chapter 14 - 'rescued'

Kurt's re-entry was rough, being a blind port there was no way for him to even calculate how far off the ground he needed to be, but at least he could be thankful that he was all in one piece. He reappeared about 3 feet from the ground and tried his best to gracefully reposition himself for a landing. With a few agile twists he was just able to land on all fours, wincing a little when his wounded arm took the majority of his weight.

One quick glance and he knew that he was in one of the mansion's deep underground storage rooms that were used to hold spare parts to the Institutes numerous technologically advanced vehicles. He quickly stood and scanned the room for Kitty, knowing that if he had ported here, then she had to be nearby.

"Keety!" He called out as he frantically searched for her in the cavernous like room.

He moved to the wall nearest him when he heard a familiar crackling sound. It was the sound that he associated with the shorting out of circuits whose connections had been broken due to an intangible object passing through. He stared in the direction of the noise, trying to pin-point just where beyond the wall she could be.

Suddenly a hand reached out right at his eye level, followed briefly by another arm and the panic stricken face of his best friend. She was deep below the surface and he just barely saw her icy blue eyes before they disappeared back into the dull metal surface.

"Keety!" Kurt screamed out as he tried to reach for her, only to have her fingers pass through his and then follow the rest of her down into the surface.

Kurt jumped to the wall, banging his fists against it in a futile hope that he somehow could pass into it as well.

He quickly tried to place in his mind what was beyond this room, only to conclude that it was at the perimeter of the house surrounded only by earth.

"Help!" He screamed out, not knowing what else he could do and praying that Jean had attempted to follow him.

"Keety, please. If you can hear me, concentrate on my voice." He was still shouting although his tone was now more of a plea.

"Bitte Gott, help mein friend." He quietly prayed.

What seemed like an eternity to him had passed when a fingertip just barely pushed it's way up through the floor.

"Keety! I'm right here! Please, you're almost here!"

Soon her hands and wrists were visible as she reached out for something to grab onto. Already kneeling above her, Kurt grabbed for her delicate hands which were thankfully solid and he helped to pull her up.

As soon as her face broke through, he could see her visibly gasp for air in large breathes. He continued to help pull her up until she had entirely emerged from the floor and almost collapsed on top of him.

"Oh Gott, Keety." He could almost cry he was so relieved.

She continued taking in sharp breathes as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"Oh God, I thought I was going to suffocate." She clutched at Kurt and buried her face in his chest, crying into him as he wrapped his arms tightly around her.

In another heartbeat, Nightcrawler had teleported the pair to the infirmary, where Dr. 'Beast' McCoy, who had been alerted by Jean, ran to their sides and began checking Kitty's vitals.

Time went by in a blur as the doctor insisted that he run every possible test on Kitty to find out what was wrong. While Jean and Hank hovered around the exam table, drawing blood and hooking up machinery; the entire time Kurt was right by her side holding her hand.

After the two doctors were thoroughly satisfied that they had accomplished every possible test, they finally set up a room for Kitty to stay in for the night for observation.

Everything seemed to finally be calming down and and Kitty and Kurt found themselves alone in her room. Kitty was sitting cross-legged on top of her hospital bed while Kurt was in the chair beside it. An uneasiness came over the two of them as they both recalled the fight they had had the last time they had talked.

The room was quiet except for the swishing sound of Kurt's tail moving back and forth and softly brushing along the floor.

"Keety." He spoke up and she turned to face him. "I am so sorry, I vas being a royal ass earlier, this vas all my fault." He paused and looked away, unable to meet her eyes.

"No." She replied. "It was my fault too. I've been thinking about how I asked you earlier and it's no wonder that you took it the wrong way. I'm sorry too Kurt."

He looked up at her, happily surprised by her acceptance of his apology.

"Kurt," She added. "thank you for coming after me. I know that it was risky for you to make a blind port... but I'm glad that you did, you saved my life." She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled, not knowing what she could possibly do to show her gratitude.

