I do not own X Men Evolution or any of its characters, nor do I profit from any of these writings.
Kitty looked about the room nervously. She had her entire family assembled and felt their eyes on her. She moved down the small aisle they had formed and hopped onto the bed beside the laptop there. Tapping away at the keys she prepared the show as best she could. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply envisioning that Kurt was there and that his arms were around her. It gave her strength to think of such a thing and that was something she could use right about now.
She opened her eyes and looked ahead. She removed the screen that blocked the image from reaching the wall ahead, her family sat still as they focused on the projected images and on Kitty's voice. She was visibly nervous, but obviously had something important to say. The image before them was one of her with an auburn dog and two other kids playing Frisbee in front of a large seemingly majestic mansion.
"A few days ago, I told you that all your questions would be answered. I told you that I was sorry for avoiding you. It was true I have avoided so many of you for so long now, but truth be told I've been undergoing a lot of changes lately. I…I'm…" she took a deep breath. "Tonight, I would like for you to ask your questions after I've finished, if that's okay." She looked to her Nana who nodded to her.
She tapped a key to change the slides. They showed politicians and news clipngs dealing with her and her kind. "Mutants: You all hear about them and some of you may know a few, but do you know what makes these mutations so unique?"
She tapped a key to change slides to an image of a strand of DNA. "It's what many now call the X gene. It remains latent, but can become active under great stress, puberty or any number of things. It can cause physical changes, give some people powers, gifts that they have to learn to control." She proceeded to explain as Mr. McCoy had explained to her, the genetics behind the mutation, what it could mean for those who are born differently, who carries it and then passes it on. She explained social implications, politics and even how it can block some people from having physical contact with others.
She paused on her current slide and took another breath. "You kept asking me at the beginning of this reunion where I was, well take a look." She tapped on the key again and started through a slide show of her with her X family. All of them in normal clothing and doing different things around the mansion: raking leaves, playing soccer or football. Movie night – that was a good picture.
"Here's me and my friends at the school. We play sports, do chores. We're like one big mostly happy family, but what you can't tell from these photos is something I was totally trying to leave out. I'm a mutant and these people I live with are also mutants. Back at school, we train and learn how to control our power and we like get on each others' nerves, but that kind of thing happens when you're a part of a family, I suppose."
She had been so lost in the images on the wall, and when she looked down she saw stares, whispering and others that sought out what they like they had lost, like somehow she wasn't Katherine or Kitty or Kit Kat, anymore, but some thing that took her place.
"Guys, nothing has changed. I'm still Kitty, it's just that I'm this too," she looked around as the room seemed to pause. "Come on guys, say something, please."
Abbie looked to her, but was resigned to sit until others spoke first. "Kitty," her uncle Josef asked. "You still seem rather normal, but as a…a mutant that means you have some kind of powers don't you?"
The family watched her intently. "Yes, yes I do. I phase through solid material. Here watch," she got up and walked over to the wall where the large picture of the boys playing football still appeared. She first put a hand, an arm, and then the rest of body through the wall and then walked back through. She walked back and looked around again.
"I can walk through anything you put in front of me, but it's not as impressive as what some-. Never mind,"
"No really, tell us what these 'others' can do. What kinds of people you go to school with. I'd like to hear," sneared her aunt Debbie. She was the wife of the man she had chewed out about mutant registration the other night. She was also the aunt that didn't like Kitty all that much since she had been looked over as the matriarch.
"Um, I know one boy who can channel solar energy. There's this girl who is both telepathic and telekinetic. Another one, she shoots fireworks from her hands." Kitty turned off the computer and faced her family properly. Her parents smiled to her. She could tell it was forced, but that they supported her. "If you still want me to be the next head of the family then I'll do it, but-"
A man, rather large and burly, the anti mutant uncle, walked forward in a rage and smacked Kitty. She was shocked, having not expected such an action from one of her own. She looked up from her place on the floor as he glared daggers at her. "You will never lead this family. The only thing your kind brings is ruin and destruction and we will not have the likes of you corrupting our children."
