I woke up stiffly and dragged myself down the stairs, not even bothering to glance at my reflection. I knew I looked like a mess, but I didn't care anymore. I just cared about surviving. The adamantium was poisoning me at an alarming rate, I thought, and most likely it was due to my small size and possibly my age as well. I didn't want to give up. I wouldn't. But I couldn't fight my own body....

I stumbled down to the kitchen, actually having to eat something. I usually could go for weeks without a bite before getting too hungry, but this time my stomach woke me up and I had go to the kitchen to eat.

I sat down in the chair, looking at the plate in front of me and taking my fork. I stabbed moodily at my food. My eyes roamed around the table, looking at all the individual faces, lingering to glare at Hayden, then finally back down to my plate. I got up abruptly and went out the door without another word or glance.

Of course, just letting me leave wouldn't be good enough for whatever prankster was pulling the strings in my life. No. I had to suffer more. Can you just hear the bitterness in my voice?

Before I got to the door, another coughing fit hit me and I dropped to my knees, hitting the floor with my fists as the coughs wracked my frail body. I could hardly breath through the coughs and this one was longer than the one from yesterday.

Not to mention that within two seconds everyone was gathered around me, cutting off my air. I couldn't say anything, could hardly move through the coughs that shook my body. I was still on my knees, my hands clenched tightly into fists as my lungs burned from all the hacking and wheezing I was doing. I finally stopped and weakly shoved myself to my feet, ignoring everyone's protests for me to rest. I would have none of it. I waved off their protests with the same words I always used, 'I'm fine. Don't worry about me.'

"Luna, how can you expect us to not worry about you? You just about coughed up a lung just now!" the ever compassionate Sam said.

I just pushed past them, eyes down, leader mask on. Nobody was going to see my pain. I couldn't bear the look in their eyes. Sam grabbed my arm roughly before I could get away and jerked me towards him. He pulled me off my feet and I stood back up.

"Let me go, Sam. I'll walk." I said.

He just stared at me, then dropped my arm and walked the opposite way. I stalked off through the kitchen doors and went to my room, curling up under the covers. I could feel the poison burning in my body. It was killing me slowly, taking its time. I wasn't near as strong as Logan and I knew it. He could take poison a few more days, weeks maybe. I couldn't. I gave myself until the day after tomorrow, but that was it. I knew that any longer and I would slit my own throat. Morbid, yes. Stupid, you betcha. Did I care? No sirree. I closed my eyes and slept until morning the next day, twitching in pain and discomfort.

***********************************************************************************

The next day was so much worse I don't know how I lived through it.

Yes, I managed to survive it.

I dragged myself out of bed and down the stairs, tossing on whatever I pulled out of my closet. The pain had heated up during the night and I clenched my teeth at it. It was somehow worse than what Creed had done to me. But I didn't complain. Not one bit. I sucked it up and walked into the kitchen.

I sat down (O.K., so I dropped into my chair, you try being poisoned and see how you like it.) beside Wolvie and he took in my appearance with worried eyes. My usual glare to Hayden and he shifted uncomfortably. Good, I scared him. He deserved it, putting me through this. I ate my breakfast and then shifted my eyes towards my team. They peered back at me, worried. I sighed slightly and looked at Scott. "So, what's on the agenda for today?" I knew that he wouldn't let a little thing like someone being poisoned ruin his training schedule. At least, I hoped it wouldn't.

He took a sip of coffee before answering. "Danger Room." he said finally. Jean shot him a look and he lifted an eyebrow. Great, now they're arguing... I thought somewhat guiltily.

I nodded, unsure if he saw it, then looked at my team. "Right. So while they're doin' their thing, we're gonna run today." I said.

Objections flew. "I'm not runnin' and leavin' you!" and the like. I shut them up with a quick whistle.

"Y'all ain't runnin' without me!" I snapped. "I'm gonna be runnin' as well so quit yer whinin'."

Sam looked like he was about to object, so I took a patient breath and looked at him. "You're in no condition ta run!" he said. "Ya can't hardly stand as it is!"

"Sam, I believe myself ta be capable of runnin' with my team, thank you." I cut him off. He looked like he was about to start yelling.

He did start yelling. "Luna, yer too tired! Why are you so dang stubborn! Yer not gonna make it runnin' out there!" He was yelling real loud, but I could yell much louder and he had perked my temper.

"Blast it Sam, I'm runnin' with y'all and that's that!" I yelled, standing up abruptly, slamming my hands down on the table and knocking my chair over. He calmly looked at me.

