Charles's scream echoed as he fell to the ground, his arms stretched in front of him as he grabbed at Grace, his hands tugging her to his lap as he held her. He looked down to her and she remained still. Hank and Raven rushed forwards, looking to the man who had fired at Grace. Even the President was ordering for him to stand down. Hank and Raven took a look around before disarming all the other men who stood behind him without a second glance. They didn't care if they were going to shoot or not, they would not risk it.

"Grace," Charles whispered her name as he held her tightly to him, pulling his jacket from his shoulders quickly as he did so. He bent down to press the screwed up ball against Grace's wound. "Grace...it's alright...I have you..."

"What the hell happened?" Erik's voice suddenly appeared again and he knelt the other side of Grace, his hands hovering over her wound as he began to feel for the bullet.

She yelled in pain and Charles shook his head.

"Don't pull the bullet out," he demanded from Erik as Grace panted for breath, her hands shaking as she felt the blood which rested there. "You will do more damage than anything else."

"How can I do more damage?" he demanded from Charles. "I warned you that this would happen! They will never accept us!"

"No," Grace shook her head. "Charles...please..."

She reached out to take Charles's hand and Charles grabbed her bloody fingers inside of his as Erik looked over to where Hank and Raven dealt with the government men with no bother.

"I need to take her to a hospital," Erik declared. "Charles, you have to let me take her. We are trapped here, but I can get her to a hospital quickly. It is the only way."

Charles didn't even bother to argue with Erik. He stood up, hauling Grace into his arms and watching as she moaned at the contact. He passed her to Erik, noting how her eyes fluttered shut and her face was paling. Erik kept his arms tightly around her before nodding to the man who had once been his friend.

"Be careful with her," Charles demanded. "I will be there soon."

"Of course," Erik agreed and he then hovered into the sky, his gaze set on Grace the entire time as he willed for her to stay strong.

...

Erik had been given no other option but to leave Grace at the hospital. He was a wanted man, especially so in his purple suit. He had seen her rushed into the operating room before he escaped with ease. He changed into his normal clothes before returning, sunglasses on his eyes as he did so. Charles and Hank were already there, sat in the small private waiting room with Raven pacing around.

Erik closed the door softly behind him and Charles leant forwards, his hands grabbing at his chin as he did so.

"How did you get back in here?" Raven was the one to ask him.

"People pay less attention to a man in a suit than a man in a purple outfit," Erik told her and then looked to Charles. "I trust you can dissuade anyone who tries to notice me?"

Charles gave a solemn nod before Erik sat down in the seat in the corner of the room. He pulled his sunglasses from his eyes and tucked them into his slim fitting suit pocket. He remained silent for those moments, his eyes set on the three people in the waiting room. He could sense the longing inside of each of them.

"The man who shot her worked for Trask," Charles suddenly spoke. "Apparently he has never been too fond of mutants."

"Grace had defended them," Raven shook her head. "He could see that she was no threat. She never was a threat."

"I know that," Charles replied. "But he did not."

Erik scoffed and shook his head with haste. "Do none of you see? Are you all too blinded? Grace has been injured because the humans will never accept us. They will never listen to us and they will never understand us. Why are you all too blind to see that?"

"We are not discussing this now," Charles quickly sniped and he stood up as Raven watched him pace the room. "The only important thing right now is making sure that Grace comes out of this al.."

Charles choked up and Raven moved over to him then. She took hold of him by the shoulders and Charles looked to her with wide orbs and a sense of longing. He quickly broke down and Raven held him to her. She ran her hand down his long and twisted hair as Charles rested his forehead on her shoulder.

"She is strong," Hank suddenly said. "It is a miracle she didn't absorb the bullet's energy."

"She wasn't paying attention," Erik declared. "Grace needs to pay attention when she is using her powers. But she is strong...and she we got her here in plenty of time..."

"Erik is right for once," Raven agreed, pulling back to look at Charles with an encouraging nod. "Grace is far too stubborn to give up on everything."

