Just in case it isn't clear, this takes place before the events of Days of Future's Past. So Logan never went back in time and changed things. I'm not sure if I will even address it in the story. We'll see. But I hope you like it. I hate that there's not many stories about X-Men.
I know I haven't updated in a while and I'm sorry. I got caught up on other projects. But I'm back now and will do a better job at updating. But while you're waiting, check out my other works on here.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with the X-Men brand. All rights reserved to Marvel Comics. All OCs are mine.
Charlie sat down on the mattress stiffly. The woman who introduced herself as Storm led her to this room. She didn't talk much to Charlie as they made their way out of the room. Charlie could feel that Storm wanted to ask her something. Heck, probably a lot of somethings, but she held herself back. She didn't know Charlie. She most likely didn't know that she even existed.
Charlie looked around the room and couldn't help but smile softly to herself. It wasn't the room Charlie stayed in when she lived here. It was smaller and felt more like a new dormitory than anything. Which made sense because it most likely was. The walls were clean and white and bare. Nothing hung on the walls or in the closet. The bed was bare of sheets and only had one solitary pillow that didn't look to comfy. All in all the room felt pretty clinical and not at all like home.
Charlie let out a sigh as she laid back against the wall.
"What am I doing?"
Her mind couldn't help but to wander back to the man she had met the other night. Logan.
She slept with him. He knew her father. He lived here. And he was a mutant.
"Of course he is," she mumbled to herself turning her back to the door and burrowing her head into the pillow. The pillow was surprisingly softer than it looked before.
"With my luck it's no wonder that he turned out to be a mutant. And of course he knows my dad and they're all just buddy-buddy. I have to have the most rotten luck in the fucking world!" She grumbled to herself before drifting off to sleep.
It's not that Charlie had anything against mutants. Hell, she was one. How could she really hate herself or be afraid of herself. She had nothing against them and didn't buy into all that Mutant-Hate-Mania. She didn't believe that they were all monsters and needed to be exterminated. They had every right to live amongst everybody else and be a part of society.
It was all pretty stupid the way everybody treated mutants. There are regular people out there who are more qualified to be called monsters than mutants. Yeah, they are mutants out there who are terrible and should be put away from life. But they're not all bad. If humans believe that the entire race is at fault for a few evil ones than it's a bit hypocritical because the US alone has been involved in more wars and taken part in destroying a lot more human lives than mutants have.
The problem that Charlie has is that her entire life she had been made to believe that she was something when she really wasn't. She was made to believe that she was normal and she belonged to one world when really it wasn't that at all. But most of all, she was told that the man who had loved and cared for her from before she could remember, wasn't really the man who he said he was.
Logan tried to focus on his breakfast but his mind was stuck on fiery blue eyes and pouty pink lips.
"What is 'zee matter Logan? What happened yesterday with 'zee girl from 'zee other night?"
Remy had been bothering him all morning regarding the woman. It didn't help Logan get her out of his mind either. And despite how annoying the Cajun was behaving, he knew the Cajun was still holding back.
The atmosphere is the cafeteria was more solemn that morning and even the students had enough sense to tone down their antics even though they didn't know the reason. The students were in a state of confusion. Their beloved Professor X had woken from his coma, but all the staff appeared subdued and deep in thought. All the professors knew about Xavier's long lost daughter, but none knew what to say about It. It was still very tense amongst all of them.
"Look Gambit, right now not the best time. Things are still pretty tense between the professor and the little darlin'. I don' know all the details, now, but seems to me that there's a lot more goin' on than we knew about with Chuckles."
"Like what? Does it have anything to do with the mood that's been going on in here Sug'?" Rogue sauntered over to the table with her band of friend trailing her and sitting down at the table with Logan and Remy.
Ever since Remy and Rogue became 'official' it gave the others the courage to sit with the professors. Logan didn't really mind much since he never really treated the kids like kids. But Sometimes Logan just wanted a bit of peace and quiet.
