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▎ BEAUTIFUL CRIME ▎
»»-----　act two. another lifetime
CHAPTER FOURTEEN ━━ note to my past self

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♯ ❝YOU'RE WALKING AGAIN! ❞ 
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MAGGIE IS SILENTLY SITTING IN ONE OF THE MANY ROOMS-TURNED-BEDROOMS, EYES FIXATED ON THE SLEEPING FIGURE OF LITTLE THOMAS, the curly haired, blue eyed boy sleeping soundlessly in a small cot. Her moment of peace however is interrupted when the door creaks open, echoing hauntingly through the room as a stream of light filters in.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Maggie closes her eyes when she hears his voice, suppressed memories resurfacing at the sound of Erik Lehnsherr.

"No, you can come in." The grey haired woman speaks up softly, thoughtful of her sleeping grandson.

Erik, picking up on the silhouette of the young boy sleeping, is careful of closing the door without making much noise.

"It's been a long time." He speaks again, regarding her weathered look and duller eyes, but he does acknowledge that she still is full of fire, of fight. It is as clear as day that Maggie Hendrix remains a fighter to the very end.

Maggie sighs softly as Erik sits down in a chair across from her, own face worn and hair a silver-grey colour. "It really has been."

"Your son looks very much like you."

Maggie laughs softly, eyes flickering upwards to meet Erik's gaze. "No he doesn't, he's a carbon copy of his dad. He only acts like me."

"So stubborn, opinionated and strong?" Erik states, small smirk displayed on his features.

"Too stubborn for his own sake sometimes." Maggie replies, hand subconsciously reaching out for the silver locket that hangs loosely around her neck.

"What happened to his father?" He asks hesitantly, unsure if they even can talk as friends at this point in time.

Her eyes glaze over as she stares into the distance, seemingly lost in her memories. "He died some time ago, just when the Sentinels started to appear. I always knew he would be the first to go, we mutants after all live much longer than ordinary humans." She can see a flash of surprise in his eyes as she reveals this but she continues without acknowledging his questioning gaze, "I never expected him to die so suddenly." She pauses, trying to compose herself.

"They came in the middle of the night, I remember sitting by the shore, you could still see the house in the distance, a cup of tea in my hands when the screaming started." She closes her eyes, the painful screams still echoing in her mind as a few tears escape her eyes. "Mason was only twenty at the time, Thomas hadn't even been born yet. They murdered him because he refused to tell where Mason and I were. I was so far away from the house, and I could still hear him screaming, yelling an refusing to give them any information. I ran-I ran as fast as I could, but when I got back, he was already gone, the Sentinels too."

"I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago. After that day, the running started." She laughs, but no joy is found in it, "it always comes back to running away, faster, quicker."

Silence hangs in the air, tense but also somewhat comforting and familiar. If she closes her eyes she can almost picture the Xavier Mansion, Alex's boisterous shouts and Sean's gleeful laughter echoing in the hallways.

Maggie doesn't open her eyes when she speaks up again, "Do you think it will work?"

"Logan is going back to a time where we all couldn't be further apart." Erik states curtly, "I hope we will come together."

"We didn't know any better then." Maggie's eyes flicker open again as she looks at him, "Hopefully we will this time."

Erik laughs softly, reminiscing old memories, "Almost like creating a second chance for all of us."

A second chance for us.

The words are unspoken, but both think about it.

A large blast brings them out of their comfortable silence, both mutants jumping to their feet at the unexpected sound. Maggie immediately looks at Thomas as the boy wakes up startled, wide blue eyes gazing at his grandmother before landing on Erik.

"What's going on?"

"Tommy remember what your dad and I told you earlier?" Maggie asks rushed as she crouches in front of the young boy.

"Hide where no one can find me." Thomas repeats nodding feverishly. "And don't come out unless our friends tell me to."

"Right you are sweetheart." She leans forward, kissing the crown of his head gently, taking the boy in one last time-knowing that she'll probably never see him again.

Maggie blinks, and the boy disappears among the shadows.

