(no subject)

[x-shinobi.livejournal.com]

After her encounter with Manuel, Shinobi trips across a distressed Kitty in the rec room, and gives her a shoulder to lean on.



Kitty wasn't certain how long she'd been sitting there, curled up in the corner of the couch. The television was off, but she was staring in it's general direction clearly not seeing it. Faint tear tracks could be seen on her cheeks.

It was pure luck that Shinobi cast an absentminded glance into the rec room as he was on his way by, pausing once he'd past the doorway and blinking in confusion before slowly backing up a few steps. "Kitty?" he said hesitantly, slowly tilting his head to one side.

Kitty started for the second time that night at an unexpected voice. Turning, she saw Shinobi standing in the door way. "Oh, hi." Her voice was quiet, her entire manner subdued.

"Hi," Shinobi echoed, frowning a little as he slowly makes his way into the room. "You alright?"

"Um... maybe?"

"Just maybe?" He offered a slight grin, stopping a few paces away. "Why just maybe? If I can ask, I mean."

Almost absently she lifted a hand, scrubbing away the last traces of tears from her cheeks. "I... Manuel wanted me to help him, and I couldn't, and... it just all reminded me of... well, of Betsy, and..." Her voice was almost a whisper. "... Dr. Essex."

He managed not to grimace as Manuel's name came up, but he did let out a little sigh, rubbing the back of his head before stepping over to settle down onto a free portion of the couch. "He seems to be making the rounds this week," he mused wryly, offering an apologetic smile. "I.. don't really know what all happened, when it comes to Betsy and Dr. Essex and that whole thing, but.. I'll listen anyway, if you need somebody to."

Kitty nodded slightly. "Manuel wanted me to help him take off his damper... He was so upset. And, it just reminded me. Betsy was blind, did you know that?"

Shinobi nodded, casting a quick look around before retrieving a box of tissues from the coffee table, pulling it over and setting it on the couch between them. "I had gathered as much, yeah.."

"We... I... Dr. Essex was her doctor, and he performed a surgery to help her get better, which he had me help with. But something went wrong, and he believed she would die if there wasn't another surgery. It was forbidden, but he... He convinced me, and some of the other's to help. We did something wrong, very wrong, in order to help her. And... Manuel just... just really reminds me of it." Grabbing one of the tissues she scrubbed at her eyes briefly. "That post of Betsy's, or Kawannon's, or whatever, didn't help."

"Kwannon's," Shinobi supplied, eyeing Kitty for a moment before reaching over to give her shoulder a light pat. "I can see how he'd remind you of it.. and he doesn't really deal well with not getting his way. At all. He'll eventually learn that we aren't all his indentured servants."

Kitty hung her head. "It's just... I've had so much trouble with trusting now, with knowing what to do. I second guess myself, and then when I do what I think is right he... It's just like with Essex."

"Doing what you think is right is all anybody could ever ask of you, Kitty. Walking through walls or not, we're only human." He smiles a touch. "It wasn't your fault, poppet. The Kwannon thing wasn't, and Manuel isn't, either. You can only do so much."

"I know," she said softly. "But... God. I just want to help, sometimes, but if I can't trust myself to know when I should, when what I think will help actually will..."

"I know the feeling, believe me," Shinobi replied with a quiet chuckle. "Until you manage to find your bearings again, though, a safe bet would probably be asking one of the local powers that be. I'm sure there's stuff about that'd be safe for you to help with."

"Yeah, that's what I've been trying to do," Kitty said with a little nod.

"I can almost guarantee you that Emma or Doctor McCoy could find you something," Shinobi grinned. "If it gets down to it, though, I probably could, for that matter."

Kitty couldn't help smiling. "Thank you," she said. "I may take you up on that."

"I live to serve," Shinobi beamed, lifting a hand in a mock salute. "You, I think, need a nice night out. Would it get me hurt if I snuck you a couple've bucks and the address of a nice restaurant to drag that bloke of yours off to?"

Kitty laughed. "We've only just come back from our holiday, but I certainly wouldn't object too much."

Shinobi couldn't help but 'tut' quietly, solemnly shaking his head. "You can never have too many holidays, luv. Never."

"You may have a point there."

"Of course I do. I also live to make points." He waggled his eyebrows.

She couldn't help but giggle. "Thank you, Shinobi. Thanks for everything."

Shinobi smiled, giving her shoulder another pat. "Anytime, Kit. Anything gets you in a mopey mood again, you come up and see me, huh? I've got some Mel Brooks movies, guaranteed to fix even the crummiest of crummy moods."

Kitty nodded and smiled. "Mel Brooks is definitely one of the world's true cure-alls."

"I'll make sure Spaceballs and Blazing Saddles are both within easy reach, just in case," Shinobi smiled.

"Thanks. Not tonight, I think, though. We've been traveling so long, I should probably go to sleep soonish."

"Sleep is good," Shinobi agreed, grinning wryly. "I think most of us have been going with less than we should, lately."

"It's a common problem, yeah," KItty agreed. "And most of us don't even have Angie's excuse of mutation induced insomnia."