When the alarm clock went off, Moira's headache was nearly gone. She sighed and drank some water. She couldn't remember having this many headaches when she was pregnant with Kevin, but she'd read that not every pregnancy was exactly the same.
She sighed, getting up with some difficulty. Her belly was so big now that doing anything involving getting up was a chore. Moira moved over to the bathroom, feeling not quite a stranger in her own body, but as though someone had slowed down the world. Her feet also hurt, which really didn't help with that feeling of alienation.
Moira washed her face and brushed her hair. She even reapplied a little make-up, trying to ensure she looked alert enough to keep Charles and Kevin from worrying. Kevin's worry was more mingled with curiosity than Charles's though. They'd learned the baby's gender a few months ago, and he'd been telling anyone who'd listen about how he was about to have a little brother.
Finishing up, she headed downstairs. She still prided herself on being able to take the stairs, even if she'd had to switch shoes. Her feet, like her fingers, seemed to be swelling uncomfortably as time went on.
She'd just reached the bottom step when Emma approached, looking worried. Moira frowned.
"Have you seen Laura?" Emma asked.
"You haven't?" asked Moira.
"Not in a while," she said, biting her lip, "She said she was going down to the library to wait for the party."
"And she's not in there?" said Moira.
Emma's teeth bit harder into her lip. So no then.
"Calm down," said Moira, "I'm sure she just stepped out for a minute or two, or maybe she went back to the room the long way."
By the look on Emma's face, she might as well have said nothing.
"Do you think the Professor can go on Cerebro?" she said, "I'd really, really appreciate it."
Inwardly, Moira sighed, although she understood. Charles had been looking forward to being there for Kevin's birthday, the first one they would spend together. Next year, they'd be handling a baby at the same time, so this would be the only time for the three of them. They would be a welcome addition, but still.
She was sure Laura had just wandered off, perhaps been distracted by something happening in another room. However, the last time Laura had gone missing, she'd come back to the school covered in blood.
"Alright," Moira said, "I'll go and get him."
Emma nodded, just as the sound of a motor juddered in their ears. Moira looked out the window and saw Logan pulling up to the school. Emma noticed too, moving around Moira so she could get a good look.
Logan got off the motorcycle, and then turned back to help Laura. The girl's helmet dwarfed most of her head and, when he pulled it off, a messy, loose ponytail came off. She was laughing, and Logan hung it back up on the handlebars.
Next to her, Emma took in a sharp breath. She turned away, her hands clenching and unclenching.
"I'm sure he didn't mean any harm," Moira said, "He probably just wanted-"
The door opened and Logan walked in, Laura's hand engulfed in his. Laura grinned when she saw them.
"Hi Aunt Emma, Miss Moira!" she said, "I didn't miss the party, right?"
"It's just about to start," Moira said.
Emma turned around, and gave Laura a quick once over. Now that she was closer, Moira could see dirt dust had covered the skirt of her dress and was sprinkled on her white socks. Her hair was even messier up close.
Laura's grin started to falter, but Emma smiled and knelt down in front of her.
"Let me see here," she said.
She brushed away the dirt from her dress, and got most of it off her socks. Emma tilted her head, and then took Laura's hair out of the ponytail. She ran her fingers through it once so that it fell naturally down her back.
"There you are, all lovely," she said, "Your father just gets you all messy, doesn't he?"
Although the tone was light enough, and Laura giggled, Moira could see the way Emma's eyes flickered up to Logan's when Laura wasn't looking. He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, but Emma took Laura's hand.
"Now come on," she said, "You don't want to miss the games, do you?"
Logan let go of Laura's hand without protest, although the girl turned and looked over her shoulder.
"See you soon daddy!" she said.
Emma gave her an indulgent look, but Moira caught how Logan winced. She waited until they left until she turned to him.
"What did she say?" asked Moira.
Logan crossed his arms, giving her a quick once over.
"I'm married to a telepath, and my son is one too," she said, "I can tell when someone's being contacted."
He shrugged, but she could see the irritation there.
