Author: Alex Cartwright <alexl_cartwright@yahoo.com>

Pairing: Kitty/Rachel

Summary: During the holiday season, Rachel discovers she has Kitty to lean on.

Snow covered the spacious estate of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, providing a stark contrast against the black bark of barren trees that surrounded the property. Yet, in spite of the gloomy conditions, the Christmas spirit radiated from every corner of the mansion. As for the residents of the mansion, it seemed like both teachers and students were infected with holiday cheer, making their smiles a little broader and their moods a little lighter.

However, there was only one person who remained unaffected by the levity of the season.

Walking briskly down a familiar path, Rachel shoved her hands into the pockets of her camel-colored pea coat. The telepath's green eyes narrowed, a bitter expression clouding her comely features. A chilly breeze rumpled her red hair. Despite the apparent harshness of the elements, she did not notice. She was consumed by her own thoughts and emotions, which were devoid of the things associated with Christmas.

After passing the mansion's chapel, the young woman finally reached her destination.

The graveyard.

Her feet crunched upon the newly fallen snow as she wandered by headstones of fallen comrades. They served as painful reminders to current and future generations of X-Men that saving the world was more than plain fun. Somber as she was about these departed friends, there was one person whose loss touched her deeply. Within seconds, she found the grave and experienced a sudden pain in her chest.

Jean Grey Summers.

She Will Rise Again.

Rachel pressed her lips together in an austere line. Though Jean died several months ago, her death continued to reverberate throughout her daughter's consciousness. The loss this time was perceived as especially difficult for Rachel, who was committed to establishing a stronger bond with her mother following her release from Bogan's grip. She yearned to create that special bond that eluded her during her timeline. In short, she craved the normality and sense of belonging that could only be found with a family.

She supposed that her desire for seeking this could be traced back to her continued need to heal. Her hellish ordeal as a former hound forced Rachel to lead a solitary, torturous existence, where she had to ruminate over the despicable things she had to do and the despicable things that were done to her. Having the connection, the feeling of being understood by someone else who would never leave were things she was never afforded. There was no one available to reassure, to soothe, to let her know that she was not a victim or a horrible person. Granted, she managed to move beyond her traumatic experiences to be the woman she was today, but there were times when she was haunted by what she had been.

With the loss of Jean, she expected to be able to turn to her father, Scott. Perhaps they could become closer following such a devastating loss. Maybe the two of them could find a common bond in their grief.

None of that came to be.

Instead, she was disappointed. Her father, much to her dismay, failed her by betraying the memory of her dead mother with a woman who was antithesis of Jean Grey. What was worse was the fact that they did not even wait for the grass to grow over where Jean lay. They immediately started a relationship, making it known to everyone that they were now a couple. It was as if they were trying to humiliate Jean.

Angry, Rachel was one of the first to voice her disapproval. She confronted both her father and Emma, informing them exactly what she thought of their behavior. Of course, both parties attempted to rationalize the situation, with Emma being haughty about her position. But Rachel would have none of it. There was nothing either could say to change her mind.

When it came to blame, Rachel found Scott more at fault. After all, he was the one who was married to Jean. He was the one who decided that respecting his late wife's memory was trivial.

Disgusted with what was happening, Rachel decided she wanted nothing to do with him and the disgrace he was making of himself. With Bobby's help, she was able to petition the courts to have her last name changed from Summers to Grey. It seemed like the right thing to do.

Yet, this did little to diminish the emptiness she was feeling inside. She was still in search of someone to connect with, to experience that closeness she thought could only come with being in a family. She was lost.

"So, this is where you disappeared to," a voice from behind her mused. She whipped around to see the lovely face of Kitty Pryde. "Hey," she greeted, her voice dull. Even with the appearance of her girlfriend, Rachel still found it hard to tear her mind from her sobering thoughts.

Kitty wrapped her arms around herself. In spite of the fact that she was bundled up, she was shivering. Her long, wavy golden-brown locks framed her flushed cheeks and her cat-like brown eyes were wide from the brisk chill that hung in the air. As soon as she heard the tone in her lover's voice, a wrinkled marred her smooth forehead. Sensing her distress, Kitty made her way to her side.

"You shouldn't be out here alone," she said quietly, clasping Rachel's hand.

Rachel laughed sardonically. "Who am I supposed to be out here with? Scott?"

Kitty chewed on her lower lip. Like others around the mansion, she was not comfortable with Scott's new romance with the former Hellfire Queen. But this was nothing compared to what Rachel was experiencing. The loss of Jean was bad enough, but to watch her father cavort with another woman so soon exacerbated things. Despite Kitty's best efforts, Rachel withdrew into herself, refusing to discuss the matter with her, much to Kitty's frustration.

