DISCLAIMER: Pete, Kitty, and the X-Men belong to Marvel Comics. John Constantine belongs to DC/Vertigo. The song "Hey Jupiter" belongs to Tori Amos. Everything is being used without permission. I think Luba coined the "mother-in-law from hell" phrase, but I may be wrong. Please don’t sue.

NOTES: This is a sequel to "Lonely" and "Solitary" and it happens just before the whole "Splintering" thing. I came up with the idea while listening to "Boys For Pele" for the thousandth time (well, not quite, but you get the idea).

FEEDBACK: As always, please send lots and lots of feedback to RhiannonAZ@aol.com.

"Katya, I thought that perhaps we could go into the city and go to a gallery opening." Colossus spoke as if my answer was already given, could only be one thing.

He was right about that. The one thing just wasn't what he thought it was. Still, I try to consider him a friend, even though I'm pretty pissed off at everyone but Logan and Remy right now, especially Ororo and Piotr. "No thanks, I have to work on upgrading some programs." The hackers' equivalent to 'I'm washing my hair Saturday night.' "Why don't you ask Betsy and Warren to go with you, I'm sure they'd enjoy it." I pretend not to understand him, and try to spare his feelings, even though the rat bastard deserves it.

"I meant the two of us. As a date." If would have left it as that I would have been fine. Unfortunately for him he didn't. "Katya, you must face the facts and stop playing hard to get. We are fated to be together."

That was it. I snapped and took everything out on the stupid jerk. "Excuse me? Fated to be together? And where did you get an idea like that? We must be soul-mates because I had a bloody crush on you when I was fourteen? Because we were married in an alternate future? Oh, yeah, I remember now ... Because you're a fucking idiot!" He stared at me in shock, speechless. "Oh close your mouth Rasputin, a fly might go in it. Don't act so surprised, pal. I'd say we were over a long time ago, but the thing is we never were. Like I said, I had a crush on you. I got over it and grew up. Ya know, you've never done that, have you Piotr. Arrested development at the age of nineteen. You're pathetic, you know that. You're scared stiff of being in a real relationship, so you want me. Because that way you don't have to deal with anything because I'll do it for you. That and you don't grasp the concept that I'm not fourteen anymore."

I stormed away from the kitchen's center island, where I had been reading the paper, and went to the cupboard that was pretty much ignored by most of the team. I poured a shot of Wolverine's whiskey into a shot glass, and rolled my eyes at Colossus's gasp of horror. "Oh please. I turned twenty-one a few months ago." I tossed back the liquor and felt it burn down my throat. I don't drink very often and when I do it's usually wine or a beer every now or then, but right then I just needed something stiff.

Marrow who had been looking on the scene with interest nodded at me in general approval.

"Oh, sod off." I really wasn't mad at her at the moment, but I was pissed off at the world in general. The Morlock girl grinned at me, knowing it wasn't personal. It's sort of strange, ever since I've been angry at myself and taking it out on everyone else and not bothering to be polite about it Sarah's started to respect me. As far as I can tell Logan and Gambit are the only other ones that have that honor. I knocked back the drink and poured myself another one, which I left untouched.

"It's really time you had a reality check, Colossus. You're an adult, start acting like one. Which means stop letting everyone cover for you and start dealing with your problems. You've never really dealt with what happened on Muir, have you." The bitterness in my voice was directed at myself as much as it was at him.

"I do not know what you are speaking of, Katya.", he said in a flat emotionless voice.

"Oh I think you do, Piotr, I think you do." I was treading on dangerous ground, but I had been holding this back for more than two years. "I'm talking about the fact that you nearly killed someone, because you're a selfish idiotic bastard and the only reason that you're not a murderer is because Moira is as good as she is.", I hissed. Marrow was staring at both of us now. "Maybe you should think about that for a while."

I turned and stalked out of the room, ignoring the looks that followed me.

It had been a week since I had a late night talk with Wolverine and my attitude had improved afterwards, but now I was angry with myself because of my indecision. With Remy's help I had found Pete's address and number days ago, almost as soon as I started looking. And I hadn't done a thing about it. I hadn't been able to work up the nerve.

