CHAPTER TEN
The plane's seatbelt light had just turned off and the stewardess' began their rounds. Kitty stared blankly out the small window overlooking the wing.
"London huh... Why there?"
"It was the first flight out with seats available."
Kitty hadn't been back to England in some time. Memories of her past played in her head, heartache and laughter all mingled together. She never felt so lost before.
"Do you not like England? I thought you had friends here?"
"I do, I did... It's just been a while and I really haven't kept in touch with anyone..." The guilt Kitty felt began to surface.
"I'm sure they will understand, they know everything that's been going on, it's been all over the news."
"Yes... I suppose you are right." What Kitty didn't want to admit was that she feared her friends may not want to see her.
"From now on we need to lay low. As soon as we hit the ground we disappear."
"I know someone who can help us with that..."
'I just hope he's willing to help.' Kitty kept that to herself as she closed her eyes.
Laura woke Kitty once the plane had landed. They quickly made their way through the busy airport and to London's subway system. Kitty hoped that he still kept a safe house in the lower side of town. Trying to remember the address she recalled the last time she had been there. A happy moment in her past made her smile as she recognized the small bungalow. Walking around back she phased herself and Laura into the house.
"There won't be much food here but there should be coffee in one of these cupboards." Kitty rummaged around in the dusty shelves, finding some mugs and cheap instant coffee.
'He hasn't changed much, same awful coffee.'
Laura had gone to investigate the upper floors while Kitty boiled water in the kitchen. She wondered how long it had been since he was here last, if he had brought anyone else to this place. She was weary from her journey and lack of sleep. The coffee was horrible but it warmed her stomach. She had forgotten how damp and cold London was in the winter. Curling up on the old chesterfield in the living room she napped.
"What are you doing here petal? This ain't no homeless motel." His voice woke her from a deep sleep.
"What took you so long? I've been here for hours." Kitty uncurled herself and stretched as she stood.
"K-Kitty?!"
"Hello Pete." She smiled as welcoming as she could in her dreamy state.
"What are you doing here?"
"Nice to see you too. Laura it's okay. You can stop stalking him."
Laura stepped out from the shadows, sheathing her claws.
"Where the hell did she come from?!"
"Pete, we need your help."
"Bloody hell! I need a cig!" He scratched his head while walking away from the two women.
"Pete can you please focus for a moment?"
"You been drinking my coffee?!" He yelled from the kitchen.
"You can't really call that stuff coffee..."
"It's MY coffee and this is MY safe house! You can't just help yourself to things that don't belong to you."
"Pete, did you hear me? We need your help."
"Correction Kitty needs help, I'm just here to make sure she stays alive."
"Thank you Laura... Pete, I need to disappear for a while, lay low. If I had known we were coming to London I would have called you ahead of time..."
"Why do you need MY help? You are pretty good at disappearing all on your own."
"From my recollection it was you who did the disappearing act Pete, not I."
"I wasn't the one running off to make out with boys."
"Pete that's in the past. I was young and confused, I didn't know what I wanted... Look I'm not here to rehash old drama. I'm here asking you for help. I can understand if you don't want to help me... I'm sorry for barging in." Kitty looked over at Laura who was quite confused.
"Laura, let's go."
"Wait! What kind of trouble are you in?"
"People want to kill her. We have to go Kitty, we've been in one place too long."
"Laura, do you mind leaving us alone for a few minutes?"
Laura looked skeptically at Pete.
"He can be trusted, please Laura. Five minutes, then we are out of here."
"Fine. I'll be on the roof."
"Strange kid."
"She's Wolverine's clone..."
"Explains a lot. Who's after you?" His tone had softened as he got closer to Kitty.
She gave him the short version of her last forty eight hours, minus some details about almost sleeping with the enemy.
"Hmm Weapon X agents... The last of Dr. Cornelius' freaks. Can't say I'm not happy he's dead. Do you know if they are even after you?"
"Honestly I'm not too worried about them. I'm more worried about Sabretooth and Daken."
"Well your friend is right. You've been here too long, especially if he's got Wolverine's sense of smell. I'll get you somewhere safer."
Pete lead her out to his car in the back alley. Laura jumped off the roof beside them, taking a moment to heal the broken bones in her legs.
"That's just creepy kid."
Laura shrugged and joined them in his car. The silence in the car even made Laura feel uncomfortable. It was full of all the things they wanted to say but couldn't. All the time that had passed and all the memories they had shared.
"What is that stench?" Laura held her nose with disgust.
"Little something MI6 cooked up to keep trackers away."
"MI6? You are back with them?"
"No, just steal their tech is all."
"Ah, what department are you with now? MI-13?"
"I'm kinda freelancing right now. Working with Excalibur still just not so mainstream."
"How's the team doing?"
"Good, really good. I'm sure they'd love to see you..."
"I'd love to see them. Although I guess that's not really laying low if I do..."
"Yah, probably not a good idea right now."
