Chapter Thirteen: Raven's Surprise

Erik had returned to London on Sunday evening. He had decided not to antagonise Shaw by taking unscheduled time off, especially since he was certain that he'd well and truly stolen Charles away from him. When Shaw found out, and that was bound to be sooner rather than later, it would be wise not to bate his anger with other grievances. So for once, the weekend ended without any further surprises, and suddenly everything seemed as if it was back to the way it was before.

Everything that had been revealed didn't matter anymore. Erik considered the fact that he had never been around someone who made him feel so completely at ease before. Perhaps it was knowing that Charles could match him like for like with every character flaw, every insecurity, and with just as much enthusiasm for life as Erik showed. Erik still wasn't sure what it was that brought them together, but he had never felt it before.

As Erik rode the train home, he thought about Charles, and wondered how he would survive the days before they would be together again. He also wondered whether if he called Charles, Charles would actually answer his phone like he'd promised to do from now on. But Erik wasn't expecting miracles.

As expected everything in his London flat was just as he had left it. Erik suddenly wondered how he was going to accommodate four additional guests in his flat, since he was little short on the ground space. He wondered whether he might be able to stay at the club, and leave the flat to the youngsters. But then, where would Charles go? He could hardly hangout at Hellfire, with Shaw lurking around.

By the time Friday morning rolled around, Erik still hadn't come up with a plan. A short phone call to Charles had stopped him worrying, when Charles had said he'd sort it. Apparently half term at Oxford meant a break for the students, and extra work for Charles, who informed Erik that he'd been researching from morning to night, and catching up in the labs. However, for all Charles made it sound as if he was tired, Erik knew all of this was most likely self-imposed. He was probably still tutoring his students in his own time.

Erik was glad he had taken Friday off, especially when a text from Charles told him to pack his bag and be ready to leave as soon as Charles arrived. Apparently they were going to be staying in a hotel and leaving the flat to the students. This sounded like a good idea to Erik, since bunking up with overexcited people hadn't been his idea of a good time.

At eleven thirty Erik's phone began to ring. He had barely time to answer before there was a knock at the flat door, and after that the sound people talking very animatedly.

"Hello?" Erik said into his phone as he opened the door with one hand.

"Erik, let the kids in will you, then come down, we need to get going," Charles said.

Erik stood back as the students filled into his home, dumping their belongings wherever they liked, and starting to explore. He hung up, and watched them for a moment.

"Nice," Angel said approvingly after a while of opening doors and looking around. "Thanks for letting us stay."

Erik shrugged. He'd invited them after all, it was only right he put them up. Although the through of them all going through his things, or messing up his strict order made him slightly nervous.

"No problem, so what is the plan now?"

"Charles is waiting for you, I'll sort out these guys. Don't worry about this place," Angel instructed, the bossy tone in her voice told Erik not to argue with her. He suddenly wondered whether any of this had been Charles' plan at all? More likely Angel had just told him how the weekend would go down, and Charles had agreed.

Angel held out her hand.

"Keys to the flat please," she ordered. Erik reached into his pocket without hesitation, and handed them over. No point in arguing.

Angel smiled and pushed the keys into her jeans pocket. Erik shrugged his bag across his shoulder and stepped out into the hallway. Heading to the lift he left the thought of the students behind, he was going to see Charles. Any minute now Charles would be looking back at him, and the ride down seemed incredibly long.

Erik almost ran to the door, before jogging down the steps to the road. Outside he stopped short, Charles was waiting for him. Only he wasn't leaning against the black cab, which then immediately pulled away. Erik knew his classic cars, and the one Charles was leaning against was a red Jaguar E type, circa 1960s.

"Wow," Erik said as he walked towards Charles. "Retro. Or did you rob a car showroom on your way over?"

"My mother is in town," Charles replied, looking as if this prospect was rather unpleasant. "I'm going to have to meet her... like right now."

Charles held his hands out for Erik's bag, before walking it round to the boot.

"Yes," Erik replied still feeling slightly dazed. Charles had never mentioned owning a car like this. "And that answer explains everything."

Charles slammed the boot down with more force than Erik thought was necessary for such a car, and frowned.

"I can't promise you a fun afternoon Erik, my mother is … well… she's already pissed that I'm," Charles held up his fingers in little quotation marks, "wasting my life in Oxford. The least I can do is drive the stupid Jag, and not show her up."

Erik raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, if you don't want to drive this car, I will happily take it off your hands Charles, just say the word," Erik offered, looking over the car admiringly.

"Here, go nuts," Charles said throwing him the keys and walking to the passenger side. "I'd always wanted a Ferrari anyway."

"You're such a spoiled brat Charles. Besides, you suit the Jag… it's more old money. Oxford boys don't have Ferraris."

