Combusting Hearts

Chapter 24

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

I turned to find Mr. Lehnsherr standing a few yards away from us. For a moment, I could have sworn that I felt my blood run cold.

"Cheri, get behind me," Gambit whispered, pulling me back a bit.

I obeyed and did as he asked, my hand slowly curling around a segment of his trench coat that was against his back. All that I could do was close my eyes, trying my best to stay standing, blood still dripping from my fingertips.

"So, you've decided to come and rescue her have you?" Mr. Lehnsherr asked, stepping forward a bit more.

He glanced around at everyone that stood there. A moment later, a smile come upon his face.

"Well, let's just see where she's at," he said, slowly lifting his hand.

I then felt the metal cuffs rising, pulling me into the air. I cried out in pain as they once again sliced into my wrists, drawing more blood.

"Remy…" I whimpered, tears slowly falling amidst the pain.

"Cheri!" he hollered, running forward, only to be held back by Logan. "Damnit, let Gambit go," he yelled, fighting against Logan.

"Would you stop for a minute and use your head Gumbo?" Logan said through his teeth.

I watched as Scott made a move to press something on his visor, but was quickly stopped as it went flying.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you," Mr. Lehnsherr warned, stepping forward and bringing me closer to him.

I cried out as my body moved, feeling the blood slowly trickle down my side and off of my toes. It was then that Kurt spoke up, pointed out what everyone had failed to notice.

"She iz bleeding," he said, taking notice to the blood that ran from my wrists down.

Everyone looked up at her as she hung there, taking in her appearance. Like Kurt said, she was indeed bleeding.

The metal clasps that she wore had been cutting into the delicate flesh of her wrists far longer than Logan had come to realize.

From what they could tell, she was already weak and Gambit had been the first to truly take notice of it. When he had taken hold of her arm, her strength had faltered terribly, leaving her to show her vulnerability. What he hadn't understood was why she had pushed him away so freely as though she didn't want to really be near him. He knew that this wasn't the case though when she had called out to him in a whimper of pain as she hung before them by her bleeding wrists.

"Cheri!" he called, watching her turn her head faintly, her eyes slightly cloudy now. "D'at's it, I don' care no more!" he said, and with that he ran forward, drawing out several cards.

He charged them, letting them fly through the air as he threw them at Magneto, watching as they hit their target. At that moment, Elaine fell from the air, landing in Gambit's arms as he caught her. She barely made a sound as she lay there in his arms, her head coming to lay against him quietly.

"In the jet, now!" Scott ordered after getting help retrieving his visor.

"Stop them!" Magneto called, but Pyro just stood there as Gambit carried Elaine off.

He just couldn't bring his eyes away from the blood that ran off her seemingly limp fingers. Even the dull look on her face. No, he couldn't stop them, he wouldn't stop them. Pyro knew that Magneto didn't have the proper supplies there to help her, so he wasn't going to stop them and possibly end her life as a result. So with that, Pyro turned and walked away, knowing the punishment that he would get later as a result.

"We have ta stop d'e bleedin'," Gambit said, nearly in hysterics.

She was still losing blood and he couldn't get the pieces of shirt that he had torn from his person properly against her skin.

At this, Scott got up and put the jet on autopilot, moving over to Gambit and Elaine.

"Hold her wrists out," Scott said, placing his visor on one of the lower settings.

Gambit did as he asked, gently taking hold of Elaine's wrists and holding them out for him. Everyone watched as the dangerous beam came out, destroying the cuffs one at a time. Once the pieces were brushed off, Gambit carefully wrapped the pieces that he'd torn from his shirt around her wrists. He tied them tightly, but not too tightly to hurt her, just enough to try and stop the bleeding.

Unfortunately, Gambit noticed that she was already on the pale side, her body shaking from loss of heat.

"Cheri…" Gambit whispered, "just hold on darlin'," he cooed, pulling her into his lap as he held her close, wrapping his coat around the both of them.

He was so happy to have her back, but at the same time saddened. He didn't know what had happened that ended her in the spot she was in now. He didn't know why she had run away, for he certainly hadn't done anything wrong, and he knew that Logan didn't do anything wrong either. Surely Scott wouldn't have been the reason, nor Sham, Ram or Slick. He couldn't think of anything that would have truly caused her to run away the way that she had done.

He sighed quietly as he sat there, running his fingers carefully through her hair. It was still as soft as he remembered. He smiled at the memory, also remembering a few others things, like the time he had massaged her back. He shivered at the memory for Logan had left him with a rather nice shiner for a couple weeks or so. One of his better memories though was when he had surprised her with ice skating on Christmas. Even last month when he had bugged her and tickled her, placing feather light kisses gently up her arm. Oh, her face had been so red when he did that, she looked just like a cherry or tomato that was ripe and ready to be picked.

