Erik Lehnsherr stood before the door waiting patiently for the occupant to open it. He had buzzed the doorbell several times but it had been a while now and the door remained closed. Erik's pleasant expression dissolved into annoyance. He was not to be denied what he had come here to accomplish. He had driven all the way from the other side of the city just to be here and his 'client' had been quite difficult. The man will not answer when he called him on his phone. He even left countless messages on his voicemail. He had read the file on him and knew that he had become a self-imposed recluse, holing himself up in his house for months now. He knew this was out of the norm but desperate times call for desperate measures. He kicked the door in violently and it sprang open for him and then he entered. He looked about him and the first thing he noticed was the pile of refuse about the place and the smell of something rotting. He dreaded that something might have happened to his client. He rushed into the rooms, seeing the untidiness; the countless bottles of wine and the rotting food on plates carelessly strewn about. Then, he found his client sitting blank eyed upon the study room's couch, unmoving. The man looked like a vagrant. His dark brown hair was long and straggling to his shoulders and he has an unruly beard. He looked like he had not bathed in days, perhaps even weeks and he wore a yellowing strappy t-shirt, dirty jeans and a red plaid flannel robe. His skin was so pale that one would almost assume he was dead.

"Xavier? Charles Xavier?"Erik called out to him. Oh no, he's dead-

After a long moment, the 'dead' man finally swiveled his eyes his way indifferently. His expression was flat, unresponsive. He did not even care that a man he had never seen before in his life had come barging into his home. He had an empty bottle of Scotch in his hand and a glass with perhaps a spoonful of the said alcohol in the other. His arms are limply lying at his sides. Erik breathed out a sigh of relief after seeing him move. Charles closed and opened his eyes blearily. The intruder wore an expensive looking dark blue coat, black scarf and leather gloves. His light brown hair was cut neatly short and his blue-green eyes regarded Charles angrily.

"Why have you not answered my calls? You did not open the door for me so I was forced to break in to see if you are still alive!"

"Who the fuck are you?"Charles asked rudely, narrowing his eyes at him. He still looked like he could care less who Erik was, still slumped in his seat. He spoke more out of spite than of actual query.

"I'm Erik Lehnsherr, your new therapist! Ororo sends her regards!"

Charles let out a huff of breath, sounding insolently amused."I don't need a therapist. Get the hell out of my house!"

"Well you can't do anything about that! I'm here to stay!"

"I won't pay you!"Charles spat out and then he lifted the dirty glass to his lips and drained the remaining liquor. He grimaced and let out a small moan, rolling his head back. He cared about nothing anymore, not even himself. The squalor of his appearance could attest to that as well as the sordid state of his house.

"You don't need to pay me. Your parents have arranged for all of that. Now, since they have paid me in advance, I won't allow my record to be tarnished and leave a client hanging-"

Charles snorted disdainfully, closing his eyes and chuckling bitterly."Good luck with that!"

Erik did something unexpected. He went to Charles and grabbed the glass and bottle from his hands, slamming them onto the low table before the couch and then he grabbed Charles by his robe and hauled him up, glaring down at him.

"Get yourself together! Get up from there!"

"Fuck off!"Charles shouted up at him indignantly but Erik dragged him up and then he carried him in his arms, looking about the room for something. Charles couldn't believe the bastard would do this to him. He was angrily hitting at his face and shoulders weakly. He appeared to be a tough son of a bitch and he was taller and stronger than him. There was also the fact that Charles was weakened because he had not eaten for some time.

"Put me down you asshole!"

Erik ignored his struggles and carried him upstairs. He opened the doors, using one hand as he maneuvered around carrying Charles in his arms and then he found what he was looking for. He brought Charles down to his feet, dragging him into the bathroom. He turned on the shower head and shoved Charles underneath the cascade of water. Charles started in shock and began to scream angrily.

"Fuck!"Charles stared at him incredulously, spluttering under the water."Is this part of your fucking therapy?"

"Yes it is. When you've finished bathing, we'll talk. I'll wait for you outside-"Erik turned about face, ready to go out the door but Charles just slumped down to the tiled floor, looking defeated. Erik turned to face him again, regarding him kindly.

"I read your files. All your years of therapy with Ororo. Charles, are you going to be like this all your life? There's so much more that you can live for. You can't keep living like this. You deserve better. You have to let go of your suffering-"

"I like suffering like this! I don't give a fuck what you all think of me anymore!"Charles shouted at him, his face and hair dripping with water and soaking his clothes. He was trembling under the shower as if he was cold.

"That's not true and you and I both know it. I want to help you. Let me help you-"

"You're fucking paid to help me!"Charles cried out, slapping his hand on the tile and glaring at his new therapist. He's definitely different from Ororo, who was calm and very relaxed. She would never have done something like this to him, that's for sure.

Erik sighed."Even if they did not pay me, seeing a man squandering his life like this just compels me to take some action and intervene before it's too late. Like I've said, I read your files. I think I know what you need Charles. You don't need a therapist. You just need a friend. You need someone who understands you and accepts you. You couldn't find it from your parents or your previous therapist because they approached you the wrong way. Let's start first by being friends. How's that?"

