Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution or 'Teddy's Lullaby' (as sung by The Remus Lupins), I have simply borrowed them.

This is part of my AU and is set at the end of 'All's Fair in Love and War' and before the beginning of 'Of Love and Life'. You don't have to have read either of those to understand this oneshot. All you need to understand is:

Lance had a large power surge that left him in a coma for three months.
During that three months, Kitty gave birth to a boy called Liam Daniel Alvers.

Never Again

The Xavier Institute was quiet.

Normally, this was a strange occurrence, but being the middle of the night, it was both expected and a relief.

The relief came from the fact that both babies were still asleep.

Of course, if any of the children woke, it wouldn't disturb the whole house – the two nurseries had been soundproofed, so only the parents would be alerted via baby monitor if their children woke.

This hadn't happened yet tonight, so everyone was asleep.

That is, except for one.

Lance Alvers couldn't sleep.

He guessed it was because he'd just woken up from three months in a coma a few days previously and didn't need anymore rest, but he should be tired – it had been a long, emotionally draining day.

Slight movement at his side caused a smile to spread across his face and he ran a gentle hand down his girlfriend's arm as Kitty nestled into his chest.

They had shared a bed before, but that was always a temporary arrangement. Last Christmas, he had mentioned that he wouldn't mind waking up beside her every day and she had reluctantly reminded him that just wasn't possible – at least for the moment.

But this wasn't temporary.

So much had happened while he was unconscious and he was having trouble wrapping his mind around everything.

His hand slid down to Kitty's stomach where, what felt like days ago, their child had once resided.

Giving up on sleep, at least for the moment, he kissed his girlfriend's forehead and got out of bed, careful not to wake her, before grabbing a shirt from the floor and slipping it on.

Silently, he made his way down the hall and down one flight of stairs until he reached the night nursery, and carefully pushed the door open.

This room was just as silent as the rest of the house.

Lance peered into each of the cots as he passed, just to check on the children. Lorelai LeBeau – nearly a year old – was sleeping peacefully, and he paused, gently brushing away the lock of blonde hair that threatened to tickle her nose and disturb her slumber. Joey and Monica Summers slept in adjacent cots, facing away from each other, looking deceptively innocent.

Passing by his niece and nephew, Lance made sure Cindy Drake was still fast asleep, which she was, and moved on to the last crib.

Unlike the other children, the young boy lay awake, his dark eyes glinting in the moonlight that streamed through the gap in the curtains.

Lance chuckled quietly and lifted the child out of bed. "Hey, kiddo. Didn't want to wake us, huh?"

Liam Daniel Alvers simply squirmed in his father's arms in response.

"Or did you know I was awake?" Lance asked softly. "Mommy said that you're a quiet baby."

The thought hurt slightly and he carried his son through into the day nursery, separated from the night nursery by another soundproof wall. The curtains were open in here, the room illuminated by the full moon. He paid little attention to that though, taking a seat in one of the rockers, his mind elsewhere.

Thanks to the coma, he'd missed his own child's birth by a month.

"Mommy shouldn't have had to tell me though." Lance murmured. "I'm your dad, I should already know." He smiled weakly as Liam took one of his fingers in his tight little fist. "I know you haven't made your hungry noise, but …" Checking Liam's diaper quickly, he found it clean and breathed a sigh of relief.

"So what woke you up?"

Liam yawned and snuggled closer.

"Just wanted a cuddle, huh?" Lance's smile widened. "Just like your mom."

Despite his obvious tiredness, Liam's eyes remained open and alert, and Lance rocked back and forth almost absently. "You lucked out in that department, Liam. You've got the most amazing mother in the world." He leaned down, lowering his voice. "Don't tell your Auntie Jean I said that. She'll skin me alive."

Liam made a noise that could have been a giggle.

