The gesture surprised him at first; Charles stiffened, uncertain how to respond. It had been a long...long time since he'd received a hug. (Shite, when was the last time? Was it...Raven? Vivian, before she left?)

"Ahh..." he began, but gradually, perhaps painstakingly so, the alarm bells that so often rang inside his head when close contact drew near quieted down. M'gann wasn't a threat, far from it. She was perhaps the kindest individual Charles had ever known:very slowly, he wrapped his arms around her, face half-buried in her shoulder.

"But--" Gwen tried to speak up, but her older sister kept going. She was right, Gwen knew she was right but that didn't make her scolding any easier to hear. Not everyone could walk around the world as confidently and sure of herself as Wanda. Or Vivian. Or Peter--or any of her siblings. Some people just weren't built for that.

Gwen was more like her papa Charles, more like X--content within the boundaries of their home, a simple country life where outside threats were far and few in between. If she lost control of her abilities here, no real harm would come from it, and she'd have at least one member of her support system nearby.

Six year old Gwen looked up at her big sister through teary eyes. She wanted so much to be like Wanda, like Vivian and daddy X who rarely ever cried. They were tough--cool and grown up. Gwen wanted to be grown up too...but Wanda was right. A scraped elbow DID hurt, and try as she might, the tiny redhead couldn't stop the tiny sob that wriggled free as she hung her head.

"I...I know," Charles said meekly--then immediately turned his head to cover a hacking cough. Fuck, he thought, wincing around it. Seemed like it was just one thing after another, one ailment to address or comfort or cover...surely the kids were sick of it by now?

"Ugh...shite," he rasped finally, turning to look at her again. Shame and fever burned his face, his eyes, glassy and groggy, unable to hold hers for long.

Charles turned around; elbow-deep in flour, he hadn't heard his daughter approach. He turned towards her, taking note of her playful eyes and bright smile, and burst out laughing.

James paused. Thought about it. Then he frowned.