"Where did he go?" Erik questions unsurely, eyes scanning the room for any sign of the little kid.

"He can manipulate shadows, he can hide in them." She replies, a frown on her face, "He can't control it for a long time though. I just hope Logan will finish what we'll start before they can find him."

They stand side by side as more explosion and shouts ring out. "Fighting side by side once again." Maggie whispers, placing a hand on Erik's shoulder. "Our last stand together."

"Logan will succeed." Erik promises.

Maggie grins, that beautiful twinkle in her eyes, the same smile he fell in love with displayed on her face directed at him. "I'll assume we'll meet again sooner in our next lifetime. Maybe it'll work out better this time." Erik says softly, another hopeful promise in the air as they walk out together.

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THE WAVES CRASH GENTLY AGAINST THE STURDY ROCKS OF A CLIFFSIDE, SALTY AIR INFILTRATING THE SURROUNDING AREA AS THE SUN SHINES BRIGHT AGAINST THE GRASS, a peaceful quiet echoes on the breeze. A single house, faded green in colour stands alone, but the inside of the home is far less tranquil, even a pure contradiction as gleeful shouts and laughter rings out.

Maggie Hendrix stands in the middle of it, chestnut hair in a ponytail and cheeks hurting from smiling at the sight in front of her. A woman changed, Maggie Hendrix has found her place after Cuba, after Charles, after Moira, after Erik. She found peace at a place she had always been drawn to. The ocean a safe haven, a place to grow beyond a battle bruised woman, beyond a little girl with shattered dreams. For the first time, a new family, one that is not formed out of necessity, even it was good.

Henry Mason Spectre-while tall and quite intimidating looking, stands defeated in the middle of the living room with three young children clutching onto him, trying with all their might to bring the man to his knees as one girl hangs on his back, pale arms wrapped around his neck, while her two accomplices tightly hold on to his legs. He laughs loudly, carefree as he tries to shake the mutant children off.

"A little help would be nice." Henry announces breathlessly, winching slightly as one of the three kids burns his shoulder accidentally, not even noticing the little red hand print that made a home on his skin.

Maggie grins, waving her hand gracefully as water comes flying towards her from a nearby vase before she directs it to the small burn on the man's shoulder. He watches still as amazed as the first time he had witness her powers, more so the icy shards that had been directed at him in surprise of being caught.

"Alright play time is over," Maggie focuses on the kids, bringing Henry back to the present. "you're parents dropped you off to learn, not to cause a ruckus."

Obediently, they release their hold on her friend as they rush to the other room, soft giggles echoing and the chestnut haired beauty motions for Henry to take a seat on the couch before she takes the spot next to him.

The cold water feels soothing to his skin as Maggie works dutifully, oblivious to the looks of adoration Henry is sending her way as she talks, "Sometimes I really wondering why I started this safehouse in the first place-little rascals will burn it down if I don't watch them close enough."

"Because you love helping them." Henry states surely, placing an encouraging hand on her shoulder as he squeezes it, words laced with admiration.

"I know-I know," Maggie sighs, "But it started just as a place to crash you know, a place to stay safe... a home. But now it's like a little private school Henry, and I am not equipped to teach them. He was."

Henry immediately knows who she is talking about, but he knows not to mention his name, or more so his downfall into an alcoholic stupor. Maggie had long ago cut contact with the professor, she had after all disclosed to him, (-after a drink too much ) that besides to irregular phone call to check in, the brunette mutant could not bear to face her old friend after everything they went through, after everyone they had lost.

"You're doing everything you can." Henry assures her, "they are happy, they are safe, and they are learning." Maggie finally looks back at him, hazel eyes meeting the twinkling blue ones of Henry.

"Well..." Maggie breaths out, thinking about one particular mutant that had once been a frequent guest. "Some may be using their gifts for less erh-admirable activities."

"Peter can handle himself Mags," Henry laughs thinking back to the silver haired speedster that had been one of the very first mutants Maggie had taken under her wing after running into a desperate and borderline exhausted Maria Maximoff who had no clue as to what to do with a mutant kid, especially one as wild and rebellious as Peter.

