Disclaimer: We all know the X-Men aren't mine. Pity. Not making any money off them either. I'm sure that's a huge surprise to everyone.
Just forget continuity. We left that behind a looooong time ago. If you really want a time frame, this takes place sometime just after X-Men #109. But, it'll just be so much easier if you don't obsess about it.
Ok, I know I said that this chapter would reveal the final fate of the Legacy cure. Well, I lied. It's not really my fault. Blame it on Peter and Kitty. I had everything all mapped out for them and they refused to cooperate. How's that for gratitude? Of course, I have been torturing them mercilessly, so I don't suppose I can really blame them. Anyway, they had a different idea in mind for this chapter and....well....them being the main characters and all...they pretty much won the argument. So............
Warning: Smut ahead. Lots of mushy, syrupy, sweet goop coming your way. Nothing too graphic, but there is definitely sexually oriented material here. If that kind of stuff offends you, flee now.
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Paper Flowers
Chapter 11 – In Your Arms
For the better part of two hours, he'd searched the mansion from bottom to top, quite literally. From the deepest sub-basement to the attics of the sprawling complex they'd called home for so many years, he'd scoured them all without success.
Of course, he found her in the very last place he looked.
Wearily, he climbed the steep, narrow stairs leading into the last of the huge house's several attic spaces. Peter hadn't been in the west wing's attic in more years than he could remember and he was going there now only because he'd already looked everywhere else. The layout was the same as the attic over the east wing, where Ororo's rooms were, but this one had always been used for storage. Or, at least, that's what he'd thought.
It had been filled up years and years ago, and they'd been storing most things in one of the sub-basements since he'd been with the X-Men. Peter honestly couldn't remember having ever set foot in this part of the house more than once or twice in the thirteen odd years he'd lived here.
The room was huge, one great, open area that covered the entire length and width of the west wing of the house and it seemed to be packed almost to capacity with trunks, furniture, old dress mannequins, all the things you would expect to find in the attic of a house that had, for the most part, stood in the same spot for several generations.
Having no idea where the light switches might be, or even if there were any, Peter clicked on the small flashlight he carried, trying to shine it into all the corners, nooks, and crannies that Kitty might have retreated into.
It felt a little silly, looking for her in here among all this, almost like they were playing hide-and-seek, but this was his last resort. He'd looked everywhere else in the house that anyone could have possibly been and hadn't found even a trace of her. Of course, she could be almost anywhere, but he had a feeling she was still in the mansion somewhere. It was his intention to find her, talk to her, while he could still do so in relative peace and privacy.
Tomorrow, he knew, would be bedlam as soon as word spread about the events of the evening. There would be no peace or privacy then, that was for certain. So, if he wanted a chance to straighten this out with Kitty, if it could be straightened out, it would have to be tonight.
Hank and Cecelia had wanted to keep him in the medlab, "under observation", which was a polite way of saying "suicide watch", but he had flatly refused. They were not happy with him, but that concern was secondary for the moment. At least they only knew the bare bones of what had happened.
Neither had heard what had transpired between him and Kitty at first because she'd sent Cecelia out of the room after Hank. And, when they'd returned, Peter had switched to Russian, which neither doctor spoke, so they didn't know exactly what had been said. He intended to keep it that way.
Kitty had very nearly frightened him to death, as he knew he had frightened her, as well. But the very last thing he'd ever expected was her willingness to die in order to keep him from using the Legacy cure on himself. It had humbled and shamed him beyond words.
Then, she'd turned his own argument back on him, making him realize what he would be doing to the people who cared about him, the most important of those being Kitty herself. And, she had known he couldn't take even the slightest risk that she would follow through with her threat of injecting herself.
That still didn't leave them with a solution for the virus, but that debate would keep until morning as well. And he had no doubt what so ever that there would be debates, discussions, arguments, and lectures, ad nauseam. Or that he and Kitty would land directly in the middle of it all after tonight.
It made him wonder when, exactly, their personal lives had ceased to be their personal lives and become an open topic for discussion among the rest of the team.
Peter was beginning to believe that she wasn't in the house after all, having searched most of the huge room, when a dim glow off to one far corner caught his eye.
Following a narrow path between stacks and stacks of what appeared to be books, texts of some type, piled up higher than his head in boxes, crates, and any other available container, he made his way through the huge space.
The whole mess seemed to have evolved into somewhat of a maze over the years. In the dark, it took him a moment to realize that the arrangement seemed to have been intentional, the crates and boxes organized in such a way that they created a barrier to a section of one corner.
He finally found the opening, seeing the soft light spilling from the gap between the crates. Stepping through, Peter found himself in what was, obviously, an improvised room.
The space here was open, having been cleared of everything but an ornate four poster bed, complete with mattress and linens, an old, Victorian style sofa and chair, a small occasional table, a turn of the century, ladies writing desk, and what appeared to be two antique, clear glass oil lamps, which were the source of the light he'd seen.
It had apparently been set up like this for quite some time, as he doubted Kitty would have had the time, or inclination, to do it in the last hour or so, and he wondered why he'd never known about it.
She must have come up her directly after leaving the medlab. There was a large, round, lidded box, reminding him of a lady's hat box from back when hats were huge confections of tulle, lace, and silk. It appeared Kitty had been sitting on the bed, going through the box's contents, when she curled up and fell asleep.
The first image that came to his mind was a picture from one of Illyana's story books. Sleeping Beauty, lying serenely asleep, her long, silky hair spread around her as she waited for her Prince Charming to awaken her with a kiss. Peter found it very tempting to do just that, but was fairly certain it wouldn't be met with a favorable reaction.
If the situation had been a little different, the scene would have made him smile, but too much had happened tonight for his sense of humor to be in good working order.
Walking to the bed, he sat down carefully, not sure if he should wake her. She seemed to be sleeping peacefully, and he had an idea she needed the rest, but he decided they needed to talk more. It might change nothing, but he couldn't leave it as it was between them. Not now. Not after what had just happened.
She had said she loved him. To say he had been surprised would be an understatement of the first order. He had to know if it were true, or if it were simply something she had said in the heat of the moment, in her bid to convince him to turn over the syringe.
Still, he couldn't quite bring himself to wake her just yet.
Turning off his flashlight, he laid it on the little occasional table next to the bed, beside the oil lamp that sat there, burning low, casting a soft light across her face. In the low light, in sleep, her face was almost that of the little girl she'd once been, peaceful, innocent, happy.
He stretched out his hand to stroke her hair, needing to touch her, wanting to hold her. But, at the moment, he had neither the prerogative, nor her permission, so he would wait, settling for simply running his fingers through the silky cascade of curls spread out around her.
Kitty's left hand was resting on the pillow near her face, and he noticed that her fingers were curled around something. It glinted in the flickering light, but he couldn't tell what it was.
Curious, he took it from her loose grip, holding it up to look it over. And he still had no idea what it was.
It was a slim, golden ring, perhaps six or seven inches in diameter, with one small opening of an inch or so in the nearly perfect circle. It was heavy, had a weight to it, and Peter assumed it was solid gold, but he had no inkling what it was or what purpose it might serve.
He held it up to the light, turning it this way and that, looking for markings, but could find none at all.
"It's a crown."
So intent on his inspection of the mysterious golden circlet was he, that Kitty's soft voice, from behind him, close by his shoulder, nearly caused him to drop it.
Peter turned to find her sitting up and awake, kneeling behind him on the bed, watching him.
"A crown?" He looked back at the object. I didn't resemble any crown he'd ever seen.
