Chapter 52

The Munich Circus Camp - Bavarian Forest, Munich Germany

"Hold still, or this will take even longer!" Margali gently scolded as she pulled the bandages tighter. Raven watched Azazel dig his fingers into the bed's frame. She was surprised he hadn't yet splintered the wood.

"How did you recognize me?" She asked quietly as the gypsy worked. The blue women had dropped her disguise the moment she passed through the caravan's door. It seemed like an insult to keep pretending she was someone else when Margali knew full well her true identity.

"That was easy," she smirked over her shoulder as she tugged on Azazel's dressing again. He swore under his breath. "You have the same nervous tick as Kurt whenever I have caught him telling a lie. What? You think Kurt has never lied?" Margali chuckled at what Raven was sure must be a look of pure shock on her face. Even Azazel seemed taken aback by her comment.

"Oh, do not look so surprised, both of you! Every child goes through a rebellious phase. I have raised three of them, and I am an aunt to many more so trust me, I know." She gestured towards Raven's rapidly cooling bowl of stew. "You really should eat something."

"Sorry," Raven answered, poking at her food halfheartedly. Unlike Azazel, she really wasn't hungry. "I just have a hard time picturing Kurt as the 'rebellious' type."

"Naja, you have known him for less than one year, and now he is a responsible young man. But when he was young, I certainly caught him in a few fibs," Margali grinned, her eyes sparkling with memory. "There was one time - I think Kurt was eight, and he and Stefan were playing 'American Cowboys' - and Kurt let all the horses escape. He told me they knocked down their fencing and ran away, even though the fence was intact but the gate was wide open. It took us four days to track them all down again, and it put the Circus behind schedule for an entire week! And when he was twelve, Kurt and Jimaine sneaked off to the center of Köln to see the cathedral at night and alone, right after I lectured them on the dangers of going into the city. His excuse? He claimed he couldn't always control when and to where he vanished. Can you believe that? He was always such a good boy, but there were times I thought I would have a heart attack over his antics!"

She laughed and shook her head as she finished securing the bandages. She then sat back, wiping her hands on her apron.

"There," she nodded at Azazel's chest, "how does that feel now?"

"... Much better, actually." He answered begrudgingly as he sat up and started buttoning his shirt. Margali gave him a half smile before handing him back his bowl of food. His eyes lit up gratefully, and his enthusiasm digging into his stew certainly made up for Raven's lack of appetite.

"The ointment draws out pain, and the bandages keep everything secure. Azazel, make sure to drink this," she placed a small vial on the table next to the bed, "just before bedtime. It will help you sleep with the pain. Mystique, you watched me dress his ribs carefully, ja?" She turned to Raven. "Because you will need to help change his dressing every other day, or anytime he bathes."

Raven nodded. She wasn't looking forward to that task, seeing how much pain the process caused, but it was good to see Azazel feeling better now.

"And," Margali continued, turning back to the red mutant and looking him up and down, "if she is Mom, then you must be Papa. I see now where Kurt gets his height."

"Gets tail and hair color, too. Other colors, from Raven." Azazel clarified, his voice muffled from chewing. Raven rolled her eyes at his astute observation.

"Ja, I can see this." Margali watched him devour his food for a few seconds longer before making a tut-tut sound. "Slow down; it is not a race. There is plenty of food for seconds." She sighed, and turning to face Raven again, she thumbed at Azazel over her shoulder. "I thought he was dead?"

"Up until this year, so did I," the blue woman shrugged.

"And by time she had Kurt, she was dead to me," Azazel added. He then paused and seemed to consider his words. He put down his spoon and held up his finger, pointing at Margali as if to exonerate his statement. "But I make mistake. I did nyet know Raven was with a child. I would have followed her, had I known this, even if only for Kurt."

"And Kurt knows who you are? Both of you?" The two mutants nodded. Margali sat back, rubbing her chin in thought. "How much does Kurt know about your pasts, or the circumstances around his birth?"

"Not much," Raven answered truthfully. "We actually just found out a few hours ago that Kurt even knows we're his parents. We haven't yet had a chance to talk with him about any of it, really." Margali nodded slowly and seemed to consider this as the three sat without talking, the only sounds being Azazel's eating. Finally, she cleared her throat.

"Mystique, I do not know the full truth as to why you gave up your son; and Azazel I do not know why Mystique was dead to you, or you dead to her seventeen years ago, but I do know Kurt." She paused to take deep breath, her expression hardening. "He is a blessing in my life, and as much a part of my heart as my own flesh-and-blood children, Stefan and Jimaine. Do not think for one second that just because you are Kurt's birth parents that I will permit you to bring any harm into my son's life!"

