AN: I know that it has been forever since I updated. I've been working on a scholarship that requires me to write a collection of short stories and that is keeping me really busy. However, once I get these stories completed I should be able to update on a more regular basis. Thanks to everyone who is sticking with this story! Remember to review, reviews make your humble author very happy!

The prison was a fortress built in the late 19th century, and its imposing rock facade was designed to crush the will of those that entered its gate. The prison was in the shape of a square with a large courtyard in the middle. Every possible surface was covered in razor wire and there were guard towers every few feet along the outer gate. Trying to escape would result in death just as surely as if you were strapped into the electric chair. All of the guards were specially trained to deal with unruly prisoners in the harshest manner. No one who went in came back out. This was the most secure penitentiary in the state, yet officially it did not exist. This was where political prisoners, war criminals, hostages, spies, and other high profile undesirables were detained by the United States government. Conspiracy theorists would sell their souls to simply know the location of the place. This was where Frank Oliver was being held captive.

He was kept in total isolation at the end of a ward on which he was the only prisoner. His cell was made of stark white tile and harsh florescent lights brightly illuminated the room day and night, the only respite from sitting on the cold floor was a large rubber mat that served as a mattress. He was stripped of all of his clothing upon entering the prison, hosed down with freezing cold water, and shoved in the room soaking wet, naked, and shivering. He had remained in the room since that night and had no human contact whatsoever for over 2 months. He was totally despondent and his mental state was quickly deteriorating. What he didn't know was that Erik Lensherr was determined to rescue him come hell or high water.

All it took was a small sad sigh from Rebbecca, and her mentioning that she missed her father. Anything and everything Rebbecca wanted Erik made sure she had, and her father was not going to be the exception. He still could not explain to anyone in words the almost innate instinct that he had to keep her safe and happy. The only one who seemed to understand was Charles and that was simply because he could feel exactly what was going through Erik's mind at any given moment. Charles knew that Erik was going to break into a government prison, he knew that Erik would be putting himself in terrible danger, and yet he didn't try to stop him. There was no stopping Erik once he made up his mind to do something and Charles would be wasting his breath if he even attempted it. So Charles left the keys to his car in the drivers seat, told Erik to be careful, and then pretended to be blissfully unaware when the kids asked him about Erik's whereabouts.

Erik had gotten into the car while it was still dark outside, and with one last glance at Rebbecca's window, used his powers to send the car flying down the driveway at break neck speeds. He had spent nearly the entire day driving to Virginia. No normal person would have been able to gone that distance in such a short time, however Erik could literally make his car fly over traffic. Even when he could simply pass a car on the highway he would frequently cause Charles' Cadillac to fly over whoever was in front of him just for the hell of it. Once he was in Virginia he became totally focused and serious. Erik was a man on a mission.

Finding the prison was surprisingly easy, then again Erik had spent the better part of 20 years hunting Nazis and honing his sleuthing abilities. He had done his homework and two thoroughly terrified off duty guards told him everything he needed to know. He wasted no time in heading towards the fortress, leaving the car safely hidden in an abandoned warehouse about a mile from his target. He made the rest of the journey on foot, all the while thinking about Rebbecca's face as he helped her eat her poached egg the night before. He thought about how much he had wanted to reach up and wipe off the piece of egg yoke that had stuck to her bottom lip. In the end, he did nothing and simply left. Once in his room he thanked God for the billionth time that she could not tell how much he wanted to touch her. He knew that if he brought her dad back to her then he would have an excuse to hug her, or at the very least shake her hand. Was he really going to break into a federal penitentiary just for a hug from a teenage girl? He rolled his eyes. He was going soft. What would the kids think if they discovered that Erik, who was known as the biggest hard ass that ever walked the planet, really just wanted a hug. He blushed in humiliation at the prospect.

Upon reaching the prison he laughed out loud. They had practically covered the entire building in wire, metal sheeting, bolts, and bars thinking that using as much metal as possible would keep them safer and far more secure. Humans are adorably stupid. He snipped a few of the razors from the wire that covered the tops of a chain link fence surrounding the complex and then caused the fence to open in the middle to allow him passage. He walked through three more chain link fences before reaching the main stone wall. He stopped for a moment to empty every gun that the guards had, into their owners. After obliterating the opposition he simply walked in through the front door, even knocking before entering. You can never be too polite. He had huge smirk on his face as he strolled through the entrance way. He was impressed with the work that had gone into the architecture. There was a beautiful archway that lead into a room with a huge rotunda overhead and a massive stone stairway that branched off into two directions halfway up. The walls were paneled in deep mahogany and an intricate mural of a bald eagle dominated the wall behind the staircase. He could sense two metal doors at the top of the stairs leading to the wards out of sight of the entrance way. That was where the beauty ended.

