Chapter Fifteen

Charles' mother had Charles serving everyone cups of tea and handing around the cakes. It seemed to please her just to watch him move around the room, as if for all her disapproving remarks, she was obviously very proud of him. And why wouldn't she be? Perhaps after all, all she wanted to do was show him off, and thought he wasn't making the best of the opportunities he had been given. Maybe there at least Erik could agree with her, but as eccentric as Charles' life might be, at least you couldn't accuse him of being boring.

But naturally Erik wasn't the only one staring. Shaw was clearing thinking the same as him, watching every movement with a calculating eye. Despite the fact that Shaw was busy carrying the conversation, his attention was always completely upon Charles. Every remark was directed towards him, every opinion waited for his approval or argument, even if it was the others who were replying. Charles was refusing to take the bait and join in, but was acutely aware that Shaw's eyes would drift towards him, whenever there was a pause in the talking.

Charles refused to return his gazes, and sat as close to Erik as he dared. Feeling his friend's leg pressed against his gave him a small amount of comfort, and steadied his franticly beating heart. Erik tried to convey as much support as possible through that simple touch as he could, and wondered whether anything other than alarm and nervousness was touching Charles' heart right now.

As Erik tried to contribute to the conversation, trying to keep Charles from having to speak and betraying himself, he found himself staring at Charles' hands whenever he could. They always seemed to be in the right places, they moved when he talked, pulling the words out of the air to help with his meaning. They held the teacup so gently, and brushed crumbs from his lap with the most assured of flicks. But still they trembled slightly, and Erik wished he might take one of those hands and…

Mother wants you to leave. Erik jumped upon hearing Charles' voice in his mind. Charles was speaking now, telling his mother about a recent journal entry in another science publication. She looked only mildly interested.

Shaw told her that you've been cheating on me. Apparently I don't know, but he's going to tell me in a minute. She'll suggest I show him around the suite, so that he gets the opportunity to spill the beans... Charles' voice was a welcome feeling of warmth inside of Erik, and the rest of the world disappeared for a moment. Whatever Shaw might say, Erik was willing to stake everything on the belief that Charles had never shared his power like this with anyone else. It was Erik who he trusted, Erik who felt like a natural ally. It was Erik who had inspired him not to hide.

I have to speak to him alone. Charles clarified. Don't follow me.

I wont, if you ask me not to. But I don't want you alone with him. He has something over you Charles, and you can't let it go either. Erik let the thought drift in his mind. He could feel Charles was still inside of his mind, and the thought seemed so much more substantial than a usual musing.

That isn't true. But even in Erik's mind, it sounded as if Charles doubted himself.

Don't try and lie. I've seen it. I have no doubt that I could lose you to him, and although I might not understand why, I'm not judging you.

Erik felt Charles' leg slide slightly against his.

You should Erik. I am judging me. There is something wrong with me.

No, there is nothing wrong with you. Erik used the excuse of taking Charles' empty teacup from his hands in order to look him in the eye. You're just lost.

The way Charles looked at him now, was with an expression of confusion on his face. Erik had never told Charles his theories on why his life was taking him down the path it was threatening to. That he thought Charles had lost himself on his strange journey, and maybe that was Shaw's appeal for Charles. He was someone who seemed to have everything in his own life under control, and there was clearly something in Charles that needed some sort of stability. He had probably not been able to depend upon his mother; she looked as if she had not spent very much time at home. Then again, it could be a pretentious judgement to pass upon someone, and Erik didn't want to pretend he knew everything there was to know about Charles. He could only judge on what he knew to be true, and even that was debatable.

Your mother is very glamorous. Erik thought, trying to lighten the mood. It seemed to have gone very dark and gloomy inside of his head.

Very scary you mean? Charles managed to sound slightly amused, and the darkness in his mind started to lift.

Yes, that too.

"I auditioned for Cats too, I don't think I'll get it. My heart wasn't really in it," Raven said, she was busy making sure that Shaw had enough tea and cake. Erik thought her attention to him was very telling, as far as she was concerned it looked as if she though their 'relationship' was genuine. Shaw had evidently done a good job at convincing her, whether with lies or truths. "To be honest I'd much rather be in Mamma Mia, I hope I get called back for castings. I think my audition went really well. I don't really mind where I get my big break, but…"

To his credit, Shaw looked as if he was interested in what Raven had to say, at least enough to fool Charles' mother. She was giving him an appreciating smile, as if she was glad he had been brought along, completely in contrast to the looks she was giving Erik. He wished the woman could know the truth, but Erik would never betray Charles' secrets, he wasn't here to make Charles embarrassed and make this even worse.

But at least they could all be thankful for Raven's ability to keep talking at a hundred miles an hour, and rarely requiring anyone else to step in. Raven was especially animated when she was talking about West End productions. Erik hoped for her sake that she got her break soon, if she was really serious about it and had her heart set on it, maybe having a boyfriend wouldn't seem as important as a place on the Mamma Mia cast.

