Author: MoiraShipper
Summary: AU between 'Fabulous X-Men # 254' and '# 280', before the battle on the Muir Island, but after Charles is saved. After being rescued, Charles goes question Moira's actions, who is being affected by the Shadow King's powers.

When I found this song, I was reading Uncanny x-men and decided to write something, Moira& Charles belong together, doesn't matter what. I know that Charles wasn't in the Muir Island during this chapters, but as it is an AU, after the x-men were found alive and, before the battle in the Muir Island.

Heaven Forbid

Twenty years it's breaking you down,

now that you understand there's no one around.

Take a breath, just take a seat,

your falling apart and tearing at the seams.

Heaven forbid you end up alone and don't know why

Hold on tight wait for tomorrow, you'll be alright
The Fray-Heaven Forbid

Dr. Moira MacTaggert was sitting on one of the iron stretchers in her office in the Muir Island, with a hand on her forehead. So much had happened in the last 20 years, and even then, it seemed that she continued to make the same mistakes. First, the end of her engagement to Charles, which had led her to the disastrous marriage to Joe MacTaggert, who had abused her, then to the deaths of her son, the villain Proteus and his father.

Then she'd been involved with Sean Cassidy and even knowing how passionate they both had been together, she realized she'd never loved him, not the way she had loved Charles Xavier, the only man in her life, which had led the couple to the end of whatever they two had had between them, after the incident in which she'd thought that the X-men had died.

The last of her regrets was how she'd been conducting her research and treating everyone, but now, it was too hard to go back. Sighing, she straightened her hair and stood up stretching and then she heard a voice in her mind calling her and the door opened and Charles came in his wheelchair.

Her heart beat fast to see her beloved man, that even being bald, was still handsome, bringing an aura of power, however kindness and his blue eyes were staring at her in a mix of seriousness and longing.

"Moira..."

"Charles, what are y' doing here?" She asked, frowning and crossing her arms, leaning her back against one of the stretchers until he stopped in front of her.

As he pushed his chair toward her, Charles couldn't take his eyes off the woman he had loved all his life and even now still loved. But her fun and sweet side looked like they were buried deep inside of her, resulting in a colder and serious side of Moira. Raising his fingers to his temple, he found that, as always, he couldn't read her mind.

In addition to the woman's personality change, her hair was spiked and her way of dressing hand changed too, the simple dresses giving away to the leather skirts, and even though the serious situation, Charles couldn't contain his body's reaction for seeing her dressed so sexy. But she was still his Moira, his sweet Moira.

"It was Sean."

Both shuddered for a second after hearing the name of the man. Moira, for remembering the days she'd thought he was dead and the way they had broken up after, and Charles, because even not showing, he'd felt jealous to see her in the arms of the man, even though the former couple had decided to be good friends years before, but in the last years, they'd gotten distant.

"He asked me to come here, said you two are no longer together." Charles explained and then, in a bold gesture, reached out and took her hand, causing her to uncross her arms and for a moment, seeing him there, Moira felt her face grow hot and admitted:

"I miss y', Charles." With her chin up so he wouldn't look into her shining eyes, the woman admitted: "I wish so bad we could be like before when we were friends, lovers, but we've changed so much that an 'us' doesn't even sound possible."

"A lot has happened, and it's hard to go back to where we were. But Moira, why not try in small steps?" He didn't want to give her up. "Going slowly and seeing how far we can get. I don't want to lose you."

"Me neither..."

For a moment, her brown eyes shone, longing for the man in front of her, feeling all his love for her and being invaded by a huge wave of warmth, but then she quickly tried to pull her hand back from his.

But Chares held her hand tighter but without hurting her and his blue eyes seemed to hypnotize her, leaving her frozen in place and Charles saw the woman he'd known for twenty years, passionate, but also anguished, as if she was asking him for help and he extended his other arm, inviting her on them.

Still feeling like she was hypnotized, Moira forgot about all her problems, work and anguishes and sat over Charles' legs, feeling his warmth and placed her hands over his chest, feeling it for the first time since when she'd gone to the mansion pretending to be a housekeeper. He made her feel loved and warm and then, she laid her head on his chest too, placing a kiss there, over his suit, while his arms brought her closer.

Charles buried his face in her auburn and spiked hair, feeling a great happiness that he hadn't felt in years, even when he'd been with other women. He could feel all the love and affection she felt for him, and the weight of her body over his was a weight which he'd never wanted to get rid of and then he took both of her hands in one of his, placing a kiss on them.

When Charles lifted the hand that was over hers to her nape, gently lifting her head, the two closed their eyes and exchanged a small kiss that made them melt as his hand slid to her knee, causing her chills.

But the kiss lasted only a few seconds before she rose abruptly, but he held her wrist, staring at her in a mix of sadness and concern.

"Moira, Sean said he's concerned about you, saying that you've been acting oddly, making the mutants fight between them, that you've been getting angry easily-"

"The fights were part of the study, a way to see them in action, y' weren't here, I had to continue the research!" Moira cut him angryly, finally getting away from him, her eyes shining like fire.

"And the end of your relationship?"

"And why does it matter?" She asked anguished but seeing his wounded look, she surrendered: "He was too good, Charles but I didn't love him, I liked him a lot, we had passion together, but I've never love him. There was only one man in my heart... And it all happened in Oxford."

"And don't you think too that there was only one woman for me in my heart? Only one owner of my heart?" He asked, his blue eyes shining in a mix of seriousness and sadness, making her gape.

This time they'd been apart, he in his mansion and she, on the Island, both with new people in their lives, she'd missed him greatly, their conversations, kisses, but they had changed lot. That moment, even loving him, she decided to change the subject.

"It doesn't change the fact that y' are here, questioning me when there is so much work to be done."

"If you don't change, Moira, you'll end up alone." Charles warned her seriously, referring to her latest attitudes. He didn't wish this to her, but if she kept this up, he wouldn't be able to do anything for his love. Sean had moved away before they had broken up, as well as some of the mutants had been avoiding her.

"That means y' gave up on me?" Moira asked insecure, feeling a huge pain on her heart at the idea of him leaving her side.

"No my dear, but even I right now can't reach you." The telepath replied, his voice sad as he looked at her, but she shook her head, the rebellious bangs falling over her eyes that were burning, but she tried to pull herself together, putting a hand on her waist and lifting her chin defiantly, in a way that told the conversation was over.

She didn't know why she'd been acting so oddly nor her attitudes, regarding her mutant patients and the way she'd spoken to Charles, she didn't know what was wrong with her, she wasn't like that, she could be an adventurous and independent woman, but gentle and understanding too. She couldn't imagine that all this had to do with Shadow King and his powers that had been affecting the habitants of the Muir Island.

Knowing that for now, they had ended the conversation, Charles sighed, taking her hand again to his lips before leaving the place, sad.

"She won't end up alone." That's what Charles thought, projecting that thought in her head and then feeling the her anguish caused by Shadow, as if she was asking him for help and calling for his name, her true love.

He would not give up on her, he knew something was wrong, though he couldn't feel what it was, even with his powers. When he returned from the mission he was going, he would get in touch with her again, even if he'd to try to get in her head.

The end