(A/N) As always, m'dears, thank you for your continued patronage of my humble story. Yet another helping for you.

How Do You Measure…

Chapter 12: Something as True

"You got that radio working yet?" Wyngarde asked Selene, who was busy working with the set.

"Almost. I can hear them, but they're still breaking up. Maybe if I just…ah, here we are."

"Is this any better? Are you receiving?" Shaw's voice sounded clearly in the trailer.

"Yes, Sebastian, we're receiving you," Selene said, glancing at Wyngarde and inclining her head toward the radio set. The illusionist quickly came to join her.

"How's it going over there? I hear our Agent Stryker's getting a little impatient."

"So what else is new?" Selene muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Selene's working on a schematic of the grounds," Wyngarde reported. "Our little friends are quite busy over here. Several new underground installations have been built, but it may take a few more weeks to create a complete set of plans for them. Don't want to arouse Xavier's suspicion, after all."

"Good. Any sign of this little bundle of joy we've been hearing so much about?"

"Yes, actually. The precog, Destiny, seems to somehow be pregnant with Xavier and Lehnsherr's baby. I take it this is expected news?"

"Wait," Blindfold's voice suddenly sounded over the radio. "Who's Destiny? Who are you talking about?"

"Their precog. She's like you."

Blindfold sounded confused, an extremely rare occurrence. "I…I've never seen this woman before…not once…not even a trace.How can that be?"

"Well…she's like you, so…perhaps it stands to reason that precogs can't see each other, as such," Wyngarde speculated. "Like…perhaps they cancel each other out?"

"If that's the case, it would mean she can't see you either…which gives us the advantage," Shaw said, the smirk on his face apparent in the tone of his voice.

"That theory would explain why I haven't been able to see how the children will be born. Until they are, they're a part of her…and completely invisible to me."

"Hold on a moment. Children?" Shaw interrupted her. "Plural?"

"Oh, sorry. Did I let that slip?" Blindfold asked in a deadpan sort of voice. "Yes, Xavier and Lehnsherr will father more than one child together. The one you want is their first-born son."

"How many will there be?" Shaw asked, getting excited all over again.

"That…really depends on your definition of certain terms."

"In other words, you won't say."

"Just so."

"Jason, do they know this child's gender yet?" Shaw asked him.

"Yes, a baby girl. She's due in about six and a half months."

"Oh, well. Not the one we're waiting for…still…any child of theirs could prove useful…either as a member or to use against them," Shaw mused, slowly coming to a decision. "When the Strykers do launch their offensive, I want the two of you to bring Destiny to me. I'll have this child…even if I have to cut it out of her."

XxX

The morning of May 17th started off like any other in Charles' mind…until he rolled over in bed to smile at Erik, only to find him gone.

Up early? He sent the call out into the mansion, seeking Erik's mind.

Just a little. Been whipping up a little something, the thought came through loud and clear. He was nearby. So near, in fact, that the door swung open a few minutes later at the behest of Erik's power, admitting a tray-laden metal-kine.

"Look at you," Charles said, eyeing both the plate of sausage and blueberry pancakes and his half-dressed lover appreciatively. "What's the occasion?"

"You don't know?" he asked, his eyes fairly sparking with mischief as he set the tray down on Charles' lap, picking up his cup of coffee from it before sitting down beside him.

"Obviously not."

"Verdammt. Mystique said you'd be dense, but I didn't think it'd be this bad," he said, chuckling as he took a sip of the coffee.

"Come on, Erik. What's so important about today?"

Erik continued to smirk as he leaned over to him, pressing his lips against his. At first, the kiss was slow and gentle, but as the minutes passed, it became harder, more demanding, tracing a line of sensation directly from Charles' lips to his groin. When they finally came up for air, the telepath was left utterly breathless. The smirk still in place, Erik rested his forehead against Charles'.

"Happy birthday, mein Schatz," he whispered against his lips.

Charles jolted back, staring at Erik in shocked amazement.

"Is it really?" he asked, counting off the days in his head. Erik chuckled when he ended up answering his own question. "Yes…yes…I suppose it is. May 17th already. Heh, when did that happen?"

"Last night around midnight."

"Truly, Mr. Lehnsherr, your powers of observation astound me," Charles snipped back playfully before digging into the breakfast in bed.

"I think the kids are going to try baking a cake, so you might want to avoid the kitchen for a while," Erik warned, languidly sipping his drink as he watched Charles eat.

"That's fine. I'm perfectly content to spend the morning up here with you, being as that the lot of you probably aren't going to let me get any work done today."

