At first, all Peggy knew was an overwhelming queasiness. Then the world snapped from dark to light, like a bulb popping in reverse. She hissed and shut her eyes tight, her pain momentarily forgotten. She could hear Kurt speaking but she was so focused on not throwing up that all she caught was a slur of vowels. Peggy felt the hand on her waist leave and find a new perch on her shoulder.
When she finally opened her eyes, Kurt's face was very close to hers. He asked if she was alright, teleporting often made people feel sick. Peggy's arm spasmed before she could reply. She groaned and clamped her hand down on her shoulder, trying to stem the bleeding and relieve some of the pain. It barely helped but it was something. Kurt chewed his lip as he watched Peggy swear and whimper. He wanted to help but he didn't know how. Looking around, he saw that he'd only made things harder for himself. He'd been aiming for the medical wing but in all the confusion, he'd accidentally brought them to the common room.
Peggy grunted again and Kurt realised they were still on the floor. He jumped to his feet then hooked his hands under her arms. Peggy protested at first, claiming she could get up on her own but the second she put weight on her arm, the pain tore at her muscles and she almost passed out right there. Peggy clapped a hand over her mouth to muffle her own scream, her eyes squeezing shut as she tried to push through the pain. She didn't see how Kurt's expression steeled. He wrapped his arms around her and carefully pulled Peggy to her feet, winding his tail around her waist to keep her steady. He apologised in advance then teleported them to the medical wing.
The room was empty. Just their luck. Hank was still out in the field and wouldn't be back for hours. There was the school nurse, Betty, but she had probably gone home for the day. Peggy stumbled but kept her balance thanks to Kurt's tail, which he kept wrapped around her middle until he was certain she could stand by herself. Kurt took a step back, his bright eyes zigzagging over her, keeping alert just in case she fell again. Though her head was still swimming, Peggy's anger worked to stave off the pain.
As soon as he let her go, she marched over to the nearest cabinet and began to root through it, searching for bandages. She slammed the door shut when she couldn't find anything useful and moved onto the next cupboard, only using her right hand while the other hung limply by her side. Kurt watched her grumble and slam cupboard doors, her actions growing sharper as her frustration grew.
"Peggy." He tried calling to her but his voice was soft and she couldn't hear him over the din she was making. She found the box she was looking for but it was too heavy to lift with just one hand. Peggy swore under her breath then reached out both arms to grab the box from the top shelf. It was heavier than she expected and the strain it put on her shoulder made her gasp. "Peggy!" Kurt tried to stop her but he was too late. She dropped the box and it fell onto the counter, exploding like a firework and sending bandages and plasters sailing across the room.
"Damn it!" Peggy slammed the cupboard door so hard that it bounced open again. She gritted her teeth to stop a frustrated scream. Kurt watched her run a hand over her tired face then bend down to start picking up all the bandages. He sighed and walked to her side.
"Peggy." When she ignored him, Kurt stooped down and put his hand over hers. "Peggy. Peggy, it's alright." Finally, she stopped. She took a deep breath, filling her lungs to capacity, and released it again before she opened her eyes. His hand tightened over hers, bringing her back down to earth. Kurt's scarlet eyes flicked over her face, his eyebrows drawn together in concern. Then he squeezed her hand. "It's alright."
Peggy could feel her anger starting to fade. She gazed back at him, wondering how he managed to slow her heart rate with only a few words. She was still furious at herself. She should've been more careful. She should be out fighting, not stuck in the med bay again. Kurt squeezed her hand again, which helped a little. He guided her to her feet, leaving the box and its contents scattered across the floor. Peggy leaned back against the counter, closing her eyes for a moment while she got her head straight.
The adrenaline was long gone and she was still badly bleeding. Even when she pressed a hand over her wound, the blood seeped out from between her closed fingers. Peggy hissed between her teeth and pressed down harder, trying to stem the flow. Kurt stayed close by her side, making sure she wouldn't fall again but being careful not to corner her. "You know," He said, breaking the deafening silence of the medical wing. "You don't have to be strong all the time. You don't have to constantly fight, it's okay to just let things happen." The second Peggy looked around, Kurt knew she was going to argue with him.
"But-"
"Peggy, you were shot!" Kurt insisted. That seemed to do it. Peggy's frown disappeared and she looked down at her feet. Her shoulders finally relaxed, she was too exhausted to fight. Kurt wasn't angry, he just couldn't stand the thought of Peggy doing herself any more harm, especially for his sake. He moved to stand in front of her, barely a handsbreadth away. "Please, you must take care of yourself." His voice was low but hadn't lost its urgency. "You cannot keep going like this. You cannot keep putting yourself in danger." Peggy finally looked up and he saw that her face was pale. They needed to get a move on. Kurt was about to excuse himself but her next words surprised him. Peggy reached out with her good hand and ever so slightly brushed her fingers against his chest.
"But they hurt you." She murmured. Kurt felt warm all over but her touch made him shiver, much to his own embarrassment. Suddenly everything made sense. He remembered their argument from just a few hours ago. 'Why do you have to be so stubborn?' He asked. Peggy hadn't answer, not properly. Now he knew. Peggy wanted to protect her friends. When they got hurt, she thought it meant that she was letting them down. Carl put a collar around his neck and Peggy wanted to see him pay for it. That was why she was so determined to fight, not because she was vicious or angry, but because she wanted to make sure Carl wouldn't hurt him ever again. Kurt wondered how he could ever have doubted that Peggy truly cared for him, but this was the last time he would let her put herself in danger for his sake.
"You've already saved me enough times." Kurt said, smiling softly. Peggy wanted to smile back but her shoulder stung and she bit back a gasp. Kurt saw her wince and reached for her shoulder. Peggy instinctively moved away but he was firm. "Please, for once, let somebody help you." Kurt saw something change in her face, a flicker in her eyes that meant he'd hit home. Peggy never allowed anyone to worry about her. Kurt was going to change that today. "Let me help you." He whispered, his eyes darting between her wound and, against his better judgement, her lips. Peggy felt her whole body slump, as if all the tension had suddenly left her. She licked her lips as more pain sank its claws into her, only just holding back a whimper.
"I'm sorry." She murmured, bowing her head. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to apologise but Kurt seemed to understand what she meant. He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, ghosting his fingertips across her cheek as he pulled away, making her shiver.
"I will be back in just a tick." He said, a phrase he'd borrowed from her. Peggy smiled weakly and he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving her alone and frightened in the stark white halls of the med bay. Peggy looked around for anything she recognised, perhaps a needle and thread or some wadding for the bleeding. She gathered what she could, all the while wondering what Kurt planned to do. He'd certainly never mentioned anything about having any medical training.
Before she could start to get too nervous, Kurt reappeared in front of her. The loud BAMF that accompanied him made her jump and Peggy accidentally banged her bad arm against the counter. She swore loudly while Kurt apologised a thousand times. Peggy would've found it funny if she weren't in so much pain. Kurt held out something, gesturing for her to take it. "Here." He said quietly. Peggy saw it was a shirt and jogging bottoms, neither of which belonged to her. At this rate, she was going to end up with half of Kurt's wardrobe by the end of the year.
"Thanks." Peggy gingerly took the clothes from him, only realising then that she was still in her armour. They both stood in silence for a moment, Peggy waiting for Kurt to turn around and Kurt blithely unaware of the awkwardness that had fallen upon them. Finally, she cleared her throat and Kurt realised he ought to give her some privacy. He apologised meekly, his face suddenly blushing a deep shade of purple.
