Light A Way

56

"Don't encourage this and let it continue on!" Elsie exclaimed though it seemed wasted as Hank just seemed to ignore her and went off charging up the stairs. "Goddammit!" She spat and turned to look at Charles. He was ramrod straight against the column behind him, with his hands now flexing and clenching by his sides. "Hey..." Elsie reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. The mere touch caused him to flinch and open his eyes. "It'll be okay." She smiled as reassuringly as she could, which was rather hard considering the tear filled pained eyes which were staring at her.

"She's right, it'll be okay. Now pull yourself together, it's not over yet." Logan said seriously while stepping closer to the pair and finding himself feeling rather awkward. He didn't know what to do here, in a situation like this. It seemed he wasn't alone because Elsie seemed to be in just as much of a loss as himself.

"You don't believe that. Neither of you do." Charles said through some sudden bout of clarity as he looked from one to the other. Elsie looked up from the floor and looked to him, while Logan merely ran a hand down his face. This moment was getting worse as each second ticked by.

"You know what? Yes. You're absolutely right! I know things won't be okay, and do you know why I know? Because you're shutting everything out! I mean...bloody hell, you are possibly one of the most stubborn yet strongest people I have ever known, Charles. But not like this...you, the you I first met...though hugely smug and annoying at times, you were also quite fearless and charming. That is who you need to be now...not this, not this person so dependent on a drug to pass off as a normal person, it isn't worth it. Could you honestly live the rest of your life like that? Because I know I couldn't." Elsie said fiercely only to calm halfway through and then just speak in a gentle tone as she ran a hand through his hair and gently placed her hand on his cheek. "It hurts. But if there is one thing I have ever learned from you, is that sometimes the pain is worth it if it leads to who you're truly meant to be." She whispered while his turmoil seemed to dwindle slightly as he sat and listened to her. He looked at her with sudden clear eyes as the pressure seemed to pass only to return again and that caused him to grit his teeth and bow his head. Shifting and sitting beside him, she wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him close. He leaned against her shoulder and shut his eyes, she tried quietly calming him by running her hand through his hair, but it did little good. She ended up resting her head on top of his with her eyes shut too.

"Look," opening her eyes she looked up at Logan. She had admittedly quite forgotten him being present. Charles lifted his head away from her shoulder and looked to him too. "I'm still here, and she's still out there. But we need your help, Charles. Elsie's right, we can't have you help like this. We need you. We can't find Raven without your powers." Logan said lowly and seriously, if Elsie could sit and speak the truth then he could stand and look down on the pair and do the same. Elsie smiled and looked at Charles, he continued to look in pain up at him. His eyes and attention snapped to Hank though as he reappeared.

Elsie muttered something and moved away from him. It was something which caused Charles to look at her with more pain. "I ain't sitting next to you while you inject that crap into your body. Sorry, but no." She said determinedly while walking over and standing next to Logan. Managing to stiffly cross her arms she watched with disdain as Hank relinquished a syringe to Charles's awaiting hands. He seemed to waste little to no time in rolling up his shirt sleeve and attempting to find a vein. Both Logan and herself got sent the agony filled torn gaze up at them. Both seemed to hold onto their beliefs. Neither were going to back down from their truth filled words.

Looking painfully up at the ceiling, Charles readjusted his grip on the syringe and turned it over in his hands before slamming his hands down on the cold flooring beneath him. The syringe clinked from the impact but otherwise remained intact. Holding up a hand he merely waved it at Hank. "Do me a favour and help me up." Charles didn't quite trust his own legs to suddenly support him. With ease Hank grasped onto his hand and pulled him up. Clasping a hand on his shoulder, Hank didn't move away until he was sure Charles wasn't about to collapse.