"No, not Scott," Kitty sighed. Following a brief pause, she said, "You could have gotten me."

Rachel couldn't bear to look at Kitty just then. It was her guilt that held her back. She knew that she should have done so, especially after the patience Kitty demonstrated towards her for the past few months.

Finally, she said, "You were helping Rogue and the others decorate the tree. I didn't want to bother you."

Kitty wasn't buying it. She took her lover's chin between her fingers and gently turned her face towards hers. "Hey, it's not bothering me. I want to be with you, OK?"

"This... This is part of something I'm going through." Rachel brushed her thick, red bangs from her eyes. "It's not your problem, so don't worry about it. Besides, I'm used to dealing with this kind of thing alone."

"But you're not alone," her girlfriend insisted in a sweet, tender tone that was just reserved for moments between them. "You've got me. We're together now. Whatever troubles you, troubles me, Red."

Rachel heard the earnestness in the other woman's voice, but remained somber. "It's so unfair," she said in a small voice. "Why is she gone? Why couldn't it be him...or that whore?"

Kitty squeezed her hand. "I don't know, babe."

The redhead simply shook her head. "I hate him, you know."

"Ray..."

"Don't try to defend him. You don't like what he's doing either."

"True. But he's your father."

"No. He contributed some genetic material. I have no father."

"Come on. You don't mean that."

"Yes, I do," Rachel insisted, cheeks flushed with anger despite wintry air. "He's not my father. We have nothing in common. I have the decency to respect my mother's memory; he does not."

Kitty had nothing to counter with. She agreed that the way Scott conducted himself lately left much to be desired. The fact that his new love was a former enemy of the X-Men made things worse. On some days, it took every ounce of self-restraint Kitty had not to tell Emma what she truly thought of her.

"Not that he cares," Rachel continued, absorbed in her vitriolic tirade. "I don't think he's too keen on his daughter coming out. Ever see how he twitches when he sees us in the hallway?"

Her lover's brows furrowed together. "No," she answered, surprised that Scott would even harbor such sentiment. This was a man who preached tolerance for all, no matter what, to his students. For him to be wary of their relationship would make him a hypocrite. As irritated as she was with him, Kitty was hard-pressed to call him one.

"He's said stuff, too?" she asked warily.

"He doesn't need to," Rachel huffed. "You can just tell."

Kitty raised a brow at her. "So that means no."

The telepath exhaled loudly. *As I said, his reaction was pretty palpable.*

*Maybe it's not his reaction,* Kitty relayed through their mind-link. *Have you thought it might be you projecting your anger with him?*

Green eyes flashed at her upon this remark. *So now you're on the Scott Summers bandwagon?*

Kitty looked stung, her lower lip quivering. "No," she said quietly. "I'm not. Listen, I'm not talking about taking sides here. I mean, how could you even say that?"

Rachel's shoulders sank, a wave of remorse washing over her. She hated herself at that moment. Hurt as she was, she had no right to take things out on Kitty and hurt her. Upsetting her girlfriend was the last thing she wanted.

Turning to face Kitty with an expression that communicated her regret, Rachel bit her lower lip. "I'm sorry," she said ruefully. She brushed a lock of hair from the other woman's soft cheek. "I didn't mean to say that."

Kitty placed her hand over Rachel's. She stared into her emerald eyes deeply as she spoke. "I don't mind talking about this with you," she said gently, "but I'm not going to be your punching bag."

"I know. And you're not." The statuesque redhead wrapped her arms around her lover's compact, wiry body and rested her head on Kitty's shoulder.

"Good." Kitty began to stroke Rachel's short hair with a mittened hand. A worried frown clouded her pretty face when she felt how cold her lover's skin was. For a moment, she thought she was holding Bobby in her arms. *Baby, let's get you inside. You've been out here for way too long.*

Rachel craned her neck slightly to peer over Kitty's shoulder, her gaze falling upon Jean's grave. She stared at the engraved letters with weary eyes. Then she closed her eyes, a myriad of unacknowledged wishes playing through her mind, which were tied to her need to connect and belong. Finally, she drew back and mumbled to Kitty that she was ready to leave.

"Can I get out now?"

"Are you relaxed yet?"

"Yes. Now can I get out?"

"I don't believe you."

"But, Pryde..."

"Nothing doing. You stuck here with me, Red."

"Oh come on."

"What's your rush? It's like I'm torturing you or something."

Rachel shook her head, resting her head against the tiled wall behind her. The two of them were in gleaming, porcelain pedestal tub on cast iron, which was located in their private bathroom. The redhead was at one end of the tub, while Kitty lounged at the other end. Kitty had poured some jasmine-scented bubble into the water, filling the air with a sweet fragrance.

