Charles rolled back out of Cerebro. Erik waiting impatiently to see that if this time the telepath had been able to locate the missing (Y/n). It had been months since she had disappeared, and despite everything that Charles, Erik, Raven and the others had done, they had still failed to find her.
When Erik had confronted him that evening, Charles had realised that he had to drag himself back from the abyss. That he had to see that he could still achieve marvellous things despite his new disability. That he should have listened to Erik and Raven, but most of all that he should have listened to (Y/n). That he had a future. But now it was a future that would not have (Y/n) in it. So, the only thing that he could do to make up for everything, was to do his best to help Erik find (Y/n), so that two of the people he cared so much for, could finally be happy together.
"Well?" Erik asked, as Charles came to a stop in front of him. Shaking his head sadly.
"Nothing. I tried everything I can think of Erik. But (Y/n) is impossible to find. Her brainwaves work differently to everyone else's. And no matter what I do to Cerebro, I still can't locate her." Charles said apologetically. Knowing that this whole situation was his fault.
"A letter. We got a letter from (Y/n)!" Raven called out, as she ran down the hall towards the two men. Erik grabbing the page from the shapeshifters hand as she almost barrelled into him.
"What does it say?" Charles asked, as Erik began to read the words out loud.
"My dearest Raven. I am so sorry that it took me so long to write. But now, I am settled in and able to put pen to paper. I hope that you and the others are ok, and that you still miss me as much as I miss all of you.
I have found a place in a small town, out of the way. It's not much. It's certainly not New York, But it will do for me. The people are nice, I have a few new friends, and I am even working at a small diner for a lovely couple.
I am happier than I have been in a long time, but I wish that I could come home. I always thought I was strong, but I miss Erik beyond words. Yet I know that as long as Charles continues the way he is, then I may never see him again. I still care for Charles, no matter what he did to push me away. And just wish that he could see how much he is not only hurting himself, but also everyone around him. I want Charles and Erik to be the friends that they used to be. And if that means that I never return and ruin that, then so be it.
I love you Raven and wish you could be with me. I miss having my sister around. But maybe one day, you and I can be reunited. I know that you will tell the others about this letter, so tell them that I care for all of them. And please tell Erik that I love him. Oh, and tell Erik, and Charles if he's sober and cares, that they won't be able to find me by the zip code on the envelope. I had a friend mail it for me when he returned to New York.
Well, I have to go now. I have a shift at the diner. It will probably be busy as today is the day that the greyhound stops here, and Nancy and Hank will need all the help they can get. I promise to write again soon. Love (Y/n)." Erik informed the others. Desperately holding back tears as he read that (Y/n) loved and missed him.
"This is all your fault, Charles. If you hadn't been so self-absorbed, wallowing in your pathetic defeatism, and listened to what everyone else was telling you, (Y/n) would still be here with me. Not god only knows where. I'm sick of this, I'm going back out there to find her." Erik hissed, as he crumpled up the letter, throwing it to the floor, before he stormed off down the hall.
"But where else are you going to look?" Charles called out after him. Erik not stopping as he replied.
"Anywhere. I don't care. As long as I don't have to be around you." Erik growled. The magnetism manipulator not sure what he would do if he had to face Charles any longer.
"Erik wait! Can't you see. We might still be able to find her from the letter." Raven called out, as she leant over and picked up the letter. Flattening out the balled up piece of paper.
"What do you mean?" Charles asked as he looked up at her. Raven rolling her eyes and shaking her head.
"For a genius, you can be really dumb sometimes, Charles. Look, she got us on the zip code, but read the letter. She's told us that she's in a small town, out of the way, that's nothing like New York. And wherever she is, the Greyhound bus stops there. All we have to do is get a map of all the routes of Greyhound buses that leave New York. If we go down to the terminal someone there, or even one of the drivers may remember seeing her. May have dropped her off." Raven reasoned as Erik moved up behind her.
"But that could still mean hundreds of routes. Thousands of small towns. She could still be anywhere." Erik replied. Despite feeling a small sense of hope for the first time since (Y/n) had left.
