Disclaimer: I do not own any of the X-Men. You know it. I know it. And everybody else knows it. I'm just borrowing these guys. I do own everyone else not previously mentioned in an X-Book, including any and all new family members.
9 MONTHS
PART ONE
MONTH 1 - FAMILY TIES
As much faith as he had in the med lab computer, Hank felt compelled to examine, Ororo himself, for his own peace of mind. She was indeed pregnant, approximately two and a half weeks along. There had been no injury to the embryo from the blast as at the time, it would have been too small, which was also why the computer did not detect it then. Storm could not have been more than one or at the most two days pregnant when Rafe was killed.
Physically, Storm was in perfect health. Her bruises had healed and as per usual left no scars. Although she had plenty of opportunity to be, Storm never had any permanent scars. Even her confrontation with Sabretooth had left no visible evidence. This of course was attributed to her x-factor - yet another reason she had been considered a goddess. Street kids were often in competition. Ororo had nothing to show for it.
Storm's emotional state was another matter. While the actual idea of the baby (whom Bobby now insisted, on calling Spudly) made her happy, she was still deeply in grief over Rafe. The fact that he would never see his child only concentrated this feeling.
The day after the announcement, Remy drove Ororo to the Williams’ house. He was going to see someone, so he planned to drop her off and would return later to take her home.
Upon arriving at the house, a police car pulled out of the driveway in front of them.
Remy's hands were visibly tense on the steering wheel. He had done nothing wrong, but old emotions and reactions die hard. Making sure to indicate the turn, he pulled into the driveway.
"What now?" Storm sighed to herself as she watched the patrol car drive off.
"Want me t’wait?"
"No, no. You go on. It should be fine." She got out of the car. "Say hello to Jerri for me."
"Will do."
He waited until David opened the front door, before driving off.
David gave Ororo a hug.
"David, is something wrong? Why were the police here?"
He let her in. "They came to tell us that the two men who planted the bomb, turned themselves in. They claim to be members of the Friend Of Humanity. The FOH is of course denying any connection with them."
Ororo rubbed her eyes. She and the others had suspected as much. Mutant enemies tended to be more creative in their methods of murder.
"So it was my fault." She said thinking aloud.
"No, it was their fault. No one else’s. And in case you’ve forgotten, you’re not the only mutant in this family. Rafe spent plenty of time with Melissa out in public too. He drives-- use to drive her to the hospital to put on those light shows for the kids. And Joan’s been practicing her powers too—so they won’t hurt as much when and if she needs them. They said they wanted to make an example of him. That’s why they turned themselves in. To say that not only mutants but those who fraternize with mutants will not be tolerated."
"They wanted to make an example of him. . ." Storm felt light headed and nauseous, and was unsure if it was from the news or the baby. She swayed slightly and David grabbed her to keep her from falling.
"Whoa! Are you all right?"
"I – will be fine." She said, regaining her composure. "I think I just need to sit down."
"Come on. Everyone should still be in the family room, except Mel. Some of her friends took her out to cheer her up."
The two entered the family room. Jack and Avery were sprawled out on the floor watching television, oblivious to anyone but young Master Simpson on the screen.
"Ororo, dear. Come, sit." Natsuko held her arms out for her would-be daughter-in-law. Ororo sat down and embraced the woman.
"Hi, Ro." Joan said coming back into the room. She had a glass of lemonade in her hand, which she placed on the coffee table before sitting. "You heard."
Ororo nodded.
"You don’t look well dear." Natsuko said softly, moving a stray hair from Ororo’s face.
"Ma, what do you expect?" Joan said wearily.
"No, this is something different. You look ill. Are you eating?"
"She almost fell down in the hallway."
". . .Well, I am quite tired, but there is another reason." She took hold of Natsuko’s hand. The elder woman’s eyes were red from days of crying. Ororo was unsure of how she would take the news.
"What is it?"
‘As Wolverine would say: Give it to her straight.’ "Natsuko – I am pregnant."
". . .Aka-chan desu. . . a baby?"
Storm nodded.
