Chapter XXIII – The Hope
"We'll say hello again"
Three days after the tragedy
A cemetery was created at the back of the rebuilt house.
More people were buried that day than turned up for the funeral. Lorna stood with Dawn in her arms, looking at the freshly placed headstones, recognizing the names on too many of them. Beside her stood Marcos with his hand on her back. Nearby Wanda held Peter's hand, they both still like statues unable to move, devoid of any emotion. Behind them stood Olivia, John and Clarice. They were surrounded by a bunch of children, younger and older. That was all they had left. The mutants were limited to a group of devastated, broken survivors.
And at the very front, by the most forward tombstone, stood the man who had killed all those mutants they now gathered to mourn. Lorna could not see his face, but she had seen enough pain on it over the last three days to not want to. Erik had his hands tucked in his pockets and was looking at the words carved on the tombstone. Even when the ceremony was over and everyone began to withdraw, he still stood there, a still figure.
Wanda and Peter approached their father. Lorna could not hear their words from that distance, so she just watched as Wanda kissed his cheek and placed flowers on the tombstone. Peter patted Erik's shoulder and took Wanda's hand in his. As they walked past her and sent her weak smiles, Lorna noticed on their faces what was probably visible on hers as well. She looked away for the pain was too much.
"I'll join you in the second," she promised when she handed Dawn to Marcos.
Marcos looked at her for a moment, as if unsure whether it was a good idea to leave her alone with her father, but finally nodded and joined John and Clarice. Lorna led them away with her eyes, delaying the coming moment as much as possible. Finally, she took a deep breath and covered the distance separating her from her father. Erik did not move as she stood beside him and looked at the tombstone. Under the name, surname and years of life were also engraved four words:
Husband. Father. Friend. Hero.
Lorna blinked to ward off tears. The last time she had spoken to Charles she had been rude to him. If she could, she would turn back time and tell him how grateful she was to him for taking them under his roof. For caring about them as if they were his own children. For never judging Erik for having three children with different women. For being like a father to them.
She did not know what to say, and yet she had to say something. No words could take away the pain Erik must have felt. Not only had he been forced to kill his own kind. Not only had he destroyed his home, which he had created long ago as a refuge for mutants. The worst part was that he had lost his husband, the love of his life, and such pain could not be put into words or be soothed with them. Lorna had no idea what her father was feeling and no idea how to help him. This lack of knowledge, this powerlessness made her feel like crying and screaming, and destroying, just to feel something concrete.
"There is a lot to do," Erik spoke, to her surprise, in a calm voice. "Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters needs to go back to functioning. All these pupils need teachers. Peter expressed a desire to return there. Wanda also said she could try. Maybe you and your friends would like to help too?"
Lorna took it into consideration. She had never thought of herself as a real teacher, but after all, it would not be something entirely new. She had helped other mutants tame their powers many times before. This way she would do some good and find her place on earth. Marcos would definitely like that idea. Dawn, on the other hand, would grow up among other children and if her powers activated, she would get the help she needed right away. She would never feel alone.
"I thought the school got a different name after Charles left it?"
Erik shrugged his shoulders, the muscles of his face twitched at the sound of his husband's name, but his eyes remained the same, immensely empty, as if all the tears recently shed had stripped them of all feeling.
"Charles founded this place and even if it is run by someone else, I want his name to be forever associated with it." He snarled suddenly, that sound so strange in the middle of a graveyard. "Wherever he is now, he is probably rolling his eyes at me. He tried to talk me into living at the school so many times, and I'm about to take control of it right after he…"
The word did not pass his mouth, so he just shook his head and closed his eyes. Lorna wiped with an impatient gesture the treacherous tears that ran down her cheeks, and looked back at the house they had rebuilt together.
"What about Genosha? It is your home. Our home. Are we just going to leave it behind?"
"This will always be our home. We will always be able to come back here. But there will be our home there, too, in Charles' former house. It's where I lived with him during the first months of our friendship and where I will feel closer to him, even closer than here."
Lorna approached her father and embraced his arm, laying her head on his shoulder. She could not see his face, but she felt him momentarily stiffen, surprised by her gesture, and then relax. For a moment they stared in silence at Charles' gravestone.
"Dad?"
"Yes, honey?"
Once she had called him that, the word came easily to her. Once she had accepted him, she could no longer look at him with an unfavorable eye. Once she had loved him, she could not hate him again. And she did not want to.
"Thank you." She tightened the grip on his arm. "Thank you for finding me."
She had to say it. Life was fragile, you lost people you loved every day. He needed to hear it. There was silence for a moment. Lorna was already beginning to worry that maybe she had done something wrong, or that Erik was about to burst out crying. And then he hugged her so tightly that she struggled to breathe, but instead of complaining she put her face to his black coat, which was now wet with her tears.
"I brought death to your life, Lorna," he whispered, his voice teary.
