I'm writing the chapters very fast so I thought, why not publish them more often? This chapter is actually one of my favorites. Enjoy!

Chapter VII - The Family

"You saved my life and you offered me a home"

86 days before the tragedy

"This is awkward," Peter realized out loud.

Erik could not disagree. It still did not occur to him that he was sitting at the same table with all his children. He took a glance at each of them in turn. Peter was leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed behind his head. An empty dinner plate was lying in front of him. Wanda was sitting next to her brother. She kept her elbows on the table and hid her hands in the sleeves of her sweater. Lorna took the seat opposite her siblings, her eyes jumping from them to her father.

Lorna had showed up half an hour ago, bringing a handful of other mutants with her. It turned out that they had been attacked and those who survived decided to go into hiding. As such, Erik learned of Charles' telepathic conversation with Lorna's boyfriend, Marcos, and was grateful that, by some miracle, the man had managed to get her to accept Charles' offer. At the same time, he learned that Lorna and Marcos' relationship was more serious than he first had thought. The fruit of their relationship was a one-year-old girl, Dawn. His granddaughter.

There were many places in Genosha where mutants could settle down. For this reason, they did not need to stay at Erik and Charles' house. After all, it was not some boarding house for the gifted. Charles offered to guide them to a convenient location and help them get comfortable there. Erik watched with some sadness as Charles and Marcos, who had taken Dawn with him, disappeared in the company of other mutants. Lorna wanted to go as well, but Erik managed to stop her. They had a lot to talk about.

But now he was sitting at the head of the table and had no idea what to say. Barely half an hour ago he had had his first ever frank conversation with Wanda, and then suddenly his other daughter also decided to join their little family gathering. If that were not enough, he had to somehow come to terms with the wonderful revelation that he was not only a father of three, but also a grandfather of a very little girl.

"Can you tell us anything about the people who attacked you?" he turned to Lorna.

It was the only neutral topic that came to his mind. He felt pathetic.

"We didn't see anyone," she answered. Erik noticed the distant look in her eyes. "In one moment, the bomb exploded, in the second we all were looking for a way out. I was only thinking about Dawn. I had to keep her safe."

"It's understandable," Wanda whispered, probably thinking about her own children.

Erik was glad his daughter and granddaughter were alright. At the same time, he felt very angry at the thought of them having been in so much danger. They had come close to death just because there were people in the world who hated mutants. They did not care that they could kill a small, innocent child.

He wondered what Charles thought about the whole situation, but he did not get a chance to discuss it with him. Even Charles could not turn a blind eye to the problem. That was no longer a simple manifestation of people's fear of mutants. That was a terrorist attack. That was an attempted murder. These people did not want to arrest mutants for wigged out crimes, as they usually did. They wanted to slaughter them, one by one.

"A few hours before, the other team of mutants was decimated by a man who could steal powers," Lorna added. "He may be behind both attacks."

"A mutant?" Erik was shocked.

Lorna tilted her head, looking at him coldly.

"Being a mutant does not automatically make you a good person. You are the best proof of that."

"There's no need to be rude," Wanda interjected.

"Yeah, especially to someone who provides you with shelter, "Peter joined in. "Oh, and who's your father at the same time. Have you ever heard of such thing as respect for elders?"

Erik opened his mouth to protest that he was not that old after all, but refrained at the last moment, pleasantly surprised by how easy it was for Wanda and Peter to stand up for him. They found a strong opponent in Lorna, who crossed her arms over her chest and looked critically at her siblings.

"This detail matters little to me. You forget what kind of man he really is."

"Then remind us," Wanda said. It sounded like a challenge.

The two sisters measured each other with their eyes for a moment. Erik noticed that Peter would most like to run away from this confrontation, yet he did not move from his seat. He looked at Lorna in a way that only reinforced Erik's belief that Peter was still resentful of Lorna's earlier rejection and had no intention of forgiving her anytime soon. Erik really did not want his kids to argue, especially since they had just met, but before he could say anything, Lorna launched her attack.

"I can't believe you let yourself be fooled so quickly. How long has it been since they got you out of prison? A few hours? And you already trust him. Do you know anything about him? Do you know how many people he's killed?"

