"...and I can go and get her as soon as you're ready. It's no trouble you know."

Raven breathed out, her eyelids opening slowly. With a growing sense of horror, she realized she'd fallen asleep. She cursed herself, and gritted her teeth. While she was close enough to the monitors to hear if something changed, it was still inexcusable.

Slowly, she pushed herself up. When she did, she could see Kurt talking to Hank. Her heart stuttered. He was awake. She knew better than to think that was the final word on the subject, but Kurt was awake.

Both of them turned to her when she moved, and Kurt gave her a weak smile.

"I wanted to wake you when I came in, but Kurt said you needed your rest," said Hank, "It's not surprising, given how dehydrated you are. You should drink some water."

Her throat was dry, but she shook her head. She rather expected that had other causes.

"I was just telling him I could get Amanda when he was ready," said Hank, "I'm not sure if Moira and Charles have told Kevin yet, but Amanda is old enough to know as soon as possible. She won't thank you for keeping this from her you know."

"Just two more hours?" asked Kurt.

"Alright," said Hank, "You're going to need a lot of attention over the next few months, and don't move around too much. That's why you're strapped in."

"He's strapped in?" asked Raven.

"Chest belt, under the blanket," said Hank, "He kept squirming."

Kurt gave Hank a sulky look, but something seemed strained about it.

"And no teleporting for a long time, understand? At least five months."

"Nein, zat ist too much," complained Kurt.

"Listen to him," said Raven, "He's been patching people up longer than you've been alive."

The words stuck in her throat as she said them, and she felt Kurt's eyes fix on her. Hank grinned nervously, then straightened his coat.

"I've got to go run some tests on Laura's blood," he said, "I'll be back in half an hour, okay?"

"Ja," Kurt said.

"Hank," said Raven.

He looked at her, his face open despite his apparent exhaustion. She wanted to tell him to stay, because she didn't know what she was going to tell Kurt. Raven wanted to ask him how he was managing to breeze through everything, as though it was any other day in his classroom.

But her son's blood had bathed her earlier that evening, and she felt so tired of the feeling blossoming in her chest. Besides, there was something she wanted to tell him more.

"Thank you," she said.

He smiled again, this one more genuine and less nervous.

"It's nothing," he said.

"It's not-"

"It's why I'm here," said Hank, "It's who I am at the end of the day, who I've always wanted to be."

"You sound like Charles now," Raven said.

Hank shrugged a shoulder.

"Like I said, I know the kind of person I want to be," he said.

With a final nod, he walked out of the room. A small, truoubled thought whispered that, at least now, Charles had someone to pull him back. Hank, however, did not.

"Mmm, Miss Raven?"

She swallowed and closed her eyes. In her head, Raven counted to five. Then, slowly, she got up and walked closer to Kurt's bedside. He was smiling at her, a dry smile aggravated by the bandages for the numerous tiny scars on his face.

But she knew something was wrong, because it wasn't a real smile. Kurt's smiles were filled with warmth. Even when she'd tried to focus on her son's naivete and his complete lack of survival skills to distance herself, she'd known how his smile would light up his entire face.

This fake smile made her ashamed, because she'd caused it. She breathed in, trying to find the words she needed to explain herself.

"I um, I vanted to say...I mean, I vanted to say, you do not haf to feel sad or embarrassed," Kurt said, "I...I understand."

The words she'd been rallying fled, and she was left with only one.

"What?"

"Dr...Dr. McCoy, he told me zat you saved my life," Kurt said licking his lips, "I vas going to die, but you, you kept me awake for as long as you could, and I am alive. And I vas zinking... und I realized..."

His smile grew broader, but it seemed to be stretching the skin. It looked as though he was about to break, to shatter into a million pieces.

"It's okay, ja?" he said, "If...if all zat vas not true, you vanted to save my life. You said vhat I needed to hear, und I stayed awake, we are all alive now so..."

She stared at him. He sounded like someone who, having crawled in from a storm next to a fire and started to warm themselves, suddenly had a bucket of water doused on it. A lump formed in her throat as Kurt began fiddling with the threads of his blanket.