"None whatsoever," Erik reassured him. "Today is all about you."

"Mystique got everyone in on this, I take it?" he asked.

"Something like that. I asked her about it about a month ago."

"I don't see why she would. She knows I don't like these big displays on my account."

"Well, maybe you're so absent-minded you'll forget your own birthday, but the fact that you were born is important to some of us. So we'll have our big display if you don't mind."

"Thank you for that," Charles said, only half-sarcastic as he leaned over to kiss Erik's shoulder. Erik briefly nuzzled the top of his head before allowing him to finish his breakfast.

"So what do you want to do today?" Erik asked once he'd finished, picking up the tray and setting it down by the door.

"Oh, I can think of a few things," he said, the kiss from earlier still lingering in his body. It wouldn't take much to start it up again. "Staying in bed with you all morning, for instance…and I do mean in bed, Erik," he said, climbing to his knees at the edge of the bed and reaching out a hand to stroke his lover's hair.

"Are you sure you want to?" Erik asked, his expression part hopeful and part nervous. They hadn't had sex since The Incident; Erik had been waiting for Charles to want to again.

"Yes," Charles said, smiling warmly at him, reaching for his hands and twining their fingers together, "Only…can we try something?"

"I'm listening."

Charles' smile turned devious as he leaned in close to whisper in his ear, "Let me be on top?"

Erik's eyebrows raised in interest as he looked down at the expression on the telepath's face. Already, he was halfway to being hard.

"Come on," Charles continued in a low, husky voice. "Let me show you what I can do."

"I like the sound of that," he finally managed to say. Sending out his power, he used it to gently draw all the curtains closed, giving them some measure of mood lighting. Still grinning, Charles pulled him onto the bed with him.

The nice thing about morning sex was that they were still mostly unclothed, Charles fully so and Erik clad only in a pair of sweatpants…which didn't take Charles very long to remove.

At first, Erik just lay still beneath Charles, letting him take the lead…feeling his hands and lips on his body…but soon, things just became too heated for him to keep still. After such a long abstinence, he just had to touch every inch of the telepath he could.

Grinning as he ravished him, Charles slowly moved out of his reach, moving down his body inch by inch, until he came to his swollen manhood.

He took the blow job slowly, starting off just kissing and sucking the tip before slowly moving further along, relishing both the moans he drew from Erik's lips and the thoughts swirling in his head.

"Nngh…nngh…"

God…Charles…that…nngh…yes

Just when the metal-kine thought he couldn't take it anymore, Charles pulled back, leaving him panting as he rolled over to the nightstand to retrieve the Vaseline. As quick as he could, he moved back into position between Erik's legs, lathering his fingers up easily.

"Ready for this?" Charles asked quietly, his first two fingers already poised at the entrance.

Erik nodded, laying back and trying to relax, despite the intense sensations in his body.

It hurt at first…but what did that mean to him? He could take a little pain…and after several minutes of stretching, the pain started to become almost pleasant, leaving him nearly whimpering for more.

"Like it?" Charles asked as he withdrew yet again, taking a few hasty minutes to ready himself.

Erik nodded again, glancing down and watching in anticipation as he slicked himself. "Come on," he groaned. "Hurry it up."

Charles laughed quietly at his impatience. "If you insist," he said, helping Erik to hike up his legs as he positioned himself against him. "Just…try to relax," he urged, pushing in slowly.

Erik drew a shaky breath, feeling every inch as he was penetrated. The pain was gone…and in its place was a sense of being filled…full…complete.

Charles took several shuddering breaths of his own. This…this was better than any woman he'd ever slept with. Erik was tighter…hotter…everything was just so much more. Briefly, his eyes rolled back into his head at the wonderful sensation. He hadn't even really begun to move yet.

A true smile lit Erik's face upon receiving the thoughts from his head. When Charles glanced up at him, he could almost swear he saw tears in his eyes…and he knew they were reflected in his own. It was like the first time all over again.

"Come on," Erik urged yet again, his voice a whisper. "Move."

Charles did so, taking it slow at first, not wanting to overwhelm his lover…but a few thrusts in, he'd already found Erik's sweet spot. The first brush elicited a shocked gasp of pleasure as Erik's eyes flew wide open. Spurred on by the sounds he was making, Charles' succeeding thrusts only got harder.

"Ha…ha…hng…Charles," he moaned, panting like some animal in heat.

"Ist…gut?" the telepath grunted, feeling his body grow all the tenser as he worked.