Even though Rachel initially wanted a cup of hot cocoa after venturing inside, Kitty managed to coax her into joining her for a bath. As it turned out, the telepath's weary body welcomed the embrace of the warm waters. Seeing her lover's exquisite body in all its glory was also an added bonus.

Yet, she remained preoccupied. Rather than relish the intimacy of this moment, the young woman's mind dwelled on thoughts of belonging. Jean's death, severing her ties with Scott—both events made her dream of connecting obsolete. This realization left her somewhat empty inside, as if a piece of her heart were missing.

"Hey," Kitty drawled softly, recognizing her girlfriend's lapse into silence as a sign of Rachel's lack of ease. Instinctively, she reached out to her by rubbing her calf against Rachel's supple one. "What's going on?"

The telepath was tempted to push the lovely woman away and to retreat into herself. It would have been the easy thing to do. However, as she gazed upon her lover's kind, endearing face, she knew this was not an option. In Rachel's eyes, she owed her more than that.

She brushed her red hair from her forehead with a soapy hand. "I was just thinking."

"About what?" Kitty inquired softly.

Taking a deep breath, Rachel decided to make her confession. "About how I don't belong," she said. "Everyone who's supposed to be a part of me and my life have gone or let me down. I guess I'm meant to be alone."

Kitty was quiet for a moment, her face pensive. Then she said, "Come here."

Rachel obliged her, crawling from other side of the tub to where Kitty was. She felt the other woman's gentle hands guide her, settling her between her legs so that Rachel's back rested against Kitty's chest and belly. Loving arms wrapped around her and she could smell the sweetness of the cherry lip balm she came to associate with her lover.

"Now you listen to me, Ray," Kitty whispered fiercely in Rachel's ear. "You never have to worry about being alone and not belonging. I'm here and I always will be. I'm not going anywhere. You can count on that."

Rachel turned her head slightly to peer at Kitty's angelic features. Her heart beat wildly in response to her words. The tone, the sincerity that radiated from the declarations—they made it difficult not to believe her. Still, there was that nagging doubt that clouded her mind, a remnant of her traumatic past. It compelled her to ask, to confirm things.

"Really?" she said softly, not at all meaning to challenge Kitty.

Kitty's fingers stroked her short, flame-colored hair before she pressed her heart-shaped mouth against her forehead. "Really," she replied firmly. "I found my piece of happiness in the world. There's no way I'm giving that up."

Tears sprang to Rachel's emerald eyes as she contemplated the meaning of this moment. Throughout her unhappy years as a young girl, she wondered what it was like to possess the lightness of being truly happy. The death of her parents, her X-Men family, and her torture at the hands of cruel people who did not understand her and her kind made it hard for her to fathom it. Now, for the first time in her life, she had someone she could depend on, someone she could love, someone who would be there.

Kitty, equally touched by the poignancy of what was transpiring, felt her own eyes become wet. She brushed them back with the back of her slender hand and cupped the face of her lovely Ray. The corners of her mouth lifted into a tender smile, as she rested her chin against her lover's forehead.

After holding each other close for several minutes, they soon decided to climb out for fear of getting, in Kitty's words, "too pruny". Quickly, they dried off and wandered into their bedroom. Still feeling languid from their bath, the two of them slid onto soft, jersey sheets of their queen-sized bed.

Rachel's eyes sparkled as they greedily roved over Kitty's pert breasts. She felt a tightening in her belly when she saw the pink nipples harden. In a throaty voice, filled with desire, she suggested, "Let's say we start celebrating the holidays early."

Kitty ran her fingers along Rachel's waist and kissed her breast. "What do you have in mind?" she asked huskily, tossing her long, golden-brown waves over a freckled shoulder.

"Just love me," Rachel whispered, nearly overwhelmed by her sweet Kitty.

Kitty smiled and nodded, taking in her lover's body like a long swallow of fine wine. She began to plant tiny, gentle kisses between Rachel's breasts. Then she fixed her mouth on a pink nipple, circling it with her wet tongue as her hand kneaded the other breast.

The redhead tossed her head back and forth, her skin flushed with warmth and desire. She opened her eyes to gaze adoringly up at Kitty, whose skin was glistening from the glow of the lamp. "You're so beautiful," she breathed. "I love you..."

"I know," the brunette replied, moving herself down the length of Rachel's slim body with its supple and generous curves. Then she settled her face between her lover's legs.

"Time for me to give you your present," Kitty said slyly and spread her lips, burying her mouth in her crotch. She kissed the bright pink outer lips, ran her tongue over them, and tasted the tangy sweetness of her. Her mouth soon found her clitoris, which was as hard as a bead. It swelled and hardened even more against her tongue.

