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paprika90: Thanks, glad you liked Ch 13.
Mimatrimo-4eva: Thanks! That was quite complimentary, glad you like it!
Tao's Girl: Luv your story can't wait for more! Hope you like this chappie!
Karakin: Cool, I'll look put for your story.
bobtheheadlesschicken: Yeah, it seems like Murphy did write life!
ldypebsaby: Yes, damn Murphy! Hope you like this chapter.
Ch 14- The Outcast
Kitty stood, trying to register what had happened. She was taken out of her short trance when Triss ran over. Triss tried to pull her mother out of Lance's path before he could get a shot at her, but failed when he sent a fairly large tremor right at Kitty. Triss was sent rolling head over tail, while Kitty only stayed on her feet because Rogue caught her before she fell over backwards.
"In case you didn't figure it out, now would be the time to get out of here," Rogue reasoned with her sister in-law.
Kitty nodded dazedly, turning towards the sparsely wooded area where the trucks were. Kurt turned Kitty towards the small clearing as Triss and Raina supported Nate. The injured group had almost reached one of the trucks when Lance sent yet another quake around them, blocking all forms of transportation. This time Kitty did fall, landing roughly on the ground with a cry of pain.
"C'mon, Drake! We may be able to get 'em, but not without you," Lance commented in hopes of recapturing the children and even taking the adults too.
Drake stood in the middle of the squabble, looking first at his father's eager face and then to his mother who was staggering up with the help of Kurt and Rogue. Drake didn't know what to do. He looked back to Lance, the one who had always treated him like an adult, never like a baby. Then he looked to Kitty, the one who had always looked at him with a motherly adoration in her eyes, but who sometimes made him feel like he was treated a bit childishly. He didn't like being treated like a baby, but maybe being treated like an adult all the time wasn't a good thing either. Should he go ahead and help his father as planned and risk his mother having a baby in the woods or quarantined in his father's headquarters? Or should he help his mother and give her a better chance of getting proper medical attention.
"Drake!" Lance growled angrily, "What are you doing, get over here and help me!"
Drake was trying frantically to decide his course of action, when he remembered what Triss had said in that cell. He had decided to listen in on the younger kids when he heard his name mentioned. 'I'm hoping he isn't permanently on this side though. Every thing he does, I'm guessing, is bribed or blackmailed.' she had said. Drake thought for a moment before coming to the conclusion that Triss was right. Every thing he did around his dad indeed was bribed or blackmailed. Lance's earthquake suddenly was moved away from the vehicles and around a certain point between him and Drake. It took Lance a moment before realizing that Drake was working against him.
"What do you think you're doing?" Lance snarled, trying hard to overpower his son.
"Leave her alone," Drake gasped, indicating Kitty.
The two struggled against each other as Rogue and Kurt ushered Kitty towards the one van as she tried to look on in fear for her son.
"We can't just leave him here!" she exclaimed.
"Kitty, you idiot!" Rogue exclaimed, "We are four hours into the woods by car. There is no one at the institute to bring the jet out here to find us, so that means were driving for nearly four hours, and you're infamous for having fast labors! Put two and two together, for heavens sakes!"
"Mom, we don't know how long Drake can hold Lance, we have to get out of here while we have the chance," Triss exclaimed, looking back at her half brother in worry.
Kitty knew this deep down and allowed Kurt to help her into one of the seats, while Triss helped Nate into the very back, along with Will who was keeping Nate's broken arm encased in ice. Rogue seated herself in the driver's seat, as she was quite a good driver, and Kaye climbed in and sat shotgun. Rogue looked out the window quickly to make sure everyone was situated in one of the trucks and started the car in hopes of leaving the scene as quickly as possible. Every person in the van, except Rogue, looked back at Drake and Lance's struggle. Drake turned for a moment to see if his friends had gotten away, and didn't notice the tall, unsteady pine that was swaying dangerously due to the large tremors circling around father and son. The tree swayed for a moment on the spot, before falling and landing on both Lance and Drake, blocking all view of the two. Triss whimpered, Kurt and Nate stared open mouthed in disbelief, Kaye sat in grave silence, and Kitty wept silently.
"Excuse me for being this straight forward, but do you think he's dead?" Kaye quietly asked the shocked car.
"I don't know," Kurt answered, his arm around Kitty's shuddering form.
The group rode quietly, and the silence was only broken when one of Kitty's contractions hit, making her tense up and often moan softly. The car would then grow quiet again and it would be a good thirty to forty minutes before anything else happened. The grimly silent drive lasted for about an hour and a half before Kitty's contractions became closer together and increasingly more painful. Kitty had her face buried in Kurt's shoulder as he rubbed a comforting hand over her lower back, which was hurting badly. As Kitty's soft moans turned into loud shouts, everyone realized that this promised to be another speedy labor and that they were running out of time.
"What are we going to do? What if we don't get Mom back to the Institute in time?" Triss whispered to Nate after their mother emitted a piercing yell of distress.
