One of Them

[Magda Eisenhardt]

I can't remember all the times I tried to tell my myself

The years had been a hard for the Lehnsherr family. Erik had used his powers to save one of his fellow workers. In fear, their once friends and neighbors had turned on them and taken Erik away from the family. Magda had not been able to try to stop it, for fear they would take Nina too if they knew. Once Nina was safe from the men she began trying to find him. Appealing to every government and person she could. Reaching out to every friend Erik had once had--mutant and human. The school. The brotherhood. Anyone who would listen. Yet they all said the same thing--no one could find a trace of him. Even with a fancy machine, Charles had not been able to find him. Something had blocked it. He said that Erik had once found a way, and that there was a chance the humans had too.

Which meant that the wife of Erik Lehnsherr had to figure out a way to live without her husband. She kept in touch with a lot of the people who looked for him, reaching out to see if anyone had found him yet--if only because that meant they would keep trying. Magda moved Nina somewhere else, away from the men who had feared her husband and taken him away. Erik and her had spoken of a place they could go if they ever had to leave, and needed an easy way to find each other. A safe house he called it. Magda was staying there, and would make the long drive to town a few times a week to sell things she grew, and buy what she needed. Nina made friends with the local animals, and a few other kids in town. Though they never stayed long. Nina would play at the park, Magda sold the crops; and then they'd go home while making sure no one followed them.

It was two later, as Magda tucked Nina into bed while singing her a song that everything changed once again. "Good night, my love," she whispered softly to her daughter in Polish before turning off the light and pulling the door gentle closed. Nina's nightlight would give her enough light in the room to be alright with. Since Magda still needed to do the dishes, and clean up this would keep Nina was being woken by the sound. She hummed softly while she washed up, putting the dishes to the side to dry.

Maybe this year will be better than the last

_{Tag: Erik Lehnsherr}

[Erik Lehnsherr]

Tag: Magda Eisenhardt
Note: Better layout coming soon!

Peace

WAS NEVER AN OPTION

Erik felt like he was moving under water. He had been walking for hours, but his entire body was numbed to any pain or feelings of tiredness. He had once believed that the camps would be the most traumatizing experience of his life. How wrong he had been. The past two years had brought back the floodgate of pain, suffering, and severe trauma. The result, even worse. He had come out of Auschwitz with powers. Yet now, he had come out of the facility . . . without them. So many months of experimentation to ensure it worked. Several more months that followed to keep an eye on them. And when they were finally satisfied with the results, they released him.

Released him into this world . . . as nothing. For he held no worth now. Without mutant status, he was worthless. Helpless. He had once sworn never to be helpless in the wake of persecution, and yet here he was. Here he walked. As a human. Erik had tried so desperately to bring his powers back. To even move a paperclip. But it was to no avail. Frustration and anger, unleashed though physical destruction. His hands actually having to overturn the table, instead of waving things to his will. They may as well have killed him . . . for without his abilities, he was only a shadow of a man. If he had no family, then he would have truly felt the loneliness of this world, and was uncertain as to what path that would take him down.

So he had looked for them, and when they weren't in their home in Poland, he had some idea as to where he went. He informed no one else of his release. No other mutant. Not even Charles. He held far too much shame in the fact that all he fought for, was now nothing. He was nothing. His only role left was to be a husband and a father yet even then . . . how much of a role could he truly play like this. He couldn't protect them. He hadn't been able to then, and he certainly could not now. Erik had been so lost in thought that he hadn't even realized he'd reached the door. He stared at the handle, trying to fight back the tears that had already escaped him so many times before.

Before, a single wave of his hand could unlock and open it. But now . . . he couldn't. He clenched his fist, hitting the door in 3 slow knocks. He had been gone for 2 years and he had no idea what Magda and Nina's lives were like now. But he thought of them. Every moment of every day. It was all he could do to derive strength to keep fighting through every test. To keep enduring every moment. Magda had once been his strength at the camp and now she was again, along with Nina. But . . . Erik didn't know if he could be hers.

[Magda Eisenhardt]

I can't remember all the times I tried to tell my myself

There was a knock at the door, and Magda turned to look at it, but didn't move closer. Three slow ominous knocks. Each one like the thud of her heart as it beat too hard. No one knew how to find her here, and no one had ever come. In two years, no one had ever come. Her hands reached behind her as she gripped the sink for a moment, just staring at the door. After the initial fear eased, she stool a few steps closer toward the door, pausing at refrigerator and reaching to pull a gun from above it. It had stayed hidden for years in the cookie jar there.

