Always

by KrazyKora

Nathan Dayspring, also known as the mutant Cable stood outside the infirmary door. Not wanting to go in.

Not wanting to see the pain that the only woman since his wife he had really cared for suffer.

He watched all the members of X-Force go in and out of the room. Each of them exiting with a pained expression on their face. Sam had had to help a sobbing Tabitha out. She was crying so hard, her little body so wracked with sorrow, that she couldn't walk out on her own.

"Nathan?"

Cable looked up to see a familiar red-haired woman, who in another life perhaps he could have called "mom."

Jean Grey.

"What?" he said, no emotion in his voice at all. Just flat and monotone.

"Are you going in there..I...I think she'd like to see you. She kept asking..."

Nathan stood up so as not to face Jean's usual warm green eyes that now held a tender sadness for him,

"No...I can't. I can't see her..lying there..helpless...." he whispered the last part, unable to believe it. As far as he'd known, she had never been helpless.

"Nathan, I know this is a hard time for you..It..it's a hard time for everyone. It's even hard for me and I hardly know the woman. All I do know, is that you know her..and seem to care for her..and Nathan..she feels the same way," Jean said softly, then touched her "son's" arm ," She needs you, Nate..I don't know how much longer she has."

Nathan hung his head. "Okay..." he ran a hand through his silver hair nervously, "I'm going in..and Jean..."

"I know." Jean whispered and kissed Nathan's cheek ," I love you too."

Nathan slowly headed toward the doorway, a wave of exhaustion running over him. He'd hardly slept since he'd heard the news all those weeks ago.

His twin, his clone Stryfe had caused a lot of pain when he'd released the legacy virus. But this was the worst thing the virus had done that Nate knew of.

There, lying in the infirmary bed, was the strongest woman he'd ever known. Looking so weak and so fragile that it almost brought tears to his eyes.

"Domino..." he said gently, his throat feeling dry, "I'm here..."

"Nathan," she said, her wide violet eyes holding back tears at the sight of him, " I wondered when you'd get off your ass and come see me."

Nathan tried to smile, knowing she had made the small joke to lighten the darkness of the situation, but there was no shaft of light that could sweep into this dark void.

Because whether or not she'd like to admit it, Domino was dying.

"So..what have you been up to..." she started casually, "Besides..not sleeping...," she reached up and brushed his cheek lightly, "The bags under your eyes are big enough to hold all of Boomer's clothes..."

He took her hand and held it tenderly, "I haven't been sleeping well."

"Really? Why not?"

"Because of you..." he admitted. He'd known it be hard to see her, but he didn't know it'd feel like someone was scratching the inside of his heart. Playing with it slowly before ripping it out.

"Me? Why are you worried about little 'ole me? I'll be..fuh..fuh..," she burst into lung racking coughs. She squeezed Nathan's hand tightly as she tried to regain herself.

And Nathan closed his eyes, feeling the torture of her pain rifting through his mind link to her. Finally she managed to stop, sweat beading her smooth white forehead, and breathed," Fine...I'll be fine, Nathan."

She looked down then, tears tugging at her violet eyes as she breathed out slowly," Nathan..I'm going to tell you a secret..and if you tell any one I'll kill you."

He listened patiently.

She turned her eyes away from him and whispered, "I'm scared."

Nathan felt his heart break.

"I'm scared because after years of fighting..through hand to hand combat and shoot outs...this is the one thing I can't fight, I can't stop, with all the skills I've perfected. There's nothing I can do...but lie here and let this thing..this damned virus..consume me."

She couldn't look into his eyes. If she'd did she knew she'd burst into tears. She hated this. She absolutely hated this feeling. This hopelessness and helplessness.

Nathan just held her hand unable to speak. Why Domino? Of all people why did this blasted virus choose her?

He'd lost so much...his wife..his son...and now he was going to lose the only thing he had left. The only thing that really mattered to him anymore. His partner, his best friend,...the woman he lov..

Domino interrupted his thoughts, "Could you hand me my gun?"

Nathan snapped back to reality and handed her her gun.

She smiled weakly, " I can't leave this world..without holding this baby one last time..." she felt a tear sneak loose, "Oh Nathan,why? There was so much I wanted to do..so much I wanted to see...even though, even well, I knew I probably never would..but now it just seems even more unfair..because now I can't even dream of doing them..."

She bit her lip, another tear getting loose. She shook her head and ran the back of her hand over her eyes, " I won't..I promised..I'm not going to do this.."

"I won't cry." She said flatly, more to herself then him, "Nathan.." She squeezed his hand, because he still held hers in his own, "Nathan I'm sorry...there's so much..I wanted..want to tell you."

"You're sorry..I'm the fool...," he growled, his voice filled with anger and venom for himself, " I'm the bastard who told you I cared for you more than a friend..kissed you before the world ended then chose to conveniently forget about it and chase after Storm's heels...what the hell was I thinking! What the hell's wrong with me that I..," he looked down, "Now I've run out of time..it's too late to do what I should have done."

She sighed," You idiot. Nothing's too late...come on..don't count me as dead yet...who knows..maybe MacTaggart with find a cure..."

Nathan tried to smile," Yeah...maybe..."

But they both knew better. There was no time.

" Nathan..." she whispered, almost unable to keep her eyes open. She felt so sleepy all of a sudden. "Could you..could you hold me?"

"Gladly." Nathan said and took her in his arms swiftly. "Domino...I have to tell you...." he said, his voice sounding almost choked as the flood of tears began to push free.

"Yes,?" she whispered, her heart already knowing everything he would say.

His voice came out hushed as he said into her raven black hair," I love you."

She almost laughed, the joy of hearing those three little words breaking her," And I hate you..just about as much as I love you..." Tears from his eyes spilled onto her hair now and she turned to look up at him. Those lovely violet eyes, shining with tears of their own. "Kiss me, Nathan..I'm dying..."

Nathan pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Trying to fill the kiss with all the love and longing he'd held back for so long. So afraid to open his heart to this woman. He now gave her everything he'd wanted to give her..his love, his heart,his soul, his life. When the kiss ended she smiled and returned to resting in his arms, no words between them needed as their mind link whispered their love to each other.

And slowly Nathan watched as every light in her mind twinkled and burned out.

Her last thoughts were of him. And she gently whispered on her last breath, "I love you..always have..always will..always..."

~Fin~

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