A/N: Hey people, I know it's been a LONG time – I'm REALLY sorry I've had a lot of tests…but hey! Lol I passed my French exam with 92 so time well spent right! Lol…anyway, constructive critism is always welcome! ;- ) Anywayz… on with the story….

The first thing to assault Lexa's senses was the smell. The smell of medicine and antiseptic, and below that the coppery smell of blood. Welcome, ladies and gentleman, to the smells of a hospital. That was the first thought that went through her head, reverberating almost mockingly at the guilt that seemed to echo through her.

She turned her head and saw him. His face was so...pale and gentle - so different from when he was awake. When he wore that stupid mask and the colour was always tanned as his natural complexion or pink from laughter...although there were times that the anger would come hurtling through. Who are you to talk about masks? Your face is a permanent mask...The voice in her head seemed to like to torment her. Grumbling quietly to herself, she walked forward. It was only when she was at the same level as his hand did she allow herself to break for the second time that day. Jeez, she was going to set a record today...

She could see the tube that was helping take some of the strain off of his lungs so that he could breathe properly. She could see the bandage the covered the bullet wound. But at the same time she could hear the loud, steady beeps that signalled Brennan's heartbeat. The same thing that she had once hated, now calmed her jangled nerves. Sighing she sat down in the metal seat next to the bed. She rested her head close enough to his hand to feel the slight heat that came off it. She opened her mouth and allowed herself to do the one thing she always avoided. She talked - no lies, no secrets and nothing withheld. The entire, and to her, bitter, truth.

'Hey Sparky, you better make use of this time 'coz it's probably never gonna happen again.' She allowed herself a soft sigh. 'When I saw you go down today, all I felt was fear...and for just that one second I loved it. You know why? Because it proved to me that I could still feel, that I wasn't the Ice Queen that I've been around here so much... You have NO idea how good it felt! But then reality kicked andI saw you struggling to get up, and I know we aren't the best of, well, friends, if you can even call us that, but I knew that you must have been hit real bad. And then the thought of losing you entered my head and made a little fucked up sadistic home for itself...' Lexa took another deep breath and carried on:

'You wanna know why I was so scared? Coz over the few days, since we found out about...about...them..., you've pretty much been, whether through choice or through situation, my only friend and ally. And to lose that, well to lose that would suck like major shit to be honest.'

'Well, it's nice to know I count so highly in your thoughts!' The voice was hoarse but most definitely male. And not just any male either: Brennan. Lexa squealed in shock, jerking her head up to look at him. Sure enough, two chocolate brown eyes twinkled merrily, although you could still see traces of the pain and exhaustion his injury had caused, and that small, sleepy, charming grin. All Lexa could faced with it was groan.

'Please, please tell me you didn't hear everything I just said1?'

'Alright, I didn't hear a word you just said.'

'And mean it?'

'I withdraw my prior statement.' He grinned at her cheekily. Lexa dropped her head back to the matress of the hospital bed.

'Awww, relax, Complexa.' Lexa could feel his large hand gently nudging at her cheek. 'And where is your good bedside manner? Man just woke up from being unconcious from an operation! To remove a bullet no less!'

'Your point being?' She channeled her embarrasment into a form of boredom, although in side she was dancing with glee that he was awake. Brennan, on the other hand, took on a look of mock outrage.

'My point being that I'm thirsty and you could help me by giving me some water.' Lexa got up almost obediently. Brennan panicked instantly. 'CLEAN! CLEAN WATER! You little sadistic...' He continued to grumble whilst Lexa found herself paralysed by an uncommon laughing fit at his words.

A few minutes later, Lexa returned with a glass of water. She mock bowed to Brennan, who was now sitting up in bed. 'Water, sir - CLEAN water as you ordered'. Brennan simply looked at it. Then at her. Next thing she knew, she was screaming like a little girl. She was drenched, staring into Brennan's triumphant laughing eyes. In his hand he held the empty glass that once held his 'CLEAN water'.

Meanwhile...

'Thanks, Theo.' Adam sighed heavily. 'Are you sure though? Eckhart's dead, which means it has to be one of his henchmen that is rnning it now.'

'Positive.' Theodore Williams' face showed no doubt. 'I developed it myself. The serum was made by me specifically for it's use on New Mutants. The strain is evident in Brennan's blood. And in terms of who's running it? I'm putting my money on Frank Thorne.' (A/N2: If this fact makes it AU...excuse me and my deepest apologies)

Adam sighed, feeling as if he suddenly the weight of the world on his shoulders. 'Yes, you're probably right...So what does this serum do exactly? How will it affect Brennan?'

Theo heaved a sigh. 'Well...'

Heehee - cliffhanger...althoughI think it's quite obivious...looks confused...Anyway PLEASE R+R! CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISM WILL BE HONOURED AND LOVED!