Even before Kevin heard the first crunch of bone, he knew that night would be a night he would never forget. Only a few hours earlier he had boastingly levitated a book into Laura's hands. Now, they were bleeding onto her dress, onto him, onto the floor.
In the moments before Charles had sent Peter to his side, already bearing Hank, Kevin had felt as though he might be sick. Laura had just looked at him, like she didn't understand what the fuss was about. She'd even said, once, that it was only blood: Why was he sad?
He'd just kept repeating it was okay, that it would be okay, like he was an idiot. His mother had come, along with Charles, and she'd held him, since Hank said Laura couldn't be moved. She'd also told him to close his eyes, covered his ears, but he'd heard that first crunch.
During the whole time, Laura had felt so limp. He knew she was asleep, but that wasn't good enough. Not when he knew Hank was practically mauling her hands and feet to save her life. He kept telling himself she would heal, but he thought of his own broken ribs, of feeling helpless in the woods as trees shattered around him.
This night would join that night in his memory as times he would never scrub himself free of. It was right there with his mother looking pale in a hospital gown, put there by his father, and the night when he heard someone had taken her away like a princess in a fairy tale. But there had been nothing glamorous about that night, nor any of the others.
Kevin felt himself wanting to pull away, to hide in his mother's arms, but he couldn't move. No. Instead, he was locked into the strange moment, the injured in his arms, his mother behind his back, blood everywhere.
His mother's hands lifted from his ears, and Kevin's eyes flew open. Hank was finishing his job, wiping blood onto a towel near his bag. Laura's hands were swathed in bandages, as were her feet. Emma's face was stained in tears, and, in that moment, Kevin wondered why he had ever thought her cold and brittle, because she was melting now.
"We should have Laura taken downstairs for observation," Hank murmured, "She's running a slight fever, and the skin around her hands is flushed."
"But her bones, her...her claws," said Emma, her words halting, "They'll...they won't do anything, right?"
"They'll be fine," said Hank, "They weren't...something went wrong when the genes transferred. They needed to be put in their own track, but, and this is going to sound like a really stupid thing for someone who's studied genetics to say, the claws aren't a desirable trait to be passed down. Not in humans."
He shook his head.
"It'll hurt every time they come out, and that's just looking at this in its normal state," he said, "But Essex screwed up somewhere along the line. Maybe he didn't transfer an antigen, not enough calcium, I don't know."
Kevin stared. This wasn't just Laura's mutation? Someone had done this to her? The thought temporarily numbed his mind as he stared at the girl now asleep on his shoulder, still smeared with her own blood and water.
Laura breathed out and looked over at Kevin. Her eyes were still wide and curious, but there was a touch of openness there too. She smiled, a smile that was mostly teeth, but still friendly.
"Kevin?"
He looked up, and saw Emma looking at him. She breathed out and cupped his cheek. He stared at her.
"You saved her life tonight," Emma said, "Thank you so much. And for...I..."
She shook her head.
"Thank you," she said.
A lump formed in his throat and he stared, unable to fully speak. Emma withdrew her hand almost timidly, before looking behind him. Kevin turned and saw that Charles had wheeled up so that he was seated behind Kevin's mother.
"You two are raising a really good one here," Emma murmured.
Something clenched inside his chest, and he remembered the words he'd screamed at the height of his fear. Neither his mother nor Charles seemed perturbed by Emma's reference, nor did they seem on edge because of his words. He hoped sincerely that they weren't thinking of it. He didn't want to embarrass either of them.
"Best we get her down to where we can monitor her, clean her up," said Hank, "Charles, can you make sure we don't have an audience out there."
Charles put his fingers to his temples briefly, and then nodded.
"All clear."
Hank finished putting his things away and, in a movement that surprised Kevin with its swiftness, scooped Laura up. His arm, which had gone numb, screamed with pins and needles Emma rose with Hank, her hand on her niece's forehead, looking anxiously to Hank for reassurance.
"She's okay," Hank said, "But there are going to be certain matters we need to discuss. You shouldn't have hidden this from us. I need to know her medical history, and we don't know what else is in store."
Emma looked back at him, her clear blue eyes wide and unblinking.
"She deserved more."
With a sigh, Hank nodded and headed toward the door. Emma hovered by him, her own pajamas splattered with blood. he watched the three of them, their words confusing, but their meaning fairly plain.
Hands wrapped around him, and he turned and saw his mother. She kissed his forehead, and Kevin could feel something welling up deep inside of him. Yet, when it broke, he shed no tears, screamed no screams. All he did was reach out, hug her, let her know something really was okay.