The car was silent again, aside from Laura gagging on the stench that burned her nostrils. They arrived at a secluded cottage surrounded by thick woods. A hidden garage door opened and Pete drove through a long corridor. Several miles underground they came to a stop and the stench had finally died so Laura could breathe normally. Unloading themselves from the car, Pete entered a code on the panel before them to open an air locked door. Inside the building was a modern styled condo.
"This is very different for you."
"Yah well, some of us can change. Help yourself to anything. I've gotta make some phone calls."
Laura decided to check the fridge for anything edible while Kitty went in search for the bathroom. She needed another hot shower to refresh her. His bedroom was an open concept, with glass panels showcasing the master bath. Slipping out of her clothes she turned the hot water to full blast and stepped into the steamy heat. He still used the same soap and shampoo from all those years ago. Covering herself in the familiar scents she allowed her mind to trace back to when Pete and her used to shower together. She could remember how rough his hands were from years of grudge work. Although his skin was rough his touch was always tender, full of caring. A noise startled her. Turning off the water she wrung out her hair and stepped gingerly out of the shower. There was Pete, standing motionless as her wet naked body was fully exposed to him. He began to mumble and trip over his feet as he pulled out a towel from a closet.
"Uh here, I always forget to leave a towel in the bath..."
Kitty turned her back to him as she covered herself with the large towel.
"What are these?"
Pete ran a finger over the bruises on her back, pushing her hair over her shoulder he then saw the hand mark bruise around her neck.
"Who did this to you?" Anger rose in his voice as he asked her.
Turning to face him she opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. The vulnerability in her eyes melted his heart. He had never seen her this vulnerable before, this weak looking.
"Who was it?" He asked softer.
"Sabretooth."
"What did he do to you?"
"I-I don't want to talk about it..." Tears were starting to form again and she was damned if she was going to cry.
"You know you are safe here. You can stay here as long as you need to."
"Thank you Pete. But I don't want to burden you with my problems."
"Don't be so silly. I like your problems, always have... I actually miss..." He stopped himself short.
"Pete..."
They both stopped themselves and stared blankly at one another. Pete began to close the distance between them, his mouth inching closer to hers.
"I'm pregnant." Kitty couldn't prevent herself from blurting it out.
"It's not mine is it?"
"Don't be stupid! I would have had the kid by now if it was yours."
"Oh right, yah... Sorry natural instinct for a bloke when they hear those words from a woman."
"I need to see Moira... Have to get to Muir Island."
"Yah, yah... Uh first thing in the morning."
'What the hell is going on with me? Ever since I saw Daken I've been, men have been... Am I giving off some signals I don't know about? Turning into one of those sexual deviants.'
"You've, changed... Grown... Enlarged... Uh not what I'm meaning to say."
"It happens when people get older Pete. I was eighteen when I met you."
"Yah... Guess it's been a few years... Just always thought of you as... You never changed in my mind."
"You haven't changed much, still chain smoking and drinking awful instant coffee. I'm surprised you didn't pour yourself a glass of scotch."
"Uh it's in the kitchen..."
"How long were you in the bedroom for?"
"Long enough, err not long... I realized I had no towels out... Didn't think you were in shower yet... Glass walls... You're curvier... Then I remember..."
"That happens when you get knocked up..."
"Right... So... Who's... I mean it's none of my business..."
"I don't know."
"Right..."
"Which is why I need to see Moira."
"Right..."
"Pete I'm really tired. Is there somewhere I can sleep?"
"Here."
"I'm not sleeping in your bed Pete."
"I didn't mean it that way. I'll sleep on the chesterfield. Your friend can have the guest room."
"Laura."
"Who?"
"My 'friend', Laura."
"Right."
"Look, I understand this is a big shock and I'm asking a lot of you... Lately my life has been turned upside down and I'm really not thinking straight. I need you to be the sensible one."
"Heh that's a change... You were always the one with your head on straight. Never really had to be the 'sensible' one."
"I need a good nights sleep, without interruption... Without distractions."
"I get it. I can keep my hands to myself you know. I do have self control."
"Would be good if you used it."
"Right."
Kitty sighed heavily, she felt a migraine coming on. The type she used to get when her powers were first manifesting. Pete took the opportunity to leave her alone and make up his bed for the night on the couch. Laura was sticking her head in the fridge when he stepped out.
"Do you have anything else to eat besides old Chinese food?"
"There might be some pickles in the back, not sure how long they've been there though."
"Makes no difference, healing factor." Laura popped a pickle in her mouth and began to search the cupboards.
"So... You are a clone of Wolverine... Didn't realize he was a little girl."
"He's not. They took his DNA and made me in a test tube. Experimented on me, made me a weapon. Code name X-23."
"Right."
"You say that a lot. Do you have brain damage or something?"
"I see you have his charm..."
"You like Kitty."
"We have history."
"She's really confused and emotional, best to not get involved romantically."
"I wasn't even dreaming of it."
"You are not a very good liar."
"Darlin' I'm the best liar there is, I have to be."
"Your pheromone levels betray you."
