IDK why by isn't showing that this story updated.
Quick FYI, this chapter kind of jumps all over the place but keep in mind that it starts in late 1963 and ends somewhere around 1971. So a pretty big and confusing time jump, but necessary if we want to make our way into DOFP and still have some plot developed.
Trigger Warning (Spoilers): Talk of miscarriages and implied/accidental self-harm.
Late 1963
"You know, I've been thinking," Ivy told her husband as they prepared for bed late one night, he hummed as she crawled up behind him as he sat on the edge of the bed toeing off his boots, "We should start thinking about getting our own place."
He turned his head to face her as she rested hers on his shoulders, "What you tired of fourteen year old walking in on us in the kitchen?"
Ivy groaned dropping her head, "That's not funny okay? I had to have the talk with a kid that isn't even mine."
"It's a little funny." Alex teased, before biting back a sigh somehow even when he was a step ahead his wife was a step further, "How about tomorrow we have a look around in town? See what's available."
"It's a date." She grinned before pecking him on the lips, he returned her grin with a smirk before he kissed her again tilting his head to deepen it.
"Guys!" Sean shouted bursting into the room chest heaving with heavy breaths.
"Dude! Come on!" "Do you know how to knock?" Alex and Ivy shouted at the same time.
"What? Yes. I mean, no-I mean," Sean stammered pointing at something over his shoulder before shaking his head, "You guys gotta come and see this." He said quickly before leaving again. The couple shared a look before following their friend downstairs and into the main sitting room where the students and teachers along with Hank and Charles were gathered in from of the television set. The banner across the screen proclaiming the CBS was experiencing a news breaking story.
"Here is a news bulletin from CBS news, in Dallas, Texas, three shots were fired at President Kennedy's motorcade in downtown Dallas, and the first reports say that President Kennedy has been seriously wounded by the shooting."
There was a collective gasp and murmurs throughout the room, as Ivy caught Charles' eye across the room as he sat with that contemplative look on his face, with his head on his hand.
"-Perhaps could be fatal. President Kennedy has been shot by a would-be assassin in Dallas, Texas. Stay tuned to CBS news for further details."
"Oh my god." One of the student muttered.
"Dallas isn't too far from here is it?"
"Settle down everyone." Charles said calmly but firmly before the newscaster spoke again.
"We now have new information regarding the assassination attempt of President Kennedy. The Secret Service have apprehended a suspect by the name of Erik Lensherr, and-"
Thankfully the younger mutants in the room didn't know who that was, or what it meant, but for those that did time seemed to stop. Hank quickly turned the television off before he and Sean ushered the children out and back to their rooms.
Charles was quiet and worryingly still while Ivy to a shaky seat on the arm of the couch. "No. That doesn't make any sense." Alex stood by her side, rubbing circles onto her back but even he was shocked silent at this turn of events.
Things in the mansion were considerably quiet from that point on, Ivy and Charles treaded carefully around one another, both of them on opposite ends of the scale when it came to Erik and what he was capable of, Charles in particular knowing that Erik had quite a way with guns.
That's why the decision for Alex and Ivy to move out of the mansion had come at the best and worst time. They did desperately need and want their own place, but despite how hard everyone strived to maintain a positive front, things were looking bleaker by the day, especially with things heating up overseas and now there was even talk of America becoming involved.
But things at the Summers' new home weren't faring much between, despite being elated at acquiring their new home that was less than an hour's drive from either of their parent's home and only twenty minutes from the mansion. Their home was so far the only milestone they were able to reach, despite their many, many tries.
They were currently sitting on the bathroom floor awaiting the results of their latest attempt. Alex turned his wrist looking at his watch, "Three minutes." Ivy lifted her head from his shoulder, nodding before reaching up to the bathroom countertop and grabbing the slim stick, turning it over in her hand, what she saw made her heart sink, a feeling and sight she was unfortunately beginning to get used to.
"Negative." She said, cursing under her breath, dropping the stick and pushing herself to her feet, Alex watched her go before sighing and looking over the little white stick again just to be sure, before tossing it in the trashcan with the others, having the morbidly fleeting thought that they were amassing the worst possible collection of things.
