Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men.

26

Blaze lay silently on the grassy cliff top. It was Sunday morning and after being dropped from twenty feet in the air, she was not happy.

"How much longer are we going to do this for?" Blaze asked Angel.

"Until you manage to land on your feet without falling down," Angel said as he touched down in front of her. "Now, get up so we try again."

"I don't see what the point is," Blaze said, standing up. "I'm obviously not good at it."

"You would be a lot better at it," Angel told her, "if you weren't afraid to try."

"Well," Blaze said as the fire flared up inside her. "Maybe I wouldn't be so afraid if you didn't keep dropping me out of the air over a cliff that's surrounded by a substance that could kill me in about five seconds."

"Look," Angel said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "You want to be an X-Man, don't you?"

Blaze sighed and said, "You know I do."

"Then you have to learn to face your fears," Angel said.

"I am facing my fears," Blaze said, smiling miserably. "I'm just not enjoying it."

"No one enjoys facing their fears," Angel said, "but it has to be done." He grabbed her by her arm and lifted her high into the air.

"Oh, god, oh, god, oh, god, oh, god," Blaze said as they rose higher and higher into the air.

Then, by force of habit, she pressed her wings against her back and closed her eyes. She didn't know why she bothered doing this anymore. It was probably because she was hoping against hope that Angel wouldn't drop her if she showed him how scared she was. He always did, though, and she always hated him for it afterwards.

"Never close your eyes," Angel reminded her over the roar of the wind. "If you're going to learn how to fly, you can't be afraid of heights."

Blaze opened her eyes and scowled up at him. Then he dropped her.

Blaze's wings spread wide automatically. Then she somehow managed to curve her body upwards, so that she was suddenly flying upwards in a perfectly straight line. The wind rushed past her and roared her ears, deafening her, but when she looked around all she see was the sky. Clear, blue sky panned out around her in every direction. Everything else had disappeared.

Then Blaze looked down and realized that she was actually higher up than Angel.

For one split second, Blaze was gliding through the air. Then she was falling. Falling faster than she had ever fallen before because she had never been up that high before, and she wasn't going to hit the ground.

"Blaze!" Angel shouted as he dove after her, but he wasn't fast enough.

Blaze cried out as she crashed into the water and smoke clouded her vision. Her body ached as though she had been slammed into a mountain and her insides were burning. The flames tore at her throat, but nothing came out. They were trapped within her.

Blaze tried to move against the icy current, but she couldn't remember how to swim and she couldn't tell one direction from another. Nothing was right anymore. None of it made sense.

Where was Angel?

Where was the cliff?

Where was the mansion?

Blaze didn't know. She was lost and too scared to think straight. She opened her mouth to scream. Then, finally, the flames poured out of her and her mouth was flooded with water as the current dragged her under. She didn't know what to do. She had lost sight of everything of now. Water was all that she could see now and the current was much too strong. It pushed her in every direction and the more she struggled, the worse it got. It was over. There was nothing she could do.

Blaze was never going to make it out of this. She was going to die. She was dying.

Blaze closed her eyes and smashed into something, but she didn't know what it was.

Then the water was gone and she could hear Kurt calling to her.

Kiara was in the infirmary when she woke up. She tried to move, but her body ached and it hurt too much to do so. She looked around and saw that the door had been left ajar. She could hear voices coming in from the hall:

Professor Xavier, Beast, and Angel.

They sounded worried.

Kiara turned her gaze away from the door and saw Kurt sitting in a chair next to her bed, but he wasn't paying any attention to her. His eyes were closed, but his lips were moving rapidly and he was speaking quietly.

Kiara strained her ears to hear what he was saying. Then she realized that she couldn't understand him. Kurt was speaking in German.

"What are you saying?" Kiara asked him, and her voice came out in a raspy, hushed whisper. She had taken in too much salt water.

Kurt looked up at her, startled. "Kiara," he said, smiling, "you're awake. I was just saying a prayer for you."

"You pray?" Kiara said with raised eyebrows. "I didn't know you were religious."

Kurt reached into his shirt and pulled out a tiny ornate-looking cross on a golden chain. "Catholic," he said simply.

"Nice," Kiara said, smiling. "You know, I honestly can't remember the last time I set foot in a church, but thank you for praying for me."

"Ah, Kiara, you're awake I see."

Kurt and Kiara looked up to see the others coming inside the room.

Beast was the one who had spoken.

"Yeah," Kiara said, smiling. "Yeah, I am." She gasped and cringed as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

"Stop that," Kurt told her. "You'll hurt yourself."

"I'm fine, Kurt," Kiara assured him. "Just sore, I guess."

"Just be careful, alright?" Kurt said. "You were nearly killed."

"Hence my waking up in the infirmary," Kiara said, nodding. "Makes sense."

"Kurt is right, Kiara," Professor Xavier said sternly. "Your life is not a joke, and we're all very thankful that you weren't seriously injured."

"Yes," Beast said. "We are and there's no telling what would have happened if your uniform wasn't waterproof. It didn't help much, though, seeing as you nearly drowned."

"Nearly," Kiara repeated. "How did I get out of the water? I mean, I remember being in the water and then -- it was just gone. What happened -- who got me?"

"Kurt did," Angel said, smiling. "I tried to get to you, but Kurt saw what happened and got there first."

"You saved me?" Kiara asked Kurt, looking at him.

"Of course I did," Kurt said, smiling. "What, do you think I would have just left you there?"

"No," Kiara said, smiling. "Of course not."