Peggy waited until he had turned his back to slip out of her suit. It hurt her arm like crazy but she was far too embarrassed to ask for help. She stepped out of the armour, suddenly acutely aware that she was standing not two feet away from Kurt in only her underwear. Sure, she'd started the day with him in a towel but this felt different somehow. Kurt could hear material rustling and swallowed hard, straining to keep his eyes from wandering. "Okay, you can turn around now." Peggy said, tugging the ends of her hair out from the collar of the shirt.
Kurt turned around and immediately began to smile. He didn't think there would ever come a time when seeing Peggy in his clothes didn't make his heart thud. Even in a tank top that was far too big for her and trousers that were so long, she had to roll them up twice at the cuff, she looked awesome. When he saw the spots of blood seeping into his shirt, his face fell. Peggy was still badly bleeding and from the way she gritted her teeth, the pain was excruciating, no matter how much of a brave face she put on.
Peggy immediately began to apologise, assuming he was upset that she'd ruined his shirt. She offered to buy him another one but Kurt barely heard her. He took her by her good arm and carefully but quickly guided her over to the nearest bed. Peggy watched him hurry around the room, searching for everything that he would need to fix her up. Kurt didn't know where anything was but it didn't take long to find a needle, thread for stitching, and something to help with the pain. He kept mumbling under his breath, sometimes in English but mostly German. Peggy barely caught any of it but when he came back to her, she saw that his hands were shaking. His head was bowed as he lined up everything he'd collected in a neat row.
Peggy bent her head, trying to meet his eyes. "Hey?" She gently curled her fingers under Kurt's chin and he finally looked up. She smiled as she brushed her thumb over his chin, following the patterns in his skin. "It's okay, Kurt. I'm alright." She tried to sound reassuring. She didn't want her surgeon to be nervous, especially when he was about to stick a needle in her arm. Kurt held her gaze then nodded slightly, his courage bolstered. Peggy drew back her hand. He missed her touch instantly but he had a job to do. Peggy watched carefully as Kurt dropped the needle and tweezers he'd found into a little pot of disinfectant. Then he dabbed a wad of cotton into the liquid and held it up to her skin, not touching her just yet. "Do you know what you're doing?" Peggy asked quietly. Kurt's pointed teeth poked out as he grinned up at her.
"Don't you trust me, meine nachtigall?" He seemed a lot more confident than she felt. Peggy felt her skin heat up at the nickname but she was quickly assuaged when Kurt brought the cotton closer to her wound. The flow of blood had thankfully slowed but it still hurt and she was reluctant to let him touch her.
"I do." Peggy nodded quickly. It was only fair. He had trusted her to bandage him up after their first run-in with Carl, now he was returning the favour. Kurt was pleased to have her consent. He didn't want to hurt her just as much as Peggy didn't want to be hurt and he was very nervous. He pressed the soaked cotton to her wound and almost dropped it when Peggy hissed suddenly. She gripped the thin material of the hospital bed, her eyes squeezing shut.
Kurt opened his mouth to apologise but Peggy urged him to keep going. He finished cleaning the wound in no time, all the while very conscious that every minute spent at the mansion was a minute spent away from his team in Syracuse. Kurt didn't want to leave Peggy but his friends needed him. He disposed of the bloodied cotton then hooked the needle out of the little dish. He threaded it with some difficulty, his hands weren't exactly built for dexterity, but with a little help from Peggy, he was ready to start. "How're your sewing skills?" She asked, eyeing the needle warily.
"Beyond compare." When she laughed, it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from Kurt's shoulders. "I used to fix my own costumes in the circus." Peggy raised her eyebrows as she got herself comfy on the bed. It had hurt like hell when Hank sewed her up and he had basic medical training and, more importantly, ten fingers. She tensed the muscles in her arm, preparing for the pain.
"Let's hope you're as good at sewing as you are the trapeze." Peggy muttered, though she was only joking. He seemed to appreciate her little jibe but his smile disappeared when he began to concentrate. She hardly noticed when the needle first pierced her skin, the immediate edge of the wound had grown numb, but the second stitch had her face scrunching up. Kurt wished he could stop but her injury would be ten times worse without stitches.
"I'm sorry, liebling." He murmured, making Peggy chuckle despite the pain.
"Don't worry about it, handsome." She opened one eye and sent him a lopsided smile. Kurt had to look away, pressing his lips together to hide his delighted smile. No one had ever called him that before. Peggy opened both eyes and watched him splutter and stumble. Kurt looked back at the task at hand, just trying to remember how to breathe properly.
"You're distracting me." Peggy watched him bite his lip, whether it was because he was embarrassed or because he was concentrating, she didn't know, but for a moment, her pain was forgotten. Peggy looked away as Kurt went back to complete the third stitch. She'd never been particularly squeamish but this had her toes curling.
"I am very distracting." Peggy reasoned, mostly just to divert her own attention away from the pain. She didn't expect Kurt to scoff and shake his head.
"Oh, I know." He laughed softly and glanced up to see Peggy smiling back at him. He couldn't count how many times he'd been in the middle of a test and his mind had drifted to what Peggy might be up to at that moment, or how often he'd stopped dead in the middle of a training session because she was stretching close by. By far the most embarrassing was the time Peggy took off her jumper and accidentally pulled up the front of her shirt and he walked smack into a wall. Kurt still hadn't lived that one down.
They were close enough for him to notice how the makeup around her eyes had run, little black smudges that made her look even more exhausted than she felt. Her bright red lipstick was still intact though. He liked the colour on her. Kurt jumped when he realised he was staring and immediately looked back at her shoulder. Peggy barely held back a smirk. After a few minutes, Kurt sat back to admire his handiwork. "There." He seemed pleased so Peggy risked a glance down at her shoulder.
The stitches were surprisingly symmetrical. Her bloody wound was no more, instead there was a simple line of dashes about as long as her index finger. Peggy knew they would leave a permanent scar but it was comforting to know it would look fairly neat. Kurt waited for her approval before he wrapped her shoulder up with a bandage he'd found on the counter. When he was finished, he went to wash his hands in the sink. Peggy found it quite amusing to see him doing such a mundane task whilst wearing his X-Men armour. All of a sudden, she was reminded of her friends.
They'd only been gone for twenty minutes or so but that was twenty minutes in an abandoned building with an anti-mutant terrorist organisation. Peggy's smile faded. She didn't want to leave them, she wanted to help. Kurt was right, she couldn't fight in every battle, especially not now she was hurt. Still, the pull towards her friends was hard to ignore. When Kurt came back to the bed, Peggy knew he was preparing to leave. He asked how she was feeling as he checked his armour, his attention divided between her and his duty. Peggy chewed her lip, beginning to feel anxious all over again.
"I don't want to leave you." She admitted. Kurt must have sensed her change in mood because he stopped fiddling with his suit and gave her a winsome smile.
"I don't want to leave you." He replied, making Peggy's chest flutter despite her worry. He sighed when her expression didn't change and took her hand in his. His large fingers dwarfed hers but Peggy was by no means dainty. He'd never really looked before but when he swept his thumb over the back of her hand, he saw that her skin was speckled with tiny scars. Some he knew were from training and fighting, but Kurt suspected the others were from her rough and tumble childhood.
