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It's a dumb idea, to go fight a Nazi super-mutant on a beach in Cuba during the Cold War, surrounded by Soviet and American ships on all sides.
It was an even more dangerous idea to go there pregnant with a six-month-along baby in his intersexual mutant womb.
Erik had warned him. Ordered him. Begged him not to come. But Charles—Charles never listen. And only now, with Shaw’s corpse hanging limply in the air, did the weight of that decision begin to settle heavy in his bones. Blood streamed down the scar carved into his forehead, thick and crimson, as Erik kept the tyrant suspended above the sand like a grotesque trophy. He wanted to go back home. Where his head wouldn’t hurt like he was the one who has been shot a penny into the cranium and where the baby would probably be less agitated. Erik emerged from the destroyed submarine with the helmet Shaw worn before.
“Today, our fighting stops!” Erik exclaimed, loud enough so everyone could hear him. Letting Shawn’s corpse fall on the sand, making a sickening sound of bone breaking.
“Take off your blinders, brothers and sisters. The real enemy is out there!” He pointed to the horizon where the military ships were laying moored in the ocean, waiting orders from each respective commander.
“I feel their guns moving in the water. Their metals, targeting us. Americans, Soviets, humans. United in their fears of the unknown, The Neanderthal is running scared, my fellow mutants!” Erik slowly looked back at Charles the moment he was about to protest.
“Go ahead, Charles. Tell me I'm wrong.” Erik challenged, Charles reluctantly lifted his left hand to his temple, the right hand cradling his belly underneath the mustard-yellow tactical suit. And…Erik was sadly right…
The captains were fussing over their commands to direct the missiles towards the isle, towards them. Charles swallowed hard while nodding to Moira, who ran towards what remained of the Black bird to call her supervisors. Nobody answered her at the other end of the line, or everybody ignored her call for help. Charles looked at the ships redirecting their missiles towards them, he gripped his stomach even if he was putting on a strong face he was shaking and his stomach kept hurting so much…he didn’t know if it was the fear or the baby kicking. He could hear the psychic buzzing of the minds behind and in front of him, they were about to fire. The orders had changed.
The artillery suddenly thundered, something so strong that it made the sand under their feet vibrate with each blow. It flew into the sky with a trail of fire behind them launching toward the beach. Erik raised his hand up in the air, and the metal under his command stopped. Just a few seconds away to blow them all. And when they thought they could finally breathe, he turned the missiles around, turning the gun towards the other camp.
“Erik, you said it yourself, we are the better men.”Charles tries to reason with him, “This is the time to prove it.” But Erik wasn’t hearing any of this. “There are thousands of men in those ships. Good, honest, innocent men.” “They are just following orders.” Charles breathed.
“I’ve been at the mercy of men just following orders Charles.”Erik said
“Never again.”
The missiles were in the air again—but this time, aimed directly at the ships. Charles felt his stomach clench tight, a sick weight settling in his chest.
“Erik! Release them!” Charles called out, voice sharp with urgency. But Erik didn’t move, didn’t even seem to hear him. The missiles kept speeding toward the ships, and all around, Charles could feel the rising wave of psychic noise—the anxious, frightened thoughts of countless sailors and soldiers spread out across the sea, growing louder with every second.
The telepath suddenly pushed Erik into the sand and desperately tried to take that stupid helmet off, the missiles blowing in the air like day fireworks.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Charles! Not in your condition!” Erik groaned, struggling to free himself from under Charles without causing him harm.
“Then stop it!” Charles snapped, desperately tugging at the helmet, only to receive a sharp blow to the jaw from Erik’s elbow. The shock was clear on Charles’s face, and the brief flicker of guilt in Erik’s eyes quickly vanished as he climbed on top of him, pinning his wrists down to keep him restrained. The other X-Men rushed forward to help, but Erik sent them flying back with a powerful wave of his hand.
“Stand back!” Erik barked.
"Charles, that’s enough! You’re hurting both of you! Let me handle this!”
“Erik, STOP!” Charles cried, trying once again to rip the helmet off, but before he could, Erik’s hand landed hard against his cheek, sending a jolt of pain through him. Charles winced, feeling the sharp sting, but it wasn’t just his face—his baby bump ached, the pain radiating from deep inside him. He curled in on himself, Erik slowly stood up, his figure towering over Charles as he began to move towards the final missile launch.
