Hello everyone! I am happy to announce that XxFairyQueenxX (Formerly known as I Wish I Was A Pony) has requested a character and has mentioned writing a story about her herself. Thank you XxFairyQueenxX!
Episode 11: And Here My Troubles Had Begun
Tara wandered into Kurt's infirmary room timidly. She had never asked him for any kind of advice before, but nearly everyone else seemed busy. She was slightly disturbed that Aaron had the opposite reaction to the one she wanted, and if Kurt didn't know about true love and the magic of the universe, who did?
"Um… uncle Kurt? Are you asleep?" She asked quietly, sitting on the edge of his bed. "I need help. Uncle Kurt?"
Kurt opened his eyes and looked at her. "Tara. Hi. I was sleeping."
"I know, I'm sorry," she mumbled, face red. "I just need help with something and I thought maybe you could give me some advice…"
"Advice?" Kurt squinted at her. "A mighty Pryde needs advice from measly old me lying useless in a hospital bed? Well, let's see what I can do."
His German accent seemed comforting, and he looked genuinely interested in what she had to say, so she settled in and filled him in on the events leading up to her and Tyler getting together, and how Aaron had ignored her at school all day. As she ranted, Kurt kept nodding and smiling, as if he already knew what to say. Tara looked at him and took a deep breath. "Well? What do I do?"
"You know, Tara, when your mother first came here I had a huge crush on her. I might have even been in love with her," He added in a near whisper, looking away for a second. "And for a little while, I thought she might have felt the same way about me."
"Really? But you and mom never got together." Tara smiled and glanced at him. "Mom and Dad got married right after high school. So did you and aunt Amanda, right?"
"Right," Kurt looked up again and nodded. "That's exactly what happened. With all the fighting and fuss between me and Amanda's parents, and all the fighting between the other X-Men and Kitty about Lance."
"You guys didn't want her to marry him?"
"Well, I might have been a little biased, but we all knew how it would turn out." Kurt frowned now, looking away. "I just wanted to make sure she didn't get hurt. The day I heard he was going to leave her and you, I wanted to go and cause him as much pain as he caused her, me AND Rogue. We didn't, though, because the Professor told us he knew what he was doing."
"I was really little."
"Yeah, you were five years old, and such a sweetie already that just looking at your sad little face when I went to see you guys made me melt."
"So what happened?"
"Well… it's a long story."
……………….
Ben gasped out a single word. "What?"
"I'm your father, Ben," Jason said again, still holding out a hand. "I was with your mother when she died. I helped to raise you. And I love you, Ben. You are my only son."
"What happened to me?" He whispered. "Why did you fight Magneto?"
"I saw then that what he had done and what he was about to do to you was wrong, and I couldn't let him hurt you or Carla anymore." Mastermind took a few steps forward and Ben backed away. "I fought him and told you to run. I lost, of course, but you had gotten away. That's all I wanted, for you to be safe."
"Was anyone else involved?" Ben growled. "Or was it just you and Magneto who murdered my mother?"
"I would never hurt Carla for any reason. Don't you see? Magneto tricked me. I saw the truth when he attacked her. Only then did I see that all he was going to do was use you."
"Was there anyone else?"
"Yes, the Doctor," Jason said. "The Doctor who was working with Magneto. I saw through is kind and gentle 'my child' façade right away. I believe he was once a priest, but he twisted his X-gene so to become a wretched, terrible man who only cared about his creations, the clones."
"Am I a clone?"
"No, you are my son, and you have such gifts as to interest Magne…"
"You're LYING to me!" Ben screamed in a fit of rage, eyes glowing. His voice cracked and it was hoarse and rough from the years of silence. "You're LYING! What am I?! WHAT AM I?!" Falling to his knees and slumping his shoulders forward, he began to sob. "What am I…?"
Jason stepped forward and kneeled in front of him, placing his hands on Ben's small shoulders. "You are my son, Ben. That's all that matters."
"Can I know who I'm a clone of?" Ben asked weakly, leaning into Jason's arms. The old man held him.
"I'm sorry, my boy. I don't know the answer to that question."
"But I do."
Both Ben and Jason looked up. There, hood and all without a drop of rain touching him, was the Doctor.
"My child…" He hissed. "Do you wish to know the truth?"
…………………
"So what happened after my dad left?" Tara asked eagerly.
"Well, I don't want…" Tara could tell that if Kurt had no fur, he would be beet red. "It's just a little personal. I really don't want to talk about it."
"Come on, what's done is done, right?"