"Ist…ist gut!" he cried out, feverishly gripping the blankets on either side of him. "So gut…ah…ja…Charles…uh…fick mich!"

""Ja…ja…" Charles moaned, gripping Erik's hips all the tighter as their minds and bodies swirled together on the bed.

"Nngh…ah…Charles!" he cried, unconsciously reaching for all the metal within easy reach and gripping it. "Ich…Ich…"

With that, his body went rigid and his release spurted onto Charles' stomach. The combination of Erik's tiny cry, the new warmth on his stomach, and the tightening of Erik's muscles around him drew his orgasm from him with a loud gasp.

Slumping over briefly, drawing heavy breaths, Charles looked down at Erik, who grinned up at him, sated and debauched. Slowly, he pulled out of him, pulling him into his arms as he lay down beside him.

"Das…this feels…gut," Erik murmured, barely managing to speak in English as he rested his forehead against Charles'. "Feeling…full."

"Heh, now you know how it feels."

"Can't say…I'd mind doing it…more often," he said slowly, gradually bringing himself back into English mode.

"Fine with me," Charles said, an odd look coming onto his face as he shifted slightly. Uncertain of what he was feeling, he sat up again, bouncing slightly on the mattress…only to find that it didn't bounce back as it usually did. Then he realized what had happened and began to laugh.

"What? What is it?"

"Erik, I…I think you broke the bed…literally," he said between gales of laughter.

"What do you mean?"

"The springs, you…it feels like you've melted them together. I thought I felt your power somewhere in the middle there, but I had no idea…hah! I wonder what else felt the power of your climax," he started, glancing absently around. Thankfully, many of his fixtures were made of wood. "I guess I'll be needing a new mattress."

"Charles, I'm sorry. I can fix-"

"Don't worry about it. I think I'll like being able to go around telling people that my lover and I actually broke the bloody bed. Though, I suppose this does mean we won't get to spend the morning in bed," he said somewhat mournfully.

"No. You'll have to spend the day being showered with affection by your adoring wards. I can only imagine what a trial it will be," Erik retorted as he climbed out of bed, only a little sore and very sticky. "Before you're subjected to your ordeal by fire, though, I could certainly do with a shower."

"Now that I wouldn't mind," Charles said, following him out of bed like an eager puppy.

XxX

"Hey, Beast? Is Destiny in here?" Mystique asked as she entered Beast's new underground facility. Beast looked up from whatever he'd been working on, slightly flustered.

"No, she…she's already had her ultrasound for the day. Actually, I thought you'd be here. Where have you been all morning?"

"She didn't see fit to wake me up," Mystique said, turning to leave.

"Long night?" Beast found himself asking before he could stop himself.

"Excuse me?" Mystique asked, stopping in her tracks to look back at him. If he could still blush, she imagined he would have been a tomato right about now.

"Oh…I- I'm sorry. I…shouldn't have," he blustered, not quite able to believe he'd actually said it.

"It's okay," she said slowly, moving back toward him.

"I…it isn't…my place to say anything," he said, not looking at her.

"Probably not…but now it's been said," she said, trying to catch his eyes. She'd known they would have to come to this at some point, but she'd never had any desire to be the one to initiate it.

"Ra- M- Mystique," he switched halfway through when she gave him a warning look. "What…what happened?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly, resting a hand on his massive shoulder. "Maybe…we were just attracted to each other because we both had physical mutations when none of the others did, and that's…that's nothing to build a relationship on. Did you hear yourself that night?" she asked as she slipped into the disguise she'd worn all her life.

"I'm sorry," he said, still not quite able to look at her.

"For what? Telling me what you really think of me…of yourself? You've spent your life hating yourself because someone else decided you didn't belong. I know you don't believe me when I say I think you're beautiful. Why do you need society to think you're beautiful?"

"I…I just…I don't know," he managed to get out, knowing that longing to be normal wouldn't cut it for her anymore.

"Maybe this disguise is beautiful to some people, but it isn't me…and there is someone who thinks the real me is beautiful…every last inch of me…and that's all I need," she told him, shifting back into her own form. "There's someone out there, you know…someone who adores every bit of you…just because you're you. You just haven't found that someone yet."

"It's a nice thought," Beast said, slowly backing away from her, "but I don't see how anyone's ever going to see past this. It's in the name, after all…Beast…"

"Don't go by that, then. Your name is Hank, isn't it? Go with what you want."

"But…you call me Beast…and you go by Mystique. What else would people think of this body?"

