"Exceptional," Annalise snorted in sarcasm as she stood beside Erik. Charles was next to Moira, his hands on his hips as he looked into the mess of chaos at Division X. Moira's eyes was looking into the room which had once been protected by glass but was now a complete mess. The statue which stood on the courtyard had its head ripped off and it was on fire. They had been in the room, destroying it completely as if it had been theirs to mess with.
"I expected more from you," Charles told Raven and he then took off with Moira in tow. Annalise followed and Erik shook his head, walking behind them with his thoughts fuming.
'Calm down,' Annalise silently commanded Erik as he walked next to her. His hands were pushed into his fists and in his pockets. He was glaring straight ahead as he remained quiet, not bothering to reply to Annalise as they begun their tracking down of Shaw.
...
"Do you plan on telling him yet?" Charles pushed Annalise as she stood in the small airfield base, looking up at the plane which was being prepared. They were lucky enough to be travelling on their own plane but that was a perk of being the CIA's guinea pig. She folded her arms, looking across to Charles and she shook her head. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes closing in frustration.
"If Shaw is there when we get there then he will let it slip Annalise," Charles told her quickly. "He will do it to torment you and Erik will be there. He will hear him."
"He won't say anything about that," Annalise said quickly. He wouldn't mention it. He needed Annalise to be his own personal spy and by telling Erik who she was that would ruin his plans. He wouldn't trust her and she would be no use then.
"Why are you so sure?" Charles asked, once again trying to enter into her mind but she pushed him out. "I have an idea what is going on...something isn't right and it is to do with Shaw. You don't need to hide Annalise."
"I'm not hiding," she shook her head at him. "I'm doing what I need to do."
"You're scared," Charles observed. She was pale and nowhere near as smart looking as she had been when he had first known her. Her hair was hanging lose around her face and she refused to eat. "He hasn't noticed because he isn't like us but I know Shaw has got to you in some way."
Annalise remained quiet, leaning in closer to Charles.
"If you think you know what you know then you need to stay away from me Charles," she whispered.
"I can't do that," he whispered, noticing Erik circling the plane as the pair of them remained out of the way, speaking in hushed tones. "You're not alone Annalise. If he has done something to you then you can tell me and I can help."
"I can't Charles," she whispered. "I can't tell you..."
'You're becoming weak,' a sudden voice snapped in her head and Annalise's breathing hitched, her eyes closing as Emma silently communicated with her. 'The telepath knows something is wrong and you're not putting him straight. Your father isn't best pleased.'
"I'm your friend," Charles promised her. "I am here to protect you."
"It isn't me who needs protecting," she murmured back. "I'm not doing this to protect myself."
"You're doing it to protect him," Charles said hastily back to her. He may not be allowed to enter her mind but he didn't need to in order to find out what was happening. "Shaw's threatened him, hasn't he?"
"You're pushing me too far Charles," she said lowly.
"He has then," Charles said. "You're doing something to protect Erik and that's why you won't let me in. You need to trust me."
"I do," she whispered. "It's Schmidt I don't trust."
"I don't think anyone trusts him," Charles said to her. "I understand how hard this is for you-"
"-No you don't," Annalise said. "You don't know Charles."
"Then let me," he begged her. "Let me in. He can't hurt Erik...if I promise you that won't happen then will you let me help?"
"How can you be sure?" she murmured.
"I can't," Charles admitted, "but being able to look at us honestly without these lies should be enough for you to tell me."
Charles felt Annalise want to cry, her mind was clouded as she slowly let her walls down for the fellow telepath. Charles took a step closer to her, his hand moving into hers as he drew her closer to him. She rested her head onto his shoulder as she finally let him into her mind.
'You don't need to worry.'
'How can I do anything but?'
'I'm learning the truth. You don't need to be on your own.'
Charles delved into her mind, managing to see what Shaw had asked of her and what he had told her would happen if she didn't do as he had asked. He felt the diamond woman in her mind too, telling Annalise that she had blown it and Shaw no longer needed to complete his promise which he had made to her. She shook silently as Charles removed his fingers from his temple and she looked back to Charles.
"He's certainly annoyed," Charles told her and she snorted once as Moira yelled for them to come over to the plane. "But it's better now..."
"No it isn't. Because now I need to tell Erik."
"The Russian Defence Chief isn't going to be around all day!" Erik yelled at them, zipping up his leather jacket and Charles nodded once, placing his hand onto the small of Anna's back as he led her to the plane. Once on the vehicle they took their seats and buckled up, waiting for the plane to take them to Russia. Erik took the seat next to Annalise as Charles sat beside Moira on the seat behind. The plane then began to fill up with other officers who went about their own business, laughing and joking with each other.
