Home Sweet Home

~*~

But the plans I make still have you in them,

Then you come swimming into view,

And I'm hanging on your words like I always used to do,

The words they use so lightly,

I only feel for you,

I only know this cause I am, Way back down,

In the background.

-Third Eye Blind

~*~

Seven months later

Kitty groaned sitting up. "I'm coming, Abby, hang on hon," she said stumbling out of bed. She picked up her daughter and quickly changed her diaper. "That better, sweety?" She kissed her on the forehead. "Love you. Now sleep." She laid her back down, immediately Abagail started whimpering again. Kitty lifted her back up. "You want a lullaby?" Clearing her throat and sitting on the edge of her bed she began singing.

~*~

"Kiss me each morning for a million years,

Hold me each evening at your side..

Tell me you love me for a million years,

Then if it don't work out

Then if it don't work out

Then you can tell me goodbye....

.

Sweeten my coffee with a morning kiss

Soften my dreams with your sighs

Tell me you love me for a million years,

Then if it don't work out

Then if it don't work out

Then you can tell me goodbye..

.

If you must go oh no I won't grieve

If you wait a life time before you leave.

But if you must go, Oooo I won't tell you no..

Just so that we can say we tried..

Tell me you love me for a million years...

Then if it don't work out

Then if it don't work out

Then you can tell me goodbye...."

~*~

"I miss your daddy, baby girl," Kitty whispered to the now slumbering child as she placed her back in the cradle.

England, almost five months later

"Mate, you can go back, ya know?" John said sitting next to Pete.

"It's been a year since we talked last," Pete said. "Longer than that since I left. I don't want t' go back and see her in another guys arms."

"I don't want t' watch you drink yerself into oblivion one more bloody night!" John exclaimed.

"John's right," Jardine said Doyle nodded in agreement.

"What is this, a bloody conspiracy?" Pete demanded.

"Black Air is gone," Jardine said. "Go find your girl, settle down and have twenty children, name them after me."

"Jardine, I wouldn't name anything after you," Pete said.

"Pete, I swear, you drink one more bloody shot and we're draggin' ya t' the states," John warned. Pete glared at his friend before purposefully downing another shot of whiskey. "Apparently the man doesn't believe us." He hauled back and punched Pete knocking him out. "Let's go."

Two days later

"Are you guys sure she'll be okay?" Kitty asked.

"Kitten," Ororo said gently. "I have cared for babies before. You haven't been out of this house in almost a year. Go, have fun."

"I think I forgot how that feels," Kitty said with a reluctant smile.

"That's why we're here," Rogue smiled. "To remind ya."

"Now, let's go, if we're going to get dinner we need to go now," Jubilee said. They got into Rogue's little sports car and drove away. They were eating at a small diner when Kitty jumped up running towards the door.

"Jardine," she said with wide eyes. "Pete, is he-"

"He's fine," another man said. She turned meeting the bright blue eyes of a fairly handsome blond man. "You aren't supposed to be here."

"I'm not?" Kitty asked confused.

"We dropped him off at the mansion," the blond man said. He started to say something else but Kitty rushed back to her friends.

"We need to get back to the mansion," she said.

"What's wrong?" Rogue asked concerned.

"Nothing," Kitty said. "Something's very right. Drive me back." Rogue handed Kitty her keys and Kitty ran out jumping into the car and speeding off.

John watched this before turning to Jardine. "I think she'll be happy to see him." He walked over to the girls. "Ladies, need a ride home?"

"If you'll tell us what's going on," Rogue said. The four got into John's rented car and drove off. They arrived at the mansion seconds after Kitty. Pete was walking out looking dejected. Kitty walked over to him and promptly punched him.

"Fourteen months!" she exclaimed. "No phone call, no letter. Nothing!"

"Ow," he muttered getting back up.

"You had me worried! I didn't know if you were alive or-" she didn't finish that.

"Pryde-"

"I spent the last twenty one months worried and defending you!"

"Kit-"

"With that said-" She closed the distance between them and brought his head down for a soft kiss. "I missed you."

He smiled. "I missed you too. Can I talk now?"

"No," Kitty said grabbing his tie as she had their first night together to pull his head back down to hers. He backed her against the car deepening the kiss and relishing in her taste.

"I love you, baby," he murmured. That caused her to freeze. "Luv, what's wrong?"

"I think I need to show you something," Kitty said. Before he could ask what the others walked over.

"Glad to have you back," Jubilee smiled. "Kitty did you-?" Kitty shook her head.

"In that case, boys, why don't you come inside," Jubilee said. The other four went up the stairs and into the mansion.

"What do you need to show me?" Pete asked.

"Follow me." He followed her inside, up the stairs and into his old room. Once inside he froze seeing the bassinette. He walked over and peered down. His breath caught in his throat.

(I'm pr- I'm fine.

Pete, come home soon. I could really use you around right now.)

"I'm sorry, luv," he whispered. "I should have realized." His eyes then narrowed as he looked at her. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Lower your voice, Wisdom," Kitty snapped quietly. "If you want to yell at me, fine, you have every right to but she's sleeping."

"Answer the bloody question, Pryde."

"I didn't want you to worry."

"So you kept this from me. Jesus, Kit, there is nothing worse that you could have kept from me. You lied to me, damn it." Although his voice was soft the anger in his words was plain.

"I'm sorry."

"I missed a year. A whole God damned year of my child's life."

"I'm sorry," she repeated.

"Kitty, if you had told me, Black Air be damned, I would have been on the next plane back t' you." She sat down tears now filling her eyes. He sat next to her on the opposite side. "What's her name?"

"How'd you know that the baby's a girl?"

"I would certainly hope you wouldn't dress a boy in a pink frilly dress."

Kitty smiled at the humor in his voice in that statement. "Abagail Marie Wisdom."

"You had her take my name?" he asked gently.

"She is yours too."

"Thank you." He looked into Kitty's eyes where tears were still shining. "Sorry I yelled.

"You had every right to yell. You still do." Kitty stood looking at Abagail who was beginning to wake up. She picked her up. "Do you want to hold her?"

Pete smiled coming forward to take Abagail from her. "She's so beautiful."

"She has your eyes," Kitty whispered.

"But she looks like you," he grinned. "Lucky kid."

"How'd you know she's yours?"

"Partly wishful thinking, partly knowing you. I was `oping that you wouldn't get over me *that* fast."

"I never got over you." He kissed her on the cheek still cradling Abagail. "She's already showing signs of her mutation." Kitty reached over touching Abagail's pointed ears.

Pete merely smiled. "My little elf." He laid her back down turning to look at Kitty who now was sobbing openly. "What's wrong?"

"It's just . . . we missed so much, Pete. We could have been happy. You could have been the one holding my hand. You could have heard her say her first word, watched her take her first step."

"I'm here now, luv, we both made mistakes, I could have come back, you could have told me, we didn't, but I'm here now."