Westchester County, New York, 1962. Inside of the mansion, now turned school, the Professor and head of the school, Charles Xavier was going through a particularly strange…dilemma.
While he'd normally be busy teaching and interacting with the young mutant students enrolled there, it appeared there was something very off…and very, very wrong.
Instead of being in his classroom, Charles, for some reason wasn't even able to make it out of his bedroom, which immediately sent Hank on high alert as he knew the professor would always tell him if he needed help.
However, with the current mental blocks being placed in his mind by Emma Frost, that seemed to be nearly impossible.
Searching around the mansion both inside and out, Hank frowned, hoping something bad hadn't happened to Charles…
After nearly breaking down the door to Xavier's room, Hank sighed in relief upon having found the professor, though he was confused as to why he was on his bed, and upon further investigation, why the bed was…wet.
"Charles? Are you alright? I've been looking everywhere for you, and the students are getting worried. Did you have a bit too much to drink last night or what?" Hank asked, referring to the wet bed and sodden clothes Charles was wearing.
Charles didn't speak, he simply stared up at Hank with half-lidded eyes that seemed to have a dead stare to him…as if he were under someone else's control.
Hank frowned at that, knowing this had to be something more serious than just a hangover as he'd never seen Charles behave like this before.
Looking at the wet bed, then back at Charles, Hank shook his head, deciding to help get the wheelchair-bound telepath cleaned up, as strange and somewhat embarrassing as it was.
"Okay, Charles. Up we go…" He grunted as he lifted the man into his arms, holding him close as the two made their way to the nearest bathroom, attracting the attention of a few students who were walking down the hall.
After running a warm bath, Hank stripped Charles of his soiled clothes, tossing them aside before gently and carefully lowering him into the bathtub, making sure to help keep him elevated as he worked on bathing him.
However, bathing Charles would prove to be somewhat difficult as the man became restless and fussy, lower lip protruding into a pout before he began to cry, not liking the idea of a bath at all.
Hank furrowed his brows at Charles' behavior, wondering why he suddenly began to cry and squirm around like a fussy infant during their first bath.
Then, it hit him…Charles wasn't the same Charles he'd known before…this time, he was different, and he had a bad feeling that the old Charles wouldn't be returning anytime soon.
But how'd he end up like this in the first place, and why was he acting like an infant?
The only other person who could even penetrate Charles' mind would have to be a telepath…a very strong one like…Emma Frost.
But Emma had been detained…as far as he knew…unless someone had broken her out of prison…but who?
Shaw was dead, so that could only mean it was…Erik…but that still didn't explain why Charles was acting like an infant.
Shaking his head, Hank sighed, pulling Charles back into a sitting position whenever he began to slip down into the bath water.
"Don't worry, Charles. We'll figure out what's going on. For now, let's get you dried off and into some clean clothes…" Hank says, lifting Charles out of the tub and wrapping him up in a warm towel.
Once Charles was dried off, he was carried back to his room and dressed in some clean clothes, now a lot calmer than he was before, choosing to suckle on his fingers as a soft gurgle escaped his lips.
"Hmm…I think we might need to run a few tests on you, just to check out your brain and see how everything's doing in that department."
Charles lets out a babyish giggle as he reaches for Hank, thinking he was an oversized teddy bear.
Hank scoffs, but humors himself by picking Charles up, smiling softly as the man nuzzled into his soft, blue fur.
Meanwhile, Emma, along with Erik and the others who'd chosen to follow in his path were busy planning their next move, seeing how society was still reeling from the effects of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The US was vulnerable, and still unstable, so there was bound to be something they could do to bide their time.
Emma was already busy entertaining herself, having told no one about what she'd done to Charles and about how the X-Men were now vulnerable due to Charles being incapicitated.
Erik, however, had a few doubts about Emma, seeing that she'd been acting…suspicious lately and he wanted to know what she was up to.
Pulling her aside, Erik sighed before he began to speak, hoping Emma wasn't doing something that was totally going to backfire on them all.
"Alright, Frost. You've been smirking to yourself and acting very strange lately. What're you up to? I want the truth…are you planning something without us?"
Emma simply chuckled and shook her head, leaning back against the wall.
"No. I've just decided to give your friend Charles a bit of a surprise." She smirked.