Kitty sat still for a second. She took a deep breath so that she wouldn't lose face in front of her family. She whispered something inaudible to all, but the most sensitive of ears. "Kurt, helfen mir."
Kurt took his cue and using the extra key card came in. He was angry, he had heard the smack and Kitty's fall. He would have gone in right then except he had promised Kitty that he wouldn't interfere. It had been hard to keep as heard her hit the floor, but now as he ran to her, a hand, this time the man's brother, grabbed his wrist. As he attempted to reach his Katzchen the man continued to hold on tight and unless Kurt truly fought, he would not be able to get free; both had promised each other they would not used their powers on her family though.
"And what about this boy, who's he? Another freak? You honestly expect us to just bring them in right and left, without a second thought? What's next, are we going to be the minority, will humans even have a say in this family anymore?" He looked around to the rest of the relatives, "If we let them stay they will only multiply and take over and with that, what will happen to us, our children? We cannot trust these creatures."
As the man continued to speak Kurt struggled, but try as he might the man's brother had a death grip on his wrist. He was trying desperately not to use his powers or expose his appearance, but as his furry wrist slipped free of the man's hand he felt his watch go with it. An audible gasp reached his ears as he felt suddenly exposed beneath their eyes.
The family now saw Kurt as he really was, but he was almost entirely blind to their astonishment. His focus was on his mate. The family now observed this creature's blue fur, odd hand and feet. His eyes bore into whomever he glared at with his piercing gold stare and his pointy ears did not go unnoticed either; nor did the spaded tail that swept about.
The uncle who had been preaching looked at the creature in front of him and was disgusted. He watched as Kurt or what had been Kurt, helped Kitty to her feet, and held her close to him, even kissed him. "Dsigusting, look at them, just look. You wanted us to trust you? How can we trust you if for the first time in your life, you bring someone to this reunion and don't even tell us who he really is or what he is for that matter."
"We didn't mean to hide anything or deceive any of you, but its people like you uncle Ben that force us to hide ourselves. I'm scared to go to high school every day, because I was exposed. My teachers treat me differently; my peers have stopped talking to me and the one time, the one time, I ask for your support openly, this how you treat me? I came here to tell you, with the intent of trusting you and this how you betray my trust."
"Trust-" the uncle's brother stared.
"Henry, stop. The girl told the truth, she's right and you should be ashamed of yourself. Albeit this is a bit of a shock, but this is a family matter. So before you or your brother go laying a hand on either of these two, you should look in the mirror, because I have never been more ashamed to be your sister than I am now." The kind lady, aunt Deena as Kitty knew her, walked forward to the two.
Kitty turned and stood as straight as possible with Kurt standing straight at her side. She flinched, but not noticeably as her aunt took her head in her hands and bent her forward to place a warm kiss on her forehead. Kitty had liked this aunt more than most, because she had always been kind and almost never said a mean word. She smiled as she embraced her aunt and then looked to Kurt. "Thank you Aunt Deena, for everything."
"You're still my little Kit Kat, mutant or not. And as for you young man," Kurt looked at her as seriously as possible, but was wary to smile lest she see his fangs. "Kurt, I must admit your appearance is not something I was prepared for, but I assume you are still the charming young man we've been speaking to all this time," Kurt nodded, "then I have no issue with my niece continuing to date you, but you must promise to take good care of her."
"I will ma'am, I promise." He turned to Kitty as she looked back into his golden eyes. "Katzchen is the most important person in my world and nothing could compare to her worth." He looked down at her and kissed her chastely, and seeing happiness return once more to her eyes stood back once more.
Her uncle appeared sickened by the gesture, but as the couple looked around it appeared that though they were getting used to the idea, they didn't truly mind all that much, it simply looked abnormal or unusual.
Thomas stepped forward fully intent on fighting Kurt. "I will never have any issue with you Kitty, you're my step cousin and I love you, but him…look at him Kitty, look at what he is. He's an animal," he stepped forward as Kurt took a defensive stance putting something between Thomas and his Katzchen.
