1973

After their disagreement on the plane, Erik and Charles sat across from each other playing chess. Charles had last seen Erik one last time after Cuba, and before Dallas happened. He had known for some time that Raven was in love with Erik, in fact he knew it the moment she laid eyes on him. The day she left him on the beach part of his heart broke forever. To him, Raven had been more than a friend and a sister...she could have been so much more. Instead she had been foolish and followed Erik even though she knew in her heart he could never truly care for her the same way. His heart had been taken the moment he laid eyes on the very same woman he dropped off just weeks before the president was killed and he was captured. The school was up and running, and finally Charles had found some sense of order in his life. Hank was in the process of making the serum for themselves, and the ability to walk seemed to glimmer somewhere in the distant future. Hank had began experimenting on himself and so far had found the right dose to keep himself leveled. The school was welcoming new students, and even though Charles was still adjusting to living his life in a wheelchair, the joy of taking care of these children brought him a joy he never thought he would know. The second they arrived, Charles knew. He had wished so badly Raven had been with them, in fact his heart leapt the second he sensed Erik. He was in his study when Hank led them both in. Erik and his "wife". Ryan Sterling. Ryan had been recruited back in 1962, the same time the team had originally formed thanks to the CIA. Ryan had been in her early twenties when they found her. Her mutation had been that she was able to shift and turn completely into a liquid metal subtense. Her entire DNA pattern caused her to be able to shift into this mass of liquid and be able to become any size anywhere in that same form. She was also able to turn her body, along with limbs into sharp metal instruments. So it had in fact seemed like destiny that Erik and her were meant to be together. Where else could be find a woman completely made out of metal? A beautiful young woman that he was able to control, and keep by his side at all times. He knew from the moment they found her, it was a mistake.

She had stood by his side the entire time in Cuba, she had trained with them at the school, and Charles watched as Erik began to obese over her while Raven watched from afar. Now they were back, ever since that faithful day. Charles knew the path he had been leading the others on, and hated Erik for it. They returned side by side, a handsome couple indeed. Erik wearing a leather jacket and red scarf, riding a motorcycle with Ryan behind him, her arms tightly wrapped around his wore a short dress and tights. The second they got off the cycle, Charles watched from the windows above. The second he didn't see Raven his blood began to boil. Hank led them into his study where he watched the two of them walk in side by side. The last time he had seen them together were watching him lay on that beach in Cuba, leaving him and taking everything with them. Glaring at them, Charles rung his hands together and remembered when they first met Ryan a year ago. One year earlier... Charles and Erik traveled to Cape Cod in their last ditch effort to find one last mutant. So far they had counted themselves extremely lucky, even if there had been bumps in the road. The suits were breathing down their necks, claiming that time was short, instead Charles followed his senses and knew there was a reason they were traveling so far out of their way. They arrived at the dance studio, the forth floor of a brick building. One wall was completely made out of glass windows that over looked the breathtaking view. Standing in the back, the two men watched as dangers, all young women in leotards twirling and dancing about.

"May I help you?"

Both men turned and saw the head instructor, an older woman in her forties with her salt and pepper colored hair tightly drawn up in a bun. She stood before them holding a walking stick and glared at them as if they were insects. Charles and Erik exchanged a look before Charles cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"I beg your pardon, but my names is Charles Xavier and this is my business partner Erik Lehnsherr, we were wondering if we may talk with Ryan Sterling for a moment?"

The woman's stone set face didn't change it's expression. Finally she looked out onto her dance floor, thin overcast sunlight pouring in.

"Yeah she's over there, but my girls are faithful in staying with my company. You'll have to use more than those handsome faces of yours to charm Ryan."

