AN: I thought about posting this chapter tomorrow, but I thought about it and said ehhh might as well do it today.
Charles now sitting in his wheelchair, wheeling himself down towards Cerebro, while three of us followed close behind. I smiled to myself as I remembered how all of this started, it made me feel nostalgic. I remembered finding the first students with Charles and helping them. I missed that.
"When was the last time you were down here?" Logan asked, as he looked around the silver hallways.
"The last time we went looking for students," Hank answered.
"A lifetime ago..." Charles added with a sigh.
He halted, looking into the circle in the center of the vault-like door. Two strips of blue light shined across Charles' hesitant face, moving to form a 'X' shape.
"Welcome, Professor," A female robotic voice echoed through the empty corridor, as the door opened, letting us inside.
"Raven's wounded," Hank reminded us, as we reached the console. "She won't be moving fast," Hank stated, before switching on the machine.
Charles picked up the helmet, gripping it tightly with shaking hands before blowing off the dust to reveal it's shiny exterior.
"These are muscles I haven't stretched in a long time," he remarked, slowly placing the helmet over his shaggy brown hair.
Unconsciously, I placed my hands on the handlebars of Charles' wheelchair just like how I used to. I looked down at my hands realizing where they were, but didn't move them from their spot. Suddenly, the machine turned on filling the room with white and red lights displaying all the minds that Charles was currently touching. I had always found the whole process sort of beautiful, but in this moment it looked rather horrifying and jarring.
Charles sucked in a breath, "God!" he exclaimed.
Charles groaned as the images around us started to turn. There was a lot of noise, screams and cries from the people asking for help echoing in the round room. The different people and voices whisked past us faster and faster. The machinery started to whir uncontrollably.
"Charles!" Hank said, looking frantically at the needles flitterring. I could tell that all the voices were overwhelming him.
Charles groaned again and the lights circled around us at a very fast speed making me dizzy.
"Charles!" repeated Logan.
Out of nowhere, the whole machine broke down. I ducked a bit as some sparks flew near me. The whole room went dark, hyperventilating, Charles pulled Cerebro off of his head immediately.
"I-it's alright," Hank stuttered, looking around. "I'll go check on the generator," He informed, running out of the open door.
"I'll go with him," I said, before jogging away to catch up with him.
I followed Hank into the nearby room, he was fiddling with some wires from the generator.
Hank looked up from what he was doing, "Why did you come with me?" Hank asked, raising a confused brow.
"Feeling all the pain and suffering was a bit much for me," I explained, which wasn't a complete lie.
"Understandable," He nodded.
"I thought the same as well," I remarked, as I fiddled with the buttons checking them.
"It's not true though is it?" Hank asked suddenly.
I stared at him in surprise and was greeted with a kind smile that was often on his lips.
"Come on Claudia, I lived in this house with you for, what? five, six years? I know when you're lying," Hank pointed out, and I shook my head at him a fond smile on my face. It fell quiet between us as we worked on the generator. "It was hard without you being here you know," Hank stated, and I paused in my movements. "And trust me, I understand why you left," Hank continued, pushing up his glasses. "But after all this...do you think you will come back here, with Charles and I?" Hank asked, a hopeful look in his eyes.
I let out a sigh, "I have a lovely home waiting for me when I return from this," I pointed out, plugging in a wire.
"Your house is lovely Claudia, but were you truly happy in it?" Hank questioned, pushing in a metal piece before looking up at me again.
"Generators fine. I've turned the power back on. We should get back," I informed, avoiding Hank's question.
"He...he got worse after you left," Hank admitted quietly. "Claudia—"
My head snapped in his direction, glaring at him, "Don't Hank," I gritted out, warning him. "I see what he's been doing to himself," I acknowledged, shaking my head. "And it hurts to see a once proud man now a broken shell of himself," I stated, my voice growing soft.
I flipped a switch, and with a vroom, the lights came back on. I closed the door to the generator. We left the room and saw Logan leaning on the arms of Charles' chair, the two of them locked into an intense stare.
"Powers back on," Hank declared, breaking the tense atmosphere.
"Yes it is," Charles agreed, looking at the panel. I got the feeling he was referring to something Logan had said more than Hank. Charles placed the helmet back on his head and plugged himself back in, quick to find Raven. "Raven, stop. Stop running," he called he paused for a few seconds. "Back at the house, where you should be. I need you to come home,"
I found myself at a disadvantage, since I could only here Charles' side of the conversation.
