This is the penultimate chapter, please R&R.
Disclaimer – I don't own the x-men, but if anyone knows how…
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Two weeks after discovering Rogues hoard of magazines, Kitty had managed to read half of them – or at least look through the older fashion magazines. During this period of time, she got to know the goth a lot better who, in her own words, was 'fiercely proud' of her little brother and enjoyed any opportunity to show him off.
Unless he happened to be there, of course.
So it was the goth that brought the news that Kurt was getting a little bit bothered about Christmas approaching and was in need of money. Unlike most of the students, he hated the idea of charity (the reason as to why, Rogue refused to explain) and so he always chose to earn his own keep.
Which meant a photo shoot, and as Kurt had accidentally left the letter out – it had been left under a stack of books in his room – the girls were excitedly trying to work out just what he would have to do for an article about buying pets for Christmas.
So far they had come up with his wearing nothing but a giant bow round his neck, him dozing under a Christmas tree or lounging in the snow.
"That has nothing to do with pets." Kitty pointed out.
Rogue simply shrugged. "The snow makes a good contrast with his fur – you'll see that for yourself when it finally does snow. And at least it wasn't a stupid suggestion like a bow."
The red haired mutant just grinned. "There's nothing wrong with having a naughty giggle."
"Let's just be glad that Kurt isn't a telepath." Professor Xavier wheeled through the library where the girls had been talking before vanishing again.
Silence.
They burst out giggling, stalling to gasp for breath as Kurt came in, looking as if he was about to go to the shops.
He raised his eyebrows at them. "Girl talk?" As if the very words where venomous, he began to retreat from the room.
"Kitty wants to see a photo shoot." Rogue stated happily. "Would you mind taking her along with you?"
"No problem, does anyone else want to come along?"
Jean grinned. "What are you doing for the shoot?"
"Don't know." Kurt shrugged nonchalantly. "All I was told was that they needed some serious inspiration for this article, as they've ran a similar one every year for the past four years."
"So will you be wearing a giant bow or something then?"
The blue mutant glanced at Jean with a raised eyebrow. "They did that last year to some other model." He failed to see her sad expression as he turned to the door. "Well, if you're coming, you better make a move on."
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It was chaos. Kitty followed the blue mutant closely as they wove through the crowds of photographers and make up artists and other models. It seemed that there were several shoots happening all at the one time and she felt horribly exposed, even with the hologram about her.
And then there was the fact that she was wearing long sleeves as most other people had on tiny t-shirts or something similar. A group of topless male models in swimming gear wandered past, followed by some girls in bikinis.
"They sometimes shoot fashion magazines in advance; its probably next years expected swim trends." Kurt smiled reassuringly at her. "Or it could be a summer holiday shoot, or an advert."
"It's…very busy."
"Are you alright with that? I can tell the team you're a bit claustrophobic if you like, they'll give you some space that way. Ororo nearly died first time she came to a shoot, her claustrophobia is quite bad though."
She knew he was chatting to soothe her nerves and Kitty smiled weakly, gladly accepting a seat were she could see a platform being set up.
"Snow scene?" Someone was shouting. "Or are we going for an indoors type theme?"
The photographer looked utterly depressed. "I don't know just yet, now where is that model!"
"Boo." Just playfully laughed, only inches behind the man. He grinned and raised his arms in a 'I'm here' gesture. "The model for this shoot cancelled, I was called in as a last minute replacement."
"Do you know what the articles about?" The photographer was studying Kurt, noting the build and height before trying to decide about the fur colour.
Looking at Kitty to make sure she was aright, Kurt jumped as his arm was tapped.
"Well?"
"Sorry, I was just checking that Kitty was alright." He indicated the girl. "She gets nervous in crowds – the articles about pets, isn't it?"
"Kitty, you said?" The photographer wandered off in a random direction and started talking to the make up people, leaving Kurt to check on the girl.
She smiled. "What's happening?"
"I've had that photographer before, he's very…single minded. Once he has an idea, that's it." Kurt laughed. "But they always work, he did the slavery shoot, I presume Rogue has forced you to look at all that junk?"
Laughing, Kitty covered her face with her hands. "I wouldn't say forced, but she's very proud of you."
"Come on people, I want a snowy landscape, dull blue lighting, I want sad, play the mini violins kind of stuff!" the photographer dragged Kurt to make up, deciding to explain things. "I want you to pretend that you're an abandoned kitten in the cold, cold snow, big eyes, watery big eyes! I want the audience to feel pity for you, I want them…"
Deciding, not for the first time, that this man should have directed movies and not take photos, Kurt weakly smiled. "A cat, I can do that."
"We'll have make up ruffle your fur, make you look fluffy…"
At this point, Kurt decided to leave the man rambling on about his vision and actually go to makeup where, after a brief five second discussion with the makeup artist, he began to get kitted out for the part.
During all this, Kitty watched the various shoots taking place around her, noting how some of the models seemed to have absolutely no desire to actually be there, throwing tantrums and having people run after them, whereas others were being ever so polite and giving the shoot it all.
She wondered if the ones that were so arrogant had once been driven by that same nervous energy the others displayed. If so, it was a rather sad thing in her opinion.
Turning away from one model that was trying to hold a ballet pose and kept complaining of her feet, she caught sight of Kurt and just about died on the spot.
He was wearing the collar from the slave-shoot with a huge bell attached, fluffy black shorts and giant blue cat ears on his head. The rest of the outfit was simply his expressions and body language as he rolled in the fake snow, turning to the camera with large, saucer eyes and a bottom lip trembled.