With that the woman turned, directing her attention towards a small group of young girls trying to lace up their slippers. Erik pushed up his sunglasses up into his chair before looking across the room at all the young women. Charles took a step forward, before looking past all the dancers. Finally he saw her. Closer towards the windows, stretching alone with one of her black tight clad legs bend upward against the brass bar that ran the length of the windows. She was a slim young woman, in a black leotard that clung to her body. Her slippers were gray, and laced up her ankles. She was young, maybe in her early twenties. She had bleach blond hair, tied up loosely which strands fell down against the back of her neck. Her face was turned slightly, but it appeared she had fair skin, and a nice smooth sturdy dancer's body. Charles looked over at Erik and instantly knew something was wrong. Raising an eyebrow,he leaned in close speaking softly beneath the classical music that played from the speakers that were set up around the room. "What's the matter?" Erik gazed at the girl, stretching alone before them. He seemed almost as if he was in a deep trance, from that very moment Charles knew this was going to be trouble. It took Erik a moment before he broke his gaze and nodded.

"Come on, let's have it then." Charles still felt something was terribly wrong. When he should have taken his friend's arm and turned around he simply walked forward to the girl trying to be his usual charming self. Clearing his throat, he smiled.

"Excuse me? Ms. Sterling?" With that, the girl turned and the moment her gray eyes locked with Erik. It was completely over. Later It didn't take Charles long to get her to go with them. He simply introduced them, Erik the entire time simply standing there with his arms crossed, never taking his eyes off her. He explained they had traveled a great way to talk to her. Raising an eyebrow, Ryan said she wasn't available to leave the company at the present time and that's when Charles smiled saying that they were interested in her other talents. With that Ryan stood before them, hesitant for a second she looked at the two of them before Charles motioned behind him.

"Would you mind going down the street for a cup of coffee with us?" Ryan glanced between both men before she slowly nodded. "Yeah sure, let me just get my stuff..." The followed her as she walked to the bench and grabbed her towel and gym bag. She told them she had to drop something off at her car that was parked out back. Charles and Erik waited and followed her down the back staircase towards the tiny parking-lot. She headed towards a small old ford parked against the building, shifting her bag from shoulder to shoulder. Keeping ahead of them, she stopped and put her bag down, reaching she went to go grab the keys in the front pocket. Her back still facing them, Erik seemed to look as if she was enjoying the view he was getting as Charles stood beside him. In a flash, the girl turned holding a small pistol.

"What do you want?!"

Charles right away held up his hands purely out of reaction other than making her stop. The girl looked scared as she stood there, eyes wide yet her hand perfectly steady. Erik was the one who simply stepped forward, smiled and held his hand up. Within a second the gun trembled in the girl's hand before it flew across into Erik's. Stepping back, bumping herself against the trunk of her car she gasped at them. Erik looked over the pistol smiling before he glanced at Charles.

"I feel you may want to talk with us."

Ryan Sterling stood before the two them, looking back and forth between them before her hand slowly rose up top he chest.

"My God..." Smiling, Charles looked around. They were completely alone. "We have a lot to talk about, is there a place we can talk alone?"

Ryan nervously bit her lip, looking at both men before Erik handed her the pistol back. Ryan stared down at it, unsure at first before Erik nodded. "Go on..." Carefully, she snatched it from Erik's hand before they lifted their eyes and looked at each other. Charles watched them before Erik's fingertips seemed almost to dance over her hand. As he drew back his hand, Ryan's almost seemed to float in mid air and pull towards him. Looking, Erik smiled with amazement.

"My God, what are you?" Gazing at them, Ryan sighed before tucking the pistol down into her bag and throwing it back over her shoulder. Sighing, she motioned towards her car.

"Come on." Charles and Erik glanced at each other for just a second before Charles nodded. Both climbed into Ryan's car, and listened to the engine choke and cough before she shifted it into gear and began to back up. Charles sat in the passenger seat while Erik sat in the back. The entire time not taking his eyes off Ryan as he stared up at the rearview mirror. Charles did most of the talking, explaining what their purpose was, and why they had been sent. He went a little into the headquarters, the others, their very own powers, and of course Shaw. Ryan was mostly silent the entire drive, she drove carefully, listening and nodding. Finally she turned down a small dead end street right near the water where small apartments and cottages sat side by side. Turning into a two family, she parked in the side driveway.

