As always, I love the reviews and appreciate your honesty. They have really inspired me to keep moving ahead.

Your feedback is always welcome.

Enjoy

/

Chapter 8

Ororo got out of the shower and pulled on some soft pajamas.

She did not care that her hair was still wet and would soak her pillow.

It did not matter, for if her hair did not do the job, her tears most certainly would.

She slid into her cold, empty bed, crawling under the covers, where she curled herself into a small ball.

It hurt to place her body in such a way, but physical pain was most welcome.

It was the same routine she followed every night since giving birth a week ago.

The silence surrounded her.

Its darkness threatening to absorb her into its depths.

Once again, she would know no sleep.

Her jaw clenched tightly to the point of pain, desperately trying to stop her tears, but they came anyway.

They always came.

Hard, hot and fast.

At times it seemed that they would never dry up.

She should be stronger than this.

She wanted to shake off the desolate feeling permeating her very soul.

But she could do none of that. If this was her punishment for what she had done, then so be it.

Besides, being awake was not always a bad thing.

When she did sleep, she dreamt of them.

She saw their tiny faces, even though she had never actually seen their faces.

Silently, she tried to convince herself that she did the right thing; that they would be better off without her, but her attempts are futile.

All she had to show for her "selfless" sacrifice was an empty, broken, exhausted and drained shell of a body.

And now she was completely alone.

A soft knock on the door barely captured her attention.

Ororo said nothing, knowing whoever her visitor was would come in anyway.

Charles made his way to Ororo's bed and turned on the light to look her over thoroughly.

An deep sigh escaped him at the sight of her.

He could not stand to see her suffer so needlessly.

But he would do nothing until she did something.

"Ororo, are you alright?" came Charles concerned voice.

Not looking at her father, she answered. "Why are you up so late?"

He knew she was trying to avoid his question.

What a silly girl she could be.

With the patience only a parent would possess, he repeated his question.

"Ororo, I asked if you were alright? You have everyone worried about you."

"I am fine, there is no need to worry over me."

"Ororo, you know how much I detest lying, so please be honest with me. Tell me what is the matter?" Charles pressed on, even though he already knew the answer.

"What would you have me say?"

"The truth."

"The truth as I know it? I have spent the majority of my life fighting monsters, and now I have become one. I am a monster."

"Ororo…"

Ororo sat up in her bed, ignoring the aching in her muscles, and faced her father.

"What kind of mother could just give her children away! I gave them away and I never held them, never saw their faces." her hand moved to her now deflated abdomen, her eyes wet once more. "What have I done, daddy? What have I done?" Ororo cried.

Charles could take her pain not a moment longer.

"What can I do, child, to make things better for you?"

Ororo shook her head violently.

"No, daddy, there is nothing you can do for me. There is nothing anyone can do for me."

"Ororo, it is not too late to fix this."

"Yes it is! It is too late. I gave my children away, discarded them as garbage. Now they are gone."

Charles took her tear stricken face in his warm hands. He used his thumbs to wipe the wetness from her cheeks.

"Ororo, just tell me what you desire, and I will do all within my power to make it a reality."

On the verge of another deluge of tears, she answered just above a whisper.

"My babies."

/

Ororo followed Charles down to the medlab, where just one week ago she had given birth.

As they approached the sliding entrance door, Ororo felt her heart clench, falling to the pit of her stomach, as flashbacks of that day bombarded her.

As the doors opened up to allow them entry, Ororo hesitated behind her father.

She did not want to be here.

The pain was too deep, too fresh.

Why had he insisted she follow him here?

Charles realized Ororo had fallen out of step, so he turned to inquire as to why.

"Ororo, are you coming?"

"To tell you the truth daddy, I would rather not be here. It…hurts too much. This is the last place we were all together." she whispered.

Charles made his way back to her and took her hand.

"Ororo, you said once that you believed in me. Is that still true?"

Ororo looked at him quizzically with her trademark raised eyebrow.

"Of course I do. Why would you ask such a thing?"

"Well, dear, if you believe in me, then I would think that also means you trust me. Is that not true? He asked, his lips forming into a small smile.

"Yes, that is correct."

"Very well, then take my hand and come with me."

Ororo could not help the smile that formed on her full lips. Placing her hand on top of his, she allowed him to lead her into the room.

Ororo stopped dead in her tracks.

She had to have fallen asleep at some point, because the sight she came upon could not be real.

And if it was a dream, she wished to never awake.

