Mommy Mystique (cont.)

A few days later, Mystique was in the middle of a visit with her children, when suddenly her stomach jolted harder than it ever had before.

This was not supposed to happen.

"Aaaah!"

"What is it?" Rogue asked.
Mystique gave her a look.
"But it can't be! It's way too early!"
"Tell them that!" 

"Zhat's it!" Kurt exclaimed. He wrapped his arms around Mystique (as soon as he found a place where his arms would go all the way around her) . . . only to have her groan, "I can't breathe!"

"Sorry."
"Kurt, ya can't!" Rogue cried out.
"I have to! She's in trouble!"

"But Kurt--"

"Vhat? Ve don't have time!"
"It's too dangerous! You might hurt her worse!"

"Vat do ve do, then?"

"Maybe we can have someone drive her."

Mystique screamed again.

"Hang on." Kurt disappeared in a cloud of smoke. He reappeared a moment later. "Volverine's coming."
"No . . ." Mystique moaned. "I don't . . . don't want him to . . . see me like this."

"Oh, Mama . . ."

She'd never been so scared in her life. Not for herself, but for her babies. If anything should happen to them . . . she'd be devastated. For the first time, she could actually see them, in her mind's eye. Little blanket-wrapped bundles, tiny hands waving in the air, reaching for her . . .
There was another spasm, and she nearly screamed.

"Muzzer!"

She did something she thought she'd never do again.
She sang.

"Vat the---?"

"Ah think she's tryin' to calm 'em down," Rogue whispered.

"Let's hope it vorks."

She rocked back and forth, her arms crossed over her midsection, crooning softly . . .

. . . and to Rogue and Kurt's relief, it worked.

By the time Logan showed up, the pains had mostly subsided. But he stayed with her anyway.

"When's the last time you got looked at?" he asked.

"Two--two days ago."

"And everything was okay then?"
"Yes, I think so."

Wolverine pondered this . . .

"I'm takin' you with me," he said at last.
She looked at him. "Where?"

"Hospital."

"But . . ."
"No buts. We're going. Now."

Kurt and Rogue quickly got the message. They started packing a bag for her.

Despite her protests, the four of them left right away.

"Just hold on, Mama." Rogue said...

"I'm okay."

"No you're not, Mama, you're ready to burst..."

"But it's way too early! They can't come now!"
"Try telling them that."

The babies kicked again. In spite of herself, she let out a strangled yelp.
"That's it!" Logan threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and carried her to the car.

Rogue scrawled out a hasty note:

Took Mama to the hospital. Will call and let you know what happens. DO NOT eat dessert in fridge!

When Fred and the others got home, they bypassed the note and went straight to the fridge.
"Ooh, what's this? Someone made us some . . . uh . . . what is this stuff, anyway?"

Lance rolled his eyes. "Don't you know anything? It's . . ."

"You don't have to get mad at me!" Fred complained.

"I'm not mad at you!"

"What's going on?" Toad said.

"Nothing. We're having that." Lance pointed at the dessert in question.
"What is it?"

"Looks like some kind of pie."

"But it's got all stuff in it . . ."

"That's the filling, genius!"

"Where's Mystique?"
"Ah, who knows? Get me a knife, will you?"

Then Lance looked at the note again... "Uh oh," he said.
"What's that mean?" Fred asked.
"It means we can't have that yet."
"Aw, why?" Anyone who got between the Blob and his food was taking his life into his hands.
"I dunno! Rogue said so! Maybe she wanted it to be a surprise or something."

At the hospital... the wait seemed eternal.
"How long can it take them to check her over?" Rogue demanded.

"Beats me." Kurt said.

Finally someone came out to meet them.

"Kurt Wagner?"

"Ja?"

"I'm here about your mother..."

"Vhat's vrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. She asked to speak to you."

Kurt followed the doctor....

Mystique was sitting up in bed, and looked well.
"Is she all right?" Kurt asked.
"We gave her something to stop the labor," the doctor said. "We can release her in a few days if there are no further complications, but she'll have to stay in bed until she delivers."

Kurt looked at his mother. "I'm here," he said.

"Kurt," Mystique began. "I want you to come live with us."
"Vhat?"
"I want us to be a family. All of us. It would be so much easier on all of us if you were around full-time."
"But . . . vhat about zhe Institute?"
"I'll talk to Charles, and we'll work it out somehow. I want to . . ." She seemed unable to continue for a moment. Kurt waited until she had gathered her thoughts. "I want to make up for missing so much of your life. I want to be your mother again."
Kurt didn't know what to say. He simply stared at her.

Mystique sighed. "I understand," she said. "You need some time to think about it."

He slowly walked to the foot of the bed. "I don't know vhat to think," he said. "Ve can't erase the past . . ."
"No, we can't," she said sadly.

After a pause, she added, "But we can learn from it in the future."

Kurt reached out and touched her blue skin, so much like his own. (Except for the fur, of course.) "Muzzer..."

"Think about it," she said. "You have time yet."

Rogue didn't say a word. She'd never had a family before, and now she had a mother and a brother and two new babies on the way and . . .
She looked back at Logan. Was he part of their family now?

It was all a bit much to absorb at once.

Mystique suddenly felt very, very tired . . . and lapsed into unconsciousness. Kurt panicked and called the nurse, who was quick to respond.
"What's wrong?"

"She just . . . she . . ."

"She's fainted." Rogue said.

"It's not uncommon at this stage."

"Really?"

The nurse checked her over and found that she was all right.

When Mystique awoke... She was alone again.
"Where did they all go?"

"They've just gone to the gift shop." the nurse told her.

"Are they coming back?"

"They said they'd be back in half an hour."

"Oh. Good." She sat back to wait . . . and felt a sudden jolt inside her.

The final countdown was on . . . and she wasn't ready.

(A/N: the actual birth will be about three chapters down the line. The next chapter is all about Lance and his horrible job. Stay tuned!)