"This is my place I've been renting, come on we can talk in private."

The men climbed out, following as they went up the side steps that were made out of peeling old painted wood and were led into the second floor apartment. Inside it was small but cozy. There was barley any furniture besides a few old armchairs, and beanbags. The place was tidy with a brown carpet, and drawn orange curtains. Right away Ryan tossed her bag down on the floor and offered Charles and Erik the two old armchairs that had stuffing falling out of the sides. Crossing over to the coffee table, she sat down and began to unlace her slippers, slowly rubbing her feet.

"I had a feeling there were others like me, I knew I couldn't have been the only one."

"Your family..." Ryan shook her head.

"Never knew them, I was put up for a closed adoption when I was three. I was shuffled from a few foster homes until I turned eighteen. Lucky for me I could actually dance back at school while I waited tables down town part time and ended up getting this gig. The pay isn't amazing but I dance for a few performances a month in the area and help teach classes for the younger girls. I can pay the rent here and people leave me alone, can't ask for more."

"When did you know you were different?" "Thirteen or fourteen it first happened."

"Which is?" Sighing she sat up straight before looking at the two of them.

"I've been able to keep this hidden for a while. Nobody, and I mean nobody knows about what I can do. if you two are lying I'm as good as dead." Standing, she stared at them before closing her eyes and holding her left arm up. Before their very eyes her flesh seemed to turn and take shape into pure liquid metal. Her fingers melted together along with the skin of her arm. It turned to a sleek glistening sharp piece of metal, almost as if it was a three foot knife. Staring at them with calm eyes, she saw the shocked expressions.

"That's not even the beginning of it, watch this." Closing her eyes, she melted before their very own eyes into a solid piece of liquid silver. It fell down onto the floor in a puddle moving quickly before slowly shifting upward and reforming back into Ryan still dressed in her dancing gear, perfectly whole again. Faintly smiling, she looked at them before Erik's jaw dropped in utter and complete shock. "Your...made out of metal." Charles looked over at Erik and saw a smile slowly appear on his friend's face.

"Amazing..." With just the simple twitch of his finger, Ryan nearly stumbled forward, being pulled towards Erik by some sort of invisible force. Ryan looked surprised as she couldn't seem to control her slippers dragging across the carpet. Instantly Charles glared at his friend.

"That's enough." Erik smiled, stopping his hand before standing. Slowly he circled around her, utterly amazed. Charles crossed his legs, clearing his throat feeling very uncomfortable. He could see the instant attraction between Erik and Ryan, and didn't like it one bit. Smirking, he shook his head.

"Well, well, well Erik...looks like you found something your naturally drawn to." Erik continued staring at Ryan, completely not hearing Charles.

LATER...

They spent a good two hours talking. Ryan explained that never before had anything like this happened until she was thirteen or so. In fact, even blood tests and doctors appointments never showed any sign of it. Finally when she was staying with an older couple a few towns over it began to happen. She explained she was staying after school at dance practice when her legs and arms began to feel numb. The change happened thankfully when she was alone and was able to control it and reverse the effects. Time went on and she became so scared that something was wrong with her that she kept it hidden, trying her hardest to live a normal life and distant himself from everyone. Charles and Erik listened before she told them about how once she nearly changed in front of a few of her friends. "I couldn't control it for once, and this was after years of trying to hide and not use it. I threw myself into dancing at the studio and working. I didn't have a lot of friends, and I just figured if there were other people like me they were scared. We were freaks..."

"How did you learn to control it?" Ryan shrugged, at this time she had made them all coffee and was sitting back on the table across from them.

"I just knew how to not use it. In private I did it a few times, able to melt like that and move around. I'm completely aware of my surroundings and can move pretty much anywhere, under doors, up on walls...anywhere. I kept staying away from the doctor's in case they found anything and faked some stuff to dance for the studio. The only time I did lose control was when I was leaving a gig a few years back. I was walking to my car at night and some mugger tried to pull a knife on me. I got scared and went to block the blade when my arm well..."