"Yes, well," Professor Xavier said, "I think it's fairly safe to say that you will be avoiding the ocean during your flight lessons from now on."

"Seriously?" Kiara said, laughing. "Yes, I don't want to go anywhere near that stupid cliff for as long as I live."

"That doesn't mean that you can avoid water completely," Professor Xavier reminded her. "Overcoming your fears is still a required part of your training."

"Yeah, I know," Kiara said, her smile fading.

"You were great out there today, though," Kurt told her. "Other than the drowning."

"He's right," Angel said, nodding. "You were actually flying out there for a minute or two."

"Yeah," Kiara said. "Then I panicked, crashed, and drowned. Loads of fun."

"Yeah," Angel said, frowning. "So just try to focus on landing next time."

"Right," Kiara said, nodding.

"So," Beast said. "Do you think you're well enough to go up to your room or do you want to spend the night down in here?"

"I'm fine," Kiara said. "I can go to my room, but what about the rest of my lessons?"

"Are you crazy?" Kurt said. "There's no way you can do anymore training today. It's just going to have to wait until later."

"And," Beast said when Kiara opened her mouth to protest, "you know it's not good for your powers if you take in too many liquids all at once. So you've burned yourself out for, at least, three days."

"So what am I supposed to do about my training?" Kiara asked.

"Calm down," Kurt said. "You're just going to be doing some regular lessons with the rest of us. No powers allowed."

"Oh," Kiara said, "you mean like during that game of dodge ball?"

"Yeah," Kurt said, frowning. "Like that."

"Sounds fun," Kiara said, cringing as she stood up.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Kurt asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kiara said, "but I think that uniform needs just a bit more waterproofing. That's probably why everything hurts so damn much."

"Still," Kurt said, grabbing her arm as she started to walk away from him, "I would feel better if you let me take you to your room."

"Yes," Beast said. "I, also, think that would be a good idea. Then I would suggest that you try to get as much rest as possible."

"Don't worry," Kurt told him. "I'll make sure she does."

Then he and Kiara disappeared from the room in a cloud of smoke.

The two of them landed safely on Kiara's bed.

Kurt stood up and pushed Kiara down on the bed, forcing her to lay down. He stood over her for a moment and stared down at her. She looked like she was in so much pain, but even if she was, he knew she would never admit to it. He knew she wanted him to be happy, so he wouldn't push the subject.

Kurt sighed and sat down on the floor beside her bed.

Kiara reached out and grabbed the chain that hung around Kurt's neck. She pulled the cross out his shirt. "So," she said. "Thank you for praying for me."

"You already said that," Kurt reminded her.

"You never said I was welcome," Kiara said, smiling at him.

"You're welcome," Kurt said. He reached up to take the cross from her, but found himself winding his hand around hers.

Kiara looked up at him and her eyes met his own. Then her gaze wandered to their intertwined fingers, and Kurt loosened his grip.

"Do you pray a lot?" Kiara said, pulling away from him.

"Every night," Kurt said. "I used with my parents to church a lot in Germany, but I don't have a lot time for that here. I still read my Bible a lot, though."

Kiara nodded and rolled over onto a her back. She stared up at the ceiling as an uneasy silence settled over the room.

"Kiara," Kurt said after a moment. "About the dance --"

"What about the dance?" Kiara said without looking at him.

Kurt hesitated. He knew that the topic irritated her because she always avoided talking about it with him, but he had to keep his promise.

"Well," Kurt said, "I know you don't want to go --"

"Then why are we talking about it?" Kiara asked him.

"Will you just let me finish?" Kurt said, scowling. "Please?"

"I'm sorry," Kiara sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just that that's all Rogue and Kitty ever talk about now, and Kitty doesn't even have a date yet." She smiled at him miserably. "I think they're trying to annoy me into going with you guys."

"Kiara," Kurt said, ignoring her last statement. "What if you and I went to the dance?"

"You and me?" Kiara said, her smile fading as she sat up on the bed. "You mean, like, together? Like date?"

"Nein," Kurt said quickly. "Nein. Just as friends, that's all."

"Oh," Kiara said, laying back down. "As friends."

"Yeah," Kurt said, nodding. "Just as friends."

"I don't know, Kurt," Kiara said, looking at him. "I mean, Rogue and Kitty never shut up about us as it is. Don't you think that will just make it worse?"

"Look," Kurt said, "the dance isn't for another two weeks. So just think about it, okay?"

Kiara sighed and said, "Yeah, okay. I'll think about it, I guess. I'll think about it."

"Good," Kurt said. "Because I promised the others I would ask you --"

"Wait," Kiara said, sitting up. "What?"

Kurt stared at her, confused. "What?" he said, getting to his feet as she stood up.

"You promised the others you would ask me?" Kiara repeated as the fire suddenly flared up within her.

"Yes," Kurt said. "So?"

"So," Kiara scoffed, "that's the only reason why you're asking me? You don't even want to go with me -- you're only asking me because you promised the others that you would?"

Kurt stared at her for a moment. "Nein," he said. "Nein. That's not the only reason why --"

"Get out," Kiara said, pointing to her to door as the fire within her grew stronger. "Now. Get out now."

"Kiara --" Kurt said.

"Get out!" Kiara shouted at him.

Kurt stared at her, hurt and confused. He wasn't exactly sure what he had done wrong. All he knew was that he had hurt her feelings. Offended her, somehow, and now she didn't want to talk him.

Kurt nodded silently and teleported out of the room.