I don't own the X-men or any of the characters, settings, plots etc..

Kitty Pryde awoke with a start. Sweat lined her brow as she tried to pull her mind from the recesses of her dream. As the images faded she threw the covers back and raced downstairs to the kitchen. The clock in the hall read 3am. Grimacing Kitty powered on heading for the coffee machine, there was no way she was going to be able to sleep after that dream.

Kitty scoffed to herself. "Dream? More like nightmare." she mumbled.

A sound in the hallway had her tensing. Turning just in time to see Bobby walk through the door she sighed. He frowned when he saw her and closed the space between them in a few steps so that he was standing right in front of her.

"Hey, you don't look so good. You okay?"

Images flashed through her brain of him dying, of other people dying at the hands of rogue machines and she squeezed her eyes closed a moment. A few moments passed before she could open them again and when she did she saw worry written all over her friends face. Instantly tears sprang to her eyes.

"I-"

"Hey, Kitty it's okay. What happened?" he pulled her into his embrace and held her close while she tried to reign in her emotions.

"A nightmare. It's just a dream."

"Must've been pretty bad for you to be like this Kit Kat."

"It was horrible Bobby. People were dying, you were dying."

"What?"

"It was these machines and oh god it was horrible the whole world was a war zone."

"Maybe we should wake the professor, he can work his magic so you can go back to sleep."

"I'm not going back to sleep Bobby. But you should."

"I'm not leaving you like this."

"I'll be fine. Really. You should go back to bed before Marie wakes up with you gone, she'll worry."

"She's not there."

"What?"

"She left a few days ago. We had a serious talk about where we were heading and the answer wasn't desirable."

"I'm sorry Bobby, is that why you're up? Cos you can't sleep?"

She felt him shake his head. "I'm awake cos I always get hungry in the middle of the night but something important came up so I'll snack later or have a big breakfast."

"I'll be fine."

"You'll be dead to the world by lunch time if you stay awake from now. Come on, let's go see the professor. You know he won't mind."

Releasing her from his embrace he took her hand in his and lead the way to the professors private quarters only to meet him in the hallway. Taking one look at Kitty the professor asked them to follow him to his office where they waited for Jean. When she was present Kitty recounted her nightmare to them.

"The date on the holographic watch was from last week. I was in an abandoned bomb shelter with a group of people. We all interacted like old friends but the only one I knew was Bobby. It was like we were a small family. So strange how nice it was before the attack. These machines came out of no where and they started attacking. Killing us off one by one. I ran with one of them deeper and deeper while everyone protected us so I could, I don't know really. It was like I sent him back in time. But it was only his mind. I just don't understand Professor. It was like it was real the emotions and the pain was all so real."

The professor wheeled forward until he was right in front of her but still a respectable distance away. "Kitty would you permit me to look into your subconscious and find the dream? I'd like to see it myself if that's okay?"

Kitty nodded. "Of course Professor but I'll have to see it again won't I?"

"I'm afraid so."

"It's okay."

"Alright just relax then."

Kitty closed her eyes and breathed evenly smiling slightly when she felt Bobby take her hand for comfort and support. As her breathing slowed and her body relaxed she travelled further into her mind until she saw the images of her dream ahead. Taking a deep breath she opened up that part of her mind and watched as everything played out again. Some of it she hadn't remembered upon waking, such as Bobby kissing her like it was normal or sharing a bed roll with him, but other parts like the death and destruction she remembered. When she opened her eyes she was back in the office and the professor looked worried.

"Professor? What's wrong?"

"Jean, go wake Logan."

Kitty frowned. "It's just a dream right? Why would Logan need to be woken up?"

"I'm afraid it may not be."

"What are you talking about professor? The dates I saw were like last week and the last time I checked the world wasn't a post apocalyptic war zone."

"Not in this timeline no but these images are so similar I'm thinking they might be linked so I need Logan to clarify everything."

"What am I being dragged out of bed for at three in the damn morning?"

"Ah Logan. I need you to take a trip with me into Kitty's subconscious to clarify her dream."

"What dream?"

Kitty groaned. "It was just a nightmare that shook me up is all."

Logan looked at the professor. "Charles?" when the professor nodded Logan cursed. "Okay half pint sit back, relax and open your brain so I can take a look and put the professors worries to bed."

Sighing Kitty nodded before sitting back and closing her eyes to relax again. Without even having to ask Bobby's hand found hers again and she smiled slightly giving his hand a small squeeze. Logan raised a brow at the act of affection but dropped it when he heard Jeans voice in his head.

"He's supporting her and offering her comfort Logan. She's rattled."

He nodded before focusing on opening his mind. When the images first formed Logan frowned. He thought he would never have to see that world again outside of his own memories when they decided to surface. When he returned to his own mind Logan opened his eyes and grimaced.

"That was your dream?"

"Yes."

"What were you thinking about before you fell asleep?"

Kitty frowned. "Seriously?" when Logan nodded she took a moment to think. "I was thinking about my classes tomorrow and lesson plans."

"Jesus!"

She frowned at Logans outburst. "What the hell is going on? Someone tell me why my dream is so worrying. I have a right to know."

"Your dream isn't a figment of your imagination its a memory from a different timeline."

Confusion hit her full force in the face. "Another timeline. As in a parallel universe?"

The professor nodded. "Pretty much yes. It was the original world but you sent Logan back in time to stop an event from causing the machines from ever being built."

"Wait so in another world the whole planet is a post apocalyptic war zone where we are hunted, Bobby and I are together and I watch everyone die day after day only to send someone back a few days to save everyone again? This can't be real you're joking right?"

