"You do understand that it will be for the best that she is back with Shaw, do you not?" Erik checked with Charles as they sat on the famous steps in Washington, a chessboard in front of them. Erik was lounged out on the white material, his legs outstretched as his elbow supported the top half of his weight. Charles remained with his legs crossed, his body angled towards the board as he looked out onto the setting sun.
"I don't see how it can be for the best," Charles replied. "I can't find her thoughts anywhere."
"Shaw will have made sure of that," Erik chuckled once. "But now that he has her back he won't be looking for us. He can go back to doing what he was doing and we can go back to trying to get rid of him."
"You are forgetting one issue my friend," Charles replied, moving a pawn directly onto the next square, knocking Erik's down before he looked back at the man. "He already knows where we are. He knew where to find Clara and so he will know where to find us. I don't think he will strike until the correct moment though."
"And when will that be?" Erik raised a brow whilst Charles shrugged.
"Who knows?" he simply enquired as Erik adjusted the collar of his leather brown jacket and moved another piece across the board before smirking lightly once.
"You do know this game is not fair?" he checked with Charles. "Who can ever win a game of chess against a telepath?"
"You raise an excellent point," Charles allowed a small nod to be made as he finished the game off. "I have never lost once and I don't think I will now."
Erik chuckled to himself and ran a hand through his hair, sitting back and resting on both elbows whilst Charles tidied the game away.
"You're pondering my friend," he stated.
"I thought you said you would not read my mind?" Erik raised a brow. Charles shook his head, unbuttoning the top button to his shirt.
"I didn't," he promised. "It is written across your face. Do you care to share?"
"It isn't anything important really," Erik promised. "I was just wondering how two people can be so different."
"Ah," Charles simply allowed a small gasp to escape his lips as he nodded.
"I take it you know what I am talking about." Erik complained. Charles knowing his mind was becoming increasingly annoying.
"You were wondering how Clara can be so different from her father, am I correct?"
"Yes."
"It is to do with the genetic mutations," Charles spoke, his hand making a circular motion as he spoke, "there is a gene which causes our personalities to differ. She clearly did not inherit those genes from her father and takes after her mother. But...I suppose there is something different and not to do with genes."
"And what is that?" Erik replied. "I thought genes made who we were?"
"They do," Charles nodded. "But the knowledge of knowing right from wrong is also essential."
Erik remained quiet, not knowing what to say in response to Charles' theory. Instead he pursed his lips and continued looking out onto the sunset.
...
"I need you to go to Russia as I have a matter of important business to take care of," Shaw informed Emma as she walked back into the living area of the submarine. Clara remained seated on the white sofa, her legs crossed and her face etched with fear. She was scared of her own father.
"If that is what you wish," Emma nodded. Shaw agreed, moving the helmet he had been holding in his hands around his palms and Emma excused herself once again to go back to Azazel and Riptide.
"I realise I have yet to tell you what this is my love," Shaw said and Clara gulped loudly as she heard him call her his love. She closed her eyes, daring to look across to him again as he moved across the room, sitting down next to her, his hand resting on her thigh.
"I apologise for hurting you earlier Clara," he whispered, his thumb soothingly stroking the material of her skirt. "You must understand that I never wanted to hurt you. You just pushed me too far my darling."
Clara remained quiet, allowing her father to kiss her gently on the top of her head as he set the helmet down by his side.
"What I did in the past is in the past," he whispered reassuringly. "What I did to Erik was something which I had to do. I helped him to become the man he is today and I would say I created a splendid thing, would you not agree?"
Clara remained quiet, thinking about what he was saying to her as her eyes remained straight ahead at the mahogany desk. She didn't dare look into his questioning eyes.
"You tortured him father," she replied in a whisper. "You lied to me and you hurt people."
"And for that I shall never be the same in your eyes, I realise," Shaw nodded hastily. "But I am still your father. A lot of people have a past life they want to keep quiet. I did it to protect you. Erik was someone who I knew could become an extraordinary man. I helped him achieve it."
"Well he seems hell bent on killing you because of it," Clara muttered.
"He will soon see we're the winning side and the telepath is on the losing side," Shaw said cockily. "Anyone can see that."
...
"I don't see why he couldn't have left you on the submarine," Emma complained as she sat in the descending helicopter along with Clara who was looking out the window. Shaw had demanded Emma to take Clara with her to Russia and the telepath could do nothing but agree to his plans. Shaw didn't want her with him when he attacked Division X. He had spent the last few days trying to win her back to him and she would have changed her mind back straight away if she saw his plans. No, he decided going with Emma was the safest option. Leaving her on the sub would give her a chance to escape and he knew she had thought about it.
