Hi everyone,

Hope you all enjoyed the previous chapter. I know it was heavily focused on Charles, I hope that didn't deter anyone away from the story. I'd feel real bad if it did. I do try to give him and Erik equal moments, cause it's so much fun writing them both.

The current poll results are, a 45% wanting a love triangle. 36% is pro Charles/Ann pairing, and finally 18% Erik/Ann pairing. Of course I realize that guest accounts can't vote in the poll unfortunately, (I reckon that would shift the poll more in Erik's favour). But love triangle is the way so far.

Anywhoo, if you read all of that. Thank you! Thanks for the love and I hope you'll all love this one too.


Chapter 21 - One step closer


Terrific. This was just terrific. He was soaking wet from head to toe and he only had himself to blame for this. Charles wasn't a superstitious person. He didn't necessary believe in signs nor fate. No, he believed in the capability of giving shape to your own destiny. Therefore, it was only logical that Charles didn't perceive what had just happened as an unfortunate event. That somehow, somewhere, the universe was giving him a sign that he shouldn't have pushed his luck to get back into Ann's good graces.

Honestly, he hadn't even meant for things to go as far as they had. He had simply been content enough with the fact that she was actually talking to him like she used to do. Making jokes at his expense and even letting him get close to her, allowing him to touch her even. Sure, he seized every available moment to get there. First with getting her alone with him. Then by showing concern over the smallest thing. Followed by elaborately checking her finger, all for the excuse just to connect with her and caress her hand.

She hadn't even yelled at him for it, she'd actually let him. Even when it became apparent that it was hardly necessary for him to examine the cut, she hadn't tried to stop him. But then the conversation took a turn when she asked him about his fight with Raven. Charles hadn't even been reading her mind, thus her question came completely out of the blue. At first he wasn't sure why she was asking him about it and he had an opinion or two about Darwin telling her.

But soon he realized why she was bringing it up. Because deep down, she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. Alright, so maybe in that specific moment, Charles had broken his personal vow and read her mind instead of trying to figure things out on his own. He knew very well she hadn't forgiven him and wouldn't for a long time, but he couldn't deny how happy her thoughts had made him.

She wanted him to be kind, good and honourable. Because over the course of time, with all of their fights, discussions and initial resentment, she'd begun to see him in a different light. But then the incident in Russia happened, where he'd broken that trust,-

Charles now finally found out that apparently Ann had been trying to hold on to that change of heart she started to have towards him. Still, he knew he had to be honest. He didn't dare to deceive her by feeding into her hope, which would have worked in his benefit. But lying would only push Ann away from him and that's why he'd told her truthfully that he would have entered her mind nonetheless and that the fight he had with Raven wouldn't have made a difference had it not happened.

It had been clear from Ann's reaction that she'd rather heard something else. And when she looked up at the ceiling, with tears starting to pool in her eyes, Charles had felt his heart break just as it had twenty-four hours ago. He let his own emotions get the better of him as he read her thoughts. She didn't hate him. Yes, she hadn't forgiven him and she wouldn't for a long time. But that didn't matter to him.

He couldn't stop himself from what he did next. The urge to give in was larger than what was considered smart. He wanted to hold her, caress her hair, stroke her cheek, rub the back of her neck and tell her,- Well, actually he wasn't sure what he'd been planning on telling her. His focus had not been on his own thoughts nor choice of words, but they had been on her soft skin and her pink lips which she'd been biting just as she was about to look at him.

Perhaps, in some weird way, the sprinklers going off was good timing. A cold shower was exactly what he needed before treading into a territory he wanted to give more time until it would be just right.

As Charles stood outside of the greenhouse, he threw one swift glance towards the left before looking back at Ann again. She was just as soaked through as he was. Her wet hair stuck to her cheeks and forehead. She had removed her jacket in the meantime, but her dress didn't look any better aside from how it clung to her body. Charles cleared his throat as he felt a warmth spread through him.

"I believe I can say with the utmost certainty, that the sprinkler system is in perfect condition." He joked.

"If only it could distinguish humans from plants." Ann retorted as she pushed her hair out of her face.

"Yes, the timing could have been better." Charles said softly. "I suggest you head back to the mansion. Get changed. Wouldn't want you to catch a cold now."

"My thoughts exactly." She replied as she started to walk away but when she noticed he wasn't following her, she stopped and turned around. "You're not coming?"

"I will once I manage to switch the sprinklers off. You go ahead, love."

He could see the wheels in her mind turning, contemplating if she should wait for him or head on. Charles nodded once more with a smile and that's when she decided to continue without him. As soon as she was out of sight, Charles went back towards the greenhouse where he immediately headed for the wall where the valve that controlled the water flow was located. He turned it and the sprinklers stopped within a matter of seconds. He exhaled deeply, clenching his fists around the metallic wheel.

