Unbeta'd, so any and all grammar issues/awkward phrasing is all my fault.


He'd been thinking about his mother again. It was a normal, everyday occurrence for Erik, so he wasn't quite sure why he was surprised about it. It made sense that he would think about her again. Especially because Charles had been in his mind, jarring memories.

What had surprised Erik was the number of memories that came along with a fifteen second mind-probe. He could suddenly remember getting new shoes with fancy laces. Erik remembered the shoes not fitting perfectly, but being content because he had been wanting new shoes for so long. He could hear her whispering a lullaby in his ear when he'd had a nightmare. Hell, he even remembered the nightmare. There were dogs with white, sharp teeth chasing after him. Then it was all okay because mother was there, keeping him safe.

In short, Erik was thinking about his mother.

And it hurt thinking about her, especially when he thought about the memories he could have had with her. If she hadn't been killed. By Shaw. Because he wasn't good enough.

There was a light cough behind him. And Erik turned around to see Charles leaning in the doorway.

For a fleeting moment, Erik thought that he might cry. Instead, he stood and came face to face with the telepath.

"Hello," Erik murmured.

"Hello," Charles breathed in response.