A/N Don't own X-Men. Ave Maria is an all around usable song I think, because it is a prayer too, but if it does belong to some person who feels the need to sue, I don't own it either. It's just going to be incorporated somewhere in here, not like the other chapters. Also, sorry it took me so long to update, but my weeks have been BOOKED, so I've been trying to get to this the best I can. But, I'm still open to any song suggestions you may have! REALLY! Don't be shy now! BTW, 'Unwell' is by Matchbox 20 and 'Quasimodo' is by Lifehouse ^_^' Sorry I didn't mention that before.
Chapter III: Ave Maria
His eyes stuck slightly with the sleep crusting the sides of his eyelids, finding that the morning had past because the afternoon sun angle was directly on his face. He turned over on his side, feeling something was missing from the presence of the room. Indeed, something was wrong, for as he sat up out of the light he came to noticed that Victoria was not where she had been before. In fact, she was no where to be seen within eyesight, so without worry he grabbed his jacket and transported up to the top level. When he walked about, peeking around all the vertical beams, he found nothing, becoming almost worried when he realized she was gone. The thought did past his mind that she had just left, but why would she? She was fine here, so why would she just go back out to get hurt again? Then, in an instant, he recalled that not everyone was stable in their sleep as he was, and might actually have fallen off. Kurt jumped back down to the ledge below, staring off to the ground in praying he would not find something as terrible as his imagination could burrow in his mind. Luckily, but unfortunately, he didn't find anything there, the dust as settled in the wooden floor as it had always been.
But something else was there. It was a golden streak, illuminating the ground in a sparkle as a soft, chilling breeze kicked up. He jumped when he heard a bang coming from the entrance, appearing to be where the light came from. Something else was there as well, lying there limply with a small dark pool collecting to the side of it. Stepping down quietly, he approached it slowly, not quite sure what it was at first. But as he got close, seeing the ravaged bandaged face, he walked faster, almost in a run as he kneeled down beside her, finding that that dark pool was nothing other than blood.
He lifted her head up, shaking her slightly in trying to get her open her eye. In a moment, it became a slit in her consciousness, wording something that he couldn't quite understand at first. Of course, it became obvious as he gave more attention to his hearing, rather than his worry.
"Help...me..." she pleaded, her eye rolling back and forth in her head in trying to stay awake.
Kurt lifted her up, one arm under her knees and another on her shoulders, and warped up to where his bed was, putting her there gently. He helped prop her head up slightly so it wouldn't get thrashed back if she moved, looking at his hand afterward to find it was covered in blood as well. Her hair was matted wet, and he wondered what could have happened to her. In this moment, of course, he had no idea what he had to do, and hopefully the priest coming in today would not be late. He might know something, but until that time he had to do whatever he could to stop the bleeding at least.
"Wictoria, can you tell me vere it hurts? Vere it's numb anyvere?"
"My...my neck..." she said weakly, trying to turn her head to the side. He leaned from where he was kneeling to the side, brushing aside her hair to find the hole in the back of her neck. It bled through the bandages but didn't seem like it went too deep, though he didn't want to take any chances. He grabbed a small blanket to the side, clean enough to put on it, and wrapped it softly around her neck. Trying to grab more to stuff in front of it, her soaked hair kept falling over it, and it was frustrating to come back to it and find it had swung over like that. Finally he pulled it, getting it over her shoulder...
But with it, pulled all of her hair off, including her hat. His eyes widened in horror, not even seeing what had happened at the top of her head as he stared just at the loc of hair in his fingers. He fell back from where he was kneeling, throwing the hair to the side as it smacked the wooden floor and splattered sickeningly over the beams and a three foot radius.
"K-Kurt...?" she choked, Kurt still staring at the grotesque sight to the side. "How...bad...is it...?"
"F-fine..." he fibbed, still trying to be comforting in his consciousness with the state of shock the rest of him was in.
He suddenly heard a breath of a laugh, Victoria sighing in deep. "You're lying..."
He sat there, hesitating, and nodded his head, soon putting his head in his hands. Kurt didn't know what to say, for he didn't want to lower her hope and increase her doubt, but what else could he do? At least he could be honest. "Yeah..."
