"She's keeping it then?" Beast asked.
"Yes."
"And you support her decision?" Gambit asked.
"It is her decision and I'd support her no matter what she chose."
"She's choosing death!" Gambit shouted.
"Very possibly." John said calmly.
"That's my sister!"
"That's my girlfriend!"
"She is my best friend! She means more to me than this world. I can't ask her to do something she believes is 
totally wrong. You two didn't even have the guts to talk to her. This was your fault Apollo and you won't even tell 
her how you feel about it. Your all against her and the last thing she needs is to be alone in this. Are you gonna leave 
her alone in this Apollo?" John asked.
"Don't you dare lay this on me. You talked to her and she's still going to keep the stupid thing!" Apollo yelled.
"This is your fault. It couldn't have happened without you."
"I don't want this kid!"
"Then you shouldn't have had sex with her."
"If anything happens to my sister I hold you responsible John."Gambit shouted.

***
Weeks passed. For a while things went good until morning sickness hit and refused to go away. Heather spent most
 the days vomiting and trying to get comfortable. She had constant headaches and cramps. She was miserable. Beast told 
her to stay in bed unless she felt up to moving.  John decided he would stay with her. He cared for her as a parent cares 
for a sick child. When she needed anything he fetched it. He kept her company since Gambit and Apollo weren't speaking 
to her. He was as good as his word, he was supporting her decision to an extent beyond Heather's expectation. John had 
moved his mattress to beside her bed and he never left her side.
One day Heather was feeling rather good and she sent John away ordering him to shower and put some decent food 
in his scrawny body.
Apollo decided to show up and asked her to take a walk. She was thrilled to see him. She assumed that he hated her 
but now she hoped his reaction was only due to surprise and a little fear.
Walking with him was heaven. She hadn't been outside in days and the sun felt so good. His voice reminded her of 
why she loved him so. It ended all to quickly as he brought her back to her room.

He pulled her close and kissed her sliding his hands under her shirt. She pulled away.

"We can't do this. It might endanger the baby."

"It might endanger the baby?!" He shouted, "So what?The kid dies and we go back to the way things were."

"Don't you understand I want this baby."

"Well here's a news flash no one else does. I sure don't. Gambit wishes you had just gotten rid of it. John's 
being all supportive but it's a crock he doesn't want it born any more than I do! Besides what should I do in the meantime?"

"Pay a hooker." Heather hissed, "It's obvious that's what you think your girlfriend is."

"I have to suffer because you didn't use contraceptives?"

"Birth control works both ways, I sure didn't see you reaching for a condom or anything!"

"You should have taken care of it you've been doing it long enough!"

"Stop it! I'm not who I was!" Heather shouted as tears streamed down her face.

"It's probably not even mine is it. You've been cheating on me,for who? John? Is it John's kid? Is he taking care of 
you because he feels guilty?" Apollo had her pinned against the wall.

"This child is yours. I never cheated." Heather defended.

"You little whore." Apollo said slapping her face. He soon found himself up in the air. He hit the wall hard.

"Get out of here! If you ever lay a finger on her I'll kill you @#&*@#$!"John shouted.

"Don't worry I'm through with the harlot. Through with her and her kid." Apollo said and stormed out the door.

"Nobody wants this baby born but me." Heather cried as John put his arms around her. Seeing her hurting 
so bad was almost more than he could bare.

"Call Rahne. She'll be better company than I." John whispered.

"You're leaving me too?" Heather cried softly.

"Of course not.I would never leave you." John assured her, "I just think that perhaps she would understand and 
be of more help than I."

*****

"Hello Muir Island Wolfsbane speaking."

"It's Heather. Can you come down here for a while?"

"Is everything all right?"

"Not really."

"Is John okay?"

"He's fine."

"Are you okay?"

"I'd rather explain in person.

*****

Rahne arrived two days later. John met her at the door. They kissed quickly.

"Heather wouldn't tell me what's going on." Rahne whispered.

"She's knocked up."John explained.

"Apollo?"

"Yeah. Beast doesn't think she'll survive delivery. I don't think she will either. She throws up continuously and 
for the last few weeks she's been really sick. I can handle that but I'm not enough emotional support for her. 
Nobody knows what to say."

"The poor thing. She desperately needs a friend."

