"Where are you taking me?"
Heather didn't respond to Erik's question, just continued to pull him through the halls of the mansion, making sure no one was following them. She had to pull harder on the older man's hand - seeing as he was reluctant to follow her and was acting like a dead weight. When they had finally entered the sitting room - the same one they had meet in, Heather realized - Heather dropped his hand and prepared herself.
"Are you going to tell me what's so important?"
"I've been practicing."
Erik let out a fake groan, a twinkle in his eyes and smile growing on his face. "Practicing what? Your people skills?" Heather couldn't help but smile back - she felt giddy with both helping Edie and Erik joking around with her. But more so with helping Edie. At least, that's what she told herself. "No," she laughed, "There's no possible way of helping that. But seriously. I may have figured out how to help your mom."
Erik's eyes softened and any reluctance or joking seemed to disappear. "What?" He asked, "What do we need to do?"
Heather glanced around the room, to make sure Edie was near her, before finding her right beside her, a small nervous smile on her face. "Well, okay, I just need - give me minute to focus, alright?"
Erik nodded eagerly, his eyes never leaving Heather, as her own closed. Good thoughts, she chanted to herself, good memories. The first one that came to her mind was the Christmas Eve before her brother went off to war. She remembered sitting on her father's strong knee and looking up at the bright colors on their tree, the ones that her mother had spent hours finding - just so that the colors were perfect for them. She remembered her parents letting both of them own the present they had gotten them - with promises of Santa's gifts coming the next morning.
Her brother had gotten a fine new coat - a royal blue color that was handsome on him - and a gorgeous watch, while she had received a new teddy bear and a beautiful blue dress - the same dress that she would end up wearing to her brother's funeral.
She remembers her brother and her leaving out cookies and milk for Santa Claus - despite over hearing him tell her mother that the tradition was ridiculous. Heather had been angry at first but forgave Michael quickly when he suggested leaving carrots for the reindeer. That night, she fell asleep against her brother's chest, after demanding they stay up and wait for Santa to come.
Despite the awful ache in her chest, the familiar warmness spread throughout her body. When the spark left her, she felt cold all over and rather shaky - both of which had never happened to her before while doing this. She ignored the feeling, however, when she heard Erik gasp. She opened her eyes and saw that the Edie and Erik were staring at each other - their eyes wide and filled with tears. They didn't move for a minute, as if they expected the illusion to go away in the blink of an eye, but when it didn't, they hurried towards each other, throwing their arms around each other, before pulling away, Edie's hands placing themselves on Erik's cheeks.
Heather looked at her feet, trying to keep from swaying too much. Her head felt light and strange, and she had no idea what was happening, but she heard the two rattling off in German and she decided to not listen in - after all Edie's last words were for Erik and Erik only.
Before she knew it, Heather was being picked up in a hug. "Thank you," Edie laughed tearfully, "Thank you, thank you, thank you." Heather laughed lightly, her head protesting the sudden movement but she didn't say anything because - this was it. Edie's wish had been fulfilled. When Heather caught sight of Edie, however, she was shocked. Right before her eyes, Edie was transforming.
Her bony body turned into a healthier looking figure, her tan skin looked youthful, her lips were fuller, her dark hair curled and her eyes twinkled - much like her son's. The woman before her was beautiful and like Edie in every way. Heather forgot about her dizziness as her eyes blurred with fresh tears. Noticing this, Edie held the younger girl tighter, before whispering in her ear, "Erik needs a woman like you."
Heather let out a wet laugh, her cheeks brightening, especially when she saw Edie's playful wink. It was then that Heather noticed how golden and glowing Edie looked, a sign that she was close to moving on. "Edie," Heather began in astonishment but the woman silenced her, before whispering in her ear, "Auf Wiedersehen, mein Schatz. Mein zukünftiger Schwiegertochter." Before Heather could even ask, Edie pulled away from her and stood in the middle of the room, blowing them each a quick kiss.
With a wide and brilliant smile on her face, Edie Lehnsherr disappeared into a shower of gold.
There was silence in the room for a moment before Heather and Erik were hugging tightly, Erik's chin rested on the smaller girl's head. "She's really gone," Heather mumbled in Erik's shirt, and Erik nodded slowly. Heather swallowed the lump in her throat, before a smile found its way onto her face. "She's in a better place," she mumbled once more, though the sound came out rather muffled.
"What?"
"She's in a better - "
Erik pulled away slightly from their embrace, laughing, a lightness in his eyes and over his face that Heather had never seen before. "Now that you're not suffocated, mind repeating?" Heather rolled her eyes, but repeated, "She's in a better place." Erik hummed in agreement before releasing Heather. It was then that Heather remembered her dizziness and - accidentally - fell back into his arms.
Erik laughed. "What's wrong?"
