Disclaimer – I don't own them!
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Slowly opening her eyes to the sound of the insistent beeping of her alarm, Kitty found that her nose was pressed right against the wall, or more exactly, the bright pink poster she had running along the wall beside her bed.
Groaning, she curled up in her pink covers before, finally, decided that she really should turn that alarm off before she was yelled at. Sitting up and swinging her feet onto the cold floor, she winced at icy feeling and made her way across the room to turn the alarm off.
Silence filled the air around her and, with a slow glance, she sighed. Same old room, same old life. The basement was dark, dingy and still smelt of damp despite her parents best attempts to 'brighten' it up.
Bright pink did not contrast well with grey cement wall and grey cement floor. Padding over the icy ground and wishing she had fur not for the first time or the last time, she was startled to realise that there was a thin layer of frost on it. Was it approaching winter already?
Sighing, she sat on the bed and wondered, not for the first time or the last time no doubt, what it would be like to walk outside in all the seasons. She had been out once, during Halloween when her family had a barbecue. The fake fur gloves hurt her hands since having five fingers was pretty unusual but the mask felt comforting then.
Pausing to look in the mirror, she couldn't help but feel the well of self pity suddenly open up in front of her. She wasn't 'pretty unusual', she was ugly. No fur, no tail, abnormal hands and feet and even her eyes, teeth and ears looked all wrong.
Kitty Pride was a freak of nature.
Glancing as the door to the basement was unlocked; she quickly ran over to her bed and hid underneath it, waiting and worrying.
"It's alright, Kitty, it's only me." Her mothers voice was soft, almost a purr, like everyone's voices – the ones on the radio and the ones that graced the soft furred faces on the television she sometimes was allowed to watch with her parents.
Getting out, she hugged her mother, smiling as she buried her face in the thick warm fur that was of a soft beige colour, the woman's hair was the same brown as her own but fell in soft waves round her furred face. Glowing blue eyes wrinkled into half moons as she laughed.
"Come on Kitty, I'm not a teddy bear." Gently pushing her daughter away, the woman busied her hands tidying the room, her spaded tail neatly sorting out the various stuffed animals as her three fingered hands sorted the bed. "Its lovely and cool today, winter will be approaching soon." The woman smiled again. "Do you want me to turn the heating on for you down here?"
Kitty cringed, knowing full well that no one else used heating at this time of the year, in fact, no ordinary person used heating at all except to dry their fur straight after their bath, and even then it was a standing blow dryer – sort of like a shower fitted with half a dozen hair dryers.
Apparently wet fur was awful to have in cold weather, not that Kitty would ever know seeing as she was practically hairless.
"Its fine mum." Kitty pulled on a jumper quickly. "Can I use the shower?"
"Of course, honey, but your father is having guests round for lunch…"
Even though it was said so casually, Kitty knew the urgency behind that comment. It seemed that today, like nearly everyday, she would have to remain locked in the basement, staying quiet in case she was discovered.
It wasn't her fault she looked like a demon – but sometimes it felt as if it did.
"Its fine, mum, don't worry, I have this really interesting book to read."
"That's brilliant Kitty; would you like me to get you anything today at the shops?"
Kitty thought for a moment. A fake fur suit? A life? "Could you get me some more blue wool? I haven't got enough to finish the blanket I'm knitting." She in fact hated the hobby but it helped to hold off boredom, the blank grey walls would have easily driven her insane otherwise. And books only helped for so long.
"Of course. Whose blanket is this for?"
"Dads birthday – but don't tell him." Kitty smiled, watching her mothers dazzling fanged grin, knowing full well that even though her mothers was so open and carefree, there was something a little forced behind it.
Kitty's own was nothing but fake, a cheap imitation to the beautiful fanged smiles she saw on the television and on her parents.
How she wished she looked normal.
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"Nothing gets the fur as sleek and glossy as…" The television droned on in the background as, glancing nervously to check that the blinds were all shut, Kitty ran for the bathroom, which was still full of steam from previous use.
Even then it wasn't all that warm and, dragging off the three jumpers she was wearing, Kitty sighed and dumped them in a heap. She had knitted all of them, and as a result, they were just about the baggiest, lumpiest jumpers you could ever see. Her other clothes weren't that much better, being a 'secret daughter' and all.
