X-Men 1. Chapter 1

**Thanks for reading, first of all. It means a lot that you would even look at this. **

**Secondly, this is a sequel to my work, Shadowed Pryde. In order for things to be understood, you really need to read that first. **

**And for those of you who have read Shadowed Pryde, just a little timeline background so that you know where we are. At some point, I'm going to be combining this with the Avengers film series. I referenced them once in SP. Now, The Avengers film came out in 2012, and that is when Shadowed Pryde is set. I'm guessing that the movie took place in the summer, but SP begins in the fall, a few months later, and Kitty is fourteen &amp; a half at the time. This story begins six months later, so she's about to turn fifteen. **

**At some point, I will remember to calculate all the ages of my main characters for you guys, but that's all I have for now. And the only reason that I am referencing this is because in any of the Marvel Comics, TV shows, Cartoons, or Movies, age and time are pretty fluid and changeable. I want my setting to be a little more concrete than that. **

**I'm putting Kitty's birthday in February, which means she joined the X-Men in Aug. 2013. Just for future reference. :) **

**And now I am going to stop rambling. Enjoy! I'll be posting a new chapter every three days or so, maybe faster depending on the number of reviews I may or may not get.**

* * *

Those first few months were hell. And I am not trying to be dramatic or anything, that's the honest truth.

After I woke up, I found out two things that I didn't like in the least.

First of all, it turned out that almost a week had passed in between my bouts of unconsciousness. We had been in the hands of Frost and her associates a lot longer than I thought. And Wolverine, Storm, Piotr, and I weren't the only ones captured. They'd gotten the Professor as well. The only reason we were even able to get out was because the other X-Men showed up in the nick of time. Otherwise, we'd still be in that lab. I still shiver when I think about what they would have done to us.

Second, during this time, my parents had no idea where I was at all. They didn't even know I had been in the ice-cream parlor when it had been attacked. The X-Men had done some technical hocus-pocus to keep their identities secret. Admittedly, I helped. The last thing any of us needed was the authorities or newscrews on our tails. But, that didn't actually work out that well for any of us in the end, considering that my parents completely lost it and thought that they had kidnapped me. Strangely enough, they didn't call the cops. I didn't have time to wonder about that, however. I had bigger issues to deal with at the time.

Like wondering how the heck was I going to convince them to let me go after this.

So when they dropped me off at home to let me pack and have my parents fill out the paperwork and all that, well, let's just say that it wasn't pretty.  
Remembering it still makes me cringe.

* * *

_"KITTY! MY BABY!"_

_"KIT!"_

_I winced as their voices hit my ears. In a normal situation, Carmen's bellow would have been okay. But combined with Teresa's tear-filled shriek, and the slight headache I still had, it was torture to have to listen to them. _

_I didn't have to for long however, because within two seconds I was pressed against my mothers rather large chest as she sobbed into my hair. _

_I couldn't really make anything out, but I knew that it was something along the lines of, "My baby! I'm never letting you out of my sight again!" I mentally sighed, knowing that if I did it physically I would lose precious oxygen. In my current predicament, that wasn't a good idea. She didn't come with built-in air filters. _

_Meanwhile, Carmen was really giving it to Xavier and his crew, who had also stepped out of the large van that we had rode into town in. _

_And he was really giving it to him. If I ever get a potty mouth worse than my current one, and you want to know which side of the family it's from, I'll just point to my dad. He won't be able to deny it, soldier that he is.  
_

_And from what he was currently saying, I knew that there was no way in heck that I was moving to New York anytime soon.  
_

* * *

At least that's what I thought at the time.

Turns out Xavier isn't the only telepath in this little band of misfits. Jeanie, who I later learned was actually named Jean, also had the brain magic thingy. What she did next is something that I will never forgive her for. She erased Carmen and Teresa's memories of the past few days, and replaced them with ones of me going on a school tour. She manipulated them into letting me go to Xavier's.

I don't understand why she didn't. Sure, they were totally losing it and I was losing the chance to leave, but it was not her problem to deal with, it was mine. The way that she did it was personal and unethical. What if she had decided to make them think they were peacocks or something equally ridiculous? I doubt that any of us could have stopped her.

It felt so wrong that I shuddered when I realized what had happened. All of the other X-Men were shocked as well, and all they could do was stare as my mother invited them all in for tea and Jean excepted.

I felt..violated. If she was willing to do this to complete strangers, then did Jean have any qualms about doing it to someone she trusted?

I was also outraged. Being the decedent of Holocaust survivors, I knew from my relatives testimonies what it felt like having their free will taken from them. The difference between them and Carmen and Teresa was this; my parents didn't even have the liberty to understand what was being stolen from them.

I don't think I will ever forgive Jean for that.

They all left shortly after that, with promises to have someone meet me at the airport later that week to take me to the school. My parents agreed whole-heartedly, and that scared me. They were more preppy than ever. It was terrifying.

It really didn't take me that long to pack and say good bye to my life. There wasn't much I was going to miss about it besides my home and my family. Who now had no idea what happened a while ago and are now programed to smile, nod, and walk away when asked about what happened when I was missing.

And it turns out, no one was really hurt at all. Lots of threats, sure, but as soon as they had us, the goons left. There were a few that went to the hospital with ricochet wounds, and John was shot in the arm, but beyond that there was nothing that life changing. Although I do suspect that the children who were in the building at the time are going to need several lifetimes of therapy to get over the attack. Or maybe just several months, you never know.

The packing didn't take me long. Besides my pillow, books, and computer all I took was my clothes. I was told that my room would be fully furnished so I didn't need to worry about that. Frankly I didn't care. If I had needed to, I would have had my furniture shipped there as well. But, in the end, it was me, a few bags, and my parents when I got to the airport. I promised to write and call often, and they left shortly after making sure I was seated on the plane. That was a little embarrassing. I mean, yeah I am blind, but they should just give me to the steward or stewardess. Following me onto the plane wasn't necessary.

But the point is that I got on the right plane and I was bound for New York. Or I guess the real point is that I trusted my parents and the airline employees enough to put me on the right plane, since I was so distracted by all the noises and smells that assaulted me once I stepped into the building, I couldn't focus and therefore had no idea where the hell I was.

But, apparently I was right to trust them._ This time. _The second I stepped off the plane Piotr was there in all his giant glory. I am not ashamed to admit that I latched onto his arm and begged him to get me out of there.

Alright, so maybe that was a bit of a dramatic exaggeration. I did latch onto his arm, which he had offered me. I had my cane in my hand but there were simply to many patrons to even think about navigating the area all on my own. Any begging was done internally. I refused to voice my pleadings.

_ "Let's get out of here." I said after I greeted him. _

_"I agree, Keety."_

_I jerked my head to the right in the direction of the German voice and smiled slightly. "Hello Kurt. Am I that dangerous that Xavier thinks that it takes two to contain me?" They both laughed._

_"How is your family?" Piotr asked later as we were putting my bags into the car._

_"Well enough. How have you been?"_

_"Oh, we have all been eagerly awaiting your arrival." Way to make me feel like a princess. "Kurt is studying to become an architect, so with the help of Storm he designed your room. We would not allow him to do it by himself, fearing it would be far to masculine if we did."_

_"Ummmm..." I said as we were getting into the car. "You do realize that I will never be able to see it?"_

_"Ja," Kurt exclaimed as he shut the door and started the engine. "Which is why I designed it for touch and not for sight."_

* * *

_It was wonderful. When he said it was designed for touch, he wasn't kidding. There was a plaque on my door that held my name in raised numbers and in Braille. The door knob was textured somewhat like a rock, rather than being smooth. And when I opened the door, my bare toes (I never wear shoes in the house) brushed against luxurious carpet. I wanted to sink into it and never come out. Sure, it would be a pain in the but to clean but since I'm not that messy I wasn't worried._

_The room was a weird shape. Almost like a rectangle, with one of the corners cut in. I then discovered that that corner was in fact my bathroom/closet area. The counter-top was some sort of polished stone, gently eroded so that there was no sharp edges or corners. The sink was a sunken bowl with a large faucet, and the shower/bath area had a handrail and raised letters on the faucet handles. There was a cupboard with all of my towels, washcloths, soaps, and shampoos organized on separate shelves. The closets was just like a typical closet, but Kurt took care to tell me exactly where each shelf was._

_My actual bedroom was amazing. There was a desk in the far right corner, oval shaped, with drawers all on the front. A TV was mounted on the wall about two feet away from it, across from my bed and a few bookshelves. The bathroom was next to the bed, and in the last corner, on the left was a window and a small window seat. Kurt opened it, a told me to step outside._

_"Are you crazy?" I asked. "I'm not about to fall to my death."_

_"Just trust me." he said._

_I don't know what it was, but something in his voice made me want to do just that. Trust him, I mean. Logically, I had no reason not too. Gathering my courage, I stepped out of the window. My feet hit hard wood, and I discovered a small balcony big enough for a table, a chair, and some standing room._

_I couldn't believe what he had done for me, and there was no way I could verbally express my thanks. Instead, I threw my arms around him and squeezed as hard as I good, letting my body tell him what my words couldn't. **You get your mind out of the gutter.**_

_"You are velcome Keety," he said gently, returning the embrace._

But, sadly, that was where my happiness ended.

