Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. Ilehana Xavier belongs to Corrinth. All other characters belong to me.
A/N: Thank you to all my reviewers out there; you really are all stars. Part of this chapter is inspired by Corrinth's 'Hello, I'm still here.' Read it- its good, especially if like me you now watch the beginning of X2 and say 'There's Ilehana!' when Logan meets that wolf...
Scene 17"He's resting Ilehana." Hank spoke softly, eyes concerned as Vixen shrugged off his large blue hand from her shoulder. Ilehana barely heard him, eyes cold and empty as she took in the news that her father was ill. Somewhere inside of her, a small child screamed that she couldn't lose both her parents, but the Vixen could not let the child be heard. It had all happened before, Hank McCoy comforting her with such pity as her father was suffering...
She stole to the bedside, uncomfortable in the infirmary she called her own. He lay unmoving, eyes closed, the only sign that he had not followed Colossus into oblivion the slow rhythmic movement of his chest as he breathed. Inside Ilehana cried out, longing for him to turn and take her in his arms, to hold her, to promise not to leave... But he could not hear her. All she could do was lay a tentative hand on his forehead, feeling the heat there, frowning her concern. But if Charles Xavier noticed his daughter, he gave no sign of it.
"What's wrong with him?" Logan asked, voice subdued as Cyclops went to Ilehana's side, saying nothing, just standing dutifully next to her so that she knew she was not alone in her worry. Hank shook his head slowly at the spectacle before answering Logan's concerns.
"Exhaustion. Pure and simple. He does too much, spends too much of his energies keeping the mansion running smoothly despite Colossus' death. He helps as many as he can to put aside their anguish, knowing as we all do that work must be done before we can be free to grieve..."
"He was doin' all that?" Logan's brooding eyes flicked from Ilehana to Xavier, and then to Hank in time to see the Beast nod. "An' then this with gettin' inside Mercury's head..."
"The straw that broke the camel's back, my friend." Beast turned back to the infirmary's newest arrival, picking up a clipboard and frowning. "Mercury's injuries are not too bad, she will recover just fine. And her blood tests have shown some intriguing results; I have a great deal of faith that she can be helped..."
"Helped? How d'you help a psycho?" Wolverine's voice was cold, his bones still aching.
"I don't believe Mercury's madness is entirely psychological. There are interesting levels of certain chemicals in her blood..." Hank put the end of his pen in his mouth, chewing on it briefly as he thought. "If you'll excuse me Logan..."
"No problem." Wolverine replied to Hank's disappearing back, folding his arms and turning his gaze back to Ilehana, Cyclops and the Professor. #Take as long as you want, babe. # He thought decisively, #I'll be right here for you. # But if Ilehana heard him, she didn't reply.
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Blaze frowned as she climbed out of the shower, pulling on her bathrobe and heading to her room. Was it her imagination, or was there more sobbing to be heard in the mansion now than before she left? The door to Jubilee's room was open, Blaze glimpsing the Chinese-American in Bobby's arms as they both cried their grief. It was as though the Professor had been the only force shielding the mansion from a swell of suffocating fog, a dark cloud that swamped the soul. And now the mansion was unprotected, the fog descended quickly, unnaturally. An oppression of grief that stopped minds from functioning rationally and threw open all doors that kept emotions at bay.
Her hand still shook slightly as it rested on her door handle, the metal cold under her feather-light touch. Had the Professor been at work in her mind too, silently easing her fears? Was that why now she felt so raw? Or was it because she knew she had made a mistake, multiple mistakes, leading to the Professor being in that cold bed in the infirmary? Could she face this room alone?
It didn't feel like her room anymore. It was as sterile as the mansion's lower levels, carpet industrially cleaned of blood, and possessions neatly tidied away, broken items gone but not replaced. The bed was unmade, a few bits and bobs strewn where Blaze had last abandoned them, but no matter what it still wasn't her room. The fear of her own mind, her own powers, was seething just under her surface. Her only comfort was the cool summer breeze blowing in throught the open window. She could feel the night closing in, all the world's thoughts turning toward what tomorrow may bring.
As Blaze climbed into bed, exhausted beyond reason, all her thoughts turned towards the past...
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The night dragged on, Cyclops was unable to sleep, unable to rest. Unable to stay any longer by the Professor's bedside with him unmoving and Ilehana cast in adimantium, unaware of her friends. Scott had to give Logan some credit, much as it annoyed him, for sticking it out down there. Cyclops wished he'd had that strength.
He bit his lip to keep from sobbing, resting his head against the wood of his bedroom door before he could open it. The hand on Scott's shoulder then was Alex's, his brown eyes full of worry for his big brother.
"It'll be okay, Scott." Havoc offered, still slightly unsure of himself around the older man. They had been separated so long; they were still working out what it meant to be each other's brother.
"Yeah." Scott tried to sound convinced, and failed. He tried again, this time trying to believe it as well as say it. "Yeah, it will. Eventually. How's Sian holding up? Must all be pretty weird for her, and scary?"
"She's okay. Storm's taken her under her wing, and doin' a much better job of it than me." Alex followed Scott into his room, perched on a chair whilst Scott sat on the bed. "She's a tough cookie, I know she'll pull through. How's the Professor?"
"Better. We don't think it'll be long now before he'll wake up, and from there..."
"But you won't sleep easy 'til he's back to normal, will you?" Alex observed. "He's that important to you."
"He is." Scott smiled, shaking his head slightly.
"So now we wait." Havoc continued.
"Now we wait." Scott confirmed. "For the Professor to wake up, for Mercury to come round, for the virus to appear somewhere else, for our scientists to figure out a cure, for a chance to bury Colossus..."
"Hum," Alex mused seriously. "And I thought today had been a busy day..."