Although it was already past two am, Pietro could not sleep. The shock of seeing his child had given him insomnia. He sighed deeply. He turned to face his bedside table. A worn, faded photo was propped up against the lamp.

It was taken at the Brotherhood during Christmas, the year he and Kitty got together. He smiled at the photo. They didn't have a care in the world then. According to Wanda, who grudgingly agreed, that they did make a good couple. Of course, that was before he threw it all away, in an attempt to impress his father.

Pietro groaned and placed the photo face down. He glanced at the digital clock. It was barely two-thirty. Forget it, he thought as he resigned himself to a sleepless night. He did not stay awake for long as light breathing soon filled the room.

-------------

Ten minutes later and about a good two miles away, Kitty was stroking Alex's hair as he snuggled further into his blankets. She gazed lovingly at her son. Her son was the only good thing she had going in her life, despite her parents deciding that Alex was a big mistake.

Unconsciously, she bit her lip. After four years, why did Pietro have to come back? There was a big hullabaloo when Kitty admitted to being pregnant. Logan, Scott, Piotr, Remy and even John had offered to pretend to be the father but she had declined. She stood strong and even took in the insults and hurtful remarks others made about her being a slut for sleeping around.

When Alex was born, she thought it would be fine but she was wrong. How much he screamed and wailed at night, demanding to be fed or a diaper change or just to be held. Kitty remembered that night Wanda, feeling her responsibility as the child's aunt and godmother, took Alex for the night. That was the first night Kitty had more than three hours of sleep and that was the same night Wanda swore never to have children. Kitty had to giggle at that memory.

Alex turned and hugged Lockheed, the stuffed purple dragon Kitty used to own. Kitty smiled at his actions before heading for her own bedroom, desperate for sleep.

--------------

There was the faint clinking of cutlery and the smell of pancakes when Kitty woke up. Three year old Alex was sitting next to her pillow. "Good morning, Alex. Did you sleep well?"

Alex tilted his head slightly as though deep in thought. "Yeah. Grandpa Logan's here." He announced, grinning and showing all his baby teeth.

Kitty smiled and ruffled her son's hair. "Go join him then. Mommy will be out in ten minutes."

When Kitty entered the kitchen, she had to smile. Alex was busy smearing chocolate sauce all over his pancake while Logan sipping his coffee and keeping an eye on the already hyperactive toddler. He looked up and nodded to Kitty. "Morning, half-pint. Got your breakfast ready since I know you can't cook." Logan's mouth twitched as he said that.

Kitty blushed. No matter how well she could cook now, nobody was ever going to let Kitty live down her inability to cook in her teen years. Hell, she couldn't even boil water then. She sat across Logan and began eating. "So, half-pint, when you going to tell me that Maximoff visited you last night?"

Damn, she was busted. Kitty looked at Alex who was happily licking his fingers clean of chocolate. The only one who would have told Logan would be her own son. Kitty looked down at her lap before facing Logan. "He turned up last night. We talked a little bit when the little one made his appearance."

Logan chuckled a bit before replying, "The kid's like his dad. Always one for grand entrances. So what happened then?"

"Nothing," Kitty answered truthfully, "I mean, he was shocked and that practically killed any conversation we were having. Then I asked him to leave. End of story, Logan."

Logan frowned. He knew there was probably more to the story but if Kitty wasn't ready to say, then he wouldn't push her. His gaze fell to his 'grandson'. What would Pietro want with Kitty and their son?

Kitty was asking herself the same question. Did she want Pietro in Alex's life? Does she even want Pietro in HER life?

"Hey, half-pint. I gotta make a move but John said he'll drop by later if he can. Watch out for the kid and yourself. I don't trust the Maximoff kid." Logan said, standing up and chuckled again as Alex squirted chocolate sauce over himself.

Kitty nodded as he mussed up Alex's hair before kissing her forehead, like a father- she thought. Unlike someone who ran away, she seethed angrily as she started clearing up the mess Alex had made.

------

A pair of hands covered her eyes, Kitty stiffened. "Hey, sheila." Someone whispered into her ear.

Kitty relaxed and phased out of John's grasp. "Hi, uncle Pyro!" Alex greeted as Kitty tied up his shoelaces.

"I'll take him," John told Kitty before turning his attention to Alex, "Hey, mate. Where's mommy bringing ya now?"

