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It was just the two of them at dinner. Because Charles never married, dinner was a quiet affair, though not uncomfortable. Having it just be the two of them allowed for more personal conversation. Nothing was too taboo for Charles and Ororo, and she appreciated it; Jean often complained she felt like she hardly knew her parents.

Physically, it was just two of them at dinner.

Ororo pushed her salmon about on her plate. She hadn’t done extensive research on what foods were safe to eat, but she was certain she once read fish was not okay for babies. There was no way around eating it, though. Salmon, salad, and potatoes were on the menu with the fish being the main dish. Should she not eat it, Charles would instantly know something was up. And unfortunately, there was something up.

Ororo was biding time.

“And how was your day, Ororo? As I recall, you were painfully excited for homecoming. Are they selling tickets?” Charles chuckled behind his napkin. “Will you be taking a date?”

Technically, Ororo had been single for a year and a half, only going on “dates with boys from school” sporadically. Charles was sympathetic, finding the breakup between Ororo and T’Challa particularly messy and confusing; he sided with her completely and was supportive the entire time. Charles wanted her to date, wanted her to be happy. And she was eighteen. Ororo was eighteen and there was nothing wrong with dating Logan.

Except for the fact that they started talking when she was sixteen, dating when she was seventeen, and having a baby at eighteen. It was... a delicate situation.

“My day was fine. No, they’re not selling tickets, yet, though they should soon.” She stabbed a potato and dragged it around her plate. “I don’t think I want to go to homecoming.”

Charles straightened up. “What’s wrong? You were so excited. You were even looking at dresses with Jean and Kitty this past weekend.”

Ororo cringed. It wasn’t a total lie that she’d been looking at dresses, but that was after she and spent all morning looking stuffing her face with food. She found that she craved chocolate but couldn’t keep the sweet confection down. And when she was well enough to meet with Kitty, they had to cancel early because the smell of the mall’s fast food places made her stomach turn.

“Ororo? Is everything all right? You look... Tired.” His brows furrowed, concentrating on his most prized possession. “Do you want me to call a doctor?”

“No!” she said suddenly, looking nervous. Ororo wilted, realizing how nervous she appeared. Scratching the inside of her wrist and biting her lower lip, she shook her head. “N-no... I am tired, but I don’t need a doctor.” Not yet, at least. She dropped her hands to her lap and looked at her plate. “May I be excused? I’m not particularly hungry; I’d just like to sleep.” And never wake up.

Charles sighed. Something was up. “I suppose so. I’ll save your plate of food, but I’m waking you up earlier so you can eat a big breakfast. Skipping meals isn’t healthy for a growing girl,” he said sagely.

And if it’s a boy? The question never made it past her throat. Instead, Ororo placed her napkin on her plate and slowly rose to her feet. Her heart felt heavy, too heavy to bear. She needed to talk to someone. Someone had to know, but the people who needed to know weren’t getting informed. Ororo knew she was making the situation harder on herself, and possibly worse for her baby, but she was helpless to stop it.

She was already pregnant. It wasn’t like she could magically become un-pregnant.

She bent low to press a kiss to Charles’ shiny forehead. Sudden and intense feelings of love, guilt, fear, and joy overwhelmed her and she wrapped her arms around Charles’ neck. It took him a second to react, but he eventually hugged her close. It was nice, reminding Ororo that there was such a thing as unconditional love.

Maybe one day she would have it for her baby, but something told her she already did.

The hug was nice, but it somehow was wrong.

Ororo wanted to be held.

Logan held Ororo. He pulled her close and whispered things that weren’t always sexual in nature but made her feel like a woman.

Recent turn of events made Ororo question what being a woman really entailed. She was certain she wasn’t a woman now. Now, she was just a scared little girl facing a very real situation.

Dimly, she realized the situation would be easier if everyone knew.

“What was that for?” Charles asked, a small smile on his face.

For not killing me. For picking me over everyone else at the orphanage. It was an apology. She squandered a gift selfishly and unintentionally.

“Just because.”





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