When I read the Harry Potter books as a kid, I loved them. I still do to this day, but as a little blind ten year old girl who couldn't see anything, those books were everything. JKR had such wonderful imagery, that as my fingers ran across the page reading the words, I could see everything in my mind. All the descriptions created a picture that I could clearly make out. I suspect that such an image is largely compatible to a movie.

Whatever it was, I loved it. I even brought all the books with me when I moved into Xavier's.

But once I get settled in and started exploring, I began to wonder if the Professor had somehow communicated with the Four Founders when he created this place. There were no moving staircases or anything like that, but it was a maze. I knew how to get from my room to the front door and the kitchen/dining area. But that was it. Everywhere else I tried to get to on my own would end up with me getting lost and having Cerebro guide me.

Don't know who Cerebro is? Think Tony Stark and Jarvis. Apparently the billionaire is friends with the Professor or something like that. His donations, combined with the Xavier inheritance are what made this place possible.

But anyway, Cerebro is a artificial intelligence computer installed into the mansion. She runs our security, operates the majority of our electronics and acts as a super-computer hard drive for storing information. On what, I am still not sure.

I couldn't find my way around. Half the time I would end up in the boys locker room, which even though I couldn't see was still embarrassing. My headaches were going away, but I was losing control of my power at times. Once, on my third or fourth day at the school, I slipped when reaching for my clothes when taking a shower and fell through two stories onto the kitchen island. Storm, Jean, and Scott were preparing breakfast at the time, but stopped when I fell through in all my naked glory. I slipped through the floor again, on purpose this time, and avoided them all for a few days.

To make myself feel better, I ordered a new set of contacts and dyed my hair blue. Kind of crazy, I know. I mean, I was a mutant! My blood-red eyes shouldn't be a problem! But they were. No one in the mansion knew any better, since I was always wearing glasses or contacts to cover them up.

Annnnd the hair thing was something that I always wanted to do. So I did it.

But my streaking incident and lack of directional skills weren't the only things bothering me. I switched to all online classes so I wouldn't have to transfer, but doing so meant that I was stuck in the house a lot. In fact, the only time I left the grounds was for dance class (I enrolled in the local center the day I knew I was coming) and a shopping trip that I tagged along on. I was getting some serious cabin fever.

And then I had to go and make a fool of myself again. I hadn't gotten lost, I was waiting for Wolverine outside the underground training room that they called the "Danger Room," when it suddenly got quiet. Up until that point there had been faint sounds traveling through the thick doors, and so I assumed that they were done and I could start my minor training session. I was right, they were done. But what I didn't know is that the sensors on the door were active, and I triggered the alarm when I phased through it.

I ended up landing on by but while Piotr, Angel, Storm, and all the others tried to shut it off. I also nearly got both myself and Piotr squished like a pancake, but I managed to phase us both in time. I was scolded harshly afterwords, and Angel told me never to walk into the room when the warning light was on again. I pointed to my shades and said sarcastically, "You just let me know when it's on then, because I can't tell the difference either way."

He felt bad about that, and apologized. I just ignored him and left.

But all these misshaps bring me to where I am right now. Standing in the Danger Room while everyone else is in the obsevation deck above me, waiting for my very first simulation to start. From what I understand, the DR is basically a giant virtual game board, and I am one of the pieces. It's a combination of simulation and robotics, which together create scenarios that the X-Men fight through and attempt to win. This is what we call, "training".

Xavier himself programmed my first session. He wasn't here to see it however, due to some meeting he had in Washington. DC, not the state.

"You ready, kid?" Wolverine's voice asked over the speaker. He hadn't stopped calling me that, and I had stopped trying to make him.

"As I will ever be." I said as clearly and as strongly as I could. Underneath trying to show strength, I was terrified.

"Alright kid, I'm starting it up now. Just try to get to the other end of the room." I nodded my head in response.

I heard the buzzing sound that signaled the start up, and instinctively switched on my power. Get from one end of the room to the other. Simple enough. I put one foot in front of the other, and walked. Every so often I would feel a tingle as a weapon of some sort brushed through me or near me, and I had to consciously try not to flinch. Even though a part of me knew nothing could touch me, another part was screaming at me to get the heck out of there.

I didn't listen.

I just walked and within minutes I felt my hands, which were held slightly in front of me, brush through the wall. I halted, but didn't turn off my power until I felt the machines shut down. Over my head in the Deck, I could hear someone laughing. I didn't have to ask who it was, because Piotr turned on the com a second later.

"That was very good Kitty!" he called out in between bouts of hilarity. "You did wonderful!"

I smiled. I loved it when I succeeded.

I began to make my way to the Deck stairs, when I stopped in my tracks. Something, or someone was watching me. The back of my head started to prickle, and it wouldn't go away. I was starting to feel really sick and woozy, and I was sitting down clutching my head before I even knew what was happening.

_Shhhhhhhhh._ Someone said. _It'll be alright. I would never hurt you._ _But I need you right now. You are the only one who can stop this. _

I saw visions of hell before collapsing completely, and drifting off. As I went, wherever I went, I felt a slight kiss brush against my forehead. I sighed before letting myself go.

* * *

**If you want the truth, I'm tired of knocking her out. To bad this wouldn't work any other way. **

***Sigh***

**Anywho, thanks for reading!**

**And Kitty would really like some reviews to go with her milk, please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**This may**** or may not seem weird. I promise, it will make more sense eventually...I hope. **

**I do have some of the ages done, however. **

**Kitty~14 (almost 15)**

**Piotr~19**

**Kurt~24**

**Wolverine~Around 160/170 (you'll find out why later!)**

**I'll figure out the rest soon, but for now just assume that Xavier is somewhere in his 50s/60s and all other residents of the mansion are in their 20s/30s. If you need to know a certain age, I will include that in the content. **

**And now, enjoy!**

* * *

_**Manhattan**_

_**2045**_

_Has it really been thirty-three years?_ I wondered.

_It feels more like a lifetime._

I contemplated my past as I walked through the ruins of what used to be Park Avenue. I was such a young, innocent girl back then compared to what I have become now.

The things that I've seen and done, the things that _she_ will see and do, have changed me. Will change her. And hopefully, that change will prove to her just how vital this mission is.

I glanced down, and noticed that I was about to crash into a piece of debris. Cursing myself for not paying attention while at the same time thanking my lucky stars that the satellites were one of the few things that survived the war, I side-stepped it, and continued on. The street I was currently on is Rogue territory, and the last thing that I need is to be seen by one of them. But at least here a Sentinel would never think to look for a mutant, least of all a former X-Man. That's why Wolverine chose this place for our last rendezvous.

_At last, it's all coming together._

_Finally. _

I stepped on the trap-door before I even realized that it was there, and slid down into the sewer that it opened into. I immediately began to panic.

_No, not now! Not when we are so close! _

I landed on the ground in a heap, and groaned at the mild pain the fall caused me.

_What I wouldn't give to have this collar removed from my neck._

If I didn't have it on, I would have been able to use my mutation and float over the door the second it opened. But, in this world, that is no longer possible.

Casting my thoughts aside, I quickly took in my surroundings. There were three heat signatures surrounding me in the darkness, and I muttered a curse under my breath.

_Just my luck._

I tried to avoid the Rogues and instead I fell right into a pack of them. Once upon a time, it would have been no problem to deal with them. But now it was not as easy. I was older, and I wasn't as flexible as I used to be. I braced myself.

"Well, well, well. Looks like we got ourselves a mutie here boys." One Rogue said in a slimy, frog-like voice.