"You've been so brave," she said, "You are so very, very brave."
"What Emma said was true. You've saved her tonight you know," Charles said, "If you hadn't been here, she might have bled to death. Thank you for calling us."
Kevin just held his mother, blinking again and again. He wished he was crying. No one would've blamed him for crying. He'd just spent what felt like an eternity blanketed in blood and death. No one would blame him for crying.
But he didn't cry, and the next few minutes passed like a blur. Moira carried him up to the bathroom, and he convinced her it was alright to leave him alone to shower. All he really wanted to do was curl up and sleep, but he would not do so with Laura's blood still all over him. If he left it on much longer, he knew he'd never sleep again.
The water poured down on him, and he felt her blood wash off. He wanted to scrub his skin until it was raw, but he didn't. Whatever had broken inside him hadn't resulted in tears, but a heavy thoughtfulness, his mind both blank and jumping.
When he was done, his mother and Charles were outside waiting for him.
"Do you want me to sleep in your room tonight?" his mother asked, "You don't have to do this alone."
Kevin looked up at her, his mind blank. Did he want her presence that night? He felt that thoughtful heaviness in him again, and he shook his head. What he wanted to do was sleep, sleep and not think and not wake up.
"Are you sure?" she asked.
"I think I'll be fine," said Kevin, "But...if I need you...I'll..."
He put two fingers to his head, and Moira nodded. She knelt down and kissed him again. Charles squeezed his shoulder. Both of them went with him to his room, tucking him in as though he were a baby, and, for that night, he didn't care.
Kevin closed his eyes, knowing that sleep wouldn't come, the thoughtfulness still weighing down on him.
I heard what you said tonight you know, what you called me.
His eyes opened slowly, and his breath stilled.
Charles began stroking his hair, shifting him so his arm was wrapped around his shoulder.
"When I was younger, my stepfather used to threaten to put out cigarettes in my hand," said Charles, "Me and my stepbrother. Not my sister: he didn't care about her. He never did the cigarettes, I don't know why. But I did grow up trying to explain away black eyes and bruises, because what could I say? What could I do? It felt like the answer was nothing."
Kevin looked up, and blue eyes stared back at him, not thoughtful, but instead filled with sympathy, with that same understanding he'd encountered the day he'd heard voices echoing in his head.
"Just know that you're safe here," said Charles, "And while I truly believe your mother should know this, I believe it should come from you. Not from me"
Charles breathed in and, for the first time, Kevin realized he could hear Charles's heart hammering against his chest.
"But, know one thing," Charles said, "I pity anyone who tires to hurt you Kevin. Because that is not something that will happen ever again."
And, looking at Charles's expression, at the tightness of his jaw, the determination, Kevin believed him.
He bit his lip, feeling his hands clutch the blanket tighter. The fog around his mind was clearing a little, but it was still frightening. He didn't know what he was experiencing, or even what was going on.
All he knew was that he didn't want Charles to be embarrassed or angry at him for calling him 'dad.' He just wanted him to be happy.
Kevin, I've heard your thoughts for some time accidentally. I...I've never been a father, Charles said, I never thought I would have the chance. But...I want you to know...I want you to know that I don't think I could ever love any child born to me as much as I love you.
All around him, Kevin felt the world blur.
"So the baby is Charles's?" he said.
"Yes," Moira said.
A small grin broke out on his face.
"I'm glad he loves you that much," he said, "And I'm glad you love him too."
His grin broadened.
"Jane Austen," he said.
He was going to be a big brother. He was going to have a sibling. And the child wasn't going to have Kevin's dad raising them and kicking them and hating them. No, they would have Charles, and he would love them and care for them.
Maybe, just maybe, everything would be alright soon.
"He loves you too you know," Moira said.
He swallowed hard. No tears were coming, but he felt himself reaching out, wanting that future, him, his mother, the baby, and Charles as his father. Kevin wanted it more than he'd ever wanted anything, even when he was little and wished his biological father would be hit by a car.
If you wanted to call me that instead of Charles...Kevin, I'm honored that you think of me that way, said Charles, I truly, truly am. I want things to be that way for us, and when...
Through their bond, Kevin could almost feel Charles reach out and take his mother's hand. Moira, he called her.
When the baby comes, I want all of us to be a family, said Charles, I've wanted that for so long, longer than I've even known you. And...to have you call me that tonight, and in your time of need...I'm honored.
Kevin closed his eyes.
I love you dad, he said.
I love you too Kevin.