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Marina & James

Piotr Rasputin was sitting in his seat in the car on the drive to the Chatsworth House. Xavier had spoken with him the night before after dinner about going to England to see Kitty and Peter, something about Peter's sister needed help. Well of course she did, if she was relying on that small, weak little man, then she was obviously in need of help. But he didn't care about that. It had been months since Katya had left with the roguish man, and now he would be reunited with her. He could finally convince her that he was the right man for her, and that Wisdom was all wrong. Turning to Professor Xavier he spoke, "How much longer until we are there?"

"We are pulling up as we speak, Piotr." The professor said warmly and pulled the car around to the front, "Kitty and Peter are expecting us at any moment. We shouldn't keep them waiting." With a quick nod and a smile, he lowered the ramp and began his way out of the car. "Piotr, I would be most appreciative if you would bring our bags in. Kitty told me she'd have rooms on the first floor prepared for us."

Piotr nodded and grabbed all the bags in one hand. The large Russian followed behind the wheelchair bound man to the house. When they got to the front door, they saw an older woman waiting for them. She was about to greet them when a little puppy came bounding outside followed by a woman who was acting more like a child. "Duchess, come back here!" She bent to pick the dog up before spotting Xavier and Piotr. She seemed somewhat uneasy as she looked at Xavier, but seemed to become filled with fear when she saw Piotr. She took a couple steps back, almost hyperventilating before turning and running a scream of, "PEEETER," all the way back into the house. Piotr looked to Xavier for a moment, confusion etched on his face. "I assume that is the girl?"

Xavier nodded, "That indeed is Miss Romany Wisdom, sister to Peter." Rolling further in, he nodded toward the maid and sighed. The girl was terrified, she could still hear her screaming...and it was no wonder, he wished he could've brought someone a little less physically intimidating than Piotr but in the end, he was the only one left.

Kitty's head snapped up as she heard Romany screaming. Rushing into the bathroom she quickly fixed her hair...but of course as soon as she went in there she had to pee for what felt like the hundredth time this morning already. She was wearing a pair of jeans, bigger even than the size sixes she had ordered and a heavy sweater...hopefully Piotr would be dense enough not to notice the swell to her belly. Smiling as she made her way down the stairs, she hugged the Professor, "Welcome to our home, I hope you had a nice trip down."

Peter had bolted from his study, taking only a moment to wonder at the fact that he had a study now, and rushed to Romany's room where she was curled up in the center of her bed, nearly in tears. He quickly got down beside her and pulled her into an embrace while Duchess whined and pawed at Romany in obvious worry for the girl. "What's wrong Romany?" She had been doing so well too, and now this. He held her while she told about seeing Xavier and then the big man who looked mean. When it was finished, he was able to coax her into coming out to meet them, but she refused to let go of his hand and practically hid behind him, sniffling the whole way. When they got there, Kitty was greeting the Professor and Rasputin.

Piotr smiled when he saw Kitty coming. She looked bigger, but he figured it was a combination of English food and the large clothes she was wearing. It only found it slightly odd, since she had been so fond of the more popular styles like Jubilee was and she knew that they didn't make those fashions for 'bigger' girls. But then again, it was winter here and snowing, she could lose the weight for swimsuit season. "Katya!" He saw Wisdom returning with the girl in tow, and a grin spread over Piotr's face. He reached out and grabbed Kitty up in a hug and spun her around a couple times. "I have missed you!"

Dizziness overtook her as Piotr picked her up and spun her. "Oh jeez, not a good idea Piotr," She took several staggering steps back, eventually feeling Peter's arms come around her as her head kept spinning. "Thanks, love," She whispered, his hands coming to rest on her abdomen without even thinking about it. Quickly she turned and kissed him, then gave Romany a kiss before pulling out of his grasp. Maybe Piotr hadn't noticed Peter's hands around the swell in her belly...maybe he hadn't noticed anything at all. "Romany, this is my good friend Piotr Rasputin and my mentor, Charles Xavier."

A warm smile spread over Charles' face as he nodded to her, "How do you do, Miss Wisdom?" The girl's fear radiated outward, he could feel it without even needing to tap into her mind. "We are not here to do you any harm, young lady. I seek only your friendship..."

Romany stayed behind Peter the entire time. She let out a squeak of fear when the big man picked up Kitty, fearing for Kitty's safety. She barely returned Kitty's kiss, keeping her eyes instead on the big guy who posed the most threat to her. When the older man spoke, Romany poked her head out from behind her brother a little more. He reminded her of their grandfather, except that this guy was in a wheelchair. He was alright, but that big guy still worried her, and worst of all, he had her brother's name. "Hi," Her voice was shaky and little more than a whisper when she greeted Xavier. Her eyes kept darting toward Piotr in a worried manner.

Kitty knew Romany wasn't ready for Piotr just yet, "Lily, why don't you show Mr. Rasputin to his room. I'm sure he could use the time alone." The stodgy housekeeper didn't take no for an answer and soon Piotr was ushered away from all of them. Smiling, she ran her hand gently down Romany's back, "Much better, wouldn't you say?" Romany would certainly be more at ease now.

"What a charming girl you are!" The professor smiled, wheeling ever so slightly closer. "Why, you look just like your mother." He had seen a family photo taken when Peter was first born; the resemblance between her and Romany was striking. "Tell me, Romany, would you like to be my friend? We can talk and perhaps I can help you not be afraid anymore...would you like that?"

Romany watched Rasputin leave, rotating around her brother to keep him between them. When Xavier spoke it startled her so much that she jumped and whirled around to face him. He was almost right next to her. But his voice was pleasant, and he seemed nice. And he was old, so he probably couldn't do anything to her. Especially in that wheelchair. She reached out and poked one of his legs. "What happened to your legs?" Her voice was only slightly louder than it had been with Piotr in the room.

Peter watched Rasputin go, pissed that the man had swung Kitty around while she was pregnant. They'd have to tell him the truth of everything soon, or he might cause harm to her. Once he was gone, Peter turned to watch Romany and Xavier. The fact that she reached out to touch him was a leap in the right direction, but her tactless question made him frown. "Romany, that's not polite. You should apologize and answer his question."