"No." he said finally.

My eyebrows shot up. "No? Whaddaya mean 'no'?"

"I mean no. I'm not about ta let you kill yerself out there, Luna. So either you run without me, or you don't run." He crossed his arms defiantly over his chest and looked at me.

"Fine." I shrugged. "Don't run. I ain't quittin', that's fer dang sure." I said, already headed for the door.

My team (Sam excluded) followed me shortly afterwards and we set off, me ignoring the pain and reveling in running again. I flew over the track, glancing back at my team to see them keeping pace quite nicely. I was shocked to see Sam running after a few laps, but decided not to press the issue. They made me stop after five laps, and I agreed. We walked a few, then went back inside to see the X-Men still seated at the table. I had thought that we'd been out there long enough for them to leave. They should have already left, which could only mean one thing. There was a talk/lecture coming soon.

I was somewhat right.

It was more of a one-sided talk, really. Jean started off by asking me if I was tired or anything. I shook my head, ignoring the pain that flared up in my body. Logan, chewing on an unlit cigar, asked if I could feel the poison accelerate any, again I halfway lied and shook my head. It went on like this, them asking nosy questions, me giving half-answers. If I wanted anyone to know, I'd tell them. Didn't they get that?!

Nope. They kept on bombarding me with questions, then my team joined in. I was being interrogated on all sides. My whiskers twitched slightly and that was the only warning I had. I bolted abruptly, dashing outside and hitting the grass around the track before erupting into another coughing fit. It rocked me to my knees and I spat blood out of my mouth. It's getting worse! I thought. My stomach and lungs felt like they were on fire, and my chest hurt from all the coughing.

This one was the longest, lasting for fifteen minutes. Everyone was worried about me, but they couldn't help me with this. I had to struggle through this alone.

I coughed and fell to the ground further, my knees slipping out from under me. I was crying, only slightly, by now from the pain. I pitched forward and fell on my face in the grass. I was already unconscious by the time they picked me up.

**********************************************************************************

Falling unconscious outside and then waking up in a lab is never a good thing, especially not for me. I tend to... panic. Just slightly.

I blinked my bleary eyes open and stared at the blank white ceiling above me. I twitched my whiskers, confused, then decided that finding out where I was would probably be a very smart thing to do.

That would be when I screamed.

After I screamed would be when people started running to see why I had screamed. I was already out of the metal bed by the time they hit the door. I looked wildly around me, trying to get my bearings. I breathed slightly easier when I saw that it was only Hank's lab. I was safe, relatively.

But I was still in a lab and I was on edge. I paced back and forth, acutely aware that my exit had been blocked. I nervously ran my fingers through my fur, spiking it slightly at the top with one hand. The other hand nervously grasped the dogtag around my neck. I continued to pace, waiting for them to speak.

"Luna, it's alright. You are perfectly safe." Dr. Hank tried to assure me. I only nodded, still nervously pacing. "Luna, are you alright? What is troubling you so? Besides the obvious reason." He gestured around the room.

"Yer blockin' the door." I said, stopping to look at all the people crowding it.

Hank nodded. "I see. And that is making you feel threatened and ill at ease, correct?"

I nodded again.

Hank motioned for the people clustered around the door to move, clearing the exit. I breathed easier, but didn't step towards it. I just wanted the option of running if I had to. I sat back down on the bed.

Several looong minutes ticked by and I was getting restless. I shifted slightly on the bed, then gave up fighting sleep and curled up, letting my eyes close. Sleep meant no pain....

And I needed no pain.... Right?

***********************************************************************************

I woke up the next day in my own bed. I looked around, then caught my reflection in the mirror.

I looked horrible. My eyes were lifeless and sunken in. I was extremely pale and my cheeks were gaunt and hollow. I was extremely thin. My fur was dirty and and out of place. I looked awful.

I got up with a stifled moan and stumbled to the shower. I turned the warm water on and undresses, letting the water flow down my aching body. I watched the dirt and some dried blood that I had missed slowly swirl down the drain, grabbed some soap and shampoo, and slowly cleaned myself, making sure not to move too fast lest my body jerk in pain. Finally I was clean, so I stepped out of the shower, toweled myself off, brushed my teeth, and pulled some clothes on. I looked again in the mirror. Better. I approved with a slight nod.

I walked slowly down the stairs to the kitchen, pausing to move out of the way of the stampeding herd of boys as they thundered noisily down the stairs. I rolled my golden eyes and continued on my way, finally reaching the kitchen.

