|
|
Post by The Man on Apr 5, 2009 20:48:14 GMT -5
"I will," ::Xavier promised the other man, although it was hollow.::
|
|
|
|
Post by Erik Lensherr on Apr 5, 2009 21:02:32 GMT -5
Erik smiled, and patted the other man's arm once more. Feeling marginally better, he took his leave.
*********
It was perhaps two weeks later, when Erik had been here for two whole months, that he made the discovery.
It was during lunch, and he was alone in the kitchen. Several others were breaking for lunch, but at the sight of him, Raven and his children, and even some of the older X-Men had taken food somewhere else. It depressed him. And then she entered. Sitting down opposite of him, she began to eat a salad, though she had to occasionally pry the fork from her hand and force it down. Much like he had been, in the beginning.
He levitated the fork over, and twirled it a few times. She had been in awe, and asked him if he was the one who controlled magnetism. He said yes, and offered to teach her. It was obvious now; he could feel the metal in the room call to her, because she could not yet control it. It was like when he had made all of Charles's watches break when they had been younger. It was unavoidable. Then he offered to help her, and asked her name. When she told him, his heart skipped a beat. "Abigail?" He asked, taken aback. "Are you Charles and Raven's daughter?" He asked, making sure he didn't have the wrong girl. When she said yes, he felt a wave of confusion, followed by anger.
Her powers had developed; it was magnetism. Raven had blathered on about how the baby would have a quality of one of it's parents, he had overheard her when she was pregnant. How could this be? Had she kept it a secret from him? And what about Charles? And then suddenly it dawned on him why his old friend had been acting this way. It was because he was back, and near *his* true daughter. After hearing her blushing thanks, he politely excused himself and headed towards Charles's office. He was enraged. How *dare* they keep this from him?
He had a right to know. It was like Magda and the twins all over again, and he was seething. When he reached the office, a gesture of the hand and it opened with a bang, and shut loudly behind him. His expression was thunderous, and the small metal objects in the room rattled.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Man on Apr 5, 2009 21:08:27 GMT -5
::Xavier had been in the midst of a training session with one of the younger students, a particularly timid boy who had difficulty controlling his invisibility. At the sudden, violent entrance, the young man panicked and his skin vanished.
*Focus, and go to your room,* Xavier had sent to him, which caused him to concentrate and become completely invisible, before he ran for an opening in the door and darted from it, on his way upstairs.
Xavier turned to the other man, not requiring his telepathy to know what had brought Erik here; he could read the other man's expressions easy enough. He, in turn, frowned, his expression serious.:: "Calm yourself."
|
|
|
|
Post by Erik Lensherr on Apr 5, 2009 21:10:18 GMT -5
"How *dare* you," Erik thundered. The door banged and locked shut, his hands clenched until the knuckles became white.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Man on Apr 5, 2009 21:12:05 GMT -5
"How dare I?" ::Xavier asked, his voice tight. He had not wished to have an argument, but he would not allow Erik to try the moral high ground with him.:: "How dare I want her to have consistency in a trying time? How dare I love her?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Erik Lensherr on Apr 5, 2009 21:17:42 GMT -5
"How dare you keep her from me!" Erik yelled, his jaw tight. "I have a right to know she's my daughter! Is that why you both kept this from me for fifteen years? You could get away with it, until her powers show?" He demanded. He was raving, he knew that, and he didn't care.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Man on Apr 5, 2009 21:21:22 GMT -5
::Xavier's expression hardened, his "dangerous" look. Erik would need to tread carefully with him, lest he tear open wounds, and the other man would not like the result.:: "You think so little of me that you believe I would hide this for fifteen years, Erik? You think I would spend someone's entire life weaving a lie? You think I would put everyone I love at risk for that lie? Think before you accuse and *lower your voice.*"
|
|
|
|
Post by Erik Lensherr on Apr 5, 2009 22:12:13 GMT -5
"I think that you would react out of fear of what I would do," Erik said darkly, his voice lowering, but still seething with anger. "That you were afraid I would abduct the child and corrupt her, so you kept her away from me." Like Magda.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Man on Apr 5, 2009 22:15:23 GMT -5
::Xavier sent one of the chairs from his desk to Erik's side, a hint that he should sit and discuss this like a civilized person.:: "When we learned of the twins, I flew across the globe to help you find them."
::It was the truth, as hurt as Xavier had been by Erik's relationship with Magda, he had not hesitated to help him find those children and raise them.:: "Speaking of the twins, do you think Pietro would have managed to keep this to himself for fifteen years?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Erik Lensherr on Apr 5, 2009 22:17:22 GMT -5
Erik took the hint and sat, though he was still unable to control his anger. "I think that you and Raven have kept this to yourselves, hoping that the child would develop different powers, like the twins, so this *secret*-" He spat the word angrily, "-would be safe."
|
|
|
|
Post by The Man on Apr 5, 2009 22:19:20 GMT -5
"Nine weeks," ::Xavier said coolly. He met Erik's eyes, a matching fire in his own, because he, too, was angry. Angry with the situation, angry with the other man's reaction.:: "I have known for nine weeks."
|
|
|
|
Post by Erik Lensherr on Apr 5, 2009 22:29:44 GMT -5
"I've been here for eight of them," Erik said, scowling. "Why didn't you tell me? 'Oh, Erik old friend, by the way, that child we've had is actually yours, but we still don't want to include you in her life,' or something like that?"
|
|
|
|
Post by The Man on Apr 5, 2009 22:34:22 GMT -5
::If it were possible to subtract from nothing, Xavier's expression would have become icier.:: "I have had to keep up appearances for Abigail's sake, masking my own hurt. I *always* mask my hurt, Erik, a lesson you might do well to learn. I planned to tell you in measured time, because I think more highly of you than Raven does, and evidently more highly of you than you think of me."
|
|
|
|
Post by Erik Lensherr on Apr 5, 2009 22:40:08 GMT -5
"Yes, let's go back to my mistakes, and bringing up every one I've ever made," Erik said, his scowl deepening. "You planned to tell me in time? When, on my deathbed? That I had a daughter, and possessing the same ability?" He demanded. Had he less control, the objects on the other man's desk would be rattling like crazy.
|
|
|
|
Post by The Man on Apr 5, 2009 22:42:19 GMT -5
"When it would not hurt to tell you," ::Xavier said, his own anger rising at the other man's accusations and mildly sarcastic tone.:: "If I had been so intent on you not learning, I would have not let you return in the first place, or I would have made you forget two minutes into this conversation."
|
|