I decided to take a somewhat diplomatic root. "I am on official Sentinel business! You are advised to leave me alone."

They laughed at me. Guess diplomacy is officially dead.

_Oh well. _

"Who cares if you're with the Sentinels, girly?" the Rogue asked, reaching out and grasping my chin. I didn't bother to struggle, for I knew he had a gun. They always did. "We hate them robots as much as we hate your kind. So beg all you want, sweetie. Scream as loudly as you please. No one will hear you, and even if they do, no one would come."

I sighed. It appeared that I was going to die soon anyway. I swung my leg out and kicked him in the crotch, hitting my target dead on. The man (if you could call him that) collapsed in front of me, swearing and grasping himself between the legs.

I readied myself to fight, but stopped when I feel another heat signature approaching us. I recognized this one, and smile viciously.

_Things just got a bit more interesting._

"Come on you to, let's flay this mutant scum!" a different Rogue screamed, "Danny, get up man, you're fine."

_He won't be in a few seconds._

"Last chance," I said, "Walk out and leave me alone now, and I'll let you live."

"I don't think so." the Rogue I kicked growled. Apparently he healed quickly. I hope that continues to work. _Not_.

Suddenly, there was the sound of a match striking, and I turned to see Logan lighting up his latest cigar. He inhaled deeply, and blew some smoke rings while staring our guests down. Stepping forward, he nonchalantly tapped his cigar on the shoulder of the nearest man, removing all the excess ash.

"I believe that the lady asked to be left alone." he said slowly. "And that is exactly what is going to happen."

The Rogues proceeded to tell Logan things that I should not repeat in polite company, and several of them I never imagined a person could do with their...well...I'll let you use your imagination.

That was a big mistake. Without a word, Logan vanished, and The Wolverine attacked. He didn't use his claws for fear of being caught by the Sentinels, but he also didn't need his mutation to kill a few baddies. It was all over in a manner of seconds, and then he helped me to my feet.

"You okay kid?" his tone is concerned.

I looked into the eyes of the man who might as well be my father. "I'm fine, thanks _Dad._"

He smiled softly at my nick-name for him.

"So," I continued on in a more serious tone, "How is life in the Canadian Resistance army?"

"We're gaining ground, but you and I both know that that is only temporary. They outnumber us, outskill us, and outgun us. We don't stand a chance in hell. Not like this. But maybe, just maybe, we can change that. Here." He hands me a small mechanical piece. "That is the last component of the jammer. The Sentinels won't be able to detect it. Plug it in, and we'll be set."

I nodded.

"Got it."

He turned away from me to leave. I blink a few tears away while he couldn't see. If anything went wrong tonight, this was the last time I would ever see him. My face is schooled into a calm expression when he turns back for a brief moment.

"I'll meet you at the designated area. Kitty," he paused, "Be careful." I watched as he vanished into the night.

I made it back to the compound just before curfew, and then I endured a humiliating security exam. I can be grateful for the fact that it was conducted by machines, who had no way to process lust or other perversions. And thankfully, Logan was right. They didn't detect the component.

This place has been my home for over a decade now. And God in heaven, I hate it with every fiber of my being. As I walked through the streets I cursed every inch of ground I covered. This place was hell on earth. And no one who lived here would ever forget that.

As always, the first thing I saw when I stepped behind the gate is the graveyard.

It rolled across several of the compound hills, and was placed near the entrance to serve as a reminder to every mutant who walked through the gates.

_Resistance is punishable by death._

The banner that hung between two trees was freshly painted every other day in blood red ink. No one would ever forget the sight of it strung across the graves of our families.

The war may have ended years ago, but I am still haunted today by those we have lost.

Iceman

Spider-Man

The Avengers

Fantastic Four

Angel

Beast

Polaris

Xavier

Scott

Jean

_Kurt_

Each name I see is a dagger through my heart. _I'm so sorry,_ I silently said as I walked past them, _We will never be able to avenge you. But we can make sure that this nightmare never happens. _

I stopped when I reached the end of the row, as I always did. The last grave has three little crosses on it in place of a headstone. I kneeled next to it and lowered my head, lightly kissing the earth. A tear dripped down my face as I repressed a sob.

_This time, my darlings, Mommy will have you. No one will ever be able to tear you from me ever again._

The grave is actually empty since my husband and I were never given their remains, but our children will always have a place of honor alongside their family.

_Alongside their uncle._

I lightly brush my fingers across Kurt's headstone, thanking him for keeping an eye on my kids.

I knew he will always watch over them.

I moved on, as much as it killed me.

The others have waited long enough, and we cannot start until I am there. I was already late, and I knew they are worried.

It didn't take me long to reach the barracks.

They were all there, waiting in the alley.

Franklin Richards has his arm slung around Rachel Summers, Scott and Jean's only surviving child.

They were supposed to get married, but the anti-mutant marriage law passed the month before their wedding. We still had a small, private ceremony. Screw the restrictions. They never said anything about preventing a mutant priest from preforming the ceremony. So what if they didn't have a legal license? They considered themselves husband and wife.

Ororo is next to them, hair as white as ever. And sitting beside her is Magneto, or Erik, as we callled him now, and he was as imposing as ever even though he lost the use of his legs in a time long gone. And behind him, pushing the chair, is the love of my life. I allowed a smile to ghost across my face as I approached them.

Together, we were the last of the X-Men.

"I'm sorry I'm late," I called out as I get closer and they gathered around me, "I ran into some Rogues, who ran into Wolverine. I think he was happy he got to see some hand-to-hand combat for once, rather than directing it from the sidelines."

"But what about the module, Kate?" Erik pressed.

I glanced at him.

"Got it right here," I said coolly, pulling it out of my pocket. Just because we were now allies mean that I completely forget the time he tried to kill me. I turned to Storm and Rachel. "We already know from the grapevine chatter that there will be a nuclear attack the day after tomorrow. The final strike will be at midnight. Phase One must be completely before then."

Storm took the component from my hand and handed it to Rachel, who handed it to Franklin, who disappeared into the nearest building where the rest of the jammer is stored.

_ Hopefully, it won't take him long_.

"How normal we make it sound," my husband mused

, "And yet what we contemplate is so fantastic, I can hardly believe that it is possible."

"That is strange talk," Erik says, "Coming from someone who has seen and done what you have."

"We all changed for this war, Erik," he responds, and I continue to listen to their conversation while Storm and Rachel talk in hushed tones, "But in my heart I am still the simple boy who first came to America to learn. Not a super-hero."

Magneto's tone grew somewhat heated. "If there was another way, you know we would take it. But there isn't. Tomorrow the world we be at war, the day after it will be_ dead._ What we are doing may not make things better, but it certainly cannot make them worse."

He turned to Rachel and Franklin, who had just stepped out of the building with the jammer in his hand. "Rachel, so much depends on you. Are you ready?" She nodded nervously, and Franklin put a gentle, reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"The jammer is operational." Franklin said. "We can start at any time."

I steeled myself. "Then lets do this." I began to walk forward, but my soul-mate stopped me.

"A moment, my wife."

"What?" I asked him impatiently.

_We were ready to do this, I was ready to do this. If we stopped now, **I might not be ready.**_

"I have my doubts. Will this crazy plan of ours even work? And if it does, should it?" I began to protest but he cut me off. "No, hear me out. We are playing with the very basic fabric of reality. And what happens to us if we do succeed? What happens to our love?" He drew me close and pressed my hand to his heart. "This beats for you," he said, "It has from the moment I laid eyes on you for the first time. I do not want to lose that."

I pushed back gently. "What is the love of two people compared to the lives of billions?" I asked softly.

"I am a selfish person Kate," he bit out harshly, "It matters to me."

I sighed, "As it matters to me. But, if our love was meant to be, then it will happen again in this new timeline we are creating. The new world will be a place where our children can grow up, free of fear and hate." My tone grew soft as memories I had long since buried began to surface.

"They my friends, they killed my family, and then they strapped me to a table and made you watch as they killed our babies before they even had a chance to live." I let out a small sob, tears swimming in my eyes. Looking up into his face, I could tell that it matched my own.

"If what we are about to do holds the slightest chance that I will get to see our fallen comrades again, and that I get to hold my children while they breath, then I will do whatever it takes. I don't care about the cost."

He gently brushed my cropped hair away from my forehead and kissed it lightly. I allowed him hold me as I thought of everything that we had endured to get to this point, and wondered at everything that was possible if this worked.

