Chapter 2

Logan lowered all their bags that Nina had frantically packed; she would be lying if she said she wasn't scared. Everything about Charles' demeanour was screaming danger. He felt disgusted at her touch, which made her realise how much she craved it. Erik was trying to help as much as he could by packing everything he felt was valuable. All that ran though his mind was guilt, he looked at everything around him and was simply astound by how little she was living with. He knew he was responsible for doing this to her, he asked his sister to make a choice knowing too well that she would never pick anybody other than him; not even Charles. She was a strong woman though; their lives had made them that way.

They knew how to live with their choices as well; Nina didn't turn back to Charles even after Erik was captured. But now Erik was slowly realising that her strength was probably arrogance and stupidity.

"Verena probably just turned 10, didn't she?" Looking up to his sister who was packing her belongings at last.

She nodded her head, " we had a little celebration here when she turned 10. This wasn't much Erik but it was all I had." Pointing to her tinny room.

He looked at the pain in her eyes, "How did you even manage all this? You seem worn out and exhausted."

Nina sat down on her daughter's bed, "work does that I suppose, I work at the local dinner as a waitress. It pays for the bills so I don't get left with much of a choice."

She waited him to speak but then she spoke herself, "He's a mess Erik."

Erik kept his gaze on her, knowing without asking that this was Charles she was talking about.

"He is." That's all he could say, he wasn't sure what else he was even supposed to say when he realised that he destroyed his brother in-law's life single headedly.

Nina just stared at him, "he can't even look at me, and here I am taking him to introduce him to our daughter and then telling her that we are leaving to stay with him."

The absurdity of the situation was getting to her; once again she didn't have a choice, so complaining was out of question. Erik had explained to her about the dystopian future and the main reason to bring him out of jail, it wasn't as if he had much of a choice left either. They had to save the mutant race, which was the only cause that interested him. He knew that when the time came Charles and him would disagree on their choice of methods of dealing with this situation, but that was something he would deal with later.

Erik left her in the room to finish her packing, while he decided to take down some more bags that they had already finished with. Nina was left alone with her thoughts, trying to remember the most beautiful one from the handful she was blessed with Charles.

The two of them had just been wed in the evening; their reception was beautiful and held in the gardens of Charles' home. Their eyes were on each other the whole night and constantly tracing each other's movement. Nina had a certain pit in her stomach about tonight; it was her first time ever with anyone.

She was nervous and wanting to speak about it with Charles but the sudden wedding had occupied them so immensely that they never got a moment alone. That evening she would finally have Charles to herself, but she wished that she had that time before when she desperately needed it. Making her way up to 'their' room, that nervousness only grew further, she kept looking over her shoulder wondering where he was since she had lost him in the later hour of the evening. Pulling her wedding gown up the staircase she felt the weight of the beautiful dress weighing her down, remembering how much Raven demanded that she wore this on her wedding day. Raven had been a little too excited with the whole thing knowing how much she loved Charles and wanted this to be so special for him. Stepping in front of the door she turned the knob to enter in, as soon as she opened it she felt a small resistance and a peering Charles looking at her with a lop sided grin. Closing the door behind him he stood outside in the hallway with Nina.

"It's tradition for the groom to carry his bride over the threshold," lifting Nina into his arms before she could even say a word he carried her with the wedding gown that almost drowned her. They both entered their bedroom together. Upon entering she saw his room like it had never been before. Charles had it redecorated and made apt for a married couple, but for the night it was covered in beautifully scented candles as well. Somehow shutting the door behind him Charles lay Nina down on their bed.

She looked deep into his eyes showing him all the love that she felt for him, "you shouldn't have to be an empath to feel how much I love you Charles." He dipped down leaning into a long awaited kiss.

"A part of me wishes I was because I know how scared you are right now as well." She felt her cheeks flush, "Did you just read my mind? I'm not scared but just nervous." He looked at her trying to reach her eyes, "I didn't have to, and your heartbeat is racing ahead. Be honest with me. You are, aren't you?" Her smiled faded away a little, "ok fine I am." He immediately kissed her again, "don't be scared of me." She kissed him back with all that she had, "it's my first time Charles, not yours, being nervous has to be expected."

He brought his hands to cup her cheeks, "I know, and it saddens me that you aren't my first, but it very much honours me that I am yours." She blushed again listening to him speak with such tenderness. He had a way with words.