The missiles were heading for the ships—there was no time left. Moira, stood up and aimed her gun at Erik. She fired, her hand trembling slightly, but the bullet missed. Erik smoothly dodged, before turning to deflect the second bullet mid-air.
Charles rubbed his aching bump, trying to steady himself on his feet. He was almost standing, almost ready to act... he just had to stand up and snatch that helmet…when, in a flash, the third bullet—aimed directly at Erik by Moira—ricocheted off its path and lodged itself deep into Charles’s spine.
The pain was immediate, excruciating, a shockwave that knocked him back down on. Charles gasped, unable to breathe, his vision blurring, the pain overwhelming him. He cried out, his bump AND his spine now arching badly, and now the new level of fear for his life and the baby’s reached a peak. Time seemed to stretch, people seemed to freeze, but it’s wasn’t even his doing.
“CHARLES!!” A loud, desperate voice echoed across the beach, cracking with raw fear. Erik crouched down near him cradling his head gently. All the anger, frustration and determination was gone, replaced by fear anxiety and guilt.
Oh god no what I’ve I done, not Charles not my Charles no no no. I'm an idiot a stupid idiot, I should have forced him to stay home, I'm an idiot, I should have taken that bullet, no no no!
Erik's trembling right hand reached out to pull the bloodied bullet out of Charles’ spine.
The telepath groaned and cried out of pain while the metal bender turned him around on his back.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry… oh, mein Schatz… please…” Erik murmured over and over, his voice breaking, shaking as he rocked Charles gently in his arms.
His fingers trembled as they brushed through Charles’s hair, panic and guilt tightening his chest. When the others rushed forward to help, Erik’s head snapped up.
“I SAID BACK OFF!!” he roared, his voice sharp enough to slice through the air, making everyone freeze in their tracks. Then his gaze locked onto Moira, dark and furious. He spat his words like venom. “You. You did this.” Without thinking, he clenched his hand, tightening the metallic collar around her throat, making her gasp.
But before anything else, a sudden, agonizing scream ripped from Charles’s throat, pulling Erik’s attention back instantly. He looked down, his heart plummeting at the sight of a growing wetness between Charles’s thighs.
No. No, no…
His heart dropped. He knew exactly what it meant—Charles’s water just broke. The baby was coming. Too early. Too soon. And they were stranded on this beach, miles away from the safety of the lab, from doctors, from help. The communication were blackout.
This wasn’t just bad. This was a nightmare.
Erik pulled Charles tighter against his chest, both of their breaths shallow and ragged. His mind raced, trying to think, to stay calm, but the rising panic threatened to drown him whole.
“Hank!!” Erik barked desperately, finally allowing someone near. Beast quickly knelt beside them, his hands unsteady as he carefully pressed against Charles’s belly. After a tense moment, Hank shook his head grimly. “It’s not Braxton Hicks,” he confirmed nervously. “The baby is coming”
Charles let out another sharp gasp, his face contorted in pain as he gripped weakly at Erik’s . His breathing was shallow, trembling, sweat already beading at his forehead. Beast glanced quickly at the others, motioning for them to clear space.
“We don’t have much choice,” he said, voice tight and trying to stay calm . “We need to deliver the baby here. Now.” Hank helped Charles to take off his pants, and he was already centimeter dilated from now.
Charles groaned softly, his eyes fluttering, trying to stay conscious. Erik cupped his face, leaning close, his forehead pressed gently against Charles’s and holding his hand.
Beast worked quickly, giving brief instructions. Banshee and Raven gathered supplies as best they could—jackets, towels, anything remotely clean. While Alex and Moira tried to fix the communication to call for help.
“It’s too soon,” Erik whispered, his voice cracking as he glanced down at Charles’s belly, his hand resting protectively over it. “He’s not ready. The baby’s not ready they will be premature and nothing is sterile here they’ll di—”
“We can’t do otherwise,” Hank interrupted firmly. “The baby's coming, whether we’re ready or not. So we need to focus.”
Another contraction hit, Charles crying out again, arching slightly, and Erik instinctively tightened his hold, whispering reassurances in German and English alike.
