We Can Explain...

We Can Explain...Chapter Twenty Three (NC-17)
Disclaimers Apply


A/N Goddess Foxfeather, Queen of Mad Plotbunnies, BUSIEST WOMAN ALIVE (tm), Prophetic Muse, Hamster Witch and Uberbeta...Nice and early, eh? :) InterNutter, TC and Maxwell Pink rock my socks for archiving/hosting. And I really think I need more sleep because I just used the phrase "rock my socks..." ProPhile is a nice smutmuse, even if he is a Yankee. ;) Readers/Reviewers: Happy Ostara!!!! And Happy Purim (checks calendar, realizes she can't see it from this far). I think that's right... *goes to decorate pagan eggs *

Professor Xavier blew out a harsh breath, neither disbelieving or knowing, and pushed his cup of cold coffee to one side. "Well," he offered into the silence, "that is...odd." He held up one finger to silence Kitty's coming outburst of explanation. "And I know that is not the end of it, Kitty. However," he paused and glanced at the ormolu clock across the room, "it is very nearly seven and very nearly time for the meeting with the others. I trust this will be expanded by the stories of your friends?"
Kurt and Kitty sank down in their seat, a picture of mutual frustration. "But Professor," Kurt said a shade too loudly in order to garner the man's full attention, "that wasn't it. We need to tell you about..."
"Tell me downstairs," the older man said authoritatively. He tempered his words with a smile. "The others are already gathered and to keep them waiting invites dissention among the ranks, especially on a weekend morning." Jean had already sent him a message of sorts twice, asking if he still wanted to meet or if Jubilee could go back to bed. He knew, despite his leadership over them, they would not kick their heels all day at his pleasure or leisure.
Kitty sighed somewhat mournfully and rose to her feet, smoothing her hands over hastily donned jeans and a slightly wrinkled top. "Can we finish the story for you later then? I mean..." she glanced at Kurt as if in askance and hlighlight nod in return answered only fueled the Professor's privately held suspicion that some couples develop a disturbing telepathy. "It's just...well, we saw something." She coughed nervously, though the flutters in her stomach were not because of her impending revelation but rather in remembrance of it. "Something that sort of reminded us of things that happened about a year ago?" Her voice shot up at the end, making the statement a question. "Kind of around the time I was having...problems?"
Professor Xavier raised an inquisitive brow. "Are you...seeing things?" he asked delicately. "Or...?"
Kurt shook his head, answering instead of Kitty. "It's not her family, nein. It's..." He paused again, searching for the right word. "It's just weird," he finally managed.
The Professor sighed, effectively shutting out another summons from Jean. "After this meeting, we will break for a bit and we can return here so you two can...fill in the blanks, as it were, if need be." At some unvoiced signal, Logan opened the door to the private study and peered in. His eyes lit on Kitty first, a faint frown creasing his face, then on Kurt, which made his expression become more curious than before. Professor Xavier nodded. "Be right there, Logan."
"Okay," he said slowly, still standing in the doorway. "Want me to take them on down?"
"No...I think we need to wrap something up here first." He smiled at Logan, who paused a moment longer. "Go keep an eye on the downstairs study...Make sure Scott does not...what is the expression?...get into a snit over the delay."
Logan rolled his eyes and Kurt snorted softly. "I think the phrase," the younger man murmured, "is 'get his panties into a bunch'."
Kitty snickered and the Professor sighed. "Charming, Kurt. Absolutely charming. We'll be down momentarily, Logan." He waited until his friend closed the door once more before fixing Kitty and Kurt with a fatherly gaze. "I know that you are both nervous about what it is you saw and I want to give you the chance to explain it in your own words," he winced inwardly at Kurt's unconscious sigh of frustration. "As it is, I fear Emma's...report...to me after last night's activities is somewhat tainted by her retelling."
"But, Professor, wouldn't any retelling be tainted?" Kitty demanded, still on her feet. She folded her arms over her chest and cocked her head to one side, the very picture of litigious questioning. "Just us thinking it changes the reality of it, right? I mean, I may remember xyz happening but Kurt remembers wxyz..." She made a moue of confusion. "Is that right?"
"I think what she means," Kurt put in, "is that memory is subjective." He stood and took Kitty's hand in his, nodding to his mentor. "We'll wait for you downstairs then..."
Kitty clamped her lips into a thin line of protest but otherwise allowed Kurt to pull her from the study. She remained tensely silent in the elevator all the way to the first floor, ignoring Kurt's sideways glances and under-the-breath whistling. As the carriage reached the first floor, her hand shot out and hit the emergency stop button. "Why the Hell did you just drag me out like that?" she erupted, her face turning pink in irritation. "I wanted to tell him about what that thing did to you!"
Kurt groaned softly, hitting the button again to make the door open. "Liebes, bitte... Let us just get through this meeting, okay?" He knew she was most concerned about how his behavior had changed during their mishap but he did not want to address it until it became absolutely necessary. "It's enough for me that she did not harm you..."
She frowned and followed him out of the elevator. "And I appreciate that sentiment, Kurt, but..."
"But nothing," he sighed, stopping in his tracks and turning to face her, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "Listen to me, Katzchen," he said in a low, tense voice, gripping her upper arms to keep her from turning away. "We cannot figure this out on our own. We tried and because of that, you nearly died. Rogue nearly died. Liebes..."
Kitty frowned and leaned in, resting her forehead against his in affection that filtered through her frustration. "I just want him to know... I want this to be over with! All this chatting and story telling...it's like pulling teeth!" She sighed and rubbed her forehead against him for a brief moment. "I want to know why those things did that. I want to know why SHE did that..."
"I know, Schatz, I know," he sighed, pulling her into a proper embrace. "Tell you what...if we are not closer to the bottom of things by the end of today, we spill all to Emma. Everything. Let her take it to the Professor."
She sighed anew. "Okay. Fine. Whatever." She pulled away, still frowning. "We're going to be late."
Kurt let her pass, following at a short distance. Dolorously, he wondered at the change in her. _I just want her to stop worrying so much... _