"HE'S SICK."

"Yeah, I figured that." Eleanor coldly retorted, crossing her arms. They were now in Hank's laboratory, running a series of tests on Charles' son, Jacob. She shut her eyes for a moment, realizing how condescending her tone was and sighed.

She already knew Charles and Valerie met once again two days later after Washington. He even attempted to hide it inside his mind, securing the memory with mental barriers. However, he failed to realize that Eleanor wasn't new to her telepathic skills and in a matter of seconds, she discovered all about it.

Eleanor had no qualms with it since she and Charles weren't even together at that time. Her mind was still heavily occupied with a certain ferrokinetic who wasn't even around. The woman was aware that Valerie and her fiancé left each other on good terms, but what irritated her right now was that the other woman chose to hide her son from Charles when he rightfully deserved to know about Jacob's existence.

"Why the hell didn't you come back and tell him you were pregnant with his child, Valerie?" Eleanor gritted her teeth, getting more vexed at the moment.

"I... I was about to," Valerie's voice shook, and she released her breath. "but then I... I saw you."

Eleanor raised her eyebrow.

"I mean, I saw you and Charles when I came here to tell him. You were both happy, Eleanor. You... you were five or six months along just as I was in my seventh month." Valerie explained further. "Charles was so happy with you and I knew I couldn't take that away from him."

"Still, you shouldn't have hidden it from him, Val. He deserved to know about Jacob. So, what? You would hide the truth about his paternity just because I'm his wife or well, right now his fiancée?"

"I was going to tell Jacob when he was already old enough to understand."

Eleanor sighed. She found herself similar to Valerie who hid the truth for now. She then stepped away from her companion and sauntered over to Hank who had just finished his assessments on Jacob. She let her hand ran over to his hair, feeling the pain in his body at the moment. He was sleeping peacefully like nothing was going on at the moment. Eleanor felt her maternal instincts kick in and knew she would do everything to help him.

"Talk to me, Hank. What's going on?"

"Valerie's correct, El." Hank informed, rubbing some alcohol in his hands. "Charles' blood is what Jacob needs to heal from his chronic kidney disease. I had a bag full of Charles' blood earlier and it worked. We will be needing an immediate blood transfusion now."

Just an hour before, Valerie elaborated Jacob's condition. The boy was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease just two weeks ago, but it was more damaging than they expected that he needed blood transfusion already. Within the last couple of days, his body refused all the donated blood, almost poisoning him. Thankfully, his body still fought on. Valerie then hypothesized that maybe Charles' blood was what Jacob needed to heal. Hence, their arrival that morning.

Eleanor quickly nodded. "Okay, let me just contact him using Cerebro." She was about to leave the laboratory when the doors opened and a soft whirring was heard.

"You don't have to. I'm already here."

Charles wheeled himself inside the room, observing all of them seriously. "Valerie." he acknowledged, swallowing.

"Charles."

The tension was thick in the room and everyone could feel it especially Eleanor. She then wasted no time tapping Hank's shoulder, gesturing him to come with her. "We'll leave the two of you to talk." She announced, walking away.

Eleanor had no intention of staying and listen to their conversation since she knew it was personal. Yes, she may be Charles' wife soon, but she also respected his privacy. She watched Charles' eyes land on the sleeping boy on the cot and he shook his head. She strode over to him and placed a kiss on his head.

"Charles, about an hour from now, Jacob will be needing that blood transfusion. Hank and I will come back later, alright?"

"Can't you just stay here?"

Eleanor smiled.

"You two need to talk. You won't be able to do that if I'm around. Again, you don't have anything to worry. I trust you." She placed her hand on his cheek, running her thumb over his cheekbone. "Come on, Hank."

The two left them inside the laboratory and as soon as they reached the upper floor, Hank patted her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know, Hank." confessed the woman, softly. "I actually do not know if I am. Am I sad? Am I afraid? Am I nervous? I don't know."

Eleanor had really no idea what she felt at the moment. It was so complicated that it was making her head ache. How could everything be complicated in just a day?

The woman then saw Raven together with Nathaniel and Anastasia who were showing their powers to her. Her son split the pencil in half with the snap of his fingers just as Anastasia repaired it, tilting only her head to the side. The blonde woman chuckled in amazement, ruffling their hair in adoration. She then noticed Eleanor and Hank's nearby presence.

"Your children are adorable." Raven commented. "God, it's like I saw two young Charles today." She relayed, pertaining to Nathan and Jacob. "One almost an exact physical copy and the other in his words."

Eleanor smiled a little at that. Jacob was indeed like a replica of Charles. She let out a soft sigh as she realized their situation as of the moment. Currently, the woman Charles once admired, the woman he first loved, and her, the woman he loves now or so he claims were now all in the same place.

What a joyous reunion.

She had no problem accepting Jacob as Charles' son, it was a part of him she understood. If ever Erik was in the same situation, she would have no problems with it too so as long as he chose to be with her.

Hank and Raven then asked to be excused from them and her very energetic twins went somewhere else in the mansion, possibly to cause another chaos. Eleanor found herself walking to Charles' office and went in, just taking a look around. Her fingers slid across his desk as her mind wandered.

Maybe Valerie's reappearance was the universe's way to help her figure out what she really wanted. She sighed. There was a lot more important things she should put her entire focus on other than her stupid and complicated love relationships. Just like how mutants are still being discriminated, experimented, running, and so much more.

