AN: Another prompt from Tumblr. Next chapter of Let Me Go is coming on Friday. Not too sure how I feel about this oneshot yet, but I hope it is enjoyed, nonetheless.
A woman's wedding day is supposed to be the happiest day of a woman's life. It was a day that she was supposed to be the center of attention, and she was supposed to be pampered and taken care of and feel like a queen. Instead, Kitty Pryde was pacing the large, empty room where Clarice and Peter were keeping their eyes on her. She didn't fully understand why she had agreed to go through with a wedding to begin with. Of course, there wasn't a doubt in her mind that she loved Bobby. He was everything to her, and it killed her inside each time she had to watch him sacrifice himself to save her. Then again, Kitty wasn't really sure that she was still living. She was alive, but she definitely wasn't living. Every day seemed the same to her. An endless cycle of running, hiding, trying to survive, and praying that the sentinels wouldn't ever wise up to the fact that she was the one that they really needed to kill in order to exterminate their group once and for all. So far they'd gotten lucky, and that was all that she could hope for.
She and Bobby spent all of their free time together. They stood guard together, they spent the nights curled up in two old sleeping bags that they zipped together, they nursed each other's injuries. From the moment that they'd found one another, they had been inseparable. It had been Bobby who found her. She had been imprisoned in a facility, a collar chokingly tight around her throat inhibiting her ability to phase through the walls to her freedom. When he'd found her, there hadn't been much of her left. She'd been beaten, starved, left to die. But when Bobby found her, he brought her back to life in more ways than one.
It was freezing cold. Kitty had a hard time keeping track of dates and how much time had passed, but she was pretty sure that it was sometime in the middle of January. The facility was made up of metal and adamantium, which gave Kitty a constant headache, as if being starved and beaten regularly wasn't enough. The facility had broken her in more ways than she had ever thought possible. She wasn't certain, but she was willing to bet that the guards liked being rougher on her than on the other inmates. She was easy prey for them without being able to allow her body to be in its phased state. If she could just get the damn collar off.
Not for the first time, Kitty reached for the collar, only to be zapped hard as her hand came in contact with the sensors. She groaned and kicked at the nearest wall. Why didn't they just kill her already? They knew exactly who she was and she was sentenced to die simply for being one of the X-Men, why drag it out?
She looked around as an alarm wailed. It was time for them to be forced outside. As if any of them had any desire to go out in the frigid weather. Being locked in the freezing cold facility wasn't bad enough. The door to her cell swung open and a guard stood by the door, a taser held threateningly in his hand. Kitty, who had just received a jolt from the collar had no desire to receive another, got to her feet and trudged out with the swarm of miserable mutant prisoners.
The cold, cool air was something of a relief to Kitty's lungs. The cell she was locked in could get stuffy, almost suffocating. She found a quiet corner of the packed yard and walked over, out of sight of the guard's watchful eyes. If they thought she was going too far, they'd come over and have some fun of their own, but she just wanted to be left alone, not they could do anything to her that hadn't been done a hundred times before.
She found a section of the yard that was mostly deserted and sat down on the cold hard ground, her pack against the solid adamantium wall. She was turning into a masochist, clearly. Being in such close proximity to the wall caused her headache to worsen, but she didn't care. There wasn't a thing in the world that she gave a damn about.
She shivered as a frigid breeze picked up, hugging her knees to her chest, not that she had any body warmth to begin with. The guards really were sick bastards, keeping them outside in the winter. The cold was enough to kill some of the prisoners. Not that Kitty minded the cold, really. In spite of herself, she started humming the tune that she could rarely get out of her head, the main song of one of her favorite movies….
"Kitty?"
Kitty looked up. No one ever said her name. They had always referred to her by her prisoner number. But that voice…. She stood up as she saw the man standing in front of her, not really believing that she was seeing her eyes, "Bobby?" She asked. It was the first word she had spoken in weeks. Her voice sounded hollow, dead to her own ears. But she couldn't believe what she was seeing. The man in front of her was almost unrecognizable. He looked like he had been to hell and back, but his eyes. Kitty could never forget Bobby's eyes. And at that moment, those eyes were fixed on her with all the concern in the world.
Kitty walked slowly over to him, almost afraid that he would vanish if she blinked or moved too fast. But he was next to her instantly, hugging her close, "Kitty, it's really you," He said as he held onto her. "I don't believe it…."
"Bobby, what are you doing here?" Kitty asked as she hugged him back. There were tears streaming down her cheeks and her chest tightened as she started to cry. "Bobby, don't tell me they finally caught you too." She looked up, her eyes going to his throat, but she didn't find what she was looking for.
