Attack

~*~

No one's ever turned you over

No one's tried

To ever let you down

Beautiful girl...bless your heart

-Matchbox Twenty

~*~

Pete threw Kitty away from him out of instinct taking the hit himself. Sabretooth threw Pete onto the ground and attacked him. Kitty hit the ground and sat up dazed just to see Sarbretooth extending his claws and bringing them down. She rushed forward phasing Pete away from him.

"How'd you get away?" Kitty asked gingerly touching Pete's chest where he was cut.

"Superstrength, pussy-cat," he growled. "You can't stay untouchable forever."

/Jean,/ Kitty thought.

/Kitty?/ her friend asked.

/I need you guys to come back,/ she sent. /He got out./

/We'll be there in a second./ As soon as Jean said that Logan arrived growling at the big mutant..

"Just don't learn do ya, bub?" he asked.

"Back off runt," Sabretooth said. "This is between me and her." Kitty rolled her eyes.

"Actually he can go ahead," Kitty said calmly. "I'm through with even thinking about you." Sabretooth once again leapt for her. Kitty reached out to Pete grabbing his hand and phasing both of them so Sabretooth simply went through them. He turned to them growling.

"Half-Pint," Logan said. "Move aside. It's my turn." Kitty took Pete's hand leading him slightly away as Logan approached Sabretooth. Kitty sat down pulling Pete with her and lifted his shirt up slightly and winced.

"It's pretty bad," she whispered.

Pete forced a smile for her and squeezed her hand. "I'm fine, luv," he told her. The others approached.

"What happened?" Jean asked.

"He happened," Kitty said nodding towards Sabretooth still looking at Pete worriedly.

"Pryde," Pete said exasperated. "Stop lookin' at me like that, it's not as bad as it looks."

John examined his friend. "Yeah, it is."

"Don't help," Pete snapped. John merely smiled kneeling down to examine him. The others came over. Jean winced.

"That doesn't look too good," the redhead observed.

"Will all of you shut the `ell up?" Pete exclaimed glaring at all of them. "I'm fine, damn it!"

Kitty laid a hand on her lover's arm. "Okay, Pete," Kitty said slowly. They turned to watch Logan pounding on Sabretooth. Kitty stood. "Logan, stop, he's not worth it, and we need to get Pete to the med-lab."

"Damn it, Pryde, for the last bloody time, I'm fine!" Pete exclaimed. Logan dropped Sabretooth and glared down at the bigger mutant.

"Touch her or any of them again, and we will rip you to pieces," he growled before going over to the others and Sabretooth fled. Kitty helped Pete up.

"John," Pete said tossing the other Londoner his keys. "Drive us home."

"You know, I *do* have my license," Kitty told her boyfriend who merely grinned at her.

"Yeah, luv, but I'd like t' get home in one piece." She glared up at him even as she slipped an arm around his shoulders.

"If you weren't injured-"

"But I am," he said pouting. "You wouldn't hurt the injured man." They went to the parking lot. Kitty made Pete sit in the back telling him to stretch out his legs while she sat next to John. She kept glancing back though.

"Don't worry, luv," John said as they finally arrived at the Institute. "I've seen Wisdom `urt a lot worse than this. He's a tough ol' git, he'll be fine." Kitty smiled trying to look reassured.

"Pete," Kitty said getting out of the car. He didn't respond. She shook his shoulder and he still didn't stir. "He's unconscious!"

"Calm down," John said sounding perfectly calm himself. The others approached and Logan carried him inside. Mr. McCoy ushered the others into the waiting room as he worked. The others sat but Kitty paced back and forth.

"Kit, yer gonna wear your self out," Rogue said gently.

"Oui, petite chat," Remy said. "Perhaps you should sit down."

"I can't," Kitty said. "God, this is all my fault!"

"Bloody `ell . . . sit down!" John exclaimed. Kitty obeyed this startled. "Thank you."

"Half-pint, it isn't your fault," Logan said as gently as he could. Kitty didn't respond to that.

"Yeah, this was all Sabretooth," Jean agreed. "You can't blame yourself for what he did."

"If I hadn't left him there-"

"Then you would have been living with his blood on your hands for the rest of your life," Logan said. "Trust me, it's not fun."

Kitty looked down. "I should have gotten to Pete sooner."

