The New Generation

Summary: The next generation of mutants at "Xavier's School for the Gifted" as seen through the eyes of Amanda Xavier, the mutant daughter of Charles Xavier and Moira McTaggart.

Chapter 1- Rebirth

Charles Xavier watched with trepidation. It had been a year since the Apocalypse incident and almost a year since he had married his beautiful wife, Moira. Of course the nervousness had more to do with the fact that Moira was pregnant and giving birth. Moira had said that giving birth was nothing, but Charles's friend, Hank had cautioned that Moira wasn't as young as she had been when she had given birth to her son from another marriage. Moira and Charles would be having a baby rather late in life. Charles wanted his baby healthy, but he wanted Moira to live too.

"It is all right, Charles. Women have been having babies since time began," Charles's friend Erik, teased.

"Probably right, old friend. But Moira isn't as young as when we first met her. And I guess all fathers hope the baby will be all right," Charles said with a brief grin.

"You are right, Charles. I know I did when Nina was born," Erik said with a bittersweet sadness in his eyes. Nina Lensherr and her mother had been brutally killed a year before and this was the first time Erik had been able to really talk about it.

"I bet she was beautiful, Erik. I kind of wonder if she'll be like me. Since the mutant gene is passed through fathers," Charles said.

"Nina had it. Stands to reason that your son or daughter would have it. Granted, his or her powers might be different from yours. Nina couldn't manipulate metal," Erik said.

"That could be a relief. Being able to read minds and having the powers of persuasion isn't the best of gifts," Charles said as Hank came out of the mansion's operating room.

"Well?" Charles asked, biting his lips.

"Charles, you have a healthy baby girl," Hank said.

"And Moira?" Charles asked anxiously.

"She is fine. Raven, Ororo, and Jean are cleaning her and the baby up. Charles, I tested the baby's blood. She has the mutant gene. At this moment, I don't know the extent of her powers. You might want to run it through Cerebro to know what she has or we can wait to see what develops," Hank said.

Charles smiled briefly. "You are probably right, Hank. But at this moment I want to see my girls," Charles said as he rolled his wheelchair to the operating room. This was the only drawback to having a family besides the fact that people would hunt his daughter down. His baby girl would never see her father walk into a room to hug her or kiss her. She would only know that her father was in a wheelchair. Charles wheeled into the room. Moira was laying on a bed, a soft, pink bundle in her arms as Jean covered her with a quilt. Moira smiled at him with a contented look in her eyes.

"Charles, she's here," Moira said as Raven took the baby and placed her in Charles's arms. Charles pulled back the blankets from his daughter's face and felt his breath catch. She had his dark brown hair before he had lost it and his blue eyes. Her mouth was Moira's and the shape of her nose and cheeks.

"She... she... she is so beautiful," Charles said, tears coming to his eyes.

"She looks like you with her hair and eyes. What are we going to call her, Charles? I only thought of boy names," Moira said.

"Funny. I only thought of girl names. Amanda Moira Xavier. Amanda after my mother and Moira after you," Charles said, tracing his daughter's face with his hand as she blinked unfocused eyes.

"I love it, but not as much as I love you, Charles," Moira said.

"I love you too, Moira, and I love our girl," Charles said, feeling wonder enter him as Amanda made soft baby noises. Then she blinked and looked at him, her eyes no longer unfocused and a toothless grin spread across her face. Charles felt his heart beat double. His girl knew him! She knew that Charles Xavier was her father! This probably was one of her powers, unless all babies knew their fathers. It raised an interesting question; if normal or mutant babies all were the same when it came to their parents. Charles couldn't wait to see if it stemmed from her powers or the other way.