Resisting the urge to run over and hug him, Kitty watched in amazement as the entire dance and performance of the shoot finally began. Kurt posed in the snow, some times sitting and pawing a trembling nose, sometimes lying in the snow, looking utterly frozen and forgotten. Then he was off the stage as the set was being changed and the make up artist was brushing the false snow out of his fur.
And then he was back on the stage, playfully chasing a giant Christmas tree bauble, a massive fake mouse adding the final touch. This shoot was taking longer as he was more enthusiastic about looking cute and cuddly than abandoned and cold.
"All done." Kurt told Kitty after nearly two hours of photos being taken. "Did you have fun?"
Giggling, she nodded. "I wish I had a camera to show the guys all that stuff with you playing with that ball."
"Don't!" Laughing, Kurt led the way out as he had changed to normal clothes and he used his cell phone to ring the mansion. After a short conversation, he sighed. "Logan's going to pick us up."
"Does that mean I'm sworn to secrecy?"
"Yes."
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The next few days seemed slightly unreal for Kitty, namely because the Brotherhood had decided to start picking on her and, since they knew of her true form after Pietro stole her watch a few weeks before hand, they were particularly cruel.
"Hairless freak!"
"Hey, monkey girl!"
"Fish face!"
"I've seen rhinos with more fur!"
"Ugly!"
The insults hurt, like painful thorns being shoved into her heart, but she managed to ignore them for the most part, although her few friends didn't.
And suddenly, she was feeling abandoned again.
Her lunches with her fellow mutants were little better because she knew that, even though they laughed together and talked and ate with one another, she was still an outside. She always would be, what with the constant threat of her being discovered as some strange hairless mutant.
The slippery slope of despair she had managed to avoid for so long was suddenly threatening to engulf her completely.
Skipping her maths class, a subject she was ridiculously good at, she headed instead up to the roof to just get away from everyone for a while. The thought made her smile slightly – she was feeling like a leper and yet she sought solitude.
Her thoughts ended abruptly when Kurt teleported behind her and, before she could escape, had his arms round her, holding her close.
"What's wrong, Kitty?"
"I don't really belong with you guys."
"Of course you do!"
She shook her head. "I'm different, too different."
He released her from his hug and moved to face her, gently reaching out to stroke her cheek like he had done that first day, although this time he was wiping away tears. For a moment, he said nothing, simply thought as he looked at her. "Different is good."
Kitty just stared at him.
The blue mutant thought for a moment more. "If everyone was the same, the world would be boring – there would be no wars, but there would be no love. Everyone would eat and think the same, it'd be so boring, and there'd be no variety at all."
She raised an eyebrow.
"What I'm trying to say is that you're different, I'm different, Rogue and Jean and Scott and Evan are different. So is the professor and Ororo, and especially Logan – he's a whole different to himself." The blue mutant smiled. "Why would being different be a bad thing then?"
Thinking for a moment, Kitty sighed. "I'm too different."
"No you're not."
"I am! I'm hairless, I look like a freak."
"And?"
Kitty didn't know what to say to that. "And…and I don't feel like I belong."
Stretching slightly, tail tossing, Kurt smiled at her. "You do belong; you just don't want to admit it." He tapped her chest. "In here, you're so scared of being picked on and persecuted that, up here," he tapped the side of her head, "you simply don't acknowledge the truth."
"Everyone hates me though."
"Who does?"
She frowned. "You know."
"I don't know."
"You're being really annoying."
"You're being unreasonable." Kurt grinned. "So tell me, who hates you? The brotherhood?"
Kitty tried to tell him that they were only part of the problem, but she found herself choking on a sob instead and then Kurt's arms where round her again, engulfing her in silky warm fur and the musky smell of brimstone, warmth, familiarity and something else that was simply Kurt.
He stroked her long hair. "They're just silly words, nasty, horrible words, but they can't hurt you – they make you feel bad but they can't hurt you." There was the sound of a smile in his voice. "And they'll give up, pick on someone weaker when they realise you're stronger than them."
"I'm not strong."
"Yes you are." He soothed, his voice almost completely drowned in a reassuring purr. "You're alive; you haven't given up on your life – that makes you strong."
Kitty smiled and sniffed, pulling out of his warm embrace even though she didn't really want to. "What about the others?"
"Everyone else? They're just ordinary, the don't understand the things that make you special."
"I meant the others."
Kurt blinked, bright yellow eyes showing sudden understanding. "I don't hate you, neither does Rogue – just last night she was telling me that even though you're not suitable marriage material for me, you're a really sweet girl. And Jean adores you, she's even planning on giving you some perfume she knows you'll love – something fruity I think."
Kitty had to bite back a laugh, it seemed Rogue had told Jean all about her comments on her 'predator' perfume.
"Scott treats you like a little sister – he's only so uptight because he's worried you might sneeze and hurt yourself. And Logan, well, he's fond of you in his own way, like he is of everyone – he gave you an extra danger room session!"
She had to bite back giggles now.
"Evan and Ororo both love your cooking skills – he's always switching his cooking with your cleaning chores and Ororo is happier than anyone about that. Have you ever tasted Evans cooking?" Kurt pulled a face, as if he was about to choke to death.
"And well, if the professor didn't like you, he wouldn't have you living with us, he'd never have invited you to stay in the first place."
The hairless girl was simply watching Kurt now, smiling at him goofily.
Glancing at Kitty, Kurt grinned and grabbed her hands, jumping to his feet. "I know! Lets ditch school and go Christmas shopping – I have loads of ideas about what to get you so I need you to slim it down." He laughed. "And Rogue, she's just terrible to shop for – I mean, do I get a black collar for her, or a black top?"
Kitty was now laughing. "We can't just go."
"Why not?" He brought her close to him. "We're family." And then he teleported with her.