When the lights go out

by codename.penguin

Erik has been imprisoned and he is pinning all his hopes that Charles will be his way out of his current predicament. The professor rescues an injured Erik from his angry prison guards and despite Erik's mysterious past, chooses to shelter him in the mansion where hopefully more than one type of healing can be found. Present day, alternate universe, no powers.

43. Let it rain down part4

Anote: Grrr…more work stuff gets in the way of story writing. Will post again as soon as I can.

Chapter 43-Let it rain down part4

There was a second of silence and then complete pandemonium reigned in the small meeting room.

Charles knew he knew first aid, but as Erik crumpled at his feet, it was obviously that he had forgotten which part he had stored that information in his brain. Fortunately, other people remembered and he stared blankly as they rolled his boyfriend over to better check his breathing and vitals.

Later, Officer Gerard would tell him that he had then surprised the beejezus out of everyone, when he stepped forward and scooped Erik up in his arms as if he weighed nothing. Charles didn't remember that…he didn't remember walking down the corridor into Gerard's office and he didn't remember laying Erik gently on a beat up, second hand but comfy sofa. But he supposed it must have all happened because for days afterwards, his arms hurt so badly that putting on his shirt in the morning involved some painful maneuvers.

But for the present, the young man eased Erik's head on to his lap and he supervised his breathing as Gerard continued to administer basic first aid.

The parole officer grabbed a chair and pulled it up close, 'Pulse is nice and steady. He should wake up in a few minutes.'

'Shouldn't we call a doctor? He's not bleeding but he hit his head.'

The older man watched as the professor gently smoothed the fallen man's hair as tenderly as if he were a child.

'So now you are a couple?! How long has this been going on for?' he inquired in terse annoyance, 'You see this clump of grey hair I have? This is you and Erik!'

Counselor Elaine entered at this moment as the older man was running through a gamut of colourful but quaint obscenities. In her hand she held a glass of cold water which she kindly pressed on the professor. He smiled his thanks a bit feebly and took a few sips, saving the rest for Erik when he regained consciousness. After a while the professor looked up as the silence wore on. There was a look of concern mingled with pity on her face whereas Gerard just looked exasperated.

'Just because he is all scarred up on the inside, doesn't mean that no one can love him'

Gerard threw up his hands in the air, 'did he just use the L-word? Tell me he didn't just use the L-word? Someone just shoot me now and be done with it!'

'We are not saying that at all,' Elaine answered evasively, 'we just want you to be cautious. I don't think Erik really knows himself right now. Have you been together long?'

'Not long,' the small man finally admitted in a quiet murmur.

Elaine looked happy at that disclosure, 'That's good. You have feelings for him; I can see that but concentrate more on the friendship than anything else. He needs the stability of that relationship more than anything. Don't pour all your hopes into the idea that Erik truly returns these romantic feelings.'

The professor shook his head vehemently. She was wrong. She didn't know how much Erik cared for him, how carefully he watched over him.

'No?' she prodded sympathetically, 'Tell me…did this idea to enter into a relationship come as a surprise to you? Did Erik suddenly came out of nowhere and convince you that this was a good idea. You most likely had an argument before hand or perhaps some sort of mutual crisis. Does any of that sound familiar?'

Charles head snapped up in shock. There was no way she could have known all of that! He was so stunned that he had to force himself to focus on what the doctor, who had just entered, was doing. Just what was counselor Elaine trying to say?!

With impeccable timing Erik started to restlessly move about, and as he opened his eyes he automatically took a swing at the doctor who hovered a few inches over him.

'Easy tiger,' the man scolded gently as he caught Erik's fist in his own, 'I am friend not foe.'

Erik frowned at him as he weakly half climbed-half crawled up Charles' chest to put some space in between himself and the stranger.

'How do you feel? Dizziness, nausea, headache?'

'I would feel better if you would stop staring into my eyes. I'm taken.'

'I am not staring,' the doctor laughed quietly, nodding politely to a slightly red Charles, 'and I can see you're taken. I am just checking you for a concussion. You seem fine, but I will give you a prescription for something that will help you keep calm.'

The physician seemed genuinely amused as Erik attempted to glare the soul of his body.

'He was unconscious!' Charles insisted as he encircled Erik's torso with one arm to better stabilize him, 'shouldn't we take him for additional tests?'

The man shook his head, 'No, once he doesn't make this a habit. Fainting is a natural part of the flight or fight mechanism to protect the body from pain and or shock.'

'And not all pain is physical,' Elaine added for the edification of all. 'You gave us quite a scare a moment ago, my dear.'

'Don't call me that!' Erik roared at her as he clutched at Charles' arm.

The professor leaned over and murmured some words into his ear, raising the glass of cold water to Erik's lips.

Everyone watched as the man immediately quieted down as if it was the most natural thing in the world. The doctor silently left the room after he handed the professor the prescription, 'I'll be just outside having a coffee.'

'Forgive me, I won't call you that again,' Elaine assured Erik calmly; not at all fazed by the man screaming at her.

Charles looked across at her in admiration.

'But if you are up to it Erik, can I ask you a few questions?'

The man calmly sipped at his water, ignoring everyone.

'Um…maybe you should go ahead,' the professor suggested as it became apparent that the older man wasn't really interested in anything but the sparkly patterns in the bottom of the glass.

'I only get to see you in sessions Erik, but I was wondering about the rest of the time. Do you believe that you have extreme shifts in your temper, nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, nightmares, flashbacks?'

Charles felt the man stiffen in his arms but still Erik refused to acknowledge anyone else in the room.