"What?" Azazel quickly set down his bowl and held up both hands in alarm. "We do nyet wish harm!"

"How well do you actually know Kurt?" Margali asked, narrowing her eyes.

"'Know' Kurt?" Raven frowned, not liking this tipping point in their conversation. "What do you mean, 'know'? We're his parents, and..."

"Oh ja, his parents. I forgot. So you must know everything then?" Margali interrupted with an angry sarcasm. "Mom, who is Kurt's favorite movie star? Papa, when he was little, what did he want to be when he grew up: a pirate or a knight? Both of you: what is his favorite circus act to preform? The age when he lost his first tooth? The name of the girl in our camp he has a crush on? What vegetable does he despise?"

Raven held Margali's gaze for a few more seconds before she cast eyes to her hands, now folded in her lap. Even Azazel quietly looked away.

"It is as I thought," Margali huffed, crossing her arms tightly and glaring. "Ja, you are his parents, but I raised him. I know him, because I am his Mama."

Raven suddenly felt ashamed to be sitting there, trying to argue with the woman who raised her son. Until just a few minutes ago, she couldn't even fathom that Kurt would ever tell a lie. Now she realized that Margali was right; she and Azazel might be Kurt's parents, but they actually knew very little about their son.

A heavy silence descended onto the caravan, and Raven felt like she was suffocating.

"We can nyet take back the time lost," Azazel said quietly, breaking the terse standoff. He reached out and put his hand over Margali's. "I... we regret that very much. But we are here now, and we want to know our son. We would have kept Kurt if it had been possible and our choices different. We will nyet turn our backs, leave him, or bring harm in any way. Never will we do this, I promise to you."

Margali stared at him for a long time before speaking. Finally, she withdrew her hand and adjusted her headscarf.

"Tell me the story, both of you. Tell me how it is that a child who was wanted by both parents came instead to be in my care."

Raven started slowly, telling the tale of Charles and the X-Men, then moving on to the Brotherhood, and of finding her soulmate in Azazel. The red man added details when necessary, spoke about their time in Russia, and told how their paths tragically split before either knew Kurt's heart was beating inside Raven's belly. Both explained their chance meeting in Berlin and the following events that twisted their fates together like the weaving of a long, complicated tapestry. Their stories took the better part of an hour to tell. Margali listened with rapt interest and without comment; thankfully, the woman seemed as understanding as Kurt, and she didn't outwardly judge them for any of their actions.

When they finished, the gypsy was quiet, seeming to mull everything over. Eventually she sighed loudly and rubbed her face with both hands.

"Kurt has talked about wanting to meet his real parents since the day he saw 'Mystique the Hero' on television. I always hoped the day would come when you would return to us and give Kurt the answers he needed. But, I was also so afraid. I was so afraid I would lose Kurt on that day. Then I did lose him when he was kidnapped by those awful men in Potsdam. We too had tracked him to that fight ring in East Berlin, but we arrived too late. I thought I'd lost my son forever. It wasn't until I received Kurt's letter and photos from Caliban that I realized what happened: you'd finally come back us Mystique, just not in the way I had expected. And - after what happened in the East - I knew it was safer for Kurt to be in America and be with others like him. It is hard on our family not having Kurt here, but because we love him, we want what is best for him."

"You know Caliban?" Azazel asked, surprised.

"We are gypsies," Margali rolled her eyes, "we know everyone."

"We love Kurt, and we want what's best for him too," Raven assured, steering them back to the point.

"Then it sounds to me like you both need to make decisions about the course of your lives going forward. I will not have Kurt mixed up in anything dangerous," she paused to look at Azazel before turning to Raven, "or anything that will put a price on his head. And, you need to take time and get to know your son. He will have a million questions for you both, but you need to ask him questions too."

"I actually have a question for you," Raven ventured. Margali raised a curious eyebrow. "How did you choose the name Kurt?"

"It was my father's name," she responded with a soft smile. "He was a great man with a kind heart. You may remember, a few weeks before you came to us, that I gave birth to a stillborn son. I was going to name him Kurt to honor my father, but your son got that honor instead."

"It is good name," Azazel agreed. "But, I would have chosen Batraz, or Sosruko."

"What?" Raven made a face. "Those are terrible! What would we have called him for short? Bat? Ruko?"

"I like Ruko," Azazel sulked quietly, making her shake her head.