"I have no idea," he answered, wincing quietly due to his broken arm. "If we do get back in time, it'll be a close one."
Triss nodded as Will kept Nate's icy cast from melting.
"Do you think Auntie Rogue can drive any faster without running into a tree or something?" Nate asked, watching his father's hand be crushed by his mother.
Kaye looked back at the three from the front, having overheard them due to her fairly new, though improved hearing. She mouthed, 'I'll see,' before turning to her mother to ask her to go a little faster. After Kaye had spoken to her, Rouge exclaimed, "Of course I'll go faster. I was wondering if Will's parents would be happy with me going eighty, and I wasn't sure so I just decided not to. At this point though, no offense Will, but I'm speeding up whether your parents like it or not."
Will smiled, as he loved nothing more than going near eighty in a car, because his mother never went too much above seventy. He cackled softly as he heard the engine roar, watching Rogue in her element. It didn't take long for the other vehicles to catch on, and the soon sped up as well. Even with their increased speed, the others couldn't keep up with Rogue because even if they were going the same pace, their steering couldn't rival Rogue's. The rest often took a bit of a roundabout way around things while Rogue just cut a straight line through the trees. By the time the van skidded in front of the Institute, Rogue had been able to take about twenty minutes off the four hour drive. Kitty could barely walk, for her knees buckled in anguish, so Kurt and Rogue had to help her from both sides. The others shortly pulled up in front of the immense building also, following the three inside. Hank McCoy soon took charge of Kitty's predicament, being a doctor, and got her down stairs to the infirmary at once. Kaye, Triss, Nate, and Will met down in the lower levels not far from the sick bay, while most of the others dispersed down the hall into one of the two rec. rooms located in the mansion. Rogue was also outside the sickbay, sitting close by.
"That is one impatient baby," Kaye commented, nodding towards the infirmary.
The rest nodded in agreement.
"I really thought we'd have more time than we did," Triss said, remarking on how her mother had barely made it to the infirmary before she began to deliver.
They sat here like this for a good while, making the odd comment here and there, and listening to Kitty's agonized screams. The foursome waited quietly, especially Will. Since he wasn't in the family, Will didn't have much to say, and was just there to keep ice on Nate's arm to prevent swelling. The small party was sitting in their stupor when a deafening shriek was heard from Kitty, followed by a thin wailing cry. The group sat up straight instantly. Triss and Nate smiled, while Kaye and Rogue's mouths twitched ever so slightly. Kaye sat, seemingly looking at the ceiling for a moment, before turning to Nate and asking, "Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?"
Nate shook his head.
"I bet you ten dollars it's a girl," Kaye challenged him.
"Ok, sure," Nate replied, looking at Kaye who had a mysteriously confident face on.
Mr. McCoy peeked around the door and motioned them in. Will stayed outside the infirmary, and went down the hall towards the others. Triss and Nate walked in, followed by Kaye and Rogue to find Kitty, who was exhausted, but overjoyed all the same. She smiled at them, cradling the new edition to the family.
Triss was ecstatic about the new baby, and was at the bedside in a trice, peering at the tiny bundle.
"Is it a boy?" Nate asked, none too keen on parting with ten dollars.
"No, it's a girl," Kitty chuckled, seeing the look about Nate's face as Kaye held her hand out expectantly.
Nate assured Kaye that he would pay her, when he got the money.
"What's her name?" Rogue asked from the corner.
"We haven't decided yet," Kurt replied, smiling down upon the slightly cross-eyed and bemused face of his new daughter.
"She's so cute!" Triss tittered, making the baby turn to her big sister in surprise. The tiny newborn looked very similar to her big sister, including blue skin, a tail, and misty yellow eyes.
Kaye walked over and looked at the infant from a fairly large distance.
"Kaye, you look like you're at a fine arts museum, the way you're looking at her," Kitty giggled.
"No, actually she has to touch everything in the fine arts museum," Rogue sighed, "She's touched the Liberty Bell, and I think even 'Starry Night'."
"When did you see 'Starry Night'?" Triss asked in wonderment.
Kaye smiled and said, "It was in Atlanta a couple years ago, and we went to go see it before they shipped it back off to Europe. We got thrown out after I almost chipped some of the paint cause it wasn't stuck to the canvas too well."
"How come security didn't catch you before?" Kurt laughed.
"I have my ways," Kaye answered, her eyes shifting a bit.
"So, are you going to name her at all, or just call her it?" Nate asked.
"We're trying to think of something that fits her." answered Kitty.
"What do you mean?" Triss asked in a confused tone.
"Same way we knew you were a Triss and not an Ashley," Kurt replied.
"Oh, I get it," Triss stated.
"So, any ideas?" Nate asked curiously.
"Hmm, well, I don't think she looks like an Ashley either," Kitty remarked, "What do you think, Kurt?"
But Kurt was in the next room, talking in rapid German to his parents.
"Do you think it would be bad to wait to name her? I mean, it sounds sorta weird to me, but I don't think we wanna name her something that doesn't fit her either," Triss asked, peeking at her sister from another angle, as if it would help her think easier.
