Green eyes blinked blearily as the sunlight blinded them. Wally attempted to roll over to shield his gaze only to find a weight on his chest preventing him from moving. The red-head panicked momentarily before the mass of brown curls soothed his anxious heart. Sinking back in to the bed, his strong tanned hand reached up to stroke the brunette's hair, gently teasing each curl and knot out of her soft tendrils.
Kitty snuffled softly, slowly waking to the sensation of fingers threading themselves through her hair, finger-combing her wayward curls. The girl burrowed in to the warm mass beside her enjoying the heat spreading through her body, but the moment she shifted the fingers halted their progress. "Don't stop," Kitty murmured sleepily nuzzling her face further into Wally's chest, "It felt so good." Wally chuckled softly before returning his hand to her soft curls. "It reminds me of better times," Kitty mumbled earning an inquisitive noise of inflection from Wally.
"When I was feeling down or upset my mother used to run her fingers through my hair," Kitty told him tilting her head further into his hand, "The moment she touched my curls it was like the world just faded away, like it was just the two of us. Then my powers began to appear. I'd wake up in the basement not knowing how I got there. My parents thought I was sleep walking until one night they looked up and saw my bedding suspended from the ceiling having been half-phased through." Kitty buried her face into Wally's shirt in an attempt to hide the tears beginning to well in her eyes.
"Kitty, what happened?" Wally asked the moment he felt the dampness hit his shirt, his fingers tilting her face so he could see her blue eyes. The mutant girl tried to stem her tears but they just began to fall harder. "My parents didn't want me after that," Kitty told him through the tears, "They didn't want a 'Freak' living in the house with them. They had my bags packed and out the door before I even knew what was going on." Green eyes closed themselves tightly, trying to wish away his own tears as he held the girl tightly to his chest.
"I'm so sorry Kitty," Wally told her, one hand gently rubbing her shoulder as the other pulled her in close so he could drop a gentle kiss to her hair. Wally knew better than anyone what it was like, to feel unwanted by your own parents. "I'm lucky though," Kitty told him, her soft voice breaking with emotion, "Professor Xavier was waiting for me down the street. He took me away and taught me how to control my abilities. Besides," Kitty pushed herself up so she could see his face, "If they hadn't kicked me out, maybe I wouldn't have met you and that would be a shame."
Wally muttered her name as he pulled her in for a cuddle, her tiny body molding to his as she sought out his warmth. Thinking about the tiny girl in his arms his thoughts turned to his own family, not his parents but his Aunt and Uncle. He loved living with them and his Grandparents. Green eyes snapped open as a bold idea formed in his mind.
Kitty smiled softly as Wally led her through the streets of Keystone, her bag over his shoulder as he regaled her with stories of his misguided youth. The young girl eyed him strangely as he strode up the steps of a house, whipping out a key to the door and letting himself in. "Come on Kitkat," Wally told her impatiently, "We need somewhere to study right?" The speedster grinned as she scurried up the stairs to catch up, glad he'd managed to talk her into packing a bag with clothes and her school books. It was time to show her what a real family was. The exuberant boy quickly dragged her through the house to introduce her to his Aunt and Uncle before sitting them both down on the couch to start studying.
"Are you a friend from school or..." Barry looked the girl over not wanting to jump to conclusions and accidentally give his nephew's secret identity away. "Both," Kitty replied smiling brightly, "They call me Shadowcat." Barry smiled back glad his son had found a friend who could bridge the gap between his two lives before turning his sharp sight to Wally's grin. The older hero patted the mutant girl on the shoulder, he could tell she was going to be good for Wally.
"The oven's gone again," Aunt Iris called out to her husband, prompting the man to vacate lounge room to begin taking the oven apart again. "It always does that," Wally whispered conspiratorially, "I don't know why they don't just buy a new one. It breaks down at least twice a week." The mutant girl focused his attention back to his maths before heading towards the kitchen.
