Disclaimer: Kit is mine, but Piotr and co are Marvel's.  No money is being
made.

Portrait of an Artist

A single brush stroke.  And then another, and another.  The painting begins
to take form, becoming clearer and more detailed.  Colors blend and merge,
shadows and light play together on the artist's canvas.  The picture
continues to evolve, becoming a strangely beautiful woman.

Her long brown hair covers her obviously nude body, but only to a limited
degree.  Still the beautiful muscles and curves are apparent, and flaunted.
A pair of sea green eyes bore out from under the shock of chestnut hair, and
lips curved into a sedated smile. Her face is set in a serene expression.

The artist continues to work on the painting, molding, adding more life to
the picture.  Finally, finally after days of feverish work, the portrait is
done. The woman looks as though she could literally step off the canvas and
into the waiting arms of her creator.

"Oh...wow,"  is Kitty Pryde can think to say as she stares at the picture.
"It's gorgeous, Piotr."

"Do you think Kit will like it?" he asks, cleaning one of his brushes.

"Aye, laddie! She'd have to be blind not to like it."  Rahne Sinclair is
quick to reassure the Russian artist. "But...did ye have to paint her nude?
I'm not sure she'd like tha' very much.  I know I wouldn't."

Piotr laughed at Rahne's expression.  "Rahne, she asked me to paint her
nude."

"Why?"  Kitty asked, looking up at him.

Piotr shrugged nonchalantly.  "It is not like I have not posed for her,
also."

"Woah, woah, woah...you posed for Kit NUDE?"  Kitty demanded hotly, her 
eyes huge.

"Da.  It was not a big deal,"  Piotr said, shrugging his shoulders yet
again.

"Wha do ye mean t'was no big deal?  Ye posed with nothin' on!" Rahne
reminded him, shocked to say the least.

Piotr shook his head and sighed.  "She needed a male model for one of her
art classes.  The project was to paint the nude body.  What is the big deal?"

"Tis just tha...well..." Rahne trailed off, blushing hotly.

Piotr laughed again, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I understand what you
are saying.  Now if you will excuse me, I must get ready to leave."

"Oh?  Where you going?"  Kitty asked.

"Ah, I have plans with Kitrine tonight. We are going to go see a new
art exhibit at some gallery she has found. I should be home by tomorrow
morning,"  Piotr told her.

"Oh. Tell Kit I said hi,"  Kitty asked, phasing through the floor. "Later!"

"Bye, Piotr,"  Rahne said, leaving by more conventional methods.

"Goodbye Rahne."

A little over an hour later, Piotr had finally gotten to Kit's small London
flat.  He lifted his hand to knock on the door but, before he could, the
door was flung open, and Kitrine Braddock stood before him.

"Hi!"  she said, throwing herself into his arms, and kissing him soundly.

"Hello yourself,"  Piotr laughed after they had broken.

"I have missed you so much!"  Kit told him as she yanked him into her flat.

"Have you?"  Piotr asked.  There was a hint of laughter in his voice as he
asked her that.

"Of course I have!  When do I not?"  Kit asked turning to look at him, her
eyes wide with amazement that he even had to ask such a thing.

"My Kitrine, I was joking!"  Piotr assured her, reaching to pull the young
woman into his arms.

"Oh,"  Kit said, giggling a bit at her own insecurities.

The couple finally made it to the art show after Piotr assured Kitrine that
he was very happy to see her.  Slowly they made their way through the crowd,
observing the paintings and arguing over what the artist was trying to say
through their work.

Piotr watched Kit wind up her argument about what one particular artist was
trying to express with a mixture of pride and love.  He was proud to have
this beautiful, intelligent woman by his side, and to be the man she loved.

Kit noticed him gazing at her and smiled sweetly, slipping her fingers
through his.  He squeezed them gently, and led her off to another painting.

A young blonde was examining one of the paintings near the one Piotr led
Kit to.  She was rather bored with the whole show, she really knew nothing
about art, but she had come anyway. Largely because her beloved Brian had
mentioned wanting to go.

Looking to her right, Meggan noticed a huge, black haired man and a slender
brunette talking about a painting.  The man seemed to be explaining
something to his lady friend, and she was listening intently. The woman she
didn't know but the man...

"Piotr!"  Meggan called, waving as she bounced over to him.  Piotr smiled
and waved back.

"Hello, Meggan,"  he greeted, looking down at Kit.  "Kit, this is another of
my teammates, Meggan. Meggan, this is my girlfriend, Kitrine Braddock."

"Hello,"  Kit said, extending a hand.

"Nice to meet you."  Meggan said sincerely, shaking her hand warmly.  Kit
smiled wanly, and looked up at Piotr. He smiled softly at her, squeezing her
hand again.

"So, are you here alone?"  Kit asked the lovely blonde uncertainly. Meggan
certainly seemed nice, but Kit was still quite shy.

"Oh, no."  Meggan shook her head as though the very thought was ridiculous.
"I came with my fiance."