"You don't have to let them define you. I go by Mystique because I want to. I wanted to cut the ties with my old self. This is who I am. If Beast isn't who you want to be, you need to be the one to make that decision, not anyone else," she said, coming to him and giving him a reassuring peck on the cheek. "So who are you? Hank or Beast?"

"H-Hank…I think…if you don't mind," he said, finally meeting her gaze.

"Doesn't matter if I mind," she said, giving him a light punch on the shoulder. "It's your decision."

"I…think Destiny went out to the shooting range, if you wanted to try there."

"Of course," Mystique sighed, giving him a grin before turning to head out once again. "And her pregnant and all. Charles and Erik would never stand for it if they knew."

They weren't completely all right…she knew. They had hurt each other before…and Hank was still hurting…but they would get better. There was at least that much.

XxX

When Destiny first broached the subject of finding Haley Summers with Charles, He'd been hesitant, insisting they needed to remain anonymous…but she'd needled away at him, finally wearing him down with the question of how he'd take it if he were forcibly separated from Mystique. That got him to agree to a short visit…under the condition that she be extremely careful about how she brought her to the mansion.

When she'd insisted she'd be going to New Jersey alone, both Charles and Erik had raised objections, understandably worried for the safety of their little girl, but she'd ultimately managed to quiet these fears, as well. She could take care of herself. Didn't they think she could protect Raine, too…when practically nothing escaped her notice? She was hardly even showing yet. The small swell in her stomach that was little Raine certainly wouldn't be noticeable to anyone who didn't already know about her.

It wasn't at all difficult to locate the younger Summers. Her resources easily turned up the information she needed and she went to the high school Haley was soon to graduate from one day late in May. She wasn't all that hard to spot in the crowd of students, either. The young woman was clearly Havok's little sister, with the same shock of blonde hair and the same Hell-raising blue eyes.

"Haley Summers?" Destiny called out to the girl as she passed by. Both Haley and the boy she was with turned to look at her. She'd worn sunglasses for the occasion, both to conceal her identity and her blindness.

"Yeah," Haley said, automatically taking a slightly defensive stance. "That's me. And you, Madam Sunglasses, wreak of law enforcement."

"Haley!" her brown-haired friend protested in shock.

"What? You don't grow up in my end of town and not know a cop when you see one."

"Former CIA," Destiny supplied. "So you're not totally wrong. My name is Irene Kinross."

"And…?"

"And Alex Summers is your older brother."

Hayley's eyes instantly narrowed at this. "What do you want?"

"Would you like to see him again?"

The look on Haley's face was a mix of suspicion, uncertainty, and hope. "Last we heard, some suits moved him. You know where he is?"

Destiny nodded. "He wants to see you."

As the hope started to rise above the suspicion and uncertainty, Haley slowly turned to look at the boy. "Chris…this might be my only chance to…can you cover for me?"

"I can," he started, wrapping an arm protectively around her shoulders, "but…Hale…we don't even know this woman."

Haley laughed at this. "Come on, none of that. You know I can handle myself. Besides, does she look threatening to you?"

"Remember the part where she said former CIA?"

"Fair enough," Haley considered, turning back to Destiny. "Whaddya say, Madam Irene Shades? Planning to kill me and dump my body off the highway?"

"I hadn't thought to, no," she answered casually.

"Good enough for me," Haley said, moving to stand beside her.

"You don't need your parents' permission?" Destiny asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"You kidding? They won't even notice I'm gone until Monday. Til then, I'm yours."

"In that case, I promise to have her back by then," Destiny reassured the boy.

"You'd better," he said warningly before coming to Haley and planting a kiss squarely on her lips, which she returned eagerly for a few moments before separating from him with an uncharacteristically gentle smile. "Make sure to get yourself back here."

"Don't even worry about it," she said to him before turning to follow Destiny.

Once they were far enough away, just to keep some conversation going, Destiny asked her, "So, that is…?"

"My boyfriend," she answered quickly. "Christopher Walker. We're gonna get married once we graduate."

"Really? You're not a bit…young for that?"

"No. See, he's going into the military and…things the way they are right now…he's probably going to be shipped out to 'nam. I keep telling him he shouldn't, but that boy just really loves his country. Won't even wait to be drafted. He only just turned eighteen," Haley went on, seemingly unable to stop herself. She tried to act nonchalant…like the whole thing didn't bother her…but Destiny knew otherwise. The unshakeable Haley Summers was worried. She was able to tamp that down quickly enough, though, when she saw the car Destiny had come in: A red pagoda, the latest model from Mercedes-Benz. Not wholly able to keep the awe out of her voice, she said, "That…is a damn sweet ride."

