Three days later:

"Erik, my friend. I didn't know you were back. Where's Raven?" Charles asked cheerfully as he wheeled his way into Erik's room without knocking, as was custom. Erik did not look up from the envelope in his hands, the golden swirls making something painful echo in his memory. Charles caught unto it at once.

He stopped. "What is it?" he asked, as he reached Erik's side, noting how one hand held the envelope while the other gently cradled the menorah. Erik exhaled slowly.

"I don't know. It was delivered to us in Beijing," he replied. Charles frowned.

"By who?"

"I don't know that either. One of the servers brought it in. It looks… Official," and not only that, it looked elegant, elaborate, stamped with a golden seal that was so bright Erik couldn't read the engraved words on the seal. The envelope itself was tinted a dark brown color, like that of royal fabrics. It was grander than anything he had ever seen, but still, it reminded him of…

"When it first began," he said softly. Charles was waiting for an explanation for his unease. "We would get letters in the mail, from the government. Telling us to pack and come to the train station for whatever reason he could concoct," Erik growled low in his throat. "Those letters took people to the Camps," he hissed.

Charles did not need a greater explanation to understand, and to Erik's relief, he merely took the envelope out of his hands silently. "I know," the telepath then said softly, meeting Erik's eyes. "But this time, Erik-you aren't alone. And if they want you, they'll have to go through me," it was a reckless promise of loyalty, but Erik had given his own fair share of reckless promises. He understood the sincerity, the deep affection that had to exist for one to be given.

He smiled feebly, and gently set his most prized possession down. He sat down at his reading hair, letting himself sink into its lushness. Charles wheeled himself opposite, examining the card intently as if he suspected there was another bomb inside. Erik knew that the bombing on the school still haunted him; that he thought about those ten people on a daily basis, and though Warren's wing had long healed, the boy still had nightmares about being taken away. Erik knew it was Charles or Cassidy who comforted him those nights.

It was enough to make a man go mad. But Charles was stronger than that and even so, he had a bit of help. Erik imagined Cecilia was the reason why Charles was able to smile still. He had seen the way his younger friend looked at her.

I suppose I'd better prepare him then, Erik thought, taking no joy in the thought of telling Charles that it would never work. Especially considering that he liked Cecilia; he had admired her courage and kindness, intellect and insightfulness since meeting her at the bombing.

But the fact remained: she was human: Charles was mutant. Society would see it as a sin for them to get married. She would become an instant target for both malicious humans and mutants who would feel betrayed when their precious Professor X turned his attentions towards a different race. She would forever be in danger, and he forever in fear for her safety. It would end up tearing them apart.

But these problems were for another day. For now, Erik leaned back in his seat as Charles studied the envelope. "I heard you met with the Vice President," he stated.

Charles hummed in agreement. "What did he say?"

"Oh, what I expected," Charles set the envelope down. "He thanked me for staying nonviolent, commended my efforts, and then asked that I consider his position. That any mutant law would tear the country apart right now, so he could not come to a decision on it. He said that maybe in another twelve years, society would be ready. I told him we would pressure the government until it did as we wanted, he asked me to reconsider, I told him no… But the White House is very pretty on the inside," Erik crossed his arms.

"Of course he said that. Did he point out your British accent?" he grunted. Charles laughed.

"He did, yes! He does have a point though Erik. A mutant law does have the propensity to cause a second Civil War in this country," yes, exactly. What did Charles suppose he had been saying this entire time? Erik shrugged casually.

"A good playing field," Charles sent him a nasty glance.

"Rubbing it in, are you?" They only had three more months until the bet ended, and though humans and mutants had made small strides towards tolerant peace, there was nothing definite yet. Erik doubted that a definite miracle would come in three months. He sighed.

"I'm sorry Charles," he truly was. For Moira, Michael and Cecilia's sake he was. They were good people-his friends, if he wanted to be honest-he did not want to have to destroy their world for the sake of the majority. In fact, he was actually hoping something good did happen. He didn't want to fight humanity, not when he was sure there were more out there like them, but he would if he had too. This was war, and in war there were casualties.

"You know I don't want to leave," then there were the other mutants who had become his family. This place that had become his home. Charles, who would become his enemy in three months unless the world got its act together. The thought made Erik's throat ache with a sudden emotion.

"I know," Charles sighed and picked up the envelope again. He started to open it. Erik watched warily.

"Cecilia told Emma that you're planning a wedding," he continued, his foot tapping impatiently on the ground. What was the envelope for?

"Your wedding," Charles specified. "It's going to be in Brazil," Erik narrowed his eyes. He no longer denied that he liked-loved-Emma Frost, but Charles had been planning this for months.

"Honestly Charles, what am I going to do with you?"