******

John continued to care for Heather but Rahne offered company and a chance for John to get away when he 
needed to. John continued to sleep in Heather's room but occasionally Rahne would stay also.  Heather had 
become happier as time went by and excited about the future. Gambit finally came to see her. He dropped by 
often and she finally felt like she was part of the team again.

Finally the time came. Rahne had kicked John out of the operating room knowing that he couldn't withstand 
the emotional pain of what was to come. He approached this day with mixed feelings. A child would be born 
but his best friend might die.

Gambit, John, and Apollo sat outside. It had started out quiet but then the screaming of a woman in excruciating 
pain began. Beast wondered in and out silently getting questioning glances from the guys. As the screams got louder 
Apollo left.

"That's a good sign. At least he still cares."  Gambit said. 

"I care but I'm not going anywhere."John said.

"He has to deal with all this his own way." 

"His way has hurt Heather from the start."

"Dat may be but he can't help it. What are you going to do homme when she gone?"

"If it happens I'll be grateful for our time together and I'll be glad that she's out of pain. Out of a world that nearly
 destroyed her."

"You will feel some sadness won't you?"

"I've dealt with the sadness. I got to deal with that as I watched her suffer. As I watched the effects of what he 
did to her. I had plenty of time to feel sad."

"You gonna go on like she was never born?"

"I don't know what I'll do yet. I'm hoping I don't have to do anything. I hope she lives."

The screaming stopped and a baby began to cry. So did John.

Beast came out covered in blood, her blood. 

"She's losing blood. She has perhaps an hour maybe less. She's not in any pain. She wants to see you John." Beast said.

He walked in as Rahne walked out carrying the little girl wrapped in a blanket.

"She's beautiful. Looks just like her mother." John told Heather.

She was very pale. Her arms and legs looked smaller somehow. She was cold to his touch. She seemed like a corpse already.

"What did Beast say?" Heather asked calmly.

"He says you'll be fine." John smiled trying to be believable.

"You never could lie to me." She whispered.

"I don't want to lose you. There is no one I love as much as I love you."John confessed.

"You love Rahne more."

"Not more. Differently. Heather I wouldn't be who I am without you. I need you. I'm lost without you."

"You're never lost unless you refuse to ask for directions."Heather laughed.

"Now's not the time for jokes." 

"I want you to remember me happy."

"Heather I need you. I'm nothing without you. I care about you so much. I don't know what I'll do if you 
leave me." He said as tears streamed down his face. She reached up and wiped his tears away. He took 
her hands in his. They were so cold.

"You'll go on like you always have. I want you to know I'm not sorry. I knew if I was making a mistake
 you would have talked me out of it. When you didn't I knew it was right. I'm so glad I decided to have 
it." Heather confessed.

"Your dieing." He whispered holding her hands against his face.

"Everyone dies. I'm glad I went first. I would never have made it without you. You can make it without me."

"Your my best friend. I love you so much."

"I love you too." Heather said her voice deathly soft.

"No." He shouted as if he could will her to live. He couldn't and she slipped into eternal sleep. John felt as if 
a piece of him had been ripped away. He felt so empty. He sat by her side and cried for over an hour. Finally 
he regained his composure and stepped outside.

"I need you to sign something."Beast said, "Your the legal guardian of the little girl. I need your permission 
to put her up for adoption."

"How am I her guardian?" John asked.

"She didn't tell you? In her will it said that if anything happened to her you would be her guardian. I asked 
Apollo if he wanted any rights to her and he told me to drown her. Will you sign the papers?"

"Can I see her?" John asked.

"Rahne is holding her."
	

John took the child into his arms. She looked so much like her mother.

"Did Heather name her?" John asked.

"She said that was your job." Rahne informed him. He touched her tiny hands and they wrapped around his 
fingers.  He instantly felt as if the piece of him that had been ripped away had been replaced.

"You want kids Rahne?" John asked.

"Why?"

"I'm going to keep her. She really needs a mother and I thought you could help me raise her. I was 
the only person she trusted and Heather left me the one thing that was important enough for her to die for."

"Where will we put her?"

"In my room for now. When she gets older she can have her mothers room. Imagine a kid with all the 
x-men as parents. Imagine how loved that child would be." John said.

"What will you name her?"

"Heather's nickname was little bird. I'll call her Sparrow so she can always be my little bird as well."

"I'll go tell Beast."

"Come on Sparrow. Let's go home." He whispered kissing her cheek. He could have sworn he felt Heather smiling down on him.

THE END