"Changed?" Ryan nodded, ashamed. "I stabbed him pretty good and he ran away. I never knew what happened...my arm just changed like that. I've never wanted to hurt anyone before, but it just happened." Charles sat forward.

"What would you say if we had a place where you could be safe, use this talent and not be ashamed?" Sitting, Ryan nervously chewed her lip before looking at both men.

"Can I ever come back home?" Erik sat forward. "Darling, this place will be your new home." THAT EVENING... Charles, Erik, and Ryan rode together in Ryan's car back to the headquarters. The collecting for the moment was finished, they had found the ones they were looking for. It didn't take long to convince Ryan that she was needed. She thought it over and before sunset she agreed. She figured she didn't have much of a future in this small town and left for an hour to give her notice at the studio for the time being. Erik and Charles walked around town waiting to meet her back at her place within the hour. Erik simply strolled along side Charles beside asking what he thought? "I think she'll be useful, i'm very interested...as are you?" Erik simply smiled as he continued walking.

"I guess you could say that..." Once Ryan came back she made a face.

"That bad?" "Well, I pretty much made sure I'll never have a future of a dancer, but besides that I'm swell." Smiling, Charles said he would help her get together her things and they could leave. Ryan didn't take long packing her few belongings in two bags before going to her landlord who lived in the apartment below. By dusk the three of them packed up and headed back. Erik offered to drive first, and together the three of them loaded up and took off. A few hours into the drive, Charles switched with Erik who decided to sit in the back with Ryan. The talk was light, and Charles mostly talked about their plans and what they hoped they could accomplish. Ryan was polite, and soft spoken. Finally, she dozed off. Just as Charles saw their exit he glanced backwards and saw Ryan resting her shoulder against Erik's. He knew in her sleep she must have accidentally fallen against him, but judging from the look on Erik's face, it looked perfectly fine. In fact, Erik couldn't keep his eyes off her. Feeling being watched, he glanced up at James and softly smiled.

"Made of metal, you can't make this stuff up huh?"

"Ready to exchange wedding vows yet?" Making a face, Erik rolled his eyes.

"Please, she's just a kid..."

"Yeah and you seem very attracted to her...and something tells me it's not magnetic." Smiling, Erik looked back down at the little girl and very carefully brushed a loose strand of her hair away from her face. Charles looked back straight ahead, knowing deep in his heart that they would have been better off leaving the girl behind. She was a distraction for Erik who had spent so much of his life alone. At least until now.

1963

At the moment the others were alive. Erik wouldn't give their exact location, but said they were overseas with Raven looking after them. At this news, Charles felt a pit hollow in his stomach. Why couldn't they be here with him? He had a safe place now, why couldn't they all come back? Ryan looked well, besides the dark circles around her eyes. Charles noted that both Erik and herself wore wedding bands, another thing that tugged at his heart. Erik took Ryan's hand, kissing it before asking if he could have a moment alone with Charles. Glancing over, her tired gray eyes met with Charles and she smiled. "Charles, are you well?" Charles had missed her, just as he had missed Raven and the others. He found it unfair that Erik had been able to take the friends he had once looked at as family and leave. Why could he have them and not him? Why couldn't have Raven seen he would never be able to love her as long as Ryan lived? Charles smiled at his friend, the young danger that had stolen Erik's heart and nodded.

"I'm well...and yourself?"

Ryan looked at Erik with such overwhelming love it seemed both sickening and dangerous.

"I'm good, I do hope we can get a chance to talk.

I've missed you very much."

"But of course." Erik nodded before Ryan smiled and turned around, shutting the doors behind her. Once alone, Charles glared at Erik. Even though it had only been a year, he knew his friend had changed. He was a dangerous driven killer, and could no longer be controlled.

