Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution. I do own Lorelai LeBeau and Joseph and Monica Summers.

Chapter Thirty Six – Discoveries

December 1998

Most mornings at the Institute were chaotic, but they were becoming less so in the days leading up to Christmas.

Bobby and Jubilee had already left for California, to spend the holidays with her parents. Evan and Storm had left for NYC, taking Kurt, Roberto and Ray with them, the latter two getting along a lot better since Apocalypse. Sam and Rahne had, reluctantly, parted ways at the airport to allow him to spend the vacation with his family in Kentucky and her to do the same in Scotland. Kurt was also spending Christmas with his family, but he was returning before the New Year, so he could see his girlfriend on her birthday.

Jean and Scott were in Philadelphia, still waiting for Baby Summers to appear, and the Brotherhood would be joining them in a few days. After talking to Scott, Sara had also extended the invitation to Alex and, at Jean's request, Lorna.

Kitty still hadn't said what she was doing, but it was common belief that she would spend Christmas with the Grey/Alvers/Summers clan; her parents were becoming more detached by the day.

With mutant hysteria out the way, Kitty had gone back to Northbrook for Thanksgiving and returned in a very strange mood. When asked if she was sad or happy, she'd said:

"I'm neither one way or the other. The freakin' mayor turned up on the doorstep to talk to me and ask how I was and all my own mother said was, "I saw the news broadcast, dear; when are you going to realise that black isn't a flattering colour on you?""

No one had really known what to say, except Lexa, who'd said, "Maybe that's her way of dealing with it."

Kitty had snorted sceptically, but said nothing more, although everyone knew that her parents were going away for Christmas and she wasn't going with them.

Taryn was spending the holidays with her mother, but since Mrs. Winters lived so close, Professor Xavier had suggested that she come and stay with them, rather than the other way round.

Jamie, Lexa and Warren were also staying, the first two because they had nowhere else to go, the latter because he hadn't spoken to his family since his mutation appeared and "I'm not going to start now, just because they've suddenly pulled their heads outta their asses."

John and Amara were, supposedly, heading for Australia, but Anna, knowing John's situation with his family, wouldn't have been surprised to know that they had actually stayed in Manhattan, wanting to spend Christmas as a couple.

Anna herself was staying in Bayville with her fiancé and daughter; she had suggested they spend Christmas in New Orleans, but Remy had pointed out that Belladonna – who had become as much of a sister to Anna as she had to Remy – wouldn't be safe there yet. Anna had pretended not to hear the unspoken admission that he didn't feel ready to face his family again.

So, with the team sufficiently depleted for the festive season, morning were temporarily less chaotic.

Despite this, Anna still found herself juggling a laundry basket in one arm and Lorelai in the other, trying to answer the buzzing intercom. Finally giving up, she shoved the basket into Jamie's arms as he walked by and shifted Lorelai to her shoulder, not paying attention as the younger student stumbled slightly and two clones appeared to steady him and his cargo, so she could press the button. "Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, how can I help?"

"Hey, it's me. I need to talk to Kitty."

Anna sighed irritably. "Lance, it's seven in the morning; you only saw her last night. What is so important?"

"Forget it." Kitty called as she passed, grabbing a jacket. "I'm on my way!"

When Kitty reached the main gates, Lance was parked outside, pacing up and down beside his jeep. "What took you?"

Kitty raised an eyebrow. "What's the rush?"

"Jean's having the baby." Lance told her. "We're going home. Philadelphia, that is, not Northbrook." He opened the car door for her and did a double take. "What are you wearing?"

"Clothes." Kitty answered slowly, glancing down. "Unless, of course, you'd rather me not."

"No, I meant your skirt." Lance corrected, not responding to the opening she gave him. "It's freezing out here; could it get any shorter?"

"Probably." Kitty smirked. "Would you like it to?"

Lance grinned at her. "Not while I'm driving."

"Spoilsport." Kitty kissed his cheek and got in. "Since you're here and kidnapping me, I assume there's something else."

"Not kidnapping if you come willingly." Lance pointed out, jogging round to his side. "And you're spending Christmas with us."

"I don't want to …" Kitty began.

"You're not." Lance cut her off. "Come on, Mom adores you; the Brotherhood's gonna be there."

"That's different." Kitty argued weakly.

"You've been with us for Thanksgiving before." Lance reminded her, starting the engine.

"Also different." Kitty insisted, but they both knew she'd stay. "Are Samantha and Daniel gonna be there?"

"Yeah, they're arriving Christmas Eve." Lance nodded. "Can't wait to see you again. Do the X-Men know what happened with your parents?"

"Yeah." Kitty sighed. "Kinda had to tell them. Caused a very awkward silence; I don't think anyone really knew what to say. Oh, except Logan. He growled and told me I deserved better than that and that he'd skewer them if I wanted."

"And?" Lance prompted.

"I believe him." Kitty stated simply.