Erik raised a brow, frowning at the mention of Charles' name, shaking his head with a scowl as he was trying his best to forget about the telepath, though there were some memories of their time together he couldn't bear to let go.
Charles was the only other person he'd allowed to get into his mind, to access his memories, as painful as they were, and he was more than just a friend to him.
"What've you done to him?! Huh? Tell me right now, or so help me, I'll kill you where you stand…" Erik growled, hands curling as he held the blade of a knife just above Emma's throat.
Emma just smirked. "No need to get heated, Erik. Charles is okay. I've just decided to play a little mind game with him, that's all."
"What kind of mind game?!" Erik growled once more, pressing the tip of the blade against Emma's throat, serious about carrying out his threat.
"His mind is under the assumption that he's a 6 month old infant, rendering him practically helpless and unable to do anything other than what your typical baby would do…minus being in the body of an adult man."
Erik frowned, shaking his head as he didn't want to believe what he'd just heard, standing speechless as the thought of Charles being as helpless as an infant entered his mind.
He looked to Emma, then to Raven, the only other person who knew Charles inside and out, and who was shocked and angered at what she'd just heard.
Charles had taken her in all those years ago…the two had grown up together and were nearly inseparable, so to hear that her brother was now nothing but an overgrown infant filled her with rage.
Although she and Erik had parted ways with Charles, that didn't mean they didn't still think about him, even with their nefarious intentions, which went against everything Charles stood for.
Erik places a hand on Raven's shoulder, the two staring at each other in silence for a few seconds, knowing they had to help Charles.
"We're going to help Charles. If you follow us, Frost, I'll carry out my threat from earlier…that's a promise. Leave this to Raven and I…"
Emma just smirked as she watched Erik and Raven leave, ready to watch the show unfold…and see her plans in action.
Back at the mansion, Hank was busy conducting tests on Charles, analyzing the patterns of his brain waves, which were drastically different than they've been before.
"Hmm…that's strange. It appears you have the same brain waves and function as an infant…but why?" Hank mumbled as he looked down at Charles, who'd managed to have yet another accident, fussing softly as urine began to drip off the examination table.
Sighing, Hank removed the electrodes from Charles' scalp before looking around for something he could use as a diaper, seeing how Charles would obviously need them now.
Finding a stash of terry cloths in a nearby cabinet, along with safety pins and other diapering supplies, Hank gathered up what he needed before making his way back to Charles.
"Alright, Charles. Let's get you in a diaper before you have any more accidents." He said, placing the supplies down before removing Charles' wet clothes and cleaning the residue off his skin.
Meanwhile, Erik and Raven had finally made their way to the mansion, Erik not bothering to knock before using his powers to open the door, stepping inside with Raven following.
Hank, having heard the two enter, let out a low growl, vowing to protect the now vulnerable professor from whoever was in the mansion.
"Someone's here…" Hank frowned, scooping Charles into his arms before the two left the med bay, making their way to the living room, where Erik and Raven stood.
"What are you doing here? I've got enough to deal with as it is. I don't need to square off with you two…"
Erik sighed. "Relax, McCoy, no need to get your fur in a bunch. We came to see about Charles…"
"Why? How'd you even know there was something wrong with him in the first place?" Hank asked.
"Because Emma Frost is the one who did this to him…we're not exactly sure why, but we imagine it's probably part of a revenge plot for the death of Shaw or something."
Hank frowned. "Wait…why would she turn Charles into an oversized infant as revenge? Out of all the things she could possibly choose to do to him and she chose this?"
Erik nodded. "I don't know why she did it. I guess for her own sick amusement, but that's beside the fact. We're here because we want to help Charles."
Hank scoffed. "Really? I thought you were busy forming your own team of mutants. What's with the sudden change of heart?"
"Well, Charles and I may disagree on a lot of things, but that doesn't mean I don't care about him. He did so much to help me and was willing to listen, so I figured I should return the favor."
"Charles is like a brother to me, and he knows me better than anyone ever has and will. I can't just throw that away. He needs us, Hank, whether you like it or not." Raven says.
Hank sighed, knowing he couldn't care for Charles alone, though he wasn't so sure he wanted Erik to be staying at the mansion, either.
"Fine. Just…be careful with him. He's extremely vulnerable in this state and practically helpless. If anything happens to him, I'll–"
"You worry too much, McCoy. Charles will be in good hands, I promise. Besides, I've always wanted to be a father." Erik smiled.