"You okay?" Alex asked his wife carefully as he leaned against the door of their bedroom, his brow furrowing seeing her pull on a pair of shoes, it was almost dark out.
"No." she snapped, shrugging on one of his button-ups.
"You wanna talk about it?"
"Not really."
"Where are you going?" he asked followed her back out into the living room.
"I just wanna get out for a while, clear my head."
"It's getting dark, I could come with you."
Ivy paused reaching out to take his hand, "I'll be fine, I just need a minute okay?"
Alex nodded cupping her cheek in his other hand before pressing a kiss to her forehead, "Alright, stay safe out there."
"Always."
The walk didn't clear her mind like she'd hoped, while the cool evening air was welcomed, it still didn't do anything to wash away the dark cloud that was slowly settling over her. It also didn't help that her feet had taken her to the nearby park where a couple families loitered about as the evening grew dark. She wanted that.
She sat on the swing in the bow empty park and wondered if it was possibly due to her mutation, what cruel fate if that was indeed the case, she had the power to bring life to so many beautiful things be it was possible that she couldn't do the same for herself and her husband. Even worse, as far as she knew there was no way to test such a notion. There weren't any mutant-friendly clinics that they could just waltz into and ask the kinds of questions that they needed answers, and for as intellectual as Hank was, he would probably be no hope.
When she began making her way home, it was later than she'd intended but all the lights in the house were still on. Ivy jumped at catching sight of the dark figure out of the corner of her eye, she was sure he wasn't trying to scare her. But his appearance alone in the darkness was more than enough.
"You scared me." She confessed holding a hand to her chest.
"Apologies." The response came from the heavily accented voice.
"What are you doing here?"
"Magneto," he said simply, at Ivy's silence he went onto explain, "He said if something ever happened, we scatter. I supposed to watch over you."
"He said that?"
"He cares, very much about you. Wanted you to be safe. But your husband is good man, strong. Will protect you. I will not stay, but I won't be far if you need."
"Azazel," she called stopping him as he began to turn away, "Did he do it?"
"Magneto fights for our kind," he responded vaguely, "By any means."
Ivy nodded and just like that the red-skinned mutant disappeared, and she entered her house. Alex sat at the kitchen table a bottle of beer next to him that looked like he had taken less than a sip out of it, his leg bounced anxiously but stilled the moment she entered their home.
She sighed going over to join him at the table before sinking down onto his lap, he turned his head into her chest and took a deep breath, "I'm sorry for snapping at you." She said after a beat of silence, running her hands over his shoulders.
"Don't be." He said leaning back in the seat, placing an arm around her for balance.
She decided not to tell him about seeing Azazel, while he was more than comfortable with her friendship with Erik, he still had his slight's about his associates. "It just, doesn't make sense you know?"
"I know," he said squeezing her hip, "And hey, can't tell me you don't enjoy trying."
She giggled kissing his cheek then pecking his lip, "You know that I do."
"The recent attacks in the southeast of Asia signal a rise in influence and power of the People's Liberation Armed Forces of South Vietnam. Because of these recent developments, our government sees no other option than to offer aid and support to the people of Vietnam. The president has assured for now, no combat troops will be sent, but he has made clear that several army bases will be preparing for the worst."
Henry Summers sighed flipping the knob to change the radio station.
"What wrong?" Alex asked pulling himself out from underneath the kitchen sink that his father was helping him fix. Not having a hint of shame in calling his old man to help him fix a damaged pipe that he probably would have made worse if he'd tried to fix it all on his own.
"Things heating up overseas," his father explained, "Should the president decide to send over troops, the Conscription Law is still in place."
"Does that mean-" Alex trailed off.
"Hard to say right now." His father responded reaching out to turn the handles of the kitchen sink, feeling a swell of pride in his chest when the water ran clear in a steady stream, "All we can do is hope for the best."
Alex nodded and followed his father into the living room where his wife and mother we're sat on the couch.
"All fixed?" Ivy teased as he came to sit on the arm of the couch beside her.
"You know it."
"My handymen." Elaine joked, as he husband sat beside her, "Listen we're actually glad you called us over. We wanted to talk to you both about something." She confessed after taking a deep breath.