The world was a sad place. But she had known that all along, ever since she was big enough to understand that she would never be like other children, that her mother was dead and her father was the most dangerous criminal. However, the last few months had taught her that there was more to life than that. More than loss. More than pain. More than injustice.
Although she had just lost many friends, including her stepfather, the future looked positive for her. They would rebuild the school and live together, all mutants, training and cultivating the memory of Charles. They would find a way to put an end to the persecution of mutants once and for all. She would marry Marcos and watch Dawn grow up, surrounded by her family and kids like her. She would enjoy the company of her father, brother and sister, and would love them so that this love would make up for the lost years.
"No. Death was already there, dad. You brought me hope."
7 days after the tragedy
Peter stood on the shore of the lake, just as he had three months ago when they had been planning to get Wanda out of jail, and Charles had told him not to doubt his father. He had experienced a moment of doubt during the battle, moments before Erik had murdered most of the mutants, saving his family. Back then Peter had remembered his mother's warning words that he should fear his father.
But now, as he stood on the sand and the sky was unusually cloudy, he felt neither fear nor resentment towards his father. He felt sadness, as if that was the only feeling he had left, as if in a world without Charles, where living mutants could be counted on the fingers, there was no longer room for anything else.
This time, instead of Charles, he was accompanied by Olivia. She wore a black jumpsuit and matching high boots. Her white hair was blowing in the wind. When she looked at him, he did not avert his gaze. She smiled slightly at him. A few weeks ago his legs would have buckled under him at the sight of that smile. Now he only felt a sting in his heart.
"You're staring," she said, but that little joke of theirs could no longer affect him.
Her smile faded. She hastily looked away, and Peter felt a small twinge of remorse, a pleasant change from all the sadness that did not suit him. It was not that he no longer felt anything for her or that he hated her. He still wanted to pull her closer, to run his hands through her hair, to feel her scent and touch her skin. He wanted to kiss her. He had always wanted to kiss her. It was just that he knew now that reality was nowhere near his dreams and sometimes it was better for desires to remain desires.
"I'm sorry about your stepfather."
Peter thought of the chessboard set up in the living room. They had rebuilt the house in such a way that it was hard to guess that it had just been completely destroyed. Wanda had made sure everything would be in its place, just as they had left it. Peter's clothes were just as scattered on the floor of his room. Dirty cups were just as left in the sink. The chess pieces were just as spread out on the coffee table, the remains of Erik and Charles' last game. His father apparently had no intention of picking them up. He did not even look at them.
"Thank you." He moved the sand with his shoe, raising a bit of dust into the air. "And thank you for saving my life."
"That's the least I could do," she replied softly, looking him in the eyes. "I never meant to hurt you so to save your life was to make a very easy decision. Perhaps the easiest decision ever."
He had to look away, because if he did not, he would snatch her into his arms and never be able to let her go again. Remnants of self-respect kept him from doing so. He had to remember that she had conspired against his family for three months. He had to keep reminding himself of that, or else he would allow himself to love her, and he would not survive a second heartbreak.
"So what do you plan to do now? You know, we could use an extra pair of hands at the school."
She looked at him in surprise, as if she expected him to send her to hell rather than invite her to live under the same roof. Peter knew it was not the best option for himself, but he had to think of the other mutants first and foremost, especially the young ones. Olivia could not be his girlfriend, but she could be a teacher.
"It's a tempting offer, but first I have to find my parents and see that they are safe and sound. I am leaving in a moment, which is why I'm here. I came to say goodbye."
"Well, it is not like we'll never see each other again. I trust that you will make the right call and join the teachers team. These kids need us, Olivia. And if not for them, let's do it for Charles."
Olivia nodded, then climbed up on her toes and kissed his cheek. Peter struggled to stop himself from embracing her around the waist. When she pulled away, he immediately started to miss her.
"I though you would never wish to see me again," she said, her gaze jumping from his eyes to his lips and then to his eyes again. "I hope one day you'll forgive me. If we are to live together, it'll be hard to pretend that I don't love you. But if you want me to, I'll do it. For the kids. And for Charles. Goodbye, Peter."
She turned away from him and moved up through the grass. Her hair flew behind her. Peter hesitated for only a few seconds, shook to the core by her confession. Suddenly he appeared before her. He gave her a moment to get her bearings, then took her face in his hands and kissed her in a way that made his head spin and forget everything else.
When he pulled away from her, his eyes were still closed. Peter could feel her breath on his skin, hear the frantic beating of her heart, almost as fast as his own. He ran his hand over her cheek, felt her fingers digging into his shoulders. He opened his eyes and tried to remember the sight of her rosy cheeks and the deep gold of her eyes. They both smiled at the same time, their foreheads pressed together.
"Goodbye, Olivia."
And he disappeared from her sight, leaving them both hoping that this was not the end but only the beginning of their story.
