Disclaimer: I know, it's been a while... sorry about that, but in case you're wondering, Jubilee, Kitty, Pete, and Lockheed still don't belong to me. The song is by Gina Jefferies, and she doesn't belong to me, either. I'm not making any money, at all, from anything, so suing me would be pointless.

Warning: Some swearing, and a lot of sheer emotional goop. But then, what else would you expect from me? Also, depending on which version you're reading, a bit of naughty stuff. ;) You have been warned.

Oh, and one more thing... this story is especially for Luba Kmetyk, to whom I have been promising a Pete story for ages. I'll finish it, Luba, I will, I promise...eventually...

"-then you walked away,
Caught me off guard,
Just like a thief, 
You took my heart.
Just like a fool,
I'm falling apart...
It's 'cause of you,
I haven't got... a heart."

<<I hate this song. Hate it. With a capital self-loathe.>> Kitty rested her head against the tiny window of the plane, pulling the earplugs from her ears. <<Go ahead, lady. Make me feel even more like the scum of the earth than I do already.>>

<bing> "Ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching London Airport. Please secure all belongings, and raise your seats to the upright position."

Kitty closed the book that had lain unread on her lap for the duration of the flight. This was it. <<Time to lay your heart out on the ground and let it get stepped on. Come on, girl, you know you deserve this.>>

She'd flown on an ordinary flight instead of in the Blackbird against strenuous objections from Kurt and even more strenuous objections from Storm. As a matter of fact, Ororo hadn't thought she should go at all. Ororo wanted her to stay at the mansion and 'rediscover her true feelings' for Piotr. Yeah. Rediscover adolescent crushes and pathetic hero-worship. Riiiight.

The cramped, slow commercial flight had been a combination of penance and indulgence. Penance, because deep in her soul she'd felt that returning to the scene of the crime shouldn't be as easy and comfortable as the Blackbird would be... but indulgence too, since it gave her that much more time before she had to face Pete.

Pete... her eyes filled with tears. A sudden pang of longing struck her, for unruly black hair and smoke-scented white shirts and rough, tender hands against her cheek. She missed him... oh, she missed him. She even missed those horrible cigarettes. If it would get him back, she'd be willing to take up smoking herself.

Stepping out of the terminal, she looked around. Only about half an hour's walk from Pete's flat, as near as she could remember. She'd walk it. That would give her some time to sort out that other little problem. Kitty sighed, and opened her bag slightly. A small purple head popped out and grumbled at her.

Kitty petted her dragon gently, frowning at him a little. "I know you don't like Pete, Lockheed. You've already made that quite clear. Just you remember that you *promised* to behave." Lockheed muttered resignedly. "Now you stop that. I'm still cross with you about that stunt you pulled at Meggan and Brian's wedding."

Lockheed craned his neck to look up at her, and chirped innocently. "You know very well what I mean. Giving Piotr the garter. I did NOT appreciate having everyone staring and gossiping while an over-muscled, under-achieving oaf I used to have a crush on groped his way up my leg."

The soft coo had a definite guilty note. Kitty sighed. "Lockheed, I know you were just trying to help, but..." She sat down on a bench and put the bag on her lap. "You know you're my best friend, and the person I trust more than anyone else, right?"

Lockheed darted his head out of the bag to touch his nose to hers, then ducked back down again. "I love you too, dragon," Kitty smiled. Then her face grew grave again. "But I love Pete too. I can't bear the thought of going on without him. I know you don't like him, Lockheed, but I love him. I need him. And just because I've completely obliterated any chance I ever had with him, that doesn't mean my feelings have changed." She drooped. "It just means I'm a self-obsessed bitch. I ruin Pete's life and then Jubilee's as an encore..." she sniffled a little. "Nobody even knows where she is and Logan is frantic and it's all my fault and I hurt her as badly as I hurt Pete even though I didn't mean to..."

The dragon stuck his head out again, cooing comfortingly as he rubbed his cheek against hers. Kitty burst into tears. "Oh L-Lockheed... I m-miss him so much... I'd d-do anything t-to get him back, and I c-can't... I can't e-even ask him t-to forgive me, n-not after what I d-did to him..."