"Yeah, Hank. You can trust us. We'll take good care of Charles." Raven says as Charles lets out a whimper, stomach growling from hunger.
Hank frowned. "Sounds like he's hungry. I don't think we have any bottles around here...or any of the supplies he'll need for that matter."
"Well, I guess we'll have to do some shopping then, won't we?" Erik asked, looking to Raven, who nodded.
"Will you be alright with him until we get back, Hank?"
Hank nodded. "Yeah. I can handle him, as long as you're not gone for very long. I'm afraid he might throw a tantrum and use his powers to destroy this place or something."
With that, Erik and Raven head into the city to buy needed supplies for the now mentally regressed Charles, leaving Hank alone with the overgrown infant, who was growing fussier by the minute.
Sitting down in a nearby chair, Hank did his best to calm Charles, who was now crying as the pain from his empty stomach became increasingly worse.
"Shhh…shhh…it's okay, Charles. There's no need to cry. We'll get you fed soon, I promise." Hank cooed, holding Charles close and rubbing his back in soothing circles.
Having heard the commotion coming from the living room, a few curious students poked their heads out to see what was going on, their eyes widening in shock at seeing Hank holding a fussy Charles, dressed in nothing but a diaper and t-shirt.
Meanwhile, Erik and Raven had finished their shopping trip and were on their way back to the mansion, the two having bought everything they thought Charles would need.
"You know, since Charles is basically an overgrown infant now, I was thinking we could become his 'Mommy' and 'Daddy'. Play house. I think it'd be fun." Erik grinned as he drove.
Raven smiled at the thought. "I do too. Besides, we both know Charles so well. We can have our own little family."
"Yeah, that sounds wonderful. We can take some time to just…relax. We've all been through so much, and I think a break would be nice. Then we can prove we're not the monsters they think we are."
Erik grinned as he pulled through the front gates of the mansion, parking outside before he and Raven gathered up all the baby supplies, carrying the bags inside and placing them on the kitchen table.
"Hank! We're back with supplies!" Raven called out, taking some jars of baby food as well as a few baby bottles out of one of the paper bags, hoping they'd gotten the correct items.
Hank sighed in relief as he walked into the kitchen, a still fussy Charles clinging to him like a monkey, face red and tear-stained from crying.
"Thank God you're finally back…he threw quite the tantrum while you two were out. Some of the students were frightened."
Erik frowned, knowing how powerful adult Charles could be, not wanting to imagine how dangerous he now was with his new mentality, with limited understanding concerning his powers.
"Aww. Poor thing. I can't even begin to imagine how confused and upset he must feel, adjusting to his new mentality. Can I hold him?"
Hank looked down at Charles before nodding, wincing as the telepath tugged at his fur while being transferred into Erik's arms, letting out a confused whimper.
Erik smiled as he held Charles close, pressing a gentle kiss to his hair as he cradled him, the overgrown infant letting his head rest against his shoulder as he slowly began to relax.
"There we go…that's a good boy. Everything's alright now. Daddy's got you…" He cooed, gently rubbing Charles' back, earning him a soft sigh.
Both Hank and Raven shared a look with each other as they watched the scene unfolding before them, wondering where Erik got all these paternal instincts.
"Wow, Erik. You're a natural at this. Funny, I could never picture someone like you being so…fatherly." Hank says, moving to help Raven unpack the rest of the supplies.
Erik chuckles softly as Charles drools onto his shirt, not minding it as he knew Charles couldn't help it.
"Well…there's much more to me than you know about, McCoy. I'm not the monster everyone thinks I am. I…have a soft spot for Charles, but I'm sure that was obvious from the start."
Once all the supplies were put away, Hank went to check on the students, Erik and Raven turning to the task of feeding Charles, though they weren't exactly sure how to go about it.
"Do you think he'd like some of that jarred food, or should we just stick with a bottle for now? Or maybe even…nah, I can't do that." Raven frowned.
"Can't do what?" Erik asked as he gently patted Charles' back, sitting down in a nearby chair.
Raven blushed, biting her lip before she began to speak, hoping Erik wouldn't think she was too weird.
"Well…I was thinking…if we're going to "play house" like you suggested, maybe I should try breastfeeding…just to make it feel more realistic. Though I'm not producing milk."
