"Hey, Kurt have you got the extra batteries and an extra image inducer?"

"Yes, Katzchen now calm down. We haven't even left for you house yet and already you are jeetery."

"I know I just want to make sure that nothing goes wrong."

"Schatz you are worrying over nothing…well, besides the obvious. I think we can expect the normal reaction when you introduce me properly to them."

Kitty's brows furrowed at the prospect. She hated knowing that despite having a mutant for a daughter, they would probably have the same reaction to Kurt that Kitty had first had. She winced when she remembered the effect it had had on him.

Kurt crawled down from his place on the wall and inspected the luggage once more. Looking over to his worried Katzchen he held out a hand to her as an invitation. He pulled her to him when she accepted and kissed her chastely at first and then deepened it.

"Ahem" was the only warning they got from Logan as he entered. Kurt stepped back and felt as though he would melt to an insignificant puddle beneath the threatening glare of the Wolverine. Kitty giggled lightly as she noticed the exchange. Despite leaving for a family reunion at the moment, she already noticed the sense of loss at leaving her family here in the mansion.

She went up to Logan and hugged him around his neck as he bent down to accommodate the shorter charge. Having picked up most of her bags, she left Kurt to the Wolverine's mercy. "I'll see you down stairs Kurt."

"Listen Elf, I know you don't need this, but I'm gonna say it anyways. Anything happens to her and I'll be decorating my floor with your blue pelt, got it?" Kurt simply nodded in fear of the older man. "Oh and take this," he handed Kurt an extra communicator. "Anything happens, you just make sure you get yourselves outta there and we'll pick you up where ever you are." Kurt took the small comm and picked up the rest of the baggage. He teleported down stairs and helped load the jeep and soon they were off.

'I can't believe I agreed to do this. Gott im Himmel, this girl is going to be the death of me and if not her then Herr Logan.'

The trip was a long one as they took off for Kitty's home early in the morning and did not reach their destination until early that evening. Kurt looked over to find his Katzchen staring dazedly out the window. "Penny for your thoughts, Katzchen?"

"I was just thinking about the past few weeks. I was surprised that Professor Xavier or anyone didn't give us the third degree, ya know? I'm sure it has something to do with us being of age in this state, but still I didn't get anything, except some questions from the girls. It just totally threw me, ya know, but then I didn't expect to be with you for that matter and look at how good this is turning out."

Kurt had in fact received several threats from most of the males of the house all of whom were like protective brothers (even the younger mutants) and would be admirers. The threats he'd heard from Logan were nothing new, but he would do the same thing in their – "What kinds of questions? Who's been asking?"

"Just some of the girls; you'd be surprised how often we talk about those kinds of things."

Kurt reddened at the kinds of details that Kitty could have given their team mates. "Is that how you learned that little trick? The one where you massage my hips to get me-"

"Yes. Most of the time they just joke though."

"How so?"

"Um, Jubilee asked if we had done it on the ceiling or hanging from a chandelier." She giggled at the thought of attempting such a feat. As she looked over at Kurt she saw him turn visibly dark purple in the cheeks. "But you know, it's just girl talk.

The trip continued on as Kurt gave his accounts of paternal and brotherly threats made on Kitty's behalf and Kitty reconstructed most of the conversations she had had with the girls around the manor. Kurt missed seeing the girls go skinny dipping on one late night and Kitty had wished that she had been there to see the boys when they tried to use Kurt for firing practice as a moving target in the woods. She laughed hysterically and his recollection of events.

"I'm serious Keety, have you ever tried to dodge Bobby, Scott and Berzerker. Roberto is no laughing matter either. They were merciless. I even think I have singed fur in a couple of places."

"Aw, my poor baby, I must find a way to reconcile this later." She shot him a seemingly innocent grin as one of equally impish delight crossed his features. It wasn't quite the same, since she couldn't see his fangs, but it did the job well enough. Truth be told, they were both high strung since neither had had much of a sexual release all week and tonight wasn't shaping up to be any different. They had spent most of their time checking schedules, plans and going over family connections and traditions.

It was Kitty's turn to drive so by the time they pulled up to her parent's house she was looking more than ready for her bed and for time with a certain indigo pillow. Her parents greeted them as they pulled up the drive.

"Kitty, my baby, I missed you so much," her mother said as she wrapped her arms around her daughter. Her father joined them and embraced them within his broad grasp, smiling as warmly as his wife.

Kurt looked on as he saw the family he never had. Life in the circus was rather nice, but so too did the idea of having a mother and a father. At the thought of his mother he trashed the whole idea. 'The last thing I need is Mystique making an entrance on this trip.' He hopped from car and walked to where Kitty stood on the lawn with her parents.

