Chapter 6

"Kurt. Kurt! Aren't you going to get up?! Your alarm has been going off for like fifteen minutes now!"

"Vhat?" Kurt asked sitting up from bed fairly groggily to be facing an amused and semi annoyed Kitty.

He winced as he sat up in bed because once again his abdomen was sore once again. It hadn't given him any trouble over the weekend, but today it felt like something, some kind of muscle, had been pulled, torn or stretched. Add that to the fact that he felt completely beat even after going to bed fairly early the previous night, and Kurt felt even worse than usual on a Monday morning.

Kitty, noticing Kurt's glazed look and wince as he sat up, was instantly concerned.

"Kurt, are you feeling alright? I thought your stomach was feeling better?"

Kurt shakily got to his feet. What he needed right now was a hot shower. He was pretty sure that Kitty was talking in a normal voice, but in his tired and strained mind it sounded like her voice echoing around in his skull.

"I zhought my stomach vas better to Katzchen. Maybe I just pulled a muscle or something," Kurt said even though he didn't believe that much. The pain felt deeper and more internal.

Kitty didn't seem convinced either, but she must have recognized that Kurt wasn't in the mood to have anyone else fussing over him, so she let it slide. Besides, she was sure that Kurt would let someone know if he was feeling any serious pain.

"Well we'd better like hurry if we wanna shower before school," Kitty said, "I was gonna hop in next, but I'll let you go next since you … have more to blow dry."

Kurt snickered at her remark. "Thanks Keety. I won't be long."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Kurt was true to his word. He wasn't that long in the shower. But by the time he had dried his fur, finished getting dressed, donned his image inducer, and grabbed all his schoolwork (fairly heavy because of the make-up work), Jean was already honking from her jeep for them to get a move on. Jean had agreed to give Kitty, Kurt, and Rogue a ride to school before her first class at Bayville U. Kurt actually missed breakfast for the first time in years as he ran out the door with Kitty. Rogue was already in the Jeep wondering what was taking everyone so long.

"Vhy isn't Scott going to class?" Kurt asked sliding into the right side backseat while Kitty took the passenger seat.

Jean half-scowled. "Scott doesn't have any early morning classes so he gets to sleep in. Lucky chum."

Kurt nodded in agreement as he leaned back in the seat and not realizing it, closed his eyes. He probably would have drifted off to sleep if Rogue hadn't stopped him.

"Hey! Come on Fuzzy you shouldn't need anymore sleep. Ya went to bed at nine last night and slept through the alarm!"

Kurt yawned. "And I still feel like I vas up all night."

Kitty giggled. "You're probably just like deprived of energy because you haven't eaten anything.

"You. Not eaten anything," Jean replied in surprise, "we can always stop and get you something. We're not running that far behind."

Kurt yawned again. "Nein danke. I'm really not hungry," he said as he laid back again.

Now Jean, Kitty, and Rogue were all staring at Kurt wide eyed.

"Blueboy, not hungry," Rogue said, "and I thought pigs would fly first." She lightly jabbed Kurt on the shoulder as she finished, but no reply came from Kurt. Only the sound of even breathing.

"He actually fell asleep!" Kitty said looking into the backseat in disbelief.

Jean looked in the rearview mirror at Rogue. "You didn't have one of your gloves off did you?"

Even though both Rogue and Kitty could tell that Jean was kidding, Rogue still looked at her hands. "Nope. Gloves are on."

Kitty looked back at Kurt with worried eyes. "Kurt's personality hasn't changed at all since he was kidnapped, but something about him is … oh I don't know … different."

Rogue smirked. "It's just you with your love blinders on Kitty. He seems different to you because you're looking at him in a different way."

"Oooooo, Kitty and Kurt as an item. How sweet," Jean said in a joking and completely immature way, but she couldn't help it. After all the teasing she and Scott had endured from those two when they had started going out, it was going to be nice to return the favor.

"You guys that is so not true!" Kitty replied, but she was blushing.

"Oh really?" Rogue asked. "Then what was that little kiss at the table yesterday all about?"

If it was possible, Kitty started blushing an even deeper shade of red. "That was just some mild teasing and …"

"Flirting?" Jean offered. Both she and Rogue burst out laughing as Kitty snorted and crossed her arms.

"You guys are totally making this up."