"I don't think it would be bad, we sat for almost half a day before we came up with Triss. I promise you we aren't going let her go without a name," Kitty smiled.
Once Kurt hung up the phone, he resumed his place beside Kitty. Hank appeared from an adjoining room, and called Nate over to him to have a look at the broken arm.
"Well, you sure have done a number on your arm, Nate. I'm pretty sure you've broken both bones in your arm, but I'll do an x-ray to make sure," The gentle giant informed Nate.
Nate breathed sharply as Beast prodded his arm lightly, feeling where the breaks were. After he had taken an x-ray, it was clear that Nate had in fact broken both bones.
"I'm going to set your arm now, Nate. First, you'll get an injection, to help with pain"
Nate quailed at the mention of a shot.
"It'll be worse if you don't take the shot, Nate," Hank warned.
"Oh, please take it Nate. Remember when I broke my ankle, and I didn't take the shot? It was horrible," Triss wailed.
But Nate refused, and was soon sorry. Hank McCoy took Nate's arm, and jerked the bones back in to place with a tremendous squeeze on the broken limb. Nate yowled loudly, after which he whispered, "I should have taken the shot, I should have taken the shot."
Nate's eyes glistened with unshed tears as Beast commenced to putting a plaster cast around his arm. The whole time, Triss clung to her twin's good hand, looking quite upset that Nate was in such pain. After the cast had dried, Nate ran over to his parents, for emotional support. Kaye tried hard not to laugh, after which Nate frowned at her from the folds of his father's shirt. Rogue and Kaye left to go find Remy, and soon Triss and Nate left to go find a shower, as they were both filthy. Everyone in the Institute stopped by to see the new baby, and soon went about their way. Kitty fell asleep quickly, out of weariness, followed by the rest of the Institute because it was getting quite late. Many hours later, around one in the morning, Kitty was brought out of her sleep by the baby's small squeal. She looked over, to see that Kurt hasn't woken up, though Kitty had always said he could sleep through a hurricane. Kitty lifted herself carefully from her bed, and padded over towards the bawling infant. She lifted her daughter from the crib that had been brought down to the infirmary, and rocked her until she stopped crying.
"What are we going to do with you?" Kitty whispered, remarking on how the baby didn't have a name yet. No one could find anything that suited the child. Kitty then heard a rustling out in the hallway. She stopped to listen, thinking it was just her imagination, when she heard it again. Kitty frowned, wondering who would be down in the lower levels at one in the morning, when whatever was coming down the hall ran right into the door to the sickbay. Kitty was really starting to get uneasy, and she awakened Kurt without a word. He blinked sleepily, but came wide awake as he heard someone grasp the doorknob and walk over the threshold. Amazingly, the baby was wide awake, but had stayed quiet, until whoever who had been feeling around for the light switch, stumbled and fell. A noisy crash followed, after which Triss, Nate, Kaye, and Rogue appeared in the room, turning on the lights. They found Kitty and Kurt, standing curiously in a corner with the now screeching infant, and a very confused Drake, in a heap on the floor. Everyone's eyes grew wide seeing Drake, and they wondered how he had gotten back to the Institute. Kitty handed Kurt the baby, and immediately was at Drake's side, trying her best to help him up. By now, the Professor, Hank, and over half of the Institute was standing in or around the doorway, looking curiously at the scene before them. Drake stood, swaying, and then sat down hard on the bed. Triss then noticed that her half-brother's right foot was badly mangled, and notified Beast. Mr. McCoy stitched and bandaged it, the whole time the room was silent. Hank broke the silence by saying, "Your foot's really badly lamed, Drake. You'll be able to walk on it again, but I suspect you'll have a limp afterwards. There's no telling how bad of a limp now, but if you stay off that foot, it probably won't be that bad."
Drake nodded, looking at the floor as he wasn't too keen on all this attention he was getting. Kitty couldn't stand it any longer. She had been trying not to embarrass her son, but couldn't restrain herself any longer and clung to her son, crying tears of joy that he was okay. Drake hugged his mother back, not caring that Kaye was making no effort to conceal her laughter. Drake looked back at Triss and Nate, who were standing in a corner with their father, and baby sister, trying their best to look unobtrusive. He smiled at them and said, "Thanks guys."
"For what?" Triss asked curiously.
"For not ditching me," he replied.
"You're welcome," they grinned in unison.
Drake then heard a small wail, and saw the squirming little bundle of blankets that was his new sister.
"Would you like to meet your new sist-"Kitty paused as she remembered Drake's last reaction to Triss and Nate being called his siblings.
"Yeah, I'd love to meet my new sister," he replied, as the little baby was placed in his arms.
"What's her name?" he asked.
"We can't think of one that's appropriate for her," Kitty said
"Hmmmm, how 'bout Iris? Iris Leah Wagner?" He suggested.
"That's so pretty, Drake," Triss whispered.
"I like that," Kitty smiled warmly, "Iris Leah Wagner it is."