Peggy saw him smile to himself but didn't get the chance to ask why. Kurt met her gaze again and squeezed her hand. "Rest. Concentrate on getting better. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He gave her a cheeky grin but it did little to hide how serious he was and how nervous he felt about leaving her alone. Peggy rolled her eyes, pretending to be annoyed with him but she couldn't keep it up for long.
"Fine." She agreed, more for his sake than her own. "Just don't do anything stupid, alright? Because I'll find out and you'll be sorry." To Peggy's disappointment, her voice cracked. It was only a small falter but of course, Kurt noticed. His smile faded just a little but he tried to cover it up by rolling his eyes back at her.
"I don't doubt that." He muttered, then chuckled when Peggy lightly hit his shoulder. She smiled, already feeling better. Kurt could look after himself but she was still apprehensive about leaving him. Peggy always felt safer by his side. Little did she know the feeling was mutual.
There was a pause wherein all they did was look at each other. It was time for Kurt to go but he was reluctant to leave and Peggy wasn't too happy about it either. His sharp eyes caught her picking at the edge of the thin mattress. He wanted to comfort her but wasn't sure how. He was only just managing to resist the urge to rest his hands on her knees, perhaps even run them up her thighs. Kurt met her gaze again, hoping to push those thoughts out of his head, and Peggy cleared her throat to break the silence that had fallen between them.
"Bring me back a souvenir." She said, forcing a smile. Kurt raised his eyebrows and began to laugh, the tight anxiety in his chest already starting to grow slack.
"From the bad guy's hideout?" He laughed again and Peggy's smile felt a little more real. "Am I not gift enough?" Peggy scoffed and looked away, using the borrowed time to sort out her pink cheeks. When she looked back again, Kurt was gazing at her warmly. His face was so soft and expressive, she could hardly believe it was all for her. His smile diminished and Peggy thought he might say something more but if that was his intention, he quickly changed his mind.
To her disappointment, Kurt took a few steps back. Only then did Peggy realise how close they had been. She felt colder somehow. Kurt's warmth had always been fascinating, always drawing her in. He checked his uniform one last time then took another step back just to be safe. Peggy watched from the hospital bed as he raised one hand and gave her an adorable little wave. "I'll see you soon." Kurt spoke with such gravity that he made it sound like a promise. Peggy saw his expression change and knew he was about to teleport.
"Kurt, wait!" She heard herself say. He paused, she'd caught him just in time. Peggy slipped off the bed, being careful not to put too much weight on her arm. Kurt opened his mouth to ask what she was doing but couldn't find the words. She didn't know why, but she suddenly felt an overwhelming flood of emotion. All Peggy knew was that she didn't want Kurt to leave but if he had to go, she wanted him to go with something from her.
Peggy held her breath to help collect her thoughts then reached up both hands and placed them on either side of Kurt's face. Hardly believing her own bravery, she gently pulled his head forward so that she could press a soft, sweet kiss to his forehead. Peggy thought she heard him gasp gently but that could've been her own ego. Kurt slowly straightened up, his scarlet eyes wide. Peggy saw that his jaw had gone slack and only just stopped herself from kissing him properly.
Instead, she slid her hands down to his shoulders and squeezed them comfortingly. "Be safe." She whispered. It was an order, not a request. Kurt could barely remember his own name, let alone his English, so he nodded instead. Peggy looked at him a little longer, relishing in the feeling of being so close to him, then she squeezed his shoulders again and stepped back out of the way. Kurt's heart was all over the place but he knew he had to keep a level head. He breathed in deeply, concentrating on his power. Before he let himself disappear, Kurt grinned at Peggy one last time.
"Auf wiedersehen." He said and Peggy chuckled.
"See you later, gorgeous." Kurt barely had time to blush before he pictured the office building in Syracuse and vanished.
He arrived back in the corridor he had vacated not twenty minutes ago and immediately began to run in the direction his teammates were heading before they were interrupted. He turned one left then another, following his instincts. He didn't see anyone for a while then suddenly, he heard a shout to the right. Kurt hurried towards the sound, keeping his footsteps light. He stopped when he heard another cry, much closer now. They were just around the corner. Kurt poked his head around a turn in the corridor and saw Jubilee and Ororo in the midst of a fight.
They were surrounded by four enormous guards but the girls didn't seem afraid. In fact, Ororo was smiling. She excelled in hand-to-hand combat and although she'd never said anything, they all knew Mystique was very proud. Kurt watched as Jubilee elbowed the last guard hard in the groin then Ororo sent him soaring through the air and out of sight. Kurt heard a crash that made him wince, then a definitive thud. He rounded the corner, pleased to see his friends again, but Jubilee immediately raised her hands. He yelped and ducked back.
"It's me! It's me!" Kurt squeaked, not wanting to find out what it felt like to be at the business end of one of Jubilee's powerful fireworks. She lowered her hands, her defensive stance relaxing.
"You took your time!" Ororo's voice was severe but she was pleased to see him. They were both unharmed and drawing steadily nearer to the room Jean was telepathically guiding them towards. Only when she'd finished explaining their current circumstances did Jubilee stop to squint up at Kurt.
"What are you smiling about?" They were making good time and holding their own well, but she didn't think there was anything about their situation that was worth smiling about. Kurt tried to straighten out his expression but it was like trying to flatten wrapping paper. Peggy kissed him- kissed him- and it was all he could do to stop himself punching the air. But he didn't plan on telling his friends about it so Kurt tried to put the feeling of Peggy's hands and lips to the back of his mind and focus on the task at hand.
They hurried around the corner, leaving a trail of unconscious guards in their wake. They were only young but they had been trained well and Carl Kinnerman's actions made them ferocious. They were furious and unstoppable. Jubilee led her friends around one last bend then suddenly stopped outside of a metal door. It looked just the same as the others, its only discernible difference was a rough drawing scratched into the metal. The symbol was crudely drawn but still recognisable, a letter 'M' being flattened by a fist. The first time Jubilee saw the symbol in the information docket Hank put together, she thought it looked rather silly. Now, it made her stomach drop. Pushing her fears aside, she closed her eyes and concentrated hard, reaching out to Jean.
"We found it."
"Glad you could make it."
"There was a problem. Peggy's hurt."
"Is she okay?"
"Kurt took her home. What's the plan?"
"Follow our lead."
Jubilee wrinkled her nose. She thought the situation was far too perilous for Jean to be so vague. Beside her, Ororo was impatient to know what their plan was.
"What did she say?" Jubilee twisted her mouth in confusion then repeated Jean's words verbatim. She was glad when her teammates looked just as uncertain as she felt. "Well, what does that mean?" Ororo looked round at Kurt to see if he had any idea but he shook his head quickly. They were so on edge that they all jumped at a sudden loud bang behind the door. They heard a shout, a cry of pain, then more crashing.
"I think that's our cue." Jubilee shoved open the heavy metal door and led them inside. They were all considerably underwhelmed when they saw their enemy's so-called Operations Room. They'd expected a huge room full of computers, flashing lights, maybe even a large map scattered with strategically placed pins. What the X-Men found was a converted conference room, long and thin, with a couple of tables and a dozen or so chairs, most of which had been overturned. The windows had been boarded up, casting a gloomy shadow over the entire room, and there were maps and schematics coating the tables, but these were the only hints that this was an evil villain's lair.