"How I love you, little one."

I smiled slightly at his use of the pet name. I hadn't heard it in so long. I looked deep into his eyes. And I love you, Piotr. From the moment we first met." I press my lips to his in an act of love and desperation. I don't know if I will ever do this again. His kiss is warm, and familiar, and a feeling that I never want to let got of.

"Kate, are you ready?" I break away from him reluctantly.

"As I will ever be."

* * *

As always, thanks for reading.

And a special thanks to all my favorites/followers. Your support means a lot.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Warning: There are mentions of suicide and some derogatory terms used in this chapter. There is no description, and none of the words are used to insult or hurt anyone. There is also a mention of a forced abortion, although it is not in detail.**_

_**Just thought that you would like a heads up. **_

_**Also, the amazing speech that you will read is not something that I can take credit for, but something that the real-comic Kitty said. I just added a few things and paraphrased others. **_

_**I don't own any of this except for the plot idea. I swear! If I did own it, do you think that I would be working at Sonic to pay for college? **_

_**As always, thank you readers. Knowing you keep coming back keeps me writing. **_

* * *

_**Manhattan**_

_**2013  
**_

_You know, his is getting really, really, **really**...old. _

Honestly, I'm getting tired of waking up in strange places after getting knocked out for some reason.

Is it my fault?

_No._

Am I getting sick of it?

_Yes._

But when I opened my eyes, I noticed two things.

One:

I definitely wasn't in the med bay like I had expected to be. I mean, it's only logical to assume that you would end up in the med bay after you pass out, right? That was really disconcerting.

And two:

I could _see_.

Well, at least I think I could see. Having been blind all my life, I had no idea exactly how the sense worked.

Knowing the science of it does not matter compared to the experience. That's what I've been told.

Instead of complete and utter darkness that I had become so used to, everything was bright. It was kind of hurting my eyes. There was no air pressure whatsoever, which severely confused me, but the point of this was that I couldn't tell how big the room was.

_ If it was even a room._

I was lying on something, although I couldn't tell what. Everything was the same, it all looked bright and hurt my eyes. Apparently there was no beginning and no end to my current location. And standing up, I noticed that the floor (if it was a floor) had no texture. I was basically standing in and surrounded by nothing.

Everything rang with an eerie sameness that intensely freaked me out.

"Kind of weird, isn't it?"

I turned quickly at the voice. To my surprise, I found myself staring at a woman.

_I think it's a woman. _

I honestly didn't know how to tell with no air pressure or smell or anything that I usually relied on. The only way I thought she was female was because her voice was somewhat high pitched. But then again, some she could have been a gay man.

Hey, it's just a thought.

"Who, who are you?" I asked her. Okay, so I may or may not have stuttered due to slight panic.

I was trapped in some sort of room with a stranger. Not one of my weirdest encounters, but it sure was odd. I was allowed to be a little scared.

She laughed slightly. "Well, that's a good question with a rather.._.interesting_ answer." she paused. "I guess...you could say that I'm you."

_Um..._

"WHAT?! Are you insane?"

She laughed again, only this time it sounded darker, a bit more crazy than her previous one. The sound startled me. Her face morphed into one of pain and anguish.

"That, my young self, is debatable. _Very _debatable." The glare in her eyes started to fade. "But right now, I am more sane than I ever have been."

That is so reassuring.

_ There has to be another way..._

"What's your name?" I asked more slowly this time.

"Katherine Anne Pryde-Rasputin"

Honestly, did not see that one coming.

"YOU MARRIED PIOTR?!" Just because I didn't believe her doesn't mean that I wasn't surprised at her claims. Sure, Piotr was a great guy, and so what if I liked imagining just what exactly he looked like, as tall as he was, and with all those muscles...

_BAD KITTY!_

"Technically, sweetie,_ you_ married Piotr. Or will marry him. _Maybe._ I don't know what my presence here is doing to the timeline. We never really thought of the outside implications, just the end-game." What started out as an informative answer dwindled off as she started to ramble. The habit was just like mine. It frightened me that barely five seconds a person claimed to be my future self, I found myself beginning to wonder if I should believe them.

I was thinking a lot of other words right now. None of them are nice nor can they be said in polite company.

"What the hell are you-"

She cut me off mid-sentence. "Look, doll, it would be easier if I just showed you."

"What do you mean, show me?" I asked in confusion.

For an answer, she moved until she was standing directly in front of me and placed her finger on my forehead. "This might be painful," she warned, "brace yourself." She closed her eyes, and my knees buckled with the weight of the agony. I saw things, flashes of what I can only describe as hell on earth. And from what I could understand through the pain, these were her memories.

Not just her memories though.

_My memories._

* * *

_My hands were shaking, and so was I. I didn't think that I could do this. Kurt put a hand on my back, and that, combined with the feeling of Piotr's hand in mine gave me strength that I didn't know I had. I wiped away the few tears I had shed and made my way over to the podium. I couldn't see the people that I was about to speak to, but that just made it easier. Seconds later, my voice rang through the auditorium. I could only hope that people would listen. _

_"We're all here tonight to talk about Larry Bodine." My voice stutter slightly, but I continued on. _

_"But honestly, who here knew him completely? Who here understood him? I'll tell you who. No one."_

_I paused a little. "So who was he then, that we gather to mourn him? I think that a better question would be, who are **we** to mourn him. Who am I? A blind, flat-chested, brain, chick, hebe, stuck-up Xavier's snob freak!"_

_Some people muttered amongst themselves, but I ignored them. _

_"What, you don't like the words? I could use nicer. I've certainly heard worse. But then who here** hasn't**? So often, so casually, we use words like that, so much that maybe we have forgotten their power to **hurt**. Homo, spic, wop, slope, mutie...God, the list is so long, **and so damn cruel**. They're labels..put downs. _

_And they hurt. _

_But we laugh it off or hit back-with words of our own, and sometimes even fists. Or we take the other route, and suffer in silence. We think that it's no big deal. This is the rough edge of reality, right? Why should we make a fuss? The trouble was, when somebody labeled Larry a mutie, they hit home. _

_Because he **was**. _

_His power created beauty, that's it. He did with light and color what Mozart did with music, and he wanted nothing more than to be accepted by his peers, possibly even liked. And isn't that what all of us want out of life? To be accepted, to have friends and people to care for us? To not be alone?_

_If we're lucky, we have someone to turn to when someone puts us down for being who we are. But Larry didn't. And it cost him his life. _

_We are all responsible for this. Everyone here is accountable for his death. Those who pushed him into this, and those who turned the other way like I did. _

_I had a chance. I was with him the night before he died. I could have done something to make him change his mind. _

_But I didn't. And I will always hate myself for that. _

_But I can do something for those like Larry. I can give them someone to turn to when things get dark." _

_I took a deep breath. It was the moment of truth. "Because..." I removed my sunglasses with a flourish, revealing my blood red irises, with the bright blue veins surrounding them like a tattoo. "I am a mutant. And I am done hiding. I do this for Larry. I do this for myself. I do this for the children I hope one day to have, so that they will not grow up in fear like I did. I urge all of you out there like me to do the same. Thank you for your time." _

_The auditorium was silent as I walked off the stage._

* * *

_"So, why can't I find any files on you?" _

_I snorted, drawing the attention of all occupants in the room from Xavier to me. _

_"And just what is so funny, Ms. Pryde?" _

_"It's Ms. Pryde-Wagner." I muttered under my breath at a level none of them could here. We were in a room with the Avengers, being severely questioned by Nick Fury as to why he could find no information on us. _

_He repeated his question. _

_"You can't find any files because I hacked into the SHIELD mainframe and erased them all. Every. Last. One." _

_Tony Spark spluttered while Fury started looking for something at the bottom of his hip flask. _

_"How the hell," Iron Man asked, "Did you manage to do what JARVIS couldn't?!" _

_"It's simple," I replied, "JARVIS is a computer who is programmed to act like a human. I'm a human that has a computer for a brain. There is a difference."_

* * *

"_We interrupt this program with breaking news! Senator Kelly has been assassinated by an unknown assailant, but the perpetrator is known to be a mutant!" I listened on as my family watched in horror. "What does this mean for us Xavier? I asked. _

"_I don't know Kitty," he said heavily, "I don't know." _

_His tone scared me. The Professor had never sounded that helpless before. Kurt threw an arm around my shoulder as I shivered. _