As he made his way towards the stairs he felt a sudden stinging in his left shoulder blade. He whipped around to see a guard standing behind him. The guard had his feet planted in a stance that was meant to convey authority and dominance. He was holding the gun that he had just shot Erik with. Erik felt with his mind for any metal and was very confused when he didn't feel any bullets. He looked down at his feet and saw a small plastic pellet that the guard had just shot at him. Erik made a move as if to put his hands behind his head, but as he did so he sent one of the razors from the fence flying at the guards neck. The sharpened metal made quick work of the guard's major veins and arteries. Erik then turned and sprinted up the staircase. He ripped one of the metal doors off of the wall and walked into the first ward. In exchange for some cigarettes he found out that the front ward where he was standing, was over the entrance area and was where the least dangerous prisoners were kept. That was the front of the square. The ward that was the left side was death row, the ward that was the right side of the square was for political prisoners and hostages from other countries. The back side was totally deserted except for one prisoner who was rumored to be insane. The whole bottom floor was used for administrative purposes and was where the hospital and interrogation rooms were kept.

He strode down the ward and quickly found the room in which Frank was being kept as it was the only cell whose door was closed. He tore a huge hole through the door and stepped inside. He found Franklin Oliver sitting on his haunches in the window sill slowly rocking back and forth.

"Shit..., I'm a...friend of your daughter's. I'm here to help."

Frank didn't respond and Erik moved closer.

"I know your daughter Rebbecca. You have to come with me now, I can take you to her."

At hearing his daughter's name, Frank's head jerked his head up and he looked at Erik as if he had just noticed that someone was in room. Erik heard an alarm go off on the floor beneath him.

"I don't have time for this. I hope Charles can do something for you, in the meantime..."

Erik grabbed Frank and slung him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. He then used one of the razors to carve a swastika on the tile in the hopes that it would throw the government off by making them think that Shaw had taken their prisoner. Even though the sight of that hated symbol made him almost sick, he hoped it would by them some time. He then ran like a mad man the entire mile back to the car where he slung Frank into the passenger side of the car. He then drove back to New York as fast as possible, hoping and praying that no one noticed that he had a naked man in the car beside him. When he reached the mansion early the next morning his first thought was projected towards Charles.

"Charles come help me. Brink Hank and a blanket."

"I'm on my way. How bad?"

"Bad. He's totally off of his rocker, I really hope you can help. How is she?"

"Good. She's sleeping. She asked about you."

Erik's heart skipped a beat at the idea of her thinking of him while he was gone.

"What did you tell her?"

"That you were off doing some recruiting."

By this point Charles and Hank had reached the car carrying a blanket and a makeshift stretcher created out of several layers of canvas stretched between two poles. They put Frank onto the stretcher and carefully carried him up to a guest bedroom on the same floor as Rebbecca's room. Erik left Frank to Charles who immediately began to work on Frank's mental state. It was agreed that no one would mention Frank to Rebbecca until Charles had some time to access his mental state. In the meantime Erik went down into the kitchen an began to poach a couple of eggs, make some toast with jam, and pour two glasses of orange juice. He then went up to Rebbecca's room and pressed his ear to the door. He heard Rebbecca and Raven talking inside so he stood outside and waited. Raven had partially redeemed herself in Erik's eyes by helping Rebbecca to bathe and get dressed every day. She had even given Rebbecca some of her own clothes to use until the could go shopping. It was only a few minutes until Raven left the room and Erik could go in. She was sitting wrapped up in a blanket on a couch. Her hair had regained its luster and her skin was almost entirely free of bruises. Some of her ribs were still broken and she was still painfully thin, but she looked like a totally different person than when she had arrived. She had a book laying in her lap and her skeletal fingers were caressing the pages. When she saw Erik she smiled and cleared her throat before speaking.

"Ah! He returns."

Erik snorted and pulled a small table up to the side of the couch. He then sat the tray on the table, pulled up a chair and sat down. She slowly slung her legs over the side of the couch and sat to face the table. She place a firm pillow across her chest and under her arms to support herself, and then picked up her fork.

"Bon Apatite!"

Erik proceeded to shovel his portion of food into his mouth while hunching over his plate like a lion hunches over its kill as it devours its food. He had bits of egg and toast crumbs all over the front of his shirt and face. He had never eaten with her, but he hadn't had a chance to eat breakfast yet and he made a point to never miss a meal after he got out of Auschwitz. Rebbecca just watched him, she hadn't eaten one bite until he looked up at her.

"Is something wrong with the food? I can make something else if you would like."

"No."

"Then what?"

"Well", she gestured to his crumb covered shirt, "you seem like you've never seen food before."

He brushed all the crumbs off his face and shirt.

"Sorry..."

"Don't apologize. I just thought that I was the starving one."

Her humor was lost on him and he just looked at her. She looked at him for an awkward moment before taking a bite of her eggs.

"I-...I've been starving before."

She looked up at him, her expression unreadable. He tried to appear nonchalant but his heart was pounding as he did something he had only ever done with Charles, he opened up.

"Huh?"

"I'm German...and Jewish. I've been starving before."

He hoped beyond hope that she would put two and two together so that he wouldn't have to come straight out and say it. He didn't need to worry because within a few seconds she nodded with understanding.

"Well I'm certainly not going to take your food away. You can slow down if you want to."

He picked up his toast and took a small bite while slowly chewing. He let out an inward sigh of relief as she began prattling on about the book that she was reading. His happiness that she didn't question him further was infinite. He wasn't sure that he wanted her to know...at least not yet.