"Mom, Dad, this is Kurt Wagner. He's my boyfriend and he is also a student at the Xavier Institute."

"So I suppose that makes you a mutant as well then?" Taking in the pale lanky teen he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Dark hair, dark eyes, skinny build, loose clothing, seemingly insignificant, but if he made Kitty happy then far be it from him to say 'no' right off the bat.

"Dad" "Carmen" the two women hissed in unison.

"Yes sir, I am." Kurt tried his best to stand straight beneath the scrutinizing view of his lover's father but found it increasingly difficult. "If you'll excuse me," he turned and began to get Kittys' bags along with his own as she followed suite and then showed him to her room. It was much as Kurt had envisioned in his imagination. There was lots of pink and white and things with frills and dolls here and there. The vision of innocence incarnate compared to his dark form, but he reminded himself that the feeling he and Kitty had were mutual. She had chosen him just as eagerly as he had chosen her.

"I'm sorry Kurt. I was really hoping to get some time alone tonight, but-"

Kurt cut her off with a kiss and pulled her to him then resting his hands on her hips. She put one hand in his hair and the other around his neck and kissed him back with fervor.

"What was that for fuzzy?"

"For courage and because I love you."

She pulled herself flush against him and stood there embracing him, arms entwined around his shoulders. They knew not how much time had passed before they were broken apart by the Kitty's father clearing his throat. He had brought the rest of the bags up and put them on the floor.

"You guys sure did bring alotta stuff with you." Kitty blushed as she looked at the 4 large suitcases that packed supplies for the next two and a half weeks. "You really need all this stuff," he said with a smile on his face.

"Carmen, leave them alone for heaven's sake. Kitty, you said you wanted to talk to us right? We'll be down stairs and waiting when you're ready, but please do make it fast, dinner should be ready soon."

Kitty and Kurt looked after as they watched her parents begin to descend the stairs.

"I guess we have to go down now huh? And to think we passed up a nice cozy Friday movie night at mutant manor for this. I'm sorry about my father."

He kissed her chastely once more. "It's okay Schatz, he is only doing what comes naturally to a man when he is trying to watch out for a girl he loves."

Kitty smiled wryly back up at him. "Are you ready?"

"For you, always, but I do not think your father will think too highly of the blue fuzzball."

"You watch my back and I'll totally watch yours."

With that they exited the room as Kitty descended the stairs first with Kurt trailing behind her, holing her hand the entire way. They entered the small living room to find both of Kitty's parents sitting on the couch. Kitty's mother smiled warmly at him once more. "So you have something that you wanted to talk to us about. What's on your mind sweetie?"

Kitty looked at Kurt and then back at her parents. "Mom, Dad, we… I just wanted to thank you for letting me bring Kurt with me. We've been through a lot together and I'm not sure I could do this without him."

Her parents exchanged a worried glance before looking back to their daughter.

"I want to clear the air with the rest of the family. I think I want to tell them that I'm a mutant. That's why I brought Kurt with me. He promised he'd be there for me no matter what I needed and what I need for this trip is a fellow mutant, a comrade who will watch my back and stay by side, ya know?"

"Kitty is this really such a goo-"

"Let our daughter finish, Carmen. Go on Kitty, we're listening."

"Ok so, I've decided I'm tired of all the hiding," she took Kurt's hand threading their fingers together. From her parents point of view it was an awkward meshing of appendages, but they listened on. "I figured that more than trusting the family with my secret, I could trust you two to meet my boyfriend and not, like, totally flip on me."

"Honey, we're just happy that you're happy. Besides there doesn't seem to be anything abnormal about either of you. I don't see why you couldn't act and live like a normal couple?" He mother continued to smile.

Her father raised an eyebrow above the rim of his glasses.

"That's just it. Thanks to modern technology Kurt is able to appear normal, but if you shook his hand or brushed up against his shoulder you'd end up coming in contact with fur instead skin." She saw her parents hands' tighten. "Kurt wears what we call an image inducer. It's a small highly complex piece of technology that projects a hologram around his body. It's what allows certain mutants to blend in that would otherwise be attacked for appearing so different."

"Kitty, honey…" her father was at a loss. His little girl had brought something that he didn't even know what he looked like any more. "So, are we going to get to see what the 'real' Kurt looks like?"

"Yeah that's the idea. I would hate to deceive you and think of you as anything other than completely trustworthy, but Kurt's appearance isn't exactly what you'd expect when you're meeting you little girl's boyfriend."

Kurt looked on through the whole exchange feeling the pressure that Kitty exerting on her hand. She was obviously nervous and as it came time to give up the safety of his image inducer so was he. Deceiving her parents wouldn't be right, though. It would be different if she was a completely normal human and her parents were expecting a normal human boy, but as it stood, she was a mutant and so was he, so lying would only further her sense of guilt and shame. Kitty left his side to close the blinds that were behind her parents. She was taking no chances with her family's well being.