_"It'll be okay, liebchen. I promise." _

_I couldn't help but feel like he wouldn't be able to keep it. _

* * *

"_So they can register us now? Like common criminals?" I was asking a lot of questions lately.  
_

"_In their eyes kid, we are the criminals." Wolverine told me solemnly.  
_

_I knew in my heart what was coming._

"_My family has gone through this once. First it's registration, then it's work camps, and finally gas chambers. It's only a matter of time." Magneto didn't know it, but I shared his spoken thoughts.  
_

_The Jews were once murdered for their faith. It now seems that mutants will be murdered for being born. _

* * *

_"Carmen, are you sure that you want to do this?" _

_"Kit-Cat, I need to get away for a while. I'll be back soon, I promise." _

_I stood there as he boarded the boat bound for Genosha, a mutant haven/all-star resort. _

_Three weeks later I listed on the news as the island was blown to the sky. I would later hack all the security feeds on the island that fed back to computers on the mainland, and discovered that his last words were, "I love you, Kitty." _

_I cried._

* * *

_"Why are you doing this to us?!" I screamed in pain as another bolt of electricity ran through me. Scott, Remy, and Alex yelled at the man to let be go.  
_

_"It is the duty of a father to want his children to reach their full potential. Mystique and I spent a long time making you, I am simply ensuring that you are perfect, daughter." _

_My face went white. _

_"I will work on your brothers next." _

_I couldn't help it. I cursed at him. And was rewarded with another current flowing through my bones. _

* * *

_"So what if mutant marriage has been outlawed?" I bravely said. "Let's have our own ceremony, right here. Right now." _

_My friends and family were all outside enjoying our small evening meal.  
_

_"What are you talking about, Katya?" Piotr asked me. _

_"I want to marry you, Piotr. I wear your engagement ring. I don't care what those idiots say, I don't need a priest or a marriage certificate to bind myself to you. _

_I could tell he was confused. To be honest, I hardly understood what I was saying. _

_"Stand up." I commanded him. As soon as he did, I stood him over Kurt's grave. A romantic setting, I know. _

_"There are no words to express how much I love you. I met you at one of the darkest points in my life, and you saved be from destroying myself. You accept me for who I am, and love me in spite of the monster that I was created to be. I wish that I could tell you that we will be together forever, or that everything will be perfect after this, but I can't. I can promise however, that our life will be messy. Our life together will mean work, sweat, tears, and blood. We will probably never be let out of this camp, but that's somewhat okay, because we are together."_

_"I promise to be your wife, Piotr. What say you?" _

_His answer was a searing kiss, and a wedding night to remember. Our child was conceived that night. And condemned the next morning. I never told Piotr. He never knew until they dragged him into the hospital room. The devastation in his voice is something I will never forget. The day after the murder, I set a small cross next to Kurt's grave. _

_"Take care of him." I whispered. _

* * *

_"Are you saying that we can end this?" I asked Erik. _

_"I'm saying that it's possible." he said gruffly. _

_"So, Rachel has the capabilities to send my conciseness mind through time and space back to my younger self right before the assassination, before my telepathic shields completely developed, and save the Senator, thereby ending all of this? _

_"Yes." Rachel said firmly. _

_"I have to be honest, Rachel, that sounds a little insane." _

_"You're forgetting who my mother was, Kate." Her eyes flashed gold. "I can do it. _

_End the war. Save mankind. _

_"What are we waiting for?"_

* * *

A lifetime of memories processed in moments. I lived what she had-and what I would-experience. I knew what it was like to love Piotr, to have Kurt for a brother. I learned who and what I really was. I lost children, lived and died all in those moments.

God, it hurt so much. I could feel the children inside of me for a brief moment, but then they were gone completely. The grief and the anguish over loosing the people that I loved so dearly made me sob from the intensity of it.

I wanted to break down, but I knew that we didn't have time for that. I pushed all my feelings aside, to revisit them later when I had a moment.

I drew in a breath and shakily stood up. She (it washard to think of her as me) gently reached out an arm and supported me.

"Now do you understand?" she asked softly.

I nodded.

How could I not understand?

How could I not want to end this?

"Tell me what to do."

* * *

_**Reviews are love, and Kitty loves love. Reviewing might make her come back faster!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thanks to all the readers and reviewers, as always. You guys inspire me to keep it up, even when I think I should quit. **_

_**But if I quit, I would have no life outside my job. **_

_**And that would suck. **_

_**Disclaimer: Look, I am a college student just barely making it on a Sonic salary. **_

_**Do you honestly think that I own Marvel?** _

* * *

I heaved myself into an upright position, shocking the people that surrounded me in the med bay. I couldn't feel my glasses on my face, but knew that I was still wearing contacts that made it look like I had brown eyes. For now, my secret was safe. I breathed a small sigh of relief. Knowing that I would tell them in the future didn't make me want to tell them now. I started to stand up, but a familiar three-fingered hand pushed me back down.

"Keety," Kurt said, "Lie back down and let us check you over. Now that you are avake, maybe ve can discover vhat caused you to collapse."

I stared into the direction of his face, wishing more than anything that I could see him at that moment. This man, who in truth I barely knew, was my brother. And I knew that if Kate and I didn't succeed, he was going to die. Moving faster than I ever thought possible, I clutched him to me.

_Oh dear..._

_Hey, Kate, you really need to stop! You're freaking him out! You're freaking them all out!  
_

**I haven't seen him in over a decade,** she retorted. **Give me a second.**

Sighing, I mentally took a step back and let her personality take over, even though as I did it I wondered if it was the right thing to do.

"Oh God, you're alive!" she said breathlessly the minute she had control. And though she would later deny it, I felt a tear run down my face. She held him close for a second before stepping back and stretching her hand out, toughing the nearby bed.

"I'm in the med bay at the mansion. Oh, God I can't believe it actually worked! Rachel said that it would, but I wasn't sure until now."

Kurt, meanwhile, was stuttering slightly in his confusion. "O-of course I am alive, Keety, what else would I be?"

He wasn't the only one in the room that was puzzled.

"Kitty, I think that you need to lie down like Kurt said," Storm said gently to me, as if I were crazy. Maybe I was. "And let us check you for any injuries."

"You haven't called me Kitty in so long," Kate sighed quietly. "And really meant the affection behind it."

_Kate, you need to let me take over now. They're more likely to believe me._

**Alright.** She (figuratively) stepped back, and once again I was in complete control.

"We don't have time for that, Storm. I need to see the Professor, now."

"Kitty," Piotr cut in, "Why are you acting so strange?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." I responded quietly.

"Try us kid." Logan said.

And so I did. The whole story came out, well, the parts that they needed to know anyway. I told them about Kate, and part of what she had shown me (the bits about the war), but I left out certain things like the fact about Kurt being dead, **But they probably figured that out anyway.** _Quiet! _And several other little details like the fact that I was married to Piotr. Or will be married to Piotr. Or might get married to Piotr. I don't even know any more.

They were all skeptical, and debating whether or not I was crazy and if they should sedate me. We could tell. "Look," Kate and I said together, the double tenor ringing in our combined voice. "You don't have to believe us. You can think that we are crazy. But what if we are right, and Senator Kelly does die at the press conference the Professor is attending today? What if we are right, and it happens all over again? Storm," we turned to her in desperation, "Can you take that chance?

* * *

They believed us. Or, at least they were curious and concerned enough to take me to DC where Xavier could scan my brain and find out once and for all if I was telling the truth. I have to admit, their lack of trust was a little disconcerting, but when I considered the circumstances I understood.

All of us (Storm, Logan, Kurt, Angel, Piotr, Kate, and I) were currently seated in the X-Jet (yes,we have our own private plane) which was set on a one-way autopilot flight to Washington. Kate was in control again, having a conversation with Storm. Piotr was seated next to me, Logan and Storm across, Kurt hanging from the ceiling, and Angel was leaning against the wall. "So, Kelly dying is what causes this war you told us about? How?" she asked.

Kate sighed. "The Senator is a decent man, with what he thinks are legitimate concerns about the number of increasing super-powered mutants, people much like us. The mutants that killed him belong to a group known as the Brotherhood, who wish to teach humanity to know and fear the power of _homo superior_."

