"I suppose you finally have what you want," Charles informed Erik when he saw him silently close the door to Annalise's room after three minutes. She had fallen asleep with all the exhaustion which had washed through her body. Erik had gently moved from the room, treading carefully so not to wake her. Charles was sat on the sofa, his hands holding onto a book. Erik moved around the room, his eyes narrowed at Charles who wasn't paying him any attention.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Erik asked, the noise coming out like a snarl and Charles dropped the book onto his lap, closing it shut gently after turning the corner of the page which he was reading.

"It means that she has finally agreed to go with you," Charles shrugged once. "You have what you want."

"Do you honestly think that I wanted this?" Erik hissed, gesturing to her room with his extended hand and Charles shook his head and sighed once.

"I know," he agreed, pushing his hair behind his ears. "Neither of us wished for this to happen."

"Annalise isn't thinking clearly," Erik decided, sitting down on the single armchair. He crossed his legs, resting his hands onto either arm as he did so. His eyes were looking straight at Charles as he raised a brow. "She has been through a great deal of pain judging by the state of her body. She may want to come with me now. I believe if you give her time to think straight then she will say that she doesn't want to join me."

"I didn't mean to pry, Erik," Charles told the stern looking man. He was so stiff. "The conversation which you two just had was private. But the walls and my mind are not entirely soundproof."

"I fail to care," Erik said with a hint of nonchalance in his voice. Charles took his turn to sigh as the man brushed off his apology and didn't delve further into a conversation.

"What Annalise has just said-"

"-That really is none of you business," Erik interrupted Charles who shook his head, looking down at his lap. He rested his hand onto the closed book and his other itched his numb leg.

"Her admitting that she loves you is a very big thing, Erik," Charles assured him and Erik simply continued his silence, not caring for conversation. "I think that deep down you have always known how she feels for you."

"Her feelings are nothing which concern you, Charles."

"They are when she is my friend."

"As I said," Erik drawled, hoping the tone of his voice would show Charles that he didn't care for the conversation, "Annalise is feeling weak. She doesn't necessarily mean what she says."

"Or are you just too scared to admit that you love her?" Charles asked him bluntly to which Erik cocked a brow again, looking around her room in the hope that there was some alcohol. He moved from his chair and began his search.

"Her vodka is in the top cupboard." Charles called out to Erik who gritted his teeth but followed the instruction of the telepath. "You've had no one all your life, Erik. It is only natural that you feel scared of the feelings which you have."

"Who says I am worried?" Erik snapped back, pulling out a small glass and filling it with the clear alcoholic beverage.

"Your face doesn't betray your emotions this time, my friend," Charles chuckled lightly. "You are worried of commitment. The only people close to you have been hurt and so you think that you don't need anybody. That is never the case though, Erik."

Erik knocked back the alcohol hastily. It burnt his throat on the way down as he poured another glass and Charles remained staring at the coffee table in front of him. He couldn't see where Erik had disappeared to but he could hear his thoughts loud and clear.

"Love is a difficult emotion."

"It is a chemical reaction," Erik suddenly snapped back, resting his hands onto the worktop in front of him and bowing his head. "Everything which we feel is down to our body and the way it is. I thought even you would know that, Professor X?" he hissed his name at the end and Charles remained quiet, not biting back, sensing Erik's annoyance on the subject.

"I know that you care for her," Charles called out in a clear voice. "You just don't want to admit it."

"I do admit it," Erik snapped, pouring another glass and then moving back into Charles's line of view. "I care for Annalise and she knows that, Charles. And that is why I am going to go and find James and personally kill him."

"Be reasonable, Erik," Charles urged him and Erik scoffed loudly, his cheeks turning red in slight anger. His normally composed face was lacking that as he shook his head at the telepath.

"Like they were reasonable to her?" he wondered sarcastically. "There is no reasonable, Charles."

"Annalise wouldn't want you to go out in haste and risk your life," Charles said and Erik shook his head.

"And I am not sitting her and simply allowing them to get away with what they did to her, Charles. I'm going to kill them. And you can't stop me."