Author's Note: Holy... ask and you will recieve. I asked for reviews, and you guys delivered like crazy. I'm very impressed, and I could do no less than to update again before I head off for the day. And tonight will be dedicated to writing Chapter 26, which has a very definite plan but not very much written of it. But you guys will like it; it'll go into a plot not in the movies, and lead into a bigger one not in the movies.

But it'll be fun. With plenty of Miranda/Erik moments. Like the one in this chapter, which was sweet and almost heartbreaking to write. Plus it's from Erik's perspective. We can never get too much of that. But this is a fun chapter, so I think you'll all enjoy it. There's a minor time skip so that I don't have to write out every little day of training, but as Beloved Daughter mentioned last chapter, it's unrealistic for the kids to be miracle workers in one day. I agreed when I started writing that. So they weren't. ;)

But since I do have to admit, since I do absolutely torture Daniel, this is the start of a new line. He's fighting back.

And it's awesome.

Don't own First Class, only Daniel, Katie, Caroline, and Miranda. I wish I owned First Class. This is what we would have gotten, even though the movie was amazing without what I decided to add in. ;) Enjoy, and please review. If we could get to 200 before Chapter 30, I would be thrilled beyond belief.

Minor language in this one, but nothing worse than you'll hear in a high school hallway. Oh, and minor torture. But that's just what everyone's come to expect when it comes to Daniel's parts.

Chapter 25

Turning Tables
Erik glared at her. "You haven't even heard my plan yet." "I don't need to. It involves boats and a sociopathic doctor. It won't end well." With a partner in his vendetta against Shaw, Erik Lensherr thought things would change. He was right. Erik/OC

Westchester, New York
1962

"Okay, I know I was all for dropping Sean out a window, but this might be going too far."

Three weeks after training had begun, the group of six stood on top of the satellite, looking down at the ground below. Sean was dressed in his wings, which Hank had just stopped adjusting. Charles stood looking at the ground far down below. Katie, who had spoken the words she knew were on everyone's minds, stood next to Sean, watching him sympathetically. Miranda and Erik stood behind the rest, with Miranda watching the proceedings with a slight wince.

"Katie and I actually agree on this!" Sean cheered, staring at Katie as if he couldn't believe what at just occurred. At the same time, it was clear that he was desperate for any excuse to get off the satellite and back onto solid ground. "It's a miracle! Let's go back and celebrate and not drop me off the satellite to my death!"

"You're not going to die," Charles told him, shaking his head as he struggled to remember if he had been that melodramatic as a teenager.

Sean shook his head. "This is a bad idea."

"You can do this, Sean," Charles encouraged. He shot a look at Miranda and Erik, clearly expecting them to try and encourage the redheaded Bostonian as well.

Miranda sighed and took a step forward. Squeezing Sean's arm, she shot him an encouraging smile and said, "Hey, you've been doing great the past two weeks. This is one last step. You can do this; you just have to stay calm."

Sean bit his lip before looking at Charles. "And you truly believe I'll fly this time?" he asked

"Unreservedly," Charles replied.

Sean ran a hand through his thick red mop of hair before looking back to Charles. "I trust you," he said, looking back at the ground.

Charles smiled. "I'm touched."

Sean proceeded to point directly at Hank. "I don't trust him."

Hank looked taken aback as he opened his mouth. Charles held a hand up and ordered, "Say nothing." Hank remained silent, but scowled silently at Sean.

Sean groaned before gesturing wildly at the ground. "I'm gonna die!" he exclaimed, clearly reaching a point where he was beyond desperate to get off of the satellite.

Charles sighed, a bit disappointed, but patted Sean's arm and said, "Look, we're not going to make you do anything you don't feel-"

Erik rolled his eyes before taking a step forward. "Here, let me help." With those final words, Erik pushed Sean off the platform and into the open air. Sean let out a startled yell as he began to fall.

"Erik!" Charles protested, grabbing Katie as she girl dove forward and nearly fell herself.

Miranda dove forward as well, trying to keep Sean in her line of sight. The five watched as Sean let out a high-pitched scream, visible sound waves hitting the ground and sending the red head flying through the air. A moment later, an ecstatic whoop came from the general direction as Sean shot up, high above the satellite, before diving back down, passing the platform where he had been moments before.

As Sean's ecstatic whoops and laughter hit all of them, Charles let go of Katie, who was just watching the redhead and shaking her head in absolute disbelief.

Miranda and Charles both shot Erik a look, and the metal-controlling mutant only smirked. "You both were thinking the same thing," he said, smirking as Miranda scowled, signaling that he was completely correct. He nodded forward. "And it worked out for the better."

"You know we're never going to get him down now, right?" Hank asked, watching as Sean proceeded to do some form of spin in the air.

Katie snorted. "Wait until he's hungry enough. That'll get him down here." She looked down and shuddered. "Now we get to climb all the way down here."