At first, Jubilee, Ororo, and Kurt couldn't find their teammates. Kurt turned his head this way and that. It was hard to see through the thick darkness but his eyesight was far superior to that of his teammates. Not that they let it hinder them apparently. He finally spotted the rest of his team across the room. The first crash they had heard was Jean throwing two men across the room, the following clatters were Peter and Scott trapping and pinning Carl's enormous, hulking form against the wall. They hurried over to help, hearts thumping with nervous excitement.
Carl snarled and tried to pull away from his captors but Peter was, of course, faster. In the blink of an eye, the huge man was on his knees, his arms twisted behind his back. Jubilee approached him, malice curling her lip. This man had threatened her, destroyed her mall, hurt her friends, but the Professor had taught them well. Violence was a last resort. Anyway, Jubilee didn't want to stoop to Carl's level. They had to be better than him, so she didn't strike him like she was aching to do. Instead, she peeled the military-like cap off his head and spun it around on her finger.
"Hey, Carl." She said, grinning down at him triumphantly. He growled like a caged animal. He was an enormous man, far stronger than Peter and Scott, but when he tried to get to his feet, they managed to keep him down.
"I don't think so." Scott put his foot behind Carl's knee and forced him back into a kneeling position. "You're coming with us." Kurt kept back his elated grin, it didn't feel appropriate just yet. There would be time for celebration later. Peggy would be so pleased, he couldn't wait to tell her the good news. There wasn't much stopping him from teleporting back to the mansion right that second. Then suddenly, he saw Jean tense. Her head turned sharply towards the door, her eyes fixed on something they couldn't see.
"There are more coming." Although they were still too far away to hear, Jean's mutation had alerted her to the small army of armed guards heading their way fast. They must have learned that their command centre, in all its glory, had been breached, their leader captured. There were so many of them, she could hardly keep track. The X-Men exchanged glances, silently trying to decide what to do. Stay and fight? Or get out while they could? Finally, Ororo spoke up.
"We have what we came for." She looked down at Carl. Ororo was a very sweet girl with a great sense of humour and a gorgeous smile, but she also had the sternest look Kurt had ever seen. She stared down at the man who hurt them and if Kurt didn't know him better, he would've said he saw Carl shrink back a little.
A loud crash made them all spin around. Jean cursed under her breath when a sudden swarm of anti-mutant soldiers burst into the room. The X-Men immediately ran forward to meet their enemy. Though they fought valiantly, one guard managed to slip through the net. Ororo dove into his path, trying to keep him away from her teammates and their prisoner. She raised her hands but he blocked her attack with ease and before Ororo could move out the way, he punched her hard in the jaw. She staggered back, clutching her face whilst summoning a ball of startling lightning in her other hand. The soldier punched her again in the stomach and she doubled over.
The man jumped for Scott and Peter, who had to let go of Carl to defend themselves. Peter managed to get behind their attacker and send him sprawling to the floor, then Scott finished him off. Panting hard, he looked around and saw Carl wriggling out from behind them, skirting around the room to the door whilst his followers were gradually beaten to the ground. Scott would've chased him but another soldier ran at him and he was knocked to the ground. Peter looked over at the door just as Carl disappeared from sight.
"Kurt, Jubilee, go after him!" The pair looked around at the sound of their names. Their eyes met across the room. Jubilee nodded once then elbowed her attacker square in the nose and began to weave her way across the room. Kurt followed her example, getting rid of his own assailant then hurrying after her.
They ran at full pelt, round one corner then the next, but they couldn't find Carl. Jubilee was altogether very upset with how quickly things had gone south but mostly just annoyed at Carl for being a lot faster than he looked. Kurt strained to hear any sign of life apart from his own heavy breathing. Finally an advantage of Carl's great size. Kurt could hear his thunderous footsteps close by. He immediately took off after him, Jubilee close behind.
They felt like they were running in circles but the frequent glimpses of Carl's feet as he disappeared around corner after corner kept them going. They were almost upon him, until suddenly they weren't. They'd reached a dead end. Carl was nowhere to be seen.
Kurt almost ran straight into the wall, only just catching himself in time. Jubilee wasn't so lucky. She collided with Kurt, tripping them both up. He apologised quickly while Jubilee got her breath back but she was more concerned with their disappearing mark. She span around in a circle, knowing they must have missed something. Her eyes widened when she spotted a door in the opposite wall.
"There!" They didn't have time to feel embarrassed as they pushed through the heavy door. It opened up onto a metal stairwell, a fire exit that ran from the very top of the building to the bottom, opening up onto every floor. Kurt almost lost hope then. From these stairs, Carl could get anywhere in the building. They'd probably never find him. But then he heard Carl's heavy footsteps echoing down and remembered the promise he made Peggy. He couldn't let her down.
Jubilee led the way, hurrying up the stairs with impressive speed. Kurt would've offered to teleport them but they didn't want to miss Carl and anyway, he needed to conserve his energy. They passed the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth floors, growing more and more tired but never losing speed. Jubilee stopped quickly to duck her head over the bannister and look upwards, just in time to see Carl's huge meaty hand flash over the side before he climbed up to the next level. "Where's he going?" She wondered breathlessly, shooting Kurt a confused look over her shoulder. Kurt wished he knew. Carl looked like he wasn't going to stop but where was he headed? Did he even have a plan? Or was he just running in a blind panic?
They got their answer quickly. They rounded the last set of stairs and found they were back where they started. Kurt and Jubilee exchanged a glance before she carefully pushed open the door that led out onto the barren roof. It was still light outside. It felt like they'd been inside the building for days but Kurt knew it had only really been an hour or so.
Jubilee slowly stepped out onto the roof, casting her eyes around for any sign of danger. Carl was nowhere to be seen. She didn't make a sound as she stepped further away from the door, Kurt not far behind. The jet was still parked just a few meters away but they couldn't see Hank behind the wheel. Jubilee bit her lip. She was about to suggest they split up but a sharp cry made her spin around.
Carl had one huge hand wrapped tight around Kurt's neck. He scrabbled uselessly at his fingers, even his claws did little to hurt the gigantic man. Kurt had to teleport away from him, landing beside Jubilee. He wheezed and coughed, holding his neck as he fought to get his breath back.
"You stupid, worthless creatures! You've ruined everything!" Carl took two enormous strides closer. Jubilee stepped in front of Kurt, immediately protecting her friend from harm. Carl was twice her size but she wasn't afraid. She raised her hands and fired two balls of energy at him, making Carl squeal and stagger back. He waved his arms about like a madman as he tried to brush the sparks away.
"Carl, just give up. There's nowhere else to run." Jubilee stated in as calm and level a voice as she could muster. She was out of breath but full of adrenaline and it seemed to help.
Kurt quickly recovered from the unexpected attack. He bared his teeth and lunged forward, disappearing and reappearing again above Carl. He gripped his shoulders and tried to teleport him into the jet, but Carl swung his arms up and managed to dislodge him. They reappeared just outside of the jet. Kurt landed hard on the concrete. Carl was clearly disorientated but he didn't let that stop him. He growled and tried to kick Kurt but he scrambled backwards just in time.