Kitty held out her hand and he gave it to her. She held it carefully, in both hands, as if it were something very precious.
"Yes. The Kinross Crown to be exact. It was in the Kinross family for hundreds of years. Worn by the Lady of Kinross, as she rode beside the Lord in battle." she replied softly.
That only confused him more, and he temporarily forgot the reason he'd come to find her in the first place, his curiosity piqued. "But...there is no Lord Kinross. Was Moira's father not the last one?"
Kitty nodded, her eyes never leaving the gold circlet she held, and Peter couldn't quite decipher the emotions he saw playing across her face.
"Moira's grandfather inherited the title after his nephew, Wing Commander Lord Alisdhair Kinross, favorite cousin to Queen Elizabeth II, was killed in battle in World War II. The Kinross Crown, though, was left to me."
This was only becoming more confusing. Peter had absolutely no idea what she was talking about. Or why a man killed in World War II, decades before Kitty was born, would leave her his family's ancestral crown.
"Kitty, you are confusing me. Which, I admit, is not difficult to do right now. But, why would a man you never met leave you something like this?"
Shifting the crown to one hand, Kitty turned to the round box sitting on the bed between them, rummaging through it for a minute before apparently finding what she was looking for. Wordlessly, she handed him an old photograph, a handsome young man in his late teens, perhaps early twenties, wearing a leather bomber jacket and gazing seriously into the camera.
"That's Alisdhair, taken about nineteen thirty-five. I think. I did know him, Peter. We sort of fell in love. That's why he left me the Kinross Crown. I told you about a box full of pictures of all the people I'd lost...Well, this is it." She motioned toward the hatbox full of what appeared to be dozens of photographs. "I was taking a trip down memory lane, I guess."
"But...how?" He looked from Kitty to the picture and back again, totally lost.
Taking a deep breath, Kitty launched into the story of how Rachel, as the Phoenix, accidentally sent them back to 1936 Scotland, just before the Nazi invasion and World War II. How she'd met Alisdhair and his young cousin, Lilibet, who would become Queen Elizabeth II. And how they'd ended up fighting the Shadow King, with help from Logan, who'd been sent by Irene Adler to help them.
"After it was all over, Rachel and I got shoved back to our own time. He left this," she indicated the crown that she was now clutching so hard her knuckles were white. "with Lilibet, to give to me. I've had it ever since, though I probably should have given it to Moira. It belonged to her family, after all."
Taking her hand in his, he gently pried her fingers loose from the golden circle, replacing it, and the picture, carefully back into the box from whence it came. With his other hand, he tilted her face up, so he could look in her eyes.
"He meant for you to have it, Katya, and I believe you should keep it." Peter resolutely ignored the flash of jealousy at her mention of loving another. It wasn't as if he had any right to be jealous, considering his own history. And she certainly had owed him no loyalty. "Why have you never said anything of this before? It is quite a story."
"I never told anyone. Until now, the only one's who knew were me, Logan, Rachel, and Queen Elizabeth." Kitty couldn't help but chuckle at the absolute absurdity of that statement, and of her life in general, but the sound held no humor. "It all happened right after Illyana died, after you'd left for Avalon, after..." She closed her eyes for a moment, swallowing hard, hating how the memories still held such power over her, even after all this time. "after Jean, Scott, and Professor Xavier came to Muir and....well, you know what happened there."
"That was not your fault, Kitty." he assured her, remembering the incident. In truth, it would have been impossible for him to forget it. Though he wasn't sure he would ever forgive Professor Xavier, for what amounted to forcing Kitty to lie to him in order to get him to Muir Island, he certainly didn't blame her. "You did what you thought was right. I was angry at the time, I said things I did not mean, and I regret those words very much."
Kitty turned away from him then, lower lip trembling as she pressed her fingers to her eyelids, trying to hold back tears, so very sick and tired of crying all the time lately. But that particular memory was one that still held great power to hurt her.
She had let Professor Xavier and Jean Grey talk her into doing something completely against her own moral code, against everything she believed, and she had regretted it ever since. And she would never, as long as she lived, forget the look of betrayal and hurt on Peter's face as he realized what she'd done.
"Oh, damn. Here I go again." Unable to contain them, she let the tears come, crying silently, wondering how she could possibly have any left.
Her tears destroyed him. They always had. Knowing he might be making a mistake, but unable to watch her cry and not try to comfort her, Peter reached for her, drawing her to him, prepared for her to protest. To his surprise, instead of resisting, she wrapped her arms around his neck, crawled into his lap and buried her face against his shoulder.
Kitty held onto him tightly, trembling, as all the events of the day seemed to crash down on her all at once. It was stupid, to react like this, now that it was all over, but she couldn't help it. Any more than she could help needing to be close to Peter, to have just a little time with him before her time here was over for good.
She'd nearly lost him tonight, and the realization hit her hard. If she'd been just a few minutes later, it would have all been over and she'd be adding her pictures of him to that box, along with all the others. Kitty honestly didn't think she could have survived it.
As it was, it had been very close. If she hadn't happened to come along when she did, Cecelia would have never been able to stop him. Dr. Reyes wouldn't have known how, and the image of what could have happened was burned into Kitty's brain for all time. Cursed with a vivid imagination, she had no trouble seeing the scene laid out before her, with Peter's dead body in the middle of it.
She quickly shook the image from her head. If she continued to think about it, she'd lose her mind. All she wanted to do, right now, was have him hold her, feel the heat of his body, listen to the steady beat of his heart, let his warm breath wash over her skin. Know that he was alive and well.
Tomorrow, everything would change, but tonight, she just wanted this.
Kitty was suddenly aware of just how close they were, here in this little alcove that no one else knew about, of how his hand lightly stroked the bare skin of her lower back, a feather light touch that sent little shivers of pleasure up and down her spine, even as her blood heated.
Pulling back slightly, still trembling, though for an entirely different reason now, she took his face in her hands, her eye boring into his, dark lashes wet with tears.
"Don't scare me like you did today, ever again.....Please?"
His arms tightened around her convulsively as he pulled her against him, whispering in her ear. "I am so sorry, Katya. For everything. For tonight, for all the times I have hurt you, for not being here for you when you needed me, for not seeing you for the gift you are, before it was too late. Forgive me."
And, just like that, she was crying again, her tears soaking into the material of the thin shirt he wore, but Kitty was beyond caring.
Why was this happening now, when it was too late? When there would only be a few hours left before she left here, and him, forever? It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. But when had anything in her life ever been fair?
"I forgave you a long time ago, Peter. Forgetting is much, much harder." she finally responded, making a valiant effort to put everything back into perspective, to distance herself from him a little, while she still had the will to do so.
"If I could go back, change things, I would. But I cannot." Thinking back to all the times he'd hurt her, all the times he could have mended things between them and hadn't, Peter couldn't blame her for not trusting him, for not believing that things could be different between them now. And he had no idea what he could say to her to make her believe.
"I know." She heaved a deep sigh, leaning back just far enough so that she could see his face. "And I'm sorry, too. I'm sorry that things can't be different, that we can't be different."
Though what she said might very well be true, he wasn't quite ready to accept that things couldn't change. There was still something between them, something left of the feelings they used to have for each other. Peter could feel it and he believed Kitty could as well.
Steeling himself, he took the opportunity presented and asked the question he most wanted the answer to, hoping she would tell him the truth, yet also afraid that, if she did, it wouldn't be what he wanted, needed, to hear.
"When you said that you love me...did you mean it?"
