Young Writers Society

You know, maybe one of these days I will actually pay attention when a battle goes on around me.....

Nah.

The truth is, Kate and I were focused on one thing and one thing only. Protect the Senator. So, when Mystique (I could not think of her as my mother just yet, since I still had no idea how that worked out) attacked us, and my team mates sprang into battle mode, I flattened myself against a wall and started to inch toward the room that Kelly's men had rushed him into.

If he died, everything that Kate had worked for would be in vain, and everything that she had suffered I would too, only more personally this time, since it would actually be happening to me and not just a memory of my future self.

Speaking of which...Kate, why are you letting me know so much? Aren't you afraid that even if I try to be better than what you—I—were, to improve, don't you think that I might slip up?

I had asked her this as we were dodging lasers from Cyclop's eyes and lightning bolts from Storm's temper. Also, every once in a while some object would hit the ground near us, courtesy of either Wolverine or Blob. We were doing our best to stay steady on our—my—feet, but it was a little difficult thanks to Avalanche. I promised myself secretly that I would never go near him, let alone date him, as we tried to navigate the minefield that closely resembled my old high-school during a good food fight.

I...she started to say, but then paused as if drawing a breath. I....

...Yes?

I...trust you.

...And I call bullcrap on that statement. There is no way that you told me the truth just now.

Look Kitty, she said desperately as we dodged another other chair that Wolverine had thrown at Avalanche, let's just focus on the Senator right now, okay?

I stopped moving completely, the wheels turning in my head. Kate tried to posses me again, tried to make me move, but I was having none of it. There was only one reason why she could feel so comfortable telling me so much....

I'm not going to remember any of this am I?

She sighed. No. I don't think so, at least. Maybe bits and pieces, if you're lucky. Beyond that, I'm not sure that you really will remember anything. Gaining enough control to move my head, she angled my ears in the direction of Kelly's saferoom. We could hear him pleading for his life, and I knew that we needed to go.

But beyond continuing in our previous direction, I didn't respond to Kate at all. I knew that if I did, I wouldn't have nice things to say.

As we slipped through the wall into the dark room, we could hear the battle dying down slowly. Mystique hadn't responded well when Kurt had been the one to attack her, and was currently unconscious under the table he had thrown her into. Without the guidance of their leader, The Brotherhood was slowly falling apart. The sirens that we could hear in the distance gave further proof that this should all be over soon.

But there was one member of the enemy that didn't need Mystique to hold her hand. Destiny, the blind psychic, was apparently going to be the one to try to off the Senator. Kate was fascinated by this fact. When I asked her why, she said that no one had ever known who had killed the man in the first place. It was interesting to find out after all these years.

I never knew it was her. She was in the camp with us, you see, and we sort of bonded over a shared almost-disability.

If she can see the future, I asked, breaking our silence, then why can't she see us?

The timeswitch would have altered the timeline so completely I bet her visions will be blocked until I leave your body.

I suppose that's good. How do we stop her from using the laser cross-bow she currently has pointed at the Senator?

Just then, we both felt a slight tugging coming from the back of my head somewhere. It felt like we were being ripped in two, and then suddenly I understood that we were. Our time was up. Kate's telepathic friend could no longer maintain the connection. We had minutes, maybe even seconds to do this, if not less.

Nice knowing you. I told her, then threw myself through Destiny. Because I was phased, I went straight through her, but once y upper body was clear, I solidified my arm and jerked it up to throw her aim off.

I focused myself on all of the memories that Kate had given me in our time together. I focused on making my whole body solid as I hit the floor and kicked Destiny's feet out from under her, knocking her to the ground hard enough to knock her out. I focused on staying completely still, on breathing, on hearing the sounds of cuffs being placed on all of The Brotherhood. Basically, I focused on anything but the white-hot pain that was currently ripping through my head.

~*~

It didn't end for a long time. I felt, more than heard Kurt picking me up. The others were with him, and the ones who weren't surrounding me in concern were helping the Senator to his feet. The man immediately demanded an explanation, asking who the hell we were and what did we think we were doing?

Storm was the one who replied, telling him that we were the X-Men, that we were mutants, and I had just saved his life.

Not I, I thought, we.

I couldn't feel Kate anymore, and a part of me felt completely empty. In the short time that we had...um...shared quarters, I had become quite attached to my future self. Now that I no longer knew what she was thinking, I wondered if this hair-brained scheme of hers had worked, and if it had, had it altered her timeline at all.

Storm was still talking, and I tried to listen through the haze of pain. “Mutants are people, and just like people, they are both good and bad. Do you throw all people in prison for the crimes of one murderer? No, and you would do well to remember that before you condemn us all.”

