A/N: I just want to take a moment to thank readers and reviewers. Your comments are greatly appreciated :)
Dark grey, stone walls loomed up at them, an oddly jarring man-made construct in a field—no, a planet—of overgrown wilderness. Vines have dug in their roots and climbed the stone. The east wing, from what Charles can see from his position at the back of their group, seems to have collapsed, perhaps because of a storm. He hopes the generators haven't stopped working, but even if it had, the supplies should still be usable and edible even if they're not fresh; the preservation containers are, like everything else Brian Xavier owned, top of the line.
Charles feels his steps falter despite his attempt to distract himself by thinking of practical matters as they approach the imposing front entrance. The Jedi stare at the mansion in wordless wonder.
"All of this is yours?" Alex breathes, eyes wide; Charles remembers how he had found him living alone, a runaway headed toward delinquency, resentful of others and terrified of his powers.
"No," Charles corrects gently. It's vital that everyone understands this from the beginning. "It's ours."
"Come on!" Raven says, covering up any misgivings she might be feeling with a cheerful smile. "I'll show you guys around!" She leads the young Jedi into the mansion, the door still set to automatically unlock for her, leaving Erik, Charles, and Moira behind.
"Be careful!" Charles shouts after them. Raven sends him a mental roll of her eyes.
"We should probably check the supplies," Charles says after a moment. Erik and Moira turn from examining the grounds to look at him. "Actually," he calls, when they move toward the door, "let's go around." He gestures toward a side path that winds past unkempt shrubbery, disappearing behind the corner of the mansion. Erik and Moira shrug and follow him.
"This was the servants' entrance," Charles explains as the door unlocks for him. The lights flicker on when they enter; apparently at least a few of the generators are working. Excellent.
Erik's eyes sweep the small kitchen carefully before settling down in a chair, brushing off the dust first. He leans it back on its back legs and props his feet up on the similarly dirty kitchen table, ignoring Moira's disapproving looks.
"We have a bit of work to do," Charles says, taking note of the thick layer of dust on everything and thinking of how the rest of the mansion must surely be in the same state. He begins opening cabinets randomly, surprised at how much food is still sitting there, neatly organized.
"Supplies?" Erik asks.
"Lots of non-perishables," Charles replies from where he's kneeling on the floor sifting through a truly massive cabinet. He crawls in a little more to check the cans in the back, feeling Erik's mind brighten with interest. "Probably a lot more edible foodstuffs in the freezers."
"Yep," Moira calls out, checking the freezer rooms.
"Alright," Charles says, backing out of the cabinet and brushing the dirt from his pants, ignoring Erik's small sigh of disappointment projected rather pointedly into his mind. "Let's go check the bedrooms."
The Xavier mansion has hundreds of rooms of varying sizes and gaudiness. Charles decides to use the rooms closest to the kitchen as their assigned rooms; they'll be spending most of their time training anyways and it'll be practical to have the kitchen nearby. Besides, he's never really liked his old room, with its large shadows and extravagant furnishings.
"The Jedi can choose rooms on this floor," he says as he leads Erik and Moira upstairs, the lights flickering on as they walk up the stairs. He opens a door to check the state of the room and finds it untouched but with the distinct smell of an unlived-in room. It's comfortable though, with a four-poster bed, a desk, a spacious closet, and an empty bookshelf. The other rooms are the same.
"We'll take rooms one floor above them, if that's fine with you," Charles says when they reach the end of the hall.
"Sure," Moira says and Erik nods.
The bedrooms are larger on this floor, with attached bathrooms. Most of the rooms in the mansion, like the ones Charles had given to the Jedi, had shared bathrooms. He picks a room that has a nice—well once it's trimmed and properly cared for again—view of the garden. Erik unhesitatingly takes the one next to him and Moira chooses one opposite his, after a pause.
"Right," Charles says, rubbing his hands together. "Why don't we grab a bite to eat?"
Erik leads the way back to the kitchen, steps sure and unconcerned. Charles had noticed him carefully constructing a mental map of the mansion based on what Charles said and what he had observed. No doubt he'd soon be filling in the rest of the blanks as well.
The Jedi are already sitting at the table, eating something that must have come from the food synthesizer on their ship, in the kitchen when they arrive. "This place rocks," Sean says around a large bite. There's a chorus of agreements muffled by chewing.