"Kitty, I haven't been caught," Bobby said with a shake of his head. He swept some stray hairs out of Kitty's face and tilted her head up to look at him. He wiped her tears away and sighed softly. "I came in over the wall. I was looking for familiar mutants. I can't believe I found you, though. Hold on a second." Kitty watched in amazement as Bobby transformed his entire body to ice, "This is going to hurt and be cold for a moment or two," He said as he reached for the collar around her throat, "But we need to get this off of you."
Bobby's hand closed around the collar and Kitty hissed as it started to freeze, the mechanics of the collar going haywire as it started turning to solid ice. It emitted a harsh jolt that had Kitty's knees buckling with a cry of pain, but as she shifted, the frozen collar snapped off and Bobby dropped it to the ground. Instantly, her body reverted to its natural phased state for the first time in months. She felt lighter, like she was finally able to breathe again, a huge weight removed from her at last.
"Oh, wow, that's so much better," Kitty sighed, rubbing at her neck. She shook her head and rubbed at her throat. That jolt had hurt like hell, but the fact that she could finally phase again made it all worth it. "Thank you, Bobby," She said with a small smile.
"Come on, we don't have a lot of time," Bobby said, looking around cautiously. "They're going to know your collar is off within a few minutes. We need to get out of here before they do."
"I can't phase through adamantium though," Kitty shook her head. "You know that."
"I'm going to get us out of here, but I need you to stay solid for a few minutes longer, Kitty," Bobby said, cupping her cheek. "I know you're weak and staying phased is easiest, but I need you to be strong for me for a few more minutes, until we're out of here. I know I have no right to ask you to do that, but I swear to you, I am going to get you out of here and somewhere that you can rest and heal."
Kitty nodded and let her body solidify once again. But Bobby was right. Now that she had the choice to stay phased or solid, staying solid was much more difficult with how weak she felt. Bobby's arms were around her instantly, "Hold on," He said, giving her a reassuring squeeze as suddenly they were lifted up into the air together, one of Bobby's ice slides pushing them up and over the wall. Kitty's entire body tensed and Bobby gave her another reassuring squeeze as they headed down towards the ground, an alarm starting to wail behind them. Kitty closed her eyes, imagining that the guards were already after them. If they sent the sentinels, they were both done for.
Bobby never let go of her, though. Not until they were a safe distance away from the facility, Bobby's ice slides allowing them to travel a long distance in a good amount of time. When finally they stopped, Bobby put her down gently on a sleeping bag that had already been set up, along with some other supplies to create a makeshift camp, "Get some rest, Kitty," Bobby said, moving his fingers through her hair. "I'll be here when you wake up."
Bobby had rarely left her side since that day. He was by her side every moment that he could be, when he wasn't off trying to give her enough time to send someone back to save their asses over and over again. Kitty was harboring guilt deep inside her heart. Everyone gave their lives to protect her and keep her safe. Bobby was the one who reminded her that in the end, she was the one who saved them all. Without her, no one would still be around. She finally stopped pacing as she looked around the cavernous room.
This place used to be a church, once upon a time. But the war had long since damaged it beyond repair. It might have been beautiful once, but now…. Now it's main purpose was to provide a temporary shelter for their group, along with the location of Bobby and Kitty's wedding.
"Well, at least it's a nice day out," Clarice reasoned as she looked up at where there used to be windows. Now there were just beams of sunlight that streamed through the empty holes. "Kitty, why are you so nervous?" She asked at last. "Don't you want to get married to Bobby?"
Kitty blinked as she looked back at Clarice, "I love Bobby," She said without a doubt in her heart. That much was true, she loved him, but maybe even love wasn't a strong enough word. He was a part of her that she needed to survive, but the idea of a marriage…. "What does a wedding mean in this world, anyway?" She asked with a shrug. "Bobby and I are going to be together for the rest of our lives anyway, no matter how long or short of a time that is. It's not like being married has the same connotation that it once did. Bobby and I are committed to one another and this whole wedding idea…." She shook her head, "I don't know. I think it's a little strange, but I'm never going to say no to him. And hell, if things weren't the way they are now, who knows? Maybe we would have already been married, maybe with some kids and a dog. It's not that getting married feels wrong to me, it's just… strange."
Peter laughed from over where he stood, "I don't know whether you're being an optimist or a pessimist here, Kitty," He admitted. "Any one of us who looks at the two of you can see that you two are crazy for each other. It's even in the way that you two move. It's like you're somehow creepily in sync all the time. He makes a move and your next move mirrors his. The two of you don't even have to talk to communicate."