"Well, I'm glad you find that amusing." Lance chuckled, before sighing. "I can't believe I missed the first month of your life." He looked out of the window, out over the moonlit grounds. "You know," he said after a while, "your mom didn't think she could be a mom. Crazy, right? Gonna be up to you and me to prove her wrong, because she's an amazing mom, isn't she?"

Liam squeaked again with a slight squirm.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you can understand every word I say." Lance murmured. "Then again, if you've got your mother's brains, you probably can."

He sighed. "This time last year, Mommy and I were still sneaking around because no one thought we would work. That's one of the reasons why she was so scared when we found out about you."

He lowered his voice. "But don't tell Mommy I told you that. She doesn't think she should be scared of anything. I guess this is the kind of thing I'm supposed to impart wisdom about, isn't it?"

The baby gazed up at him.

"There's nothing wrong with being scared, Liam." Lance told him seriously. "My dad used to tell me that being brave meant facing your fears not living without them. And your mom – she's one of the bravest people I know. Her parents have a pretty specific idea of the kind of daughter they want and she's never been good enough."

Liam let out a third squeak and Lance shifted him, so his son was lying on his chest as he reclined. "I know. They're a little crazy. They came to visit you while I was out. I'm not sorry I missed that."

He glanced down at Liam. "Don't tell Mommy I said that. With any luck they'll come to their senses. Or have come to their senses. But I'm sure Mommy would have told me if it'd already happened."

He chuckled. "Scratch that – she'd have been shouting it from the rooftop. Now I don't want to say that you should never listen to your grandparents. But when it comes to your mom, they're wrong, alright? But you don't need me to tell you that.

"The important thing for you to know, Liam, is that Mommy and I aren't gonna do that." Lance vowed. "You can do whatever you want to do in life and we will support you." He paused. "Within reason, of course. Don't turn into Magneto."

Liam yawned into his chest.

"I'll take that as 'okay, Daddy, I won't." Lance smiled. "Go to sleep, kiddo. You're tired."

Liam continued to stare at him with big brown eyes, in spite of his wide yawn a few seconds ago.

Lance stood up, shifting him back into his arms. He walked over to the window, rocking Liam carefully as he moved.

His own guitar playing floated into his mind and he smiled slightly. Ever since Kitty told him they were expecting a child, he had been attempting to write said child a lullaby, but the words wouldn't stick, the chords refused to harmonise, and it was harder than any song he'd ever written (most of which were about Kitty and none of which would ever see the light of day).

But now, as he cradled his son, the words came to him, as though he'd known them all along.

"Oh, my dearest baby boy,

You have brought me never-ending joy,

My boy

Close your eyes, don't watch the sky,

Fall asleep to this lullaby,

My boy

When you wake, I will be there,

To make sure that life is more than fair,

My boy

You stand as a reminder of

The victory of true love,

My boy

Oh, sleep you well,

Oh, sleep you well,

Oh my little perfect son,

Can't understand what you have done

For me

You showed me what my life was worth,

Changed every colour with your birth,

My boy

Many years from now, you'll hear this song,

Know I'm next to you, know I'm never gone,

You are who I'm fighting for,

So let them come to our front door,

I'll stand.

Oh, sleep you well,

Oh, sleep you well,

Sleep you well, my son, we'll be here for you,

When morning comes

Sleep you well, my son, we'll be here for you,

When morning comes

Sleep you well, my son, we'll be here for you,

When morning comes …"

As the last note died away, Liam's eyes closed and his breathing evened out. With a smile, Lance took him back into the night nursery and laid him in his crib, pressing a kiss to his hair. "I love you, son." He whispered. "I'm not going to miss another second. Never again."

AN: It feels a bit weird to use a Harry Potter song in an X-Men fanfic, but I couldn't find any other lullabies for father-son (lots of father-daughter, but I don't need that right now). And then I listened to 'Teddy's Lullaby' by The Remus Lupins - listen to it on YouTube, it's gorgeous. I changed a few of the words, just to make it fit better, but it's a really lovely song.

Hope you liked it XD