His dark blue eyes never left hers, and he saw the answer to his question, as he stared into those warm, golden depths, long before she actually spoke
"If I hadn't meant it, I wouldn't have said it. I do love you. I'll always love you." Her arms twined around his neck, her hand idly running through his ponytail, letting the soft, dark hair run through her fingers like water as her eyes filled with sorrow and regret. "But, it doesn't change anything."
"And I love you as well. That should count for something." It hurt to hear her say it, more than Peter had thought possible. But, still, he couldn't bring himself to give up. Though it might be useless, he had to try and change her mind. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't. "Do we not at least deserve a chance to try again?"
"Of course it counts for something." she replied. Her fingers, of their own volition, began caressing the skin along the back of his neck. Feeling him shiver under her touch, Kitty had to force herself not to simply melt into him, forget everything else and just give in. "It's just not enough to cancel out all the other obstacles between us. Maybe someday it will be, but not now."
"Someday?" It wasn't much, but it was something. At this point, he was willing to take whatever hope she would give him.
She leaned in closer to him, their faces almost touching, her eyes staying locked with his. "I can't make you any promises, Peter. I wish I could. I'm so tired of fighting what I feel for you, what I've always felt..."
"Then do not fight it." he put in before she could finish. "I love you, Katya. I want you with me. We can leave here together."
Closing her eyes against another bout of tears, Kitty buried her face against his neck. "Please...please...don't ask me for something I can't give." she begged, knowing that, if he continued like this, she'd eventually crumble, do whatever he wanted. And then where would they be? The Soulsword wanted them both and she refused to let it have it's way.
But her determination carried a heavy price. She honestly hadn't thought her heart could possibly break any more than it already had tonight, but his heartfelt words caused yet another piece to fall away, and she was afraid she'd never be able to put all the pieces back together again.
They sat in silence for a time, neither quite knowing where to go from here, both unwilling to part at the moment. Kitty knew their time was growing very short, and Peter, though he didn't know her intentions, felt it as well.
"Has tonight truly changed nothing between us?" Peter asked at length, his voice soft, hurt, and her heart cracked again.
Swallowing her tears and regret, she sat up, sliding off of his lap to sit on the bed beside him. Shoulders slumped, she leaned forward, dropping her head as she stared at her folded hands.
She truly didn't know how to answer. It had changed everything, and it had changed nothing. Why did everything have to be so complicated? Why could nothing in her life be straight forward? Why couldn't anything be easy? Just once.
"Yes....and no. It doesn't change anything right now. It can't." she finally answered quietly, trying to keep her voice from wavering.
"But, why...." he began, but she shook her head, stopping him from saying more.
"Please, don't ask me, Peter. I'm begging you."
Kitty turned toward him then, and he could easily see how distraught she was. She looked completely exhausted, drained. He knew she'd been crying, probably at the club as well as here. Tears he was responsible for. He felt like a monster for putting her through all he had today and he truly didn't want to make things any harder for her. But he loved her so much, he couldn't just give up and let her slip away from him yet again.
"Katerina..." Laying his palm against her cheek, he gently stroked her soft skin with the pad of his thumb. "Can you give me nothing to hope for?"
She leaned into his touch, blinking up at him, watching him quietly, seeming to consider his question. At last, her lips curved very slightly. "It may not be a lot, and it probably isn't what you want, but I can tell you that, if there is any way possible, when I get things....sorted out, I'll find you. I don't know how long it might be." she cautioned before he could get his hopes up too much. "It might be never, and I don't expect you to wait for me. But, if I can, if you still want me, we'll try again."
It was as much as she could give him, more than he had any right to hope for, and Peter vowed that, this time, if Fate gave him another chance with her, he would not throw it away. If she came back to him, it would be forever.
He simply nodded and she closed her eyes, placing her hand over his for a few moments, taking comfort and strength from his presence, his nearness, before opening them again, a new, fragile, kind of peace shining there.
Whatever the future held, Kitty felt better for them having at least not separated with nothing but anger and hurt between them, as had happened so many times before.
Maybe it was a good sign that they'd managed to do this tonight, even with everything that had happened, without it deteriorating into a screaming match. Maybe they both had finally grown up.
"I will wait for you. There is no one else that I want." he told her seriously, meaning every word. "But promise me, if you need me, for anything, you will let me know."
"I promise."
She made the promise gladly, thankful that he didn't press her further for information that she couldn't give him. Better that he continue to believe, along with everyone else, that she was simply going to Muir to be with Rhane. Knowing about the Soulsword would only upset him, and would do neither of them any good at this point. But now, perhaps, there was a kind of hope, slim as it might be.
As if coming out of a trance, Kitty suddenly straightened up, rubbing at her eyes and looking at the piles of pictures and papers scattered over the bed. Turning, she tucked her legs under her and began gathering the items up, returning them to the box.
"I'd better get this cleaned up. God only knows what time it is."
Turning to help her, he grinned. "Either very late, or very early." As she chuckled at his comment, he looked once again around the small, improvised room. "I had no idea this was up here."
"I don't think anybody does. Or, if they did, they don't remember it. Doug, Yana, and I discovered it one rainy day while we were exploring. We kinda took it as our secret place. Sometimes we'd come up here to read, or play games, or just get away from everybody else. It was sorta like our private sanctuary."
The little light that had returned, left her eyes again as she thought of those two friends, whose pictures were now in this box with everyone else she'd lost. It never got any easier, the pain never lessened, and she couldn't help but wonder how many more pictures she'd be adding to the growing pile when it was all said and done.
"You miss them very much." The observation was redundant. He could see it in her eyes, on her face, in the way she seemed to wilt under the memories.
Illyana had been Peter's sister, and not a day passed that he didn't miss her terribly, but she was Kitty's best friend and, once, they had been as close as sisters. And Doug Ramsey had, like Kitty, been a genius with computers, as well as being the same age as Kitty and a member of the New Mutants along with Illyana. For a time, the three had been almost like a single unit. You rarely saw one without the others.
"Yeah. I miss them a lot. Some days more than others, but this place reminds me of them so much." She brushed at a stray tear that had made it's way down her cheek, then looked around the bed, trying to make sure she'd gotten everything, and wanting to focus on something besides the past. Seeing something on Peter's other side, she pointed to it. "Could you hand me whatever that is on the other side of your leg."
Recognizing that she didn't want to talk anymore about the one's they'd lost, Peter went along with the subject change and looked where she was pointing, finding a leather bound book, it's title written in what appeared to be Latin. Once he picked it up, he immediately knew what it was.
"Katya, I thought you gave your volume of Destiny's diary to Ororo?" He looked down at it in confusion, knowing he wasn't mistaken about what it was, but he could have sworn Storm had the diary just a day or two ago.
Biting lightly on her bottom lip, Kitty flushed slightly, dropping her eyes. "I gave her one. This is another one."
"Why did you keep this one and give her the other?" An idea struck him and he pinned her with a knowing look. "She does not know about this one, does she?"
In answer, Kitty blushed even redder, taking the diary from his hand, putting in back in the box, and closing the lid. "No, she doesn't, and I'd rather you not tell her."
"Why? I thought that was the whole purpose of this new team, to search out these books."
Sighing heavily, Kitty picked up the box and set it on the floor, pushing it under the edge of the bed.
"Shortly after Irene Adler died, this came to me in the mail, care of the lawyers handling her estate. With it were specific instructions, from Destiny, to give the first diary to Ororo, when the time came, but to keep the second one, and copies of the first, with me. I don't know why. I haven't even looked at that one. I'm almost afraid to, but I'm also afraid not to do what she wanted. We've seen too much out of the other book come true."