Judging discretion to be the lesser part of comfort, Lockheed climbed out of the bag and wrapped his arms around her neck. He crooned softly, and she hugged him. "Thanks," she whispered. "Please, Lockheed... please understand. I know h-he's not who you or Moira or anyone else would have chosen for me, but he's who I chose for myself. I love him."

The little dragon nodded a little sadly, and reached into her bag for a tissue. He held it out to her, patting her cheek gently. She smiled, and wiped her eyes and blew her nose. "So... think he'll slam the door on me?" He shrugged, and pointed up the street. "Right. Only one way to find out."

* * *

"I've changed my mind," Kitty whispered, staring at the door. "I can't face him, Lockheed. I can't. I'll only end up hurting him even more."

Lockheed rolled his eyes. He truly loved his Kit, but he had to admit that she wasn't at her best right now. First she'd wimped out of the relationship, then she'd wimped out of a fast, comfortable flight, and now she was wimping out of apologizing. And, much as he hated Stinky, that was bad. Kit had been miserable ever since she'd dumped him, and if she didn't apologize now she never would, and she'd be unhappy forever. It was up to him - he sighed deeply - to push her back into Stinky's life. The things he *did* for her.

Lockheed rapped sharply on the door, then flew around the corner.

"*Lockheed*!!!!" Kitty screamed in a whisper. "What do you-"

"Wha' is it?" A hoarse, rusty voice called from inside. Kitty froze. Pete sounded terrible. She'd heard livelier, more joyful voices from people on their deathbeds. "Whaddya want?"

Kitty stood frozen, staring at the door. <<Run. Hide. Do something. Anything.>> She remained immobile. There was some swearing on the other side of the door, and sounds of unlocking. It was yanked open, and Kitty got her first look in months at the man she loved.

He looked worse than he sounded. Dirty and unshaven, wearing a white shirt that was more of a grey-brown tint, with bloodshot eyes and greasy hair, he held a bottle in one hand, the other still raised to the doorframe. But he was Pete, and he was there, staring at her with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Kitty's own eyes filled with tears as she stared up at him. "Pete..." she whispered, her voice cracking. "I... I..."

His face... closed. His eyes shuttered, as he visibly locked his heart and mind against her, shutting her out. "What do yer want?"

"N-nothing..." She struggled to stop the flood of tears. "I just w-wanted to say... I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Yer *sorry*?!" The raw anger and pain in his voice tore at her heart. "Well, ain't that nice. Yer gone back ta the X-Men in America. Yer destined ta get back together with that metal maniac who nearly killed me. Ya don't love me anymore, if ya ever did. But yer sorry." For the first time, Pete turned his bitter loathing of life in general on her, and her soul shriveled under the blast. "Don't think that comin' round all teary eyed and saying how sorry ya are is gonna make it better. I ain't gonna forgive ya now, or ever."

"I don't expect you to forgive me," Kitty whispered. "I just... I was wrong. If I could take it back-"

"You can't." Pete's eyes were like bloodied ice. "Get outta my fuckin' life, Pryde." He slammed the door.

Kitty stared numbly at the door. <<This is it. It's over.>> She turned, and walked blindly down the hall. <<It's over.>> Tears were pouring down her face, but she hardly noticed them. <<It's over...>> Sharp pain stabbed into her stomach, and her knees buckled. She crumpled to the floor, crying in great racking sobs as she buried her face in her arms. It was over. She'd lost everything.

Lockheed peeped around the corner, and started to go to her... then stopped. That wasn't the way to help. Looking around, he spotted a half-open window, and flew out of it. It only took him a minute to locate Pete's apartment window, and only a matter of seconds for him to break the window and climb through, a little scratched, but fine.

Stinky was sitting with his head in his hands, rocking back and forth silently. He hadn't even noticed the breaking window. Lockheed paused, for one moment tempted to leave. Kit didn't need Stinky. She had him, Lockheed, beautiful dragon and best friend. But...

Kit was in pain.

Lockheed sighed. "Stinky?"

Pete looked up, his eyes dull and his face twisted in pain. "Sod off," he said wearily. "You've won. You got Kitty all to yerself."

"Not going." Lockheed folded his little arms and scowled. "Sick of Kit crying all the time."

