A few months later and Charles had gained his PhD, even being asked to give a lecture upon his now world-wide known thesis. Evelyn had never been so proud as she was being sat in the auditorium with Raven beside her whilst Charles gave his thesis to a room of experts. Whilst a lot of the science went over Evelyn's head, she understood what he was speaking about – he had written an entire thesis upon himself, on her, on his sister ... on mutants.
Soon enough, Charles had finished and the Dean of the University was applauding him and announcing him as 'Professor of Genetics, Charles Francis Xavier'. He had become a Professor.
With the lecture over, everyone began to leave. Evelyn had gathered her coat and bag and immediately made her way over to her husband who was beaming. He clearly loved teaching. As she got close enough, Evelyn hugged him tightly before she pulled back and gave him a loving kiss on the lips.
"I'm so proud of you, Professor" Evelyn whispered, making Charles' smile widen. Giving her another quick kiss, Charles pulled back and grabbed his own coat so that they could leave. In true British form it was raining, which had forced Charles to bring his umbrella that the three of them squeezed under.
"So, how does it feel to be a professor?" Raven asked as they made their way out of the university and into the heart of Oxford.
"Oh, don't call me that" Charles objected before giving Evelyn a side glance – he didn't mind Evelyn calling him it but others, it was strange. "You don't get to be called professor until you actually have a teaching position."
"I know, but it suits you" Raven said before she looked around Charles to catch Evelyn's attention, "Isn't that right, Evelyn?"
"She does have a point" Evelyn agreed as she gently squeezed Charles' hand that she was holding. Charles immediately looked down towards her whilst she eyed him up. Eventually, the pair broke their gaze and concentrated upon the pavement ahead of them.
"Oh, don't say that. Do say 'Let's go have a drink'" Charles interjected, his mind already picturing The Daffodil, the pub that changed his life. He had met Evelyn there and it was still the first pub they went to in Oxford.
"Let's go have a drink" Evelyn repeated to Charles joy.
"Wonderful." The trio walked away completely unaware of the CIA agent, who had flown all the way from America to find an expert on genetic mutation, watching them disappear.
~8~
It hadn't taken long for Charles to be persuaded into the drinking challenge of the pub. Evelyn watched and cheered beside Raven whilst Charles completed the challenge. Of course, the place was full of everyone chanting "Drink!". Evelyn thought he was crazy for doing the challenge but she wasn't going to stop him or put him down for doing it. Eventually the last of the liquid went down his gullet and the place erupted in cheers. Charles carefully climbed down off the chair and was immediately consumed into a hug by Raven.
"Oh, I'm so proud of you" she said as the pair laughed. Evelyn took a seat at their table and watched the pair. She kind of wished she had had a sibling growing up.
"Thank you" Charles answered as they pulled back from the hug. Charles moved over upon seeing his wife and kissed her forehead before he looked down at the empty monstrous glass he had just finished. "I need another drink. And you need another cola." Turning to face Evelyn, Charles began to run his spare hand over her hair. Charles was always affectionate and Evelyn always loved it. "What would you like love?" The idea of alcohol suddenly turned Evelyn's stomach.
"Just some water" Evelyn answered surprising both Charles and Raven. Evelyn normally didn't have water whilst at the pub. She wasn't a big drinker but she normal had at least one drink.
"Water? Aren't we celebrating?" Charles asked whilst Raven took her seat at the circular table beside Evelyn, concerning creeping onto her face.
"We are but I just don't feel great and if I drink alcohol, I will only feel worse and it will ruin your night and I don't want that" Evelyn explained with a wave of her hand. However, the moment the words 'I don't feel great' passed her mouth, Charles sat down and took her hand in his with concern.
"We can go home if you don't feel well" Charles offered as she knew he would. Evelyn's smile blossomed at his caring nature.
"That's very sweet but no, just get me some water please" Evelyn replied. Evelyn wasn't sure what was wrong exactly but she didn't want to ruin his night by either throwing up or forcing them to go home. It wasn't fair on him. Though he wanted to argue, the well-practiced look she held on her face told him there was no point in arguing. Evelyn felt like kicking herself as she watched him slowly make his way over to the bar – it was clear he was now worried. Why had she said anything?
"You ill?" Raven asked, catching Evelyn's attention.
"Just a bit queasy, upset stomach, it'll disappear" Evelyn assured her sister-in-law and unlike Charles, Raven just accepted that answer.
"If you say so" Raven cheerfully replied before she ran off into talking about everything and anything with ease. Evelyn followed her lead and conversed with her oblivious to Charles having not reached the bar.
~8~
Of course, Charles was concerned for his wife. It was not like Evelyn to not drink but she didn't seem ill - unless she was not telling him something. Evelyn was never one to tell him when she was ill, she was also working through the illness unless it completely debilitated her. And it was whilst his mind was firmly on her that he did not see another woman coming his way.