Of course, the first thought that entered both their minds was of the recent battle with Apocalypse and the calling of the Twelve, which the Diary had predicted. They had lost Scott Summers, Cyclops, the first X-Man, in that battle and it had been a devastating blow to the entire team. They still hadn't fully recovered.
Kitty looked extremely uncomfortable with the subject, and Peter couldn't really blame her. To his way of thinking, those diaries had brought nothing but trouble since they were first discovered, and he was even more troubled by the fact that, at every turn, Kitty seemed connected to either the Diaries or Destiny herself.
"Perhaps the best thing that could be done would be to destroy it. I do not know that it is a good idea for these books to all be brought together to begin with. They seem to bring only pain and misery."
His eyes were dark, expression very serious, and Kitty couldn't say she necessarily disagreed with him. It seemed everyone and everything connected with the diaries came to nothing but grief. But something told her not to destroy the books, that one day they may serve a purpose for good, though she had no idea what that might be. And right now, she didn't care.
She'd had more than enough bad memories, tears, fears, and all the other assorted crap she'd been dealing with for months now. She was tired, wrung out, emotionally and physically, and all she wanted, at the moment, was to crawl into a nice warm bed, get what rest she could before she packed up and left.
But all it took was one look at the man beside her for her body to call her a liar. She wanted more than that, and she knew it.
"Maybe, but honestly, I don't care right now. I'm tired, my head hurts, and I've had quite enough crises for one day. I'll care later, when I've got the energy."
Peter blinked at her, taking her abrupt words as a dismissal, and started to stand. "I should go, let you get back to your room and get some rest."
Before he could rise, he felt her hand on his arm, pulling him back down.
"I'm not going back downstairs. I'm sleeping up here tonight, where nobody..." she stopped, smiled at him rather lopsidedly, and corrected herself. "well, hardly anybody...can find me." Gazing into his eyes, her smile slowly faded, her expression turning serious, as she moved closer to him. "Peter..."
Kitty wasn't sure what she'd been about to say, how to tell him what she wanted, needed, without sounding like either an idiot, or a giggling schoolgirl. Nothing in her life had ever quite prepared her for this. The X-Men's training didn't exactly run to classes in Seduction 101 and she was suddenly extremely nervous.
She wanted him to stay, but she wasn't sure he would want to. In all of her fantasies and daydreams of what she'd do if this moment ever actually presented itself, never had she imagined that she'd be a nervous wreck. And she certainly hadn't imagined having to deal with it after a night like tonight.
Like any girl, she'd imagined candlelight, romance, music. Tears, public scenes, and narrowly averted suicidal sacrifices for the good of humanity had not, at any point, entered into the equation. Life was strange like that, she supposed, especially around this place. But she wasn't willing to just let it go.
It might hurt more when the time came to leave. It might be a huge mistake. But it might also be the last chance she'd ever have. Earlier, she'd wished for one night with him. Kitty was hoping it wasn't too late for that one wish to be granted. Surely it was the least that she deserved, that they deserved.
Gazing into his cobalt eyes, the flickering lamplight playing across his chiseled features, casting a halo around his black, wavy hair, Kitty opened her eyes and really looked at him, as she hadn't allowed herself to do in years. And he took her breath away.
His name passed her lips on a whispered breath as she lifted her hand to his face. Catching it in his own, much larger, one, Peter brought it to his mouth, placing a soft kiss in the center of her palm.
Kitty's breath caught, a shiver running through her at the gentle contact and, without even realizing it, she leaned in, wanting closer contact with him, drawn to him as she'd never been to anyone else.
With his free hand, Peter stroked one silken cheek with the tips of his fingers, almost tentatively, as he looked deeply into those expressive, golden eyes watching him so seriously.
It was almost as if a spell were being woven, locking them in a cocoon, separating them from time and space, from the rest of the world. The slightest misstep, and the spell would be broken, the world would come crashing back, and this moment would be ruined. Neither of them wanted that.
As he watched her, her lips curved softly, a little shyly, but it was all he needed as he released her hand and wrapped his arm around her, urging her to him. Again, she didn't resist and he carefully pulled her back into his lap, gently molding her against him, wanting her lithe, slim body as close as possible.
With a sigh, Kitty relaxed into him, basking in the warm, solid feel of his body, trying not to think of how very differently things could have turned out, how much more of a disaster this night could have been.
It had been quite disastrous enough, thank you very much, and she was ready to try her hand at a little happiness.
Even if it was only an illusion. Even if it was only for a few hours.
She was sick and tired of being the paper flower caught in a whirlwind, shredded, torn, pulled in a dozen different directions at once on the whim of Fate, with no rhyme or reason. Surely there could be a few minutes of calm in the eye of the storm.
Kitty snuggled close, content in his embrace. If she closed her eyes, let her mind wander, it was almost as if they had never been apart. The scent, the feel, of him was familiar, comforting. Slowly, the remaining tension in her body eased completely. It was a safe, sweet feeling. It was home.
His hands slid up and down over her back, the soothing motion lulling her almost to sleep, even as she was acutely aware of his touch on the skin left bare by her outfit. For the first time in longer than she could remember, she felt cherished, loved.
After a time, one of Peter's hands moved slowly from her back to her sides, down to her waist and over the exposed skin of her abdomen that he could easily reach, feather light touches that made her tingle, sending little jolts of electricity throughout her entire body. His hands were rough against her sensitive skin and she basked in the sensations he was creating in her. She barely noticed, and certainly didn't protest, as he moved from her waist, over her hip and down one shapely, leather-clad leg and back again.
Peter's arm tightened around her slightly as he brushed her long hair back from her shoulder and began feathering soft kisses along the curve of her neck, the side of her face. Everywhere his lips touched, her skin warmed and tingled and she didn't even consider telling him to stop. It felt too good, too right.
They were so close and Kitty couldn't resist turning her head, touching her mouth to his, gently at first, but with growing urgency as he tightened his grip on her further, molding her soft curves hard against his solid, muscular frame. Her hands fisted in his hair, holding him to her as their tongues explored, twined, caressed.
Kitty shifted restlessly on his lap, trying to find a slightly more comfortable position and Peter had to suppress a groan. He broke the kiss only to have Kitty pull him back to her, soft lips moving seductively against his, tongue darting out to trace his lips, explore his mouth.
It would have been impossible for him not to respond to her and his hands itched to truly explore her body, but he forced himself to keep them safely at her waist and back. They were already playing with fire, but he didn't seem to be able to stop.
With a little moan of frustration, Kitty suddenly disengaged herself from his embrace and, before he realized what she was doing, she straddled him, her knees on either side of his hips.
Since they were nearly eye to eye now, Kitty indulged herself a little, running her hands through his thick, black hair as she brushed her lips lightly across his, watching his face as she did so.
Other than his eyes darkening another shade, Kitty had absolutely no warning before he hungrily covered her mouth with his. A kiss that had started out sweet, gentle, the barest brushing of lips, quickly depend into something much more.
With a sigh, she opened her mouth to him, letting her hands glide from his face, down his neck, over the thick ropes of muscles in his shoulders and back, as his body tightened and flexed under her gentle touch.
But it still wasn't enough. Kitty squirmed in his arms, determined to press closer, desperately wanting something she couldn't even name. Peter groaned, reluctantly breaking the kiss as he gently pushed her back from him just a little, knowing she had no idea what she was doing to him.
