Kitty Pryde sat on the railing of her balcony, her legs dangling over the side. She was having major deja vu.

Just a week ago, she had sat in this same spot when Gambit appeared and told her that Rogue had been kid-napped. Madness and ensued, but they'd managed to save Rogue and get back home safely.

Of course they had been the deluge of worried questions from the rest of the X-Men, but once that was over, Kitty's life had basically returned to normal. Everyone around her was happy. Scott and Jean, Rogue and Remy. In fact, Remy had hardly gone home since they'd been back. Kitty was getting a little sick of seeing the 2 of them, running around the Institute, acting like Christmas had come early or something.

Kitty sighed, and reminded herself for the thousandth time that she shouldn't begrudge Rogue her happiness. After all, Rogue definitely deserved it. And it wasn't like she didn't have any of her own happiness. Things with her and Lance were still good.

However, Kitty just couldn't get the Pietro situation out of her head. She felt like it was still unresolved somehow.

High above her, the sun was setting in the sky. Below her, the new recruits were having a water war. Kitty lost track of how long she sat there, listening to the screams and laughter, watching the sun set. Before she knew it, it was dark. The new recruits had long since gone inside.

Suddenly, in a moment of clarity, Kitty knew what she had to do. Silently, she phased down from the balcony onto the ground below. Half an hour later, she had reached her destination. The Brotherhood Boarding House.

She crept around the back until she found what she hoped was the right window. Grabbing a small rock from the ground, she hurled it towards the house. It bounced off the window, making much more noise than she'd intended.

Feeling panicked, Kitty quickly ducked behind a tree. What had she been thinking? This was crazy, it was the middle of the night. She glanced nervously at the window, half hoping that the noise had gone unheard, so she could run back to the Institute and avoid a potentially embarrassing situation.

Too late. The window creaked open and a head poked out. There was no mistaking that hair. "Who's there?" hissed Pietro.

Kitty kicked her self inwardly. This had seemed like such a great plan until she'd actually come over here and seen Pietro. Now it seemed incredibly stupid. She had to get out of there.

"Hello? Is some one there?" called Pietro quietly from above her.

As soon as she heard his voice for the second time, Kitty bolted. However, that proved to be quite useless. Pietro was, after all, Quicksilver. He caught her in 3 seconds flat.

Standing in front of her in his boxers and a t-shirt, Pietro raised an eyebrow. "Kitty? Did you want something?"

Kitty blushed. "Um, no. I, uh, couldn't sleep, so I decided to take a walk."

"A walk around my backyard?"

This was not going at all like she'd planned. Kitty sighed. She might as well give in and tell him the truth.

"Look. I came over to talk to you. I hate the way things are between us."

Pietro stiffened. "The way things are between us is your fault Kitty, not mine."

"Pietro, I I can't stop loving someone just because you want me to. Can't you understand that? Why can't we be friends? We used to be. Everything was fine back then. Why can't it be like that again?" The desperation was clear in her voice.

He laughed harshly. "You and I can never be friends again. It's all or nothing with me Kitty. You've made it clear which one you chose."

"W-Why are you being like this?" she asked, her voice breaking. I don't understand you..."

"Damn right you don't," he snapped. "You have no freaking idea what it's like. No idea what it's like to see someone everyday, and to know that you will probably never have them. To see the person you love with someone else, everyday. It is hell on earth."

Kitty was crying openly now. "I-- I don't know what you want me to say. I didn't m-mean for you to get hurt, I "

"Oh, I feel so much better now that I realize that you didn't mean it," he yelled sarcastically.

"I didn't want this for us," sobbed Kitty. "I didn't. I'd do anything in my power to change it, but I can't, I can't " she broke off, unable to continue.

Pietro watched her cry for a moment. "Just go home Kitty. Go home."

She lifted a tear stained face. "B-But "

"Just GO, God damn it!" he screamed at her.

Kitty stared at him in horror for a second before turning and running off into the night, her sobs echoing down the dark street.

Pietro turned around and kicked the tree as hard as he could. "Damn it!" he screamed. "God damn it all!"

Lance came running out of the house. "What the hell is going on?"

Pietro stared at him. The friend, his team mate, the boyfriend of the first girl he had ever truly loved.

Lance watched as a million undistinguishable emotions flashed in Pietro's eyes.

The moment seemed to last forever. But finally, Pietro turned, took one last look at the house, and took off running. There was nothing left for him here anymore.

Across town, someone else was leaving as well. Alix Canara threw her last designer suitcase into her limo. Het purpose here was done. She left as mysteriously as she had come.

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THE END. Make of it what you will, but that's it.

I realize the Alix bit might be confusing. I sort of left part of it up to the readers to figure out. However, if you really don't get it, email me at TheFrenchQueen00aol.com and I will explain it to you.

Thank you to all the reviewers.

Druid-Priestess