"I've been a mother for nine years today," she said, putting a hand on her stomach, "And I'm getting ready to do it again. I'm not an expert on children or parenting, but I might be able to help."
Logan cracked his neck, looking after where Emma and his daughter had exited.
"She told me not to ever take Laura out again without tellin her, and not on a motorcycle," he said reluctantly, "Said it's a death trap."
He snorted.
"An I get it, but it wasn't even an hour," he said, "I hadn't seen her all day."
Moira gave him a smile, although it was an uncertain one. While Emma had accepted Logan's role as Laura's father, it seemed that the two clashed on a regular basis. Logan was trying to be careful and patient around the sister of the woman he loved, but she could tell it was wearing on him.
And sooner or later, Laura was going to pick up on it.
"I think it's time the two of you talked, established some ground rules," said Moira, "Emma is understandably protective, but she told you she was going to accept you into Laura's life. She even offered to get out of the way. The motorcycle thing...you might have to find a compromise."
"Laura loves it," he said stiffly.
"And she has a healing factor, I know," Moira said, "But you will have to compromise on some things. Just...talk to her about it."
He nodded, but it was a grudging one.
"She's got walls there," he said, "Not the same type as Kayla did. These ones...they're stronger. Higher. She doesn't just hate the idea of anyone gettin in, but she hates the idea of someone takin care of her."
Moira rested her other hand on her stomach. She was on precarious ground even if he had been the one who mentioned Kayla's name. Any time someone mentioned Kayla in front of Emma and Logan, things got touchy.
"Did she want to be taken care of?" she asked.
"Nah," Logan said, "But...she could talk. She's not an open book, but...I could talk ta her, after she trusted me. Emma doesn't trust me. She tolerates me cause I'm Laura's father and she knows I love her, knows I love Kayla. The moment I do something she doesn't appreciate or agree with though..."
He made a dismissive gesture with his hand. Moira sighed.
"She's not a bad kid, and I know you know that," she said, "I think she feels responsible for Laura, and, while she trusts the idea of you and Laura, she's not sure if you'll do things that are necessarily safe. And...I think she doesn't trust the idea of you and her. It'll take time."
He looked at Moira.
"Easy for ya to say," he said, "She trusts you."
"I was a stranger when we met, and I was willing to risk my happiness and life to help her and her niece," Moira said, "I got her to safety, and in her mind, there was no reason for me to help them. You're Laura's father. I think she thinks it's your duty to help, so anything along those lines isn't going to make headway."
"She's not far off there," Logan said.
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"I need a smoke," he said.
"You have to do that outside," she said.
"I know," he said.
He walked out of the hall, slamming the door behind him. Moira winced, and then ran a hand through her hair. Things had been difficult between the Emma and Logan since they'd learned Kayla was alive. Charles thought it would bring them closer together, but it seemed to be doing the opposite.
"Mom!"
She turned around, and smiled. Kevin was already wearing a birthday hat, the string tucked under his chin. He'd hated doing that in the past, always taking it off in ten minutes. But he just shrugged and grinned when she raised her eyebrows.
"Everyone else was wearing them," he said, "I figured I'd give it a go."
"Alright," she said, "Alright. You ready to turn nine?"
"I turned nine when I woke up!" he said.
"You don't turn nine until the party starts, you know that," Moira smiled, "Now come on, let's go see what's going on, shall we?"
"Yeah," he said.
He grabbed her hand, and she allowed him to lead her in. Someone had rolled out the Twister mat, and Megan was jumping on the different colored circles. Her wings were fluttering behind her, although she would look back and frown at them every second step. Xi'an and Sam were nearby, with Sam trying to explain the rules.
Laura was simply twirling the spinning arrow with her finger. When Kevin came in she got up and flung her hands in the air.
"Happy birthday!" she said.
She was quickly followed by other well wishes. Kevin let go of Moira's hand and moved toward the mat as Charles wheeled in. He smiled at her, and then turned his attention to what Megan was doing.
"It's not hopscotch," he said, "Although I'm surprised you wanted to play Twister."