I was awake for the trip to the jet, and while I was still in pain, it was fading, slowly. Kurt carried me up the ramp and laid me on the couch, after he held my head up and slipped underneath it to cradle it in his lap.

I didn't really notice, to be honest. I was to busy scanning my brain for something, anything. I didn't know what had happened. It seemed as though Kate was right. Beyond knowing that she had possessed me, I couldn't really remember anything else that had happened that day.

But them, it was like I flipped a switch somewhere. Don't ask me how I did it, because to this day I don't even know. I didn't get everything back. But I got enough.

I knew that Mystique was my mother, and Kurt was my brother. I knew that Piotr and I would eventually marry and have children. I knew that we would all live in a camp, and we would hate it.

I also knew that I was missing pieces of these memories, that I had gotten only half of the puzzle. But, I think that the missing half was one that I wanted nothing to do with. I think that it came with pain and suffering, and I was glad that those bits were gone. And then, so was the pain.

I sat up suddenly, startling everyone else in the cabin. I stretched my hands out and gently slid of the couch to take a more comfortable seat on a nearby table. Yes, I know that it's crazy that I prefer hard things to soft things. But that's just me.

“Kitty,” the Professor asked cautiously, and I jerked my head to the left where he was seated, “Are you alright child.”

I let my face adopt a confused expression. “Why wouldn't I be?”

“Keety,” Kurt continued, “Do you not remember anything that happened today?”

I perked slightly. “You mean how well I did on my first Danger Room Session?”

“No, little one,” Piotr told me slowly, “We mean the past few hours where you shared a body with your future self.”

I was a good actress, evidently, because I managed to convince them that I had no idea what the heck was going on or why I was in the X-Jet. A part of me felt guilty for lying to them, but it was overruled by the part that told me they were better off not knowing. There would be to many questions and not enough answers if they did, and maybe it was selfish, but I didn't want that. I didn't think that I could handle it.

At the end of their little, 'explanation,' Scott wondered aloud whether we had actually changed the future or not as he landed the plane. Secretly, I did to, but I didn't speak to any of them as we entered the mansion, choosing instead to head to bed and call it a night. I still had a slight headache. Sleep came easily to me, and so did dreams.

~*~

I was standing in a field that I recognized and yet knew somehow shouldn't be there. Hadn't this place been destroyed years ago? I wondered as I looked around it slightly in awe. I knew in the pit of my stomach that for some reason, I shouldn't be here, but I couldn't bring myself to wonder why.

“Momma! Momma!” “Mat!”

I turned slightly and caught the two small bodies that were hurling towards me. Sadly though, I wasn't balanced enough and within seconds we all were sprawled on the ground. Well, I was sprawled on the ground. The two young boys that I was currently clutching had landed on something softer—me.

“Mikhail! Alexi!” I scolded them, their names coming immediately to my mind. “You must be more careful!” They scrambled off of me immediately as I slowly sat up, wondering what the heck was going on and who these boys where and why they were calling me, 'mother,' in English and in Russian.

“Mal'chiki!” a gruff voice sounded from the direction they had come. “You must be more careful with your mother!”

“Yes papa.” they both responded sadly, before they turned to me and wrapped their little arms around me. “We're so sorry, Momma.” Alexi, the younger of the two, told me quietly.

“No go,” the voice repeated. I looked up to see a familiar Russian making his way towards us. “Help your sister and brother. Sasha and Anya need assistance in the kitchen.”

Piotr reached down and lifted me into his arms, and just like always I was surprised at our size difference. It never bothered either of us though.

Never bothered...where did that thought come from? I wondered. I wondered at it all. I wondered who these children were, why I was here, and what the hell was going on. I started to ask Piotr, but I stopped when his hand cupped my stomach protectively and my own small hand instinctively covered it.

“Are you alright, wife?” he asked, his deep voice not doing anything to cover his worry.

“I'm fine,” I told him exasperatedly, “I've done this many times before.”

“I do not wish to offend you, little one, but while you are still little you are not as young as you once were. Jean has warned you about the risks that this one brings.”

“The risks are no greater than they were with any of the others. It's just a little more likely those things will happen.”

“I will not see you hurt.” he said, slight desperation coating his tone.

“Then you should have kept it in your pants on our wedding night,” I responded teasingly, “because it hurts every time that we go through this, and...” I paused to cover his mouth and stop his reply, “Every time is worth it.”

I had no idea why I was saying these things, nor where they could possibly be coming from. It was almost like watching a new movie, not really knowing what the next line or scene would hold. I wasn't scared for some reason.

Piotr leaned down, and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. A part of me felt sad that I had a secret that I couldn't tell him, although I wasn't exactly sure what that secret was. And then suddenly, I felt as if wind was rushing through me and I was now seeing everything from a different point of view. Well, I wasn't really seeing, but thanks to the body heat of those around me, the air pressure around them, and the noise they were making, I knew something of what was going on.