"I told them that you'd probably give them rooms on the floor above this one, near the kitchen," Raven says, putting her cup down.
"Yes," Charles says, smiling at her. "Any room on that floor's fine. Why don't you all go pick one after you finish eating?"
Charles follows the Jedi when they file out of the kitchen to head toward the stairs. "A word, Raven?"
"Sure," she says. "What's up?"
Charles hesitates before asking quietly, "How are you holding up?"
Raven glances away, one hand twisting at the hem of her shirt. "It definitely feels strange to be back here," she says slowly. "It's better with the others around though, you know?"
Charles smiles slightly. "I suppose it is."
"How are you doing?" Raven asks, looking over him critically.
"I'm not thrilled to be back," Charles admits. "But this is our home. This is our chance to make new memories for it."
Raven nods, seeming to accept his answer. "I guess. Promise me you'll come talk to me if you need to, alright?"
Charles gives her a quick hug. "Of course, Raven. And the same goes for you." Raven's arms tighten around him for a moment and then she steps back.
"Tell the rest of them that you have the rest of the day off. We'll start training tomorrow, so be down in the kitchen at 8 o'clock sharp." Already halfway up the stairs, Raven waves a hand at him to show that she understood.
Charles sits down on the bottom step when she's no longer in view and rubs his face tiredly with one hand.
"There's no point hiding from a telepath, you know," he says. There's a split second pause and then the shadows open up to reveal Erik hovering by the doorway, where he had been deliberating whether to leave Charles alone or not. His steps are unfaltering, though, as he moves toward Charles and sits down next to him. He's wondering if Charles wants to talk about whatever is bothering him.
No, I don't, Charles thinks firmly. But thank you, my friend.
'Friend?'
Charles looks at Erik out of the corner of his eye. He's staring at his feet. Yes, he thinks cautiously.
Erik seems disgruntled.
What do want me to call you, then?
Confusion now; Erik doesn't know, is confused that he doesn't know. Charles feels a flash of—what? Disappointment? He finds himself puzzling over it and laughs to himself; it's strange how he can read other people's feelings but can't even decipher his own. Erik jumps at the sound of Charles's laugh but otherwise doesn't move, still staring at his feet, or perhaps he's staring at the little patterns on the carpeting.
"Where's Moira?" Charles finally asks. His voice sounds odd even to him.
"She's taking a walk in the garden," Erik says. Charles catches the ghost of his next thought: I don't want to talk about Moira. They lapse into silence again and Charles looks at the shadows and dust of the hall blankly. Above them come the muffled sounds of running feet and loud chatter, Raven's bright voice and Sean's laughter. The cheerful whistle of the teapot in the kitchen and the clack of Moira's shoes as she returns to the kitchen to tend to it. Erik's presence, solid and warm at his side. And suddenly, the place doesn't seem at all like the mansion of Charles's memories.
Charles turns his head to re-examine his childhood home. It's not actually half-bad. He allows himself to imagine, for a moment, what the place would look like if he continue his Jedi Order here instead. The thought brings a smile to his face. He should have come back here to start it in the first place, he realizes, but he had made up excuses like the location needing to be near the people they're helping to avoid returning and stirring up old memories.
Charles's mind begins to whirl with the logistics of it, rapidly warming to the idea. They'll need more supplies. They'll need to establish discreet supply lines. They'll need some way to locate Force-sensitives and recruit them.
But Charles is distracted from his musings when Erik shifts slightly and then, after a split second where Erik's mind is practically screaming hesitation, swings his legs over so that his feet are on the step they're sitting on and lays his head in Charles's lap. His eyes close. What do I do now? bounces through his mind, and he can't tell whether it's his own thought or Erik's. Erik is wondering whether to pull away when Charles abruptly brings his hand up, softening the movement just before contact to run it through Erik's hair.
And just like that, the tension seeps out of Erik and he relaxes into the touch like a contented cat.
They stay like that, as the shadows lengthen and Charles directs Moira to a different set of stairs that's closer to where she's sipping her tea in the garden.
"Charles," Erik murmurs sleepily when the mansion has grown still the way houses do at night.
Charles smiles down at him even though Erik can't see it. "Hm?"
