Thank you so much for your reviews. Fanfic is my escape, and you lot have done such a wonderful job at encouraging me that it feels even better. Last chapter - MarburyBlur, I hope you've enjoyed your prompt. MargotTenser, yours is up next. Enjoy!

The world was full of muffled noise, and brightness pressing on his eyelids, and pain. Mostly pain, at the particular moment. All over, some of it just discomfort, some outright agony, but no part of him didn't hurt. Peter opened one eye, it felt sticky and dry somehow at the same time, tried to move one leg.

"Oh no you don't"

Erik didn't even look up from the book he was reading, raised one hand and pulled metal cuffs tightly around Peter's wrists and ankles. He didn't try to move any more.

"How long?" he croaked, tried not to moan in agony as Erik raised the head of the bed so he could look at him. Failed miserably.

"Three weeks, Peter. Long enough that we've almost finished rebuilding"

"Am I…."

"In the infirmary of the mansion, yes. The one you tried to pull down on our heads. Any more stupid questions?"

He thought. His head felt thick and syrupy, unable to really form coherent thoughts just for now. He looked down at himself as best he could, tubes and wires running everywhere. Noticed a car battery sat on a stand beside the bed. Erik followed his gaze and said.

"You're on a pacemaker, and an ordinary battery won't run it hard and fast enough to match your normal heartbeat. You went into cardiac arrest in the jet. Hank says you're very lucky to be alive"

"How?" he managed

"Apocalypse broke two of your major bones and fractured countless more. Bones are full of fatty marrow, and so much of it got into your bloodstream that it stopped your heart. We took you off the respirator two days ago, you hadn't been breathing on your own before then" He smoothed back his son's greasy unwashed hair, looked at him hard and fondly, "I could have lost you, and I only just found you. That would have been very unfair"

Peter looked up at his father. He looked unshaven, like he hadn't changed his clothes in days, harried and worried and exhausted. Probably almost as bad as he did himself.

"When did you know?" he whispered, wished he could reach out and get himself a drink. As if reading his mind, Erik picked up a cotton swab on a stick and ran it lightly around the inside of his mouth. It tasted of lemons and antiseptic. He grimaced at the taste, but it was better than the dry feeling.

"As soon as I saw you beside that creature," Erik told him truthfully, perched beside him on the bed. He took up next to no room, leaving plenty of space for the older man, "I'm sorry it took me so long"

Peter shook his head. Tried to say something sensible, something to express how grateful he was to have a father at last. Choked on the words and felt tears running down his face. Erik reached out and brushed them away, kissed him gently on the forehead. His lips were rough and dry and felt so loving and kind.

"I'm sorry" he managed, "for everything"

"You tried to destroy the world young man, I think 'sorry' doesn't quite cover it, hmm?"

Peter looked distraught. Erik thought about pretending to be angry for a little longer, but relented in the face of that expression.

"Tried being the operative word" he said kindly, smiled gently at his son, "Failed, and ended up helping to save it is more to the point"

Peter nodded. Looked down at all the tubes again. Thought of his two broken legs and wondered if he'd ever be able to run again. Thought of the pain when it had happened and then stopped thinking about that very quickly as a wave of dizzy nausea rushed over him.

"When can I get up?" he asked

"I'll leave that to Hank, but one thing is for certain – you're going to be in a wheelchair for a while. You have two badly broken legs, Peter, a cast won't do. You could have permanent nerve damage unless you keep off them. The good news is that Hank thinks your healing is accelerated by your mutation"

"The bad news being?"

"There are three women waiting outside who haven't been allowed to see you since you got back, and every single one of them probably wants to smother you with affection"

Erik smiled, got up to open the door and pop his head out for a moment. He was almost knocked over by Wanda bounding ahead of the pack, tears already springing into her eyes as she flung herself on him for a hug. It was at that point that he discovered that three of his ribs were cracked.

"You are the most stupid, horrible, ridiculous little boy I have ever known in my life" she said fiercely, face buried in his neck, hot breath tickling his skin, her tears wet against his collar, "if you ever leave us again like that I will kill you. Heard me? Kill. You."

"Hey Buttface," he gasped faintly, "Breathing… good"

She didn't move far away, keeping hold of one shoulder whilst Lorna and his mother each took their turns weeping with relief and anger and joy and love. He would have a lot of explaining to do, once he got a little better. Right now, it was all he could do to keep his head upright.

"Don't ever leave us again, please," Lorna told him, "it's not good for any of us"

"Actually, if it's all right with you, I wanted to offer Peter a place at the Academy"

The women turned as one, leaving off their petting and cooing for a moment as Xavier wheeled himself into the room. Peter looked dumbstruck at the idea.

"Well don't just gawp at me, say yes" Xavier laughed. Peter wondered if he'd had a bad head injury in the fighting.

"No, my head is perfectly fine" damn telepathy… "I should have offered you a place years ago. I'm very sorry I didn't. I saw you out there, you'll be an asset to our team. Please say you'll join us here"

Peter locked eyes with his mother. She nodded, wiped her nose, squeezed his restrained hand hard.

"Look after him, Professor" she said, "goodness knows he's unable to do it himself"

"Wait," Peter struggled upright as much as he was able against the restraints, fixed Xavier with a wavery look, licked his dry lips before he tried to go on, "You don't wanna do that. What I did? You can't forgive it. Lemme go home, please, build your school again. You don't want someone like me in it."

Xavier looked at him sadly. Then turned to the women and said quietly

"Will you give us a few minutes, please? You too Erik, I want to speak to Peter in private"

Alone at last, he pushed his chair over to the side of the bed, placed one hand softly over Peter's. Reached and unfastened the metal cuff to grip it firmly in a double fist.

"When Apocalypse had me captive, do you remember what I said to you?" The boy shook his head, though he remembered perfectly well. Just that he also remembered what he had done after. "I told you that I could feel goodness in your heart. I wasn't lying. You are a strong, kind, good person and you came through in the end. I can understand why you felt like lashing out the way you did. There's nothing to say that any one of us wouldn't do the same given the right opportunity"

Peter looked away, tried to hide his filling eyes. Failed.

"Don't you believe me?"

"I do, I just…. I don't feel like a good person. I feel like a total loser"

"Then stay here and let us teach you what you really are"

"And what's that?"

"A good man," Xavier smiled, "a good son, a good brother, and a good X-Man"

Peter smiled a little at that. Sniffed and tried to stop the tears. Laughed through them a little.

"Hey Professor? If I stay, can you do something for me?"

"Try me"

"When I can get up again and use a chair…. Can we race?"

Xavier laughed, glanced up to see Erik peering into the room and beckoned him in

"Ask your Father" he said.

FIN!