"Stop beatin' yerself up!" John ordered. "Listen up, this ain't yer fault. Wisdom would probably slap you if he `eard ya saying that." Kitty was silent at that meeting the blond man's pale eyes.

"He's right, Katzchen," Kurt said.

Kitty sighed. "I'm just scared." Rogue went to her best friend and slipped an arm around the petite girl's shoulders. Mr. McCoy came in a few minutes later. "How is he?"

"We won't know until morning," Hank admitted. "He lost a lot of blood, Katherine. It's hard to tell right now. All we can do is wait."

"Can I sit with him?" Kitty asked.

"Certainly," Mr. McCoy led her into he room pulling up a chair for her. "Allow me to recommend, though, that you do get some sleep in a couple hours. I'm going to be in and out of here every hour as it is."

"Okay, Mr. McCoy," Kitty said although she had no plans for leaving Pete's side. She looked at her lover and winced. He looked so pale. His bare chest had a white bandage over it. She took his hand sitting next to him. "Pete, I'm totally sorry I got you into this, but you've to wake up. You can't die on me." She sat with him all night until she dozed off, resting her head on the bed. Logan, who was checking on Pete for Hank, carried her upstairs and put her in her bed.

Around four in the morning

Kitty awoke and looked around confused. She saw her own room and stood reluctantly. She got dressed and walked down the stairs to the waiting room. John had placed the chairs together and was stretched out comfortably over them. She shook his shoulder gently and he sat up startled. "Kitty," he said blinking.

"Any change?" she asked sitting next to him.

"Nothin'," John said. Kitty sighed glaring at the floor. "Luv, go sit with him." Kitty nodded going into the med-lab. She gently kissed Pete taking his hand in her own before sitting in her chair beside his bed.

"Hey," she said squeezing his hand gently. She sat and talked to him softly until Rogue came in with a tray.

"Mornin'," Rogue said handing the tray to Kitty.

"Thanks," Kitty whispered.

"Ah figured that we couldn't get you away from him but ya need to eat." Rogue pulled up a chair. "Ah talked to Mr. McCoy."

"And?"

"He said that he should wake up any time now."

"Thank God." Kitty finished her snack in silence and sat the tray on the floor. "What's John doing out there?" Kitty asked wondering why the other Brit wasn't in his room.

"He said something about it bein' just like the old days," Rogue said.

"Yeah," John said coming in. "We've done this before. Usually it's after a bar fight too. And quite often because of a bird."

"Really?" Kitty asked interested.

John grinned pulling up a chair. "I have some stories, luv, that Wisdom would kill me for sharing." His grin widened. "Want t' hear `em?"

"Some other time," Kitty said a reluctant smile spreading across her face. "When Pete's, like, awake to be embarrassed."

"True," John smiled. "We wouldn't want `im t' miss it."

Mr. McCoy came in and looked at the three people in surprise. "I thought you were asleep, Katherine."

"I was," Kitty smiled. "And I may have stayed that way if someone hadn't moved me." Mr. McCoy checked Pete's vitals.

"He's doing fine," Mr. McCoy said. "As I told Rogue earlier, he should wake up soon. Now, can I convince all of you to go to bed? Pulling and all nighter isn't going to help him."

"I'm not leaving," Kitty said.

"I've done this before," John said waving a hand dismissively.

"Ah am gonna go to bed," Rogue said grabbing the tray. "If ya need anything call meh, sugah."

"I will," Kitty promised. Rogue left. Mr. McCoy checked on Pete again before leaving himself. Kitty looked at John who straddled the chair Rogue had left. "So what exactly are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you accepted everything that happened without blinking, so my thought is that you're not exactly human."

"Oh, I'm very human, luv, but you're right. I guess you could call me a demon exterminator."

"Demons? We've faced a lot of things but no demons."

"With the luck yer lot seems to `ave you probably will." Kitty returned her attention to Pete her eyes immediately softening as she squeezed the hand she was holding. "So, `ow ol' are you?"

"Eighteen," Kitty said.

"Good, I was `oping that I wouldn't have to bail `im out of jail," John said. "Say, where's the closest restroom?" Kitty gave him directions and he walked away. She sighed laying her head on the bed still clinging to his hand. She felt the faintest movement against her hand and jumped up. Pete opened his eyes weakly.