Though there were no visible traces of how the wheel had managed to turn on its own, Charles knew very well how it had happened. Even if he hadn't picked up on the perpetrator's presence the second he pulled Ann towards the entrance, there was only one mutant on the premise who could bend metal to his will. Erik Lehnsherr. It was also obvious why he'd done it. There was no denying the protectiveness Erik felt for Ann since Russia. But this had been a rather exaggerated way of showing it.

Admittingly, Charles felt a bit pleased with what Erik might have seen. It wasn't as if the man could have full claim to caring for Ann. Especially after his behaviour in Moscow when he'd taken Ann right from under his very nose when she was unconscious. As if Charles had any intention of hurting her any further. And then Erik even dared to go as far as keeping her from him purposely. Not to mention that unnecessary display of playfulness on the plane back home. Yes, Charles indeed was happy that Erik had been here to witness his private moment with Ann. But the last thing he wanted was a confrontation between himself and his friend.

Charles finally let go of the metallic wheel, placed his hands on his sides and let out a deep breath. What was he going to do about this? How could he go on and ignore how Ann had made him feel mere minutes ago? Although this wasn't the first moment of realizing he had a soft spot for Ann. Even Raven at some point had said something that kind of implied it.

You're different when she's with you.

Perhaps she didn't use those exact words, but she most certainly did suggest it. Turns out, she'd been right. Ann did hold a certain influence over him and he didn't mind it at all. But what did this mean? This wasn't like those other times when he flirted with random women and then took them home to the annoyance of his sister. He knew that difference, didn't he? Oh, great. Now he was analyzing himself. Something he hardly ever did. It was clear he had to figure this out. This wasn't science, well,- no,- of course it wasn't. But this felt different and in that way made it an unfamiliar territory for him.

Charles threw one final glance around the greenhouse before leaving it. For now he was going to get changed and in any case pretend that he had no clue that it had been Erik who started the sprinklers. As for Ann,- He had no idea how to tackle that. Only time could tell.

::::::...:::::::

Ann didn't feel as cold as she'd done back in Russia, but the water from the sprinklers hadn't exactly been pleasant and the soft breeze which was currently blowing outside only made it feel even chillier. This was not how she wanted to spent her day. Wet, exhausted and confused.

She walked in a fast pace towards the mansion, her dress not really allowing her to run at high speed. Whatever she'd expected to happen once she'd entered the greenhouse with Charles, getting completely soaked to her core wasn't one of them. Neither had been the outcome of their conversation. But at least she now had an answer to her question.

That Charles was Charles and she wasn't sure how she really felt about that. Was she happy with his honesty? She thought she was. Was she disappointed about it? That answer would also be yes. But Ann didn't want to dwell on their talk. Heck, it wasn't even the main thing on her mind right now. Aside from getting out of her wet clothes as quickly as possible, the other more obvious thought was how Charles had behaved towards her.

She couldn't recall any other time he had gotten this close to her. Holding her for longer than was appropriate between people who were not dating nor a couple. Caressing her hand, arms, cheek, jaw and then grazing his fingertips towards the back of her neck. She hadn't even tried to stop him. A man she hardly got along with most of the time. Ann was certain that if she'd had a good night's rest, this never would have happened. And Charles was probably in the same boat. Jetlagged.

She'd seen the way he was with Moira, that was not the same as how he was with her, now was it? He flirted with Moira constantly. Called her loving names. Smiled at her and laughed with her. Moira obviously enjoyed it as she acted the same with him, though she never called him a sweet nicknames. And Ann knew Moira had a certain interest in Charles, why else would she have asked Ann multiple times if she thought Charles was handsome? Which she had to admit he was, or if she could stop being rude to him, which she wouldn't as he deserved it.

Ann shivered as she finally spotted the fountains, meaning she was almost at the mansion. The thing she wanted most of all as of this moment was to get out of her clothes, have a warm shower and fall asleep. Eating could wait. She wasn't feeling hungry anyway because of her jetlag. All of the other things were more important. Then suddenly something caught her eye and Ann slowed down. There was somebody standing on the edge of the fountain. A tall man, dressed in mostly dark colours except for a tanned leather jacket.

Erik.

Oh great, this was going to be fun. There was no doubt he was going to notice the way she looked and once he did, he would question what had happened to her. Ann sighed and continued towards him. She could tell he'd noticed her coming his way because he was already looking in her direction. And sure enough, she was only ten feet away from him when he cocked his head and looked her up and down.

"Du bist ja ganz naß." He said, stating the obvious.

Ann stopped and moved a strand of wet hair behind her ear. "I got caught in a local raincloud."

"Wirklich? Das ist unglaublich."

"And unexpected." She added with a frown, a little puzzled from the lack of concern in his voice.