Kurt looked up, hearing the entrance door creak open loudly. Gazing down, he saw the priest step in, stepping in the pool of blood as he questioned what it was. Kurt jumped off, landing on his feet as he always did and rushing over to him, waving his hands furiously to get him to come.
"Fazer, zere's someone here, she's hurt!" he exclaimed quickly, the priest not quite catching what he said.
"Wait, wait, hold on there now. Who's hurt?" he stared up at Kurt's hands, noticing the blood from the light. "What happened here?"
"It's like zis. I found her vay up at ze top of ze church, I talked to her for a while, gave her new clothes and zen she fell asleep. I did also, but ven I voke up she vasn't zere. Ven I looked to see if ze door vas open from her leaving, I found her lying in zat puddle you see on ze ground." He took a deep breath from the one he had just used then. "Fazer, do you know anyzing in ze medical field?"
"I know some things," he replied. "Maybe I could help. But why didn't you just call 911, my son?"
He looked down at the floor, finally realizing his hands were up and putting them to his sides. "Because, Fazer, she's...not like most of ze world..."
"Oh, I see...Well, where is she?" he asked, and Kurt pointed up to his bed on the beams. The priest climbed after Kurt rushed up there, walking across and finding that Kurt had his head turned away from the sight. He tapped Kurt on the shoulder, understanding how he felt and walked over to the bed, kneeling down. He inspected the back of her neck, seeing what could and could not be done. To him, it didn't appear too bad, seeing on how it was just a minor flesh wound. But the dirty bandages did pose as a threat for infection, so he asked Kurt to get a pale or bowl of water and some clean sheets that may pose as a substitute. He did what he was told without hesitation, coming back a few minutes later and handing it to him but still keeping his eyes diverted from Victoria's head.
When all was finished and the priest had tried his best to stop the bleeding, he stood up, walking over to where he had noticed the scalp of hair and knew it was not a scalp at all, for the top of her head had been wrapped cleanly as well. He knew now of what she was a mutant, but he questioned whether Kurt knew or not, and whether he knew it had just been a wig he pulled off.
The priest kneeled down in front of where just was sitting, holding the still drenched hair in his hands. Kurt winced, still feeling awful for what he had done, and his stomach trying so hard not to turn. But as the priest turned it around, showing that it was just a black wig, he somehow felt better.
"You thought it was real hair, didn't you?" he asked, and Kurt nodded. "Well, as you see, it's not, and in fact her whole head was wrapped to begin with."
"How is she?" he asked.
"It was actually just skin deep, which makes me wonder where the rest of this blood came from. But, whatever it may be, that neck wound did make her lose a lot of her blood, so I'm afraid she won't be able to move much for a few weeks. Her speech may be a bit difficult to understand for a few days as well."
"Zat's alright, as long as she vill be fine."
"Yes, she will be," he said, taking the wig to put it in the trash but continuing as he began to climb down. "But be glad you found her when you did, my son, for she might not have last another day."
Kurt stalled for a moment, but soon slid over to her side, Victoria staring in the corner of her eye but unable to move it towards him from where it was facing directly up. Her head was now wrapped in a blue sheet, with her one eye looking out again in a hurtful way.
"Did you see...?" she asked quietly, and he raised an eyebrow.
"Did I see vhat?" he inquired.
"Did you see....me...?"
He gazed on in wonder, shaking his head. She smiled, her cheekbone rising to tell him she did this. Victoria questioned if the priest had told him, and he said he hadn't. She nodded her head, sighing.
"Then you will never have to..."
"Have to vhat? See who you are?" he questioned, taking her limped hand hanging off the side. "Wictoria, do not be ashamed of vhat you are, because all zat matters is vhat you are on ze inside."
"But..." she began, gazing blanking to the ceiling, "what I am...is what caused this..."
"I don't understand," he said, and her hand began to get feeling, weakly squeezing his hand with her fingers.
