"Is the city like you thought it would be?" Erik asked, for some reason he found himself worried about Valeryia finding boredom from her surroundings. That, and he was trying to get a conversation out of her. Since their earlier chat in the alley, they hadn't exactly exchanged many words. A rather terse atmosphere had surrounded them. Erik didn't like it, he wasn't expecting normal conversations, but even Charles had somewhat let the past lie in efforts to try and get along for the greater good. Erik had wronged both, Charles was perhaps the only real friend he'd ever had; he had turned his back, left him, and injured him in the process. Valeryia, through the storm of mixed feelings, he did care for her and believed leaving her with Charles would've been for the best. Apparently not. Yes, she had grown up, Erik had admittedly found himself looking at her now and again. There had always been an odd ethereal thing with Valeryia. Pale skin, the way she silently walked; she quietly walked, boots not making a sound, very cat like. Even her eyes could resemble the ember colours felines sometimes had, they had an ability to be so kind, yet so harsh. She often seemed to look through him now, as if he wasn't actually here. Or that was just her wishing not to look at him. He could hear Charles, thin line between love and hate. 

Valeryia had always struggled with emotions. Not that Erik could really comment...the one sure thing he could comment on was: the girl he knew was long gone, and truthfully he didn't know the woman she had grown into. Uncertain, quiet, contemplative and hard, but Erik believed the person he had grown attached to in the past was still there, somewhere. If he could make a connection there, then Erik believed they would've got along a lot better. 

Valeryia looked up, Erik's blue eyes were trained on her curiously. He was waiting her answer patiently. Patience was something she didn't know Erik had, but here he was. "Noisy."

Erik nodded, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. She grew up in silent solitude in he didn't even know how many medical institutions. Even when they first all got to the manor she was weirded out, not having been in a building like it. Likewise when they went to the city and he found her sitting on a bench, she had seemed so out of place and confused. 

"Don't laugh!" She exclaimed, Erik hadn't realised his smirk had grown. Valeryia didn't sound too serious, she even gave him a shove to the arm. 

Considering she had told him it took her time to get accustomed to her powers and touch again, he was surprised he didn't go shuttling into the road. "You could've said anything else." He held his hands up in surrender. 

"Bright and noisy?"

Erik rolled his eyes back down at her. She walked beside him, wrapped in his coat. The city was warm, but clearly the damage done to her body had whacked out her circulation. The coat was too big and practically dragged on the floor. At a quick glance, it did drag. Yet, the dark navy of it just made her skin seem paler and her hair brighter. 

"You know I'm not one for people..." She sounded awkward, even seemingly huddling down against the collar of the coat as her ochre eyes flicked to his crystalline blue ones. 

Erik pressed his lips into a thin line. He hadn't been to Paris in years. The last time was business as well. But he remembered a few places which could be more comfortable for her. Erik had noted a few people glanced at her warily. It wasn't like her mutation was obvious, but it was obvious she wasn't exactly human. Reaching out, he grasped a hold of the coat sleeve and directed her elsewhere. 

They hadn't exactly walked a great distance from the hotel, but they walked far enough to be in a whole new distract of the city. Valeryia just let him gently pull her away from the busy streets, probably should be concerned, but really, what was he going to do? 

Eventually the heaving streets gave way to slightly more placid ones, and soon in the distance a park appeared. It wasn't so late as there wasn't people still around, and Erik already noted how her pace seemed to quicken. 

He let her go and Valeryia was gone. He just stood near a picnic bench and watched her potter around. Nature and her seemed like a winner. She placed a hand against a tree before turning and looking around confusedly before walking quickly back to where he stood. 

"Can I ask you something?" Valeryia asked, lifting one leg over the bench to sit down. She glanced up as Erik did the same. They sat opposite at the table, him resting his arms against it while hers stayed at her sides. Erik gestured a hand to her to continue. "What do you hope to achieve from tomorrow?" Valeryia watched as he frowned. "All those powerful men, in one room? Oh...that's going to be hard for you." Having a jibe at the apparent President killing, Erik let it slide by just stoically looking at her. "These things, you want to turn them against their users, but what if you can't conceive to control them either?" Valeryia leaned her elbows against the table. Placing her chin in her palms, she smiled. "But then we're to stop Raven, right? What if she can't be stopped?"

Erik leaned back, as much as he could without falling backwards to the floor. "Do you believe she can't be stopped?"

Valeryia's face pulled into a small frown. "You tell me, you two parted ways not all that long ago really."

"Years ago," Erik corrected, Valeryia raised an eyebrow yet looked otherwise unamused. He sighed, "What do you want me to say?"