She had expected him to fuss over her, but he didn't. In fact, he was acting the complete opposite of someone who would have been even a bit worried. Well, no matter. He could behave however he wanted, but she wasn't going to stand there completely drenched waiting for a little bit of sympathy.

"If you'll excuse me, considering the state I'm in, I'd better head inside and change."

Erik shrugged and slipped his hands into his pockets. "A wise decision. Perhaps staying there for the remainder of the day would be better than venturing off again and risk the chance of encountering any other possible rainclouds."

Ann opened her mouth but Erik had already turned his back to her and walked away. What kind of cryptic message had that been? The tone in his voice was more than apparent. He was upset with her, or angry. It was hard to pinpoint sometimes with Erik. What in on Earth was his problem? Was this the same man who had watched over her while she'd been unconscious? Held her close after wakening in a disorientated state. Joked about tossing her into a bathtub if she'd stayed unresponsive longer?

He'd been understanding, caring. Everything he had not been from the very day she'd met him, except for that one time when she'd accused him of being a Nazi and they'd shared a bit of their past with each other. They were more alike then Ann could have ever imagined, cut from the same cloth. But it seemed a shared history was not a guarantee for anything else.

Perhaps it had been something in the Russian air.

She waited a couple of seconds until Erik was almost out of sight before finally heading towards the mansion herself. Ann could only hope this day would end soon enough.


The next day

Raven looked up at the clock hanging above the fireplace. It was eleven o'clock in the morning. Any moment now Ann was going walk through that door and train with her. Raven still couldn't believe it. That out of everyone present, she was going to have her first training session with Ann. If it hadn't been for Moira, Raven never would have thought once of asking her.

It all happened a few hours earlier, while all of them, except for Ann, were having breakfast. Raven mentioned she was planning on training and if anybody would be interested in joining her. But unfortunately, most of them were going to have a one on one time with Charles. He was set on helping them figure out how they could get their mutation under control or what the best tactic would be for them once they were to confront Shaw.

With Raven, Charles didn't have to help her get her powers under control. He knew she could handle herself just fine. He'd known her for years and was therefore well aware what she could and could not do. He figured the smartest move for her was to get stronger. Learn some fighting techniques. But if none of them were willing to help her out, how was she going to manage it? Her hope rose a little when Darwin offered to join her later today as soon as he was done testing his gift of survival against Alex's powers.

As a final resort, she'd then turned to Moira and asked her if she was interested in teaching her a thing or two. Considering Moira was CIA, surely she must had a trick or two up her sleeve when it came to hand-to-hand combat?

"I would love to join you, Raven." The auburn haired woman had said and Raven could already hear a but coming up.

"But?"

"But I'm joining Charles today. I'm quite interested in seeing everybody's mutation up close. I've never gotten the chance back at the base with everything that had been going on. Now that we here, I actually have some time."

"Oh,-" Raven had replied, trying not to sound too disappointed. "No big deal, I'll just do a bit of solo training then. Gain some upper body strength."

She threw a quick look at Erik sitting across from her at the table. But the man was far too busy drinking his coffee while a grim expression adorned his face.

"You could ask Ann?" Charles suggested all of a sudden. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind helping you?"

"Ann?" At first Raven had frowned at his idea. Had he really said Ann? As a sparring partner? No offense to her, but she hardly looked like the type of woman who knew how to fight. At least that's what Raven thought until Moira smiled and placed her hand on top of Charles's arm.

"That's actually a great idea! She's not too bad."

Most of the people sitting at the table went quiet at Moira's comment. The CIA agent noticed and blinked. "Don't look so surprised. Don't forget, I've known Ann for a long time. Longer than any of you."

Sean Cassidy coughed loudly. "Based purely on looks, I'd be more worried about her breaking a heel or a nail." His eyes shifted to the dark haired man next to him and he quickly cleared his throat. "But considering she was with all of you in Russia, I know better than to argue with anything you have to say."

"Is Ann an agent like you, MacTaggert?" Alex asked with a look of disbelief.

"I'm afraid that's classified, Mr. Summers." Moira answered with a coy smile. She pushed her chair back and stood up. "Will I see you in the courtyard in an hour, Charles?"

"Certainly, love."

And with that said, Raven had grown incredibly curious and would do all that she could to convince Ann to join her for a training session. After breakfast she hurried upstairs and knocked on the woman's door. It took a couple of knocks and loud shouting, but eventually she picked up on a muffled 'yes?!' followed by footsteps and eventually the opening of the door. In front of her stood Ann, with tussled hair, sleepy eyes and in a dark grey robe that looked a little too big for her frame. Had Charles provided her with one? Had he done that with all of them? Not an important question.

Raven smiled broadly at her. "Morning. How'd you sleep?"

"Not enough it feels like." The woman quickly covered her mouth to hide a yawn. "Sorry. Everything alright?"

Raven cleared her throat to stifle a chuckle. "Yeah, great. Listen, I was wondering, if you don't mind,- would you like to train with me this morning?"