"Convince my sister to stop hating me?" Erik frowned.

"She doesn't hate you," he said.

"She hasn't spoken to me in months, Erik," well, that was surprising. But that was not a sign of hatred. Perhaps…Lingering resentment or something, but not hatred. Erik was fully convinced that Raven loved Charles as much as he loved her, but unlike the telepath, she had a harder time admitting it. Especially since she was still angry at him for erasing parts of her memory.

"She's proud of you," he tried.

"She's proud that my followers are yelling out her phrase," Charles opened the envelope, unfolding a piece of paper within thoughtfully. He leaned back in his chair, scanning the contents.

"Well, she loves you anyway. She's just stubborn like her brother and won't say it. Forgiveness comes slowly to some people. Raven is one of them. Give it awhile more,"

"Erik…"

"After all," he continued, contemplating. He took two metal balls out of his pocket, the size of his toe, and started swirling them above his head. It helped him think. "I still haven't forgiven you for stealing my best tie. Where is that thing anyway?"

"Erik…"

"I know this won't have occurred to you, Charles, being a spoiled rich boy and everything, but just because you want it doesn't mean you can take it,"

"Erik…"

"Didn't you tell Kitty that the other day? By the way, I don't see how you're considered the disciplinarian in this house when you spoil those kids rotten. Why did you tell them that they could have a puppy?"

"Erik!"

"Cecilia talked you into it, didn't she? I bet she's already singled a dog out at the pound. I'll bet you five dollars Emma went with her. You realize dogs have to be potty trained, right? And I'm not… Ow! What was that for?" Erik hissed when Charles gave him a very un-pacifist like knock upside the head; and having honed his muscles from wheeling himself around everywhere, it hurt. But when he looked down from where his eyes had been trained on the metal balls swirling above his head, he saw tears in Charles's eyes.

"Charles?" His eyes darted to the paper in his hands. Charles's hands were trembling. "What is it?"

Charles's answering grin could have rivaled the sun itself. "It," he whispered through a throat Erik could tell was husky with tears. "Is my victory. I told you so," he handed Erik the paper, laughing hysterically. Erik took the paper cautiously, wondering what in the world it could say that could make Charles so joyful….

His eyes widened, and Erik dropped the paper. It floated to the ground like a feather. It's a trick, was his first thought, but it was swept away like leaves in the wind. The envelope was official. You couldn't fake something like that and really? Who would? "We…" he blinked, frankly stunned. Charles clapped him on the shoulder.

"Well done, you bloody idiot!" he cried, still laughing hysterically.

Erik had to finish the sentence to make it real. "We won the Nobel Peace Prize?"

A month later:

The day that Raven stood onstage to receive her Nobel Prize was the greatest day of her life.

"It's never been done before," Hank had told her excitedly, the night before when in a fit of sudden nervousness, Raven had come down to his lab. "Not more than one person has ever won a Nobel Prize at one time. True, you guys are sort of sharing the coin but to each receive a medal of honor? Raven-this is huge!" And it was huge. Raven had not expected so many humans to show up, but the crowd was well into the thousands when she peeked out from behind the red curtain.

"The first mutants to ever receive such an honor," Charles had muttered, beaming as Emma helped Erik with his tie. He had looked staring right at Raven as he cried "congratulations, my friends! I'm proud of you all!" Raven could not remember the last time Charles had ever said that to her and meant it. She was glad to have finally done something that made her big brother proud.

Even Mutants showed up. She could see some of them-the high-up in the world, distinguished kinds but at least they were there-sitting in the crowd. Even some of the humans that they had saved around the world came to cheer them on. Ravens saw their familiar faces and had to stop herself from waving when the roar of the crowd almost deafened her.

"I bet all of France is going to be there!" Moira had cried, her own eyes glittering with joy when the others had heard. For the ceremony was actually taking place at Versailles. One of those places Charles had always talked about with a gleam of longing but she had never really listened. She listened when she learned she was getting a Peace prize there.

"I know all of Oxford is going to be there!" Charles had laughed.

The large stage where the ceremony happened sparkled in the spotlights shown on them. The podium was moved out of the way by the speaker and the X-Men walked out in a straight line, one after the other. First Erik then Emma, Riptide, Azazel, Riptide, Raven, Wolverine and Colossus. Everyone but Wolverine and Erik were beaming. Actually, everyone but Erik and Wolverine had been ecstatic. Erik because he would have to give a speech and Wolverine because he couldn't smoke in Versailles and he had to wear a suit.

"Why do I need to go?" Wolverine grunted.

"And why aren't you coming?"Erik demanded of Charles, who hadn't stopped smiling when he heard. "You started this entire thing! It was your stupid bet that stopped me from taking over the world!" He pointed out.