30 days after the tragedy
"I am not sure if this is the best time. It's only been a month since..." She looked down at the sleeves pulled up to her fingertips. "The happiness that will come with it seems out of place. Perhaps I should wait a little longer."
"Sweetheart," Erik gently grabbed her hand, "don't be afraid to be happy. If that makes you feel better, you won't be the only one happy about it. I'm looking forward to meeting my grandchildren. We both need it, especially now."
Wanda nodded. They were sitting on the couch in the living room. Most of the things were packed for the move. Wanda felt some regret at the thought of leaving this house, even if she had only lived here for four months. The last one had been filled with sadness, but she was going to remember the other three with a smile on her lips.
Maybe she was indeed afraid of being happy. She was already so used to constant pain, to death surrounding her, to losing everyone she loved, that the very prospect of finding peace and happiness seemed impossible. She had just watched Charles die in Erik's arms. Life was fragile and short. How could she be sure that Vision, Billy and Tommy would not just come back to her for a moment? That they were not about to be taken from her again?
"When I lost Vision, life no longer made sense. I could no longer enjoy anything. My friends had left me, and I was completely alone." She wiped a single tear from her cheek. "And then I lost him again, this time also with my boys. It was the darkest time for me because I was locked not only in a prison cell, but also in my own mind. I thought there was no hope for me anymore. And then you, my family, came along. Peter, with whom I found a common language from the very beginning. Lorna, who is the best sister I could have ever dreamed of. You, my dear father, who cared for me more than anyone before."
She sat in a way so that she could face him and took both of his hands in hers. "And Charles. When he helped me unlock my full potential, he said I should focus on positive emotions, on love. He said that love was the key. That is why I know that if I try to bring Vision and the boys back to life, I will succeed. I take my strength from you, my family, and I'm telling you all that because I want you to know that you will always my family. I know what it is like to lose the love of your life, but unlike me in those days, you are not alone. We may be wives and mothers, but Lorna and I will always be your daughters first and foremost, and we will always be there for you. Peter too."
"I know." Erik took her in his arms. "I know."
For a long moment they sat like that, huddled together, both quietly weeping. And then they gave each other encouraging smiles and went outside. Lorna, Marcos holding Dawn, and Peter stood there, waiting for them. Erik joined them, Wanda sent the family one last look and moved ahead. Their presence gave her peace and courage. She could do this.
Wanda stopped in the middle of the glade, in the same place where the slaughter of mutants had taken place a month ago. Her father had brought death here. She was going to bring life. She tilted her head, took a deep breath and closed her eyes. The power left her body and spread across the whole yard but she kept her composure.
As the world around her turned red from her magic, she thought back to the beautiful moments of the past few months. She thought of Lorna grabbing her by the foot and throwing her into the water. She thought of Peter falling asleep on her shoulder while watching a sitcom. She thought of Dawn clinging to her when she first took her in her arms. She thought of Marcos telling her things about Lorna that she would never find out from her sister. She thought of Erik and the pleasant surprise on his face when she first called him father. She thought of Charles, who was always kind to her and who sometimes feared the power hidden within her, but also saw the goodness in her.
When she finished, she sank to her knees, the energy in her hands dimmed, the world around her seemed to freeze. It was quiet and still, as if someone had switched off the power. Wanda touched her fingers to the grass and took a breath, raising her gaze at the same time as the sound of steps approaching reached her.
"Mom!"
She watched them run towards her and then they were already at her side, almost knocking her over. She hugged them, both of them at once, kissing one head then the other and whispering that she loved them very much. Their little arms embraced her with all their strength, and Wanda could not stop smiling and could not stop crying, though these were tears of happiness.
"My lovely boys." She looked at Billy, then at Tommy. "I missed you so much."
"We missed you too, mom," Billy said.
"Can we go meet grandpa, mom?" Tommy asked. "And uncle Peter? And aunt Lorna?"
Wanda blinked in surprise at how much they knew and began to wonder where they had been all this time, but it did not matter the most anyway. The most important thing was where they were now, which was here, by her side. She kissed them once more, stood up, shaking her clothes off the grass, and watched as her boys ran towards their family.
"You've come a long way, darling."
At the sound of that voice, her favorite voice, Wanda's heart almost burst out of her chest. She turned around slowly and after just a moment she found herself in familiar arms. Vision took her face in his hands, wiping away her tears, and she wrapped her hands around his and smiled a smile reserved only for him.
"I told you we would say hello again," she reminded him, looking at his eyes and not wanting to ever look at anything else.
"I never doubted you." He smiled, caressing her cheeks. "I'm proud of you, Wanda."
And then he kissed her, and she felt as if no time had passed at all, as if she had always been there, in his arms, where she belonged. They held hands, intertwining fingers, and set off towards the house, where Peter had already managed to organize a race against Tommy, where Billy was fooling around to make Dawn laugh, and where Erik was laughing for the first time in a month.
Looking at her family, Wanda felt something she had probably never felt before. She felt hope that everything was finally going to be okay.