"That's true. But it's a better plan than what we've had up until now. Plus, I think that she may have headed for one of the western states. (Y/n) always talked about wanting to see the Grand Canyon, and Monument Valley. So maybe we should focus on places like Arizona, Utah or Nevada." Raven explained, as Erik and Charles looked at one another.
"It's worth a try Erik." Charles said. Erik nodding his head in agreement.
"Okay. Its worth a try." Erik replied, as he, Raven, and Charles headed off to find the others so that they could talk to as many people at the bus terminal as possible.
>>------------------------------<<
(Y/n) ran around the diner, coffee pot in hand. It was the day that the bus arrived, and Huntersville would have several more residents until the next bus made it to town to take them on to LA. She loved days like this. The mixture of characters that came into the diner always intrigued her.
Some she could sense were other mutants, many escaping families that didn't want a freak for a child. Others escaping from persecution in their hometowns. As a mutant, (Y/n) had to admit that she was luckier than most. Her parents had both been mutants, and until their death just after she was accepted into Oxford, (Y/n) had had a privileged life. But she had seen the discrimination against others of her kind. The fear that people felt about the possibility of there being mutants around them. The protests and hatred sent their way. And though she had never been afraid before, being without the others. Being without Erik, Raven, and Charles, had made her feel alone and vulnerable for the first time. Yet despite that, she didn't want to return to the mansion and spoil everything. Didn't want to ruin other people's lives. And if that meant living as just another normal human being in Huntersville for the rest of her life, then that was what she would have to do. Even though she knew that her life would never be complete without Erik in it.
"(Y/n) honey. Order up." Hank called out from the back. (Y/n) making her excuses to the customers that she was talking to and making her way into the kitchen.
"Jeez, Hank. Are you ok? You look pale." (Y/n) asked as she looked at the big man suddenly steady himself on the kitchen top.
"Yeah kid, just a little chest pain. Comes with old............" Hank began before suddenly clutching his chest and falling to the floor. (Y/n) screaming out for Nancy as she fell to the older man's side.
"We need Doc Henderson. Hanks having a heart attack." (Y/n) cried out to Nancy and some of the locals that had rushed in, as she began CPR.
"But Doc's in Bourghton. He won't be back til tomorrow." A man replied, as he and others watched (Y/n) continue to try to revive their friend.
"Out! Everyone get out." Nancy suddenly said. Let me and (Y/n) fix this." Nancy suddenly said, as she pushed the assembled men out of the kitchen.
"You can help him can't you (Y/n)? I know that you're ........that you're special. I've seen you do thing when you don't think anyone is there. Please (Y/n). I can't lose him." Nancy beseeched, as (Y/n) felt for Hank's pulse again, but found nothing there.
(Y/n) knew that she couldn't say no. Hank and Nancy had treated her like a daughter since she had arrived. They had helped her get to know everyone. Helped her become part of the town. And as Hank lay before her, dead, (Y/n) knew that she couldn't lose the big man, like she had lost so much else.
"Close the shutters." (Y/n) replied. Nancy doing as she was told, before turning and watching wide eyed as (Y/n) placed her hand over Hanks lifeless heart and began to glow brightly.
Within seconds (Y/n) fell back, clutching at her chest as Hank sat bolt upright just like he had been hit by lightning. A soft smile growing across (Y/n)'s lips as she watched Nancy embrace her husband of forty years.
"Thank you (Y/n). I knew I was right about you." Nancy said, as she helped a stunned Hank to his feet. (Y/n) trying to shake off the pain that she had just taken from the old man.
"I owe you both for everything that you have done for me. But from now on Hank. No more burger. Please." (Y/n) chuckled as she pulled herself up from the floor.
"And please. As far as everyone else is concerned, I'm just good at CPR. Okay?" (Y/n) asked, as Nancy took (Y/n) in her arms and held her tight.
"Okay, sweetheart. Anything for our guardian angel."