A quick chappie update. I really should go for quality and not quantity, but I wont update unless I've written about seven pages on word.

K.K.L. - Aww, thanks. I've gotta admit, I'm a sucker for romance. Hopefully, I'll get some deeper Lance/Rogue out in the next chapter. I'm finding it a little hard *Shakes fist at muse 'You lazy good for nothing! Do your job!'* I'll plough through it and take it one paragraph at a time.

Dark Whispers - I guess I did draw the kiss out. Did it read OK? I may use Freddie and Toad, but at the moment I don't know. I'll put it to a vote. You guys decide!!! Glad the L/R is OK. I didn't want it to be some 'and then she could control her power and they kissed' type thing. I want to really work with it, Her learning to control it and dealing with the aftermath, so to speak.

Hailey - *looks at feet* I'msorry, I'msorry, I'mveryverysorry. *Holds hands out for slapping* I love Kietro so much to, talk about made for each other!

GcArchangel4gs - I'm happy that you like it. I didn't want it to become weird.

Your Worshipfulness - The simple things are often the best (take my boyfriend!!), and we all know what's going to happen!! I'm rooting for Rogue most, I guess, I love the underdog!

pietro_luv - Thanks, nice to see a new reader. Hope you enjoy the rest of it!

lilwlfy - I'm sorry!!!! Just take a seat and some deep breaths! Look here's a chapter *hands it to you*.

Starian Princess - Ahhh - All will be revealed, my dear!!! I know the L/R is a bit weird, but I thought what the heck!! I've been on here for ages now and I've seen weirder pairings!!! (Kitty and Toad? I mean come on!)

So, thank you for reviewing, my angels! I dedicate this story to you all!

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

Kitty yawned and turned over. She pulled the blanket over her head, but it was too late. She was awake. Grumbling to herself, she poked her head out from her cocoon, expecting to see Pietro snoring his head off in the next bed.

To her surprise the bed was empty. She could hear the shower running in the bathroom.

'He'd best not use all of the hot water.' She thought, forcing herself to climb out. Kitty pulled on her bathrobe, catching sight of herself in the mirror. Her hair looked as though birds had nested in it, and her tongue seemed as though it was covered in fluff. She looked down at her nightie. It was creased and crumpled from tossing and turning all night.

'I look awful. I can't let him see me like this.' She thought, panicked. Grabbing her hairbrush, Kitty tried to make order out of chaos. With her other hand, she rummaged around in her drawer, until she found some breath mints.

Shoving three in her mouth and chewing hard, she managed to tame her hair. After tying her bath robe, she looked at herself in the mirror. A thought hit her.

'Why do I care if Pietro sees me looking a mess?' She frowned slightly, and tipped her head at her reflection.

'I just don't want to give him bullets to fire with.' She decided, not noticing that the shower had stopped and Pietro was watching her from the doorway.

"Morning!" He said, grinning. Kitty turned and noticed that he was only wearing a towel and blushed.

"Oh, now we're Miss Modesty? You didn't blush when you burst in on me taking a shower. I was wearing less than this." He continued, with a raised eyebrow.

Kitty went even redder at the memory, but she managed to stutter, "Well, I don't remember anything! I was too angry." She hoped he'd believe the lie. Besides she wasn't exactly sure what she saw that day. It had been very steamy in there.

Pietro didn't say anything and Kitty almost sighed with relief. They stared at each other for a minute, until Kitty became uncomfortable under his gaze. She looked away and moved towards the bathroom.

Pietro didn't move from the doorway and she had to squeeze past him. Her arm brushed against his muscled stomach and her mouth went dry. Feeling slightly faint, she managed to shut the door.

Pietro looked at the shut door, thinking about the previous night. He could tell that she was falling for him. He'd seen it a hundred times at school.

'All I do is make her crazy about me.' He thought, not stopping to consider why he wanted her to want him. Realising that all he had to wear was the uniform from the party, Pietro made a hasty and, somewhat, dangerous decision.

He pulled the white trousers and went to the door. Checking that no one was around, he used his mutant speed to get to his cabin. He pressed his ear to the door, but couldn't hear any sounds of activity.

Taking a deep breath, he unlocked the door and slowly opened it. Rogue was in his bed, flat out. Lance was in his usual fetal position. Pietro zoomed in and grabbed some clothes.