"Sam said people hit people playing this, and I have wanted to hit him all morning," said Xi'an, "He is being very difficult."
"Ah did not!" he said, "And am not!"
She grinned at him, and Charles just shook his head.
"Let's try something a little less complicated," he said, "Let's see here."
He glanced over at Kevin and tilted his head. Kevin tilted his head back at him and smiled. She thought she saw Charles's eyebrows raise, but he smiled anyway.
"Alright, hide and seek," he said, "Kevin's going to be the seeker the first time, and I'm referee. I will be able to find you wherever you hide, so everyone come out when he says, and I'll know when people were lying."
"You'll never find me," Sam boasted.
"Yes I will," said Kevin, "I'm just like my dad. I can just-"
"No gifts," Charles said.
Kevin looked disappointed, but Charles put his hands up.
"Or it'll be over in five minutes," he said, "And the cake's not done, which reminds me: no hiding in the kitchen, and no going outside. First floor only."
"I can't hide on the roof?" asked Megan.
"No," said Charles, "And...just stay off the roof in general."
She pouted, and Kevin covered his eyes.
"Until thirty," he said, "One-"
The children scattered, scrambling to get out of the room. Moira walked over and put a hand on Charles's shoulder as Kevin continued to count.
"The cake's not ready?" she asked.
"Well...technically it is," he said, "But it hasn't cooled enough to frost it."
"I'll go see what I can do," she said, "I take it you have things under control here?"
"Love, I run a school of super-powered children," he said, "It's relaxing to only worry about four for an afternoon."
"Whatever you say," she said, "I'll be back in ten."
She withdrew her hand, but not until he snatched it and kissed the back of it.
"Thirty!"
He released her hand as Kevin ran out of the room. Moira smiled and headed to the kitchen. It was empty when she found her way in, and she put a hand over the cake to test for heat.
It was cool, so she began looking for the frosting. Her feet were starting to hurt again, and she impatiently shifted from foot to foot. She'd just found it when Hank came in, shaking his head. He smiled at her, and then went into the freezer and pulled out an ice pack.
"What happened?" she asked.
"Sam got to running, and he actually hit a wall," he said, "You know how he gets up momentum. It'll just be a bruise, but an ice pack will make him feel better."
"Just as you say," she said.
Moira picked up the frosting, then leaned against the counter again, sighing.
"Everything okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, just the little guy in here," she said, "My feet are hurting like crazy, but my headaches have stopped."
"Wait, your feet have been hurting too?" Hank asked.
She laughed.
"Hank, I'm pregnant," she said, "I'm carrying the weight of another human being as well as my own. My feet are going to hurt."
"Yeah," Hank said, blushing, "Uh, yeah. Sorry, of course."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Do you need better shoes?" he asked.
"If you can size them up," she said, "They've been swelling like balloons lately."
Hank cocked his head and scrunched his eyebrows. She sighed. While she knew Hank meant well, it was more of the same mother henning Charles went through. It was Charles's first pregnancy, she understood that, but it was like they'd never heard of pregnancy before.
"Do you mind if I...take your blood pressure after this?" Hank said, "After the party I mean."
She rolled her eyes and opened the drawer with the knives.
"Hank, I have been on my feet more during this pregnancy than my last one," she said, "It happens."
"I know, I know," he said, "But...please? Just...humor me this once."
Moira looked at him, and immediately felt bad. His expression was so earnest, so worried. It still felt a bit like they were trying to give her safety bumpers, but the concern and care behind it was genuine.
Her first pregnancy hadn't been like that. She closed her eyes, remembering doing so much without help. She should enjoy the help, shouldn't feel strange. But the fact remained that it did feel strange sometimes, going through something she'd gone through without a loving husband and large support group.
"Alright," she said, "I'll let you take my blood pressure after the party. Well, an hour after. I don't know how stressful this'll be. But just..."
She sighed.
"Don't tell Charles you're doing it," she said, "He worries enough as it is."
"Got it," Hank said, "I'll just run this to Sam before it melts."
Moira smiled and nodded before turning back to the cake. It wasn't going to frost itself.