a/n: rewrote this like five times...
btw, should i keep doing memes for this book? because there's just way too much trauma going on here and i feel like you all need a laugh

"Oh, good! You're calm!"

"Why would I not be?"

"Uhhh... how's the baby?" Jubilee quickly asked.

"In my womb, crushing my organs and apparently dancing samba close to my bladder." I raised an eyebrow and set down the paintbrush. "What's going on, Jubilee?"

"Nothing!"

"Bullshit. Start talking."

"Okay... Wolverine, Gambit and Cyclops went searching for Sinister after what happened to you and they just came back."

"I know this. What I don't know is why you're all-"

"Cyclops hit his head bad and won't wake up... Gambit's burned and Logan's unconscious and not healing."

"Take me to the med bay, now."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"What the hell happened!?"

"Before you start freaking out-"

"Oh, we're well past that, Jean." I spat and rushed to Scott's bed. "What happened!?"

"Before we tell you, I need to know the severity of his first head injury." Hank said and pulled out a chair for me. "And I need you to breathe... Stress isn't good for the baby."

"Uhhh, Alex once said it was a skull fracture that needed surgery to fix and a contusion... The night of the crash, Scott took most of the hit because of a wrong turn with the parachute. When he joined the X-Men, it was just a few random concussions but I always made sure to watch his head whenever he fell."

"If he's suffered another traumatic blow to the head, it could exacerbate the damage from previous injuries. We need to run a more in-depth scan, but his condition is... concerning."

"Concerning?!" I snapped, my claws itching to extend. "Hank, that's not good enough. Tell me exactly how bad it is."

"We're doing everything we can," Hank assured me, his voice calm but firm. "But he's stable for now, which is a good sign. It's possible he's just unconscious due to a severe concussion. However, we won't know the extent of the damage until he wakes up or until we complete further diagnostics."

"Listen to me and listen good, Scott Summers." I leaned down and brushed the hair away from his forehead. "You better wake up and do it soon. I don't care if it's to yell at me for nagging about your safety again... you will wake up."

"If that don't wake him, I don't know what will." Gambit chuckled and I turned to him. "I tried to cover his head!"

"What happened?"

"You know Sinister, petit. He don't fight fair. We tracked him to one of his hidden labs... figured we'd finish the job, make sure he couldn't come after you or the bébé again."

"And?"

"Trap," Gambit admitted, his voice tinged with guilt. "Soon as we breached, the whole place lit up. We fought off some of his new lackeys, but he had tech we ain't seen before. Scott took the brunt of it when he tried to protect me. Logan... he went berserk trying to take Sinister down but got hit with something and stopped healing!"

"Can you help him?" I asked Hank who looked down. "Tell me you can help my dad, Hank!"

"Lyla... I've been monitoring Logan's condition for some time now, and I'm afraid the situation is more complex than a simple wound or inhibitor."

"He's not healing!"

"His regenerative factor is starting to slow down.... It started a while ago and he didn't want to bring it up because of the baby."

"It's the adamantium, isn't it?" I realized and he nodded. "He's supposed to be invincible... My dad is supposed to be unbreakable... He's the fucking Wolverine for crying out loud!"

"Lyla, the adamantium in Logan's skeleton has always been both his greatest asset and his greatest curse. Over the years, his body, like yours, has been fighting a constant battle against the toxicity of the metal. His healing factor kept him alive, kept the poisoning at bay, but... it's been waning. You were dying at a much rapid pace due to all the times the adamantium had to be shifted, but the Phoenix force took care of that."

"And he didn't say anything? He just hoped it would go away?"

"Logan's a proud man, Lyla. He didn't want to burden you, especially not with a child on the way. He's always put your safety, and now the baby's, above his own well-being." Kayla added and wiped her tears. "You know he would rather suffer in silence than have you worry about him."

"That stubborn idiot," I muttered. "He thought he could handle this alone. He thought he had to."

"I could try and see if I can force the adamantium back to normal, Claws." Jean offered. "But I can't guarantee that it won't happen again."

"Is... is my dad dying?"

"Logan's healing factor is still active, but it's overtaxed. The toxins are spreading faster than his body can combat them. If we can stabilize him and slow the poisoning, we'll buy him more time to recover. But we need to act quickly." Hank said and placed a hand on my shoulder. "I have something I was working on years ago. It should be enough to stabilize him until I can come up with a proper treatment... But eventually, it won't be enough and-"

"He'll die." I interrupted and they all looked down. "How long?"

"It's hard to say. To truly help him, we'll need a more permanent solution... One that addresses the root cause."

"The adamantium."

"It's a part of him, but it's also killing him. If we can't find a way to strengthen his healing factor or neutralize the toxicity, we may have to consider removing it."

"He'll die if we remove it!"

