"You're a thing," Deb said. "You're not a person. And you should never have come."

One of the other cousins stood. "Aunt Deb," he said, trying to get in the way, worried that she'd cause a scene.

"I'm just as much of a person as you are," Paige protested. "Aunt Deb, I'm your niece. I don't understand why you hate me."

Before Deb could really lose it, Charles and Erik made their way inside. Charles had been able to feel Paige's distress from half a block away.

"Ah, there you are," Charles said, smiling broadly at Paige and pulling her into his side easily. "I do apologize for interrupting early."

Erik just loomed behind Charles for now, looking large and threatening, the silverware rattling a bit against the table.

Paige jumped.

"Charles," she said. "What are you doing here?" Not that she wasn't grateful for the interruption, far from it; she was very, very grateful to see Charles and Erik there.

"We're picking you up," Charles said brightly. "I must have gotten the end time wrong, though." He ignored Deb completely as if she didn't exist. For now.

"That's okay," Paige said, jumping on the excuse he was offering her. "Let's just-- go." She glanced at her aunt, and then back at Charles, pleadingly.

Charles nodded, smilingly a little at her reassuringly, before he steered her out. Then he paused, realizing Erik hadn't followed.

"You'll have to excuse me one more moment, dear," he murmured, handing over the car keys. "I need to retrieve Erik before he hurts someone."

Paige took the car keys, but just stood there. She trembled slightly, the keys faintly jingling in her hand even as the steel bled across her skin.

Charles saw her and hesitated. Damn. He couldn't leave her, but he needed to get Erik out.

Erik, darling, if you don't get out here within five seconds, you are sleeping outside.

Erik grumped but didn't kill anyone, instead moving outside rather reluctantly after scaring Deb. Charles moved so he could hold Paige.

Paige stiffened when Charles pulled her close, and then wilted into the embrace, trying desperately not to break down crying quite yet.

Charles got them into the backseat of the car, not even bothering with seatbelts as he held Paige, trying to comfort her.

Almost as soon as they were in the car, Paige broke and started crying.

"I didn't do anything," she said. "And they still hate me. I don't understand."

"It's not your fault," Charles soothed, while Erik's hands whitened on the wheel. "It's theirs. They dislike that you're different, that you can do things they can't, and that makes them scared, and they're angry that they're scared. So it's not you. It's what you are." He rubbed her back gently. "They're the kind of people that you can't dissuade or make anything different. It's not your fault, it's not anything you did."

"I tried so hard," Paige said. "I did everything they wanted, I went to doctors, I went through every test they asked for, and they still hate me." She buried her face in Charles's shoulder.

"I know," Charles soothed, keeping her close. "It's not your fault and never will be. It is their fault." But he didn't think she'd appreciate the rant right now so he just kept rubbing her back.

It took almost the whole ride back to the mansion for Paige to calm down some. When the car stopped, Erik got out and opened the door for Charles and Paige.

Charles scooted out and brought Paige with him, though he didn't let her get far. Instead he kept her tucked under his arm as he headed back inside, knowing Erik was right with them.

Erik locked the car and followed the two inside. He trusted Charles to know how to take care of Paige at the moment.

Charles took Paige into his study, still cuddling her. But he wasn't quite fast enough to keep Crystal from seeing.

"What happened?" Crystal asked Erik, because Charles was busy.

"Her relatives did not take well to her presence," Erik said, letting Charles take Paige into the study.

Crystal's eyes narrowed, and a few tiny crystals spit from her hands like sparks.

"I see," she said quietly. "Give me your keys."

"The situation is passed," Erik said. He didn't say it was handled, because Charles hadn't let him handle it, but it was over regardless.

"That's okay, I'll just go drop in," Crystal said, banked violence in her eyes still. "They deserve it for everything they've done to Paige."

"Believe me, I want to let you," Erik said. "But Charles already stopped me this evening."

Crystal growled but didn't protest again, instead glancing at the study before she turned and headed for the kitchen instead. Time for chocolate comfort cookies. Before she stole a pair of keys and a car instead.