After Hank recovered from his stitches, he helped Jean transform practice room thirteen into an infirmary. She had always been interested in health during assigned study hours in the computer rooms, and she had a natural knack for caring for others. She could be found in the infirmary most of the time, but she never missed a chance to sneak away with her friends for a bit of fun.

"How are you feeling?" Jean asked Erik, checking the monitor he was attached to. At twelve years old, she still acted more mature than most people twice her age.

"Ridiculous." Erik replied. "You're young enough to be my daughter and you're my doctor."

"Hush, you." Jean snapped, swatting him on the shoulder. "Now tell me how you feel."

"Well, I can wiggle my toes again, so that's good. It doesn't hurt when I bend my knee. And I didn't pass out when I sat up this morning."

Jean narrowed her eyes at him. "I told you not to get up for at least another week!"

"I didn't get up. I stayed on my bed like a good little patient. I just sat up a little." Erik grinned innocently and she broke, sighing exasperatedly.

"Charles won't be allowed to visit you if he encourages you to break my rules like that." Jean checked one of the charts she had lying on Erik's table. "On the bright side, I think I was wrong. You will probably be able to walk around in a couple days. If you stay in your bed and wait for me to tell you when you can move around." She dropped the clipboard and wandered over to another occupied bed. "How are you feeling Scott?"

Erik dropped back onto his pillows with a sigh. He knew that he had been taking risks going on that mission with Azazel, but somebody had to stop the anti-mutant movement before it turned into a war. One of the protestors had crushed Erik's leg under a tree and Azazel had rushed him back to the infirmary, where Erik had been for the past three months. Jean could use her power to accelerate any healing process, but even she couldn't fully repair his leg any quicker.

"Erik?"

"Jean is very mad at you, Charles."

"No harm came from it. She will forget her anger when we have our next class. When are you going to be free from that infernal place?"

"Hopefully within a week. Jean said I should be able to walk in a couple days."

"Good. My bed has been getting lonely without you." Charles sent Erik an image that made Erik wish he were mobile again just before Jean came back.

"Try to behave while I'm gone? I'm going out with some of my friends. We aren't leaving the grounds." She added before Erik could ask. "We aren't that reckless."

One week had never seemed longer to Erik, who nearly cried with relief when he was finally allowed out of the infirmary. He still had a slight limp, but Jean assured him that it would go away with time. Charles was waiting outside the door when Erik stumbled through.

"Finally." Charles said, pushing Erik against the wall and kissing him.

"Get a room!" Jean yelled, slamming the door to the infirmary shut.

"Come with me." Charles pulled Erik along by the hand. "You are going to love what we've done while you were down there. Some of us have put together a protective barrier around the school, that doubles as an alarm system. Nobody will be able to sneak up on us."

Erik nodded appreciatively as he staggered after Charles. "How does it work?"

"The barrier was Raven's idea. It's designed so that nobody can cross except at the entrance, but she built an impressive gate to block up the entrance too. Can't see anything unless you climb the wall, which sets off the alarm."

"She was worried about Kurt, wasn't she?"

"He is too much like his parents. He can't stand being caged, but she is hoping he will grow used to it. The alarm system was Emma's idea. We used ours and Jean's powers to make the alarm system and Raven helped us set up the links to the bell system in the mansion."

"Hopefully this will deter remaining protestors from attacking us again." Erik said as a looming wall came into view through the windows.

"Our only threat would be if anybody were to make it through that wall."

"Then we can only hope nobody makes it through." Erik said as he watched a group of children playing by the trees. He could see Kurt teleporting every time somebody got too close and the others racing to try to catch him. Raven was out by the grill, supposedly making dinner, but really watching the children with a misty smile on her face. Azazel tended to the food, every once in a while stopping to pull Raven close and wrap his arms around her.

A small tornado appeared, catching Kurt before he could teleport and Ororo leaped into the twister to tackle the small blue boy. The children cheered and laughed as the wind died down.

"You really created an amazing place here, Charles."

Charles smiled gently. "We did it. Together."

"But without you, none of this would have been possible. Take pride in your work, Charles. You've given these children a safe place to discover who they are. A place to be themselves."

"If only the rest of the world could accept them the way they are."

"Anybody who wants to hurt our children will have to face us." Erik said, pulling Charles close.

Charles laughed in surprise, but snuggled close to the metal bender. "Our children, Erik?"

"Yes." Erik said, chuckling. "Our children."

"I resent that statement." A voice rang out behind them, making both men jump. Emma was standing there with a smirk playing across her lips. "But I suppose it can apply to the others." She glanced out the window to watch the children play for a moment before turning back to the two men. "I'm leaving."

"What?" Charles demanded, straightening up in shock. "Why?"

"I need to see more of the world. I can't spend all of my time inside this place." She sighed heavily, her eyes downcast. "I love it here, please don't misunderstand me. This place is my home and I will come back, but I have to go somewhere." She paused. "Scott is coming with me."

"I understand." Erik said. "It is difficult to be penned in for so long."

"You don't want to leave too?" Charles looked distraught."

"I have no desire to leave our home, Charles. I simply understand how they feel."

Charles sighed and nodded. "I suppose I understand too. We will miss you both."

"We shouldn't be gone for long. We just want some adventure before we are too old to have one." She smiled at them both before walking out of the room again.

"We need someone to teach her class." Charles pointed out once the door was closed.

"I think Raven would be delighted to teach her own class for once. I think she tires of being an assistant."

Charles nodded and cast his glance out the window again to see Emma and Scott walking toward the gate. They paused for a moment to talk to Azazel and gave him a large rectangular something covered by a brown sheet. After a few moments conversation, Azazel nodded and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Raven talked to Emma for a moment before the two girls hugged and Emma continued on her way. As they passed through the gate, Emma and Scott waved to the children still playing on the grounds. Charles noticed a cloud of smoke near the top of the gate, where a sign was hanging that had certainly not been there before.

"What does that say?" Charles asked Erik, pointing to the wooden sign.

Erik squinted at the gate and then smiled. "It says: Mutant and Proud."

Charles chuckled, recognizing the phrase that Raven and Emma had started saying to the children. "I like it." He said, snuggling close to Erik again.

"Me too." Erik replied, wrapping his arms around Charles and falling backwards onto their bed.