Disclaimers on chapter 1

Chapter 9

"Good work" The Professor said to Ororo and Kurt who were waiting outside the original Cerebro chamber back in the mansion for him to exit after reconnecting the parts he had asked them to retrieve. "It must have been hard returning to a place that holds so many unpleasant memories"

'You have no idea Professor' Kurt thought as he suppressed a shudder as he remembered his last two times there before the recent one.

The first when he had been captured by General Stryker and taken there in order to receive the injection that made him like a mindless servant and attack the President; he still had nightmares even now of attacking them without being able to control his body. The second time was when he returned leading the remains of the X-men in order to rescue the Professor himself as well as a dozen younglings from the mad mans grasp and losing Jean Grey as she sacrificed herself to save them. And this time...

"Something is going on there Professor" He said out loud. "There were soldiers, robots..."

The Professor cut him off. "General Stryker had so many different agendas, it's impossible to know everything he was up to there"

"But vhat about Jason?" Kurt asked. "He came to me in a vision"

#~#

"I'm talking to you Kurt" Jason taunted him as he hovered near the ceiling.

"You are just a figment of my imagination" Kurt said pointing at the spectre unaware that Kitty was cautiously walking up to him.

"No I'm not, I'm real" Jason countered his face contorted in anger. "And you left me to die!"

"You vere trying to destroy the vorld!" Kurt responded.

"And I'll do it again! Finish what Daddy started!" The spectre stated proudly. "Just watch me!"

"Kurt, come on" Kitty's gentle voice came from beside him as she placed a hand on his shoulder whilst the spectre disappeared. "We've got to get going before we're discovered"

#~#

"Residual effects from the mind control, it will go away in time" The Professor explained making Kurt jump when he discovered he had been day dreaming about what happened. "I suggest the both of you go get some rest whilst Kitty and I have a talk up in my study"

As he added that last comment he turned to look at the bare wall on his left as did the other two to see Kitty walk out of the wall looking rather bashful for having been caught by the Professor. Kurt was the least surprised out of him and Ororo whose face showed surprise clearly on it.

"Von of these days Katzchen your curiosity vill do to you vhat it did to your namesake" Kurt said as he shook his head before teleporting to his room in much need of a prayer to god to help him in his current situation.

Both Kitty and Ororo stared at the spot he had just been feeling sorry for him before Ororo left as well leaving Kitty alone with the Professor.

#~#~#

Kitty sat nervously on the edge of her seat as she waited for the Professor to speak. He was currently meditating, as they called it whenever they saw the Professor using his powers, looking over what she had done from her point of view having already seen what had happened from Kurt's point of view when he was thinking about the vision of Jason appearing before him.

'I'll probably be stuck with chores for a month' Kitty thought before gulping when a sudden thought struck her. 'Or at least until Mr Logan comes back and sinks his claws into me'

'You'll be happy to know that Logan is not the one who will be punishing you Kitty' Came the Professor's voice inside her head making the girl squeak as she jumped then fell through the seat in fright. She quickly got up and sat down again whilst the Professor watched with hidden amusement.

"Now before we go any further, I want you to tell me something" The Professor began. "When you defeated those soldiers how did it feel?"

Kitty shuddered. She was still trying to get over what she had just done even with Kurt's help on the flight home.

#~#

Kitty clung tightly to Kurt's arm as she watched the giant robot float away. Adding that to all the guards she had taken out, some even worse, coupled with her escapade in the dark Cerebro chamber and the times Kurt was angry with her; Kitty could not help but tremble visibly whilst trying to prevent the tears from over flowing.

Seeing that the girl could barely move, Kurt gently pick up the traumatized teen and carried her into the jet. Kitty did not protest instead she wrapped her arms securely round his neck as she began to cry unable to hold back any longer. Kurt was apparently expecting that to happen as he sat down in a seat near the back of the Blackbird and began to rub her back soothingly whilst she cried into his shoulder.

"Now you understand vhy you vere supposed to stay vith the others" He whispered once she had started to calm down. The girl just nodded unable to use her voice for the moment.

