"Hey!" Raven was walking around the corridors trying to find everyone, or at least those who weren't already gathered in the sitting room. There was something on the television which had caused a moment to pause, Alex and Sean were simply watching television before a news report came on and interrupted the show. Naturally, they made a lot of fuss, and since she was passing, she stuck her head around the door. She wasn't expecting to see the still image of the President sitting behind a thick and heavy looking desk, papers organised on the surface; he was looking dead centre to the screen and whatever it was he was about to say, was clearly written on one of the papers below him.

The boys hadn't made a move, so Raven did. She managed to find Hank, and luckily enough Charles seemed to be with him, and where he was Moira wasn't actually that far behind. That just left Erik and Valeryia. Raven couldn't help but sigh shortly, if either of them were in their rooms, then no problem. But if they were together, then Raven really didn't want to interrupt. The few times she had in the past were awkward, or at least she found them awkward.

Luckily enough they appeared before she even had to step foot up the stairs. "Are you okay?" Valeryia asked, sounding concerned that there might be something wrong with the blonde.

She shook her head, tucking stray blonde strands behind her ear, she looked back over her shoulder, where no doubt everyone was now sitting. "There's something on...you guys might want to see it." She explained in a serious tone, the President didn't do television speeches for no reason. Clearly something was happening, and that something was clearly big.

Erik looked down at Valeryia, and she glanced from Raven up to him before jumping down the final step and linked her arm with Raven's. She turned with the momentum and walked beside Valeryia back to the sitting room. Charles and Moira had taken to sitting side by side, everyone else was either dotted about the room, or standing behind the sofa to get a proper view of the screen. They both stopped, and Raven felt the arm slip from around hers, she looked past her to see that Erik stopped on Valeryia's other side. With a small frown she looked back to the television, everyone else was looking at it with equal grave expressions. No one needed to even state the obviousness of how serious this all was, the feeling was very prominent in the air.

"It shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack by the Soviet Union on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union.-"

The volume got muted, and Erik gestured a hand towards the silent imagery still flickering across the screen. "That's where we're going to find Shaw." He stated obviously. From beside him he got a small line of confused faces looking up and in his direction. He felt the fingers which had taken to brushing and almost entwining with his own back off, if only so Valeryia could cross her arms with a thoughtful hum. He didn't know if that hum was out of agreeing with him, or if her thoughts were trailing off elsewhere, and she was getting lost in something else.

"How do you know?" Alex asked, he was still firmly frowning and looking in Erik's direction, clearly waiting for him to explain his words.

"Two super powers facing off, and he wants to start World War Three. He won't leave anything to chance." Charles said in a heavily thoughtful tone while frowning, he was still looking towards the television as it continued on silently.

"So much for diplomacy." Erik muttered rather sarcastically. That wasn't to say he didn't believe things could be solved civilly. He did wish to believe in Charles's naive way of thinking; that things could be solved like that, but he knew deep down it wasn't going to happen. From experience of knowing Shaw, and how he operated, Erik knew it would come down to some sort of fight. Like hell would that man bow out gracefully. With a sigh he simply glanced to the side, "I suggest you all get a good night's sleep." And with that he simply turned and strode away.

Blinking slowly, Raven looked to Valeryia as she shrugged and smiled up at her. "Want to spend the rest of the day together?"

Raven slowly smiled, though what started off as a small smile, soon grew into an overly ecstatic one. "Yes!" Valeryia laughed at her enthusiastic tone. Honestly, Raven hadn't seen much of Valeryia, and that saddened her slightly. She missed just talking to her about nonsense. Sure, they did also talk of serious topics, but mostly their conversations weren't serious.

"Cool, come on then." She didn't want to hang around this room for much longer. Everyone was looking sterner by the moment, and it was getting her down. Raven simply followed, the atmosphere in the room wasn't missed by her either. She ran her hands up and down her arms, she wasn't cold, she just did it out of nervous habit. The soft black material of her dress bought little comfort to Raven as she followed Valeryia through the corridors until they hauled up in another room. She watched as her friend simply went and sat on the window seat, enjoying the sun which was still coming through the large window.

Raven slowly walked over, sitting down she leaned back against the window and sighed. Valeryia looked at her from the corner of her eyes. "We could die tomorrow." Raven said plainly, she tilted her head slowly and looked to the girl by her side.

