Cold.

Her cheek lay pressed against the cold glass, watching them.  How frail they looked, how disturbed were their expressions, even in sleep.  Todd lay comfortably, not moving, his visage the clammy green of someone already dead, though the nearby monitor confirmed this was not the case with a still steady beep-beep-beep.  Pietro, lying next to him, was nearly the complete opposite.  Never a sound sleeper to begin with, with too much excessive energy, the white-haired speedster twitched and fidgeted endlessly, even as she continued to watch both of them.

Wanda sighed deeply, her breath heating up the cool glass and covering it with condensation.  She, like most of the others at the Institute, had been made aware of the latest discovery by the resident scientists.  That in roughly twenty-four hours, the virus was going to start killing them, one by one.  Those infected first were likely to die first.

Which meant, if a rough time schedule was followed, Todd would die very shortly after Kurt and Jamie.

"I've got some things to say," said Wanda, speaking to the glass and, through it, to her unconscious brother.  Her eyes grew moist as she started, as she unconsciously fiddled her hands in her lap.  "I... I guess I should start with you, Pietro.  Listen, I... I know I was angry when I first saw you at the Brotherhood house.  I know I did some things I regret, and for the life of me I can't remember why I was just... so... so angry, back then.  So I'm sorry, Pietro.  I'm sorry I never... got the chance to be a good sister to you."

Wanda's gaze then shifted from Pietro to Todd, her teammate and... something else.  "Toad... er, Todd.  I'm sorry to you as well.  You've done nothing but be nice to me, ever since I moved in to the Brotherhood boarding house with you.  You've... you've even risked your life to save mine.  And I never said it before, but I'm grateful.  I..." and she trailed off, clenching and unclenching her hands.  Little objects around the small room shifted and pulsated, but thankfully nothing moved or exploded.  Suddenly Wanda growled, slamming her fists against the thick, unbreakable glass as she glared down at Todd and Pietro.

"Damnit, don't you die on me!  I need you!  If you die I swear I'll follow you both down to hell and kick your butts!"

A nearby tray suddenly lifted up to answer her burst of anger, moved by her unconscious hex powers, as had often been the case when she'd been younger and her powers not fully controlled.  Unfortunately the tray was heading right towards the back of her head at high velocity.

A metallic hum vibrated through the air, and the tray stopped, flying back through the air to land back where it had originated.  Wanda, startled, turned... and saw him.  He'd removed his red helmet, holding it under his arm as he stepped into the room.

"Father..." she said, startled.  Then, slightly nervous, she added "How long have you been there?" she asked, sounded for all the world like a girl who'd had her hand caught in the cookie jar.

"Long enough," he replied carefully.

The Master of Magnetism had long spent much of his life preparing for just about anything that should come.  As he'd once said to Charles on his doomed Asteroid M, he'd been a realist, and he was prepared for anything that life sent his way.

Except this.

His teenaged daughter hugging him, clinging to his waist and sobbing openly against the cold red metal of his armor.  But Magneto was not as cold as the steel he controlled, as many thought he was.  He did care for his children, the only living remind of Magda.  So it was that he gently wrapped an arm around Wanda's shoulders and let her cry her tears out.  They stood like that a long time, father and daughter, taking comfort in one another's presence.

                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Wow, cool... I ain't never seen a television that big!" stated John as he landed with a heavy plunk onto the same couch Kitty and Lance had been occupied moments before, startling both of them to full wakefulness.  Both glanced over at him with a mixture of embarrassment, confusion, and surprise.

"Pyro?  What are you doing here?" asked Lance, shifting purposefully away from the eccentric pyromaniac as he flipped through the channels on the X-Mansion's wide-screen TV at a speed rivaled only by that of Pietro.

"Wot?  I'm not welcome 'round 'ere?" he asked in mock surprise.  Or maybe he was serious.  With Pyro one could never tell.  As if to prove their point he gave his short, characteristic laugh.  "Nah, s'alright.  Just stopped by with Mags and Gambit, and he said to 'bugger off' so I says 'fine, maybe I will!'  Nobody appreciatin' good ol' Pyro 'round 'here," he added, trailing off into incoherently mumbling.  "I swear one day I'll just burn down the whole..."

"Alright alright, jeez... just curious," replied Lance, eager to shut the red-head up.

"Wait, Magneto is here?  I gotta go talk to the Professor," said Kitty, phasing through the back of the couch (and right through Pyro) and making a dash down the hallway to find her bald mentor.

"'Wot the bloody hell?" asked John, tilting his head and watching as the petite mutant vanished out of his sight.  He double checked his chest, tapping his hand against it to make sure it was real and solid.  "Cool power that Sheila has...," he remarked, again going back to flipping channels.

Lance stood up, not wanting to endure his presence any longer than necessary.

"Alroight!  I knew it'd be on!" remarked John with a characteristic laugh as he tossed the remote aside (nearly hitting a priceless vase as he did) and settled back to enjoy his favorite show.  Curious, Lance took a look, then groaned deeply.  He should've known.