Kurt sighed. "Fine," growling, he leaned back into his pillow. "It was, quite literally, a dark stormy night…"
Kurt had received the call from Kitty at one in the morning. She had sounded upset, and he dropped his work and drove to her house, making sure that Tara and Catty were asleep in Catty's room and that he didn't wake Amanda. Huddled in a raincoat, he hurried up the steps to her porch and found the spare key in the ceramic cat on the lawn chair. Letting himself in, he called her. "Katzchen? Where are you?"
"In here," She sniffled from the kitchen. He went to the kitchen table and sat next to her. She had been crying for a while and the table was littered with used tissues.
"You know, that's really disgusting," He tried to joke, pointing at the snot-laden tissues scattered around the room. She let out a little giggle but she didn't smile. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" She asked bitterly. "What's wrong is my husband left me. Is Tara okay at your place?"
"She should be fine until you get better and settled." Kurt put an arm around her and let her lean against his arm. "You know, we all warned you."
"Yeah, but what did I know? I didn't listen," Kitty sniffed again. "I should have. But hey, my little Tara is worth it. She's worth the whole thing."
"I agree," Kurt handed her another tissue. "God, Kitty, look how skinny you are. Your fingers are like sticks."
"I… I haven't been eating," She mumbled. "I just haven't been hungry."
"Kitty…" Kurt took her hand. "How long has it been since you've eaten something?"
"A good three weeks, ever since Lance said he was going to leave."
"Kitty!" Kurt stood up. "That's it, I'll make you something right now. No, you sit…!"
Kitty had stood up with him and was suddenly kissing him. Kurt forgot how to breathe as he held her, then quickly backed away as he remembered himself. "Kitty, what are you doing?"
"I thought that you liked me," Kitty whispered, moving in again. Kurt held her away. "Don't you like me anymore?"
"Kitty, stop, just… just stop," He said painfully. "I… I'm married. To Amanda, remember? My beautiful wife who I love very much. We can't do this…"
"Ha! So you want it," Kitty didn't smile, but she looked suddenly fierce. "You said 'we'. You want it, too."
"Kitty…" He grabbed her wrists and looked down. "Yes, yes I want it, but I… I can't have it. I love Amanda. I…" He felt the tears before he could stop them. He was upset. He was angry. "I can't think about this anymore. Guten Nocht, Katherine."
"Wait," she said as he opened the front door. He stopped, but didn't look at her. "Did I hurt you?"
"Yes," Kurt whispered.
"How much?"
"More than you can ever know."
"I'm sorry."
He turned his head and looked at her, eyes filling with tears and face contorted with rage. "You should have been sorry years ago." He closed the door behind him, being careful not to slam it in his anger. He had never been this angry. Never.
Kitty sat down on the sofa. Sobbing, she tried to sleep, and eventually succeeded. When she woke up in the morning, she wandered into the kitchen, where a fresh batch of muffins was sitting in front of Kurt at the table.
"I just thought you'd want some real muffins," He smiled at her sadly.
She hugged him and grinned. "Fuzzy Elf," She giggled. "I'm sorry for what I did. I didn't know what I was doing. I don't want…"
"It's okay," Kurt said quietly. "Everything's going to be okay. I promise."
"So what happened?" Tara asked again. "Are you still mad?"
"No, I'm fine, she's fine, we're all fine," He smiled and nodded. "Now… do you love Tyler?"
"I think so," Tara looked down. "I guess. Yeah."
"Do you love Aaron?"
"Yes," She answered immediately. "I mean… I don't know!"
"All you have to do is figure out which boy makes you happy," Kurt said. "Kitty is wonderful, and I love her, but Amanda makes me happy. I know I'll never stop loving Amanda, and we'll never leave each other. I was never that sure about your mom."
"Okay! Thank you, uncle Kurt," Tara giggled and kissed him on the cheek, waving as she left. Kurt sighed and shook his head. Just like her mother.
…………..
"I want to know the truth," Ben whispered.
"You are a clone, my child," The Doctor said. "But of who, I will not tell you. You were designed as the ultimate weapon. Limitless telepathic and magnetic ability. Nothing would ever stand in your way."
"I'm supposed to be a weapon? For Magneto?"
"But you chose not to be, my son," Jason put a hand on his shoulder. "You chose your own fate. No one can do that for you."
"Professor Xavier chose my fate!" Ben cried. "He's been lying to me since day one! He knew about all of this!"
"He lied to protect you from me," Jason said.
"No," The Doctor said, throwing off his cloak. "He was protecting you from ME."
He was a hideous creature, covered in burns and scars. He was dressed as the classic mad scientist, lab coat and all. And his eyes had no whites, they were dead, black pits, and they began to glow…
………………
When Kurt woke up from his nap, he rolled over and smiled. A batch of muffins sat on the chair with a note- thought you might want some REAL muffins. Thanks for helping Tara.
Of course, he knew not to touch those muffins.
NEXT: Rise Of the Forgotten!
