Kitty Pryde glanced over her shoulder, her young eyes anxious and strange. She had feared someone might follow her, but no figure materialized in the pitch darkness of the alley, and no footsteps sounded on the damp concrete. She breathed a trembling sigh of relief. Still, the quick pitter-patter of her heart continued its unnatural rhythm, complementing the unsteady downpour of silvery, midnight rain.

She closed her eyes for a long moment and leaned against the exterior wall. "I should go home," she murmured, pounding her fist against a brick. "I should go home right now. I should. I should."

Raindrops slid over her reddened face, mingling with salty tears. She wiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. Then, determined, she pushed away from the wall and turned back toward Xavier Mansion.

"Leaving so soon?"

She froze. Breathed. Breathed again. Her round eyes blinked. "I...can't do this." Her voice was weak, like a child's. "I'm...really sorry."

"Mmm. So am I. To be honest, I'm surprised you made it this far. I never expected you'd come at all."

Kitty bit her bottom lip. Hard. A single drop of blood slipped over her chin.

"Have you nothing at all to say to me, Kitty?"

"I..." That tone, that accent... He'd only spoken a few words, but the mere sound of his voice had the strength to break a dam. Her eyes flooded over. Her hands found her face and violent sobs racked her frame.

"Ah, Kitty--"

"No, please! Please. Don't touch me, Pete."

He withdrew from her side. "I won't." His reply was soft but not without bitterness.

Kitty felt a pang of remorse. She faced him, her wet face shining pale yellow in the streetlamp's glow. "Why did you write to me?" she inquired quietly. "Why did you ask me to meet you here?"

He sniffed. "You know why." A small flicker of light momentarily brightened his features. Kitty watched him touch the match to the cigarette dangling from his lips.

"You haven't taken care of yourself," she observed, noting the tired cast of his eyes, the dark, coarse stubble cloaking his jaw. She was so tempted to... But she couldn't. Not anymore. She hadn't come here to rekindle an old flame.

She hadn't.

She hadn't.

Had she?

Suddenly...she couldn't be so sure...

Kitty was, after all, lonely. Sad, even. Moving to America hadn't cured her heartache, as she'd secretly hoped. If anything, it had made things worse. It had forced her to realize how much she'd changed. The X-Mansion had been her home once. It was her home again. But this time... she felt like a stranger there. She felt like a guest, a visitor, even in the company of Kurt and Piotr.

She didn't know where she belonged anymore.

And she had nowhere else to go.

"I was hoping we could talk..." Pete sighed, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "I'm not asking for... I mean... Ah, bollocks!" He threw his cigarette to the ground and crushed it underfoot.

Kitty watched him, perplexed. Stunned. Heart-broken.

Pete Wisdom was crying.

"No, don't." She gently blotted the tears in his eyes with her fingertips. Her palms grazed his sandpaper-rough cheeks. "Please. I can't stand it, Pete. Don't."

"You bloody think I can stand it? Do you?" He grabbed her wrists, eyes flashing. "Look at me. I've lost my pride. I'm bawling like a newborn brat, like a child, not a man. I'm... I'm..."

Kitty embraced him, her tears staining his musty overcoat.

"No. No. I won't take your pity," Pete spoke in a deep, rasping tone. "I've sunk low enough." He slipped from her arms and bowed his head, dark hair falling over his face. "This was a mistake."

"Pete." Kitty caught his watery gaze.

"Mmm." He eyed her closely. His fingers found a wet lock of her hair. His other hand fell to her shoulder. "I've been...so afraid--"

"So have I," she admitted quietly. "I...I thought I'd never see you again. I didn't think you'd want to see me after... And when I got your letter--"

"Shh." He held a finger to her lips. "Not so fast. We've been living in a rush for far too long."

She nodded her head, heart pounding. All of her confusion, her questions, her doubts-- they'd all vanished moments ago, when she'd pressed her cheek against Pete's chest, felt his arms around her. For those few seconds, fleeting as they were, Kitty had felt at home.

Maybe she'd been too inexperienced to remain in a relationship with Pete before. Maybe she'd become so accustomed to his presence that she'd taken his love for granted. Or maybe the sheer strength of her feelings had frightened her, so she'd forced herself to turn away.

But she would not turn away from him again.

"Pete..." She struggled to see him through the heavy sheets of rain. Her wet fingers slid between his effortlessly, a perfect fit.

He brushed her hair back from her face. "What do you want to say?"

She thought for a moment. Then Kitty wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled his face toward hers.

She kissed him fully, her dormant passion reawakening upon contact. "I love you, Pete Wisdom. I always have. Always."

"Ah, Kitty." Holding her tight, Pete grazed his lips over her closed eyes and rested his chin on top of her head. "We'll give it another go, then, luv?" he whispered, his voice cracking just a bit. "You know, what's Wisdom without Pryde, after all?"

"No, Pete. What's Pryde without Wisdom?"

"True."

"Hey!" Kitty jabbed him playfully. "You weren't supposed to agree with me."

He laughed and wound his arm around her waist. "It's so easy to ruffle your feathers, Kitty. I rather enjoy it."

"I noticed."

The two, reunited, strolled through the night together, remembering, planning, dreaming.

They were so absorbed in each other that they never realized that they were being followed. They never noticed the metallic gleam trailing their steps. And they never heard the steel heart shatter, broken to bits by a kiss.