The Crocodile Hunter.

                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rogue managed a disgusted grunt as she saw who the latest addition to the Danger Room sick room was.  The shifty swamp rat from Louisiana.  Magneto and Pyro must've picked him up on the way here.  So it was that the unconscious Cajun thief was so conveniently laid down on the cot right next to hers.  She swore under her breath, but it was mostly for show.

She was a little worried about him, after all.

He wasn't the nicest of fellow's she'd ever known in her life, but he had tried to help her in his own, twisted little way.  Weakly she reached down, running her hand over the white covers drawn over her, over her pants pocket which contained the two objects she treasured most.  A square of silk and, wrapped in it, a playing card.  The Queen of Hearts, to be precise.  Remy's Lady Luck.

And he was a darn good kisser... she thought, then abruptly looked down before anyone noticed her blushing.  A wave of coughs wracked her slender frame, and Rogue was partially grateful, even if it left her winded and weak.  The blush could be attributed to the illness.  Thinking of the illness, Rogue lifted the sleeve of her right arm.  Yup, the lesion was growing, and it was getting more painful with each passing minute.

As her annoying little brother Kurt would say: that's just vunderbar, she thought sarcastically.

                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tabitha Smith sat at Amara's side.  The dark-haired girl was unconscious, her body thankfully free of lesions, but it was only a matter of time before they started to develop.  Before... before they might lose her.

Before Tabitha might lose her.

Tabitha sighed deeply, frustrated and confused. If someone had told her, three years ago, maybe even two year ago, she was going to fall in love, she'd have laughed in the persons face. Love wasn't real. Her parents certainly hadn't been in love. They hadn't loved her either. Her dad hadn't at least.  Her mom had... up until a few months ago.  It'd been New Years, actually.  Tabby had been with her right up until the end... when the lung cancer had ended her life.

And now it was happening all over again, with someone else she cared about.  It was happening to Amara.

After Tabby's mom had passed on, leaving her everything (legally, since her dad was still thankfully in jail) and passing her on to Xavier to be her guardian, Tabby had come back to the Institute.  About the same time Jubilee and Rahne had.  No one but Xavier knew about what had happened.

Just like Amara didn't know how she felt about her.  How being with her, just sitting and talking with her, was enough to help her get through a day.  How her laugh sent tingles down Tabby's spine.  How with her, she could finally drop her mask and actually be really happy.  Not put on some front, poke fun and pull pranks, and say things she didn't mean.  Just be herself.

And now she was about to lose the one she loved, Amara, before she could tell her.

Tabby stretched out a hand, cursing the yellow bio-suit that kept her separated them from properly touching.  A necessary evil she had to endure because of the virus.  But still... it pained her.  And she could not stop the hot tears that poured from her eyes and steamed the front of her suit, obscuring her vision.

                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

But sometimes having told someone you cared for them did not make it any easier to lose them.  Such was the case with Amanda and Kurt.

Amanda refused to leave his side.  The great Beast of the Institute, Hank McCoy, capable of uprooting redwood trees with his bare hands, could not move Amanda from her boyfriend's side.  She stayed there tirelessly, working to ease the blue-furred boy's discomfort and do whatever she could to fight the contagion that threatened his life.

"Don't die on me, Kurt..." she whispered, stroking his forehead with a wet cloth to try and cool him down.  It wasn't much, considering how hot he was starting to get, but every little bit helped.  "You remember when we first met?" she asked, thought he was unconscious.  She was mostly talking to herself, to ease the pain of going through this.  Seeing her once strong and healthy boyfriend shrivel to fur and bones.  "I mean, I first really met you, my lovable fuzzy elf?  You saved my life that night.  I'm going to return the favor, right now, and save yours.  No matter what it takes.  Alright?"

The only reply was the steady beep-beep-beep of the monitor nearby, and the very shallow inhalation and exhalation as Kurt breathed.  A gentle hand rested on Amanda's covered shoulder.

"Come on Amanda... you need to get some rest," came Scott's tired voice.

"I'm not leaving his side," she replied, again wetting and wringing out the cloth, wiping it against Kurt's forehead.

"You won't do him much good if you collapse from fatigue.  Come on Amanda... you need some rest."

"You wouldn't say that if this was Jean here, would you?  Why aren't you at her side?  Don't you care about her?" asked Amanda angrily.  Scott flinched, but he recognized that her anger was out of fatigue and frustration.  Such outbursts were beginning to grow more common as things worsened.  Hank had even shattered his coffee mug, though he'd been much embarrassed afterwards when he'd cleaned it up.

"Of course I care about Jean," he said simply.  "I care about her the same as you care about Kurt.  And I was just at her side, a moment ago, doing what I can.  But you didn't sleep last night.  Amanda don't argue with me you're on the verge of collapse.  And if you fall, who'll take care of Kurt then?  Go upstairs to one of the guest rooms, and get some sleep.  I promise I'll keep watch over Kurt until you get back."

