Dog Tags : X-Men First Class VOLUME 3 of Prism Series

Part 20

Your hands shook as you tried to pour the water from the kettle into the mug.

"Let me do that."

You looked at him. His face was set and hard. He had only locked eyes with you once since the incident.

"McCoy's gone." He said curtly. You sighed, thinking of Hank's shocked face when you appeared out of nowhere, tears streaming, begging for him to help.

"Erik." You whispered stretching your hands to him. He took it and kissed your palm but it was robotic. It was out of habit. He let go and you stepped aside for him. He didn't look at you as he poured the water. "I'm sorry." Your voice was hoarse from crying.

"Your should be." He said. You glared at him. His eyes were rimmed red and puffy too.

"I should be?" He put a hand on the counter, the other to the bridge of his nose. "You sent that knife hurtling at the man! I should be sorry?! You're the fucking cause of this whole thing!"

"I was protecting us." He snapped.

"Killing a man who was simply doing his job was not going to protect us! They're dying because of what your protecting!" You sobbed, gesturing to the living room.

His hands banged on the counter and you flinched. "They're dying because of me?" His voice was a dangerous whisper, bitter and sharp. He turned and looked at you and in that moment, for the first time in your life you saw hate, utter, pure, and terrifying hate in them. "You teleported in front of that man. You took that knife. Theo ran to you!" He shouted, jabbing a finger in your chest. Each word he spoke he jabbed harder. "You heard what McCoy said! You are taking their mutation! So don't fucking look at me and tell me they're dying because of me since YOU'RE the fucking one THAT'S KILLING THEM!"

Your back was against the wall and your knees trembled. He stared down at you, his eyes gleaming and rabid. His chest heaved and sweat mingled with the tears. Suddenly a sob broke out from your throat. His arms were around you and he pulled you in. He slowly kneeled to the ground and pulled you into his lap as he rested against the wall. You curled up and he held you tighter. You stayed there for awhile, holding each other.

From the other room you heard a sharp cough making you both quickly stand. You looked at Erik but he had turned away. You sighed and walked to the living room.

The fireplace was going and the room swelteringly hot. In front of it there was the sofa and you could see the white head. Except it wasn't the off-white it used to be. It was grayed and yellowed making it look limp. You could hear Adrien's faint mumbling of a song and Theo's whimpering. It hurt to hear him cry.

You quietly walked around the sofa. Lucius looked up at you. His face was even more gaunt and pale than before. His white eyes stared at you lovingly. You touched his face and his eyes closed. At the other end of the sofa Adrien sat on the floor, staring into the fire as he rocked himself back and forth, mumbling his song. The fire reflected back in his obsidian eyes making you suppress a shudder. You smoothed his limp black hair but he simply ignored. Like Erik, he refused to look at you. Lying down on the sofa, your heart broke again, looking at Theo with his head on the pillow in Lucius's lap. His eyes were closed and he whimpered in pain. In only a few hours his face had shrunk even more, his eyes more hollow, and his wrist was all but skin and bone. Sweat covered all of them and they shivered with cold. Theo most violently as you could hear his teeth chatter from time to time.

He opened his eyes and smiled at you. They sparkled dangerously bright. "Mom." He croaked in a whisper.

"Teddy." You kneeled down in front of him.

"Where's Dad?"

"I'm here." Erik kneeled next to you. Adrien stopped his song and looked at him. Erik put his arm around him as his black head nestled into his father's neck. His black eyes looked at you as tears streamed down. You wiped them away and he closed his eyes, a small, crooked smile on his lips.

"Will you stay?" Lucius asked and coughed. He sounded so tired.

"Of course." You sobbed taking his hand. "Of course we'll stay."

"Please don't cry." Theo's voice was weak and you knew there wasn't much time. "I don't want to see you cry." You nodded and wiped your tears. He closed his eyes and gave a deep sigh. You sat together in silence for a long time and your lip quivered, wondering if he was gone. His eyes opened and he looked at his brother. "Adrien." He whispered, putting out his hand.

Adrien looked at you and Erik before taking his brother's hand.

"I love you." He said, looking at Erik and then you. "I love you too, Mom." He said fading into a shadow as he became one with Theo. Theo opened his eyes and black eyes looked at Lucius's white ones. "Lucius." Two voices echoed from his mouth, as he held up a hand.

Lucius looked at you both. "Thank you for being there for us for 17 years. Thank you for loving us like your own children. Thank you for being our parents. I-I" His voice broke and there were tears in his eyes. He looked anywhere but at you both as he whispered, "I love you," and quickly took the hand, dispersing in a mist of white. Theo opened his eyes and one white eye and one black eye looked at you.

"Mom. Dad. I-I lo-" He croaked, his voice only.

"We know sweetheart." You smiled. "We love you too. So much." Erik was looking away, trying not to cry. Theo put his hand out to him. 

"Dad I need you." Erik took his hand while yours smoothed his hair the way you used to. "Mom? I don't want to close my eyes." The voices echoed.

"It's alright." Erik said in the tone he always used when they were scared. "We're here."

They looked at you and smiled. Theo closed their eyes. You left your hand there on his head.

You felt a warm hand squeeze your free hand. You looked up at Erik who was looking at you. You rested your head on his shoulder.

You wouldn't cry until you finished burying the body next morning. You just couldn't do it in front of them.