"Oh, cheri," he breathed, kissing her forehead.

"R…y…" he faintly heard from her mouth.

Even in sleep and the brink of death, she still tried to speak his name.

This made him smile, even though it was a sad smile. He just wanted her to be okay again. He wanted her to be okay and wake up so that he could kiss her, hushing her from saying anything at all. He just wanted things to be as they had before, before any of this ever happened.

Darkness everywhere I turned, it was cold, bone chilling darkness. I tried to picture someone standing there with me, Logan, Gambit, Scott, Kurt, Pyro, even Mr. Lehnsherr. I didn't care who, I just wanted something other than this chilling darkness, but it did little good…

I couldn't seem to get anywhere as I walked around, getting nowhere fast.

I then remembered my wrists. The pain was still there in the distance, the warmth of the blood was my only comfort. The memory of it. I also remembered the warmth given to me when Logan had hugged me. It had been such a warm hug.

"Logan…" I whispered, wrapping my arms around myself in a futile attempt of producing warmth.

Nothing seemed to work. All that I wanted to do was sleep. Funny how that works, sleeping in a dream.

"Ha…" I half laughed at myself as I laid down in nothingness.

"Come on, we have ta do somethin'!" Gambit shouted as he held Elaine's hand. "She needs our help," he said.

"I'm trying my best Gambit. These tools are very delicate," Hank explained as he sat them down on the table beside her.

"It's so cold," I whined, turning over on my side, causing my hair to fall in my face.

I just laid there and blew it out of my face in annoyance with a sigh.

"Use my blood," Gambit said, holding out his arm as he took his coat off.

"Hold up," Logan started, standing up and pulling Gambit's arm down. "How do we even know your blood's the right kind?" Logan asked.

"Hey, Gambit's not a t'ief for nothin'," he said, pulling out a copy of Elaine's medical record from his coat.

"Why you…" Logan made to advance on him when he put his hands up in the air.

"Hey, hey, ya really t'ink I'd go cartin' her around in broad daylight wi'd d'e possibility o' goons like Sabertooth around, huh?" he argued, setting the papers down on the table. "Non, Gambit not d'at stupid," he said, turning his gaze back to Elaine, who was still growing paler.

"So…cold…" I whispered, curling into a ball, closing my eyes.

Gambit just sat there in a chair with his head down, a needle in his arm as Hank transferred his blood into Elaine. He didn't know what to do as he sat there, his eyes trailing to her pale face.

She looked so helpless as she laid there, her head tilted to the side in quiet surrender.

He then looked down at his shirt that now laid in his lap. It was torn to pieces and slightly singed. In fact, it had been one of his favorites, but he knew that it was worth it to save Elaine. Unlike his shirt that could always be replaced, Elaine couldn't be replaced, and he wouldn't want to replace her either.

"Cheri…" he whispered, leaning over and brushing her pale cheek softly.

He could barely wait for her to wake up so that he could hold her in his arms again and keep her safe. He wanted so much just to see her open her eyes, smile at him, and kiss him on the cheek. He just wanted her to be okay again.

He sighed as he held his hand there, turning in his seat, his fingers coming to brush her lips lightly. He then leaned forward, gently pressing his lips to hers, wishing that somehow by do that that it would wake her up somehow.

I could almost feel myself fading as I laid there, the only thing keeping me here being a faint warmth in the back of my mind. I could almost feel someone's hand on my cheek and a presence on my lips, something so tender and warm, it left me yearning for more.

Remy?

That was the first thing that came to my mind for some reason. The thought of having Remy near me, holding my hand and kissing my cheek. Such a warm and comforting thing.

"Remy…"

After what seemed like forever after Hank removed the needle, Elaine's hand twitched faintly underneath Gambit's hold causing him to look up with hope, but found nothing.

"Cheri…" he cooed softly, holding her hand against his cheek as he savored the feeling of it wishing that it was real. "Oh, Cheri, I just wants ya ta wake up again," he whispered in a soft tone, his eyes never leaving her, and his body never leaving her side.

Even when the others tried to pull him away to get some rest, he just wouldn't budge from her side where he was at. No, he wouldn't leave her, not like this. She had to wake up first before he would even consider doing something. He just wouldn't leave her side until she was awake again.

So with one more sigh, he pressed his lips to her forehead, nudging it slightly as he ran his thumb across the top of her hand. He whispered a few words to her, wishing that she would truly here them as she laid there.

Okay everyone, that was chapter 24. I hope that everyone enjoyed it. Please, remember to REVIEW? I love hearing everyone's feedback on my story since it helps inspire me and gives me something to go on when I'm writing this. Remember, I can't keep writing if I don't see that I'm getting support for this story. So PLEASE review? Thanks everyone. Bye bye! -whistles a happy tune walking around with my hands behind my back-