Kitty grinned. That much was true; she and Bobby just somehow managed to always understand each other. Whether it be a look or a gesture, or even the slightest of movements, they just knew. Maybe being bound to him for the rest of their lives wasn't the worst thing that he could ask of her. It was a silly idea, but she would do anything just to make him a little bit happier.
Clarice finally, blessedly, told Kitty that the rest of the guys had found a nearby river where they could get cleaned up. If there was one thing that Kitty missed, it was a normal shower. She missed running water, and normal soap and shampoo. Clarice was something of an expert when it came to mixing herbs and things into usable soaps and the like, but she still missed the things she had once been able to use. You really didn't miss the simple things until they were gone.
She and Clarice went down to the river together, the guys determined to keep Kitty and Bobby apart for the day. They stripped and washed their clothes first. It wasn't often that their clothes got washed to begin with, but today was a special day. While their clothes dried in the sun, Kitty and Clarice went to work on their own grime-covered bodies. The scent of Clarice's latest herbal soap was soothing to Kitty in some way, "Well, at least I won't get married smelling like a trash dumpster," Kitty commented with a soft laugh as the grime was washed away by the cool water of the river.
"Oh, you know I never let it get that bad," Clarice said with a shake of her head. "If it were up to me, we'd be able to bathe every day, but we don't always get lucky with a good enough water source."
"And here we are mucking up this one," Kitty said, massaging some of the soap into her hair. She dunked her head and stayed under for a few moments, attempting to get the soap washed out fully. Once she felt as clean as she was going to get, she got out of the water and started to put her damp clothes back on, "Well, it's not a wedding dress, but it will have to do."
"You know as well as I do that Bobby finds you beautiful no matter what you look like," Clarice said as Kitty pulled on her favorite jacket. "You could be covered in mud from head to toe and he'd still want to jump your bones." Kitty's cheeks burned and Clarice laughed at her, "Stop being so modest, Kitty. We've all heard the two of you at different times. It's nothing to be ashamed of."
"Says the girl who's banging Warpath in her spare time," Kitty shot back with a grin. She sighed softly and looked up at the sky, "I can't believe I'm actually going to get married to Bobby. It's not my dream wedding scenario but I think I can adjust my dream a bit." She looked at Clarice, "I know what I said earlier, but I really do love Bobby."
"I know you do," Clarice said, giving Kitty's arm a reassuring squeeze. "And so does he. Come on, the guys are probably wondering where we've got to. We've got a wedding to see to."
Kitty and Clarice headed back to the church, James waiting for them by the entrance, "Wow, Kitty, it actually was you beneath all that dirt," He teased as they approached the entrance. "It's amazing what a little soap and water can do."
"Bite me, James," Kitty stuck her tongue out at him. She stretched as she eyed the large metal doors, "Well, is he waiting?"
"We were all waiting for the two of you," James pointed out. "We can't really have a wedding without the bride, you know."
"No shit?" Kitty quipped with a roll of her eyes. James grinned at her and she resisted the urge to flip him off. "Come on, I want to get married."
"Well, that's a relief to hear," Peter said as he appeared behind James.
"Don't be mean," Clarice chastised Peter. "Every woman's entitled to have some cold feet on her wedding day. The point is, she wants to marry him, and he wants to marry her. She's ready, so why don't we get on with all of this? I'm sure Bobby misses her as much as she misses him. We've been keeping them apart all day."
Peter nodded, "Bishop's ready. He was just waiting for the two of you to get back. Bobby, on the other hand, he really doesn't like not having you nearby, Kitty."
"The feeling's mutual," Kitty assured him. Kitty always felt safer when Bobby was close. Being away from him since pretty much the moment they woke up that morning was starting to put her on edge. "Come on, come on, come on…."
"Alright, alright," Peter rolled his eyes. "Let's go."
Peter led the way into the sanctuary where Bishop stood talking to Bobby, but the moment they walked into the room, Bobby looked up, almost as though Kitty had said his name, though she had been silent, apart from the sound of her footsteps on the worn floor. Kitty felt as though her breathing came a little easier as their eyes locked and a smile appeared on Bobby's face. He walked over to her and hugged her the moment he saw her. She knew what it was all about. Bobby's main fear was losing her while they were separated and never getting to say good-bye to her. She'd be lying if she said that she didn't have a similar fear. She hugged him back and kissed his cheek, "I'm okay," She assured him, her hands going to his cheeks. "Nothing happened while we were out there, aside from me getting over some cold feet."