But her knitting had improved drastically, she had to admit as, avoiding the standing drier, she slipped into the shower and glanced at the automatic self cleaning drain that guaranteed no fur should ever block it.
The thing looked like it belonged on a horror show, not in such a quaint house. Grasping the dial in both hands, Kitty finally turned the hot water on and cursed the way her fingers were more suited for small, nimble things. At least that was one thing she knew she was good at, no one could quite sew such tiny stitches as she.
And open pickle jars.
Finishing the hot shower – the only time she ever felt happily warm in the house which was kept at an ice cold temperature since, as her mother explained when Kitty was very little, ordinary people walked around wearing thick coats of fur whereas Kitty had none.
But Kitty had jumpers to combat that.
They were a very poor substitute she decided as, after drying herself with a towel and using the drier for her hair which fell to her waist, her only crowning glory, she got dressed and headed back down the stairs, smiling at the set of brushes hanging in the hallway.
She remembered when she was little her mother bruising her hair with one of those brushes, and then she brushed her mothers arm in a fit of giggles. It was summer then and the house was covered in a fine layer of fur.
Passing the 'fur buster' – a hoover that looked like a small mammoth with the capability of removing about three inches of hair off any surface with its long nozzle and it even came with a pair of floppy looking ears that were actually spare bags for it. Hoovers came with a five year guarantee, in her house one had never lasted five months.
Her father bumped into her and, cuddling her, grinned. "Hello Kitty, guess what great news I got?"
"The promotion?"
"Not just a promotion but even a company car!" He laughed, flashing his sharp fangs as he spun her in a circle, twirling himself and knocking over several pictures with his tail. "I can't wait to give it a test drive!"
Kitty only smiled thinly as her father hopped about in a circle before proceeding to hop about on the walls. Another thing she lacked, that natural cat like agility that, even though wasn't good enough to actually climb a wall, was good enough for them to spring from any and all surfaces.
She suddenly felt extremely clumsy as she walked into the kitchen, checking to make sure the blinds where closed in there also. They weren't, so she had to retreat quickly and, after a moment, she returned to her basement room and simply sighed.
Picking up her knitting needles, she started to stave off the madness she was positive was approaching inside as surely as a shadow.
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The day started out like every other day, waking up to face the bright pink poster in her bright pink bed to the insistent alarm, getting out to walk over the freezing floor to turn it off and then bundling on as many layers as necessary as she waited for her mother to come down.
Although she had to hide every time, just in case it wasn't her mother.
This day, her mother came down looking both nervous and excited, sitting down only to get up straight away, her tail twitching continuously.
Kitty just waited.
"Kitty, honey, I was on the phone to someone last night and…" She sighed, lashing her tail sharply. "I was phoned last night by a professor Charles Xavier."
"Does it have to do with dad? I thought he talked with lecturers, not professors though." She watched as her mother laughed.
"They phoned about you."
Freezing, Kitty felt an icy panic take hold of her – had she been found? Who saw her? Did she do something she shouldn't have? When did she break her precautions? Was this about the…'phasing' incident?
Her mother laughed and hugged her, stroking her long hair as though it was fur in soothing strokes. "You weren't seen, don't worry, he runs a school for people like you – those born who are different from other people, I believe he said 'unique' and he wants you to join."
"But, I'm…"
"He asked for you, Kitty, he told me he could help you use your…ability." The woman's tail started to flick nervously as she remembered her daughter falling through the ceiling. "Kitty, I won't force you to go but…" Suddenly she sobbed. "You cant just live in this basement forever – it's not a life for you! I want you to be able to go out in the world! I hate you being locked up like some animal!"
Kitty still felt cold, numb as the shock started to seep in further. Suddenly, the cold really got to her and, sharply, she wrapped her blanket around her.
Her mother caught her hands. "Kitty?"
The girl managed a thin smile. "It's for the best, isn't it?"
"I knew you'd understand." Hugging her daughter, the woman sniffed, wiping her damp fur quickly. "Goodness, I'll catch a cold at this rate!"
"When…when will I leave?"
"They're going to come here and visit first, talk to you about it and explain things properly – he used all these long words that made me feel completely confused! But you're smart, so you'll understand."
"Yeah, when?"
"Tomorrow."
Kitty's vision began to darken around the edges. "I'll be leaving tomorrow?"
"Only if you accept."