"So...danke," he finished lamely.

Raven continued to stare. From somewhere deep inside her, her mind realized that, whether or not Kurt meant to, he was giving her an out. It was a chance to take it back with no repercussions, no pain. He'd be upset for a while, having thought he'd found his mother only to have her taken away, but he would move on. He never needed to know all of her faults, all of her sins, chief among them her inability to give up.

She closed her eyes again. Raven bit her lip, and then sat down on the edge of Kurt's bed, facing away from him. Her hands trembled.

"Your father's name was Azazel."

The words ripped through the room like thunder. Raven swallowed, her throat tissue paper catching fire.

"I, um, I know that wasn't the name he was born with. But he wanted it and...he thought it was ironic," she said, "You see, he and I, we were part of something called the Brotherhood of Mutants. Erik led it and we...we did some things..."

"I have heard of ze Brotherhood."

His voice was small, but she couldn't gauge an emotion, and she didn't dare look around.

"We went on a mission together the year you were born," she said, "Everything...everything just went wrong. We'd been tricked, the guns came out and he...he teleported me away, but he wanted to go back and get some of our friends. I told him not to, but he wouldn't leave them. Just who he was."

A warm heaviness began to circle her.

"I waited for him, and I waited, and he didn't come, and I knew he was probably dead," she said, "But I kept waiting. And...when I realized he wasn't coming back-"

She'd died. It was the closest phrase she could think of to describe the feeling in her chest, as though everything was failing. But it was clear she hadn't, because of what she'd discovered two weeks afterwards.

"I didn't know I was pregnant then," she said, "And when I did...well, I didn't know for sure he was dead. The taskforce we were up against, they were capturing a lot of mutants for experiments. Some of them had been locked up for years."

"Like Emma?"

Again, that small question.

"Yes, like that," said Raven, "And I couldn't...I went looking for him. Because I thought that, maybe he was alive out there. Maybe they were all alive. And when the months passed, and you were in my arms, you were so much like him. You needed me, and so did he, and you needed him too, and people were looking for me."

She choked then, but stopping was impossible. Just like in the woods, she felt as though she were bleeding words.

"I left you there, and I always, always meant to come back," she said, "I swear to God I did Kurt. I thought it would only take me a few months longer to find him, and then we could be together, all three of us. But the months turned into years. By the time I knew he was dead, you were six, and I'd just become the highest profile mutant in the whole damn world because I couldn't bring myself to kill the bastard who murdered him."

Raven felt the tear roll down her cheek, trembling like her hands.

"And by the time they stopped looking for me...you were fourteen," she said, "It was too late, you were too old to want me, and I wasn't, I was never the mother you would've wanted. Why would I be? You had a good life, or at least you did before those monsters dragged you into that cage fight-"

"Zat vas vhy you were there."

"I just...I heard they'd gotten a demon from Germany to fight in the ring, and I had to know," said Raven, "But...you couldn't...how could I tell you? Kurt, you're not rough and calculating. You don't have a mean bone in your body. You wouldn't even leave me to fight soldiers by myself in Scotland. You're not like me, and that's a good thing. You didn't need someone like me screwing things up for you-"

A light touch stopped her. Raven felt the air leave her lungs, all the heat in her body build into a thick knot behind her eyes. With all the strength she could muster, she looked down at her hand.

Kurt's tail had wrapped itself around her wrist.

"I vant something this time."

She swallowed, and nearly choked on her tongue. Words seemed to pull themselves together in her mind, but disappeared before they found their way past her lips. Finally, she figured out what to say.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I vant you to...bitte...I...please look."

Once again summoning her strength, she turned. Kurt was looking at her, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"All my life, I haf wanted to know where I come from," he said, "I have wanted to know that, maybe, somewhere, someone wanted me. That I wasn't abandoned because I was a mutant, that I was...that I was loved."

His tail released her wrist, but he didn't look away.

"For so long, mein mutter was dead in my mind, lost, because I did not know any better," he said.

