DISCLAIMER
None of these characters were invented by me(big suprise), and I'm
not making dime one off this, it's only done for the enjoyment of
myself and others.  Please don't sue.  All character places and
names are copyright to Marvel Comics, but this story is copyrighted
1999 LuNaTiC Publishing.

NOTES
This story takes place in my 'Year' reality, between 'Year'
parts 11 and 12.  I would have put it in one of  those, but
there was just a little too much that would have interfered
with the way they were flowing.

A Death In The Family

Pete Wisdom was very worried about his young wife.  She'd gone to
answer a call from the States almost thirty minutes ago, and she
was still in the Comm Suite.  He lit one of his herbal cigarettes
and inhaled deeply.  Kitty wasn't the sort to have long, drawn-out
talks on the phone, and besides, it wasn't the X-Men, they would
have used the vidphone, like always.  Suddenly, she came back into
their room, went straight to the closet, and got out her suitcase.
Pete got up and went to her, wrapping his arms lightly around the
slight bulge in her figure.

"Kitty?  What's wrong, love?  Who was on the phone?"  Kitty didn't
answer for a second, instead tossing the empty suitcase on the bed
and opening it.

"It was my mom.  She just called to tell me that, uh, my dad died."

Pete froze.  "What?"

Tears began to run down Kitty's cheeks as she said it again.  "My,
my dad died."  Kitty started to cry as Pete held her.  He knew they
hadn't really been close in a few years, but still, it was her father.

"Bloody hell, Kitty, I'm sorry."  He stroked her hair with one hand,
holding her with the other, while she wept on his shoulder.  After
a minute, Kitty pulled away and wiped her face off with the sleeve
of her sweatshirt.

"The, uh, the funeral is tomorrow, so I've got to leave soon."

Pete chucked a finger under her chin and brought her eyes up to his.
"You mean WE'VE gotta leave soon.  Ain't no way in hell I'm lettin'
you go on yer own, ain't no way I would even if ya weren't pregnant.
Lemme get a couple o' changes o' clothes, an' we'll get goin'.  An'
how ARE we goin'?  By Heathrow, or the Runner?"

Kitty smiled.  She hadn't wanted to go alone, no matter what she
might have insinuated.  "Kurt's going to fly us to London, and Brian
already got us booked on the next Concorde to LaGuardia.  Then we
get a connection to O'Hare, then we go to my mom's house."

                 ************

A little over twelve hours later, Pete and Kitty Wisdom got out of the
taxi in front of Theresa Jenkins' house in Deerfield, Illinois.  It
had been quite a while since they'd been here, the Christmas before
last, to be precise.  Kitty hadn't seen her mother since the wedding,
but they had talked after Kitty's miscarraige, although Theresa
didn't know yet that Kitty was pregnant again.  Kitty knocked on the
door, and they heard Theresa coming down the entryway.

"Who is it?"  Her mother's light alto came through the door easily.

"It's me and Pete, mom."  Before Kitty had finished saying that, her
mother had opened the door.

"Oh, Kitty, it's so good to see you.  Pete, how are you treating my
daughter?"  Theresa's eyes widened when she felt the bulge in Kitty's
stomach as they hugged.  "Oh, my.  Kitty....you're....?"

Kitty nodded, and was immediatly embraced again.  "Oh, honey, I'm so
happy for you.  Come in, come in, the guest room's all made up...."

                 ************

Later that night, Kitty came into her mother's bedroom.  Theresa was
looking at her and Carmen's wedding picture, a smile on her face.

"Mom?"  Kitty came in as her Theresa waved to her, and she sat down
on the bed next to her mother.  "Mom, how....did Dad die?"

Theresa inhaled deeply, and Kitty could tell she didn't want to
tell her this.  "He....was drunk driving....and he lost control of
the car."

Kitty paled.  "Was anybody else--"

"Oh no, no.  No, he hit an oak tree at ninety miles an hour.  And....
he wasn't wearing his seatbelt.  They identified him from his wallet
and fingerprints."

Kitty nodded her head slowly, an idea starting to form in her mind.
Theresa got up and ushered Kitty out the door.

