1962 - charles xavier

F I F T E E N

Charles blinks down at the pamphlet in his hand before looking around at the people surrounding him.

"This can't be real." he murmurs to himself, trying to shake the feeling that he is trapped in some kind of nightmare.

He is silent throughout the entire sermon, switching his gaze from the closed white casket at the front of the room to the booklet in his hand. He reads and re-reads the words 'In Celebration of the Life of Savannah Xavier' over and over, wondering each time if the words would ever settle into his mind.

He watches as students take the stage, some in tears as they tell stories of the ways Mrs. Xavier had helped them over the years. Some stories had the funeral-goers in tears, others had them smiling and chuckling fondly.

Not a single person's life in that room was untouched by the woman of the hour. To know her was to love her, and that had always been the case.

When all but one had spoken, Charles knew it was his time to pay his respects to his beloved. The small engine of his wheelchair whirred and hummed softly as he made his way up the ramp and onto the stage.

Everyone's eyes and undivided attention was on him. Complete silence filled the room, spare the sudden outburst of sobs of a young girl.

"Hush now, child," Charles soothes, his mellow voice floating through the room. "There is no need for tears," There is a long pause as Charles ponders what words he could possibly use to bring justice to his angel of a wife. "Savannah Xavier was the most beautiful woman I have ever known. I have never and I will never love anyone more than I have loved her," His blue eyes scan over the faces in the rows of chairs, locking on the familiar wrinkled face of his dear friend Erik Lehnsherr. "Anyone who knew her can attest to her valor and selflessness, and she was a natural mother to the nations. She is irreplaceable in my eyes and in my heart, and I am so incredibly blessed to have spent so many years by her side. From the first day I met her, I knew in my soul that she would be my wife... I knew that she would end up being the painter of my stars and the keeper of my heart," Charles pauses, resting his palm against his chest and feeling his pulse through the thick material of his suit. "She lives on in me here. She is in the beat of my heart and she is in the rush of blood surging through my veins. She lives on in each of you through the knowledge and care she instilled into you. She will live on for generations to come, and her legacy will never die."

Charles Xavier nods with a mist in his eyes and a melancholy smile, turning his chair and wheeling off of the stage as everyone in the room stands, clapping and cheering with tears streaming down their cheeks. Charles is embraced by Erik, the old friends weeping and laughing. The warm sunshine filtering through the windows basks over Charles, letting him know that everything is going to be okay.