Helen awoke in the bed that she shared with her husband with a headache to end all headaches. To much wine. Yep. That was it. Wine hangovers are always the worst.

Eyes closed tight against the sunlight streaming throught he blinds, she turned to wrap her arm around Eric. Her arm slid across his bare torso and she pulled her own naked body closer to him. Hand resting on his abdomen, she realized that something wasn't quite right. Her hand drifted upward to entwine her fingers into the hair on his chest as she had done so many times before... but there was no hair and no stubble to indicate that he had shaven for some reason.

Helen sat up quickly, a little to quickly for comfort of her hangover. Her head spun as if she had been caught in a clothes dryer. When she was able to open her eyes without falling bacl to the bed, she looked down at the form beside her.

This was definately not Eric.

The lack hair was the first indicator. Reality sunk in quickly. This was Eric's best friend, Charles. Charles Xavier.

Flashes from the previous night crossed through her mind. Helen sat quitely on the bed, numb. She had commited the ultimate act of betrayal in a marriage. How was she going to forgive herself. Worse. How was she going to tell Eric?

Helen sat in an oversized, over stuffed chair in the living room with her head in her hands and tears streaming down her face. Eric paced the floor in front of her.

"I never meant for it to happen Eric. I'm so sorry."

He quietly continued to pace, attempting to keep his temper in check. "You know he's my best friend."

"Yes, I know. And I know that its not an excuse but i was quite sloshed that night. I honestly cannot remember most of the night." She lifted her face to watch his movement.

"That doesn't change the fact Helen Marie." He stopped the incessant pacing to stand in front of her and look down at her. She looked him in the eye, her own eyes still glistening with the remnants of the shed tears.

"What can I do to make it up to you?"

Eric watched her, no emotion showing on his usually expressive face. "You can leave Helen. I don't ever want to see you again. Inform me of your location and I will have lawyers deliver the paperwork."

With that said, he left the room. Everything metal in the room slamming against the wall as he slammed the door.

A month and a half later, Helen sat on the floor of her private bathroom inside the Sanctuary Manor, staring at a piece of plastic in her hand while contemplating the events of the past few weeks.

She had returned to Coastal Washington to mixed feelings from the staff and residents of the Sanctuary. Everyone was both glad to have her back from her 3 year hiatus but also disheartened by the circumstances of her return. Young Henry had grown in leaps and bounds since she last saw him and was promising to become quite the heartbreaker in his teenage years to come.

Her attention came back around to the plastic stick in her hand as a blue plus sign began to appear in the little circle.

"Bloody Hell." She whispered, staring at the results of her life-changing indiscretion.

"Magnus." A knock on the bedroom door, accompanied by the Big Guy's gruff voice brought Helen out of her stupor. She stood, placing the pregnancy test into the wastebasket and went to open the door.

Big Foot stood there, a brown package in hand. "This came for you today." He held it out to her.

"Thank you old friend. Please," she took the package from him, "Inform the rest of the staff that I am not to be disturbed for the rest of the evening."

He nodded and walked off down the hall as Helen quietly closed the door and carried the package to the bed.

It had no return address but was postmarked from Westchester New York. She hesitated in opening it, dreading that it would be the divorce paperwork.

"Well Helen... you can't delay the inevitable." She slowly opened the package. A small piece of paper flutterd to the floor as she unwrapped a hard bound book. It was titled, "Mutant or Abnormal? The Truth Revealed" by Charles Xavier.

She turned the book over in her hands and gently fanned through the pages before reaching down to pick up the paper.

Helen,

I know that you said that you didn't wish for me to contact you again, but i believe that you will appreciate this.

-X