Chapter 3- Baby's First Christmas
A/N: Because it's the holidays, this post and the next post should be Christmas-themed. Merry Christmas everybody.
Moira McTaggart Xavier woke up early and slipped quietly out of bed, so as not to wake her sleeping husband, Charles. Moira padded on her soft socks and went to the bassinette where Amanda lay sleeping. Amazing that Christmas Eve would be the day that the baby finally slept through the night. Granted she and Charles took turns with 3 a.m. feedings and diaper changes, but this was the first night Amanda had given them a rest since her birth three months ago. Moira looked at her daughter in wonder as she blinked her blue eyes at her. Her daughter had her daddy's big beautiful blue eyes. Moira hoped that Amanda's eyes stayed blue, but being a mutant they just might. Charles still wouldn't use Cerebro to know what powers their little girl possessed and as far as Moira was concerned, she wasn't pushing it.
Charles said Amanda would exhibit her powers, but at least it would be here among others just like her. She would see Raven, Hank, and Kurt as blue and not think it was strange. Moira sat down in her rocking chair, cuddling the baby in her arms as she rocked. One of the boys at school, David McIntyre had carved it at school with his fingers that were as sharp as blades. Since she had married Charles all the students had grown to love her and she was dubbed as "The Professor's Woman." David had come carrying it in two weeks before Amanda was born and had told her that the entire woodcarving class wanted "The Professor's Woman" to have this chair. Moira had been touched by the gift and the love that everyone there showed in the gift.
Moira would have fallen asleep if not for the finger lightly tracing her jawline. Moira looked up with a sleepy smile at her husband as he twisted his fingers in her hair. "If you fall asleep there with Amanda, love, I'll never be able to move either of you," Charles said, looking like he wanted to kiss her. Well, she might as well indulge him. Moira leaned forward and kissed her husband, Amanda in the crook of her arm. Charles and Moira started to laugh when Amanda chirped in a light airy voice. Amanda was very vocal in her love for Charles. Already she was a Daddy's girl. When she cried, which was rare, or when she wanted to be held before going to sleep, it was Charles that she wanted. Moira wasn't upset that her daughter clung to her father. From what Moira had heard a lot of little girls did.
"It's a first, Charles. She slept all night," Moira said as Charles gave his hand to Amanda and she did her daily ritual of sucking on his fingers as if they were a pacifier. Their daughter was fascinated with her father's hands. She would often fall asleep with her father's fingers in her mouth. Granted, they would have to wean her of that or she'd develop buckteeth, but at the moment she didn't have teeth to contend with.
"That's a good thing, I would think, my love. Fitting that it would be on Christmas Eve," Charles said as Moira gave Amanda to Charles and the baby chirped around his fingers happily and snuggled into his chest.
"Yes, considering all the things me, Ororo, Jean, and Raven want to do with cooking and all, it's wonderful that she slept through the night. I also have to run to the store for some last-minute gifts. Erik is coming tonight, right?" Moira asked.
"Of course. Since Peter told him who he was Erik hates letting him out of his sight," Charles said, quickly sticking his finger back into Amanda's mouth when she gave a sharp wail after he pulled it away.
"I am glad that Peter finally told him who he was. Raven told me that it wasn't right that Peter hide that from him," Moira said.
"I have discussed that with him. I wouldn't want Amanda to keep secrets from either of us and I don't keep secrets from you and you don't keep them from me," Charles said.
"Well, what about what I'm giving you for Christmas?" Moira teased. Charles grinned.
"That is different. It's Christmas. This is the only time of year where we can lie to each other and I don't try to read your mind to discover what I'm getting," Charles said dryly.
"Well, I do have something I need to tell you. Call it an early Christmas gift, but I think I'm pregnant again," Moira said, nearly laughing as a dumbstruck look covered her husband's face.
Charles put Amanda down in her bassinette and turned to look at her. "Are you sure?" Charles asked in a shaking voice.
"I'm positive. Remember when I got sick two nights ago with the cinnamon rolls that Raven and Ororo made for dessert? I went to see Hank and he said that I'm six weeks along," Moira said.
"Oh, love, I am so sorry. I know we wanted to wait until Amanda was a year older before trying for another baby," Charles said, resting his hand on the side of her head, and gently stroking her face and hair. It was something he had started doing since the "Apocalypse" incident after giving back her memories of him in 1963.