He was outside and the door was locked within seconds. He leaned against the door and thanked whoever it was who was, up there, that was looking out for him.

He ran back to the room and dressed. Trying to come up with a way to make her want him, he laid down on Rogue's bed. Several alternatives came to him. He could start pretending he was her boyfriend again, but he knew that drove her crazy and possibly to violence. He could turn on the 'Maximoff Charm', but she would see through it.

'This is harder than I realised.' He thought, putting his hands behind his head. Suddenly the solution hit him.

'Pretend I'm in love with her!' he thought triumphantly. It wasn't the greatest idea in the world, or the most original (AN - Got out of that one didn't I?!!) but he could work with it.

Kitty came out of the bathroom, ten minutes later, and scowled at him.

"Why are you still here? I thought you would have gone back to let them out." She asked.

Pietro shrugged and replied in a quiet voice, "I just thought they might want to be alone longer. They do care about each other, they just wont admit it."

Kitty looked suspicious, "When did you get all insightful?"

He bit back an insulting reply, and said instead, "I do know about feelings. Contrary to somebody's beliefs, who isn't a million miles away," He looked pointedly at Kitty, "I do know what it's like to be in love."

"Would you like me to leave you two alone?" She asked, gesturing to the mirror.

Pietro stood up, "If you aren't going to take me seriously then I don't want to discuss it." He crossed his arms.

Kitty bit her lip to keep from laughing, "Were you an extra on Boat Trip? Cause you're acting like it."

'This is not going well.' Thought Pietro, watching the brunette's shoulders shake with mirth, 'And I'm coming off as camp.'

"For your information, PRYDE. I am not gay. I like women."

"Well, duh!" She replied, "Understatement of the year!"

"Actually, I should say woman. One. And it's more than like, but I don't know how to tell her." He stated, knowing that she wouldn't be able to stop herself from getting involved.

Kitty looked neutral. She was trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach, but she was glad, in a way, that if he liked someone else, he would stop bugging her.

Suddenly feeling the need to do something, anything, she grabbed her hair brush and almost furiously started to pull it through her hair. She sat down at the dresser and focused on her reflection.

"Does she like you back?" She asked, tensely.

Pietro smiled at her tone, "I don't know. Do you think I should tell her?"

Kitty smirked. There was no way she was passing up an opportunity to let Pietro crash and burn. "Yes. I think you should tell her exactly what you're feeling."

"OK." He said simply. He went to the door, and opened it. He was halfway out before he added, "Oh, by the way, Kitty, I'm in love with you."

He shut the door and walked towards his cabin grinning madly.

Kitty sat motionless, 'Did he just say that?' She thought. Without really questioning it, she ran to the door and into the hallway.

She expected to see Pietro waiting for her, but she saw his back disappearing around the corner. She ran after him.

"What?" She asked, "What did you just say?"

Pietro smiled, "I said I love you. I know you don't feel the same, but I had to tell you."

Kitty stared at him open mouthed. Pietro put his finger under her chin and closed it. He raised an eyebrow when she didn't say anything else or move.

"I didn't think it was bad enough to send you catatonic." He smirked, before starting off to his cabin again.

Shaking her head to clear it, Kitty followed him. She was determined to get to the bottom of this.

'If he's being an ass again, I'll kill him.' She thought, marching around the corner. She reached the corridor where Lance and Pietro's cabin was situated, and stopped. Pietro was outside with the key in his hand. She ran to him.

"Are you crazy? They'll kill us." She snapped, snatching the key from him.

Pietro pulled it back from her, "Well, I was going to do it quietly and then run for it. But you've blown that. Why are you following me?"

A bang came from the other side of the door. "Fihnally, open this door." Shouted Rogue.

Kitty ignored her, "I'm following you to find out what you're doing."

The door knob rattled and Lance yelled, "Pietro, open this now or I'll break it down."

Pietro sighed, "What? Now you're stalking me?"

The banging returned, and Kitty had to yell to be heard, "No, I wanted to know why you said that you loved me."

The banging stopped, and Rogue cried, "What?"

"Mind your own business!" yelled Pietro, he turned to Kitty, "I told you. I wanted to get it off my chest. I don't expect anything from you."

Kitty shifted uncomfortably, "You can't just drop something like this on me and think it's fine."

They heard a faint shuffling and muffled conversation from inside. Pietro ignored it.