'I didn't know that you and Charles were so close,' Erik thought and Annalise sighed.
'He's a good man...he was helping me...'
'I may not be a telepath but I know something isn't right. I've seen it for the last few days whilst we've been finding the mutants. You're looking pale and you aren't eating right. This has started ever since Schmidt took you.'
'I can't tell you Erik...if you even found out...you'd hate me...'
'What are you talking about? Why would I hate you?'
'I don't think this is a conversation for up here.'
'Well you can talk to me inside my head. I don't like not knowing what is going on especially when you think it could impact on me.'
'You don't understand Erik.'
'Then let me.'
'First off, you need to know that I had to do what he asked me. It was the only way.'
'What was? Stop being so goddamn cryptic!"
Annalise turned to look at him for a moment after he had silently yelled at her in her head and he looked back at her, his eyes stern and narrow and heading in her direction.
'You don't need to yell at me.'
'Well you don't need to keep things from me.'
'Schmidt...do you want to know why he never tortured me like he did you?'
'I don't know...I don't know why you got special treatment.'
'I'm his daughter Erik.'
She had said it. She had told him what she didn't want to be true. Erik remained quiet, looking at her. She could already see the hatred radiating from him as he didn't reply to her in her thoughts.
'He...he told me to let Emma...the diamond woman into my mind...so that he could see what we were doing...I had to do it Erik...he said...he will kill you Erik...please...see that I had to do it...please believe me...'
Erik remained quiet, looking at her. She had turned into a double spy. She had been letting Shaw see what she was doing and what they were doing. He now knew all of their plans and had them at a disadvantage. She had betrayed them. He would rather have died then see Shaw gain the upper hand.
'Just say something Erik. Please...I did this for you...to keep you safe...just don't ignore me goddamn it!'
Annalise left his mind, looking back at him as he unbuttoned his seat belt, looking at her as he leaned in closer, his mouth next to her ear as she began to cry.
"Why don't you fuck off back to Shaw you stupid bitch?" he asked her and quickly stood up.
"Erik," she begged, leaning across his empty seat to see him walk to the back of the plane and take a single seat there. She sat back in her seat, looking out the window for a moment before she noted Charles sat next to her.
'He's just angry.' He promised her. She drew her feet onto the chair, placing her arms over her knees and resting her forehead on the caps, crying into the trousers which she was wearing.
'He made it clear what he thought about me.'
'He doesn't see that you did it to make sure he was protected. He thinks he can look after himself. He just sees you as a-
'-Backstabbing cow?'
'I didn't want to say it...not that in that context anyway...'
'How do you always see the good in people? Why can you not see me for what Erik does?'
'Because he isn't right about you that is why. You just need to give him time to calm down. You are nothing like Schmidt and you should never think you are.'
She didn't say anything back to Charles and instead he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, bringing her to his side as she rested her had onto his shoulder and he rubbed her upper arm. Charles hated to see people upset. He hated to see anything which wasn't right. And Annalise suffering because she tried to protect Erik was not right.
...
"Oh look at that," Erik spoke snidely as he lay on the ground with his binoculars pressed to his eyes. "Your daddy isn't here." He removed the binoculars, forcing himself to look at Annalise with his narrowed eyes as she dropped her binoculars and glared back at him, unable to say anything but allowing him to just sit there and taunt her.
"That's enough Erik," Charles demanded from him as he lay in between the pair of them.
"Daddy?" Moira raised a brow but didn't say anything further as there were big concerns other than Erik starting to bicker. "So what do we do? We came here for Shaw...we have to abort the mission."
"No," Erik shook his head. "She's his right hand woman...unless you know something Annalise."
"Erik," Charles warned him again as Moira shook her head.
"We can't go in there. We came here for Shaw...if we go in there then we jeopardise the future of the CIA."
"I'm not CIA," Erik grinned at her before he took off from the hill they were hiding on. Moira snapped at him to come back but he refused to do so. Annalise sighed once and began to stand up as Charles grabbed onto her wrist.
"What are you doing?"
"Going to stop that idiot from killing himself. "Idiot absolu!"
Annalise ran down the hill, seeing Erik ahead of her as he grabbed onto two guns and dragged the men forward before kicking one of them in the head, causing him to blackout. Annalise swore again in her head as he entered the large retreat mansion. She climbed up the steps, sensing where Emma was as Erik looked around with a confused expression.