Xavier shook his head, "No, Peter, I am more than happy to talk to Romany about my own obstacles. I was in a terrible, tragic accident, Romany," He answered, his eyes going cloudy with the memories, "And for a long time after I was sad and angry that I could no longer use my legs. But with my friends and the people I loved around me, I was able to fully recover in my mind to become the man I am today." Smiling softly, he met her eyes and grasped her hand gently. "I think we can learn much from each other, what do you say Romany?"

She looked over at Peter at stuck her tongue out when Xavier said it was alright. She listened to Xavier's story and smiled briefly. It went away when he grasped her hand. She visibly tensed up, her eyes going wide. But he wasn't hurting her, he actually held it gently. It took her a moment to calm herself enough to nod her head. She looked over at Peter for a moment and whispered, though it was loud enough for Xavier and Kitty to hear, "He reminds me of Grandpa."

Kitty laughed heartily, "He is a grandpa, an unofficial one! To all of my little nieces and nephews...why, there's Soleil, Julian, Henri and Ilene, Evangeline and Luc, not to mention Owen! And I heard that I have a new little niece or nephew coming soon..." Walking over to Romany, Kitty took her other hand and placed it on her belly, "And soon he'll have two more little grandchildren, right?"

Romany nodded gently to Kitty. Peter chuckled and placed a hand on Romany's shoulder. He leaned in to whisper in her ear, "I'm proud of you Romy. You're doing really well." A little bark from behind Romany made her turn to face Duchess who was wagging her tail excitedly. She bent to pick up the puppy and turned to face Xavier. "This is my puppy, Duchess. She's a malamute."

Xavier turned only to get the full brunt of puppy kisses right in the mouth. Laughing heartily, he scratched behind the dog's ears, "Why she is beautiful! I don't think I've ever seen a malamute in England!" Smiling softly at the girl, he looked back over at Kitty and the Peter, "Romany would you care to give me the grand tour of the place? If you'd like, I'm sure one of the maids or even your brother and Kitty could join us to make you feel better."

Romany smiled as Duchess decided to show Xavier some love. "She is rare. Peter had to have her sent here from Alaska. But she was worth it." She set Duchess down and the puppy started to sniff. Immediately one of Lily's assistants came bustling over to take the puppy outside before she made a mess on the floor. Nodding enthusiastically, Romany started off down the hall, a moment of lucidity happening upon her. "I can take you. I'm sure Kitty and Peter have...other things they'd prefer to do."

Kitty gave Romany a wink as she leaned over and kissed Peter full on the mouth. She heard Romany's peals of laughter as she led Xavier down the hall to give him the full show. "That went wonderfully, wouldn't you say?" She asked, resting her head on Peter's shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her. "I really think this can work...it went even better than I imagined. I even ordered a couple of sedatives just in case she screamed for more than four hours when Piotr and the professor arrived."

Peter nodded and placed an arm around Kitty's shoulder. "Yeah, better than I thought, too." With a sigh he turned to face Kitty. "We should go talk to Rasputin before he says something or does something that I'll make him regret," He started off down the hall toward the guest rooms, "Like spinning you around earlier. I know he has no idea about you being pregnant, but we shouldn't keep him in the dark any longer, or it becomes our fault if something happens."

Swallowing hard, Kitty wished with all her might that she could postpone the inevitable...but it needed to be now. If Piotr was going to have a fit, they needed to at least have Romany occupied while Peter subdued him. Grasping his hand, she sighed, "Yeah, we do need to tell him and now would be the best time. Come on..." Holding onto his hand tightly she made her way to the bedroom she had asked Piotr to be placed in (it was the furthest possible one from Romany's). Knocking gently, she stepped back into Peter's arms, "Piotr, its Kitty...I wanted to talk to you."

Piotr had not been happy about being sent away like that. And what the hell was wrong with the crazy girl? He was occupying himself by unpacking his things, having refused to let the maid do it. He was just about halfway done when he heard the knock. He hurried to the door and opened it, the smile on his lips dying at the sight of Kitty in Peter's arms. "I don't know why you keep lying to yourself Katya. It is obvious you are meant for me. You should not prolong your happiness anymore. Come, leave him and stay with me in the room, yes?"

"No," She answered coldly, stepping through the door with Peter's hand still in hers. "We need to talk and I want him here so you don't fly off the handle and damage me like you did my room." It was cruel and she knew it, but he had the potential to hurt her very severely...and she was in no condition to be phasing about as she did a few months ago. "Listen, Piotr..." She cleared her throat several times before taking a seat in an armchair strategically placed by the fire. "There are some things you should know before this goes any further..."

Rasputin stepped aside as they both entered his room. He wanted to demand that Wisdom stay outside, but this was his house. He had as much chance of that working as he had of developing psionic powers. He sat down on the bed while Kitty sat with Wisdom by the fire. It was not lost on him that Peter sat positioned between the two, just in case. "Very well, speak."

It was awkward; just as she thought it would be. But at least they weren't fighting…yet. Heat rose in her cheeks and Kitty reached down to pull off her heavy sweater, revealing a t-shirt beneath that was stretched taught over the swell of her belly. She heard Piotr's breath hitch in his throat and she steeled herself against the onslaught that would most likely ensue, "First off, I'm pregnant..." It was going to crush him, she knew it, "And second off," She held out her hand so he could see the engagement ring, "I'm getting married." Closing her eyes for a moment, she let her hands come to rest on the swell in her belly, "I didn't do this to hurt you Piotr...things just happened really quickly and after we found out about the babies. Yes, I'm having twins, Peter asked me to marry him and I said yes. I love him, Piotr...and if you thought long and hard about what we had, you'll come to realize that you never really loved me either."

Piotr shot to his feet so fast that Wisdom let out the snap-hiss of a hot knife. The two men looked at each other for a long moment, each one silently daring the other to make the first move. After a while, Rasputin sat down heavily on the bed. He couldn't believe it, "Why, Katya? You have lied to me! You said that you were not ready for children yet. And now you tell me that you are pregnant with," He motioned to Wisdom, "His children? What makes him better than me? I am stronger, more capable of providing for you." This got a snort as Peter tried to hold back his laughter. "I love you Katya, you have been tricked by this man...brainwashed somehow." He thought he heard Wisdom whisper something about winning a bet at that.

