Subject: [OTL]: Don't Worry, He'll Be Here Date: Tue, 28 Dec 1999 17:01:58 -0800 From: Trumpetlee@aol.com Continuity: This comes a week after Maybe Even Sisters. Disclaimer: Not mine. Marvel's. No money. Don't Worry. He'll Be Here :Lee Tybird Kitty Pryde had come home. She'd been teaching at the Massachusetts Academy for two weeks, and was finally back in Westchester New York, at the X-Mansion. She'd walked in the door, greeted the group sitting in the den briefly, and then lugged herself, and her things upstairs. She'd dropped her things, and, upon contact with her bed, fell asleep. Since it was getting closer to the holidays, she was assigned to bring the Gen-X group with her. They stood in the den with the some of the X-Men. Downstairs, Logan got up. "Well, gotta head to the airport. The kid's flight's gonna come in soon." "And you say you know this Pete Wisdom?" Jean asked. Logan nodded. "I didn't place the name when Kurt first mentioned it. It's been a while, an it rang a bell right after Kitty got finished chasing us." Hank laughed. "I still can't believe you, of all people, Logan, were running from her. I wish I'd been around to see it." Logan sighed. "I better get goin'." "Want some company?" Jubilee asked. Logan smirked. "Nah. I'd like ta talk ta the kid on my own. Man to man chat. Not to mention a father to daughter's beau chat." Betsy smirked. "Just don't kill him. Or Kitty'll kill you." "I wanna meet him!" Jubilee protested. "You will," Emma told her. "When the rest of us meet him. If anyone should go with, it should be Kitty." "She's sleeping," the Professor informed them. "I'd advise not waking her." Logan nodded, and headed out the door into the snow that had just started to fall. An hour later... "How was the flight?" "Don't ask." Logan sighed. "How ya been?" "Lately?" Pete replied. "Swamped. I got so much paperwork I'm drowning." "How's the job?" "A job. It's a hell of a lot better than Black Air. Still work, though." Logan glanced at the younger man. "Ya always struck me as the type ta drown yer sorrows in a pub. I was surprised when Kitty said ya got back on yer feet after the breakup and got a job." Pete smirked. "I did drown me sorrows in a pub fer a while," he said. "I guess I just needed a good swift kick in the arse, though. I got told off by a mate, an I realized I was bein stupid, an' I got a job." "In other words, instead of drowning yer sorrows in a pint at the local, ya drowned 'em in yer paperwork." Pete said nothing. Only shifted a little. "I wanna know somethin, Pete." Pete raised an eyebrow. "Wot?" "You treat my Pun'kin good?" Logan took a cigar his jacket pocket, and lit it as they walked out of the airport, into the cold, and it began to snow harder. Pete blinked. "I can't say I did during those last few days," he muttered, letting his head drop. He'd hurt her so badly. Why had he done that? What was he thinking? 'Because yer a stupid prick, and you didn't have a bleedin clue how ya handle it,' he thought. "She hurt you, too, Pete," Logan said, reading his friend's expression and smelling his guilt. "She told me the whole story. I ain't talkin' 'bout that. I'm talkin bout before the SHIELD thing." Pete smirked a little. "Yeah, I guess I did. She thought so. Most o' the team thought so." Logan nodded. "Good." Pete nodded. "You tell me somethin now, Mate." "What?" "Where's Kitty?" "She came home from helping out with Gen-X and fell asleep." "Damn," Pete said with a little bit of surprise. "Sounds like me." "Ya rubbed off on her," Logan said with a little laugh. "Jubes told me that the other day, they were fighting Creed, and that girlfriend o' yers said something that really surprised the rest of 'em." "Yeah? Wot she say?" Logan thought for a moment. "Let's think... she said: 'Sod the fuck off, ya stupid, perverted piece o' rat shit.'" Pete laughed. "I never said anything like that. 'Least not the 'rat shit' part. Dog shit, maybe. But no rats." Logan smirked. There was a pause. "Ya said Creed? As in Sabretooth?" Logan nodded. "Are they all right? Were any of 'em hurt?" Logan shook his head. "Sean and Kitty had it under control." "Good." They got to the jeep, and loaded Pete stuff in the back. Logan started the engine. "Ready ta hit the road?" Pete nodded, and they drove off. An hour later... "I think they're back!" Jubilee cried from the window. "What is your fascination with this guy?" Everett asked. "Kitty's like my sister," Jubilee explained. "I wanna inspect the new boyfriend." "There can't be anything that special about him," said Monet. "From what Mr. Wagner said, he is just an ordinary man from the British Intelligence business." Paige rolled her eyes. "Come on, Monet. Ah'm sure there's more to 'im than that. After all, from what Ah've heard, Ms. Pryde has very interesting taste in men." There was a quiet psionic snicker. They all stared at Jonothan. *Wot?* "What'er you snickering at?" asked Angelo. *Nothin.* "Right." The door opened, and Logan walked in. "I put mine out, Wisdom. Yer turn." "But I don't want to." "Do it." There was a sigh, and the stamp of a foot. Pete Wisdom walked in the door and looked around, but said nothing. Jubilee seemingly bounced up to him, and waved. "Hi! I'm Jubilee!" Pete blinked, and nodded, dusting some of the snow off his coat. "Pete Wisdom." "I know!" Pete looked at Logan, who gave him a grin that said "Be nice, or I'll kill you." "Yeah," Pete said. "It's, uh, nice ta meet you." Logan nodded in approval. *Hey, Pete.* Pete looked over. "Jono, ya little sod! Get over here!" "That's why he was snickering," Angelo muttered to the other kids. Jonothan got up, and clasped hands with Pete. "How d'you know each other?" Jubilee asked. Pete smirked. "His mum's a friend. She was in Intel with me way back when." *He babysat me.* The other kids laughed. Pete sighed. "C'n I just go see Kitty now?" Logan smirked. "Sure, kid. Follow me." He did, leaving the kids (even Jono) to laugh at Pete. The two men went up the stairs, and rounded a corner to a long hall, doors on either side. "Hers is the last on the right." Pete nodded nervously. "Thanks, Mate." Logan patted him the shoulder, turned, and walked away. Pete took a deep breath, and walked forward, until he got to her door. He stopped, got ready to knock, but paused, letting his hand drop to his side. "Come on, Wisdom, you half-witted git. Suck it up. You c'n do this." He lifted his hand, and knocked on the door. No answer came. He knocked again, but there was still no answer. He put a hand on the doorknob, and turned it, peaking into the room, to see Kitty, on her bed, sleeping. He walked in as quietly as he could, slipping out of his coat. She was curled up and, he noticed her shivering a little bit. He carefully placed his coat over her, and sat down on the floor. He leaned against the side of the bed, put his head back, and tried to get himself a little sleep. A few minutes later, Kitty opened tired eyes, and curiously felt the large, heavy, black coat that was covering her. She took in the smell of Marlboros and scotch. "Pete?" "Hmm?" She sat up, looked at him and smiled. Placing the coat to the side, she slid onto the floor next to him, and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her head into his chest. He placed an arm around her. "Happy holidays, Pete. I love you." He rested his head on top of hers. "I luv you, too."