"Rafe’s baby. . ." Natsuko said quietly, and more to herself. "A grand-baby?" Her eyes widened. She pulled Ororo into a tight hug, and began crying. Joan sat staring in disbelief a moment, then hugged David who was sitting on the arm of her chair.
"I take it this agrees with you?"
"Agrees!?! Child, there could be no happier news right now! This baby—a part of Rafe will live on."
"I know. And I will need your help, all of you. I want this child to know their father. To know everything about him."
"A task we will gladly take on."
"So we shell be a family after all."
"We always were dear. You don’t need a piece of paper to tell you that."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
MONTH 2 – FOOD
"No!"
"I-WANT-IT!"
"No! It is against every law of humanity!!!
"Hank!!!"
"Pickles and sour cream covered in strawberry sauce was not meant for human consumption! I don’t believe any animal on earth could digest that!"
The three hundred plus pound doctor was doing his best to hold the bowl of ‘food’ in the air with one furry hand, while keeping Ororo at bay with the other. The two looked as though they were playing basketball and Hank was hogging the ball.
"Hank, I-Am-Hungry!"
"Ororo, I have set out a diet plan for you which meets all of your dietary needs and is also palatably pleasing. I could not call myself a doctor if I allowed this. . . abomination!"
"Henry--" she said in a warning tone. "Do not make me use the lightening."
"You wouldn’t."
"Try me!"
"What is going on here?"
"Scott, Hank will not give me back my food."
"Scott, would you call this food?"
Cyclops winced visibly. "Hank, give me—that. Here you go Ororo."
"Thank you, Scott. It is nice to know who my real friends are." She narrowed her eyes at Henry then sat at the table and proceeded to eat.
Hank opened his mouth to protest, but Cyclops led him away.
"Hank, as much as I respect you as a doctor, have you actually ever followed a woman completely through a pregnancy. . . from A to Z?"
"No, but--"
"I have. And I am now going to tell you the five words that saved my life and the lives of every other man in the history of mankind who has ever gone through a pregnancy."
"And those words are?"
"Give – them – what – they – want."
"Sour cream and strawberry--!!!"
"Give – them – what – they – want. You are the only one who will suffer for it if you don’t."
"Cyclops. . ."
"You should have seen the kinds of things that Ma—Madeline ate. They would have make you go bald!"
"That cannot be healthy."
"They’ve been having babies for 10 000 years – long before modern medicine. They’ve got to be doing something right. I say, anything short of arsenic or cleaning detergent—let it be."
"Thank you, Scott." Ororo said from across the room.
"Hey, Ororo." Bobby said coming into the kitchen. He had a produce basket in his hand.
"I saw we were outta those special tomatoes you like in your salads so I picked you up a few." He placed the basket on the table in front of her.
"Tomatoes. . ."
Ororo jumped up knocking over the chair. She covered her mouth and ran from the kitchen. A moment later, they heard the door to the hallway washroom slam.
"{Sigh}Hank, three more words. . . "Roll with it."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
MONTH 3 – TIMING
"Alright, Ororo. We’re done here. Now, I want you to go upstairs and lay down for a few hours."
"That means don’t do anything." Cecilia added.
"Alright." Storm said wearily, then she left the med lab.
"Jean, I assume you’ll want to talk to Cyclops first."
"I already know." Scott said entering the room. "Jean kept out mind link wide open." He kissed his wife on the forehead.
"Good, then there’s no opposition to relaying the news to the troops—they’re going to need the good news."
"Of course."
"Then Mrs. Summers, if you would be so kind as to summon our comrades in the professor’s office. . . with the exception of our Windrider that is. In addition to your news, there is another serious matter which we all need to discuss."
* * * * *
"What’s this all about Blue?"
"You aren’t planning some kind of sing-along. . . again."
"No."
"So why are we here? And where’s Storm?"
"I’ll get her."
"No! Japheth, no. We shall explain her absence shortly."
That got everyone’s attention.
"Uh, Hank, perhaps the good news first?" Cecilia suggested.
"Capital idea. Jean, Scott, the ball’s in your court."