Moira gripped her husband's wrist and kissed each finger gently and then the palm of his hand. "I don't mind. I love giving you children, Charles, as much as I love you," Moira said.
"Well, if you love me, then kiss me," Charles teased. Moira leaned forward and kissed him, all thought leaving, including thoughts about the new baby and the Christmas Eve party later tonight.
Moira stood next to her husband in the dining room. She and the female students and staff at the school had just recently decorated the dining room for Christmas and all had dressed in their best. Moira had dressed Amanda in red-and-green flannel and everyone was take with her. At the moment Hank was holding her. Amanda wasn't afraid of Hank's blue form. But then again, she wasn't afraid of Raven's or Kurt's blue forms either. She appeared fascinated by the mutants that looked different and not really human, even though Hank and Raven could make themselves look human as opposed to Kurt, who could never turn off his blue form.
Charles looked around at all of his children, a smile lighting his face as he looked at Moira. "Hello, Dear," Moira said.
"Hello, my love. You and the girls outdid yourselves with the decorations," Charles commented, raising her hand to his lips and kissing the palm gently.
"Well, we had Kurt and Scott hang the mistletoe and greenery from the ceiling. Ororo said she had never seen mistletoe and the boys wanted to hang it for her and tell her that people get kissed under the mistletoe," Moira said.
Charles grinned. "How do you feel, Moira?" Charles asked, touching her still-flat stomach. It was hard to believe that her stomach would grow with a new baby very soon.
Moira gently rubbed his hand splayed across her belly. "Charles, I only have morning sickness. Start worrying about me on my feet when I'm seven months into this," Moira said dryly.
"If you remember, love, this is not a normal pregnancy. The baby could either be a mutant or he could be human," Charles said.
"As you were so quick to tell me when I was pregnant with Amanda. Also, what makes you so sure it's a boy, Charles?" Moira said teasingly as she ran her hand over Charles's bald head.
"Simple, I am your husband and I know that's what you want. I can read minds, you know," Charles said, with that smile that melted Moira every time and fall in love with him every day.
"Yeah. How can I forget?" Moira quipped as little Tavie Reynolds came bounding up to them like a little pixie.
"Professor! It's snowing!" Tavie shouted. Moira cast an amused look with her husband.
"We are in New York, Tavie. It is going to snow," Moira said dryly as the little girl climbed on Charles's lap as if he were Santa Claus. All the very small children who had separation anxiety issues from being separated from their parents loved Charles. For the younger children, he was their father.
"But we are in the country, so it's going to be beautiful," Charles pointed out as everyone went to the huge picture window and everyone stared in wonder at the big, fat snowflakes falling lazily to the ground.
"Perfect that it would snow on Christmas Eve," Peter commented.
"I saw snow every year in Poland and Germany, so it isn't that much of a big deal," a voice said causing everyone to turn. Erik stood a few paces away from the group, looking as standoffish as always.
"Hi, Dad," Peter said, giving Erik an awkward hug. The two of them were just learning how to be a family, but their relationship was strained at best. Moira had heard Charles and Erik talking and Erik admitted that his relationship with Peter was going to be different than the relationship he had had with Nina, his daughter who had been killed along with Erik's wife last year.
"Welcome, old friend," Charles said, wheeling his wheelchair up to Erik, Tavie still on his lap.
"Thank you for having me, Charles, even though I don't observe Christmas, only Chanukah," Erik said.
"Why only Chanukah?" Ororo asked in her heavily accented voice.
"My family was Jewish and until 1943 we observed the Festival of Lights. Although I do admit that Christmas looks interesting. The first time I ever saw a Christmas tree was the one in Washington D.C.," Erik said.
"But me and Charles are happy that you came, Erik. We hope you brought your appetite. We have plenty of food," Moira said graciously.
Erik grinned briefly. "When Charles told me that there'd be a feast I came with an appetite," Erik said. Moira knew that Erik didn't like humans and that he preferred talking to just the mutants at the school. But since it was a holiday, he would be civil to Moira. But then again, all the mutants at the school had forgotten that she wasn't a mutant. She was equal since she had married Charles and given birth to Amanda.
"Okay, everyone. Dinner is ready," Raven said, coming into the room and a mad dash went to the dining room.