"In case ya forgot, ya bloody pest, she dumped *me*." The agony in his voice literally made Lockheed wince.

"She sorry now," he offered, a bit lamely.

"Yeah, she said so. What, you want me to forgive her so she can go away feeling all good about how well she handled it?" Pete scowled. "Not gonna happen."

Lockheed sighed. "Kit right. She said yoo not forgive her. Wasn't going to ask ya, even."

"Really? Then why'd she come?" Pete turned away, picking up his bottle and taking a gulp. "Wanted to gloat?"

"No!" Lockheed zipped across the room and grabbed the bottle, jerking it out of Pete's hands. "SHE CAME BECAUSE SHE LOVES YOO, DUMB-ASS!!!"

Pete froze. "She doesn't."

Lockheed nodded. "She does. Din't want to see it, but she does." He gave Pete a pleading look. "Hate seeing Kit so sad. Yoo maybe try again? Please?"

Pete clenched his fists, then relaxed them slowly. "Are you actually askin' me to get back together with Kitty? After all that time tryin' ta chase me off?" Lockheed nodded slowly. Pete scowled. "Why?"

Lockheed pointed. "Open door." Pete looked dubiously at him, and pulled the door open a crack.

Tearing sobs, mingled with gasps and choked whimpers, could clearly be heard. He looked at the small dragon in dawning disbelief. "That's... her?"

Lockheed nodded, his own eyes full of tears. "Please?"

Almost reluctantly, as if dragged by invisible strings, Pete stepped out into the hall. Kitty was huddled on the filthy carpet with her face buried in her arms, crying as if her world had ended. It hurt... oh, it hurt to hear her cry that way. It hurt to see her suffering. He opened his mouth to say her name, but nothing came out but a dry rasp. Swallowing, he tried again. "Kitty?"

She looked up, her beautiful face smudged and blotched with tears. Her eyes were red and puffy as she stared at him, uncomprehending. "P-Pete?"

"Pryde." His resolve was cracking, he couldn't resist the terrible pain in those eyes... "Kit... if... if you still care..."

"I-I do. I h-had to c-come back, I had to t-try..." She sniffled pitifully, and every defense Pete had managed to erect around his heart shattered like thin glass at that sound.

"Oh, god, you little idiot, come here..." Somehow his arms were around her and her face was buried in his neck. "Kitty..."

"I l-love you, Pete, I d-do, I d-don't ever w-want to leave y-you again," Kitty sobbed wildly into his shirt. She wrapped slender arms around him and held on tightly, desperately frightened that he'd push her away. She hadn't even dared to hope for this, and to lose it again... but instead of loosening, the wiry arms around her tightened almost crushingly.

"I love you too, Pryde." His voice was muffled in her hair. "And I swear to god, I'm never going to let you out o' my sight for one minute ever again, so don't even think about trying to get away."

Down the hall, Lockheed wiped his eyes, snuffling. It could be worse, he supposed... Stinky DID love Kit, after all, and he was probably more emotionally stable than the Russian anyway. The little dragon cooed softly, and flew back out the half-open window... taking the bottle with him. He had, he felt, more than earned a quiet drink.

Pete loosened his grip on Kitty slightly, looking down at her lovely, flowerlike face. "Kit?"

"Hm?" She lifted her cheek from his shoulder and looked up at him in surprise. "What is it, Pete?"

"I don't think you should be doin' that." He wrinkled his nose, and grinned for the first time since she'd left him. "I just noticed 'ow bad I stink."

She laughed, a soft, silvery sound. "I didn't want to mention it... but how long *has* it been since you had a bath?"

Pete frowned thoughtfully. "How long 'as it been since we broke up?"

Kitty gaped. "How long... PETE!" Scrubbing her hands over her face, she jumped up and tugged him to his feet. "And I'll bet you haven't been eating properly, either."

"Eating... eating... yeah, pretty sure I remember eating." Pete stood up a little shakily. "Mostly I remember drinking an' smoking, but I think there was eating too..."

"Oh Pete..." Kitty gave him a melting look out of those beautiful brown eyes, and pulled him down for a lingering kiss. "I'm so sorry... but don't you worry. I'm going to look after you." She tucked herself against his side, wrapping her arms around him. "I'll just get Lockheed and my bag... where IS Lockheed?"