All of the sudden, she began sitting up, reaching up with her other hand to her head. She took the loosely tide flap tucked at the side and began unwrapping it. As she did this, though, he couldn't see where her head started at the top, and when the sheet was off and she put it behind her neck, his eyes widened in seeing the whole picture. The fact was he could see right through her, down to where it bleed on the sheet, and just a crackled face hovering there. He could even see past the collar of her coat from where the bandages were removed. But her face, with the dried color of mud and cracks like puzzle pieces scaling her face evenly, rounded like it was part of a head, but stopped before it reached the ears. Her one eye was blue as he had seen before, but her other eye was dark, almost a black orb with nothing more but white around it. Victoria's frail lips parted a smile, her eyes still meaningful even though they were different.
"You know, I used to be able to get away with just cover the top and back of my head because my face was a normal color, but when they started those experiments...I became what you see now."
"Experiments?" he asked.
"Yes...I can't quite remember what they were, but I do remember having something done that made me into this..." She looked over to him, tears in her eyes. "And now you know...You see...what I am..."
He smiled, nodding his head. "And now I've seen all of you. Both who you are and vhat you are seem great to me, to tell you the truth."
"Really? You mean I could be a lot worse, right?" she twitched a smile.
"No, vell, I mean you could, but you don't look bad. In fact, zat invisibility could be very handy. Is everyzing zat is wrapped invisible?"
"Everything but my face," she replied. "Though, if I wanted to, I could make that disappear as well."
"See? Handiness already! You can get in and out of situations at vill! No one vill ever have to know you're zere! I mean, I stick out like a soar zumb, but vith you, who needs an entrance? You'll already be zere and out before anyone knows it!"
"That's the problem..." she whispered, gaping up again at the ceiling.
"But I zought you didn't vant to be noticed," he pointed out.
"No...I don't..." She lifted her head again, her hand shaking a bit more as she wrapped her head again, tucking it in securely. Kurt still didn't understand what she was trying to say, but could not ask her further because a moment later her eyes rolled back in her head, falling unconscious. He tap her hand once and checked her pulse before he put it back up on her stomach, sitting down on the floor and propping his back against the bed frame. Reaching into his pocket, he took out his bible, holding it there for a second as he thought. He realized it would be awhile before he got his bed back, but he hadn't quite thought where else he could sleep. Maybe one of the benches on the ground floor? Not exactly the most important subject he could come up with right then, but it was one of them. The only other topic that was of any importance to him right now was the fact if she'd be okay. She didn't seem well now, and with the colder weeks approaching he questioned whether she'd get any better at all.
Opening his book from where he left off, he decided to flip forward to the psalms where there might be something on patience. For all he could do was sit and wait.
***
The days went by, and still Victoria did not wake. It scared him sometimes to wake up, go up there and find her lying there so still, almost as if she had died many times over. Kurt checked her pulse, and it was fine; faint, but still able to feel in her wrists and her neck. Eventually he just decided to stay up next to her, making sure that if she woke up she'd have someone there. It was nearing the late days of December now, a few days before the twenty-fifth actually, and he was hoping she'd awake before then so she could listen to Christmas mass. Every year it was a beautiful sermon, and if she had been living on the streets for most of her life she had probably never been to any holiday occasion before. Or at least, even if she didn't wake up before then, she wouldn't have to spend Christmas or New Years alone again.
One day he took her hand, checking her pulse as he always did, but this time getting a responds. Her hand grabbed onto his, her eye slowly fluttering open with her head turning to face him. She smiled softly, Kurt doing the same in seeing she was fine.
"How long have I been asleep?" she asked, yawning slightly.
"Several days, in fact," he chuckled, and she raised an eyebrow.
"Several days? Really? My, I must've been tied...Well, what day is it?"
"It is ze twenty-second. It's been snowing for many days, if you're wondering vhy it's so cold."
"Of course, it is winter after all," she said. She let go of his hand, holding her arms up in trying to sit up. Failing at that, she sighed, just lying back and shutting her eyes in her tiredness. "So...it's almost Christmas then?"
He nodded. "Yes, and six days after zat is New Years."
"Oh..."she said, almost dreadfully.
Kurt frowned in inquiry. "Vhat is it?"
"It's just...I heard you had to give a present to those you knew, and I don't have anything to give you. I'm sorry..."
He laughed. "No, it's alright! Christmas isn't exactly about giving presents, you know. Most importantly it's about ze birth of Christ, but it's also about being happy and sharing time vith your friends and family."
