Chapter 1: Goodbye to the Past

- 2016 -

Erik Lehnsherr ducked his head down, feeling the eyes on the side of his head. Adjusting his hat, he focused his gaze down on his shoes, mentally cursing at himself for staring. He was supposed to be focusing on finding Jakobus Schmidt in the crowd, not women. One year after Apocalypse rose from his slumber and was defeated, Charles had come to him for help. Their relationship was still rocky at times and they didn't communicate much, but when Charles needed help, it meant something big.

One of the students, Benjamin, recruited had prophetic visions. They ranged anywhere from small life goals, to earth-shattering visions. After an intense prophetic vision, Charles had immersed himself in Ben's mind to find the horrible visions to be true, most of them revolving around two young men, though their identities were unclear. Slowly, in days to come, Ben pieced together more and more parts to the prophecy and it was deduced that a man named Jakobus Schmidt to be directly involved with the capturing and militarization of numerous mutants. Problem being, Jakobus lived in the year of 2016, whereas they lived in 1984. If it wasn't for cerebro, they wouldn't have been able to find a mutant capable of bringing them to the future. Her name was Leslie and she was only thirteen years old.

It took Erik a while to adjust to her presence. She reminded him much of Nina and that was a place he never wanted to go back to. Part of him felt protective over her as Charles pushed her to practice so she'd be able to bring them to the proper century, but it needed to be done. A total of six months passed before she was ready. Leslie transported a large group of them to the year of 2016 and here they were.

"Erik?"

He swung around, ramming into someone just as he raised his hand to press against his temples as Charles spoke into his mind.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going!"

"It's quite alright, I just..." He looked up, trailing off when he realized it was the woman he had been sending not-so-subtle glances at for the past ten minutes.

"Oh! Are you visiting?" she asked, tucking a strand of chocolate hair behind her ear.

Visiting? How did this woman know?

"Erik! Did you find-"

He shut out Charles's voice, looking at the woman. "What?"

"Visiting? Your accent. Are you from England?"

Relaxing slightly, he leaned against the building next to them and folded his arms over his chest. "Ah..I was born in Germany. Grew up in various places. Just here for a visit."

He could feel Charles prying at his mind, but he forced his old friend back, something he had learned to do over the years.

"Really? My father was from Germany. He met my mother here in America when he came over for business. Small world." She smiled brightly.

Damn...

"ERIK!"

Erik cleared his throat, straightening up a bit. "Well it was nice to meet you miss...?"

"Evanna. Evanna Westbrooke."

"Erik," he said, shaking her hand.

Before he could pull away, she pulled out a pen from her pocket and opened up his palm, quickly scribbling something down.

"See you around," she chirped, smiling at him and then disappearing in the crowd.

Looking down at his hand, he realized that she had scribbled a phone number across his palm.

Jean and Charles suddenly appeared in the crowd, heading right toward him.

"Why weren't you answering?" his friend asked, stopping his wheelchair right in front of him.

Jean must've caught sight of the digits on his hand because she gave him a knowing smirk. He clenched his fist, hiding the numbers and looking down at Charles. "I bumped into someone, lost sight of Jakobus."

"It's fine. We can find him again. Won't be hard for Charles and I," Jean said, winking at him and brushing past. "Stay focused, loverboy."

Charles gave them each a weird look before motioning for him to follow. Looking down at his palm once more, he played her voice over in his head. Evanna...

Erik stared at the modern-day phone in front of him. After meeting Evanna, he wrote down the number that she'd written on his hand and kept it for safe keeping. But he hadn't actually called her. Why would he? He was here for one thing only and that was to help save the world from destruction.

Three weeks had passed since they'd traveled here to the future and they'd lost track of Jakobus. Most of their time seemed to be idle sitting around, trying to use the new technology to track down Jakobus. Without cerebro, Charles could only look for people in the nearest vicinity, so they were out of luck unless he decided to stick nearby. All they needed to do was get hold of him so they could get information out of him as to where the facility he was holding mutants at was.

Looking over to Charles sitting on the other couch, he pressed his lips together and got to a stand. "I'm going for a walk."

His friend looked up from his book, looking at him with curious eyes. "Alright. Don't go far."