"Right, forgot about those heightened senses..."
"Don't touch her and I won't slice you into pieces."
"Got it."
"When are we leaving for Muir Island?"
"How? Right, heightened hearing... In the morning."
"Time."
"Crack of dawn!"
"0500. I'll do the night watch."
"You always this fun?"
"I'm not one for joking around."
"Right."
Pete gave up on the conversation and pulled a blanket over his head as he laid down on the couch. Was going to be an interesting adventure.
Pete was awoken by a terrified scream coming from his bedroom. Leaping up he dashed into the room, finding Laura hovering over a bewildered Kitty.
"She's okay, just had a nightmare. Go back to sleep."
"That was no nightmare, that was a night terror. I know the difference. How long she been having these?"
"Not sure, haven't been around her much in the last month. She was having them every night when she came home from Japan with Logan three months ago. They had stopped I thought."
"What happened in Japan?"
"That's up to Kitty to tell you. She's asleep again. Go."
Pete had his own experience with night terrors, he used to wake up in a cold sweat every night until he met Kitty... She'd hold him, helped him sleep through the night. After they had broken up he had learned to deal with them, although they only came once in a while. Didn't take him long to fall back asleep.
The smell of cheap coffee filled his nose. Peeking over the back of the chesterfield a pleasant sight met his eyes. Kitty stood in his kitchen making coffee wearing nothing but one of his button down shirts. Her shapely legs were posed as a dancer, her one foot resting on her calf. When she reached for a mug on a top shelf he could just see the roundness of her cheeks. She had a pair of navy lacy panties on that barely covered anything. It was a sight he missed seeing, one he thought he'd be waking up to every morning.
"It's 0600. You over slept." Laura's voice brought his senses back.
"Right."
"He needs the sleep Laura, leave him be."
"I'm up, where's the coffee?"
"Just put on a pot."
Pete stumbled into the kitchen, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He grumbled as Laura eyed him suspiciously.
"That's my shirt..."
"Oh, sorry. I didn't have anything to sleep in. Didn't think you'd mind for one night. Uniform isn't exactly all that comfortable to sleep in."
"Right."
"Does this guy know how to say anything other then; 'right'?"
"Laura leave him be. Pete's not really a talkative guy. He's more the sarcastic silent type." Kitty winked at Pete and handed him a mug of coffee.
"Black, just like your soul." Kitty stuck her tongue out at him which got a grin out of Pete.
"Are you going to flirt with each other the whole time?"
Kitty and Pete looked briefly at one another and blushed.
"I'm going to go get dressed. We'll leave once Wisdom here has finished his coffee." Kitty practically ran to the bedroom to throw on her uniform.
"Kitty needs to focus. Stop with the hormones." Laura was looking accusatory at him.
"I haven't done a bloody thing!"
"Yet."
"Look here little girl, you guys came into MY house asking for MY help. As far as I'm concerned you can go take a long walk off a short bridge!"
At that moment Kitty had returned to see Laura and Pete toe to toe, each with a murderous look in their eyes.
"Okay you two, walk away. Pete thank you for letting us crash here. Laura thank you for keeping watch. Let's go."
Piling into Pete's car they sat silently as they drove through the long corridor to the surface. There was a satisfied grin on Pete's face as Laura began to gag over the stench of the scent cloak. Kitty sighed and turned her head toward the window. Pete stopped grinning when he saw the look of sorrow on Kitty's face. She looked so shattered and lost, not the strong willed woman he knew. Logan's death had really taken it's toll on her and the events surrounding it. He wanted to know what happened, what had killed the brightness that used to shine from her.
"I've got a friend that will lend us his private jet. Moira knows we are coming... I didn't tell her about your condition. Just that you needed her expertise."
Kitty nodded but continued to look out the window. He wanted to know what she was thinking about. He wanted to make whatever it was that was upsetting her disappear. Laura rolled down her window and breathed the fresh air deeply.
"Oh thank god! Never thought I'd escape that stench."
"Effective isn't it wolf girl."
Laura answered him by narrowing her eyes and popping her claws.
"Laura, he's just trying to get a rise out of you. Ignore him. Pete, behave yourself or I'll let her cut your tongue out."
They pulled into a small hangar with several single seater planes parked inside. Pete left the car and shook hands with a rather round man. Pete motioned for Kitty and Laura to join him. The man introduced himself and smiled brightly at Kitty, hanging onto her hand a little longer then was comfortable. Showing them to a four seater plane Laura raised her eyebrows.
"Private jet? Looks more like a flying tuna can."
"Shhh Laura."
"It's no Blackbird but it'll do the job. You are laying low remember?"
"Can this thing even make the flight?"
"It's a two hour flight to Scotland, this is more then sufficient to get us there. Plus the Island doesn't have much of a landing strip on it."
Pete thanked his friend and they climbed aboard the small plane. The next two hours were filled with Laura doubting the plane was going to stay together and Pete threatening to crash it into the ocean if Laura didn't shut up.