She laughed dryly. "Oh, they feared us alright. All of us who stood against what the Brotherhood had done complied with the consequences that followed. We were convinced that the hysterical paranoia of the humans would pass." Kate paused slightly, before leaning forward and resting our hands on our knees. "It didn't. We hesitated to much. And it would eventually cost us our lives.

Then in 2020, a few years later, a rabid anti-mutant candidate was elected president to the joyous cries of the people. At the time, I was reminded of a movie quote, _"So this is how liberty dies. To thunderous applause." _Star Wars, the third episode. Not my favorite of the series, I prefer the originals, but it was appropriate. Within less than a year, they attempted to pass the first MRA, Mutant Registration Act. The Supreme Court stuck it down, bless them, but the response of the President's administration was to create the Sentinel Program.

Giant robots specifically designed to hunt and capture mutants. They were given an open-ended program. Eliminate the mutant threat, once and for all. The concluded the best was to carry out their program was to take over the world.

We didn't stand a chance. Sure, we took a lot of them down with us, but the thing was that they could build new ones to replace the ones that we decimated. We couldn't replace the people we lost." She heaved a sob. "And dear God, we lost so many. Not just mutants, but non mutant super-beings, heroes, villains."

Kate was growing more emotional as she continued to speak, our shoulders shaking with unreleased tears. I wanted to cry too as we shared the memories.

"W-we fought, and we lost. We di-ied. And now, seeing all of you here again, alive and whole...God, I didn't think it would hurt this much."

For a while, there are no sounds in the cabin of the jet...save for the anguished cries of a woman who lost everything, and a girl who shares her pain.

* * *

Kate gave the basic summary of what happened next the minute we dried our tears. The remaining humans did not appreciate the Sentinels taking over their planet, and were going to nuke them sometime in the next twenty-four hours. Kate and the rest of the X-Men (those that were still alive) devised a plan to send one of them back in time to stop the assassination, and by extension the hell that had followed.

"But vhy vould you choose Keety?" Kurt wanted to know.

"Right now Kurt," I explained, taking over, "I am the only one who hasn't been trained to block a telepathic attack when I am not expecting it. I am able to turn on my shields instinctively if I know there is a telepath nearby, but other than that I am-was-completely helpless." I was going a mile a minute. Kate had injected some of her urgency into me, preventing me from stopping and processing anything at all.

**We need to focus on the task at hand,** she told me.

By the end of the explanation, everyone just kind of milled around the jet cabin and waited for the landing sequence because we had reached our destination. Storm had phoned ahead to inform the Professor that we were coming, although she didn't tell him why.

**It's not exactly appropriate phone conversation, dearie. **

_Quiet Kate, I'm thinking aloud to myself here. _We were walking down the hall to the conference room where the Senator and Xavier were located.

_Why do they call you Kate anyway?_

She was quiet for a minute.

**The last thing Kurt said before dying in my arms was, "Keety." He said it just like that, in the accent of his. He was one of the first to die, and I no longer felt that I could bear to hear the name that I associated with a time when we were together, happy, and whole. Something in me broke that day. I never let anyone call me Kitty again.**

I didn't ask her any more, because the truth is, I was scared to hear the answer. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know anything more. We had shared memories, yes, but she hid a lot of stuff from me in the transfer. I think a part of me was grateful for that. I wouldn't be able to handle any more pain.

The room was packed with reporters from all kinds of news stations. They all turned to stare at us when we entered through the doorway. They were mostly whispering about Angel, who is openly a mutant (I guess you could say that he came out of the secret-identity closet), and a billionaire mutant at that. They were also wondering who we all were, but they were mostly focused on Angel. I was glad. The last thing we needed was more attention.

My body started to tingle, and I new that whatever was going to happen was about to happen.

**They're close,** Kate said.

_I know,_ I replied,_ help me show Xavier? You can block out the need-to-know parts. _

**What, like your impending marriage to Piotr? **

_Yes,_ I shot back, _how old were you anyway? _

**Oh**, she said breezily,** I was eighteen.**

_Oh no...You know what, I don't have time for this. Help me open my mind.  
_

Considering that my birthday is...tomorrow, and I am turning fifteen, I really didn't want to think about that right now.

It took a little effort, concealed by Piotr and Kurt gently gripping my arms and guiding me to a nearby seat, but we managed to bring the natural shield I had somehow developed down long enough for the Professor to see what exactly was going on, and who exactly was currently sharing residence in my brain. Once his shock filtered through, we let the barrier snap back around us.

_Thanks. _

**No problem. **

We had to wait of course, while they debated about...whatever they were debating about. Xavier was composed enough to murmur a quick warning to his companion, a Dr. Moria MacTaggert, before continuing to listen to the politicians discuss about whether or not mutants should have rights. It made me angry, the way that they talked about us as if we weren't even human.

**Believe me, sweetheart, this isn't bad. **

_You think I don't know that? I know what you know. But right now, this is what's happening. And it makes me angry._

**How do you think I feel? **

_The same as me, considering you are me. _

We didn't have time to banter further, due to the very large explosion happening somewhere on my right. _Is that...? _

**Yep. That's got to be them. No one else would be that bold. **

_Who caused the explosion?_ I asked.

**Avalanche. He can create minor earthquakes and sometimes focus them on specific areas. Like walls. We dated for a little while while I was in highschool and he was posing as a college student.**

_How many men have you been with?_ I shrieked.

**Don't you mean how many men will you be with?** She laughed.

_Don't answer that. I'm not sure that I want to know. _

**There are a lot of things that you didn't want to know that you now know. The question is, what are you going to do with the knowledge you now posses?**

_Be better._

**Good. **

Our little ten-second speed conversation was ended by Kurt shaking our-my-shoulder. Apparently our little black-outs weren't going unnoticed. I placed a hand on his cheek and smiled to reassure him. I don't think that it helped much, because his facial muscles were extremely tense under my palm. "We are the Brotherhood." a female voice announced.

**Mystique, our mother. Kurt's and Rouge's as well. **

_Who's Rogue? _

**You'll find out eventually. **

"We are humanity's future!" she continued. She fascinated me. I knew from what knowledge Kate provided me with that Mystique was a shape-shifter who believed that we shouldn't have to hide or cower. Her methods were highly questionable, yes, but her heart always seemed to be in the right place.

"Now see here!" A man protested. Kelly. "This is a peaceable meeting! What right do you have to barge in here?"

"We have every right." Mystique said. "What you are discussing at this meeting is whether or not to treat my people like animals. Well I say, NO MORE!" Her cry was answered by others like it, all members of the Brotherhood.

I hear a series of deep footsteps before a bolt of electricity hits the ground.

**Storm must have shot off at Blob. He's the only person alive who steps that loudly.**

"Not another move." Scott warned from his position near the Professor. "If you're smart, you're going to sit down and wait until the authorities get here."

"Scott," I called out, "these idiots are anything but smart."

The room was so full of people that I could never have gotten a clear read on anyone here, and it distracted me so much that up until now I was just focusing my attention inward, conversing with Kate so as not to get a headache. But just then, I swear I heard a small gasp to my left. I think it was Mystique. And I think she recognized me. Or Kurt. One of us anyway.

The air pressure was crazy, and the fact that Storm was currently using her power made it even worse. I was literally, for the first time in a long time, completely blind. I couldn't use pressure, or smell, or sound. I had no idea what was going to happen, and that terrified me. Kate, thanks to the fact that we shared a body, was just as trapped as I was. The pressure grew even thicker, and I knew that Ororo was creating a fog cover for us so that no reporter in this room would know that we were also mutants.

"Who are you anyway?" a male voice asked._ Blob._

"We are the X-Men." Piotr replied.

"You don't look like any X-Men I have ever met, except for the winged bozo" Blob shot back.

"That's right," Wolverine snarked, "We aren't like any X-Men you have ever met. We're _better._"

* * *

**Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Last chapter! As always, thanks for reading. **

**And, as for something that happens at the end of this chapter, I got the idea of it from _Agents of SHIELD_ and the CBS show _Intelligence_. **

**As such, I do not own it. Just the concept of sticking it to my Kitty.**

* * *

You know, maybe one of these days I will actually pay attention when a battle goes on around me...

_Nah_.

The truth is, Kate and I were focused on one thing and one thing only.

_**Protect the Senator. **_

So, when Mystique (I could not think of her as my mother just yet, since I still had no idea how that worked out in the end) attacked us, and my team mates sprang into battle mode, I flattened myself against a wall and started to inch toward the room that Kelly's men had rushed him into.

