Uh, no, he is not gonna be hospitalized, even though I did plan that scene. I mean, he wasn't in X-Men: Evolution Growing Pains or in Power Surge, so I supposed the guy was all right and no broken ribs or bones.

"And what were you all doing out there?" Mystique thundered loudly.

Lance said, bravely, "Hey, are you blind or what? We were going against the X-Men! What's wrong with that?"

Mystique glared at each and every one of them. She'd popped out of nowhere, just like that. No one knew where she'd gone to, how's she doing… "All of you idiotically idiotical clots! None of you know what's our main object. No one takes anyone down when they're all in a bunch and when that Professor is there." Mystique shifted her gaze towards Kitty.

"You of all people ought to know better. I heard from many that you're one of the best pupils in Bayville High. How could I see no action from you?"

"Mystique, it's wrong to fight. And…I, like, don't approve of taking down the X-Men."

One slap down and a burning, hot, red mark on Kitty's face soon appeared. No one dared to speak or say anything. Mystique crossed her arms, as if it had nothing to do with her. "You are part of the Brotherhood, not the X-Men. You do not have to know or care so much. Now, the X-Men. I have a plan to take them down one by one, starting with-."

Lance crouched down, hugging Kitty in his arms, as if he were there to help her share the pain too. He could feel how hurt she must have been and none of this shit was her fault.

Mystique glared at them, "Both of you, stop your despicable-."

"Shut your ass up, Mystique! You uttered nothing but rubbish from the very beginning!"

"What?"

Lance cared no more. He helped Kitty up and up the stairs, feeling Mystique's horrid eyes on the both of them. Go ahead and stare. One day, you'll see…

Lance got Kitty into her room. Somehow, he was pretty sure that Mystique would never, ever let them off that easily. Oh, per-lease, as if she would…

"Kitty, you ok?" Lance grew concern over her. Last night was very much a blur, but when he woke up, he was already back in the house, staring at the same, old ceiling. Nah, nothing much to talk about. Except the last part where he could feel Kitty hugging him so tightly.

Kitty wiped her tears, "Lance…"

"I know. It hurts a lot. We all saw it. She'd hit you for no reason and she used a lot of strength."

Kitty nodded, letting her hair down. Then, her eyes perked up, "Lance, lets just go. Now."

"Kit-Kat, where?" Lance raised an eyebrow.

"Lets just pack and go. To the X-Men. They'll, like, know what to do, right?"

Lance was slightly taken aback, "Kitty, we can't just go cause' we want to. Even though Mystique may not be in your good books now, we must continue to stay."

Kitty breathed hard, her hands gripping the side of the bed. "Lance, I can't stay here anymore. I hate it. The place, the mess, and also Mystique. Like, when can I stop hiding myself already? The X-Men don't look like legal killers! They didn't do anything to us and why are we trying to take them down with every single opportunity we get?"

Lance didn't have an answer. And all he said was, "If you want to, you can go. I won't try to make you stay."

Kitty shook her head, "I'll…like, go if you go with me too."

Lance chose not to. "I can't. All my life, I've been a huge failure. I can't join anybody like the X-Men. Kitty, understand me. Please."

Standing up, Kitty said, "I'll try. I'll try to stay. But all I can say is that I don't feel like doing something I'm forced to do. I won't allow Mystique to have any thoughts about hurting anyone. It's not, like, we can get anywhere far by doing it."

Lance gave a soft, "Yeah…" and dejected, he quietly left her room. He figured that even if she did stay, she would never be happy. Sad, sad case. Kitty dropped onto the floor. Her mind was very much in chaos…what could she do?

All she figured out so far was that she was only staying for Lance.

And nothing more.

"So, how's it with the Geography?" Jean asked Rogue.

"Ferget' it. Ah am not the Geography type o' gurl." Rogue said, with Kurt smiling teasingly at her. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." Kurt straightened up. His eyes happen to fall on Kitty. Not only him. Rogue and Jean set their gaze on her as well.

VERY unluckily, Kitty was at her locker then. And even more unluckily, she was having trouble with it.

"Hi!" Jean acted like they were not "enemies" but friends.

Kitty nodded in silent, "Uh, yeah, hi."

Jean kinda' protruded into Kitty's mind. "Kitty, look, about the last time…we didn't mean it."

Kitty was a little shocked with her, but kept perfectly silent.

You're not mad or what, are you? We X-Men mean no harm, as you can see. Jean

No. Kitty

That's good.

Yeah, I guess.

Kitty?

What…?

I…I know you.

Yeah? I do too…you're Jean, I'm, uh, Kitty and we are-.

No. Kitty, are you having doubts? Tell me.

What? Me? No way!

Are you thinking of joining the X-Men?

Kitty froze in place before phasing her hand into the locker for her Social Studies notebook and dashing off in a hurry.

"Whoa? What's goin' on, anyway?" Rouge raised an eyebrow at the telepath.

