Chapter 20- The intervention part3

He was keeping one keen eye on the professor just in case, but the small man was holding his own as he expertly treaded the water around him.

'It's actually quite warm,' Charles remarked in some surprise. 'You can come in if you want.'

However, Erik turned to face the company he had anticipated as it quietly thundered up an adjacent pathway. When the Englishman had hit the water, his loud squawk of surprise had reverberated across the mansion grounds with a sharp, penetrating echo. What he didn't anticipate was that the Logan would turn the corner and be pointing a well maintained Sig Sauer at his head.

'Good God, John! Why do you have a gun?' Charles yelped in surprise.

'Excuse me?' Erik interjected in quiet disbelief, keeping perfectly still with his arms outstretched, 'How about saying something along the lines of don't point that thing at my friend's head.'

The ex-prisoner murmured in annoyance as the handyman rested a heavy painful hand on his shoulder, warning him to keep still.

'Alright there Charles?' he asked quickly, bright focused eyes darting around seeking any potential threats.

Erik's gaze were caught by the glint of Logan's previously unnoticed, dog tags swinging free from the neck of his sleeping vest.

Army or some branch of the military; unusual qualifications for a manservant. Did Charles know?

'Quite well thank you,' the professor answered in his normal calm tones as if he was having tea in a fancy hotel. 'Why do you have a weapon?'

'Oh this,' the supposed handyman replied innocently tucking it down and away in a practiced gesture, 'I use it to chase off the raccoons.'

'Well use a broom next time,' Charles insisted imperiously, 'and get rid of that thing. You know I hate it when you carry firearms.'

And with a roar and a splash, the professor launched into a perfect backstroke.

'Just go up and come down,' Erik instructed solicitously, mindful of that fact that the smaller man had not eaten as yet. He wanted him to exercise in the morning; he didn't want him to faint.

The attention of the men left behind on the pool's edge was abruptly arrested by the sound of multiple sets of running feet, this time coming from the opposite path. Logan quickly moved to intercept handing off his gun to Erik for safekeeping.

'Thomas!' the outdoorsman screeched as a small group burst into view. 'How many times have I told you not to carry a weapon that you are not prepared to use on another person?'

Erik checked the safety before hastily sliding the gun out of sight as he watched Logan wrestle a wicked looking bread knife away from his work colleague. Thomas had to be about eighty years and a day.

'Is the master alright?' the old servant inquired, looking more than ready to eviscerate any foe on the professor's behalf, 'we heard a shout, sir!'

Charles energetically waved at the small group from the far end of the pool and they all waved back.

'Alright, you can see he is fine!' John grouched, gesturing them back towards the kitchen from which they had tumbled out, 'Why are you all staring? Haven't you ever seen a man doing the backstroke in his pajamas before?'

With the ease of long practice, the group of faithful servants faded noiselessly back into the house, save one.

'Some tea, Master Erik?' one of the maids asked.

'Coffee!' the two men barked at the same time, which caused the young lady to jump a bit in surprise before she too trotted away.

Erik returned the gun to the other man as John squatted near his wheel chair to minutely observe the professor's progress. Charles was still catching his breath in the shallow end of the Olympic size pool but he had done extremely well in Logan's opinion.

Gradually he realized that Erik was still looking in the direction that the staff had vanished by.

'What's wrong?'

The recovering patient turned in confusion to regard him with a perplexed scowl. 'Does Charles put them up to this? Why are they calling me master?'

'Does it bother you?'

'Of course it does!'

Logan had also noticed the change with the servants but hadn't made a comment. As the unofficial head of the household he kept a note of anything that could affect the efficiency of activities but the staff were free to have and voice their own private opinion, and for the last couple of days there had been plenty to say. Of course, Erik's true history was not common knowledge and only Logan and the professor were privy to such. However, sentiment for the patient was so favourable among the staff, he doubted that even this disturbing piece information would sway their opinion. The stranger, though moody and oddly wary at times suffered through his pain quietly, was humbly thankful for their care, and above all else, appeared devoted to their beloved master.

'Charles is more British than American and that is how the household is run,' the handyman offered evasively, trying to draw the other man out into saying something more revealing.

Erik drew his thick eyebrows together in a forbidding glower, 'Don't you think it's too early in the morning for such a BS answer.'

Logan laughed humorlessly, pleased at how quickly his ruse had been detected and how vulgarly it had been deflected. Nothing like a worthy opponent to start the day out right.

A soft splash drew their eyes to the pool. However on this occasion Logan chose to carefully observe the man at his side and he watched as Erik followed the professor's graceful breaststroke with genuine pleasure. With a deep, quiet sigh the handyman acknowledged that there maybe a grain of truth in some of the rumors that had been flying off the shelves faster than hot bread regarding the master and his new guest.

He was not sure what Charles saw in the other man who possessed such a mysterious and checkered past but then again his own personal history was far from laudable. Lehnsherr was still a deep enigma as none of his intensive searches had produced much information before he landed in America a few years ago. It was as if the man didn't exist before that time frame. In spite of this daunting information, Logan trusted the professor's judgment. The small man had a way of seeing right through you that bordered on the scary. If it was the 15th century he was sure the man would have been burnt as a witch. However, Xavier had a bit of a savior complex problem, so he wouldn't be taking his watchful eye over the pair anytime in the future, no matter how promising the present seemed to be.

It was clear though, that he was in the minority with his cautious attitude.

'All right, no BS,' he offered, 'you are not like most of Charles' other guests.'

Erik fisted his hands in his robes to hide his reaction, keeping his eyes safely trained on the man in the pool. For some unaccountable reason, he was feeling equal parts irritated and bothered by Logan's throw away remark.

'Really?'

The other man nodded, rising to his feet as another little group of servants were approaching armed with fluffy hot towels, breakfast and more importantly, coffee.

'If the way they address you bothers you so much you can just say so, but you are looking at it all wrong,' John remarked knowingly, ' The staff calls you master because of the way you treat them and the way you take care of the professor. It is not a matter of servitude, but one of respect. Consideration and genuine manners; it means something to people who give service.'

The wheel chair bound man turned that over quietly in his mind. He didnt think he was doing anything special to warrant such a distinction.

'They probably haven't seen the way I shout at him as yet,' Erik muttered, eyes darting suspiciously to the group that were almost in earshot. It was disconcerting to know his behaviour was under such close scrutiny.

Logan grinned crookedly as he proceeded to grab a large mug of coffee from off a tray that was pushed in his direction. Many of the privileged rich believed servants to be without eyes but they observed more than one might think.

'Oh they've seen it,' he informed the other man with a wicked smirk, 'but if it's all the same to you, I'll be calling you Erik while you are here.'

The other man grunted his consent as a gasping Charles finally succeeded in securing his hold on their side of the pool. 'That's fine by me.'

'John, John! Did you see?' the small man wheezed happily, paddling in a tight circle like a mad water beetle. 'I swam an entire length without stopping!'

'You did great kid,' he called out but dropped his voice to address the man at his side. Erik contemplated the hand the chauffeur/handyman held out to him for a moment before shaking it firmly. 'Not sure how you pulled this off Lehnsherr, but nicely done.'

Anote: Christopher Columbus! How did this story reach 20 chapters already? Anyhow, even though Erik is going to get a job he will be hanging out with Charles for awhile so I was wondering if my readers would like anything special. Do you want to see them go horseback riding, picnic, concert or maybe something more humorous like the mall or the ice cream parlor? Hah! I must not forget the promised back and foot massage. Drop me a message so I can think about how I can work it all in.