Always a Catch

It didn’t take Charles to find Kitty Pride. She was in New York working for at a halfway house for the mentally Ill. He, along with Scott and Storm went to talk to her about helping the Starks with Peter Parker. Though she liked what she was doing the sums of money that the Starks were prepared to pay her for her services had drawn her interest and as a result she accompanied them back to the mansion.

Isabella got the call 3 days after Logan and Natalya left to go on their honeymoon. And, at the same time, Kate had some exciting news to tell Steve. She was ‘late’ for the first time since they were married.

Tony and Isabella took the jet to the mansion and they had a rare opportunity to sit in on Serena’s afternoon class. Tony knocked on the door to the classroom and when she bid them to enter they did. The disturbance caused quite the uproar but Serena got them all back in line as her parents found seats in the back and sat down.

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Steve was exercising in the gym. He was bench pressing a significant amount of weight when he heard her come down. He was dressed in a tank top and gym shorts and flip flops and he breathed hard as he shifted the weight up and down then set it back onto its stand and sat up.

“Hey sexy, whats up?” he asked as he looked at her. Obviously William was sleeping or she wouldn’t have left him. He was able to get around now and they had to reinforce the door to their room so he couldn't get out of it.

Serena was excited to see her parents and have them sit in on her class. This class was with the older students so they were discussing much more advanced science than her younger students. Her students got rather excited to see her parents but she was able to calm them back down with the promise that once the class was over they could ask them some questions. They were discussing chemistry today and it made her smile to look back and see her parents beaming at her.

After the class was over and everyone’s questions had been answered she walked over to her parents. “So, what did you think?”


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Kate was excited but she was trying not to get her hopes up. She and Steve did want another child and they thought that now was a good time. They knew there was a risk that this next child would also be a powerful mutant but they decided it was worth that risk.

She walked down to the gym to see Steve and she smiled as she watched him bench press. It turned her on watching him. She walked over to him after he saw her.

“I bought a pregnancy test today.”

Steve pulled her over and she lifted a leg so that she could straddle him. What she held up though made him blink. “Well, that would mean...what, you think you might be? Pregnant?” He asked and her nod and smile made him smile. He leaned into her and kissed her lips. “Oh that is good news. Can we go up and...use it?” He asked her eagerly. And he was eager. He wanted a child of their own. Something between them, something created by them and god ofcourse. His mind raced with the possibilities of it all. The 4 of them, a family.

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“I thought you did extremely well you almost make me want to take your class,” Tony said as he smiled at her. A proud smile to be sure. “So you do lesson plans, grade papers, the whole spiel?” He asked.

Kate smiled at Steve's eager reaction. "Of course," she said and kissed him again before they left the gym and walked back up to their room. She went alone into the bathroom and a few minutes later she emerged. "Now, we just wait 10 minutes." She sat down next to him on their bed and he held her hand as they waited. 10 minutes later the timer on her watch went off indicating it was time to check the test. She walked into the bathroom and a moment later she walked back out with the smile gone from her face. She shook her head and looked at him.

"Sorry to get your hopes up."

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Serena smiled and nodded. "I do. Gambit and I actually planned our wedding to coincide with the winter break. Speaking of Honeymooners...have you heard from Logan and Natalya?"

Isabella smiled and shook her head. "Nope...and we don't expect to. Those two have desperately needed a vacation for a while."

Steve was disappointed: he really did want another child but he wasn’t about to leave that burden on her shoulders. He smiled and pulled her into his lap. “I guess that just means we’ll have to keep trying, doesn’t it?” He said as he leaned in and kissed her. “Wanna start now?” He said and then he attacked!

A considerable time later they lay together with William in their bed with them. Steve was playing with him with a few of his favorite stuffed animals and getting him to giggle. “Mama’s gunna get ya...momma’s gunna get ya!@ Steve warned then out of the blue William uttered.”Ma...mama,” he said. Steve looked up at Kate and smiled at her.

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“I’m more concerned about Logan than Natalya,” Tony chuckled. “So you two have it all figured out eh? Don’t you think that maybe your rushing into everything kiddo?” Tony asked.

Kate was as disappointed as Steve was, but she knew that they could just keep trying and hopefully it would happen. Laying in bed with Steve and William she knew that she was far luckier than some women. She smiled as she watched Steve play with William. It made her heart swell with happiness to watch the two of them together. However, when he suddenly said "mama" her smile turned into a look of surprise before her smile returned. "Did he just say...mama?" When William said it again her smile grew even bigger and a few tears came to her eyes.