"What are you doing?" he snapped at her and she rolled her eyes as she snatched her arm from his grasp.
"Unless you want to wander around here getting lost then I suggest you follow me," she hissed at him and took off down a corridor. He pushed his hair back into place as Annalise felt Charles in her mind, telling her not to do anything brash.
"How do I know that you're not leading me into a trap?" Erik asked her, looking down at her and seeing the hurt in her face as she looked back at him.
"Do you think I would do that?" she whispered.
"I don't know what to think about you anymore," he replied simply.
Annalise continued to walk forward, finally turning and opening a door which showed a large bedroom. But the most disturbing sight was the man on the bed who was raising his hands. He looked as if he was fondling the air. Annalise knew better instantly as Charles entered the room, seeing what was happening as Emma smiled from the sofa she was sat on.
"What?" the man snapped, seeing the intruders in his room and he looked at Emma who waved with a grin.
"Go to sleep," Charles commanded him as Emma stood up, shifting into diamond form.
"You can't read my mind sugar," she told Charles as he doubled over in slight pain. "And Miss Schmidt...your father is terribly disappointed in you...giving the game away..."
"He can rot in hell," Annalise said through gritted teeth.
"I doubt that," Emma said and tried to jump over the table in the centre of the room. Erik grabbed onto her before she could move anymore and Charles joined in, managing to throw her to the floor in the room before Erik used his powers, moving the metal from the bed frame to wrap around her diamond frame. Charles watched on as his mind warmed up, the hatred for the woman evident in his face. Annalise stood still with her eyes looking at Emma, seeing her crack from her diamond form at the neck.
"Erik!" Annalise snapped at him.
"Stop it," Charles warned. "Erik stop it now."
"There," he sighed back, his mouth hanging open as he sat down on the sofa which she had evacuated. "Just give her a little tap if she tries to turn back into her natural form."
...
"You cannot stay mad with her for the rest of time, my friend," Charles informed Erik. They had managed to find a small cafe in the airport. The plane which they had travelled to Russia on was having technical problems and so to return back to the States they had to travel on a normal passenger plane. Annalise was sat in the departure lounge with her legs crossed and her eyes looking at the glass window and onto the planes which took off and landed. Moira was speaking to her fellow agents, her eyes occasionally glancing back to where Charles sat opposite Erik.
"I don't plan to know her for the rest of life," Erik said, his voice low.
"She did it because she thought she was protecting you," Charles informed him, sipping on the coffee in front of him, his eyes never leaving Erik's. "She cares for you."
"She needn't bother," Erik snapped back. "She betrayed the unit Charles and for that we can't trust her."
"You cannot honestly believe that she would purposefully betray the unit, can you?"
Erik didn't say anything to that. He didn't believe it. There was nothing about that which he could believe and he didn't want to believe it.
"You may be angry with her for keeping this from you," Charles whispered as Erik looked out to where she was sat. "But she did it because she thought it would protect you...if your roles were reversed...would you protect her?"
"That is completely different Charles," Erik shook his head. "You cannot even begin to reverse roles here."
"I don't see how it is any different," Charles admitted, a small smile coming onto his pale face. "Just go and talk to her. She doesn't need this Erik."
...
"I bought you this," Erik stated. He was stood to the side where Anna was seated. She glanced up to look at him as he held the polystyrene cup in his hands. She took it from him, folding her legs and pushing her hair behind her ears.
"Thanks," she managed to say and he sat down on the empty seat beside her.
"Charles sent me," he said. She couldn't help but think of how he sounded like some stroppy child who had been sent to apologise to her. She remained tight lipped, allowing him to have his chance to speak to her. "I guess I should come anyway...I...well...what you did was stupid, you know that, right?"
"If you've just come here to insult me some more then you can go away, d'accord?" she snapped and he smirked at her anger and her French accent.
"I haven't," he promised. "Although I would like to. I've come to say...well...I understand. Well I don't really. But I know why you did it. For some naive reason you thought you were protecting me from him. I don't know why you would want to do that."
"What?" she replied, her brow raised. "You don't know why?"
"Well I mean...it isn't like we've known each other that long, is it?"
"You don't get it, do you?" she whispered to him, drinking the drink which he had bought her.
"I do," he replied in a small voice.
"I like you Erik," she managed to tell him. "I only went along with him because I don't want to see you hurt...you're...I don't know how to explain it Erik..."
"You don't need to," he replied, his hand resting on her cheek before he leaned in and kissed her gently.