If he died, everything that Kate had worked for would be in vain, and everything that she had suffered I would too, only more personally this time, since it would actually be happening to me and not just a memory of my future self.

Speaking of memories...

_Kate, why on earth are you letting me know so much? Aren't you afraid that even if I try to be better than what you—I—were, don't you think that I might slip up?_

I had asked her this as we were dodging lasers from Cyclop's eyes and lightning bolts from Storm's temper tantrum. Also, every once in a while some object would hit the ground near us, courtesy of either Wolverine or Blob. We were doing our best to stay steady on our—my—feet, but it was a little difficult thanks to Avalanche, who apparently really liked to 'shake things up'. I promised myself secretly that I would never go near him, let alone date him, as we tried to navigate the minefield that closely resembled my old high-school during a good food fight.

**I...**she started to say, but then paused as if drawing a breath. **I...**

_Yes? _

**I...trust you.**

Uh huh. Sure.

_And I call bullcrap on that statement. There is no way that you told me the truth just now._

**Look Kitty,** she said desperately as we dodged another other chair that Wolverine had thrown at Avalanche, **let's just focus on the Senator right now, okay? **

I stopped moving completely, the wheels turning in my head. Kate tried to take over again, in order to make me move, but I was having none of it. There was only one reason why she could feel so comfortable telling me so much at a time like this.

_I'm not going to remember any of this am I? _

She sighed, knowing the jig was up.

**No, you won't. You'll have bits and pieces, if you're lucky. Beyond that, you really shouldn't remember anything.**

Gaining enough control to move my head, she angled my ears in the direction of Kelly's saferoom. We could hear him pleading for his life, and I knew that we needed to go. Sighing, I started to move again.

But beyond continuing in our previous direction, I didn't respond to Kate at all. I knew that if I did, I wouldn't have nice things to say. But she wasn't really speaking to me either, so that solved that problem.

We reached the door, but it was already sealed shut, so I activated my mutation. And as we slipped through the door into the dark room, we could hear the battle dying down slowly. Mystique hadn't responded well when Kurt had been the one to attack her, and was currently unconscious under the table he had thrown her into. I guess that means he has no idea what she is to us, to him. That's probably a good thing.

And without the guidance of their leader, The Brotherhood was slowly falling apart. The sirens that we could hear in the distance gave further proof that this should all be over soon.

But there was one member of the enemy that didn't need Mystique to hold her hand. Destiny, the blind psychic, was apparently going to be the one to try to off the Senator.

Kate was fascinated by this fact.

When I asked her why, she said that no one had ever known who had killed the man in the first place. It was interesting to find out after all these years.

**I never knew it was her. She was in the camp with us, you see, and we sort of bonded over a shared almost-disability. She tore her own eyes out, you know. **

_Oh really?_

**She couldn't stand the future she was seeing. She was just a kid. I think that I know why she did this. She saw the debate, and then saw what would come after. Destiny has never really seen anything clearly. If she assumed it was Kelly's words rather than his death, then that would explain all of this.  
**

_If she can see the future, I asked, then why can't she see us?_

**The timeswitch would have altered the timeline so completely I bet her visions will be blocked until I leave your body.**

_I suppose that's good. How do we stop her from using the laser cross-bow she currently has pointed at the Senator? _

Just then, we both felt a slight tugging coming from the back of my head somewhere. It felt like we were being ripped in two, and then suddenly I understood that we _were_.

Our time was up.

Kate's telepathic friend could no longer maintain the connection.

We had minutes, maybe even seconds to do this, if not less.

_Nice knowing you._ I told her, then threw myself through Destiny.

Because I was phased, I went straight through her, but once y upper body was clear, I solidified my arm and jerked it up to throw her aim off.

I focused myself on all of the memories that Kate had given me in our time together.

I focused on making my whole body solid as I hit the floor and kicked Destiny's feet out from under her, knocking her to the ground hard enough to knock her out.

I focused on staying completely still, on breathing, on hearing the sounds of cuffs being placed on all of The Brotherhood.

Basically, I focused on anything but the white-hot pain that was currently ripping through my head.

It didn't end for a long time. I felt, more than heard Kurt picking me up. Piotr was next to him, and the minute my brother had me in his arms he placed his large hand behind my head. It felt warm, and I had to fight the urge to press my cheek into his palm. The others were with him, and the ones who weren't surrounding me in concern were helping the Senator to his feet. The man immediately demanded an explanation, asking who the hell we were and what did we think we were doing?

I could tell he was staring at me the whole time he asked that. Not that I blame him. I_ was_ twitching like a manic.

Storm was the one who replied, telling him that we were the X-Men, that we were mutants, and I had just saved his life.

_Not I_, I thought, _we._

I couldn't feel Kate anymore, and a part of me felt completely empty. In the short time that we had...um...shared quarters, I had become quite attached to my future self. Now that I no longer knew what she was thinking, I wondered if this hair-brained scheme of hers had worked, and if it had, had it altered her timeline at all.

And, in thinking that, I realized that I had retained some of my memories from my encounter. The pain was still there, however, though it was beginning to fade slowly, so I didn't try to search my mind to see just how much I_ did_ remember.

Storm was still talking, and I tried to listen. "Mutants are people, and just like people, they are both good and bad. Do you throw all people in prison for the crimes of one murderer? No. And you would do well to remember that before you condemn us all."

I started to completely regain my senses (the ones I was in possession of) as we made our way back to the jet. Kurt carried me up the ramp and laid me on the couch, after he held my head up and slipped underneath it to cradle it in his lap.

I didn't really notice, to be honest. I was to busy scanning my brain for something, anything, now that the pain was almost gone. I didn't know what had happened. It seemed as though Kate was right. Beyond knowing that she had possessed me, I couldn't really remember anything else that had happened that day.

But them, it was like I flipped a switch somewhere. Don't ask me how I did it, because to this day I don't even know. I didn't get everything back. But I got enough.

I knew that Mystique was my mother, and Kurt was my brother. I knew that Piotr and I would eventually marry and have children, in that future at least. I knew that we would all live in a camp, and we would hate it. _I knew why I was blind. _But I did not know the man who caused it.

I also knew that I was missing pieces of these memories, that I had gotten only half of the puzzle. But, I think that the missing half was one that I wanted nothing to do with. I think that it came with pain and suffering, and I was glad that those bits were gone.

I sat up suddenly, startling everyone else in the cabin. I stretched my hands out and gently slid of the couch to take a more comfortable seat on a nearby table. Yes, I know that it's crazy that I prefer hard things to soft things. But that's just me.

"Kitty," the Professor asked cautiously, and I jerked my head to the left where he was seated, "Are you alright child?"

I let my face adopt a confused expression. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Keety," Kurt continued, "Do you not remember anything that happened today?"

I perked slightly. "You mean how well I did on my first Danger Room Session?"

"No, little one," Piotr told me slowly, "We mean the past few hours where you shared a body with your future self."

I was a good actress, evidently, because I managed to convince them that I had no idea what the heck was going on or why I was in the X-Jet. A part of me felt guilty for lying to them, but it was overruled by the part that told me they were better off not knowing. There would be to many questions and not enough answers if they did, and maybe it was selfish, but I didn't want that. I didn't think that I could handle it.

At the end of their little, 'explanation,' Scott wondered aloud whether we had actually changed the future or not as he landed the plane. Secretly, I did to, but I didn't speak to any of them as we entered the mansion, choosing instead to head to bed and call it a night. I still had a slight headache. Sleep came easily to me, and so did dreams.