"If you kill Trask, you'll be creating countless more just like him," Based on the face Charles made, I guessed he didn't like Raven's reply. "Those are Erik's words not yours. The girl I grew up with wasn't capable of killing. She was good, fare, and compassionate," Charles reminded firmly.
After a pause, Charles' jaw clenched, "Shut her down Charles, get in her head," Logan ordered.
"She's not letting me in," Charles said with a shake of his head. "I'm barely holding on. I'm not strong enough yet," Charles explained, before he refocused in on Raven.
"I know what Trask has done, but killing him will not bring them back. it will set you on a path from which there is no return," His eyes briefly cast to mine and I slightly widened my eyes in surprise at his choice of words. So similar to my own earlier. "An endless cycle of killing. Us and them till there is nothing left. But we can stop it right now, you and I. You just have to come home," His voice broke slightly at the end, making my heart clench.
The red lights dimmed, showing the break in connection, and Charles closed his eyes. He looked so tired and sad in that moment. He pulled the helmet off, tears in his eyes.
"Where is she?" Logan asked.
Charles chuckled, "She's in an airport, boarding a plane," he replied, rubbing his forehead.
"A plane to where?" Hank inquired
"Washington, D.C."
~~~x~~~
Dropping my suitcase onto wooden the floor with an echoing thud I took in my surroundings. I spun around slowly in my old room to see that nothing was really touched at all, my old fashioned four poster bed was made with the same linen before I left.
"Charles didn't move anything...it's just as I left it..." I thought.
I walked past the drawers, my fingers running along the surface before I entered the bathroom to see that all of my soaps and materials were restocked. I smiled slightly, knowing that Hank had been the one to do that, it was as if Hank was holding out hope that I might return to the mansion.
But I never did, and my smile disappeared.
Closing the my bedroom door, I picked up my suitcase and placed it on the ottoman in front of my bed before opening it with a flick of my fingers. I kicked my shoes off and began to undress myself to take a much needed shower after today's events. Reentering the bathroom, I quickly stepped into the shower and turned the knob to hot. The hot water felt like heaven and my aching muscles started to relax. As I let the water run over me I noticed red has began running from my hair, with so much that has happened I almost forgot that Erik threw me into a wall.
I raised my hand to touch the back of my head and winced immediately when I felt the tender area. Carefully, I shampooed my hair two times to completely rinse any left over dried blood. Once I was out and changed into clean clothes I sat down on my my old bed, brushing my wet hair. When I went to run the brush through my hair again I stopped as my eyes fell on a photograph on my nightstand that was taken back in 1962.
It was a picture of us, the first class of X-Men. It stung. I missed them. All of them. Sean, Alex, hell, even Moira. I stretched out and grabbed the frame, my fingers pressing against it then resting by Erik's face. I was in between him and Charles. All of us were all smiling except for Erik. I shut my eyes slightly, reopening them to see Erik's signature smirk that I knew all too well. I didn't like fighting him. I hated that I still cared for him after everything,
I placed the frame back down with a light thud just as someone knocked on my door.
"Come in," I called, and the door opened revealing Charles.
He wheeled himself into my room, "Making yourself at home I see," Charles quipped, a soft smile on his lips.
I glanced around the room again, "Don't know if I can still call this place home," I stated, my eyes a landing back on Charles, his smile slowly vanishing. I placed my brush down on the nightstand so that I could fully focus on Charles. "You left my room mostly in tact," I noted, with a small shrug.
"After you left...I couldn't step foot in this room. Not without feeling a huge wave of regret," Charles admitted, now sitting directly across me.
"I didn't know you were capable of that back then," I retorted, rubbing my sore neck now feeling the effects of Erik's strangulation in Paris.
Charles breathed out a humorless chuckle,"You know, you've been so kind me these past few hours I almost forgot you despise me," he commented, before his eyes dropped to my neck. "I've been wondering about something since Paris," Charles stated, staring at the chain.
"And that is?" I asked tiredly, stretching my neck from side to side.
"If you hate me so much, why do you still have that amber necklace?" he asked, his eyes boring into mine.
Tilting my head straight, I faced Charles again, "It was too pretty to pawn off," I explained, and Charles drew his lips into a thin line. "And...call me sentimental Charles," I replied, a humorless chuckle escaping from me.
He sniggered, "Yes, and I suppose that would also explain your sudden concern for my well-being in France," Charles suggested, extending his hand out.
"Just like you not touching a thing in my room," I pointed out. "Or how you keep my picture face down in your study," I added, arching a challenging brow.