Kitty moved to stop Kurt, but as Thomas lunged, Kurt jumped. He rolled with Thomas to the other corner of the room as the family backed up, a couple now putting themselves or their children on the bed. Thomas and Kurt circled each other, deciding that if he couldn't have Kitty he would ruin her. "Now that you see this guy for what he really is, wild, inhuman, can you really be with him? Really trust him, because I assure you Kitty, you turn your back on him and he'll turn on you."
Kurt was ready to take the guys head off, but refrained from making the next move. He was sure that the words he spoke next would cut wounds in Kitty's soul, but he had promised to do nothing. True to form, his appreciation for human nature did not fail him as Thomas continued on.
"Look at him Kitty and tell me what you see in him. How can you even think of being with him? It makes my stomach turn to think of how I caught you in bed with him when I first got here. Seeing him on top of you, holding you down-"
He was cut off as Kitty punched him once across the face. He fell to the ground shocked at his cousin's behavior. She offered her hand to him to help him up and as he took it she motioned for a chair to be brought to him. He sat, still bewildered.
"Let's get this straight Thomas, I will never be yours. I love Kurt and what I see in him is more caring, more honorable and more human that what I will ever see in you. Next, what I do in bed is none of your business, besides I seduced him. He respects me and would never force me to do anything I don't want to," she blushed as she realized she was still in front of her relatives. Looking over to Kurt, she saw that he was blushing dark purple
Kurt looked like he was about to fall to pieces as many glares were sent his way. He was at a loss; how did you respond to that without incriminating yourself further?
"Thomas, stop making an ass out of yourself," he sister came forward. His sister, normally reserved spoke out now. "You're only going to embarrass yourself if try and go through with this."
"I think we've heard all we need to," Nana spoke from her seat, "It is late and time that we all went to bed. We will continue this conversation tomorrow morning at breakfast now it is time for everyone to leave."
The family looked to each other as the dissenting relatives left first and the rest followed. Kitty helped her step cousin as she let him lean against her. She walked him out to the hallway where she handed him off to his father who took off gruffly with his son still disbelieving.
Kitty returned to the room and went straight to Kurt's arms. She could hardly believe it was all over, she had finally said what she'd come here to say. Now all they had to do was wait and see what the morning held for them. As Kurt helped her to clean up the electronics, she glanced at him and him at her. She observed how gentle his hands truly were, how fine his fur appeared and how seductive his eyes looked. She could not imagine being with anyone else.
When the sun rose the next morning it found Kurt and Kitty already prepared for the day. With one week done and another to go, Kitty was considering leaving early. It was not unheard of for a matriarch to take physical action against a family member if they challenged them to a fight, it's not like they were pacifists, but taking a swing at her cousin like that, may not have been the best idea she ever had. She looked at herself in mirror, inspecting herself meticulously.
Kurt came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her as she leaned back into his embrace. "Everything will be okay, Schatz. How can things go wrong if you have your own personal fuzz ball around to fix it?" He kissed her neck gently.
Kitty giggled and turned to him. She hugged him and spoke beside his pointed ear, "Oh Kurt, what would I do without you here?"
"Walk out the door without spending ten extra minutes rolling blue fur off your clothes." He grinned into her shoulder and let her go. "Now I think it's time for breakfast and I'm starving. Adrenaline can burn a lot of calories you know."
Kitty took one last look and left the bathroom with her back straight and her shoulders back; she refused to worry anymore. She smiled as Kurt opened the door for her, with none other than Logan waiting for them, leaning against the opposite wall. "Oh morning, Logan," she said.
He quirked an eye and took her chin in his hand. She tilted her face to the side to observe a purple-blue mark there. His hand was slapped away, "What happened Half Pint, I miss a party?" He glared at Kurt for a second and then looked back at her.
"I'm fine Logan, I've like gotten worse in the field. Anyways it's totally nothing," she spouted back at him. She breathed once to calm herself and then walked on as they spoke. "So what's up, didn't come by just to say 'hey' did you?"
"We need you out there tonight, both of you. This new mutant isn't a light weight and we could use the back up."
"Okay, what time?"
"Keety!"