Rogue gave Remy and chaste peck on the cheek, still not used to PDA or affection in usual. Remy smiled as he watched his love sit down beside him so close she was practically on his lap. Rogue had gotten a lot more comfortable and confident in her appearance and her affections ever since the fiasco months ago.
Some of the tensions between mutants and the rest of the world simmered down, but not much. But one doctor who once worked at the lab came out to the world and confessed that her daughter, who turned four next month, is a mutant, and she couldn't be prouder. She came to the school afterwards to seek asylum for some of the hatred she was treated with and to give her daughter the opportunity to harness her powers when she was offered a position to work with Hank. Together they were able to develop a derivative of the cure, which played on Rogue's ability especially. It allowed her to tame her powers to some degree giving her better control over it. It wasn't perfect and Rogue still has her bouts, but for the most part, she can have skin to skin contact without sucking the life out of them.
Logan sighed and placed his fork down giving up on eating all together. He looked around the table at the curious faces who were eager to devour any information he was willing to give.
"Alright' now. Here's it is: I don' know much but apparently Xavier's got a kid of some sort. Well, she's adopted. I don' know much 'bout it since they ain't on good terms, but she's a mutant as well. She came back yesterday after just being out of the country for a bit and she's back now. I think. They supposed to talk today or somethin'. That's all you guy are gettin' outta me though. Now mind yer business."
Despite how more relaxed the kids were around Logan, they still knew when to not push his buttons. Nothing else was said on the matter and they picked up their own conversations about trivial matters.
Logan half-listened but didn't bother nodding along to the conversation. Being here in this school softened him around the edges a little, but that battle hardened him right back up. It's not the first time that war has done that to a man.
Logan. My office in fifteen minutes. Logan chuckled to himself as Xavier did what he did best.
Charles Xavier was a patient man. He has always been. The ability to read others thoughts gave him the patience that he needed dealing with others in respect to his wishes. Because at the end of the day, not only did he know everything you were thinking, but he was charming. He could always make you see his way in the end. But he never let it go to his head.
Pun unintended.
But his patience was always tested when it came to Robin. He loved her so much and would do anything for her. But she really tried his patience. She knew exactly what buttons to press to get what reactions.
Charles had not had much contact let alone experience with children before taking in Robin. When her father begged him to take her and care for her, he almost turned him down. Well, he almost turned her down for many other personal reasons as well, but that's not the point. Charles Xavier has been in many battles and have faced many a villainous mutants. But he can honestly say that raising a child was the hardest thing he ever done. He learned as she learned, right along with him. They grew together.
But then she left. A piece of him broke off and left when she did. There hasn't been a day gone by that he hasn't thought of her. And as he sat outside her door psyching himself up enough to knock he's never felt more nervous than this moment right here.
"I know you're out there dad," he heard from the other side of the door. "You might as well come in. Unless you were planning on sitting out there all day."
The door opened to reveal his little girl Robin. Well she wasn't a little girl anymore. Maneuvering into the room Xavier placed himself in front of her as she sat on the bed rigidly in before him. He could tell from her body language that she was about as comfortable as he and was anxious to get this conversation on with it. It saddened him greatly how ill at ease his daughter felt around him.
"Robin, I feel as though it is only right that you hear the truth about your parents from me," he began.
"Biological parents. Put that in there. They may have birthed me. But as far as I am concerned, they are not my parents. Regardless of our relationship, I still consider you my father," Charlie cut him off. She had been staring down at the odd wheelchair that he was in when she spoke but looked up and made eye contact.
"I'm sorry," she apologized immediately, " but I just needed to get that out there. Continue."
He cleared his throat and tried to get the tears he felt threatening to surface at bay.
"Right. Your biological parents. Um..." He laughed a little nervously, "How much do you know about my past?"
"Nothing." Charlie looked at him blankly and gave him a pointed look.
