AN: Sorry for the constant teasing but... School. and yeah, that should cover everything. Sincerest apologies. After that, my keyboard went out of comission. Chapter is shorter than usual but it's giving way to the *main* plot too :3

He's melting in this strange, intoxicating heat; it's filling his body, taking over his mind and wiping him off-shore, into some foreign, intoxicating sea of pleasure and lust and wantneedwant-

Then there's that, this prickling, low current of pain that's buzzing behind all of the blinding white lust that's drowning him. It's filthy, and sudden sensations begin to fill his every nerve, of tongues and teeth and lips and hands and-Christ, he can come from just this but no, it's not enough, barely enough, and Charles feels like he's dangling on the very precipice of pure, undiluted ecstasy, waiting, waiting to be shoved over the edge into the throes of nirvana but it's not enough, and he can't move and he doesn't know if he's moaning or not but it feels almost too good to the point of tears.

"Ich wusset, du hast mich verdammt, mich ruiniert... ihr blut, nein, sie"

And then he's there, pushed over by the husky voice and half-slurred words, pushed into the light, moaning and screaming and thrashing and he hears s broaned out curse but it isn't his and then-

Flashes

-something dark begins to descend on him, and he's not in this sea of pleasure but he's in these murky depths of arctic water, freezing and desolate and full of misery and anguish.

"Sag mir, Erik, ist es das was Sie wollen? Das ewige Leben?"

And Charles screams out in agony as he feels a needle pierce his arm, drawing all of the blood from his veins. He wants t o shout "No! No, i would rather die than become a monster like you!" but the man has already made his mind, and he's drawing closer and closer.

"Tell me, Erik, is this what you want? Eternal life?"

"Mom! Mom, you-you sick monster!" Charles closes his eyes as tears stream down his face, trying to move his body but he's stuck, trapped by the metal biting into his wrists and biceps, ankles and shins, neck and across his chest on the slab of cold concrete.

But he's pressing awkwardly on a wooden desk, the edge stabbing him in the back of his knee. There's a warm weight covering his body, pressing him down but it is no longer a cold, clinical hold on his body.

"Char...Charles!"

And there's that voice, rich and worried, no longer a low, dangerous German.

"E-Erik..."

There was only warmth

And then there was nothing.

Diary of Raven Darkholme

May 8th.

I woke up when I heard loud curses and shouting. When I went downstairs Erik was holding Charles in his arms, and he was yelling at the three other's-Sean, Alex and Hank. I scrambled down the stairs and probably sounded a little crazed when I saw that Charles was unconscious but-really? For the love of God he was so pale and cold, I didn't even look at the three idiots, I kept shouting at Erik, demanding ot know that had happened and then Hank grabbed my hand before I hit the bastard and told me that 'now wasn't a good time'

The fuck?

I'm just in here, waiting for Erik to come and tell me what the hell happened.

It's a terrifying to think that one of them may have fed on Charles.

And that one may have been Erik himself.

"I'm pissed" is an understatement. No, I'm more life furious\\worried\\confused\\murderous at the moment.

But...most of all, I feel guilty.

I should have told Charles from the start.

It's all a lie.

Later.

So I've calmed down.

Sort of.

Hank came in and talked to me about this morning (or was it night? Point is that no living soul should be awake at such a time!). He said something about the other night (How should I know I'm awful with dates) how Alex had tried to attack Charles and Both Sean and himself had merely backed away. I mean, Alex used to freak me out before, so I totally get it.

Only, Erik got all protective of Charles and they left the two alone.

Hank said something to me about Mates and I almost wanted to start laughing, but he was completely serious. All I can remember from his whole scientific analysis of whatever the hell it was that he was trying to tell me was that Charles apparently draws Erik's...more inane desires out in the open. I kind of shudder thinking about my brother doing that to someone like Erik but... it makes sense.

I blame all of this-what's happening to me, what's going on to Charles on that bastard Cain and Kurt.

Sometimes...sometimes I'm glad I can hardly remember what they've done.

Sometimes I'm glad Charles can't remember at all.

Erik stayed at the bedside, shrouded in the darkness of the room. He sighed and stared at Charles' distressed twisted features, marred in anguish even in sleep. He rubbed a hand against his stinging eyes and sat back against the heavy wooden chair, thoughts a torrent of guilt. He still couldn't wrap his mind around what had happened-Charles' willingness, the ultimate crumble of his self-control, the bliss and then Charles'...whatever the hell that had happened to Charles.

What the hell happened?