"Maybe it is good he was dead, eh?" Margali laughed. "Now, what else would you like to know?"

They took turns asking Margali questions, and she was happy to tell them more about Kurt from a mother's perspective. She also thanked them for saving Kurt and bringing him to Westchester. Eventually though, the gypsy stood and announced that Raven and Azazel would stay in her caravan for the night, and she showed them where the extra bed was for Kurt if he decided to join them. She then excused herself to find accommodations for their friends. As Margali pushed aside the cloth door to exit, she looked at the two mutants one more time.

"No matter what, we are all family now, so let us make the best of it, ja?"

She left without hugging either of them; there was no catharsis, instant forgiveness, or anything like a storybook happy ending. There simply a mother who loved her son, one who was starting to realize that his birth parents loved him just as much. All three would protect Kurt, and that was the best any of them could ask for.

Once alone, Raven quickly moved next to Azazel on the bed. He looped his arm around her waist, and she leaned against him, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Today's been one for the records, that's for sure," she sighed and closed her eyes. Now that Margali was done with them - for that night, anyways - Raven was starting to realize how tired she really was.

"I am nyet sure which was more frightening: En Sabah Nur or Margali," he responded. Raven laughed.

"She's quite the woman. If we couldn't raise Kurt, well... I'm glad she did."

"You know, I do feel much better," he said, brushing her hair back and curling one strand around his finger, tugging on it playfully.

"Oh really?" She asked coyly as she sat up. "How much better?"

Azazel smiled at her. She knew that smile; that smile resulted in Kurt just about seventeen years ago. He cupped her face with both hands and brought her mouth to his. As Raven returned his kiss, she wondered how much private time they had left before...

"Hi Mom! Hi Dad!"

Right on cue, Kurt's cheerful voice echoed through the caravan.


"... and then Kurt bit him!"

A short while earlier, Scott entertained the small gathering around the main fire with his take on the 'Battle for Egypt.' Kurt rolled his eyes at this part, but then dramatically bit into his loaf of bread, making everyone surrounding him erupted in hysterics. He laughed along as he chewed, happy to be eating and very happy that Selina, his old childhood babysitter, had cooked the night's communal dinner. Her meals were always all kinds of delicious.

The mutant teens were flanked by people who'd begged to hear of their day's adventures. Scott and Kurt took the storytelling lead (in both English and German), recounting their heroics at the military base, and then fighting the ancient evil En Sabah Nur. The stories were so good that the boys didn't even need to embellish them (although they still did, but just a little).

Dr. McCoy sat at the edge of the fire alongside Enzo, the Munich Circus's veterinarian, and together the men repaired Warren's injured wing. Ororo held his hands and spoke soothingly as the men plucked all his damaged feathers. After much conferring, Enzo believed that once all of Warren's ruined feathers were fully removed and his skin allowed to heal, then the plumes should grow back healthy and strong, as he'd seen in the Circus's own parrots. Together, he and Dr. McCoy mixed a salve to heal Warren's burned skin. The indigo teen smiled and hoped things worked out well for his new friend. He was just happy that Warren decide to give his team a chance; Warren had even already asked Kurt if he'd be allowed to travel to Westchester (which Uncle Professor assured everyone he planned to rebuild, even better than before). Kurt found that - in spite of their past interactions - he really liked Warren. Once the winged boy dropped his bravado charade, he was kind and funny, and actually a bit on the shy side. Plus, Kurt mused as used the last of his bread to scraped his bowl clean, it will be really nice to have someone to speak German with when I feel homesick.

Across from Kurt, Jean and Jimaine huddled together, giggling madly as Jean challenged some detail of Scott's story. Kurt was just about insert his own opinion when a hand slid onto his shoulder. He looked up to see Mama Margali's smiling face looming over him.

"How are you doing, my love?" She asked in German, squeezing his shoulder tenderly.

"Much better now that I'm home, Mama." He grinned and put his hand over hers.

"Here, I have a surprise for you." She produced a mug and Kurt's eyes lit-up.

"Apfelsaftschorle!" He exclaimed before taking a long sip. The fizzy apple drink was his childhood favorite, and Mama Margali always made it for him as a special treat.

"It is so good you're back; we've all missed you so very much!" She leaned down and kissed his forehead before tousling his hair. "You and I will sit down later and visit properly, yes? Right now, I must find beds for your friends. Tonight Jimaine and I will stay in Stefan's caravan, and you will stay with your parents in mine."

