Note about Continuity: I realize that after Operation Zero Tolerance, everyone needed time to heal. This funeral takes place after that. Some of these characters still would not be able to make the funeral, but I’m changing that. I’m also assuming that certain people (especially the X-Men) probably had to really stretch to make ends meet to even make it to Muir Island, but that they all managed to do so nonetheless.

Disclaimer: The X-Men, X-Factor, Excalibur, X-Force, Generation X, and assorted X-characters are not mine. Welcome to my world and my version of them.

She swirled the sugar into her coffee and opened the horror book she was reading by a man named Clive Barker, who was from Liverpool. Dreary place, she thought. Been there before. It was unusual, indeed, that someone who had been dealing with horror and violence and real monsters still enjoyed curling up with a good horror book and scaring the wits out of herself.

Today, however, she just wasn’t in the mood. She had a lot of lingering feelings that needed to be dealt with, but she didn’t really want to. Peter’s death, her own recent rape, Illyana’s return, the memorial service they had today, the new members of Excalibur (Illyana, Blue, Neophyte, and Dr. Cecilia Reyes). She had too much to deal with, and too many emotions to sort out.

"Clive Barker?" a voice called from the doorway. "Someone who’s personally fought off scarier monsters than he could ever make up isn’t the type of person I’d be expecting to read those kind of books, Kitty."

Kitty looked up from the book she was reading and grinned. The voice, like the face, was very familiar, and it’s very presence made Kitty feel better. She was now looking at an old, kind friend. "Hello, Jean," Kitty greeted.

"Didn’t you have your own personal run-in with a horror monster when you first joined the X-Men?" Jean Grey inquired. "I think I remember hearing about it."

"Yes, I did," Kitty grinned. "I had practically just joined the X-Men, and a N’Gari monster attacked the mansion when only I was home. I managed to take care of him."

"Him and half the mansion, if I remember correctly," Jean laughed, sitting next to Kitty at the table. "You don’t give yourself enough credit." Kitty smiled weakly and shut her book. "Kitty, part of the reason I decided to visit Excalibur is because I heard of a lot of the things that have been happening lately, and I want to help. Do you want to talk about it? I’m here for you."

Of course, Kitty didn’t want to talk about it. How could she? She’d lost one of her best friends, another best friend she had lost long ago had come back again, even though it wasn’t the same friend she knew. That seemed to be happening a lot. And on top of all that, she’d been on an emotional roller coaster lately while trying to deal with her treatment at the hands of Graydon Creed. How could she explain this to Jean?

Kitty looked up at Jean as Jean put her hand on Kitty’s. As soon as she felt Jean’s comforting hand, saw Jean’s sympathetic and caring face, she broke down crying. Maybe she couldn’t tell her what happened, but she could cry about it.

Jean hugged her. "Kitty, I’m sorry. I can’t make everything better, but I can help. We all want to. I’m here for you, and so are a lot of other people. We’re all here for you, Kitty, because we love you."

Kitty just cried until she couldn’t cry anymore, and then Jean brought her some tissues. "One day, things will be okay again. I promise you that," Jean swore. "Horrible things have happened to you, and for that, we’re all sorry."

"Thank you, Jean," Kitty replied. "I’ve had a hard time remembering all that lately…"

"That’s what friends are for, Kitty," Jean grinned. "To help you remember how to live again, how to have hope again, how to love again."

For awhile they just sat there, hugging each other in the kitchen, as the clocks kept ticking and the world kept living.

A shadowy figure sighed at the other doorway.

"You’re pretty tired, aren’t you?" Jean asked. "Why don’t you go to bed? I’ll clean up here, okay? You could use some rest, and everything will feel better in the morning."

Kitty nodded and walked to the door. "Thank you, Jean," she said before she walked away.

"Anytime, Kitty," Jean told her.

Jean set off to clean the kitchen up. In the middle of her job, she spoke. "You really love her, don’t you?" Jean asked.

The shadowy figure walked into the light. "Ya better believe it," Pete Wisdom answered.

"Well, she needs you now, Pete, more than ever," Jean said.

"I know," he sputtered. "And if you tell me that if I wind up ever hurting her that ya will-"

"I’m not here for warnings, Pete," Jean interrupted him. "I can tell you love her." She turned around and looked at him. "This has been hard for you, hasn’t it?"

Pete looked like he’d seen a ghost. "Wot?!"

"All this, it’s been hard for you to deal with, hasn’t it?" Jean repeated.

"Look, lady, I dunno if ya know or not, but before I was with this lot I was a Black Air agent. I’ve seen many things in my time, I don’t need no therapy," Pete said.

"Pete, you’re never gonna get anywhere if you don’t open up to people," Jean said. "And I’ve seen many things in my time, too, but I’m still human. So are you."

Pete looked at her inquisitively. She stepped forward and put her hand on his shoulder. "Pete, I’m sorry for what happened to Kitty, but it’s not your fault at all. You’re not responsible," Jean explained.

"I know," Pete managed to say. Suddenly he felt all choked up.

"And I’ve heard about your Black Air days, and I know you have had a horrible past. Believe it or not, I know exactly how you feel. You may have done horrible things in the past, but you can’t change that, Pete. You’re here now, and that’s all that matters," Jean continued.

Pete just looked at her. She hugged him gently, and he pulled away. "Look, Grey, I ain’t no X-Man, so don’t go huggin me like that," Pete said while he pulled away.

Jean stood there, in the middle of the kitchen, while Pete walked away. "Pete?" she called. He turned around for a moment. "How do you expect to feel any better if you don’t let anyone in?"

He walked away.

Jean continued to clean up the kitchen. When she was nearly done, Cecilia Reyes crept quietly into the room. "Who do I have to kill to get some coffee?" Cecilia asked.

"No one at all," Jean smiled. "I’ll make some for you in a jiff. How about you have a seat?"

"Sure, uh, thanks," Cecilia hesitated.

"Cecilia?" Jean began.

"If this is some initiation lecture, I don’t want to here it," Cecilia replied.

"No, it’s not," Jean said. "I just wanted to ask you, are you sure this is what you want? You’ll be okay here?"

"I’ll be fine, Jean," Cecilia said. "I’ve lived though many hard things in my lifetime."

"Welcome to the club," Jean sighed, as put a cup of coffee on the table in front of Cecilia.

Jean cleaned everything up, and as she was about to walk away, Cecilia paused.

"Why do you do it?" Cecilia asked Jean.

Jean turned around and looked her in the eye, knowing exactly what she meant. "Do what?" Jean checked.

"Take care of everyone else all the time. What about you?" Cecilia wanted to know.

"Cecilia, I-" Jean began. "I-"

"Why do any of you do it? Look what we’ve been through lately, look what Excalibur’s been through! Why do you do it?"

"I don’t know, Cecilia," Jean answered.

"I thought so," Cecilia said.