Alex stared at John. "The park, silly. Mommy brings me there every Saturday afternoon."

John turned and faced Kitty, an eyebrow raised. "Sarcasm at his age? I think I'm going to die of shock."

Kitty giggled as John picked Alex and put him on his shoulders. "Up ya go, little tyke. You've got a horse to ride there now."

"No, I don't," Alex replied in a matter-of-fact tone, "I only got a ride from you and that's boring."

Mother and son's laughter rang through the air before John and Alex started a childish argument which in Kitty's opinion was extremely amusing to watch as she slipped her arm into John's as they set off together to the park.

----------------

Pietro watched as Pyro left together with Kitty and Alex. He was boiling with jealousy. Who did that Australian maniac think he was, making a move on Kitty? It seemed like Alex was very close to that pyromaniac as well. Had he been replaced?

Nails digging deep into his palms, Pietro zoomed off in his convertible. He needed to see someone for answers and he knew the very person who would tell him.

Less than ten minutes later, Pietro was back at the Brotherhood house. He had to snicker at Lance's appearance. His thick, black hair was disheveled, his eyes glazed with sleep, Lance yawned before letting Pietro in.

"It's been too long, Pietro." He muttered.

"We're getting old," Pietro smirked, "I didn't see you last night."

Lance tossed him a look. "I was working."

Pietro nodded, remembering Wanda telling him that Lance did the night shift at the local mechanics which helped pay his tuition fees at the local college.

Lance yawned again. "Look, let's not beat around the bush. I know you came to see about something and it isn't concerning my welfare so get to it."

Pietro raised an eyebrow. Apparently, Lance did pick up some tact since Pietro had left. "I want to know about Kitty." He paused, to watch Lance's reaction, "Since I left."

Lance's eyes clouded with an emotion Pietro could not identify before he started. "Well, she was pretty crushed. I mean, she wakes up one day and you're gone. You were her emotional pillar, and when you left, she took it really hard. She withdrew from everyone for two weeks or so before she finally confessed to Rogue about everything."

"Wolverine, Cyclops, Gambit, Pyro and I offered to pretend to be the father but she rejected it. She said it was complicated. It was a real pity though, especially in school. I remembered the cheerleaders calling her a whore, first time I saw Wanda and Rogue as a team, they attacked the cheerleaders." Lance stopped as though reminiscing.

Pietro waited patiently but seeing that Lance was not about to continue any time soon, he prodded him. "What about the Pyro fellow?"

"Oh, him. Yeah. The Acolytes moved in with the X-Men about a month after you left. They claimed Mags was gone and they only wanted shelter. That's when it gets really weird. It was kind of surprising. He and Kitty get along fine. Too well, if you asked me. Back to the point, Pyro, Gambit, Wolverine, Rogue, Wanda and Kitty became really close. I think it was because they were all concerned about Kitty and her baby then."

"When Alex was born, Kitty named Gambit and Pyro as the godfathers, Rogue and Wanda as his godmothers. Wolverine became his unofficial grandparent, seeing that her family refused to see the child and she wasn't about to tell Mags about Alex. He's a good kid. I saw him a couple of weeks ago during Gambit and Rogue's wedding. He was the ring bearer, absolutely charming."

Lance finally stopped looking at Pietro. His friend looked miserable. Pietro looked at Lance. "I screwed it up. I should never have left, it was all because of my desire to please my father, that I forgot what was important to me. I think she hates me now, Lance."

Lance got up and strode to the window. He looked out but not really seeing anything. "What do you expect? You broke her heart, Pietro. Did you think that upon seeing you, she'll kiss and make love to you and you two will live happily ever after? This isn't a goddamn after school show, man. She's moved on, and maybe you should too."

Pietro silently exited. Judging from Lance's look, he knew that Lance was still in love with Kitty. He should not have asked from Lance. Lance had hated Pietro so much when Pietro went steady with Kitty, even more so when he found out that they had slept together after being together for a year.

Then again, Lance did make sense. Pietro threw away everything he had that night he ran away. He lost his friends, their trust and most importantly, he lost Kitty. This was his own fault. Pietro clenched his fists, he was going to try and win Kitty back.

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i know, this isn't the most original idea but it kinda got stuck in my head so i'm gonna continue with it. i'm so addicted with x-men evo!