chapter 17 - 'too perfect to last'

Kurt Wagner had spent most of his childhood as a loner. With his "unique" physical attributes he had never truly felt that he had ever fit in. Even his own mother had left him stranded when he was just a baby. This knowledge was hard to except, knowing that even the one that had given birth to him could not stand to keep him around. On the bright side, he could not have asked for kinder, more loving adoptive parents than the ones who had found him and raised them as their own.

And as an acrobat in his family's circus, he felt for the first time that he truly belonged. People came from all over Germany to see the amazing Nightcrawler, the acrobatic wonder, the devil of the high wires. Of course, back then, the crowd always assumed that his devilish features were all just a costume.

Then an amazing opportunity was presented to Kurt, a chance to travel to America and study at Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters. An entire school made specifically for mutants such as himself. A place where he wouldn't feel as if he had to hide who he really was. And while he still stood out, being the only student with such obvious physical mutations, he finally felt that he was in a place that would accept him.

While his years here at the Institute were both wonderful and challenging, especially this last year as the school had been "outed" to the public, Kurt had still felt that he had found a place where he truly belonged.

Even then, when he didn't think it could ever feel more perfect, along came a miracle, in the form of his friendship with Katherine "Kitty" Pryde. Nowhere in all his years had he ever felt more that he was in the right place, then when he was beside his best friend. And he was recently pleased to find out that it could only get better as he discovered the joy of kissing her.

It was their senior prom, and here he was kissing Kitty, the girl of his dreams as he stood on the dance floor completely unmasked by his hologram. It was a moment he was currently committing to memory. He wished it would never end.

"Hey freak!" A voice called out from the distant crowd, effectively ruining the moment and snapping Kurt out of his day dreams.

Kurt reluctantly ended the kiss, looking up to see a group of kids pushing their way through the crowd towards he and Kitty.

"What the hell do you think you're doing freak? You don't belong here!"

Kurt's eyes narrowed in anger, but he managed to hold his tongue.

"He has every right to be here as any other senior!" Kitty spat out at them.

"We weren't talking to you mutie. Although you're not much better, you mutie slut!"

"Hey!" Kurt shouted at the nearest of the bunch, just as he was struck across the jaw, by the leader of the pack, Alan Davis, causing him to stumble back.

Alan smiled smugly to himself as he turned back to his posse. He moved as though he was about to bow down towards his friends, but before he had the chance his own face was struck, quite forcibly by Kitty's fist.

The petite girl knew how to throw a punch and he found himself on the floor with his nose bleeding furiously.

"Asshole." Kitty state triumphantly as she massaged her knuckles.

"I fink you boke my dose!" Davis hollered in pain.

His group of friends started laughing.

"Davis!" A teacher walked out of the crowd towards them, it was Mr. Garner, Kurt's chemistry teacher, who had stopped this particular bully's tormenting before. "You know there's no fighting here, you and your friends need to leave now!"

He pointed to the gym's exit.

"Dis freak boke my dose!" He pointed at Kitty who was standing beside Kurt, who was nursing his bleeding lip.

"Somehow I doubt a girl her size could have done that to you."

Alan's cheeks flushed, but he didn't say anything else. Apparently he no longer felt like arguing the point. She was at least a foot and a half shorter, than him and he probably had a good 50 pounds on her.

"All I saw was you picking a fight with Wagner and throwing a punch." Mr. Garner continued at Alan's silence. "And assuming you don't want to be expelled this close to graduation, I suggest you leave now."

One of the bully's friends gave him a hand to help him up off the floor, and the group reluctantly left the gym. The nearby students who had been witnessing the scene began to cheer as they exited.

Mr. Garner watched them before turning back to Kurt and Kitty.

"Way to put your weight behind it." He smiled at Kitty. "Why don't you go get some ice for your hand, I'm sure it hurts, that kid has got one thick skull."

Kitty smiled shyly.

"Thanks Mr. Garner, but I'm fine."

"Ok then. Well, be safe you two and enjoy the rest of your dance." He smiled as he walked away, back into the crowd of students.

"Zhat vas amazing!" Kurt exclaimed.

Kitty just laughed. "That guy had it coming." Her expression soften and she asked, "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, he punches like a girl... er, most girls." He started to laugh and then winced a little as it pulled his lip.