"Oh, sure, him you believe." Lance rolled his eyes jokingly. "I spent hours telling you that."

"You're my boyfriend; it's your job to tell me things like that." Kitty grinned. "I was surprised he reacted like that."

"I'm not." Lance snorted. "You, Jeannie, Anna and Lexa – you're his little girls, you know? Jeannie, not so much, because she doesn't need it as much, but you others … He won't let anyone hurt you, whether they're your parents or complete strangers."

Kitty thought about what he'd said. Jean, she understood; the redhead had been the first recruit at the Institute and she was sure that sometimes Wolverine saw the scared little girl she'd been back then, rather than the confident young woman she was now.

Anna and Lexa, likewise, were no surprise; they were both similar in character and had needed a father figure when they arrived.

But, although Kitty had always seen Logan as a father figure, she'd always assumed that she was in the same category as Jubilee and Amara.

"You think?"

"Why else does he call you 'Half-Pint'?" Lance asked.

"He gives everyone he likes a nick-name." Kitty argued.

"Not necessarily the people he likes." Lance disagreed. "I'm Shakedown. I wonder where he got that from."

Kitty blushed lightly. "I may have mentioned it a few years ago. But that's exactly my point. He'd never admit it, but he likes you really. That's why he hasn't killed you yet."

"And Pietro's Speedy." Lance added.

"Only since he saved Lexa." Kitty corrected. "And I'm definitely not the only X-Man with a name – Jean's Red, Kurt's Elf, Evan's Porcupine, Anna's Stripes, Bobby's Icecube … Even Lexa lets him call her X; she'd probably disembowel the rest of us."

"But you're different." Lance insisted. "When he calls you Half-Pint, it's like … It's like when Dad used to call Jeannie Princess."

Kitty didn't respond and he didn't push the issue, knowing she'd need time to internalise the conversation.

"How's the power thing coming?"

Kitty sighed. "It's the weirdest thing. When Rogue absorbs someone's powers, she only keeps them for a couple of hours. The personality sometimes hangs around, but on the whole …"

"Still there, huh?" Lance asked sympathetically.

"Yeah." Kitty pulled a face. "I don't have Warren's, Lucie's, Tabby's or Alex's. But then Anna never absorbed them. Some of them are fading; I have to really concentrate if I want to use Magneto's. Sunspot, Toad, Gambit … they're all but gone. The only ones that are really strong are Jean, you, Pietro and Kurt. Haven't tried Mystique's yet." She frowned experimentally and he sniggered.

"You look weird with blonde hair." He told her honestly.

Kitty grinned. "Need to work on that; I was going for red." She fixed it and glanced out the window. "You know, we'll never make it on time. Unless …"

"You got an idea?" Lance asked.

"Uh huh." Kitty grinned. "Pull over."

Lance did as he was told, stopping the jeep on the side of the road. Just in case, Kitty reached into the back and pulled the two bags on to her lab. "What, did you get Jean to pack for me?"

"Yeah." Lance admitted shamelessly. "What are you gonna do?"

"Well, I've never been to the hospital before." Kitty explained, grasping his arm with one hand and the side of the jeep with the other. "But I can take us halfway." She concentrated on the image of Sara's house in her mind and closed her eyes and, with a soft bamf, the jeep appeared outside.

In the delivery room of the maternity wing of the hospital, Jean only vaguely felt Scott kiss the top of her head, her focus entirely on the baby boy in the midwife's arms. "Oh my God …"

"I love you so much." Scott whispered. "How do you feel?"

"Exhausted." Jean admitted.

"Well, you don't have long to recover." The doctor told her cheerfully. "The other one will be along in a minute."

Neither of the nurses seemed surprised, but it was news to the new parents.

"I'm sorry; who'll be along in a what now?" Jean asked.

"The other baby will be along in a minute." The doctor elaborated.

"Kitty's never gonna let me live this down." Jean muttered, remembering the number of times the younger woman had suggested the theory

"You know it's twins, right?" The doctor asked.

"Oh yeah!" Scott answered sarcastically. "These are the faces of two people in the know."

She looked from one stunned face to the other. "I can't believe you didn't know it was twins."

"Well, Bella did say we needed a new ultrasound machine in the infirmary." Jean ventured hesitantly. "And my mom didn't know I was a twin until we were born. Sometimes one baby hides, right?"

"Sometimes." The doctor agreed. "But this has never happened to me before."

"Well, that makes me feel so special." Jean tugged on Scott's hand. "You okay, hon?"

"Twins!" Scott repeated. "Twins!"

"Sweetheart, you're panicking." Jean told him soothingly.

"Uh huh!" Scott agreed. "Join me, won't you? Jean, we're not ready for two babies!"

"I don't care!" Jean snapped, her grip tightening in his as another contraction rippled through her. "I don't care if it's two babies! I don't care if it's three babies! I don't care if the entire cast of Eight is Enough comes outta there!"