"Your speech will be grand, Erik. And you've earned this far more than I have! Stopping Warlords, delivering mercy supplies, saving people from burning buildings, evacuating cities in floods, saving refugee camps, overseeing pacts between age old enemies… What have I done but cause public disturbances?"

Part of Raven had agreed that really, it should have been Charles and Cecilia getting this prize, but another half of her recognized that they couldn't. Charles was technically seen as criminal in the U.S law while the X-Men were Good Samaritans helping those in need. It looked better for the Nobel committee to give them a prize rather than the mutant nuisance of America.

A fire flamed in her soul whenever she thought of t, as she knew it burned in Erik's heart as well. Charles deserved more. One day he'll get it, Raven vowed up on stage as the speaker had announced each of their names and gently set the shining silver medals around their necks. She bowed her head when her turn came, a flood of joy overcoming her when she realized that the crowd was cheering.

They were cheering for her blue form. In her blue form she had earned a Nobel Prize for Peace. She wasn't a freak. She was a hero. She had been judged on her actions rather than her appearance. When she looked up after the medal rested against her collarbone heavily, tears ran down her face.

She had never dreamed of it. She had never been more proud, never felt more like a woman before in her life. She looked down at the crowd when the last medal was given and met Hank's eyes. He was staring at her with such deep emotion that Raven suddenly wanted to jump down and kiss him. We're not monsters, Hank, she thought to him. We're heroes, we're heroes!

And that was sort of what Erik's speech had been about. He stumbled through it inelegantly, obviously out of his element, but Raven saw more than a few tears on the faces of the crowd when he had finished with a flourishing "this day will forever be known as the day that Mutant-kind was given real reason to hope for peace."

Peace. She had never believed it could be an option. A fact which Charles had not let Erik forget for a minute. Raven had never seen her brother gloat so much. "What did I tell you Erik? Hmm? We just had to have faith!"

"Oh so you ever had any doubts, Charles?"

"That's not the point! The point is that I won the bet with three months to spare! Ha, ha!" Which had made everyone laugh because no one minded that Charles had won the bet. In truth Raven had been dreading the moment when the three months ended, and she would fulfill her promise to leave with Erik. She would miss the children dreadfully. And Cassidy, Sean, Alex and Hank? How could she say goodbye to them when they had been through so much together? When they had started all of this?

Besides, Raven had found a sort of happiness helping other people. She loved traveling, and loved the smiles on the faces of the people they saved-be they mutant or human. She loved what she did now, and how things were now, and had never wanted it to change.

But now, she didn't have to change.

So, in short, Raven had had a blast that night. The highlight, though, had been when during the after party festivities in the Hall of Mirrors, she had seen Charles silently pass Erik a small black box and Erik had taken Emma to the dance floor. Then, shocking her half out of her wits, he had proposed to her right there.

Emma had looked the most shocked out of the entire hall, her face blushing a scarlet red as everyone stopped, waiting for her reply. Kitty and Sean had given her some help coming up with a suitable reply.

Sean had cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted; his voice echoing in the massive, ancient hall: "This is the part where you tell him that you want a dowry of ten goats, five pigs and a cow!" To which Kitty added

"And a puppy!" Azazel had been the first to burst out laughing after those eloquent answers. Soon, the entire hall was laughing while Emma jumped into Erik's arms laughing and crying.

"Yes! Of course I will!" she ended up saying, instead of Sean and Kitty's suggestions. Now, as Raven stood near the refreshment table with a glass of water in her hand, she watched the steady milling of people coming in and out.

There were about twenty of them near Emma and Erik, congratulating them effusively. Logan was smoking in the corner with the speaker, his tie untied and his suit rumpled from… Whatever he had been doing. Alejandro was covertly filling his wine glass with chocolate from the chocolate fountain and handing the cups to Sean, who was hiding beneath the table ready to bring the glasses offered home. She shook her head, sniggering. Those two.

Moira and Michael were in the balcony above the hall, shoulders touching as they kept a stern eye on the mutants and any who came near them. Despite Charles's adamant protestation that they all take a break and relax tonight, Moira and Michael still insisted on being their secret protectors. It was good to have them. They were magnificent at their jobs.

Azazel was dancing with the Italian Ambassador, smiling flirtatiously at something she said. Jason was talking with Cassidy and Alex, teasing them about something or another. Raven suspected they would celebrating their wedding next, right after Charles's that was. Charles and Hank were surrounded by legislators who listened to him debating something with… Was that the Queen Of England? Only those two would. Honestly, sometimes Raven feared they were too much alike.

Maybe that was why she loved Hank so much.

The children were surrounded by mutants and humans who laughed and offered them sweets in exchange for a glimpse into their powers and lives. So far Kitty had recited ten of the twelve planets and Warren had described how fire was made, Ororo had recited half of Shakespeare's Macbeth and Rogue had correctly recited four mathematical equations. Their academic successes seemed to fill the crowd with glee.