"It hurt me deeply to see your smiling face and know I would never see you again," Charles responded. "Leaving your room untouched, it was more of something to remember you by. When times were better between us," he added softly.
I remained quiet, not knowing how to respond to that. I licked my lips and let out a deep breath.
"You have to understand Charles, that you left me with practically no choice," I explained, shaking my head. "It hurt me to leave you, truly it did, but I don't regret it," I admitted. "I'd do it again," I finished, crossing my arms together.
A sardonic laugh left Charles' lip as he rubbed his chin, "You won't lose me Charles," Charles recited. "Did you tell me that out of pity or were you just lying?" he asked, a hint of anger laced in his question.
I scoffed, "You would have never lost me Charles if it wasn't for that damn serum!" I hissed, pointing at him accusingly. "I was more of maid to you than your fiancee, which explains why this places looks worst than ever," I stated, shaking my head. "You're just like everybody else Charles. You never appreciate someone until they leave!" I stated, raising my hands in the air as a chuckle bubbled from me. "But Jean, when I met him he was a breath of fresh air compared to you. He was kind, charming, funny, and was a loving father, working as a fireman to provide for his daughter," I listed, smiling at the memory of meeting him.
"He sounds like a real Prince Charming," Charles commented sarcastically.
"Oh he was, trust me," I agreed, nodding my head. "He proposed to me, you know," I informed, referring to Jean. "I could be married right now," I continued, pointing to myself. "And be far away from this mess," I added, standing up from my bed.
"Then why aren't you!?" Charles snapped, slamming his hand down on his armrest. "If this man was so wonderful as you claim, why aren't you with him right now Claudia!?" Charles asked, sticking his hand out.
"Because Jean wasn't you!" I exclaimed, watching Charles' face drop. "How could I get married to him when the man I love was back in the States, here, in this goddamn house drinking himself to death!" I shouted, as I placed both my hands on his armrests.
"You still love me?" Charles breathed, staring at me.
I rolled my eyes, "Did you honestly think I didn't love you anymore? That I could ever stop loving you?" I asked back, my tone softening. "Because if you did, you're more clueless than I thought Char-"
I was interrupted by Charles pulling my face towards his for a searing kiss. My eyes widened as I felt Charles' lips on my own, after recovering from my initial shock my eyes drifted shut as I guided myself to sit down on his lap. The meeting of our lips felt so familiar, yet so new all at once. My hands slid to Charles' cheeks, cradling his face in my hands as I deepened the kiss. Charles pulled his mouth away from mine and I felt myself lean forward to follow him as he moved away. Charles' hands slid down to my waist in attempt to still me, but he kept only a few inches between us.
"Charles," I breathed.
"I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't have done that," Charles apologized, breathing heavily. "I don't know what came over me," he explained, lowering his head.
I gently lifted his face toward me, "Don't apologize," I replied, using my thumbs to stroke each of his cheeks before dipping my head down and pressing my lips onto his. Charles exhaled deeply as he returned my kiss with equal vigor, his hands roaming up and down my body. I slipped my fingers through Charles' hair, tugging him closer toward me and in response I felt Charles tighten his arms around my back. We pulled apart from each other both of us breathing hard, our foreheads rested against each other as we stared into each other eyes.
"I love you Claudia. God, I love you so much," he whispered gently against my lips, nuzzling our noses together. "I'm sorry for pushing you away Claudia. I'm sorry for the awful things I've said to you," Charles continued. "We have so much to mend in our relationship, but I'm willing to do it. I want what we had once before Claudia," Charles finished, unwrapping an arm from me to bring his hand to gently cup my cheek.
I nuzzled my cheek into his hand, "If you truly mean what you say about apologizing Charles, about healing the wounds between us, we can move on," I said, tucking a strand of hair behind Charles' ear. "Because this living we've been doing, isn't living," I explained, shaking my head. "I will be there for you, if you let me. But I need the real you again, I need the real Charles," I finished, and stared into his eyes.
Charles nodded his head in agreement and his was soft and, dare I even think it, hopeful, it was the first time I had seen Charles like that in a long time. And that gave me hope. A smile formed on my lips as I went to kiss Charles again only to hear the sound of someone knocking on my bedroom door made and an awkward cough. Charles and I turn our heads from each other to see Logan standing in the door frame.
"You might want to come downstairs, Professor. We have a guest,"
"Who?" I asked curiously.
"Raven,"
AN: All is not well, but Charles and Claudia are going to work towards it.