A/N: Okay. This idea's been haunting me for DAYS. And for the sake of my sanity I had to unleash it. (chuckles)
WARNINGS: MPREG, SLASH. OC. Language. Some adult themes. Weirdness. NO ACTION IN THIS ONE. I'll keep the weight on hurt/comfort/drama/romance as much as humanly (/mutantly?) possible.
Awkay, before I send you all running away screaming… Let's go! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.
The Long Way Home
Prologue – This is How a Heart Breaks
The first thing he felt was a massive, all consuming headache. Such that threatened to push him right back under. He was just about to surrender to that temptation when he heard a voice.
What… was that language? Spanish? Yes, definitely. If he would've been able to focus at all he might've understood what they were saying.
Where was he and how did he get here?
He most likely did collapse again because he next time he was able to feel something there was someone beside him. Wiping his forehead with a cool and moist fabric. He shivered with discomfort, not liking the unfamiliar contact although it felt oddly pleasant.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." The deep, smooth baritone held a thick accent. "Gabriella tried to heal you but she wasn't able to prevent the fever. Your mind… There's been a storm inside it."
The slowly waking up man realized that he should've been alarmed. He was unwell and there was a stranger beside him. He had no idea where he was. He barely knew who he was. What he did figure out instantly was that he… had some very special abilities. Average people didn't hear the echoes of everyone else's thoughts, didn't have what felt like the whole world screaming in their heads. And based on whatever else little he knew… It seemed that he'd faced several other people who had similar qualities.
Little by little it was all starting to make sense. Charles… Wasn't that his name? Sean… Alex… Hank… Raven… His students… His sister…
Charles' eyes flew open. For a few moments the room's dim light assaulted his already throbbing head to a point where he nearly blacked out once more. Brutal willpower kept him awake, though, and soon he was able to see his companion.
The other man seemed to be at around his age. Large, incredibly kind brown eyes, shortcut, slightly unruly dark hair. Beautiful, as far as such a description can be used on a man. Enough so to distract Charles' chaotic train of thought.
Ashamed and incredibly confused, Charles looked away for a second. Then back again, a million questions on his tongue. "The others… Where…?" His voice broke infuriatingly.
Thankfully the stranger seemed to understand. "You were found with three young men." Sadness flashed in the other's dark eyes. "They… said that Raven left with someone named Magneto."
It took all Charles had to keep himself from bursting into tears. Raven…! After how they fought she…! He could barely catch his breath. "Magneto…?" he choked out. Why did that name sound so familiar?
"Yeah. A… mutant rebellion leader, or something like that. Something about his views… Your students said that they appealed to her."
Charles barely heard. That cursed name hammered his skull, threatening to shatter it. Taunting him mercilessly. It didn't fit…! It didn't sound right…!
Magneto… Magneto… Magneto… ERI…!
Charles' mind never allowed him to finish that unfamiliar name. As soon as it was about to slip through he felt a hellish surge of agony. And then nothing.
Erik had been pacing around the small, shadowy room ever since Azazel landed them there. Like a caged tiger. Rage, regret and sheer terror blending together until he couldn't recognize which one was which.
It should've been a time of great victory. Shaw was finally gone. He was one step closer to reaching his goal. He had an impressively strong team. But it was hard to rejoice when the memory of those impossibly blue eyes kept haunting him. And that coin… It shattered the only good thing he had in his life.
Charles was the only person he never, ever wanted to hurt and now…
He felt Emma Frost long before he bothered to look at her, even with the helmet sitting firmly on his head. He stiffened to a painful extend. "Well?" he growled harshly, sounding like a wounded wild beast. There was only one reason why he'd decided to break her out weeks ahead of the planned schedule. Or technically two reasons. He'd made adamantly clear what'd happen if she didn't do what he'd demanded of her.
"I did some peeking. Just like you oh so politely asked me to." Emma sounded both amused and sarcastic. He really didn't care.
"Did he spot you?"
A few moment of silence passed by. "No… He didn't." She sounded uncertain, which alone was unnerving. "Charles won't be poking around anyone's head anymore."
Erik felt so incredibly cold that he could've sworn his soul had turned to ice. It took longer than it should've before he roared, spitting the words as though they were poison. "What the hell are you talking about?"
If his outburst or everything metallic in the room shuddering scared Emma she certainly didn't let it show. She met his eyes without hesitation. "Now that's guilt! You two fought pretty hard on that beach, didn't you?" She sounded genuinely curious.
