Author: MoiraShipper

Summary: Cuba had meant a lot to them, but it could make them lose everything.

Choira inspired by Gossip Girl 4x02. I hope you enjoy. Reviews!

Hallelujah

I used to live alone before I knew ya

And I've seen your flag on the marble arch

And love is not a victory march

It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah-Jeff Buckley

"I'm on a beach... In Cuba... With you."

"What beach?"

"I'm sorry... I should never have taken those from you."

And the rest of the trip from Egypt to the United States in the Blackbird was in silence; in the case of Erik, Peter, Raven and the others, it was because they were exhausted from the battle, but in Charles and Moira's case, it was from the consequences from 20 years ago.

Moira, who was piloting with Hank, could feel the telepath's eyes on her back and she was feeling full of emotions, tense and she turned her head back slightly, finding Charles and his eyes, although tired and full of guilt, they said they needed to talk and she just nodded, turning her attention to the panel again.

"You couldn't have done that, Charles, not without my consent." Moira said, her arms hugging herself as she stared at Charles in his office, her eyes serious.

After the mansion had been restored to its pre-fire state, thanks to Jean and Erik, it was late and most had gone to bed after the long and tiring day, but Charles and Moira were having the most difficult talk of their lives.

"I know Moira..." He said regretfully, looking down at the floor and then, staring at her resignedly: "I'm surprised you agreed to talk to me, that you didn't take Erik's helmet and left."

"I thought about it, about the helmet." She said, although none of them feel like laughing at that moment and then she admitted, soft: "But I needed to see you, to know if you were really okay and to understand why you did that, Charles."

"I am fine." He assured her and that made her feel some relief, before he sighed, sad. "When I lost my leg movements, I had a lot of time to think in the hospital. To think about opening the School, to think about the changes in my life and also, how risky it was for you, to stay with me, with the government against us, mutants."

"Erasing my memories without my consent and pretending that it wouldn't affect you wasn't the best solution."

"But it would be a good start." He said honestly, approaching her and then, reaching out for the agent. He needed to feel her touch, he had missed her so much...

And to his surprise, she uncrossed an arm and accepted his hand, holding it and feeling his warmth that was comforting, amid that sincere and difficult conversation and Charles felt the same, while his fingers tightened on hers, feeling her softness, her warmth.

"I thought that if I erase your memories, I would be giving you a chance to get on with your life without complications and dangers and so I could feel relief knowing that you would be okay, could love someone and get married and I would go back to my school, became a better man."

"Charles, you were already a good man." She said almost exasperatedly, frowning at him, before closing her eyes for a second and then she said in a low voice:

"I loved you, and I married Joe because I didn't remember about you. And you was right when you said that you should never have taken those memories from me, it was stupid, the man I met at that bar and I fell in love with would have faced the problems and not try to erase them."

"And I apologize for that, I don't expect forgiveness for having destroyed what I love or for making you hate me." Charles said regretfully, but he managed his voice sounded quiet and low, his eyes glittering as he stared at Moira, letting her hand fall slowly.

"You didn't destroy me, you know I'm strong." She reminded him, with a small and sad smile. Her training in the CIA, so sexist, had taught her. "And as a telepath, you should know that I don't hate you, I can't, but I don't know if what I feel is enough to fix it."

"Maybe things would be easier if I wasn't in your world." He smiled sadly and she nodded, with the same smile he had:

"Maybe it would be easier to let me go a second time, but it would be another snowball because we would still have the same feelings for each other..." She reminded him and then said decisively and Charles nodded:

"I need time, Charles, 20 years of memories."

When Moira bent down to say goodbye to him, their eyes met, shining in longing, bitterness, love, and the blue and brown darkened little by little with desire, and then their lips met in an urgent kiss.

Charles buried a hand in her hair, massaging them and feeling Moira sigh in his mind as she parted her lips for him, supporting one hand over his in the armrest, bringing the other to his shoulder, balancing herself as she felt his tongue in her mouth, teasing hers and he shivered as her fingernails squeezed his shoulder.

When they were out of breath, their faces red as they tried to catch their breathe, Moira took a step back from him, leaning over and then she touched Charles's face gently, before placing a kiss on his face and left. They needed time to think about Cuba and how to proceed.