Remembering

~*~

I look in the mirror and all I see

Is a young old man with only a dream

Am I just fooling myself

That she'll stop the pain

Living without her

I'd go insane

-Patrick Swazye

~*~

Pete forced himself out of bed early. Kitty was already downstairs helping Scott make breakfast. "Coffee's in the pot," Scott told him. Pete muttered a thanks grabbing the pot and pouring himself a glass. He almost spit it out.

"What in the bloody `ell is that weak shit?" he demanded

"Dat, mon ami, is what happens when Scott is allowed to make de coffee," Remy said joining him. He got a cup of the coffee and added a little whiskey. He added some to Pete's cup as well.

"Thanks," Pete said sitting down.

"Pas de problem," Remy said shrugging. "Petite, where be de Rogue dis mornin'?"

"Sleeping in, I guess," Kitty shrugged. "Jubes is up so if you want to go wake her up, be my guest." A smile that made Remy worthy of his demonic eyes spread across the face of the Cajun.

"Merci," he said and left. Pete watched as Kitty expertly flipped some pancakes.

"What do you want for breakfast, Mr. Wisdom?" Kitty asked.

"As long as we're not in the classroom, drop the Mr.," he requested. Kitty merely shrugged in response. Jubilee ran in and looked around.

"Where is he?!" she demanded.

"Who?" Scott asked turning.

Jubilee looked around the room. "That little icey rat!"

"Bobby?" Kitty asked.

"Yes! He turned the water cold again."

"I believe the question we've all been wondering since the first time this happened is: how does Bobby get inside the bathroom while your showering to do this?" Jubilee didn't respond to Scott's question, she merely turned and left.

"I believe that translates to: you don't want to know," Pete said.

"Yeah," Kitty agreed. She sat the plate of pancakes down sitting in front of him. "Want some?" He nodded and the two proceeded to eat. Soon the entire mansion was there destroying the small amount of peace that had been in the kitchen.

Later

Rogue watched as Logan engaged Pete in a game of pool. Kitty was watching cheering Logan on. Once Logan had won and left to join Remy's poker game Pete turned to Kitty. "You want to play?" he asked.

"I, um, don't know how," Kitty admitted.

"I'll teach you," Pete smiled.

/Hmm . . . / Rogue mused silently. /This might get interestin'./ He handed her cue and stepped behind her.

"What are you doing?" she demanded tensing.

"Teaching you, relax, I'm not tryin' t' cop a feel," he grinned. He moved her arms into position whispering in her ear as he showed her what to do. Rogue watched the blush on Kitty's cheek and the way she looked at him over her shoulder. Jubilee walked over to Rogue looking at her friend confused.

"Look," Rogue whispered. Jubilee looked up seeing the two.

"'Ooh . . . appropriate sparks are flyin'," she grinned. "'Someone cue up the power ballad man.'" Rogue chuckled. "Maybe we won't have to do anything." Kitty made the shot and turned in Pete's arms to thank him. Both froze at how close they now were. Their faces were merely inches away from each other. Kitty phased out of his arms and fled the room leaving a startled, confused Pete behind. "Then again."

"Ah'll go talk ta her," Rogue said standing to follow her friend.

"I'll talk to him," Jubilee said and approached the pool table. "You two looked cozy."

"Jubilee," Pete nodded as she grabbed a cue and made a shot. "Did I upset `er?"

"Let me tell you a story, Mr. Wisdom." He made a shot and looked at her. "I'm sure you've noticed Kitty around Scott."

"Yeah, the bird's head over heals."

"Well, Rogue had a thing for Logan a while back, it was just a few months ago that she gave LeBeau a chance. Getting confused yet?" Pete shook his head and she went on. "Logan wanted Scott's fiancé, Jean. Kitty, obviously, has a thing for Scott. For years he treated her like a little sister."

"Why is that past tense?" Pete asked.

"If I tell you this you have to swear that you'll keep it between us, okay?" Jubilee said.

"Okay." Jubilee walked to the kitchen where she and Pete sat with glasses of water.

"This is how Kitty explained this to me."

Flashback

Kitty walked into the kitchen seeing Scott with a bottle of Jack Daniel's. "Scott, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said his tone full of bitterness.

"Scott, what happened?" she grabbed a bottle of water and sat down in front of him.

"Kitty, do you think I'm stupid?"

"Of course not."

"Really? `Cause I am. My own room, Kit. They couldn't even have had the God damned decency of going to his room!"

Understanding flooded through Kitty. "Oh."

"What does she see in him?"

"I don't know."

"Kitty, you're a woman, right?"

Kitty sighed looking down. "Thanks for noticing."

"Sorry. I just . . . what's wrong with me?"

"What?"

"What's wrong with me? Why does she want him and not me? Did you know we went four months without having sex?" Kitty choked on the water and Scott rubbed her back until she calmed. "You okay?"

"Fine," she choked. "Scott, there's nothing wrong with you. You are a handsome, kind man. Jean's an idiot for not realizing that."

Scott smiled the boyish smile that had caused her to fall for him. "You think I'm handsome?" Scott asked. She blushed warmly.

Present day

"He was drunk and they-"

"Pete, hush, I'm *trying* to tell as story here."

"Sorry."

Back to the flashback

"Of course I do," Kitty whispered. "I'm not blind." Scott smiled taking her hand and kissing it softly causing another blush to cover the younger girl's face. She looked at him shyly. "Scott-" before she could continue he kissed her.