"Is everything alright?" Her daughter in law asked in concern.
"No, everything is fine, it's just," she reached out to take her husband's hand, "We want to have another baby." She rushed out in excitement.
It took them a few seconds to comprehend, "What?" Alex finally asked.
"Well you know that we've always wanted more than one child," She said immediately reaching out and taking her sons hand. "And we had plans to for a long time."
"But while you were away, we never wanted you to feel like we were replacing you son." Henry added.
"And now that you'll be starting a new family of your own, we figured it might be a good a time as any. What do you think?"
"I mean, you guys don't really need my permission." Alex joked breaking the somewhat tense atmosphere.
"Thank you." Elaine said sincerely before turning her eyes on her daughter in law, "Ivy?"
"You guys are great parents, you did a good job with this one," she forced a smile nudging Alex's arm, "You'll amazing a second time."
A short while later Ivy watched from the kitchen window as Alex walked his parents down their driveway, before a soft popping sound came from behind here, she didn't bother to turn around, "Trouble?" Azazel's accented voice softly questioned.
"Alex's parents are gonna have another baby."
"This is bad?"
"No, it's great for them." She sighed, "I just wish it were me."
Azazel placed a heavy red hand on her shoulder, "When is your time, you will know."
"Thank you," she said honestly, "Wait," she called stopping him as he turned to leave, before reaching for the plate of food she'd set aside, "Here."
He paused for a moment, staring down at the wrapped plate before reaching out and taking it from her hands, "Thank you, цветок."
"You're welcome," she responded, "Now get out of here." His lips twitched in what could have almost been a smile and he disappeared seconds before the front door opened then closed again the latches sliding into place. Alex rounded the kitchen and said nothing walking closer to his wife before pulling her into a tight hug.
Years passed by in a daze for the most part, the overseas the wat had gotten worse, so bad in fact that the president was forced to send over combat troops to help aid in the fight. Many men enlisted and a significant number were forced to enlist by their state's mandate, thankfully though Alex wasn't one of them. Unfortunately in the years to come the numbers of students and faculty alike had dwindled until there was basically no one left, save for those who were already there.
By the end of 63' Mr. and Mrs. Summers senior had happily announced that they were expecting, the same could not be said for their son and daughter in law. So far they'd tried everything they could in order to have a baby, to the point where sex felt like almost a chore rather than something that was supposed to be enjoyable for either of them. A quick trip to the clinic reveal that Alex's little swimmers were in top form so there really wasn't any reason for them not to have a baby to show for it, and yet still nothing.
In February of 1964 Charles informed Ivy and the guys that, using Cerebro, he'd been able to discover that Erik have been found guilty of first-degree murder and the conspiring to assassinate President Kennedy, and being sentenced to two life sentences. She tried to talk to Azazel about the verdict but he brushed her off saying the Magneto gave him specific instructions not to say anything concerning the matter to her, and he too was often off doing something that he refused to tell her. Although she had a feeling that it had something to do with the missing mutants Charles would sometimes see right before he stopped going into Cerebro, the world was getting far too dark for him to be continuously connected to so many minds at once.
So many years went by like that, bleak and dim, even though the birth of Alex's little brother did bring a little bit of light back. It still broke him a little inside when they went back home and he held his wife on the bathroom floor as she sobbed into his chest because it wasn't them. By some miracle their little family so far been untouched by the call to arms, Charles for obvious reasons, Hank because he's listed a medical aliment of his form when he'd received his letter, which wasn't entirely untrue and Alex and Sean by sheer dumb-luck.
Unfortunately, looked like it was about time for their luck to run out, because even with all that going on and the world looking so dim, for a brief glimmering moment things seemed to be looking up, and it all had to do with the two little pink lines on the stick. Ivy took another test to be sure, and it yielded the same results.
She was pregnant.
It didn't make much sense to her why fate thought that now was the right time after so many years but she didn't bother to question it. She shared the news with her husband, and she hadn't seen him smile so wide in a long time. They decided to wait to share the news with their friends and family in case it might have been a false alarm, although a third test confirmed that it was not.
But maybe things wouldn't have fallen apart like they did if it was.
And when it fell, it shattered.
