Dismal Angel 2010 - Episode 20

Chapter 2: Kitty's Strange Behaviour

That next day, things did not seem much better, Jean and Professor Xavier had spent most of the night and all morning in Professor Xavier's study with Carol trying to talk sense, Remy had not been given news since.

Remy had spent the night trying to sleep with one eye open. Having two women in the mansion who would like to see him dead did not sit well with him. He expected that Elizabeth Braddock (or Psylocke as she liked to be known as professionally) would use some sort of sneaky tactics and wait until he was at his most vulnerable, and sleep was most likely that.

During the day time, Remy attended a double training session with his team and Scott's team. Jean Grey was excused, still trying to convince Carol Danvers to leave Rogue's body and pull Rogue back. However, Bobby had not attended, for reasons unknown. Remy had asked but Ororo had not given a straight answer, although the rumour was flying around the mansion that Ororo had suspended Bobby from the team. He wasn't sure what the truth was but he was glad to not have to deal with him for the time being. It was the last thing he needed.

Remy was the first to notice that Kitty had also not bothered to show up. Ororo had said something about Kitty not feeling up to the sessions because of a sudden cold. Kitty wasn't the kind of girl to miss sessions – she was usually the first one there, despite any kind of illness. Remy had seen the girl attend a session with a fractured wrist once in the past, and found it odd that a little cold would hold her back.

Still, Remy tried to lose himself in the session, he tried to focus all his anger with the situation with Carol Danvers and Elizabeth Braddock into the holographic enemies, although his anger caused him to lose control of his powers on occasion, things would blow up for no reason around them, a holographic rock, a holographic streetlamp. There wasn't anything that wasn't part of the ground itself that didn't explode.

"What is going on?" Ororo asked, she paused the session seeing Remy's difficulty.

"I don't know," Remy sighed, "I usually have a good hold on my powers…" he sighed. "Today I just can't seem to control it at all…"

"Frustrated, LeBeau," Logan retorted, "maybe sexually," he snorted, laughing.

Remy turned and smiled just a little, whatever he was going through was no cause to let Logan have the last word, "I'm anything but Sexually Frustrated, little man. Just because I can't make love to my girlfriend doesn't mean I don't get some."

Logan's face dropped and Remy felt satisfied.

"Actually…" Kurt walked over, limping, he'd been hurt by one of the holographic enemies, "I think Logan is referring to a study Hank made recently about sexual frustration in mutant males being the cause for power surges."

"The only thing that's causing power surges in me, is that my powers are trying to keep up with my libido. 'Nuff, said," Remy uttered, "are we done for today or what?" he asked of Ororo.

"I think so," Ororo said, "I am tired – as are we all. It has been a very hectic couple of days."

With those words, Remy sauntered off. He went to his room, and showered and changed, examined the bruise on his face, and the slight swelling of his eye, he supposed the damage from Carol Danver's punches and Elizabeth Braddock's attacks could have been a lot worse. He'd have let Carol deform his face if she'd just let go of Rogue and bring her back again, but he doubted that would be good enough for Carol.

After dressing, he headed off towards Kitty's room, he supposed he should check on her, it seemed the right thing to do. Kitty had always taken care of him when he was ill, she'd always been there for him in his times of need and she'd always helped him whenever he needed helping, it was time to repay some of the kindness he felt.

As he walked along the corridors of the mansion, he wondered if the Professor and Jean were making any progress with trying to talk sense into Carol at all, although he doubted it, for if they had, Rogue would be looking for him, surely. Panic was still within him, although he was a great deal calmer than he had been when Rogue had been in a coma. Perhaps it was knowing her body was alright was enough solace for now. If her mind could be pushed aside, it surely could be easily brought back. He had to believe that.

Reaching Kitty's door, he knocked, but there was no answer, so he tried the handle, and it was locked. Remy knew it wasn't the nicest thing to do, but he slipped his lockpicking tool wallet out of his jeans pocket and set to work in unlocking the door. It clicked open, and he tried the handle, the door swung open easily.

He gazed in, Kitty was sitting on the windowseat in her room, her knees pulled up to her chest, outside, she seemed somewhat fascinated with the fog that was building up over the estate. She didn't even seem to realise he was there.

"Kitty?" he asked softly, he stepped over and stood at her back, waiting for a response.

