We didn't know where else to go, so we ended up at the mansion. Sure, the x-geeks and the brotherhood didn't really get along, but the professor wouldn't allow them to attack us unless we attacked first, and that wasn't about to happen. On the ride over here, Wanda was slowly starting to heal, which threw my hopes into overdrive. Whatever Rogue did, it was working. Still, Wanda was a long way from even regaining consciousness by the time we got to the mansion. Tabby was talking, but I wasn't listening. I refused to let my senses wander from anything but the girl I held in my arms, trying adamantly to pick up some sign that everything was going to be alright.
"Toad! C'mon lets go," Tabby finally yelled loud enough to get my attention. "We gotta get her inside." I wasn't sure whether the X-men would be willing to help Wanda, seeing as how she was the biggest thorn in their side since she got here, but I had to hope that Professor X was as great as Kurt, Rogue and Tabby said he was. I gathered Wanda closer to me and gingerly slipped outta the jeep and followed the others inside.
"And just what do you think you're doin'?" snarled a voice which forced me to look up, then take a hesitant step back.
"Logan, we need help," Rogue said, stepping forward and forcing his eyes onto her. "It's serious," she told him, and her tone was pleading. I didn't know what terms she was able to procure his powers under from earlier, but Logan and Rogue had a distinct bond that I don't think I'd ever understand. He thought about it, then his eyes softened and he sighed.
"I'll tell Charles, you head to the lower levels. And I expect a full explanation of all of this later," he told her, and she nodded at him before leading us away. We took an elevator down to the lower levels where their 'hospital' was. I can't say I'd ever been here before, but Tabby told me about it. When Rouge told me to lay her out on one of the beds there, I hesitated.
"Toad, she needs help. Real help, 'n she can't get that if you're holdin' onta her."
"I know," I told her, but hesitated a moment longer. I didn't wanna let her go, because as long as she was in my arms I knew she was safe, and I knew she was mine. But I also knew that I needed to do what was best for her, and right now that was giving her over to the care of the X-men, as much as I hated it. Slowly I moved to put her down but kept one of her hands in mine. I only got a few moments like this with her before we were interrupted by Jean and the big blue ape, Dr. McCoy.
"We'll take it from here, you all have done more than enough. Get some rest," Hank told us as he came over to inspect Wanda. "Oh and Tabitha? You should return Lance's jeep to him as soon as you can." Tabby blushed.
"Oh, uh, yeah. I was just borrowing it." He smiled knowingly at her, but it was distracted as he was already listing an inventory of Wanda's wounds.
"I'd like to stay," I heard myself ask as the others were almost out the door. It was unlike me to go against the crowd, or draw attention to myself, but I wasn't about to move from Wanda's side; X-mansion or not.
"No Toad, you have to leave," Jean was telling me, but I shook my head. For one moment I was able to pull my eyes off of Wanda and look Jean square in the face.
"If it were Scott lying here, would you leave?" I asked boldly, but didn't flinch as I saw her face scowl out of irritation.
"That's entirely different-"
"No, it's not," I shot back at her, squeezing Wanda's hand a little harder. I never had the courage, or even the will, to stand up for myself before but suddenly the fear of leaving Wanda alone with them gave me the words I needed to say. "I love her jus' as much, if not more 'n you love Scott. I'm stayin' yo, 'n that's it." I could see she was about to fire back when Dr. McCoy stepped in.
"You may stay Toad, we can't waste precious time arguing over such a trivial matter. But you have to keep out of our way and let us do our work unhindered." I nodded agreeably to his terms, and turned my worried eyes back on Wanda. I felt a hand on my shoulder, then accepted the chair given to me by Rogue before she disappeared out the door behind everyone else.
I watched silently as they hooked all types of machinery up to my Wanda and attempted to help her in any way possible. Every once in a while I was asked to move a bit to the left or right, but I never once let go of Wanda's hand. I inhaled when she did, and exhaled in unison with her as well, so intent on her as I was. I had no idea of what had actually taken place, if Magneto was still alive somewhere. He had to be, since we didn't come across a body, and Gambit still seemed to be employed by the master of metal. So what had happened?
Obviously they had fought. Wanda was in terrible shape, each breath she drew in was shaky at best. For a moment her breath hitched in her chest, causing panic to rise in me for a moment before she let it go and exhaled normally. What had Magneto done to her? Where was he now? Did he leave her alive on purpose? And what was Gambit doing, hanging around her nearly lifeless body? None of it added up, and the only one with answers was hanging on by just barely a thread.
Eventually Wanda was stabilized, but even then I refused to leave her side. I stayed constantly vigilant next to her, keeping watch and praying that everything I had done would pay off for her. They said she was looking good, and that recovery was imminent but their words did nothing to pacify me. She was still unconscious, which meant she still needed someone to keep guard over her. Especially here in the midst of the X-men.