The telepath cried out. *Just like that...*

Kitty alternately sucked and licked, pausing to circle the hood or lick the slippery entrance to her vagina. *Have you been a good girl this year?*

*Yes...* Rachel moaned, cupping her breasts and tweaking her nipples.

*That's what I wanted to hear,* Kitty grinned, inserting two fingers in her and sliding them in and out as she continued licking Rachel's clit. Thanks to the telepathic bond she shared with Ray, she could sense how fast her love wanted. Her face wet and sticky, she continued the pace.

Rachel cried out in orgasm, clutching fistfuls of blanket in her fists. Then her hands reached out and grasped Kitty's shoulders as she was brought to the edge. Her entire body shook and her face was flushed and sweaty.

Kitty climbed up and lay beside the beautiful redhead, circling her arms around her. She smiled as kisses from Rachel rained upon her cheeks. "Good present?" she asked coyly.

Rachel ran her tongue under her chin. "The best," she answered, tasting herself.

After a few minutes of silence, her angelic-faced love spoke up. "There's more, you know." Kitty murmured, kissing her lover's mouth gently.

Rachel's russet brows furrowed quizzically. "More?" Then with a flirtatious smile, she said, "How could there be more?"

The way the telepath was looking at her was driving her wild. Kitty could feel her clit throbbing wildly, reflecting her desire to have more of the telepath. "Turns out you've been especially good," she said thickly.

Then she placed her hand between Rachel's legs again, and gently grabbed her short, trimmed pubic hair before spreading the telepath's lips with her fingers. She ran them lightly over her clit and vulva. When Rachel moaned, Kitty said in a throaty voice, "Roll over, baby."

Rachel quickly obeyed, lying spread-eagle on her belly. A gasp was released from her trembling mouth when she felt Kitty's tongue sliding down the nape of her neck, along her back, and then on her bottom. Meanwhile, her tight nipples were being pinched and teased between Kitty's skillful fingers. She closed her eyes in anticipation when she felt her lover's hands on her hips.

Groaning, Kitty slipped her fingers inside Rachel's tight entrance while holding her hips tightly with her other had. "How's that?" she asked, knowing full well that the beautiful redhead she was making love to was enjoying the sensation.

*More,* Rachel begged in a telepathic voice, propping herself on her elbows and raising her rear slightly. She began to move her body in time with Kitty's thrusts and pressed her cheek against the pillow. Primal sounds escaped from her throat when she felt Kitty's mouth nipping at her lower back and her buttocks.

Covered in a thin layer of sweat, Kitty started to pant wildly. She watched as Rachel swiveled her hips in preparation of the delicious orgasm to come. It was not until Rachel shrieked her name that Kitty realized the beautiful telepath had come. The experience was intense and just like paradise—hot, wet, and wrenching. Her inner walls contracted around Kitty's fingers.

The spasms grew fainter and farther apart as Rachel found herself returning to her body. "Kitty?" she asked, green eyes dazed.

"I'm here, baby," her lover whispered, sliding her fingers out. She settled herself next to Rachel's glowing, radiant body. "I'm here for you."

Exhaling a shaky breath, Rachel propped herself on an elbow and ran her fingertips over the furled bud of Kitty's nipple. "I know," she replied, staring earnestly into her cat-like, brown eyes. "And, I'm the luckiest damn person for it."

"Me, too." Kitty gasped when Rachel's hand wandered down her flat stomach and between the triangle of amber curls.

Rachel leaned in and kissed her on the mouth, circling the heart-shaped lips and worshipping their sweetness. Meanwhile, her hand parted Kitty's legs. Her thumb was the first to disappear, and the other digits soon followed, slipping in and out, massaging.

Kitty found herself writhing sensuously. She felt open and full...like a cloud soaring over the sky. *Oh, Ray...*

*I'm up to my wrist. You feel so good.*

The brunette felt her body quaking, just on the verge of exploding. However, she was taken aback when Rachel removed her hand. She cried out in protest.

*Just wait,* Rachel said reassuringly, laying back and spreading her legs apart. Then she lowered herself over Kitty, so that their clits were touching. Discovering a rhythm that was guaranteed to provide mutual pleasure for both of them, she gripped Kitty's legs.

Kitty shifted her pelvis, rocking as she ground her wet lips against the telepath's. Her clit throbbed, which felt like a steady drumbeat filling her head. It was slow, and becoming increasingly louder and louder. But she soon discovered that it was her own moans that were keeping in time with her journey towards ecstasy.

They simultaneously reached climax, both crying out each other's name. Limbs weak, Rachel drew back reluctantly and then made her way to Kitty's side. She nestled her head in the curve between the other woman's neck and shoulder. A smile curled her lips as Kitty stroked her hair tenderly.

As the moon and the stars shone brilliantly against the night sky this holiday evening, two lovers found comfort and joy in one another's arms.