Kitty tensed when he shot up like that...but he wasn't going to hurt her, not with Peter standing right there. Standing up carefully, she took a step closer. "I never lied, Piotr...I wasn't ready to have children with YOU. In fact I was pretty sure I wasn't ready to have children at all...but fate had other plans and I am pregnant. And I have never been happier; I love these children inside of me. I love Romany and Peter and I even love that slobbery dog, Duchess. This is my family...I love them." He was always so egotistical, it was always about him. She folded her arms over her chest. "I'm not brainwashed or tricked, I'm in love, Piotr. He can provide for me better than anyone else in the world...because I do love him. You have to see," She took another step forward. "You were able to pick up and leave so easily because you don't really love me. You love the IDEA of me...a woman who can cook, clean, and bear your children. But that woman isn't me, Piotr...not anymore."

Piotr stared at her angrily for a second. He had the urge to reach out and shake her until she saw sense. But that damned Wisdom was there with that knife, ready to strike if he did. "You know nothing! Don't pretend to know how I think." He looked at them hard for a moment. "Leave me, get out." He should have married when he had the chance, then she wouldn't have been able to run off with this...man. Now he had lost her, and he wanted to be left alone to lick his wounds.

Quietly, Kitty made her way toward the door, "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask Piotr." With that, she made her way over to Peter and grasped his hand. "Come on," She said softly, "Let's put some tea and pastries in the sitting room. I'm sure Romany would like to have tea with her new friend." Closing the door behind her, Kitty fell into Peter's arms, holding him tight. "I love you."

Peter wrapped his arms around Kitty and held her closely. "I love you, too." He kissed her gently before they heard what sounded like a vase breaking. "I'm glad I asked them to put the cheap stuff in that room for him." Leading her down the hall, Peter saw Xavier and Romany coming back from their tour, "Perfect timing. Romany, Kitty was wondering if you and the Professor would like to have tea." The girl nodded excitedly and ran off to go tell Lily. "I hope you want some, Professor. There's no stopping her now."

Romany was an enchanting young lady, he found her fascinating. She babbled about the house, about Kitty and the babies, Peter and Duchess in a childlike manner but then sometimes he'd catch just a glimpse of a woman beneath, cool and collected, waiting to break free. "Why I was just thinking I would very much like to be invited to tea! This is England after all," Giving Romany a little wink, he let her go ahead to 'prepare' while he conversed with Kitty and Peter, "I suppose you informed Piotr of your current situation..." More glass shattered and the Professor frowned, "He didn't take it well, I assume."

Kitty cleared her throat several times, holding Peter a little closer. "You could say that...although it could be the understatement of the year." Another moment later glass shattered against the wall; she winced at the sound. "I think Piotr always had the hope that, even after he left me, I'd hang around and wait for him. But that wasn't the case...he's just acting like a spoiled brat."

Peter glanced back in the direction of all the breaking items. His eyes narrowed as he heard another item shatter. Shaking his head he looked back at Xavier. "He keeps this up and I'm going to charge him to replace all that stuff. He's damned lucky we had Lily take the priceless items out of the room last night." Kissing Kitty on the cheek, Peter mumbled, "I don't know what you ever saw in the bloke."

The professor merely chuckled, nodding, "He will be quite the gentleman someday...however, I feel that this little life lesson, amongst others, will eventually work to his benefit. I am glad you were upfront and honest with him and I'm sure he will thank you for it someday..." More glass smashed and Xavier cleared his throat, "Of course I will reimburse you for what has been broken."

Kitty shook her head, "Really, Professor, it's not a problem. I don't really care for the cheap vases anyway." She was trying to be good-natured about this, to not let it bother her...but the truth was that it did bother her. Peter was right, what HAD she ever seen in that guy? Okay, so he was handsome and strong...but he was a child and could be brutal at times. Romany's voice calling for the professor made Kitty laugh, "Well, enjoy your tea...I'm going to help Lily prepare lunch. Or...at least try to."

Peter grinned and placed a soft kiss on Kitty's lips. "Yeah, you go try that. I'll see you in about two minutes when she runs you out of the kitchen with a rolling pin." He chuckled at the mental image that brought to mind. "I'm going to join the Professor and Romany for tea." Peter gave Kitty's hand a gentle squeeze and followed after Xavier to join with his sister.

Returning his kiss, she smiled, "Well, that sounds wonderful. After she kicks me out, I may just take a small nap as well. I didn't sleep well last night," She said and gave Peter a playful glare. After a moment, she turned and headed toward the kitchen.

The professor was already seated at the table, a lovely pink napkin on his lap and Romany pouring tea for him, "Ah, Peter, it's wonderful that you joined us." Picking up a small pastry from a tray he took a dainty bite and set it on the plate, "Romany was just telling me the exciting story of how you found out about your children. Why, I must say, that is quite a new way to go about it!" Chuckling again, he took a small sip and smiled gently over at Romany as she took her seat.

Peter chuckled and sat down beside Charles. "Yeah, imagine my surprise when I go to get a drink from the fridge and find an ultrasound machine instead." He shook his head and thanked Romany for the tea she poured him. Taking a sip, Peter smiled, "Lovely tea, Romany."

Romany giggled and nodded, "You're welcome, Peter." She sat down on Xavier's other side, and helped herself to a cookie. "We tried to trick Peter, into thinking I was curious about babies...but he was too smart for us." She put on a hurt look toward Peter, like she blamed him. "I think Nurse Terry gave it away though. She was never too good at playing along, and she seemed really worried about her machinery thing when I put it in the fridge." She only considered it a moment before breaking off a small piece of cookie and giving it to Duchess who came in to lick her ankles.

