9391/Deerfield 90210... Er 60015

Deerfield 90210... Er 60015
Date of Scene:	01 October 2019
Location:	Pryde residence, Deerfield, Illinois
Synopsis:	Kitty and Peter go back to her hometown and Peter meets Theresa Pryde. Peter has a surprise for Kitty.
Cast of Characters:	Shadowcat, Spider-Man

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Shadowcat has posed:
The commercial flight from JFK to Deerfield was actually pretty cheap, especially traveling during the week rather than on weekends. However the airline seats on the small jet were rather cramped. Thankfully Kitty didn't mind though, two seats side by side like that aren't too bad when it's someone you're dating and living with in the other one.

The rental car was acquired and soon the pair had their luggage loaded up in it, with Kitty giving Peter directions. "I haven't been home in a while," she comments to him. "And, never bringing a guy home, at that." Peter would know her mother met Kitty's previous boyfriend, though that took place when Theresa Pryde came to New York to celebrate Purim with her daughter.

Kitty reaches over, brushing her fingers over the back of Peter's neck while he drives. "It's just up here on the right," she says. Soon they arrive at a house with white siding and brown trim. A nice little two story behind a low white picket fence with a small yard out front in a suburban part of town. Kitty smiles over to Peter, and slides her hand over to squeeze his once he has the car stopped.

Spider-Man has posed:
Pete didn't really mind the cramped space either, holding Kitty's hand through the relatively short flight from JFK to Deerfield, they barely had enough time to finish the inflight movie, which so happened to be 13 going on 30. He'd arranged for them to have a car waiting at the airport, but there was still a little hassel because they'd arrived a little behind schedule. Totally not Peter's fault, this time.

Once the luggage was loaded and they were underway to actually meet Kitty's mom, however, his heart started racing.. and it only got faster the closer they got. When he turned the car onto her street and saw the white trim house being pointed out for him, "You sure she's going to like me? Because I'm a nervous pee'er."

Shadowcat has posed:
"Oh I have no idea, really. I doubt we'll have a repeat of the knife throwing incident because we got rid of the knife rack on the counter but she probably has- YES SHE'S GOING TO LIKE YOU. Dingbat," Kitty says, laughing and leaning over to brush a kiss to Peter's lips. "Seriously. She'll love you," Kitty repeats, grinning at him and then opening her door to climb out of the car.

Kitty moves around to open up the trunk as she says, "Dad wishes he could be here too. But Genosha to Deerfield is a much longer trip," she says. "Mom will tell him everything. They maybe divorced but they still talk a lot. Thank God," she says. The breakup was hard for her, but at least it wasn't antagonistic between them.

Kitty makes sure her Star of Davis is hanging on the outside of her top. She's wearing a dark sweater and blue jeans, and short boots, with her hair pulled back into a pony tail. She smiles over to Peter. "Ready?" she asks. When he is she'll go over to the door, opening it up and calling, "Mom!? We're here!"

Theresa Pryde comes out from the kitchen. It's clear where Kitty got her looks. The older Pryde woman is a beauty, blond rather than brunette. She moves over to hug Kitty tightly. "You made it!" she says, smiling at her daughter and then letting her go. Kitty says, "And this is Peter." She gets out of the way so Peter can greet her in his own particular idiom.

Spider-Man has posed:
"You're playing with my emotions, Kits... I really thought I was going to be able to show off my sweet dance moves in an epic knife fight..." He's joking, which means he's really nervous. This is a big deal for Peter... He's never met anyones parents before. Rather than let Kitty take the luggage, however, he loads himself up with it and does a pretty good job selling how overburdened he is, despite her knowing that he absolutely is not over burdened.

"Okay, alright, yes.. I get it.. she'll love me... but are you /sure/?" He murmurs, quietly, as they approach the front door. The pit in his gut twisting like a knife to excite all the little butterflies fluttering around inside him. "Because I really want her to like me.."

Too late now. "Yeah, I think it's passed the point of turning around and going home..." The door opens to his girlfriends child hood home. Stepping inside after her with a smile from behind shaggy brown curls at the older Pryde woman stepping out from the back hallway. He's quiet while she greets her daughter, setting bags down in a neat little tetris pile just inside the doorway so that when she comes in his direction. "Ms. Pryde, I've been really looking forward to this.. I'm Peter." Which she likely surmissed, "The Parker's are all huggers.." Opening his arms, "Unless that's weird, in which case, we're hand shakers."

