Author's Note: I apologize again for the fact it has taken me so long to update. I hate that it takes me so long but I have unfortunately had a lot of chaos in the past few years. I can tell you that I will finish this. I have most of the story mapped out. It has changed a number of times. As stated before I started this before Days of Future Past. As it has been from day 1 this is strictly AU.

Takes place during X-Men First Class, pre-Days of Future Past, etc.

I own practically nothing. All canon characters belong to Marvel & Fox

Chapter 11: True Nightmares

Charles Xavier had waited until he knew they were both Ellie and Ruby were deep enough in sleep that they would dream before he entering Ruby's mind. His found himself inside a hallway he had never seen before. The hallway was empty, even the walls were bare. He could see outlines where pictures had been hanging long enough for the sun that clearly once shown through the windows left different hues to wallpaper. The occupants must have only just left. Light and movement drew his attention to a room at the end of the hall just a few steps away. It was a child's room that was lit with a single candle. That was where he found Ruby. She sitting on the bed and was staring down at the candle as if it was the source of life itself.

Ruby, his mind called out to her, causing her to startle.

"Charles?" She looked up in confusion. "Where are you?"

I'm here, his mind spoke again.

"I don't like this. I can't see you." She kept looking around.

Then change it, you can control it.

Ruby closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to conjure up Charles' image.

"See?" Charles grinned at her as her eyes opened. "I knew you could do it. Where are we?"

"Home." She glanced around the dim room before focusing on the candle. "Where I grew up." She let out a bitter laugh. "Sort of, Ellie likes to point out that it never really was much of a home."

"You lived here with your parents." Charles filled in the gap. That explained the empty hallway.

Ruby nodded.

"Do you dream of this often?" He moved to sit beside her.

"Sometimes. It's where it all started." She stated as she pulled the candle closer.

"And the candle?" He asked.

"Only thing keeping the darkness out." Ruby glances towards the corner of the room. Charles followed her gaze. Just looking at the dark corner was unnerving. It was like the darkness was alive.

"Okay." Charles nodded. "Let's find Ellie."

Ruby nodded as she stood up and headed into the hallway, still carrying the candle. She stopped and turned back to Charles and held a hand out to him. He took her hand as she led them through the hall, down the stairs, and to what appeared to be the front door. Charles looked over his shoulder to see the living darkness seemed to follow them. He made a mental note of it as he turned back to Ruby as she stared at the door.

"What usually happens?" He asks.

"When I'm here I usually feel like running. Like if I run after them, my family…If I could just reach them, but..." she couldn't quite bring herself to finish the thought.

"But?" he prompted, he needed to know.

"But when I open the door I usually end up somewhere else, usually with Ellie. That's how I end up in her dreams."

Charles nodded. "That does make some sense. She is your family now."

Ruby thinks about it, but the feeling to run to her parents remains. "Maybe…" The more she thinks the darker the room seems to turn, enough to make even Charles uneasy.

"Do you still feel like running when you find her?" He asks as he moves her closer to the door.

"Sometimes, especially if she's having a nightmare of her own."

"Does she have nightmares often?"

Ruby nods. "She says it's just her nature. Especially after days she's gone out and shifted. It takes a lot out of her when she does, but if she avoids it too long it's even worse."

"She says it can be painful." Charles thinks back to the morning testing session with Ellie. "But she's accustomed to the pain."

"Yes, she hates it but at the same time it lets her be anything she can dream of." Ruby smiles. "Literally."

"Then let's go find her." He gestures towards the door.

Ruby takes a deep breath to calm her nerves before opening the door.

The pair is momentarily blinded by a bright light. When their vision seems to adjust they are standing just inside another door that opened into a small sitting room filled with sunlight. Ruby smiled.

"Where are we?" Charles asked.

"Ellie's home." Ruby moved over to pick up a framed picture from a table. "Nokomis."

"Our home." Ellie corrected from where she stood in a doorway.

"Right." Ruby nodded.

"Do you remember why we're here?" Charles asks Ellie, not sure how things usually work.

"Vaguely." Ellie looked at him. "I know I'm here by choice." She smiled at Ruby.

"We're here to help Ruby." He reminded her.

"Usually am," Ellie smirked.

"So I've gathered," Charles nodded but his attention was drawn away as the room grew darker and the sunshine faded away.

"I forgot to close the door." Ruby said staring at the doorway they had come through but it was different. The door was open to the small front yard, skies churning with dark clouds.

Ellie sighs. "You always do."

Ruby ran over to close the door but it was too late. The shadows already filled the corners. The darkness heaving as it advanced, practically swallowing the light as it went. Charles reached out to pull Ruby away from it, the darkness surging after her.

"Time to wake up." Charles looked at the two of them and then back at the advancing darkness that was too close for comfort. "You need to wake up, now!"

…

Ruby sat up gasping franticly searching her surroundings for any sign of terrifying shadows.

"They're gone, Ruby." Charles took her hand in his. "They're gone, you're awake." He reassured her.