'Yes, to everything but the flashbacks,' the professor quietly answered.

'Charles,' Erik began in a warning tone of voice as he put down his glass and twisted himself around, 'I can speak for myself.'

The professor feigned ignorance as he looked down at the man laying across his chest.

'What's wrong? You are looking at me differently,' Erik blurted out unexpectedly, 'I can see a change in your eyes.'

'De…Erik, I know you have a hard head but that was a pretty good knock you just got,' the Englishman replied with a comforting squeeze, 'I think you are imagining things.'

'No… I am not imagining things' he said sadly, 'you are finally seeing me for what I really am… damaged beyond repair.'

The large man looked so dejected that Charles had to lean down and kiss him, no matter who was looking. Erik looked a shade happier judging from the tiniest of smiles on his face.

Charles then tilted his head in apparent deep thought, 'I would say…you are more of a badly behaved investment with a great deal of potential. Did I say that right?'

The professor winked as Erik groaned in horror.

'High risk investment, Xavier, not badly behaved! How many times do I have go through this with you?!'

Elaine smiled along with them. Charles was really good at this.

Now that she had a moment to reflect, she recalled how well read and intelligent her patient was and therefore there was a 99.9% probability that Erik already knew what was wrong with him. The more she thought about, the more sure she felt. Erik was a little too clever for his own good. As she regained the attention of the two men before her, she made her decision, 'Erik, I think you know very well that you have Post stress traumatic disorder so I am going to get you the contact information of someone who specializes in this. Charles, I will get you some information to read.'

Erik snorted derisively, 'Don't bother, he will go out and buy every book and journal on the topic before the weekend is over.'

'Well it's true,' the older man teased as the professor scowled down at him.

'You knew you had this!?' Charles inquired incredulously, 'why didn't you say something or try to get help?'

The older man pressed his lips together in annoyance, 'I've been busy.'

This time it was the professor's turn to snort contemptuously, 'So I have observed.'

'Busy with what?' Gerard suddenly interjected looking between the two of them, 'anything I should know about?'

Erik shook his head in denial, looking as perplexed and innocent as one of Raphael's cherubs.

'Charles, don't hold out on me,' the officer warned, looking stern.

'I would tell you if I knew anything,' the professor shamelessly lied.

The officer massaged his temples started to feel the beginnings of a migraine coming on. He could some file some papers in the morning, requesting Erik's removal from Charles' house but that might take weeks to go through the system and the professor could hire an army of lawyers to slow it down even further. The end of Erik's parole was only weeks away in any case, and except for this one incident when he got fired, he had been doing exceptionally well and Gerard had no doubt that this was because of the Englishman's charismatic influence.

Gerard pointed at the two men as he turned to face Elaine, 'surely you are not on board with this?'

The woman sedately capped her pen and tucked it away in her pocket, 'I have already said what I wanted to say.'

Oh great. No help there.

'Professor, can you give Erik and I a moment?' he finally requested.

His parolee twisted around in a vertical position but all that did was to now have him seated shoulder to shoulder on the sofa with Charles, in an unmistakable line of defense.

'I would just tell him later when he asks' …'I think I better stay to keep things calm,' the two men said more or less simultaneously.

Erik glanced across at him questioningly, 'Why do you need to keep me calm?'

'Because your parole officer is probably going to tell you something that will upset you.'

Without thinking, the older man reached down and protectively laced his fingers together with the professor, 'Like what?'

Gerard crossed his arms across his chest and frowned as the conversation steamed ahead without him.

'I believe that he's going to remind you that as your sponsor who reports on your behaviour every week, that I am in a position of considerable power and influence. Therefore being in a relationship with me is a bad idea.'

Erik's eyes cut sharply towards his official, 'he will do no such thing because that would be grave and unforgiveable insult to your honor and your character.'

'I would not be insulted,' Charles insisted. 'It would be very professional of him to make that observation. We are grateful for his vigilance.'

'We are?' Erik asked skeptically.

The professor nodded firmly and he gestured for him to make an agreeable overture towards the man sitting infront of them. Erik appeared to mull over the idea for a few moments, 'I know there isn't going to be a problem like what you are thinking, but if there is, I will let you know.'

Charles grinned happily and looked over at Gerard. That was a better response that even he had anticipated! He had expected some more profanity at the very least.

'You have a place here Erik,' Gerard reminded him, 'call me any time day or night if you need to talk.'

'Can I go home now?' the man asked tiredly as he slumped against the squashy cushions.

Home? Lehnsherr was thinking of Charles' mansion as home? Gerard sighed. This was a bad idea; he could feel it in his bones.

'I'll meet you in the morning infront the book store. Try and get some rest and I hope you two don't have any more surprises in store for me.'

'Just for you, we will try and keep things boring for at least another day or two,' Erik deadpanned as he leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling.

'I will look forward to that,' Gerard retorted dryly.

In the meanwhile, the professor glanced contemplatively at the closed door, 'John, are you out there?'

The professor's handyman cheerfully slammed open the flimsy door, naturally causing it to recoil off the wall. He then energetically bounced across the room to look down at Erik's prone form.

'Lehnsherr, you fainted?!' he roared gleefully, even as he quickly and expertly checked his two friends for any injuries, 'you look like shit!'

'Go fuck yourself,' Erik greeted him, without opening his eyes.

He was thankful however for the man's strong shoulder as he was pulled on his feet. Erik was almost out of earshot but not quite, when Elaine suddenly called the professor back to her side.

'Don't forget what I have said,' she reminded him.