Charles tugged at his sleeves. Negotiations were going to wrap up soon, and it seemed that it would be satisfactory. They had, of course, had to give up some things. Erik was irritated that they weren't getting everything, but he at least understood the meaning of the word 'negotiation'. They were getting a search for their family members, and that mollified him to some extent.
He hoped that he had vented his frustration in the past few hours. He was going to meet the CIA agents that night along with the rest of the cabinet, and Charles didn't want anything to go wrong. Things had been going quite well so far and he didn't want his friend's temper to ruin that. It hadn't helped that he'd had to pick up on several of Charles' duties as well as organize the troops, sign edicts, and help oversee parliament.
Walking down the hall he did a mental roll call. Everyone seemed to be there. Creed wasn't going to be present. Luckily his removal from the cabinet didn't seem to be an issue among other members. Logan stayed though; he was still a brilliant commander and seemed to know when to use a gentle touch. Most of the time. Charles knew that it caused discord between the brothers, but Erik had pointed out that they couldn't be diplomats and family counselors.
Azazel was further down the hall. He had given his report and that had led to some troubling news. The Russian organization didn't seem linked to the government. Certainly it was heartening to hear the possibility that governments weren't hunting down mutants, but it raised several questions. For one, how could individuals be powerful enough to construct an international mutant-hunting organization?
Those were questions for another time. He reached out to Emma, but received only silence. Frowning Charles put his fingers to his temples and searched for her. He located her on one of the balconies and tried a mental call. There was only silence again and, frustrated, he turned on his heel and hurried down to where she was.
Emma didn't turn around when he walked out onto the balcony. Her eyes were clouded and she leaned over the balcony, looking up at the moon.
"Máóhkataatoyi," she whispered.
He shifted uncomfortably. It was always difficult when Emma was lost. Bringing her back was an almost impossible task. Once he'd considered going into her mind. Almost immediately she'd snapped to attention and turned into diamond. It raised some uncomfortable questions about how many mental channels she kept open, but he hadn't considered it again.
She noticed him and smiled. One gloved hand touched her heart and then her eyes rolled back to the moon.
"Ksikksinaattsiwa," she said, her hand still on her heart.
Her other hand leveled out so that it almost looked like it was reaching for the moon.
"Máóhkataatoyi."
Wincing he put his hand to his temple again, calling for Azazel. He appeared a second later, his eyes glancing over Emma. He took firm strides up to her, grabbing her outstretched hand. She looked at him, her eyes wide and surprised. Emma turned pleading then, her expression the closest to an eighteen-year-old he'd ever seen.
"Why is the moon lonely?" she murmured.
"Emma, nyet," Azazel said firmly.
She jerked her hand away from his again and reached outwards.
"Máóhkataatoyi," Emma repeated.
"Nyet Emma," he said, "Nyet."
Slowly her hand lowered. Her eyes focused, once again becoming cold and hard like Charles was used to. She smoothed her dress and tilted her head to Charles.
"Come on," she said, "We don't want to be late."
Azazel held out his hand to Charles, his expression tired. He took it, and in a flash of black smoke they were in the receiving hall. Immediately Emma broke off from them and took a chair, her legs crossed and looking straight ahead. Charles looked after her, knowing that Azazel was doing the same.
"One day," Charles said softly, "we may have to do something about her."
Azazel nodded, the gesture reluctant.
"First do something about Creed," he said, "Then we talk for Emma. Kinder; she does nyet know what to do."
"I understand," Charles said.
Azazel nodded again before teleporting to the chair next to Emma. Clarice sat down next to him, the young teleporter his apprentice. They had made a good team together and Charles could admire that. Clarice had been somewhat lost among the ranks until he found her. He wondered if it was in Azazel's nature to take in the more lost members of the Genoshan population.
Charles felt that, unfortunately, he had bitten off more than he could chew with Emma. She was still resisting any attempt to be taught to control her powers. Sometimes her viciousness came out in the interrogation room, making her suspects squirm and scream under her scrutiny. Other times she seemed very distant though. As he sat down he wondered how much longer it would take before she became a real problem, like Creed.
The doors opened and Levine and Moira walked in. His eyes lit on Moira. Charles felt a pleasant sensation, a kind of unfamiliar warmth, start up in his chest and he smiled. It was followed immediately by guilt. He knew too much about her, too much that he had gleaned from her mind and from Levine's. It had taken several days, but he knew now. He didn't think that she would take kindly to what he had done and that worried him. It hadn't been the worry of a diplomat though, and he felt it was strange.
From the other end of the room Erik got to his feet. Charles did the same, joining him in the middle of the room. Levine and Moira nodded respect fully and Erik did a slightly shallower dip of his head. As Americans they weren't expected to bow. Most Genoshans weren't even expected to bow.
"Agents MacTaggert and Levine," Charles said, "King Magnus of Genosha."
More nods were exchanged.
"Have a seat," Erik said, gesturing with his hand.
They did so, the rest of the cabinet looking at them from across the table. Charles was happy that Levine seemed to have gotten over most of his mutant fears by the time of the council. It was bad enough that he had shown his suspicions in front of Neena and Logan; any similar behavior in front of Erik was likely to get him thrown out.
Charles sat down next to his friend, looking across at the agents. He smiled again at Moira, feeling the warmth again. His troubling thoughts reappeared. What was he doing? He decided to push them down for a bit. It wasn't as though he was doing any harm, enjoying the company of a fellow diplomat. He could try to dissect it further later. Right now more important things were happening.
"So," Erik said, "I have heard that your employers wish to know our stance on our human residents."
"That's right," Moira said.
"And who did the request come from?" asked Erik.
Levine and Moira exchanged a glance.
