Author's Note: And a million years later I actually have something else to post to this fic. For fanfic100 prompt #30: Death. This story is set shortly after New Mutants v1 #41 in which Dani deals with an old friend in Colerado, Pat Roberts, after leaving the team because of the post-Beyonder zombieishness forced Magnus to send 'em to The Massachusetts Academy. (Wow, run on sentence much?) It's a bit continuity heavy but that should give gist enough. Mm, think that's about it! Show must go on...
Disclaimer: Yeah, I got nothin'. Seriously.

So Much Left Unsaid
by, Caliente

And pray to God he hears you
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life
As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
-- How to Save a Life, The Fray

"I hate the movies The Sixth Sense and Meet Joe Black. I hate the music video for Savin' Me by Nickelback (who really are offensive enough all on their own). I hate that episode of Charmed that features the Grim Reaper. I hate movies like Final Destination and all its shitty sequels. I hate them for being wrong. Except maybe Final Destination. They, at least, got the idea right. I mean, come on. 'I see dead people.' Who came up with that crap? You can't see dead people—there's nothing to see. They're dead. Besides, there are worse things to see than dead people.

"Like watching people die. Friends. Teammates. Seeing them die for no reason other than some being of unimaginable power has willed it to be so. Watching them go, one by one, and knowing you are helpless to stop it. It hurt so much. Far worse than actually dying (which I did, as well). I should've been able to prevent it. I should've known. I could see it—watched as the marks haunted me. But I refused to believe. I was stubborn, just like always, and they had to pay the price. What would you have had me do? There was nothing. Death comes. Simply irresistible.

"You learned that the hard way, I suppose. I know you were angry with me and for that I am sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I tried so hard. I did. I fought Death for you. But, just like in that stupid episode of Charmed, I couldn't win. You can't beat death. Can't stop her. I wanted so badly to, you must know that. Gods, I would have given everything to save you. I would have done anything. Anything. The kid I remember deserved so much better. You would have earned your second chance. I have faith. I wish I could have given it to you.

"I just… it was supposed to be a gift! Part of the whole Valkyrie thing. But I didn't ask for it—didn't ask to join. If I had known… well, I suppose I was a goner from the first moment I met Brightwind but… I don't understand. What's wrong with me? That all my so-called gifts should actually be curses—it isn't fair. Black Eagle always used to smile at me when I said that. 'Ours has never been a fair existence,' he'd said, in that voice that made it hard to tell if he was serious or teasing. The brown people. Mutants. I never did understand what he meant. Not completely.

"It doesn't matter now, though. We all died. The sign never lies. Then, like good little X-People, we came back. We were mere shells of our former selves. I wish I could remember what it was like. Did I go to Valhalla? Did I see my grandfather? I wonder if my soul was stuck in Limbo (and I don't mean Illyana's). I guess it doesn't really matter. I just… miss him, is all. It would've been nice to see him again. To apologize for all the things I did. Things I said. For not stopping Pierce. I just hope he knows how… how sorry I am. For all that and… for never telling him I loved him enough. For being so difficult. I…

"Anyway, I managed to bridge the gap with a little help from a frog. Actually, I think it was Thor but… never mind that. It was a relief. To be whole again. My friends, though… I couldn't bring them out of it. And Magnus, he just gave up! Sent them to the White Queen, of all people! And even though I wanted to be there for them, I just… I couldn't. They're my friends and I love them, but between my own guilt and anger at Magnus I… I don't know. I am still a selfish person, I suppose.

"Some friend, right? Guess you were right about me. I turned tail and ran away from them just like I ran away from you. Until all I could offer you was too little, too late. Our paths diverged too long ago and you… you were so far gone from me. It was too late for us. For you. I was too late. Black Eagle once told me that sometimes a thing gets broken and there… there just isn't a way to fix it. Like us. I loved you once, you know. Like to think you might've loved me, too, if things had been different. If we'd been different.

"Promise I won't forget, Pat. That much I can give you. It might not be what you deserve but it's something. It's all I have. I love you. I'll miss you.

"Never forget."

Her voice was barely more than a whisper as she uttered those final words. Silently, she opened her eyes and gently brushed the gravestone in front of her. Pat Roberts. Danielle Moonstar ignored the tears that stained her cheeks. She gave him a solemn bow before slowly rising from her kneeling position in the snow. Carefully, she swept the top of the stone clear of white powder and gave it one last nod before finally turning away. She wouldn't forget. She'd never forget. That was her promise to him. And she wouldn't let her other friends go so easily, either. That was her promise to herself.

If ya like it, lemme know! ...pweeeeeese..?