He reached out, his movement still constrained by the chest belt. She remembered his small hands reaching for her on the night she left him on the circus's doorstep, blindly flailing for her, wondering why she wouldn't take him in her arms.

"And... now...now you are alive again. I haf never..." Kurt said, "I am...I am..."

A sob tore from her lips, and she grasped his hand. She felt the way his thick fingers curled around hers, and she moved to accommodate them. Her other hand reached out and cupped Kurt's face, his skin only a few shades darker than her own, his eyes the color of his father's skin.

He leaned into her touch, his other hand grasping her wrist.

"I am home," he whispered.

She smiled then, the expression pushing and ripping at her face.

"Yes," she said, "Yes you are."

Raven leaned forward, kissing his forehead as tears washed her face because, maybe, in some way, she was too.

"So what do you want to do with them?" asked Erik.

"When I'm a little stronger, give them false memories and send them on their way," said Charles, "Maybe I can have Jean and Emma do it so we don't have too many guests."

Erik gave him a look from his position by the window. Charles felt like throwing his hands up, but Hank had warned him against strenuous movements.

"What else do I do with them?" he asked.

"I don't know, you could ransom them, interrogate them, something!" Erik said, "These soldiers tried to invade your school and steal your family!"

"I didn't say I wouldn't look around in their heads to see if they have any additional information," said Charles, "We have gone past niceties."

"If this is mean, I'd hate to see you when you are dealing with niceties," muttered Erik.

"You've already seen that," Charles said, "How do you think we met?"

Something glinted in Erik's eyes and, for a minute, he thought his friend was going to snort derisively. Instead, he just smiled and let out a low laugh.

"They deserve worse," said Erik.

"I try not to judge what others deserve, less I'm found less worthy of what I have," Charles said.

Erik shook his head, and the door opened. Moira walked in, her face showing signs of fatigue, but her eyes alert.

"Speaking of," Erik said, "I think I'd best get downstairs, see about giving your prisoners a cup of tea."

"I never said we give them tea," said Charles, "We have a very limited supply. Give them coffee if you must."

His friend chuckled and then walked out of the room, giving Moira a small nod as he did so. She watched him leave, watched the door close. Charles smiled at her, although he knew she couldn't see him. It was the first time they'd been alone since he woke up, without the presence of Hank or Erik or the other X-men.

Charles felt himself relax, struck yet again by just how beautiful she was. Even as she turned away from the door, her hair brushing up against her skin, he wanted to cup her cheek, give her a gentle kiss to make up for the crushing one he'd given her earlier.

"Moira-"

She squared her shoulders and walked over to his desk.

"Is...is something wrong?" he asked.

Moira yanked open one of the drawers, and his mouth went dry.

"Wait, what, no, you, I didn't mean for you to, I'm fine," he protested weakly as he watched her hands rummage through the contents, "I didn't, I honestly, you're not-"

The words died in his throat when she found the small velvet box tucked away in the corner. Although he couldn't quite make it out, he could hear the box open, heard the catch in her breath. He knew what she was seeing: a diamond ring, the stone refitted and band resized for her.

Her fingers curled around the box, clasping it between both of her hands.

"I...I...I..." Charles tried.

"How long has this been there?" she whispered.

He slumped.

"I...three days after we got you back from Scotland," he said, "I didn't know...I didn't know when to give it to you. I kept thinking of times and dates and ways...and then this happened and I..."

Charles clenched teeth and eyes together, looking away.

"I said I wanted to be there for you, and the baby, and Kevin," he said, "I told you I never wanted you to leave my life, and I saw you wanted it to. How could I not want this too?"

He saw her shoulders pull together, and although her face wasn't visible, he could see the tears gathering in his mind's eye. Charles wanted to reach out and pull her to him, but his damned legs kept him on the bed, immobile, useless.

"Love-"

"Let me see if I understand," she said, her words low, "You were going to sacrifice yourself for all of us, you were going to die, and then you wanted me to come up here and see...and see that..."

Her voice caught, choked by tears.