"Then...am I your friend?" she asked.
"Of course!" he proclaimed. "If you veren't, vould I be so vorried about you all ze time?"
"You're worried?" she said, an odd look of question on her face.
"Yes. Vhy, do you think I do zis all for my humane side?" he asked, and she stared, Kurt shaking his head. "Don't answer zat question."
She laughed, coughing slightly because of it. Victoria turned her head back straight, hesitating for a minute to think. Finally, she came up with it.
"Kurt, do you know Ave Maria?"
"Yes, I have both zat and the prayer memorized."
"Can I ask you a favor then?"
He stared, starting to understand what she was getting at. "You don't vant me to sing it. I'm not a wery good singer to begin vith."
"Please? I've only heard it once when I was very little and I loved that song. Please, just once?"
"Vell...I suppose I could." He cleared his throat, singing a low note to where it started off as, and then began to sing...
"Ave Maria
Gratia Plena
Dominus tecum, Benedicta tu
In mulieribus
Et benedictus
Fructus ventris tuae
Jesus
Santa Maria
Santa Maria, Maria
Ora pro nobis
Nobis peccatoribus
Nunc et in hora
Mortis nostrae
Amen, Amen"
She smiled, Kurt shrugged. "Told you I couldn't sing."
"At least you tried...I wouldn't be able to open my mouth up with a note, let alone sing. But...you said you knew the prayer?"
He nodded. "Vould you like me to recite it to you?"
"Will you? I mean, I'll say it with you so you won't feel so weird by yourself," she stated.
"You know ze Hail Mary prayer?" he asked.
"Yes. I lived in another church for awhile...up until they found me out..."
"Alright..." She held out her hand, needing comfort in her increasing numbness in the back of her neck. Victoria was afraid she'd pass out again and if she did she was afraid she wouldn't wake up again. Kurt could understand this without even asking, and tried to make the best of the situation. As they both began to speak, Victoria's voice became choppy, almost a gurgle, but continued on talking. "Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with thee; Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinner..." Kurt stopped, remembering the rest of it a second before Victoria continued on. "...now and at the hour of our death..."
Victoria coughed when she finished, clasping his hand tighter. He sighed, knowing fully why she wanted to hear it. Kurt put a hand on her forehead, Victoria breathing in deep to stop her coughs. She shut her eyes, rolling her head over as she blinked.
"You should get some sleep. You still are not vell."
"I guess..." she said, keeping her eyes shut but still not letting go of his hand.
Kurt stood up, continuing, "Vell, if you need anyzing just give holler-" He stopped, thinking he could just slip his hand away and climb down, but it did not happen. Instead, she held onto his hand tight, Kurt looking back to find her staring up at him, the saddest expression written in her eyes.
"Please don't go," she said quickly. "I...don't want to be alone...Just one day, that's all I ask! Just sit there and...just be there..."
He smiled softly, sitting down again and nodding his head. Kurt put her hand back up on her stomach, Victoria finally letting go. "Wery vell. I'll stay if you like."
"Thank you Kurt. I promise I won't say anything to keep you up!"
"But if you really do need anyzing just ask, alright?" he said, and she nodded, facing her head to the ceiling and sighing in relief. He sat back and laid down on his side, taking a while to get comfortable on the floor but eventually finding peace to fall asleep.
The church was silent for a time, both in their sound slumber. However, as a sudden breeze came from the entrance door swinging open, the flames of the chandelier candles went out, the area going dark. A figure moved in the shadows, another leisurely appearing a moment later. The first one came up to the upper beams as if it knew exactly where they were, taking out a bottle from it's coat and a cloth, pouring the liquid in it on the center of the cloth. As it got close, it reached out a hand, putting it over the already sleeping Nightcrawler's mouth. His breathing slowed, the ether taking it's affect to knock him out so he wouldn't wake up for anything. The other figure made it's way up as well, coming to the head of the bed. Whoever it was put a hand on the side of her face, whispering something.
"Wakey wakey...Time for you to do another mission..."
Her eyes opened wide, recognizing that voice in an instant. She opened her mouth the scream, getting a few seconds out but with no one there to hear, before a clawed hand reached out and grappled onto her face...