“Alright, Charles, listen to me,” Hank’s voice was steady now, positioning himself. “When I say push, you push. Erik, stay right there—he needs you.” Erik swallowed hard, wiping the sweat from Charles’s brow, Raven came back running to take Charles’s other hand in hers.
“Im here Charles, you’re going to be okay…” she pleaded.
The first push came with a strangled cry, Charles’s fingers digging into Erik’s hand, tears slipping down his face. Erik squeezed his hand back, murmuring softly, all while his own heart thundered in terror.
“I’m right here, mein Herz,” Erik whispered. “You’re strong. You can do this.”
“It hurts Erik…Im scared, the baby-”
Charles sobbed between breaths and cries of contractions. “I can’t-”
“I know you can Charles, you’re brave, you’re so brave…” Erik whispered softly. “We’ll make sure they are fine…I promise, just please hold on…”
Another contraction ripped through, making Charles cry out again. Erik swallowed back his own panic, holding him firmly, grounding him. Minutes stretched unbearably long—Charles’s face pale, soaked with sweat, the strain evident in every line of his body, even with Raven sponging his forehead with a cool cloth. Then suddenly, Hank’s voice cut through.
“I can see the head! just a few more pushes, Charles, come on!”
Another contraction hit, stronger than before, and with another cry of pain, Charles bore down, his fingers clawing desperately at Raven and Erik’s hands, clinging to them for dear life. Even though he couldn’t feel his legs anymore he felt like the pain was in all his body at once, but driven by adrenaline he kept going, kept pushing—
Then, suddenly — it was over. But there was no sound, not even a faint whining… Erik’s stomach dropped, dread washing over him like ice.
“Why aren't they—” His voice cracked, but he couldn’t finish the question.
Charles lay limp against Erik’s chest, blue glossy eyes wide, barely able to focus, red lips trembling. “Erik…?”
The silence seemed to stretch out for an eternity and then—a sound. A soft, high-pitched cry cut through the tension like a blade, small but alive. Erik’s breath hitched, a sob escaped his throat, eyes wide as Hank lifted a tiny, slippery form in his hands wrapped in a yellow mustard and blue marine jacket.
“It’s a girl.” McCoy announced while carefully placing the little whimpering baby against Charles’ chest. “Congratulations.”
Erik watched in awe the small little baby nesting against Charles’s chest, Charles went limbs against his chest from exhaustion but wore a radiant grin and happy tears filled eyes on his face. Erik couldn’t believe it himself, Charles had done it, he gave life in the middle of that beach. And he was still alive, their baby girl is alive… He let out watery chuckles and kissed down Charles’s temples with wet kisses, The telepathy was laughing with a tired yet euphoric laugh, the baby now calm and sleepy against him. Raven was hopping everywhere around them in euphoric joy, everyone had the right to be happy after all because they were all alive.
——————————
A few hours later, Charles and the baby had been moved inside the old shell of the jet, to shield them from the harsh wind and the beating sun. He was gently rubbed her soft rosy cheeks while she was sucking on one of his bosom, he was listening to the other fixing the communication when Erik showed up next to him, sitting down hesitantly, because after the emotion of childbirth, let’s not forget what Erik was about to do—and what he did.
“Im sorry Charles…I don’t know what got into me…I should never have raised my hand on you…it’s all my faul-”
“Don’t go...” Charles cut a hint of desperation in his tone. The taller man was speechless. Don’t go? Because Charles thought he was going to leave? -
“What?”
“Please don’t go Erik, I know your mission is done and that you have a new plan for mutant kind now, different from mine…but please don’t abandon me, don’t abandon her…” Charles murmured, his glossy eyes fixed on the small nursing bundle.
“Charles listened to me” Erik said firmly, turning Charles face so they were eyes to eyes. “I am not leaving. And I decided that I wasn’t a long time ago, even before we made her. I love you Charles, I would be a fool to think about leaving my family for that…We will figure it out, make it work. But I won’t abandon all I got.”
“Im staying Charles, you can’t make me leave.”
The telepath nodded with a soft chuckle. “Yes…sorry I just- im just a bit shaken up by all that.”
Erik nodded before looking back at their baby who smacked her lips lips away and was now half asleep.
“Do we do what we said?”
“Hm hm…Lily.”
“Lily Xavier Lensherr.”