Pete looked around. "He was right here a second ago... he took away my bottle. Maybe he thought after convincing me to come out and get back together with you he deserved a drink."

Kitty looked up at him in surprise. "Lockheed did that?"

Pete frowned thoughtfully. "Well, t' be exact, he smashed my window, told me I was bein' an asshole and didn't I recognize love when it got tossed in me face, and made me open the door. Then I heard you crying an' me brain went splat."

Kitty looked as if she wasn't sure whether to be pleased or offended. "Splat?"

"Splat." Pete confirmed. "Always happens when you cry. I panic an' me brain starts dribblin' out me ears." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "I can't stand seein' yer upset, you know that."

Kitty decided on pleased, and kissed his cheek. "Lockheed really did all that?"

"Yup." Pete nodded. "The little flyin' rat actually tried ta get me *back*. Strange, innit... you been feeding him dodgy catfood or something?"

Kitty opened her mouth, then gave him an evaluating look. "Pete?"

"Yeah?"

"On a scale of one to ten, how drunk would you say you are?"

Pete considered it. "Uh... a four, maybe? I ain't been entirely sober since you left." He gave her a heartbreakingly pitiful look. "It hurt too much."

Kitty melted, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him lovingly. "I'll never leave you again, Pete," she promised, her sumptuous brown eyes brimming with love. "I love you, you old git."

Pete beamed, kissing her back very enthusiastically indeed. "I love you too." He nibbled on her neck. "An' I'm not to drunk to remember you said that, so don't think yer getting' out of it."

"I won't." She picked up her bag, wrapping her other arm around his waist. "Lockheed will catch up with us eventually, he always does. Right now, I'm going to take you, and check us both into a hotel. I'm exhausted, and you're not even within shouting distance of sober." She smiled, and kissed him lightly. "Not that you ever ARE, you drunken old sot."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Pete grinned. "An' why a hotel? Got a flat right here."

Kitty gave him one of those fond, amused looks that always derailed his brain. "Pete, if that apartment smells anything like as much as you do, I'M staying in a hotel until we can get someone in to decontaminate it. YOU can stay here if you want to."

Pete thought about his flat for a minute. He'd been drinking and smoking steadily for at least a month in there, and he didn't remember ever picking anything up. Come to think of it, he didn't remember washing any of his clothes either. "Yer right. Hotel it is then." He grinned at her. "Can we get one with room service?"

* * *

***WARNING***Steamystuff ahead***WARNING**

"Nice room." Pete looked around approvingly. "I like it."

"I'm so glad." Kitty smiled at him, dropping her bag on the floor and advancing towards him with a bright gleam in her eyes. "Pete? Take off your clothes."

"Anytime, Pryde." Pete, needless to say, agreed immediately. He peeled off his shirt, and winced. "Ugh."

Kitty nodded emphatically. "Into the shower with you." She said firmly.

"Right." He looked thoughtfully at her, then stumbled a little. "I'm just a poor old sot who's too drunk to stand up on his own..."

Kitty giggled. "Go get into the shower, Pete." She pushed him in the direction of the ensuite bathroom. "I'll be in as soon as I've gotten room service to send up some food."

"Okay." Pete made his slightly unsteady way into the bathroom, shedding clothes as he went. <<I really *do* reek,>> he thought, wrinkling his nose. Fortunately, there was a nice big cake of soap in the little holder in the shower.

A few minutes later, the door slid open as he scrubbed at his hair. Soft hands slid up his back, and he sighed happily as they took over, massaging his scalp firmly. "Wait, don't tell me, I'd know those hands anywhere... yer that cute little brunette from Scotland, right?"

Kitty chuckled, nibbling on the point of his shoulder as she rubbed his scalp. Pete's knees threatened to buckle. On the other hand, if they did that, she might stop... he held them and himself up by sheer willpower as she pressed against his back. "That's me... now that you mention it, I think I remember you too. You're that grotty Englishman who smokes and drinks all day and can't be convinced that beds are for sleeping as well as fun and games, right?"

"All me identifying character traits in one sentence." Pete turned around and kissed her lingeringly. "What a woman."

