Disclaimer: The usual, none of the characters belong to me, only the plot, blah bah blah…

Overcoming Grief

She sank deeper into her chair, sobbing softly into her hair. Her fingers gripped at the arms of the chair, becoming white at the knuckles.

"I…I didn't mean to…but…all my fault," she managed to get out of her chattering mouth.

The tears dripped off the tip of her nose like a leaking tap. The grief and pain she felt were written all over her face, and the ragged gasps escaping her mouth were evidence of her agony.

Continuing to cry, she sank a little deeper into her chair, and her eyes lost a little more of their depth.

***********

She loved him, not me. All this time, I was such a goddamn fool! How could I have not noticed?

And now he's gone.

Should I be happy?

Scott paced around their, no, his now, bedroom. To an observer, he might simply be bothered, but only one who knew him well would notice the way his skin sunk into the hollows of his cheekbones, or the way his clothes hung off his thin frame.

Slumping onto the bed, he removed his visor, revealing dark shadows under his bloodshot eyes.

Jean. I should've known. Your flirtatious smiles were always reserved for him, you were becoming more and more distant…goddammit, I thought you were just concentrating on our next mission!

The mission which killed him.

I knew it when I saw the life simply drain away from you when you saw him fall. The way your eyes just seemed to lose their shine when he wasn't going to make it. Was I that bad?

Was our love really worth throwing away for a brief affair with a half man half beast? Or had our love died a long time ago?

The tears involuntarily squeezed out under his closed eyelids. They were squeezed shut with pain, with the knowledge that the woman his life had revolved around was gone, had been for a long time.

He didn't know how long he sat in that position for. With each ragged breath he took, his shoulders shook convulsively, making him feel like a child once again.

******

Rogue lifted herself off the chair and made her way to the bathroom mirror. A girl with tangled brown hair and haunted blank eyes stared back at her.

A girl. How many times had she wanted him to see her as a woman, not a lost girl? And yet that was all she was. A stupid child, who could kill, and had killed.

With a scream of blind rage, she smashed the mirror to pieces, letting the jagged pieces fall around her. Her hand was shattered, but she didn't notice, for that was what she was.

A million shattered pieces of glass.

And no one could pick up the pieces because one touch could cause more pain than it was worth.

So she was alone.

Again.

********

He straightened his clothes and glanced back at his reflection. With the visor on, no one would be able to detect the red circles around his eyes. Or their empty gaze either.

So he was back to the 'strong leader' appearance.

Without a word, he left the room, with nothing but a smashed frame as evidence of his grief.

**********

She gazed out the doorway, her eyes filled with loss as she watched the man she once loved walk away, his shoulders hunched, closing himself off from everyone.

I'm so sorry Scott. I tried to make it work, but something was missing. Over the years, some part of our love died.

I'm so sorry.

She returned to her room, her beautiful red hair disappearing behind the shut door.

********

The Professor winced as he felt his dearest friends slowly crumble under the burden of their sorrow.

Jean would probably heal, over time, and continue on with life as she always had. Her wounds would close, only leaving some scars as reminders.

But Scott. He had already lost so much, and now Jean was gone as well. Everything he had trusted had betrayed him. First his family, then his closest friend out on the streets, and now Jean. Jean had been his foundation for everything, and now that she was gone, his whole world was falling apart, bit by bit.

The Professor sighed. The lines creasing his face were now deeper than ever, for he too had his own demons to deal with.

One mission had cost so many lives and so many hearts.

In the end, was it all worth it?

So, what did you think? Please review as this is still my first fanfic. If you like it, I'll update this as soon as I can (which probably isn't very soon, but anyway).