Author's Note: Sorry if you were disappointed with lack of explosion in the last chapter. Also, sorry that it's been awhile since I've updated. Holidays=Busy=Can't Write. I hope this makes up for both.

"Kitty?" she heard Alex call. He would find her any second now. Kitty stood at the end of the hallway weighing her options. There were several doors she could duck into, or she could cheat and phase through any of the walls or even the floor. Before she could decide he rounded the corner and sped up.

"Kitty," he whispered. She could tell he was worried.

"He should be," she thought as she crossed her arms.

"I was going to tell you…" Alex started, but she cut him off by holding up her hand.

"I just don't understand. I mean, we talk and talk and talk about all of this stuff and you just go ahead like I didn't even say anything. Do you even to listen to me?" Kitty shook her head as she ranted.

"Of course, Kit," Alex grabbed her shoulders. He looked her deep in the eyes. "I listen to every word."

"So you're just doing whatever you want despite what you know I want?" Kitty started to cry. Alex tried to pull her to him, but she fought him.

"I thought it would make you happy. A place for us to call home," Alex tried to explain.

"THIS IS HOME!" She cut him off. "I have told you time and time again that I love it here and I don't know if I'll ever want to leave. This is home for me… and for Al. You can't just rip us from our home and think it's going to be okay. This is like the adoption papers all over again, you just went ahead and got them ready, like I hadn't even told you that it wasn't going to happen."

"Kitty," Alex tried to interject.

"No! How many more times are you going to directly go against my wishes? I mean building us a house… it's just… too much… I don't want it… I… but just thinking you can take my kid… it's…" Kitty cried so hard she could barely speak. She was so confused and hurt. It was hard enough with Lance being back and trying to introduce him into Al's life. Why was Alex being so difficult all of the sudden? Years ago he had been her friend even though he had wanted more, but he refused to push her. Why was he pushing so hard now?

"Kitty, I got the papers ready before I asked. I thought you would say yes. Then, I could just have you sign. We'd be on our way to being a family," Alex sighed.

"I told you no ages ago. Why didn't you throw them away?" Kitty demanded. Alex looked at her defeated. She knew why he didn't throw them away. He would figure that she would change her mind, and he would get his way. It was typical Summers behavior. She had never realized how similar Alex was to his brother till now.

"I started plans on the house as soon as you agreed to marry me," Alex changed the subject. He looked at her hopefully like he had made some huge romantic gesture and she should swoon and fall into his arms.

"Like it fixes everything," Kitty thought angrily as she shoved Alex away from her.

"Kit?" Alex was shocked at how angry she was.

"I feel like I don't know you anymore," she sobbed. She twisted the ring on her finger as she tried to think back to when she was happy last. The more she thought about it the more she realized it was before he proposed. Ever since their relationship was like a weight on her shoulders, and Alex had become pushy and overbearing.

"I'm not the one running around with my ex like old times!" he fumed. Kitty couldn't help but wonder where the relaxed, retired, surfer boy that she had fallen in love with had gone.

"You are being ridiculous! He has nothing to do with any of this," Kitty responded. She twisted the ring more and more.

"Please! Like you're not thinking about it? I see the way you look at him!" Alex accused. Kitty felt like she should be angry about what he said, but she knew there was some truth to it. Feelings like she had for Lance don't just die. In fact, they had created a life.

"Al," Kitty almost smiled. Her son was the only thing that constantly brought her joy.

"Kit, I just love you so much," Alex whispered as he moved towards her. She pulled away looking at the hurt expression on his face.

"I… I loved you, but…" Kitty started.

"Loved?" Alex's eyebrows raised.

"I love who you were. I just don't know… I…" Kitty twisted the ring off her finger and folded it into Alex's palm.

"Kit!" his jaw fell open in shock as he stared at the ring glittering in his hand.

"I don't know!" Kitty cried before she phased through him and ran down the hall.


"So… you're stayin'… for Al?" Rogue prodded as she handed Lance a large mug of coffee. She held out sugar packets and a couple of creamers, but Lance declined.

"He's a good reason," Lance countered after much thought to how to answer. Truthfully, Lance had planned on staying since the minute he realized he was coming back to Bayville. He just didn't know how to explain it to Rogue. She had always been protective of Kitty and wary of Lance. Then again, she had lived with the brotherhood and knew Lance better than most of the other X-men.

"But not the reason," Rogue guessed as she sat down in the chair next to Lance. Lance gave her a sly smile but decided it was better not to answer.