"Well she seems like a lovely woman, you've had such nice things to say about Nurse Terry." Charles sat back in his seat, enjoying the tea. "Indeed, this is a lovely spread. I thank you for inviting me." After another moment he set his glass down on the table, "I did not discuss it with Romany before, Peter, because I felt it would be better with you present but I believe I have a course of treatment that would really help your sister." Casting a warm glance over to her, he continued to smile, "Right now, I feel as if she has no barrier between the good memories and the bad, they all seem to commingle. What I'd like to do is help her create a mental barrier, a blockade if you will, so she would remember the memory only by choice. Like, for example, if you remember your first day of summer camp, you would have it in your mind to draw upon at your leisure but it does not constantly remain in your mind."

Peter frowned a bit. He was never fond of people being in his mind, and he was worried about what Romany would think. After all, her mind was already so messed up from what had happened; he didn't want her to feel pressured. She might think that she had to do it, and that might lead her to feel even more violated. "I don't know Professor. I've never been fond of others being in my mind, it seems like a huge invasion of privacy." Sighing he ran a hand through his hair. "But it's her mind; if she says its okay by her…I give my consent."

Romany looked utterly confused. Mental barriers? Memories? Why were they talking about things like that? And how did they think that her new friend could help her out? A thought occurred to her then, "Are you like Peter? Can you do...things?" She looked at him curiously. She knew her brother had powers. He'd used them to save her, and she'd told him even before that to keep it secret from their father. But she had thought Peter was special, a one of a kind. Could this Xavier guy do amazing things too? And how did her mind play into all of it?

The professor smiled then, "You are a very bright young lady, Romany. Yes, I am like Peter...but I do not create knives or anything of the sort. On the contrary my powers are completely mind oriented. I can read and speak into others' minds, I can direct your thoughts to help you overcome great trauma in your life." He understood completely that Peter would be skeptical and wary. "My intent is not to cause harm or to invade; I only wish to help you live a more normal life. Instead of remembering that day over and over again, Romany, I could help you put it away inside your mind. You would not forget but it would be my hope that you could come to move past it."

Romany looked over at Peter who gave her a shrug. She took this to mean that it was her decision. She loved her brother all the more for letting make a choice like this on her own, and not telling her what she must do. She was being treated as an adult, and she appreciated it. Still, she was wary about someone being in her mind. It sounded like a cool power, but she wasn't sure. Then again, her new friend said he was only trying to help her, and he hadn't done anything bad yet. After a long moment of silence, Romany gave a small nod. "Okay..."

Charles reached over and patted her hand lightly, "We will begin whenever you are ready, I have put a colleague of mine in charge while I am gone and I have full confidence in her. If at any time you want to stop, you must not be afraid to tell me." The girl was showing an enormous potential just by agreeing; she had the will to grow and change, to move past the horror and Charles had no doubt she would. "If you want, you may even bring Kitty or Peter or even Duchess. Anyone you would like with you, or if you'd like to do it alone, is fine with me."

Romany looked at Peter and then down at Duchess who was licking her paws. "I'll do it alone. I don't want Peter to have to see it all again." Her voice was growing smaller as she started to retreat more and more into herself at the thought of maybe seeing it all fresh again. "I don't want Kitty to look at me different." She looked down at her hands which were playing with the hem of her sweater. "I can do it alone."

It was a bold move and very adult. Romany seemed to have worked through some of her regression issues just being able to leave the institution. "That's a very brave choice, Romany. Of course I will be there to hold you hand and to comfort you, you don't need to worry about a thing." Finishing his cup of tea, he took another bite of the scone. Deciding that a change of subject was in order, he took a deep breath, "So, are you very excited for Peter and Kitty's wedding?"

Romany immediately brightened. She nodded her head vigorously. "Yes! Kitty and Peter are finally getting married." She turned a playful glare at her brother, which almost made him choke on his tea. "I told him months ago that I wanted Kitty as a sister. And he finally got off his lazy butt and asked her. Took him long enough to realize that he wanted it too." Her glare turned to a smile as she leaned over and hugged Peter tightly. "Oh well, better late than never."

"Well I daresay you are very lucky to be incorporating Kitty into your family! Why, I've known her since she was nigh thirteen years old! Oh I could tell you stories about her..." He winked and then cast a glance over at Peter who was playfully glaring at his sister. "Yes, indeed, and now with the twins arriving, the timing couldn't be more perfect."

Romany nodded and giggled. "I'd love to hear some stories about Kitty sometime. She'll be my sister soon enough, so I should get to know her a little more." She looked over at her brother and playfully swatted him on the arm. "And I'm sure Peter would love to hear some of the things his wife got into as a girl." Peter glared back at her and bite into a cookie in a threatening manner. This served to make Romany giggle more. "Just think! I bet she wasn't always the sweet innocent girl she is now. I bet she was quite the prankster in her day."

Smiling broadly, he nodded, "Oh most definitely a prankster. Kitty and her best friend Jubilee have had much fun at the school and, I daresay, gotten themselves into some trouble too!" He laughed and held up a hand, "Nothing too terrible, mind you, but certainly it seemed more serious at the time. And she has quite the penchant for shopping...by the look at the lovely dress you are wearing, I suppose you know that much already!"

Romany nodded and fingered her dress a little. "Yeah, she helped me shop online for some new clothes. Her clothes are pretty, but I wanted my own." She pointed a thumb at Peter and frowned. "The great lug over here throws a fit if we don't use his money to buy everything." She leaned in conspiratorially, but whispered loud enough for Peter to hear anyway. "We've gone behind his back a couple times to buy stuff though. Just to see if he'd notice without being told."

Laughing heartily, Charles patted Peter on the back gently, "Kitty is very stubborn about those things! She enjoys her independence and her freedom and she also is very set in her ways. She's been buying clothes for herself since she could say the word 'mall', I'd bet. She probably loves having another person to shop for." Kitty often was uncomfortable with the professor paying for everything and he gave her the freedom to purchase what she would with her own money, as requested. He had the impression that this relationship was much like that. "It's her way of keeping some of her own independence. And not breaking the bank getting new clothes!"

Peter shook his head. He didn't understand it. They were going to be married, his money would be hers. Hell, as far as he was concerned, it already was. Why use her own money and run it out, when she could use his…theirs, and not have to worry? Women! As he finished his tea, they heard Lily coming into the room. "Lunch is ready, being served in the dining hall. I've already informed Mistress and your other guest, Master Wisdom." With that she turned and left the room.