Kurt sputtered and nearly choked when she casually dropped the words 'your parents.' He hadn't told her anything yet about Raven and Azazel. How could she...?

"You... know?" He asked in shock as he wiped the juice off his chin. "Like know, know?"

"Since when have you been able to keep a secret from me, little one?" She laughed. Then, her expression grew serious and laid her hand on his cheek. "I know you have so many questions, but they may not be able or ready to give you all the answers in one night. Be gentle with them, Kurt."

Kurt nodded and quickly chugged the rest of his juice. He thrust the mug back to Mama Margali and practically jumped up, running towards her caravan. Not wasting one precious second, he ducked through the cloth entry, calling out a greeting instead of knocking.

This is how he came to be standing in the doorway, eagerly staring at his parents as they now stared back at him. For a few surprised seconds, no one made a sound. Finally, Azazel addressed him.

"Um... hello, son?"

It was all the encouragement Kurt needed. He teleport onto the bed, upsetting the pillows and startling both of them. Azazel winced and pressed a hand against his side.

"Easy, Kurt! Watch out for Zaz's..." Raven frowned, putting her hand on Azazel's shoulder. "... I mean, your father's ribs, Ok? He's still pretty banged-up."

"Ja, of course, sorry!" Kurt beamed from his end of the bed. Azazel waved dismissively to show that he was alright. Both he and Raven smiled softly at Kurt, making Kurt's own smile grow wider. This is so great! Here everyone was, together at least, and knowing full well their true family relations, and they could actually talk about things without the threat of death or some pesky villain getting in the way. Kurt felt like he was going to burst from the excitement. He didn't even try to stop his tail which was practically wagging behind him.

"So...?" Raven raised an eyebrow after another moment of silence passed.

"Right!" Kurt shook his head and laughed, realizing he'd still been staring at them and lost in his own thoughts. "So, can I ask you about things? Like now? Like things about you? And maybe, things about me?"

"What would you like to know?" Azazel offered casually. Kurt adjusted himself to sit cross-legged, and Raven and Azazel settle back into their end of the bed too. Kurt smiled, opened his mouth, and...

Huh, his smile waned and his tail drooped. That's actually a really good question.

He'd fantasized about this moment for so long - about finally getting to talk to his real parents - that he suddenly realized he wasn't even sure what he wanted to ask them, or where to begin.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" He finally blurted out, breaking the awkward silence. It didn't come out sounded as graceful as he wanted, but he supposed there was no better place to start than at the beginning.

"You mean in East Berlin?" Raven asked quietly.

"Ja, or after we got to Latvia, or on our trip to America, or after Dad finally showed up at Westchester... why didn't you guys just tell me who you really were? Why did you keep lying?"

"Well, your mother..." Azazel started but paused when Raven quickly turned to him. For a split second, Kurt saw her eyes go wide as if she was scared, but Azazel just gave her a small, lopsided smile, and took hold of her hand before continuing. "Your mother and I did nyet know how to tell you. We thought at time we were doing what is best for you, but we were wrong. We see that now, and we are both very sorry we did nyet tell you the truth right away."

"Ok, but you had like fives months together at Westchester," Kurt frowned. "Why didn't you tell me then, either? And why did you swear Auntie Clarice and Uncle Charles to keep it a secret too?"

"Who told you that?" Raven pursed her lips.

"No one! I just... um, guessed, that's all." He answered quickly, biting his lower lip. He saw Azazel smirk before whispering something to Raven in Russian. He thought he'd heard the man say Clarice's name.

"It's actually a really long story," his mother sighed.

"Well, we have time," Kurt held out his hands as he shrugged hopefully. "So...?"

"So you're right," Raven agreed. "Let's talk."

In the end, they talked for a long time, and by telling their stories, they answered so many questions Kurt didn't even know he had. They didn't tell him everything, but they promised they'd talk more over the coming weeks and eventually tell him all he wanted to know. Kurt walked into this conversation knowing that both is parents had questionable pasts, but he wasn't quite prepared for the complexity of their lives: their damaged childhoods, the battle in Cuba, the Brotherhood, the KGB, the story of his birth and abandonment, the violence and bloodshed they'd both seen and caused. He wasn't entirely happy about that last part, but he found he could understand why they felt they had no other options, now that he'd gotten a better picture of how challenging most of life was for both Raven and Azazel.

