Disclaimer: You know the drill

Disclaimer: You know the drill.  I own nothing.  Kitty fans may not like this.

I updated after Parodys' review, cause...well, I didn't like the way this chapter had come out.  Eh.  Anyway, this is the slightly mellower version.  11 is in the works...it's gonna have some comedy(yay!) and will hopefully be better than this.  On with the story. 


Notes:

sound
*thought*
} telepathic conversation {

Setting: Westchester, that afternoon.  One of the practice gyms.

Susana bounced from one foot to the other, rocking towards and away from the heavy punching bag she was working on. At a scuffling sound behind her, she turned and saw Jono holding out a bottle of water.  Sighing gratefully, she pulled off the heavy boxing gloves and took the bottle, rolling it over her drenched forehead between sips.  "Thanks, love.  I'd give you a kiss, but...I'm gross right now.  You should probably step back like twenty paces or something."  She grinned, then took another sip of water and swished it around in her mouth.  She swallowed, then turned to him.  "I'm gonna go grab a shower, and then do you wanna get lunch or somethin'?"

}Sounds good.  I'm going to stop in and see the Professor for a few minutes, I'll meet you in the kitchen.{ He turned to leave, only to have a fully tangible Kitty plow through the door and into him.

"Oh, my God!  Like, watch where you're going, freak!"  Kitty glared, then shoved past him into the room.  Jono's cheeks flushed a dark, embarrassed red, and he looked back to see if Susana had noticed.  He was relieved to see that she didn't seem to have caught the exchange.  He turned back to the door and pulled it open.

As the door closed, Susana gave the bag a solid, bare-knuckled punch, then leaned her forehead against it, closed her eyes, and rubbed her bruised knuckles lightly.  She sent a tiny, nonintrusive psychic thread towards Kitty, trying to determine if the younger girl had meant what she said, or if she'd just slipped up.

*Damn.  No accident there.  She meant it.*  Susana scowled into the punching bag, then straightened.  "Hey, Pryde, can I talk to you for a minute?"

The younger mutant sauntered across the gym with a smirk on her face.  "Can I help you with something?"  She rested a hand on her hip and waited impatiently for Susana to speak.

"Yeah, you can tell me why you just did that."  Susana stared at Kitty, and the thought crossed her mind that it was hard to stare down someone taller than you.

Kitty snorted inelegantly.  "Cause I don't like having visible mutants around.  They put all of us in danger.  What if the FOH finds out that this school is full of mutants?  What happens to the students whose powers aren't really much use defensively?"

"They get protected by those of us with the powers and training to do so- including Jono.  Get off it, Kitty.  There's a world full of people out there who have the 'hating freaks' market all wrapped up, and I guarantee they don't need your help.  And how exactly do you figure that being X-men doesn't put us in danger anyway?"

"Well, as X-men, we're, like, allowed to look different.  Besides, the public doesn't know that this is where the X-men are based.  I dunno...God, why won't you just leave me alone!"  Kitty crossed her arms defensively across her chest and frowned.

"Because I can fucking deal with people like you.  He can't- he's had no practice."  Susana mirrored Kitty's action, adding an impatient toe tap to the mix.

"Oh, and what exactly makes you sooo qualified?"

"Honey, I don't know if you're one of those idiot savants, or just oblivious, or what, but where I'm from, there are people who say I started life with multiple strikes against me."  She held up a hand and began counting off on her fingers.  "Number one, I'm biracial.  Number two, my parents don't even have the decency," she sneered derisively at the word, "to be fine, upstanding US citizens.  Number three, I'm a mutant.  Four, I'm Catholic.  Five, I'm a girl.  Shall I continue?"  She punctuated the last sentence by flinging her arms wide in frustration.

Kitty watched her expectantly.  "Is there a point to this?"

Susana rubbed her temples in frustration.  "Yes, there is.  The point is, I want you to stop saying shit like that to him.  He has issues enough as it is."

"And if I don't?"

"How about this.  We're both here to practice.  Let's do that.  If you can outspar me, I'll drop it, but if you can't, you apologize.  How's that sound?"

