Meanwhile, Back in London

[goawayleavemealone]

"Right," Pete says as he opens up his flat in Mayfair.

It's not huge by any definition of the word, but it's nice and a bit spacious. The bookshelves are full, and there's a modest record collection on a shelf in the corner, along with an old record player. The kitchen is small, but there's a relatively spacious bathroom, and the two bedrooms are next to each other, his own bedroom unkempt, but nowhere near the levels he used to keep his personal spaces back when they were first dating.

"Kitchen's through there," he points. "Living room's here, loo's back there, and your bedroom is the guestroom in the back."

Comments

[goawayleavemealone]

"Generally Brian heads off team training sessions," Pete tells her. "And yeah, I'm out in the field quite a bit. Last month I filed all our debriefing notes for the head office with a concussion, which meant I had to do it all over again, because I'd typed out about six pages of gibberish." He grins at her.

"I remember when Alysande Stuart died," Pete nods grimly. "Rough bit of business. She was one hell of an operative."

He puts the kettle on, and rubs the back of his head. "Yeah, I'd start with Lady Jacqueline if I was you. She's a bit. Well. She's old, first of all, and a vampire, and also she's sort of appointed herself team mum a bit. Especially since her own son died in one of our more insane missions. She also thinks I'm an idiot, personal-life wise."

[enduring_pryde]

"So really like the old days, okay." She starts to chuckle. "Oh Pete. I imagine then you don't have an assistant?"

She nods. "Very. It was just tragic." Alysande had been murdered by Jamie Braddock. "She hadn't been working with SHIELD, but I still ran into Nick Fury at her funeral."

She starts looking for where Pete keeps the mugs. "Okay. And really as she should be. I know she's been active since World War II but besides that I know very little." Kitty shrugs. "I can't exactly disagree with her," she says with a smirk.

[goawayleavemealone]

"Nah, an assistant's not in the budget," Pete shrugs. Honestly, he thinks his team deserves a much larger budget than their getting with all the work they do, and he'll keep fighting that battle, but for now, they make do with what they've got.

"Urgh. Bloody Fury. He's come knocking a couple of times. He caught Faiza off guard and she gave him a black eye with the hilt of Excalibur once. It was bloody brilliant."

he snorts. "Oh, ta, yeah, thanks for that. Like I didn't already know me personal life is a mess."

[enduring_pryde]

"Oh, so it happens that I'm here now and have had a couple years of experience of minding you, and will work for nothing outside of room and board. I'm not really in need of a government paycheck. So that is an option. You gotta have support. And I've been handling administrative duties and public relations at the school for a little while now, so I actually have some relatable experience that I can throw at you."

She snickers. "Go Faiza."

She finds the mugs and tea cups with saucers and opts for the latter. "You're around the age her son would be so she probably takes even more of a shine to you."

[goawayleavemealone]

"We don't generally need public relations," Pete tells her, looking amused as he pours the tea. "We're an intelligence organization. The less the public knows about what we do the better...wouldn't hurt to have some help, though..."

Pete rolls his eyes a little. "Yeah...havin' a mum didn't go so great the first time, I really don't need a do-over."

[enduring_pryde]

"Public relations can also mean making sure nothing gets out to the public. Plus which one of us in this room is an expert computer engineer and hacker? Should someone get vital information they shouldn't have, I can squash that too. I'm really qualified to deal with most situations, in the field or otherwise."

She walks over to Pete and leans against him to give him a light hug. "Not the same thing. But you run the risk of people caring about you when you get close to them." She gives him a light squeeze. "I'm proud of you." She means it.

[goawayleavemealone]

He gives her an amused glance. "What was it you used to call yourself? The goddess of computing?"

He gazes down at her, swallowing a little at how close she is and slings an arm around her shoulders in an attempt to keep things casual. "Yeah. Thanks. I uh...I have sort of become a good little team player in my old age..."

[enduring_pryde]

"Damn right. And now I'm a pair a docs." She smirks. "I hold one PhD in computer engineering and the other in astrophysics from the Robert A. Heinlein School for Engineering and Astrophysics in Chicago."

She smiles. She is not trying to push romantic intimacy. She knows full well that it will only come if he wants it.