I got to my room and closed the door behind me carefully. I couldn't stand the silence so I turned the CD player on random. I sat staring at the phone, as I had so often in the past week. A Dave Matthews Band instrumental played in the background. Slowly, unsurely, I picked up the phone and hesitantly began to dial. I fought the urge to hang up and listened to the ringing, waiting for him to pick it up.

It rang. And rang. And rang.

The disc changed and the CD play began a Tori Amos song. That damned machine seems telepathic sometimes.

"No one's picking up the phone
guess it's me and me
and this little masochist
she's ready to confess ..."

The receiver slipped from my hand and I began to sob. The phone kept ringing.

As I walked into the New York mansion I almost expected to be attacked. When Kitty and I had broke up things had been ... difficult between us. Even though I had pretty much restrained myself, I had still said a lot of things I regretted. And considering Pryde's always been the great white hope of the X-Men and the weather witch hadn't liked me even when me and her precious 'Kitten' hadn't been on the outs ...

I may have been the one that hit bottom, but they wouldn't have seen that, they only would have seen her hurt. I didn't quite understand why I had come here. It had been almost a year since I had left Excaliber, since I had left her.

The first couple months I had spent drinking myself into oblivion. The fact that I hit bottom had slapped my in the face when I woke up in an alley one day to find Conjob looking down on me, pitying me. Soon after that I pulled myself up, not without a lot of help though. Finding out that John and 'Cania had been watching my back that whole time was a shot to my pride though. Partially because I didn't want my baby cousin seeing me like that, not ever. Shortly after that I had been shocked by Arcania's admission that she'd "been there a time or three", and the fact that the only answer my shocked look had gotten was, "Hey, I'm a Constantine." Very true, but 'Cania is also seventeen years old.

I buried myself in work then, tempting fate on one mission after another, not caring if I lived or died. Then in Russia, up against some ex-KGB Black Air lackeys, something had happened finally. I had lost an eye, not my life, but it was enough to snap me out of the deathwish. But I kept going on mission after mission. It was my duty ... It was all I had left.

It was lonely as hell. I slowly walked into the huge empty front hall, trying to think of where she would be. My memory of the place from when Excaliber visited was pretty good, I'd be able to find my way around, but that still didn't tell me where she was since we'd been in a guest room. The only other time I'd been here was when I'd been helping Logan take care of Des after --

"Hey, what do you think you're doing here upworlder?" I turned quickly to find the source of that growl, on my guard. A skinny red-haired girl with bones sticking out of her in odd places and strange angles leaned in a doorway glaring at me. She held a wide, thin, sharp bone like it was a knife.

I took a moment to formulate my answer. I had no clue who she was, but I know the type. I don't mean to sound like a bastard, but people like her you can't show any fear, any sign of weakness. "Looking fer Pryde. Ya know where she is, kid?"

She shrugged and tossed the bone away, pulling another out of her forearm, this one small, thin and slightly pointed. She picked her teeth for a moment before answering "In the gym or the Danger Room probably, considering the temper she was in. I'd be careful if I were you. Kitty-cat already bit the Ruskie's head off, and all he did was ask her out." She shrugged and walked away.

My heart soared -- she had bit Rasputian's head off for asking her out on a date. It didn't necessarily mean she still cared, but ... She probably wasn't seeing anybody else. I had a chance. I walked to the Danger Room, unsure of myself. Longing to see her and wanting to put it off as long as possible. I got to the huge metal shield doors just as they slid open. She wasn't there. Two of the people I least wanted to see right now, as well as a few I didn't mind, were. Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Storm, Gambit, and Rouge stepped out. Kurt stopped short and stared at me uncertainty and LeBeau nodded at me. The "goddess" started squawking right off. I was surprised when Logan's reaction was the same as Remy's though.

The mother-in-law from hell was still yelling at me. "How dare you come here! I will not allow you to upset Kitten any further. You will leave. Now!"

"I'll leave when Pryde tells me to." That woman can piss me off when she ain't tryin' to be all deity like, and at the moment she was sure as hell trying. LeBeau tried to hush up her goddess-ship.

I was expecting Logan to speak -- that or gut me, the latter seemed more likely at the moment -- but I was surprised when he did. "Go up the main stairway, turn into the left hallway, third door on your right."

I couldn't do anything but nod and head in the right direction.