She kissed him back, soapy arms sliding around his neck. "I missed you."

"Missed you too, Pryde." He leaned back, pulling them both into the full blast of the shower. Kitty pulled back, spluttering and giggling, while he grinned and rinsed the shampoo out of his hair. "Want me to do yours?"

"Mhm." She turned around obligingly, incidentally giving him a very nice view of her shapely back... among other things. Admiring the proffered view, he poured some shampoo into his hand, and rubbed it slowly into her hair. She leaned back into his hands, sighing blissfully.

He smiled, enjoying the silky hair that wrapped around his fingers, as well as the soft purrs that having her hair washed always wrung from her. "Yer hair's shorter."

"I cut it." He slid his hands down her neck to rub her shoulders, and she purred. "Mm... I missed this."

"Miss anything else?" He turned her around, and looked down at her with unreadable eyes, soapy hands cupping her shoulders.

"I missed you." She cupped his face gently between her hands. "I missed your smile... I missed the way you smell... I missed the way you kiss my hair when you think I'm asleep... I missed waking up beside you..." She pulled his head down and kissed him hungrily. "I... mmm... missed going to sleep beside you..."

Pete's arms slid around her, pulling her soft, supple body tightly against him as he kissed her hard, savouring the familiar sweetness of her mouth. He'd missed her so much... he groaned, pulling her even closer as six weeks without the slightest physical desire suddenly metamorphosed into six weeks of agonizing deprivation. Six entire weeks without her. Without kissing her.... touching her... he slid his hands down her back, cupping her backside and pulling her hips against his.

Kitty yelped, and jerked away from him, phasing through his fingers. Pete blinked, the cold pit opening up in his stomach again. "What? Kitty?"

She backed under the spray, her eyes squinched shut, but one hand groped around until it contacted his chest, which it patted apologetically. "I'm sorry, Pete... I've got shampoo in my eyes."

He chuckled a little hysterically, giddied by the wave of relief that washed over him. "Right... next time I rinse yer hair off before I start renewin' acquaintances, huh?"

Kitty nodded, her eyes still squeezed shut. "Good idea." She rubbed at her eyes, blinking. "Ooh, that stung..."

"Sorry, luv." Pete ran his fingers through her hair, getting the last traces of shampoo out. "Here... lean back a bit an' I'll get the suds off yer face." She did, letting him wipe her face gently with calloused fingers. "All gone."

She opened tearing eyes and smiled at him. "Thank you." She kissed him lightly, then opened the glass door. "I hear our food tapping on the bedroom door." She looked at him, and he flushed slightly, suddenly aware that he was even thinner than usual, his shoulders a little hunched and a quite respectable beginning to a beard on his face. "You must be so hungry..." She kissed him again, and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel around herself. "I'll get the food. I'll see you out there when you're done, okay?"

"Okay." He nodded. Come to think of it, he was hungry. "Hope you ordered something decent."

She smiled at him. "Cholesterol with bacon on it," she promised. "And coffee."

"That's my girl." Pete stuck his head under the water again as she left, scrubbing himself quickly. He'd stopped caring about unimportant things like personal hygiene when he'd found himself without her. Along with eating, sleeping, and, if he'd had a bit longer, breathing. But now, suddenly, he felt a burning urge to be clean again, as if he could sponge away all the pain and grief along with the grime.

Ten minutes later, scrubbed, shaved, and wrapped in a hotel robe, he opened the bathroom door and stepped out into the bedroom. Kitty was sitting on the end of the bed wearing a soft satin robe, humming softly as she brushed out her damp hair. Pete paused to watch her for a moment, devouring her with his eyes, memorizing every movement, every sound, the way her hair slid and clung against her satin-covered shoulders, the graceful sweep of her arm wielding the wooden brush...

She felt his eyes on her and turned, eyes lighting up when she saw him. "Pete!" She stood up, hurrying over to tug him in the direction of a small table set with an assortment of dishes. "Come and sit down, I know you must be hungry..."

"I am, a bit." Pete agreed, letting her tow him over to the table and sit him down. A thick steak hung over the edges of a not-undersized plate, a thick, buttery pile of mashed potatoes dripping across it, with a friendly looking bottle of beer standing alongside. He beamed. There was a bowlful of chocolate mousse there as well. "You tryin' ta get my cholesterol back up ta a healthy level, right?"