Kitty said nothing, she simply sat there, staring out into space, hugging a very large grey hooded top around her, Remy could only assume the top belonged to Piotr, for it was several sizes bigger than Kitty so that the seams at the shoulders hung near to her elbows.

Remy touched Kitty's shoulder tenderly, "Kitty…"

Kitty blinked, and turned to look at him. Her nose was red and her eyes were too, she definitely looked like she had a cold, and he could see where Ororo might believe the story, but Remy knew better, he'd seen too many tears throughout his life and recognised the puffy eyes and the runny nose, "hey."

"What's goin' on?" Remy asked, he at the other side of the windowseat, a foot or so between them, he pulled one knee up to his chest and rested his arm upon it, "Ororo said you had a cold…but you've never let stupid little colds stop you from missing a training session before…"

"I know," Kitty sniffled, "evil isn't going to reschedule a fight for a cold," she said dully.

"Screw the cold bullshit," Remy replied, "why you been cryin'?"

"I've not been crying," Kitty said, and faked a sneeze into a tissue. Kitty's acting was usually good with such things as this, but Remy – being a liar himself through out his life – had experience in the area of acting and lying, and he spotted it right away.

"How long we been friends? Eight years?" he asked.

Kitty gave a shrug and looked away.

"You've been there for me every time I've needed someone…" he said softly. He put down his leg and moved a little nearer, he reached out and stroked her arm comfortingly, "every time I've felt down in the dumps you've perked me up, made me laugh…I want to do the same for you, if you let me."

"I'm not in the mood for being perked up or made to laugh right now, Remy," Kitty responded sadly, she glanced to him, and then slowly back to the window, a tear trickled down her cheek and she wiped it a way quickly, sniffling once again. "Besides, you have your own problems," she said, her voice so thick with emotion that Remy felt a strange twinge in his heart. He'd never really felt that before for any friend he'd had, but then he realised he'd never had a truer friend than Kitty Pryde.

"Kitty…" Remy sighed, "I can't make you tell me what's wrong…" he admitted, "but I can just sit here in silence until you decide you're ready to tell me what's on your mind…"

Kitty gave a shrug, trying to be ever so nonchalant, but it didn't suit her. She remained in silence, her hair stirring in the breeze from the open window, the chills of the damp fog seeping into the room and touching her skin.

Remy watched her, her blue eyes seemed to be looking into a million miles away, her expression sombre, as if life were over. He wasn't used to seeing her this way. She'd been strange the past few days, he'd noticed it now. Acting slightly suspicious, slightly on edge. It was unlike her.

The Kitty Pryde he'd always known had been happy and perky. Even in the past when she'd been down in the dumps, she'd always somehow been incredibly – and sometimes quite annoyingly – bubbly that it boggled the mind. When he'd first met her, he'd always secretly wondered if she was on drugs – no one could be that happy ALL the time.

Now, it was almost like a different person, sitting there, brooding. A depressed Kitty was definitely not who Remy was used to being friends with.

But he could relate, and that was the card he decided to play. "Do you think I won't understand?" He asked, "you think I don't know how it feels to be depressed?" he said softly, "Petit, I've had my own life in my hands - been so down I've almost ended everything…I've been so low and lost in myself that no one could pull me out… and then you come along again and offered me your friendship…made me look on the brighter side of the darkness that had completely taken on my life…if you can do that for me…then there's a chance…that I can do that for you, right?" he asked.

Kitty sighed, "it's not the same, Remy…" tears were brimming those large sapphire eyes of hers, her lashes spiking in those tears as she blinked. They trickled down her velvety cheeks. Remy reached over, and brushed them away with the backs of his fingers.

"Tell me…" Remy suggested, "and when you tell me I'll do whatever I can to try and make the pain go away…"

"You don't NEED to be there for me because you think you OWE me, Remy," Kitty remarked a little coldly, her voice sounding slightly hurt at the same time. Her eyes turned away from him again, and she hugged herself tighter, drowning in the massive hooded sweater.

"I'm not here because I owe you anything," Remy responded truthfully, "Although I do owe you a lot, that's something I can NEVER repay…" he dried the last of her tears, "I'm here…because I want to be. Because I don't like seein' you hurtin' like this…"

Kitty looked to him, "Remy, I'm pregnant."