Emily had just settled Isadora into the crib JJ had lent them (that Morgan had dutifully set up in one of Rossi's spare rooms) and for several moments, she just stood there, staring at her baby daughter not quite able to believe that she was real and she was here and she was hers.

"Leave her sleep, mein Herz," Erik murmured from the doorway where he'd been watching her. A tender smile played about his lips, thinking the same thing about both of them.

She glanced over her shoulder at the unexpected voice; she hadn't realized he'd been standing there. She crossed the nursery to wrap him in an embrace, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him softly. "I can't believe how much I love her," she murmured, glancing again at the sleeping baby.

He nodded his agreement, following her gaze, watching the baby's little lips puckering in her sleep as if eager to suckle. "Come on," he gently cajoled once more, "You need your rest too." As if to punctuate his statement, he lifted her into his arms, carrying her out of the makeshift nursery and into their room.

She playfully glared at him. "I can walk..."

"I know you can, but I also know that given the choice, you'd stand there all night watching her sleep," he countered.

She had to admit he was right, even if only to herself.

As she settled under the covers, it suddenly hit her just how exhausted she truly was – she'd been so focused on getting out of the hospital and bringing her daughter home that the exertion of the birth had been pushed to the back of her mind until this moment. She leaned back against the headboard, fiddling with the baby monitor, attempting to adjust the volume, a soft smile crossing her lips as Isadora's soft breathing filtered through the speaker.

Erik settled in beside her, pressing a kiss to her temple. "She'll be fine," he assured her once again.

"I know," she agreed, then turned to fix him with a raised brow. "Don't pretend you aren't just as overprotective as I am..."

He just smiled as he took the baby monitor from her hand, setting it on the nightstand. He reached for her hand then, lacing their fingers together, thumb gently brushing the back of her hand. She followed his gaze to where it had landed on her hospital bracelet (FALL RISK it declared in bold black letters). And, in spite of not being a telepath, in spite of having no mutation at all, only an understanding of human behaviour and an intimate knowledge of his mind, she knew what he was thinking.

"Now that I'm out of the hospital, you're ready to go back to Genosha," she murmured knowingly.

He sighed wearily. He'd known that sooner or later they'd have to have this conversation, but that didn't make him any more eager to actually do so.

"It's okay," she assured him when he didn't speak. "I know how hard you've worked to build a haven for mutants. I know how much it means to you."

He nodded slowly. "You've worked hard to create a safer world for our daughter to grow up in," he countered. "I don't know that I've ever told you how much I respect and appreciate that..."

His sudden loquaciousness surprised Emily. "Erik, what's going on?" she asked gently, squeezing his hand.

"I think we should stay here," he said suddenly, lest he wait too long and change his mind. "I think it's important that you stay and say goodbye to your friends, properly this time."

"I don't need..." she insisted.

He didn't let her finish, though. "I don't want you to have any regrets. When you moved to Genosha to be with me, you gave up more than I realized. When we return, I want it to be on your terms so that ten, fifteen years down the road you don't hold it against me that you've had to sacrifice so much. I want it to be your decision."

"But Genosha is your life's work!" she maintained. "I can't ask you to give that up, even just for awhile."

"You're not. Genosha will be fine without me for a while longer. But the next few months are going to be difficult – for you, for us – and I want you to have the support of your friends to get you through it." He offered her a gentle smile. "I'm used to not depending on anyone...and it's a lonely way to live. I don't want that for you and I don't want that for Isadora."

"Erik, I... I don't know what to say," she stammered.

He shook his head. "You don't have to say anything."

She gave him a watery smile, overwhelmed by emotion. Eventually, she nodded slowly. "Okay." Then, with a contented sigh, she snuggled into his chest and, for a few moments, just lay there in silence, listening to his heartbeat. Eventually, she pressed a soft kiss to his bare chest, settling in for sleep.

After a few moments, though, he spoke up, voice so soft it was barely there at all. "I've watched my entire family be taken from me," he murmured. "She's the only flesh and blood I have left...I want to give her the world."

"I know," she whispered. "No one is ever going to love that little girl more than you."

"I never thought I'd have this," he confessed. "For so long, my life was about revenge and harming those who had wronged me – I never expected to live long enough to have any sort of normalcy, of contentment. I never thought I'd be able to give enough of myself to love someone so fully that I could share every part of myself with them. I never thought I'd feel that safe."

"You're safe with me," she vowed. "All the dark parts, the soft parts, the parts so raw from trauma they seem to never heal. They're all safe with me."

He nodded. "I know," he murmured.

That was all the assurance she needed.