_ I was standing in a field that I recognized and yet knew somehow shouldn't be there. Hadn't this place been destroyed years ago? I wondered as I looked around it slightly in awe. I knew in the pit of my stomach that for some reason, I shouldn't be here, but I couldn't bring myself to wonder why. _

"_Momma! Momma!" "Mat!"_

_ I turned slightly and caught the two small bodies that were hurling towards me. Sadly though, I wasn't balanced enough and within seconds we all were sprawled on the ground. Well, I was sprawled on the ground. The two young boys that I was currently clutching had landed on something softer—me. _

"_Mikhail! Alexi!" I scolded them, their names coming immediately to my mind. "You must be more careful!" They scrambled off of me immediately as I slowly sat up, wondering what the heck was going on and who these boys where and why they were calling me, 'mother,' in English and in Russian. _

"_Mal'chiki!" a gruff voice sounded from the direction they had come. "You must be more careful with your mother!"_

"_Yes papa." they both responded sadly, before they turned to me and wrapped their little arms around me. "We're so sorry, Momma." Alexi, the younger of the two, told me quietly._

"_No go," the voice repeated. I looked up to see a familiar Russian making his way towards us. "Help your sister and brother. Sasha and Anya need assistance in the kitchen." _

_Piotr reached down and lifted me into his arms, and just like always I was surprised at our size difference. It never bothered either of us though. _

_**Never bothered...where did that thought come from?** I wondered. I wondered at it all. I wondered who these children were, why I was here, and what the hell was going on. I started to ask Piotr, but I stopped when his hand cupped my stomach protectively and my own small hand instinctively covered it. _

"_Are you alright, wife?" he asked, his deep voice not doing anything to cover his worry._

"_I'm fine," I told him exasperatedly, "I've done this many times before." _

"_I do not wish to offend you, little one, but while you are still little you are not as young as you once were. Jean has warned you about the risks that this one brings." _

"_The risks are no greater than they were with any of the others. It's just a little more likely those things will happen." _

"_I will not see you hurt." he said, slight desperation coating his tone. _

"_Then you should have kept it in your pants on our wedding night," I responded teasingly, "because it hurts every time that we go through this, and..." I paused to cover his mouth and stop his reply, "Every time is worth it." _

_ I had no idea why I was saying these things, nor where they could possibly be coming from. It was almost like watching a new movie, not really knowing what the next line or scene would hold. I wasn't scared for some reason. _

_ Piotr leaned down, and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. A part of me felt sad that I had a secret that I couldn't tell him, although I wasn't exactly sure what that secret was. And then suddenly, I felt as if wind was rushing through me and I was now seeing everything from a different point of view. Well, I wasn't really seeing, but thanks to the body heat of those around me, the air pressure around them, and the noise they were making, I knew something of what was going on. _

_ Piotr was kissing me, and behind us, down a slight hill was a group of people surrounding picnic tables filled with food. There were gifts piled up to the one table that didn't have any food on it, and from the voices I knew that my team was all there, along with other voices that I didn't recognize. _

_ It was a baby shower. Storm and Jean's conversation told me that much. It was my baby shower. Kurt and Wolverine were carrying out the cake that my six—six! children had spent the whole afternoon working on. Everyone around me was happy. _

_And then I knew. _

_I was in Kate's world. It had worked. Somehow, someway, it had worked._

"_What are we going to name this one?" Piotr asked me—no, asked Kate. _

_She looked in the direction I was standing, and I could swear for a second that she could see me, though I couldn't really see her. _

_She smiled, I think, and I smiled back slightly. I knew that somehow she knew I was there. _

"_Let's name her Hope." A tear rolled down my face. **How long has it been since she felt that? **_

"_You are so sure it's a girl?" Piotr asked her. _

"_I'm positive." Kate replied. He smiled at her gently, and kissed her again before setting her on the ground. _

_He cocked his head slightly. "I hear your twins causing trouble again." he said. And sure enough, the sounds of physical and verbal fighting could be heard in the distance. _

"_Why is it when they are in trouble they are my children?" Kate asked exasperatedly. _

"_Because it is when they are in trouble that they act exactly like you." He kissed her again before moving away to separate the two boys. Kate's face morphed into one of somberness and gratitude. Don't ask me how I know that it did. I just know. _

"_They don't remember anything. They don't know anything." she whispered to me. "That is a blessing, I think. It's like the entire timeline has been re-written. I opened my eyes, and I was in the bathroom with a pregnancy test in my hand and Piotr banging on the door." she laughed. "It took me a little while to sort through my memories, to figure out which ones came from which life. It certainly hasn't been easy." she said, "But these have been the happiest days of my life." _

"_Good." I said. _

"_Thank you so much Kitty."_

Curled up in my blankets asleep, I smiled.

* * *

"What troubles you, liebchen?"

I was sitting in the backyard, on a bench near the pool. Wondering about all the things I had learned but a few days ago.

There was a reason that my eyes were red. There was a reason that I couldn't see, not the normal way anyway.

My eyes weren't eyes at all. They were machines. Little computers, chips, if you would. I could access anything and everything as long as it was hooked to the internet. I already had done it.

And in doing so, I had discovered an operation known as SHIELD. I hacked into their security cameras to watch Nick Fury's reaction when he found out that all of the X-Men files were gone. I took great pleasure in removing them.

Beyond that, I hadn't really had time to play with it.

"Nothing Kurt."

"I don't believe zhat."

I sighed. His had stroked my cheek in a gesture of affection. I leaned into it, and it was in that moment that I knew I could no longer lie to him.

"Who was your mother? Your real mother, I mean." I asked him.

His hand paused. "Why do you want to know?"

"Just wondering."

"Keety, that is not an easy question to answer. I worry about what people will think of me when they find out."

"It's Mystique, isn't it?" He didn't respond. "Oh, don't give me that face," I said exasperatedly. "Everyone knows what you look like, you fuzzy elf. How many other mutants other than Mystique do you know that have blue skin and yellow eyes? The resemblance is to close."

"Wh-y-y on ear-earth do you want to know?" he stuttered.

"I lied when I said that I didn't remember anything, you know. I remember one thing that Kate told me, about who my birth mother is. Who my brother is. Both happen to be blue, in the literal sense."

I waited a minute to see if what I was implying would sink in. It did. His hand grew tighter on my cheek, and his other joined it on the opposite side so that my face was framed between his palms. My glasses were squeezed into my face, but I didn't mind.

"Keety," he breathed, "What are you saying?"

"You know exactly what I am saying." I said, my voice low.

"You are mein schwester?"

"Ja." I replied teasingly.

He answer was to crush me to his chest. I sighed contentedly, burying my face into his chest. We stayed like that for a few minutes before I pulled back.

"There's one more thing that I want to show you." I said.

My heart was pounding. I could feel a sweat breaking out all over my body. I didn't want to do this. But at the same time, I knew that it was the right thing to do. I hadn't put my contacts in this morning, so once I took my glasses of, my eyes were completely visible.

He drew in a breath slightly.

"Am I ugly?" I had to ask when he didn't respond.

"Oh, Keety," he sighed, "Your the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

All the pent up emotions I had, the fear at showing him who I really was, the apprehension at telling my secrets, the desperation for him to accept me for who I was, spilled out in tears of blessed relief. He held me as I cried. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was home.

* * *

**And that's all for now folks! Keep an eye out for the next arc, _Hellfire's Pryde_!**

**As always, thanks for reading!**


	6. Hellfire's Pryde Sneak Peak

I felt a piece of paper being placed in my lap. "This can explain far better than I." Xavier said softly. Nodding, I set it down in my lap and traced my fingers over it, feeling for the tell-tale bumps of Braille that I knew by heart.

**_Kitty,_**

**_Your father and I have come to a decision, one that we have been considering for a while now, ever since you joined the Xavier school. When you left, it was clear that we thought that this was the best decision that we could make, but now we have come to the conclusion that we must pull you out._**

**_We know that you are happy there, and that your grades have not gone down at all since you joined. In fact, we think that you are doing far better academically then you ever have. But we have many concerns._**

**_You are the not the youngest student enrolled, but you are the second youngest, and we understand that the next oldest is already considered an adult. In addition, there is only two other female students there, one of which is a child. And while your Professor assured us that your disability had been taken into consideration once he knew, we have never seen his facility in person._**

**_Your social development is also a great concern to us. We want you to be able to interact with people your own age, and we know that that is not something you can learn from Xavier. Kitty, please understand that your father and I only want what is best for you, and that we do not make this decision lightly._**

**_We have already chosen, and registered you to your new school. You're expected at the Massachusetts Academy headed by Emma Frost in two weeks. Perhaps you remember her._**

**_Even if you don't, you are soon to make her acquaintance._**

**_Everything has already been taken care of. Xavier has the necessary forms and whatnot. We will see you over winter break!_**

**_Love always,_**

**_Mom &amp; Dad._**

I could feel the paper slipping from my fingers and onto the floor, but I made no move to pick it up. My eyes filled with tears.

_I can't be happy for one moment before something happens to take it away. _I thought. _Not one blasted moment._


	7. Sequel up!

The sequel to Days Of Future Pryde; Hellfire's Pryde is up!

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X-Men, Drama, Sci-Fi