"Train?" Ann repeated giving her a confused look. "As in?"

"You know,- exercise? Hitting punching bags. Lifting weights? Maybe some tips on hand-to-hand combat?"

Ann looked a little bit more awake, though at the same time surprised and confused. "Some tips on fighting? From me?"

"Well,- it's just that Moira, she might have mentioned something about you during breakfast."

Ann crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow. "And what might this something be, exactly?"

"Something along the lines of how you know a little? I'll tell you most of us were surprised." Raven chuckled a bit but then quickly stopped as she saw the look on Ann's face.

"Most of us?"

Oh, she didn't sound too happy. Was it something Raven had said? No, probably the thing Moira had said. But giving Ann's reaction, every word was probably true, though she didn't look eager to accept the invitation.

"Never mind that, but please, Ann? Nobody else wants to join me. I asked everybody, but they're all too busy. I just really think I should learn how to fight. I mean I know my ability is interesting and all, but it doesn't make me a skilled fighter. Even I were to turn into Sugar Ray Robinson, I wouldn't be able to knock someone out as well as he does."

As soon as she said that, she could see Ann's shoulders relax a little. Clearly her words had clicked with the other woman. Compared to herself, Ann's powers were useless in combat too. If anything she would also benefit from training the same way Raven wanted to prepare herself for the fight with Shaw.

The caramel haired woman exhaled deeply and nodded. "Alright. I'll help. Let me get ready first. Where do you want to meet?"

::::::...::::::

That moment would be right now. Eleven o'clock. Downstairs, in the small room right before the grand living area. Raven's eyes shifted towards the door again. She had no idea how punctual Ann was, but she reckoned she wasn't a tardy sort of person. And sure enough only one minute later she showed up, wearing a pair of tight black leggings and a red loose fitted shirt. Ann had her hair tied in a braid and then done up into a bun, it reminded Raven of a ballerina.

"This is an interesting place." Ann noted as she entered the room. "Has it always been like this?"

Raven shook her head. "No. Just one of the many sitting rooms. I moved everything aside, put down a couple of mats. Some weights and well,- you can see the rest."

"Impressive."

"Yeah, well,- had to think of something. We never really had the need of a training room before. Based on how long we'll be needing it, Charles will most likely have one build at some point."

"It'll do for now, I'm sure." Ann threw her a small smile and closed the door behind her. "So. What exactly do you need my help with?"

What exactly? Of that Raven wasn't sure. Moira had been the one who told her that Ann knew a thing or two when it came to fighting, but what did that mean really? Did she know how to punch a person effectively? Raven had no idea where to start. She'd seen martial art movies. But those never seemed realistic, people flying through the air and whatnot. Neither her nor Ann could fly and she was certain those people in the movies couldn't either.

"I don't know anything about fighting, except from what I've seen on television. I mean, I have punched Charles once or twice. But that wasn't meant to hurt him for real."

Ann had to do her best to suppress a surfacing chuckle as Raven mentioned punching Charles as she herself had done the exact same thing first time she met him. Though her punch had been with the intention of hurting him very much so. The cut he'd gotten above his eye as a result of it had healed quickly enough though. Ann doubted it was the first time it had ever happened to him. She couldn't imagine nobody else ever feeling the need to do so.

"Let's clarify that I won't be teaching you on how to knock your brother's lights out. Though I'm sure you'll have good reason every time you feel a need to."

Raven smiled a little. "In that case, I want to start with some basics? Learn how to throw a good punch or a good kick?"

"We can do that. Though before we do, I don't want you to get your hopes up. I don't know what Moira has been telling you, but I can assure you it pales in comparison to what she can do." Ann took a step back and walked to the center of the mat.

Raven gave no reply to that statement. The fact that Ann apparently could fight at all, was impressive and unexpected enough. The blonde watched the other woman quietly until she stopped a few feet in front of her.

"With that being said, the first thing we should focus on for now is balance."

"Balance?" Raven asked with a frown.

She was feeling a little anxious now. As much as she didn't believe Ann knew a single thing about fighting, even after Moira had assured her that she did, Raven was sure feeling different about it now. The way Ann stood there, confident with a straight posture, didn't look a thing like the woman she'd gotten to know over the past few weeks.

"You can't win a fight when you trip over your own feet. I understand it if you'd rather learn on how to hit someone effectively, but knowing how to evade is as equally important. Perhaps even more so for someone like us. We've got no offensive power like Erik or Alex."

"I've seen Alex's powers. You don't want to get hit by that." Raven said with a short shake of her head.

Ann didn't even ask her when she'd seen Alex use his power, for after her talk with Darwin last night as well as with Charles, she was well aware of what the boy could do. She'd rather face a power like Erik's than facing Alex.