"Now it's off to bed for you, Kitty, we've got a long day tomorrow."
Theresa smiled suddenly and put her hand on Kitty's stomach.  "And
you and that little one need rest, especially after your trip."

Kitty hugged her mother good-night, then went to the guest room,
got changed, and lay down next to Pete, letting her already sleeping
husband's regular breathing lull her into a deep sleep.

                 ************

The service was held at Roush Funeral Home the next morning at eleven
thirty, but not many people attended, since Theresa had wanted to
keep it small.  Theresa, her mother Anne, Carmen's mother Janice,
Kitty, Pete, and a few assorted cousins that Kitty hadn't seen in
many years all showed up, and it was over by noon.  The casket was
closed and locked, for obvious reasons, and afterwards, everyone
except Kitty, Pete, and Theresa went out to their cars for the drive
to the cemetary.  A determined look on her face, Kitty walked up and
laid a hand on the casket, then turned to the attendant who was
preparing to move it.

"Open it."  Kitty said, her voice as hard as steel.

"Kitty, no...."  Theresa tried to restrain her daughter, but the
stubborn young woman would not be denied.

"No, mom.  You said that he was ID'd by his liscence and fingerprints.
Well, I want to see him.  I have to know if that's really him."

Pete grabbed Kitty by the shoulder.  "Kitty, that ain't a real good
idea.  I don't think you should--"

"I don't CARE whether you think it's a good idea, Pete.  I'm going
to do it."

Pete bit his lip before responding.  He knew better than to take her
comment personally, she was just overwrought.  "Tell you what, love.
I'LL look, an' then, if you want, I won't stop you."  Kitty nodded
her assent, and went to stand out of sight of the casket.  "Open it."
Pete ordered the attendant.  The man sighed and did so, lifting the
lid, then turning quickly away, slightly green.  Kitty saw Pete's jaw
set and his face go a shade paler.  He nodded, and the attendant
shut and locked the lid again.  Kitty came up, angry.

"Pete!  You said you'd let me look, let me make sure--"

Pete grabbed her by the shoulder and shook her gently.  "It's him.
Kitty, an'....you don't wanna look.  Believe me."

"No."  Kitty shook her head stubbornly, and Pete knew he wasn't going
to win this one.  "Open it again."  When the attendant hesitated, she
grabbed him by his necktie.  "NOW!"

Sighing, the poor beleaugered attendant did so, opening the lid one
final time.  Pete heard Kitty's sharp intake of breath as she saw
her father's body.  Her shoulders started to shake, and he pulled her
into his embrace as she began to cry.  He nodded at the attendant,
and the man hurriedly closed the lid and wheeled the casket out.
Kitty clung to Pete, crying and ruining what little makeup she had
on.  Pete kept her close, hugging her to him.

"It's all right, love, it's all right, you just go 'head an' cry...."

                 ************

"Kitty, I'm so sorry this had to happen."  Theresa Jenkins was talking
to her daughter before her plane left.  "I did love your father, for
a long time, but that was a long time ago.  Yes, his death hurt, but
it hurt more because I knew it was hurting you."  Theresa stroked her
daughter's cheek before kissing her gently.  "Now you just make sure
that it's not this time next year before I see my grandchild, okay?"

Kitty Wisdom smiled at her mother.  "Mom, I'll send Kurt and the
Runner to get you, if I have to."

The two women hugged, then Kitty walked out to the taxi, where Pete
was just finishing putting their suitcases in the trunk.  She walked
up and embraced him from behind.

"Pete....I want to apologize for what I said at the service--"

Pete shushed her with a finger on her lips.  "Love, I know you didn't
mean it.  Don't worry about it.  Now come on, we're gonna miss out
flight.  They're runnin' on time for once."  Pete held the door open
for his wife, and she turned and waved goodbye to her mother before
getting in.  The taxi drove off, and Theresa Jenkins shut the door
of her house.

                 ************

The End
To be continued in
A Year And A Half In The Life Of Pryde & Wisdom
Part 12-One Year And Counting