She hated guns, and violence but no one was taking her daughter like they had taken her husband. She was afraid that one day they would com again. One day Nina would be found out and taken from her without any trace of her found. Magda knew that would be Erik's worst nightmare, and she would protect their daughter with everything she had in her. Edging to the window she pulled the curtain back enough to look out and--

Magda dropped the gun and ran to the door. She pulled and fumbled with the four locks there (all metal) until she could get them open and then pulled the door to swing wide open. Jumping toward her husband she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his shoulder as she held him. ERIK! Hot tears fell over her cheeks, and wet his shirt as she clung to him. Erik was alive! He was here! Her toes pushed from the ground as she tried to hold him tighter and closer to her. Pulling back her hand went to rest on his cheek as she looked over him. "You're here!" She whispered though her tears, taking in his face. She knew that look. Had seen the almost dead look in too many eyes. "Erik," she whispered, moving to pull him to her once again.

Maybe this year will be better than the last

_{Tag: Erik Lehnsherr}

[Erik Lehnsherr]

Tag: Magda Eisenhardt
Note: Better layout coming soon!

Peace

WAS NEVER AN OPTION

The moment her arms wrapped around him, he knew his should instinctively do the same. That they should wrap around his wife. Hold her. Comfort her while deriving comfort from her. He could feel the tears against him, ones of relief and well, he too was relieved that she was ok. That she was alive. That no harm had come to her. But, his own hands were slow to raise themselves.

Just barley brushing against her as he slightly raised them to carefully place on her back. A pathetic attempt to return a hand, but what good were his hands now anyway? She was so relieved to see him, the emotion clear in her actions and voice . . . yet, his state of return was hardly any cause to rejoice. When she drew back enough to look at his face, he -- like a coward -- could not make eye contact with her. Instead, his gaze fell lower, looking more past her than at her. "Where's Nina?" He had to know that she too was ok. That she was with her mother and that no one had tried to harm her . . . especially since she too was a mutant. Because right now, Erik didn't the ability to protect either of them. Not anymore.

[Magda Eisenhardt]

I can't remember all the times I tried to tell my myself

He had to be exhausted! Erik's arms moved slowly, and she worried that he was too tired, sick, or hungry! Her hands touched his face and arms, and anywhere she could while he seemed to look behind her and asked about their daughter. "She's safe! We are both safe!" Magda told him, "Nina is sleeping. I will wake her up soon . . . . " but she needed to a minute with him first!

She could tell something was wrong, or off. Magda could only imagine what he'd been through, had done to him, or how he'd escaped. Biting her lips for a moment she held back her emotion, wanting to be there for him in every way. "Come sit and rest, before I do." She knew Erik loved his daughter but she needed him to take care of him first. Nina would take a lot to handle, and she just knew--knew in her gut that something was off with him. Erik had always been a reserved person but he had opened up with her and Nina. Had touched more, smiled more, laughed with ease. Now he looked haunted. "She has missed you desperately! . . . . We both have!" And her husband was home! Back! They could deal with anything as long as they were together!

Maybe this year will be better than the last

_{Tag: Erik Lehnsherr}

[Erik Lehnsherr]

Tag: Magda Eisenhardt
Note: Let me know if its hard to reply to!

Peace

WAS NEVER AN OPTION

They were safe. Both Nina and Magda were safe. That was all that mattered. Magda told him that she would wake a sleeping Nina and Erik was torn over wanting to see her, and being ashamed to. Just as he felt the same looking at his wife now. How could he explain it? How could he vocalize it? He was fully aware that he would need to for it would not take her long to figure out the lacking use of his powers . . . powers that once were. But, how to say it when Erik wasn't even sure his mind had come to terms with it yet.

He numbly followed her inside, listening though the words belatedly processing in his mind. "As I did both of you." He missed them as well, of course he did. It was why he was here. Why he had come back despite the difficulty he knew this would post on his family; the difficulty he would pose on it. Perhaps it was selfish of him to return a burden but his family was everything to him. It was all he had left in this world.