Archive of Our Own ^beta

It was getting cold. That gradual turn of the seasons frightened Erik more than he wanted to admit. The past few months he'd been on the move, able to keep travelling between towns, trying to keep off the radar.

He didn't know if Shaw was looking for them. Shaw had always said he'd find them (Shaw had always said they wouldn't be able to leave). But it wasn't worth the risk of them being caught.

If it had just been him... if it had just been him, then he knew that it would have been a very different story. He would have made sure to put himself beyond Shaw's reach. But it wasn't just him - he had little Nina, another child that Shaw had stolen away. A gift for him, for a festival he didn't even celebrate, sat beneath a tree with ribbon around her wrists. He had to look after her.

It was his fault her family were dead, not that she knew it. Shaw'd thought he was lonely, that having a child might help him to focus (might control him into obedience, because he feared her suffering far more than his own). And in a way, Shaw had been right. As soon as he saw her, he knew they had to get out. It had taken months of careful planning. But he'd got them out.

And they'd been running ever since. Over summer, he had made it into an adventure for her, given her endless games to play, walked with her through the park, and found the money they needed to survive. She was gifted, like him, and found her own way to help - asking local birds to steal food or wallets, getting squirrels to share stashed food. And for a while, it had felt like freedom, like an adventure.

But she was getting cold. She looked thin, frightened, and he'd found her a new coat but it wouldn't keep her warm for long, not for long enough. They needed somewhere safe.

It was Nina, his little miracle, who told him. She was sitting on the ground, a circle of crows around her. She looked like some kind of satanic painting, but she was giggling, patting the feathers of the nearest bird. "Papa?"

"What is it, little one?"

"They say they know somewhere safe." She fidgeted, pulling her oversized coat around her, and blinking at him. "It's not far. A big old house, and no one there to hurt us..." She nibbled on her lip. "They said there's lots of beds."

"We can take a look," he'd told her. He knew she was tired. She'd started to act as though this wasn't just a game - he'd caught glimpses of sorrow in her eyes. He knew she'd been through a lot, and she was relying on him - he'd taken her, after all, from the relative safety of Shaw's house. All the time they were there, and he'd been doing what he was meant to, she had been safe. He'd put her at risk by getting her to leave. He owed her protection.

She nodded, and let her crow-friends lead her along, talking to them quietly as they headed away from the city and its relative shelter. She looked happy, talking to them. He tried to focus on that happiness, rather than the fear that gnawed at him, the knowledge he couldn't risk going back. He didn't know how Shaw would react if he did.

Some days, he wondered if Shaw had forgotten him. Others, he suspected the man had never lost sight of the two of them. If that was right, he dreaded what would happen when he got tired of letting them play at escape.

At least thanks to Nina, he knew this couldn't be a trap - not unless Shaw had found a way to get crows onside, and that didn't seem likely. It was a long walk, and eventually as the chill settled in he found a mostly hollow log, where he and Nina could shelter. He got her to go in first, so he could protect her from the elements from his body. He curled up around her, and hoped this might be the last night they were spending out doors. From what he'd seen in the papers, a storm was coming, and he didn't want her to end up drenched.

That night, at least, the weather held. He woke up the next morning to Nina's smiling face, and the two of them crawled out from the woodwork. The birds had flown away overnight, but it only took a couple of whistles for Nina to call them to her.

"Papa, my legs hurt..." Nina mumbled, and Erik let her climb up on his back, and carried on walking, focused on getting to his goal. If these birds said there was hope, he was willing to try and take it.

It wasn't that long until he saw the shape of it. The place was dilapidated, grounds overgrown with weeds, even a small tree emerging from what had once been an elegant gravel drive. A couple of the windows were broken, and they were all coated with grime.

But it looked hopeful. Liveable. Erik thought he could get Nina comfortable there, and then he would be able to make his way to the nearest town and back - travelling alone it wouldn't take more than a day. And there were metal railings around the building which he could use to arm himself.

Nina squeaked, cuddling him tighter. "Is this our new home, Papa?"

"Yes," Erik told her. "It'll be warmer..."

"Can my crow friends visit?"

"Of course..." Erik promised. He knew she'd want her window open, wondered if they could compromise on opening it at certain times so she didn't catch a chill. He doubted he would win the argument, but he wanted to try.

He kept an eye for anyone as he approached the house. There was a car in the garage - he could feel the weight of petrol in the tank, but also the rust that had settled. It hadn't been used for a long time.

"Nina, stay close..." He ordered, mentally scanning for any sign of life - any watch warmed by body heat, or a fridge full of food. He found nothing.

He was aware that if he got caught, with Nina, he would go to jail if not worse. Because she had been kidnapped, and now here he was with her, breaking into a deserted house. But it offered shelter, and it would keep her warm, and hide her from Shaw.

He raised his hand to the lock, concentrating only for a moment before it slid open.

