Charles stumbled from the office somewhat dazed, thoroughly confused and utterly miserable. He could still feel Erik's hand on him, could still hear his voice in his ear and it made him ache all over again. He didn't understand it at all. He didn't understand how it was possible to despise a man as much as he despised Lehnsherr and yet want him so badly at the same time, and he had wanted him. He'd tried to deny it. He'd tried to tell himself that it was an involuntary reaction to external physical stimuli, that he hadn't really enjoyed it, that he hadn't wanted it, but deep down he knew that was a lie. He'd wanted it, he just hadn't wanted to want it.

What did it say about him that in spite of the beatings and the lashes and the broken bones, he still wanted it? He was inexperienced but he totally naïve, he knew some people got off on pain and humiliation, he'd just never thought that he would be one of them. He still didn't, but then how else could he explain how he felt? How else could he explain that as sick and twisted as it was, every impulse in his body was screaming at him to march back into that office and demand… no, beg Erik for more? Maybe he was one of them after all.

Did Erik even know what he'd done to him, really done to him? Did he even care? Did it matter? No, it didn't, of course it didn't, it never would. Lehnsherr had made it abundantly clear that what he wanted was of absolutely no concern to him, that Charles was just a thing, a toy to be played with and then discarded when he broke.

He felt sick, to his stomach, tears burned his eyes. He still despised Lehnsherr and he wouldn't let that go, he couldn't if he wanted to hang on to what was left of his sanity. He couldn't let Lehnsherr see him that weak and needy ever again no matter what. He couldn't give in, he wouldn't give in, he would fight with every ounce of strength he had left to keep his desires hidden. But hiding from Lehnsherr was one thing, hiding from himself was another thing entirely. Charles wasn't sure he'd ever be fully able to do that.

Lost in the maelstrom of misery and self loathing and oblivious to his surroundings as he shuffled through the lounge area, Charles didn't even notice Sean's approach, just the feeling of a gentle hand on his arm and it startled him.

"Whoa, Charles, dude, chill, it's just me."

Charles blinked twice and tried to focus on the voice.

"Sean?"

"Uh… Yeah." Sean sort of smiled. "Who else? Come on, I haven't seen you in days and I've got some people I want you to meet." Charles allowed the redhead to drag him towards a low table in the corner and dropped down onto a couch without first checking there was actually anything but the floor underneath him.

"Charles, this is Alex and Angel. They were brought here like we were, about a year ago."

"Nice to meet you Charles."

Charles heard only a distant mumble. He didn't even bother to look up but he was vaguely aware of two other people at the table and he vaguely registered the fact that one of them was holding out a hand, but he couldn't quite remember how he was supposed to respond.

"Charles! Hey!" Sean clicked his fingers a couple of times and waved a hand in front of Charles face, drawing him out of his semi trance. "Are you okay? You look like shit."

"Huh?" Charles squeezed his eyes shut and sucked in a deep breath, feeling only slightly more lucid when he opened his eyes again a moment later. "Yeah, I…" He glanced across the table at Sean's friends, a pretty dark haired girl and a blond guy, both probably older than him but not by much he didn't think. He couldn't remember their names. "Sorry." He mumbled apologetically, noticing that the blond guy was still holding out his hand. He extended his own hand and shook the other limply. "I didn't catch your name."

"Don't sweat it." The blond said with a grin. "I'm Alex. This is my girl, Angel." The dark haired girl held out her hand then and received the same limp handshake for her trouble.

Sean gave him a concerned frown.

"I saw you coming out of Lehnsherr's office. What the fuck did he do to you this time?"

Charles blushed furiously and stared down at his lap, studiously avoiding anyone's gaze as the memory hit him along with a fresh wave of shameful arousal.

No no no. I can't let him know. I can't let anyone know.

"Nothing." He snapped. "Nothing. He didn't do anything."

Sean frowned again.

"Well, something must have happened because seriously man, you're wound so tight you look like you might snap at any second."

His fingers twiddled awkwardly in his lap and his brows furrowed as he tried to make sense of his thoughts, to find an explanation less humilliating than the truth would be. Then he remembered. In all his confusion and pain he'd almost forgotten, the reason Lehnsherr had wanted to see him in the first place.

"I… M, my auction is ended. I'm… I'm going to…"Suddenly the tumult of emotion that had virtually crippled him before, all melted away to be replaced by fear. He couldn't finish his words, but it didn't matter, Sean understood.

