Prologue

It's been almost a year since she had last seen her foster brother and left with his former best friend. Erik had been nothing but nice to her as she was mourning her loss. She hoped Charles was fine despite the bullet wound that happened on that godforsaken beach. Her heart crushed when she had heard his anguished I can't feel my legs! as Azazel was 'porting them away. She was now standing at the front door of the Mansion she grew up in, her hands holding onto her slightly swollen abdomen. Her blue knuckles whitened as she pressed her fingers in her skin, feeling the small life growing into her. She didn't dare to shape-shift anymore, fearing the consequences for her baby. Her hair was in disarray, her few clothes looked like they had been thrown on randomly only for modesty's sake.

She had fled Magneto's side as soon as she had suspected her pregnancy. It had taken her time and despair to get to Charles's school for the gifted, as he called it now. She still believed in Eric's ideal but she didn't feel the way of life they were leading was safe to carry a baby nine months and deliver it to the world. They never knew where they would be the next day, what facilities they would sleep in, when danger would arise. She felt it was safer with her brother. She was bracing herself to come in when she heard the BAMF and smelled the telltale scent of brimstone. She turned away from the Mansion's front door to face the two men she knew were standing there. The man she admired the most and the man she loved the most. She felt her eyes fill with tears as she cursed the damned hormones. Her expression turned to tortured as she could see the worried looks on both men's faces.

"Mystique," softly said Eric, as if he feared to scare her away. "What are you doing here, my dear?"

Neither men had noticed her hands on her swollen belly. She looked down at it and sighed. She couldn't keep the truth from her baby's father any longer, she thought. She needed to find the courage to tell him.

"I'm..." she started, her throat constricted with emotion. "I'm pregnant... Azazel, we're going to have a baby..."

She looked up at his bemused face. Eric looked genuinely surprised as his eyes traveled between his two lieutenants. His eyes finally settled on someone who had heard the conversation. He concealed his emotions as the wheeled chair got closer. The blue eyes of Charles Xavier were filled with concern as he was taking in his sister's disheveled appearance. "Raven... Come on in, all of you, it will be more comfortable to talk inside."

The three mutants, stunned to silence, followed the mind-reader as he led their way inside. Mystique kept her eyes on her hands covering her belly, Azazel on Mystique and Magneto on his old friend. As they took seats in the parlor, Charles spoke up, "I have requested Beast to bring us some tea. Now, Raven, why have you come back?"

"I need a place to have my baby. I'm sorry Eric but the way we're living... isn't suitable to have a baby safely..."

The usually silent Russian teleporter leaned toward Mystique. "Our baby..."

Mystique smiled weakly and nodded, "Our baby..."

AN: This story was prompted by the beautiful art of spritemix-a-lot on Tumblr. If you check out the gorgeous Fan Art she drew back in June 2011, you'll understand why it made my finger itch. Go on her Tumblr page and give her appreciation. She's talented. (if her tumblr is still 16 pages long, the pictures I'm talking about are on page 13)

I know that in the movie, Mystique wasn't there when Charles said he couldn't feel his legs. I changed it to add to the drama of the scene.

Check out Reaper and Rogue's Baby, my other current WIPs. Both, unlike this one, are focused on Rogue and Gambit.

*edit* sorry about that, the first time I uploaded this one, it deleted all the "" I use to mark dialog. My deepest apologies.