Chapter Eighteen

As soon as we crossed onto the school's property, there was a tiny poof, and I suddenly had an armful of clingy toddlers. "Ama, stay," Kurt said firmly, and David nodded solemnly in agreement.

"Ama's not planning on leaving anytime soon, boys," I replied, hugging them even as I marveled. Kurt had managed to take David with him in his teleporting, and I just knew that David had helped him telepathically. Exactly how strong were my little boys?

David was passed to his parents, and Erik and I cuddled Kurt. "You are getting very strong, Kurt," Erik began softly, "but please don't leave the school again, alright, meine Kleiner?"

A very smug "We didn't leave the school" floated to all of our minds, and we turned to David as one. His grin turned down when he saw that none of us were impressed with his logic.

"You waited until we made it inside the school grounds," Charles said, rubbing his temple in weariness. "So, technically, you didn't leave the school, but I'm sure Sean and Petra were very worried when you two suddenly disappeared. That wasn't very nice to them."

David burst into tears, burying his face into Moira's neck. Kurt, ever the sensitive soul, began to cry in solidarity. "I can't wait until these two are teenagers. It's going to be so much fun," Erik sighed, hugging our boy tightly. "You're alright, Kurt. You're okay."

Dinner was a cranky affair, with both boys far fussier than usual. "David's not used to being away from both of us at the same time," Moira sighed, cuddling her son as he cried. For the fourth time since we'd gotten back. "I think we need to spend some time just the three of us tonight."

The little boys had a hard time saying goodnight to their uncles, and an even harder time saying goodnight to each other. Kurt and David clung to each other, wailing each time we tried to separate them. After the third time Kurt teleported to David's side, and causing Moira to drop them both, though not far, I began to sing. Seta Moneta, sung twice with Lotta's help, sent both tired boys right to sleep. Erik picked Kurt up, and Moira collected David, and I kissed the rest of my kids goodnight. "Don't forget that Lotta is still only seventeen for another four months," I reminded Alex with a grin. "And Nonno is very protective."

Ignoring Lotta's squawk of "Bianca!", I started to follow Erik upstairs to our rooms, still feeling the scratch of extra energy underneath my skin. But he stopped me with a kiss. "I'll put him to bed, schatzi," he murmured, tracing the shell of my ear with his nose. "Go play. I know you need it."

"Are you sure?" I asked, even as I nearly vibrated out of my skin.

"I've got plenty of practice at this," he smiled, kissing me again.

So, I kissed Kurt gently, whispered, "Ama loves you, piccolo," and turned back to the music room. Once the door was locked, I poured everything I had into my music, unafraid of accidentally influencing anyone, thanks to the soundproofing the boys had done. Pounding the keys of the piano and singing at the top of my lungs, I forced all that extra power into the music. But even as I was completely absorbed in my music, I still knew exactly when Erik slipped into the room.

"You'd better be sure you lock that door behind you, bello," I said, not turning from the keyboard in front of me.

"Of course, I did," came his low response, and the heat that I always felt at his presence flared across my back about two seconds before his lips found my neck. I shuddered, stuttering on the notes I played, and I could feel his triumphant smile as it curled against my skin.

I didn't even bother playing anymore; I turned and threw myself at him. Erik caught me with no hesitation, wrapping my legs around himself and placing me on the piano's keyboard with a jangling pound of notes. "This seems a bit familiar," he murmured against my neck, causing goosebumps to erupt over my skin.

"It does," I agreed in a sigh. His touch was intoxicating, and I loved the sounds he made when I tugged on his hair.

"Will it end the same way as last time?" he asked, pulling away enough to look me in the eye.

I knew exactly what he meant. We'd kissed just like this, several nights before we stopped Shaw, and I hadn't let him take me to bed that night. I also knew I wanted this night to end very differently, but there was something I needed to know before I could let that happen. "If we do this," I asked, far more vulnerable than I ever wanted to be, "will you break my heart again?"

Erik's response was instantaneous. "Never," he breathed, dipping down for a searing kiss to my lips. "I'm never leaving you again."

His words were the exact thing I needed to release the very last dregs of my doubt. "Then, you'd best take me upstairs, bello," I whispered in his ear, nibbling on his earlobe. "Because I'm not having sex on a piano."

A poof! and a happy squeal of "Ama! Va!" woke me the next morning. I opened my eyes to Kurt happily sitting on Erik's chest and patting his cheeks.

"Guten Morgen, Liebling," Erik rumbled, and his sleep rough tones sent shivers down my spine.

Kurt gave him a happy kiss, then turned to do the same to me. "Buongiorno, Kurt," I murmured as I cuddled him.

He gave me an odd look, and it made me realize how much I spoke Italian with him. Italian that he clearly didn't understand. "Oh, my little one, there's so much to teach you," I laughed, cuddling him more as I rolled toward Erik. "Like the proper language."

"He already understands German," Erik countered, a playful gleam in his eyes that, had Kurt not been in the room, would have made me pounce on him again.

"Exactly, he needs to learn the proper language. Italian is much more attractive than German," I said, looking at Kurt. "It's molto piu carina."

