Hello, shorter chapter today. Hope you all had a lovely start to the new year, and I hope you all enjoy!
The journey back to New York was uneventful, with barely any noteworthy interactions to think of, other than the rather blatant flirting attempts made toward Hank by the pretty hotel receptionist on their way out. Hank had of course been completely oblivious, and looked scandalized when Logan pointed it out to him, clapping him hard on the shoulder before steering him out the door to where Charles was retrieving the car.
This elicited a small smile from Laurien as she watched the whole thing happen from behind the safety of her aviators. She'd always wondered if Hank would ever settle down with anyone, or if he would continue to be the hermit whose true loves were science and math. The hopes of Hank's blossoming relationship with Raven all those years ago seemed like an impossibility at this point, though of course, what was to stop a love from rekindling itself after a decade? Laurien frowned to herself at this thought before pushing it to the back of her mind and carrying on.
Sera was nowhere to be seen that morning, leaving Laurien to assume that she was making good on her promise, for the first day at least. She found herself wondering within what time frame the redhead might return, in a few months, a year, or perhaps even in another decade? Whatever it was, Laurien just hoped that it would be enough time for both of them to heal psychologically from their unfortunately chaotic family reunion.
As they took off from the runway, and witnessed the surreal view from above the city of Paris, Laurien couldn't help but wonder if Erik was somewhere in the streets below. And if he was, was he heeding her advice that she'd left him in the apartment and leaving things alone?
Charles hadn't said a word about the night before, and for that, Laurien was thankful. Her conduct had been appalling, at least in her mind, and the entire event seemed to be contorting itself into some sort of virus, with its insatiable habit of bringing her guilt ridden thoughts to the surface. The memory of the pained expression on Charles' face when she'd blamed him was something Laurien wasn't sure if she could ever forgive herself for causing, and it haunted her the entire plane trip back.
They finally touched down around noon, New York time, and were greeted by the welcome presence of a dusty blue 1950s Plymouth sitting within the confines of the private garage neighboring the runway. Laurien narrowed her eyes as she took in the sleek figure of the automobile, her mind suddenly coming to a decision as Charles reached for the driver's side door handle after unlocking it.
It refused to budge, causing Charles to frown and attempt to unlock it once more with the keys. The car frame groaned suddenly, causing Charles to jump out of the way, as it began to roll out from the garage, tires crunching against the gravel until it came to a stop, with Laurien in arm's length of the driver's side handle.
"I guess I'm driving." She said nonchalantly, opening the door with ease before glancing up at the others with an air of innocence.
A smirk was shared between Hank and Logan, as Charles' mouth twitched slightly in an upward motion before wordlessly tossing her the keys and making his way into the passenger seat.
As she stepped out of the car in front of the mansion, Laurien surveyed the state of complete disarray that enveloped the structure that was once her home, her eyes lingering momentarily on a pop of color from an orange brick that had stubbornly refused to be overtaken by the mass of greying vines. Overgrown hedges surrounded the roundabout driveway, where patches of grass grew tall through the gravel beneath Laurien's feet like cadavers' hands, tickling her bare ankles.
The small fountain situated in the middle of the roundabout stood solemnly, all the bright flowers that had once kept it company having long since perished. Its stone was chapped and cracked as a result of the exposure and neglect, allowing for chunks to be chipped off and for an abundance of moss to grow upon its face.
The loud slam of a car door brought Laurien back to the matter at hand, and she followed the others up the steps to the front door of the mansion. As she advanced, she lowered her eyes to her feet, lacking the courage to even dare to look any longer at the results of the heartache the house had suffered.
It was almost as chilly inside as it was outside. She kept glancing around for a nearby open window to explain the cold, but found none. Laurien took no comfort from that fact, as she drew her scarf tighter around her neck.
The only warning Laurien had to what would happen next was a sudden sense of foreboding that crept into her bones, before Charles suddenly fell to his knees with a hoarse shout as his hand immediately shot to his spine.
"Charles!" Hank cried out, rushing forward to catch his friend's arm before he pitched forward.
"What happened?" Logan demanded, as Laurien darted to Charles, unleashing an expletive under her breath as she grabbed his other arm. She helped Hank drag him to the side and prop him up against the protruding decline of the wall. "Why can't he walk?" Logan questioned again.
"He needs his treatment." Hank explained hurriedly, bracing his hands upon Charles' biceps as the other man writhed weakly.
"Hank, I can hear them." Charles whimpered, fighting against Hank as he tried to bring his hands to cover his ears, his eyes screwed up in pain.
Hank nodded quickly, panic edging in his voice. "It's okay, I'll make it stop. I'll get it." He said, before dashing up the stairs and disappearing down the upper floor hallway, leaving Laurien and Logan alone with Charles.
Laurien frowned as sweat beaded on Charles' brow and she pressed her hand to his forehead. "Jesus, you're burning up." She muttered under her breath, only to be met by a groan.
"Hey, hey, pull yourself together." Logan's gruff voice commanded. "It's not over yet."