"My whole life has been dedicated to the purification of the human race." Carl continued his spiel, marching towards the X-Men with frightening speed. "You are monsters! Nothing but a freak of nature, a biological accident!" Kurt hurried to Jubilee's side, trying to ignore Carl and prepare to fight. Jubilee raised her hands again, her face screwed up in concentration. "You all should be-" CRACK.
Carl's tirade ceased. He froze, his eyes glazing over. Then suddenly, he teetered forward like a felled tree. He fell flat on his face in a manner that was almost cartoonish, revealing their saviour.
"Hank?" Their teacher looked very annoyed. In his hands, he held a long tube of piping that he'd dug out of one of the many piles of scrap metal that crowded the roof. Kurt and Jubilee stared at him in disbelief. Hank dropped the piping and dusted off his hands, looking down at the unconscious megalomaniac at their feet.
"That guy just wouldn't shut up, huh?" He said, then grinned at his students.
"Peggy, hey!" Peggy stopped when she heard someone shout her name. She looked around confused. Apart from her little group of friends, she didn't know anyone at Xavier's school all that well. She had names for the faces in her classes and most were good acquaintances, but the only people she expected to call out to her across the cafeteria were in another city.
Peggy frowned when she couldn't see anyone she recognised, but then, from a table across the room, she saw someone waving. Someone green. Peggy smiled and wound her way around the students and chairs and spills until finally, she reached a table by the wall of the cafeteria. Annie beamed up at her, as friendly as ever. "Hi!"
"Hi, Annie." Peggy was a little nervous. She didn't really know Annie and she'd never been alone with her before. Well, they weren't technically alone. There was a girl sitting across from her. She gave Peggy a polite smile but didn't say anything due to her mouthful of food. Peggy didn't think she'd seen her before. "How're you doing?" Peggy asked, shifting her dinner tray around in her hands.
"Pretty good." Annie shrugged then frowned curiously. "I thought you were on a mission. Scott said you were going after that lunatic from the mall."
"We were. Are." Peggy pretended that she'd come to terms with it for Kurt's sake, but she was still annoyed at herself for getting hurt. "I wasn't being careful. Kurt brought me back." She gestured vaguely to her shoulder. The girls both seemed to notice the gauze wrapped neatly around her upper arm for the first time. Annie pulled a face. Not one of disgust, Peggy was relieved to note, but one of sympathy.
"That sucks." She said, smiling apologetically up at her. Peggy hummed her agreement, unsure of what else to add. She opened her mouth to excuse herself but Annie spoke again before she had the chance. "Do you wanna sit with us?" Peggy blinked at her, stunned. She barely knew the girl, she certainly hadn't expected an invitation to join her and her friend.
"Yeah! Yeah, thank you." Peggy said, trying not to sound too overenthusiastic. She sat down at the table beside Annie, who immediately introduced the girl across from them.
"This is Nancy." Ah, the famous Nancy D'Ambrosio. Scott's future wife in the flesh, at last. Peggy was beginning to think he'd made her up. She was certainly as beautiful as he described, perhaps even more so. Dark skin, bright brown eyes, and a perfect smile that made a dimple appear in her right cheek. Peggy only hoped she was as kind as Annie, she'd heard many a horror story about Scott's track record with girls. Nancy finished chewing her food before she grinned at her and gave a little wave.
"Hi, great to meet ya." She said, eagerly stabbing at her dinner.
"You too." Peggy was suddenly reminded of her own food and began to tuck in. She was famished, she hadn't eaten since breakfast. Kurt would be distraught if he knew but she'd skipped lunch in lieu of a well-earned nap.
"This is Peggy Murphy." Annie finished introducing them. To Peggy's surprise, Nancy's face lit up with recognition. She raised her fork and used it to point at her.
"Kurt's girlfriend!" She said, clearly pleased with herself for remembering. Peggy almost choked on her broccoli.
"No, no, he's just- We're just friends." Just her luck, the one thing one of the coolest girls in school knew about her was that she fancied Kurt. Annie seemed to find the exchange amusing but quickly changed the subject when she saw the painfully embarrassed look on Peggy's face.
"So tell us about the mission." She sent Nancy a meaningful look for good measure, just in case she had any ideas about chasing the topic. Nancy quirked her lips in response. Not a promise but she'd back off. For now.
"Have you heard from the others yet?" She asked instead, rather than the hundred questions she had about Kurt. They were good friends, they were paired together in Spanish and he always made her laugh. Nancy had heard so much about Peggy from him, he clearly adored her. Looking at the red hue to Peggy's complexion, she knew the feeling was mutual.
"No, not yet." Peggy looked down at her plate whilst her blush died down. "They haven't been gone all that long but I can't help worrying."
"They're the X-Men. They're practically indestructible." Nancy reasoned with an airy wave of her fork. She was trying to sound reassuring, but Peggy knew first-hand that it wasn't the truth. They'd all been hurt in one way or another. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't ease the anxious tension in her chest.
"I could never do it." Annie said, chewing thoughtfully on her chicken. "I'm a lover, not a fighter." Peggy smiled at that. Although she felt sick with worry, these girls were doing a good job of helping her relax. Nancy smirked, twirling a curl of hair around her finger.
"I could do it." Annie snorted.
"Only because you have a thing for Ororo." Peggy looked up from her dinner, wondering if she'd perhaps misheard. Across from her, Nancy's eyes were wide.
"Annie." She hissed, glancing nervously between them. Peggy realised she'd misinterpreted her shock and quickly tried to rectify the mistake.
"Oh, no, I don't..." Nancy watched her carefully, wondering what she was going to say next. Peggy didn't care about who liked who, she was just surprised. "I was just thinking of all those broken-hearted boys." She smirked across at Nancy, making her laugh. She daintily shrugged her shoulders, tucking her curly hair behind one ear.
"Well, I like boys too." She said, smiling down at her plate. Peggy felt Annie nudge her side and saw she was grinning at her wickedly.
"Like Peter Maximoff." Peggy turned to Nancy, slack-jawed and wide-eyed.
"What?" She scoffed. "He's got that dorky/cute vibe going. I'm into that." Now that was surprising. Peter was arrogant and smarmy, not to mention about ten years their older. Still, Peggy supposed he was cute in a way, not that she'd ever let him hear her admit it.
"I can put in a good word for you, if you like?" She offered, only half joking. Nancy thanked her but politely declined.
"Don't worry, I have it all under control." She took a sip of her drink and winked at Peggy over the rim of her glass.
"Nancy's mutation is that she can get boys to do whatever she wants." Annie laughed, shaking her head slightly. Again, Nancy shrugged.
"It's a blessing and a curse."
"What's yours?" Scott talked about both Annie and Nancy extensively. It had got to a point where if either of the girls were mentioned in conversation, they would all groan and complain and then change the subject. Sometimes Scott did it deliberately, just to annoy them. Peggy knew that Nancy liked to paint and Annie was captain of the football team, but he'd somehow neglected to mention their mutations amongst his ramblings.
Annie raised the hand that wasn't holding her fork and splayed her fingers. Peggy watched with no small amount of fascination as her hand began to tremble. She curled her long fingers inward and suddenly, the room began to dim. The change was small, Peggy only noticed because she was looking for it, but the lights above their heads flickered and darkened as Annie rolled and flattened her fingers. A couple of kids looked up but most were too interested in their dinner to care.