Erik smirked before gesturing forward, looking at both Miranda and Katie. "Ladies first," he reminded them, laughing at the look on Miranda's face.

The brunette scowled before hitting him on the shoulder. "Shut up, Lensherr," she ordered as she began to climb her way down. Katie did so directly behind her, shooting one last smile at the flying redhead.

As soon as his partner was too far down to hit him again, Erik called down, "Make me, Hanson."

Miranda's retort was lost in the sounds of Sean's hysterical cheers and Erik's snickers.

As they stood in the woods, Erik shot a quick glance over the obstacle course that he and Moira had set up for Caroline. It had a lot of larges trees in the way of a straight path, with Charles and Miranda on the far end, timing Caroline to see how long it would take her to run straight through everything. Once she reached the far side, she was to tag Miranda, who would stop the watches.

"Alright, this is a straight shot," Erik told her, nodding down at the smaller brunette. "You just need to phase through it all. You've been improving since you started-"

"The fact that I have less bruises proves that," Caroline put in, not moving her eyes away from the obstacle course.

"Exactly," Moira replied. She shot an encouraging grin towards Caroline, and then gestured forward. "Whenever you're ready, go ahead. Remember. Phase the whole way except the open spots."

Caroline took a deep breath before closing her eyes. A moment later, she disappeared, and the sound of cracking twigs and ripping leaves filled the air as she ran through the forest. Erik and Moira watched the path carefully for any sign that she was going to appear. A moment later, in a small stretch without obstacles, Caroline reappeared, still running, a grin on her face. A moment later, she disappeared just in front of a fallen tree.

Erik strained to see ahead; Miranda and Charles were standing far enough away that they were just two slightly moving heads of brown hair. Erik watched for over a minute, and finally grinned as a gasping Caroline appeared, right next to Miranda and Charles.

"She did it," he confirmed, nodding, unable to stop the small half-smile that came over his face.

Moira laughed. "Nicely done," she said, holding out a hand to the mutant.

He hesitated for a second before taking it and giving it a firm shake. Moira couldn't help but smile.

Back in the bunker, Alex frowned as he realized that Charles had only put one manikin in the room. As the blond mutant stood in his normal spot, Charles grabbed Miranda and put her on the right of the manikin. A moment later, he grabbed Caroline and put her on the left. All while Charles had readjusted the girls' positions, Hank had been taping on a black X to the middle of the manikin's stomach.

"Good job, Hank," he praised. Charles headed back towards the door, Hank following him. Alex glanced back at the girls, frowning when he realized they weren't moving. He glanced back at Charles as he said, "Alex, I want you to hit the X… and not Miranda or Caroline."

Alex froze, and then shot startled look towards the two brunettes. "No way," he refused, shaking his head firmly. He turned back to stare at Charles and Hank in horror before whirling to stare at the girls. "No way, I'm not risking this. Not gonna happen."

Charles sighed before turning his attention to the two brunettes. "Miranda, Caroline, do you trust Alex not to hit you?" he called over, raising an eyebrow as Alex paused, turning his attention back over to the two.

"Absolutely," Miranda replied, her reply instant and confident. "You can do this, Alex."

Caroline nodded firmly before shooting a calm look towards the slightly older teen. "I trust you, Alex," she murmured, nodding at him encouragingly. "Go ahead."

Looking torn, Alex swallowed before giving a brisk nod. Charles and Hank both backed away, but did not close the door, instead remaining in the room with the group. While Hank looked to be as nervous as Alex, Charles appeared to be nothing but confident in Alex's abilities.

Well aware of what the three of them were risking – least of all Caroline and Miranda's lives – Alex closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, he unleashed his devastating power, released as ruby beams of pure energy. Alex remained firm where he was standing as the energy beam shot straight and true, hitting the X on the center manikin.

Both Miranda and Caroline had remained as the beam had flown towards the center manikin. But as the target burst into flames, both staggered away from the flaming manikin. Alex let out a victorious laugh, and Caroline immediately broke out into a run, reaching Alex in a matter of moments.

Alex's arms were open by the time she reached it, and Miranda walked forward, chuckling to herself when she heard the hysterical, relieved laughter of both people. She also smiled as she saw how tightly Alex was hugging Caroline, wondering how long it would take for the two to remember there were three other people present.

It only seemed to take a few seconds, as he sat her down after spinning her through the air. But those seconds were long enough to Alex to kiss Caroline, quick and hard, before putting her down, still grinning at her. Caroline looked dazed and almost delirious with glee. Alex merely took her hand and pulled her towards the metal doors, where a smirking Miranda and Charles waited, along with a patient Hank.

"Am I still a bozo? Hank asked casually, raising an eyebrow after watching the scene. Alex and Caroline paused as they exited the bunker, Alex turning his gaze onto Hank.