As the years went by, Eleanor found herself believing what Erik once believed in. He was a holocaust survivor and knew it in himself that what the Nazis have done to them, humanity will soon follow. That they will try to enslave their kind and wipe them out from existence just because of their genetic mutations. Just because they think mutants will be the death of mankind, an imbalance in the normal way of things that should be removed.

No matter how hard she had worked with the government to give them what they deserve, they still wouldn't budge. Maybe they needed an apocalypse to happen in order to realize that only mutants can help them when they're all going to die.

"Charles, why didn't she recognize me? She knew me in this form."

Raven's voice filled the office and rattled Eleanor's brain back to where she was exactly. She gulped and moved around the desk, greeting Charles with a kiss to his cheek.

"Well," Charles momentarily returned the gesture and shrugged. "After you left me on the beach in Cuba, I took her memories of that time. Have a sit."

"Lucky girl."

"It's good to see you, Raven. Welcome home."

"This isn't my house." countered the blonde, adjusting herself in her seat. Eleanor crossed her arms and just listened to their conversation, leaning her back against the bookshelf behind Charles.

"It was once."

"No, it was your home. I just lived here. I barely even recognize it now."

Charles half-smiled, pivoting his chair towards the window. "Yeah, Ellie and I have plans for this place. I mean, we wish to turn it into a real campus. A university." He mused, a hopeful smile reaching his eyes. "Not just for mutants, even for humans too. Living and working, growing together."

"You know," Raven tsked. "I really believed that once. I really believed we can change them after D.C."

"We did."

"No, Charles. They still hate and fear us. It's just harder to see because they're more polite about it. I got sick of living that lie. I'm surprised Eleanor isn't yet. Our faces are everywhere."

Truthfully, she was somehow sick of it too. She was tired of being shown off like a trophy. She was in several government meetings along with Charles, but it was exhausting. Everything just frustrated her with them.

"That's why you're not in your natural blue form." observed the man.

"I'm not going to be the face of a world that doesn't exist."

"Things are better. The world is better."

"Maybe in Westchester." retaliated Raven, leaning in forward. "Out there, mutants are still running, hiding, living in fear. Just because there's not a war doesn't mean there's peace. If you want to teach your kids something, teach them that. Teach them to fight. Otherwise, they might as well live in this house for the rest of their lives."

Eleanor watched Charles tightly purse his lips as if he still couldn't believe what Raven was saying. "You still sound just like him. You sound just like Erik."

"But, she's right though." Eleanor finally spoke up. "We're teaching our kids here how to live normally, but not how to fight for their lives. They won't forever stay with us, Charles." She stepped forward, emerging from where she stood. She placed a hand over his shoulder. "Let's not lie, Charles. We can't protect them forever. As much as I can't believe I'm saying this, but Erik is right. We should do something that will benefit not only our generation, but also the next. Our school isn't enough refuge for them."

Charles looked up at her like he was considering her words. "Erik's right, but his actions weren't. If only we can get him to come with us and convince him to..."

Raven cleared her throat. "Actually, that's the reason why I'm here. He's resurfaced."

"What?" Eleanor's attention was immediately caught with this and she furrowed her eyebrows.

"He had a wife and a daughter." She explained and the brunette looked down. Of course, Erik did. She was right when she thought he had moved on from her. She felt sad and happy at the same time that he did. However, sorrow soon followed when Raven continued her narrative.

"They were killed. Along with a handful of policemen. The whole world will be looking for him, but you can help me find him before they do. We need to." Raven then gazed at Eleanor, fixing her eyes on her.

Without any hesitation, Eleanor nodded. "We have to help him, Charles. In any we can." She told her fiancé, gripping his shoulder.

She noticed then how silent he was after this. He pinched the bridge of his nose, releasing a sigh. "Raven, can you please excuse me and Ellie for a while. Thank you."

Charles held her hand and the two of them walked out of the office, leaving Raven alone. They were both silent as they went to their bedroom and Eleanor assumed they were going to talk first privately. They had to. Today was a bewildering day for the both of them that they need to settle things first.

"I'm assuming you brought me here because you want to talk about everything that's happening right now." Eleanor started, sitting down at their bed.

"I just... I have already talked with Valerie and I have confirmed Jacob's my son."

"Of course, he is. He looks like you, for Pete's sake."

They were both silent once again, just slowly taking in their situations. "I feel like I don't want to let you go. Something inside of me is saying that I shouldn't." Charles finally spoke up, looking away.

Eleanor knelt in front of him, placing a hand on his cheek. "I will still be here. I won't be gone... yet." She tried to humor him, but got no reaction. It was too soon.

"Promise me we will still keep trying."

She would've said yes in a heartbeat, but then she caught a piece of his thoughts that he was trying to hide. The woman smiled and nodded instead of voicing out her promise. She carefully hid what she discovered from him, locking it away. They leant their foreheads together as if silently asking for support.

"Erik has resurfaced, Charles. You know what that means."

The man nodded, swallowing. "We will tell them, just not now." He shut his eyes. "You know how they perceive him. We'll have to take it slow with them."

"We will. They deserve to know the truth." She agreed, brushing her hair back.

"Let's only hope they can accept it."