"Fine."  *Incredibly easy, actually. What does she think, that I won't phase?*

"All right then.  Five minutes?"  *No, Kitty, I don't think you won't phase.  I think, hell, I know, that you'll depend on it.  And that's what's gonna screw you over.*  Susana didn't wait for Kitty's answer, but turned and walked to her gym bag to get a towel.  She spent the five minutes stretching, rotating her arms and wrists, and throwing punches at phantom attackers.

"Well, Kitty, are you ready?"

"Of course."  They crossed the gym to an area set aside for sparring and assorted hand to hand combat.  The only other occupant of the gym, one of the younger mutant students, sent a telepathic message to the Professor, telling him what was about to happen and what had preceded it.  He was mildly surprised when the professor simply said it was best for the two to work this out on their own, but shrugged and returned his attention to the room in front of him. 

While he'd been communicating with the Professor, they'd each thrown a punch or two, but Kitty had phased away from Susana's punches.  Susana, however, had an angry red spot on her cheek, where Kitty had slapped her just a moment ago.

"That was stupid.  And it hurt, dammit!"  Susana concentrated briefly, looking for all the world like she was just catching her breath, then she circled around Kitty.  She threw a punch, and Kitty's eyes widened when it hit her in the stomach.

"What did you do to me?  I can't phase!"

Susana ducked a punch, then explained in gasping breaths.  "Don't worry, it's only temporary.  You'll have your phasing back in..." She looked at her wrist, checking an imaginary watch, "about twenty minutes.  Less if you concentrate on it.  I planted the suggestion not to phase in your mind...You know, I'm rather disappointed in the X-men this past week.  Seems like everyone- well, you and Scott- has forgotten I'm a telepath, that I can do stuff like that.  I know I'm not as good as Jean or the professor, and I don't have the potential Jono has, but dammit, I was trained by my mother- a decent, if not great, 'path; and Emma Frost.  No one can say Emma's not impressive."  She ducked another slap, then retaliated with one of her own, grinning when it hit its mark.  "Kitty, you really ought to work on your hand to hand abilities.  What would you do if this were a real battle?  You'd be screwed.  Someone would have to bail you out.  I know Logan teaches Jubilee, I'm sure he'd teach you, too.  Hell, Gambit's helping me develop my skills, he probably wouldn't mind helping you either."   She jumped to avoid a kick from Kitty, then stopped.  "You want to go apologize now?  Or d'you wanna wait for a while?  Either's fine, I just want your promise that you will apologize.  Meaning it would be nice, but I won't press my luck."  She blocked another slap, then used the kick she'd used on Jono in the Danger Room, knocking Kitty on her back. 

"Yeah, ok, I'll apologize.  Do you really think Gambit would teach me, too?"  Kitty sat up and winced, then pushed herself up off the floor.

"Of course he will.  We're all here to get better at what we do...with the possible exception of Logan, who's..."

"...the best he is at what he does, yeah, I know.  Hear it often enough."

"Listen, I'm not gonna say I'm sorry for doing this, because I spend more time than can possibly be healthy reassuring Jono as it is.  But I am sorry I was so...well, public about it.  No hard feelings?"  Susana extended her hand for a handshake, which Kitty accepted.

"It's cool.  I was outta line. It's just...well, the reason I'm here is that I was friends with a mutant who looked it back home.  My parents wouldn't have found out, if she hadn't looked the way she did.  It's still a sore spot for me.  I'll try to watch it."

"That's cool.  Kinda the reverse of my situation.  My friends and my immediate family knew I was a mutant, but one of my boyfriends in college didn't.  He was an FOH member, charming sort.  Tried to start something with my roommates and me when we saw him out at a club.  So there's the reason for my reaction.  Well, that and the fact that Jono's got complexes galore already and I'm not sure there are enough hours in the day to convince him he's not a freak if you keep calling him one.  Anyway...I told him I'd meet him for lunch, so I'll talk to you later, ok?"  She collected her gym bag and headed for her room and a shower. 

In short order, she finished her shower, threw on shorts and a sleeveless t-shirt, and squeezed water from her hair until it was damp rather than soaking wet.  She then pulled it into a knot on the back of her head and jabbed a pair of chopsticks through it, shook her head to make sure the chopsticks wouldn't fall out, and when they didn't move, she slipped on a pair of sandals and ran out into the hall, heading for the kitchen.

Oops.  New PS- anyone with comments or suggestions for the wedding...they're more than welcome, I'd love to have the input.