"I've killed people too." Wanda's voice was as sharp as a knife. "I haven't done that in cold blood, but murder is a murder. What about you and your little accident with the plane? I am in your head, Lorna. I know you enjoyed killing these people. They were bad guys, at least in your opinion, but does this little fact make it less horrible?" Lorna went pale, and Peter held his breath. Erik looked at Wanda as if hypnotized. "This kind of power… It makes us do unspeakable things. The next time you judge someone, look in the mirror, Lorna, and you'll see you're just like all of us."

"I didn't do anything bad in my life," Peter protested. "I'm the only person in this room who hasn't killed anyone. Maybe just a bug. Or a mosquito. The things you can judge me for are jailbreaking, shoplifting, and very poor taste when it comes to choosing my own company."

Erik should be angry, or sad, or confused. He should feel something tangible, having heard Lorna's words expressing dislike for him. He should be worried about Wanda, who too quickly was able to go from a charming, seemingly shy, broken girl to a dangerous creature. He should feel differently than he did.

He started laughing. It was a hearty laugh, the kind that squeezes the tears out of your eyes and makes it impossible to make any other sound. He could not remember the last time he had laughed like that, it must have been in Charles' company. Only Charles and Peter were funny enough to make him lose it completely.

When he calmed down enough to look around, he noticed that his children had stopped arguing and were looking at him with almost identical puzzled faces. If he could, he would have immortalized the image.

"You're right," Wanda joked with a serious voice. "There's definitely something wrong about him."

Lorna smiled slightly, and Erik felt some weight fall from his heart. He could live with the fact that Lorna did not like him, but he did not want her to approach her siblings in the same way.

"I'm just happy to have you all here," Erik admitted. "Even if you speak of me as if I was not in the same room and even if one of you is very fond of insulting me at any given moment."

He looked at Lorna, who merely shrugged her shoulders. He knew she was not the insufferable, mean girl she was trying to make herself out to be. He saw the gentleness in her eyes as well as the stubbornness. She was difficult, but that only hardened his belief that she was more like him than she would like to admit. It was not just power that connected them, and Erik knew that if she just dropped the mask and allowed herself to like her father, they would quickly find common ground. Erik did not give up hope that as time went on, that was what would happen.

Peter rose from his seat and stretched. He seemed pleased with himself. After all, it was his playful nature that helped settle the dispute, at least for a while. This family needed someone like him if it was to survive more than a day.

"This family meeting is boring as hell. I'm going to go see how the mutants are doing."

"I'll go with you," Lorna suggested.

Even if Peter had something against it, he decided to keep it to himself. He moved to the door at the usual human pace so Lorna could catch up with him. She got up from the table, but Erik blocked her path before it would be too late.

"I know you don't trust me." He looked her straight in the eyes. They were light green. "I also know that you would rather live with your friends but please stay with us. There is enough room for you, your daughter and your boyfriend. That's the only thing I'm asking you to do, Lorna. Let me be close to my granddaughter so I can protect her if something happens."

He did not think such a fool existed who would dare attack him in his own home. They had never been in any danger in Genosha until now but Erik wanted to be sure. Lorna did not need to talk to him, but he wanted her to be close. He needed his whole family and as it turned out, Marcos and Dawn were part of it as well.

A look of surprise flashed across Lorna's face. The woman tightened her hand on the door handle and shrugged again.

"Fine. See you later."

She closed the door behind her. Erik could have been wrong, it could have been his imagination, it could have just been his hope, but it seemed to him that Lorna accepted his offer with some relief.

"This family is crazy," Wanda murmured under her breath.

Erik leaned his back against the door and smiled. He felt that finally everyone was in the right places. Until a week ago, his family had been limited to Charles. Now it expanded to include several new faces and Erik did not mind. Yes, this family was unusual, but it was his and he would not trade it for any other.

Peter was stuck with Lorna and did not know how to feel about it. He decided not to dive into his thoughts as to whether he was happy with her presence or would rather get rid of her. He tried to act as if he was walking next to a random person instead of his sister, although it proved exceptionally difficult for him to keep patience with her slow gait. He wanted to run.

The building where the other mutants were staying was situated less than a mile away. The siblings walked the first part of the way in silence until Peter could not stand it anymore. Walking slowly and saying nothing were the two worst things he could do when he was nervous. He did not even know what exactly he was nervous about.

