Author's note: Thank you to NotMarge, partygirl98, kmj1989, anonymouscsifan, and Cloudcity'sBookworm (I'm sorry, I didn't even think of doing that part :-S) for the reviews! I'm so sorry it took so long to finish this up. Thank you guys for being so patient with me! And thank you to everyone who took the time to read, follow/fave and review this story.

My next fic will probably be a James/Lily fic, but please give me some time for it. Keep an eye out, and hopefully it'll be good enough for my wonderful, wonderful readers. Thank you guys so much for your support! :-)

Love,

brigid1318

Happily Ever After

I barely noticed Hank's conversation with Nurse Jackson, simply because as soon as one contraction ended, another began.

Hank hovered by my side, his face torn with anxiety while I squeezed his hand through the pain. He seemed at an utter loss for words as he sponged the sweat off my forehead.

You don't have to say anything, darling. Just you being here is enough.

I was about to tell him that when suddenly he spoke up.

"You can do this, sweetheart," Hank blurted out, kissing my fingers. "You're strong, Zoey. You can do anything. Don't fight it, love, just ride it out-"

People were gathering in the room, getting everything ready for the birth, but neither of us paid them any heed. Our attention was only for each other.

His sweet words honestly made me want to cry. Listening to Hank tell me how much I meant to him while I went through giving birth to his children warmed my heart and helped me ignore the pain, like a child who asks his mother for a kiss on an "owie."

"-And now you're the mother of my children and- thank you, for everything. I love you so much, Zoey. I know you can-"

"I'm here, I'm here. I got distracted out there," Marceline announced, appearing suddenly. "I'm so sorry, ma petite."

She bustled around to my other side, while the nurses adjusted my legs and hospital gown.

Do you really have to do that? I feel like my intestines are trying to make a break for it and that's not helping.

"Mrs. Xavier was saying the metal man and the blue woman who shot Hank were arrested!" Marceline continued.

In any other situation I would've let out a shout of relief and triumph over that news. Magneto and Mystique had gotten their comeuppance, and could do no more harm.

But right now I was a little busy.

"No one got a shot off on Mystique?" I couldn't help muttering though. "There went my good vibe."

Hank snorted.

At this point, it felt like I had period cramps multiplied by a million and I just wanted this over with. Therefore it was a relief when Dr. Stevenson walked in and told me it was time to really push.

What do you think I've been doing? Trying to hold them in?

I don't really remember much about things after that, which was probably a good thing considering there was a man who was not my husband between my legs. Embarrassment and self-consciousness basically goes out the window during labor, I guess. It was like my body wasn't my body- only a temporary living facility for my babies.

And they were getting ready to vacate.

There were all sorts of pulling and ripping sensations, like someone was trying to split me in two. I'm glad I don't remember most of it, except for perhaps Hank trying to encourage me on. I will eternally be grateful to him for not saying such trite, unhelpful things as "push" and "breathe." If he had I might've punched him in the face.

"I see the head!" Dr. Stevenson told me. "One more good push, Dr. McCoy, come on-"

I screamed as the baby crowned, it was so painful. My hands clutched at Hank and Marceline's- I think I broke my godmother's fingers in the process.

And then-

"Well done, well done," the doctor said. "It's a boy. That's one down-"

A baby started to cry, his screams filling the room.

Our baby, our son. Hank and I had a son.

I badly wanted to see my baby, but the nurses whisked him away too fast for me to even see anything.

Wait! Let me see him! Is he ok?

"You're doing so well, sweetheart," Hank said bracingly. His eyes were trained on the nurses' backs, like he desperately wanted to go see our son. "Now you're halfway there. One more time, Zoey, you can do it-"

It took another ten minutes of agony before the baby crowned.

"Alright, give me one more big push, come on," Dr. Stevenson encouraged. "The head's right- there we go!"

And our second baby was born.

"Another boy! Congratulations to you both."

I did it. It's over.

I collapsed back into the hospital bed, completely exhausted from the effort.

"You did it, cher," Marceline cheered. "Oh, Zoey, I'm so proud of you!"

I smiled wanly at her and turned to look at Hank.

His eyes were burning out of his face with an adoration that was absolutely palpable. I knew I looked like death warmed over, but he made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.

Hank brushed a sweaty curl from my face and leaned in for a kiss. "You're amazing," he whispered fervently. "I love you so much, Zoey."

"I love you, Hank," I replied warmly. My curiosity was burning to be satisfied. "Could you-?"

I gestured weakly towards the incubators where the nurses were still hovering over our sons.

"Please?"

Hank nodded eagerly and kissed the back of my hand before he stood and went over to the little crowd on the other side of the room.

After a minute or two Nurse Jackson stepped aside so he could see.

For a moment Hank stood absolutely frozen as he stared at our sons.

What? What's wrong? Say something!

"Zoey," he said finally, his voice slightly choked. "Oh, sweetheart- they're perfect."

Marceline abandoned her post to go coo over her grandchildren, leaving me alone while another set of nurses put me to rights. By the time all that was done neither she nor Hank had moved away, and I was starting to get impatient.

I'd done the hard work, after all. I wanted to see my babies already.

"Hank?" I called out anxiously. "How are they?"

He rushed back to my side and kissed me again.

"They're beautiful, darling, just like you," he said eagerly.

I laughed at his uncharacteristic enthusiasm. It made me all the more eager to see my children.

"Can I hold them yet?" I asked a nurse. "Please?"

The nurse looked at Dr. Stevenson, who had just finished his own final review of the newborns. He nodded and smiled warmly.

"I'd say so. They're in perfect health," he announced. "Congratulations again."

Two nurses then approached, each carrying a baby.