Peter stood up, offering a hand to Romany. "Well, lunch it is then. I wonder what she cooked today." He knew from the way that Lily had said she's told Kitty already, that she had chased her from the kitchen. He just hoped she hadn't actually hit Kitty with the rolling pin to get her to leave, like she'd done to him the day prior. Walking behind Charles, Peter grabbed the handles of his wheelchair and started to give him a push. "Allow me Professor."

Kitty was already waiting for them in the dining room, trying desperately not to take Piotr's bad attitude too seriously. He had decided to take his lunch in his room, much to Kitty's relief. She smiled softly as Romany bounded in and seated herself next to her; she was followed closely behind by Peter and the professor who, despite their earlier problems, seemed to be doing just fine. Together they sat down and ate in silence; it was pleasant and it was only getting better.

It was the coldest day of the year so far and Kitty felt it right down to the marrow of her bones. A week ago the professor had arrived to meet with Romany and this morning at breakfast she had finally broken down and committed to starting. Their first session was this morning and Peter was a walking wreck. He'd paced the floor, worked out so hard she had to give him a massage (although she suspected his tension was less severe than he let on) and was now three quarters of the way through pulling out all his hair. Okay, so the last bit was a slight exaggeration...but he looked about ready to do it. As he prodded at the blazing fire, Kitty huddled on the couch in the den. The sky was dark as lead outside and visibility was below zero; you couldn't even see the hand in front of your face if you walked outside. It was just one of those days...

Peter gave the fire one last jab for good measure. It was about the fifteenth time he'd done it so far today. But could anyone blame him? His sister was with a telepath, reliving the most traumatic event in her life, trying to build up a mental wall to block it out so she could get past it. He stood up and walked back to the couch, flopping down onto it and resting his head on Kitty's lap. "Do you think she's alright in there? Maybe I should go check on them, yeah?" He started to sit up, intent on going and seeing what was happening in the room the Professor had chosen.

Gently running her fingers through his hair, she smiled sadly, "I think what Romany is going through is very difficult but she needs to do this alone, Peter. If she wanted us there with her, she would've asked." Her belly was getting a little to big for her to bend down to kiss him, so she kissed her fingers and brought them down to his temple. "If we went up there now it would look like we didn't trust her or that she has something to fear..." Sighing, she too wished she could be with Romany, but that's not how it worked. "She's in good hands, Peter...let them work."

Peter frowned and laid his head back on what was left of Kitty's lap. "Damn, I just wish I knew what was going on." It was tough for him. The last time, the only time, Romany had lived through the rape; Peter had shown up to save her. This time, with her reliving it, she had only Xavier there. Peter would be just a memory. He wouldn't be there this time to help her out. He had always been her savior, and it was hard to relinquish that role to someone else. But he knew, for Romany's sake, he had to do it.

Soon, Kitty lamented, she wouldn't have a lap anymore. She was past the three month mark now, headed into the fourth and her waist was slowly expanding away to nothing at all. Maternity clothes were imminent for her...and she was still getting used to the whole thing. Now, with Piotr here and Romany going through hell, it was really affecting her. "I know, love...I wish I knew too."

A little bark made Peter look down beside the couch. Duchess sat there looking at him and whining. Even the dog knew Romany wasn't okay. Picking her up, Peter set her on his chest where she lay down and kept looking at his eyes. "I know Duchy, I know. I'm worried too." He scratched the puppy behind the ears. He looked up at Kitty and gave her a small smile. "So, how are the twins doing today?"

"Oh, they're doing just fine. Dr. Bader says I should start to feel them move more often as the pregnancy progresses...I'll be happy when that happens; I'm always worried something bad will happen. I heard on this medical show once that sometimes babies can spontaneously die in the uterus and cause serious damage to the mother." Kitty was gripped by the fear that something would happen every day. Swallowing hard, she pressed a little more firmly on her swelling abdomen, "I'll be relieved when they start moving more."

Peter shuddered at the thought of something happening to the babies or Kitty. Duchess didn't like the shudder, and let him know by barking at him. He lifted a hand up to stroke Kitty's cheek. "Don't think about stuff like that, yeah? You'll only worry and make yourself sick. The doctors have all said you're a textbook pregnancy. You just keep doing what you're doing, and let them worry about the other stuff." He lifted up a bit, forcing Duchess to move or fall, and kissed Kitty's lips gently. "I love you too much to let anything happen to you three."

It was very touching how much he cared. She kissed him back with fervor as he captured her lips, "I love you too. I know they told me I'm healthy and the babies are doing well." Rubbing a small circle where she was feeling a slight stirring, she smiled. "You know, I was thinking about what Piotr said...I know, I know, you don't want to hear about that 'stupid git' but it just got me thinking." Looking into his eyes, she smiled softly, "When I was with him I...I didn't feel like I wanted to have children, I felt like I had too much to do and that Piotr wouldn't support us. In time, I thought, he would be able to..." Licking her lips, she sighed, "But then I met you and everything changed. No, I didn't think I wanted to get pregnant and we certainly didn't do this intentionally but...didn't we?" She bit her lip as she looked down, "I mean we had sex every single night for a solid month and a half. Sometimes three or four...or seven...times a night!" Running her fingers through her hair, she shrugged, "I just wonder if this was fate. Piotr, him leaving me...all of it was just a means to an end."

Peter lay back down while Duchess situated herself again. Thinking for a moment, he shook his head. "I don't believe in fate. It's too scary for me to believe that I'm not in control of my own destiny. Probably one of the reasons I never found faith." Scratching Duchess behind the ears again, he continued. "I don't like the idea of our lives being predetermined or controlled. It means that nothing we do has any meaning. If I'm with you, and I feel this way about you because fate or some God said I would...then that means my feelings aren't real. They're not genuinely mine. I only feel them because I've been made to by some mythical force. And I love you too much to ever believe that."