She kept her gaze at him "so are you going to get me out of this dress or not, I need to change." She blushed again at her request, "I don't see the point of changing, I'll just take it off." Sealing his lips with hers. "Oh but I do see a point in changing, I have spent too much time on this for it too go unnoticed." Charles looked at her curiously because he seriously didn't know what she meant by that, turning her body around he started to pull down her zipper. As he pulled it down he started to trace kisses on her neck, he wasn't going to make it any easy on her. He lightly pealed the top half off her dress revealing a very tightly tied corset underneath, which was binding her chest probably excruciatingly.

He looked at her amazed, "how are you even breathing right now?"

She chucked at his amazement, "this was Ravens idea so I will be killing her tomorrow for it."

He turned her head slightly so she could look at him, "I never said it didn't look absolutely sexy on you." Kissing her neck once again a shiver ran down her spine.

Her voice almost trembled now since she had never been so exposed in front of any man. "Just loosen the strings, I'll be able to take it off by myself."

He smirked at her shyness and then tucked her loose curl behind her ear, "breath Nina, if you don't want me to see anything tonight then you have my word, I won't. I love you too much to make you feel pressured or uncomfortable tonight."

She was taken aback by his response, "I promise you it's nothing like that, just give me a few moments and I'm all yours."

With that she got up and headed to change in their connecting bathroom, turning on the light she just stared at her image in front of the mirror to gather herself. She was clearly very nervous, breathing in a few times she looked around for the bag, which Raven supposedly left inside. Breathing in relief she saw it and took out the white-laced chemise she went looking for. After nearly a day worth of shopping and hunting she felt satisfied buying it. Taking off the dress and the corset she slipped on the chemise, it was quite high revealing her long legs. Extracting the pins for her hair she let her brown curls cascade down her body. Leaving in her little diamond studs she decided to gather her courage once again and walk back into their bedroom. Her heartbeat quickening by the second as she approached the door, upon turning the knob she saw Charles starting to unbutton his white dress shirt. As he turned to face her it left his mouth wide open, witnessing the vision that awaited him. She was perfection head to toe but most importantly she was his perfection.

She shyly walked over to him, but he never dropped his gaze. Seizing her by the waist first and the lips he manoeuvred her once again to their bed. "There aren't words to describe how beautiful you look this night." She turned away trying to hide the blush that crept up again. He brought his fingers to tilt her head back up so he could bore his eyes into hers, "I want you to tell me what's scaring you the most tonight. Don't shy away just be honest with me I don't want to read your mind but if you keep getting scared you'll leave me no choice."

She closed her eyes feeling quite embarrassed, "please be gentle; just don't hurt me." She almost whispered.

He realised that she was afraid of the pain she might experience and it probably made sense why she was so scared because she would have felt the pain other women have gone through on their first night. "I would never ever want to intentionally hurt you Nina. Tonight being your first time it will probably hurt, but just stay calm and I'll try my best to give you one of the most beautiful nights to remember." Digging his hands deeper into her hair he kissed her awaiting mouth.

He was right, because she realised it was a beautiful night that she would always remember;along with a handful of others that followed. They were the nights she relived in her memories over and over again; they were the nights that brought her peace when the other's haunted her. They were her dreams for the living nightmare she had to relive every night. They were the nights that made her feel compensated, for the ones that she got raped.

A small smile appeared on her face, apart from the beautiful memories Charles had given her during their time together, it was the birth of their daughter that really allowed Nina to somehow live. Some things she knew would always be kept inside of her, over the years she had learned to block her mind and she was grateful that Charles would never have to see the things she experienced. She had no choice but to learn how to shield her mind, she wouldn't want her daughter to know how badly she suffered; a little girl didn't deserve that. Charles already felt disgusted to touch her let alone wanting to explore her mind; he probably wouldn't even bother to find out because he didn't care anymore if she was dead or alive. It was better this way she felt she deserved it.

Reaching downstairs they saw Charles already seated in the front and Logan waiting for them outside the car. Nina handed the last bags over to Logan and sat behind Charles, soon enough Erik followed them inside. They drove in absolute silence until Logan asked for final directions, only to realise that they had arrived at their daughter's school.

Charles got out of the car eagerly but making sure that Nina was close by, because without her Verena probably wouldn't recognise him. She asked permission for her daughter to be let out early due to an emergency and they agreed. Charles all this while was impatiently sitting until he saw a young little girl who had Nina's hair and her cupid bow lips appear in front of them. Not until Charles looked into her eyes could he say that this girl was definitely his daughter, they were the same ocean blue that he had. She looked at him initially with curiosity but then a smile appeared on her face, she had already read his mind, but it was only because he let her. Running to him with her arms wide-open Charles bent down and engulfed his little girl with a long awaited hug with kisses covered all over forehead.

"Daddy," She said. His eyes welling up as he gripped her more tightly, and vowing to never ever letting her go again.

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