Chapter 7
Adults were not as smart as they thought they were. This was something Jean was well aware of. She had thought the Mr.Charlie was different though, a smart, nice person.
She had obviously been wrong.
Sitting with her ear pressed up to the hardwood door, she had spent the last hour wanting to shout at both her teacher, and foster father.
"If you want to just roll over for the humans and abandon our mutant brethren that's your prerogative, but I won't stand for it!" Mr.Lehnsherr raised his voice for the millionth time.
"If you want to make any progress you have to let go of this anger! We need to show them they don't need to be scared you insufferable man!" Mr.Charlie was being loud too, Jean did not like it.
"You'll be grateful for my anger when it's the only thing stopping men in uniform from dragging Jean out of my class!"
What.
Jean felt a spike of panic, and she pushed the door open without realizing. Eyes welling up with tears she looked frantically between the two men.
"They're gonna take me away?" She felt a burning lump in her throat as she forced out the words.
"Erik!" Mr.Charlie shouted again before wheeling over the Jean. She was breathing fast.
"Please don't let them take me." She wanted to show them, all the tests the doctors had done, all the awful things people had thought about her. "Mr.Charlie I don't want to go!" She hugged him as tightly as she could. Praying that he wouldn't let her go.
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The moment Erik saw little Jean Grey fighting back tears, he felt like the worlds biggest monster.
"Erik!" Charles shouted at him, using his first name instead of the usual honorifics.
If you say another word in front of her I will make you forget how to breath. Xavier's voice was threatening in his mind, not that he would have said anything anyway. The girl wasn't meant to hear that. He watched as she begged Mr.Xavier to not let the humans take her away, and his heart broke at the sight.
"I won't be letting anyone take you away. Okay? No one will harm you ever again. I won't let them. And..." Xavier took a deep breath before continuing, " and Mr.Lehnsherr would never let anything happen to you at school either. We are just having an argument."
It took a few minutes to console the young girl before Charles took her to her room. Erik stood awkwardly in the study while Charles did his fatherly duties. Taking a chance to look around the room, he sat down at a table with a chess set covered in dust. Absent mindedly he moved a pawn forward.
"If this is going to work, I need you to keep control of your temper." Mr.Xavier sounded calm, but Erik could feel the anger simmering under the surface.
"Bold words for a man who just threatened by breathing." He bit out the remark, "how is Ms.Jean? I didn't mean to upset her."
Charles huffed, "She's going to be fine. But we have to come to a compromise, we need to approach these parents with understanding or they will never hear our case, and Jean will be the one facing the consequences." He was staring at Erik with those piercing blue eyes.
"I won't compromise my morals for the comfort of the humans Charles," he forced himself to breath normally, "but I will agree that hostility is getting us no where."
He sat at the table with the chess set, rubbing a hand over his face.
"Do you play?" The question caught Erik off guard.
"Yes, a little." He hadn't played since college. "But I suppose being a telepath you would have a bit of an advantage."
Charles rolled his eyes, "That attitude is the same one that so many humans employ, you realize that right?"
Erik contemplated for a moment, "The difference is they fear you for it. I find it remarkable."
Charles blinked in surprise before smiling, "well then, we can continue this discussion over a game."
Erik smiled back as they set up the board.
It was well past dark when Erik left the Xavier mansion.