Morning came and Angelika rose from bed before the rooster's call. Agnes usually left for work before dawn and it became the little telepath's job to ensure both Erik and Caliban were fed.

Yawning, she rubbed the sleep away from her eyelids as she went to the bathroom to clean herself. Looking at her reflection in the mirror while brushing her teeth became less and less painful since her hair grew quite long. 

A year had passed like a fleeting moment since Caliban found them and Agnes welcomed them into her house.

Despite being so close to the camp, Schmidt had not yet found them. Perhaps the man firmly believed that Erik would have chosen to go as far away as he could instead of settling for somewhere so close. Not to mention, none of the nearby villagers were dumb enough to hide jews inside their house.

Agnes had to lie that they were her nephew and niece who came to live with her due to her brother's abrupt death from a fever. Some believed her, others didn't care and then there was the nosey ones who had nothing better to do with their free time, like Greta the ancient she-devil. The female mutant briefly peeked inside her mind and she didn't like it — too much hate.

So Angelika wanted to do everything she could to help the generous woman. Even in the hottest days, she wore a long-sleeved shirt to keep her tattoo hidden and aided around the house by fulfilling different chores.

When she reached the kitchen, Erik was already sitting at the table, listening to the radio. His face was serious — more so than usual — his chin resting on his folded hands.

"- the forces of Germany have surrendered to the United Nations. The flags of freedom fly all over Europe."

Angelika blinked, processing what had just been said. "Erik, did the man say-"

"Yes," Erik answered quickly, letting out the breath he had been holding in, "It's over, Angelika. We're free."

Angelika choked, unsure if she should be laughing or crying. Neither seemed right. She wore too many scars and bore too many losses to be able to rejoice. And she had so many things to be thankful for to be crying in sadness.

Her mind drifted to Henryk, the boy who was dragged into her hell and forced to live beyond his planned lifespan by Schmidt. She wished there was a way to tell him that the war was over and the Nazis had lost. He would've been happy to hear this.

Just as her lips quivered, eyes burning with unshed tears, Erik pulled her into a hug. She was surprised when something warm began to wet her shoulder but she did not mention it. If he needed a shoulder to cry on, she would provide it.

"We survived."

-&-

Lunch was a simple rabbit stew with a slice of bread for each. Agnes provided bread and Erik hunted for small edible - Angelika could never forget the horror she felt the day he caught squirrels - animals. The first few weeks, he also skinned his preys while Angelika waited by the door, something about feeling sorry and uneasy. But she never quite admitted it, simply claiming that she needed help around the kitchen since she had to take care of the kitchen garden.

He appreciated this kind, compassionate side of Angelika. It often reminded him of his mother but the world was too harsh for someone like her. So after a month, he forced the dagger in her hands and taught her how to properly skin an animal. The sight of blood clenched her stomach uncomfortably but Angelika learned without a word of complaint, believing Erik knew what was best for her.

Erik ate in utter silence whereas Caliban hummed even as he ate, his spoon expertly avoiding the distasteful orange vegetable. It did not go unmissed by Angelika who shot him an angry glare. He flashed a sheepish smile.

"Caliban! You will eat your carrot right now or I swear that I will tell Agnes that you wet your bed a week ago. Your mother works hard to put food on this table and you'll not let it go to waste!"

The pale boy sighed, hiding his face into the crook of his arm. When he first sensed Erik and Angelika, he had hoped for friends, not a strict mother hen. He wasn't sure how to define his relationship with Erik, or if they even had one. The metal bender barely acknowledged him, answering in grunts when Caliban tried to talk to him. But the older boy seemed to be entertained whenever Angelika scolded him.

They had an odd pyramid of hierarchy. Erik kept Angelika in line and Angelika made sure Caliban behaved. The telepath was the one who struggled the most between the two of them, keeping her friend calm and dealing with the spoiled boy.

"You're so mean, Angel," Caliban grumbled, "I thought girls were supposed to be nice to boys."

A vein popped on Angelika's forehead, emerald sparks flying from her clenched fists. "That is completely wrong, Caliban. Girls are nice to people who deserve it and you, my dear boy, are acting like a brat.

"But mama said-"

"I love Agnes but she is wrong." She points at Erik, "See that grumpy over there? I'm only nice to him because I like him, not because he's a boy."

Erik choked on his saliva. Did she hear how she sounded? He desperately fought the heat creeping over his cheeks but he knew it was futile. Even the tip of his ears felt hot.

Having heard his thoughts, Angelika quickly spun on her heels to hide her blush, fleeing the kitchen like a criminal would a crime scene. She was grateful that she was the telepathic one.

Caliban sniggered, enjoying this new side of Erik. He always maintained a perfectly blank façade and it was fun to see he had feelings as well.  

"Erik and Angelika sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-"

A pot whacked him in the back of the head and Caliban learned to never tease Erik when Angelika was not around to protect him.

