Chapter 12: All and Sundry

Disclaimer: Maybe Marvel just doesn't recognize my ownership?

As if the bright lights on the ceiling and the guard rails on the bed weren't quite enough, the beeping was get really annoying. And not just a little annoying, either. Annoying like a drill to the cranium.

"Turn it off, PLEASE."

Peter chuckled, giving Kitty's hand a gentle squeeze. "The Professor just wants to monitor your vitals. He wants to make sure you are still breathing."

Kitty just rolled her eyes. "You know, in the old days, they'd just feel your throat or watch your chest go up and down."

Had she blinked, she would have missed the brief roaming of Peter's eyes. She raised an eyebrow at his quick appraisal. "Like what you see?"

Peter smiled sheepishly. "You are feeling all right?"

Kitty sighed and closed her eyes, lulled by the circles Peter's thumb was rubbing on the back of her hand. "Oh…another day, another dollar."

"You do not want anything to drink? To eat?"

"No, I'm good. Not sure I could hold much down, anyway."

"Are you sure?"

She opened one eye and then the other. "I'm okay. Really."

"Are you cold? Do you want a blanket?"

Kitty groaned. "A bullet to the gut couldn't kill me, but you might very well smother me to death."

Peter winced and pulled his hand away, but kept his eyes locked on hers. "Do not talk like that."

She tried for several moments, but in the end she couldn't hold his gaze. She looked to her hands, folded in her lap. "Sorry. Bad joke."

He continued to watch her for a while. Without speaking, he reached for her hand, took it in his own, and drew several smooth circles on her wrist before pressing it against his lips.

Kitty watched him in silence before saying, "Peter?"

He only closed his eyes, feeling her pulse beat beneath his lips – more proof that she was, in fact, alive.

Kitty brought her other hand to the side of his face. "Hey…look at me."

The light above her bed reflected off the tears welling in his eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere."

At this, Peter smiled a little and exhaled. After kissing her gently on the lips, he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

Kitty's hand traveled to the back of his head, her fingers running through his hair. She closed her eyes and whispered, "I love you, Big Guy."

She could feel him smile against her neck. "I love you, Katya."

Ororo Munroe floated scant inches above the lake, one hand dipping into the water causing ripples in the surface. She shut her eyes, the brightness of the sun making the underside of her eyelids red. Keeping her lids closed, she moved her eyes from right to left, watching greenish-blue patterns drift across the red background.

Logan had been gone for nearly half a month and this was the first sunny day since. Sick of the whispers in the hall and the abrupt silences whenever she walked into a room, Ororo had decided that enough was enough.

If she could not be happy, she could at least give the impression of happiness.

"Who she think she's foolin'?"

"'Scuse me?"

Gambit gestured toward Ororo through the third story window. "She think just 'cause it's sunny out eve'thing all better?"

Rogue moved to stand beside him, setting her diet coke on the sill. "How long has she been down there?"

"'Bout an hour."

"Ah can't believe he'd up and leave like that. Danged fool."

Gambit turned to her. "Shoulda stopped him, y'know?"

"Remy –"

"Non. Remy talked t'him 'for he left."

Two weeks earlier…

"...an' here y'are. Up here actin' like an idiot."

"Yer treadin' on dangerous ground, Gumbo…"

Gambit leaned over the balcony railing, twisting a dwindling cigarette between his thumb and index finger. "Dis whole thing b'tween y'two? I's gettin' a little outa hand. Jus' like the play. Much ado 'bout nothin'."

Wolverine couldn't for the life of him figure out why he was still standing here listening to Gambit's advice, if you could even call it that; but his last statement surprised even Logan. "Beast comin' back from the dead ain't nothin'. Her turnin' to you—"

Gambit nearly shouted at him, "It ain't 'bout our boy Blue and it sure as hell ain't 'bout me!"

Deaf to his assurance, Logan stated flatly, "She's gotta make a decision."