"Okay." Scott soothed, kissing her forehead. "I'm sorry; I panicked a little."

"Just a little?" Jean teased.

"Okay; time to start pushing." The doctor told her, returning from where she'd backed away to give them some privacy. "Here she comes."

"She?" Scott repeated. "It's a girl?"

Within ten minutes, it really was over and Scott was holding their daughter, while Jean cradled their son.

The room slowly cleared around them, except for one nurse who remained, filling in the paperwork. "Do we have names?" She asked, pen poised over the birth certificates.

"Lucky we thought up one of each." Scott commented. "Or we'd be stuck right now."

"Okay." Jean touched her son's face gently, smiling when he turned his head towards her finger. "So we have Joseph Paul and Monica Abigail Summers."

"I can't believe it was twins." Kitty commented for the sixth time as Lance pushed open the living room door.

"I can't believe I'm gonna get stuck with him as a brother-in-law." Lance groaned.

"I can't believe you haven't said hello yet." A female voice added.

They'd left Sara and Eric at the hospital with the new parents, heading back to the house to set a nursery up, seeing as no one had been expecting two babies, so there was only one of everything, including a crib.

At the sound of the voice, Lance broke into a smile. "Abby!" Dropping his keys on the side table, he ran over and enveloped the woman in a hug. "I haven't seen you in years!"

Kitty cleared her throat politely. "Lance, aren't you forgetting something?"

"Oh, yeah." Lance grinned. "Jean had twins."

"No." Kitty sighed. "I meant me."

"I knew that." Lance released the woman and put an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders, kissing her cheek. "Abby, this is my lovely girlfriend, Kitty Pryde. Kitty, this is my godmother, Abigail Summers."

Abigail was Sara's age, with similar dark eyes, but with fair blonde hair that hung like a curtain down her back. But that wasn't what caught Kitty's attention.

"Summers?" She repeated, shaking her hand. "What a coincidence."

What's a coincidence?" Abby asked.

"Oh, Jean's going to be Mrs. Summers come June." Lance explained. "Oh, has … has Mom told you about …?"

"Yes, Judy found the twins." Abby nodded. "It's wonderful!"

"No, although that is true." Lance conceded. "Jean and I … we're mutant."

"Oh, I know that, dear." Abby told him. "I saw you on the news a few weeks ago. And you as well, dear. How are you?"

"Fine, thank you." Kitty smiled. "But that wasn't what I meant, Lance. Scott's mom was called Abigail."

"No kiddin'?" Lance shook his head with a wry grin. "What are the chances? I thought Jean named Monica after Abby."

"No, I'm fairly sure it was after Scott's mom." Kitty disagreed. "Not that it matters, if both are Abigail Summers."

"My son's name was Scott." Abby whispered.

"He was my best friend." Lance remembered. "We were like brothers."

Kitty vaguely remembered Jean telling her about her mother's godsons perishing in an accident when she was twelve, but it was the first time she'd heard a name. "What happened?"

"My husband and I took the boys to Cuba for a vacation." Abby answered tearfully. "When we heard about Paul's death, we cut it short and came home … the engine failed. We … We gave the kids parachutes and told them to jump, but …Scott's failed halfway down and Alex didn't make it either …"

Lance wrapped an arm around her again and pulled her into a hug. "What's up, Kitten? I know that look."

"Scott Summers." Kitty answered. "AKA Cyclops. Brother of Alex Summers Jr. Father of Joseph and Monica Summers. Lost his parents, Alex and Abigail Summers, in a plane crash in 1992 when he was 12."

"Kitty, this Scott," Lance nodded to Abby, "is dead. That Scott isn't."

"You don't think that's a little weird?" Kitty asked. "Come on, Lance; Scott was told Alex was dead, only to find out that people got that wrong. What's to say that they didn't make the same mistake twice?"

"Kitty, I love you, but you're crazy." Lance told her. "There's no way that …"

"We're home!" Jean's voice called from the hallway.

"Huh, they're early." Kitty commented. "I wasn't expecting them yet."

"Abby's here!" Lance called back. "And Kitty thinks that …"

"Abby!" Jean hurried in and embraced her godmother.

"Would you let me finish a sentence?" Lance grumbled.

"Hey!" Kitty carefully retrieved Monica from between the two women. "Am I the only one who finds it weird that there are apparently two Scott Summers who were both in a plane crash in 1992 when they were 12, with a brother called Alex?"

"It is weird." Jean conceded, pulling away. "But, you know, we're X-Men. Stranger things have happened."

Kitty caught Abby's eye. "No, seriously, they have."

"Jean?" Scott called.

"In here!" Jean responded.

Joseph nestled in one arm, Scott pushed the door open, only for his jaw to drop open, his face pale and his feet cease to work. "Mom?"

Kitty smirked triumphantly and deposited Monica in a dumbstruck Lance's arms, before taking her brother from their father. "Told you so."

AN: Review please!