"Congratulations, Professor" a feminine voice spoke catching Charles' attention. Charles came to a halt, his eyes lifting to find a beautiful slim, brunette woman before him. She was dressed formally as if she was at work, leading her to look slightly out of place at the Daffodil. What was she doing here?
"Thank you very much" he answered, looking towards the large glass in his hand he assumed she was talking about his little stunt just before, after all what else would she be congratulating him about? "It's – It's much harder than it looks, actually."
"No, on your presentation" the woman corrected. Charles' mind slowly caught up with the woman's train of thought - the alcohol was clearly taking affect.
"Oh, you were at my presentation. How nice of you. Thank you very much" Charles replied with a genuine smile. Everyone always appreciated when one's work was recognised.
"Moira MacTaggert" the woman introduced herself, offering her delicate hand to him. Charles gave her a smile as he placed his hand into hers.
"Charles Xavier."
"Do you have a minute?" Moira asked. Charles however did not like the implication of her words. What exactly did she want? Truth was he didn't really have a minute, he wanted to get back to his wife who was ill. And he had a wife.
"Umm, whilst I'm flattered, I am taken by a wonderful..." Charles started, nervously rubbing his hand on his neck.
"Oh no, no, I-I'm here on business" Moira corrected which confused Charles further. Business? What business could she have with him?
"What?" Charles asked as he narrowed his eyes and frowned at the woman.
"I really need your help" Moira explained.
"All right" Charles agreed before he gestured to a small round table to the right of them. The pair of them both moved over to the table and took the seats opposite each other. Charles rested his elbow on the table and tried to concentrate solely on Moira but he found it hard as his mind was split between the alcohol, Moira and Evelyn. However, soon enough, Moira said something that took Charles' attention altogether.
"The kind of mutations that you were talking about in your thesis, I need to know if they may have already happened. In people alive today" Moira said. Now that was certainly intriguing.
Immediately, Charles shifted so that his fingertips were touching his temple but his face was resting on his hand making the gesture seem normal. However, with his fingertips on his temple Charles was able to tap into his power more effectively. Charles wanted to know where this question had come from - why had she sought him out? Using his powers, Charles entered Moira's mind and found that she was remembering a memory as she spoke to him. Quickly, Charles watched the memory to find that Moira had witnessed the unbelievable: mutants. She had seen a blonde woman turn her skin to diamond and a man with bright red skin who could teleport. There was two other men in the memory but Moira had not witnessed any powers from them. Charles brought himself out of the memory and was in complete shock, more mutants were found with extraordinary powers.
However, Charles' sudden silence brought Moira to think that Charles was not listening at all - even though the complete opposite was the truth.
"Professor? I think we should just talk when you're sober. Do you have any time tomorrow?"
"Something tells me you already know the answer to your question" Charles stated as he sat up straight. Moira's eyes immediately were downcast, what she had seen obviously had come as a shock to Moira's system. "This is very important to me, and if I can help you, I will do my utmost." The moment those words passed Charles' lips; Moira's face relaxed. She was so grateful.
"Thank you" Moira said, reaching over to grasp Charles' hand in gratitude, the action shocking the man though he said nothing.
~8~
Charles was excited to say the least, Raven was too but Evelyn was quiet. Raven, Charles and Evelyn we're back home in their small study/living room. Raven was sat upon the couch, Charles stood by the fire whilst Evelyn was by the window staring out across the lawn that ran behind them. Charles had just finished explaining what he learnt from Moira.
"So, this Moira MacTaggert saw other mutants?" Raven repeated in utter shock. Clearly, Charles saw it as a happy prospect but Evelyn did not so much.
"Yes. She heard them discussing missiles being placed in Turkey by America, it would seem a Sebastian Shaw has recruited mutants" Charles said as he turned to face his sister. "She needs our help to highlight Shaw as a threat." No one knew of this Shaw man; Charles had never heard of him and neither had Raven or Evelyn. Though mutants being in talks with politicians who were discussing the potential of starting the Third World War was both interesting and terrifying. The people in Moira's memory did not seem to be friendly and he was both intrigued and worried about the reasons as to why the mutants were talking to politicians.
"But no one will believe in mutants without seeing one" Raven stated strongly, lifting her hand out to point at Charles.
"Exactly" Charles said nodding in understanding.
"What mutations did she see?" Raven was curious to find out if there was anyone who had had physical mutations - one similar to her own, one she could not hide.
"She saw a woman turn to diamond and a man teleport out of thin air, he was physically mutated as well, bright red skin" Charles said, knowing exactly what his sister had wanted to hear. However, it wasn't Raven's reaction that caught his attention but his wife's.
"A woman who could turn to diamond?" Evelyn spoke, finally interjecting into the conversation. Immediately, Charles and Raven turned to look at her but both of them noticed the twinge of fear that rested within Evelyn's eyes, the shakiness of her voice.