"I'll take your word for it. Though knowing what your opponent can do is important, it can help with finding their weakness."

"That makes sense. I think Alex's weakness might be something along the line of good music, chicks and beer."

This time it was Ann who shook her head. That was not what she'd meant, but Raven was most likely joking. She cleared her throat and turned her attention back on the task at hand.

"Okay, next thing on the list of tips." Ann began. "Watch the other person. Observe them. Try to figure out what you're up against."

"Sorry? Should we have a job interview instead?" Raven cocked her head. "What if they fly off the handle immediately? Strike me right in the face?"

"Like I said. Watch them. Evade them. It takes twice the amount of energy to swing and miss, than to swing and hit." The other woman explained. "Ready?"

Raven opened her mouth, but as she was about to say something Ann suddenly dropped towards the floor, swung out one of her legs and knocked it against Raven's ankles. The blonde shouted and hit the floor with a loud bang. She blinked and looked up at the ceiling. Had Ann just kicked her legs from underneath her without warning?

"Shit, that hurt!" She cursed.

"Remember to stay focused."

"You could have warned me, Ann!" The girl yelled as she rubbed her thigh.

"My point wouldn't have been made if I had."

Ann extended her hand towards Raven who watched her cautiously. Eventually she took it and allowed Ann to pull her up.

"Will you be willing to do this to Charles if I can convince him to train as well?" Raven asked as she let go once she stood on her feet again.

The other woman laughed. "Knowing your brother, he'll be reading my mind every step of the way. Finding his weakness might be a difficult one, unless it's the same as Alex's?"

"Oh, no doubt about that. Except for the beer, of course. So,- what's next?"

::::::...::::::

For the next thirty minutes Ann helped Raven find her footing. Keep her balance while Ann tried to catch her off guard. Though as promised, Ann was gentle. Merely trying to grab hold of Raven's raised hands or slapping them aside as she stood still in a defensive stance, jumping from one leg onto the other. She couldn't very well knock her out on the first day of training. No, that moment would happen eventually if Raven really wanted to kick it up a notch.

"Can we take a break?" The blonde asked, her chest heaving up and down while drops of sweat dripped down the side of her face.

"Sure." Ann nodded as she walked back to the bench to grab a towel, tossing one at Raven as well.

"Thanks." Raven exclaimed with relief. "I think I'll head down to the kitchen and fetch us some water?"

"That would be great, Raven. Thank you."

With a final smile, Raven walked out of the room. Slow and a bit wobbly. Ann bit her bottom lip as she watched Raven disappear into the hallway. She might have been a bit too rough on her for a first time. But admittingly, she'd actually quite enjoyed training with Raven. How long had it been since she'd done this? a long, long time ago. And Ann honestly had not expected for it to ever happen again. It probably wouldn't have, if Moira had kept her mouth shut about it. The thought of helping out with any physical form of training would have never crossed her mind.

Moira might have exaggerated a bit when she'd told the others that Ann knew how to fight. She was by no means a specialist or anything of the sort. Her strengths lay in avoiding others, make herself unnoticeable, or the opposite if needed. Striking only if it was needed. And even then, it would not involve a pair of bare fists. That was not how she worked. She'd always have a weapon at hand. Something that could help her to knock the other out properly. Perhaps as soon as Raven came back she should mention this. The girl might get the wrong idea and end up hoping for something that she wouldn't be able to give.

Knocking suddenly sounded behind her and Ann turned to look over her shoulder at the door. It couldn't be Raven as the kitchen was pretty far away from this room. And indeed, as she turned, she saw that it wasn't Raven but somebody else. It was Darwin. He pushed the door further open and stepped into the room.

"Sorry to bother you. I was looking for Raven. Have you seen her?"

"Hello, Darwin. She's getting some water from the kitchen. She'll be back soon." Ann told him with a smile.

"I see. You wouldn't mind if I wait here with you? Or would I be interrupting something?" He asked politely.

"Oh no, that's alright. We were doing some training."

Darwin walked through the room and stopped in front of a punching bag. "What sort of training?"

"Combat. But I've only focused on her balance so far."

The man nodded and changed his stance in front of the bag. He raised his fists, pulled one back and punched the leather object before him. A loud thud sounded and Darwin repeated the same maneuver.

"So no actual fighting yet?" He said in between a couple of throws.

Ann couldn't help but frown. It seemed Darwin had come here with a certain intention, apart from looking for Raven. Was he interesting in helping her with training? From the look of things he knew how to fight, maybe he used to box as a hobby or maybe there was someone in his family who was a professional fighter. In any case, the way he stood there as well as how he'd hit the punchbag, made it seem that he knew what he was doing.

"In due time, I reckon."

Darwin let out a sigh and took a step back. "I get the feeling time isn't something we will have a lot of. This morning when I woke up, I felt at ease. Calm. And then as soon as I got up, I realized why I'm here. In this,- castle. Being part of a group trying to prevent a war from happening."