Valeryia leaned her arms flat. Resting her chin against the navy sleeves, she managed to drum her white gloves fingers against the wood underneath her. She smiled slowly, "I have seen what you do to people who can't be stopped. Or won't be. You try and kill her, you seriously screw us all over."

"You already have it in mind that I will anyway."

"Because you will. And you've already admitted it, Erik." Valeryia's eyes slowly shut, smile still in place. "There's going to be camera crews. You flat out kill someone, even a mutant, in public and televised, you'll give everyone more reason to despise us. Fear and hate, lead to more fear and hate. Endless cycle, remember?"

"Even if the one saves the many?"

Valeryia scoffed, her eyes opened and amber shards narrowed at him. Erik just remained unmoving and looking down at her. "No loyalty here then, hm? Nice to see how little you truly think of people you've had a connection to. In the past or not, you're speaking about loyalty to us mutants, and here you are contemplating murder of one in particular." Her eyes narrowed as she tilted her head before just leaning her head on the side against her arm. She looked blankly at him. 

"If they get her, they will destroy us," Erik said lowly, Valeryia still looked at him hollowly. Looking around, he shook his head. Snapping his gaze back to her, he leaned down slightly to be on her eye level. "They kill you in the future." With the way her brows knitted into a frown and she sat up confused, Erik guessed she didn't even bother to ask what happened to herself in the future. "Because they get Raven. They learn from her, adapt and create something that in turn adapts quickly and becomes our downfall."

"Mutants bringing mutant downfall, that's ironic," Valeryia shrugged. "I die? So what? I'm meant to be shocked? Erik, everything and everyone dies. I have seen death up close, and I have welcomed it so many times, yet here I am. I die, and the world won't care for it." She said while swinging her legs over the bench and pausing before shaking her head. Looking at him sidelong she smiled. "I am in constant pain. Did you know that? I doubt you would. To be honest with you, death would definitely put an end to that." She patted the table and stood up. "Good talk, Erik, good talk." 

"How could you think your life means so little?"

Valeryia had started to walk away, yet turned and looked back. Erik stood and walked around the table. She held her hands up, "Because I have meant very little to people. Think about my life, really think about it. I am a convenience at best. Leftovers, even. Honestly, after a while I gave up giving a shit with whether this is the day I'll die."

"And what if there was a way to avoid this inevitable fate, as you so well believe?" Erik asked walking closer to her. 

Valeryia shook her head, even as he stopped in front of her she still shook her head solemnly. "Not at the price of murdering another. Not when that other means a lot to us..." 

"That's selfless of you."

Valeryia smiled. "It's called being a decent person. Try it, you might surprise yourself." She nodded, tucking her hands behind her back with a small smile. 

"You know-"

"Don't, Erik." She smiled sadly at him. 

"The thought of you dying alone was enough. Without knowing you die in the future." Erik said, regardless of her prompting otherwise. 

"We're here to change the future, remember? And by that, I hopefully mean in a less destructive way than what you're probably planning." She said, even going as far as to reach up and tap him gently on the temple. "And then, aren't you lucky, I'll still be here."

"Yes," Erik said, she just shrugged. "I do intend on making sure of that, I hope you realise." 

"I don't see why, if I'm to be honest. Our little, whatever it was, was fleeting, Erik. Not to mention what feels like a lifetime ago. You don't have any real loyalty or obligation to keep me alive, other than guilt." Valeryia said quietly, guilt was a very good emotive emotion. A lot could be done and said through guilt. Like right now, anything he was coming out with, she believed was because of the lack of words said in the past or something along those lines. The man was guilty for everything that happened to her, and she wasn't battering him over the head with guilt tripping, but she had made it clear on her thoughts and feelings. She was stopping now because it wasn't going to get anywhere. 

Erik just stared down at her, Valeryia just stared back before rolling her eyes and continuing to leave the park. "I failed to protect you like I failed with my mother, I am not intending to repeat the past again." Erik said lowly, but low enough for her to hear. He watched as she slowly turned and looked at him with wide amber eyes. He stepped forward and made his way back over to her. 

She had turned to look at him fully, her eyes searching his for signs of, well, anything to suggest he was lying again. But his eyes just looked at her honestly; those same eyes which could be a calm, clear blue one minute, and then a stormy blue the next. She had always liked his eyes, admittedly, just the blueness of them was beautiful really, like a clear sky on a summer's day, could see so much, yet so little. Erik was perhaps one of few people she knew who could be both very perceptive, but also incredibly shortsighted. Valeryia couldn't remember the last time she'd seen him look with such clarity. His blue eyed gaze unsettled her a little as she shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself she jumped and looked down when he had beat her to it. He pulled the large coat more around her before doing the buttons up. 