"You don't have to be so harsh on him, you know," he began. Starting yet another argument was not his intention, but he needed her to know he found her behavior unfair. "Dad's trying his best. He's not a perfect person, sure, but you should give him a change. He didn't know you existed and then went for you as soon as he found out, so why are you so angry at him?"

Lorna turned her head away. He could not see the expression on her face, but he imagined that she was not happy. In general, she gave the impression that she was never happy. He should not play favorites as a brother, but he could not hide from himself the truth that he had found much better company in Wanda, even though he was a little afraid of her.

"You don't know what it's like to live with the stigma of being Magneto's child," she said; her surprisingly gentle voice contradicted her bitter words. "You at least had a mother, Peter. I grew up with an aunt, never having met my parents. Other kids pointed fingers at me because I was different. I had green hair and the powers no one understood. When people started associating me with Magneto, I was seen as a danger. Until I met Marcos and the others, I had no one. It's not his fault he didn't come back for me. But it's his fault he created such a reputation for himself."

Peter had never thought of it that way. There were many things he did not yet know about his sister. In fact, there were also many things he did not know about their father. After all, he himself sometimes doubted him. He himself sometimes feared him.

"I'm sorry for how I treated you back then, in Atlanta," Lorna continued. "You're not our father. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you."

They stopped in front of the building. Peter was pleasantly surprised by her apology. He had not expected that once they were alone, Lorna would appear calmer and gentler. He liked this new version of his sister. He wondered how many more versions he would be exposed to in time.

He punched her playfully on the shoulder, "Maybe you're not that bad."

"Maybe," Lorna repeated with a smile.

The door from the building opened and the same woman who had accompanied Lorna and Marcus then, in Atlanta, appeared to them. She gave them a long look, walked down the stairs and headed in their direction.

"Olivia," Lorna greeted her. "Where are Marcos and Dawn?"

"Inside with the telepath. You will find them at the end of the hallway."

Lorna climbed the stairs. Peter wanted to follow her but he got lost. He got lost in the most beautiful face he had ever seen. Before, he had not been able to have a good look at the woman. They had been standing at a distance from each other, and besides, it had been the middle of the night and he had barely been able to see his own hand in the darkness. Now he could look at her closely.

Olivia had curly light hair that showed a blue glow in the sunlight. Her eyes were the color of gold; her brows and eyelashes white, as if banded with snowflakes, her lips rosy pink. Peter could not take his eyes off her. He had never seen someone of such extraordinary beauty before. He guessed that she owed it to her power.

With such a naturally delicate look, Olivia had to make an effort to give it some definition. So she highlighted her eyes with black eyeliner and wore dark clothes – a ragged leather jacket, black pants and high-heeled boots. When she turned her head, Peter also noticed the array of earrings on her left ear.

"What the hell are you staring at?"

Only after a moment did it occur to him that this beautiful woman was speaking to him. He felt like a schoolboy caught on cheating. He felt the sudden urge to run away and prove to everyone that he's the biggest coward in the world. Instead, with the remains of his self-control, he assumed the most relaxed pose that he could achieve in this situation.

"I'm not staring," he replied. "I'm admiring."

He wanted to cut his tongue out. What had come over him? Why would he say that? Olivia was clearly not impressed by his compliment and he wished she would just kill him, ending his misery once and for all.

"I've just lost most of my friends, who were like a family to me," she said, resigned. "I really don't feel like flirting with anyone."

"I didn't… I don't…" He was dying of embarrassment inside. "I'm sorry about your loss."

She nodded without answering. Peter expected, and even hoped a little, that she would turn his back on him and leave him alone so he could plunge into the depths of his stupidity. Olivia, however, was still standing right next to him, looking at him as if he were an alien and she wanted to know what it was like living on a different planet.

"What does it feel like?"

Peter blinked, "To be an alien?"

"Wait, what? I mean, what does it feel like to be a child of Magneto? Lorna doesn't really want to talk about him and he's a big deal among the mutants."

The question threw him off guard. He was not sure what answer she was counting on. He wanted to say something witty to impress her, but the thoughts in his head were stumbling over one another, and he suspected that at that moment he might not even be able to say his name correctly.

"It's… interesting."

Olivia narrowed her eyes. God, how beautiful they were.

"Are you as powerful as he is?"

"Oh, this is an easy one. I mean… Not really, but I'm quite of a deal myself. I'll show you." He looked around. "See that fig tree over there? The one right next to the lake? Count to three."