She felt he was right about that. The only thing they were working on while being here, was getting stronger. Figure out how to make full use of their mutations in order to confront Sebastian Shaw and take him in. But none of them had any idea when that would be. It could be a matter of days or months. Time was literally of the essence. And they didn't have the CIA to back them up. Not that Ann wanted the agency to interfere, as she was still very concerned how they would be treated in the aftermath of it all.

Ann crossed her arms and shifted her weight from one leg to the other. "I feel the same. I don't know how much time we have being here, preparing ourselves for a confrontation with Shaw."

"Now that I've seen him up close, I don't think I'll ever feel ready enough." Darwin replied and he lowered his gaze for a moment before looking at her again. "This is going to sound incredibly rude of me, but I have to ask,- Do you really know how to fight?"

Ann frowned and then let out a short laugh. "You mean I don't look the part?"

Darwin rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, let's be frank. When people see me, they assume I know how to punch somebody's lights out. They wouldn't be wrong, I tell you."

"And when people see me, they'd see,-?" She countered.

"A damsel in distress or something along those lines."

A coy smile appeared on the woman's face. "So, you came here looking for Raven because you want to help her?"

Darwin nodded. "She asked for it during breakfast. But nobody had time. I told her I could meet up with her later as I wanted to try some stuff with Alex first. He's with Hank and Charles at the moment, so I figured I'd go and make good on my word."

"I'm sure she'll appreciate it." Ann replied. "In fact, you might be a better teacher for her, based on what I just witnessed. You could really help her out on how to throw a proper hit."

"Weren't you planning on doing that?"

"I was, but I wouldn't be the best choice. It's not my strength. I have tricks, but I think Raven might be looking for more than that in the long run."

Darwin cocked his head and pressed his fingers against his chin. "Perhaps,-" He began and then mumbled on.

Ann arched an eyebrow. "Perhaps what?"

"I have an idea. A suggestion. If you're up for it?"

"Alright, Darwin. I'm listening."

::::::...::::::

As Darwin told Ann his idea, Raven was currently on her way back from the kitchen with two glasses of water. She'd already drunk two of them but still felt parched despite not finding that she'd actually done anything remotely active. Still her fast paced heart beat, thirst and out of breath breathing, told her otherwise. Ann's little exercise of maintaining her balance while avoiding getting punched had effect to some degree. Her legs felt really sore, as if she'd been lifting weights with them. She also wondered if Ann was still planning on teaching her anything else.

Raven turned a corner and suddenly let out a loud yelp as she bumped into another person, dropping one of the glasses in the process. It landed on the hardwood floor and scattered into a dozen pieces.

"Shit! Geez, Erik!" Raven breathed, her heart pounding heavily in her chest from the scare. "Could you have been walking any quieter?"

Erik didn't seem fazed at all by her sudden appearance. Not that he'd heard her coming down the hallway, but he obviously noticed her turning the corner before she'd seen him. He didn't look bothered at all by their collision, nor the fact that she'd made a wet mess of the floor as well as destroying something in the process. He cocked his head and looked her up and down. From the way she was dressed to the drops of sweat on her brow, it was obvious she'd been working out.

"Sorry." He said to her, though it sounded anything but sincere. "I'll try to be louder next time."

Raven blinked and sighed. "No, no. I'm sorry. I should have been more focused on my surroundings. I was just training with Ann and,-"

"With Ann?"

"Yes. I figured after what Moira had said and nobody else seemed enthusiastic to help me, I went up and asked her." She paused for a moment before frowning at Erik. "Did you know about it?"

"About what?"

"About Ann. You know she kicked my legs from under me and I hit the floor like,- well, like this glass of water actually." Raven looked down at the floor and sighed.

Erik shook his head. No, he had not known about it. It came as a surprise to him as well. He'd even felt a little insulted of not knowing anything of it at all. You'd think the topic would have been mentioned at some point. But then again, in all honesty, most of them were only focused on fighting with their mutation. Erik knew how to fight. He wasn't a professional or anything, but he knew how to knock someone out. Though it was hardly ever necessary as he could easily make good use of his powers during those kind of situations.

"Guess none of us know each as well as we might thought we did." He muttered under his breath.

"I guess. I also think I'd better clean this up first. I was on my way back to Ann, but if it's not too much trouble?" Raven extended her arm and held the other glass of water aloft. "Could you take this to Ann then? She's in the third room on the left once you turn the next corner towards the living room."

Erik lowered his eyes to her hands. Her question came as a surprise. He'd actually been purposely avoiding Ann since last night. He'd tried to avoid Charles too, but that was a lost cause. As they'd been walking around the mansion, Charles pretty soon let him know that he knew it had been him who'd turned on the sprinklers in the green house. And even though Charles didn't dwell on it or showed any form of hostility towards him due to it, Erik had seen it in the guy's eyes that he'd actually been amused by it. As if he'd gotten some sort of desired reaction out of the metal bender.