"What?"Charles was astounded. Was this guy serious? He did not even know if the guy was pulling his leg with some insincere form of therapeutic method but it did get his attention. Ever since he was young, he had wanted friends. He had always been a lonely and awkward kid back then. This man had hit the nail right on the head. All through his life, he had encountered nothing but fleeting companionship and acquaintances but never a true friend. He had struggled to form bonds and relationships with other people but he had been unable to hold on to them long for some reason. In the end, they always leave him. Even Ororo had given up on him and that had been the last straw. That was why he had closed himself off and just waited until he rotted in his own house. Until this man came along.

"I want to be your friend, Charles. I mean that sincerely. I will make a promise to you from here on out. I won't abandon you, unless you don't need me anymore and I will never give up on you-"Erik said openly, his face determined and set. Charles was strangely moved by the strength of Erik's response. Here was a complete stranger, offering friendship. He wanted to think it was all a bluff and that the man will eventually leave him like the others but the man seemed different from the rest. Maybe...he could give it one more try.

"You don't want to get mixed in with me. My past is so crazy I can't even begin to tell you-"Charles said by way of discouragement.

"I know what happened to you but if you want to talk about it, we can. Now please, finish with your bath first and I will wait for you downstairs-"Erik then left the room, closing the door behind him. Charles let out a shaky breath and stripped his dirty clothes from himself. He had not bathed in weeks and the grime puddled around his feet as he soaped himself up. The bath seemed to have a calming effect on him and made him feel refreshed even though he felt ill from having nothing but Scotch for breakfast, lunch and dinner yesterday. When he stepped out, he found that Erik had laid out a shirt and pants for him to wear on his bed and had taken out a pair of leather shoes as well. This guy was definitely something. Charles combed his long hair back and then he put the clothes on. He made his way downstairs and was surprised to find that Erik was beginning to clean his house. He was dragging a large green trash bag about, stuffing it with the bottles and trash that had been scattered about. He had cleared the dishes and the rotting food first.

"Your house is just atrocious! You should pay me extra for housekeeping fees!"Erik joked, faintly smiling at him as he continued. Charles felt strangely embarrassed all of a sudden and began to help him clear away the mess, not saying anything. This setup reminded him of something. He took out his vacuum cleaner and began tidying his rug while the man washed his dishes in the kitchen. Charles had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and when he peered in at Erik, he had taken his coat and suit jacket off along with his gloves. He turned to face Charles.

"Have you eaten anything?"

Charles shook his head minutely. Erik then checked the cupboards. He found some eggs in one of the shelves and then he looked in the fridge, finding some sausages and some mushrooms. He gestured for Charles to sit in the dining area, moving about familiarly in Charles's kitchen. He took down a frying pan and melted some butter in it.

"I'll make us something to eat. This won't take long-"

"Do I also pay you for preparing a meal for me?"Charles managed to joke back.

Erik smiled at him pleasantly, chuckling as he broke the eggs in a bowl."No, since I will be eating with you. This one is on the house-"

Charles responded with a small smile of his own. He didn't know why but he was starting to warm up to the guy. He was really the opposite of Ororo, his former therapist. His face darkened as he thought about her. He knew it wasn't her fault but she had to move to a different city for a better position and she had tried to tell him, in the gentlest way possible that she will be assigning him to a new therapist. He had begged her to stay because he had gotten so used to her but she said it was a personal matter for her so she had to leave. They had not parted on good terms and he had severed all communication with her. He didn't know she would actually pursue the act of getting him another therapist. A male one at that. Charles had told her of his fear of confiding in male doctors, so he only had dealings with females when in need of medical assistance or for advice on his mental health. He was not sure if he would be able to open up to Erik but he was already in his house so he can't just send the man off. It was odd that he did not feel any fear or discomfort with him. It must have something to do with his voice. He has a deep and calm voice that sounded soothing to the ears. He looked up from the table as Erik laid out plates before them both, laden with scrambled eggs and mushrooms, tucked in with a couple of sausages each. He also prepared some tea for them.

"Let's eat first then afterwards, we can go into your study to begin-"

"My, you really do get down to business. Are you from around here, Mr Lehnsherr?"

"Please, call me Erik and no. I'm not from around here but I will be moving in soon to a new apartment. I'll be taking over Ororo's office so I will be closer to you and the other patients I will be handling in Ororo's stead-"

"I see. Never heard of any therapist who ever did house calls before-"

"I'm a different kind of therapist, Charles. As we continue with your sessions, you will see that my approach is more hands-on and my methods are a bit unconventional-"

Charles quirked an eyebrow at him."I don't suppose Ororo has told you of my difficulty with men in your field-"

"She did inform me. A female therapist was supposed to be assigned to you but unfortunately, that fell through so I stepped in since I was moving to this location anyway-"

"Ah."

