Presents and Proposals

Christmas Evening...

They all managed to gather around the fire at the end of the day after fending off students and finishing the last of the school work. Hank and Isabelle had a sofa to themselves, no one wanting to contribute to the combined weight. Hank sat closest to the fire, soaking up the heat and fighting off a contented purr. Isabelle was curled up beside him, laughing as she watched Bobby and Rogue play with the toys that she and Hank had brought them – the little remote controlled cars (one green, one blue) zipped and span across the carpet and through peoples legs. Ororo and Kurt were standing suspiciously close to the mistletoe that hung over the door, both of them grinning hugely. Logan was sat in the chair opposite them with his head lolling back, eyes closed as he smoked one of the best brand cigars in the whole of America – courtesy of Kurt Wagner. Warren, also known as Angel because of his huge white wings, was in an undignified sprawl across the carpet behind Bobby and Rogue, reading the copy of Harry Potter in Latin that Hank had given him. Isabelle liked the quiet, calm man, though sometimes his piercing gaze felt like it went a little too deep. Isabelle stared down at her hand and couldn't help but let out an excited giggle. Hanks gift to her had been the best present she'd ever had...

...She had come into the room where the tree was standing, everyone else ripping the paper off their presents to see Hank standing pale and nervous in the centre of it all. He'd dropped down so fast that she thought for a moment he might have been sick but then…he'd held that little black velvet box up to her. Everyone had stopped to watch as he cleared his throat,

"Isabelle, light of my life-" He'd grinned a bit, despite the nervous warble in his voice, "-cream in my coffee, will you do me the greatest honour on earth and consent to be my wife?" She'd launched herself across the room as fast as she could whilst nine months pregnant, flinging her arms around him as he stood and raining kisses on his face,

"Yes! Yes! Of course!" She'd almost cried for joy. She could still remember Logan's comment in the back ground,

"You're about nine months too late for the gentlemanly act, bub, but better late than never" ...

...Now she giggled down at the diamonds on her finger, watching them sparkle in the firelight,

"You do like it?" Hank asked quietly, lips tickling her ear. She turned to face him, kissing him with all the exuberance she felt,

"Is the Pope Catholic? Is the sky blue? Do you like Twinkies?" She asked between peppering his face with butterfly kisses. Hank grinned, eyes closed as she kissed him,

"Good. It belonged to my grandmother" He heard her voice catch as she pulled away and he opened his eyes to see her lower lip tremble, her expression soft,

"Oh" She breathed, "you old romantic you" She choked out, he kissed her,

"One tries ones best" He pulled away, "what do you mean old?"

"Oh get a room" Bobby griped without looking up, leaning to the left as he raced with Rogue,

"Ow! Watch it!" Logan snarled as one of them ran over his foot,

"Sorry" Rogue murmured, frowning in concentration as she followed Bobbys lead,

"Ororo?" Isabelle called out softly, Hank noticed the strange expression on her face and felt himself tense, something was wrong,

"Yes?" The weather goddess looked over at her, still grinning widely,

"Are you busy at the moment?"She asked softly.Ororo's grin widened just a little more,

"Nothing I couldn't put down for a minute or two" Kurt looked, oddly, offended, "why?"

"Because I'm going to have a baby" Isabelle said, a tremor to her voice,

"Now?" Hank asked, surprised at the deep well of panic that was waking up in his chest. She squeezed his hand, smiling a little as hell broke out around them,

"Well, not right now but my water's just broke"