"Mind if I take a look?" Kitty asked peering at the mess of parts strewn across the floor. Barry waved a hand to the mess as Wally's Grandpa stalked in to take a look to. Her big blue eyes surveyed the situation, her fingers quickly checking a few connections before she turned to Barry. "It's the connection to the heating filament," Kitty told him earning a snicker from Flash Senior, "If you have a nine millimeter Phillips head, a set of needle-nose pliers and some three millimeter copper wire I can get this patched up in a jiffy." Wally's head popped over the counter, the young hero chuckling at his Uncle and Grandpa's stunned faces. Kitty's head swiveled to pierce him with a hard gaze before she told him, "And this doesn't constitute maths Mr and I expect the chapters on Pythagoras and Second Derivatives completed by the time I put this oven back together." Barry ran to grab the requested items as Wally's Grandpa chuckled at his grandson racing back to the couch to finish the requested chapters. "If he gets an A on this maths test," Iris told her father-in-law, "I'm adopting her."
True to her word, Kitty had the over fixed and better then ever, testing it out by baking an extra-large batch of chocolate chip cookies. Barry and Iris laughed as Wally's nose had him racing in to the kitchen only to have his hand slapped by the spatula. "Did you finish the chapters?" Kitty asked, earning a dutiful nod from Wally before the girl handed over a plate of the sweet treats, "Then I guess you can have these." The brunette slid a second plate over to Barry who gratefully accepted the offering. "Kitkat," Wally sighed out, munching on his serving of chocolate delights, "Have I told you that you're an angel?" The mutant girl smiled while shaking her head, leading the boy back to his school books and the marathon of studying they still had left.
"So is that your ability?" Flash Senior asked Kitty as they sat down as a family for dinner, "Fixing machines?" The brunette smiled bashfully, after not having a family for so long it was almost overwhelming to be in such a loving environment. "No, I'm just tech-intuitive," Kitty replied earning a raised eyebrow from Barry, "I'm not quite sure how to explain it, but it's like the moment I see something my hands just seem to know what to do. I'm actually a Mutant."
"That's a terrible thing to say," Iris chided, "You shouldn't be so self-depreciative." Kitty and Wally shared a look before bursting out in a fit of laughter with Kitty laughing so hard the speedster had to explain for her. "That's what they call themselves," the young hero replied, "It's because they all have a genetic mutation that gives them their abilities."
"So what's your power then?" Barry asked, wondering what abilities Batman had seen in the girl to put her on the team. Kitty and Wally shared a look before the girl raised her hand up through the table without even leaving a mark. "I control the corporeal," the Mutant girl explained, "Which is just a fancy was of saying I can walk through walls."
"Good," Flash senior crowed with delight, "Maybe you can teach Wally how to." The teen in question groaned, dropping his head to the table. Both his Uncle and Grandpa could travel through walls with absolutely no problem but the moment he tried all he got was a blood nose. "Or we could just do this," Kitty grinned back, swiping Wally's hand before phasing them both through the floorboards and back. Wally smiled softly, glad she felt comfortable to let lose and show off her abilities in front of his family. "Now that is a neat trick," Wally's Grandpa cackled, he was liking the Mutant girl more and more. It was about time his grandson brought a nice girl home to meet the family, and the fact that she knew about his powers and had abilities of her own just made it even better. "Of course, when she's not phasing through solid objects," Wally cut in, slightly enjoying embarrassing her, "She's also like completely ninja with the martial arts and katanas and everything."
After hearing that Kitty had formal martial arts and dance training, Wally's Grandparents and Aunt and Uncle requested a demonstration. After a quick show with a couple of thin pieces of plywood standing in for her katanas, Kitty apologized profusely for not having her ballet shoes and having to do something more contemporary. The four adults clapped, all agreeing she was a talented dancer and couldn't wait to see her perform again.
Wally escorted a blushing Kitty up to bed. His Uncle had brought a spare mattress in for him so the Mutant girl could take his bed. With them both having an exam the next day, it made more sense for them to both leave from his house. Snuggling in under the covers, the brunette stretched a hand down to curl her fingers around the speedster's. "Good night Wally," Kitty mumbled sleepily, nuzzling into his pillow, "Thanks for today." Wally smiled up at her, pleased he could show her that no parents didn't mean no family. They slept with their fingers entwined for the rest of the night.
May your thoughts and creativity flow,
Lady Ami DragonHeart