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Serena shook her head. "Not at all. It's not like Gambit and I just met. We've known each other for years and this is what we want. Why wait? We're both extremely happy and I know I want to marry him."

“But what about Peter? I know this is not fair to say sweetheart but part of me thinks that you’ve been unfair to him,” Isabella said. But then held up her hand. “Here me out,” she said irritably. “You two were head over heels for one another. Completely and then an outside source, not of his doing messed that all up. You left and fell right back into Gambits arms,” Isabella said. “Isabella….” Tony began but Isabella silencers him as well. “No she needs to hear it,” she said vehemently. “What happens when he returns to his old self Serena? What then? Will you feel guilt? Usually our gut feelings are as much truth as we’ll ever find in the world. You left Gambit for him. And now your back with Gambit. What if Peter recovers? Nothing he’s done was ever him. Nothing. It was the corruption that hurt you, not him,” she said as tears filled her eyes. “What that boy has been through and you take off because helping him became difficult,” she said disapprovingly. “He’s lost everything Serena, everything!” She said angrily. “Isabella, that’s not fair,” Tony said. “Throw me under the bus if you want Tony But you’ve said the same,” she said. “Love is work Serena and Peter is suffering without you,” she said as she wiped her tears away. “

Serena just stared at her mother in stunned silence for a few long moments as she tried to think of something to say in response. She began to become so angry and upset that her cheeks burned and became flushed. "So, everything gets dumped on me then, huh? Maybe he would be better right now if you BOTH had listened to me in the first place. You also both don't seem to care that he almost strangled me TWICE and then tried to sexually assault me. I know that he's corrupted, but our relationship is never going to be the same...ever. I deeply care about Peter, I mean for God's sake I was the only one who was actually trying to help him, and I will always love him, but if you think that I can just wipe everything out of my brain then you're wrong. To be perfectly honest I think two years ago I made a mistake when I went back to Peter. He and I are better as friends. You both have barely given Gambit a chance. Gambit has ALWAYS been there when I needed him and I don't have to explain our relationship to you. I DON'T need this guilt you are heaping onto me. I refuse to be made into the villain here. If you have a problem with me marrying Gambit then I don't want you at our wedding."

Isabella sighed a deep sigh then shifted to take her daughter’s hand. Her gaze strengthened as she looked at Tony who nodded then she looked back at Serena.

“I’m sorry to treat you like this Serena but I wanted you to be certain how you felt. I don’t want you second guessing yourself later. I want you to be truly happy. You’ve been through..so much,” she said as her hand shifted to touch her face. And the. Tears did fall. “Oh my baby is growing up,” she said trying to keep it together but failing miserably. Tony only just looked on. He hadn’t agreed with her deception. But they did want Serena to dive deep into her feelings and examine them before she married Gambit.

He shifted over and hugged her as her mother did from the other side.

Serena just stood there and was rather tense as her parent's hugged her. She didn't hug them back. She finally just pulled away and was clearly upset over what had just been done to her. "This was not fair to me. Have either of you considered that perhaps my emotional state right now regarding Peter isn't great? He wasn't the only one to come through this needing help. I manage to keep myself together in public, but inside I'm an emotional wreck. I don't need or deserve to be treated like this," she said as tears came to her eyes.

“No, you deserve a life where there is no pain, no Worry and no violence Serena. A life that we tired to give you but you followed in our footsteps. We wanted to give you a happy life. One with meaning. One where you felt that you were truly a part of something important. I hope that you can forgive us for being human and wanting that for you,” Isabella said.

Serena just shook her head. "I have to go," she said before she walked out of her classroom and left them there. She went back to her room and changed into her workout attire before going down to the gym.

Meanwhile, Kitty Pryde had arrived at the mansion. Being back in these halls brought back so many memories...some good...some bad. She hadn't wanted to come back here, but when Charles had contacted her he convinced her to come back and meet with Tony and Isabella Stark. He hadn't told her much, only that a young man needed her help. She knew that Logan was associated with the Avengers and she didn't want anything to do with him. She hated Logan. Her sister was dead because of him and she would never be able to forgive him for that.

Kitty stood at about 5'2" with long, brown hair and blue eyes. She had been the youngest person to ever join the X-Men team. She was by no means the strongest or the fastest but her mutation allowed her, and anyone or anything she was touching, to phase through matter. She ad left after the death of her sister, but was now being pulled back in. She wasn't entirely sure how she could possibly help this man, but she had agreed to come and so here she was.