"We'll see," Rogue said, "why don't you kiss him when we get to school to wake him up. I'm sure Beauty can wake up the Beast."

Kitty glared at her while Jean said warningly, "Rogue."

"I was just kidding," Rogue said, "holding up her hands. "I wouldn't intentionally say anything to hurt Kurt."

Jean nodded in the mirror and then went back to driving.

"Besides," Rogue added, "Beast is Hank's codename, not Kurt's."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Both Kitty and Rogue ended up shaking Kurt awake once they all got to the school. Somewhat disoriented, Kurt ended up glancing around the Jeep confused as he asked if it was morning yet.

Jean laughed along with the other girls as they pulled a still confused Kurt out the Jeep. Jean was still laughing as she drove off to get to her own class.

"Did you enjoy your little moment of shut eye, Kurt?" Rogue asked. Kitty was still giggling.

Kurt ran his fingers through his hair and moaned. "I don't know vhat's wrong vith me. But I feel completely drained, like I don't have any energy."

Both Kitty and Rogue looked concerned, but tried not to show it so Kurt wouldn't get worried himself or start asking questions.

"I'm sure you're just like still recovering from last week," Kitty said, "after all, we're not sure exactly what Magneto did."

Rogue elbowed Kitty in the ribs and threw her a look that clearly seemed to say not here, not in front of Kurt. However, Kurt brushed aside both Kitty's words and Rogue's response.

"I'm sure I'll be fine guys. I just need to wake up a little."

"How about a lot," Kitty replied. They all laughed in response wanting to get rid of some of the tension. Both from the situation with Kurt and the situation they always found themselves in when they came to school.

Ever since it had gone public that the kids at Xavier's boarding institute were mutants, the other student's had school had ranged from yelling insults at them, whispering behind their back, or just outright ignoring them.

And Scott and Jean graduating hadn't lowered the hostile attitude at all. Most people just simply ignored them and edged away from them in the halls now.

However, there were those students who had simply gotten used to the idea of mutants in the school and got on with their lives. And then there were those that would always maintain their hostility towards mutants.

And no one was a bigger supporter of this then the principal himself. Principal Kelly.

Who was standing right outside the office when the trio passed.

"Look, we're not doing anything okay. Just going to class," Rogue said to Principal Kelly before he could make some insulting remark to them.

The Principal frowned at her, but made no comment to her otherwise. He was never actually openly hostile towards any of them, but his position demanded that he had to look out for the students … all the students.

"You and the … young man can just go to class. I need to speak with Ms. Pryde," the Principal said, before turning to go back into his office clearly expecting her to follow him inside.

"Vhat's that all about, Katzchen?" Kurt asked. Actually awake now.

Kitty shrugged. "Oh, just something to do with school," Kitty said avoiding both his and Rogue's gaze, "I'll just catch up with you guys later."

That said she turned to follow Principal Kelly into the office while Rogue and Kurt shot her sympathetic looks.

"Come on, Kurt," Rogue said when Kitty disappeared, "let's head off to class."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Kurt somehow managed to wake up in his morning classes, although he still felt very fatigued. And he was already getting sick of the constant escorts to and from class.

So when the lunch bell rang, he quickly darted out of class and headed into the boys bathroom. This way he could hopefully splash some cold water on his face and get away from Kitty and Rogue for awhile.

At least they wouldn't follow him in there.

Kurt headed to the sink and ran the water until it was icy cold. Still feeling drained, he cupped some of the cold water in his hands and splashed it on his face.

He'd never felt this drained of energy his whole life, even when he'd been teleporting too much for one day.

And at that moment things went from bad to worse.

Kurt was suddenly gripped with a clawing pain that radiated from the middle of abdomen. The pain was so sudden that Kurt let out a small gasp and ended up hunched over the sink with his hands locking the sides in a death grip.

Kurt took some slow, shallow breaths in and out as he thanked God that no one else was in the bathroom. No one to make explanations to.

After about a minute of the slow shallow breathing the pain ebbed from a strong sharp pain to a dull ache.

Kurt slowly stood up straight, not wanting to move too fast.

The pain had felt like an intense muscle cramp except deeper … more internal.

Sighing Kurt dropped his hand from his stomach and walked out of the bathroom.

To see his two permanent bodyguards, Kitty and Rogue, already waiting for him.

"Don't tell me you're planning on skipping lunch too," Rogue said.