Alex rolled his eyes. "Yes, Hank, you're still a bozo." He paused as he glanced back at the burning manikin. A genuine smile came over his face as he looked back over at Hank. "But nice job."

Hank didn't stop smiling for the rest of the night.

"Katie, you understand what you're supposed to do?"

As Katie stood on the far edge of the fountain, she glanced over towards Erik. The taller, older mutant was a few yards away, watching her carefully. She nodded before calling over, "Yep." She glanced over towards Sean, who stood on the other side of the fountain. "You both sure?" she asked.

Sean looked like he was going to reply no for a second, but a glare from Erik shut him up. "I'm sure," he grumbled, wincing as he prepared himself for what was to come.

"Do it," ordered Erik.

Katie nodded and then took a step into the fountain. Her bare feet rested in the water for a few seconds before she closed her eyes. The water immediately began to swirl before separating on either side, leaving a strip long and clear enough for Katie to walk the entire way around the fountain.

Moving slowly and deliberately, Katie crossed through the empty space, with water mere inches to both of her sides. Erik and Sean watched intently, waiting for when she reached the other side of the fountain. For a few moments, Sean wondered why he had agreed to this.

It was then that he remembered that above all, he did want Katie, who was one of the best friends he had ever had, to succeed in this. She had supported him in his training sessions despite all the teasing they had exchanged, and if Katie needed him to be helping out with this, then he was going to be there every step of the way from her. Not just because he might feel something stronger than friendship, but because he owed Katie that at the very least.

Of course, the fact that Erik scared Sean shitless didn't help, either.

It was in that moment that Katie reached the far side of the fountain, jumping onto the ledge. She looked to Sean and Erik before sighing. Closing her eyes, she flicked her hands towards Erik and Sean separately, praying that what she was trying was going to work.

The water in the fountain erupted, with the first half flying towards Erik and the second flying towards Sean. Though Erik gave out no cry of alarm, Sean let out a yelp before the water hit them both, knocking them to the ground. Katie's eyes shot open, and she looked down at the fountain, grinning when she realized there was not one drop left in the fountain.

It was in that moment that she remembered what she had one to the water. She looked to Sean first, who was soaking wet. He shot her a look, and then shook his head. "The things I do for you," he muttered, his words contrasting sharply with the smile on his face.

Katie smiled before turning expectantly to Erik, her eyebrow raised as she watched the Nazi hunter stand up again, looking down at his soaking wet clothes before turning his attention back to Katie. He glanced over at Sean before looking into the fountain, seeing as Katie had that there was no water left in it.

"Not bad," he grudgingly admitted, chuckling as Katie beamed at the praise. "Not bad at all."

That night, with the moonlight shining through the curtains, Miranda readjusted her position in bed. "I think the kids are doing great," she murmured, Erik's arm around her as she traced circles on his chest.

Erik merely chuckled, watching her carefully. "They're doing better than I expected them to," he admitted. He bit his lip. "But I'm still not sure if they're ready."

"We're going to run out of time, Erik," Miranda murmured. She sat up in bed, running a hand through her loose brown curls as Erik watched her, frowning curiously. "Either Shaw will make his move and we'll be forced to react, or he'll find us and we'll be forced to react."

Erik bit his lip, knowing that she was right. "Maybe."

Miranda paused before rolling her eyes. "God, your pessimistic attitude is rubbing off on me," she muttered, lying back down next to him.

"Shut up, Hanson."

"Make me, Lensherr." She paused before adding, "But no matter how much time you and I have left… I'm going to enjoy it." Miranda gave a smirk before kissing him quickly, pulling out a few seconds later. "Besides, between training the kids, there hasn't been a lot of you and me time. And we still need to figure out what we're going to do."

"What do you think?" Erik asked, watching her as she fell silent. She remained silent for a few minutes, leaving Erik to his thoughts as he reflected on how he regarded their relationship.

Erik's relationship with Miranda was uncharted territory with him. He'd never been in love before. His whole life had been about survival, and now, with a chance for an actual relationship that had a chance of working out, Erik was in unfamiliar waters. And that honestly made him a bit nervous. He didn't want to screw this up, but at the same time, he wanted nothing but the best for the woman in front of him.

Even if they hadn't gone to the next level with their relationship, Erik knew that there were very few things he wouldn't do for Miranda. He had sworn to her that he would come for her no matter what might happen, and that was a promise that he had every intention of keeping. If that promise just happened to give him an excuse to stick around in her life, than he was going to take it.

But at the same time, he knew they both had scars. He knew that, on some level, no matter how much she might deny it, Miranda felt as though she were betraying David by even considering having a relationship with Erik. Logically, Miranda knew that she couldn't spend the rest of her life as David's widow. Miranda deserved to have someone to love her, and if Erik could do that, he would.