It did take a little effort and she practically ended up pushing him off her lap, but she bent down and gave him a soft kiss. "That is the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me." Pregnancy hormones flared and she swiped at the tears in her eyes. "I love you too, with everything I have. And I love Romany and the babies...all of you have made my life more complete and better, just by being in it."

Peter grinned and rubbed her belly in smooth circles, "Happy to oblige." Peter's thoughts once more drifted to Romany and the Professor. Would this really work? Or would having to relive it all make her even worse than she was before, despite the mental block? He fought the urge to get up and go check on them. Kitty was right, he needed to show Romany that he trusted her, and that meant staying put.

Several minutes passed in silence...but to Kitty, they felt like hours. The fire crackled and popped, Duchess whined for affection as Peter rubbed her belly; everything seemed perfect, except Kitty felt as if she were about to go mad just sitting there. Another few minutes passed and she let out a heavy sigh, "Maybe I should go check on her."

Peter shot Kitty a look. "Go check on her? Weren't you the one saying that I shouldn't go? What makes you checking different from me checking?" Ha! She was no better than he was. She'd broken down too. True, it took her longer than it took him, but he chalked that up to her not being a blood relation to Romany. Of course he'd break and go check sooner than she would. But he hadn't fully broken enough to actually go, he'd stayed. Time to see if she would too.

Kitty thought about it for a few minutes before she sighed, "I'm going to at least walk past the door, I want to make sure that everyone is okay in there...it's quiet around here." She swallowed hard, "Eerily quiet." With delicate care, she carefully sat forward. Despite how he may have felt about her doing that, his hands came to steady her as she got up, "Thanks love...before long I'll be too big to even get up off the couch." He was surprised, she could tell...but she had to do this. "I'll be back in just a few minutes."

Peter watched her carefully as she made her way from the room. Looking at Duchess on his chest he sighed, "Looks like it's just you and me girl." The Malamute puppy titled her head to the side, confused. "Okay...or just me. You're not much of a talker you know." When she barked he chuckled and grabbed a ball. Tossing it over the couch, he watched the pup run off to get it. "But you're easily entertained." He needed to keep his mind off Romany or he'd be following behind Kitty before long. Good thing he had Duchess to occupy him.

Kitty was exponentially more careful than she had ever been in her life now that she was pregnant. She moved slowly and deliberately...it was very lucky she was in no real hurry to get upstairs. Laura had divulged many things about her pregnancy, including the fact that she had almost lost Owen when she took a tumble down the stairs. But Kitty knew that she had no healing factor to compensate for any damage she would do to her body. And that's why she held on tightly to the railing, making sure she knew exactly where she stepped. A few minutes later though she was outside the door; she could hear Romany's labored breathing and the professor's soothing voice. Fighting the urge to go in, she leaned back against the wall...Romany was fine, everything would be fine.

Piotr Rasputin was walking around, looking at all the art that was in this place. He grudgingly admitted that it was a beautiful home; grudgingly, only because it was owned by Peter Wisdom and would be the home of his ex-girlfriend, Peter's fiancée, Kitty. That still irked him. As did the fact that the head of the maids, that Lily woman, was following behind him to make sure he didn't break anything. She had not been one tiny bit happy when he'd broken stuff in his room. She'd even threatened to run him off the property until Wisdom had told her to stop, that it was okay since the stuff broken was all cheap knock offs. The real stuff they had moved out expecting his tantrum. As Rasputin left one of the galleries and turned a hall corner, he spotted Kitty leaning against a wall. In a some what cold voice he greeted her, "Katya."

Damn it, Kitty thought as she saw Piotr start down the hallway toward her. She was too pregnant and too polite to walk away quickly without looking him in the eye. And that meant she was stuck talking to him. Putting on a smile, she nodded, "Hi Piotr, I hope you're enjoying your stay with us."

Piotr's eyes narrowed at her as he stopped along side her. "I am not enjoying myself. Though the art in this place is...interesting, I am constantly reminded that you were not faithful." He looked down at her obvious swollen belly. "I stay because the Professor asked me to. If I had my way, I would have left the moment I found out about you and…him." He left Peter's name out of it. He was determined be angry with them. After all, he had every right to be, right?

It was starting...and she felt like he had deliberately waited until she wasn't with Peter to discuss this. "Let's take a seat in the study. My back is beginning to ache." Leading him into the large library, she settled herself in an armchair and motioned for him to sit as well. She didn't want to disturb Romany's session if his got ugly. "I'm sorry you're not having a good time. But Piotr, you don't have to stay if you don't want. No one is forcing you to." Although the weather had been terrible lately, flying out of here was not an option as of yet. But it was already the middle of January, there had to be a lull sooner or later. "And as for Peter and I, I'll remind you that YOU were the one who walked out on me, on my birthday, no less. You made it sound very final and I saw no reason to wait around for a person who up and left me like that with no warning. I don't want that for myself and I wouldn't want that for any child either."

Piotr sat down and glared at her. She thought it was final? Well it hadn't been. Any fool could have seen. Okay, so he hadn't told her specifically that it wasn't final, but then again, weren't women supposed to be the ones good at understanding the unspoken? "It was a test to see if you would be faithful while I was away. I see now that you were not. And probably for the best that we broke up. I can only imagine how hurt I would have been had we gotten married, and had children and you were unfaithful then. I would have been even more broken than I am now."

"Piotr, if we had gotten married and had children, I wouldn't have been with Peter. You were the one who left me; stop acting like it's the other way around." Kitty was starting to get a little aggravated with the situation. "Let me ask you something, if I got out of bed at four in the morning on your birthday and began throwing things into a knapsack saying that I needed to see life outside our relationship...how would you react?" He'd throw a fit, that's what, and then he'd move on...just like she had. "We always said we'd talk about marriage when I was twenty-four...well I wasn't going to wait around for an absentee ex-boyfriend to pop the question."

She just wasn't getting it. He was the victim in this, not her. He might have walked out but he hadn't moved on to someone else and started a life with them. No, but she had. "I would have been angry, yes, but I would not have moved on so quickly. And as soon as you came back, it would have been forgiven, and we'd have gotten married and had babies." She had ruined it all by shaking up with this Wisdom guy, the killer.