Kurt managed a weak grin. "Nein. Just needed a blast of cold water to the face to wake myself up a little more."

"Did it work?" Rogue asked.

Kurt shrugged. "Not really."

Kitty frowned at his answer. "I really hope you're feeling better soon. I like miss the energetic blue fuzzy elf."

"So do I," Kurt mumbled.

"Your appetite isn't like going to be off at lunch too, is it?" Kitty asked, "because then I'll know something's wrong."

His appetite wasn't off at lunch.

If anything it was kicked into overdrive.

Kurt attacked the food on his tray as if he were a starving man in the desert, not a high school senior eating lunch.

He was even starting to grab food off of Rogue and Kitty's plate.

That is until Rogue grabbed his hand with her gloved one to stop him. At the table, Tabitha, Bobby, and Amara were all staring at him funny.

"Easy fuzzy," Rogue said, "I know you're trying to make up for missing breakfast, but let the rest of us eat to."

Kurt managed a sheepish grin while Kitty giggled. "Nice to know something's like back to normal."

Kurt slowed down in his eating long enough to ask Kitty, "So what was that whole meeting with Principal Kelly about?"

"Well," Kitty started, "I was talking to him about getting some extra credits in after school."

"What for?" Tabitha asked.

"Because if I get in a couple more credits I'll like have enough to graduate in a couple months. With you guys," Kitty answered looking at Kurt, Rogue, and Tabitha.

"So, you'll be done a year early?" Kurt asked, somewhat amazed.

Kitty blushed a little at the proud look on Kurt's face just as Rogue asked, "And Principal Kelly is actually helping you?"

Kitty laughed. "Are you kidding?!" she said, "when he found out that he'd be getting another mutant out of Bayville High, he practically bent over backward to help me graduate."

As the whole table erupted into laughter no one noticed that Pietro had been hanging awfully close to the table. And they certainly didn't notice him quietly slip away.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Pietro stopped at a private spot in the park and flipped open his cell phone. After dialing he only had to wait a moment before the other line was picked up.

"It's me," Pietro spoke into the phone.

"Report," came Magneto's voice from the other line.

"It's like you suspected. Professor X has all those other X-geeks watching over blue boy like hawks," Pietro said, "they won't let him go anywhere alone."

"After what happened at the theaters I knew Charles would react this way. He's knows something is going on, but he doesn't know what," Magneto said. Then he asked, "And how was Nightcrawler acting?"

"Well he seemed unusually tired … and sure packed a lot of food at the lunch table," Pietro snickered, "some of the people at the surrounding tables were even beginning to look."

"That's to be expected," came Magneto's cool reply.

"Hey listen," Pietro said, completely serious now, "are you planning on letting the X-geeks know about all of this?"

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone, and for a moment Pietro thought that his father had hung up on him.

But then one word was spoken by him. "Soon."

The phone clicked dead in Pietro's hand. Now he had hung up.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A/N: Okay that's it for now. I meant to get this uploaded for several days, but I think I've been hit with both severe seasonal allergies and a cold. It sucks. Either way I'm sorry for the delay.

My computer will be dismantled later this evening and boxed up for my return to the college dorms. (My college starts like a week later then some other schools). But my computer should be up and running by Sunday evening. But don't expect an update by tomorrow.

Also, this fan fiction takes place after Dark Horizon, but I'll probably be ignoring most of what's happening in the upcoming episodes and I'm obviously ignoring the fact that Mystique turned to stone. Hope that doesn't bother anyone.

And now for the reviews:

Shadowwalker Nightcrawler's sister: Thanks for the permission for using your character, but I don't think I'll be using it. Maybe in a future story. (shrug). At least the next few chapters Kurt will be 'showing signs.' I wanted to do that for a little bit before anyone finds out. Hee hee.

Jettwolf90: Don't worry. I could never kill Kurt.

Anyway, I'm feeling kind of icky and I still have some packing to do so for everyone else, thanks for the reviews and don't worry. Kurt will be showing several signs in the next few chapters. Once Kurt finds out he's pregnant the story should be moving at a faster pace than. Right now I'm just trying to keep the X-Men a little in suspense.

Oh, and before anyone asks, I do have a reason for the stomach pains that Kurt is having. I plan on explaining that a little in the next chapter.

Thanks again!