Erik gave a slight nod before heading for the door. He started down the hallway of the hotel, stepping outside and taking in a breath of fresh air. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he strolled down the sidewalk, occasionally taking a peek at everyone as they passed. It was nice to be able to walk in public without people knowing who he was. He wasn't sure of what his future counterpart had done or was like, but in any case, he was glad for a bit of the freedom.

As he walked, he noticed a little food shop just up ahead and he thought maybe getting something to eat would be good. It was around lunch time, so he might as well.

When he entered, he realized that it seemed to be a little pastry shop. The line wasn't long, but he didn't quite know what he wanted so he stepped toward the window separating him from the pastries and took a sweeping glance of everything in front of him. He was so concentrated on looking deciding what he felt like having that he didn't even notice the figure behind the counter watching him with a small smile.

"Erik?"

He looked up, blinking. His blue eyes landed on the woman watching him and for a second he blanched. Evanna? Caught off guard, he stumbled for words.

"You okay there?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, just...wasn't expecting to see you here," he answered, completely unprepared for this conversation.

"Yeah, I work here. Have been for years now. You must be wanting something to eat. Pick something, it's on me."

"What? No it's quite alright. I don't want to make you pay for me," he answered, looking down at the array of sweetened breads once more.

"No really, it's okay. Why don't you...pick something and I'll join you for lunch? My break is in five minutes."

He brought his attention back up to her, hesitating for a minute. "Alright."

Two more weeks had passed since Erik had reconnected with Evanna at the pastry shop she worked at and since then, he'd been going down every day for lunch. He never told the others, only telling them that he needed some air to go for a walk. If they found out, he knew what they would say and he didn't want to hear it. Part of him knew he shouldn't be dancing on the line of more than friendly. He couldn't do anything here that would mess up the timeline. But there was a deep burning desire in him to just be normal and happy, and being here in this year and having someone like Evanna to talk to made him feel that way. It had been over a year since he had last been happy and he never wanted the feeling to go away.

They'd been able to find Jakobus, but he put up a pretty nasty fight and got away before they could get the information they needed, so that left them back to square one. Charles decided that it might be easier to start questioning the workers at the facility, so finding them was the next step. But for now, he was content to go down to the pastry shop for lunch like usual.

As he rounded the corner, he noticed the familiar brunette hanging out in front of the shop, switching the sign on the front to closed. Curious, he picked up his pace, greeting her with a small smile.

"Hey Erik. Sorry I didn't get to bring you lunch. We had to close early for inspection," she explained, turning to face him. "But if you still want lunch, maybe we can try and get somewhere before it starts downpouring?"

He took a brief glance up to the sky to see that threatening dark clouds hovered above. "That sounds lovely. Where would you like to go?"

Evanna brightened up and looped her arm with his, causing his chest to tighten. "There's a really nice diner a few blocks down. If we hurry, we should miss the rain."

"Let's go, then," he agreed, looking down at her and holding his breath as he took in her features.

Before his feet could even function, she was dragging him off and he let out a chuckle just as an ominous ripple of thunder broke through the sky. The two of them picked up their pace, but the rain had other ideas. Within seconds, the droplets started to pelt down. Evanna let out a small squeal and broke from his side, darting for the nearest overhang that was safe and dry. He laughed, following suit and bumping into her lightly. The both of them looked at each other, soaked to the core, laughing so hard their insides hurt. She started to talk rapidly, but the only thing he could focus on was her lips.

His face softened and her voice slowed when she realized exactly where he'd directed his attention to. Slowly, his eyes went back up to hers and she looked at him with a breathless expression, lips slightly parted and chest heaving from laughing so hard before. Like he was being pulled by a rope, he leaned in, putting his hands on her shoulders and pressing his lips against hers. She immediately seemed to melt in his grasp and he told a bold step closer, bringing her warmth flush against his chest. He closed his eyes, savoring the feeling of elation and emotion bursting inside of his chest as his lips glided across her smooth ones.

Given that they were both already breathless before the kiss, they soon parted and Erik looked down at her, unable to keep a smile from creeping on his face. She laughed, her laugh smooth and rich like honey, and so did he. Lunch was forgotten and the two simply held each other like lovesick teenagers as the rain pattered against the sidewalk.