But mentally, Miranda still loved David. She probably always would. Erik knew that someday, whether their relationship was ready for it or not at the time, they'd end up with a kid. The more he thought of the idea of being a father, the more nervous it made him. At the same time, however, Erik was more than glad that he didn't have to deal with that thought right now. At the moment, both he and Miranda were far from ready to be parents.

But despite that, Erik knew that, if Miranda ever did become a mother, she would always wonder about Colin.

In many ways, Miranda's miscarriage had broken her more than David's death did. If the baby had survived and Miranda had given birth to Colin, Erik had no doubt that Miranda would not have gone after Shaw. She would have given up any hope of revenge, and would have put that side for Colin's sake.

Instead, she had lost everything, and had gained only the hope for revenge.

In a selfish way he would never admit to, Erik was glad for that. If she hadn't gone for revenge, he would have never have gotten the chance to have her in his life.

"Look," Miranda finally said, breaking out of her thoughts. "Right now, I'm going to enjoy whatever time I have with you. Who knows what's going to happen in the next five minutes, let alone the next few days. Whatever does happen, though, I'm not letting you go."

"Glad we're in agreement, then," Erik murmured, chuckling at the look of surprise that softened Miranda's features.

"Who knows?" Miranda asked, chuckling. She readjusted her position, grinning at Erik as she kept tracing circles on his arms. "Maybe after Shaw's dead, we'll keep going. And end up with a kid or two or something like that. I'd still love to be a mom someday." She smiled sadly, and Erik knew Colin was on her mind.

But there was another that came to his. "You know, any child of yours and mine would more than likely end up with one or even both of our powers," he told her. She shot him a surprised look, and Erik continued, "It's passed through genes and blood."

Miranda nodded, thinking back to a dinner conversation last week. "Like when the kids were wondering if their siblings might be mutant." She thought back a bit. "Well, Caroline has a younger brother… Alex has two younger brothers…"

"Katie has four older brothers and an older sister, and Sean has three older sisters," Erik added, thinking back to Boston when he, Charles, and Miranda had met with Sean and Katie's families. They had met a few of the many siblings, but not all of them.

"Who knows?" Miranda murmured. She stopped tracing circles and instead started playing with one of her curls. "Maybe one of their kids will be mutant. And maybe Alex's brothers will be; they're still really young, if I remember correctly." She finally paused, and then laughed. "You do realize we haven't even slept together yet and we're already talking kids?"

Erik rolled his eyes. "Of course we are. You enjoy planning five steps ahead."

"You're one to talk." Miranda paused. "And there's not just the fact that our kid would more than likely be a mutant. I don't even want to think about the personality of our child. It'd either go towards yours or mine, and if it ended up as a combination…"

"I pity whoever crosses him or her," Erik chuckled. He finally pulled her hand down, stifling back a yawn as he murmured, "We'll continue this discussion later. After I finally get some sleep for the first time in two weeks."

"What, you want sleep? We've been sharing a bed without complaint for two weeks, no wonder you don't get some sleep."

"Hanson?"

"What, Lensherr?"

"Shut up."

Miranda merely smirked. "Make me."

Unknown Location
1962

A scream.

Splashing waves.

Screeching metal.

The bang of a gun.

Hot white pain.

Rough sand.

His name being screamed, with panic and fear and horror.

Rushing water.

Someone choking.

A dull thud.

The rumpled fabric of his shirt.

Hot blood pouring from the bullet hole.

His name, screamed, again.

Callous hands against the wound, trying to stop the blood.

Choked sobs.

Blissful darkness.

A voice.

"Daniel, fight this!"

It was a familiar voice, not from the vision, but one that Daniel could identify anywhere, one that he had heard his whole life until it had been taken away suddenly, in a death that had begun this whole chain of events that Daniel now found himself forced into.

Taking a chance, Daniel pushed out, out of the vision, out of the pain, and out of the influence of what Shaw was drugging him with. He pushed back, against Renegade, against his guilt, against the fear and despair that had been threatening to drown him since he had realized he wasn't going to get out of this alive.

For the first time, Daniel forced himself to fight, to push, to tell himself "I am going to get out of this alive."

The vision broke, the drug's influence broke, and Daniel returned to reality with a smirk on his face.

The few seconds he remained conscious, he could hear the frustration in Renegade's voice, the surprise in Shaw's, and even the smug scoffs of Azazel, who had stated earlier he expected the drugs to fail.

Daniel gave a bloody smile; he had broken out of the vision quickly, but not quickly enough to stop his body from acting as if it were in said vision. There was no blood on his body, but his mouth was slick with it, and despite that, Daniel grinned with everything he had.

"If you want to use me to get to Miranda," he slurred, his vision quickly fading away and his voice weak and growing softer. "You'll have to do better than that."

With those words, Daniel slipped back into blissful, black unconsciousness, a smile on his face the whole time.