Charles just rolled his eyes as he climbed into the car. Erik had only just opened the car door when he was distracted by voices. He'd forgotten about the students, they were now hanging out of his bedroom window fighting over the best view.

"Aw, man, Erik gets to drive?" Sean was complaining extremely loudly.

"Shut up Sean, you're just mad because Charles drove me here in the Jag and not you," Angel replied. She gave Erik a wave.

Erik watched Hank being jostled between Sean and Alex, and it clear they had already found the beer that had been in the fridge.

"And exactly how did you convince him?" Sean was asking, again, more loudly than necessary.

"It's because she's got boobs you idiot," Alex answered just as enthusiastically. "Isn't that right professor?" he yelled down towards them.

Erik looked back to see Charles ducking slightly in the car.

"I cant imagine why you're not taking that lot to see your Mother Charles, she'd be overjoyed," Erik commented as he shut the car door. The engine started without the key being turned. Charles gave him a disapproving look.

Be careful of the expensive goods Erik, if you melt the engine you can be the one to do the explaining. Erik smiled. Hearing Charles inside of his head was never unpleasant. Besides I don't need to take the kids to see mother, you're enough of a… Erik raised his eyebrow.

"Distraction. Whilst she's disapproving of you, the less she'll notice that my suit isn't from Savile Row," Charles said, completing his sentence with his voice.

"You're so kind," Erik grumbled. He pulled out into the road, feeling the car move beneath him smoothly. The metal had been worked with such care that it felt like water, no seams, no sharp edges. He saw the students still waving at them via the rear view mirror, and feared for his flat.

"This will work out well for us, you'll see," Charles continued confidently.

"How?"

"Because we can stay with mother at the Ritz, and the kids can have the flat," Charles replied, as if this was the most normal thing in the world. "She always insists on staying in the Royal Suite, so they will sell her another suite no problem… for us…" Charles trailed away into silence, leaving the suggestion of sharing a room for Erik to protest at, but nothing more was said.

The Royal Suite, the sentence swirled around in Erik's mind. He wondered how anyone could ever justify doing something like that, no matter how little the money meant to them. What must it be like to be Charles, to drive around in classic cars, dress in the most expensive clothes, and not have to worry about how he was going to pay his bills? It sounded as if Charles had no need to go to work at all, and the fact that he worked so hard and cared so much, told Erik much. It made Erik respect him more.

Charles wasn't ashamed of who he was, but he was trying to be his own man. He shared everything he had with others, and didn't judge those around him. But the look of dread on Charles' face at the prospect of seeing his own mother was something Erik didn't envy. He was willing to bet that Charles' mother had not been a very hands-on parent. The fact that Charles was dreading being criticized for his clothes, and felt the need to arrive in a fancy car, told Erik that Charles had to work hard to please his mother.

"I don't really like spending time with my mother, in fact Raven gets along with her better than I do, and they're not even related. I remind her too much of my Father, I think. He was a scientist too, but his job came first and Mother spent a lot of time on her own. Of course she spent most of that time jetting around the world and spending a fortune… We've never been close. "

Charles' sudden confession made it clear to Erik that Charles had been reading his thoughts just then.

"Raven is … what, your step sister?" Erik asked. They had stopped at some traffic lights, and had been here a while.

"No, Raven is adopted… or rather she had no family of her own, so I sort of shared mine with her. Mother is disappointed in me for my, er, choice of lifestyle… You know what I mean. Plus the whole mutant thing. She thinks I should be married by now. She'd hit the roof if she ever found out about Shaw. It's another reason I keep Raven out of my mess, she'd only let it slip."

Erik shook his head. Once again Charles seemed to be running from the choices he had made with his life. Erik wondered whether Charles would ever really make peace with himself, he was constantly moving from one viewpoint to another, and this double life act was only making things worse.

As Charles stared out of the window, Erik pulled out his phone and Googled the Royal Suite. Apparently he could book it next week for three thousand, eight hundred and five pounds… a night.

"My God Charles," he said showing Charles the screen of his phone. "Your family sure has some money!"

Charles just smiled weakly and said nothing. Erik put the phone away as the lights turned green. He guessed that was a topic of conversation Charles didn't want to discuss.

The whole experience was bizarre, from the moment Erik's bag had been put into the boot of Charles' car, to the second they rolled up outside of the Ritz Hotel. As Erik cut the engine, he had the sense he'd just fallen into another world. He realised that Charles was now not only juggling two lives, but three.

Erik gave the keys to the valet with a shaking hand, and listened to Charles give instructions to the boy that came forward to collect their bags. Erik followed him in a daze, gazing around at the people around him, and the magnificence of the building they were walking through. Charles didn't bother to check in, he walked past reception and continued through to the lifts.