"Light manipulation." Annie said, her dark eyes flicking between each of the individual lights above them. She had to be careful. If she lost focus, she might burst the bulbs and then she'd be in all sorts of trouble. Annie slowed her movements and the room brightened again. "That's what Hank calls it, anyway." Peggy frowned. She was sure she'd heard something different.
"I thought you had some sort of nature power." She wasn't proud of it, but after she saw Annie and Kurt together, she'd asked around. Scott was clearly biased, so she didn't trust his short biography. Peggy just wanted to make sure she was a nice girl so that if Kurt really was madly in love with her, she wouldn't feel too broken-hearted. She wasn't able to uncover much that Scott hadn't already told her, but she remembered one boy in her English class telling her she had power over the plants and trees that surrounded them.
"There's a sophomore girl who has that." Nancy said through a mouthful of food, making Peggy chuckle. She could see why Scott liked this girl. Maybe she'd make more of an effort to get to know them both in the future.
"Because of the skin, right?" Annie said, gesturing vaguely towards her verdant complexion. Peggy rushed to explain that she'd heard it from someone else, not wanting to sound rude, but Annie seemed unbothered. "I get it from my dad, he's even greener." Was she insinuating something? Peggy couldn't be sure. Either way, her thoughts inevitably drifted to Kurt. Would his children inherit his colouring like Annie had inherited her father's? She supposed her own pale skin would probably water down the genetics, which was a shame because she loved the way Kurt loo- Wait. Whoever said anything about her and Kurt having kids? Where had that come from?
"What about you?" Peggy turned her attention to Nancy, tactfully changing the subject. She was just glad Jean wasn't around. Her voice was strained with embarrassment but she soldiered on. "Unless the boy manipulation thing was true?"
"In a perfect world, maybe." Nancy laughed, tossing her hair for added effect. "I'm a healer. They like having me around the med wing." She gestured to Peggy's arm then wriggled her fingers. "I could fix your shoulder, if you want?" Peggy was surprised, both by her offer and by the prospect of getting her troublesome wound fixed. Hank had warned it might take weeks, even months to heal properly and after that, she wouldn't be able to use her arm without it hurting for a long while yet.
"Really?" Nancy nodded eagerly, glad to help whenever she could. She didn't want to be a part of the X-Men team, like Annie she wasn't much of a fighter, but Nancy wanted to help people and unlike so many others, she was lucky enough to have the power to do it.
"I can't fix fatal wounds or anything too gruesome, not yet anyways. But this shouldn't be hard." She explained as she got up from her seat, abandoning her dinner in the meantime. Nancy and Annie swapped seats. Peggy was a little nervous, she'd never seen Nancy's powers in action, but she remembered what she'd said about often working in the med wing. They wouldn't ask for her help if she wasn't good.
Peggy carefully peeled the bandages away to reveal Kurt's surprisingly neat stitches. Nancy took a deep breath then placed her hand on her shoulder. Peggy flinched and hissed but she didn't let go. At first, she felt nothing. Nancy's touch was delicate, but soon her arm began to tingle then burn and her grip tightened. Nancy closed her eyes to help her concentrate, feeling the familiar heat beneath the palm of her hand as Peggy's tissues stitched themselves back together.
When she pulled back her hand, she tugged on the thread just in time so that it wouldn't be sealed beneath Peggy's skin. Nancy breathed a slight sigh and closed her eyes again for a moment. Her powers always left her feeling dizzy but it was worth it. Peggy traced her fingertips across her shoulder. There was no gash, no stitches, no scar. It was as if she'd never been shot. Nancy watched as she inspected her arm. She smiled at her dumbfounded expression "Better?" Peggy looked up and grinned back at her.
"Thank you." Nancy shrugged, just happy to help.
"That was cool." The three girls looked around at the new voice. They were surprised to find Peter Maximoff standing beside their table. He looked between Peggy's healed shoulder and Nancy, who suddenly sat up a bit straighter and tried her best to sneakily check her reflection in her knife.
"Peter?" Peggy felt the knots in her stomach loosen just a little when she saw he was unarmed.
"Hey, Murph." Peter reached across the table and ruffled her hair, much to her chagrin.
"Are you all back?" Peggy asked as she tried to flatten her hair again. Peter saw her glance over his shoulder just in case her friends were behind him but he was alone.
"Not yet." He dragged a hand over his tired face, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and index finger. He was battered and bruised from the mission but happy it was all over. "Kurt asked me to come check on you." As soon as they handcuffed Carl and loaded him onto the jet, Kurt asked him to rush back to the mansion to make sure Peggy was alright. Peter protested at first, he just wanted to go home and relax, but Kurt looked so desperate he couldn't say no. "He was very worried." Peggy smiled at that. Across from her, Annie wriggled her eyebrows and she went from pink to red.
"I'm fine." Peggy pressed her lips together to hold back a smile. She glanced down and was surprised to see that Peter held a small, bedraggled looking flower in his gloved hand. Her gaze swapped between him and the flower a few times before she raised an eyebrow. "Dare I ask..?" Peter suddenly seemed to remember that he was carrying it and handed the flower over with uncharacteristic care.
"From Kurt." He placed it in her open hand. The flower was tiny, barely the length of her finger, and dark purple in colour. It was the sort of flower you see growing out of cracks in the concrete. Kurt must have found it on the roof in Syracuse. It had lost a couple of its petals and the stem was wrinkled- which she assumed was a result of Peter's fantastic speed- but it was still beautiful and, more importantly, from Kurt.
Peter watched her smile down at the tiny, bedraggled flower and rolled his eyes. "Oh, brother." He heaved a sigh and flopped down into the chair beside Annie, immediately tucking into the food Nancy had left. Peggy finally tore her gaze away from Kurt's gift and gave Peter a dark look.
"We're just mates." She protested for what felt like the millionth time. She slipped the flower into her pocket where it would be safe. Hearing her words, Peter made a disgusted sound and wrinkled his nose.
"Peggy, I'm eating here." He grumbled, gesturing to his stolen dinner. Peggy's eyes widened. She looked between her new friends, who also looked a little shocked.
"No, not like that!" She felt her face flush again and cursed herself for forgetting. Peggy tried to keep any slang to a minimum. It always led to misunderstandings, the majority of which were highly embarrassing. Peter scoffed and dragged Nancy's plate closer so it was easier to eat. Nancy didn't mind, she was finished anyway.
"C'mon, you've wanted to jump the poor guy ever since you met him." Peggy winced slightly, very aware that he was showing her up in front of her new friends.
"Stop, Peter. Please."
"And I know for a fact that Kurt's been a walking, talking puddle of sexual frustration for at least a month now."
"Oh, my God."
"C'mon, don't be embarrassed!" Peter chuckled and reached over the table to nudge her shoulder. Peggy tutted and batted his hand away. "Just put us all out of our misery and kiss the guy." Peggy hated to admit it but Peter had a point. Maybe she should just... Go for it. She knew Kurt liked her, what did she have to lose? All that was stopping them from being together was their own fear. Peggy bit her lip, half annoyed at Peter for being right and half pleased that she had finally made up her mind.
"How'd it go?" She asked, hoping to change the subject and avoid further embarrassment.
"The mission?" Peter chewed his food, swallowed loudly, then grinned at her. "Carl's being delivered as we speak."
"And everyone's..?"
"Everyone's safe."