"Dizzy," Heather responded simply, blinking her blurry eyes. Erik smiled at her before replying, "Must have used too much of your powers while practicing. Come on, time for you to take a nap." Heather pouted at that, mumbling, "I'm not a baby." But she followed him anyway.
_____________
"How can we believe you?"
Later that day, in the same sitting room, the entire group sat around in the many couches, their faces solemn. In front of them, stood the mutants Riptide and Azazel. The two had arrived at the mansion only ten minutes before, their presence greeted by Alex trying to shoot at them with his beam. Charles had called a truce, insisting that the two have their word before they try to attack them. Alex simply grumbled and sat in the corner, throwing dirty glares at the mutants as they talked.
"I mean, no offense," Heather asked, "But weren't you calling us stupid for not killing those humans? Why would you want to join us?"
"We still think you are fools for not killing the humans," Azazel said, his Russian accent rather thick, "But even if we don't agree with you, this is a safe haven, is it not?"
"Yes," Charles replied slowly, "It is but - " Azazel clapped, interrupting, " - Then we will stay. It is dangerous world for mutants. The government is trying to find us, trying to examine us. It will not be long before they hurt us." Heather felt Erik stiffen next to her and she glanced at him nervously.
There was silence for a moment, before Charles sighed. "There will be no hurting humans under my roof - "
"Charles!" Hank and Alex yelled at the same time, shock in their eyes, but Charles kept talking like nothing happened. "Unless a human hurts you, you will not hurt them. Even then, no killing please." Glancing over at the boys' surprised faces, he added. "We're all mutants here. We're all one. And if someone is prepared to protest to that, I'd be happy to discuss the matter with them."
No one spoke up.
_____________
As Thanksgiving slowly approached, the house - thanks in part to Angel and Raven - went through a makeover, each occupied room decorated with different sized pumpkins and squashes and different colored leaves. The home had a smell that reminded Heather of pumpkin pie - the kind her grandmother loved to make - and now had a warm atmosphere, instead of the one Heather had felt when she first wanted in.
The halls were filled with laughter and music, as Raven slipped a record into the record player that stand in one of the larger family rooms. "I love this song," Angel laughed, as a Dee Dee Sharp song played, before the two began to dance. The rest of the group watched them, either rolling their eyes and laughing along with them. Catching sight of Azazel standing awkwardly beside the bunch, Raven's eyes twinkled mischievously and she rushed towards him, gripping his arms tightly and laughing, as she pulled him to where she and Angel were dancing.
Azazel's eyes widened and he looked like he'd just poof away but instead they began to teach him how to do the mashed potato, all three laughing whether one of them messed up. "Oh hell no," Sean said, stepping towards, "Watch and learn from the master." Alex rolled his eyes, joining the dance floor next, claiming Sean was anything but the master of dance.
Both Riptide and Hank followed, shy glances at one another before they made their way towards the group , as the rest of them cheered. Charles then popped his collar and winked at Heather, simply saying, "Looks like it's my turn." Before walking over the dance floor, doing a bad version of the Twist - not that anyone really cared.
Heather laughed at the sight of all of them dancing, before a small figure caught her attention. It was a toddler with rosy cheeks, a button nose, tiny lips and cork screw brown curls. She would have been the most adorable thing if Heather knew how she had gotten into the room or the mansion for that matter without someone, especially Charles, noticing. When the little girl turned and Heather saw her eyes - her big blue eyes - she nearly let out a gasp.
It was Ruth.
The ache was back as Heather gazed over Ruth. There was no doubt in her mind that if Ruth had been able to live for more than just two years, she would have been a heart breaker. The little girl, instead of shying away like usual, giggled and waved excitedly at Heather, who simply waved back. Ruth giggled again, the sound reminding Heather of small bells, before she too disappeared into a shower of gold, similar to that of her mother and Darwin.
Heather stared at the dark corner where Ruth had been, until Erik shook her shoulder. "Are you alright?" He asked, before Heather nodded. "I think - I just helped someone else move on too."
"Who?"
Heather pursed her lips. "I'll tell you later, alright? I don't really want to ruin your night." Erik smiled. "Nothing could ruin my night. But, if you wouldn't tell me - " Erik stepped in front of her, holding his hand out to her. "Do you want to dance?"
Heather laughed, taking his hand, "Of course."
The two were greeted by the cheering of their friends and with the song changing to The Twist, something that was met with more cheers. Heather could never recall feeling this happy or this welcomed, with her friends laughing and dancing around her - and actual friends at that, not ghosts. She had found a place to call home, she had found friends to lean back on, she had survived the Cuban Missile Crisis, she had discovered new powers that she had never thought existed, and she had met the craziest, most stubborn, caring, mother like ghost in the world.
And she wouldn't trade any of it.