"Stay with me." He repeated the instruction, desperate for her to listen, as he took a step over the threshold. He wasn't sure what he expected. There was clear dust on the stairs, and dust sheets that would have startled him. The downstairs corridor looked less dusty, but still unused.

He got the feeling he should go left, so he followed it, taking careful steps. There was a larder, tinned food waiting for consumption. He picked it up, examined the labels. It was in date, if approaching the end of its shelf life. The next room was a kitchen. There was a pile of wood next to a stove - it was easy to get a fire going, warm the food through. Nina grinned at him as she ate hot soup, and he felt himself relax. She was safe now. Warm. She was going to be alright.

Once they had eaten, the two of them walked through the corridors. Some doors were locked in a way that Erik couldn't be bothered to open. But what he found was remarkable - a house in a beautiful state of preservation. There was water in the taps in the bathroom, and Nina squealed as soon as she found a bedroom that looked out over the grounds. "Can I sleep in here, Papa?"

"Of course," Erik promised. They spent a few hours exploring the house and the garden, and then they ate more warmed food, and Nina went to bed, curling up under a dusty blanket.

Erik pressed a kiss to her forehead. Leaving her to sleep alone was frightening - he hadn't done it since they had escaped. But he made himself wait outside her room, sitting down on the plush carpet. He knew the room was safe, and that she was alone. He could keep watch all night if he wished to.

She's perfectly safe. The voice in his head was firm, and he felt himself frozen in position. I'm sorry to startle you. But do you think you could come down the main stairs?

Yes. Erik concentrated on thinking back. He didn't know telepaths, but maybe Shaw had found one, and he knew about controlling his thoughts, about concealing his fear and anger and focusing on whatever would keep Nina safe.

She is safe. The voice continued. He reached the top of the stairs. There was a man sat there, in a wheelchair, gazing up at him. He reached for the metal, and his power slid off of it.

"Sorry," the man said, sounding genuinely apologetic. "I can't have you just grabbing me and throwing me around. Anyway, I'm Charles. And my burglars are-"

"Erik." Erik said quickly, even though he'd been considering lying a moment before. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I'm Erik. I needed somewhere to stay."

"I see. Well, it is good to meet you, Erik. I'm sorry I didn't speak with you earlier, but I wanted to give you some time to work out where things are, new houses always are a little tricky in my mind. Can I ask why you're here?"

"I just wanted to rest. Look. Just let... let us leave, we won't bother you." Erik could feel fear building. He had nothing to offer the man here, and he couldn't let him take Nina, not now, not after everything she'd been through.

"You are welcome to leave, at any time." Charles said, and he shrugged a little, the movement smooth and surprisingly graceful. "But you are welcome to stay. That man who is looking for you - I turned your attention from my rooms earlier. I can do the same for you-"

"What's the cost?" Erik asked. He knew he'd pay almost anything for safety, but he wouldn't let Nina get hurt. If this man threatened his daughter, he would fight with all he had to keep her safe.

"Nothing. I just... I find myself lonely, this time of year - my sister wants to visit, but she's busy with her wife, and it's a large house. If you want, you and your daughter can have nothing to do with me. But this place needs life."

Erik hesitated. He wasn't sure what to say or do, and was so caught up in that moment that the sound of footsteps on the stairs behind him startled him. He turned to find Nina there, yawning, her hair sticking up. She was still wrapped up, but had shed the coat now that she was inside.

"Hello?" She blinked.

"Hello," Charles smiled at her, bright and kind and far friendlier than Erik could recognise. "I was just talking to your daddy - no, your Papa, right?"

"Yeah," Nina nodded shyly.

"Well, I was saying you could stay here, for a little while, if you liked. And your bird friends can visit."

"Will... will Papa be safe?" Nina asked, with the directness of a child.

Charles's expression seemed to crumple, his eyes widening for a moment in horror. He took a couple of slow, deep breaths, and then nodded. "Your Papa will be safe here, Nina. You both will."

"Then we stay." Nina said it firmly, like wanting it to be okay would be enough to make things safe. Erik wanted to argue, but he didn't want to cause upset or put her at risk.

Charles smiled. "It'll be alright. And if there's anything you need...." He hesitated, and shrugged a little. "I'll do what I can to get you it."

Erik wanted to doubt him. But he didn't. He wasn't sure what it said about him that he didn't. "Thank you."

"Anyway, it's late. You should both go to bed - Erik, if I can't persuade you to take a bedroom of your own, there is a camp bed three rooms down from Nina's room. You can make yourself comfortable on that outside her door."

Erik nodded, uncertain but feeling a faint spark of hope that he didn't fully understand. He led Nina up to her room, and used the camp bed to block the door. The idea of being safe, really safe, felt laughable. But knowing that they were here, and they had somewhere to stay, felt like the start of something good.