Gasping for breath, their hearts racing, the two would-be lovers stared at each other, each trying to gauge the other's reaction.
Her eyes were heavy-lidded as she gazed up at him, but Peter wasn't sure if it was because she was drowsy or aroused. But he did know it was time for him to get out of there, before things went much too far. And he had to do it now. In another few moments, he wouldn't have the strength.
His hands spanning her waist, he carefully, but determinedly, set her away from him and stood up, giving her no chance to protest and leaving her looking up at him, stunned, confused, and hurt.
"I should go back to my room. It has been a long day and we both need sleep. We can talk more tomorrow. Good night."
Before he could change his mind, he turned to go, telling himself to ignore the way she was looking at him, the fact that he'd hurt her yet again, the way her bottom lip was trembling, as if she were near tears.
She wanted closeness, comfort, but he wanted much, much more and he didn't want to end up hurting her even worse than he already had. He would not take advantage of her when she was so vulnerable. And, if he stayed any longer, that is exactly what would happen.
"Peter...wait." Kitty was at war with herself, not really knowing what to do. He'd been fine one minute, seemed to enjoy being with her. Then, he'd just put her aside and took off before she even knew what was happening. In all likelihood, she was about to humiliate herself beyond all hope of recovery, but she couldn't just let him go. Not like this. If he didn't want her, fine, but she was going to know one way or another.
At her call, the large man stopped, giving her a questioning look and she dropped her eyes, seeming to find her clasped hands very interesting.
"Da, Katya."
Suddenly nervous, and feeling like a geeky, fourteen year old kid again, Kitty blushed prettily. Well, Peter thought it was pretty. She thought it was moronic and childish.
Annoyed with herself, and her seeming regression into a stuttering adolescent, she forced herself to stop fidgeting and look him in the face.
"Well...you see, Peter...that's just the thing. I don't want you to go back to your room. I'd really like it if you'd stay here...with me." Seeing his eyes widen in shock she was tempted to just give up and phase herself into the floor, but decided she might as well shoot for complete and total mortification. She'd gone this far. How much worse could it get?
No time like the present to find out.
Feeling herself blush even brighter, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then opened her eyes and tried again. "I would just like to be close to you tonight."
For the longest time, he simply stood there, staring at her, until Kitty was ready to simply go ahead and die of embarrassment. Yes, this had been a stupendously bad idea.
With an exasperated sigh, Kitty let herself fall back across the bed, her long, slim legs dangling over the edge as she contemplated the ceiling. "Look, never mind. Let's just forget this ever happened, ok? Really bad idea. Really. Bad. And, come to think of it, I've done this scene already. Didn't go very well then, either."
When he finally recovered himself, Peter quickly went to her, sitting on the edge of the bed as he tried to get her to look at him, without much success.
Not knowing what else to do, he took one of her slender hands in his. This was the last thing he'd ever expected when he'd come up here looking for her earlier and he found himself at quite a loss.
"Look at me, Katya." He waited until she'd finally turned those glorious brown eyes his way before continuing. "Talk to me. I am not sure I understand what you want."
With an irritated exhalation, her eyes went back to the ceiling. "Honestly? I'm not really sure myself anymore. We're both adults, but I suddenly feel the exact same way around you that I did when I was fourteen."
"It is the same for me." Peter told her with an open, honest smile, a light blush coloring his fair complexion. "I am twenty eight years old, but when I am around you, I feel nineteen again. It is rather...disconcerting."
"To say the least." Tired of staring up at the roof line, but still not quite able to bring herself to face him, Kitty closed her eyes, hoping that would make things easier. Why had she ever thought she could do this? Why had she ever even imagined that he might want this too? "I feel like such an idiot. We're not the same people we were all those years ago. We've grown up, changed. I should have realized..."
Kitty's pursed her lips tightly as her voice broke the slightest bit on the last sentence and it tore at Peter's heart. He hadn't meant to upset her, again, but he was having a hard time following her. "Should have realized what?"
All he knew at this point, for certain, was that she had asked him to stay with her, but he wasn't sure if she meant simply for company, or for something he didn't even dare let himself hope for. Before he jumped to any conclusions, he wanted to know for sure, without any shadow of a doubt, exactly what she meant.
She was silent for a very long time, and Peter began to wonder if was going to speak to him again at all. Just as he had almost decided that she wasn't, she took a deep breath and spoke with quiet defeat. "I should have realized that, if you didn't want me then, you wouldn't want me now."
It was so alien to anything he'd anticipated her saying that it took a few minutes for her words to sink in. When they finally registered, it left him stunned. How, he wondered, could she think such a thing?
Without further hesitation, he stretched out beside her, wrapping her in his strong arms as she embraced him in turn, hiding her face against his chest.
"But I did want you then, as I want you now." His quiet, sincere words had her lifting her face to look up at him, only to find him watching her with heart in his eyes. Taking her hand and again lifting it to his lips, Peter placed a gentle kiss on her soft skin and Kitty's heart did a little flip-flop as her insides melted. "But you were so young. It would have been wrong to take advantage of you in that way."
"And now?"
"We have had a very emotional, stressful day." As he spoke, Kitty tucked her head underneath his chin, snuggling close as he idly stroked her long hair. Planting a kiss on the top of her head, he settled her against him, closing his eyes. She felt so right nestled against him that he never wanted to let her go. "I do not think we should rush into this. Once done, it cannot be undone."
"Things with us are in a real mess, aren't they?" It was said with a little, sardonic, half smile as she tilted her head to gazed up at him. "Guess it'd be too much to ask for things to go right for once, huh?"
In answer he lowered his head as he captured Kitty's soft, warm mouth with his, the kiss long, deep and erotic, but oh so sweet, as their lips moved together insistently.
Peter pulled away first, cupping her cheek in his palm. He'd loved this woman for so long, had given up any hope of ever being with her again. Yet here she was, in his arms, and he wanted nothing more than to consummate the love he knew they both felt. But he'd already made enough mistakes with her. He had to be absolutely sure it was what she wanted as well, and that they were doing this for the right reasons.
"I want things to be right between us. That is why I do not want to rush into something you may come to regret later." If she wasn't ready for a physical relationship with him, then so be it. He was a patient man. He had waited for her for almost a decade, a little longer wouldn't kill him. This was too important to ruin through carelessness. "I have to know that you are sure this is what you want."
"I don't feel like I'm rushing. If anything, I think I've had more than enough time to think about this." Her eyes softened as she caressed his cheek lightly, melting his heart, as she'd always been able to do, with nothing more than a look. "I love you, Peter. I love the boy you were, and I love the man you are now. If you want me, I want to be with you. I need to be with you. Whatever happens, I could never regret this. I could never regret you."
"Katya," he told her gravely, willing her to understand what this meant to him, what she meant to him. "you are very important to me and I cannot take this step with you lightly. If I stay here, with you, tonight, it will be as a commitment between us."
Her hand, resting on his chest, slowly slid up toward his face, moving over the muscled contours of his shoulder, his neck, her fingers sliding through his thick, soft hair as she pressed even closer to him.
"Don't you think I know that, Peter? I don't know what the future's gonna hold for us, but we've already talked about that. I've given you the only promise I can and this, for the moment, is the only commitment we can make to each other." Dropping her eyes, Kitty became very quiet, almost hesitant, as she spoke again. "You may not think I've thought this through, but I have. More than you know. This isn't something I've ever even considered seriously before. With anyone."
She waited patiently for the reaction she knew was coming, and she wondered whether he would believe her. Not that she would blame him if he didn't, but the truth was the truth.