At her touch, he looked up and met her pale blue eyes. He knew right then that he would do it again if needed, he would do anything for her. "Sie sind willkommen"

They sat in silence again, both content in the fact that they had resolved their fight. But, they were not alone for long, shortly there after word of Kitty's scare that afternoon had made it's way around the mansion and any of the students came down a few at a time to check in on their friend.

Kurt occupied his chair in the corner of the small room and sat back to watch as the swarm of worried friends came by to visit his Katzchen. "My Katzchen?" he thought to himself, "when did I start to think of her as mine?"

Later in the evening the visitors began to dwindle and Rogue took the opportunity to bring a tray of dinner to her hungry friend. Rogue set the tray on the small hospital bed for Kitty and pulled up one of the empty chairs next to her brother. She was followed by Bobby who came in carrying another two trays full of food who passed them off to Kurt.

"Danke!" Kurt exclaimed as he gratefully accepted the meal and began to dig in.

"We figured you two would be hungry." Bobby responded to the pair's words of thanks as they happily ate.

Rogue lowered her voice and whispered casually into her brother's ear, "Ah figured you'd sooner die of starvation then leave her side."

Kurt looked up at her with wide eyes and a bit of food on his face as he obviously swallowed a rather large mouthful.

Rogue merely smiled in a sly sort of way.

The four sat and talked while Kurt and Kitty finished their meals. Eventually the conversation shifted to prom and Kurt shyly avoided saying anything at all. he was quite relieved in fact, when Dr. McCoy entered the room causing their conversation to end long before it could go anywhere.

"It is getting to be quite late and I think that we should allow Miss Pryde to get a good nights sleep." He calmly announced from the doorway.

"Alright." Rogue answered solemnly, having enjoyed her time chatting with her roommate.

Rogue, Bobby and Kurt stood and began to collect all of the emptied dishes back onto the trays as Hank studied the various monitors connected to Kitty.

"Kurt, if you could please stay behind." Hank looked back over his shoulder at the young teen.

Kurt glanced at Kitty, who gave him a shrug, indicating that she didn't know what it was about. Rogue too, looked a bit confused and disappointed as to why he got to stay and she didn't.

"Well, goodnight." Bobby said, taking Rogue's gloved hand and leading her towards the doorway.

"Rest up girl," the white streaked goth called back to Kitty. "Don't think ah'm gonna let you miss yer senior prom!"

"I'm highly confident that it will no longer be an issue." Beast assured her as he closed the door behind the pair, turning his attention back to Kurt who was now leaning against the end of the bed.

"What have you found out?" Kitty perked up at Hank's positive response.

"I should have some more conclusive evidence by morning, but I don't see any reason why you would have to miss your dance." He stated first, knowing that Kitty would be glad to hear that.

"That being said," he continued, "I would like to keep you here for the night for observation."

Kitty nodded.

"And as long as Kurt here doesn't protest, I would like him to stay nearby to assure you get a good night's rest."

Kitty could feel herself blushing, thinking back to the previous night she had spent in Kurt's bed. She felt her pulse quicken at the memory and a little bit of nervousness about whether or not the doctor knew about their sleeping arrangements.

Seemingly oblivious to her thought, Hank gestured to the neighboring hospital bed that sat lined up near the one Kitty occupied in the small cramped room.

She also noticed the blush on Kurt's cheeks as he went to sit on the other bed, having obviously had the same thought as herself.

So, I take it zhat you still have the same prognosis? Zhat, I have to be near Keety for her powers to stay in check?" Kurt asked as he hopped up onto the bed.

"I am still looking into that for the time being, but we may as well stick with what works for now." The larger blue man stated. "I think I'm on to something and hopefully I will have a better idea by morning."

"Well then," He stated to himself as he appeared to have finished whatever it was he had been monitoring. "Goodnight you two, get some rest. I will be next door in the lab if you need anything."

After he left the room, once again an uncomfortable silence washed over the two friends as they considered everything that had happened over the last few days.

"Thanks for staying with me," Kitty spoke up. "I know it must be totally annoying." She spun around on her bed, repositioning herself so that she faced Kurt on the other.

"Hey, if it keeps you safe, I don't mind." He answered, smiling his brightest, hoping to soothe his concerned friend.