"I can tell you why, Pete. This is your operation. You own it. And when you are in a position like that, your attitude is completely different. You feel responsible for your people. You already were the kind of person who would help a friend in need. See, your leadership skills were already present." But it was like something of Excalibur had rubbed off on him and he decided he would create his own team.

[goawayleavemealone]

"Doctor Headmistress Katherine Pryde..." He considers that and smirks at her a little, lifting a playful eyebrow. "That's hot."

He sighs heavily, but mostly in a joking way. "Yep. That's me. Co-team leader and responsible adult. I'm surprised Wagner didn't have a stroke when he heard about MI13."

[enduring_pryde]

She wiggled her eyebrows at him. "Ain't it though? I get a thrill when anyone calls me that and they know of my work."

She smiles. "Yes you are. And it's very becoming. In our field, I don't get to engage many adults." Even at the mansion. She had grown really tired because of some people's crap."Actually, Kurt expressed to me how impressed he was because he had seen the potential for something greater within you. Him and Brian. And they both knew you have to have more substance than you were trying to lead all of us to believe."

[goawayleavemealone]

Pete shrugs, thinking about the person he had been ten years ago. Unspeakably angry; ready to argue with anyone and everyone; damaged from his years with Black Air and years before that twisted up from what he now understands was a deeply abusive upbringing. "I was...things were...ah. you know already. You were there."

[enduring_pryde]

"I was. I saw glimpses. Who we were capable of being shone through in our best moments. And a lot of my favourite moments. Being so truly gleefully happy. And you being a team player. You took so well to being my partner and that was new for the both of us. It came naturally. Like when we took down Dream Nails. I came along because I wasn't about to let you go alone even though I couldn't stand you. And you let me come. We got that nice combat rhythm. Most people, I could only get that from training with them."

[goawayleavemealone]

"Adaptable, that's me," he jokes lightly, nudging her.

[enduring_pryde]

"Yes." She smiles softly. "Of course I didn't necessarily realise at the time, and I am very sorry for that."

[goawayleavemealone]

He gazes at her for a moment and then pulls away, pouring himself some tea.

"So? We got the rest of the day. You wanna get settled into your rooom?"

[enduring_pryde]

"I could do that. Or enjoy my tea before it gets too cold." She smiles. "I love that you invited me here to help me get away from everything and I now have skills to better assist you. Honestly, if anyone complains, like your superiors, just tell them my credentials and that'll shut them right up."

[goawayleavemealone]

Pete chuckles and sips his own tea. "Believe me, they didn't give me hell when I pulled Blade onto the team, they're not gonna give me hell about you. Besides, you've still got dual citizenship, and you were practically a national bloody treasure in your Excalibur days. The British people love you."

[enduring_pryde]

"Right, as he's American too, right?" She smiles. "Being here, I got my taste of what I imagined it might be like being with the Avengers. Government sanctioned superhero team." She looks at him thoughtfully. "I miss those days on Muir."

[goawayleavemealone]

"Interestingly enough, he's from these parts, but he grew up in the states," Pete tells her.

He snorts a little, smirking wryly. "We're not quite the Avengers. If we are, I am a very poor man's Tony Stark."

[enduring_pryde]

"Ahh okay. I have come across him but haven't met him officially."

She chuckles. "Or Brian is. The recovering alcoholic, genius engineer, and wealthy playboy."

[goawayleavemealone]

"With the Captain moniker, he's Rogers, too," Pete adds, sitting back.

He watches her, and marvels at how easily she seems to slide into his flat; into his life. Like no time has passed at all; like she's always been here.

Or she was always supposed to be.

[enduring_pryde]

"Absolutely." She sips her tea and meets his gaze and smiles back at him. "It shouldn't take me very long to unpack, so we'll have most of the day. And it really is a gorgeous day that I don't think we should let go go waste. Is there anything specific that you'd like to do?"

[goawayleavemealone]

"Well," he says awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "I don't actually have much in the way of food in the house...could probably use to do the shopping, specifically because I don't know what you're eating these days."

He shrugs. "Other'n that, you're the guest, so you should probably choose what we do."

[enduring_pryde]

"Really just the same. No pork or shellfish." To keep Kosher. "We could do that by the end of the day. It's been quite a few years since I've been here. I'd like to explore the city, see what's new."