The jet rumbled and shook but somehow, Scott had managed to drift off to sleep. His head leaned back, causing his mouth to fall open, his glasses at a worryingly crooked angle. Kurt watched him from across the aisle, shaking his head fondly. He nudged Jean's arm to get her attention and pointed to Scott. She grinned and whispered to Ororo beside her, who also began to laugh.
They were all giddy with joy. Their plan had been pulled off with uncharacteristic success and they had a terrorist under lock and key. Carl was still unconscious, slouched at the far end of the jet. It had been a hell of a job getting him onto the plane and into a seat, let alone trying to wrap the safety harness around his enormous frame.
Hank's voice buzzed through the tannoy, they would be back at the mansion in around twenty minutes. Jean gave a contented sigh and leaned back in her seat. She closed her eyes for a moment, just listening to her friends laugh and chatter. Their thoughts swam around the jet, she could pick apart their voices with ease.
It was funny how quickly their minds turned back to their normal lives once a mission was over. Ororo was thinking about some homework that was due tomorrow, while Jubilee was mostly concerned with what was for dinner. Kurt, of course, was thinking about Peggy. He was worried about her but was reassured by the knowledge that he would see her again very soon.
But there was another voice, a cloud of thoughts she didn't recognise. They were fractured, fuzzy even, as if someone were half-asleep. Or waking up. Jean realised what was happening too late. She turned in time to see Carl raise his huge fists and tear at the harness that held him down. He was on his feet before anyone could even react.
Carl stumbled as the jet tipped, sending him careering towards the other end of the plane. Jubilee came to her senses first. She ripped off her own harness and jumped up, but to their horror, Carl grabbed the still sleeping Scott, wrenching him to his feet by his collar. Carl threw his bound hands over his head, pulling the metal tight against Scott's neck.
"Carl, stop!" Jubilee cried, hands raised. She couldn't risk using her mutation in case she hurt Scott but the threat was still clear. Carl pulled the handcuffs tighter against Scott's throat.
"Land the plane!" He roared as his prisoner pawed uselessly at the metal bar held to his neck. By now, they were all out of their seats. Hank could see everything but couldn't risk a sudden landing for fear of hurting his students. Jubilee and Kurt were the closest but they were both out of their uniforms. Kurt eyed the hidden compartment that held their armour. Carl was stood right in front of it, there was no way they could get to their gear.
"Carl, think this through." Jubilee tried to keep her voice calm and level. "You're going to jail for a long time but if you hurt him, it'll be longer." She should've known by now that Carl Kinnerman could not be reasoned with.
"I said, land the jet!" He pulled back his hands until Scott could hardly wheeze out a breath. Nobody moved. Around them, the jet continued to roar but the X-Men were silent. They would not be threatened. Carl's wild eyes moved over each and every one of them, his yellowed teeth bared like an animal. "Fine, I'll do it myself!" He stepped backwards, pulling Scott with him. He jammed his elbow against the wall, hitting a small red button. To their horror, the ramp began to whine, opening like a gaping mouth in the side of the jet.
Clouds whizzed by at a dizzying speed. Rough winds whipped through the plane making them all squint in order to see Carl properly. He backed towards the ramp, only just managing to keep his footing as the jet rocketed through the sky. Kurt saw Scott's skin beginning to glow pale blue, his fingers still desperately clawing at the handcuffs pressed against his windpipe. This had gone on long enough.
Kurt stepped forward, past Jubilee and the others, until he was just a few feet from Carl. The enormous man growled at him viciously. "Get back!" He spat, pulling on his restraints so hard that, for a moment, Scott's feet left the floor. Kurt snarled.
"Let him go." His voice was low and grave, even Carl seemed put off. He took another step backwards towards the ramp as the jet rattled. When Kurt followed him, Carl narrowed his eyes.
"I said get back!" But he would not be moved. Kurt was sick of being afraid of this man. He would rather die than let him hurt his friends again. Carl watched him carefully, his face twisted with anger. His foot left the ground to take another step back but a sudden surge of turbulence made the jet tilt at a heart-stopping angle.
Carl dove to grab hold of something, freeing Scott in the process. He fell forwards into Jubilee and they both landed in a heap on the floor. Seeing his window of opportunity slimming fast, Kurt ran forward to shut the ramp. He didn't hear Jean's warning cry, he didn't see Carl reaching into his shirt, but he certainly felt the sudden burst of blinding pain. The world lurched and Kurt fell onto his back, clutching at the small but jagged knife Kinnerman had driven into his stomach.
"Kurt!" Jean pushed her way to the back of the jet, trying to get to her fallen friend, but more turbulence hit them and she fell forward onto her knees. Hank was talking to them over the tannoy, trying to relay some information- perhaps instructions or a warning- but she barely heard him. Jean looked up, searching for the cold, hard eyes of Carl Kinnerman. But she never saw them again.
Jubilee pushed Scott off her and rushed to the ramp whilst her friends gathered around Kurt. She only leaned out as far as she dared but it was enough to see Carl dangling from the edge of the ramp. His fingers were pale, his body swinging almost lifelessly as they soared through the air. It was a wonder he'd managed to hang on at all. Jubilee dropped to her knees and crawled to the edge of the ramp. She wound the safety handle around her left wrist so that she wouldn't fall, then stretched, reaching for Carl.
"Take my hand!" She had to shout over the deafening roar of the engines and the constant scream of the wind. Carl bellowed, edging away from her down the ramp.
"I'll never dirty my skin with the hand of a filthy, disgusting mu-" His hand slipped, Carl lost his grip. His enormous body swung up then, much more permanently, down. Carl Kinnerman screamed as he fell, disappearing through the thick clouds to meet the city below.
Peggy had never been a pacer. She was always getting told off for fidgeting- tapping her fingers here and swinging her legs there- but she'd never paced about anything. But then again, she'd never made such an important decision before. She was in the east wing of the mansion, not far from the aeroplane hangar and the lock-up, and she was, for the first in her life, pacing.
"Kurt, we've been friends for a while now and I love it, I love you, but- Wait, no, no, no, no, not good." Peggy quickly backtracked, her face flushing red. She glanced around to make sure she was definitely alone, she didn't need anyone overhearing that little slip. "Okay, erm…"
She worried her lip as she tried again. "Kurt, you are my best friend and I think we should date." She let that hang in the air, testing how it sounded, before shaking her head. "No." Peggy sighed and threw her arms out at her sides. "I want to make out with you, like, a lot!" She waited for an imaginary response then began to laugh. No, definitely not.
She turned and began to walk back the other way. "Kurt, you and I are…" She was interrupted by the sudden roar of the jet plane coming into land. She was out of time. Peggy blew out a long breath to calm her nerves. She couldn't believe she was really doing this. She couldn't wait to see the look on his face. Peggy grinned when she heard thunderous footsteps coming her way. Her heart jumped up into her throat, her chest suddenly feeling like it might burst. No plan, no script, just tell him.
She moved back to allow her friends some room, she knew they'd be full of life after their successful mission and it frankly wasn't safe to compress their boisterousness. At last, they rounded the corner, breathless, and exhausted, but safe. Peggy had never been so happy to see them. She searched the crowd for one face in particular but Kurt was nowhere to be seen.
Peggy shrugged it off. He was probably putting his suit back or helping with Carl. It was only when her friends drew closer that she saw how pale they were. And what were they carrying? Peggy's grin vanished. Please, no. It was a stretcher. They were carrying a stretcher. "Kurt?" Peggy's knees shook beneath her. All the air left her lungs. Her teammates rushed past her, there was no time for hellos. Peggy immediately joined their ranks, keeping up with their frantic speed despite her weak legs.