Raven sighed with content. At that moment, there was nowhere else on Earth she would have rather been. She was happy. Fully and completely happy. "Having fun?" she turned, and marked off the only person she had not yet seen. Cecilia looked beautiful in her ice blue dress that wrapped around her frame in light folds that sparkled with silver strands. The dress pooled at her ankles, exposing one fine leg up to her knee. Charles's mother's necklace rested around her neck.

Raven smiled as Cecilia walked over and offered her a chocolate covered strawberry. She took it, studying this woman who she knew Charles was in love with. "Thanks. Yeah, I am having fun. More fun than I've ever had, actually," she admitted.

Cecilia beamed. "Good. You deserve happiness, Raven," soft green eyes sparkled at her with sincere compassion. "In all of its forms," she added, nodding subtly to Hank. Raven blushed.

"We wouldn't work out," she stammered.

"I think you work out so well it is uncanny," Cecilia argued mildly. She bit into her own strawberry and added: "no one lives forever Raven. One day, you'll see just how much you're cared for… By many people," Raven cleared her throat, wanting to change the subject. One day? Not likely.

"Are you having fun?" Was the only thing she could think to ask. Cecilia nodded and gestured to the children.

"I was watching over them, but it looks as if they can take care of themselves," Raven chuckled softly just as Erik, Emma and Charles arrived. Emma was giggling over something Erik had told her. The ring on her finger shimmered in the light.

"Raven," Charles addressed her. "I believe I've said it to everyone about ten times by now, but I am so proud of you," he had told everyone-including her- that about ten times tonight, but Raven was glad to hear it again. She grinned.

"I never would have been able to do it without you Charlie," she replied fondly.

"Nonsense," the telepath declared. "All of you earned these awards quite without my assistance," Raven and Erik exchanged amused glances. Only Charles would say that. Cecilia put a hand on Charles's shoulder, glancing behind her at the children. Charles nodded, as if they had shared a silent conversation, and she walked away with smiles at them all. Charles's eyes followed her for a long second, awed.

"That being said," Erik continued when she had gone, giving Charles a 'you're not fooling me,' look. "About my wedding… I do need a Best Man," his eyes softened into uncertainty when he looked at Charles for confirmation.

"So help me Erik, if you dare give that title to anyone but me, I will break my vow of nonviolence to kill you," Charles warned him. Raven and Emma laughed. Erik smiled in relief. He clapped Charles on the shoulder.

"I wouldn't dream of it Professor," he agreed.

"Good," Charles snickered. "Because I'm the one who got you two together," Erik rolled his eyes. Emma snorted.

"You pestered us for months, Charles," she snorted.

"Emma, what did I say about telling me the truth about things? This is why we can't be friends," Raven giggled at the comfortable banter between the two and let her eyes wander over the luxurious hallways of this magnificent place. Her fingers lightly traced the medal at her throat and she sighed with perfect happiness. Their family wasn't splitting up. Relations between mutants and humans were getting better. Soon, the world might be as they all envisioned it.

Soon, they would have peace. She had never been happier.

"I think I'll take the children home," Charles was saying when she returned to reality, a smile still plastered on her face. "It is far past their curfew," he said.

"And then you're coming back?" Erik asked. Charles chuckled.

"Oh, no, my friends. It's far past my curfew as well, and I have a speech to prepare for tomorrow afternoon. Stay, enjoy yourselves! I'll see you in the morning," he encouraged them with a brief wave of his hand.

"Over-achiever," Raven teased. He winked at her.

"Always, sister mine," his eyes scanned the place for the children as he called them and Azazel to him telepathically. "Now, I'm off. Have fun, all of you deserve it," he gave her a pointed look at this. She grinned her promise.

"Goodnight then," she leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"Goodnight Charlie," she whispered. He squeezed her arm momentarily before Hank appeared behind him, having responded to the summons. Alex, Cassidy and Sean approached next, Sean carrying five cups of chocolate.

"Ready, Professor?" A yawn was answer enough. Smiling at her, Hank wheeled Charles back to where the children all stood, rubbing their eyes sleepily and yawning. They perked up when they saw Sean with the chocolate, and the last thing Raven heard before the remainder of her family vanished was Cecilia forbidding them to have sweets this late; like the mother hen that she was.

"May I have this dance, Madame?" Erik asked Emma sweetly. She took his offered hand and allowed him to whisk her away. Raven couldn't help but feel as if everything would be alright as she watched them. They looked so happy. Everyone looked happy, and that was a rare thing in this world nowadays.

It has taken awhile, but we finally got our Happily Ever After, she thought.