Erik wrapped his arms around the both of us. "I seem to remember you liked German very much last night," he murmured, nuzzling my ear with his nose.

"You can't say things like that in front of Kurt," I scolded, even while trying to will the goosebumps away.

He grinned wickedly and pressed a kiss to my cheek. "Kurt doesn't mind that his Va loves his Ama, does he?" He tickled the little boy with every word, and Kurt's giggles warmed my heart as much as Erik's words.

We cuddled in bed, talking and laughing and tickling one another. Kurt happily chattered the whole time, telling us a story in his baby language that neither of us understood, but we both acted like we did. And then he finished in grand fashion, throwing himself onto my neck with a giggle.

Erik's arms came around us both, and I felt more at peace than I had since I was a child myself.

"Marry me, Bianca," he whispered, causing me to turn to him with wide eyes.

"What?" I hissed, surprise disguised as panic coming out in my voice. "We've barely-"

He grinned. "I love you, you love me. We've each been miserable the last five years apart, and I never want to feel that again. And besides, we already have a child together. Marry me and make an honest man out of me."

That pulled a laugh from me, and I relaxed into a matching grin. "You're an idiot."

"I'm your idiot," he countered. "Marry me."

"Fine."

Erik pulled me into another searing kiss, until Kurt squawked at being squished between us, causing us to laugh. "You make me so very happy," I told him, and his smile became incandescent.

"And I plan on spending every day for the rest of my life keeping you that way," he vowed.

We eventually made our way downstairs for breakfast, once Kurt decided he couldn't wait for food any longer. Quite a lot of knowing looks were sent our way from the older boys, along with some unsure ones, which told me that they still didn't completely trust Erik again. But I knew they would come around eventually, and they would each have to do so of their own accord, so I simply ruffled each one's hair and moved to the empty chairs next to Hank.

"This came for you two this morning," Charles told Erik and me. He waved an envelope, then passed it to Sean to give to us. "I think you'll find it quite illuminating," he added with a smirk.

"You do know that opening another's mail is a federal crime," Erik reminded casually, while he fed Kurt some eggs.

"I didn't read this," Charles laughed. "I just have a good guess as to its contents."

Hank handed me the envelope, and Charles's words made sense when I saw the handwriting on it. "Raven was here last night?" I asked, fear suddenly freezing my chest. We'd left Kurt alone all night, and Raven could have taken him at any time with Erik and me being none the wiser. How could we-

Erik slipped his hand on my leg, warming me in contrast to the icy fear I felt. "I don't think you need to worry about this," Charles assured. "But read it and you'll see for yourself."

Erik and I shared a quick concerned look, then I slit the envelope with my butter knife. A deep breath later, and I shook out the single sheet of paper inside.

Erik and Bianca,

I know you worry I'm going to take Kurt from you. I'm not. I won't. The school is the safest place for him, and the world won't be kind to him because of the color of his skin. And I know you care about my little boy, you'll take care of him. That much is obvious to anyone who sees you together. Keep him safe, and raise him to be the kind of man you helped Hank, Alex, and Sean to become.

I know I don't have a right to ask this, but please tell Kurt about me. I do love him, and I'm trying to make the world a better place for him.

-Raven

I stared at the paper for a long time, trying to comprehend exactly what it said. "Is she serious?" Erik asked Charles softly. "Did she really mean this?"

Charles nodded slowly. His smile seemed a bit wistful, though I could tell he was happy for us, even for missing his sister. "Raven wants you two to raise Kurt. She said he'll be safe here, and you two will care for him. It's what's best for Kurt."

"Well, B's had quite a bit of practice already," Sean said, lightening the mood in his signature move. "So, Kurt could do a lot worse on the mom front."

"And Erik clearly hasn't killed him yet, so I suppose he'll do on the dad side," Alex added with a smirk, then yelped when his fork suddenly jumped out of his hand.

"Thank you for such ringing endorsements," I muttered, rolling my eyes at all of them. But even as I teased them, I couldn't deny the warm feeling that being with my family gave me. And no one was going to take them from me again.

AN: I am so sorry I forgot to post this last week! It's been a bit crazy both at home and work with the holidays the last two weeks, so I apologize! I'm going to try to finish the next chapter today, otherwise I will definitely post it next week, and hopefully I'll have two that day. I'm anticipating that next week will see the last chapter and epilogue, but things might change and there might be one more chapter. I'm not really sure. Anyway, thanks for reading, and thanks to brigid1318 for your lovely review! Hopefully you won't be too terribly disappointed with the way I ended things with Raven. As much as I dislike her character, I felt that even she can have some moments of something like unselfishness.

And now, translations: Erik calls Kurt meine Kleiner, which is my little one.

Erik calls Bianca schatzi, which is treasure.

Bianca calls Kurt piccolo, which is little one.

Bianca calls Erik bello, which is handsome.

Erik tells Kurt Guten Morgen, Liebling, which is good morning, beloved.

Bianca tells Kurt Buongiorno, which is good morning.

Thanks for reading!