Both he and Erik kept on eating and after they had their meal, they went to Charles's study and Erik sat in a wing chair before him while Charles sat on the couch again.

"Charles, I'm only doing this one time, seeing as you are a special case but from now on, you will be going to my office for our sessions. I've taken in all of Ororo's patients and I've had meetings with them earlier and it had all went through smoothly. I hope it will be the same between you and me-"

"So do we begin with me lying down on the couch and then you will quietly scribble away while I share my innermost thoughts and fears and you will pretend to understand by nodding? Is that how it goes?"Charles said by way of a sarcastic joke but Erik was not amused. He looked quite serious.

"You know, I'm not going to sit here and pretend to understand what you had gone through and whatever you are still going through right now. I don't. I will listen to you, of course but I do want to understand you. I can only begin doing that by hearing you tell me where it all started. Then we can find a means of resolving your issues and devising an acceptable therapy-"

Charles looked intently at Erik's face and saw that he was genuinely driven to help him. There was something about his demeanor and the way he spoke that conveyed this. He was really different from the others. He had worked with Ororo for three years and he had been comfortable with her approach. This guy seemed to surprise him at every turn.

"You've read my file-"Charles said softly.

"The files are useless. I want to know how you felt back then. I want to know what you were like when you were young and what really went on when the incident happened-"

"So you've read everything? Even the police reports?"Charles rasped out. His eyes trembled slightly at the memory of it all and Erik watched his face closely. Charles looked to be on the verge of tears but seemed to struggle with his feelings.

"Yes Charles. But I still want to hear it from you-"

"I...I don't even want to remember it anymore or think about it. Sometimes I have these nightmares and I relive it over and over again. It kept reminding me of those horrible things and I'm stuck, I'm forever stuck in that moment-"Charles said thinly, running a hand through his hair. Erik leaned one elbow onto the arm of the wing chair, putting a hand to his face, his eyes focused only on Charles. He did not even have any notes with him. He was only there to listen.

"Charles, what did I tell you earlier? I want to be your friend. A friend is someone who listens to another friend's problems. When you talk to someone to get it off your chest, it helps, doesn't it? You've told Ororo and your other therapists about it so they had probably helped you in some way by listening but we are going to friends, that's the difference. So as a man wanting to build a friendship with you, I want to know about you intimately-"

"You really are something, you know that? Any other therapist would have started off with talk of a clinical and professional distance from their patients. But you surprised me with this offering of friendship-"

"I'm not like the others, Charles. I'm a special kind of doctor-"Erik said with a mysterious smirk.

"I can see that. I'm not really comfortable with male doctors but I'm going to give this a shot-"

"I must have my work cut out for me. You seem to rather desire some female therapist's perspective. Have you had any input from male doctors before?"

"Yes but it doesn't go more than one session and I run out of the room. I...I have a fear of other men-"

"Would it have something to do with what happened?"Erik asked softly, his face becoming serious and intent again.

"Yes-"Charles whispered, closing his eyes for a moment and when he opened them, he saw the sympathy in Erik's eyes.

"But you don't seem to fear me. Why is that?"

Charles shrugged then he narrowed his eyes at him."I don't know. The moment you entered my home and forced me under the shower, I just felt...I just felt comfortable with you. There's just something about you-"

"That's a good start, don't you think so? It might help with the progression of your therapy if you begin with a male doctor this time-"

Charles had to chuckle."And what a start it is! You break into my home, forced me to take a bath, eaten a meal with me and now we are sitting here talking like its the most natural thing in the world-"

"It's highly irregular yes, but If no one makes a move to get you off your ass, Charles, when are you going to start?"

"That's true, I guess-"

"Shall we begin then? Tell me what happened that day-"

Charles released a trembling breath and then he folded his hands together upon his lap and began to tell Erik about his past.

"You want me to tell you everything?"

"Yes, everything. Leave no detail out-"

Charles sat rigidly, seeming to be reluctant to share the entire thing over again. It hurts when he had to remember it but Erik was right. He had to tell him what had happened and perhaps he could get his perspective on the matter and finally, he might find some closure with it.

"If you've read my file, you knew I was a lonely loser in high school, right Erik? Come to think of it, I'm still a lonely loser now. I'm jobless, living off my rich parents' support and having to go through therapy to even function as an adult. I'm still friendless too. I prefer being by myself than being with other people because other people make me feel uncomfortable and I feel as if there is no one I can really trust. So there, I also have huge trust issues. In high school, the other kids don't seem to like me for some reason. I got picked on while I'm on the school bus because no one wants to be seen sitting next to me. That was when my parents bought me a car. I had the car a for a few months and people back then started pushing me around, asking that I drive them places. The...the..."

Charles suddenly couldn't say what he wanted to stay, like it was like a stuck record in his throat. He swallowed thickly while Erik patiently waited for him to go on. He then cleared his throat and continued, his eyes growing moist as the memories came flooding in again.

"The incident happened the day I drove the popular kids at school to a party-"