September 2, 1974
"And remember, if anyone tries to give you their opposing viewpoint, hit 'em once for me," Alex said.
"Alex!" Moira said.
Alex grinned and Moira saw Warren grin back. Charles shook his head. Alex, along with Charles, Sean, Terry, and the X-men had come to see them off. Hank and Carly would have been their with Sharon, but they had arrived in Rhode Island days ago. Moira was happy for them. They were starting their new lives, a new chapter in their marriage. Moira just wished that her own wasn't ending.
They hadn't left yet, but there was one individual who already felt like he was being left behind. David stood between his parents, his eyes wide and confused. She had the unhappy feeling that he didn't really understand that she was leaving. Even if he did she was sure that he didn't understand why.
She felt awful. It would be the first time that she had left David since he had been born. Moira wished that she could tell him that it wasn't forever and, really, it was for the best. Charles and she needed to be apart for a few days, figure things out. That way they could think clearly.
It was difficult to express that to a three-year-old though. She didn't want to tell him either. If it felt wrong to talk to the boys about it, then it certainly felt wrong to tell her son what was going on. It was one of the reasons that Charles and she had to figure things out. They had a son to consider.
"So this is what you teach them when my back is turned," Charles said.
"A little," Alex said.
He looked back at Jean and Warren. Moira wondered how he felt about seeing two of his students dressed in crisp business attire, a far cry from their X-men uniforms. She could see in his eyes that he knew that they were still going into battle. The only things that had changed were the methods of attack and the armor.
"Stay safe, you hear?" he said.
They nodded. He looked over at Moira.
"You too, okay?" he said.
Moira nodded, smiling.
"I think that the worst thing that could happen is an irate delegate throws a temper tantrum," Moira said, "Don't worry about us."
"Whatever," he said.
Moira smiled and looked down at David. He looked up at her, blinking. Without warning he grabbed onto her pant leg. Her mouth opened slightly as her son buried his face in her leg, his grip tenacious.
"David, please let go," Moira said.
He dug into her pant leg tighter.
"Dad, is he okay?" Terry whispered.
"He's fine," Sean said.
Moira sighed and cleared her throat.
"It's okay," she said, "I'm just going away for a little bit. I'll be right back."
He shook his head. She felt like throwing her arms into the air. To her surprise she watched as Charles gently pried him from Moira and smiled.
"Your mother has to go away on some business," he said, "She'll be back soon, alright?"
David's face fell but he nodded. He turned his sad eyes to Moira and she crouched down in front of him.
"Your father's going to take good care of you," Moira said, "He cares very much about you. Don't worry."
It was one of the only things that she was sure about in her marriage. Moira knew that Charles loved their son. She knew that, on some level or another, he still loved her too. The only question was whether or not it was enough to save their marriage.
She kissed David on the forehead and looked up. Charles was staring at her. She wondered if he would tell her something telepathically before she went. Moira remembered a time when she could feel the touch of his mind like a caress. She remembered when there were times when they wouldn't have to speak, when their minds had been open books to each other. He would make her life from halfway across the building.
Moira remembered Charles's joy when she told him that he could come into her mind, that she wasn't scared. She knew that no one had ever trusted him that much. To her it was another kind of intimacy, one that she was glad to share with him.
He hadn't sent a thought to her in over a year. She wondered if he had done it to give her her privacy as their marriage declined. In some ways she appreciated it. In other ways she missed it, just like she missed his conversation and knowing that he loved her.
"See you in a few days," she said.
Charles nodded. Moira took a deep breath and turned back to Jean and Warren. Jean looked nervous, constantly straightening her hemline of her skirt and the cuffs of her blouse. Scott was standing next to her, smiling. She couldn't hear their conversation, but she knew that he was whispering encouraging things to her.
Warren was absolutely beaming with confidence. She could see Ororo with him, her smile cheery. Clarice was in the middle of it all, smiling but not saying much. She had always been quiet.
"Come on," Moira said, "We're going to miss the train if we dawdle for too much longer," she said.
They nodded. Scott hugged Jean once before she got into the car. Warren walked around to the other side, waving to his teammates once before getting in. Moira climbed into the driver's seat.