"Kurt?"

"Yes, Keety," he looked at her realizing what she had asked as she returned to his side. He reached for the watch and pushed the button that divested him of his human visage.

As expected they gasped audibly at the creature that stood before them. He was simply grateful that he wore civilian clothing instead of his X uniform.

Kitty's parents had to take their time and stood as they inspected what stood before them. Blur fur, two toes on each foot, three fingers to each hand, blue-black hair, and a…tail. They felt overwhelmed with this sudden twist. As Kurt's eyes rose to meet their's in shameful acknowledgement of their mixed disgust and surprise they took in the pointed ears and golden eyes. When he spoke her parents observed the fangs the hung within his mouth.

"Mr. and Mrs. Pryde, we…I am so sorry, but as you can see, our suspicions of acceptance were not without foundation and if your neighbors had seen you bringing a creature such as myself into your house, I can only imagine the trouble it would cause you. It is as Keety said, we are sorry and we felt it only proper to tell you since I will be going to the reunion with you all." Kurt shifted towards Kitty and held her to him with one arm around her shoulders and his tail around her waist. He felt self conscious and was wishing he had put on longer cargo pants instead of just shorts.

Kitty's father stood up and walked right out the door without so much as a word.

"Um, besides the obvious, did I do something wrong Mrs. Pryde?"

"No Kurt, you've done nothing wrong. He simply wanted to take a walk to process all this information. By the way, Kitty, I wouldn't go telling him you're sleeping together. He can only take so many shocks to the system before he overloads you know."

The two teens looked stunned as Mrs. Pryde walked past them, smiling on her way to the kitchen. "Now, if you two would join me, I believe we have quite a bit to talk about, but first, Kitty, are you still taking your pill every day?"

Kitty looked at her mother, disliking how little she was holding back. "Yes mom, I'm still taking it every day and I like totally never said anything about sleeping with Kurt."

"I know sweetie, but when I look at how you hold each other, it's quite obvious. Now why don't you help me set the table so that we can eat when your father gets back."

Kurt didn't blame Kitty's father for walking out in the least. If he was a normal human and his daughter had brought home such a demonic creature, he was sure that he would have almost the same reaction. He tried to wonder what kinds of things were going through the man's head, knowing that the idea of his daughter being touched by one such as him wasn't helping their situation. He hoped that the thought didn't cross his mind, hoping that he would stick to the other dilemmas that one faces when two people come together. With his condition what would their children look like? How could they lead a normal life with his mutation being so prominent?

When Kitty's father did return about a half hour later dinner was set and Shabbat prayers were said. Kurt sat next to Kitty and her mother at the square table leaving him to face Kitty's father directly during the meal.

"Kurt, that's quite an appetite you got on you." Her father was now speaking once more and they had all decided that it was for the best that he keep his image inducer on throughout the meal.

"Kurt's metabolism is slightly accelerated since he uses so much energy teleporting. That's one of his 'gifts' as the Professor would put it. He can also climb flat surfaces and has enhanced senses such as hearing, sight, smell, touch as well as extreme agility." Kitty sang the praises of her boyfriend as they went through the meal.

"Keety, is flattering me all too much. My senses are no where near as keen as Herr Logan's and she sells herself short as a martial artist. You don't have to have an active X gene to be a good fighter."

"But it certainly helps," she cut in.

Kurt placed his hand on Kitty's as he tried to reassure her that her powers were useful and significant. He had noticed that it came in handy when she wanted to get their clothes off quickly, but that was not a talent that could be spoken of at the table and especially in the presence of her parents.

As dinner finished Kitty's father summoned Kurt to the living room. "Yes sir, you wanted to see me, sir?"

"Just take a seat, Kurt. I wanted to talk to about Kitty for just a second. I want you to know that she's my only child and she will always be my little girl, so let me just get this out of the way. As her father, I must warn you that if anything happens to her, if you hurt her, if you do anything to make her cry, I will not stop hunting you until the day you die. We clear son?" He plastered a smile across his features as the girls continued talking.

"Yes sir and for what it's worth, you're not the first one to threaten me with death and bodily harm if Keety should be hurt. I've so far got more than five claims to using my pelt as a blue fur rug and yours bring my tally to six." Kurt was almost used to this, but didn't know which was more daunting: Kitty's father or the very paternal yet wild Wolverine that awaited them at the Institute.

"Good then, just so we're clear." He brought a firm hand down on Kurt's shoulder feeling the fur rustle beneath the t-shirt. He returned to his seat as Kurt made his way to join the ladies in the kitchen preferring the maternal and nurturing aura to that of Kitty's ever critical father.