Kitty was very aware of what everyone had naturally assumed about her relationship with Pete Wisdom, and she hadn't bothered to disabuse them of the notion. It had been easier to let everyone believe what they wanted. She still felt more than a little guilty about how, and why, that relationship had ended and dragging out the whole, sordid story to all her friends and family just hadn't been something Kitty had been willing to get into.
It wasn't exactly on her list of favorite topics for discussion now either, but she couldn't very well avoid it this time. Leaving it as a surprise was not an option.
Peter blinked those deep blue eyes at her in confusion. "Katya....?" He began slowly, not quite able to believe his interpretation of what she'd said could possibly be right. He had to have misunderstood her meaning. Maybe the events of the day were finally catching up with him and befuddling his brain. "You do not mean that you are....? But you and Wisdom....I thought..."
Knowing that she was blushing furiously...again...Kitty exhaled heavily and shook her head. "Yes, I am and, no, we didn't." God, this was humiliating. At the moment, she was questioning why she hadn't just let Peter leave and spared herself the continued embarrassment that this had turned into. "Everyone just presumed. But it never felt right to me. I just...couldn't, and it was part of the reason we were having problems. The incident with Rigby Fallon during my S.H.I.E.L.D. internship was simply what finally capped it off."
Her revelation left Peter dumbfounded, not knowing what to say, but feeling a tremendous sense of awe that she would offer him such a gift, that she would trust him to such an extent.
Trailing his fingertips along the curve of her face, he pulled her into a soft, sweet kiss. "You leave me speechless. Are you absolutely sure that I am what you want?"
Kitty, turning her head, nestled into the large palm so gently cupping her cheek. Sweet, gentle, loving Peter, with his massive strength and artistic soul. What other man would be so concerned, so protective, of her and her feelings when she was practically throwing herself at him?
Though she was still blushing lightly, Peter watched the soft smile bloom on her face, in her eyes, as their lips met again, lingering, making their heads spin and driving nearly every coherent thought from their minds.
When she was again looking at him, her wide, soulful, eyes filled with desire, longing, and – yes – love, gave him all the answer he needed, but her words made his heart soar just the same.
"I'm absolutely positive. I'm not a kid anymore, Peter. Neither of us are. I understand what I'm doing. You're what I've always wanted, almost from the first moment I saw you."
Hugging her to him, he nuzzled his cheek against hers as he whispered into her ear the only words he had that were even remotely adequate to describe his feelings for her. "I love you, Katya."
The low, sexy, tone of his voice, the feel of his warm breath on her face as he nibbled on her ear, his mouth on her skin, sent a shiver of desire through her that set her entire body on a slow burn.
Peters attentions moved from her earlobe, down her neck as he planted soft, open mouth kisses along the petal-soft hollow of her throat, gently nipping and suckling at the delicate skin as Kitty responded with a soft moan of pleasure. As he nuzzled her neck and shoulders he let his hands begin to slowly explore her body, as he'd wanted to so desperately before.
"Peter..." His name was little more than a whispered moan on her lips, her fingers tangled in his thick, wavy hair. "God, that feels wonderful."
She was absolutely beautiful, was all he could think. The growing glow of sexual arousal only enhancing that beauty, as she threw her head back, closing her eyes to concentrate on the sensation of his touch as he carefully traced each dip and curve he could reach.
Unable to resist, Kitty's hands slid down his chest, slowly undoing the row of buttons down the front of his shirt until she could part the thin material and run her fingers over his bare torso.
With a sigh, she let her hands move over him, his taut abdomen, sleek heavily muscled chest, corded shoulders, enjoying the way his body tightened and rippled under her touch as she worked her hands upward.
His skin was warm, soft, over that rock hard body. There was nothing subtle about his physique. He was all flat, hard planes, and thick, rippling bulges. Taking her time, Kitty reveled in the feel of his skin as she took her time exploring his upper torso.
"Katya..." Her name was a whispered groan of raw need as Peter sat up just long enough to shrug out of his shirt and toss it to the floor. She held her arms out to him and he immediately came back to her.
He began nibbling gently on her ear again, enjoying the way she moved against him as he slid his palm up her side, slipping it underneath the lacy scrap of a top she wore to run his hand along her silky, soft bare skin.
As his fingers gently brushed the side of her breast, she tensed , giving a little gasp of surprise and he immediately stopped. "Are you uncomfortable with this? I will stop if you want."
By the time he'd asked the question, though, she'd already relaxed again. "No." Her answer was more of a sigh than an actual word. Kitty sounded contented and slightly drowsy. "It feels very nice. I don't want you to stop."
Slowly, he caressed her, his touch light as he moved over her breasts, her sides, enjoying the dips and valleys, then down to the soft flare of her slender hips, trim waist.
There wasn't an ounce of fat on her, he realized, feeling the muscles under her velvet skin tighten and bunch beneath his touch. Years of training had left her in peak physical condition. She was trim and taut, soft and curvy. Perfect. And he wanted nothing more at that moment than to lose himself in her.
Almost without conscious thought, Kitty arched against him with a soft moan. The call of his body to hers was almost irresistible, but, then, she didn't really have any plans to resist. With every kiss, every caress, her body became needier, more sensitized, a burning heat spreading through her.
She didn't even blush when he carefully tugged the thin, little, lacy top over her head and dropped it over the side of the bed to join his own shirt. All she was interested in was drawing him back to her, wanting to feel him next to her, skin to skin.
Her eyes, her expression, her whole body, softened as she gazed up at him. He was watching her again with those midnight blue eyes and she could feel her skin warm and tingle everywhere his gaze touched. She spared a moment to wonder that she wasn't embarrassed at all, but then forgot all about it as he kissed her again, their hands automatically returning to one another, continuing their explorations, as they pressed tightly together.
Her mouth left his and Kitty nipped playfully at his lower lip before working her way down his jaw, gently kissing and suckling her way down his neck as his breathing became more shallow. His large hands began stroking and massaging her from the the small of her back, over her bottom, and down the back of her legs, his fingers occasionally brushing against the soft, sensitive skin of her inner thighs. Even through the thin leather of her jeans it made her shiver in anticipation of more intimate contact.
As she concentrated on exploring his shoulders and chest with her mouth, his hands moved to the front of her leather jeans, undoing the buttons there one by one. The muscles in her stomach quivered slightly as his hand slid over her to push gently at the article of clothing.
Raising her face, she found him looking to her in question, waiting for permission before he went any farther. Ignoring the little flight of butterflies that had suddenly taken wing in her stomach, Kitty shifted, raising her hips so that he could slide the garment over them and down her legs.
Biting her lower lip as the first real bout of nerves hit her, Kitty had to stop herself from crossing her arms over her breasts self-consciously or closing her eyes as Peter stood to remove his slacks. If she couldn't even look at him, and not freak out because he was looking at her, she certainly didn't need to be sleeping with him.
There was absolutely no denying the man was gorgeous. He always had been, but maturity had replaced his boyish good looks with a more adult, every-woman's-fantasy kind of...well...drop dead gorgeousness. Just looking at him standing there in nothing but a pair of boxers set her whole body on alert.
As he dropped his slacks onto the growing pile of clothing littering the floor beside the bed, Peter turned back to her, and stopped dead in his tracks, just looking down at Kitty in absolute awe. She was so beautiful, all smooth, peaches and cream skin, long, slim legs, and soft, subtle curves.
Those enormous, expressive eyes were watching him just as he was watching her and, to his surprise, she didn't seem at all self-conscious lying there as he sat on the edge of the bed and continued to study her. Looking at her now, he could still see traces of the girl in the woman she'd become, and it made him smile.