Kitty chuckled, sitting down across from him. "Wisdom, your cholesterol's *never* been at a healthy level."

"Matter of opinion." He attacked his steak vigorously. "Me, I reckon havin' a high lard content in me blood's what keeps the vampires away."

Dinner continued in the same vein, with cheerful banter and no reference at all to the rift. It was as if nothing had happened at all. Everything was the way it was. That lasted through dinner, through dessert, and into the post-dinner coffee.

Pete sipped his coffee, savouring the taste of a decent brew for a change, and stared out the window. "It coulda been another man, y'know?"

"What?" She looked up at him, her face surprised.

"At least if it'd been another man I woulda had someone to blame. I could have thought that it was because ya met someone better, someone who could give yer more." Pete turned the cup in his hands. "But there wasn't anyone else. There wasn't any reason for you to go. You just... left me." He looked at her, his blue eyes cloudy with pain. "Did it mean that little to you?"

Kitty's eyes filled with tears. Slipping out of her chair, she knelt by his feet, gazing up at him as she rested one hand on his knee. "No... oh no, Pete, it wasn't that. You mean more to me than anything, I swear it..." The tears slid down her cheeks as she hung her head. "It was just... I was scared, and I panicked. I knew it was a mistake as soon as you were gone but I didn't know how to fix it and I thought leaving would make the hurt go away and I'm sorry..."

"I know that." Pete stared over her head and out the window. "But how do I know it ain't gonna happen again? I can't go through that again, Pryde."

"It won't happen again. I got... a wakeup call, you could say." Her voice wavered. "I found out just how much harm my immaturity had done, without my even knowing it."

Pete listened in growing horror as she haltingly explained the circumstances surrounding her return. The confusion, the loneliness, and the terrible, overwhelming guilt at the near death of a girl she barely knew. Jubilee's attempted suicide had made a profound impact on Kitty, and she obviously blamed herself. "Kit..."

"Sh-she hated me," Kitty sobbed, her face buried in her hands. "She said so! She wrote it, on the walls, with her-her blood... I didn't *mean* to, Pete, I didn't *know*! Nobody told me she'd been hurt! I wouldn't have kept him there if I'd known, I truly wouldn't..."

"Shh... of course you wouldn't, luv." Pete scooped her up in his arms, cradling her gently as he settled her in his lap. "It was just a coincidence, you 'ad no way of knowing what happened afore you got there."

Kitty burrowed her face into his neck. "I sh-should have called her... or asked about her, even... but I'm a h-horrible, thoughtless, selfish person, and I d-did it to you and I did it to her and... and..."

"No, luv... yer not horrible, honest. Or selfish. Thoughtless, maybe, but the best of us are sometimes..." He stroked her hair, rocking her gently. "It's okay, Kitty. Jubilee's okay, I'm okay, and yer gonna be just fine too, I promise."

Her sobs slowed, and finally stopped. "R-really?" Huge, glistening brown eyes fastened on his face.

Pete's heart jumped and twisted the way it always did when she gave him that sad, please-make-it-better look. "Really." He cupped the back of her head and kissed her lingeringly, lips searching hers. She responded, tangling her slim hands in his hair and pulling his mouth tightly against hers. They kissed for some time, hands anxiously exploring one another's bodies as if to see if things had changed, if the familiar sensations and responses were still there.

They were.

"Mm... Kit..." He nibbled down her neck, one hand supporting her head, the other inside her robe. "This...ah... isn't..."

"Isn't what?" She ran one hand up his thigh, and he whimpered.

"Isn't a good spot... an' there's a nice bed over there, look..." He nibbled her collarbone, enjoying the pleasurable shudder that that always produced in his lady love. She didn't disappoint him, sighing softly as she pressed closer. The robe slipped away from one smooth leg as she moved, revealing it all the way up to the hip. One of Pete's hands immediately dropped to explore the newly revealed expanse of creamy skin... which in turn made her squirm even more.