Erik quietly entered the hotel. It was late - way later than he intended. After getting soaked, he spent the rest of the night with Evanna, going out to dinner and just letting himself be happy. He was sure the others were worried, but he didn't want to be too loud in case they were sleeping and he hoped that they were so he could avoid Charles and his questions. Unfortunately, when he entered the kitchen, his friend sat at the table, looking up as he entered.

"You were gone long," he pointed out, folding his hands on the table.

"I got distracted. I'm fine," Erik said, reaching for a glass so he could fill it with water.

"Where were you?"

He took a sip, turning to lean against the counter. "I was out. Look, I didn't hurt anyone. And I'd like to get some sleep, if that's alright with you, father?"

Charles let out a sigh, rubbing his temples and frowning a bit. "Look, Erik...I know you've been spending time with a woman-"

"-and why am I not surprised that you had someone check on me? Who'd you send? Raven?" He sighed in annoyance, setting the glass down.

"It doesn't matter, Erik. You know we can't interfere more than we need to. We have a mission and you're off romping around. I need you to stay focused and not change something important."

"Have you ever thought that maybe I'm just trying to fix what I lost?" Erik's voice rose. "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you, Charles? Moira is still alive. And she's waiting for you to return. I don't have that!"

"You have us, Erik! I care for you as a brother. I want to help you!"

Erik pushed off the counter, trying to push away the irritation grinding his bones. "You can help by not telling me how to live my life."

Without another word, he stormed out of the room, heading to his room and slamming the door shut behind him.

Erik trudged up the stairs, frowning a bit to himself. A lead on Jakobus a month later led them out of the city and that would mean leaving Evanna behind. He really didn't want to do so, but this was what he came here to do and he had to fix everything. So he had to tell her that he was leaving, but he hoped that he would return. No, he would return.

Knocking on the door, he shoved his hands in his pockets, waiting for her to answer the door. After a few moments, the door opened and she appeared there. A small smile lit up his features, but it was sad. She seemed to notice this and frowned, holding open the door for him to enter.

"Are you alright, Erik?" she asked, closing the door as he went over to the couch.

"I'm leaving," he said, not wanting to delay any longer. "I have to go..."

She drew in a breath, moving to sit down next to him. "Are you going back home...?"

He shook his head, looking down at his hands. "Evanna...there's something I haven't told you about me. I'm...I'm a mutant. I'm trying to help my friends track down someone trying to cause a war...that's why I have to leave."

She didn't say anything for a long while and he was afraid that he'd scared her. Slowly, he turned his head to face her, frowning a little. But instead of looking terrified, she looked intrigued.

"What can you do?" she asked, reaching over to take his hands.

"I can control metal. Bend it to my will," he explained, lacing his fingers with hers.

"Show me."

Taking a deep breath, he pulled his hands away from hers, focusing on the metal of the silverware in the drawers in the kitchen. A spoon, knife, and fork came flying toward him and stopped right in front of the two. He held out his hand, each of them dancing across his palm before he bent the metal to form a rose. It gently floated over to her until it was tucked neatly behind her ear and she smiled a little, reaching up to take it and look at it.

"It's beautiful," she murmured, twirling it in her hands before setting it down on the table. "Will you come back?"

Erik reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes. I won't forget about you. I will be back before you know it."

"Spend the rest of the night with me? Before you go?"

He nodded in agreement, feeling a huge weight off his chest after telling her who he was. Needless to say, neither of them got any sleep that night.

It took them a good five months for them to finally find the facility. Every mutant had been brainwashed into submission, each turned into a dangerous weapon of mass destruction. Since then, he hadn't seen Evanna at all, but they talked frequently over the phone and every day he missed her even more. But he kept focused on his work, helping to locate Jakobus and get control over the facility. However, their work wasn't done yet, as they had to find a way to get into the hundreds of mutants minds and bring back their memories. Charles had already started the process, but it was tedious and drained him easily.

For now, he was given a bit of freedom and as soon as he was able to, he headed over to Evanna's once more. The trip was long, but he was excited to see Evanna again and he would be staying for a few days while he wasn't needed.

After a long trip, he had finally arrived at her apartment and he'd created a bouquet of metal flowers before he got to the door. Excitedly, he knocked, though he couldn't contain himself and merely unlocked the door before entering.

"Evanna?" he called out, humming a tune. "It's Erik!"