-&-

The rest of the day had been uneventful. Erik was out in the forest, chopping wood for the chilly nights and Angelika made sure Caliban learned the multiplication table from two to nine by dinner time.

Even though Erik and Angelika could go to school if they wanted to, they both preferred to be homeschooled. She didn't want to leave Caliban in the house by himself and he refused to interact with others. The metal bender was proficient in math and science while the little telepath explained literature and history better than any of his previous teachers before the war.

Stacking the logs behind the house, he draped a plastic cover over it after he was done. He wiped his hands on his trousers and turned to go back home when a small figure shot out from the shadows.

"Happy birthday!"

Taking in a deep breath, Erik calmed his jumping heart. He felt overwhelmed by anger, seeing how easily he could have willed the axe to whack into her skull. 

"You idiot," Erik hissed, "Do you realise how dangerous it is to scare me? I nearly killed you!"

Angelika snorted, "I am a telepath, Erik. I could have easily dodged it or sent it flying the other way." She regained her smile and lifted the plate in her hands. "Look what I've made for you!"

It was the ugliest marmorkuchen Erik had ever seen in his entire life; it was uneven and the edges were slightly burnt. with one candle stuck in the left. Underneath was a piece of paper with the words 'All the best on your birthday, dear Erik'. Unsure of what to say, he stared at her.

"I sold some of the tomatoes I harvested last week and bought flour from Jakob next-door," Angelika explained, "I know the shape isn't great but I didn't have a proper mould and I wasn't going to ask you to make me one either. Sorry about it."

"How did you know?"

"Last week, you had a dream about your mother, yes?" He nodded. "I read your thoughts when you woke up. You 'said' it was your birthday in a week."

Erik bit his lip as he recalled how adamant Angelika was going to the market last week. Afraid of what might happen, he tied her to the chair but she burnt the ropes and shocked him into unconsciousness before carrying on with her secretive mission. He thought bitterly that she was in a rebellious state, misunderstanding his intentions to keep her safe as if he was locking her away under lock and keys from humans.

"Try it! Do you know how hard it was to bake this without Caliban noticing? He would've eaten it in one bite had he found out. I got the recipe from creepy Dina. She scares the living hell out of me but her baking is so good. Have you ever tried her-"

Angelika froze when she felt Erik's lips on her cheeks, stopping her in the middle of her nervous ramble. The rational part of her mind shut down, alarm blaring loudly. While she remained perfectly immobile physically, she screamed and twisted inwardly.

"Thank you, Angelika," he said, a delicate smile on his face. His blue eyes seemed less harsh under the light of the setting sun and she noticed then how good looking he was. Although she spent most of her days inside, she recognised that he had looks that could make any girl swoon and she had never felt so panicked during her entire existence.

Angelika Frank had a crush on Erik Lehnsherr.

-&-

Tucking Caliban into bed was the easiest task of the day. A bedtime story and a lullaby lulled him straight into sleep.

Life was perfect right now. Sure, their clothes were riddled with holes and the roof often leaked but they had food on the table, books to educate themselves and more importantly, they had each other. A year and half ago, Angelika never dreamt she would be where she was right now, safe and happy. She assumed she would die in Schmidt's clutch with no one to remember her.

Now she had a home, everyone safe and sound. Once she becomes of age, she would be able to get a work and help Agnes financially. Erik would want to study abroad, and she would support him in whatever way needed. As for Caliban, the boy dreamt of finding others like them. He wanted to find his princess.

Angelika prepared a simple meal for Agnes and laid it on the table before brewing herself a cup of tea. The scent of roses wafted pleasantly towards her nostrils, soothing her nerves. Tea was ridiculously expensive so she had to get creative and dry different flower petals. Her favourite used to be Earl Grey but her mother never allowed her to have it since the caffeine kept her awake during the night.

Thinking of her mother elicited a quiet laugh from her. Memories told her what a handful she used to be, causing mischief here and there, breaking fragile looking crystals, scaring her parents half to death by swinging upside from a tree. In all honesty, she couldn't complain about Caliban. Sure the boy was a horrible picky eater and bratty from time to time but that was it.

Caliban spent his day reading and studying then watch the night sky with Angelika when he felt trapped. Daylight burned his skin so he remained inside, regardless of his desires, and she tried her best to help him.

How long do you think this blissful, domestic life of yours will last?

Not long, she knew that much. Agnes mentioned that children who survived the holocaust were being adopted by wealthy families all over the world and while there was no trace of malice in her voice, Angelika took it as an invitation to search for a better life out there instead of settling in her house.

Erik was still determined to walk down the path of revenge, to ensure Schmidt gets punished appropriately for the pain and grief he caused, he never meant to stay longer than necessary. Caliban revered of finding other mutants and help them live a better life if needed.

Only Angelika felt unsure about her future.