"No Kurt, I'm a member of this family, but not if it means I can't be an X Man. Besides it could be nice to get my mind off of things, ya know?"
"I'll come by to pick you up at nine. That's around sun set so we'll have the cover of dark."
They were now getting out of the elevator and heading towards the breakfast buffet. Kitty didn't acknowledge her family's presence until she had finished speaking with Logan. The most that the family observed was their little Katherine talking to some wild looking man. It was obvious from the looks of things that both Kitty and Kurt knew the man and it surprised them when Kitty jumped onto the man wrapping her arms around his neck.
Though it was still awkward for him to show anything other than grumpy, stoic or angry he embraced her. She truly was as a daughter to him and she made him proud. He looked at her again walked off to head back to the others.
Kitty smiled and waved good bye as she and Kurt got their food and sat down at a table, quite roughly in the middle of the floor. Her step cousins, their parents and the uncle who had slapped her were gone and for this Kitty was grateful. Her aunt Deena, the one she liked so much was one of the other occupants of the table as were her parents.
"So who was that dear," her aunt inquired. Many dropped what they were doing to listen in.
"Oh um…that was Mr. Logan, he's a teacher at the Institute. Some of the other students are in town and need help with something, so Kurt and I are going to be going out later tonight."
Kitty's father looked at her nervously and her mother simply smiled at her. Her aunt's husband however was still curious. "What business could a man like that have at a school? What does he do?"
"Mr. Logan teaches us stuff like hand to hand combat, self defense, that kind of thing," she replied to her uncle Josef. "He's a master of eight different forms of martial arts. That's how I learned to fight." Kitty smiled and continued on with her fruit salad, but it did not go unnoticed as her family continued to stare.
Her Aunt Deena it would seem was the voice of those who wished to know more. "Are we going to get to get to meet some of these friends, dear?"
Kitty was surprised to hear such a request. She was sure that after last night's throw down her friends would not be so welcome. She looked around nervously and asked to no one in particular, "You guys wanna meet my friends, like for real?"
She saw visible nods from several members and though she was nervous complied. It seemed that those who disapproved of mutants had left that morning leaving those who were approving or neutral behind. She looked to Kurt and saw him smiling.
"What did I tell you, Schatz. Nothing can go wrong with the fahzzy dude is near," he smiled to her and continued to wolf down his food.
"Now Kitty, you said earlier in the week that when you explained what you had come here to say, that you would also explain that panic attack that you dad," her aunt looked to her. "I'm simply curious is all as to what's been going on in your life."
Kitty proceeded to explain the heated environment that many so earnestly called high school. All people were ears as Kitty explained mutant-human politics. She also explained her peers reactions to them after their exposure. A slender, fragile hand went to her the side of her face that was bruised, but was distracted from it as Kurt took her hand. The family remained and listened to Kitty give a history of how Kurt had helped her through this rough timed which led to them 'dating' as Kitty put it. She kind of figured that saying sex came first, was the best way to get her family to accept him.
That evening Logan took the lead of the group as they entered and met with Kurt and Kitty at seven. Kurt went to his sister's side as Kitty led the rest of the way, beside Logan. Her Nana had reserved the dining room and told the owner to put screens in front of the windows, that 'her family's privacy was extremely important to them and should be honored as such.' She smiled as she knew her Nana was trying to create an environment in which they wouldn't have to hide.
Kitty's family spoke with hushed voices and waited with baited breath as the doors opened to expose them to another part of Kitty's life. Through the door walked the older man beside Kitty that they had seen that morning followed by Kurt and a girl who was as pale as the moon. Next entered a girl with small pigtails followed by a handsome young man with short brown hair.
"Everyone, these are my friends that I was telling you about. Mr. Logan, Rogue, Rahne and Bobby," she pointed to them as she named them off. Looking back to them she said "Guys this is my family and this is Nana."
Nana came forward to inspect her granddaughter guests, "I hear many good things about you and with my old age I have learned to trust Katherine's judgment, for the most part. Feel free to be yourselves this evening as I am sure my family will have many questions and I have ordered screen for our privacy. As the head of this family I would like to welcome you all, feel free to eat as much as you want, after all I'm paying," she chucked lightly and took her seat as the mutants fanned out.
