleeves. She raised a hand and waved in the direction of the taxi as it slowly made its way up the lengthy driveway to the house. Her smile didn't falter when she said to Kurt, "That's weird. They were both supposed to get here at two." Kurt murmured that maybe somebody had missed their flight.

"From Long Island?" she asked dubiously. Kurt shrugged.

The taxi pulled to a stop and the driver got out. He ambled to the trunk of the car, unlocked it, but Kurt ported over and took the suitcases with a cheerful, "I've got it!" before he'd even reached for them. Kitty stepped forward eagerly to meet the girl who stepped out of the car.

"Hi! I'm Kitty – that's Kurt," the girl turned to glance in the direction Kitty gestured, and Kurt half-lifted her duffel bag in greeting, "Welcome to the Xavier Institute."

"Luna." Luna Delgado was sixteen with long brown hair that hit her waist, dark eyes, and red lipstick. It was the brightest part of her whole ensemble which consisted of black pants and a dark purple crop top. She was also wearing a holowatch, which Kitty didn't notice at first.

"Did you have a good flight?" Luna nodded in response, but she was looking behind the X-Man at the mansion. No stranger to filling the silence, Kitty added, "Great. Why don't I show you to your room, give you a tour, and- are you hungry? Do you like sugar cookies?"

Kurt shook his head – just say no, he thought - as the two girls disappeared into the house, then he tipped an imaginary hat to the cabbie and took the bags upstairs with another bamf.