Shadowcat has posed:
Theresa breaks out in a laugh and gives Peter a hug. "It's nice to meet you finally, Peter. Kitty wouldn't stop talking about you," she says. Which causes Kitty to look away, cheeks just a little flushed. Kitty had mentioned she'd told her mom about Peter. But no details to that level.

Theresa smiles to Peter and says, "And every bit as handsome as she said. How was the flight? Would you like something to drink? I am making shakshuka later, but if you want a snack there's some cookies ready to go in the oven I can start. Figured you might like them hot from the oven. Chocolate chip, and snickerdoodle," she says.

Kitty goes over to hug her mother's side. "I love you," says the girl who always eats cereal when she has to cook for herself, after the talk of the food.

"So, Peter, Kitty tells me that you teach at Xavier's school. But that you're not a mutant yourself?" Theresa asks. "I imagine it must be kind of hectic there with all the kids running around... flying or... running through walls." Kitty shakes her head. "Nope, no more like me, at least so far," she says. Kitty adds to Peter, "Shaksuka... poached eggs in a red sauce."

Spider-Man has posed:
"Did she now?" Peter says conspiratorially in Kitty's direction as he both hugs, then releases Theresa from said embrace, "Well, I hope it was mostly good stuff.. otherwise I'd have to argue only ten percent is true.. to appear humble." Joking, he's still very nervous despite how warmly he's already been welcomed. "Do... should I..." Pointing at their luggage, "Yeah, I'll just put everything upstairs and..." pointing, half turning, glancing between Kitty and mother of Kitty.

There is discussion of food.

"Oh absolutely, yes ma'am, I'd love some fresh cookies." Smiling brightly at the little embrace between mother and daughter, a hand sliding out to lay lightly upon the latters shoulders. "Sorry if I'm a ltitle awkward, Ms. Pryde, I'm really nervous.. This is kind of a big deal for me and I don't want Kitty to have brought her bumbling doofus of a boyfriend home to meet mom for him to embarass everyone."

Stop talking.

Something to talk about, "Oh, yes ma'am. Chemistry... I.. well, it can be a little overwhelming sometimes, but only because I feel like I'm unqualified to teach /any/ anyone... I love Xavier's Students, though. They're all wonderful kids. The fact that they can fly or throw fireballs is kind of secondary.. even tertiary." Besides which, he squeezes Kitty's neck, "Besides, I fell in love with one that runs through walls."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty releases her mother to move over and lean against Peter's side, arm going about his waist. "Wait, you don't want me to bring my bumbling doofus of a boyfriend home? Should I have brought someone else," she teases with a grin, before leaning over to brush a peck to Peter's lips. But just a light one. Because, mother.

Theresa laughs and tells Kitty, "Just as charming as you said. Kitty can show you which room to put things in, I'll go put the cookies in," the blond woman says, turning to head into the kitchen.

Kitty beams a smile at Peter. "Told you she'd like you," she says. "Come on, and no jokes about my posters," she says. "there... might be a boy band amongst them," she warns. She'll grab one of the suitcases, letting Peter get the rest as she leads the way up the stairs. Her bedroom is kid of cute really. A bed with blue bedspread and a purple window seat. The posters on the walls are about an even mix of dancers, Chicago sports, video game and other geek fare... and then one boy band poster. She apparently liked the one with the spikey hair, as there is a heart drawn around his face in red marker.

Spider-Man has posed:
"Yeah, yeah... kick a guy while he's down.." Peter teases right back, smiling at Kitty and mother in kind, "Thank you, for having me, Ms. Pryde." Repeated, moving over to grab up bags and suitcases to cart them up the stairs relatively easily once there's no unknowing onlookers that might view him doing so.

Upon entering the room of Kitty's childhood, his blue eyes zero in on the boy band poster like a homing missile. Bags laid down against the inside of the doorway with a decidedly devious smirk... there is no way she walks away from this embarassing revelation without scar tissue. "Who is that and how jealous should I be? One a scale from one to Don't go playing games with my heart..."

He slides up behind the burnette woman and wraps his arms around her waist, kissing the back of her head. "I love you." He tells her, "Even if you are a Cubs fan... how does that /even work/?"

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty grins and goes over to touch a kiss to her fingers and then to the boy band member's lips. "You don't know Petey!?" Kitty exclaims at the question from Peter Parker.

Petey. Of course.