"Yes, I suppose it is. Your brother's…benefactor doesn't skimp."

"Guess not," she murmured as she swung herself into the convertible.

"I should warn you right now, the drive's going to take a few hours," Destiny said as she climbed in and started the car.

"That's fine. Where are we headed?"

"New York."

"Awesome…I'm warning you, though…if this is somehow bogus-"

"No need for threats, Haley. It isn't bogus and I'm perfectly aware of the 'world of hurt' you're capable of unleashing on me," she said, using the words Haley would have. "In turn, I should warn you it wouldn't be just me you're unleashing it on. I'm expecting a baby in about six months."

"Oh," Haley started awkwardly, looking away from her. "Sorry."

"It's okay. In the meantime, let's talk about Alex."

XxX

Havok really didn't like being woken up early on Saturday mornings, but the enthusiasm with which Artemis had jumped onto his bed and insisted he come down to the kitchen was difficult to ignore. She'd barely allowed him to pull on a t-shirt before dragging him out of his room, grumbling all the way.

"What's going on? Did Erik make those strawberry pancakes of yours again?"

"No, no, no. Just wait until you see," the wolf girl said, unable to help giving a few joyful yips.

With Artemis' rushed pace, it didn't take them long to get down to the kitchen. For a fleeting moment before they entered, Havok thought he heard a familiar voice…but it couldn't be…

Of course, he was proven wrong the moment they stepped into the kitchen. Charles, Erik, Destiny, and Mystique were all there, but seated at the table, blindfolded and pissed, was-

"Seriously, you guys, if he doesn't show up in the next five minutes, I'm kicking someone's ass!"

Havok said nothing as he approached her, not quite able to believe it. He'd thought he would never see her again. Slowly, he reached forward and pulled the blindfold off.

"Well it's about fucking-"

For a moment, they were both silent.

"Alex?"

"Hale."

Slowly, Haley stood from the chair…and socked her brother square in the jaw.

"Jesus, kiddo, what was that for?" he demanded, staring at her in mild shock.

"You don't get to call me that anymore," she snapped angrily, but looking like she might cry.

"You…just-"

"You idiot!" she shouted, flinging herself at him and wrapping her arms around him.

As he wrapped his own arms around her, he glanced around at the others, still a little in shock. Erik and Mystique were both having a good chuckle and Destiny and Charles were both smiling warmly…but Artemis' smile was the brightest of all.

"You did this," he said quietly, to which she nodded.

"It wasn't fair…that you couldn't see her."

"Is this…safe?" he asked Charles.

"We've taken precautions," he informed him.

"What? You mean that blindfold?" Haley asked, hesitantly releasing her brother. "I swear, man, I've been blindfolded all day and half the night."

"And you will be so again when you leave here," Charles said, his tone bordering on warning. "Unless you want me to erase your memory, of course."

"Hey, teach, nobody messes with my head," she threatened right back.

"Uh…Hale," Havok tried to step in.

"Don't tempt me, Haley Summers. I understand you threatened the woman who's carrying my child. I promise you I'd need little more provocation than that," he said, his tone even, but his eyes warning.

"I think…we'd better leave them to it. They've got a lot of catching up to do," Mystique said, starting to usher the others out of the room. Artemis lingered the longest, but she did eventually follow.

"So…you're okay?" he asked her after several more silent minutes.

"Yeah. It had only been over about a week when I woke up. I wanted to see you, but…the bastards wouldn't let me. I'm sorry."

"Y'know…this would almost be easier if you hated me. You really could have…died that night," he said, sitting down at the table.

"I didn't," she said matter-of-factly, sitting down beside him. "Not that easy to get rid of me…and I'm doing all right for myself. I got your old job after you got pinched."

"What?" Havok demanded, his head snapping up.

"Hey, it's a job."

"I…I didn't want that for you. Why do you think I did it in the first place?"

"Well, old Smith realized I was perfect for the job. Who's more perfect? Men can be so stupid, after all. They never suspect women."

"I know I can't tell you not to do it, so…guess all I can say is…be careful," he said, resting a hand on her knee.

"Don't even worry about it. No one's gonna get the drop on Alex Summers' little sister, especially with a fiancé about to join the military."

"Hold it," he started, his grip tightening instantly. "Did you just say…fiancé?"