"Well Pete is living in his mother's basement, eating twinkies, playing Pacman and robbing convenient stores." Maggie points out, raising a brow at her closest friend.

Henry grimaces, a sheepish smile displayed on his face, "at least he is not robbing banks?" He offers as consolation but Maggie just shakes her head, trying to hide her smile by looking away.

"Miss Maggie!" Shouts from the other room echo through the small home, and the chestnut haired woman recognises the voice of one of the older kids-Jubilee, a joyful twelve year old with an rather explosive mutation.

"What's happening J?" Maggie calls out, a spurt of worry coursing through her veins at the fearful call of the young girl as she stand up from the couch, water that had been working on helping Henry following her out the house on the porch where Jubilee stands with three younger mutants.

Her relaxed manner instantly becomes rigid when an unfamiliar ugly yellow coloured car comes into view, riding the normally abandoned dirt road that leads to her home.

Placing a hand on Jubilee's shoulder, Maggie carefully pulls the girl back, "Get back inside J, take everyone with you up to the training room alright?" She instructs softly to the raven haired girl.

Jubilee nods, adjusting he bumblebee yellow jacket before gathering the other children to hide, while Henry comes outside, tall stature quite obvious as he stands next to Maggie.

"You should head inside with the kids." Maggie suggests carefully, a hint of worry in her voice as she lets the water crawl up her arms, ready for battle. She always knew when someone would come to the house-she knew all the kids, all the parents that had ever passed on these grounds. And whoever was coming, was no one familiar.

"No way in hell am I leaving you alone." Henry denies fiercely, stepping up beside Maggie, squaring his shoulders.

"What are you going to do if they attack huh?" Maggie scoffs under her breath as the car comes closer and closer. "Talk your way out of it?"

"Well sorry if I don't have any evolved genes like you. Doesn't mean I can't throw a good punch."

Maggie's shoulder sag slightly in defeat as Henry remains confident in his decision. "Just promise if I tell you to get out of here, you'll go."

"Hell no." Henry scoffs, and Maggie smirks at his determination before her face turns emotionless as the car stops only a couple feet away from the house. "What do you want?!" Maggie shouts out, water swirling threateningly around her figure.

A burly man steps out of the driver seat, cutting off her view from the other passengers of the car. He looks stoic and dangerous, and a flicker of recognition flashes through her eyes. "Logan?" She breaths out, outstretched arms cautiously lowering back to her side.

Henry however does not relax, blue eyes narrowed on the man, as he seems to have a permanent glowering stare etched on his face and when he takes a step closer the man steps slightly in front of Maggie. "She asked what you wanted."

"Shut it kid." Logan growls out and a shiver of fear shoots down his spine when Logan looks in his direction. He swallows thickly but his attention is quickly diverting when the sound of another car door closing resounds over the clearing and two more people come into view.

"You look well Maggie." A ragged posh voice cuts through the suffocating silence and Henry watches as Maggie completely lowers her defences at the sight of an unfamiliar, quite unkept, almost homeless-like looking man.

"You're walking again." Her voice is full of indifference as she regards the man. "that's quite extraordinary for a man that shouldn't."

"Things change."

"I guess they really do."

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⊱ ────── {⋅. AUTHORS NOTE .⋅} ────── ⊰
Helloo!!! Sorry for not updating last week, I was slammed with schoolworks📚🖇. But here we are again! And we have finally enetered the past/furure/new timeline or whatever! I am really excited !! We already have some guest appearances and mentions and of course a new face! Henry is played by oliver jackson-cohen for those who want to know! Also a little cute momenten between Erik and Maggie🥰👏 I have much planned out for this part! But Apocaplyse will probably be y'alls favorite bc happy family life will make a short appearance... or not hehe 😈. Please leave some love and predictions if you can connect some dots 🕵️📝🔎. Also beside the point, I remade the trailer for this story. The nee version can be watched in thr Trailer Chapter 🎥