Bobby sat with Abbie when he recognized her as did Rahne. Rogue and Kurt sat together at Aunt Deena's table and Logan and Kitty sat to the side. Their table could occupy more, but they had to talk shop before they joined the festivities. Logan took out a slightly crumpled file that Kitty took and read over with eager eyes. She missed going out on missions with the others and was happy to be going out this evening.
"So have you learned anything else about the mutant we're looking for?"
"Not much," Logan replied, "only that he's pyrokinetic and can fly by some means or another. He's leavin' a trail, but it's hard to follow sometimes. He seems confused so we have to be careful, we have no idea how much he's really capable of."
"Got it," Kitty replied shortly. Returning the folder she surveyed the scene as Bobby proceeded to produce ice cubes for drinks from the palms of his hands. Ever the flirt he was also making a tiny ice sculptures for the girls who in their fascination were charmed by the young man. Rahne trotted over on all four and tugged at Kitty to come join the fun.
Kitty's family members though wary at first, eventually did warm up to the misfit teens and their abilities. "So what kinds of things do you guys do together?"
"Like what?" replied Bobby. "Um…today we played power ball over at that nature reserve.
"What's power ball," asked one of the children. "Well we essentially play keep away with a football. Using our powers we have to see how long we can keep a hold of the ball. It teaches us to focus on our task, speed, reflexes as well as multi tasking with our powers."
When asked why he was spending so much time away from Kitty, Kurt replied that he was with his sister, which of course led to many people asking if she also had blue fur or the other. "Sorry ta disappoint ya'll Ah'm just what you see in front of you. He should have been more honest, though; Ah'm his foster sister. His mother adopted me."
Uncle Josef looked up, "I thought you were adopted Kurt."
"I am, but my biological mother adopted Rogue later in life. I am glad to have some sort of semblance of family with her, but my mother wasn't exactly what you would call caring."
"Hey, Kurt, I've got just one question that I was just reminded of. Is anyone else in your family…I mean do they look-"
"-Like me," he finished the young man's statement. "Yes, my mother. Her name is Mystique and she's a shape shifter. I am a second generation mutant to my knowledge and my mother had blue skin and gold eyes as well, though not a tail or fur or any of the other abnormalities that I do."
Dinner went off without a hitch until the end. "Kitty won't your guests join us for desert?"
"Sorry Aunt Deena, but we really must get going," all the mutants rose at her words. They walked to Logan and the door as Kurt went to Kitty's side.
"Where on Earth could you have to go at this hour? It's a little after nine."
"Aunt Deena, guys, don't worry about it. My friends were here on business and they like need our help. There's a new mutant in the area and he's totally confused and trying to learn how to control his powers. It's just like how the Professor knew when I awakened my powers and Jean and he came to get me. I'm a part of a team and going into the field like this is rather routine."
"Wait, this mutant, is he dangerous?"
"I don't know he's like pyrokinetic so he controls fire. He might be, but we won't know until we find him ya' know?" Behind her she heard the rustling the denoted the stripping of clothing. Rogue had worn a skirt and long sleeved top over her uniform while Logan wore his usual brown coat and jeans over his (he kept this on in the presence of Kitty's family). Bobby had worn pants and a long sleeved top over his while Rahne had disguised her's much in the same fashion as Rogue.
Her family began to look worried. She stripped off her sweater to reveal the X uniform beneath and Kurt followed suit and turned off his holo watch. "I have to go now. I'll see you all at breakfast in the morning." She went to her parents who were looking slightly shocked at the moment. "Mom, Dad, I love you both very much, but please understand that this something I have to do." She kissed them both on the cheek and went to join the group as they were teleported by Kurt to the Jeep and the red sports car.
'God please let them forgive me in the morning.' Kurt looked over to Kitty and squeeze her hand in his. He saw her reply with a smile, but knew that until they were actually engaged in action that she would continue to fret. They got into the Jeep and proceeded to follow Logan to pick up where the trail had left off the night before.
Helfen mir = help me