The darkness was closing in further as panic ceased her chest again, its icy grip seeping straight through the blanket, two jumpers and t-shirt. "And if I don't?"
Her mother simply smiled and stroked her hair again. "I'll always love you, no matter what, Kitty."
The comment made her feel so utterly alone.
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He didn't like to admit what people thought of him, indeed, with his exotic blue coat and tall yet slim build, Kurt knew better than most that he was eye candy. And the group of girls hanging on the corner as he waited in front of a house with the professor was only making him more self conscious.
Blowing kisses, the girls giggled and Kurt glanced at the professor; he'd long lost his decorative fur, and now his head was a simple ball of short milky coffee fur. The man, sitting in a simple metal wheelchair, glanced at him knowingly and smiled.
"You're appearance is nothing to worry about, Kurt."
"I know, it's just…if I could be a more normal colour…" He sighed before suddenly grinning, all fangs and glowing eyes. "Remember when Evan tried to bleach it white?"
The professors lip twitched to a half smile before being smothered completely and he gathered an air of silent composure. "Logan is still having him punished for that."
"Yeah, it was freezing when all my fur fell out – good thing it grew back within a few days." He chuckled. "And that it was summer so my new coat was coming in anyway."
"Kurt."
"I know." He sighed. "The mutant we're visiting today…is she really that alarmingly different to the rest of us? To me even?"
Charles nodded as the blue mutant rang the doorbell. "That's why I chose you specifically, you're appearance in itself is unusual and I hope she'll feel reassured by it, no doubt she's been kept inside her entire life."
"I can't wait to let her see snow then!" Kurt grinned. "She'll love the snow…ah, hello sir."
Kitty's father looked at them both critically.
"Hello, I'm professor Charles Xavier; I'm here about your daughter?"
"Ah! The professor! Come in, come in!" Letting them inside, he smiled and ushered them down the hall. "Just wait in here and I'll bring her up -the wife's a little upset but we both think its best…"
The man was already leaving the room and, using the opportunity, Kurt browsed through the display of pictures on the cabinet. Pausing, he pulled one out that was buried right at the back and squinted at the picture. "Is this her?"
"Do you think it is?"
Kurt just nodded. "Yeah, she's certainly different." Grinning, he put the picture back. "She'll love it at the mansion; will you be having some of the rooms heated for her? Only she must be cold all the time…"
The professor just smiled, glad that he'd made the right choice as the mother entered the room, the father pushing along their reluctant daughter who, after peering at them both, decided to try and hide again.
"Katherine?"
After a moment, she edged out. "Hello, are you the professor?"
"I am, my name is professor Charles Xavier and this gentleman here is one of my best pupils, Kurt Wagner." He watched as Kurt teleported abruptly, appearing next to the startled girl and kissed her hand, tail plucking a flower from the vase on the table which he presented to her.
Kitty was set to melt right then into the carpet, only to realise she was actually sinking through the floor. Panicking, she grabbed hold of Kurt's arm and pulled herself out of the floor, only to fall through him and land in a heap.
Her mother flustered. "This has been happening since the other day and…"
Charles waved a hand. "Its why I wish to enrol your daughter as one of my students – Kurt can teleport and one of my students can lift things with their mind. They are all unique and special because of these talents."
Picking herself from the floor, Kurt lending her a hand, the girl was blushing furiously. "Mum, dad, can I talk to them for a little bit?"
"Oh, of course." Reluctantly, they both left and, Kitty knew, they had their ears pressed against the door.
Kurt started to laugh. "You have fantastic parents."
"I suppose they'd have to be to put up with me." Kitty sighed and looked at the man in the wheelchair. "Ok, why should I go to your school?"
"I can help you control your ability."
"Can you make me look normal?"
The professor hesitated.
Kurt quickly intervened. "Why should you change? The world has to accept that there are people like us, with unique abilities and traits, eventually. And-"
"But you don't look weird, you can just go outside and no one would care!"
The professor shook his head. "You shouldn't think like that, our goal is to have all of mankind accept us." He smiled as she blushed. "You appear unique, yes, but there are others who have abilities so severe that they choose to hide – I know a young man with great white wings."
"Oh."
Smiling, Kurt held out his hand. "Will you join us?"
Accepting the hand, Kitty nodded.
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Please R&R! Shoutouts will be given in the next chapter.