Kitty holds both of her hands over her heart in a cliche pose of expressing feelings as she looks at the poster. "But, alas, another Peter has claimed my heart," she says, leaning back against Peter as he wraps his arms about her. Kitty laughs. "Just means you have good taste in women even if you can't extend it to your own sports teams," she teases him.

Kitty rests back against him, closing her eyes for a moment. "So you know you're about the only boy I've had in this room since... oh, Mike Conners. Lives down the street. Sinus issues. Really drippy. Came over when his mom was sick and needed someone to watch him. Had to keep an extra box of Kleenex in the room," she says.

Kitty peers over her shoulder at Peter Parker. "You're a little bit of an improvement," she decides, breaking out in a grin. "Shall we go down and get some cookies? Mom's an awesome cook."

Spider-Man has posed:
"Petey... he's on the list." Peter says with a playful grin when she touches the kiss to the boy band poster, "You hear that, Petey... if that's your real name.. you're on the list!" Pointing, totally in jest. While Kitty swoons, mocking his pain! "You wound me, Katherine Pryde... but my heart is yours to wound..." Pressing palms to his breasts, motioning out in her direction with a pantomime of a swoon.

"Wait, he still lives down the street? I smart man would have put money down on the kleenex market if he's going through a box a day.. that's just good business." See, Tony Stark is his mentor. Totally has a brain for business.

"Yeah, let's head down." He does stop her before she can pass him, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "Alright, now we can proceed.. I'm looking forward to his world famous cooking you keep mentioning though. Kind of a step up from Mays whatever was on the menu suprrise."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty grins as she leads Peter down the stairs by the hand. "Your aunt's cooking is top notch, I think," Kitty says. They emerge downstairs and walk together to the kitchen where the smells of baked goods are already wafting.

"Just in time," the blond Pryde female says. She dons an oven mitt and retrieves a panful of chocolate chip cookies. "The snickerdoodles have another five minutes," she says as she sets the pan on the stove and then uses a spatula to transfer the cookies to a plate.

Kitty squeezes Peter's hand and then moves over to pour three glasses of cold milk from the fridge. Theresa Pryde asks Peter, "So you're from Queens originally, I understand? How did you like growing up there? And Kitty says you like baseball and she's converting you into a Cubs fan?"

Kitty coughs suddenly, and vigorously.

Spider-Man has posed:
"Yeah, she didn't cook that pasta, I hope you know that.." Peter teases his aunt, squeezing Kitty's hand as they come around the stairs and head in the direction of the kitchen. Upon entering he finds a place to lean that's out of the way, "If I can help, let me know. I'm kind of a clutz in the kitchen, though, so.. have a fire extinguisher handy if you ask me to do anything more complicated than serving ice." Hands up, "It's a singular talent I picked up from my Aunt."

Grinning at the smell of cookies in the air, "Those smell absolutely amazing though.." Leaning in to get a better look at the chocolate chip cookies laid out on the plate with his grin only growing wider.

At least until the next part.. well the end of the next part. "Oh, I still live in Queens, technically. I loved it, my Aunt and Uncle use to own a nice little two bedroom flat, it was really great." Rubbing at the back of his neck, "Not that Mays place isn't nice now, just..." Thank you mention of Cubs, saving him from that awkwardness, "Oh, she said that did she...? Well, see, I only root for winners.. so I have no idea why I'm a Mets fan. My uncle use to take me to every season opener, though."

Shadowcat has posed:
Theresa Pryde chuckles softly and looks over to Kitty as she finds out that Peter is not in the act of converting his allegiance. Kitty has a cook in her mouth already. "Vwhat?" she says around the mouthful. "Can't blame a girl for trying," she says with a shrug of her shoulders and a grin over to Pete.

Theresa tells Peter, "Oh, I just figured you lived up near the school. It's so beautiful up there. Carmen and I have visited Kitty there before," she says. "Isn't it a long commute from Queens then?"

Kitty moves over to lean over against the counter next to Peter, and passing him a fresh from the oven cookie. "It's 55 miles give or take," Kitty says. "Though, I also have a magic mirror I keep at a wizard's sanctum that lets us just step through and we're right there," she says with a nod.

Theresa look at Kitty, her expression only skeptical for a moment. "Of course you do. Sometimes I wonder, with the things you do tell us... what it is you don't tell us," she says to her daughter in a mother's tone.

Spider-Man has posed:
Wonders what she doesn't tell them.

Peter glances at Kitty when she leans up against the counter beside him and grins, reaching out to accept the cookie, "Thanks babe." He even manages not to cough it all up into his palm when she just blurts right on out that she's got a magic mirror in her room that leads to the sanctum. He really hadn't figured for that level of honesty, but somehow... he really knew he should have.