Valeryia had got quite low expectations and thoughts of herself, so to be put on the same level as his mother...she tensed, Erik paused yet still gently placed his hands against her cheeks before leaning down to press his forehead against hers. It was an action from the past, that had always made both of them feel so content. Such a small action, could convey so much. 

He watched as her eyes shut, a few more moments passed before Erik found her arms around his waist and her head burying against his chest. He combed his hand into her hair and gently massaged at the nape of her neck. Leaning to rest his face against her hair he sighed and shut his eyes. 

"You're an asshole, just so you know."

He probably shouldn't have, but he let out a laugh. She was perhaps one of few he'd take that from. "And you still have feelings for me." He countered, pushing his luck. He leaned away feeling her pull back and look up at him. 

Valeryia frowned gently. "You have done so much wrong, Erik. So much...but you are still the first person I ever loved. It is hard to erase those feelings really. I find myself being in a catch twenty-two. I want to stay angry at you, hate you even...but I am finding it increasingly hard. Just know it still doesn't mean if you go for Raven tomorrow, I am not going to fight you. Because I will. Regardless of the past you two had too, I cannot let you kill her." 

Erik stroked her cheeks gently and nodded. "I haven't been the best-"

"Understatement."

He sighed and frowned at her. "And I meant what I said, I am not repeating past actions. If there is a way to keep you from that future, I will take it."

Valeryia sighed. "What is it about you?" Her eyes narrowed and looked him up and down. Erik looked suddenly confused. "There has been something about you, ever since we met that just felt...familiar. Right, even."

"From what I can remember, Charles said we were similar. That's familiarity right there. We're slightly mirrored, you and I, Val. That doesn't explain why you seem to have forgiven me so easily."

"Oh, no one said it was easy." She smiled and put a hand against his chest and pushed him back. She walked backwards smiling. "You're still going to betray us, and leave. Because that's what is tactical for you. You work better alone than in a team. There isn't so much to forgive, when you accept a person for who they are, and how they act. And I accepted you for you, Erik, years ago." She turned and nodded back to the street. "So, what's the plan?"

He sighed and walked beside her. "I want answers." He looked at her, Valeryia nodded agreeing. "Put a stop to their plans, in any means."

"That's when we'll have a fight."

"Yes, but you always seemed up for a fight."

"I found you quite fun to fight against." She shrugged offhandedly. Sure they'd only fought in training, but even still...

Erik shook his head. At least that hadn't changed from what he recalled of her, the lack of backing down from a fight. "Find a way to stop these things from being made."

"And...if they already are?" Valeryia looked at him with a small frown. 

Erik looked up at the night sky before looking back at her. "Then I will find a way to use them." 

Valeryia nodded and placed her hands in her pockets before shaking her head. "Honestly though, aren't you tired of fighting?" Erik looked troubled over that question. "I really am. Sure, this is the most I've been outside in recent years. But just walking around, without an agenda is nice, don't you think? Couldn't you just do this?"

"Not while there's a fight that's needing to be fought."

She nudged her shoulder against him, "After the end?"

Erik raised a curious eyebrow her way. Valeryia looked awkward. "Val, are you asking to stay together after all this?"

"That's if we're still alive, and you're not arrested. Why not? You won't be able to stay around here, and I've been thinking about leaving the manor for a while to go travel. I'm being foolishly optimistic, I know. I just think travelling would be more fun with company is all." She shrugged and sighed quietly. 

"Considering I thought I was going to be under the Pentagon for the foreseeable, I haven't really put much thought into the future. Other than this current problem that needs solving."

"Considering you're planning on making sure I don't die, you're more than welcome to come travelling with me." She smiled up at him before crossing the road to go back to the hotel. 

"When did I become your bodyguard?" Erik asked as they walked through the foyer and to the stairs. 

Valeryia laughed, "Since you intend to keep me alive!" She grinned and pulled her key out her trouser pocket as she got to her door. Sticking it in the lock, she shrugged out of his coat and handed it back. "Night, Erik." She turned the key and pushed the door open. Turning again she looked at him, stepping forwards she tiptoed up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I don't want tomorrow to come. Because I really don't want a fight..."

Erik sighed, it was strange someone so well equipped to fight, to hate it so much. It wasn't strange, he supposed. He could understand. Fighting all the time could become a drag. Not that he'd quite had enough of it just yet, seems nothing had even happened. He pulled her against himself. He never saw this from his evening, if he was honest. He wasn't looking too into this, he would rather not build hopes and thoughts up. As she kept saying, tomorrow was going to clearly end in a fight and Erik didn't know where he'd stand once the smoke had cleared. 

----
(A/N: much like with Walter, have
@melisa-nur32 to thank for the update really. I've written and uploaded this on my phone. If any formatting is wonky, let me know and I'll edit it at a later date. Thanks and bye!)