Present Day
New York
Kitty made a point of staying in bed all morning, even when she heard Logan, Scott, and the rest of the team tromping through the hallway outside her door at little after nine thirty. As always, on time.
Victor had disappeared from her room somewhere between six and seven and she hadn't bothered to go looking for him. Assuming he was with the Professor.
Rogue let herself in after greeting Logan and sending him downstairs to see Xavier. Kitty set aside the book she'd been reading as Rogue climbed onto her bed. Lying on her side she propped her head up in her palm, her dark red hair snaking over her shoulder to pool against the sheets.
"Did he ask why the Professor wanted him?"
Rogue shook her head, "He assumed it was about the mission."
Kitty ran both hands through her hair, unable to hide her nervousness.
"Do you want to tell me what's going on?" Rogue finally asked. She wasn't accustomed to Kitty keeping secrets.
"Logan should be the one to tell you."
"It's that bad?"
"Worse."
"Tell me?"
Kitty took a breath, "Victor is Logan's half-brother."
Rogue's mouth popped open, her eyes widening, "You can't be serious?"
Kitty carefully explained Stryker, the adamanitum injections, Victor's stake in the whole business and their current agreement. When Kitty finally concluded Rogue let out a laugh, "So what you're telling me is this whole mess got you a boyfriend?"
Kitty slapped a hand to her forehead, "That's all you have to say?"
Rogue grinned, "I have plenty to say, but I thought we'd start there."
For the next few hours they stayed curled up in Kitty's unmade bed discussing all the information Kitty had revealed.
"Do you think they're still downstairs talking?" Kitty asked, glancing from the clock on her bedside table to Rogue.
"We could always check," Rogue said, pushing off the bed and holding out a hand to Kitty. Letting Rogue lead her quietly from the room and towards Xavier's office Kitty stopped short at the sight of Peter Rasputin sitting in the kitchen. He was out of his seat immediately, and Kitty's cheeks heated watching him struggle with shaking her hand or pulling her in for a hug.
When she finally stuck out her hand, hoping to make the decision for him, Peter clasped her extended wrist and pulled her squarely into his chest.
"It's good to see you," Kitty said against his shirtfront.
"It's been too long," Peter said, giving her a meaningful look. Kitty extracted herself from his embrace, practically knocking Rogue off her feet in her effort to back away from Peter. His gaze was still trained on her face, expression appraising. It was obvious he thought she'd spent his months of absence missing him, rather than using her little-black-dress on someone else.
Rogue's hand encircled her wrist, pulling her out of the kitchen, "Come on, Kitty."
"We'll catch up later," Peter called after them.
"You knew he was back?" Kitty hissed, fingers digging into Rogue's arm. "And you didn't tell me!"
"It slipped my mind," Rogue admitted as they rounded the corner to the small alcove just outside Xavier's office. The open office door caused them both to stop short. Rogue frowned, "Maybe they're already outside trying to kill one another."
Before Kitty could reply Logan's voice beckoned them inside. He was sitting at Xavier's desk, papers spread out before him. Victor and Xavier were sitting by the window.
Rogue immediately went to Logan's side, arms slipping around his neck. He planted a reassuring kiss to her lips. His gaze turned to Kitty, still standing somewhere in the doorway.
"Half-pint."
Kitty moved closer to the desk, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I wanted-"
Logan held up a hand, "It's alright."
The tension in her shoulders instantly released, and she gave him a small smile, "Thank you."
"Without you I may have never known about any of this."
Victor made a noise of irritation but said nothing.
"How do you feel?" Rogue demanded, taking his face between her hands and lifting his gaze to hers.
"I'm alright, darlin'."
She looked unconvinced and Logan shrugged, "I've been wondering about my past for a long time. Now I have one less thing to worry about."
"What about Stryker?" Kitty asked.
"That's something we'll discuss as a team," Xavier replied.
"Soon," Logan added. Looking up at Rogue, still hovering over him he raised an eyebrow, "From the way you're acting I guess you already know all there is to know."
Rogue rolled her eyes, "I wouldn't say all."
Logan shot Kitty a knowing look.
"Suppose it's alright," he said to Rogue, though still looking Kitty dead in the eye. "Considering you're my mate."
Kitty's cheeks went a little pink, her gaze tracking a slow line from the right end of Xavier's desk to the left.
"Don't torture her," Rogue scolded. Logan stood up, moving around the desk to stand close to Kitty.
"This is what you want?" he asked quietly, "He's what you want?"
"What are you, her father?" Victor demanded.
Kitty shot him a glare before turning back to Logan to reply, "Yes."
"You've decided already?"
She nodded, reciting the same line she'd given Xavier the day before, "I made a decision and then we made an agreement."
"Victor Creed doesn't make agreements," Logan said cooly.
"I do when it concerns my mate," Victor snapped, standing up and prowling across the room. Logan narrowed his eyes at him, hands beginning to fist. Victor came to stand behind Kitty, glaring at Logan over her head.
"Enough," Kitty commanded, palms flat to either man's chest. "He's not forcing me."
"You're still wearing that cuff."
Kitty looked down at the silvery bracelet, and then up at Victor, "Not for long."
"She's right," Victor agreed. Logan didn't look appeased but managed to turn back to Xavier's desk and plant himself in his abandoned seat. Rogue slid into his lap in an effort to both distract and keep him in place. Kitty let her hand drop off Victor's chest, he immediately laced his fingers through hers. Logan watched the motion, the muscles in his jaw bunching.
"He's staying until we have a plan for Stryker," Kitty said. Looking pointedly at Logan as she added, "So please behave."
Logan grumbled under his breath and Victor tightened his grip on her hand, leading her out of the office.
"How did everything go?" Kitty demanded as he pulled her towards the staircase.
"Better than Xavier or I expected," Victor replied shortly.
"Why are you walking so fast," she said, practically jogging to keep up with his long strides.
"Because I haven't had you in days," Victor said, looping an arm around her waist and lifting her into his chest. His opposite arm swooped down, catching her legs right under the knee to carry her bridal-style. "And I told you yesterday, this was as long as I'd wait."
"Will you take the cuff off me?"
He didn't say anything, just continued down the hall and into her room. Victor kicked the door shut behind them and settled her onto the unmade bed.
"Victor-"
He pressed a kiss to her lips, all the while reaching for his knapsack. The silvery tool was between his fingers in a matter of seconds and the cuff released. Kitty rubbed her fingers across her freed wrist, smiling and experimentally phasing first through her bed and then Victor.
"Katherine-"
Unphasing she pushed him flat to the bed, fingers on the buckle of his belt.
"Come here," he said, reaching to pull her into his chest.
But Kitty shook her head, undoing first his belt and then the zipper of his pants so she could slide her hand down between his thighs. Victor groaned softly when her hand connected with sensitive flesh. For the better part of the next hour Kitty showed him just how grateful she was to be free of the inhibitor cuff.