Valeryia had pulled her knees to her chest and was resting her chin against them. Her arms were wrapped around her legs. "I know." She said softly, her eyes slid shut and she sat in silence for a few moments. Raven honestly didn't think she was about to say anything else, until she straightened up and leaned back against the wall. Her amber eyes looked up at the ceiling, and at the sun which was reflecting off of the light paintwork. "But I don't intend to. I've got things to do after all of this, Raven. Things which I cannot do if I die, obviously, because the dead can't do anything. If you think of death, the more likely you are to screw up somehow. End goal...the big picture, and no way does death factor in for me."

Raven looked at her curiously then. She pushed her hair over her shoulder and rested her hands against her knees. "What is the big picture?" A confused look got sent her way. "What do you plan to do when all of this is finished?" Raven smiled, explaining her earlier question.

"I've got people to find."

"Your family?"

"Not exactly." Valeryia said awkwardly, "I suppose, yes...my father is out there somewhere. Him and I have a reunion which is long overdue. And a woman, a nurse, I need to thank her. But I need to find her." She said while combing a hand through her hair. She nervously laughed and shrugged loosely. "It sounds so easy, but the world is so big."

Raven smiled, "Is this also an excuse to go travelling?" There was a coy smile in return. "Knew it!" Raven laughed and clapped her hands together. She nodded and looked forwards, her eyes just skimmed the rows and rows of bookcases and stacked books. "It sounds fun. It's good to see you know what you want to do after all of this."

"You don't?"

Raven pressed her lips into a thin line and shrugged. "Where ever I go, I'm always with Charles." She explained, she had been alone. She knew what it was like to be alone, and she didn't like it then, and she doubted she would like it much now.

"Want to come on a road trip with me?"

Raven laughed again and looked to Valeryia as she sat forwards looking mischievously at her. "You're being serious?"

"I need someone to travel with!"

"But...but what about Erik?"

Valeryia's nose scrunched up. "I don't think he would want to meet my father."

"And you think I do?" Raven asked with a roll of her eyes. From what she knew, her father sounded truly dreadful.

"Erik will kill him, as soon as he sees him." Raven looked back at her when she spoke quietly, yet frankly. There wasn't really any expression on her face either. It set Raven off, the only time she saw Valeryia like this, was when she was fighting. "Revenge is something that I feel Erik knows all too well. It is something that wouldn't make him think twice. It would help to have someone with me who isn't likely to kill the man before I get answers." By all means, once her questions had been answered, go right ahead. She wanted the old man dead, though she'd prefer to do it. "That and I would love a travel partner!"

Raven smiled, though it slowly slipped and she looked down at the ground. Shaking her head, she looked back up with a small frown. "You wouldn't stay here?" She asked quietly, Valeryia looked thoughtful. Raven turned and looked at her, "If everything goes well tomorrow, would you come back here...before going?" She paused, "Would you come back and stay?"

"Stay with you and Charles?"

"Sure! Why not?"

Valeryia laughed, Raven's hopeful expression dwindled and she looked a little saddened that Valeryia was perhaps laughing at her suggestion. "For real?! I have never had a real home! I could call this place home...forever?!"

"Forever is a long time, Val. But for as long as you wanted, yes." Raven said only to let out a startled noise when she got swamped in a pair of arms. Valeryia had shot forwards and wrapped her up tightly and let out an excited giggle.

"Thank you!" Raven finally got let go and looked at Valeryia's happy face. She couldn't help but smile widely too. She clapped her hands and jumped up, "Thank you!" She grabbed her hands and pulled Raven to a stand.

"Where are we going?" Raven asked while being pulled around.

"This is our last day before war, a fight, sorry. I believe we should spend it relaxing, and you know, I have never had something which is called a 'girly day'."

Raven pulled back and Valeryia stumbled back against her. Raven steadied her by her shoulders and helped her straighten up. "Never?!" She exclaimed as Valeryia shook her head quickly. "Shall I tell you something? Neither have I," Raven whispered while Valeryia looked at her with wide eyes. Eventually they both exchanged a certain look before darting up the stairs. Raven grabbed onto Valeryia's hand and pulled her this time around the corner and towards her room, all the while asking whether Valeryia had ever had her nails painted, and such things like that. Raven had never had any close girl friends when she was growing up, always slightly sceptical and careful, she had missed out on having a fellow girl to do such things with. The promise of a whole day to just relax and mess around, sounded truly ideal to her. She couldn't honestly think of anything she would rather be doing right now.

