Annalise said nothing the entire journey back to Moscow airport. Erik had sat by her side, his arms delicately holding her to his side as he spoke to her, trying to prise words from her. But she said nothing. She looked at him with something like disgust and blankness. He didn't know what he had done, but he knew that something had happened to her. Schmidt had done something to ruin her and Erik didn't know what.

He said nothing when he realised that Annalise wasn't going to speak with him. She didn't even reach for his hand or touch him. She was distant and Erik was on the verge of snapping with her.

Emma Frost was being transported back to Langley by the CIA agents who had travelled with them, whilst Erik and Charles had deemed it necessary to fly back separately and away from Emma. They didn't want Annalise anywhere near Emma Frost after what had happened.

"She has said nothing," Erik spoke in a low voice to Charles as they stood in the departure lounge. Annalise was sat on a seat, her legs folded as her fingers clutched around the jacket Erik had given her to wear.

"She looks at me like she wants to kill me, Charles…or she doesn't even know me…" Erik said. "Can you not have a look in her mind? See what she is thinking?"

"Do you think that is wise?" Charles worried as he looked back to Annalise, his brow arching and a frown forming on his forehead. She was too quiet: Charles could admit that.

He had only just met Annalise, but he knew that this was not normal behaviour for, especially around Erik. He had seen the pair of them interact and Annalise did everything possible to be as close to Erik. She worried over him. She spent her hours making sure that Erik was safe and did nothing too dangerous.

"Do you think Shaw had Emma do something to her?" Charles wondered. "She can control minds like I can. Perhaps she has done something? Erased her memories? Something odd?"

Erik shrugged, folding an arm over his waist and allowing his other hand to hold his chin delicately. His gaze was soft as he watched Anna look around her surroundings, her knuckles white as she held the jacket tightly. She closed her eyes after a moment or two and Erik nodded. Something had been done to her.

"I think it is possible," Erik admitted. "You need to have a look, Charles. She…she cannot continue like this."

"Nor can you, I imagine," Charles said and Erik turned his gaze to him and glowered slightly as Charles placed a hand on Erik's shoulder. "You care deeply for her, my friend. You have no need to hide your feelings. Annalise is a sweet woman, Erik. I can tell that you care for her deeply."

"I…" Erik trailed off, his jaw clenching and his gaze moving to his boots as he thought of what he should say. "She is important, Charles. No one else has had an effect on me like she has."

"Well, I can only imagine that is what happenings when you spend years sleeping with a woman," Charles said with a wry smirk and Erik looked to him again with a questioning stare. "Girls tend to speak, Erik. Anna told Raven the truth when we were gone about how you two really met."

"I'm not surprised," Erik admitted. "Anyway, have a look and stop stalling."

Charles nodded and moved his fingers to his temple, closing his eyes and preparing to look into her mind. He focused, blanking everyone else out from around him as he settled into Annalise's mind. But he found nothing. Everything was distorted and the pictures he tried to access were fuzzy. He made out Erik in one of them, the pair of them hiding under white sheets as Erik looked at her with intensity. But the memory went blank after that. There was nothing coherent.

Removing his fingers from his temple, Charles shook his head and looked back to his friend.

"Something is wrong," Charles said. "It is like all of her memories have been tampered with. They are all broken and distorted. I don't know how to fix this, Erik without telling her what I need to do."

"Then tell her," Erik said. "How can her memories have been tampered with? They're erased? They're changed? What?"

"Erik," Charles hissed, urging for his friend to keep his voice down as he patted him on the back. "Calm down. I do not know. The memories have not been erased as I can still make them out…vaguely…but they are blurred. I need to sit down and try to fix this."

"Then fix it," Erik demanded and Charles shook his head.

"I will try," he promised him. "But let us get her home first…somewhere comfortable…she needs rest before I can do anything to help her. You can see how exhausted she is."

Nodding, Erik knew that there was nothing he could do to persuade him to change his mind. The two men exchanged a knowing glance before going back to Annalise and trying to speak with her, but she continued to stare straight ahead, nothing but a vacant and unknowing expression on her face.

….

Returning to base was a relief to Erik. He was almost relieved to return to the room in the CIA base he had been sharing with Annalise. Their possessions were where they had left them and there was nothing out of place. Erik had his hand on the small of Annalise's back as he guided her into the room. She automatically went into the bathroom and closed the door, locking it behind her as Erik watched on with furrowed brows. What the hell was going on?