"I don't see why you all can't leave me alone," Clara snapped and Emma glared at her as the copter stopped on the grass. Clara stood up and followed Emma. She smoothed out the navy dress she wore with a blue Mac on top of it. She successfully managed to get her heel stuck in the sodden grass and she swore in her head.
"And who do we have here?" a tall burly man asked Emma, his eyes fixed on Clara as Emma tried not to roll her eyes.
"Clara Shaw," she spoke. "I am on babysitting duty for Sebastian whilst he works."
"She looks far too old to be babysat," he spoke, winking at Clara as the young girl tried not to feel her stomach churn at the action.
"Well if you lovely ladies would like to follow me inside then I am sure we can come to some kind of arrangement."
...
"Emma is looking after Clara," Charles spoke, the binoculars in his hands firmly whilst Erik gritted his teeth. "Shaw is busy with something apparently..."
"Well we can't go in," Moira said quietly. "We could risk starting a World War on our own."
"You can't go in," Erik contradicted. "But I'm not CIA."
...
"Men," Emma rolled her eyes, looking at the hallucinating as Clara stood on the other side of the room, her hands holding themselves and her weight rested against the smooth wall.
"So what do you plan to do now?" Clara wondered.
"I don't think it is any of your business," Emma muttered back, her eyes going wide as she glared at the biscuit she popped into her mouth and bit down on.
"Of course not," Clara grumbled.
"She does pose an interesting question though," a sudden voice rang out into the room and the sets of eyes looked to the doorway where Charles and Erik stood.
"Go to sleep," Charles demanded the man on the bed as Emma stood up, shifting into diamond form.
"Don't try to read my mind Charles," she snapped at the other telepath who bent over in pain at her blocking him out. "We both know you won't get anywhere."
Without warning Emma began to move quickly but was intercepted by Charles and Erik. Erik was the one to act quickly, the metal of the bed moving from its natural curls as it wrapped around Emma and squeezed her tightly.
"That's enough Erik," Charles demanded but the metal continued to pull tighter. "Erik!"
"There," Erik said dejectedly, wishing he could continue with his torture. "She won't be shifting into diamond form anytime soon."
Charles bent down, his fingers pressed against his temple as he looked into Emma's mind for a few seconds and his eyes flew open suddenly and he backed away from her.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" she checked.
"This is far worse than we ever imagined," Charles told Erik. "The CIA will want to question her."
"I doubt it," she drawled.
...
"What does he plan to do?" Clara asked Charles as they sat in the car on the way to the airport. Erik drove the stolen Russian vehicle as Charles sat in the passenger seat and Clara leaned forward in the back seat. "He told me he wants mutants to take over the world but he never said how."
"Radiation," Charles told her. "The nuclear radiation which destroys humans will only make mutants stronger...he wants to be the leader of his whole world and creating a nuclear war will give him the option to do that."
"Jesus Christ," Clara whispered and sat back down in her seat, her eyes looking out the window as Charles looked at her in the rear view mirror.
"When you were with him did he say anything else which he plans to do?" Charles asked her, his head turning back to look at her.
"No," she shook her head. "He just...he told me...about his past..."
"I am sure that was an interesting story," Erik couldn't help but speak his mind.
...
"He told me that he made Erik the man he is today," Clara whispered to Charles as she sat by his side in the waiting room of the airport terminal. Erik was wandering off on his own, his thoughts deep and Charles didn't want to interrupt him. "He said that without him then Erik would not be exceptional."
"Of course he would say that," Charles scoffed. "He thinks he is Erik's creator."
"I know it may sound ludicrous," Clara whispered to Charles. "But...I want to hate him Charles...and I do hate him...I hate what he has done..."
"But he is your father and you cannot help but love him," he simply told her. "He has been there for you for your whole life and you feel it is your duty to still love him. That makes you human Clara."
"And I know Erik can't look at me without seeing my father and for that he hates me," she replied. "I can understand now...but he can't go through with this...the worldwide domination which he has planned."
"We don't plan to let him," Charles said determinedly. "You are welcome to stay with is for as long as you need to Clara. I felt completely useless after you had vanished right from my arms."
"I cannot say that I was thrilled," she complained in a grumble. "Moira is looking at you again."
"Yes," Charles drawled, turning red slightly and looking down at his lap. "I am aware. I just don't plan to encourage it."
"I can give you two a moment if you like?" she teased Charles and he grinned but looked back at her.
"You don't need to be such a tease," he informed her.
"I was being serious," she replied, feigning innocence.
"Of course you were my dear Clara," he chuckled. "Of course you were."
...
A/N: So if anyone is reading this please let me know what you think! Ta!