Off Balance
DISCLAIMER: By now you should have figured out that I own nada.
Chapter Fourteen – The End
The crutches were heavy, and hard to grip with only one good arm. But all the other cuts and bruises had healed up, and it was time for Kitty to leave the hospital.
The senior X-Men were all inside, and the New Recruits were waiting outside the hospital after they were asked to leave (a slight misunderstanding that disturbed the rest of the patients came to mind).
Slowly Kitty hopped into the waiting room on her one good leg with her friends walking with her every step of the way. "Come on Kitty, just a little further." Bobby smiled.
"Yeah, you'll make it easy." Rogue agreed.
It seemed to take an age but eventually Kitty was outside. Her bruises were beginning to heal, there weren't many cuts left, and it didn't even look like she was going to get a scar.
The crutch twisted on the floor and Kitty stumbled when Jean's telekineses caught her. Kitty floated back up and the crutch soared back into her arm. "Thanks."
"Don't worry about it. We're here for you." Jean said, as everyone agreed instantly.
Hobbling, Kitty reached the X-Van and slid into a seat. Scott passed her the stuff that Rogue had brought for her two weeks ago.
"Thanks." She said softly.
"You're welcome." Scott smiled.
When they got to the institute, Kurt teleported Kitty's stuff up to her room but she refused to let him teleport her. She needed to work the muscles back up in her body.
"School's starting again tomorrow." Rogue said as she helped her up the stairs. "But the professor says you can stay home for another week or so until you're ready to go back."
"Yeah." Kitty nodded as they reached the top of the stairs. "I think I could, like go to school and deal with that, but I really don't have the strength to deal with any mutant prejudice."
"Fair enough." Rogue nodded. "Just don't overstress yourself, okay?"
Kitty nodded as they hobbled into her room. Kurt was placing Jane on her bed. "Hi." Kurt smiled slightly.
"Hi Kurt. What's up?" Rogue said to her adoptive brother.
"Not much." Kurt shrugged as Kitty sat down, tired by the walk. "Hey, do ve still have to do zat training session later?"
"Yeah." Rogue nodded. "Well, you don't Kitty," Rogue glanced at her roommate, "but the rest of us do." She finished to Kurt.
Kurt grinned at Kitty. "Lucky you."
"Hey, at least falling off a cliff was good for something." Kitty quipped.
"Hey, if you really want, Ah can put you in a coma." Rogue said to her brother, taking a glove off. "You wouldn't get much off but you'd get the day out."
Kurt stepped back. "Thanks, but I think I'll pass."
Rogue shrugged. "Okay." She glanced at Kitty. "Well, I'd better go get ready for the training."
Kitty shrugged. "No problem to me."
"Me too." Kurt nodded, and with a bamf! he was gone.
Five minutes later, Rogue left in her X-Men costume and jogged towards the Danger Room.
Kitty smiled slightly as she lay in her bed. "It's good to be home." She announced.
The next day the X-Men went out to school, leaving Kitty with Jean, Scott, Professor X and Storm (Logan had gone off on the open road).
Around noon, Jean and Scott went out of a date. The professor was in his office and Storm was watering the plants.
Inside her room there was no sign of Kitty. Just a note on the wall where anyone could see it. Just in case, there was more than one copy.
Gone out.
Sorry, just wanted some fresh air and to get outside for a little bit.
Be back by three at latest.
Kitty
Kitty sat on the bus as she travelled to the Brotherhood place. She wanted to visit Lance, definitely couldn't walk there with a broken leg and wasn't legally old enough to drive without an adult in the seat.
Behind her a teenager made a joke about mutants. Kitty glared at him. When he saw her rapidly fading bruises, crutches and arm in a sling he instantly jumped to the conclusion that she wouldn't be much trouble.
"So, you're a mutant. What's your power? The ability to crack mirrors as you walk past them?" He laughed.
"If that were a mutant power, I'd have to invite you to the Institute." Kitty said, glaring at him. She spun back around and scowled, looking at the seat in front of her.
"So what happened to your face? Get into a fight with a walnut?"
"How would I fight your brain without damaging the rest of you?"
There was a clap from the back. "You go girl!" Someone shouted.
The boy frowned, about to reply, when Kitty cut in. "You know what? I just got out of the hospital, I'm itching for a fight, I've fought everything from giant robots to mutants controlling metal, and I have the power to take your tiny brain out of your head. Literally." She emphasised the word and stuck her hand out through the closed window, grabbed a leaf and phased her hand back through the glass. "So I wouldn't go messing with me right now."
The boy decided it might be better for his health to shut up.
Kitty felt slightly bad about threatening him, but really, he was a moron. Who picked a fight with someone for the reason that they have super-powers and could therefore defeat them?
Kitty hobbled off the bus and made her way over to the brotherhood house. It was hard going for a bit until a little girl came up to her. "Do you want some help?" She asked.
"Thanks, but I… oof." Kitty grimaced as her crutch twisted. The girl caught her. "Where are you trying to go?"
"To the brotherhood house." Kitty answered honestly.
"Are you a mutant?" The girl asked as she pulled her up.
