Gaining Her Powers

[Mystique]

"She has never had a father other than him, and it will remain that way," Raven said, looking down at the pattern of the counter beneath her.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Pietro shook his head, his eyes ice.:: "Her blood will call to him."

[Mystique]

"It's our duty to protect her from him," She responded, looking up at him. "And I'll gut him like a fish if he even speaks to her." She didn't care that she hadn't seen Erik in a year; he always came back, and she *knew* he would feed on this new knowledge.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::That caused Pietro to laugh, a dry, humorless sound. As much as he hated the man, and he did; nobody here had fought with him as many times as Pietro himself had, he would not entertain fantasies which would never come to fruition.:: "No, you will not."

[Mystique]

Raven was not amused, and her frown deepened. If she saw Erik again, she would probably slap him immediately, not including what she would do if she saw him trying to influence her daughter. "I need a drink," She muttered. Getting up, she left the kitchen to go find that bottle of scotch in Charles's bedroom.

[Erik Lensherr]

********

A few days later, as if on cue, Erik showed up at the mansion. He had not been seen for months, and in fact was living in a small apartment a while away. But it was time to pay a visit to Charles, he had thought. He missed his old friend.

Heading over to his office, Erik knocked politely on the door.

[The Man]

::If there was one man on the planet whom Xavier did not need to see, it was Erik. He and Raven were still not speaking to one another, apart from joint intereaction for Abigail's welfare; they slept apart, and he had yet to cope with the revelation. His pain was evident, because Pietro and Wanda had avoided "I told you so" speeches, which they otherwise might have done. As he sat in his office, under the pretense of grading papers but with his thoughts elsewhere, he sensed Erik's presence, then heard the knock. He needed strength to get through this.:: "Come in, Erik."

[Erik Lensherr]

Erik heard the voice, allowing him to come in. Entering, he closed the door behind him and smiled at his old friend. "How are you, Charles?"

[The Man]

"I am tired, Erik," ::Xavier replied, which was a half-truth. He was tired, but the reasons were his emotions, and the recent revelation. Neither of which he could yet communicate to the other man.::

[Erik Lensherr]

"That is unfortunate, old friend," Erik admitted, sitting down on the sofa closest to him. "But alas, we are both older and the simple things are not so simple." He gave the other man a sympathetic smile.

[The Man]

"Not that I am unhappy to see you," ::Xavier began, which was also a half-truth,:: "But why did you come today?"

[Erik Lensherr]

"I missed you, Charles," Erik said. "I was wondering if I might be able to stay here for a while. We can catch up in the meantime; it's been months since we've seen each other." And for once, he really *didn't* have an ulterior motive, anything other than his loneliness.

[The Man]

::From habit, Xavier scanned Erik's mind for his intentions, and found them to be pure. Why did the man have the ability to complicate his life like no other? He sighed softly, before replying,:: "Raven and the twins will be furious, you know."

[Erik Lensherr]

Erik sighed softly. "When *aren't* they furious with me?" He had been living his life simply for several years now, free from any illegal activity. And yet he was still mistrusted. "I take it Raven is still under the belief that I will corrupt your child?" He asked, frowning slightly.

[The Man]

::Xavier's expression hardened, and there was a slight pause, before he replied,:: "Yes. She does."