"Nothing. I just wanted to say your name," Erik says. Charles's smile widens even though Erik can't see it and Erik hums contentedly in his mind.
Breakfast is a cheerful affair the next morning; a good night's sleep seems to have dulled the hurt from the previous days. None of them know how to cook, so they just have another meal from the food synthesizer. Charles adds cooking to the list of things they're going to have to deal with.
Erik appears halfway through breakfast, drenched in sweat from his morning run. He nods stiffly to Moira and the Jedi, catches Charles's eye and gives him a private little smile, and disappears in the direction of the stairs. Charles is halfway out of his seat before he catches himself, managing to turn the motion into moving to put his plate away instead of following Erik out the door. The Jedi are too wrapped up in their own conversations to notice anything and Moira's hiding a yawn behind her hand, but Charles sees Raven giving him funny looks through the rest of the meal.
When most of them are finished eating, Charles clears his throat to get their attention. "As you know, today we'll be starting training," he says. "Since Erik is going to be teaching you lightsaber combat, he wants to know your skill levels. So he'll be spending a few hours today with each of you teaching you personally. After that, you'll have group lessons."
Hank and Sean exchange apprehensive looks. "What if he kills us?" Sean blurts out.
"Don't worry," Charles reassures him. "No one's killing anybody."
"And you?" Raven asks. "Will you be taking private lessons with Erik too?"
"Of course he will," Erik says from the doorway, smiling slightly. The Jedi jump at the sound of his voice. Charles rolls his eyes at Erik's theatrics. Don't sneak up on them, he chides. You don't want them to fear you if you're going to be teaching them.
Erik's mind darkens for a second and then clears, leaving Charles wondering whether he had really sensed that brief flash. Raven doesn't seem to be afraid of me, he thinks with amusement. Raven is currently watching the two of them with narrowed eyes, suspicions in her mind.
"Well," Erik says. "Lots to do today. Sean, you're with me. Let's go." He turns around and strides off, the pointedly audible sound of booted feet on carpet quickly receding. Sean throws a panicked look at the rest of the Jedi before running after him.
"Alright," Charles says, interrupting their wildly spinning imaginations of Erik "accidentally" murdering Sean. "The rest of you, follow me."
…
The garden that wraps around most of the house is large and sprawling, if overgrown. It's calming though, with a strong presence of the living Force.
Charles leads them to a sitting area with crumbing stone benches shaded by a tall apple tree. The sunlight causes the shadows to flicker with light. "This is where you'll practice your focus through meditation," he says. "But first, we'll have to clean the place up a bit." He nods to the box of gardening shears and other tools sitting against a hedge.
They get to work and by the time Sean appears, looking half dead on his feet, they've cleared off much of the area. It looks rather charmingly worn down, Charles thinks.
"Alex," Charles says. "Erik says it's your turn."
Darwin thumps Alex on the back encouragingly and he leaves for his training session, reassured by how Sean still has all his limbs firmly attached but not by much else.
…
Charles supposes he shouldn't really be surprised when Erik tells him that his preferred form is Form VII. Erik's never been light-side, but he'd never truly embraced the darkness either. Mastery of Vaapad allows him to walk that grey area between the two. Still...
"I'm surprised you duel with a Jedi form," he comments, watching Erik viciously back Alex out of the training ring and into a corner of the room. As he watches, Erik easily disarms his opponent and points his lightsaber at him briefly before deactivating it. Alex takes Erik's outstretched hand and heaves himself to his feet, eyes immediately falling on his water bottle.
"I found the Sith forms to be distasteful," Erik says, grabbing his water bottle. "Cowardly." His eyes finding Charles's for a second, before he takes a long drink.
Charles finds himself watching a bead of sweat slide down the side of Erik's face, hover tremblingly on his jaw, and make its slow, torturous way down the flushed skin of his neck. Unbidden, the feel of Erik from the previous night rises to his mind. He looks up to find Erik staring at him oddly and shakes himself.
Erik's gaze moves away at the motion to land on Alex.
"And where do you think you're going?" he asks conversationally. Alex, who'd been trying to edge out the door while Erik was distracted, throws Charles a pleading look. Charles just smiles and motions toward Erik, who's back in the training area staring at Alex impatiently. "Your footwork was terrible," Erik calls.
