Natsumi: Finally! I've updated. Damned writers block iz a beeyatch!

Logan: Have you had sugar today?

Natsumi: I've had sleep... does that count?

Logan: Why do I put up with ya?

Natsumi: Because... because... something, I don't know.

Logan: Just do it.

Natsumi: I read this somewhere before, and if anyone can tell me where, I'd appreciate it. ME NO OWN! YOU NO SUE! Kanaan, she be mine. YOU NO HAVE!

5

"Mommy… is Daddy gonna hurt me?"

Kanaan bolted upright, sweating bullets, scream caught in her throat. She clamped her mouth shut as the little girl's voice faded away back into the recesses of her mind. She placed a hand over her heart, closed her eyes, and took deep, calming breaths. When next she opened her eyes, she actually looked about her.

It was like a hospital room. Machines beside her beeped and it smelled like disinfectant. Kanaan then looked down, and saw an IV sticking out of her arm.

'Dehydrated… she needs fluids immediately…' she remembered someone saying. Realizing the stuff pumping into her body was needed she resisted the urge to pull the needle out. She focused on something else more pressing, like the fact that she was in a hospital gown rather than her clothes.

'Oh God' she thought. 'please let it have been a woman who changed me…'

The door to the infirmary opened, and Hank McCoy walked in. Instead of the Speedo he had worn earlier (she couldn't help but to blush now that she was out of danger and able to remember, in detail, exactly how muscled he had been) he wore rather comfortable looking khaki pants and a tan t-shirt as well as a lab coat and a stethoscope about his neck.

"Hello Mr. McCoy." she greeted.

"She speaks! Speak again, bright angel." Hank quoted with a smile.

"No…" she groaned in mock horror. "Not Romeo and Juliet!"

"Sorry, I just couldn't resist." he replied with a smile. "And how are we feeling today?"

"Actually… I fell better than I have in weeks." she told, watching him look over a medical chart.

"You were severely dehydrated, and malnourished. How long were you running from him?"

"Almost four weeks."

"And you rarely ate?" it seemed more like a statement to her, but she answered.

"I spent most of my money on bus fairs and other things. I wasn't too preoccupied with the thought of eating."

"I'm surprised you bounced back so soon. You've been asleep for almost twenty six hours…"

"Twenty six hours!?!" she exclaimed, but he ignored her.

"But that's to be expected for someone who lacked in sleep. You should have been out for days for your body to recover." he looked at her. "Perhaps Sabertooth's healing factors has been passed down."

She stiffened at the name. "Where is he?"

"In a maximum holding cell in the basement, making a racket, as usual."

She relaxed. He noticed her earlier tension, and knew that she would probably suffer some post traumatic stress. "Would you like to talk about it?"

She seemed to think about it. "Not really. It just seems like my whole life has been centered around being afraid of him."

"And you're still afraid." he murmured.

"Well… yes. I can't just pretend the problem's been solved just because it's been caged."

"That's understandable. But enough talk about dark times, let's take some tests, and see if we can't get you out of this bed."

Kanaan was glad for the change of subject. However, she wasn't too thrilled at one word. "Tests?"

"Don't worry. We'll check your pulse, blood pressure, temperature, the standard stuff." He smiled, and her heart fluttered. She had never seen eyes that were so gentle, or a smile so warm. She looked away, hoping he wouldn't notice.

"Hmm, how old are you Kanaan?" he asked.

"Twenty."

Hank looked at her, obviously surprised. "You don't look older than fifteen. Despite how tall you are."

She gave him a lopsided grin. "I've been pulled over I don't know how many times because of that observation, Mr. McCoy."

"Hank."

She blinked. "Beg pardon?"

"You're old enough, you can call me Hank."

"Oh… Hank…"

Hank's heart nearly skipped a beat at the way she said his name.

'Get it together, old boy she's way too young for you, not to mention that you're not the attractive stud you once were.' he wrote her age down on the medical chart in front of him. "Do you have any allergies?"

"No."

"Any…" he blushed at the next question. "Sexually transmitted diseases?"

She burst out laughing, she couldn't help it. "No, and I'm not sexually active, nor have I ever been sexually active."

He nodded relieved, and secretly pleased. He pushed the thought from his mind.

"Alright." he placed two fingers on her wrist, and watched the clock. Kanaan noticed his pleased look, and watched as he wrote something else on the chart. He took the stethoscope from around his neck, and placed the earpieces in his ears. He then undid one of the ties on Kanaan's medical gown, pulled the fabric apart slightly, and placed the cold end piece on her back.

"Now, take a deep breath." he instructed. She did so. "And let it out." she exhaled. He repositioned the stethoscope. "Breathe in." he repeated. She did so. "And out." another exhale. Hank removed the earpieces, and replaced the stethoscope around his neck. He redid the ties on Kanaan's medical gown, which she was grateful for. He went over, and took down a blood pressure cuff that was in a metal basket that was hanging on the wall. He placed the cuff about her arm, and proceeded to squeeze the pump.