After she buckled up she looked out the window. She could see Westchester before her, the grounds sprawling out in all directions. She remembered the first time she had seen it, remembered walking inside as the new Mrs. Xavier. She could recall a thousand happy memories with the people assembled on the lawn, a thousand triumphs, heartaches, tragedies, and miracles.
Now she was leaving. When she returned she would find out whether or not she could continue to call it her home. The thought was a chilling one and Moira bitterly regretted thinking it. However, like many things, it was too late to take it back.
She took a deep breath before waving and starting up the car. She pulled out of the driveway, looking at the house and the assembled team out of her rear view mirror. Moira hoped that it wasn't the last time she would leave the house as Mrs. Xavier.
"Do you think everything's alright between them?" Sean asked, "They just seemed so...awkward this afternoon."
Alex paused the cup of coffee halfway to his lips. Sean and he were in the teacher's lounge. It was approaching midnight, and Terry had been put to bed. They'd received word that Moira and the others had safely made it to New York City. They had just finished some paperwork, and Alex had been looking forward to some rest.
Instead he put his cup of coffee down. He walked to the door to the lounge and glanced outside it. When he was satisfied he closed the door and turned back to Sean.
"Something's wrong," he said, "And not normal wrong either."
Sean frowned.
"Really?" he said, "I didn't think it was that serious."
"I saw Moira sobbing in the hall a few days ago," Alex said, "I'd say that that's pretty serious."
"Oh," Sean said, his eyes widening, "Are you sure it was about-?"
"Pretty sure," Alex said.
Sean leaned against the table, as though seeking support.
"It's hard to think of those two having marital problems," he said.
"I know, right?" Alex said, "They always seemed like such a tight team."
He ran a hand through his hair.
"And maybe that's part of the problem," he said.
"What do you mean?" Sean asked.
"Well," Alex said.
He searched for words, wishing Hank were there. He would be able to find the right thing to say.
"I'm just thinking that maybe they've been a team for so long that they've forgotten how to be married," Alex said.
His friend stared at him.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sean asked.
"Well, they're like a business partnership," Alex said, still fumbling for words, "Maybe...for so long its been the school this and the school that and they haven't really had time to figure out what they meant together."
He closed his eyes for a moment.
"And even if they are still in love, even if they do care about each other, or even if they're not sure about what exactly it is that they're feeling, well..." he said.
For some reason a pair of green eyes flashed at him from his memories. He swatted the image in his mind away irritably. Lorna had been bothering him a lot recently, the Brotherhood friend that part of him bitterly resented making.
It was an awful irony that, despite all of the things that he had learned about the Brotherhood, he was now friends with the woman he was sure would one day lead them. Beyond that, the first leaders of the X-men and the Brotherhood were friends. He had the awful feeling that the second leaders were going to follow that trend.
In some ways he was glad that he was handing the reins over to Scott in a few years. His brother wouldn't have the same kind of weakness in him. At the same time, that meant that one day Lorna would be trying to kill Scott and Scott would be trying to kill Lorna.
It wasn't a pleasant thought.
"Sometimes it's difficult to figure out," Alex said, "And if it's difficult to figure out, it might be best to just dismiss it. Nothing good can come of that sort of thing anyway."
He opened his eyes. Sean was still staring at him.
"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked.
Alex shifted his feet, cursing himself for rambling.
"Something like that anyway," he said, "I don't know much about this sort of thing."
"But, they were in love," Sean said, "Do you remember when they got married?"
"That was a decade ago," Alex said, "People change."
He picked up his cup of coffee. It had grown cold. He dumped it down the sink.
"It can't be divorce level though," Sean said.
"Why not?" Alex asked.
Once more Sean stared at him. He saw his friends lips move inarticulately.
"Because they can't get divorced," he said.
"Who said that?" Alex said.
He knew his voice as snappish, that he was shocking his friend. For some reason he couldn't seem to stop himself, although he wished that he could.
"Just because we don't want something to be true doesn't mean that it isn't," Alex said.
Sean furrowed his brow, looking at Alex warily.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine," Alex said.
"Are you sure?" Sean asked.
Alex rolled his eyes.
"Never mind," he said, "I'm going to catch a few hours of sleep before classes tomorrow."
As he walked out of the door he heard Sean mumble:
"I'll take that as a no then."