"Colonel William Stryker," Levine said, "He's an advisor from the defense department. I hope you will allow that our current situation is unusual to say the least."
He certainly had gotten more diplomatic. Maybe Moira had been right. Erik nodded, his eyes fixed ahead of him.
"But the question seems to hint that we're mistreating them."
Charles sent him a telepathic nudge, but Erik's expression didn't change. Other council members were picking up on it and Levine shifted uncomfortably.
"I believe that it's more concern for the citizens that we're going to be sending here," Moira said, "Not all of them can be mutants. Currently they're our citizens, and our responsibility. We want to make sure that they know what they're getting into."
Slowly Charles exhaled a breath that he hadn't even known he'd been holding. Erik tilted his head and regarded her for a moment.
"Alright then," he said, "Our policy towards humans is that they will be treated equally. Any hate crimes committed against them by mutants will be persecuted. Any hate crimes committed towards mutants by them will be prosecuted. We have an unbalanced population, but you are right; many mutants have human families."
One paragraph of policy; three weeks of heated debate in parliament. Charles had never sweated over a resolution like he had over that one. He had been able to count on Erik's support, although he'd been quite aware of his friend's reluctance. It had only been Charles' careful persuasion, bolstered by thought of his human wife, that had kept him from joining the other side. Although he had never met her Charles found himself mentally thanking Susanna quite a bit.
Now he only had to see if Erik would let it go.
"Now," Erik continued, "about those lists."
Charles sent an admiring look at Moira. She caught his eye for a minute and he thought he saw them flicker. Then she looked down and pulled out her paperwork.
"I swear to God that guy nearly made me wet my pants," Levine breathed in their hotel room, "I mean…God!"
Moira looked over at him, amused. After his initial shock Levine had resumed doing his job in his usual solid way. She was glad that she could count on him.
"Well, he does rule a country."
"Yeah, and technically so does Xavier," said Levine, "But he didn't make me feel like he was going to kill me if I gave the wrong answer."
"Neither would Magnus," Moira said.
"Says you," Levine said, "Nice save on that question by the way. If they thought my questions were insensitive…Stryker just doesn't get it."
"I don't think he cared to get it," Moira said dryly.
Levine shrugged, stretching his arms.
"Not my problem," he said, "Not yet anyway. So, what do you think of his majesty?"
She paused, digesting her words.
"I think he's used to command," Moira said, "And I think he's angry about something. Very angry. I can't find out what about though, unless it's just the injustice done to his people over the past few years. I can understand that."
"It wouldn't bode well for us," observed Levine.
"No, but he didn't throw us out of the country," Moira said, "Which is a good thing. He's good friends with Charles; they came to Genosha together."
"You use his first name?" asked Levine.
She shrugged, not thinking much of it.
"He has us call him by his first name in public," said Moira, "It's easier not to have to switch."
It wasn't the only reason why she did it. Calling him by his last name felt wrong. She'd started working with Levine calling him Levine, so his last name was all she could use. However, with Charles it felt like there had been some sort of transition. As in so many situations with Charles she couldn't quite pinpoint it.
Whatever it was it satisfied Levine. He nodded.
"Okay, but I don't see what that has to do with how angry Magnus is."
"I think he's the reason it's not worse," Moira said.
She hesitated but continued.
"I think, just a thought mind you, that Charles is calm because he needs to be the calm one. I don't think he gets angry because he knows that if he loses it, no one will be able to hold Magnus back."
If she was right, then that level of control would have to be amazing. She felt admiration well up.
"So he has to know what he's doing."
"Really?" asked Levine.
"It's just a thought," Moira said, "But he's got a lot of pressure on him. And…I think he knows he can get his way by being calm."
Levine shook his head.
"You're losing me."
"When we met Charles," she said slowly, "I got the feeling that he can get his way by being calm too, so that's what he has to project. Probably when his enemies in parliament are on their feet shouting his calmness makes them look foolish. I can't imagine him raising his voice."
She wasn't sure how to explain it any further than that. To her relief Levine nodded.
"But if he's in our minds?" he asked.
Moira shrugged.
"We can't stop him," she said, "I think he's too respectful, but I know he's probably taken a look or two. It's like asking us not to analyze a situation. It's hard to switch off, and our skills give us an advantage. And…I don't really like it...but I think we're going to have to trust him."
Her partner sighed and threw a towel over his shoulder.
"I don't think I'm ever going to get used to this," he said, "But you're right; we really don't have any choice. Anyway, I'm heading for a shower."
Moira inclined her head and sat down on the bed. Levine left the room and she was left alone with her thoughts. Something had happened in the cabinet room when her eyes had met Charles'. It had made her uncomfortable, but in a way that was vaguely pleasant. She was all too aware of what it was, and not sure what she felt about it.
She was familiar with desire and attraction. That didn't mean she was experienced in either. Moira had grown up in a small town where a woman could get a reputation far too quickly. Then she'd gone to college and the CIA, two places where she'd be branded as a slut if things went wrong. She'd found it easier to avoid that sort of thing all together. Rahne had effectively cut off any chances for relationships beyond that. It wasn't as though Moira minded. Between her job and being a mother she didn't have time to waste for someone who would probably leave her.
What she felt for Charles wasn't just some attraction or crush. Moira was knowledgeable to know that much. He respected her, thought she was intelligent, and even admired her. What woman wouldn't feel at least something for that? Their positions barred her from trying to examine it. However, she was a unique position. She was already aware that he could have been reading her mind. What if he had seen this?
Moira felt like she had to be on her guard from then on out. She trusted Charles and honestly believed he was trying to do the best for his country. She fervently wished that he knew that she was going to have to try and do what was best for theirs. After all, they might not be enemies, but they weren't on the same board together.