"Right. Well, it's along one. I won't go too into detail today because it is a long story and I want to get to the point. But I met a man by the name Eric Lensherr when I was young. In those days we both stood and fought for the same things. He quickly became my best friend and he actually helped me create this school. We started the X-men together, really. Something happened during a battle that didn't sit well with me and it tore our friendship apart. That and a few other things, but that especially.
"You see, as close as the two of us were, I knew the type of man that Eric was deep down. When I first met him he was wholly fueled by anger and revenge that he couldn't think straight. I was young and naïve enough to believe being my friend changed him for the better. He fought for mutant rights as well, but took a different route. A more violent route. He believed that the mutant race was superior in every way and that we deserved to rule. When he nearly killed a whole ship of them I knew that Eric and I envisioned two completely different futures for mutants. And I gave him a choice, and he left."
"But he didn't leave alone. Beside a few mutants, he left with Mystique. She was Raven when I first met her though," Charlie noticed a small smile came to his when he mentioned that name.
"I'd known Raven since I was a little boy and I caught her breaking in and pretending to be my mother so that she could steal some food. Raven had been on her own since she was a child and she used her mutant abilities to transform into another form, another person, to survive. She did it only for survival when we first met. She had always been a sister to me growing up. I don't know when it happened or when things began to shift, btu somewhere along the way I fell in love with her. And when Eric and I split, Raven left with him. Giving him her loyalty...and her heart."
Charlie couldn't help but feel at angry at this woman for breaking her father's young heart. She may not have fully forgiven him for everything, but she wanted to kill this woman for what she did. She was an idiot for choosing this man over her father. Charlie hated how she had to watch her father pull himself together over this woman.
"It was a long time ago, really. I've moved past it. But I was critically injured the last time I had seen them. Using this special concoction Hank came up with, I was able to maintain by ability to walk, but at the cost of my telepathic mutant abilities. At the time I thought it was a small price to pay seeing as though I was full of anger and hatred and jealousy. Hank didn't fully agree with my reasoning but I gave him no choice. I would sit around all day just stewing in anger and drinking. Not doing anything for my rage, but it helped subdue the pain a little. At least until I became sober again.
"Then my life changed. I didn't know how much time had passed. It felt like years, but in reality it couldn't be more than a year give or take a few months. Someone was banging on the door in the middle of the night. I very nearly didn't answer the door, but I had a hammering headache and I just wanted it to go away. I opened the door only to see the man I hated with a burning passion, holding this wriggly little bundle in his arms. I would have attempted to kill him had he not been holding you. I was about to just slam the door in his face when he called out to me. I don't know what it was about the way he said my name that made turn around and give him a chance to explain."
"Charles...please," Eric begged. Xavier turned around reluctantly at the sound of desperation in his old friend's voice. He had never heard that tone come from this man. Not for as long as he knew him.
Charles turned around spine ramrod straight and gave his ex-best friend a cold look. But he didn't notice it. He was too busy looking down tearfully at the small bundle in his arms. Xavier was just about to ask what it was in his arms that he was holding when he saw a small pale arms reach out jerkingly.
Such tiny fingers, Xavier thought.
"What do you want?" Xavier asked in the hoarse voice he had become accustomed to. It made Eric look up at him again. Xavier saw tears falling from his eyes and traveling down his cheeks. His old friend had never looked so vulnerable.
"I know I have no right to ask anything of you-"
"You're damn right you don't!"
"BUT-but please! Xavier. You have to help me. You have to do me a favor."
"I have to? I owe you a favor? You must be out of your mind!" Xavier chuckled mirthlessly.
"I don't owe you a damn thing. And I damn sure don't have to do anything for you!"
"Please! I wouldn't come to you if I didn't think you were my last option."
Charles heard the exasperation and fatigue in his voice. And knew that Eric really meant what he said. Eric doesn't beg and he doesn't plea. To have come to Charles and beg in tears for something, Charles knew it had to be a big deal. But it didn't make Charles want to listen anymore to it. He just didn't care anymore.