Everyone looked up when I walked (trying not to stagger) in, then sat down (heavily) in a chair. I pulled a plate closer to me and ate, careful to keep my eyes on my plate. My body was now demanding food and I couldn't deny it long. I finished and sat back, waiting for the conversation to begin.

"Hey, darlin'." Wolvie came in, looked almost surprised at me, and sat down.

I mumbled a "G'mornin'." and tipped my chair back, leaning it against the wall. I waited.

And then the conversations all died completely. I looked up to see what had everyone so quiet. The hairs on the back of my neck lifted and I pulled my lips back in a snarl, a growl sounding low in my throat.

Frost was back. Again.

She strode into the room, heels clicking on the floor. She looked at me, sniffed haughtily, and sat down as far away from me as possible. The Professor looked almost surprised to see her. I didn't stop growling. I had a perfectly good reason to hate this woman. She broke into my mind for crying out loud!

She merely looked over in my direction, rolled her eyes (the priss), and started talking. I just got up and left, not listening to a word she said.

I staggered up the stairs and lay panting at the top. I couldn't go on like this. My body was on fire from the poison in it. If my healing factor didn't come back soon, I wasn't gonna last. I could hardly move, so I just lay there, face down, not moving a muscle.

I don't know how long I was there, fighting the pain and trying to block it. I slowly got into a sitting position and crossed my legs. I needed meditation, to cleanse my soul. Sounds odd, right? Well, it kinda was.

Anyways, I got into a deep trance and my breathing had slowed so much that it probably looked like I wasn't, in Sam's defense.

What happened? you ask. Well, let's just say that Sam saw me, apparently not breathing, and screamed (O.K., so it wasn't a scream. It was more like a yell or shout.) for Dr. Hank that I wasn't breathin'. Of course, Logan was fast on getting up the stairs, but by that time I had been yanked out of my trance. I looked crossly at Sam.

"I ain't dead, ya ninny." I snapped, sore that I had been disturbed.

"But you... you weren't breathin'... and I...." Poor Sam couldn't even get a sentence out.

Logan chuckled. "No, she was breathin'. Just real slow-like, like I taught her. She was meditatin' Sam. Didn't ya see her legs crossed and eyes closed?"

"I wasn't looking! I was worried about her apparent lack of air!" Sam tried to defend himself.

I laughed softly. "Sam, it's alright. Go tell Hank that I'm fine before he has kittens or somethin'." And off Sam went.

I rolled my eyes and again crossed my legs and closed my eyes, breathing deeply. I cracked an eye open. "Hey Wolvie?"

He grunted. Guess that means go ahead.

"I don't suppose..." I choked on my words, this was kinda embarrassing, "you would mind..." Gag. "carrying me to the roof?" There I said it. I'm not sayin' it again! Somebody strangle me.

He picked me up carefully and I leaned into his warm chest. He smelled so good.... like pine trees or something. The little creep (Hayden, who else?) had taken my smell, so I couldn't identify all the scents. We got up to the roof and he set me down. I managed to halfway crawl to the edge, where I once again crossed my legs and closed my eyes, breathing slow and deep. I cast away all my troubles and worries and just concentrated on the rhythm of my heart, melting into my mind. I didn't think of anything, just focused on my heartbeat, the wind ruffling my fur slightly. I needed to get my thoughts in order, to fight off the pain. I stayed motionless for I don't know how long, not speaking, not moving, just breathing.

I finally opened my eyes to the setting sun. I'd been out here all day, although it only seemed like a few minutes. Wolvie was sitting next to me and when I stirred, he looked at me. I slowly turned my head to meet his gaze. "Better?" he said softly.

I nodded. "A bit." I said, giving a feral grin. I tried to stand up, curse my stubbornness (and bad luck), slipped slightly, and rolled off the roof. I gave a squeak of surprise, shutting my eyes for the inevitable, and sudden, stop.

It didn't come. I slowly opened my eyes to see that Logan had my hand and was holding on. I breathed a sigh of relief and grabbed his other hand, swaying lightly. I swung my feet to the house and walked up it, finally reaching the roof again. It probably only took about two minutes, but it felt like ten.

"Thanks." I panted when I reached the roof. "That coulda hurt... a lot."

He grunted something and I slowly stood up, heart still beating like crazy. He helped me to my feet, making sure I didn't fall again, and we went back inside, me to my room, him.... elsewhere.

I collapsed in bed and slept, whimpering from half-forgotten nightmares and dreams of Weapon X. I slept for two days straight, completely forgetting about the court date and the fact that it was only a few days away.