"What do you want Erik? I thought you made it clear that you no longer believed in my cause, that you, Ryan, Raven, and the others had your own agenda."

Erik strolled over to Charles' desk before turning two glasses upside down. Taking Charles' bottle of scotch, he opened the ice jar and began fixing the two of them drinks. Charles watched him closely before Erik smirked. "Brother, if you had joined me you would know exactly what we were fighting for, instead...you decided to sit back and let them run things."

"Them as in humans? Erik, we're all human..." "No, we're not Charles. Not even close. Humans unlike us can't control the power they hold." Sitting down in one of the leather chairs, Erik crossed his slack clad legs and sipped his drink. Charles simply held his before Erik smirked and motioned around them. "You really did it Charles, this entire place...your dream come true." "Well, my dream would have been to have all of us together, using our talents for other ways besides revenge."

Erik sighed, staring down at his drink.

"Tell me something Charles, would you feel the same way if Raven had stayed behind?" Charles glared.

"She has nothing to do with any of this."

"Oh but she does, you know exactly why."

"She still loves you, that's why she follows you in your blind plan of revenge and massacre. Even after you married Ryan, she still follows you like a love sick puppy."

"She is my friend and partner, nothing more...nothing less."

"But she'll follow you no matter what, even into death. You knew exactly what you were doing that day." Staring down at his drink, Erik finally lifted his eyes. "I would have never come to bother you friend, mostly after what happened but I must ask your help." Charles raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"I'm going to Dallas, on a mission I suppose. We live a dangerous life, but I wish to leave Ryan here." Charles sat forward as Erik set his glass down.

"She's always been my right hand girl, and very helpful as you may know, but I don't wish her to be harmed in case anything happens. In fact I want her to distant herself for a while and rest here, someplace where she'll be safe and with friends."

Charles cocked his head to the side, not exactly following. He had promised himself to stay out of Erik's head, but he sensed something lingering. Erik stared at him.

"She's pregnant."

Charles sat there speechless before Erik nodded, almost as if he was ashamed. "It's early, but we didn't expect it. She's over the moon...and nobody knows yet. Not even Raven. i want to keep her safe, away from all of this until at least the baby is born. You said once this would be our place to feel at home, to be safe...please brother let this still stand true."

Charles wanted more than anything to say no. That this wasn't his home and he wasn't allowed to use him as his wife's keeper whenever he pleased. This was his own fault, he wanted Ryan so badly, well here she was. It was his problem to keep her safe while him and Raven went off fighting the good fight as they saw in their own eyes. Instead, Charles remembered the man he had helped train a year ago. The same man he watched move the satellite dish using all the will and emotion inside of him. From the moment Shaw had been killed, he knew that Erik was a monster. He would never be the better man. Yet, still he couldn't take this out on Ryan. She had been his friend, and didn't deserve to be in any danger no matter how badly she loved him. Sighing, he stared at him.

"Does she know of these plans?"

"It won't be long, a month at the most. I'll come myself to get her and even try to convince Raven to come with me. Please Charles, there is no longer place to go. She wants this baby so badly and I'm afraid for her."

"You know she'll fight this, and most likely try to follow."

Erik shook his head. "I'll try my hardest to convince her, besides she knows she needs to protect our child as much as herself. I plan on leaving tonight, but I need you to promise me you'll watch over her and keep her and my child safe. I know you don't owe me anything, but I know you saw promise in Ryan and love her like a sister. Once I return I promise we'll never bother you again."

Charles simply sat before nodding. "Fine, just this once and it's for Ryan...not you." Standing, Erik stared down at him. "Thank you."

1973 That night forever haunted Erik, even ten years later as he sat on the plane playing chess with a man he had once loved has a brother and friend, and now hated deep down to the bottom of his heart. He wanted to blame him for Ryan leaving to go after him once he was captured. He wanted to take out all anger out on him, the same anger he felt when Charles turned his back on their team and his friends all died. This was the man he had left his wife and unborn child with, and now here he was ten years later. Alone.