"Mind if I join you?" Xavier wheeled in after a few uncomfortable seconds of Rogue staring at Lance while he focused on his coffee. Xavier parked in front of the two while Rogue poured him some coffee from the tray she had brought in. The man took his time fixing his coffee while they sat in silence.

"Rogue," Xavier finally broke the silence, "would you mind making a fresh pot. I have a feeling we'll need more." Rogue wordlessly gave Lance a stern look and then exited the room.

"Professor," Lance started to speak. He wanted to ask the man so many questions, but he couldn't seem to figure out a way to word them that didn't sound accusing.

"As I explained to Kitty, each of the many times she asked me, I will not use Cerebro to search for those who do not want to be found," Xavier answered as if Lance had spoken. Lance looked on in shock.

"You're… you're in my…" Lance stood, towering over the man knowing full well he could easily start a quake to knock the man out of his wheelchair.

"Not at all," Xavier waved his hand as if the thought had never crossed his mind to read Lance's thoughts. "I prefer not to read someone's mind without their consent. I simply assumed you would want to know why I didn't search for you when Kitty made me aware of…"

"Among other things," Lance muttered. He had never liked that Professor X always seemed to be in your head whether or not he really was. It was one of the reasons he had refused to join the X-men.

"As you well know, I am an advocate for free will. Just as I will not enter your mind without your consent, I would never force you to stay. I believe you've seen the truth to this on more than one occasion," Xavier smiled politely as Lance began to recall the multiple times Xavier had opened his doors and how each time Lance had eventually turned him down.

"You are of course welcome in my house at any time," Xavier turned and wheeled towards the door. Lance shook his head as if the man could see him. Lance couldn't bring himself to stay with the X-men, even if he didn't have any other options.

"I assumed as much," Xavier turned to respond before exiting the room. Lance found himself watching the door as if Professor X would suddenly reappear at any moment. The door did swing open not long after the man had left, but it was Kitty who he found looking at him. Her face was flushed and her eyes were obviously red from crying. Lance felt a pull in his gut to wrap his arms around her, but he stood still.

"If you want me to go," Lance began to offer, but he couldn't seem to finish the sentence. Kitty sighed deeply and shook her head. She plopped down on the couch and Lance carefully perched on the edge of his chair.

"At least if everything else is going to hell, Al is doing good… considering," Kitty smiled weakly. Lance nodded, but decided it would be best if he stayed quiet. Suddenly the door was shoved open and Scott stormed in. Lance stood up and braced himself for the punch he was sure to receive.

"GET OUT ALVERS!" Scott spat as he stopped just a foot short of Lance. Before Lance could react, Kitty stood up.

"If you EVER want to have kids with Jean, you will turn around and leave," Kitty threatened, "RIGHT NOW!"

"Shouldn't you be with your fiancé?" Scott countered.

"Shouldn't you have graduated from high school, already?" Kitty scoffed.

"Thing were going so well into you just had to waltz back into town," Scott growled at Lance, ignoring Kitty for the meantime. Lance had to stifle a laugh. He could tell that Scott knew he was fighting a losing battle with Kitty, who was a good foot and a half shorter and at least a hundred pounds lighter.

"You have five seconds to run before I rip the Y chromosomes right out of you, if you know what I mean," Kitty stepped in between the two boys. Scott was furious, but Lance was relatively calm about the whole thing. Maybe it was because Kitty seemed more than capable of handling the situation or maybe it was because Lance had been in this exact situation more times than he could count. If nothing else, Lance had somehow managed to learn to control himself around Scott after years of losing his temper. After all, one of them had to learn at some point.

"UGH! I'll deal with you later," Kitty groaned after Scott still hadn't moved. She grabbed Lance's hand and pulled him along as she phased them through Scott, out the door, and towards the grounds. When they had passed through the front gates, Kitty dropped his hand and started pacing back and forth in front of his car. Lance had only seen her this frustrated on a few occasions. He carefully made his way to his jeep where he hopped up on the hood and watched her go back and forth.

"This is going to be a long, long night," Lance thought to himself as he looked to see if the pavement was actually wearing under Kitty's feet as she kept going back and forth. She didn't look up or recognize that Lance was watching her as she muttered to herself and continued to pace.

Author's Note: Sorry if you're a Scott fan. He's always bugged me and his relationship with Jean is just so oober boring. If any of you are becoming fans of Alex and Kitty, never fear, more chapters will be here.