The professor shook his head. "I wish I was. As it is Logan is the only one with memories of the other timeline or he was."

She shook her head. "Can't you make it go away?"

"You want me to erase the memory?"

"Yes."

"Kitty."

She turned to Bobby. "You didn't see it Bobby. You didn't see the destruction feel the pain and the emotion. It hurt. One minute you were holding me and kissing me the next you were being killed in front of my eyes so were all of our friends then I sent someone back and we would do it all again."

The professor cleared his throat. "I can't erase your memory, I can only lock it away but that's not to say it won't resurface again in time. The best way to deal with this is if you confront these memories but it's your choice."

Kitty sighed. "I just don't want to feel any of that again."

Logan smirked. "What about the happiness. You were in love after all. No matter how bad the world was you had the ice pick."

Kitty blushed. "Logan!" Bobby coughed and she turned to him slowly. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay Kitty. It's a memory. It's not like you conjured up the image it was something that really happened."

"Thank you. For understanding."

Bobby shrugged. "It's not hard. You should get some rest. You have classes tomorrow and you should be at your best."

Kitty shook her head. "I don't think I could sleep if I tried right now."

He smiled. "Okay how about some ice cream. We can watch a little telly. You might be able to sleep."

"Okay that sounds nice."

The two left the room leaving Logan and Jean with the professor. They all watched their former students walk away and Logan smirked.

"Huh."

Jean raised a brow. "What?"

"Looks like it wasn't just the other timeline. Looks like their meant for each other in this timeline too."

"That may be but for now let's deal with her memories."

Logan nodded as he headed for the door. "If that's all I'm going back to bed. Got a couple of hours before dawn still."

Downstairs Kitty and Bobby took their favourite flavours of ice cream out of the freezer before going into the lounge area to turn on the TV. When they settled on a late night movie Kitty finished off her ice cream and sat silently listening to Bobby's breathing beside her. She was almost asleep surprisingly when Bobby spoke softly.

"So in the other timeline we really were together?"

She sighed. "Yeah. It was weird to see. I mean it was like it was the most normal thing in the world when you pulled me in for a kiss or held me close on the bedroll we shared to sleep."

"Sounds like we were happy."

"We were. Even in the middle of an apocalypse, we were happy in those moments between the fighting."

"Hey Kit?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to kiss? I mean it happened in the other timeline right? So maybe it was supposed to happen at some stage."

Blushing she turned her gaze to her friend. "Have you?"

"I'd be lying if I said no."

"Really?" Bobby nodded and she bit her lip. "I have. I've been having this dream for just over a week now and for some reason I've never remembered kissing you. Maybe I wasn't meant to."

"Or maybe you were meant to remember tonight."

"Maybe."

Bobby slowly leaned closer. "Could I?"

Nodding slightly Kitty lent forward to encourage him that little more. With approval he closed the gap between them in the barely lit room. He kissed her slowly, hesitantly at first until she responded. Then he really kissed her, encouraged her to open her mouth before slipping his tongue into her mouth to taste her and feel her. He found her intoxicating. He didn't want to pull away and sensed she didn't either but alas they both needed to breath so he did pull away. Slowly and not very far but he did pull away.

He watched her stare at him expressionless. "Kitty?"

"Woah."

Nervously he pressed her again. "Good woah or bad woah?"

She bit her lip but couldn't help the small smile. "A good woah. Definitely a good woah."

"Yeah, that's exactly what I was hoping you would say."

Giggling she cuddled into his side. "You know we still have some time before dawn. We can relax and watch the end of this movie."

"You're still not tired?"

"A little but I don't want to go back to bed. I'd rather stay here with you and watch an old movie until I fall asleep."

"Right and I guess I'm the one that carries you to bed before all the students wake up and find you?"

"If you feel like being chivalrous of course." she giggled.

"Mhmm. You know I won't leave you down here."

"Yep."

"Be quiet and watch the movie so you fall asleep or it'll be dawn and the students will be up and you'll be cranky and tired all day."

She sighed and settled into the couch against Bobby while she watched the movie. It wasn't long before she was asleep and Bobby turned off the TV before lifting her into his arms and heading for her bedroom. He passed an irritable Logan on the way who raised his eyebrows in question.

"She fell asleep."

"Uhuh."

"I'm taking her to her room then going back to mine don't worry."

"Oh I'm not but you should. Marie won't be happy about you two."

Bobby frowned. "Logan we're not together any more. I'm free to date whoever I want, not that there's anything going on with Kitty and I of course."

Logan smirked. "Of course there is kid. It was written all over both of your faces in the office. Here's the thing though, she's gonna be majorly stressed in the next few weeks while she deals with this. She'll need your support more than ever."

"She'll have it. I won't leave her because it gets hard Logan. Hell, I'll sleep on her floor if it makes her comfortable enough to fall asleep."

Logan nodded and walked past him. "Just look after that precious cargo you got there Drake."

Bobby nodded and kept going until he was in Kitty's room. He set her down and covered her up so she wouldn't get cold during the early hours before dawn. Bending at the waist he gently kissed her on the forehead before making his way across the room to the small couch she had by the window for reading. Making himself comfortable on the short piece of furniture he settled down and felt himself getting sleepy. Willingly he welcomed the pull and dozed off peacefully.

They still had somethings to work out and Kitty would need help dealing with these memories but that would all come when the sun rose. For now she was peacefully sound asleep and he was comfortably dozing on her couch in case she woke up in another panic. They would deal with it in the daylight, together.