A Moment in Time [X-Men First Class]

6.

Grace's POV:

         This plane ride has been excruciatingly slow.  I can't stop thinking about Raven, Hank, Alex, and Angel and how frightened they must have been.  Especially Darwin; oh why didn't I stay there with them?  If I were there maybe Darwin would still be alive. 

        Don't think like that, it's not your fault. I heard Charles's voice ring out in my head. He got up from his seat and made his way next to me.

     "It is all my fault, you asked me to stay but I was stubborn and I didn't!" I paused and let a single tear fall, "Maybe-, maybe if I stayed there, it would have been me and not Darwin, he was young and had his whole life ahead of him, he didn't deserve to die." 

        "Don't say that,  you're extremely important to me, Erik- everyone. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you. You don't deserve to die and neither did Darwin, you can't pin this all on yourself."

      "But you hardly know me and I do deserve this guilt."

      "No buts, it's not you're fault, it isn't any of our faults that Darwin is dead, this is all on Shaw. He went to the base looking for trouble, Darwin did a noble thing and sacrificed himself to save everyone. You don't need to feel guilty."

Once he had completed speaking, Charles let out an exasperated sigh and leaned back onto the chair, rubbing his eyes.

At first I was taken aback from his sudden outburst. I've never seen this side of him, so angry. But then I realized it wasn't out of hatred, but out of compassion, he truly did care about everyone.

"I'm sorry" I whispered, unable to find anything else to say.

      "You don't need to be sorry Grace." Charles responded slowly.

~~~

      We arrived to what was once a pristine CIA facility, to a pile of ashes and rubble.  The young mutants were sitting outside in front of the wrecked base. They all wore grave and somber expressions. 

      I was the first out of the car, and once my feet hit the ground I took off running to the spot where the young mutants were sitting. Pulling them into a group hug I whispered to them, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."  I brushed away the few stray tears that fell from my face then turned to face Erik, Charles, and Moira, who all had saddened expressions as well.

       Charles turned his attention to his sister, "Raven?" He asked, concerned with the wellbeing of his sister. Raven just nodded back at him.

      "We've made arrangements for you to be taken home immediately."  Charles addressed the rest of the group.

        "We're not going home." Alex said, almost sternly.

      "What?" Charles questioned him. 

      "He's not going back to prison." Sean piped up.  He must have been talking about Alex. There was silence, everyone was still processing the past events and what to do next.

      "This is over." Charles said, not taking into consideration Sean's statement.

Raven stepped forward to confront her brother, "Darwin is dead, Charles." He died a terrible death, no one should have to go through what he did.

      "We can't even bury him- there's no way we can go home now, not after everything that has been done." I spoke up. There was more silence.

      "We can avenge him." Erik said, staring absent minded at the ground. 

His expression was emotionless yet his voice was full of passion. The other mutants seemed to agree with him.

      "Erik, Grace, a word please" Charles said. We walked a few feet away from the others to speak. Charles probably didn't want them to hear our conversation.

"They're just kids," Charles said, confronting him on his previous statement.

      "No, they were just kids" Erik shot back.

      "Shaw has his army, we need ours" I said, siding with Erik. Charles was quiet pondering over countless possibilities of what could be done, then sighed and turned around.

"We'll have to train. All of us. Yes?" He addressed the still shell shocked kids. There was a chorus of 'yeah's.

      "Well, we can't stay here. Even if they reopen the department, it's not safe here. We've got no were to go." Hank explained.

With a slight smirk Charles said, "Yes we do."
~~~

We arrived at what I assume is Charles' house, well more like a mansion. It was made up of an assortment of bricks. Parts of the roof were pointed, almost like a castle, the windows and doors had a Victorian era feel to them. There was a bit of ivy growing on one side of the house, which in my opinion, made it look even more breathtaking.  How I wished I could have lived here.

The group made its way to the front lawn of the towering building.

      "This is yours?" Alex asked, clearly amazed by the structure.

      "No," Charles said, "it's ours."

      "Honestly Charles. I don't know how you survived such hardship." Erik smirked.

Erik's statement only got an eye roll from Charles. Raven walked next to Charles and patted his shoulder.

      "Well it was a hardship softened by me." Charles smiled at Raven and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, then planted a kiss on the side of her head.

I smiled at their display of affection. It was sweet to see them getting along. It reminded me of how my sister, Claire, and I used to be.

      "Come on, time for the tour." Raven said, leading us into the house.