Like she thought, she was not welcomed back with wide, open happy arms. Sure, Valeryia didn't fight back as the trio in front of her sought to trying to fight her. Hank, Sean and Alex were just on the defensive, since she left with Erik, she presumed they believed she was here with something to do with him. But no, Valeryia was here for her and her alone.

Azazel had gone, he had left her at the gate to the long stretching driveway. She was fine with that, truthfully, she thought if he was with her, then the reaction would be worse. Much, much worse. Standing with her hands up, Valeryia was the image of coming in peace, she thought, no weapons drawn, no powers activated, no nothing. She just stood on the gravelled path, she hadn't even managed to get to the door before someone caught sight of her. And then that was a cue for the three of them to come out on the offensive.

As if she was going to come here and cause trouble, least of all towards Charles. Despite of everything, and there was a lot which was in the category of everything, he was one of few people who seemed to actually invest time in her life, and give a damn. So no, if there was one person who, above all, that she didn't want to bring trouble to, and on, it was Charles.

"Seriously, if we wanted to fight, I'm pretty certain one of us would've moved by now." Valeryia lowered her arms. They were aching and all this posturing was really for nothing. She shoved her hands in her pockets and shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"Got sick and tired of Erik already?" Alex commented with a nod of his head. The unsaid was rather obvious. Valeryia rolled her eyes, if she were going to go crawling off it may and may not have been back to here. Alex just still stood on the offensive though, as if she was suddenly going to spring into action.

"Haha," Valeryia spoke dryly while looking about. "Listen, believe it or not-"

"Probably more the latter than the former." Sean decided to contribute while slowly lazing back against the wall. Suppose he didn't need to look as ready to spring into action like Hank and Alex, especially considering with one shout he could deafen Valeryia, and or do worse damage if he wished.

She sighed heavily and hung her head, "I needed Emma! That's why I am here."

"To tell us information that would rather be kept amongst those who need to know?" Hank's golden eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Didn't take you for an undercover spy."

Valeryia raised an eyebrow, "Informant sounds cooler," she commented with a smirk. "But no. I'm not here to snitch. I'm here for help. Charles's help, if I'm going to be specific, no offence to you lot." The Three Musketeers sort of came to mind.

"And we should believe you because?"

"Because, if I wanted in, I would already be in and there wouldn't be much you three could do about it." She snapped back at Alex. "Surely me trying to politely enter means something?" Or not, apparently with the way they continued to still bar the door. She sighed, "Look, I just need to ask Charles somethings, and then I'll be gone and you'll never see me again. Isn't that what you all want? Let me in, I'll be about an hour, and then I'll go and you'll be rid. Sounds like a win-win to me."

Hank, seemingly being the one of reason sighed and side stepped. Alex and Sean looked at him with varied looks. "An hour."

"And then you can personally kick me out, Hank." Valeryia walked closer to the three of them. She grinned though when she drew close, "That's if you can catch me." There was a snort or rather an amused noise which came from Hank as he followed her into the manor. As if he would struggle to get her. She was quick, but Hank was quicker at running, and stronger, maybe. That had never been tested out. Not that Valeryia wanted to fight Hank. She didn't want that. "Where?"

"Study, like usual." Hank replied and watched as she looked down the corridor with a nod. He glanced at Alex and Sean who looked at Valeryia with different displeased looks, not that she seemed to pay mind. Hank couldn't help but sigh, she clearly knew coming here wouldn't be good, yet she continued to act nonchalant to it. With the way the light in her eyes dimmed, Hank could tell otherwise. She was hurting, even if she didn't want to openly admit it. "Are you okay?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah...yeah I'm good. You?" She responded noticing that it was just them two in the foyer. "Still...blue?" She commented while his eyes narrowed. "No offence, seriously, trust me it's the least weirdest thing I've seen. Not calling you weird, good Lord this is all coming out wrong. I'm just going to go, and then you can kick me out."

"I wouldn't, you know?"

"Kindly escort me, then?" Valeryia grinned from over her shoulder, she watched Hank shake his head before turning away. She didn't need guiding to the study. Nor did she need him to be present to meet Charles again. Valeryia listened to Hank walking in the other direction, it was weird how quiet this building was now that everyone had gone. She felt her stomach plummet, as if she'd just jumped from up high down to the ground. It was sad, all of it, was really sad.

Coming to the study door, she inwardly groaned, reaching up and knocking she listened to the voice inside calling out, she opened the door and peeked around. Charles's eyes widened, the last thing he was expecting to see sneak around the door was the wayward curled head of Valeryia and worried wide ochre eyes which stared at him. "Val," he moved around the desk and looked her over. "What are you doing here?"