"C'mon let's go get you cleaned up before you get blood on your nice new suit."

She took him by the hand and led him through a door in the back of the gymnasium that went to the locker rooms. She pulled him into the Women's rolling her eyes as he made a few remarks about being scandalous.

The room was empty and the lights flickered on as they entered. Kitty grabbed a paper towel and wet it in the sink before moving beside Kurt who was sitting on one of the large benches running down the center of the room. She leaned forward and gently placed the towel on his swollen lip.

"It doesn't look too bad." She said softly, as she dabbed away the blood.

She examined him, noting the small puncture wound just inside his lower lip, probably from one of his sharp canines. It had already stopped bleeding.

"So, vill I live?" Kurt asked smiling as Kitty seemed to have finished her examination.

"I think you'll make it." She smiled back, tossing the paper towel into the garbage can in the corner and then sitting beside him on the bench.

"Thanks for standing up for me." He said softly, looking into her eyes.

"I was worried that I may have bruised your male ego in the process."

"Nah, you just proved zhat I have the best friend in the world!"

She looked up at him smiling, and then a shy expression crossed her face.

"Kurt," She started quietly. "what would you think about being more than just friends?" Her gaze traveled down to her hands as they played nervously with the hem of her dress.

"Keety." He took her fidgety hands in his and she looked up into his eyes. "You know zhat I care for you as more than just a friend. I just, I never thought..." He paused to gather his thoughts.

"Your friendship has been the best thing zhat has ever happened to me. I vas not willing to sacrifice it. Vhy vould anyone as amazing and as beautiful as you vant to be vith someone like me? You could have anyone that you vant."

"And I want you, Kurt." She spoke up confidently.

He smiled, stunned silent. They were words that he had longed to hear, but had never expected, never allowed himself to hope that it could really happen.

She placed a soft kiss on his silent lips.

"Because you are amazing." She whispered.

She placed another kiss at the spot where his pointed ears met his suede like cheek.

"And you're beautiful."

She lifted up his three digit hands and gently kissed his knuckles.

"And you are the best friend that I have ever had."

She kept her gaze at his pale yellow eyes that seemed to glow more than usual, glistening with tears that he was fighting to hide.

He enveloped her in a tight hug and clung to her. Never before had he felt so accepted.

A moment passed before Kitty pulled back and placed her hands on either side of his face pulling him into a passionate kiss. She wanted to make sure that there was no way he could doubt just how much he meant to her.

She deepened the kiss and he wrapped an arm behind her back, pulling her closer. Her hands made their way up into his long hair caressing the nape of his neck as she went. His tail snaked it's way around her leg, and she let out a moan as the spaded tip traveled up, tickling her inner thigh.

Neither of them had ever experienced such emotion and raw passion from a simple kiss.

They broke apart for air and Kitty took the opportunity to place delicate kisses along his jaw line.

He moaned her name as he turned to claim her lips again, when suddenly, a loud screeching sound startled them apart.

"What was that?" Kitty whispered, her hand on his chest as she turned toward the sound.

A large crash came next, followed by a horrible groaning and then a rather frightening boom.

The two teens sprang up from the bench, whatever it was, they could feel the vibrations in the ground and it was loud enough to be heard over the blaring music coming from the gym.

Having spent so much time over the last few years practically training to be heroes, their instincts kicked in and they were up and running within an instant. They ran out of the locker rooms to the windows in the hallway and screeched to a stop when they saw the scene outside.

There was a large accident in the road that ran just behind the school. As far as they could tell, a small car had narrowly avoided being plowed down by a large truck and had smashed itself into a light pole. The truck, most likely in an attempt to veer away from the car had managed to roll onto its side.

By now, a few of the other students had trickled out into the hallway to see what the noise had been, it was no wonder that it had been so loud, the two vehicles were almost on top of the school.

"Oh my god!" A student shouted as she pointed out the window.

Sparks were falling from the damaged light pole and seemed to have started a fire beneath the compacted car.

"Call 911!" Someone shouted and a few people flipped out their cell phones.

"There's still someone in that car!" Another student screeched.