Kitty stiffened in his arms for a second before leaning further across the table. He slowly slid his tongue between her lips prompting her to open her mouth to him. She grasped his collar desperately. Scott groaned lacing his fingers through her hair as she moved her own tongue to dance with his.

Present day

"It was her first kiss, you know," Jubilee said.

"`Er first kiss and he was probably too drunk to remember it," Pete said sounding pissed. Jubilee smiled at that as he brought out a cigarette and lit it. He inhaled and exhaled sharply. "Bloody idiot."

"Well, the story's not quite done," Jubilee said.

Flashback again

Kitty pulled away gasping for air and looking at Scott surprised. The team leader stared down at her a few seconds before speaking. "Shit."

"Scott I-"

"Jesus, Kit, I'm so sorry. I never should have done that."

Kitty looked down feeling crushed. "It's okay, I understand. You were jealous and I was here." He grabbed her arm looking stricken.

"Kitty, no, don't think that. I-"

"Scott, please, I need to go." He saw the tears shining in her brown eyes and hesitantly let go of her arm. She fled the room going upstairs and crying to the other girls.

Present day

"That toerag," Pete said. "Even if he didn't want the girl the least he could `ave done was comfort her, bloody pillock."

"Um . . . right," Jubilee said. "Well, that encounter didn't really do anything to destroy Kitty's feelings. Scott didn't treat her any differently, though. He tried to keep treating her like his little sister.

"Idiot. The least he could `ave done is talk to the bird. Told her what was up."

"That was me and Rogue's thoughts too. But he didn't."

"She deserved t' be let down easily after he took out his sexual aggressions out on her."

"He never hurt her, Mr. Wisdom."

"Yes he did. Not physically but I've seen Pryde look at him. I'm sure you have too. She's obviously hurt. The bastard kissed a girl who had a crush on `im and never talked about it afterwards. If she wasn' hurt I'd wonder." Jubilee nodded understanding that. "So, why're ya tellin' me this?"

"Because I saw you two a few seconds ago. Plus, you asked if you upset her. You need to understand Kitty a little better. For starters: Kitty's probably the only virgin in the mansion." Pete spat out the water he had been drinking coughing. "Um. ewwe."

"Sorry," he said. "That was just definitely not what I thought you'd say."

"Well, it's true," Jubilee said looking up at him. "And if anything ever does happen between you two you should know that."

"What in the bloody Hell are you talkin' about?" Pete asked.

"Future reference?"

"You're tryin' t' get us together."

"I-"

"Look, kid, it's not that I don' find her attractive but the bird gets on my bloody nerves, she does!"

"Yes, as you do hers. What's your point?"

"That ain't exactly a basis for a lastin' relationship."

"What about the pool lesson, Mr. Wisdom?"

"I told you, I found her attractive."

"I'm talking about when you asked me if you upset her. You seemed awful concerned about a girl you don't like. And when I told you about Scott. You seemed almost . . . protective." Pete frowned narrowing his eyes at the younger mutant.

Upstairs

"Kitty?" Rogue called walking into their bedroom. Kitty was sitting on her bed holding a pillow tightly to her chest. "Kit, are you all right?"

"Fine," Kitty said softly. Rogue sat down on the edge of the bed.

"What's wrong, sugah?"

"It's just. what was he doing?"

Rogue had to smile at that question. "Ah believe in most circles its called flirting."

"But why would he flirt with me?"

"Ah don't know if you've ever looked in a mirror, Kitty, but ya ain't exactly repulsive. Why wouldn't he?"

"He's six years older than me."

"And Scott was ten years younger than Jean," Rogue pointed out, regretting the allusion at the hurt look on Kitty's face. "Kit, Ah know better than anyone how it feels to feel so strongly for a man who doesn' know you exist as a woman and that's why Ah'm tellin' ya that it's never gonna work." Kitty looked down, she had known that herself but hearing it said . . .

"I just don't understand why Scott's never even mentioned what happened. I know he remembers; he was so awkward the first day. But why couldn't he have said something, anything, even that it was all a mistake. I just hate the thought that he never thinks about it . . ." she trailed off seeing the man himself at her door.

"Rogue, can I speak to Kitty for a second?"

"Be my guest," Rogue said not leaving her friend's side.

"It's okay," Kitty assured her.

~*~

Pete walked up the stairs towards his own room when he saw Scott enter Kitty's room and Rogue leave. He went into his room getting out some of his gear wanting to know what was being said.

~*~

"Can I sit down?" Scott asked. Kitty nodded holding the pillow tighter. Scott sat down on the edge of the bed. "Kitty, I kind of overheard what you said to Rogue."

"I know," Kitty whispered.

"I just wanted to tell you, what happened, it never should have happened. I took advantage of your feelings for me in an attempt to get back at Jean. I never should have done that . . . well, that goes without saying."

"It does," she said and fell silent at the catty tone of her own voice but Scott merely chuckled.

"And about what you said about never thinking about it, don't worry about that. I do think about it. As far as kisses go I rate it in the top five that I've received."

Kitty smiled sadly. "You're trying to flatter me, Summers."

"I'm serious. It was."

"Yeah right . . . it was my first, you know."

Scott winced. "Jeeze, Kit, now I really feel like shit about that night."

"Don't. I mean. it was nice."

"It was. I'm sorry I blew it off. I had no right to act like it never happened. That wasn't fair to you."

"You are forgiven," Kitty said making her voice sound high and mighty.

He smiled wryly. "Thank you, Ms. Pryde. That means a lot." He softly kissed her on the cheek standing. "So we're okay?"

"We're okay." He nodded and left.