***
Alex had snuck down the hallway and into the room, when he saw Raven stalking into the kitchen after her brother. No one wanted to get in the middle of that sibling argument. He slipped into the furthest bedroom, and gave Hank a half smile.
“How is he?” He glanced over to the resting Erik in the chair. Like the others, the shock of seeing their teammate coming back from the hospital hit home. He was recovering from a gunshot wound.
“Resting at the moment. I don’t like how high his blood pressure is.” Hank frowned right down some notes in the medical files. “We have to keep him calm.” Alex’s snort was pretty much what the other mutant was thinking. “Look lets be frank.” He looked at the younger man. “He’s got metal staples and wires in his chest… think about that.”
Alex frowned not quite understanding why that was important. Then he realized what Erik’s mutation was. “Damn.”
“He lashes out when pissed and also in fear, so if feels threatened.” Hank ran a hand through his blue fur.
“He’ll use his power and it will pull on the healing wounds. Yeah, got it. Keep dad calm, which why haven’t we tied him to Charles?”
Hank chuckled. “He has to deal with Raven.”
“If you two could whisper quieter some of us could get more sleep.” Erik opened his eyes groggily glaring at the two of them. “And I’m not your father.”
Alex gave him a smile and moved closer taking a seat on the coffee table. “How you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been shot.” He gave him an annoyed look.
Summers at least looked a bit embarrassed. “Raven and Charles are having it out, so I figured I would keep you company.”
Erik shifted, cringing when his hand gave out from under him. Alex held out his hand, giving Erik the leverage he needed to shift until he was sitting up. He took a few breathes, trying to will the pain down.
Hank eyed the two of them, tempted to pull the oxygen tank over, but Erik seemed to settle down. “I’m going to see about getting some of these scripts filled, Alex make sure he drinks more water and takes his pills in an hour.”
They watched as Hank left, then turned and looked at each other.
“Good he’s gone you can break me out.”
Alex held out his hands, shaking his head. “He’ll kill me. And if he didn’t the disappointed look mom would give me, would just want me to kill myself.”
“Charles isn’t that scary.”
He gave him a look.
“Yeah okay, he does have the ‘I’m very disappointed look down’.” Erik’s smirk, was enough to scare Alex even more. “I’m not asking you to help me rob a bank, just walk over to the balcony. I haven’t seen daylight or been outside in over a week.”
“Well that may have something to do with getting shot.” Alex stood and held out both his hands, letting Erik use him as leverage to stand. He easily shifted, taking a portion of the older man’s weight staying still until he was settled on his feet. “You got this?”
He ignored the pain, instead taking a small step forward. It was humiliating having Alex help him, like he was an old man, but at the moment he was grateful it was him and not the others. Alex got the need to stand on your own, how showing weakness wasn’t an option.
It took ten minutes to get across the room, and onto the balcony. Erik leaned against the balcony railing, taking in the fresh air. He was sweating profusely and his body was shaking slightly, but damn the fresh air felt good.
“I can get the need for fresh air.” Alex leaned his back against the railing keeping an eye on the patient. He knew who would take the brunt of Charles’ anger if Erik was to fall and injure himself further. He saw what happened on that beach, the desperation and fear had bled to all of them.
It was something none of them wanted to talk about.
But it was something Alex would never forget.
He felt Charles’ anguish.
It was when he knew that whatever was going on between the two men wasn’t a fling or scratching an itch. That he understood. You don’t spend time in prison, even juvenile prison and not get that. His heart ached for Charles, and he was willing to do anything to fix it. Thankfully Azazael stepped in and actually did do something, while the rest of them had just sat there like morons.
“So now what?” He glanced over to the older man. “I mean Shaw’s dead, which despite all the bluster, is a good thing.”
“I’m actually not sure.” Erik answered shockingly honest. “I’ve spent twenty years hunting that man down. Hell for a moment there I probably would’ve taken over his organization. He had some points, we are superior to humans and they will come after us.”
“But now?” He asked.
“Getting shot changed a few things.” He looked over at Alex. “It’s going to take me months to heal, and that is me likely pushing the envelope every chance I get. I don’t have the energy to take over the world, at least not at the moment.”
He laughed, knowing full well Erik wasn’t kidding.
“So you’re playing house husband to Charles.” Alex gave him a look, he knew Erik wasn’t a man to sit around and do nothing.
“He wants to open a school.” Erik shifted until he was standing more upright, hands resting on the railing. “And he should. He’s right we need a place to hide. A place where our kind will be safe, where they can learn to use their powers, to protect themselves and yes even others. I know how out of control I was when I was a kid, I had spoons attached to me everywhere I went.” Alex snorted. “We don’t need humans using kids who can’t control their powers as an excuse to lock kids up.”
“So the world domination is on hold.”
“Don’t doubt for a second I wouldn’t bring the world to it’s knees if they ever came after Charles and his dreams of a school.” Erik’s tone was dark and held conviction that gave Alex no doubt he would. “So I’m going to do what Charles will hate, and make sure his school is protected. There will need to be systems set up, surveillance in and around the school, and enough of a threat that if anyone shows up trying to bring harm to any of his kids, they’ll regret their life choices.”
“I can help you with that.” Alex shifted sideways taking in Erik’s profile. “Not every mutant is also going to appreciate Charles.”
“No. Some will have had experiences with humans and will not like Charles’s naïve idealism.” He agreed glancing at Alex. “We need that. You and me. We know what humans will do to us, hell we’ve seen what they do to their own kind. We also have to watch out for other Shaws. Mutants using mutants for their own gain, it’s not right. And I hate to say I could’ve gone further down that path in my own extreme idealism.”
“You two balance each other.”
“I’m still not your dad.” He gave him a dark glare.
“Sure thing, dad.” Alex patted him on the shoulder. “Want to go back inside?”
“How about a small walk around the hallway, then you can dump me in my chair and I’ll likely sleep like an old man for a few hours, and Charles will never know about the escape.”
Alex held out his arm, waiting patiently until Erik took it grumbling in German as he leaned against the younger mutant. They made their way back into the room, and then out the door.
The coast was clear.
There was no need to talk as they made their way down the corridor, to the stairs. Alex gave him a pointed look – they weren’t going down the stairs. He knew exhaustion most be setting in, when Erik didn’t even contemplate it, just turned around to head back to his room.
They were almost home free.
When footsteps were heard coming up the stairs.
As they both turned, Alex knew instantly it wasn’t Hank or Charles.
He wouldn’t be that lucky.
Standing at the top of the stairs, was Moira. Which meant only one thing, she was on her way to Erik’s room, as he was the only one staying in the section of the Mansion.
Alex stepped in front of Erik, ready to defend his friend. As he mentally screamed for Charles, the light fixtures on the walls began to shake and bend.
“Fuck.”
Ooh!!! Clifhanger…. you naugthy Nick!!!!
Great story