"Oh Charles." He murmured softly, resting his hand gently upon Charles' knee. "I'm sorry, I really am. I didn't even think."

"Wait a minute. Auction?" Angel queried from across the table. "You're a virgin?"

Charles shrugged his shoulders and sniffed before mumbling miserably.

"Only until tomorrow."

"Damn!" Alex cut in. "Do you know who? Did he tell you?"

Charles nodded.

"Some guy named Shaw."

"Sebastian Shaw?"

"You know him?" He asked, finally looking up from his lap.

"I've had the… pleasure a couple of times yeah." The blond grimaced. "Fuck! Oh man I'm sorry, I… Fuck!"

Charles eyes went wide.

"Is he that bad?" He asked with a growing sense of panic. The uneasy look that passed between Alex and Angel then and the lack of any proper answer told Charles all he needed to know and his stomach lurched violently. He staggered from his seat and stumbled towards the foot of the stairs, mumbling not quite under his breath. "Raven. I have to get Raven."

"Who the Hell is Raven?" Angel asked.

"She's this little kid who got brought in by mistake when we did." Sean answered, clambering to his feet and following after Charles, Alex and Angel right behind him. "They were gonna sell her to this paedo guy and Charles got the shit beat out of him when he tried to defend her. I think Lehnsherr's using her to keep him in line now."

"Sick fucker." Alex hissed, following Sean up the stairs.

They caught up to Charles halfway down the hall.

"Charles slow down." Sean pleaded, making a grab for his friends arm.

"Let me go." Charles yelled, wrenching his arm out from Sean's grip. "I can't do this, I thought I could but I can't. I've got to get out of here, and I've got to take Raven with me before they hurt her too." He lunged forward and made another run for it, but Alex's long legs carried him quickly and Charles barely got two steps before Alex was in front of him blocking his way. "Get out of my way!" Charles barked angrily.

"I can't do that Charles."

"Please, Alex. I'm not like you and Angel and Sean. I can't take this, I'm not strong enough. I have to get away from here, I have to get Raven away from here." He shoved Alex hard in the chest but Alex was steady on his feet and didn't budge. Sean and Angel at his rear took an arm each and tried to pull him back but he resisted their efforts. "Please." He wailed.

"I'm sorry Charles, but there's no where to go. There is no way out of this place."

"There has to be, there has to."

"There isn't. Trust me."

"How do you know huh? How do you know?" Charles was frantic, he didn't want to believe Alex.

"I know because I tried to escape once myself when I first got here!" Charles stared at him open mouthed, not sure if he was telling the truth or just a story to stop him fighting. "I failed. Obviously. But…" He sighed and shrugged off his shirt to reveal three small round scars on his shoulder the size of bullet wounds. "But I did get this lovely little souvenir of the attempt."

At the sight of the cluster of puckered scars and the realisation of what they meant, every ounce of strength Charles still had left, deserted him. His knees buckled and he sank to the carpet, burying his head in his hands and sobbing.

Sean dropped to his knees beside him and pulled his friend into his arms, rocking him gently and rubbing his back until his breathing returned to something a little closer to normal, while Alex and Angel watched with concern.

"Christ." Charles muttered hoarsely after some time, his voice still shaking, just as his body was. "This is really happening, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Sean answered quietly. "It's really happening."

Charles looked up at Alex and Angel.

"And Shaw…" He swallowed thickly. "He's going to hurt me, isn't he?" Alex sighed heavily and nodded his head. "Badly." It was a statement of understanding rather than a question."

"Sorry." Alex whispered.

"Oh God." A fresh swell of tears rose in Charles' eyes and tumbled uncontrollably down his cheeks.

Angel nudged Alex roughly in the ribs and he frowned hard at her. She nodded in Charles's direction then stood on her tiptoes and whispered something in his ear, to which Alex nodded back and reached into his pocket before taking a step forward and crouching in front of Charles. He glanced left and then right to make sure no one was watching and then hesitantly pressed something small into his hand.

"Here. Take this. It's from my personal stash."

"What is it?" Charles asked, wiping his eyes and staring down at his hand and the pill Alex had placed there.

"Just something that might help."

"What does it do?"

Alex bit his lip for a moment, then answered.

"I'm not gonna lie and tell you it'll stop the pain because it won't. What it will do, is make it so you don't care."

Charles continued to stare at the tiny pink pill and wondered if that was even possible.

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