"Oh.  Where is he?"  Kit asked, nervously shifting her weight to one foot,
then the other.

"He's...umm...there!  Brian!"  Meggan called, waving and then bouncing off.

"Do you know him, too?"  Kit asked her strangely silent boyfriend.

"Yes..." Piotr said softly, his eyebrows drawn together.  "Kitrine, what are
your brothers' names?"

"Why do you wanna know?"  Kit asked, looking at him with confusion in her
bright green eyes. Piotr didn't say anything, just looked at her insistently.
"Jamie and...Brian."  Kit's eyes widened, and she put her hand up to her
mouth.

"Meggan's fiancé's name is Brian Braddock." Piotr stated softly.

"No...my brother."  Kit whispered, her eyes wide and frightened.

"Perhaps.  Brian...Brian looks nothing like you.  Perhaps it is all a
misunderstanding,"  Piotr said quickly, his eyes nonetheless dark.

"Is he blond? Blue-eyed? Tall?"  Kit asked, her voice catching.

Slowly Piotr nodded.  Kit gasped softly then turned to flee, tears already
rolling down her cheeks.  Piotr touched her arm before she could run off
though.

"No...I have to go!"  Kit sobbed.

"Nyet, my Kitrine, you do not."  Piotr assured her, hugging her to his
chest.

"Yes, I do. He hates me, I can't face him!"  Kit wept against his chest.  
By this time, they had gotten the full attention of everyone around them.
Noticing this, Piotr pulled the still sobbing Kitrine into a convenient dark
corner.

"Kitrine, my Kitrine..."  Piotr started, cupping her face with his hands.
That was all he could come up, though, as he stared at her tear soaked face.

"He hates me,"  Kit croaked, more tears slipping down the side of her face.

"Oh, Kit..." Piotr said, pulling the shaking brunette into his arms.  They
stood like that for several more minutes.

The corner they were standing in was dark, and out of the way.  Of course,
this didn't seem to stop Meggan from finding them.  And to make matters
worse, she was dragging her lover, Brian Braddock, behind her.

"Piotr, I found Brian!"  Meggan called brightly as she bounced over to the
young couple.

"Hello Pio-Kitrine?!" Brian gasped, staring at his estranged sister in
shock.

"Brian, do you know her?"  Meggan asked looking from Kit back to Brian.

"She's my...sister,"  Brian said, his voice colder than ice.

"Really?"  Meggan asked brightly, looking from Kit to Brian. Piotr regarded
Brian with cold blue eyes, unconsciously putting himself in between Kit and
her older brother.

"How have you been, little sister?" Brian asked, his nasty tone belying the
words.

"I...I..." Kit whimpered, her green eyes wide and frightened.

"Well...?"  Brian asked, smooth as silk.

Kit put a hand to her mouth and backed against the wall, several tears
slipping down her cheeks. Piotr gazed at her for a long second, longing to
reach out and protect her from this. But if she was going to get past her
long-held nightmares and fears, she was going to have to do this herself.

Kit looked up into Piotr's clear blue eyes and found the strength she
needed.  Squaring her shoulders she turned to face her older brother, and
drew in a deep breath.

"I'm well, Brian.  And yourself?"

"Fine."  Brian's voice never wavered from his steady aristocratic tone.

"I'm glad."  Kit stumbled on the words a bit.

"Of course you are, Kitrine,"  Brian smiled, but his smile held no humor,
only the smugness you feel when you know you are better than someone else
is.

Kitrine obviously picked up on it, as she began to lose her nerve.  She
began to shake slightly, another tear rolling down the side of her face.
Piotr held his breath and clenched his fists, but he refused to protect her.
As much as he loved Kit, he had to teach her to live on her own, not wrap
her in lamb's wool for the rest of her life.

"What have you been doing with yourself?"  Brian was in control here, and he
knew it.  Kit looked as if she would shatter if he so much as looked at her
the wrong way.

"I've...been...been..." Kit lost her nerve.  Her tongue felt like it was frozen
to the roof of her mouth.  Her blood felt like ice water in her veins.  What
had made her think that she was ready to go up against her brother?  He knew
just how to push all her buttons, and make her feel like nothing more than
dirt. Help me Piotr, she sobbed mentally.

And somehow, he must have heard her.

"Kit has been creating some of the most beautiful paintings I have ever
seen,"  Piotr spoke up, his eyes darting to Kit and then back to Brian.

"Really? That's...nice.  I'm sure her paintings do seem... wonderful," Brian
said, smiling condescendingly.

"Thank you, Brian,"  Kit said stiffly through gritted teeth.  Through all
this Meggan had been looking back and forth between Kit and Brain.

"You know, you two really look nothing alike,"  Meggan pointed out suddenly.
Kit squeezed her eyes shut and sucked in a deep breath.  Piotr looked over
to her, and placed a worried hand on her shoulder.