Ivy woke to persistent cramps in her stomach, more painful than normal but nothing she couldn't handle as she sat up the storm still raging on outside she pressed a hand to her lower stomach like she could stop the cramps. Her movements rousing her sleeping husband,
"Hey," he whispered with a groggy voice sitting up and placing a warm hand on her back, "You okay?"
"Yeah," she nodded biting her lip, "Cramps." She told him as she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, only to immediately crumble to the floor at the intense pain that shot straight through to her back.
"Ivory!" Alex shouted as he dove over the bed, "Ivy." He repeated in panic as his wife curled up on the floor groaning in pain, "What is it? Ivory what's wrong?"
"I can't-" She stammered curling up tighter and Alex didn't have the slightest clue what to do.
"Help!" He shouted, pulling her into his arms, "Hank! Professor! Somebody help!" He repeated as he tried to reassure his wife.
Seconds later the door burst open and Hank stood there looking confused as he took in the scene before him, "Oh my God." He breathed as he entered the room and joined them on the floor, "What happened?" He asked carefully.
"I don't know," Alex stammered, "She just collapsed, and I don't know what's wrong."
"What the fuck?" Sean's voice came filled with disbelief as he too entered the room and hovered over the scene.
Hank looked over his friend, "Alex, she's bleeding." He said quickly, "We need to get her to a hospital." He told his suddenly pale friend before placing a hand onto Ivy's forehead and feeling her warmer than normal temperature, "Sean," he snapped to the redhead, "Go wake the professor and get him downstairs. We'll meet you at the front." Sean nodded and immediately ran from the room. "We have to move her." Hank explained and Alex nodded, "Ivy, we're gonna have to move you okay? We're gonna get you to a hospital but it's gonna hurt." Ivy moaned in pain but nodded.
The rain felt like icy pinpricks against his skin, but that could be the panic coursing through him as he rushed behind Hank to the car that Sean had already pulled up to the front of the mansion, Alex handed his wife carefully over to Hank so he could climb into the backseat of the car and then the scientist slid her over then climbed in himself. Seconds later Sean pressed the gas and tore from the gravel of the driveway.
"Keep talking to her," Hank instructed Alex while Charles guided Sean carefully through the storm.
It felt like forever before they finally reached the hospital and Alex quickly and as carefully as he could climbed out of the car pulling his wife into his arms. She'd passed out during the ride despite his and Hank's best attempts to keep her awake, her skin felt cold in his arms and Alex could only hope that it was from the storm he'd had to carry her through.
"Professor?" he heard from behind him as Hank gave a pause instinctively wanting to help the man out of the car and into his wheelchair but also wanting to go with Alex who was already striding towards the entrance, thankfully the professor made his decision for him.
"Go with them, we'll be along." he instructed quickly and Hank didn't hesitate.
"Help me!" Alex cried as he entered the hospital, "Help please. My wife." he stammered as Hank entered through the doors behind him almost as hysterical as he was.
"Can we get some help here?"
A flurry of doctors and nurses flew towards them dragging a gurney behind, "We'll take her." a doctor at the front said instructing Alex to lay her down on the gurney, which he did reluctantly even though not even a moment ago he was begging for help. "Do you have any idea what happened?" he asked as she was quickly strapped up with a few different apparatuses.
"I don't know," Alex stammered, "She said she had cramps then she just collapsed and she's bleeding. But she's pregnant."
"Body temperature at 101.6."
"Does she have any medical allergies?"
"Blood pressure is dangerously low, and dropping."
"Sir!" the doctor snapped, "Is your wife allergic to any medications?"
"Penicillin," Hank answered, "She's allergic to penicillin."
"Heart rate dropping, we've gotta move." the doctor said suddenly as they began to push the gurney down the hall.
Alex followed off instinct alone calling out his wife's name and becoming more desperate the further away they got and he received no answers, he was suddenly blocked from going any further by a nurse stepping in his path.
"I'm sorry sir you can't go in there."
"But my wife-"
"I understand but, it's protocol." she said, placing her hands on his shoulders.