"I hate these things. They make my arm go numb." Kanaan muttered. Hank gave her a sympathetic smile.

"I know what you mean. I'll try to make this as quick as possible." he once again placed the stethoscope in his ears and placed the end of it under the cuff. After a moment he released the pressure.

"Well, looks like everything's fine. I'll just take your temperature and you'll be ready to go."

"Go?" of course, she couldn't stay here. She wasn't a mutant, she had no right to be here in the first place.

But how was she going to get home? If home was still there. Her father had probably torn it apart trying to find her, and there was no telling where her mother was right now. And if home was still there, she had no money to afford a plane ticket or to go by bus. She had spent her money trying to get away from Victor Creed, but never thought of what to do when, or if, she did.

"Yes, I'll show you around the school, and we'll see if we can't get you a room to stay in." Hank replied, throwing her for a complete one eighty.

"'Room'?" she got out. "But I can't I mean… I'm not a mutant or anything I have no right to stay here and…" but Hank was already shaking his head.

"You're welcome to stay here as long as you want, or at least until you get you a job and save enough money to rent an apartment or buy yourself a new home."

"'A new home'?" she echoed.

"Yes. Sabertooth knows were you live, am I right?"

"Yes."

"Then it only makes sense that you should find yourself a new home."

She pondered it. "Do you think he'll escape?"

Hank shrugged. "It's a possibility, you never know. But he's not the only one you have to worry about. Magneto may be involved in Sabertooth's scheme, and if you return home he may find you."

Kanaan sighed. "Then… I'll have to rely on you guys until I can stand on my own feet again." realizing how ungrateful that sounded, she quickly backpedaled. "I mean, what I meant to say is, that I hate to be a prolonged burden to you guys."

Hank placed a hand on her shoulder. "You are no burden to us Kanaan. Anyone you ask will tell you that."

Kanaan bit her lip, looked away, and tilted her head up to try to keep the tears in. All her life that's all she felt like was a burden, especially to her mother. And here was this man who barely even knew her telling her she wasn't with such… conviction, that it made her want to believe that she wasn't.

Hank reached over, placed the tips of his fingers on her chin, and brought her head back around to where they were looking at each other eye to eye.

"You are not a burden." he repeated. She nodded a little, her lips pursed together, before smiling a little, her eyes shimmering and she said "Okay."

"See, that wasn't so hard to say, now was it?" He grinned, and she gave a half laugh. "Now…" he opened a drawer and pulled out the thermometer. "Under your tongue." he told as he placed one end into her mouth. They waited for a moment, before it beeped, and a perfect ninety eight point six showed up.

"Alright, you're good I call one of the girls to bring you up some clothes, although they may be a little short on you."

"Uh… about that." she hesitated. "Where are my clothes?"

"We had them washed, but unfortunately the skirt was ruined. Your shirt and coat are fine though." He seemed to think for a moment. "It's warmer down here than it is up in Canada about this time of year, would you like to wear shorts? They would look less ridiculous on you than pants."

"That'd be fine. Can I take a bath first though? I feel like grease and grit, so to speak."

Hank nodded, "Of course. Here, I'll show you the women's bathroom." he helped her out of the bed, making sure she was steady on her feet, before showing her through one of the doors into a very spacious bathroom.

"It has all the feminine necessities, just check in the cupboard and anything you can think of you'll probably find it there."

"I see." Kanaan murmured, looking around. She accidentally knocked a hand towel off of the side of the sink, and she bent over to pick it up.

Kanaan must have forgotten why people hate hospital gowns, because as soon as she did, Hank got a very nice view of her lovely lace panties stretched deliciously over her perfect round bottom.

Before she could notice how her state of… undress… was effecting him below the belt he turned around and said over his shoulder, "I'll get Jean and Kitty to look for something for you to wear, if you need anything, just hit the nurse button above your bed and I'll be down to help you.

"Okay." he heard her say. "Hank."

He stopped, and turned very slightly to look at her. Her smile made his heart skip a beat. "Thank you, for everything."

Hank returned her smile with one of his own. "There's nothing to thank me for, as I said before, you are not a burden." he left the room, and sighed outside the door to the infirmary. He supposed he'd have to have a shower too. A very cold one at that.

And he had a feeling his life was about to get even more complicated.

Natsumi: Finally!

Logan: It's 'bout damn time ya finished this chapter.

Natsumi: I know! By the by, you guys are probably wondering why this story is rated M

Logan: Tha'd be a nice thing to explain Captain Obvious.

Natsumi: And the why is gonna be cursing, Lime and Lemony goodness.

Logan: She is a perv by the way.

Natsumi: And other thing in which I can't tell less I spoil the surprise.

Logan: Yeah I... wait, what surprise?

Natsumi: ...

Logan: You didn't tell me there was a surprise, and ya tell me everything.

Nastumi: There's another R&R here Logan.

Logan: What?

Natsumi: Refuse and Resist! Run away!

Logan: HEY! GET BACK HERE AN TELL ME!!