Alex closes his eyes briefly in despair and shuffles back into the ring.
Charles grins to himself—Alex is moving through stances again, mind intent with concentration despite his earlier complaints, while Erik circles around him correcting and adjusting.
Not that it's not flattering and all, Erik thinks the next time he allows Alex a break. Charles realizes he's projecting and hurriedly reduces the link. But shouldn't you be doing something?
"It's lunchtime," Charles says. Alex, who'd been gulping water with a wary eye on Erik's impatiently tapping feet, perks up.
"Already?" Erik says lightly, but he nods to Alex that he's dismissed. He lifts an inquiring eyebrow when Alex comes to stand next to him instead of fleeing out the door.
"Uh. Thanks," Alex mutters, shifting awkwardly on his feet. "I learned a lot today. So. Thanks."
"You're welcome," Erik says, after a moment. The smile he gives Alex is a lot less terrifying than usual and a lot more genuine.
Charles grins to himself. "Lunch?" he reminds them. Alex belatedly remembers that he's starving and hurries off to the kitchen, where Darwin and Hank had cobbled together some sort of meal, with Moira's helpful suggestions and Raven and Sean's unhelpful laughter at their attempts.
"Shall we?" Erik asks, smile still on his face. Charles surprises both of them by tilting his head up to give Erik a brief kiss.
"Nice work today," he says.
"They're good kids," Erik says, staring at Charles's mouth. He looks torn between another kiss and the promise of food in the kitchen. His stomach decides for him when it complains loudly.
Charles laughs. "Let's go eat."
…
After lunch, Charles takes a walk in the garden while the Jedi relax in the sitting room in front of the holoprojector, making sure to take note of which parts of the grounds needed the most work done. He's made his way to a fountain he vaguely remembers falling into once as a child and is sitting on the rim of it, staring into its dry depth. It's cluttered with dead leaves and branches.
"Hey," Raven says, hands in her pockets.
"I thought you were watching the HoloNet?" Charles asks, patting the space next to him.
Raven sits down. "Well, Erik took Darwin," she says.
"You make it sound like he kidnapped him," Charles says, smiling. Raven shrugs and swings her legs back and forth.
"Anyways, the others sent me to get you."
Charles nods in areement, but neither of them move.
Then Raven says, "What we're doing… Promise me you'll be safe, alright?"
Charles looks at her. "You know I can't promise you that," he says gravely. And he can't. Much as he wants to promise her, reassure her that he'll be safe, that they'll all be safe, he can't. It hurts him to admit that he can't keep them all safe. But one man couldn't hope to fight an empire.
"I know," she says sadly. "But I don't want any of us to get hurt. We've finally found people that, that care about us. I don't want to lose this. We've already lost Angel."
Charles feels his heart clench. "It was my fault," he says quietly. "I never gave any of you the time you needed. Frankly, I'm surprised that more of them didn't decide to join him."
"Don't say that," Raven snaps. "It was her choice. Her decision." She falls silent, then adds desolately, "It was probably because her that we got out when everyone else got captured anyways."
Charles doesn't have anything to say to that and they sit quietly next to each other, watching as a wind tumbles a leaf across the ground. It's tossed to the left and to the right, until it finally gets trapped in the tangled branches of a tree.
"Remember when you fell into this fountain?" Raven asks finally, a hint of laughter in her eye.
"Right before the party too—Mother was furious," Charles says, accepting the change in subject. "But I was delighted that I didn't have to go anymore."
Raven smiles a bit at the memory. "And then we built a tent in your room out of the covers and played Pazaak until midnight."
"You always remind me of the good memories," Charles says affectionately.
"We made the good memories together," she tells him. "Besides, you would've been nowhere without me."
Charles laughs then, but he knows that it's true.
"Now come on," Raven says, getting to her feet and tugging on Charles's arm. "The others'll be wondering where we are."
He allows himself to be pulled to his feet and she links her arm with his. "What was that for?" she asks when Charles presses a kiss to the top of her head.
"That was thanks," he says. "For being here."
"Where else would I be Charles?" Raven says in fond exasperation. "You're my brother and I'll always stick with you, no matter what."
A/N: Crossposted from the Archive.