He sat there for a moment longer, taking her in, wanting her so desperately, but not wanting to rush this first time. They deserved time to enjoy one another and he wanted to be as gentle, as careful, as possible with her.
Had she been able to read his mind, Kitty would have been surprised to find Peter actually more nervous than she was. He loved her, wanted everything to be perfect for her, and he was afraid of making a mistake, of moving to fast and upsetting her.
Stretching out on his side, next to her, he once more stroked her long fall of glossy, chestnut curls as she turned to him with a smile. Taking her in his arms again, he loved her thoroughly, with soft lingering kisses and gentle caresses that went on and on until need was like a living flame burning through her body. She held tightly to him as they tasted and touched and explored each other as they had wanted to for so very long.
Her lithe, smooth body flowed like water through his hands as, with soft sighs and moans of pleasure, Kitty gave herself to him freely, unreservedly. It wasn't in her nature to love only half way. To those she let into her heart, she gave everything, her love, her support, and, especially with Peter, her very soul. He was a part of her as her own skin was a part of her. Without him, she'd never quite be whole again.
Her body, her responses, the way she was moving so urgently against him, was slowly but surely wearing away at his tenuous control and he didn't want things to go so far that he forgot to go slowly, gently, with her. Before that could happen, Peter caught her mouth in a slow, lingering kiss as he carefully shifted positions, rolling them over so that she was underneath him.
Almost immediately, he felt her slim hand glide across his lower abdomen to the waistband of his boxers.
With a groan, he broke the kiss, burying his face against her neck, inhaling the scent of soap and the light, floral perfume she wore as he kissed and nibbled on her warm skin. She arched under him and he let his hand wander down her body, caressing the smooth skin over taut, compact muscle as his fingers skimmed over her flat belly.
Then, her hand was tugging at his boxers, trying to slide them off. Raising up a little, he helped her pull his shorts down and he kicked them off and out of the way, giving Kitty free access to his body, even as he slid her little, lacy bikini panties off her slender hips to discard them as well.
Lifting his head from where he was nuzzling her neck, Peter pinned her with a look so full of passion that it should have scorched the air around them. "Are you positive this is what you want, Kitty?"
He wanted her. God, how he wanted her, but he had to give her one more chance to back out. He wouldn't push her to do something she truly didn't want simply to satisfy his physical need of her.
Katherine Pryde regarded him seriously, this man lying so very close to her, their bodies touching so intimately, watching her with such love and concern evident in every line of his face, in his dark, sparkling eyes. Peter Rasputin had held her heart in his hands since she was little more than a child. He still held it now, just as tightly as ever. There was only one answer she could give him.
Peter waited patiently, watching the play of emotions across her lovely, expressive face, almost holding his breath. There was uncertainty, a little fear and trepidation. But hope, and, finally, most importantly, love, far outshone all the rest.
Clasping his handsome face in her hands, she pulled his mouth to hers for a tender kiss. When they parted, she sighed, their eyes locking and holding as she ran her fingers through his dark hair. "Make love to me, Peter. I've waited so long for you."
Wrapping his arms tightly around her, he kissed her deeply as he nudged her legs apart and slowly, carefully, took her virginity. She was so slender, so petite, he couldn't, wouldn't, risk hurting her by moving too quickly and not giving her time to adjust.
Despite the fact that she was trying not to let it show, he knew Kitty was a little afraid and he was determined that it not be any more uncomfortable for her than absolutely necessary. He wanted this to be everything it should be for her.
Kitty clung to him, closing her eyes and trembling slightly as all the nervousness and trepidation she'd managed to avoid, until now, suddenly washed over her. She wasn't a child and she knew what to expect, or at least she'd thought she did.
To her surprise, however, Peter was so gentle, so very careful with her, that there was little discomfort and even that passed very quickly, leaving her with the most amazing sense of rightness she'd ever experienced. It was as if a missing part of herself had suddenly been returned.
He loved her with a slow, burning passion that took them both up, higher and higher, until her body went up in flames most willingly. It was desire, and passion, and need, but it was love and longing and caring as well.
Often, when she was very young, she'd tried to imagine what it would be like to be with him. Kitty had imagined many things, had many fantasies, but she'd never imagined feeling anything like this. The reality had far surpassed any expectation she'd ever had.
In his arms, everything else dropped away as he took her beyond love, beyond the stars, beyond any dream she'd ever had. When she finally fell, Peter gladly went with her.
Afterward, Kitty lay quietly, contentedly, in his arms, enjoying the feel of him, the way his skin warmed against her own, the way he shifted slightly to be closer to her, as they seemed to drift along on their own personal cloud.
The unheated air of the attic was cool on her bare skin, but she wasn't cold. In fact, she was very comfortable, in both body and mind. It was a feeling she could barely remember ever having before. She hadn't felt this normal in years.
Maybe, finally, there was some light at the end of the very dark tunnel that had been her life for a long, long time.
As she drifted off to sleep, the very last thing her senses registered was that the room seemed somehow...brighter. And she could have sworn she heard music.
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As the couple lay sleeping in the very wee morning hours, oblivious to the fact that the lamps had gone out quite a while before, a soft, white glow spread out all about them, filling the immediate area briefly with unearthly, incandescent light.
Above them, encased in it's own brilliant, white light, the Soulsword hung, suspended for a moment in time, it's voice ringing out in a song that seemed to infuse the very air for miles around with music, the notes drifting out on the soft breeze.
The bond was forged. The call sent out. At last, it had begun.
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In the darkness of space, at the far side of the galaxy, near the very edge of the known universe, an infinitesimal, golden red, speck glowed; a tiny, cold star in the unrelieved blackness of forever.
It didn't know how long it had been there. Time had no meaning in this place it had exiled itself to. But it didn't matter. It was timeless. Eternal.
Suddenly, it's attention was drawn to the soft notes of music, a song ringing out across the vacuum of space, where there was no air to carry it. But it was there all the same.
Listening, the speck of light expanded, doubling, tripling, growing to enormous size until it eclipsed even the largest star in existence.
Raising it's head and spreading it's wings wide, the massive raptor of cosmic fire locked in on the song. If it would have been possible for it to do so, the bird would have smiled.
With the song ringing in it's heart, it sent it echoing back to it's source as it set it's course, making it's way once more to the small blue and green planet, the third one from the yellow sun, the one it had last called home.
It was time.
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Somewhere, somewhen, else, a young woman lay sleeping in her bed, completely oblivious to the music floating on the air through the open window nearby.
A few feet from where she slept, a book rested on a shelf, one among many. But there were no others like this one. It had been there for years now, protected, hidden, exiled. It's pages were ancient, it's leather-bound jacket covered in flowing script, the title written in Latin.
As the song touched it, the tome seemed to awaken, taking on a bright, blue white, luminescence that spread out all , encompassing all around it.
The melody washed over and through it, seeming to caress the ancient pages, then was sent back the way it came.
Soon.
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A/N: I took a few slight liberties with the X-Men: True Friends mini-series, which is where Kitty meets Alisdhair Kinross in 1936. Although no specific time reference was given as to when this actually took place, other than Kitty saying that she needed a vacation after all she'd been through recently, it was definitely while she and Rachel Summers were in Excalibur together. In actuality, it probably occurred prior to Excalibur #71, where Professor X, Jean Grey and Scott Summers came to Muir Island and conned Kitty into tricking Peter down from Avalon, but the story seemed to fit in well with that incident for purposes of this story. After all, if Kitty didn't need a break after that fiasco, when would she ever? And, although I know Moira would have been related to Alisdhair, I couldn't find any definite details, so I made a connection that sounded plausible.