"Anna," Erik spoke her name as soon as she came back out. "Anna, please talk to me. Please tell me what you are thinking. I am worried about you…please…"

Annalise looked to him, blinking profusely as she watched his face. She scrutinised him and opened her mouth, preparing to say something to him. She could feel herself wanting to tell him what had happened. She needed to tell him. Erik. She remembered Erik. But did she? Every time she tried to place him in her memories she felt herself turn sick slightly.

"I am tired," Annalise finally said. "I just want to sleep."

Erik was about to sigh in frustration, but he nodded. He had two sentences from her. At least she had managed to speak. Erik pulled the covers to the bed back and Annalise climbed into it, still dressed in Erik's jacket and the skirt she had been wearing for the past three days. Erik stood on the other side of the bed, watching as she turned onto her side and away from him. He closed the curtains and switched the main light out and turned the bedside light on.

"I promise you that I will do everything I can to help you get through whatever you're going through, Anna," Erik spoke softly as he knelt by the bed and moved his hand out to hold onto her shoulder. She kept her eyes closed as Erik moved his hand to brush her hair behind her neck. "I will help you, but I need you to tell me how. I need you to talk to me…maybe not tonight…but soon…please…I need you to help me."

Erik continued to watch, but he received nothing from Annalise. Nodding his head, Erik moved from the room and left her to sleep alone as he went to discuss their next move with Charles.

…..

Annalise sat up straight in the middle of the night. The bedside light was still burning bright by her side as she looked around the bedroom. She could hear soft snores from next to her and she turned her gaze to the sound. Erik was sleeping next to her, resting soundly on his stomach as his hands were stuffed underneath the pillow.

Moving in a trance like state from the bed, Annalise walked around the bed and towards the door. The corridors were quiet and empty as she went, her bare feet plodding down the cold concrete floor, but that didn't seem to bother her. Her eyes were set forwards and her mouth allowed soft pants to escape past her lips.

She moved slowly through the corridors until she came to the recreation room, pushing the door open and walking into it. She continued through the room to the kitchen before she opened the drawers and began searching for the sharp edged weapon she needed. She cut her fingers on a peeler she picked up by mistake, but she did nothing to stop the blood dripping from her pierced skin. The red drops fell onto the floor and her tights, staining her clothing as it went. Finally, she picked up the black handle and held the knife she had found. She pulled it up to her eye line, looking at the sharp blade as it glimmered in the light. She turned it slightly, knowing that it was the biggest blade she could find as she placed it by her side and began to make her way back down to the bedroom she was sharing with Erik.

No one disturbed her and no one was around to see what she was about to do. Her face was blank as she pushed the door open to their bedroom, closing it behind her to make sure it didn't slam shut. Looking to the bed, she noted Erik had rolled onto his back, his hands now on his stomach and his eyes firmly shut as he slept.

Moving towards him, Annalise stood by the side of the bed, tilting her head to the side as she watched him.

Erik Lehnsherr has done nothing but hurt you…he has kidnapped you…took you from a loving home…used you for his own gain…when the time is right you will kill him. Plunge a knife through his heart and watch him bleed…stop him from hurting anyone else.

The words haunted Annalise as she lifted the knife to waist height, holding it firmly in her hands as she continued to let it rise. Her gaze was firmly set on Erik now as she watched him, trying to recall where she had seen his face. A sudden white light shot through her gaze as she tried to remember. She staggered back, her mind a whirl and her head aching as she recognised his smirking face. His face was staring at her from underneath the sheets of a bed. His eyes were soft. Everything about him seemed kind.

"No," Annalise whispered.

He had warned her that this might happen. Lehnsherr had a friend who could read minds too. He had told her that he would try to persuade her otherwise. But she knew better. They were trying to trick her.

Opening her eyes again, she grunted as another memory seemed to make itself known to her. Erik sat opposite her in a restaurant, his hand in hers as he told her of his life.

It was then when she snarled at the memory, the noise dragging Erik from his sleep. He looked around, disorientated as he pushed himself to his elbows, blinking to clear the sleep from his eyes. It was only then when he looked up and saw Annalise stood over him, hatred on her face a knife in her hands, travelling down to his chest.