Like a wave, all the heads in the room turned towards the 1st couple of the X-Men.
"Well, uh. . . um."
"Well said, fearless leader."
"Drake. . ."
"Look everyone, pretty soon there’s going to be a second new addition to this family. I'm pregnant too."
"What???" They shouted collectively.
"Not quite the reaction we were looking for, but. . ." Scott continued. The shock wore off and the X-Men congratulated the happy couple in kind.
"But, waitaminute," Kitty said. "You said this was the good news, which indicates that there's a bad news."
They quieted down, and looked towards the two doctors. Hank looked at Cecilia then back to the spectators.
"Ororo." He said finally.
"What about her?"
"She is not doing as well as we had hoped. In the beginning, she was fine-physically. Emotionally she was still deeply grieving. And while, after the last few months, she has had her moments of contentment, for the most part, her emotional state has been extremely low. These last few weeks especially. I believe the loneliness of her situation is setting in. She misses Rafe."
"We could see that Hank, but what is it you’re not telling us?"
"{Sigh}Ororo’s emotional state is beginning to have a negative effect on her physical health and consequently, the fetus’ health as well."
"Just how serious is this Hank?"
"Extremely, Logan. Both mother and child could be in danger."
"She wouldn’t-I mean, she couldn’t loose the baby over this. . . could she?"
". . .Kitty. . ." Hank shook his head.
"What can you - or we do Hank?" Jubilee asked. "There has to be something. . ."
"What she needs right now is a big-time pick-me-up, and fast."
"Hello, children."
There are times in life when no emotion, no action, no word and be considered fully appropriate. Situations such as this, you can do nothing but stare. . . and wait.
"Am I interrupting something?"
". . ."
". . ."
". . . Professor?" Jean finally whispered, as though speaking any louder would shatter this wonderful illusion. Charles Xavier, who was sitting in the doorway in a wheelchair, coyly shrugged. "I'm home?"
He should have known what would happen next. But he was so happy to see all of them, that he didn't move his chair back an inch when several of them rushed him.
"Wolvie, is it really him?" Jubilee asked quietly.
"It’s Chuck alright."
This was all the information Jubilee needed, as she leapt from her position on the arm of the couch, and joined the muddled crowd.
"I take it this is the big cheese himself." Cecilia asked.
"You got it Pontiac." Hank replied as he moved to join the welcome party.
Japheth moved next to Cecilia. "Hmm. Thought the bloke ‘ould be taller."
"Where were you?"
"We've been looking--"
"Are you alright?"
"<I shall explain everything in time.>"
". . .Your powers!!!"
"You got them back!"
"Brilliant deduction Bobby."
"But how?"
"Before coming here, I had a - friend, turn them back on. Again, that will take some explaining. {Sigh}You do not know how I've longed to see your faces again." He looked around.
"But, where is--"
"Professor?"
Ororo was standing in the hall, several feet from Charles. He turned his chair in her direction and smiled.
"There you are child."
Storm did not advance. She kept her hand on the wall for support.
"This. . . You cannot. . . This is some sort of trick. . . It must be. . ."
"I assure you it is really me. This is no trick." As evidence, he quickly projected a memory into her head. A private moment between the two of them. It was after she had returned from Cairo after Achmed El-Gabar's death. She had confided in him that while she loved being an X-Man, she had been, more than tempted - willing actually, to remain in Cairo and lead the urchins herself. It had taken every ounce of self-restraint she had to force herself on that plane back to America. Ororo had told no one else of these feelings. Only Xavier knew about and would never have revealed them.
Although, the actual conversation took several minutes, relaying the thought only took a moment.
She brought her hand up to her mouth.
"Charles. . ."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and began crying.
"It is so good to see you, Ororo." He said. A moment later, the smile faded from his face as he realized these were more than just tears of happiness falling on his shoulder.
"Ororo? Child, what's wrong?"
When she did not answer, and kept crying, Charles looked to the other X-Men, some of whom gave him a weak smile.
"What has happened?"
"Chuck," Wolverine asked. "Do the words perfect timing mean anything to you?"