. chapter seventeen
1941 .
August knew exactly where they were the moment everything around them became clear. The long dirt road only led to one house, and that was the house she used to live in.
Ben took a deep breath, wincing as he stood up straight. He looked at August, who was staring down the road with tears still fresh on her cheeks. Ben knew exactly what she was feeling. He's witnessed leaving his lover, and he was devastated to say the least, but August had a chance to see Professor Xavier again. And now, after so many years of waiting, Benjamin had a chance to save his wife.
"Alright, listen," he grumbled, "this is how it's going to work. I brought us back four days before Elizabeth's disappearance. What you have to do is go up to that house and act like the damsel in distress. Once you gain Elizabeth's trust, you flash her back to your present time. I'll be waiting there for you."
August stared at the gravel beneath her shoes. "Isn't all this dangerous? Won't it effect me?"
"It won't effect you," Ben said. "You'll take Elizabeth at the exact same time she faded away, so the events will be somewhat the same."
"How am I supposed to get around you?" August asked, finally looking up from the dirt. "The you that's in the house, I mean."
Benjamin smirked, "you don't have to worry about that, I already took care of it. Just go."
August watched as Ben disappeared, leaving her in the middle of the dirt road. August groaned.
Thinking quickly, August took off down the road toward the house. If she remembers correctly, there was a small stream on the side of the road. There, she could prepare herself for the confrontation.
Coming up on the side of the stream, August lowered her duffel bag in the grass. She ruffled her hair until there were knots tangled within the locks. She bent down to scoop up some mud onto her fingers, smudging it on different places on her body. She splashed some water on her and threw some dirt in her hair. August did her best to make herself look disgruntled and beaten up by the wilderness. Maybe this disguise would convince them to allow her stay.
She walked along the bank of the stream for a while, gathering her thoughts. She thought about Charles, Erik, and the war. She was aware now that she would be absent in the time the fighting would begin. Perhaps that was the real reason why Charles let Ben take her, but August knew that wasn't the whole truth.
As the two story, classic white house came into August's view, she realized just how much she missed her mother. Of course, the mourning never came to a complete stop, but she never really felt the kind of heartache that she's experiencing now. Her mother is in that building, and at that thought, August picked up the pace of her walk.
As she trudged up the brick drive, something occurred to her. An injury, yes, that would most definitely seal the deal. Her mother couldn't allow someone to walk off with an open wound. Perhaps this was August's mind getting ahead of herself, but her feet tripped her before she could forget about it.
She winced as her hands came into contact with the hot brick, feeling the stinging feeling throughout her body. She groaned, pushing herself up into a sitting position and analyzing her scraped kneecaps and bloody elbow. That will certainly do the trick.
She stumbled onto the large wooden deck that stretched around the house. August remembered as a child when she would run around in circles, laughing and enjoying her youth. Shaking her head of the distant memory, she knocked on the bright red door, and her heartbeat increased just the slightest.
She heard footsteps, and instantly knew it wasn't her mother. The door opened to reveal her father, but not the one from moments ago. She could tell because he looked younger and fresher.
Without a word, Ben took hold of her injured elbow and pulled her inside, hastily closing the door behind her.
"He didn't tell you that I knew?" Ben asked, only with more kindness to his words.
August shook her head, confused. "I did all this for nothing." She gestured to her dirty clothes and ripped skin.
"No, Elizabeth would be suspicious if you hadn't," he assured, leading August into the open kitchen. "Though I don't believe the injuries were necessary, but it won't hurt."
August looked at him, giving him an exaggerated look. "Was that supposed to be funny?"
"No," Ben replied, surprised by her tone of voice. "I didn't mean for it to be offending."
"It wasn't," August rolled her eyes. She was starting to wish Charles would pop up and whisk her away back to his mansion. "Alright, Benjamin, what do you need me to do next?"
"Benjamin? Since when did you start calling me that?" Ben frowned. "I'm your father, there's no need for formalities."
"Well," August sighed, "where I came from, there most definitely is a need for formalities."
Ben nodded, confused and upset, but knew not to ask any questions about the future. Knowing too much may ruin everything, and Ben couldn't risk it.
"Oh!" a new voice entered, one that made August flinch. "Who's this?"
August risked a glance over at the new company, tears almost escaping her eyes as she gazed at her mother. Elizabeth stood with her eyebrows furrowed, but a welcoming smile ghosting her lips as she moved further into the kitchen.
Ben cleared his throat, glancing at August, who was transfixed on the woman.
"This is-" he paused, trying to come up with a cover name for August.
"Jade," August muttered, "Jade Xavier."
Elizabeth nodded before scanning over August, catching glimpse of the bleeding wounds.
"Oh, darling, you're hurt!" Elizabeth exclaimed, hurrying to gather supplies to clean August.
August smiled, remembering the times when her mother would patch her back up when she was younger. However, this time was different. August was Jade now.
After cleaning the wounds, Elizabeth showed August where she would be staying. Ben had already informed his wife about August's circumstances, so she didn't have to worry about explaining that.
"I'm sorry to hear about what happened," Elizabeth said as she watched August examine the room. "You can stay here for as long as you'd like."
August nodded, sitting upon the bed, running her fingers over the fabric of the crisp white sheets. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Moran."
Elizabeth smiled, "please, call me Elizabeth, Miss Xavier."
August smiled, but didn't bother replying as Elizabeth left the room. August didn't mind being called Miss Xavier, it reminded her Charles.
August thought about how he'd laugh at her choice in a cover name. She thought about how he would get wrinkles by his eyes, and how he would take her hand and squeeze it as he would continue to laugh. And she would roll her eyes, but smile because Charles had the most beautiful laugh, and then she would think about how she was smitten while Charles would tuck her hair behind her ear, looking at her in a certain way that made her heart jump.
August smiled, wishing Charles was here to help her.
The second week of school is worse compared to the first, considering realization starts to set in that you're back and there's nothing you can do about it.
So, back to school for me. That would explain the lack of updates, but I can't do much about that. School is a busy place.
With that being said, I would like to add about future events. A particular day is taking place on September 8th, which is a Tuesday. This day is otherwise known as my birthday.
I am telling you this not because I want to be pelted with happy birthday's so I can feel good about myself. I'm simply telling you this because I don't want you to wonder why I haven't been around.
Thank you and happy back to school.
- Mikayla x