Kurt learned a lot about himself in the process too. He knew of course that he had his mother's coloring and his father's tail, but certain things like his lopsided smile (Dad) and his love of reading (Mom), his restless spirit (Dad) and his incredible flexibility (Mom, although Dad only snickered when she punched his arm for crediting her for that) all started to fit together. Even his mutation - the ability to teleport (Dad) and blend into shadows (Mom) - suddenly made perfect sense. It seemed like he could pinpoint almost every part of himself as leaning more towards one parent or the other, except for his unique hands and feet and...

"Well, except for the fangs," Kurt grinned widely, displaying his teeth. "No one has fangs but me."

"Nyet, you got those from me," Azazel smiled, showing off his... perfectly normal teeth?

"But, you don't have fangs...?" Raven titled her head, clearly confused.

"Nyet anymore," he explained. "Let us just say that my last job had a telepath a really good dental plan. Also, maybe I was in bad fight and had a few teeth broken. I had fangs, anyways." He shrugged and pointed at his mouth. "Still all my real teeth, just the front ones had to be filed down, so now they look human."

"Speaking of fighting," Kurt looked at both of them. "I never did say thank you, for saving me in East Berlin. Both of you. Thank you, for being there when I need you the most."

"I never wanted to give you up," Raven responded sadly. "I know Margali was a great mother, but we missed out on so much. I wish things had been different, I really do."

"There's something I want to show you." Kurt slid off the bed and began rummaging through a nearby storage area. He hoped what he wanted was still in the same spot. Raven and Azazel watched him curiously as he looked around the caravan. Now where did she... ah-ah! Kurt smiled triumphantly as he pulled a large book out from a drawer.

"What's this?" Raven gestured at the item in Kurt's hands. Not waiting for an invitation, he vanished and reappeared sitting between his parents (although carefully, this time). He placed the book on his lap and opened it. Raven let out a quiet gasp and put her hand over her mouth, and even Azazel's tail went perfectly still.

"Some of the older photos are a bit faded - Mama could only trust certain people to develop photos of her blue kid, after all - but they're not too bad," Kurt smiled and flipped through a few pages. "See, there I am!" Sure enough, there was a small photo of a much younger Kurt dressed as a cowboy for Carnival. Kurt smiled; he'd loved that cowboy outfit, and he wore until it was threadbare. He flipped the next page and really hit the jackpot. There were several photos of him at various ages, some of him playing with Stefan or Jimaine, some with Mama Margali holding him as a baby, and even a photo of Kurt dressed for his first solo trapeze act. He really missed the trapeze; he'd already thought about asking if he could do a private performance just for his friends, for old time's sake.

Neither Raven nor Azazel had uttered a sound since he opened the picture book. Raven was still shell-shocked, her hand over her mouth. Azazel hadn't moved an inch. Kurt frowned and started to wonder if maybe this had been a mistake; maybe it was too much for them, right then. He started to close the album, but Raven seized his wrist to stop him. He looked up at her, and was surprised to see silent tears dripping down her cheeks.

"I didn't mean to make you cry," he whispered, suddenly feeling like he might cry too. "I know no one can give us back the time we lost, but I thought maybe you'd both like to see these photos since you couldn't see me grow up, and maybe, you'd could find a way to love me, but if it's too much..."

"Oh Kurt," Raven pulled him to her in a tight embrace. "I've loved you since the moment you opened your eyes."


Not too long after, Azazel closed the photo album quietly and placed it on the table, careful not to disturb Raven or Kurt. It seemed their day's trials had finally caught up with them; both had fallen into a sound sleep next to him, Kurt with his head on Raven's chest and his tail wrapped around her ankle, and Raven with her arms looped gently around him, still hugging Kurt close.

Azazel smiled and watched them for a few minutes, snuggled together and snoring quietly. He supposed he should wake Kurt and direct him to his own bed, but he didn't see the harm in letting the boy stay where he was. There was something rather sweet about it, something that reminded Azazel so much of when Clarice was little and would sometimes cuddle up next to him in the middle of the night. He'd never told her that oftentimes he used to pretend he was asleep when she did that.

He'd really enjoyed looking through Kurt's photo album. It was a wonderful way to learn more about his son, as Kurt had been full of stories for every photo. He'd have to ask Margali if she'd be kind enough to choose one for him and Raven to take with them when they left.

We've come a long way since Latvia, Azazel thought as he yawned. He drank the vial of sleeping draught Margali left before blowing out bedside lantern. A comfortable darkness descended instantly inside the caravan. He settled down next to his little family, and wrapped his tail around Kurt's leg. Azazel fell asleep almost as soon as his head touched the pillow.


A/N: :333 3