Piotr was kissing me, and behind us, down a slight hill was a group of people surrounding picnic tables filled with food. There were gifts piled up to the one table that didn't have any food on it, and from the voices I knew that my team was all there, along with other voices that I didn't recognize.

It was a baby shower. Storm and Jean's conversation told me that much. It was my baby shower. Kurt and Wolverine were carrying out the cake that my six—six! children had spent the whole afternoon working on. Everyone around me was happy.

And then I knew.

I was in Kate's world. It had worked. Somehow, someway, it had worked.

“What are we going to name this one?” Piotr asked me—no, asked Kate.

She looked in the direction I was standing, and I could swear for a second that she could see me, though I couldn't really see her.

She smiled, I think, and I smiled back slightly. I knew that somehow she knew I was there.

“Let's name her Hope.” A tear rolled down my face at the awe in her voice. How long has it been since she felt that?

“You are so sure it's a girl?” Piotr asked her.

“I'm positive.” Kate replied. He smiled at her gently, and kissed her again before setting her on the ground.

He cocked his head slightly. “I hear your twins causing trouble again.” he said. And sure enough, the sounds of physical and verbal fighting could be heard in the distance.

“Why is it when they are in trouble they are my children?” Kate asked exasperatedly.

“Because it is when they are in trouble that they act exactly like you.” He kissed her again before moving away to separate the two boys. Kate's face morphed into one of somberness and gratitude. Don't ask me how I know that it did. I just know.

“They don't remember anything. They don't know anything.” she whispered to me. “That is a blessing, I think. It's like the entire timeline has been re-written. I opened my eyes, and I was in the bathroom with a pregnancy test in my hand and Piotr banging on the door.” she laughed. “It took me a little while to sort through my memories, to figure out which ones came from which life. It certainly hasn't been easy.” she said, “But these have been the happiest days of my life.”

“Good.” I said.

“Thank you so much Kitty.”

Curled up in my blankets fast asleep, I smiled.

~*~

"What troubles you, liebchen?"

I was sitting in the backyard, on a bench near the pool. Wondering about all the things I had learned but a few days ago.

There was a reason that my eyes were red. There was a reason that I couldn't see, not the normal way anyway.

My eyes weren't eyes at all. They were machines. Little computers, chips, if you would. I could access anything and everything as long as it was hooked to the internet. I already had done it.

And in doing so, I had discovered an operation known as SHIELD. I hacked into their security cameras to watch Nick Fury's reaction when he found out that all of the X-Men files were gone. I took great pleasure in removing them.

Beyond that, I hadn't really had time to play with it.

"Nothing Kurt."

"I don't believe zhat."

I sighed. His had stroked my cheek in a gesture of affection. I leaned into it, and it was in that moment that I knew I could no longer lie to him.

"Who was your mother? Your real mother, I mean." I asked him.

His hand paused. "Why do you want to know?"

"Just wondering."

"Keety, that is not an easy question to answer. I worry about what people will think of me when they find out."

"It's Mystique, isn't it?" He didn't respond. "Oh, don't give me that face," I said exasperatedly. "Everyone knows what you look like, you fuzzy elf. How many other mutants other than Mystique do you know that have blue skin and yellow eyes? The resemblance is to close."

"Wh-y-y on ear-earth do you want to know?" he stuttered.

"I lied when I said that I didn't remember anything, you know. I remember one thing that Kate told me, about who my birth mother is. Who my brother is. Both happen to be blue, in the literal sense."

I waited a minute to see if what I was implying would sink in. It did. His hand grew tighter on my cheek, and his other joined it on the opposite side so that my face was framed between his palms. My glasses were squeezed into my face, but I didn't mind.

"Keety," he breathed, "What are you saying?"

"You know exactly what I am saying." I said, my voice low.

"You are mein schwester?"

"Ja." I replied teasingly.

He answer was to crush me to his chest. I sighed contentedly, burying my face into his chest. We stayed like that for a few minutes before I pulled back.

"There's one more thing that I want to show you." I said.

My heart was pounding. I could feel a sweat breaking out all over my body. I didn't want to do this. But at the same time, I knew that it was the right thing to do. I hadn't put my contacts in this morning, so once I took my glasses of, my eyes were completely visible.

He drew in a breath slightly.

"Am I ugly?" I had to ask when he didn't respond.

"Oh, Keety," he sighed, "You're the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

All the pent up emotions I had, the fear at showing him who I really was, the apprehension at telling my secrets, the desperation for him to accept me for who I was, spilled out in tears of blessed relief. He held me as I cried. And for the first time in a long time, I felt like I was home.