I crouched on the carpet, almost in a fetal position, crying my heart out. I was thankful that no one was here to see me like this. As the song went on I tried to get a hold of myself. I was managing pretty well until the last verse started.

"No one's picking up the phone
Guess it's clear he's gone ..."

Guess it's clear he's gone ... Oh God. The tears flowing down my face felt like they were burning and I gasped for breath.

I heard a knock at the door. Probably Storm to reproach me for blowing up at Piotr and to demand I apologize to him. She really doesn't get it. "Sod off!", I managed to yell at the door as I phased the CD player. God, he's even rubbed off on the way I tell people off. For a moment there was a deafening silence. Then the door started to open.

"Sod off!" Her voice sounded like she was crying, in pain. I wanted to rush in, put my arms around her, comfort her. Hearing her always makes my brain go splat. Then again, I might be the reason she's crying, what with all the high tech communications and junk they've got.

There had been music playing softly in the background, but it cut off suddenly. Then there was no sound at all. Well Wisdom, you've come this far, you might as well go through with it. At least try to make her hear you out. I took a deep breath and began to open the door.

"Damn it. What part of fuck off do you not understand? I scrambled off the floor but didn't turn around. There was no way I'd let anyone see me like this, except maybe Logan. If who ever it is doesn't leave I'll hit them. Despair can turn into anger easily.

"I'll not leave until you listen t' me, Pryde." My heart stopped at the sound of the voice that I had longed to hear for so long, though I had only admitted it recently.

I spun around and stared at him for a moment. He had changed so much. He had never really cared about appearances, but he had really let himself go. His hair was a mess, more so than it usually was, and desperately needed a trim. He needed to shave. My heart wrung with guilt when I saw the eyepatch. Whatever that happened to cause that wouldn't have happened if I had been there. There wasn't any way to know that was true, but that didn't keep me from feeling that it was. His clothes were a bit more scruffy than usual and the trench coat was new ... Well, it wasn't the same one it had been, but Pete could always destroy them in no time flat. I noticed all this in the second or so before I threw myself into his arms.

It had taken all my will to speak, as she stood there with her back to me. She turned and stared at me for what seemed like forever. I stared right back. I was right, she had been crying. Tear tracks marred that lovely face and her huge brown eyes with those still unshed. Her rich brown hair, usually so neat, was disheveled. I wasn't sure if it was wishful thinking or if her expression really held hope, not until she flung herself into my arms.

My arms tightened around her and I buried my face in her hair, breathing in the scent of her. God, she's beautiful. "Kit ... I ... Damn it ..." I had thought of all these things I was going to say and all I can come up when I'm face to face with her is "damn it". Real eloquent Wisdom.

I guess I didn't need to worry about talking, because I couldn't have gotten a word in edgewise even if I had been able to think of any.

As soon as I had done it I was sure that I had made some kind of mistake, because he just stood there. But just for a moment, then his arms were around me so tightly that I almost had trouble breathing. He muttered a bit into my ear, trying to put together a sentence. "Kit ... I ... Damn it --" He held me even closer.

"Pete, I ... I'm so sorry. It was all my fault. As soon as you were gone I knew it was a mistake. Oh God, I missed you so much." Tears began to run down my face.

Pete's callused hands wiped them away. "Please, luv, don't." His voice was becoming frantic, torn.

"And I tried to call you and the phone kept ringing and ..." I buried my face against his shirt and tried to stop crying. Everything was all right. He was here, wasn't here. That was why he didn't answer, because he was coming here.

"Shush, luv. Please don't.", he pleaded.

I smiled weakly. "Sorry it's just that lately I've felt like I'm going insane. I just spent a week working up the nerve to call you. I was trying to, just now. And there was no answer." I managed a small wry laugh. "Then that damned song came on."

A puzzled look crossed Wisdom's face.

"Hey Jupiter is not something you want to be listening to while trying to call up an ex." I laughed again, a real one this time.

"I suppose so Pryde.", his voice was low, a hint of a chuckle in it. Then he leaned down and his mouth captured mine.

I'm not sure if it was that good of an idea, but I couldn't not. The kiss went on forever. After what seemed like an eternity I lifted my mouth from hers.

"Pryde ... We need to talk about what happened. About where we're going." That was a big part of what went wrong. We never talked about anything until it was too late and all blown out of proportion. Still right now it was so tempting to just hold her ...