Erik was quiet for a few long seconds as his lips curved into a grin, thinking it would be wonderful if Charles could be fed like a real baby.
"I'm sure Hank could make something to help you out with that, but we should probably get some food into our little one before he falls asleep on me."
Raven nodded, grabbing a spoon from the silverware drawer, deciding to feed Charles some of the jarred food they'd bought.
"Do you wanna feed him, or should I?" Raven asked as she opened a jar of strained carrots, hoping Charles wouldn't give them any issues.
"I think I'll probably need to hold him, because I don't think he'd be able to sit up on his own without support, and especially not without help from his powers."
"That's definitely going to make things a bit more complicated, though it'll probably be easy to change him, since he won't be able to squirm around or kick at us." Raven says.
Erik nodded, shushing Charles whenever he started to fuss again, becoming agitated and impatient as he waited to be fed, the need to sleep grating on his nerves.
"Alright, alright, we'll get you fed, Charles. My goodness, you're a fussy boy, aren't you? Yes, you are…" He cooed, gently bouncing Charles in his lap.
Scooping some food onto the spoon, Raven smiled as she brought it to Charles' mouth, the hungry "baby" accepting the food obediently, though he shuddered a bit from the texture, not yet used to eating this mush.
"Mmm, that's good, isn't it, baby boy?" Erik cooed, using his finger to catch what was dribbling down Charles' chin.
Raven smiled, scooping up another spoonful of food, thankful that Charles didn't seem to have a problem with it, praising him for being such a good boy as she brought the spoon to his lips once more.
Of course, Charles accepted, the two continuing to feed him until he'd emptied the jar, the edges of his mouth, chin and shirt now stained with orange residue.
Erik tsked. "Oh, look at the mess you've made! My goodness! We'll have to be sure to put a bib on you next time, Charles."
Preparing a wet dishcloth, Raven shushes Charles' fussing as she gently cleans the mess away from his mouth and chin, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead after.
Once it seemed that Charles was free of any leftover food, Erik and Raven decided it'd be best to put him down for a nap.
Rising from the chair, Erik hummed softly as he carried Charles to his room, Raven following, their eyes widening in shock at seeing that it'd been turned into what appeared to be a nursery, but everything was adult-sized.
There was a large, wooden crib, a changing table, a rocking chair and even an oversized baby carriage that was big enough for Charles to ride in.
However, that was just the tip of the iceberg, as Charles' clothes had been replaced with adult versions of baby outfits, as well as mittens, booties, hats and other accessories.
Erik shares a knowing look with Raven, the two having a pretty good idea who's done this.
"Well, Emma certainly has gone all out for this, hasn't she? Oh well, that's beside the point. Our little one needs his nap so he won't be cranky and fussy later."
Raven nods. "I agree. We sure don't need him upset and throwing a tantrum, especially since he probably no longer understands how to control his powers."
"Hopefully that won't be an issue. I'm going to change him into a clean shirt first though…" Erik says, lying Charles atop the changing table before removing his soiled shirt, tossing it aside.
Raven was already one step ahead of him, handing him a striped ringer t-shirt from Charles' wardrobe before fishing around the room for a pacifier.
Erik smiled as he tugged the shirt over Charles' head, shushing his whines as he threaded his arms through the sleeves.
"I know, I know. It's not very fun to be all jolted around when you're sleepy, is it? Don't you worry, Daddy's all finished now, I promise. Now, let's get you in your crib…" Erik cooed, scooping Charles into his arms and carrying him over to the crib.
He presses a gentle kiss to his hair, Raven doing the same before lying Charles down and covering him with a blanket.
"Here's your pacifier, Charles. Sweet dreams. Mommy loves you." She coos, gently nudging the teat of the pacifier into Charles' mouth, smiling whenever Charles began to suckle on it.
Erik smiles, wrapping an arm around Raven and holding her close as they watched Charles drift off to sleep.
"I can't believe it's actually happening…that we'll actually be a family…and I'll get to be the father I've always wanted to be. I love you, Raven."
Raven blushed at the compliment, nodding as she leaned into Erik a bit deeper.
"I…love you, too, and Charles. I love that we're all finally together again. I never thought it would happen…"
Erik frowned, but nodded. "Me either."
