One Thousand Paper Cranes--------------- Chapter # 4







Lance looked out at the rain, he hated days like this. "Stuck in the house, and with those two" he thought miserably, turning slightly to watch Toad and Fred fight over what to watch.

He grumbled again dragging himself off the arm of the chair and went into the kitchen to get a glass of milk.

Glancing at the calender as he drank, "a whole month till the Pine Gates festival" he thought. He'd actually managed to get two tickets for the show, Lance smirked remembering his conversation with Mystique a few days ago, "HA she damned me to hell and back for buying them, even forbid me to go....well damn me all you want, the festival only comes once in a lifetime and I'll be damned before I miss it "

He walked out on to the porch at the front of the old house, the overhang kept the area dry and out here he didn't have to listen to the others bickering.

He flopped down on the dusty brown sofa that adorned the porch and stared out at the rain.

"Hmph, somebody must'a killed a spider" he snorted remembering the old superstition. He was starting to doze off when a blur shot down the street catching his attention.

He watched as the blur slowed and became recognizable as .....

"Pietro?" He looked skeptically at the thin boy " What are you doing out here?, where were you?" Lance asked as Pietro dashed up the stairs , he was soaked , clutching a book to his chest in a vain attempt to keep it dry.

"I went to the library!" He answered quickly.

Lance cocked his head, " You went to the library on the wettest day of the year, must of been some book as I recall you hate getting wet"

"Your right , I do" Pietro said , spinning rapidly until he was dry, he looked over at Lance who was glaring at him as water dripped from his bangs . "Sorry" Pietro shrugged running into the house .

Lance sighed "so much for staying dry", he went out into the rain to find some mud puddle with which to amuse himself lease his day be a total waste.



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Pietro shut the door to his room, throwing his wet clothes in a heap on the floor he quickly donned a sweater and a pair of jogging pants before sitting cross legged on his bed. Lifting up a pillow he pulled out a battered old picture of a young girl.

"Wanda" he said sadly. He sat the picture aside and with lonely whimper picked up the book and began to read.

He had been reading for about an hour , when a loud knock on the door pulled his attention away from his task. Rouge walked in before he could respond to her knocking , Pietro didn't know weather to be annoyed by her invasion or not .

"I'm looking for my disk man" Rouge stated

"Well it's not here!" Pietro said , his voice cracking .

Rouge turned to look at him, "Pietro, are you crying ?" She asked sitting down on the bed.

"No!......I'm..just....no!" Pietro attempted

What are you reading?"

Pietro handed her the book, "It's Sadako and the 1000 paper cranes"

Rouge looked at the cover , "what's it about?"

"A girl...in Japan .....................who gets cancer........."

"Ahh" Rouge said her eyes softening "this is about Kurt"

"I thought he might like to read it" Pietro said.

Rouge was silent for a moment then she noticed the picture, "who's that?"

"That's Wanda,......she was ....my twin sister"

"Was?"

"She died from cancer when we were young........she was the prettiest ....girl in...the whole wide...world ". Rouge noticed tears forming in Pietro's eyes as he looked down at the portrait, she could see his throat quivering slightly.

"What about the paper cranes ?" she asked to change the subject.

"Huh?" Pietro looked up at her.

"The tile says Sadako and the 1000 paper cranes, what's the deal with the cranes?"

" It says that if a person can make 1000 paper cranes that they will be given one wish," Pietro choked.

Rouge slid off the bed, and sat next to the sobbing boy, "His memories must be terribly painful, I don't think I've ever seen Pietro cry so hard" she wrapped an arm around his waist.

"My sister believed the story, she tried to do it.......but 1000 is a lot of cranes to make ....." Pietro closed his eyes and the tears spilled down his cheeks , Rouge pulled him close to her , letting him lay his head on her shoulder, she was grateful she'd worn a long sleeve shirt today.

Pietro pulled back after a few minutes, wiping his eyes and smiling faintly at Rouge . He picked up a piece of paper and a pair of scissors.

Rouge watched as he cut the paper into a square then bent it in various ways. "Amazing!" she gasped as Pietro handed her a small paper crane.

