Author's Note- The song is "Wild Horses" by The Sundays. Buffy fans will recognize it.

Trouble in Paradise


Just let me hold you while you're falling apart
Just let me hold you so we both fall down

Fall on me
Tell me everything you want me to be

Forever with you forever in me

Ever the same

-Rob Thomas


A few days later

"I'm sorry, Eric, I've tried my hardest…" Xavier said to Magneto over the phone. "Unfortunately, with his father fighting you there's no way you can keep him here."

"He's almost eighteen, and I know he doesn't want to go."

"I know, unfortunately until he is eighteen there's nothing he can do."

"I'll tell him tonight."

At the school

"So, what shall we do tonight?" Pete asked as the couple left the building.

"Logan ordered us to be home after school," Kitty said. "We've kind of been slacking off."

"I'm a bad influence," Pete smiled.

"Yeah, you are."

"Hey, you aren't supposed to agree with me."

"Sorry, I didn't know that was against the rules." They got into Pete's car and drove to the Institute. "Call me tonight?"

"Of course." Pete got out and walked her to her door. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Yeah…" Pete cups her cheek before leaning in and kissing her sweetly.

"G'night, luv."

"Goodnight." Pete drove home with a smile. Magneto was sitting at the kitchen table when he came in.

"What's up?"

"I got a call yesterday… from your father."

"What did the bastard want?"

"You, I've been ordered me to send you back to England. I'm sorry, Pete, Charles and I tried to find a way out but with our laws… until you're eighteen we can't do anything."

"So I have to go back?"

"Yes."

"Just so you know, I won't be there for a week before I run away again."

"I figured as much."

"A group in England already expressed interest in me… I can't stay with him."

"I'm not asking you to. I wouldn't do that. You'll always have a place with us."

"Thanks… do the others know?"

"Not yet, I figured I'd let you tell them."

"When?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Okay, I'll go pack."

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I know." Pete went up the stairs and dropped down onto his bed.

"We heard, mate, this sucks." Pete looked up, surprised, and saw John, Remy, Wanda, and Pietro standing in the doorway.

Pete sat up. "Good new travels fast."

"Yeah, Remy's got de place bugged," Remy said.

"Somehow I'm not surprised."

"Want us to pack so you can go see your girlfriend?" Wanda asked in a rare show of kindness.

There was a blur then, "Done," Pietro announced.

"Thanks," Pete said standing.

"Remy's got an idea."

"That's dangerous," Pietro said.

"Wanda, talk de boss man into going out tonight."

"Okay." Without even waiting to see what Remy was up to Wanda went down the stairs.

"John, call de X-Men… de cool X-Men only, invite them over. Let's have a proper send off." John nodded and pulled out his cell phone.

"Any excuse for a party," Pete said with a smile.

"On a school night none the less," Pietro said shaking his head. "I'll go get some snacks." He was gone in a silver blur.

"Y' okay, mon ami?"

"Yeah, I just really hate my old man right now. He hasn't been the same since me mum died… he still blames me."

"I'm sorry."

"I guess we should see how Wanda's doing."

"She's fine. She has de boss man wrapped around her finger, has ever since the whole Apocalypse thing."

Two hours later

"So what's up?" Kitty asked Pete as the "cool" X-Men arrived: Kurt, Amara, Rogue, Tabitha, and Ray.

"Me da must have heard that I'm happy," Pete told her leading her into the kitchen so they could talk privately. "I have to go back to England."

"What? But you're almost eighteen-"

"Unfortunately, I'm not eighteen until August, so until then I don't have a choice."

"This really, really sucks."

"Yeah, it really does."

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't know… August is a long time away, and we don't know what's going to happen between now and then…"

"Are you saying you want to break up?"

"I don't know, maybe. I don't want to."

"Me either."

"But maybe it'd be best."

"Are you afraid we can't make it?"

"We're only teenagers… we don't know where we're going to be in five years. I want to be realistic. If we do find each other again, that's great, but I don't want to hold you back."

"Pete-"

"Hear me out. I care about you, Kitty, and I know that most long distance relationships end up with both people hating each other, or at the very least not liking each other. I don't want that for us."

"Me either."

"Let's just agree to be friends after tonight and wing it from there."

"Okay." He could tell she was fighting off tears, not that he could blame her at the moment all he wanted was to find a deep, dark hole and bury himself in it. "Let's go mingle." He took her hand and they walked out to greet the others. The party was a huge success. The group hung out and Pete forgot for a while that he'd be gone in the morning.

"Dance with me?" Pete asked as a slow song started. Kitty smiled and stood letting him lead her to a more secluded corner of the room.

"Childhood living is easy to do
The things you wanted I bought them for you

Graceless lady, you know who I am,

You know I can't let you slide through my hands

Wild Horses,
Couldn't drag me away,

Wild, wild horses,

Couldn't drag me away..."

They swayed together slowly. "I hate this," she whispered against his shoulder.

"Me too," he murmured. "We just found each other… I don't want to loose you."

"Me either. I'm… I think I've fallen, Pryde."

She giggled. "Your pride fell years ago."

"Funny, luv."

"I watched you suffer a dull, aching pain

Now you decided to show me the same
No sweeping exits or offstage lines,

Can make me feel bitter or treat you unkind

Wild Horses,
Couldn't drag me away,

Wild, wild horses,

Couldn't drag me away..."

"I think I've fallen in love with you," Kitty said seriously. He kissed her sweetly before laying his head on top of hers.

"I know I dreamed you a sin and a lie,
I have my freedom but I don't have much time

Faith has been broken tears must be cried,

Let's do some living after we die

Wild Horses,
Couldn't drag me away,

Wild, wild horses,

We'll ride them someday"

"Can we go somewhere where we can be alone?" Kitty asked suddenly. "I… I don't want to deal with the others, with anyone right now."

"Sure." They waved to the others and left, getting into his car. He drove to the beach. They arrived soon after sundown.

"This is perfect," Kitty smiled.

"Yeah, being alone with you is always perfect." He took out a blanket and they walked out onto the beach where Pete spread the blanket out on the ground. "I don't want to leave." They laid down on the beach in each others arms.

"Let's stay here tonight."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I just want to be with you."

"Okay, luv. We'll stay here as long as you want."