"Uh… yes."
"A mutant saved my life two weeks ago." The girl said. "I was at the high school to see a debate my older sister was giving in class, and there was a fight between the X-people and the Brothershood. Then the x-men came. One used laser vision to knock the wall down, and another made a slide of ice. But then it cracked as me and Jenny slid down it. But then a blue guy who was all fuzzy caught us and suddenly we were on the ground."
Kitty looked at the girl curiously. "What's your name?"
"Ellie. It's really Eloise but everyone just calls me Ellie."
"I'm Kitty."
"You weren't at the fight. What group are you in?"
"I'm an X-Man."
"So why are you going to visit the brotherhood?"
"My boyfriend is a member of the brotherhood." Kitty shrugged with her one good shoulder. Ellie took her hand and started to help her. Kitty didn't resist.
Ellie kept talking about her twin sister Jenny, older sister Anna, and everything else.
After a few minutes they reached the Brotherhood home. "I'm not allowed in." Ellie said. "Mum said not to go into any of the mutant places. I think the rule is stupid but she's my mum, so I have to do it."
Kitty smiled. "I understand. Thanks a lot."
"You're welcome. And if you see him, could you tell the fuzzy blue guy who saved my life that I say thank you?" Ellie asked as Kitty hopped in.
Kitty grinned. "Course I can."
And the little girl left.
There was a knock on the door at the Brotherhood place as Fred flipped through the channels. Toad sat next to him. Lance was in his room on the guitar.
Lance had gone back to his normal self ever since Kitty woke up. The talked practically every day, and Lance had visited her twice, both times late at night.
Someone knocked again. Todd looked around and sighed. "I'll get it." He said, standing up and hopping to the door.
"Hi Toad." Kitty said sunnily. Her face had make-up on to conceal the healing bruises, and despite the sling, leg in a plaster and crutch under an arm she looked perfectly happy. "Is Lance here?"
"Uh… yeah, yo." Toad shook his head and hopped back. "I'll just go get him." He hopped up the stairs and knocked on Lance's door.
"Yeah?" Lance called. Todd opened the door to find Lance strumming on his guitar, looking at a sheet of music. "What's the matter, Toad?"
"You got a visitor at the door, yo." Toad pointed down the stairs. Lance glanced up. "Who is it?"
"Kitty-Cat."
Lance's eyes widened. "She's outta the hospital?"
"Either that or the hospital moved onto our doorstep." Toad shrugged as Lance walked out of the room and ran down the stairs. Kitty was waiting for him.
"Hi Kitty." Lance ran a hand through his hair as he stepped out of the house. "Hi." Kitty smiled as Lance shut the door behind him.
Lance looked down to see Kitty's injuries. "You look better."
"I feel better." Kitty smiled. "Doctor says it'll take about a month and my arm'll be better, but the leg has to support the entire system. But I'll be running again in two months."
"How'd you get here?" Lance asked as they sat down on the doorstep.
"Oh, I took the bus. Then a very sweet little girl helped me the rest of the way." Kitty shrugged, resting her crutch against the door.
"I guess your team-mates aren't happy with you being here then?"
"They don't know." Kitty shrugged. "Most of them are at school, Scott and Jean went out together somewhere, Logan's been out for a week, and I snuck out. I left a note."
Lance smiled. "Good to know. Do they still want to kill me?"
"Nah. I think that the brotherhood/X-men relationship is back to just simple rivalry. But again, you might want to see how long you can wait before starting a battle because of boredom or whatever causes you to battle us." Kitty touched his arm gently as she teased him.
Lance paused. "I guess the brotherhood fight the X-men cause it's a habit." He said. "Mystique brought us all together for that reason, and then the rivalry was already up. And then there was our first real battle – remember, with that interdimensional thing and blue-boy was stuck in some parallel universe or something?"
"Yeah, I remember that."
"Well, it was just habit. And no, we never actually hated you guys. I think we were mostly resentful that you won every time. Of course, you always winning came in handy when we were on your side. Remember the first time that happened?"
"Yeah. The Juggernaut." Kitty nodded. "I wonder what happened to him."
"So that's the answer to your question." Lance sighed and gently stroked her hair. "We could have avoided a lot if I had just answered it when you asked it."
Kitty shrugged. "Hey, someone was bound to end up really hurting someone eventually. It was just lucky that it was us. Otherwise… well, there'd be no way to convince anyone that it was an accident even if it was if it had been someone else."
Lance sighed. "I guess."
Slowly Kitty leaned forwards and pressed her lips against his. Lance kissed back, remembering not to hurt her. He carefully held her in his arms.
Their relationship had always been walking on a tightrope. Kitty and Lance were dating while Shadowcat and Avalanche had to fight. Sure the past few weeks had rocked them, but they had stayed on balance.
Wow. I'm done. Finished. This is a long chapter to finish it off. Nice happy ending. Bit sappy, but oh well.
I though Ellie should come back in as I never explained why there was a nine year old at high-school.
I hope you enjoyed it. I think I'll keep Principal Clarkson in some of my other stories…
Let me know what you think of it! Thanks so much to all my reviewers.
Bye!