"Yeah, and don't even give me any of that. I'm gonna get enough of it from Mom and Dad when I tell 'em. Besides, that's a pretty high and mighty tone coming from a cradle robber."

"What?"

"Come off it, man, I saw the way you and that Artemis kid were looking at each other. How old is she? Twelve?"

"Fifteen in two weeks," Havok defended. "Anyway…it isn't like that. We're not…"

"Oh, you'll get there," Haley said, giving him a small punch in the shoulder. "I can almost guarantee it…tradin' looks like that."

"Shut up," he said, wanting nothing more than to drop the subject, especially since his thoughts and his dreams were so consumed with Artemis of late. "So who's this fiancé kid?"

"Since you're supposed to be staying under the radar, I guess I don't have to worry about you going after him. It's Chris Walker."

"Seriously? That goody good kid? You're dating him?"

"Hey! He's not that bad."

"How do you know he won't turn you over? If he's gonna be in the military-"

"Don't do that, Alex. Don't you think I have better judgment than that? Chris is my best friend…and he loves me…and I'm gonna marry him because it probably won't be too long before they ship him overseas. D'you get that?

"Yeah," Havok finally surrendered.

"Besides…they told me what happened…what's going on…most of it, anyway. You're kinda like a soldier yourself, aren't you?" she said, offering him a wry smile.

"Well…yeah…I guess I am," he said. He'd never really thought of it like that before…and…even though he certainly wouldn't admit it…maybe it made him feel a little better about things.

XxX

Haley's weekend visit went well. Except knowing they were in New York, she didn't know their exact location, and it would be kept that way for everyone's safety. Before Destiny drove her back on Sunday, Charles gave her a telephone number, telling her she could keep in touch with Havok, and to call if she was ever in trouble or if anyone came around asking about them. It was only a few nights after that that Charles and Erik found themselves back in Charles' study with glasses of wine in hand and a chessboard between them. With everything that had been happening, it was rare they just got to sit down and enjoy a game like they'd been able to in the days before Cuba.

"What are you thinking about?" Erik finally asked the other man. He'd been getting vague senses of confusion and anxiety from him all week, but Charles would not share his thoughts with him, so the time had finally come to just have it out.

"Erik…something…something's wrong," Charles said after several minutes of contemplation.

"What do you mean?"

"Every night…Havok…he has horrible nightmares…and he dreams of Artemis," he said, the look in his eyes telling the metal-kine exactly what kinds of dreams those were.

"Well…it's not unusual for young men to have dreams like that…and we've all got our nightmares to deal with. You've seen them all before."

"While it's true I can't really shut them out completely…this is different. I sense…something hunting him…something set against him…" he said, not even really sure what he meant.

"Like…another mutant…another telepath?" Erik suggested.

"Maybe…I don't really know. It's hard to focus…with the voices so loud at night…and then there's nothing during the day. It's starting to happen to Artemis, too. She has nightmares about her parents…and she dreams about Havok. There've been…several near misses."

"Misses?"

"They're…compelled to come to each other…at night. Many times…they've almost…but they somehow manage to stop themselves every time. If it was simple teenage lust, I don't think it would be as great a cross as it is, but…something's forcing them. I don't know what it is…but it's hurting them, Erik. It's hurting the children…and I'm afraid it might happen to the others…to you. I don't know what I can do to stop it."

Erik quickly came around the board and crouched beside the telepath, pulling him into his arms. Charles rested his head gratefully against his shoulder.

"Don't be afraid, mein Lieben. We'll figure this out. We'll stop whatever's hurting them."

"I'm just…so afraid something's about to happen…and there's nothing I can do to stop it," Charles whispered into the black cloth of his shirt as he closed his eyes, breathing in his musky scent to calm his nerves. Known threats were something he could deal with, but this…this was something unknown…setting itself against them from the darkness in their own minds. If whatever this was had a mind to…it could easily bring them all to their knees.

"Don't be afraid," Erik soothed once again, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "I won't let anything hurt us…or you…or our daughter. I promised I would protect you. We'll get through this…together."

"You're very brave, my love," Charles said softly, "but I don't know if even you can protect us from whatever this is."

"I can damn well try, Charles. We can do this. Together there's nothing we can't do."

If only I could believe that…

XxX

(A/N) Some notes for ya.

Yeah, I have no idea when Charles' birthday is, so I kinda just picked a date and ran with it.

Translations: Well…I hope their bedroom talk spoke for itself.

Haley and Chris…yeah, guess whose parents we just met.

Until next we meet, dear friends, adieu.