Their conversation was cut short after that revelation. A childish act maybe. Erik didn't have any reason for acting the way that he had. But seeing Charles and Ann in the greenhouse yesterday, no matter how innocent it might have been, of which he was sure that it hadn't been, had really grinded his gears. And even though he'd been fine with talking to Charles this morning, he wasn't so sure if that was to happen once he'd see Ann again. For a second Erik clenched his jaw but eventually nodded and reached for the glass Raven was holding.

"Fine." Was all he said as a reply.

"Thanks. Just tell her what happened and that I'll be right back." Raven added just as Erik was already turning around.

The metal bender let out a grunt of frustration as he walked through the corridor. Already the emotion he'd experienced yesterday was making its way to the surface and he tried his best to push it away. It was a dumb feeling and not at all like him. He felt even dumber for having acted upon that emotion in the first place and now he was stuck with those consequences. A vision of Charles's smug face flashed through his mind.

"Third door on the left." He mouthed as he turned a corner.

It was right here, he could already see the door which stood slightly ajar. He was but a few steps away when he halted as two distinct voices came from the room. A man and a woman, the latter was Ann obviously, but he couldn't point out the other one. Hadn't Raven said that she'd left just Ann there? Erik set the glass of water on a nearby table and took position next to the door. With a little flick of his hand it moved slightly further open, giving him just enough of a view to see that the male voice belonged to none other than Darwin.

What on Earth were they doing in there?

"You're getting the hang of it."

"Well, I do know a little."

"I can tell. Though it would help if you leveled your arm more. Keep it at the same height, otherwise the sensation shooting through your arm might be too intense."

"Like this?"

"Almost."

Erik watched as Darwin positioned himself right behind Ann and placed his hand on her elbow. The metal bender blinked and leaned in closer. There was that odd stirring in his stomach again. The same as yesterday.

"Try again." Darwin said.

Ann did as she was told. She punched the bag in front of her. Then she repositioned her legs and punched again, only this time with her other arm. She kept going and going to the point that Darwin stepped back and watched quietly. After a couple of seconds Ann stopped and turned around.

"Better?"

"Definitely."

"Thank you." Ann replied a little out of breath.

"But your arm still slacks after a couple of hits."

"Still slacks?" The woman scoffed. "Maybe we should do a proper demonstration when Raven comes back."

Darwin frowned. "A sparring match between you and me?"

"I can't think of a reason why not."

"I can think of several. At the very least two of them. Both of whom who will have my hide if I were to land but even one blow on you."

Ann stared at him. Her mind immediately going to Charles and Erik. Who else could Darwin be referring to? But she very much doubted they would react in such a way. Sure, they'd be upset, who wouldn't be? But to hurt Darwin in return? That was out of the question.

"Oh, come now. I'm sure they would not." She waved her hand.

But Darwin kept on shaking his head. "I'm sure they would and no, I don't want to find out."

Ann sighed and shrugged. "Alright, fine." Her eyes shifted towards the door. "Speaking of Raven, I wonder when she's coming back?"

Erik blinked as he was reminded of the reason why he was there in the first place. He turned his head and eyed the glass of water before looking back into the room. Immediately he saw that Ann was about to head in his direction. It was then his gaze landed on an object in the back of the room and the metal bender quickly flicked his hand. What followed then was a loud clank and Darwin yelling at Ann to jump out of the way.

"Ann, watch out!"

As Darwin shouted, he jolted forward and pulled Ann out of the way from a couple of barbells rolling towards the door. Darwin's legs turned into hard rock as one of the weights collided against him.

"You alright?" He pulled back slightly to look at her. She seemed fine. thankfully he'd been quick on his feet.

"What happened?" She asked as she glanced over Darwin's shoulder.

"I guess something broke on the rack?" He replied as he let go off her. "All of the weights dropped simultaneously."

"All of them?" Ann frowned and moved aside.

Darwin stepped over the barbell as soon as his legs had turned back to normal. He crouched down next to the rack and examined the sides. "Must have been a loose bolt, or something like that?"

Even if it had been, those weights had been rolling rather fast across the floor. Ann thought it odd, but what else could it have been? Perhaps the house was slightly crooked and gravity had pulled the heavy weights into their direction? It sounded ridiculous as soon as she said it aloud in her mind. With a frown she turned her head and looked over her shoulder. The door to the room stood ajar and for a quick second she thought she saw something move.

Without waiting, she walked towards the opening and the second she reached it, Raven appeared in her line of sight. But the girl was looking in the opposite direction, down the corridor.

"Erik! You could have at least given her the drink instead of leaving it out here?!" She shouted, with her hands placed on her hips and an annoyed sigh escaping her. "Honestly,-"

"Raven?"