There's a warmth here between mother and daughter.

He can see it as surely as he can smell the cookies baking.

Wonders what she doesn't tell them.

Pete rubs his neck a little, "I'm Spider-Man."

Shadowcat has posed:
Theresa Pryde looks at Peter for a moment, and then over to Kitty. And then back to Peter. The silence drags on for about three more seconds and then she breaks out in warm laughter, clearly thinking that Peter is joking.

Kitty looks over to Peter, her eyebrow going up and seeming to ask him silently if he really wants to do this or not, given her mother thought Peter was making one of the quips that she's realizing are common to him.

Kitty moves over to her mother a little closer. "He is, mom. He's Spider-Man. Not everyone at the school knows. Only a few really. I didn't even know when we got together. We just... clicked," she says, flashing a beautiful smile over to Peter Parker.

Kitty's mother recovers from the surprise quickly. "I'm sorry, I just thought you were joking. Well, I always figured it would take someone like Kitty to accept the life she leads. So I'm glad she found someone who understands," Theresa says.

Kitty immediately says, "And all the stuff in the Daily Bugle is a lie, mom. I mean, Peter got a lot of those pictures taken of himself. But the editor there just hates him because... well, because he's a big butthead."

Spider-Man has posed:
"Yes ma'am." Peter bobs his head with Kitty's confirmation that he is, in fact, the webslinger made famous (or infamous) by the daily bugles smear program. He watches the exchange between mother and daughter, trying not to smile too broadly when the elder Pryde accepts things so easily... but he kind of suspected she would.

Which is half the reason he'd said it.

"I usually don't tell people, Ms. Pryde.. and it's very little to do with trust." He begins with a hand rubbing the back of his neck, "But I love your daughter. She's very important to me and I.. Well I.. I want to ask her.. I want to ask your permission to..." He stammers a bit and coughs, "Anyways, I just felt like you raised such a wonderful woman, that you'd understand.." Blue eyes flicking back and forth, he bodily shrinks down a little and stares at the floor when he's unable to get what he was trying to get out, out.

Shadowcat has posed:
The feeling of soft hands sliding over Peter's stomach can be felt as he looks down. And the arms that those hands belong to as Kitty as wraps them about him from behind. She presses her head in against the back of his shoulder, nuzzling there against him softly.

Theresa watches this, the woman's smile a soft, gentle one. That seems to be where that expression of Kitty's came from. She watches her daughter hugging Peter, and for a moment daughter and mother meet eyes.

Theresa walks a little closer, as if to use the movement to draw Peter's eyes back up. "What is it you'd like permission to ask her, Peter?" she asks him in the same kind of gentle tone that Kitty manages with the students.

Spider-Man has posed:
Peter glances up when he feels the arms snaking around his waist and then familiar weight of Kitty pressing in against his shoulders from behind. His gut is doing summersaults, but he's in the batters box now and Theresa lets the pitch fly towards the strike zone.

He clears his throat a little, "Well... I really should have asked you permission alone, but.. maybe I just wanted to ask her in front of you. I know family means a lot to her and it does to me too.. So.." Pete reaches for Kitty's arms, seperating them so that he can turn around to face her, "I told your mom I was Spider-Man for a reason.."

His hands go down into his pocket and come out with a small black ring box, that dangles from his index finger and thumb, while his other turns her palm up so he can set it down in her hand. "I didn't want her to think I was crazy for asking you this in such a short time frame.. We lead very crazy lifes, Kitty.. And.. I've always worried that the life I'm leading and things I do might one day mean I had to live and do them alone..."

"Until I met you. There's no secret I wouldn't share.. and... Katherine Pryde.. Hold on.." He holds up a finger and reaches for his phone, "Sorry.. she made me promise.." He thumbs over the keypad to dial up his aunt, "Hey, May.. This is Ms. Pryde." Turning the phone to face Kitty's mom, "Do you mind holding this so you can both watch?" May rolls her eyes at her nephew, "Hello.. sorry we're meeting like this.. my nephew is very strange."

Shadowcat has posed:
Theresa is grinning as she takes the phone. "Hello. I'm used to it. Kitty's had her head in computers and sending me video messages since she was three," Theresa says to Aunt May before turning the phone over to point it towards Peter and Kitty.