"It's an option we don't take lightly," Hank said firmly. "But it's one we may have to face if his condition continues to deteriorate."

"He'll die if we even try to remove it!"

"It's fused to his skeleton. Taking it out would put unimaginable strain on his body. Even if his healing factor was fully operational, the odds of survival would be slim."

"So you're telling me my dad is dying no matter what we do?"

"We don't know that yet," Jean said, stepping forward, her voice calm but firm. "Logan's survived things that no one else could. If anyone can fight through this, it's him. But we need to act now to give him the best chance."

"Then stop wasting time!" I shouted. "Do whatever you have to. Use the treatment you've been working on, Hank. Jean, try to stabilize the adamantium. Whatever it takes, you fix him. You fix my dad."

"We'll start the treatment immediately. Jean, I'll need your help monitoring his cellular regeneration. Kayla, can you assist with preparing the lab?"

"I'll do whatever you need," Kayla said, her voice steady despite her tear-streaked face. "And Sinister?"

"We let him be for now." Charles decided and stopped his wheelchair next to Scott's bed. "There is too much at risk."

"Let him be?" I turned to Charles, my voice sharp with disbelief. "He's the reason my dad is like this! The reason Scott is lying there! And you want to let him be?"

"I understand your anger, Lyla. But if we confront Sinister now, we risk escalating the situation. He undoubtedly expects retaliation and will be prepared for it. Right now, our priority must be Logan and Scott."

"And what if Sinister comes after us again while we're sitting here, playing it safe?"

"We'll be ready," Charles replied firmly. "But until we understand exactly what we're dealing with his new technology, his plans... we cannot afford to make a reckless move."

"I'll rip him limb from limb! He almost killed my husband and father, Professor!"

"I don't doubt your resolve, Lyla. But you must think strategically. Sinister thrives on chaos. If we act without preparation, we risk giving him exactly what he wants... more casualties, more leverage."

"He deserves to pay for this," I hissed, my claws sliding out instinctively.

"And he will," Charles assured me. "But not at the expense of those you care about most. Not at the expense of Scott or Logan."

"Lyla, you need to breathe for a minute." Jean said and gently escorted me out of the room. "Once one of them wakes, we'll call you. I'm going to try and see what damage Sinister has done and try to reverse it with the Professor. They're in good hands."

"Promise me, Red?"

"I swear to you, Claws."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"They're both still unconscious. Beast and the Professor are evaluating the extent of the head injury to see if it'll affect what little control he has of his optic blasts."

"And my dad?"

"Stable, for now." Jean sighed and sat across from me before passing a picture. "We found that in Scott's suit... He must really be excited for Alex to come, huh?"

"Every time he feels Alex kick or move, he's jumping walls." I chuckled and set down the picture. "I've never seen him so excited before, Jeanie."

"He's going to be an amazing father, Lyla. You know that, right? Scott has always been fiercely protective of the people he loves. And now, with Alex on the way... he has even more to fight for."

"All I need is for him to wake up, Red."

"He will, Lyla. Scott's stronger than anyone gives him credit for. He's been through so much, and he's always found a way back to you. He'll fight through this too."

"It's not just me anymore, Jeanie. Alex needs him too. I need him to be there to hold our son, to teach him all the things only Scott can. I can't do this alone... And I need Dad to tell me that I'm not fucking up and that I'm a decent mom."

"Lyla, you're already an amazing mom. Look at everything you've done to protect Alex, everything you've already sacrificed. Your dad sees that. He's so proud of you. And Scott? He knows it too. You've got more strength in you than you realize." Jean assured as I placed a hand on my bump when Alex started to kick.

"I'm worried about them, Jean."

"We all are and we're doing all we can to help them. You're not alone in this, Claws... You still have a sister who loves you and will always be there for you and Alex."

"I just can't shake the feeling that I'll lose them." I sighed and leaned back. "Everything was perfect before Sinister showed up."

"I swear to you that when the moment comes, Sinister will learn as to why you don't mess with this family, especially with our unborn nephew." She smirked and reached out to hold my hand. "One of the most amazing things about you is that you love too much, Claws... But it also means that you carry so much pain by yourself."

"I have to carry it. If I don't, who else will?"

"You don't have to hold it all together alone, Lyla. You've got me, you've got Kayla, and you've got this whole team. We're all a family, remember? And families share the weight, no matter how heavy it feels."

"I know," I whispered, my voice breaking. "But every time I close my eyes, I see Scott lying there. Or Dad... barely breathing, not healing. I can't stop thinking about what would happen if I lost them. How could I raise Alex without them?"

"You won't have to," Jean said firmly, squeezing my hand. "Scott and Logan are fighters, Lyla. They always have been. They've faced impossible odds before, and they've come through every time. And this? This is no different. They'll come back to you and Alex because they have something worth fighting for."

"You think so?"

"I know so."