Erik had heard of something like this happening before, a moment in which the supplier (Erik still hates the term) somehow falls victim to one mishap or another. It was something his creator had told him about, the certain possibilities in which it could happen. Either Charles had some kind of mutation in his blood-maybe a distant line of werewolf's strain, though Erik would have smelled or tasted such- or Charles was part of what his creator had called 'Protocol 0'.

It all stemmed back to one fact: he knew nothing about Charles.

And, since the aforementioned was currently unconscious, Erik decided that he and Raven needed a little chat.

"Hank" Erik called out, watching Charles to see if the loud shout would cause any reaction. A bit angry at the lack of response, Erik turned to the doorway and nodded at the young man. "I need you to stay here with Charles for a few moments. Call only if something in his current condition changes."

"Where are-are you going?" Hank asks, slightly bashful. His long fingers are fiddling together in a nervous habit, something Erik is already accustomed to.

"I need to have a chat with our guest" Erik ground out as he bumped past the younger man.

Hank looked like he wanted to say something to his elder but, instead, simply bit his lip and nodded. Erik hadns't trav, just a few doors down the hall and then he stopped, knocked and waited.

And waited.

and (guess what?) waited.

"Raven, you know why I'm here and you know that I won't leave until you tell me what's going on." Erik called out, hoping that Raven could hear him. "Please, it's important!" Erik shouts.

"Okay, listen here," Raven starts as she unlocks the door," there is a lot to tell and... a lot that I can't say, a lot that is just blank." There was a pause as Erik waited for the door to be opened. "And Charles has no recollection whatsoever of any of this. Don't even mention it to him." The door opened and Erik nearly flinched at the absolutely destroyed Raven that stood just beyond the 's usually bouncy blonde curls where in tangles, her blue eyes duller and weary, her clothes rumpled and used; she was a far cry from the Raven Erik had become accustomed to.

"You came to me when you where in need, confused and felt like you had no one to turn to. I asked no questions as to how you found me, what you are going through or why you have come to me." Erik looks hard into Raven's tired gaze. "But now, now I need answers. Raven, just why are you here? Who, or what, are you... you and your brother?"

"Erik, I'm so, so sorry for never telling-I wanted to, as soon as you had confided in me the truth, about yourself and the other's." Raven's eyes filled to the brim with tears and she sobbed once before rambling on. "But then-then the pain had come back, and the transformation was almost complete, so much pain, and then Charles came and-and..." Raven trailed off as one tear fell after another. She quickly wiped at the tears and made way for Erik to enter. "Come in, come in, and...take a seat. It's a pretty complicated story."

Erik had figured as much.

He took a seat on the small sofa that was aligned against the wall across from the queen sized bed in the center of the room. Raven sat at the edge of her bed, wiped the last stray tears on her cheeks and took a deep breath.

"It, it all began when a man named Brian Xavier-"

"Erik! ERIK!"Hank shouted, followed by a rush of footsteps to the door. Raven and Erik's heads snapped up to the doorway, surprised by the frazzled, terrified look on Hank's face. "Charles."

Nothing else had to be said.

Raven and Erik where in the hallway and bursting into the room in less than five seconds.

Charles was-convulsing on the bed, crying out and groaning as his back arched almost painfully, his eyes shut and his mouth agape; he was paler than before ans sweating his hands clawing at the taut body, the messy bedspread and anything in reach.

"Get-get away!" Charles shouted before crying out painfully, "Warum?" Charles' jaw clenched and he groaned deep in his throat.

His head snapped to the right, and dead blue eyes bore into Erik's before slowly turning to Raven's shocked gaze. "Make him stop, my head hurts, the pills aren't working anymore," Charles murmured in a sweet tone, childish and dazed. Raven gasped and covered her mouth as tears flowed freely down her cheeks, her head shaking back and forth. "Why are you doing this? Please, I don't...I don't know what youre-stop please please please please I con't hear what you-make the voices stop, make them stop!"

Charles' back arched once more and he screamed for a final time, his body coiled and tense before he collapsed, heavy and unconscious, back onto the disheveled bed. His body was damp with sweat, face twisted in agonized sleep as the tear tracks slowly dried, the stark scarlet that was oozing from his nose was in stark contrast to his pale skin and the dark brown waves of his hair.

The silence stretched on.

Erik didn't look away from Charles in fear that the other would start to seize once more. Raven, in her shocked and tearful stpor, had managed to back right into the chifferobe behind her, and Erik could still make out the same terse posture, hands shivering and clmaping down on her mouth and the wide, schoked and fearful blue eyes.

"What the hell was that?" Erik finally asks, tearing his gaze to scrutinize Raven. She slowly turned her head while keeping her gaze on Charles before looking at Erik.

"I-I don't know" Raven replies, but the look in her eyes claimed otherwise.

Yes, it would be a long story indeed.