Disclaimer: the characters all belong to Marvel.  Don't sue.

No Happy Endings
	by Twist
"There are no happy endings, because nothing ever ends."
	-Schmendrick the Magician, _The Last Unicorn_
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Pete Wisdom was getting impatient.  It had been more than an hour since 
he'd begun pacing, waiting for Moira's verdict.  He wanted nothing more 
than to go dashing out of the Med Lab and reassure Kitty that no bloody 
big Russian was going to keep them apart.  All he needed was one word 
from MacTaggert.

For her part, Moira had a great deal on her mind as she went over the 
surgery records, start to finish.  She was once more confronted with 
the worst part of being a doctor, and the wooziness she felt was most 
likely her brain letting her know loud and clear that she'd once again 
had one too many.  It just seemed the price would be a tad steeper this 
time.

Pete's head shot up from its meditative stance as Moira let out a 
heavy sigh and got to her feet.  He was more than a little surprised 
when she never glanced his way and simply walked directly to the door. 
He had to run a few feet in order to follow her without getting caught 
in the sliding door.

"Is he okay?!" Kitty leaped to her feet the instant she saw Moira walk 
through the door.

"Of course I am!"  Pete hollered, rushing forward to give her a hug and 
a kiss, and (hopefully) a bit of extra reassurance.  He was not amused 
by the fact that Moira refused to let him pass.  He was about ready to 
forcibly remove her when he saw the pained look on his love's face.  
Moira looked to the side and closed her eyes, her head slowly and sadly 
shaking back and forth.

"Oh God, Pete!"  Kitty rushed forward, and ran right through Pete.  (No 
real surprise there, she'd done the same to Moira.)  Moira quickly 
turned and followed, which was a shock, as Moira had never displayed 
any sort of phasing powers before.  Pete felt briefly like he was going 
to be ill, but he shoved it down and followed after.

What he saw when he glanced over Kitty's shoulder would haunt him for 
the rest of his days.  The man who lay on the table was white as a 
sheet, with several incisions running across his head and chest, but 
was undeniably Pete Wisdom.

"Bloody...." Pete swore softly, but never completed the thought as 
silent tears began to flow down Kitty's cheeks.  "Kitty," he murmured, 
and gently wrapped his arms around her.  For a moment, Kitty laid her 
head against his chest, before choking off.

"Pete...."

"Hssh."  Pete whispered in her ear.  "I'm here.  And I'm not going to 
leave.  It takes more than an Iron Hammer to keep me off.   ‘M too 
stubborn."

Kitty sniffled a few more times, glancing from Pete's body, to the 
flatlining machines.  For a moment, Pete thought he'd felt her give his 
arm a squeeze.  Finally, Kitty wiped her face and steeled herself, 
looking Moira in the eye.

"Thank you for trying, Moira, that's all I could ask.  Now, if you'll 
excuse me, I must go speak with Piotr."  With that, Kitty turned and 
walked out the door, Pete in step beside, where he would remain as long 
as he was needed.

The End?
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(I know you're out there, I can hear you breathing.)
Twist, addrianna@rocketmail.com