And for a moment the world just stopped.

My sons were both tiny, each with a head-full of bright blue hair and adorably chubby cheeks- bright red right now, from all the screaming they were doing. They even had Hank's monkey feet.

It didn't escape my notice that he'd called the twins "perfect," despite their physical mutations. My heart swelled to bursting, knowing that Hank felt that way after all of his own painful experiences.

Our babies were a perfect mix of Hank and I. Living symbols of our love for each other, each of them a living, breathing miracle.

I was in love with them before I even held them.

"You're right, Hank," I laughed. There were happy tears pouring down my face. "Oh, they're perfect!"

I held my hands out eagerly to the nurses. Within minutes both boys were laying on my chest, while Hank leaned in close and Marceline ran out to share the news.

Their weight on me was soothing, familiar, even though this was the first time.

I just met you, but I loved you two before you even existed. I will love you for the rest of my life, and beyond. I'm your mother.

I'm a mom!

"You're both so handsome, just like your daddy," I murmured, stroking each little head of blue hair.

Hank chuckled and kissed my cheek, watching in awe as our sons calmed on my chest. He put his fingers in theirs to grasp, his entire face lighting up as they grabbed a hold of him.

Oh, I was right! I thought as their eyes opened and examined him curiously. Their eyes are going to be gold!

"What are we going to call them?" I asked quietly.

Hank considered that for a moment. "What about naming them after your dad and Billy? Edward for the older baby and William for the younger?"

I could only imagine how ecstatic my father would've been to know we'd named our firstborn after him. To know that my husband was the one to suggest it.

God, I miss you, Daddy. I hope you're looking down on us and can see how wonderful Hank is.

"Edward Phillip and William Henry?" I proposed hesitantly, pointing to each baby in turn. I wanted them to be named for Hank, as well.

"Perfect," Hank agreed, kissing me again. "Absolutely perfect."

It had felt like the world was falling apart in the week before the births of our son. But afterwards, it felt like everything fell together, in the best sort of way.

Senator Kelly made an announcement a mere two hours after William and Edward were born to say that he was withdrawing his Mutant Registration Bill from consideration following Hank's heroic actions.

We didn't believe for a second that Kelly had had a sincere change of heart- he was a politician, and knew how unpopular he would be if he punished mutants after one had so selflessly saved his life.

My sons, my niece, and my husband were all safe, thanks to Hank's bravery. I was so proud of him I wanted to shout it to the rooftops.

The twins and I came home from the hospital only two days after the birth. Upon arriving back at our house Hank I eagerly sat down, cuddled together, on the sofa with the twins on his lap so we could simply watch them.

Every move Edward and William made was fascinating. I felt like I could watch them all day, especially with Hank holding them. It was comical, how tiny they looked when he held them- he could hold a baby in each hand. It was heart-melting, seeing how tender he was to our children.

I loved him even more now than I did the day I married him, something I hadn't even thought was possible.

"They picked a perfect day to be born, didn't they?" I teased softly. "How are you going to save mutant kind next, Hank? Put forth an equal right bill for mutants?"

"I didn't save-" he began immediately.

I laughed at his blindness in regards to himself and interrupted his protest with a kiss. "You never give yourself enough credit, darling. If it weren't for you, who knows what would've happened?"

I leaned over and kissed each of our sons.

"Your daddy is my Prince Charming, sea monkeys," I whispered. "And now he's a hero for everyone."

Hank opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by the phone ringing. "I'll get it," he said quickly. "Hello?"

A pause.

"Yes. Can I help you?" he asked warily.

Whatever the answer was, it made Hank almost drop the phone. "E-excuse me? 'The president,' as in President Ford?" he sputtered.

The president? What?

I was nearly bouncing up and down with impatience, bursting with a million questions as to what the President of the United States would want with Hank.

"I-I think I need to speak to my wife first," Hank replied. "Thank you for the opportunity, sir. I'll definitely be getting back to you."

An opportunity? Is Hank being offered a job?

Upon saying goodbye, Hank turned to me, still flabbergasted.

"He wants to appoint me to his Cabinet," he explained without prompting. "The Secretary for Mutant Affairs. What do you think?"

My first reaction was to marvel at how far he'd come since the day I met him. The fact that Hank was asking for my opinion meant he was actually considering the offer, something he would've rejected out-of-hand back in 1968.

Since then Hank had completely accepted himself, taken a stand for mutant rights in order to make the world safer our children. He had stepped up and shared the strength and integrity I'd always seen in him with the world, despite his shyness, because it was the honorable thing to do.

He truly was the bravest, most amazing man I'd ever met.

And now he had an even bigger opportunity to make things right, to continue the fight. If anyone could do it, Dr. Hank McCoy could. But he wouldn't know unless he tried.

"I think you should do it," I replied. "Think of all the good you could do, Hank."

"But you and the twins-?"

I shook my head. "We'll make it work," I said firmly. "Do what you think is right, darling. You know I'll support you, no matter what."

Always.

Hank paused for a moment before nodding slowly. "Ok," he agreed. "I'll do it."

I knew you would, my darling. That's just who you are.

I smiled and snuggled up against him. "I'm so proud of you," I murmured. "I love you, Hank."

"I love you, Zoey," he replied, kissing my head.

Hank wrapped an arm around me again, cradling our twins easily with the other.

In that moment, surrounded by my family, I felt absolutely complete, happier than I ever imagined possible. I had my Prince Charming, my children, and my very own happily ever after- something that I once thought impossible.

As I looked at Hank, I couldn't help thinking of how far we'd come since we met. The chances we took on each other, how hard we tried, even when things looked the most hopeless.

Because how else will things ever get better, unless you try?