----

Erik had spent the rest of the day to himself, honestly he was trying to find the right train of thought to concentrate on; tomorrow he was finally going to confront Shaw, and this time he wasn't going to get pushed off a bloody boat, nor was Shaw going to escape in a submarine. No, tomorrow Erik was going to confront Shaw, and he was going to be the one walking away. He knew this. He believed this. He had done all along. It's what drove him thus far, knowing that at the end of this he was going to get the end result that he had tried, and failed to get previously. Frowning, he looked up when he heard the door open, he hadn't realised that he had just been sitting in the usual study room for hours until it was dark outside; a forgotten book in his lap, legs outstretched and crossed at the ankles and just staring off into space. A few times he had tried reading, only to just stare blankly at the pages. He wasn't taking anything in.

Charles smiled, "This is where you've been hiding, hm?" He shut the door and shuffled in more. He sat down opposite to him and just nodded. "You look a million miles away." He nodded, Erik shut the book slowly and with a sigh, placed it to the side. What was the point of keeping a hold of it, if he wasn't even paying any attention to it? "I take it your thoughts are taken up by tomorrow?" Charles asked offhandedly while taking to setting up the board between them. The chessboard was left in the same state in which it was left in. He couldn't be bothered to pick up from a previous match. It would just be a whole lot easier to start again.

Erik just sat and watched as he busied himself righting the pieces. "And yours aren't?" He couldn't help but find himself asking.

Charles paused and looked to him. "Of course they are," he said simply while nodding. Erik rolled his eyes and sat up straighter and took the first move.

"And?" Erik asked watching Charles ponder for a moment before moving one of his pieces against the board.

"There's a lot of variables." Charles replied while removing his hand from the top of the piece and setting it back in his lap.

Erik couldn't help but scoff, "That's putting it lightly, don't you think?" He asked with a frown, he couldn't help but sound sarcastic. But honestly, Charles could've chosen to say anything else, but something so ridiculous.

Charles had a small frown on his face, Erik raised an eyebrow when he stood up and walked to the side of the room. Clearly if they were going to have this conversation, it was going to go down well with something alcoholic. Charles turned back and held a glass out to Erik, he leaned forwards and took it from Charles's hand and took a sip before placing it on the small cabinet beside him. With a sigh, Charles sat back down, his own glass resting in between his palms. "Cuba, Russia, America. It makes no difference, Shaw's declared war on mankind. On all of us, he has to be stopped."

Erik tilted his head, "I'm not going to stop Shaw. I'm going to kill him." Erik slid a piece across the board and paused to look at Charles. "Do you have it in you to allow that?" He asked, not receiving an immediate answer, or one at all. Charles did look at him with a hard look though, it seemed that alone was his sign of disagreeing. Erik couldn't help but sigh and look at him frankly, "You've known all along that was why I was here, Charles." There was no reason for him to be sitting looking at Erik like that for. "But things have changed. What started as a covert mission, tomorrow mankind will know that mutants exist. Shaw, us, they won't differentiate. They'll fear us. And that fear will turn to hatred."

"Not if we stop a war. Not if we can prevent Shaw. Not if we risk our lives doing so." Charles said determinedly, clearly trying to sway the opinion in the other direction.

"Will they do the same for us?" Erik asked bluntly. If the situations were turned, could he honestly see humankind doing the same for them? No. He had to admit to himself, no, he didn't. Charles the eternal optimist didn't seem to agree as he straightened in his chair with a frown. The game in front of them now very much forgotten about.

"We have it in us to be the better men." Charles said lowly, yet seriously while looking straight at him.

"We already are! We're the next stage of human evolution. You said it yourself." Erik said disbelievingly at Charles's moment of apparent ignorance.

He frowned and shook his head, "No!" He didn't like any of his previous words or actions being twisted and warped. Least of all in a conversation against himself.

"Are you really so naive, as to think that they won't battle their own extinction? Or is it arrogance?" Erik asked while equally staring right back at Charles with unblinking blue eyes.

"I'm sorry?"

"After tomorrow, they're going to turn on us. But you're blind to it, because you believe they're all like Moira." Erik said while looking at Charles slightly spitefully.

"You believe they're all like Shaw." Charles replied back quietly, yet seriously. Erik just continued to look at him with a blank look. In part, he supposed they were both deluded by their own separate ideals about humans. "Listen to me very carefully, my friend. Killing Shaw will not bring you peace."

Erik thought about that for a moment before simply nodding, "Peace was never an option." He couldn't help but smirk over that really, he was under no illusion that the path he walked down, was not a peaceful one. Truthfully, there wasn't going to be a whole lot of good. "Perhaps we best leave it here for tonight," Erik said while looking to the game.