"I don't care what you have to say Eric," Charles sighed. "Go home. Get out of here. I don't care what you do or what you need. Just...get out of my face. I'm pretty sure Raven wouldn't mind you in hers," he mumbled the last part, but Eric caught it.
"That's why I'm here!' And Charles caught onto the anger in his voice. A tone he never heard him take with Raven or when she was mentioned before. And that captured Charles' attention once more.
"Raven...she's out of hand. She crossed the line. I didn't know she...I didn't that she could do something like this before."
"Something like what?" His confusion couple with Eric's stuttering about Raven only served to rise Charles' curiosity and nervousness.
"She was pregnant!" Eric burst. "Raven was pregnant when we left. With my child. WE had...we had-"
"Yeah I get it!" Charles cut him off.
"I didn't know that she was. She didn't say anything. I was suspicious something was going on when she would alter her appearance everyday and would refuse to reveal her true self, but I didn't say anything. She wasn't my main focus at the time. "
Charles snorted and rolled his eyes, "Not surprising. But what does this have to do with me?"
"I didn't know she was pregnant until a few days ago when the others ran into the room to find her screaming in agony on the floor. Next thing I know I'm holding this," Eric gestured to the bundle in his arms subconsciously pulling it closer to him.
"Raven had a pal of mine run some tests and discovered that the kid didn't have the gene in her. I've never been a sentimental man, Charles, you know this. But I never thought I'd witness Raven try and kill a...a...baby! I wouldn't even do that!"
"What...?" Xavier couldn't help but to gasp out. That didn't sound like Raven. Raven was...Raven has always had issues, but she wouldn't...
"Trust me, I wouldn't believe it either if I had not seen her."
"...What do you want me to do about it...?"
"Take her," Eric pushed the child towards Xavier. Xavier startled at the movement and tripped trying to move away from the man.
"What?! No! Absolutely not! I don't know what the hell to do with a baby! It-She's your responsibility! Not mine." Xavier stumbled over himself. The initial shock wore off and the anger began to set in again.
"Charles, I can't take care of a kid. I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I tried. I gave it a day. But I can't do t. She doesn't sleep. I don't know what to feed her. I don't een know if anyone has changed. Not of the idiots I'm with know what the fuck to do. Please. I wouldn't come to you if I had somewhere else to turn. You know this Charles. As heartless as you may think I am, I don't want this kid to just be killed because she's one of them. She's a fucking baby for Pete's sake! But I can't keep her."
Eric whispered the last part to himself while he looked down on the baby girl. Charles has yet to see what the baby looked like and he half-feared it would be an identical copy of Eric or Raven. He didn't know which he feared more. Xavier couldn't help but to note that besides the fact that he knew Eric didn't have a paternal bone in his body, he's never seen that man look at anything as precious as he was that little girl. And even though Charles didn't know what to do, he knew he couldn't let Eric or Raven raise the child. That would be neglectful on his part.
"What am I supposed to do with her?" Charles asked quietly carefully taking the child from Eric whose shoulders sagged in relief.
"I don't know. Do what you want with her-it. Raise it. Send it to an orphanage. I don't care. But I can't be the one to deal with it."
Eric began to take backwards steps away from the mansion, Charles, and his child. He kept his eyes honed in on the bundle but continued to back away.
"What am I supposed to tell her? Do you plan on coming back someday?" Xavier shouted to him.
"No!" Eric shouted back. "I won't be back for her."
And Charles took that to mean he would be back someday, but just not for the child. For him.
"You won't have to worry about me coming for the child. After today I won't have any recollection for her-it. I have a guy who can take care of the small issue of my memory regarding the kid."
And with that, Charles watched as Eric's figure got smaller and small until he disappeared.