"Well, I'm sorry. I didn't want to upset you."

The door creaked, and Kitty, losing her temper, grabbed the key and unlocked it. She pushed it open. Lance and Rogue had been stood behind it, with their ears pressed up against it. They fell backwards. Rogue landing on Lance.

Kitty turned back to Pietro, without batting an eyelid, "Well, you did. And may I ask where all this has come from? You hated me yesterday."

Pietro watched Lance pulled Rogue to her feet, he deliberately waited until she was halfway up before saying, "Not after I kissed you."

THUD! Lance had let go of Rogue's hand, causing her to unbalance and fall again. From being mad, the auburn haired girl was staring at Kitty open mouthed.

"Ya kissed? That's why ya locked us up!" Cried Rogue triumphantly.

"No! I mean, yeah, we kissed, but it was just a heat of the moment thing. We locked you up for your own good." She defended.

"Pietwo got himsewf a wittle girlfwiend." Teased Lance, "Can I come to the wedding?"

"I'm not his girlfwiend .I mean friend!" Shouted Kitty. She looked at all three of them. Rogue was still sat on the floor, Lance was grinning and Pietro looked slightly uncomfortable.

'Maybe he does love you.' Said her brain.

"Urrgghh!" She cried, walking away.

Rogue looked at Pietro, "Aren't ya goin' afta her?" She asked.

"Nope. She knows how I feel. I can't force her to like me. Now, if you'll excuse me." He said, throwing Lance the key and walking in the opposite direction to Kitty.

Lance asked, rhetorically, "Are they mad?"

Rogue shrugged.

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

Kitty kicked the bed. She flopped down on it and hit her pillow.

'Stupid jerk. Who does he think he is?' She thought, angrily. She tried to put it out of her mind. To pass it off as another one of his cruel jokes, but something wouldn't let her.

She thought about the scene she had just left. He had seemed different. Casual, even. And he hadn't even tried to follow her.

She was about to go crazy when Rogue opened the door. Kitty sat up.

"Before you yell at me, I felt really bad about last night. I'm sorry. Abuse me later, I'm a little busy going mad." She explained.

Rogue shook her head, "It's OK. Some good came out of it."

"You mean you and Lance ..?" Asked Kitty, forgetting about her own predicament for a second.

"No, pervert. Ah'll explain later. What's goin' on with ya an' Pietro?"

Kitty shrugged, "OK. So we kissed, but it was just once and nothing happened after that. Then this morning he started going on about being in love and I told him that he should tell the girl and he just said he loved me and left. Then I followed him and we started arguing. And ."

Rogue spoke up, "Kitty, ya ramblin'. What's wrong? Look, at best, now he'll be nicer tah ya. Ya don't have tah feel bad cause ya don't like him back."

"But that's the problem, Rogue. I think I do." Cried Kitty. She was desperate.

"Oh. Well, ah mean . um .. er, at least ya know he likes ya back?" the older girl tried to offer support.

Kitty looked fed up, "It's Pietro. Say we do get together and we're all lovey dovey, but what then? Another week and a half and we're back in Bayville. Scott'll go nuts."

Her friend tried to think of something comforting to say. Kitty looked at her expression.

"Exactly. That's why Pietro and I can never happen." She explained, sadly.

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

Pietro watched the waves. He wanted to be happy. He had annoyed her, she was taking the bait. But, all he felt was misery.

Lance appeared next to him. Pietro didn't move. He waited for his best friend to say whatever it was that was annoying him.

Lance didn't disappoint, "D'you really like her or are you messing with her?"

Pietro considered telling him it was a plan, but he knew what Lance would say. He like Rogue and she was Kitty's best friend. Lance would side with them.

"Yes." He replied simply. It was easier to say than he imagined.

Lance studied him closely. He knew something was going on with him, but he still thought that the younger boy was just trying to mess with Kitty.

"Good. But if you hurt her, Pietro, I'll kill you myself." He said.

Pietro frowned at the brown haired boy, "I thought you didn't like her anymore."

"I don't, but she's a sweet girl, and she doesn't need to be a part of one your games. I'll always care about Kitty. I was just checking." He explained. Without another word, Lance walked away.

"Bollocks." Said Pietro.

********************************************************************* Just a quick update. I'll try and get another one out today. People keep showing up at my desk giving me work! As if I come here to do that!!!!