"Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself."
- Coco Chanel
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Elizabeth Grace's POV
"Raven," I start, seeing Raven's downcast face as I pass by her in the hallway. "Are you alright?"
"I'm alright," she says. "It's nothing."
"It's not nothing. Your expression tells me it's something."
I hear her sigh as she leans against the wall. Something is troubling her. Something is bouncing around in her brain that is painful and unkind. That much is obvious. What it is—that's a bit more of a mystery.
"Hank..." she sighs sadly.
"What's wrong with Hank?"
"Nothing is. He just thinks there is."
"You mean his feet?" She nods. "But I mean, it's a mutation—a really cool one at that."
"He wants to fix it."
"But it... doesn't need to be fixed. Does it?"
Raven sees right through me. She knows it's not just Hank's feet that I'm worried about. Just as Erik knew there was fear rooted in my powers, Raven knows there is shame rooted in my appearance. My eyes are as much a mutation as his feet.
"It shouldn't..." Raven tries to convince me. "It really shouldn't. Humans should strive to be more like us."
"You sound like Erik."
"Both of you look highly depressed," Erik states, approaching from down the hallway as if I magically summoned him somehow.
"It's nothing..." we both try to cover for what's going on.
"I heard the latter half of the conversation, you know."
"Oh."
"I've told you this since I first met you—both of you. Neither of you needs to change yourself. You don't need to be like everyone else."
"But Erik," we both start.
"Perfection," he says. "Both of you are nothing less. You are something the world has never seen before. It's something to take pride in... not to shy away from."
"But Erik," I start once again. "You don't have a mutation like this. You don't have to think about it every time you walk outside... People aren't afraid of you as soon as they look you in the eye."
"Was I afraid of you when I first saw you?"
"No... but-"
"I know. Not everyone is as accepting and loving towards those who are different. Now, if anyone should know that, it would be me."
"Yeah..."
"Which is why I say humans should strive to be more like us—able to see what is beautiful. I've told you before, little one. You. Are. Beautiful. And part of that is because you are different."
"He's right, you know," I hear Alex say from inside the room we're apparently standing beside.
"How long have you been listening?" I ask.
"I don't know. Maybe ten seconds. Whatever. He's right."
"I'm glad someone agrees with me. Just think about it."
With that, Erik walks away, and Alex goes back to whatever he was doing. Raven leads me towards her room so we can talk without being overheard by the entire hallway—or at this point, the entire mansion as people seem to be appearing out of literally nowhere. I notice that she is trying her hardest to conceal a smile now.
"You totally like... Magneto," I tease, smirking slyly.
"You said you'd never-" Raven starts.
"I don't have to read your mind. I can read your face."
"Is it that obvious?"
"I'm observant."
"That is quite true... When did Alex go from delinquent to your protective, supportive older brother?"
"I'm going with when the teleporter nearly knocked me out."
"It's sweet."
With this, she stands up and starts walking towards the door.
"Where are you going?"
"Somewhere."
"Alright..."
Before I can ask any more questions, she's out the door, and I am once again left to myself.
"Whatever... have fun."
Charles's POV
"You know," I hear Raven begin from the entrance to the kitchen as I am searching for a wine bottle in the fridge. "Sometimes, I wonder what my life would've been like if you hadn't found me here that night."
"Sorry what? You- ahhh!" I turn to see something I certainly didn't expect. Raven is standing there—blue—and without so much as a stitch of clothing on. I quickly avert my gaze. "For goodness sake, Raven! Where are your clothes? Put-put-put some clothes on."
"That's not what you said when you first saw me," she says, taking a seat at the table. "But I guess pets are always cuter when they're little, right?"
"Raven, I don't know what's gotten into you lately," I state as I take a seat myself. "I thought you'd be in a good mood. Hank, he tells me he's found the answer to your cosmetic problem. Are you gonna tell me what's the matter or do I have to read your mind?"
"You promised me you'd never do that."
"Until recently, I never had to use my power to know what you were thinking, Raven."
"You know, Charles, I used to think it was gonna be you and me against the world. But no matter how bad the world gets, you don't want to be against it, do you? You wanna be a part of it."
With that, she storms from the kitchen. I sigh, not knowing what to do. She's angry at me. It's been obvious for some time that she isn't pleased.
Whilst still in thought, I notice the sound of much softer footsteps entering the kitchen. I hear a chair being pulled out from under the table. Looking up, Elizabeth Grace is sitting in front of me.
"You look upset, dad."
"It's alright, love. Don't worry yourself with it."
"But dad-"
"Let me worry about it, dearest one."
"Ok."
"I see that you and Erik have made quite good progress. You have more control, and both of you are able to push the boundaries of what we believed you could do."
"Yes... Dad?"
"What is it?"
"What do you think is going to happen in Cuba? Shaw has the Americans and the Russians at each other's throats more than usual. Do you think we can stop him?"
"I do. I genuinely believe that we can."
"And what happens after that?"
"What do you mean?"
"Do you think they'll accept us? The humans?"
"I have hope. I believe that we can achieve a world where mutants and humans live side by side—no matter if they have blue eyes or bright white eyes."
"Am I coming with you tomorrow?"
"Yes. You are. I believe we're going to need you. But you are going to stick with me, alright?"
"Yes, sir."
She grins from ear to ear. Elizabeth Grace has been waiting for this for a long time. She is a powerful and capable girl. Now, she gets to prove it.
"There's the smile. I love seeing you smile."
Elizabeth Grace stands from her chair and walks over to me. Her arms wrap around me. I encase her in my own. I think I often forget her actual age. She has such a brilliant mind—but she's still so young. She's still seven years old. It's incredible—and also quite sad at the same time—how much life she's lived in those seven years. It's been more adventure, and yet more heartbreak, than most experience in a lifetime.
"I love you," I say as I hold her in my arms.
"I love you too, dad."
When tomorrow comes, no matter what happens, I'll make sure she comes home safe—even if it means laying down my own life.
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Song: Reflection from Mulan soundtrack (performed by Lea Salonga)