"I have never regretted that day. Taking you in. Never. Even your biological parents believed you to not possess the gene. What was I supposed to think. And technically I didn't lie to you about being a mutant. During that dark period of my life I didn't want to be one and I chose my legs over my unique qualities. Robin please believe me when I say that I never wanted to hurt you. I just figure if I hate that part of me, why would you be any different."
"I don't know, maybe because I'm your daughter," Charlie grumbled. She despised that she a part of her forgave him for what she did. Her parents were bastards and good riddance. But it didn't erase everything.
"You're absolutely right. I should have known better. But at least be upset with me. I made Hank withhold it from you just like I made him continue to administer me the solution. How could I keep up with you from a wheelchair?"
The room was quiet for a minute. Charlie took in everything he told her and weighed n it her mind Then something suddenly occurred to her.
"Why did you do it?"
"Do what, Robin?"
"Take me in. You said so yourself that you didn't know the first thing what to do with me. You could've dropped me off at a hospital or an orphanage. But you decided to keep me. Why?"
Xavier smiled brighter than he had in a while.
"Because the second I looked into those Robin egg blue eyes of yours I knew you were mine. I was a goner. I could never let go of you."
"So why did you gather us all here again?" Logan was the first to ask. He usually was. He wasn't one to hold back how he felt or what he thought.
Xavier looked back on his teaching staff. Which at the moment consisted of Hank, Logan, Gambit, Storm, and the doctor who helped Rogue with her powers, Dr. Emily Richards. Logan continued instructing P.E and occasionally brought the kids down to the Danger Room. Storm taught literature, Gambit always had a knack for history and loved to talk. Hank continued with Science and Dr. Emma took over the mathematics department.
Charlie sat on the corner of Xavier's desk listening in on the meeting. She was starving and was anxious to head on down to the cafeteria to grab a bite to eat.
"I called you all hear to officially introduce you all to my daughter, Robin Charlotte Xavier. But she prefers Charlie, apparently," he announced giving his daughter a smirk.
The room released a breath of release in unison. They were glad the tension between father and daughter was gone. Although Logan could sense that not everything was perfect between the two. They were definitely a lot more manageable to be around.
"She'll be staying here at the school. You'll probably see her lurking around the hallways or occasionally listening in on lessons when she has nothing else to do, but she's not a student. I hope you all make her feel welcomed and that you all get to know each other and love each other as I have with you."
"Don't worry, I'm not as high maintenance as my father," Charlie chuckled. The rest of them room chuckled along with her. Xavier patted her on the knee and smiled at her warmly.
"So, Chere. Since we're all gonna be pals and whatnot, how's you tell us what your trick is," Gambit made himself known.
Charlie looked over to him and noticed that he was the guy who was with her and Logan the other night at the bar. She willed herself to not think about that night and Logan and put on a casual face.
"Excuse me?"
"Your trick, Chere. What you can do. What's our mutant ability, doll?"
"Oh..." Charlie says surprised. She had never been outright asked before. "I uh...I don't really know much about it."
"How about I take a look for you?" Hank offered. He was nervous around Charlie. The last time he seen her she looked at him with so much anger he wanted to piss his pants a bit. She barely acknowledged him since she's been back and honestly it hurts. Especially considering how close they once were.
She turned to him shocked he spoke to her. She didn't think he would really want to after the names she called him last time. But she made an effort to look him in the eyes and respond.
"Uh, yeah. Sure. I'm curious, actually, to find out what exactly is...what I have. What I can do. So uh, whenever you're ready." Charlie fidgeted.
"We can go now, if you would like. To the lab. All I need is a DNA sample, hopefully and we should have exactly what we're looking for."
Okay so I'm going to leave off there. How was it? Leave me a review to tell me what you think. You now know a little bit about Charlie's past and who her parents are. Don't fret, we'll be seeing Magneto (Eric) and Mystique (Raven) pretty soon.
Next will be Charlie's lab results and you'll get some insight on her abilities. And to all those who caught the Hulk reference about Calcutta, I'm not sure if I want to name drop him in there or not. I haven't decided.