Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.
Summary: One shot about how baby Pietro comforts his father when he needs it.
Young Erik stood in the middle of an open field, he shivered in the cold. The rain refused to cease, making the ground muddy. He looked in horror as hundreds of people were herded into a fortress with barbed wire all around it. "Erik! Erik run!"
He heard the scream of a woman, not just any woman but his mother. He finally spotted his parents in the crowd. They were being pushed toward a concentration camp by the servants of the devil Hitler. Erik watched as his parents were drag away from him by the Nazis. No! Not again, he thought angrily.
He tried to run to his parents, but found he couldn't move. What's wrong with me? Why can't I go to them. He tried to call to them and say he'll rescue them. But his voice was gone.
Sadly he could do nothing, but watch as the men he sorely hated take away his only family and friends to their deaths. He heard the yells of the enemy, the begging of his fellow Jews, and the crying of a baby.
He looked past the crowd of frightened people through the gates of the camp, and saw a fiery giant furnace. He watched in horror as the Nazis pushed the Jews into it. Young Erik tried to close his eyes, wishing it would go away, but his eyes wouldn't obey him. No more, he wished. Please stop! He was forced to watch as his parents were next for the furnace, his mother screamed for him as she was pushed into the flames.
Magneto suddenly jolted up out of his sleep, breathing heavily and covered in sweat.
"I-it was just a nightmare," he panted. "A nightmare… Then…why do I still hear the baby crying?"
Confused, he suddenly looked over at his nightstand and realized the crying was coming through one of the baby monitors. He picked up the pink one and held it to his ear. Nothing. Next he picked up the blue one, the cries of a baby wailed from it. "Pietro."
Erik jumped up out of his bed and ran out the door to his son's nursery. He heard him crying through the door, quietly Erik opened it. The light from the hallway revealed a tiny one-year-old albino baby standing up in his crib. Tears were streaming down his red face.
"What's wrong Pietro?" Erik said quietly to his child. The small infant cried harder as his father came in. A little shocked that his loud cries didn't wake Wanda in her nursery across the hall. "Hush baby, let's not wake your sister."
As the mutant walked further in the room he saw his son's blue binky on the floor. That's probably what he wants, Erik thought. He bent over and picked it up. Inspecting it he wiped it on his shirt incase, before giving it back to his son. Pietro moved his head around as Erik tried to put it in his mouth. Magneto got the hint that he didn't want it.
Pietro cried more as he reached up for his father. The master of magnetism sighed as he picked him up. Once safely in his father's arm Pietro calmed down a little, but still whimpered.
"Alright Pietro," Erik said. "What's wrong? You don't need a diaper change," after he checked his son. "You hungry?"
Erik reached in the crib and looked around for his son's bottle. Once locating it, he noticed it was still half full. He tried to give it to his son, but again Pietro refused the offer as he pushed it away. Sighing Erik walked over to the rocking chair in the corner and sat down with his son protectively in his arms.
"Then what's wrong, my child?" Erik asked. He thought back to the dream he had earlier, that was still a little fresh in his mind, he then asked him another question: "Did you have a nightmare yourself? Or did you happen to sense my own distress?" After all according to his old friend Charles Xavier, infants can be very in tuned with the feelings of people around them.
Pietro just clung desperately to his father, as he listened to the strong heart beat in his chest. Erik began to gently rock the chair back and forth, and hummed a tune hoping it would soothe the child back to sleep.
Pietro stirred a little and kicked a tiny leg out, as if trying to fight the sleep that he needed. "Shh, little one. You need your rest."
The tiny babe reached out and grabbed his father's finger when he went to rub his back. Erik smiled, his son was so small for a one-year-old, his hand barely fit around his father's finger. Pietro whimpered a little as if to say he felt his father's pain. "Do not worry yourself with me, Pietro. I have seen many horrors in my life. I can handle a simple dream."
Pietro slowly let go of his finger and curled his arm underneath his tiny belly for warmth. He then gave a little baby sigh and snuggled his head against his father's chest, listening as his father's heart lulled him to dream world.
Erik stayed there long after his son had drifted off, enjoying the time with him. I never thought my life would be like this, he thought. I had lost so much, but for once I am finally happy. I have the twins and nothing with take them away from me. And hopefully if all goes well with my plans, they will be raised in a safe human-free world.
Satisfied with the peaceful time he spent with his son, he finally decided to get some sleep himself. He got up slowly careful not to wake the infant and gently laid his sleeping son back in his crib, tucking the light blue blanket around him. He stroked his son's face.
"Sleep well, my tiny Prince," Erik whispered, before heading towards the door.
Erik took one last look at his son and quietly walked out closing the door softly behind him. Unknown to the older man, the little babe gave a tiny smile as he snuggle into the warmth of his crib.
The mutant walked down the hallway to his own room. Those nightmares of my past may come again, he thought. But knowing I will wake up to the smiles of twins will always comfort me in the darkness.
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