"You promise?" she asked softly.  He nodded, and reluctantly she did as he suggested, finishing up and making her way out of the Danger Room to disinfect the suit and get some much needed rest.

Scott sat down nearby, glancing at Kurt as he sighed.  How he envied Atlas at that moment, the titan who bore the weight of the world on his shoulders.  That burden was nothing to compared to the weight of command, or so it seemed sometimes to him.  Even worse when those under his command were his friends, his family, and his loved ones.  And through this, the only small comfort he had was that his brother, Alex, was not here to contract the virus.

"Thank Heaven for small mercies," he muttered, folding his arms and lying back.  He too was tired, but other's needed him right now.

Author's Notes:

Mostly a lot of introspective into the thoughts of the characters.  As someone pointed out, I'd been neglecting that in favor of moving the plot along, so I set up this whole chapter to provide some insight.  Mostly the couples of Evo, of course, concerned about their sick significant other.  And of course a quick in-slot of Pyro to lighten the mood a  bit.  Actually I wanted to do some other show but I couldn't think of anything appropriate.  Blame Eixid.  The show he was watching was a subtle nod to a chapter of her story 'Here's to the Good Life.'  The silk square Rogue was fiddling was from 'Nullification.'  Gambit used it to give the untouchable girl a kiss, that's why she treasures it.  For those confused, Tabitha's mother died shortly after the events set in 'I Dream of a Blue Christmas,' so she now lives at the Institute, and Professor X controls any income until she's eighteen (she's seventeen as of this story).

Sandoz: Of course it's a big surprise.  I thought you couldn't stand when people wrote Lancitty.  I thought you were a Kurtty fan.  Of course everybody loves Pyro, he's just so... so frickin' crazy.  And yeah, as you can see from above, it was Gambit.  Deaths to come soon enough.

Elrorhirthewriter: Except maybe Li'landra (or however you spell it) of the Shi'ar.  I think Moira ended it sometime while Professor X was at war.  That's the impression I get from the TAS scenes.  But yeah 'Charlie' definitely has no luck with human women.  Or even that one mutant girl he tried.  Your muse is nothing to me!  I fear it not!  Oh and yes, Mystique will make a brief appearance next chapter, promise.

DoubleL27: Oh believe me I intend to.  I hate pure angst stories so expect more cute moments to take you away from it.  And Kurt may not die (then again he might) but Sam and Toad and Jamie all got sick around the same time... maybe one of them'll buy the farm?  Hehehe.

Rogue14: I'd love to but my schedule just got hectic as all hell.  This is my last update for quite a while to come, unfortunately.

Nessie6: Are you psychic?  Did you see that was going to happen to Magneto?  You're a mutant!  Schizophrenic, dearie.  And I'm not sure if that applies to him, since I keep getting conflicting stories about what it means.  But he's definently a pyromaniac.  Thanks for liking the accent.  His is easiest for me to do, since my Dad used to live in Australia and speaks in a similar manner.

Snitter in Rivendell: Blame Sandoz.  She totally knows what makes Lance tick, and her writing is addictive.  Oh come on, Scott has improved since Season Two, he's relaxed into his role of team leader.  But oh yes, plenty of Amanda angst.  And not necessarily Kurt.  The virus progresses at different rates for different people.

Bleedingmoon89: How's that for more Todd?  He's kinda unconscious at the moment so I can't do much with him, but his baby cake's thinkin' about him.  Isn't that sweet?  No I've not read the Hot Zone, but perhaps when this is all over I shall.

Todd fan: *evil soothing doctor voice* Oh don't worry… Forge is sick but only a little… I mean… it's not like I plan to… KILL HIM!!  MUWAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!.  Seriously though, he is sick, but just enough to be put into the ward with a little headache.

UnknownSource: No reason has been established yet why some got sick and the other's didn't.  However, the virus is now airborne, so they need to keep isolated from one another so they don't spread it accidentally.  How did you know I was gonna write that next?!  You're psychic!  I'm surrounded by psychic mutants!!

Gambi316: Well, soon all will be revealed.  Maybe in another two… three chapters at most.  Unfortunately no more appearances from the Weapon Xee's… I'll leave it to you all to guess what is happening to them.  I am totally shocked no one has made the connection yet.

Ray1: Of course, here's Amanda.  She's my favorite human character so she gets plenty of mention in all of my stories.  But I can't give everyone all the screen time they want, all the time.  But don't worry… I have plans for her… Muwahahahahaha.

Comet-hime: Oh it's quite fatal.  After twenty-four hours there's no turning back, and then they start dying.  You know, perhaps I should kill Kurt just to prove everyone wrong!  Nah, I'm not that cruel… or am I?  And yes you little twit, TabbyAmaraness here for you.  Enough to satisfy you through the rest of the story.

Taineyah: Plenty more to come, Taineyah.  Keep your eyes open for updates, they fly like hotcakes and I'd hate for you to miss any.