"Perhaps it is for the best." Charles leaned back and looked to Erik, he stared right back before standing and leaving the room.

Erik couldn't help but shake his head over most of that conversation. Walking slowly up the stairs he sent a frown in Hank's direction when he seemed to go charging off in the other direction. Well, someone was clearly in a rush. He wasn't even going to concern himself over that. He just wanted to go to bed, he just wanted to muse over some points Charles bought up and go to sleep and wake up tomorrow for the face off against Shaw.

Opening the door, he sighed, he couldn't help it. He kicked the door shut silently and walked over to the bed. Kneeling down he reached up and took the book from Valeryia's hands, it was going to fall to the floor any minute. Her hands had such a loose grasp, he was surprised she was even still holding on. She whispered something and tucked her arms under her head, now that they were free. How she was managing to sleep so on the edge was beyond him.

Lifting up a hand, he moved hair from her face and stilled when her eyes squeezed shut before slowly opening. "Go back to sleep."

"Can I stay?" She asked quietly, her voice still very sleepy sounding.

Erik smiled, "Of course." He wasn't going to kick her out of his room. Even more so considering she was basically more asleep than awake. What sort of person would that make him? Not only that, he could easily admit he was feeling a little selfish and wanted her close, even more so with tomorrow mere hours away. She whispered a thanks and shut her eyes again, he trailed his hand through her hair before straightening up. He kissed her on the forehead, an odd habit which he had picked up and didn't seem to wish to drop and set to changing out of his clothes. He looked to her as he slipped into the bed behind her, reaching forwards he gently pulled her backwards. It wasn't particularly hard considering she wiggled in his hold too to become more comfortable. The last thing either of them needed was for her to fall out of the bed. No, yet again, Erik wanted to keep her close.

Erik opened his eyes when he felt her shift again, she turned and shuffled slightly before tucking her head under his and reaching up to place her hands against his chest. He felt her tense slightly, clearly the last thing she was expecting was for her hands to come to rest against skin. He couldn't help but smile and bury his face against her hair, he tucked a hand in the back of her head and kept her close, her naivety and slight innocence just seemed to work in her favour of becoming rather endearing. She wasn't oblivious, that was probably why being like this didn't irk him in some small way.

"We will win." Erik's eyes opened again when he heard her whisper this. He looked down as she looked up. "We have to win, because bad people don't deserve any gratification, any happy endings, any wins; nothing, they get nothing. We will win."

"Of course we will." Erik said while stroking his thumb over her cheek, she suddenly didn't look so half asleep, he supposed him arriving must've woken her up.

"I never asked...what did you plan to do when all of this is over? You know what I intend to do, even though Raven seems to want me to stay here, or return here..."

"You don't seem bought on that." He couldn't help but comment, choosing not to answer her question.

"...I don't know where I will wind up. Did you honestly think you'd be here, when you first set out finding Shaw?"

"No."

"See," Valeryia said while burying her face against him. "My point exactly. After finding him, I might not wish to return back...I don't know, I can't think that far ahead."

"Do you plan to stay? I mean after you've achieved all you wanted?"

"I have nowhere else." She admitted, Erik nodded his head. Honestly he couldn't imagine himself settling down here. But he wasn't going to tell her that. "We could die tomorrow."

"Where did your confidence go?"

"It's just a thought. Things could go in any direction."

Erik nodded slowly, true, he couldn't say otherwise. He didn't plan on being the one to die tomorrow though. "You're worried," he felt her nod. "Perhaps I could suggest something else to distract your thoughts away from the bad scenarios?" He could feel her frown before she lifted her head away and looked at him. She did look so confused in the dim lighting, the moon didn't really illuminate much through the curtains; but what he could see was her puzzled expression. He cupped her face with his free hand, his other was under the pillow where she now rested her head, supporting both it and her. Leaning down as he tilted her head upwards, he kissed her. She threaded her fingers into his hair and was pulling him closer within minutes. She tensed and scooted away when she distinctly felt a hand skim across her stomach. Erik sighed, tucking hair back over her ear, he looked at her. "Come on, Val. Go back to sleep." He said while straightening out her vest and bringing her back into his arms. She was tense for a few moments before her felt her relax and reach back up to hold onto him. It seemed to take her a minute or so to go back to sleep, but once she had she was fully resting against him and in his arms. Knowing she was back asleep and content was enough for Erik as he looked around one final time, taking in the room he was likely never going to see again after tomorrow, and shut his eyes waiting for sleep to creep up on him.