Ruby nodded as she tried to calm her breathing before remembering what all happened. Her attention snapping to her sister, "Ellie?"

"Why is it that I always end up with a headache when you use your powers?" Ellie asked as Hank helped her slowly sit up.

"It might stem from having an outside force in your mind, or from trying to resist it, we'll have to keep trying to know more.

"I figured." Ellie sighed as she stood up.

"I'm sorry, Ellie." Ruby frowned.

"Don't be, if it helps it'll be worth it." Ellie stretched, ignoring the twinge in her side before looking between Hank and Charles. "Am I good to go?" She looked back to Charles. "I think I've had about all the training and testing I can handle for one day."

"Yes, you can go." Charles nodded.

Ellie looked to her sister. "You coming, Ruby?"

"I think I might stay here," Ruby smiled weakly. "You go rest. Heavens knows you didn't get much last night."

Ellie rolled her eyes.

"See you at dinner?" Charles asked as Ellie moved to leave.

"Probably." Ellie half shrugged.

"Ellie, you need to keep your strength up." Hank started to inform her of how her powers would exhaust her faster and slow her healing if she did not eat.

"Fine, whatever, I'll be there." Ellie shook her head. "See you at dinner."

Charles turned his attention to Ruby, to see if she was alright "Are you-"

"Yes, I'm fine." Her reassuring statement was contradicted slightly by the act of pulling her knees to her chest. "I just really hate when that happens."

"Maybe you should get some rest as well." Hank suggested.

Ruby shook her head vehemently. "I'll just bother Ellie."

Charles took a moment to study her. There was no chance of her getting any sleep after what he'd just witnessed. "Why don't you head to the study and I'll meet you there in a few minutes."

Ruby nodded and let him help her up. Charles made sure she was steady on her feet and well on her way down the hall before he turned back to Hank.

"What happened?" Hank asked before Charles could say anything. "Their vitals were all over the place. I almost woke them up when Ruby's spiked."

"Let me see." Charles went over and looked at the data Hank had collected. He could practically see when things went from sunshine to darkness in the readings. "The darkness took over."

"The nightmare monster?" Hank asked for clarification.

"Yes." Charles answered as he handed the information back to Hank.

"It's bad isn't it?" Hank already knew the answer but asked anyway.

"It is," Charles sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He could sympathize with Ellie about being on the receiving end of Ruby's powers. His own head ached from the overwhelming nature of it all. "Imagine every nightmare you ever had compounded with all those of everyone you know and give it mass."

"That would be terrifying." Hank nodded.

"It was." Charles ran his hand through his hair before smoothing out his shirt and heading towards the door. "I'm going to check in with the others and then head to the study. See you at dinner."

"I'll be here." Hank turned back to the data he had collected throughout the day. He had a lot to go over.

…

Ellie practically collapsed into her bed and buried her face into the pillows. She grinned to herself when she inhaled a scent that was clearly Erik's before letting herself fall asleep hoping that her sister's mind was kept busy enough elsewhere so that she could get a little bit of genuine rest.

…

Erik was frowning at the clearly exhausted group when Charles walked out to join them. Not missing the eyeroll Moira gave Sean as she tried to convince him that he was not too exhausted to stand.

"They need work." Erik stated as he approached.

"We knew they would." Charles offered the tired group a smile. "Why don't you all head inside and clean up. Dinner isn't too far off."

"Did we even eat lunch?" Sean asked as he walked inside with Raven and Alex.

"Of course we did," Raven laughed.

"Despite what you think Sean, I don't think he genuinely hates us." Alex added.

"Well at least not us," Raven gestured between herself and Alex. "But you Sean, you're on your own with that."

Erik shook his head as the recruits moved out of earshot, not exactly hiding the smirk that was on his face.

"You really do enjoy terrifying them, don't you?" Moira asked him.

"Not them, just him." Erik reassured her.

Moira glared at him.

"He needs to learn his place." Erik met her glare.

"What Erik means is that they all need to learn to work as a team, even Sean."

"Especially Sean," Erik corrected.

"Not helping Erik." Charles looked at him.

"So pairing him with Ellie was about teamwork and not petty-" Moira started but was cut off.

"Actions have consequences." Erik glared at her. "He's going to need to fight his own battles, why not start now?"

"Speaking of Ellie," Charles tried to steer the conversation away from the argument his friends seemed so set on having. He could tell he had succeeded when Erik stopped glaring at Moira to look at him. "Erik can you check on her, she seemed rather out of sorts after helping test Ruby's powers." Charles didn't miss the flicker of concern that flashed across Erik's features before his usual mask of indifference returned. He knew the other man cared more than he was letting on.

"I will," Erik turned to leave but not before looking at Moira. "This conversation is not over."

"You're damn right." Moira glared back.

Charles sighed. "I'm going to check on Ruby."

The next 2 chapters just need editing and at least one of them is much longer. I'll try and finish it all soon.