"Mmmm... the bed sounds nice..." Kitty ran her hands up his back, her heart aching at his painful thinness even as her entire body tingled at the feel of the soft skin under her palms. He nipped lightly at the side of her neck, and she gasped, arching her back involuntarily. "Ungh...oh god..."

She phased automatically as Pete stood up, staying just solid enough to touch but making herself light enough that even weakened as he was he could carry her to the bed. Just as automatically, she re-solidified when he set her down on the blanket, slim hands already reaching for him as he looked down at her with an odd gleam in his eyes. Not anger, nor just desire but... possessiveness. It still wasn't quite right between them, she realised. He wanted proof that she was his again.

Kitty laid one soft hand on his chest, sliding it down slowly while her other brushed his cheek. "Pete..." She smiled a little, and fell back on a phrase they'd used a hundred times before. "Your turn to set the pace."

He did just that, kissing her with an almost bruising passion, his fingers tangling in her hair. She responded with equal force, arms twining tightly around his neck as she pulled him closer, tugging him down onto the bed with her.

They were both gasping when the kiss finally ended, bodies already moving urgently against each other. He groaned, nipping at her neck with hard, biting kisses that she was fairly sure would leave more than one mark come morning. Not that she minded.

Pete pinned her body to the bed with his own, trailing kisses down her neck and along her collarbone before pushing her robe open to nuzzle her breasts hungrily. Kitty moaned softly, arching her back as he sucked one nipple into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue. His hands stroked demandingly over the rest of her body, manipulating every sensitive spot he knew - and he knew them all - to bring her to a shaking frenzy of need.

Only when she was gasping and moaning softly, her body trembling, did he move away from her breasts, moving back up to claim her lips as one hand slid down between her legs to tantalise her even further, claiming her for his own. Kitty gasped and squirmed against him, touching him as eagerly as he did her, but didn't make any move to advance their lovemaking to the next stage. She'd given him the call, and the next move was his.

That didn't mean she couldn't encourage him to make that move, though.

She untied the belt of his robe, pushing it open and sliding her hand down his stomach before wrapping one slim hand around his erection, stroking her thumb lightly over the head. He groaned, hips jerking involuntarily, and burrowed his face into her neck as she stroked him lightly, teasingly.

When she increased the pressure a little, the last of Pete's willpower broke and he jerked away from her hand, easing her legs apart and thrusting into her with a harsh moan. She cried out in response, her hips lifting to meet his as he started to thrust, moving harder than he usually did, always so careful of her. Not hurting her.. he would never do that... but claiming her, once and for all.

Kitty moaned, sparkles already starting to dance before her eyes. Pete had always known how to make it happen fast, but this... he thrust again and she went over the edge, nails sinking into his back as she shrieked in ecstacy. At that, he loosed the minimal control he'd been exerting, a last thrust sending him crashing over into mind-blowing pleasure.

She closed her eyes, gasping, her arms closing around Pete as he burrowed his face into her neck, his body twining around hers. He was so thin... so pale... so...

...asleep.

She smiled at the tousled black head resting on her shoulder, and tried to shift to a more comfortable position. Pete immediately whimpered in complaint, wrapping himself even more tightly around her. Kitty sighed, and resigned herself to the stiff and deadened arm that would be a result of their position.

 * * *

The next morning a loud crash startled them both wide awake. Kitty sat up, hastily jerking the sheet up around her. Pete looked up, blinked, then groaned, covering his head with the pillow.

Lockheed stood on the windowsill, clutching an almost empty beer-bottle in his paws. He grinned, weaving a little from side to side. "Awoooo!!" he trilled, waving at them. This caused him to drop the bottle, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Lockheed, where have you BEEN?" Kitty demanded.

"And what did yer do with that scotch?" Pete glared at the little dragon.

"Heeeeeeerrrrreeee." Lockheed patted his round little stomach. "Allvit."

"You drank ALL my scotch?"

Lockheed stared owlishly at him, and raised one paw. "I am shlightly drunk," he said clearly, and fell off the windowsill to land in an unconscious heap on the floor.

Pete looked down at the little purple lump, then back at Kitty, who was staring openmouthed. Slowly, a broad smile spread across his face. "See?"

"See what?" Kitty blinked, frowning.

Pete grinned triumphantly. "I TOLD yer he could talk!"