She scratched the back of her neck awkwardly, shutting the door and walking into the room she sat down with a sigh. "I need your help." He let out a rather cynical laugh and shook his head, he looked away from her and towards the window. "For me, Charles. Not Erik. Or Raven." Slowly his eyes looked sidelong at her. "You...you once said that when all of the business with Shaw was over with, that you would help me however you could." Valeryia said quietly while watching as he fully turned his attention back to her. "Emma's out, by the way."

"Great," Charles said lowly with a sigh.

"What information she gave me, I basically don't know if I can believe. Because face it, she's a tremendous shit. If anyone is going to lie to my face, out of everyone, it'll be her...and mostly through spite. I did nearly take her head off, and I'm sure she'd grudge me for that." Valeryia said while running a hand through her hair. "Erik got information from Shaw, about my past...which I don't remember, not fully. And it got me thinking, if there's anyone I trust to possibly rummage about in my brain, it's you. Now, I realise fully you can say no. I wouldn't blame you for saying no. Truth is, whether I find anything else out with your help or not, I'll still go."

"If you find out what you need to, what will you do?" Charles asked seriously. He looked her over, as if something would appear in her expression to clue him in. Yet there was nothing. Valeryia still looked at him blankly. He didn't like it when she was like that, made reading her near on impossible. Usually it was rather easy to figure out her disposition, yet not when she was like this.

"I won't kill him, if that's what you're angling for." Charles looked almost shocked by that, almost. His eyes widened and he had to blink several times to let that register. Valeryia smiled, "I know, hypocritical of me. All the while I've been harping on about killing him and wanting him dead, but in actuality; he may not be the root of the problem. I am not saying he is not guilty for some crime against humanity, or whatever, and I'm not saying he doesn't deserve to be judged for that, but not by me. No one has the right to be judge, jury, and executioner...I'd be awful at the first two, and more likely to be better at the last." She nervously laughed at that, Charles, against better judgement, did smile.

"That's reassuring to hear."

"You're not going to send me off to kill someone, Charles. You have my word."

"And Erik?"

"What about him?"

"He doesn't know, I presume?" Charles asked curiously, from the look which Valeryia suddenly had was enough of an answer. "See, this was the one thing which I knew would be common ground for you. It is also the one thing which I feared you would follow his footsteps in. Since Shaw dying, how has he been?"

"Withdrawn, sometimes. Destructive, scheming...he's good at that..."

"Restless too?" Charles pitched a guess and watched her nod. Charles smiled sadly, "I think that's what happens when you're suddenly at an end. Without someone to hunt down, he's turned his gaze to a wider spectrum. In the end, there is no end. Where he's going, the path he's walking down, it is endless. I didn't honestly want to see you repeat his actions."

"I am able to see that there is good people out there." Valeryia smiled stiffly. "Few and far between though."

"But they're there." Charles smiled, "Take it he also doesn't know you're here?"

"Not a clue, but I'm sure he will."

"How did you get here?" Charles frowned and leaned back in his chair. Honestly, this was perhaps the longest time he had ever talked to Valeryia for. It was just laid back, despite the small tension which still hung in the air.

"Ah, that...Azazel." Valeryia watched as Charles looked serious, "He's not here, don't worry. He's elsewhere, going to meet him after I'm done. Then we'll go back, and well...yeah..."

Charles nodded slowly at that, glad really that the teleporter wasn't nearby. "Raven?"

"She's fine," Valeryia smiled. "I think she misses you, even if she wont voice it. I think even Erik in his own part misses you."

Charles hummed and shook his head, "I doubt that."

"You're a rather hard person to just cut out completely, Charles." Valeryia smiled, "You're still my friend, regardless if I am not here with you." Charles looked at her as she spoke honestly, he smiled softly. "Can you help me now, please? I told Hank he could kick me out in an hours' time." Charles laughed quietly over that, he doubted for one minute if Hank would truly kick her out.

Giving her the benefit of the doubt though, he instructed her to sit forwards. "This could, and will probably be painful."

"Ever restored memories before?"

"No. First time for everything though, right?"

"Filling me with confidence, Charles, honestly...you're lucky I trust you." Valeryia said with a smile while he reached up and gently placed his hands either side of her face, his fingers stretching up to rest against her temples as he smiled again. "You're real lucky, actually." She mumbled while resting her hands in her lap and trying to relax, she was under no illusion this was going to hurt. Finding the truth and answers was bound to hurt, she accepted that a while ago.

----

(A/N: I hate writing transitional shit. Always does my head in. Oh well, branching towards DoFP slowly but surely, I'm not even going to lie, struggling a little. The idea in my brain doesn't seem to want to work when writing.)