Rogue was seated in a rocking chair, quietly reading to the occupants of one bassinet and one incubator.

Her babies.

Ororo's gasp alerted Rogue to their presence. She rose from her seat and put the book she was reading on the side table.

"Ro, yah alright, sugah?" asked Rogue as she took in Ororo's stunned reaction.

Ororo momentarily took her eyes off of the babies to acknowledge Rogue.

"Rogue" her voice hoarse with emotion. "Rogue, are those the twins? Is that really them?"

Rogue broke out in a wide smile as she moved closer to her friend.

"Why yes it is, sugah. Their your little ones."

Rogue looked to the professor for guidance. He just nodded his head for her to continue.

"Would yah like to meet them?" she asked cautiously.

Ororo momentarily forgot how to speak, so she just nodded yes.

Rogue beckoned Ororo to come closer to their beds.

She first gestured to the bassinet with a warming lamp over it.

"This handsome little man is your son. Um, since he don't have a name just yet, we've just been calling him Junior."

Rogue then gestured towards the incubator.

Ororo started at the sight of the tiny little girl.

"This little lady right here is yah daughter. We've been calling her Kitten."

Ororo's eyes were glued to the babies.

Her babies.

Goddess, they were the most beautiful creatures she had ever laid eyes upon.

Her son was a tiny replica of his father, but his eyes were an odd color.

She was wondered briefly if they would change in the next months. He had a head full of thick, unruly, dark hair.

A small patch of white hair was peaking through in the front.

Her little boy was small, but she could tell that he was strong and highly intelligent.

His week old eyes studied her intently as she reached a slim finger out to touch his baby soft face.

His eyes closed at the contact, and she would have sworn by the way his chest began to rise and fall that he was taking in her scent.

Just like his father.

Her little girl was no less beautiful.

Goddess, she was so very tiny.

Unlike her brother, she was enclosed in an incubator with an assorted array kind of wires and tubes attached to her.

Her hair was very light, thin and straight.

Because she was so small, Ororo could not really tell who's features she possessed.

And she did not really care at that point.

The baby was there, she was alive, and she was hers.

Rogue watched Ororo as she got her first look at her children, but after a few minutes, she began to feel like and intruder during the small family reunion.

Slowly, she back away from Ororo and stood by the Professor.

"Will yah two be alright with the little ones?" she asked him.

The Professor patted the young girls hand. "Yes, my dear. We shall be fine. Besides, we will not be alone for long."

With his assurance that they would be ok, Rogue took her leave to go find Remy and give him the news.

Charles moved aside Ororo.

"Well, child, what do you think?"

Ororo hesitated in her answer.

"I…I am just…amazed. I cannot believe that I gave birth to these beautiful babies…cannot believe that they are here." she said still in awe.

Then a thought hit her.

"Why are they still here?" she asked suddenly.

Although she was ecstatic and relieved, she was slightly irritated that with the thought that he may disregarded her decision in favor of his own.

Charles knew exactly what she was thinking and quickly explained.

"Actually, Ororo, your daughter is the reason why they are still here. Upon delivery, she was not breathing."

"What!" Ororo exclaimed.

Her shriek startled both babies, but it was the little girl who began to cry.

She sounded just like a tiny little kitten.

Ororo panicked, not knowing what to do, feeling guilty for scaring her in the first place.

Charles, seeing her panic, moved over to the side of the incubator and lightly tapped on the glass.

"It is alright, little one. All is well my dear. No need to cry." his gentle voice managed to calm her down, but did nothing to help Ororo's angst.

"Daddy, maybe it is best I go. I do not wish to upset them."

"Nonsense, Ororo. You belong here. You are their mother."

Ororo turned her attention back to the little girl, whose eyes were drifting closed.

Her physical appearance worried Ororo.

Then she remembered what Charles was telling her.

"You said that she was not breathing at birth. Were there complications because of that? Will she be alright?" she asked anxiously.

"Yes, we believe she will make a full recovery. She suffers with apnea, a breathing condition. Hank and Jean have been constantly monitoring her condition and noting any change. She is steadily getting better. She is strong and a fighter…just like her mother."

Ororo flashed him a relieved smile.

"As I was saying, it is because of her current medical condition that we have been unable to place them with their new home. We did not want to risk moving her in this state, and separating them was out of the question."

Ororo's heart jumped at the mention of their new home.

Now that she had laid her eyes on them, she was never going to be able to let them go.