Kitty meanwhile, is having trouble containing the emotion she's feeling inside. Her eyes shine over at Peter and she holds the box in her hand, looking down at it and then back to Peter. That he took her by surprise has been pretty evident. She seems to be having trouble swallowing, like her heart is there taking up the space in her throat already.

Kitty's lips quirk up in a grin. "Leave it to you to pause that for a phone call," she teases him, though the elation on her face never slides as she does. She falls quiet again then, letting Peter go on.

Spider-Man has posed:
"Well It's lovely to meet you... Hopefully, next time, they'll let it us meeting person." May says to Theresa and then joins the other woman in watching their children.

"Yeah, do you know how hard I'd have to work if Aunt May had missed this?" Is his response to Kitty's chiding, he rubs his hands along the outside of her arms, "You seeing this alright May?" Without glancing back, Pete takes the box out of Kitty's hand and drops down onto his knee to flip the lid back open, "There's literally nobody I would rather spend the rest of my life with. I don't know how long it will take... or... I don't know a lot, but... it's a lot in a short time.. So I want to give you this ring, down on my knee here, showing you that I mean real business with you. I love you.. and one day I'm going to get you a ring that's yours.. and I promise that I'll do a better job planning this out when I ask you for realsies."

May is... covering her mouth.. she knew it was coming, hell she'd gave him the ring, but seeing it?

That's something else.

Until he says for realsies, then she laughs.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty's face is ear to ear practically. She's just glowing with a radiance that Peter Parker draws out of her. She nods her head to Peter and says, "I want for that day to come too. And I'll treasure your ring until then," she tells him.

Kitty offers out her hand to him, her fingers spread just a bit so it will be easier for him to slip the ring onto her finger. Though she can't quite wait for it to happen. Leaning down, she brushes a kiss to his lips before straightening. She blushes a bit, peaking to her mother and the image of Aunt May on the phone as she steadies her hand for Peter again.

Spider-Man has posed:
Pete reaches up for Kitty's wrist after pulling the ring from the little box and slides it easily onto her finger as he's rising up from his knee. He does kiss her and it's a little more than a peck, but it's not disturbingly PDA infront of their parents, which is kind of.. they're right there.

"Alright.." Peter turns to face the face on the camera and Kitty's mom, sliding his other hand down to link fingers around Kitty's. "So... now that we're all super embarassed and what not... Aunt May, I love you, I'll call you later okay?"

Reaching out for his phone with a kind of sappy smile directed at Theresa.

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty is happy to pull Peter back. There's apparently a little more room before it reaches PDA levels in Illinois. Or what is what she'll claim later anyway if it comes up. She does fold him in her arms, hugging him close before letting him finally move away to address his aunt and Kitty's mother.

Theresa smiles and moves over, giving Peter the phone but saying to Aunt May, "I think you raised a fine son. I look forward to getting to meet you. I'll have to come to New York. See if Carmen can come in too," she says of her husband.

And then the elder Miss Pryde gives Peter a hug. "I think you're a good thing for Kitty," she tells Peter. "I can tell how happy she is with you." Kitty is just grinning and looking down. And holding his hand, the ring gleaming on her finger.

Spider-Man has posed:
"Thank you, I absolutely adore, Kitty. I look forward to meeting you too." May says as Peter accepts the phone back, his other hand rubbing at the back of his head through the is curly hair after the Illinois kiss, "I love you, May.. I'll call you tonight." Thumbing the phone off after she's said her farewells. Phone returned to his back pocket, he leans in against Kitty with his arm snaking back around her waist.

"Sorry.. I hadn't planned to dot hat right here on the first day, Ms. Pryde.. but the..then I did. Because I'm kind of bad at things, generally, but your Daughter makes me very happy so... I'm glad you.. ya know.. aren't kicking me.. out.. because that would make for an awkward drive."

"And also my stuff is upstairs."

Shadowcat has posed:
Kitty giggles and presses in against Peter, hugging him. "It's alright, Peter. It's very sweet that you wanted to do it here," Theresa Pryde says. She smiles to them and says, "I'll give you two a few minutes alone then I think. I'll go start dinner, I don't think the cookies were quite enough to celebrate with, were they? I think we can open a bottle of wine. First time Kitty can drink in the house," she says with a wink before heading into the kitchen.

And Kitty? Once her mother is gone, she just gives Peter a deep, toe curling kiss. "I love you," she whispers when it finally breaks. She squeezes his hand, then leads him into the kitchen so they can help prepare dinner. Kitty can't cook, but she makes a great helper.