Bobby smiled at her, "Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked, moving a hand through her hair, his eyes studying her face. He could always instantly tell when she was lying. It was almost scary sometimes how well he knew her, "I don't want you to think I'm forcing you into anything."
"Bobby, I want to do this," Kitty said with a nod. She looked him in his deep blue eyes and smiled, "I want to get married."
"Really?"
"Really," Kitty responded and turned to Bishop and the rest of their group, "Let's do this, while it's still light out."
"You got it, Kitty," Bishop said with a nod. He motioned to the area in front of him. "If you two would stand up here with me, we'll do this as best we can, given the circumstances."
Kitty and Bobby positioned themselves opposite each other, Bishop standing on a step above them, "Well, I think we all know that we're here to celebrate the union of these two incredible souls as one," Bishop said, looking at both Bobby and Kitty. "If there is anything that is certain in this world of ours, it's the love that these two have for each other. I think it's safe to say that their love has touched each and every one of us in its own way."
Kitty felt tears sting at her eyes as Bishop spoke. She rarely got emotional, but hearing him talk about the love that they had for each other was just something else to her. She hadn't ever noticed just how much attention people paid to her and Bobby's relationship.
"Our world has gone to hell and back, and yet these two still managed to find light in the darkness that our world has become," Bishop went on, and Kitty turned her attention back to him. "I can only hope that one day we all merit the happiness that they have with each other." He turned to Bobby, "I believe you had something you wanted to say to your lovely bride."
Bobby nodded once, reaching out to wipe Kitty's tears away. She laughed as a soft sob escaped her throat, she really was falling apart from her emotions, "Kitty, I can't even tell you how I felt that day when I found you in that facility," Bobby said, wanting nothing more than to just wrap his arms around her and stop her crying. "At first, I wasn't sure you would make it. That facility had destroyed you and I wasn't sure you'd manage to come back from it. But you proved me wrong. You proved just how strong you truly are, and you continue to prove it every single day. You're the one person who I know will always be there for me, no matter what I need from you, and I love you more and more for it every single day. I know how you feel about all of this, and I know you hate yourself at times for all the things you need to endure to be able to make it through one day to the next, but each and every one of us owes the fact that we're still alive to you. We wouldn't be standing here together if it wasn't for you." He gave her hands a squeeze, "I love you, Kitty. You're an amazing woman, and the woman I'm happy to finally be able to call my wife."
Kitty burst out crying at that moment. The fucking jerk. He just had to bring all of that up and both break her heart and mend it simultaneously. He was right, she hated herself at times because everyone gave their lives to protect hers, but it was the first time she'd ever heard him put it that way. Kitty felt Bobby squeeze her hands again and she looked up at him, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, despite it still being linked with his, "You saved my life that day, you know," Kitty said at last, clearing her throat. She rarely spoke about her time in the facility, even to Bobby. "You saved me from that facility from hell. I was sentenced to death. I was tortured, beaten, starved. I had given up. But then you found me, you took care of my injuries and didn't leave my side until I was able to stay solid for longer periods of time, which in itself was a long process. You never gave up on me, Bobby, even when I was horrible to you, begging you to just let me die, you would just hold me and let me get it all out. You were the one who helped me tap into the ability to send people back through time. It's not only thanks to me that we're all still alive." She reached out and cupped Bobby's cheek, "I wouldn't be standing here if it weren't for you. None of us would be either. I think that means that you and I make a pretty damn good team."
A faint sniffling sound reached her ears and Kitty looked around, noticing that Clarice now had tears streaming steadily down her cheeks. She laughed in spite of herself, "I love you so much, Bobby. I don't even think 'love' is a strong enough word. I'm honored and proud to be able to call you my husband."
"I don't think I could have said anything better than the two of you," Bishop said with a shake of his head. "Unfortunately, we don't have rings to exchange, but I think none of us will ever forget what the two of you shared with us today."
"We definitely don't need rings, Bishop," Bobby said with a shake of his head, "Just let me kiss her already."
Bishop chuckled, "Well then, if no one has any objections, I now pronounce you, Robert Louis Drake, and Katherine Anne Pryde, husband and wife. You may kiss your bride, Bobby."
Bobby didn't hesitate when he pulled Kitty into his arms once again and kissed her with everything he had in him, the mutants around them cheering and wolf whistling. On the inside, Kitty soared as she kissed Bobby back, her arms going around his neck. They didn't have much, but they had each other, and now all the people who mattered knew it.