Raven turned her head. "Oh, hey. I'm here. Sorry it took so long. I bumped into Erik on the way back and accidentally dropped my drink. I asked him to bring yours while I'd take care of the mess." She paused and nodded at a glass of water standing on a small table. "Guess he thought this qualified."

She looked at Ann with questioning eyes, but the other woman stood there dumbfounded. Had it been Erik who,- She threw another glance over her shoulder at the rack on which the large barbells had been hanging. She then looked at Darwin who was still fiddling with something on one of the metal bars. She knew she couldn't nor shouldn't assume anything unless she had proof, but it all felt too coincidental. Especially considering what those weights were made of. But it made no sense. Why would he have done such a thing in the first place?

"Didn't you see him just now?" Raven suddenly asked. "He was standing right here looking inside when I turned the corner."

Ann turned her attention back to the girl and shook her head. No, she hadn't seen him. But clearly he had seen her then.

Raven shrugged. "Oh well, just Erik being Erik, I guess. Wait, is that Darwin?"

"He came by to help you out. I hope you don't mind, Raven. But I think I'm going to have a shower and spend my time focusing on something else. Actually, Darwin might be a better teacher in the offensive category. He showed me a thing or two just now."

"Oh? Yeah, that's okay. But let's do this again sometime? I had a good time." She smiled and Ann couldn't help but return it. It had been a good time.

"I'll see you later. Thanks for the drink." Ann quickly grabbed the glass from the table and took it with her as she headed into the same direction Erik had hopefully gone to.

::::::...::::::

A couple of minutes later, Ann was standing in front Erik's bedroom. After having explored the ground floor without any luck, she reckoned this was where he'd disappeared to. The only other possible place was outside, but surely he couldn't have been that quick on his feet, could he? She raised her hand to knock on the door but paused midair. Was it really necessary to confront him about this? Or was she only making a fool of herself by questioning him on whether or not he had purposely tried to knock her and Darwin off their feet? Perhaps that hadn't been his intention but it could have very well happened had it not been for Darwin jumping in front of her in time.

Erik had no reason to do such a thing, but then again, he also hadn't needed tp walk away the second Raven caught him standing outside of the training room door. Why hadn't he just come in to give her what Raven had asked of him? Didn't he want to disturb her when he saw she was busy with Darwin? That didn't sound like Erik at all. He most likely would have come right in without ever knocking. He tended to make his presence known in one way or another. He wasn't one to shy away from anything, not even something as simple as a training session.

Ann sighed and continued what she'd set out to do. She knocked four times and waited, but as a few seconds passed, it stayed quiet. Had she been wrong and was he really not there? Pressing her lips together in a tight line, she knocked again. A little louder this time.

"Erik? Bist du da?"

She tilted her head back and looked at the door. If she had Charles's telepathy power she could easily deduce whether or not he was there. If she took a moment she could use her own power, but that would take a little longer and frankly why would she need to bother using any mutation to figure out if he was in his bedroom. If he was, he should just respond to her. Like an adult.

"Erik, if you're there,- Can we talk?" She tried. But as before there was no reply.

"Alright. Be like that." She then said. If he wasn't in there, then there was no harm in venting a little, and if he was there,- well, at least he'd hear every word she was about to say.

"Look,- I,- I noticed you were a bit short with me yesterday. Maybe that was my imagination. And just now, something weird happened in the training room and Raven told me she saw you watching me and Darwin and well, I'm just wondering if you by any chance,-"

What on Earth was she saying? She was making a fool of herself indeed. Why was she bothered by this anyway? They'd only been here for one day. Not even twenty-four hours even and already she was questioning if Erik was avoiding her, simply based on how he'd acted yesterday and what happened just now with those weights. It was silly to say the least.

"You know what. Never mind. Forget I said anything. I'm sure it's nothing. I'll see you at dinner time?"

She gazed at the door once more, anticipating a little for it to open. But it was better if it didn't. There were other things, more important matters to concern herself with. Ann turned around, ready to head back downstairs, when a click sounded and her heart stopped when she heard Erik's voice behind her.

"Hallo."

"Hello." She replied.

"Would you,-" He didn't finish his sentence. Instead, he opened the door further and motioned with his hand.

Ann nodded and pressed the empty glass, which she still had with her, against her chest as she stepped inside.


Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Not too short and not too long. Just to clarify, Ann is not all of a sudden a skilled martial artist or boxer or anything of the sort. She happens to know a little thing or two, as to why that is...you'll find out soon enough!

And yes, next chapter will be even more Erik focused. Until next time all of you lovely people!

German translations: (apologies for any mistakes, German is not my first language)

Du bist ja ganz naß. - You are all wet.

Wirklich? Das ist unglaublich. - Truly? That's unbelievable.

Bist du da? - Are you there?