"Alex," Hank said, suddenly coming up behind him and pulling him away, "C'mon." he led him back to the waiting room where Sean had rolled the Professor over to the sitting area as they watched them approach anxiously, "They took her back, for surgery I'm guessing." Hank explained as Alex sank down heavily into one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs, "They didn't get a chance to tell us what might be wrong." he finished as he sat down in another chair.
"Ivy's a strong girl my friend," Charles said trying to sound confident but even the telepath couldn't hide the fear in his voice, "She'll pull through."
"I should call the home," Alex said suddenly as he stood.
"I already did," Sean told him, patting his friend's shoulder when he sat back down, "I called your parents too, they'll get there as soon as the storm clears some."
"Why didn't you tell us Ivy was pregnant?" Hank asked carefully.
"We just found out. Hasn't even been a week"
And from then on, it was a waiting game.
Alex's parents and Mother Superior arrived an hour and fifteen minutes later when the storm had started to ebb. In that time Alex had filled out the necessary paperwork and drank a cup of coffee as he and the small group continued to wait. His little brother had been dropped off at the neighbour's house and his mother was seated beside him as she rubbed his shoulder every few moments, Mother Superior sat on his other side holding one of his hands with hers, while everyone else was trying to stay awake by watching the awful late night television show that was playing. But it was nearing three o'clock in the morning and Alex wouldn't be the least bit slighted if any of them fell asleep due to the late hour. But Alex himself was barely blinking, he was so wound up.
"Family of Ivory Summers?" A voice called out in question and Alex immediately shot to his feet.
"I'm her husband." He told the doctor, the same one he'd spoken to earlier in the night.
"Mr. Summers, it seems as though your wife has what's known as a septic infection. It can be caused by a number of factors kidney infections, pneumonia other urinary tract infections, but in the case of your wife sir, I'm sorry to tell you that she seemed to have had a miscarriage."
"What?" He asked in a shaking voice as he heard his mother gasp behind him.
"We've managed to stop the bleeding and the spread of infection through antibiotic drips, but there was nothing we could've done about your baby."
Alex sucked in a deep breath through his teeth running a hand over his mouth, "Can I please- Can I- Can I be with my wife?" he finally stammered out.
"Of course," the doctor nodded and Alex didn't spare a glance back at the rest of his family as he followed the doctor down the hallway, "My condolences again, Mr. Summers. I understand how difficult this must be for both of you, but in a few hours we'll need to run some more tests to ensure that your wife is fully cleared of infection."
Alex nodded, the man patted him on his shoulder before turning and going down the hall in the opposite direction. He took a deep breath to steel himself before twisting the door handle and entering the room, his resolve crumbled when he saw his wife curled up on the bed with her back facing the door though he could see her shoulder's tremble with her quiet cries. The breath he'd taken escaped from his body as he slowly approached the bed. Without giving a second thought he kicked off his shoes and crawled into the bed behind her, curling up around her. He felt her pause as he wrapped around her before her tears started up again. Alex felt his own escape him and drip into her hair as he wrapped an arm around her and held on tight.
Ivy heard steady beeping that could only be caused by one thing. She didn't remember how she got to the hospital but she knew right away why she was there. She could feel her husband's arm wrapped gently around her waist as he slept quietly albeit not peacefully, the familiar smell of sulfur alerted her to the fact that they weren't alone in the room. She blinked her eyes open slowly and Azazel was before her, his red-skin a stark contrast to the darkened room that would have made her flinch any other time. She sighed looking at him, he reached a hand out brushing a piece of hair from her face.
"Sick?" He asked lowly, not to wake Alex.
"I lost our baby." She responded sadly.
"I am sorry Ivy," he said sincerely, "Is not your fault."
"Doesn't feel like it."
The red mutant nodded covering her hand, "I come to say goodbye," he confessed and she blinked up at him in confusion, "I go home now, to mother Russia. Your family - You are taken care of."
"Will you be safe?" she asked and the red mutant looked confused and almost touched for a moment before he nodded.
"Yes."
"I'm gonna miss you."
"I will miss you as well, Magneto was correct, you are special girl." he said softly patting her hand, "прощай цветок."
Ivy nodded and before the smoke of his disappearance had cleared she was asleep again.