They ran to the medical wing, not stopping for anyone. Jubilee tried her best to explain what happened but it was all too much. They reached the med bay doors and Hank ushered them inside. Kurt was quickly laid out on the nearest bed and he immediately got to work. They didn't want to get in Hank's way, so the kids all filed back out of the room, casting worried glances over their shoulders.
Only Peggy stayed. She watched as Hank crisscrossed the room, collecting an IV drip, syringes, a heart rate monitor, and an all manner of other items she couldn't name. Kurt looked so still. He was always so energetic and full of life, but now he looked so small.
The door opened behind her. Peggy turned to see Scott beckoning her over. The others were being debriefed by the Professor but Scott had stayed behind to be with her. Peggy knew she had to leave but something was rooting her to the spot. She didn't want to leave Kurt, she couldn't.
Scott was gentle as he took her by the arm and guided her out of the med bay, allowing her one last backwards glance before the doors swung shut behind them. He knew she wouldn't want to go far but Peggy looked like she was in shock. She needed to sit so Scott led her over to the wall where they sank down onto the floor, just to the right of the med bay doors.
"He's gonna be okay. It's probably not as bad as it looks." Scott hoped he was more reassuring than he sounded. Peggy only nodded faintly. He sighed and pulled his knees up so that he could rest his arms on top. They were going to be there a while, he may as well get comfortable.
They were silent for a long time. Well, Scott thought, it only felt like a long time. There was no clock around but he estimated only five minutes passed before he was brave enough to speak again. "I know how it feels." The knotted fingers, the terrible dread, the waiting. He knew it only too well. Peggy turned her head slightly. "I had a brother." His lips quirked at one corner, awkward and honest. "He died." Peggy finally met his gaze, her expression a confused mix of surprise and sadness. Scott knew what she was going to say. "I don't really talk about him. It's still..." His words faded to silence but he didn't need to explain, Peggy understood.
"What was his name?" Her voice was hoarse and stretched, a combination of the stress and not having spoken in a while. Scott could feel that same tightness in his own throat.
"Alex."
"Older, or..?"
"Older, yeah." Scott cracked a grin. "He was great, the best big brother a guy could ask for. He taught me everything there is to know, you know?" Peggy nodded. She was the oldest of her siblings, she knew the role well.
Scott straightened out his legs again, stretching right down to his toes. The mission had left him exhausted, the cold, hard floor wasn't helping either. "He got in trouble a lot when he was, well, about our age. But then he came here." Scott's head tilted towards the ceiling. Peggy could imagine his gaze sweeping across the ornate lighting medallion and Victorian paintwork above. "This school changed his life."
"What happened?" Peggy watched as Scott lowered his gaze back down to the floor.
"If it's okay," He said, his fingers drumming against the floorboards. "I'd rather not..."
"Don't worry." Peggy said quickly. She should've known it was a sore topic. Scott had never mentioned having a brother before. Then Peggy remembered the startling truth, that she'd only known Scott and the others for three months. It felt like years had passed since she met her best friends. Peggy felt like she'd known Kurt her whole life.
The thought of him made her stomach twist again. She hugged herself, tucking her chin against her chest. What if she never saw him again? Tears pricked her eyes but she angrily blinked them away. Scott must have caught her because he sighed and shuffled closer.
"I'm not telling you this to..." He shrugged, his hands floundering as he searched for the right words. "I don't know, to tell you that you should make every moment count and carpe diem, or whatever. I'm just... I think you should tell the people you care about that you love them every day, at every opportunity. Because you never know, one day they might..." He trailed off again but Peggy knew what he meant.
She watched him subconsciously brush his fingers over the bruises on his neck. In all the panic, she'd forgotten to ask about them. Later, she thought. Now was not the time. Peggy wasn't sure what she could say that would bring him some comfort. All she could do was shuffle closer until they leaned against each other, then rested her head on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Scott." She felt rather than saw him smile. His back was a little straighter, his shoulders lowered, his chin raised. They were going to be alright.
They stayed that way for some time, huddled together on the floor in a comfortable silence. The sky grew darker and darker until night fell completely, their only sign of what time it was. Still no news from Hank, but no news was good news. Scott looked down and suddenly remembered the reason Peggy wasn't with them on the jet.
"How's your shoulder?" Peggy hummed to herself then sat up so that she could raise her right arm. She experimentally prodded her shoulder and was pleased when she felt no pain.
"Pretty good." She held her arm up for Scott to see. "Nancy fixed it for me."
"Nancy?" Scott squeaked. Then, trying to retain some of his dignity, he cleared his throat and in a much deeper voice, he asked, "Did she mention me?"
"Actually, she mentioned Peter."
"Crap."
"And Ororo." Scott stared at her for a moment, waiting to see if she was joking. Then he sighed and tutted under his breath.
"Ororo I understand." He feigned disgust. "But Peter?" She couldn't help it. Scott looked so appalled that Peggy had to laugh. Scott grinned as she covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking as she tried to contain her giggles. He was pleased to lift her spirits. Worrying always made everything worse and it certainly wouldn't help Kurt.
They stayed there on the floor for another hour until finally, the med bay doors swung open. Hank was surprised to see them, it was late and they ought to be in their rooms. Peggy was on her feet in an instant. Her eyes were wide and fearful, so it brought Hank great joy to be able to tell her some good news.
"He's stable." He said softly. Peggy's eyes closed and she breathed for the first time in what felt like hours.
"Can I see him?" She asked, glancing over Hank's shoulder, hoping in vain to catch a glimpse of Kurt.
"It's better to let him rest for now." Hank rolled down his sleeves and ran a hand down his face. He looked tired. Peggy wanted to thank him for saving their friend but he spoke again before she could find the words. "When he wakes up, you can talk to him all you like, but now he needs to sleep." She took the hint. Go to bed.
Peggy nodded, smiled warmly at Hank, then helped Scott to his feet. They all needed a rest, although Peggy knew she wouldn't sleep a wink that night. They slowly meandered through the halls to their rooms, neither of them saying a word. Peggy left Scott on the second floor landing, staying to watch him disappear into the darkness before continuing her ascent.
He traipsed along the corridor, trying to make as little noise as possible. Scott opened his bedroom door but paused before entering. He glanced back at the door opposite his. Kurt was going to be okay. Scott faintly trailed his fingertips across the bruises on his neck before he shook himself and went to bed.
On the top floor, Peggy stepped into her own bedroom and closed the door behind her. She leaned back against it, trying to catch her breath. It had been one hell of a day. She stayed there for a moment, letting her gaze travel across her darkened room. Everything reminded her of Kurt. Her television set, the radio, her bed, even the blue dress hanging over the back of a chair. Peggy sighed and pushed herself away from the door.
She didn't bother getting changed. She was still wearing the shirt and jogging bottoms Kurt gave her earlier. She collapsed onto her bed and willed her spinning mind to give her some peace. She gave up just a few minutes later.
Peggy reached over and flicked on her bedside lamp. Underneath it lay the only picture she had of Kurt. She held it between trembling fingers, pulling the neck of his shirt up with her other hand so that she could breathe in his scent. Peggy closed her eyes again and prayed for the first time in years.