"I danced so much yesterday, I made my toe bleed. But at least I don't have ballerina feet, my friend can hardly walk when class ends, her feet are disgusting."

"Your feet are disgusting Raven," Charles said, tucking his foot up onto the sofa and hugging his knee. The movement caused him to move even closer to Erik, and press his foot into the side of Erik's leg.

"Shut up Charles," Raven replied haughtily, but with a slight smile on her face. "Your whole… everything… is disgusting."

"Raven quit ballet when she realised that going to PizzaHut was frowned upon," Charles explained with a smile on his face. Although he was grinning at Raven, it was the tension between him and Shaw that had lessened. The childish way that Charles was sitting on the sofa was putting up a false shield between them both, and Erik had the feeling at the conversation could very quickly turn towards teasing. At least they seemed to have decided not to let the secrets be told right now.

The sudden smile that Shaw gave Charles might have been the only genuine look of affection Erik had ever seen in the man's eye. It reaffirmed the doubts. Who was lying to whom here? Surely it couldn't be Charles? And why would he have lied, Erik had never really asked for an explanation above and beyond what concerned him. Charles had involved him, because Erik had involved himself out of his own free will, and Erik had been left to make his own choices whether he stayed or not.

Erik knew for certain that for all their bluster and fighting, Shaw and Charles had chemistry, only not the right kind. They were the kind of people who would end up killing each other. Or at least Shaw would end up killing Charles just to get his attention. In the end it all came back to the fact that Shaw just wanted to control and dominate people.

If Erik didn't need Shaw to sign his paycheques then he might not have been so ready to jump at Shaw's bidding at work. But at the same time, perhaps the only reason he hadn't lost his job all the times he had lost his temper, was because Shaw liked to see people apologise.

If Charles gave Shaw what he wanted and stopped fighting him, Erik was beginning to understand Charles' 'theory' that Shaw would be bored and move on. Then just as Charles had predicted, his mother suggested Charles take Shaw and show him around. Shaw looked as if he had hit the jackpot and promptly shot down Raven's offer to join them.

Charles was already standing and waiting, he could feel Erik to the side of him, even though they were no longer touching. He felt as if he was being pulled in two different directions, and couldn't understand himself. There was nothing that he wanted from Shaw, and yet there was clearly something he couldn't shake away. But he knew that given the choice, he would have sat back down and folded himself into Erik's arms. What he felt for Shaw was now bordering on annoyance, and Charles was angry that Shaw's intensity always seemed to reflect badly upon him, as if the world thought that he'd brought all of this on upon himself, and Shaw was the innocent party.

Shaw followed Charles and the two disappeared into the next room, Shaw always standing a little too close. Surely Erik couldn't be the only one noticing this? How could the two women be so blind? Erik tried to concentrate on the conversation, but his mind was drifting, and he reached out with his powers. Maybe he could find Charles through the metal he was wearing? But there was too much interference.

Charles walked through the dining room; the surroundings were familiar to him, as he'd been brought here since he was a child, when the place had still held some kind of wonder. Still he imagined all the people who had stayed here too, who were they and were they happy? Lost in his own thoughts, he forgot he was supposed to be showing Shaw around.

"Well, no wonder you were never impressed by the places I took you," Shaw said with amusement in his voice. Charles turned to look at him, careful to keep some distance between them. "I always thought you were doing it to get under my skin, I never considered you were an heir to a fortune. Well, how your star rises Charles, I certainly hit the jackpot when I met you."

Charles didn't reply, he leant against the dining table, his hands either side of him holding onto the polished wood.

"What are you doing with my sister?" Charles asked. "I want the truth this time. If you are thinking that she will inherit too…"

"Have no fear Charles, I am not with your sister for her money, or lack there of. I am perfectly capable to funding my own life. No, I think it is quite clear that I have pursued Raven because of her connection to you. Of course, I cannot deny her charms, I would not be opposed to knowing her better," the smile on Shaw's face turned slightly sinister. Although it also hinted that Raven hadn't allowed him that far.

"You would lead my sister on, in the vague hope I will be jealous?" Charles asked. Although maybe jealous wasn't the right word.

"I would do far more than lead her on Charles. I would destroy her if I thought it meant I would get you back," Shaw admitted. He really didn't have anything to hide. If Raven found out, it wouldn't affect him much. No doubt Charles would do everything he could to make sure she never did, he'd want to protect her.

"Why on earth would you think hurting my sister would convince me to give us a second chance?"

"Because I will offer you a deal. I will walk out of here and leave Raven alone, if you agree to come back to me. I have already said you can continue seeing Lensherr… if you must," Shaw explained, as calmly as if it was any other business deal. Although he didn't look too pleased about including Erik. "But you must promise to come to me when I ask you to."