Gambit sighed, exasperated. "You daft, mon ami? Dere was never a decision t'make." He watched Logan momentarily before following Logan's gaze across the expansive lawn. Pushing himself off the rail, Gambit added for clarity, "It was you, homme. It was always you."

In an instant, his cigarette was smashed into the ashtray and Remy was back inside the mansion.

Now…

"Right here's fine."

Peter set Kitty on the ground gently, helping her get into a sitting position against a nearby willow tree.

Everything about the medlab was beginning to grate on Kitty – the smell, the sterilization, the stuffiness – and, with surprisingly little effort, she had been able to convince the Professor that some time spent in the sun would be good for her. Peter had taken a little more work, but he eventually caved. He had picked her up, carried her out of the lab, up the elevator, out the back door, and across the lawn to the lake.

Once she was comfortable, Kitty yelled out in her best British accent, "Oi!"

A startled Ororo splashed into the cold water in the middle of the lake. When she resurfaced a moment later, she was met with laughter from the two on the shore. "Yes, I'm all right! Just fine," She called out upon reaching the grass.

Still, she couldn't help but smile warmly when she reached them under the willow. "Hey, big brother," she said to Peter as he bent to kiss her cheek.

"You are wet." He smiled ruefully.

Ororo delivered a mock glare to Kitty. "Yes, well, no thanks to Miss Kitty-kat here."

Kitty beamed up at her from the ground. "I do my best."

Ororo sat down next to her, linking their arms together. "You look good."

"This hurts more than I'm letting on."

"I bet." She looked up to Peter. "It's a little chilly. Think you could grab me a sweater?"

Sensing Kitty's desire to be alone with Ororo, Peter smiled and said, "Certainly," before turning and heading back toward the mansion.

Once he was out of site, Kitty turned to Ororo. "So how are ya?"

Ororo sighed. "Ah, yes. The infamous 'how are ya' opener."

"What?"

"In all the years we've known each other, very rarely have we begun conversations with 'how are ya'?"

"I dunno what you're talking about. I just wanted to get out of the medlab and, seeing as this was the first sunny day in weeks, I thought it'd be the perfect day to get out."

After a few moments, she added, "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Ororo laughed. "Sneaky. And no, I wouldn't happen to know."

"It's not healthy."

"I know."

"It's not smart."

"Ah, I know this, too." Ororo closed her eyes, leaning her head against the tree trunk.

"All right."

They sat in companionable silence for a while, only to be broken by Ororo. "You remember when you can back to the X-Men, after Excalibur disbanded?"

Kitty frowned, a little confused at the question. "Sure."

"We battled Juggernaut in South Korea. You pointed out that I wasn't telling you the whole story, and I asked for your trust."

"Okay."

Ororo opened her eyes to look at Kitty. "I had it, didn't I? Your trust?"

Kitty's eyebrows furrowed. "Absolutely."

"Then why couldn't he trust me? Why couldn't he believe that I love him?"

With that, the dangling branches of the willow tree were pulled aside, revealing Peter. "I brought your sweater, Katya, and an extra blanket."

Ororo stood, plastering on a smile for Peter's sake. "I think I'll go change – put on some dry clothes." She paused to give Peter's arm a gentle squeeze before exiting the shade of the tree.

No sooner had she stepped foot on the veranda than Beast came bounding out the door.

"Ororo! Just the person I was looking for."

Their relationship over the past couple weeks had simmered to amiable. They weren't good friends – they may never be as close as they had been – but they had grown considerable closer since the last mission.

"Hank, I was actually about to shower."

"Ah, yes. Well, I just wanted to talk to you about something."

"What about?"

"Us."

"Henry…"

"No. I have to say this. Please?"

Wrapping her arms around herself, she turned her head to look over her shoulder to the lake, then to the woods, then back to the mansion – anywhere to divert her eyes. Still, no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't help but return her gaze to his. What she saw – the pain reflected in his cobalt eyes – nearly broke her heart.

With a quiet sigh, she relented. "All right."

"I…Ever since I learned you were with Wolverine, I had planned out what I would do if he weren't in the picture. His leaving seemed like a God-send. It presented the perfect opportunity for me to rush in and save the day – protect you from the scoundrel."