"Wanna help I can teach you?" he asked

"But why....?"

"I'm gonna give Kurt ahead start on his wish" For the rest of the night until almost dawn, Rouge and Pietro sat creating the small birds from the bright paper.

By the time they stopped they had 64 made.

"Well here's his head start "Pietro yawned before collapsing.



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Kurt smiled as he and the Professor made their way to the hospital, he was so glad to finally get out of the house. He'd been stuck in bed for most of the week, until last night when he had convinced the Professor that the couch was practically the same thing as a bed , and thus he could easily watch a movie with the others, while still obeying the doctors orders.

Now however he couldn't help fidget in the car, he was so full of energy. He'd be glad when this was over and he could start doing things again.

"Professor are ve there yet?" he asked

"Almost Kurt,...you seem anxious" the Professor commented.

"I finally get out of the house!" Kurt exclaimed "Thank god, I vanna go back to school, and to the theater....I vanna eat cheeseburgers till I puke...I vanna....I vanna live again!" Kurt shouted

The Professor nodded as the car pulled up in front of the hospital. Kurt followed closely behind the Professor as they entered. Moira was waiting for them when they arrived and took them into her office immediately.

"Please Kurt, have a seat" she said as she took one herself.

"How has your week been ?" she asked him

"....Good ...a...little boring.....but it was nice to be back home "

"Of course..." Moira aid biting her bottom lip. "Kurt.. I can't think of anyway to say this.....so I'm just going to have to say it......I got the results from your tests back......."

"That's great!" Kurt said "Now you can fix me and I can go home !"

"Kurt!" The Professor cut him off, there was an urgency in his voice that made Kurt uneasy.

"You can treat it can't you?" Kurt asked in a small voice.

Moira's eyes brimmed with tears,"........No honey........we can't treat it.......I'm sorry"

"NO!!!!, Professor!!!!!!" Kurt wailed hugging the Professor tightly "I don't vanna die Professor I don't vanna die !!!!"

Xavier held the young boy in his arms. "Is there nothing you can do?" he asked Moira using his mental powers.

"We are scheduling chemotherapy sessions him Charles,.....But it will only prolong his life .....not save it " She thought back to him.

"How long ?"

"The size of the tumor is the equivalent of having a baseball putting pressure on his brain, it's hard to say how long . He could live three weeks or three years , depending on how fast and what it damages as it grows.

"Damages ...what is going to happen to him"Xavier asked .

Moira gave a mental sigh " Loss of coordination, balance basic motor skills, speech possibly even blindness." Xavier nodded numbly.

"Come on Kurt, it's time to go home " The Professor nudged the small form in his arms.

"I'll send the prescription list to you when it's ready" Moira softly called to him.

Turning the car out of the lot Storm's eyes filled with tears as the Professor ,mentally told her the news.

"Oh Professor, " She thought back. Her heart went out to the small boy tucked close in the Professor's arms sobbing softly



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"It's like my turn!" Kitty said taking the remote from Evan and seating herself on the couch.

Scott was watching them from the window , when he heard the car pull up in the drive .

"Guys! Their back" he called , walking briskly to the door.

Logan reached the entrance first, he opened the door and as he did Kurt walked slowly through .

"Kurt!" Scott smiled , Kurt took another slow step forward. Scott's smile vanished when he noticed Kurt's red tear rimmed eyes.

"Kurt?" Jean asked.

"AAAAARRRAAGHGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kurt screamed, pushing past Scott, he covered his face and ran upstairs to his room.

Storm and the Professor presently came in.

Logan gave the Professor a look that seem to say "I know your gonna tell what's going on right?"

Xavier put his hands over his face.

"Professor?" Scott and the others crept towards him.

"He has a brain tumor....it can't be operated on ......" He buried his face in to his hands once again "They can't save him.......................only prolong his life ...."



Scott sank to his knees, it was like he was suddenly in a far away place. He was vaguely aware of Jean and Kitty crying in the room, of Evan hugging Storm and of the Professor gripping his shoulder, but all was seemingly lost to him as he began his descent into insanity.







To be continued................