When I was Younger

by empty8

A songfic, Charles watches as his world comes apart at the seams. Set right before The Eve of Destruction

Disclaimer: The X-men don't belong to me, nor does the song; it belongs to Rod Stewart, although I have changed some of the words to suit my purposes.

When I was Younger

By, 2280

Poor old Granddad

I laughed at all his words

I thought he was a bitter man,

who spoke of people's ways.

They trap you, and they use you

and before you even know.

For love is blind and your far too kind-

don't ever let it show!

I wish that I knew what I know now,

when I was younger.

I wish that I knew what I know now,

when I was stronger.

Charles Xavier watched the news and listened to the news caster speak not only of the proposed bill for mutant registration, but of the threat that Magneto posed on the small island nation of Genosha.

He had always known that it might someday come to this, to the war that Erik proposed, yet somewhere inside him he had hoped that it would not.  He had hoped against all odds that Erik would be able to over come the demons that haunted him and find a more peaceful way to counter act the problem that they had both faced their entire lives.

I thought he was a bitter man, who spoke of people's ways.

Yet he know saw that it was not to be, that neither side, human or mutant, was willing to find a common ground in which they could all live.  He had hoped that a new day had dawned when Senator Kelly had changed his alignment.  It that moment it seemed that they were making true progress.  However it had proven to be the calm before the storm, for his supporters felt betrayed and threw him to the wolves.

They trap you and they use you, and before you even know,

With that betrayal Charles Xavier had felt his entire world come apart at the seams.  Every victory he had taken years to win was now moot as the eve of destruction was upon them, and as much as he might wish, Charles Xavier was at a loss for what to do about it.

For love is blind, and your far to kind,

don't ever let it show!

People who had once been his allies were against him, his friends now his enemies, and his loved ones were disappearing one by one.  He knew that the methods he had employed in the past were no longer going to work, however how could he ask his protégée's to do something he himself could not?

I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger.

When he had started this mission of peace, he never envisioned that it would turn out like this.  He never thought, in his darkest nightmares, that his dream would be used against him.

I wish that I knew what I know, when I was stronger.

Yet it had come to that, where he had once been an emblem of peace he was now an emblem of destruction.  His dearest friend had turned his ideals against him, turned him into a monster, and he didn't know if he had it in him to fight. Not again.

"Erik, what have we become?"  He switched the TV off and leaned back in his bed, watching the shadows play across the ceiling, fighting off sleep, for when it came, his demons would come out to play.

Instead he turned to look out the window, and watched as the clouds passed over the moon, throwing the room into darkness.

I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was younger.

I wish that I knew what I know now, when I was stronger.

END