"I know Pete." We still held each other tightly. Slowly we began to spill out our hearts.

Interlude

Ororo stood arguing with Logan and Remy. The woman who had once been called a goddess stared angrily at the two men she considered among her best friends. "You truly can not expect me to allow that, that --" Storm stood in silent fury, unable to think up a suitable description, "That horrible man anywhere near Kitten."

Gambit firmly controlled the urge to either shake Ororo soundly or bang his head against a wall. That woman had been acting damned strange lately. Remy was worried about her. That didn't mean he was going to let her screw up the petite chat's love life however. His own troubled relationship with Rouge made him all the more aware of his friends' unhappiness and that much more eager to help them out. When Kitty had asked for his help finding Pete the only reason it had taken him a day to get the number to her was because he had to decide whether or not he was going to. Logan had stopped Storm from going upstairs and Rouge and Kurt were trying to calm her down, but nothing seemed to work. "Stormy, it's Shadowcat's life, let her deal wit' it. I don' t'ink she's gonna be to unhappy 'bout dis."

"And how would you know?" Ororo was so upset about Wisdom that she didn't even reproach Gambit for the use of her much hated nick-name.

"Other than Katie ask me to nose 'round and find de homme's number for her? Just guessin'." The room fell silent in shock, especially Storm. "What?"

Rouge hugged Remy awkwardly. "If Ah could kiss ya Ah would swamp rat."

Pete and I spent an hour or so talking, holding each other, kissing. It had been so long.

"So are we going to make another go at it then, luv?", Pete asked, almost as if he was afraid of the answer.

"Of course." I stared into his eye. He relaxed as soon as I spoke. My hand went to touch the eyepatch almost of its own accord. "What happened?"

"I was stupid." Wisdom acted as if he were going to leave it as that. He seemed almost ... embarrassed.

I didn't press the issue, but I couldn't help raising an eyebrow.

Pete squirmed uncomfortably. "I went on this mission ... I wasn't drunk, exactly ...", he protested even though I hadn't said a word. "I just wasn't completely sober, is all ..." If he had been talking about something I probably would have found it amusing.

"Oh." I felt a stab of guilt.

"Like I said, I was stupid."

"It's not that ..." I looked away.

She looked away from me. It didn't take much to figure out what was going through her head. "Oh for --" I put a finger under her chin and gently turned her face towards mine. "It wasn't your fault Kitty." She still wouldn't look me in the eye. "Sometimes these things just happen." Her glorious brown eyes turned towards me, questioningly. "C'mon luv, this is me. I don't say something unless I mean it."

That got a small snort of laughter out of her. "Tell me something I don't know Wisdom." Her hand traced my jawline and I suppressed a moan. "So what now?" I hadn't heard her like this in ages.

"I thought we went over that already." We were sitting on the edge of her bed, giving each other a bit of space. Now though, she had drawn nearer.

"I meant now, as in now, silly." She was even closer. In fact, if she had gotten any nearer she would have been in my lap. Not that I would have minded. In fact, I wanted that very much, just like the kisses I wanted from her that were nothing like the sweet light ones she was showering all over my face.

"Christ, Pryde, you should know that by now." There was more than a hint of a groan in his voice. "You ... me ... a nice big bed ..." I had slowly drawn ever nearer to him and he pulled me the slight remaining distance, his hands under my sweatshirt. "You're a smart girl, I think you can figure the rest out." Then he fell silent as he began to kiss me. On the mouth, face, neck, working his way down even as his hands worked their way up.

"Yeah," I replied breathlessly, beginning to undo his tie. "I think I can."

I woke around six o'clock, my usual time. I had forgotten to turn off my alarm clock, after all, I had been pretty ... distracted. It cut off before I could do anything about it. I felt a warm body that had been pressed against me roll away, there was a sound akin to a small explosion and the smell of smoke, and the body pressed against me again, muttering something incomprehensible in a British accent. Somewhere in the midst of these events I remembered the night before and relaxed. I smiled fondly, but slightly puzzled, at the dark head pillowed against my chest. "Pete, would you mind explaining the homicidal tendencies towards my alarm clock?"

"Huh?" I could tell it was a supreme effort on his part to mumble the not-quite-question.

"Never mind." I kissed his unruly hair and fell back asleep.