Charles' eyes snapped open to look at the other man, his fingers brushing his temple. "You don't believe that."
"Charles." Laurien scolded tersely, eyes flashing darkly as she then had to prevent Charles from banging his head against the column behind him.
Logan frowned. "How do you know?"
"As these go…" Charles explained shakily, pointing at his legs before lifting his hand to his head. "this comes back." His labored breaths then turned into a sob as he clutched his head. "They all come back."
"Charles, please. It's alright, just focus on me." Laurien said firmly, a certain familiarity setting into her mind as her hand slid to the back of Charles' neck like it had so many times before. She slowly placed her forehead against his, allowing a direct and clear connection. "Focus on my thoughts, okay?"
"I'm trying." He gritted out in pain, his body heat engulfing her immediately, the sweat on his warm brow mingling with the coolness of her own. "I'm trying. Oh, Laurien, please forgive me."
Pain flared throughout her body, causing her hands to suddenly grip him tighter in an effort to bring him back. "No. Don't think about that, please." She urged, old fears threatening to seep into her thoughts as she tried to clear them for Charles' sake. "Focus… Think of the beach in Fort Tilden, the salty ocean breeze against our faces, the rocks…"
"I see it." He whispered almost triumphantly, his demeanor suddenly calming bit by bit as the sound of the waves met Laurien's ears along with the cries of seagulls.
"There you go, darling." Laurien praised him, her thumb unconsciously running along the base of his skull. His steadying breaths ghosted over her lips as she could practically taste the salt from the ocean.
A calm silence stretched between them, until something suddenly shifted, and the roar of the waves grew louder and louder to almost unbearable levels as the salt in Laurien's mouth grew thick and metallic, spilling over her lips as a sharp pain sparked in her abdomen. "I'm so sorry." Charles breathed, his jaw setting as he shook uncontrollably.
"No, Charles." Laurien gasped, trying to bring back the calm equilibrium they had prospered in only moments before, but panicking to the point that her free hand reached out blindly until it connected with the thick leather of Logan's jacket and gripped him tightly. "Logan…" She gritted out with difficulty.
"Look, I'm… I'm still here. She's still out there." He said, his voice steady, putting on a deceivingly strong façade that hid an underlying layer of pure desperation. "But we need your help, Charles, but not like this." He extended a hand and gripped Charles' shoulder. "I need you. We can't find Raven, not without your powers."
Bit by bit, the pain and panic began to relinquish its agonizing hold on Laurien. Sighing quietly in relief, she turned her head slightly to glance up at Logan, her eyes exhaustedly searching his, sending a silent thanks. He nodded in response, and Laurien realized that there was something she hadn't previously seen in the man before her, something that surprised her.
Hank's voice erupted through the atrium as he rushed down the stairs. "I added a little extra cause you missed a dose." He announced hurriedly. Laurien opened her eyes and ice water seemed to immediately surge through her veins as a syringe came into view, causing her to back away sharply, breaking the connection with Charles.
Charles gasped at the loss, tears in his vacant eyes, before they focused in on the syringe and its contents. Laurien could only watch in silent horror as she saw her former fiancé transform in front of her. With the swiftness of a seasoned addict, he quickly rolled up his sleeve and prepared to inject the syringe into his skin, his tongue licking his lips like a predator savoring a kill.
"Charles." Logan grunted, and as if with a flick of a switch, Charles was back again. His eyes fluttered rapidly, as if trying to make sense of the choice before him. His gaze moved from Logan, to the syringe, and back again, before finally resting upon Laurien's stricken expression.
He didn't need to read her mind to know how she felt.
Charles blinked, taking a deep breath, before then slowly placing the syringe down next to him on the bench. He ran a hand over his haggard face, and paused, as tentative determination seeped into his eyes. "Hank, do me a favor. Would you help me to my study, please?"
A confused look overtook Hank's face for a moment before realization finally dawned on his features. "Alright." He said, moving forward and letting Charles throw an arm across his shoulders as Hank put his arm around his waist before lifting him up from his makeshift seat. Laurien and Logan followed them on the short journey it took to reach Charles' study, a place that Laurien hadn't set her eyes upon in almost three years.
It had changed as much as the rest of the house. Usually immaculately organized and cleaned, the disorderly and decrepit state of the room took Laurien by surprise, even more than the state of the entire mansion. Charles' refuge, his space of logic and intellectual comfort was a sorry sight to see. The cluttered room was unnaturally dark with the window shutters drawn tightly shut, the only light being cast in an eerie glow from a lamp with a silk scarf strewn overtop the shade. Laurien recognized it as being one of her own that she'd left behind. Of what she could see in the dimly lit room, there were books piled up all over the place, some of which were partially open with their pages being bent unnaturally at odd angles, causing Laurien to wince inwardly at their maltreatment.
Hank set Charles down gingerly upon one of the office chairs near the closet before gripping the handle. "Are you sure about this?" He asked in a tone leaving Laurien to wonder whether he was asking Charles or himself.
Charles shook his head, letting out a shuddering exhalation that he had seemingly been holding. "Absolutely not."
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