"Yes" Charles started but before he could continue Evelyn spoke.
"Let me see." Charles quickly closed the gap between himself and his wife. His face held concern as he gently grasped her upper arms, searching her eyes. Something was wrong and Charles hated the fact that he couldn't use his power to read her mind - they had boundaries with that sort of things; they couldn't read each other's minds without permission. But right now, Evelyn was asking for that permission. "Please Charles."
Sighing, Charles nodded. To make the connection clearer Evelyn lifted her fingertips and placed them against the side of Charles' temple. Charles calmed himself and brought forward the memory he had seen in Moira's kind, once Evelyn had entered his mind, he guided her straight to the memory. Upon seeing the others mutants, Evelyn gasped loudly and snapped out of Charles's mind. At the sudden action, Charles was too shocked – he kept a hold of Evelyn's arms tightly whilst his wife paled considerably and tried to stumble away.
"Evelyn? Evelyn, calm down, you're alright" Charles said trying to soothe his wife whose breathing was rapid and short. Her wide eyes locked onto Charles as did her fingers. She was scared ... beyond scared even.
Maria knew she knew these people – the woman of diamond, the man who she knew could control wind, and the man who still haunted her nightmares, Dr Klaus Schmidt. She would never forget their faces and there they were in Moira's memories, older for sure but it was them (however Klaus had not really aged). Evelyn assumed Klaus had not aged due to his powers but it did not make Evelyn feel any different except she now had to get used to him being called Sebastian Shaw.
"It was him. It was him" Evelyn repeated in fear leaving Charles feeling helpless – he hated not being able to help Evelyn, he had no idea how to bring her out of her terror filled mind. Evelyn's eyes began to water as her past came back to her.
"Him? Whose him?" Raven asked, having moved closer to the couple but not getting between them.
"Schmidt" Evelyn whispered, the name leaving a nasty taste within her mouth. This man had tortured her for her abilities, her among others, and she just couldn't forget it. Charles knew about Schmidt; Evelyn had confided in him a long time ago but Charles knew that he could never imagine what Evelyn had gone through.
"Moira never mentioned Schmidt" Charles replied carefully keeping his eyes locked with Evelyn's. He wasn't questioning Evelyn as such but he didn't understand why she was thinking about Schmidt.
"The man at the front, the leader ... Sebastian Shaw, he's Klaus Schmidt" Evelyn explained, her voice shaking whilst her grip did not lessen. Upon hearing her explanation, Charles felt his heart drop. He had never meant for her to relieve her past, he never meant to bring up that pain once more.
"Oh god."
"He's back" Evelyn mumbled in terror. Evelyn was normally such a strong person but this was a man she had pushed into her past, buried deep within her mind, and he was back.
"I won't let him hurt you, he won't touch you, I promise" Charles said strongly, his voice with much conviction. He was not going to let this man hurt her anymore and despite her fearful state, Evelyn believed Charles. However, Charles knew he had to actively keep Evelyn away. "Look, we will just forget about this. I'll contact Moira and tell her I can't meet her. I know other professors who can help her. We can just forget about this, stay well away from it all. I promise." Whilst Charles wanted to explore the world and the possibility to find more mutants, he would not put such an ambition in front of his wife's health.
"Oh god he's doing it, he's putting his plan into action" Evelyn suddenly said as her eyes dropped to the floor and her brow frowned. She was figuring something out despite her fear. Her mind had opened, the memories flooding back of Schmidt and his plans. He always talked about the future, about evolution ... about mutants ruling. If he had the mutants behind him then humans, everyday people were in trouble just as much as the mutants.
"Evelyn look at me" Charles begged as he cupped Evelyn's face trying to get her to 'see' him. Eventually, Evelyn was able to pull herself out of her spiralling mind, she used Charles as her anchor, as the person to pull her back.
"We have to stop him" Evelyn whispered, her eyes finally locking onto Charles' properly. Though her fear was strong, her determination to stop him was stronger and she had Charles and Raven, she could stop Schmidt/Shaw.
"We don't have to. You don't have to" Charles said, he was solely considered for his wife forgetting about the repercussions of this decision - in fairness he wasn't aware of just how mad Shaw was.
"Yes, I do ... I should have stopped him years ago" Evelyn muttered, guilt washing over her. Whilst she had helped everyone escape all those years ago, she had done nothing about Shaw himself which had allowed him to continue his vicious plan.
"Evelyn you were twelve" Charles argued back, not shocked but confused by why she was putting all the blame upon herself.
"And old enough to know what was going on" Evelyn argued. She had to take some of the blame which meant she had to be part of the solution. Grasping Charles' wrists, Evelyn gathered herself and spoke strongly. "We have to stop him Charles. He believes the world belongs to mutants that they should rule ... and he'll do anything to be the leader." Unfortunately, she didn't realise just how far he was planning to go.