Ororo couldn't prevent the snort that escaped her throat.

"But that's not how it worked out at all. He left you alone and I just wanted to clobber him. It's sickeningly ironic, really. I hate him for hurting you the way he has. I'd just as soon call him up myself if it meant you wouldn't hurt anymore."

One perfectly arched eyebrow raised in surprise of his admission.

Beast continued. "But then I realized that if he were back here, I'd be just as angry with him. I'll never like him. I'll never like the two of you together. Or apart." He let out a small, humorless laugh. "See, I don't want to be like this. I don't. I want to walk away, but every time I try…I don't know. My resolve breaks. I think to myself "Henry, she's moved on. It may be unfair and her choice may be of irresolute character—"

"Henry..."

"Sorry. I guess…well, I guess what I mean to say is that I have tried. It's just not enough I suppose. I need to get away for a while."

Ororo's eyes widened. Henry leaving? "Where would you go?"

"The Professor has a geneticist friend in Chicago. He's set me up to work there in a sort of mentorship. I'll be partnered with Cecilia Reyes. You remember her, right? She went to the school."

"I think I remember; but Hank, this is fantastic. I'm so happy for you. I mean that."

Ororo smiled.

Beast smiled back.

After a moment, "You kind of want to pee your pants, don't you?"

He looked as though he would break into a fit of giggles at any moment. "Absolutely! I'll get to spend as much time in the lab as I ever have, but I'll be helping with ground-breaking research."

Ororo gently poked his side with her elbow. "Not to mention an attractive partner?"

To his credit, Beast flushed beneath the blue hair that covered his face. "Yes well, that certainly makes things more interesting."

They stood in silence for a while before Beast finally said, "Well, I should go pack. I'm leaving tonight."

Ororo looked surprised. "So soon?"

"I think it's best." He gave Ororo a sort of half smile before turning back to the front door.

"Henry?"

He stopped without turning around. "Yes?"

"I'm glad you're back."

He slanted his head just enough to look at her over his shoulder. After a moment, he turned and walked back to her. "Why don't you go after him?"

Ororo was visibly taken aback. "What?"

"Wolverine. What's stopping you from going out and finding him?"

She sighed loudly, turning her head to watch a cloud disappear behind the mansion. "He left Henry."

"So did I."

She turned back to him, but said nothing.

He continued, "So did Forge. And so did every other guy you've claimed to love."

"I did love—"

"Apparently not enough. You of all people know that you have to fight. The Professor's dream has become your own. You fight for that every single day. You stand up against the atrocities in this world. You fight for the underdog. So why, then, are you so unwilling to fight for the man you love? Is he so unworthy—"

"Logan is not unworthy!" Ororo snapped.

"Then go after him!" Hank's roaring yell surprised both of them.

They stared at each other for several moments before Hank sighed and turned away, walking quickly back into the mansion. He shut the door softly behind him, leaving Ororo to stand alone on the veranda.

The rain had stopped. After weeks of steady rainfall and flash floods, the sky had been healed and the sun allowed to shine.

Logan winced, allowing his eyes to readjust to the light. He lit the cigar in his mouth and took a puff before looking to the sign swinging above him. Syd's bar had provided little of the reprieve he'd been hoping for, the numerous bottles of beer doing nothing to numb the aching in his chest.

An as yet indefinable aching. He missed her, that was obvious; but the pain he felt was different than anything else he knew. Logan remembered when he first knew he loved Ororo. The pounding in his chest had reverberated in his head, had caused his stomach to flip, and had sent shocks all the way to his hands and feet. Eventually, the pounding subsided.

No. Logan froze beside his motorcycle, letting the cigar drop to the ground. The pounding had never subsided; he'd simply gotten used to it. It became as natural to him as breathing.

He swung his leg across the seat of his motorcycle and flipped up the kickstand. With one last look at the cloudless sky, he revved the engine and sped off down the road.

The pain he felt now was emptiness and only one person could help him.