This was going to hurt...and she knew it. "Piotr, I didn't want to have children with you. You kept pushing me so hard; 'let's get married and get pregnant'...I just got fed up with it. You can be so pushy and pigheaded sometimes...like right now for example, you're not even listening to me. I love Peter, you and I aren't meant for each other." The next move was his now...but she had a bad feeling that this entire mess was coming to a head.

Piotr felt like he'd been slapped. She never loved him. All the times they shared together, it meant nothing to her. "You never cared, did you?" He stood up abruptly, pointing an accusing finger at her. "You said you love me, that you wanted a family sometime with me. But at the first chance you got, you left me for another man! I cannot believe you try to put the blame on me." He took a step toward her. "Pigheaded? Pushy?" He wanted to hit, to show her what pigheaded really was. But something stopped him. Sure he could turn to metal, but he doubted that he'd lived long enough to make it out the front door if he hurt her and Wisdom found out. Self preservation wouldn't let him do it. He turned and walked over toward a bookcase. Ramming one fat fist into it, he felt a little relieved when it buckled under the force of the blow.

"Piotr you will stop destroying my house this instant or I will kick you out into this storm!" Kitty screamed, standing up so fast she almost fell back down again. "I did care about you," She yelled, "I loved you and was even diluted enough to think you could ever love anyone but yourself. But it's all about you, Piotr, YOU, YOU, and YOU." Striding forward, she stepped beside him, her eyes blazing with fury, "Can you even hear yourself? I am HAPPY, I have never been happier. I have a family that loves me; I have a man who treats me as an EQUAL not just some broodmare to warm his damn hearth!" She let out a frustrated breath that came out sounding like a hiss, "If you loved me, even for one second, you would be happy for me."

Once more, Piotr didn't get it. She was a woman. That was a woman's role, to care for house and take care of the babies. His mother and his aunts had all been perfectly happy doing that all their lives. What made her think she was better than them? But she wouldn't listen to his reason. His logic was perfect in his mind. "I will leave then, to my room and stay there until the Professor says he is ready to leave." He couldn't be happy for her, not when she had taken the life she was supposed to have with him, and given it to another man. He stormed from the library then cursing under his breath. "I hope he does not take long fixing the crazy girl."

Oh no...He did not. Kitty grabbed a book off the shelf and chucked it at his head. "You dirty bastard, you can beat on me all you want, go ahead and do it...but when you go after my family, then its over." Grabbing another volume she threw another one at him. "Let's see how you like it, Piotr. You destroy all my clothes, all my things...and now you're trying to do the same to me. Well my clothes didn't fight back...I am!" Grabbing another book, she felt a low cramp in her belly and doubled over, moaning in pain. "Oh god..."

Piotr grunted as the first book hit him in the back of the head. That bitch! He turned to see a second book leaving her hand. With a quick thought his body became metal, bending the book as it struck his chest. He watched her as she doubled over and shook his head. "You see Katya? Even your illegitimate babies know I am right. They hurt you for attacking me." He turned away and walked down the hall, content to leave her like that. As he passed Lily, he let the older woman know that Kitty might need help. As she ran off toward the library, Piotr headed down the stairs toward his room.

The nerve of that...oh god, it hurt. Lily rushed into the room, quickly and helped Kitty over to the settee, "Just keep your feet up, I'll call the doctor." Kitty nodded, feeling better now that she was lying down but still scared out of her mind. "Please, get Peter too..." She whispered, her hands covering her belly. Too much stress, Dr. Bader said, was very unhealthy for her...and she was under enormous amounts of stress. "It'll be okay, little ones," She whispered quietly, "Everything will be fine."

As soon as Lily rushed into the room and said Kitty was in trouble and she was calling the doctor, peter was up off the couch and running toward the small library. He bolted into the room and dropped to his knees beside her, Duchess following only moments later. "You okay, love? What happened?" He ran a hand through her hair and started to check over her. Was it the stairs? That Laura woman had said that the stairs had almost cost her to lose Owen. Had the stairs been too much for Kitty?

Holding onto her belly tightly, Kitty shook her head, leaning against him as he held her and touched her. "I was arguing with Piotr, he found me outside Romany's room and then he called her crazy and...Peter, I lost it." One hand stayed firmly planted on the swell in her belly, the other going around him, "Then I got this wicked cramp in my lower belly, I thought I was going to die. But...the pain seems to have subsided. I hope everything is okay..." Tears were running down her cheeks as she rested her head against his. "I hope Dr. Bader can make it here with the storm."

"Rasputin?!" Peter was pissed now. The bastard had argued with Kitty, when everyone knew stress for a pregnant woman was a bad thing. Then he'd dared to talk about his sister and rile Kitty up more? He was dead. There was officially a dead man in the house. Revenge would be sweet. "I'll stay with you until Dr. Bader comes, love. Then I'm going to have a little chat with our guest." He looked toward the doorway and then back at Kitty. He ran a hand through her hair again and kissed her gently. "I'm sure it will be fine. If something bad has happened, then Rasputin's gonna pay for it."

"Please, Peter just...don't leave my side. I'm so frightened." Tears were running down her face, she loved these babies more than life itself...if she lost them it would devastate her. Running her fingers over her belly, she bit her lip to keep from crying all over the place and making more a fool out of herself than before. Several minutes later Dr. Bader bustled in, her coat pulled tightly around her and her medical bag in hand. Kitty breathed a sigh of relief...soon they'd know if the twins were alright.

Peter nodded. "I'll stay until we find out. Soon as we know, I'm going to make sure you're settled into bed, and then I'm going to deal with Rasputin." The bastard had gone too far this time. It wasn't bad enough that he'd trash talked Romany, but then he had to go and get Kitty riled up enough to endanger her and the twins. The man was going to pay. Pete idly thought about melting him down and turning him into coins to sell for an investment. He could make a killing that way. When Dr. Bader came in, Peter let out a sigh of relief. "Tell me the babies are alright."