But a family was waiting for them, expecting them, and to suddenly change her mind…

What was she to do?

"My dear, do not concern yourself with such things. I shall take care of everything."

Ororo gazed at her father, her eyes full of trust and faith in him.

"You will, I know you will."

Ororo looked back to the girl.

"I wish I could hold her."

"Well, holding her right now is a little complicated, but you can freely hold your son." Charles encouraged.

Ororo cautiously reached down to pick him up.

"Hello…Zander." Ororo looked to her father for approval.

"Excellent choice, my dear."

Although he was only just over 4 pounds, she was not use to the weight of him.

Once she managed to settle him comfortably in her arms, she took a seat in the rocking chair Rogue had vacated.

Ororo spent the next few minutes getting acquainted with her son.

As she spoke to him in soft tones, the last 9 months ceased to exist.

It no longer mattered what she had gone through because all of it lead her right to that very moment.

The happiest moment of her whole life.

Ororo was so concentrated on the person in her arms, she took no notice of the lab doors opening, announcing the arrival of Scott and Jean.

Cautiously, they made their way further in the room, not wanting to disturb the moment between mother and son.

Jean's hands were covering her mouth in order to stifle the sound of joy threatening to burst out of her.

Happy tears slid unchecked down her face.

She had been terrified that in the next few weeks she would be forced to hand them over.

Now, it appeared that her fear would finally be laid to rest.

Scott was just trying to keep himself standing.

His knees, weak with relief, were ready to give out any minute.

He knew that his father had made a convenient and amicable arrangement for the babies, but that was still not satisfactory to Scott.

And although he had told his father he would not interfere and go against Ororo's wishes, the thought of running off with Jean and the children was definitely appealing.

A small frustrated cry disturbed the air, followed by soft grunting.

Ororo looked over to the trio, her eyes silently asking for assistance.

As they moved closer, they saw that the little guy had turned pink, and was rubbing his mouth back and forth across Ororo's tank top.

"What is wrong with him?" she asked, her question directed towards Jean.

Jean smiled warmly at her friends worried face.

"It's alright, Ro. He's just hungry. I'll go make him a bottle."

Charles addressed Ororo just then.

"My dear, breast milk is best for babies."

Ororo looked at him quizzically, and the understanding dawned on her.

"No, daddy. No, he will not feed from me. It has been too long. I fear he will reject my milk." she said shaking her head furiously.

"Nonsense, Ororo. Unlike adults, babies are very adaptable. There is no harm in at least trying. If he does not accept your milk, then you can offer him the bottle."

Ororo looked to Jean for guidance.

Jean had no experience with babies either, but she was a woman so she guessed that counted for something.

"The Professor is right, Ro. Your milk is best. I will help you, don't worry."

Ororo looked to the last adult in the room.

Scott.

"Go on kiddo. It will be alright. Dad and I will step over to the corner while you get set up, ok?"

"You shall not leave?" she asked nervously.

"Not til you tell me to."

Scott leaned down and dropped a kiss to her forehead.

"I'm real proud of you sis. Real proud."

Charles and Scott moved away to offer Ororo some privacy.

It took a few tries, but the little one finally latched on and hungrily sucked at his mother's bosom.

Ororo and Jean both giggled at his eagerness and the small gulping sounds he was making.

As Ororo watched her son, who was watching her, she finally understood how her father felt all those years ago.

Surely, love at first sight did indeed exist.

As Charles and Scott watched from a distance, Charles spoke to Scott.

~~Scott, you stay here with them and help get Ororo settled with the children. I have an important phone call to make.~~

/

"Hello."

"Charles, is that you?"

"Why yes it is. I am sorry to contact you so late, but there has been a development. It appears that Plan B is no longer needed." he said with a smile.

"Oh, Charles, that is wonderful! I was so hoping that Ororo would change her mind. What happened?"

Charles chuckled before continuing.

"I would love to share the details with you, however it will have to wait until tomorrow. Perhaps and early dinner?"

"Hmm, I believe that can be arranged." he could tell his companion was smiling.

"Well then, I shall see you tomorrow evening. And Moira…thank you for everything."

"Charles, no thanks are needed, love. It would have been a pleasure to have the children stay with me. Besides, you know I would do almost anything for you." her voice becoming serious.

Charles voice dropped 2 octaves, hoarse with emotion.

"I know, it is something that has always scared and delighted me all at once. I must return to Ororo now. Until tomorrow, my love."

"Tomorrow."

"TBC"