I guess I must have dozed off, because the feeling of Wanda's hand being pulled from mine snapped me wide awake. I sat up and the blankets someone had dripped around me fell off, and I was looking around as my nerves buzzed. But no danger was there, no one was in the room with us. Slowly my eyes moved back to Wanda, who was sitting up with one hand on her head, the other in her lap, and giving me a strange look. It seemed as if she wanted to conjure the seething disdain she usually held for me, but was confused on how to find it. I dared not say one word for fear of upsetting her. Her eyes held mine for a long time, neither one of us moving or speaking, until finally she exhaled and put both her hands in her lap and looked down at them.
"How long was I out?" she asked. I took this as a good sign, since she wasn't hexing me or anything like that. I risked a quick glance at the clock behind her and shrugged.
"'Bout 15 hours maybe." She seemed surprised at that, and I guess she must have known what kind of shape she had been in.
"What….how is that possible?" she asked me, turning to look at me again with questions in her large sapphire eyes. I melted like the ice cube I was around her, and spilled how I convinced Rogue to help me out with my insane plan of using Wolverine's powers on her, and that it worked. Kinda. It took a lot longer because Wanda had such a diluted version. Rouge only took a tiny amount from Logan to begin with, which then had to be muddled with Wanda's own magic in order to be of any use to her. When I was done explaining she was giving me another strange look.
"Wait. You…-" But she was cut off by Beast entering the room.
"Wanda, glad to see you up and among the living," he told her with a toothy smile. She looked back at him and instantly tensioned. Without thinking I reached out and put my hand on her arm, which caused her to flinch violently away from me. The screens in the room started flickering along with the lights and Dr. McCoy looked straight at Wanda. "There's no need to be unnerved, Wanda. I have been helping you recover from your injuries, along with a few other trained X-men. No one is here to hurt you." His soothing voice seemed to take a hold on her, and the electricity returned to its normal humming. I retracted my hand and stared at the floor as Beast went over Wanda's health with her. I wasn't paying attention.
Of course everything that happened wouldn't change a thing between us. Why did I think it would? She would continue hating me, or at the very least ignoring me. Her feelings for me would never change, neither would our situation. I knew this deep in my mind, but still just the sight of her from my peripheral vision had my heart hammering in my chest, my throat constricting and my mouth feeling oddly dry. I was right of course, nothing would change. Which included my feelings for her, even though I knew they would never be reciprocated. It was at this time that I picked up my name being spoken by Dr. McCoy.
"…was Toad who deserves your thanks. He went through quite the adventure to secure your health and safety." I looked up right as they both looked at me. Instantly my eyes were back on the floor.
"It was nothin', yo," I muttered with a one-shoulder shrug. But Beast wouldn't let it go.
"Toad, without you Wanda was facing certain death. If you hadn't gotten to her as quickly as you did, or went through the extensive procedure that you managed, however questionable in ethics on the part involving Wolverine, Wanda might not be with us right now." The very thought had my stomach in knots, but I didn't show it. Instead I kept my gaze firmly on the linoleum beneath my feet and shrugged again. I heard a brush of cloth, probably Beast nudging Wanda, then her hand was on my shoulder that was closest to her. This caused me to look up, and immediately I was drowning in her stormy sea eyes.
"Thank you," she told me with a gentle voice and right then I felt as if I could fly. Not only was she thanking me, but she was touching me. Willingly! My blood was pounding through my veins and suddenly I had to remind myself to inhale. She gave me a small curve of her lips in a slight smile, and abruptly I was grinning from ear to ear.
"Heh, anytime yo." Anytime, anywhere… anything for her. I'd do anything to have her smile at me like that just one more time, but the moment was over far too soon. She took her hand back and looked back up at Beast.
"Would it be alright if I left?" He did a quick look over the charts in his hand, but I already knew the answer.
"There seems to be nothing wrong with you. You are in complete physical health. I see no reason why you couldn't do that." She nodded and looked down at her hands, then back at me.
"Toad?" she asked in a small, gentle voice as she tilted her head just slightly to one side. Just like that I was her slave, ready to do anything she asked of me, no matter what it was. I made an affirming noise, not trusting myself enough to speak words. "I think it's time to go home." Such a funny word; home. I never thought of the Brotherhood House, or any other residence, as a home. But now I realized anywhere she was, that was home enough for me.
All thanks goes to Broken Eros and Melly Black. I had all but given up on this story, convinced that no one was reading it. Thank you, to both of you, for telling me to keep on with it. To others, PLEASE don't be hesitant to give me feedback! It's what keeps me going.