"Kitty was thinking of joining us. As a X-Man."

Kurt smirked, "Man, she'll be a pretty cool addition!"

Jean pressed her lips together. "But there's something…someone, stopping her."

"Who?"

"Lance."

Kitty didn't really have a clue on why Lance had such a huge impact in her "miserable" life. Somehow, he was there whenever she needed him to be there and he really was a nice and great guy inside as long as you get to know him a little better.

But it was a mistake.

He was the reason she was staying in the dumpster. He was the reason for her to not have better friends. And he was still the reason that she was never an X-Man.

Kitty curled up in her bed, reading. But her mind wasn't really into her Astrophysics. Oh, come on, the subject sucked! But she was thinking of something else instead.

"Hey, Kitty! Look what I got!" Lance just came busting in, smiling away.

"Lance!" Kitty pushed her stupid notes aside, her eyes practically dancing with life.

"Here, I got us some ice-cream. And it's your favorite strawberry too. Dig in, Kit Kat." Yes, he certainly got Kitty's mood up.

Kitty didn't eat much, even though she claimed it was delicious whenever Lance asked her. "Kitty, I'm worried. Are you feeling okay?"

Kitty nodded, placing the carton of ice cream to the side table, without mumbling a single word. "Lance, I…I met Jean and the others today."

"What? Did they say anything to you? They didn't try to do anything to you right?"

Kitty said, "Lance, like, calm down. Of course they didn't. It's in the school, hello? They won't try anything."

"And…?"

"Nothing." Kitty hugged Lance as if she was spending her last day on earth. "Lance…"

"What's up?" Lance hugged her back. But Kitty didn't even bother replying him. She just closed her eyes.

Lance smiled down at her, and let go of her, letting her sleep next to him, covering the blanket on her, even though it was pretty warm already.

Lance stretched and sat next beside her warm figure, flipping through an old magazine. "Boring…"

He felt Kitty snuggle up closer and closer to him. Ok, she obviously wasn't asleep. "Kitty?" Lance asked. Feeling rather uncomfortable, Lance didn't know what he should do.

Kitty placed a hand on his chest as she sat up. Her beautiful blue eyes were fixed on his hazel ones. "Lance, I really love you."

"Uh, me…me too." Lance stuttered terribly.

And before he knew it, she was on top of him and the kissing started.

"No way, unless ya' wanna get your butt kicked, yo," Toad said. Pietro had stole Lance's car keys without him knowing and he very much intended to go out, yes.

Pietro said, "Look, if you don't say, I don't say, who's gonna' find out, huh?"

"I think you better in case he wanted to take his little kitty out for a spin and discovers you ruined his plan."

"Man, you speak just like that bald Xavier X-Men guy. Sheesh. Fine, where is he?"

"Last I saw, he was headed for his precious Kitten's room," Toad mumbled, hopping up the stairs.

Pietro was grumbling and complaining what a pain it was as he opened the door, along with Toad and was immediately, uh, jaw dropping?

They were both kissing much more intensely now. Kitty gripped onto Lance's shirt without much force and Lance played with her hair, twirling a lock of it round his finger. They didn't know that Pietro and Toad were, like, staring straight at them.

"Uh, guys?" Pietro asked, tapping a finger on the door for attention.

Kitty's eyes flew open and got away from Lance. "Pietro?" Kitty tidied herself up, smoothing her shirt out. Lance sat up too.

Toad grinned, "I think, me and Pietro, um, intruded on your-."

"Invaded, actually," Kitty corrected his pathetic use of English.

"Yeah, man, right, invaded. We invaded your private moment right, so we'll, just…leave?"

Kitty looked over at Lance and the wrinkled bed, "No, we were…doing, uh,…nothing." Kitty stammered so hard.

Lance just kept awfully quiet, like it wasn't his business, but inside, he knew it was.

Kitty said, "Can you guys, like, keep it a, um, secret? Please?"

Pietro nudged at Toad and they both nodded with grins on their faces, "Yeah, sure. No problem. We'll be happy to." They both left the place awkwardly, Pietro slamming the door.

Kitty sat down next to Lance. "Lance…I, like, you know. Think it's getting serious."

Lance understood how embarrassed it must have been for Kitty. "Yeah, but it's okay, isn't it? I mean, you like me, I like you…what's wrong? The movies have so many couples kissing, so we ain't the first."

"But…well, I don't know. It's just not me. I'll be honest. I kissed a guy before in, uh, middle school? It just didn't feel like this."

"So, did this one feel good?"

"It did feel real enough." Kitty said. Lance stole yet another kiss on her. "I don't care what others say. I know you've been pretty stressed up lately, with me, with the house, with the X-men too. Don't worry. I'm here."

"Thanks, Lance." Kitty said with gratitude, "I love you."

"Yeah. Me too, Kit-Kat."

And from here, everything's gonna' be pretty serious.