He was pretty sure the woman would not listen, but when he heard her sweet "one," his heart skipped a beat. In the next second, he was halfway there. He felt a pleasant awareness of existing beyond time, as he always did when he used his power. The world around him stopped, and he ran, feeling the sun go down on his face and the wind in his hair.

The tree was far away, and the average person would have reached it in ten minutes at best. But Peter was not an average man. He reached for the nearest branch and plucked one of the fruits. Then he went back. When he was next to the woman, he allowed himself to give her a long look. He grabbed her hand and tightened her fingers around the fig. Her skin was soft, cold to the touch. He did so reluctantly when he let go of her.

"Two," Olivia said as soon as Peter entered the right pace of time.

She felt the fruit under her fingers and looked down in surprise, then raised her head to meet Peter's eyes. He clearly made an impression on her, and in some strange way it tickled his ego so much that he no longer felt embarrassed in her presence. He just did not understand why he was so anxious to impress her.

"You could have just told me you were superfast," she noted with a smirk, "but you had to show off, didn't you?"

"That's why I do best," he replied, grinning like an idiot. "And what's your power?"

Olivia held out her hand to him. Peter did not have to use his power to feel as if time had slowed down again. He watched with growing concern as Olivia reached for his hand and touched the exposed skin of his wrist. He twitched involuntarily as she electrocuted him. Or at least he hoped she had such power, not that his body was playing tricks on him.

"I get it now," she admitted, withdrawing her hand. "Showing is much better than saying."

Only then did she turn and head towards the building, tossing a fig in one hand. Peter watched her until she was out of his sight, wondering what had just happened and when he would be able to repeat it.

Charles slipped clumsily under the covers. He had spent most of the day in the company of mutants, helping them acclimatize and learning about their history. The company of these people had done him good, though now he felt exhausted. It was not a physical fatigue but rather a mental one. So many thoughts, so much pain. Charles feared that he would not be able to get a good night's sleep that night.

He rolled over to his right side and looked at his husband. Erik was lying with his back to him, but Charles knew he was awake. In the silence at this time, Erik's thoughts were too loud for Charles to ignore. However, Erik had not welcomed him when he had returned to the room, so he decided to leave him alone. He closed his eyes.

"Do you still love me?"

Charles almost snorted in annoyance, but only sighed in the end. The question did not so much startle him as it upset him. He could not believe Erik had the nerve to ask such stupid questions.

"For God's sake, Erik. Just because we haven't spoken since our last argument doesn't mean I don't love you anymore. If it were so easy to stop loving you, I would have done it decades ago."

He felt Erik turn towards him. He would not open his eyes, not yet, but he could have sworn his husband was smiling. He had to admit to himself that he missed it. In the privacy of their bedroom, away from prying eyes, Erik would turn into an idiot with a need of validation, and he was crazy about this idiot.

"Does that mean you have loved me since then? Since the beginning?"

"You're the worst," Charles mumbled into his pillow.

Erik's laughter echoed through the room, and Charles restrained himself with the last of his strength from throwing the pillow at him. How could someone so dangerous and unpredictable act like a young man with no problems any other time?

"This whole matter about your children is driving you crazy, isn't it?"

"Definitely. Hardly a week ago, it was just you and me, Charles. Do you think I made the right decision bringing them all here?"

Charles opened his eyes. Erik was staring at him intensely. Darkness enveloped them, but Charles could see his husband's face clearly. He would always find him. In every darkness.

"I know you're not really questioning it. You clearly made the best possible choice. The thing you are afraid of is that it might divide us. We'll always argue, Erik. It was neither the first nor our last quarrel. I knew what I was getting into when I agreed to marry you. You'll do anything to protect your children. I may not agree with everything you do, but I will never, ever stop loving you. I simply find it impossible not to do so."

Tears glistened in Erik's eyes. This was just what he had to hear. Charles smiled at him as he watched Erik take his hand in his and bring it to his mouth. He placed a gentle kiss on his skin.

"I love you, too," he whispered. "I always have and I always will."

Charles stretched his arms out and felt Erik settle in beside him. When he tried to fall asleep, feeling his husband's breath on his neck and listening to his heart slowing its beat, he begged the universe for their love to suffice.

In the middle of the night, they were awakened by a scream.