They both sat quietly now on the edge of their respective beds, feet dangling over the side. There had been only enough room between the two beds to just barely walk between, so their knees were almost bumping into each other.

Kitty took in her friend's features as best she could in the dimly lit room. They had earlier cleared all misunderstandings concerning the previous argument, but he still appeared troubled. She hated seeing him like this, and felt the strong need to express her feelings towards him.

"Kurt," She paused before bridging the gap between them and placing her hand on top of his. She smiled inwardly when he did not flinch from her touch.

"I want to make sure that you understand what you mean to me." She continued softly, and his glowing pale eyes raised to look into hers.

Kurt's insides froze at this statement. He knew that he had shown too much over these last few days as he strived to protect her. He had never intended for her to know just how much he cared about her, he was willing to repress his feelings and be content as merely friends. He just wasn't willing to actually hear her say this to him. If things were left unspoken, then he could leave the rest to his imagination and just assume that she carried an unreciprocated love for him as well, but as soon as she told him the "we're just friends" speech out loud, he knew that his false hopes would crumble. He tried desperately to think of something to say to keep her from uttering those very words.

"Keety..." He muttered, hoping the rest would come to him soon.

"Kurt let me finish, I wanted to tell you...I wanted to tell you that I - "

"Hey half-pint." Wolverine grunted as he unexpectedly entered the room, startling the two teens to jump back, and effectively cutting off whatever Kitty had been about to say.

"Elf." Logan added as a greeting upon spotting the blue teen on the bed next to Kitty's.

"Hi Mr. Logan, wha... what's up?" Kitty tried and failed to act casually.

"Just thought I would come by to check on you is all." He glanced about the room before adding, "Does McCoy have blue staying in here too?" He gestured over his shoulder towards Kurt.

"Yeah, just for precautions." She answered simply, a slight warmth in her cheeks.

"Well, you get better kid, I wouldn't want you to miss your big dance." The man known for good reason as "The Wolverine" said in his rare fatherly voice.

"Thanks." Kitty replied, smiling at his soft side.

"Get some sleep you two." He finished, but not before awkwardly stepping between the two beds just enough so that he could pull the curtain, separating them.

As he left the room, he flicked the switch off on the last few remaining lights in the room. Kurt made his way under the covers and anxiously listened for the door to close and Wolverine's steps to disappear down the hall.

He still wasn't sure what Kitty had been trying to tell him before she had been interrupted, but he was still fairly certain that he didn't want to hear it.

"I don't vant to go to prom, Keety." Kurt spoke quickly, his words spilling from his mouth in an attempt to stop her from finishing.

"oh." The noise left her mouth as hardly a word. A rare moment of finding herself speechless.

"Not because of you." He added, after her almost silent response.

"Then why?" She tried to sound indifferent as she watched his faint silhouette through the curtains

"I... I just don't want to deal with it." He stated. "Everyvone knows vhat I really look like, yet I still hid behind this stupid disguise. I am tired of pretending to be somezhing that I am not. I just vant to be done with school and everything else."

He felt a weight lift off of his shoulders as he finally understood the reasons himself. He also managed to avoid adding, that if he was going to attend a dance with Kitty, he didn't want it to be because her powers weren't working. Never did he think that she might just want to go with him, even before this whole fiasco with their powers.

"Oh, ok, I can understand that."

She took in his answer, understanding how he felt, but not being able to help, but feel a bit disappointed. She reluctantly climbed under the covers, and switched off the small bedside lamp next to her.

Darkness swept through the room emphasizing the silence that hung off her last words.

"I mean, unless you need me to be there." he spoke quietly and kindly from behind the curtain.

"No. I'm sure that I'll be fine." She said simply, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

She laid there for a few minutes and realized that Kurt must have already began to drift off as she could no longer see the faint glow of his eyes through the curtain. She blinked back more tears and rolled over, willing sleep to take her.

End chapter 14 - 'rescued'

Author's note: I know, I know. How dare I show my face around here. But seriously, I have never truly forgotten this fic and I am determined to finish it, even if there's no one left to read it.