Something warm jumped at him from behind and he let out a laugh as her arms wrapped around his neck. He spun in her grasp, leaning forward to give her a firm kiss when he realized there was something between them. Looking down, he blinked, unable to speak as he saw her rounded stomach. She took a step back, running her hands along his arms.

"I wanted to tell you but I wanted it to be a surprise...," she murmured. "It's a boy."

Erik was shell-shocked. But it made sense considering the precautions they hadn't taken. It almost felt like a repeat of his previous life and for a moment he was uneasy. Charles told him not to mess up the timeline and he'd screwed up. But the other, stronger part of him didn't care. He was going to be a father again, but this time, there wasn't anything threatening to take his child away. No one recognized him here and everything was safe.

"Have you decided on a name?" he asked, slowly getting down on his knees to come face to face with her rounded abdomen.

"Vincent. I decided on Vincent. It means 'conquering.' Conquering, because he's going to be strong like his father," she whispered.

Tears welled up in his eyes and he brought his hands to her stomach, leaning forward to press a kiss against it. Movement pressed against her skin and his breath hitched. He moved! Vincent moved! A shaky laugh escaped his lips and he jumped up, elated.

"I love you, Evanna," he murmured, pulling her close with a huge grin. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Erik."

Erik knew that this day would come. He knew that eventually they would need to return to their time. But he didn't want to. He couldn't. Evanna was eight months along, nearly able to give birth to their son. He couldn't just leave. And yet, he hadn't told any of the others. He knew what Charles's reaction would be.

He'd made a happier life here in this time. Maybe he could stay. Maybe it would be alright. However, Charles didn't understand. He didn't understand why his friend was trying so hard to stay in this time. He knew of Evanna, but he did not know of Vincent, and he tried so hard to convince Erik that they needed to go. Everyone else was ready, but the metal-bending mutant.

"Erik, we can't stay here! We've done what we've come to do and Leslie is ready to take us home!" Charles shouted, causing the others in the room to wince.

"You don't understand! I've...I've found a happier life here, Charles! You wanted me to see the good in me, well I've found that! Here! In this time!" Erik shouted back, pacing back and forth.

Charles let out a long, exasperated sigh, wheeling over to Leslie and the others. "Get us home," he murmured, looking up at Erik with sad eyes. "I'm sorry, friend. I can't let you stay here."

Pressing his fingers to his temple, Charles looked at Erik, who had suddenly become slack and unresponsive. He took a few steps forward, joining the group and clutching onto the wheelchair. As Leslie took a hold of each of them, he delved further into his friend's mind, wanting to know why he was so desperate to stay.

Flashes of moments with Evanna filled his vision, but one in particular stood out. Erik was hovering over the woman's stomach, large and housing a tiny human inside. The two of them looked at each other with love and emotion he hadn't seen from his friend in years. He couldn't leave because he was having a son.

"Wait!" Charles shouted, turning to Leslie to get her to stop before they left. He couldn't let his friend leave that behind now that he understood.

But it was too late.

White engulfed them and he clutched his head, letting out a pained yell as everything morphed around them. When he opened his eyes, everything had changed, but it was not familiar.

Erik got off the ground, groaning and using Charles's wheelchair for support. They were in the middle of a park, a few people staring as they passed. One of them seemed to be concerned and moved toward them to ask if they were alright.

"Yes, quite fine," Charles responded. "Do you happen to know what year it is?"

She gave him a weird look, straightening up and saying as she walked away, "2034."

What?!

Erik's eyes widened and he looked at Charles, anger scraping his bones. "What have you done! I have to get back!"

A few of the others began to arise, but his focus was on Leslie - the only one who could get them back to 2016. He turned her over on her back, trying to shake her awake, but nothing seemed to do.

"I can't feel her!" Charles exclaimed in panic.

"What?" Erik bent down to listen to her heart, but there was no beat. "What, no! Leslie!"

He shook her more violently, trying anything he could to get her to awaken, but it was too late. Hot, angry tears pricked his eyes and the same sorrow and sadness from when he'd lost Magda and Nina engulfed him. Keeling down on all fours, he clutched the dirt, choking on his tears. The ground shifted beneath him and he let out a pained scream, unleashing all of his anger on the world as the buildings and cars swirled above him in a violent rage.

Maybe he was never meant to have a happy ending.

A/N: Small snippets of how Vincent Lehnsherr came to be made and born.