The flashback came without being asked. The fight, Charles on the sand. Blood running from the telepath's nose. And those words… Those words that he was still struggling to believe, those words that no one should be able to walk away from. But he had to. Needed to. For all their sakes.
/ "I'm pregnant!" /
To his shame Erik still had no idea what he said to that. Or if he, indeed, said anything at all. The next coherent memory he had was of leaving with a crying Raven, Azazel and the rest of his new so called team. Charles, who'd barely managed to sit up, watched him go with such eyes that made reading minds unnecessary.
Erik's left eyebrow twitched. "Get to the point, Emma. Before I lose my patience."
Emma sighed heavily. For a second, just one, it was almost possible to believe that the sympathy in her eyes was sincere. "Charles Xavier is dead. He never made it away from that beach."
And with those words whatever had been left of Erik's heart exploded to a million pieces.
Emma didn't stick around to observe the ruins she created. She walked out of the room, not looking back even when everything metallic clattered and smashed violently. Once outside she passed by Azazel. Erik, of course, didn't see the arched eyebrow the red skinned mutant gave her. Nor the icy little smirk that appeared to Emma's lips while she pressed a single finger against them.
When Charles woke up again, his head hurting even worse than before, the stranger was still there. Not saying a word the man helped him take a couple of sips of wonderfully cool water. Charles licked his lips and sighed happily. "Thank you." He then frowned, observing the other. "So… You know… what we are."
The stranger chuckled. "Well. It's kind of hard not to, with how blue one of you is."
Charles smiled briefly. It vanished as soon as well justified fear and worry began to surface. "Why are you helping us?"
The other met his eyes. "Because you needed help. And… Because I'm also your kind. Just like Gabriella, my sister." A slightly hesitant hand was offered to him. "I'm Rafael."
Charles took the hand gladly. In a flash several emotions flashed right through him. Worry, sympathy, sincere desire to help. They wrapped around him like a warm blanket, soothing some sorrow that he had no name or source for. It was something much more than Raven's departure. "Charles."
A comfortable silence lingered for a long while until Rafael broke it. "I don't mean to pry. But… You muttered a name, when you were feverish right after having been brought in. 'Erik'." The man observed him with his gaze. "Who is he?"
That name… It took all Charles had not to let the surge of agony it caused show. He didn't want to hear it, didn't want to even think it, when it pushed him right into hell. When he had absolutely no idea who this 'Erik' might be. "I… I don't know", he murmured honestly, rubbing his pounding head with two hands.
"Alright." And that was it. Clearly Rafael wasn't the nosy kind. Charles welcomed the privacy.
Another silence followed. This time even longer. When Rafael spoke it sounded like the man wasn't entirely sure if he should voice whatever was about to come out. "I… know that you're still in pain. And overwhelmed. I'm sorry about your sister."
Charles nodded, sadness squeezing around his heart like a wire of thorns.
"But… There's something you need to know. Maybe it'll even help you." Rafael shifted. "I'm sure that you know your anatomy is… exceptional. Perhaps it's a secondary mutation. There are things inside you…"
"Yes, yes…" Charles felt himself blush. Although he was by no means ashamed of himself this was something rather private. And then it hit him like an arrow. His eyes widened upon rising to meet Rafael's. His hand flew instinctively to his stomach while nausea swell inside it. The telepath's poor, shattered heart was starting to hammer mercilessly. No, no way this could be possible…! Not now of all times…! "You're saying…" But some more pieces of memory were already colliding mercilessly. The feel of the baby's stirring mind inside him... Having it confirmed...
Rafael nodded slowly. Obviously the man wasn't sure if he was delivering good or bad news. "You're pregnant."
Rafael was barely fast enough to provide Charles with a bucket.
TBC
A/N: To avoid any confusion…! It appears that Erik is the one and only thing Charles can't remember. The metal bender is completely gone from his lover's mind. Whether Emma has something to do with this, we'll see… And whether the boys remember Erik, we'll see that, too… Those poor things!
Soooo, this may turn out to be something hopefully interesting. Would you guys be willing to read? Or should this be just pulled from the fanfic-world ASAP and buried…? PLEASE, do let me know your thoughts!
In any case, thank you so much for reading!
Okay, I really have to go to bed. Who knows, maybe we'll meet again. Taka care!