I feel stupid but it's something that comes and goes
I've been changin' - think it's funny how no one knows
We don't talk about - the little things that we do without
When that whole mad season comes around
-Matchbox Twenty

"Hi," Kitty said brightly as she shook the Brit's hand. "I'm Kitty Pryde, this is Remy LeBeau, and Kurt Wagner."

"Hi," Remy said extending a hand, his face unreadable. The two shook hands solemnly. The other three looked at the two men as they stood engaged in a silent battle of wills.

"Okaaay," Kitty said taking Remy's arm and pulling him away. "Be nice."

"And Remy would do dat why?" Remy asked arching an eyebrow.

"C'mon," Rogue said taking Pete's hand in her gloved one. "Kurt and Ah will show ya to your room. Kit, will you go tell the adults we have a visitor?"

"No problem!" Kitty chirped. She kept her grip on Remy's arm dragging him away.

"Are they together?" Rogue asked.

"Nien," Kurt said. "Don't you think Keety would have told you?"

"True," Rogue said with a nod.

"Why didn't you mention Herr Wisdom when we talked?" Kurt asked.

"I'm hurt, luv," Pete said placing a hand to his chest. "You didn't tell yer mates about us?"

"It never came up," Rogue said.

On the way to the professor's office

Remy shuffled a deck of cards as he and Kitty walked. "Remy can't believe she's datin' dat..." Remy trailed off unable to think of a word bad enough.

"Hottie," Kitty supplied with a smirk.

Remy turned to her arching an eyebrow. "Dat ain't exactly de word Remy's lookin' for."

"No," Kitty agreed. "But it's definitely true."

"Chat, don't help," Remy said shaking his head.

"Was I supposed to be helping?" Kitty asked looking at him innocently. They knocked on the professor's door.

Come in Kitty, Remy.

"Dere are days it really sucks ta live with a telepath."

"Yep," Kitty agreed. They walked into the office.

"Tell Rogue that Mr. Wisdom is welcome to stay with us as long as he would like, and make sure she's going to eat here tonight. Ororo was planning a welcome home party," Xavier requested.

"No problem," Kitty chirped.

"Whatever," Remy muttered. Kitty dragged him out of the room. "Hands off de coat."

"That's a first," Kitty giggled. "Remy telling a girl not to touch him."

Remy leered down at her playfully. "Well, we could go up ta y'r room and remedy dat."

"That's the Remy I know and love."

He looked at her with a smirk. "Love?"

Kitty blushed. "In a purely platonic sense of course."

"Of course," he nodded.

"So, are you okay with this?" Kitty asked gently as they walked into the den.

Remy hid a wince but decided to play dumb. "What do y' mean?"

"Rogue with another guy."

"Weren't y' listenin' earlier p'tite?" he said shaking his head. "Remy don' want not'in' ta do with de fille. She made it perfectly clear last year dat she don' want Remy. Why bother?"

"Then why haven't you been, like, dating anyone since then?" Kitty asked.

"Maybe Remy's holdin' out for you," he teased.

"Right," Kitty said. "Or maybe you missed Rogue."

He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Keep sayin' dat, p'tite, and Remy's gonna gag y'."

"I'm, like, so scared."

"And even if Remy did miss de femme it wouldn't matter. She's got a homme now, remember?"

"Yeah, but-"

"Anyt'ing we were working towards last year obviously didn't mean as much to her as it did to meh." Kitty sighed. "It don' matter. In fact it's better dis way. Now Remy be free, right?"

"I guess."

"Time ta get back on de datin' scene. Dere are hundreds of femmes in dis city dat Remy hasn't even met yet." Kitty sighed again rolling her eyes upwards. "What about you, p'tite?"

"What about me?"

"Y' free tonight?"

"Rem, please tell me you're, like, not asking me out on a date. You know how Rigby would feel about that."

"And who cares what Monsieur Fallon wants?" Remy had a strong dislike for Rigby, Kitty's new beau and had since he overheard some of the things the guy had said about Kitty. Not to mention just the way Rigby treated Kitty, and even the way he looked at her some times. Remy had only met him three times and was already ready to kill him.

"I am dating him, Rems."

"Just ta get back on de scene," he shrugged. "As friends."

"As friends," Kitty repeated with a small smile.

Two hours later

Dinner was a little tense. Logan kept staring at Pete who pointedly avoided that look. Remy was quiet, quite unlike him. Kitty made up for the silence on her own talking to Rogue about her trip and telling the Southerner about what had gone on in the Institute since then. After dinner the group was retiring to the living room except Remy who was in charge of cleaning off the table and Logan who grabbed Pete on his way out. "We need to have us a little chat, Wisdom," Logan said.

"What?" Pete asked, his hands were itching for a cigarette but Rogue had threatened him if he smoked anywhere other than the porch or his room.

"What in the hell are you doing here? Did Black Air send you?"

"I'm out of the game, mate. If you were still in you'd know that."

"I was never part of your little family but I know they don't take kindly to people cutting out."

"They don't. The government is taking them apart step by step. I helped them get the dirt. I'm out."

"I'm sure there are people who won't see it that way."

Pete winced. "I'm taking care of it."

"And Rogue?"

"I know. It's not like this was in my plans, mate, believe me, it wasn't. But..."

"It happened. You take care of that girl. Make sure none of yer baggage touches her."

"I'll try." A grin touched Pete's lips. "Never thought I'd see the day that Wolverine was so paternal."

"Just rub it in, runt." Remy reentered the kitchen as the two left, wondering what that was all about.

Later

"Bye, guys," Kitty chirped leaving the room on Remy's arm.

"You sure those two aren't dating?" Rogue asked Kurt.

"Where are we going?" Kitty asked putting on the helmet Remy handed her.

"Movie?"

"Sounds good." She climbed on behind him and he took off. Kitty closed her eyes and let herself just be in the moment. She loved riding with him. Remy drove fast and recklessly, it was never boring. He pulled up in front of the movie theater.

"What do you want to go see?" he asked as she tried to straighten her hair from the ride. They debated for ten minutes before deciding on "Over the Hedge." The Cajun had a surprising soft spot for animated movies, although he'd never let anyone know that. He only went to see them with the girls.

After the movie

"I like the squirrel," Kitty smiled as the waitress gave them their drinks.

"You remind me of the squirrel," Remy teased.

"Hey!"

"You're high strung, and you talk really fast."

"Dork."

"The truth hurts, huh?" They talked amicably for thirty minutes over ice cream.

"I'd say that you're still in prime form," Kitty teased as they left.

"So it was a good date?" he smirked.

"Fabulous." Best I've ever had, was left unsaid. Kitty was starting to tire of dating Rigby but was scared to break it off. Remy drove them back to the mansion. "Thanks, Remy."

"Anytime," the Cajun smiled at her kissing her on the forehead. They walked back into the Institute smiling and talking amicably.