To all my wonderful and much loved reviewers: What would I do without you guys?? You've made writing this so much more fun than it would have been without you! Hope you've enjoyed chapter 11. Twelve is halfway done and should be up in a few days.
Caliente: Thanks for the rating advice. It helped a lot. I'm ignoring Black Sun because there were just too many continuity inconsistencies and I hate, hate, hate, the N'gari. Amanda actually became ruler of Limbo during an X-Men Unlimited story with Kurt, Margali, and her, where they rescued Amanda's mind in Margali's body from Belasco. I don't remember for sure which one it was, but that established her as Limbo's ruler, sorta by default, so she still is. For the moment anyway. I am soooo sorry I didn't get Amanda into this chapter. I swear it wasn't my fault, Peter and Kitty did it, but, with any luck at all, we'll see her at least briefly in the next chapter. I'm glad you enjoyed chapter 10 and Wolvie is pretty much my hero, too. Every girl should have a guy like him around looking out for her. And I'm really glad your computer's all fixed now. I rejoice with you.
CaptJesus: The truth does hurt. Especially, from what I've seen, when you're an X-Man. The idea for the way I wrote chapter 10 has been in my head for a very long time and it just felt right. I still have grave issues with how they handled the Legacy cure and Peter's death. It just never rang true to me. Like you, I nearly just quit reading at that point, but I've tried to catch back up over time. And I, as well, hope Claremont doesn't just chuck all the history he built into his characters for the sake of convenience in the new revamp they're doing on the X-books. I liked the X-Treme X-Men title, in general, but there were a few thinks he did during it's run that somewhat concerned me. Chief among these is his refusal to let Kitty grow up beyond a teenager. I do look forward, however, to what Joss Whedon is going to do as an X-writer. Although I'm not a big fan of continually raising the comic book dead, (Jean Grey being a prime example. Dear God, how many times has she died and come back now? It seems like it happens every other week), there are a couple of characters I'd like to see him bring back in a believable way. I'm thrilled that you enjoyed my take on The Cure. It warms my hear to know there are others out there like me who think there could have been a better way.
Lia Fail: You're making me blush! But thank you so much! I don't pretend to have the skill the real X-writers bring to their comics each and ever month or so, but sometimes, you just look at a character, an issue, and what happens and know that it isn't right. UXM #390 was that way for me. It was too staged that all this happened when every other member of the X-Treme team had already left, except Hank, and nearly all of Peter's very close friends were out of the mansion. Especially Kitty, who just disappeared to parts unknown after that satellite fiasco. I mean, please. She sent Wolvie a bone claw? For Christmas? Care of Viper, of all people?? The whole thing was too contrived. And I agree that the Legacy virus had become something of an embarrassment to Marvel at this point. It had gone on way too long, especially considering that either Muir Island or the mansion at Westchester had enough alien technology at their disposal to build people complete new bodies from scratch, but they couldn't cure this one retro-virus. They had created something, made a huge deal out of it as a plot device, then coudn't figure out how to get rid of it after they'd used it to kill off all the characters they didn't know what to do with. And, like you, I don't think they gave us a good enough reason why Peter had to sacrifice himself for this thing. Though the idea wouldn't have been totally out of character for him, considering the loss of his sister, I don't think he would have acted on it in the way they portrayed. As you said, they just used it to do away with yet another character they didn't want to bother figuring out what to do with. As for the parallel to the dialogue between Kate and Peter in "Days of Future Past", until you pointed it out, I hadn't even been consciously aware that I'd done it. I guess our subconscious works in weird ways.
Evanescence kicks ass: I'm so glad you liked chapter 10. I swear to you, 9, 10, 11, and now 12 are practically writing themselves. I hope that stays the case with the rest of the story cause it'll sure make it easier on me. Rewriting The Cure has been in my head for years and I'd almost done it as a stand alone story a couple of times, but then didn't. But it seemed to fit in here just right. I am still not over UXM #390 and will be very angry with Marvel for years to come.
Araya-Michiru: As far as I'm concerned, the second team of X-Men (Storm, Wolverine, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Shadowcat and Rogue) are some of the most interesting character Marvel has ever created. Their backgrounds were so diverse, their personalities very individual, strong, and well defined. It's a real shame that, now, they seem to have gone to the concept that more is better, resulting in hordes of mutants running around everywhere in huge groups with, basically, interchangeable personalities. I miss the days when the group was smaller and easier to keep up with. Peter always intrigued me because, unlike Wolverine, Rogue, and even Kitty, he wasn't a warrior at heart. He was just doing what he thought was right. He was quiet, sometimes shy, and very gentle by nature, though he could, and would, fight with the best of them when he had to. I think Marvel really messed up when they just killed him off. There needs to be a balance for the characters who just want to go out and smash stuff. It's one of the reasons I always thought he and Kitty went so well together. I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far, and hope you continue to. There should definitely be more surprises coming. The things that don't seem clear at the moment are meant to be that way and should work themselves out as we go along. At least, that's the plan.
T.A. Pixiestix: You really are making me blush! And, believe me, coming from you, it means a lot. I did briefly toy with the idea of Kitty trying to use the Legacy cure on herself and having Peter stop her, but the other way around just rang more true to character for them. At least to my way of thinking. Sorry I didn't get to the final fate of the Legacy cure this chapter. The dynamic duo had plans of their own, apart from the one's I'd made for them, and I couldn't stop them. So, instead of loading up a 50 page chapter I had to break it down into two parts. Again. But I'm determined to cover it in chapter 12. I don't think It's gonna kill off anybody that we love.
Kirayoshi: Yes, I know. Lockheed's death was quite a shock to me as well, but don't give up hope just yet. He's a pretty tough little dragon. You never know when he just might pop back up. Believe me, before this is done, we'll have more than one "dead" character show back up. And to put my name in the same sentence with Buffy and Joss Whedon!! Be still my heart! The only characters on earth that I love as much as Peter and Kitty are Buffy, Willow, Xander and the gang. I'm still in mourning for the series. There are no words to describe my joy and anticipation as I wait to see what Joss Whedon is gonna do with the X-characters, especially Kitty. I literally began dancing around my den when I heard the news. My husband thinks I'm nuts. I can definitely see Kitty as the proto-Buffy. They have much in common personality wise. As for Kitty and Peter, well, they're in a little better place now, but she's still trying to protect him, and everyone else. And she's gotta get outta there and find some answers before this whole thing can be settled once and for all. Glad you're enjoying the story so far and I appreciate the tip on the Buffy fics. I will definitely check those out.
Coming Soon:(I hope) Well, the Night That Wouldn't End, which has lasted for the last 3 chapters, will finally be winding down, but the next day isn't going to be much of an improvement for our favorite band of Mutants as chaos erupts, X-Men start bailing out in droves, we learn the final fate of the Legacy cure (I promise), a strange, and not too happy, visitor drops in, and, heck, we may even take a trip to Genosha.
Thanks for reading. Writers love reviews. It's what we live for and all are welcome, good, bad, or indifferent! How am I gonna get better otherwise?
PS: For any of you interested, who may not be familiar with the comic X-Men, if you haven't come across it already, there's a great X-Men site on the web called uncannyxmen.net. It's maintained by fans and covers just about everything you could ever want to know about everybody's favorite angsty mutant mob.