"Kitrine and I had different fathers,"  Brian explained, his eyes flashing
slightly, his cool slightly ruffled.

"Really? How?" Although Meggan didn't realize it, she was effectively making
the situation much worse.

"Mother was...unfaithful when my father was gone on a long business trip
once." Brian told his blonde lover, his eyes once again flashing to Kit.
Kit sniffed and reached out to lace her fingers through Piotr's.

"Oh, my!"  Meggan whispered, her eyes growing huge.

"Yes...it drove a wedge between my parents that never fully healed,"  Brian
said sadly.

"Why not?" Meggan asked, looking at the three people who surrounded her.

"Mother died giving birth to Kitrine."  Brian's voice held a slightly
accusing note to it, not overly obvious, but still there.

Kit bit her lip and looked away, fresh tears flowing like a hard rain down
her cheeks.  Her fingernails bit into the flesh on the hand that was not
holding onto Piotr's, making small cuts in her palms.  Blood dripped down
her small hands.

"That's horrible!"  Meggan cried.

"It is, isn't it?" Brian asked, smiling sadly.  His sad smile was too oily 
to be convincing, though.

Kit stifled a sob, her form shaking harder.  Piotr looked over at her, and
squeezed her hand, trying to send her the strength she needed.

"So how long have you two known one another?" Meggan asked brightly, looking
at the young couple.

"A few months," Piotr said, looking down at Kitrine.  She pulled her lips
into a sad quivering smile, but didn't say anything.

"Really.  I've never known Kit to be able to hold anybody's attention that
long,"  Brian said casually.

Piotr stiffened and bit his tongue to keep from retorting.  Kit squirmed a
bit, and studied the floor.

"But seeing as you're both...artists, I'm sure you have much in common,"
Brian finished.

Kit looked up sharply, her sea green eyes glowing. "And what do you mean by
that?"

"Exactly what I said Kitrine.  I'm sure you two have much in common," Brian
said.

"Oh, we do,"  Kit said, her voice no longer shaking.  "We have a great deal
in common. And we get along wonderfully, and enjoy being together."

"That's...splendid," Brian said, his voice once again cold.

"Isn't it?" Kit asked. "And you and Meggan? How long have you been
together?"

 "Several years," Brian said off-handedly.

"Really? How remarkable," Kit said, her voice taking on his cold note.

"Why do you say that, Kitrine" Brian asked just as coldly.

"It's just that you never seemed to stay faithful to any of the girlfriends
you had when you were a teenager,"  Kit pointed out innocently.

"I was very young,"  Brian snapped through gritted teeth.

"Of course you were,"  Kit said, with a touch of a cold smile on her lips.

Meggan had begun to look distinctly uncomfortable when the subject of
Brian's teenage cheating had been brought up.  Reaching out, she tugged on
his arm a little, her eyes a tad frightened.

"Brian, let's go home, okay?"  Meggan pleaded.

"Why?"  Brian asked, turning to look at her sharply.

"I'm tired.  Please Brian, let's just go home."  Meggan didn't seem to
realize that she was being a tad bit rude.

Brian sighed and nodded.  "Very well.  Goodbye, Piotr. Kitrine."

"Goodbye.  Hope to see you again."  Kit said smugly, no hint of the scared
girl in her voice.

"Of course,"  Brian said as he and Meggan left.

****

"Oh, wow!"  Kit cried jubilantly, bouncing up and down.  "That was...wow!"

"My Kitrine, what are you so happy about?"  Piotr asked as they walked
toward Kit's flat.

"I've never ever been able to stand up to him like that!"  Kit crowed,  her
green eyes glowing.

"Truly?"  Piotr asked, his eyes surprised.

"No!  It was...WOW!  I feel like I could rule the world!"  Kit cheered,
dancing up to him and kissing him soundly.

Piotr threw his head back and laughed deeply. It was good to see her so
happy, like she had been before they had run across Brian and Meggan.
Wrapping an arm around her, Piotr led her out of the art show and onto the
street.  They quietly walked down the street, just enjoying the feel of
being with each other.

Suddenly, Piotr remembered something. "Oh, I finished your portrait!"

"The naked one?"  Kit asked, a gleam in her sea green eyes.

"Da, my Kit, the naked one.  It created quite a stir when Kitty and Rahne
saw it,"  Piotr laughed.

"You let them see it!?" Kit squeaked, her eyes huge.

"Da...did you not want anybody to see it?"  Piotr asked, confused.

"Not anybody I know!"  Kit squealed, blushing.

"Oh. Oops."  Piotr could barely contain his laughter.

"It's NOT FUNNY!  I can't believe they saw it!"  Kit ranted, throwing her
arms into the air.

Piotr finally lost control of his laughter.  He threw his head back and
laughed loudly, while Kit continued to squeal about the painting.

"I can't believe you let them see it!" Kit cried as they walked down the
street.  Piotr's throaty laughter was the only response she got.  After a
few minutes, she joined in.

Darkchilde:)