"Kurt." Kitty turned to him, but didn't have to finish her thought. Still tethered by their powers, Kurt took her hand and teleported them both within a few feet of the car.

As soon as they reappeared they were struck by the overwhelming heat coming from the fire.

"Help! I'm stuck!" A familiar voice shouted from the car, Kitty recognized it as the same voice that had been tormenting them earlier, Alan Davis.

"I'll get him, make sure the truck driver is ok." Kitty said, without hesitation.

"Be careful." Kurt replied and ran off towards the truck on all fours.

Kitty ran at the car, phasing as soon as the heat was too much. Eventually the heat from the fire would effect intangible molecules just as much as tangible ones, but luckily for Kitty, it took quite a bit longer, so as long as she was quick, she would be safe. She prayed that her powers would cooperate for the time being.

"Help!" Alan screamed out again before he saw Kitty in the window. She reached through the side of the car and grabbed the collar of his shirt, just as the window exploded from the heat. He flinched as shards of glass passed harmlessly through his now intangible body. Kitty unceremoniously yanked and pulled him out of the car. His leg which had been trapped in the crushed metal, passed through it with ease.

She managed to help him, as he leaned on her as a crutch until she got him a ways from the car and a few other students ran over to take him.

By then most of the school had come outside to see what the noise was. She noticed Rogue and Bobby running towards her.

"What happened girl? You guys alright?" Rogue yelled over the commotion.

"I'll try to calm the fire!" Bobby yelled and kept on running past them towards the flaming car.

Kitty coughed as she tried to tell Rogue what was going on. Even when she was intangible, she still needed to breath and had managed to inhale a decent amount of smoke.

"See... Kurt?" She managed to cough out as she started to move in the direction of the truck.

Just then, he reappeared beside her, along with the driver of the truck and gently helped him to the ground. The driver just stared at Kurt with a terrified look on his face.

"Help! Demon!" He muttered.

"He just saved yer life ya know, you ungrateful piece of s-" Rogue started, but was cut short by Kurt.

"Now is not the time meine schwester."

"Are you kids ok?" Mr. Garner called out as he pushed his way through the chaos to get to them.

Kurt turned to them with concern on his features.

"Zhat truck is full of flammable materials." His tone revealed the seriousness of the situation.

"Oh God." Mr. Garner muttered.

"Bobby, can you get that fire out?" Rogue yelled over the chaos.

"It's too hot! I can slow it down, but not before it spreads to that truck! There's fuel all over the road!"

"I can hear sirens." Mr. Garner added. "The firemen will be here any minute."

"They von't make it." Kurt replied.

"Then we've got to get everyone out of here!" He shouted.

"No ve've got to get zhat truck out of here!" Kurt stated.

"Kurt, you're not thinking of teleporting it?" Kitty was frantic. "There's no way! It's too much mass for you to move!"

"I can if you help me."

"What?" Both Kitty and Rogue questioned in unison.

"If you can phase the truck, I should be able to teleport us away."

"Wait!" Rogue hollered. "Even if you could, where would you take it?"

"There's a new housing development being put in just North of here, it's still just cleared land." Mr. Garner threw out. He wasn't entirely sure what his students were planning, but he was pretty certain that they were their only hope at this point.

"Of course!" Kurt yelled, they drove past that soon to be neighborhood everyday. It was still just vacant lots, nothing around but dirt. And it was close enough that he had a pretty good chance of making it.

"Um, whatever you guys are planning, you better do it fast!" Bobby yelled.

The pools of burning gasoline were now mere feet from the large tanker truck.

Kurt looked Kitty in the eye.

"Trust me?"

"Of course."

And he took her hand and 'ported them away.

end chapter 17 - 'too perfect to last'

Sorry, I know I always seem to put chapter breaks in at the most inconvenient times, but I knew it had been a while since I posted and I wasn't quite ready with the next one, so this is what you get:)

Thanks to the anonymous reviewer that gave me the German language tips. I seriously use a program to translate phrases into German for me. Eventually I will go back and make corrections in previous chapters. If you or anyone else would like to check over my use of the language BEFORE I post it, that would be awesome! Just contact me via email, queequegg (at) mac (dot) com

Thanks to everyone for reading and a special thanks to everyone that reviews! I truly appreciate it:)

More to come soon!