Ahh, better late then never I say. :) Unfortunately for us, pregnancy brain has set in, resulting in a minor case of writers block. But I'll forge through it... hopefully before January gets here... I'll be pretty busy come January. :)

14

The door swung open, causing Lily to jump. She had been sitting on the steps in the foyer with the phone in hand, waiting for anything. Now she dropped the phone and hurried over to Johnny.

"Oh… oh my God…" Her breathing was erratic and her eyes had grown wide.

"What's all this ruckus about…" Logan lumbered into the foyer with Kitty and Rogue hot on his heels.

He stopped at the sight of Johnny holding Alex in his arms. She was soaking wet, and looked pretty beaten up.

"Is she dead?!" Lily's lip quivered.

"Not yet." Johnny adjusted the woman's weight in his beaten up arms.

"What happened?!" Kitty asked, holding her hand to her mouth in shock.

"He'll explain later. Let's get her down to the Med. Bay." Logan instructed, leading the way to the sub basement.

---

"I think she will be alright." Dr. McCoy explained. "She's stabilized, and once she regains consciousness she can use her powers to heal herself up."

"Are you sure?" Lily frowned. "I mean, she looks pretty bad."

Hank smiled. "I'm sure kiddo. Go get some rest. She'll be just fine."

Lily nodded reluctantly, letting Kitty put an arm around her and lead her back to the elevator.

"Let me know when she needs me Hank." Logan grunted.

"Will do."

"Come on." He grunted at Johnny. "The rest of the fab four crashin' here tonight?"

"No." Johnny shook his head. "I asked them to drop us off. In fact… I'd better be going."

Logan looked at him for a moment. "Alright. But you'll be the one to tell Cabbage Patch up there that you ain't stayin'."

Johnny frowned, thinking of Lily. He was right. She'd be upset if he left now. "Fine. Where's my room."

---

He snuck in through a window on the bottom floor like he had a thousand times before, being sure he didn't disturb anyone, or any alarms. He quietly made his way down to the pitch black sub basement, leaving the lights off as he headed through the hallways, remembering his way to the Med. Bay. A tiny emergency bulb served as the only source of light. He felt the door for the doorknob when the smell of freshly cut grass filled his senses, causing him to furrow his brow. He felt something slither around his wrists, tightening quickly. And suddenly, she was there."
"Who are you, and what are you doing here." She hissed into his ear.

She was short, shorter than him at least, and from the feel of it, she was fairly petite. He could easily free himself from the position she had him pinned in, but he decided to humor her.

"A friend. Jus' checkin' up on a friend."

Another set of vines crept around his ankles and one slid around his neck.

"Wrong answer." She barked, gritting her teeth. "If you think for one second I won't scream bloody murder… I could have ten men down here in less than a minute."

"Wouldn' take me dat long t'finish you off." He answered with a smirk, feeling the vines tighten a bit more. "But den where's d'fun in dat?"

He looked over his shoulder slightly, inspecting her face as she impatiently glanced back at the hallway.

"Y'look jus' like her chère." He grinned.

Her head spun around and she glared at him. Her glare turning into a stare, which turned into shock.

"Your eyes…" She whispered; her grip loosening slightly before she released him completely. "You're…"

The lights flicked on suddenly and Kitty rounded the corner armed with a tennis racket.

"Hang on Lily! I'm-" She stopped mid sentence, staring at the intruder. "Oh my God."

"Kitty Pryde, what in God's name are y'gunna do with a tennis racket?!" Rogue hissed at the young woman, rounding the corner herself. "Y' alright down here L-"

She stared in silence before crossing her arms. "Sunnuva bitch."

"Honey, I'm home." He said with a cocky grin.

"Honey ah'm home." She repeated flatly. "Ah'll 'honey ah'm home' you alright y'ignorant swamp rat!" She snatched the tennis racket from Kitty's hand, stomping towards him with a glare.

"How 'bout ah start with shovin' this where the light don't shine y' dumb prick?!"

He held up his hands defensively "Chère…"

"Don't you gimme that." Throwing the tennis racket to the floor, she grabbed him by the collar of his trench coat and slammed him against the door. "Ah oughtta cancel yo' birth certificate Cajun."

He winced, but before Rogue could respond, the door opened. Gambit fell back into Alex's arms and she struggled to lower him to the ground.

"Ah, merci." He said with a pained smile, his torso being propped up by Alex.

"What is that?" She knit her brow, feeling his back through his coat. She pulled his trench coat off and gasped. His back was riddled with debris; the white shirt he was wearing was drenched in blood.

"Rogue, help me get him up." She instructed. "Kitty, go get Logan and Dr. McCoy. Lily, go clear off the desk in his office."

"But you shouldn't-"

"Go!" Alex put his arm around her neck, Rogue doing the same with his other, and they hoisted him up, bringing him to the office.

Lily had laid a sheet down on the desk, and was ready when the three arrived.

"Can't you just heal him?" Lily frowned.

"Not with all that shrapnel in his back." Alex shook her head, helping him sit down on the desk.

"Let's get your shirt off, okay?" Alex said, ripping his shirt down the front and carefully pulling it off around his wounds.

Lily raised an eyebrow at the sight of his chiseled chest, a small smirk peeking out on her lips.

"You like dat p'tite?" He smirked.

Lily grinned and nodded before Rogue forcefully helped him lay down on his chest.

Kitty rounded the corner with Hank and Logan right behind her.

"Ah, bonjour. Long time no see hein?" Gambit grinned at Logan.

He let out a low growl. "Great."

---

He pressed her up against the wall, their lips grazing one another, sweetening the temptation, before meeting passionately. They weaved their way across the room like a well practiced dance that they'd once become so accustomed to. He spun her around and gently lay her down. The soft light from the moon outside serving as their only source of light as she ran her hands along his bare chest before sliding them upwards, around his shoulders, tangling her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck.

He pulled back suddenly, sitting up.

"What is it?" She sat up next to him, looking towards the doorway.

"Thought I heard someone." He whispered, turning his attention back to her. The way the moonlight illuminated her soft green eyes.

She smiled and pushed him down on the couch, pressing herself against him. "Ah think y'hearin' things sugah."

"Dat so?" He circled his arm around her waist.

She nodded with a mischievous grin. "Now where were we…"

---

"Johnny, I wish you'd sit down." Alex whispered.

He ran a hand through his hair, sitting down on the edge of her bed. "Understandably, I'm a little bit nervous here."

"I know." She frowned.

"You could have died."

"…I know."

"Are you going to explain to me what the hell is going on?" He looked at her expectantly.

She pressed her lips together. "Derek and I… our relationship… it wasn't real. It was a well thought out business transaction, created to make him look good."

"You let him use you?" Johnny narrowed his eyes at her. The look of disgust that registered on his face made her look away.

"Not like that. Johnny… he was taking care of my Dad. I got into modeling because I couldn't pay all the medical bills… plus trying to support Lily…" She shook her head. "Then Derek came."

"And saved the day."

"Johnny… you have to understand, I would kill for my Dad."

He stood up again, pacing the room "So then what. He devised a plan to have you killed?"

"I don't know. All I know is what I saw in those files. I panicked. I thought he was going to come after Lily, so I made sure she stayed here. I knew she'd be safe here."

Johnny ran a hand through his hair again.

"Johnny. They didn't finish the job." She looked down at her hands. "I don't think this will be over until someone does."

He stopped pacing and let out a breath, moving over to her on her bed. He sat down next to her, taking her hand in his.

"I won't leave you. Whoever comes to finish the job, will have to shoot through me first."