For several minutes the woman went about her examination in silence. She gently pressed down on Kitty's belly, listened to it with a stethoscope, and did a very brief pelvic exam before she sat back on her knees. "That was quite a scare, Kitty. I'm happy to report that there is no bleeding and I could depict two very strong heartbeats inside of you." Pressing a comforting hand to Kitty's shoulder, she smiled, "Cramps are generally common in the first few months of pregnancy, but I'm glad you called me anyway. When they get very sharp or happen more often than twice an hour, please call me. For now, lie back in bed, put your feet up and just relax. Try to drink some water, if you can, sometimes dehydration can cause cramps."

Peter watched everything in silence. As soon as the doctor left, he got up and helped Kitty to her feet. "Alright, to bed with you, and then I'm going to deal with Rasputin while you sleep. The less you know the better for you and the babies." He grinned and gave her a soft kiss. Leading her back to their room, he found the bed already turned down for Kitty. "I'm getting Lily a present. That woman is far too good at her job."

Chuckling, she allowed Peter to help her into the bed. She changed slowly into her nightgown, careful not to move around too much. Finally she rested against the pillows, "Would you tell Romany she's welcome to come see me when she finishes with the professor...if she's up for it I mean. I'd really like to see her." Leaning over, she kissed Peter gently on the mouth. "And Lily likes flowers, just like her mother...that would be a good gift." Kitty winked before pulling the covers over her and resting against the headboard.

Peter kissed Kitty on the forehead while she lay back. He watched her for a few minutes until her breathing deepened and evened out. Now was the time. He kissed her lips gently once more, then got up and left the room. Rasputin was in for a world of hurt. They all thought the storm outside was bad? Wait till they saw the after effects of the thunder that Peter was going to bring down. Okay, maybe thunder wasn't the best element. No...more like a firestorm. Yeah, time to melt the tin man.

The professor was attuned to the goings on in the house...and he wasn't pleased. Romany and he were making a lot of progress. She was starting to talk through the rape, what she felt and how she wanted to feel once the memories were put away. She was looking tired and drained from the day's work, her dark eyes looking hollowed. "Let's break for the day, Romany, you look tired..." The girl didn't need to be told twice. Sighing heavily, he made sure she scampered off. Charles had a feeling he would be taking one of the men home in pieces.

Romany hugged Xavier before she left the room. It was the least she could do. He was helping her work through the most traumatic event in her life. Deciding she wanted to see what Kitty and Peter were up to, she walked slowly to their room. Knocking on the door, she got answer except a small bark from inside. Opening the door she saw Duchess lying on the end of the bed watching her. Kitty was alone, but looked to be waking up. "Kitty?"

Romany climbed into bed slowly and snuggled against Kitty. She just needed to be held for a moment. "Where's Peter?" She didn't see any sign of her brother anywhere, and that disturbed her a little. He was very rarely away from Kitty now that she was pregnant. He was probably just telling Lily that Kitty wanted something to eat or drink. She had only been with the Professor for a couple hours. Surely nothing really bad could have happened in that amount of time...right?

"Well," Kitty said slowly, thinking of the best words. "Peter's taking care of something for me. I got in a pretty big fight with Piotr, the man who came with Professor Xavier. I had some cramps but Dr. Bader came by and said the babies and I are fine. So don't you worry about a thing," She said soothingly, bringing Romany's hand to her belly. It would soothe the girl; give her comfort, "Now I'm supposed to be resting, relaxing."

Romany cuddled up closer to Kitty. "I don't like that guy. He scares me. He doesn't seem nice at all." And the fact that he'd fought with Kitty enough to make Peter get involved was proof of that. The man was just a bad egg, and not someone Romany wanted to be alone with at all. "I'm glad you and the twins are okay. I don't want anything to happen to my little niece and nephew."

"He scares me too sometimes, Rom..." She whispered and leaned her head against Romany's. The girl seemed calmer, more collected...and she was more lucid than Kitty had seen her in a while. "Thanks, I'm glad you're the twins' aunt, they're so lucky to have you." Putting her arms around her as tight as she could with her belly as it was, she smiled, "You can talk to me about anything… you know that, right? And if you want to talk about nothing at all, that's fine with me too."

Romany nodded her head and sighed. "I'm tired of talking. That's what the Professor had us do. Look at a memory, talk about it, and build a block. I just…" She trailed off and rolled over with her back to Kitty. Her arm grabbed Kitty's and draped it over her. "I just want to be held for a while." And when Peter came back, she'd make him hold her too.

Snuggling her closer, Kitty kissed her forehead again, "Is it alright if we take a nap?" She asked delicately. "I seem to be feeling exhausted, and it looks like you could use one too. I'll be right here in case you get afraid or need me." Stroking her hair lightly, she looked over at her. Before she had a chance to say anything more, a large yawn escaped her, "That's what I get for carrying twins, I think."

Romany nodded her head and closed her eyes, "Just a little nap." What could be the harm in that? Just, close the eyes and rest a bit. In a matter of moment her breathing had leveled out and she was let the darkness take her. Xavier's mind block must have been working wonders, she didn't even dream about that day this time. Instead, she saw images of herself, Peter and Kitty with the babies. A small smile crept onto her face as the two slept.

Peter Wisdom was tired. His body hurt from his talk with Piotr Rasputin. The big Russian had tried his usual line of making himself out to be the victim in all of it. But Peter had shown him the light...the light of a few hot knives coming his way. He'd been perfectly content to try beating the man physically, until Colossus had decided to up the ante by turning to his metal form. Who would blame Peter for wanting to get his point across? The only way at that point, was with hot knives. But it was over now. Rasputin now knew to leave Kitty alone unless he wanted to end up as the foundation for a chrome faucet set. When he walked into his and Kitty's room, he stopped at the sight before him. His two girls, Kitty and Romany sleeping together on the bed. He hadn't known that Romany was done yet. He smiled at them and walked over, pulling the covers up over the two, and settling into the bed. A nap sounded good right about then.

As he crawled into bed, Kitty opened one eye and smiled. His arms came around her, holding her tightly with one, while the other came to rest on her belly. They were safe, all of them...after several minutes all three were asleep, oblivious to the pain and darkness in the world. There, in their bed, nothing in the world seemed bad at all.

Don't forget to reivew, please!