With This Heart

Chapter Three

Anne awoke to the smell of coffee and she let out a yawn as she headed down the stairs. Thomas and Gwen were already dressed, as well as Erik. She however was still in her pajamas.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She laughed.

"No, please come and eat first. I told them we were going into town after breakfast. Animals are already fed, eggs collected."

Anne smiled at this.

She sat at the table and Erik handed her coffee and some toast with eggs.

After breakfast they headed down to the shop. They had snowshoes and poles to help them get there since the road was still somewhat covered over in snow.

Thomas and Gwen walk ahead of them and it gave Erik a chance to talk to Anne about what he was running from.

"Anne, I haven't yet told you about all that happened back in Poland. My wife and child were killed by police officers because of what I am."

"What you are? ..Oh."

"I know it's a touchy subject."

"No it's not that. It's just, I don't really look at you and think mutant. I have been around mutants since I was born, it's not strange to me. It doesn't frighten me."

"I haven't used my power since I've been here. It's been very easy, I mean you've made it easy. You don't talk about it much. But Anne, I killed those men for what they did to my family."

They had stopped walking now and were facing each other.

"You don't have to explain, I know. I would have done the same."

Just then Thomas cried out.

"Mama! Help!" Gwen screamed.

Erik and Anne hurried to where they were. Thomas fell down the hill, which had caved in some from the heavy snow. His snowshoe was caught on a tree and he was hanging upside down.

"Hang on Thomas! We're here!"

"I've got him!" Erik shouted. He held out his hand and the snowshoes metal braces extended, allowing it to be broken away from the tree. Thomas fell to the ground, which was only about five feet or so. He hopped back up. "I'm okay Mama!"

They shuffled down the hill to where he was. He was fine, just covered in snow.

"Thank you." Anne whispered to Erik as she squeezed his hand in hers. He nodded. The children didn't seem to notice that he had just used his power to save Thomas. Anne didn't know if she should address it, but for now they carried on. They had lived in seclusion for so long, they hadn't really talked about mutants. They knew Charles was one, but they are so young, Anne didn't think they could process exactly what that means yet.

Once they got to the shop they were greeted by a friend of Anne's who owned the bakery next store. She spoke in Norwegian and Anne spoke back in the same language. It was the first time Erik had heard her speak it. The children spoke it as well when the women asked them something. Anne hadn't even spoken it to the children since he's been there. The women took Thomas and Gwen to her bakery next store.

"She's going to get them a treat she said."

"Why have you not spoken in Norwegian before?" he asked.

"We used to spend every day down here so we would speak it daily, but the past year we haven't been in town much."

Erik understood now. Once Nathan was gone, she hired someone to run the shop so she could disappear. Erik understood better then anyone.