"I feel terrible" She mumbled making Kurt strain even his sensitive ear to hear her. "Yet I feel worse knowing that it's much more so for you"

Kurt managed a small smile as he hugged her. "I thank you for the concern, but I suggest that you rest for the moment as I'm sure the Professor vill want to see you vhen ve arrive"

Kitty did not need to be told twice; her eyelids were already closing. The last thing she felt was Kurt kissing her on the forehead.

#~#

"That will do Kitty" The Professor said making the girl blush when she realised he had just watched the same thing she was thinking about.

"I assure you that was all I saw" The Professor said when Kitty opened her mouth again making her blush even more. He waited patiently until the girl before him managed to get her blush under control before continuing.

"Usually when one of you wishes to join the ranks of the X-men we, or rather I, make sure that your missions are not so disturbing until you are seen as being ready enough to comprehend what's happening" The Professor began. "Now despite your foolish attempt to pay respects to Jean as well as ignoring an order from one of your betters I am proud to say that you did a marvellous job back there"

Kitty could not believe what she was hearing. Unless she were dreaming the Professor had just congratulated her on an unofficial mission.

"There is a problem however" The Professor said pausing for a moment to let his words sink in. "We do not know if you want a code name or if you just want to keep your usual name"

Kitty sighed with relief before realising what he meant making her drop her gaze to the floor in embarrassment.

"I was thinking of having a code name Professor" Kitty said softly. "But all I could come up with was Sprite or Spectre because of my abilities"

The Professor chuckled softly before offering one of his own. "Might I suggest Shadowcat? It certainly fits you better than your suggestions if you'll pardon the rudeness"

Kitty was silent as she thought it over; she was definitely like a shadow the way she managed to move about and people often referred to her as curious as her namesake. After thinking it over for several minutes she smiled before nodding.

"Very well then Shadowcat" The Professor said whilst smiling proudly at her like a parent whose child just accomplished something amazing. "May I suggest you go rest up like the rest of your team, I will call you when the time comes. Until then goodnight"

"Goodnight Professor, and thank you" Kitty replied before getting up and walking out the door, waiting until it closed before squealing quietly. 'I made the team! Oh Kurt is so going to like my codename I just know it!'

'It was Kurt who first thought of that name Kitty' The Professor said in her mind making her jump. 'You will find him in your room waiting for you to hand out your punishment'

Whether Kitty heard the last part of the message was unknown as the moment she heard the Professor say Kurt was in her room Kitty quickly dashed through the corridors to reach her room. She did not even bother to open the door just phasing through startling Kurt who was watching the door waiting for her to return.

"Und I thought it vas just the Professor who needed to learn how to knock" He joked seeing the look of happiness on the girls face. "Might I ask vhy the sun is shining in the middle of the night?"

"I'm one of you!" Kitty exclaimed as she jumped into Kurt's arms whilst he looked at her confusingly.

"You do not look at all similar to me let alone being von of me" He joked already knowing what the Professor was going to talk about. "Danke Gott"

Kitty tried to look offended when she slapped him but was so happy that she just gave him a light pat on the chest before hugging him again.

"Thank you for the name" She whispered.

"Think of it as a gift to congratulate you on becoming an X-Voman" Kurt chuckled before reaching behind him and picking up a book that was on the seat he was just sitting on. "Und here's another"

"What is it" Kitty asked as she examined it; it was a book of German short stories that had only a hundred pages in it.

"Your punishment" Kurt said as if it was obvious ignoring Kitty's shocked expression. "You must translate all the stories in it from German to English, only then vill ve go any further"

Kitty's features went from sad to happy so fast Kurt almost wondered if she had multiple personalities.

"You mean...?" Kitty began unsure how she should continue.

"Ve shall just have to vait und see" Kurt said quickly leaning down and kissing her on the lips before leaving the room via the door. "Sveet dreams liebchen"

Kitty was unsure how but she had managed to reach her bed before her legs gave way and her mind went blank as she fainted on top of the covers.

~#~

A/N: For those who don't know Sprite was Kitty's first codename when she was first introduced in the Xmen comics back in the eighties.

R&R

& 'til next time

Watch this space, peace out & happy festivities.