When she woke again for the final time, sunlight was creeping into the room. The brightness of it irritating her already irritated eyes so she rolled over to her other side, careful not to disturb the IV drip in her hand. She felt Alex shift behind her to make room so she knew he was already awake. For a moment they just stared at each other silently.
"You know," he said, clearing his throat of sleep, "Your bodyguard isn't very subtle."
The faintest hint of a smile tugged at her lips. "You knew?"
"Yeah," he answered nodding.
"You're not mad?"
"No," he sighed, "Erik trusted him enough to ask him to do that, and I was happy there was someone else watching out for you."
Ivy sighed running her finger over his lips as he spoke, "I'm sorry."
He sighed again tightening his lingering grip around her waist, "It's not your fault babydoll."
"Doesn't feel like it."
The doctor's voice sounded like it was playing on an endless and annoyingly suffocating loop, even though the man had tried to be as gentle as he possible could, ignoring the rather large pseudo family he'd broken protocol to allow into the room and addressing the wife and husband that were most effected.
"I understand how difficult his must be for all of you."
"This could have happened to anyone."
"One in five women don't make it to the first trimester, I'm sure that's not what you want to hear, but it's more common than you'd think."
"Here's some brochures-"
"This doesn't mean you can't bear children Mrs. Summers, your body does need time to heal thought. But we do have to consider the possibility of infertility."
He tried not to let it get to him, he really did. After all it was Ivy's body that had suffered, hers that was still healing from the loss of their baby. But dammit he was angry, not at his wife, not even at himself he was quite possibly just angry at the cruel twist of fate the universe saw fit to deal them.
It was a feeling he hadn't felt in quite a long time, over ten years to be more specific. In fact he was so proud of his control over his powers that he rarely, if at all, felt the heat building in his chest that simmered alongside his rage. His hands were holding tight onto the countertop leaving scorch marks in their wake that would make him hate himself more by morning. He felt the heat in his chest growing, but he couldn't, no, he wouldn't destroy their home like he was some hopeless kid again. Instead he glared at his reflection in the mirror.
Ivy jumped hearing the crashing of glass sound from the bathroom and was immediately on her feet, tears stalled for the time being and went to check on her husband.
She found him hunched over the countertop, his shoulders shaking slightly, the mirror broken before him hand blood steadily dripping from his hand. Carefully she made her way over to him and dropped her forehead to the center of his back before wrapping her arms around his waist, she understood of course, it was his child that was lost too.
He shook in her arms for a beat before turning and hugging her to his chest, burying his face in her neck as his body wracked with sobs, his bloody hand clenched the back of her dress but neither of them cared. Ivy cooed into his ear and ran her fingers through his hair even as a few more of her own tears slipped out.
Then a few days later that bandaged hand bleed when Ivy accidentally dug her fingernails into it when Alex's draft numbers were called.
Fin-Fish Jun-Tenshi: Such happy times.
10868letsgo: Hey, thank you, everyone's been so understanding of my mental issues. I think you mean, 'Ruby Kisses' and hopefully soon.
ZabuzasGirl: Hey, Ivy and her birth mother aren't on good terms, after their fight Charles wiped her memory of Ivy and anything to do with her at Ivy's request. 'Mother' is Ivy's pseudo mother, the nun that raised her in the orphanage.
Ivana Bocanegra: They got married! (Happy dance) DOFP is one of my favourite X-Men films and I definitely agree with you, it's that good. Don't worry, I've got Ivy's role in DOFP all planned out. Lol, my name isn't Barbara babe.
Guest: Thank you.
The backing of the Vietnam War in Days of Future Past really makes for a pain in the butt when it comes to continuity, I'm sure I got several things wrong trying to get all these dates to line up but hey ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ first world problems.
I know some of you might have been looking forward to a mini Alex or a mini Ivory running around, but I just could not feasibly write a child into their lives with the plans I already set for DOFP and beyond, I feel like a kid would have taken so much away from the overall story and the relationship between characters. So I had to make our babies hurt a little.
There's another filler chapter before we get into DOFP so I really wanna hear what you guys wanna see go down when we get there.
As always let me know what you think, and what you'd like to see in the future. Leave me a review too! As you can see I'll be responding to/answering the ones I can.