Charles rubbed his eyes and Erik looked away as he glanced to him. Erik didn't want to cry. He didn't want Charles to see tears fall down his cheeks. Erik had not cried in years. He had grown hard and strong. He did not show weakness. He never showed weakness, but right now he could feel himself long to cry.

Hours seemed to tick by before the doctor returned and told them of the news. Erik had never felt such relief rush through him as he did that day. The doctor assured them that Grace would survive and that she had been lucky. The internal bleeding had not been as bad as it could have been and none of her major organs had been damaged.

"She's safe," Raven whispered to Charles. "She's going to be okay, Charles."

Charles gave a smile of relief and Raven wiped his tears away before Erik followed Charles to her bedside. Grace was still sleeping from the anaesthetic. She was hooked up to multiple machines, but her chest was rising and falling. That was all that mattered to Charles. The telepath slowly sat on the edge of her bed, his hand moving to pick up one of her cold hands.

Hank stood in the corner of the small room whilst Erik remained stood in the doorway, looking over to Grace with wide eyes. He remained silent as he did so, his mind a blur. Raven had her hand on Charles's back, and Erik knew that he would soon lose her to Charles. She had her brother back and tearing her away from him would be near impossible.

Erik didn't know what Grace would do or what she would think. He had a feeling that she would never turn against the humans, despite one of them trying to kill her. She was much too like Charles to turn to Erik's way of thinking. But Erik wanted her. He wanted her more than anything and he would do what he could to keep her safe again.

"Oh, my love," Charles suddenly whispered as Grace continued to sleep soundly. "You're safe now...you'll always be safe...I promise you...I shall keep you with me...safe and sound...forever more..."

Erik listened to Charles and he wondered just how much his old friend loved Grace. It appeared as though he loved her more than Erik had thought possible.

...

Charles had barely noticed Erik leave the room. He was soon followed by Hank and Raven who went to speak alone with each other. It was only then when Grace woke up. Charles was about to call for Erik, but the metal bender was nowhere to be seen. No doubt he was off brooding somewhere.

"Charles," Grace whispered his name and he ran a hand down her cheek.

"You're safe, Grace," he promised her in a soft voice. "I have you now."

"What happened?" she asked of him. "I remember being shot...but nothing else..."

"Erik brought you here," Charles whispered, his thumb still roaming over her cheekbones. "They managed to remove the bullet before it could do anymore damage and stem the bleeding. All of your organs are still in tact...it is a miracle, Grace...but your powers...some of them must have helped to take the energy without you knowing."

"Hm," she managed to muttered, tiredness still taking hold of her.

Charles ran his fingers down her bruises on her face, noting how a cut was formed on her lip too. She looked an absolute mess and Charles had no doubt that she felt like one. She turned her head on her pillow and looked to the ceiling above her.

"And who shot me?" she wondered.

"A man from the government," Charles said. "The other apprehended him and none of them had intended to open fire...just this one...this one who dislikes mutants..."

Grace thought about what he said before she gulped and closed her eyes tightly. She had promised not to hurt the mutants. She had tried to save their lives. She had saved whoever had shot her, but he went ahead and tried to kill her. He had tried to take her life from her. Anger suddenly coursed through her veins and Charles watched her as she looked to him.

"I tried to save him," Grace said lowly. "I tried to save him, but he tried to kill me."

"It was one man, Grace," Charles said. "There is always one who will never agree with the rest."

"I tried to do the right thing," Grace spoke in a small voice. "And it almost cost me my life."

"I know," Charles assured her. "But-"

"-Maybe Erik was right," Grace whispered. "Maybe everything he said was true. There will always be some humans who will never accept us...even though we show compassion...has that not been proved today?"

"Don't," Charles demanded from Grace. "Don't think like him. That is not you."

She kept silent then and rolled her head onto the pillow once more, closing her eyes and shaking her head. Perhaps it might not be her, but it was how she felt. She felt as though Erik had spoken sense for once in his life, and she hated him for it.

...

A/N: Thanks to everyone reading and please do review!