She reached Professor Xavier's office and she stood there a moment and drew in a deep breath before she knocked on the door.

Before she even knocked Charles knew she was here. He knew Kitty probably more than she knew herself. And the pain that continues to haunt her existence. He truly wondered if she could help Peter at all when she herself needed help. From the most unlikely source that she would ever imagine.

“Come,” Charles said. When he saw Kitty all of those grandfatherly feelings came forth. “Kitty, oh my god is it good to see you, come, give an old man a hug,” he said as his eyes began to water.

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“Was it worth it Isabella?” Tony asked. “Really worth it?” He said. “For her happiness, I’d pay the devil any price. If we pay a little now? Then so be it,” she said.

Kitty slowly opened the door and stepped into the all too familiar study. As her blue eyes settled upon Charles Xavier deeper memories came flooding back to her. She remembered the first time she met Charles. She had considered herself a freak, but he had convinced her that she was anything but. As the youngest member of the team she had constantly struggled to prove herself to the others, but Charles was always there when she needed him. He pushed her to believe in herself and that had been the greatest gift he ever could have given her.

Now, the 23 year old stood before Charles as tears filled her eyes. She suddenly stepped quickly forward and wrapped her arms around him as a few tears slipped down her cheeks. "I've missed you."

Charles hogged her back and kissed her cheek. In many ways Kitty wa the granddaughter he never had. “Oh it’s so good to have you here Kitty,” he said. “Please have a seat,” he said. They spent a good hour on small talk and banter. Charles really missed Kitty. She was proof that what he did mattered. Not just to the people that they helpedZ but also to one another.

“As you know Tony and Isabella Stark are here. And they are trying desperately to help a young man, Peter Parker...Spider-Man,” he said. “An alien entity had imprinted itself upon him and created within him a completely new personality. Now that he has been separated from it however, he has not changed much. He is angry, and lost. As you know Spider-Man has been fighting crime for some time. It is completely up to you Kitty but he does need your help,” he said.

Kitty sat across from Charles and they drank some tea as they talked. She was shocked to learn that Gambit was getting married...to Serena Stark. She had never imagined Gambit actually settling down and tying the knot, but clearly this woman was something quite special to have captured his heart so.

After they were finished catching up, Charles began to tell her why she had been asked to come. She sat quietly and listened to him. She of course knew who Spider-Man was, but had never known his true identity...until now.

"And how exactly do you think I can help him?"

Charles leaned forward and looked at Kitty for a few moments. “What I’m about to tell you must stay between us. You have an ability that you have just begun to tap into. I know you’ve felt it but you’ve never used it. I want you to use it now to find the personality that Peter has lost. Will you try? If you do the Stark’s are prepared to pay you one million dollars,” he said.

Kitty had felt that there was another power inside of her, but she didn't understand what it was or how to use it. She felt her eyes widen though when Charles told her how much the Starks were willing to pay her. The amount flabbergasted her. She couldn't even imagine having that much money. She still though wasn't sure how to do what Charles was asking of her.

"I'm willing to try, but I still don't know how I'm supposed to find Peter's lost personality."

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Meanwhile, Serena had finished her workout and returned to the room she and Gambit shared. She found him there and she sighed as she closed the door behind her. Gambit would be able to tell that she was upset about something. She walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at him. "I would like for us to find somewhere else to go for our Honeymoon other than my parent's island."

“I’m not certain I know the answer to that. I only know you have the ability. Spend time with Peter. Befriend him, gain his trust. That I can tell you will help you. Peter is in there, somewhere. And when you find him you will know it,” he said.

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Gambit saw Serena come in and her expression. He couldn’t imagine why she looked so troubled, especially when she went to see her parents. His eyes followed her as she sat. He frowned after what she said and he leaned forward on the bed. “Ok, your parents are here...why happened babe?”

Kitty listened to Charles and nodded. She had a feeling that she was going to have to figure all of this out as she went along. However, she was willing to give it her best shot. She didn't want to fail Peter the way she failed her sister. That thought then caused her to consider something else.

"Peter lives at the Tower, right?" When Charles nodded she went on. "And Logan lives there too?"

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Serena sighed and began to explain to Gambit what all had happened. The visit had started out so promising and she had thought perhaps that things were going to start healing between them, but what her mother had done was terrible in her mind.

"I just don't understand why she did that to me. Neither of them seems to understand the pain I am going through as well," she said as tears came to her eyes. "I'm starting to think that they care more about Peter than they do about me. Peter is the son they never had."