"You're very quiet," Charles remarked once they were in the lift.

Erik had been staring at the man who appeared to be employed to press the buttons for them. This job seemed like a complete waste of time to him, but Erik was willing to go with it.

"I'm feeling a bit out of place," Erik admitted. He saw Charles smile at him from the corner of his eye, and suddenly he found Charles' fingers were laced in with his own.

As the lift stopped and the doors opened, Charles' hand disappeared from his grasp, and Erik was left feeling out of sorts with his surroundings. As nice as everything was, it didn't appear all that inviting. They walked towards the double doors, leading to the Royal Suite, but before Erik could open them, he felt Charles' hand touch his again, gently pulling him back.

"Later on Erik, I have to talk to you about something," he said in a hushed voice, even though there was no one around to hear him.

Erik felt a sinking feeling take over him. Here we go he thought, commitment phobic Charles strikes again. He had no doubt that Charles was going to suggest they break whatever they had going on, off. Erik had been waiting for the 'conversation' for a few days now.

"That sounds ominous," he replied. The hell he was going to let Charles back out so soon. But at least he'd been given a heads up to get his arguments straight. The sight of Charles' worried face prompted Erik to be kinder. "Alright, I promise we will talk. Although you could just save yourself the trouble, because I'm not letting you go…"

Charles frowned up at him, but was prevented from replying by the doors being flung open and by the blonde girl who had launched herself into his arms.

"Charles!" Raven squealed. "Please save me from the cucumber sandwiches and the cream teas! Please say you brought KFC with you. I think I will die if I have to have another old granny snack. Really your mum needs to get with the times."

Erik smirked, having watched Charles being almost knocked off his feet.

"Of course Raven, let me just go back for that family sized bucket of chicken wings I left in the lobby," Charles replied sarcastically, trying to prise her off of him.

"Oh I so wish you weren't joking," Raven chastised pushing him away playfully. "Anyway I'm glad you brought Erik with you, because I've brought someone too."

"Yes Erik mentioned this… someone," Charles interrupted. "You're actually going to let me meet him?"

"Well at the risk of you going all older brother protective crazy, I invited him along today, you can meet him now," Raven offered. "Come on."

The set of rooms was just as Charles remembered. I guessed his mother was probably in her bedroom, because there was only one person in the lounge. He was sitting with his back to them all, and as he stood Charles felt his heart almost stop with fear. No, there was no way. His hand reached out instinctively to Erik, and his gripped his arm tightly.

"Charles this is Sebastian Shaw," Raven said eagerly, walking towards Shaw and taking his arm.

Shaw turned around at her touch and Charles felt the blood drain away from him, his skin broke into a cold sweat and his vision swam before him. He was sure he had passed out cold. But as the room righted itself, he realised he was still here, he was still holding onto Erik's arm as if his life depended on it.

"Sebastian this is my brother, Charles Xavier. Me and Sebastian met that night you were dancing to that stupid tractor song and you left me all on my own. He bought me a drink, and well, we just got talking…"

"Raven's told me so much about you," Shaw said, his eyes swept over Charles in a way that made Charles feel ill. He could hear Shaw in his head, the hunger Shaw still felt for him was there, on the surface, not even attempting to be hidden.

The room was so silent that even Raven couldn't ignore how awkward it was.

"Something wrong?" she asked looking at the faces around her.

Charles shook his head. He didn't dare speak, lest the content of his stomach end up on the expensively carpeted floor. The only person in the room that didn't know that Charles and Shaw had been involved was poor clueless Raven, who was looking at him with great concern.

"Nothing's wrong Raven," Shaw replied smoothly. "I've just met Charles before, that's all."

Raven looked puzzled.

"Really? When?" she demanded.

"But it is always nice to see you Charles. Very nice," Shaw said with a smile. Charles could hear his thoughts like a conversation to explain his smirk. You become more exquisite every time I see you. But you've been lying to me Charles and I don't like that. Then again, you have always been a liar, especially when it comes to me. "Now your friend, he looks very familiar too," Shaw continued, his voice forcefully calm, showing no indication of his current thoughts in his voice.

Charles let go of Erik's arm immediately, but the damage was done. There was no way out of this, not this time.

"Erik Lensherr," Erik said holding out his hand for Shaw to shake. "You consulted me with some designs for your club."

"Erik, of course. A pleasure," Shaw greeted keeping up the pretence.

They must have done a good job of fooling Raven or at least putting her at ease, because she decided to leave to inform Mrs Xavier that her son had arrived.

"You know Charles, your family is very welcoming. I think I might stay," Shaw said grinning as he took a seat as if he owned the place.