Smirking, she left the pool, sauntering over to the man standing near her area. Erik was wearing a tight, white shirt paired with some black pants and brown-tinted sunglasses. He removed them as soon as she reached him.

Eleanor grinned to herself. She remembered this memory very well. It was their third meeting just right after he and his group left to their new safehouse.

"Yes, Erik? What can I do for you?" She grabbed the towel hanging from her lawn chair, drying her hair. He didn't respond and instead, his eyes roamed over her, causing her to smirk even further. Eleanor watched her very confident self raise her eyebrow. "My eyes are up here, metal boy. I know I'm already pretty, but you don't have to be so obvious about it."

She then spun around and strolled over to her garden table. "You keep on staring. Is it your first time seeing a woman like this?"

"No."

"Thought so too." She cockily responded. "Why are you here?"

"I came back to visit you."

The memory before her grew hazy as it changed to another scene. She heard a train move ahead with a long whistle and rhythmic sound. Eleanor placed a hand over her mouth as she vividly recalled this memory. It was the very first time he said he loved her.

"I'll see you again in a week." Erik said as he carried his duffel bag at his side. Eleanor patted the collars of his black coat and proceeded to fix his necktie. She was sure from the action they were doing, they looked like a couple that were about to leave for work.

"Until when are you going to do this?"

"I just need to find a friend of mine and then supervise everything else as I transfer the authority to her."

"Her? What's her name?"

"Valerie."

She nodded, slightly pouting. "Okay."

"I'll retire immediately after that. I promise." He said, sliding his hands around her waist. "I love you."

A slight blush crept up to her cheeks and she smiled before realizing something. "You lost."

Erik's expression then turned that of confusion.

Eleanor tilted her head to the side, smirking. "We had a bet, remember?"

He also tilted his head, mimicking her movement just as he remembered. "Oh."

"You owe me a favor, metal boy."

"I'll do anything for you."

Smiling, she ran her index finger across his cheek, her eyes looking straight into his. "Told you, you'd say it first." She leaned in close for a moment, letting her breath touch his lips. "After all, I've been often told I'm captivating."

"That you are."

And with that, he leaned forward and kissed her in that train station. Adrenaline coursed through her veins and she felt the rapid beating of her heart. The warmth of his body engulfed and suddenly, it was as if no one was around them, it was him and her. Them against the world.

That's when she knew she loved him.

Once again, the scene shifted into another and this time, it showed her a fight they had during their third meeting.

"You only met me for two weeks and you think you already know everything about me?" She scoffed, slamming her cabinet door shut. "I'm not a mutant."

"Then, how were you able to divert that tree branch away from Raven?"

Eleanor didn't answer.

"Why do you keep denying it?"

"Why do you keep insisting it?"

Both of them stared each other down, fuming. Eleanor wouldn't accept that she was a mutant. She hated herself for having such a mutation because she had to hide constantly. She doesn't understand why this jerk had to push that she was a mutant. "What will you gain if I admit that I'm a mutant? Will you become a millionaire if I do? No, right? Now, excuse me, I'm hungry."

He blocked her way.

She raised her gaze to him, glaring at his steel gray eyes. "Move, Erik, or I'll make you move."

He stayed planted in his place, irritating her. She pushed him away, stomping his feet too as she had done so. Glaring at him one more time, she left him.

"I kill people." Eleanor heard Erik's statement as the the bubble showed another past recollection.

"Yeah, I heard you the first time."

"You're not repulsed by that?"

The brunette looked down at her hands, lightly biting her bottom lip. "Honestly, kind of." admitted she. "But, I understand your reason for doing it. I just hope you'll let go of your rage and thirst for vengeance. You deserve to live a life far from it. You deserve more."

The aperture continued to show her hundreds of memories with Erik and everytime she would see them, she could feel herself yearning more to come back and not give up. Not only for him, not only for herself, but also for their children.

"Do you believe in the Red Thread of Fate?"

Eleanor's head perked up at this certain memory, her eyes widening as she watched it.

"What's that?" Erik asked her, casually twirling his glass of wine.

The brunette smiled. "It's an East Asian belief originating from Chinese mythology." She recounted what she read that day. "According to it, the gods tie an invisible red thread to the pinky fingers of two people who are bound to find each other in life."

Erik continued to listen as she excitedly told him about it. "It's similar to the western concept of soulmates." Her eyes sparkled with delight as her left hand slowly reached out to his right hand. She raised it between them as she remained her gaze at him. "So, these two people connected by the red thread are destined lovers, regardless of place, time, or circumstances. This magical cord may stretch or tangle, but never break. No matter how many people they will be with in their life, who they become, and what circumstances they face, they will come together and live a lifetime."

"That's a nice belief."

She then grinned, shrugging. "Call me a hopeless romantic if you will, but I believe we are like that."

"Like what?"

"Soulmates."

He raised his eyebrow. It was evident he didn't believe in the concept, but this didn't deter her. "Really?"

Eleanor hummed. "We may try to be with other people, Erik, but I believe we will always return to each other." At this, she slid her finger across his palm, directing her eyes at it. She interlocked their pinky fingers together. "Fate will find a way to bring us back together even if it has to rewrite everything for that to happen."

Tightening her pinky finger around his, she added, "Fate pulled us together, and destiny may pull us apart, but hope will bring us together again no matter what."

The memory then dispersed and the bubble popped, but Eleanor's words that day still rang inside her mind. Hope. It's hope that will bring them together again. Tears came into her eyes as she was filled with enough courage, determination and hope to reach the end of these realms. Nodding, she sniffed and began her journey once again.

However, the dream realm seemed to have a different plan for her.

"Mom?"

Eleanor paused in her tracks, faintly recognizing the voice that spoke. Furrowing her eyebrows, she spun around, her eyes narrowing at the two figures behind her. A young man and woman dressed in white smiled at her, waving their hands. She tilted her head to the side, slightly confused.

It was when she had read their minds that her hand flew to her lips in shock.

Because currently, standing not far away from her was her supposed first daughter, Erica, and her son with Charles from the past timeline, Nathaniel Xavier.

That was not a good sign.