Gambit wanted to be supportive to Serena. Wanted to back her up in all things but he didn’t believe what Serena was saying. “Serena,” he began gently and put his hand on her hand. “You know that’s not true. I don’t know why they are acting like this but I do know that they’ve taken on a huge responsibility. They are sacrificing a lot for Peter. And their not as young as they used to be,” he reminded her. “I don’t know what they said to you to make you so upset. I had hoped that everyone would come out of today feeling better. Instead, your angry...is there anything I can do? Do you want me to talk to them?”He asked.

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Charles looked at her for a moment. “He is. That is his home. He is married now if you didn’t know. And he’s happier than he has ever been before. If you intend on causing him more grief over what happened with your sister I am not certain you can be effective there,” he said. “You will need to find a way to forgive him I think...or not,” he amended as he saw the sharpness of her eyes just then. “Holding on to so much pain and hate does not serve any purpose Kitty,” he said.

Serena knew that perhaps she was being too emotional, but she couldn't help how she felt. "I'm just so frustrated Gambit. I was the one at the very beginning who was trying to help Peter and no one believed me about the suit. I did what I could, but it took me leaving for them to finally realize that perhaps something was going on with Peter. Now they're martyrs for helping Peter and I'm the villain for 'abandoning' him at his time of need. I don't deserve that guilt and despite what my mother says I know that she believes at least part of what she said to me. He's attacked me twice and almost sexually assaulted me. I know that this alien entity is to blame, but our relationship is never going to be the same. I mean, what am I supposed to do Gambit?"

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Kitty sighed and shook her head and looked away from Charles for a moment. It was clear that her anger towards him had not dissipated. She knew though that Peter needed her help. There was no way around this. "Well, if Logan thinks he is going to get a hug from me then he is sorely mistaken."

Gambit thought about what Serena had just said. Moments passed and the conclusion wasthat there was no real solution. The Starks has their own agendas and one thing they did very well is problem solve. Unfortunately they were so much into the Peter problem they forgot that they had a daughter who needed them. Not just some of the time, always.

“We power through Serena, you and me,” Gambit said finally. “They are not perfect and trying to gain their respect in this way will probably not succeed. We can’t know what their thought process is so why even try? We have a wedding to plan and a honeymoon now to I guess,” he said. “Do you like tropical, warm climates with the waves and the sand? Or sweaty nights in New Orleans taking nothing with us and gambling for our lodgings, clothes and food? New Orleans I know well but There is something to be said about relaxing with you, seeing you prance around topless just for my pleasure,” he said as he leaned back on the bed casually. He gestured as if he wanted her to begin now.

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Isabella and Tony came into Charles office. Kitty stood to greet them and Charles introduced them. “Kitty Pryde, this is Tony and Isabella Stark. Tony shook her hand and looked her over. She was quite diminutive in stature but he saw something on her eyes. A certain determination and strength of will. ‘Good, she’ll need that’ He thought. “It is good to meet you Kitty, shall we sit! We have a lot to discuss,” he said as all three of them took their seats.

Serena honestly did not know what she would do without Gambit. He kept her sane and made her feel loved and appreciated. She knew that they would not be able to heal the relationship between themselves and her parents until Peter was well. He was clearly going to be their sole focus until then but she had Gambit and a new team that she was apart of. They would decline the use of the island and instead plan and fund their own honeymoon.

Serena rolled her eyes, but smiled at Gambit's comment about her prancing around topless. "I'm not going to do that." She did, however, climb into the bed with him and laid facing him. They kissed a few times before she brought back up the honeymoon.

"Let's find another island that perhaps has a casino or two. That way we can gamble and spend some time on the beach. Would you like that?"

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Kitty felt rather nervous meeting Isabella and Tony Stark. She of course knew who they were and felt slightly intimidated. However, she did not let that show in her eyes. They were counting on her to help Peter and she would not fail them.

They all sat down and she looked at them. "So, how exactly did this alien being attach itself to Peter?"

“I want to go anywhere where you can relax and enjoy life for a while...remember when we left the tower for a while? How Much fun we had? What about Monte Carlo in France? We could rent a small Yacht with a crew, fine dining, the best casinos in the world?” He said with a smile. He reached his hand out to her hip and slid his hand down to rub her bottom.

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“It was a suit, or appeared to be. We didn’t know Ofcourse what it was,” he said. ‘Though Serena had’ He thought. “It has direct contact with his flesh and began to impose its own personality upon him. Peter’s personality over time began to recede and Venom’s personality surfaced,” he said.