Charles stared at him. He tried to be shocked, but he couldn't. This was typical Shaw, and had been expected. The price of saving Raven was to stop fighting and disappear into Shaw's underworld or darkness and lost morals. Erik might let him go, if Charles convinced him it was what he wanted. Shaw would eventually chew him up and spit him out, and Charles would be left with nothing.

"What makes you think I would agree to that? Or what makes you think Erik would agree? He'd have to be mental to get involved with something so sick."

"Charles," Shaw replied shaking his head. "You underestimate yourself. I'm sure you could convince him; you're very good at making people believe whatever you want them to. You've done it to me enough times, it's only afterwards that nothing makes sense."

Charles froze. Shaw was right. He would be able to so that, make Erik think Shaw's offer was OK, and the thought made him feel ill.

There was only one option left to Charles now, and it was not something he'd considered lightly. He would sell his own soul for a chance at something more with Erik, and to save his sister from the mess he had created. Finding Shaw's mind was like simply opening his eyes and seeing. So often he had played with little suggestions, or tried to make himself less attractive, but it had always been done half-heartedly. He had always been holding back, doubting himself. But now, with Erik's help, he'd come to understand that this was a part of himself that he didn't need to be ashamed of, or frightened to embrace.

Shaw was staring at him, and then he was frozen. His chest still moved as he breathed, but his eyes remained unmoving, fixed, his expression dull. It took only a moment for Charles to find what he was looking for, pulling to the surface a memory of themselves. A small suggestion and a quick alteration, it was whirl of colours and a haze of emotions. For a moment Charles felt a touch of true affection in Shaw's mind, but it was mixed with darkness and twisted lust. But although the journey into Shaw's mind had been easy, sneaking out left him reeling and dizzy.

"I remember…" Shaw said, a slightly glassy expression crossing his eyes. "I remember that dinner I cooked for you, that night after the show… you liked me well enough then, you didn't fight me that night. You remember? I think you loved me then."

Charles winced. Hearing Shaw recount the false memory to him was more painful that he had imagined. But there was now a seed planted in Shaw's mind, a ticking clock that would explode tomorrow night. Either it would save them all, or it would take Charles with it. The expression Charles' face was not the one that Shaw wanted to see.

"There is something different about you," Shaw remarked taking a step closer. "I don't know what it is. But I know I could change it. I could make you love me again."

Charles knew what was about to happen. He knew the door would open any moment now, and yet he was frozen, as Shaw stepped closer to him. Suddenly Raven was standing in the doorway. Charles' hands were on Shaw's arms, his face far too close to him. He had been about to push him away, but he saw himself in Raven's mind, pulling Shaw closer.

"What the hell is going on?" Raven demanded, slamming the door shut behind her. "What are you doing?"

"Why don't you tell her Charles?" Shaw said, he stepped back and smoothed his shirt down. He looked completely at ease, whilst Charles flushed. "No? Well should I?"

"Tell me what? Charles?" Raven questioned. She was panicking now, what was happening? And why did it always have to have something to do with Charles?

"Charles and I were involved, not so long ago. I am surprised he never mentioned me, he certainly never mentioned you," Shaw said, walking towards Raven and wrapping his arm around her. "Of course I had no idea who you were. Charles thought I was using you to get back at him, for being such a complete…"

"Stop it Shaw," Charles warned. "Raven…"

"Is he telling me the truth Charles, have you slept with Sebastian?" Raven asked, her voice sharp. She was on the verge of screaming, or perhaps crying, and Charles didn't know what to do to make it better.

"Have you?" the words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them, and suddenly Charles saw a veil of fury descend upon his sister.

"How is that any of your business? How dare you! I suppose Sebastian is telling me the truth then, you thought he'd come here for you, not me!" Raven yelled.

Charles saw Shaw smirk, and tighten his hold on Raven.

"No!" Charles replied, and then paused. "I mean yes, that's exactly what he's here for…"

"Not everything is about you Charles! Why do you have to have everything? I can't even look at you. Just get out! Out!" Raven started screaming, she shrugged Shaw's arm from her shoulders and reopened the door.

Charles stood stunned. He didn't know what to do, and the fact that Raven was screaming at him to leave, and not Shaw, had completely floored him. Slowly he walked past them both and did as Raven wanted, and left. He wished he had the courage to speak right now, and tell her the truth, but the look on Raven's face told him she wouldn't believe anything he said. He'd blown it, and Shaw had won.

"Charles, what is happening?" his mother asked as he reappeared in the lounge. Clearly having Raven screaming hadn't been a part of her plan.

Erik stood.

"Sorry mother, I have to go. Erik, please come with me," Charles said hurrying for the door, and not waiting to see if Erik had followed him. His mother's voice echoed after her, determined to know what had happened. It was only when he stepped into the lift, that he realised Erik was with him.

Charles fell against the shoulder Erik had offered him. For the first time in a very very long time, Charles thought he might cry.