"I wanted you to know what you meant, what you've meant for the last twenty years, what you've always meant," Charles said, "I never wanted to lose you again and...Moira-"

"I went to tell Kevin that dinner was going to be late tonight, that you weren't feeling well," said Moira, "And when he looked up at me, worried, I realized that, if Emma hadn't gotten the defibrillators, if...if it hadn't worked, I'd be telling him that his father was dead instead."

Charles reached out his fingertips, even though he knew it was pointless. He hadn't meant for it to be this way.

"Love, please come here," he said.

He didn't know what he could do to ease the pains he felt, but he wished he could at least brush her tears away, cradle her head. She didn't move though, and his hand fell down next to him, as useless as his legs.

"Mora, I couldn't do it," he said, "I saw their minds, and I knew that...I couldn't start killing people. I couldn't give that command. And I couldn't let them come to the school. I couldn't let them get you and I couldn't face you again if I did anything else."

"Charles, I understand that!"

He blinked, startled. Moira curled in further, her hair covering her face.

"When I was in Scotland, and I went off with Emma to find Laura, I knew I might be throwing away my chance at freedom," she said, "But if I left a six-year-old behind...I couldn't bear to tell you all...I understand."

She turned away further, so her back was facing him.

"I just...your heart stopped Charles," she said, "I felt you go and, all I could think about was how unfair it was. We had the rest of our lives, and with the baby on the way, and Kevin..."

Moira shook her head.

"Charles, I told you once that you won't give up, you won't compromise who you are," she said, "And that was part of what I loved about you. But...we need you just as much as you need us. You're part of our home now Charles, our family. Can you promise that, no matter what, you'll never forget that?"

He swallowed, his hand once again reaching out desperately for her. God, how he needed her to stop crying. He bit his lip, the words coming to his tongue, a promise to do anything for her, for their sons.

They weren't words to be spoken lightly though, not in the life they lived. He knew that, if he spoke them, it was binding. Speaking the words would cement what they were, just as sacred as any marriage vow he could ever say.

He'd never wanted anything more.

"I promise," he said.

"Good," Moira said.

She put down the small velvet box on his desk, and Charles felt his heart plummet. His hand faltered in the air, but, before he could drop it, she was by his side. Without a word she slipped into the bed beside him, laying her head in the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, telling himself that this, this was enough. Having her there was enough, more than he'd ever had.

Then she laid her hand on his chest, and he saw the ring there, sparkling on her finger. Tears fell from his eyes as his spare hand grasped hers.

"I take it this is a yes?" he said.

"Yes," she murmured.

He brought her hand up to his lips, kissing it and clenching his eyes shut tightly. He pulled away, and her lips replaced her hand. He threaded his fingers through her hair, pulling her as close as he dared.

I love you so much, he said.

Me too, she whispered, And, let's face it, you still owe me twenty years.

He laughed against her lips.

You can have that, and every year after that. I'm all yours Moira, he replied, Until I die, and then even further.

A/N: And that's "A Friend in Need." I have to say that two things have shocked me about this fic. The first was truly feeling the ups and downs of the story. As cheesy as it sounds, there were a few chapters where I felt myself tear up as I typed. Many of my readers have described the story as an "emotional rollercoaster." I've been riding it right along with all of you.

That brings me to my second, and most important surprise: reader reaction. This has been, statistically speaking, my most beloved series. However, when I go back and read the reviews, it's really touching to see just how excited you all got for each chapter of this story, how invested you were in the character, the ups and downs. Thank you all. I've said it once, I'll say it again: you all were the reason I returned to the site, and you're the reason why I decided to make this four stories.

In five days, I'll be coming back with the fourth and final story in the series, Bloodlines, where the baby will finally be born. And yes, there's more parent-child drama and Moira/Charles to come.

Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed, even if you just dropped a few lines anonymously. Shoutouts to Coyote Blues (Seriously go ahead and treat yourselves to "Monsters," a fic about Kurt/Mystique/Azazel), Multifangirl6, Aleqiandra, Elora Donovan, knightphoenix2, jguti210, savedbygrace94, BROSMP, and KarateGirl67! I swear, your pregnancy information will be making its debut in the next fic! See you all soon!