Flames for the Phoenix

Disclaimer: We own none of the following characters save for Ilehana Xavier (a.k.a. Vixen) and Blaze who should not be used without Corrinth or Lamby's permission respectively.

Corrinth's Note: This is a response to a challenge laid down by Lamby many months ago now! The Gods only know why I agreed to it, but I did! A story line that had to be written for our timeline… but why me! I'm so afraid of disappointing everyone with this one; so let me know what you think?

Lamby's Note: No fear my friend, I'm here to put in my two-penneth and no doubt make your words of wisdom stand out as the shining examples of fandom that they are. Anything's better than the drivel I write. Now onwards- lets see how many times we can kill Jean off in one fic! Lol!

Corrinth's Note Mark Two : Yup, I failed in my mission, luckily Lamby was there to help me out!

Prologue

Six years previous (end of X2)

Cyclops panicked as the power went down at exactly the wrong moment. His head snapped upwards, as all aboard the X-Jet heard the sickening crack of concrete giving way to the pressure of billions of gallons of water trying to escape its confinement. Damn it! He had to get this hunk of junk off the ground! They'd come so far, escaped the clutches of Magneto and Mystique, stopped Colonel William Stryker destroying all of mutant-kind, they couldn't be finished now! He found even though his mind seemed frozen, his hands were functioning on automatic pilot. They worked at resetting the control panels of the jet in the somewhat vain hope of rebooting the whole system. At his side, Storm was doing the same.

"There's power in the fuel cells, they're just not…"

Scott's voice faded away. Jean frowned to herself. She should be doing something to help, not stood here listening to that melodic sound that seemed to call to her insistently. No, it wasn't a sound. It was a voice like a beautiful harmony of notes that rose over the pouring water. It welled up over the fear of those in the jet, an intonation that suddenly became sharp and insistent. It told her exactly how she could save her friends.

Jean spun suddenly at that, staring at a glow from the rear of the jet. It seemed to be filled with a blaze of light that only she was aware of. The voice told her that the dam was giving way. In her mind, she saw lumps of concrete break away and she watched the water spraying from the ever-growing hole in the dam. Soon enough Alkali Lake would grow exponentially in size. It would cover the valley in an endless lake of black, ice-cold water, washing them all away in the process.

Jean's hearing suddenly returned, overly acute. She heard Xavier shifting in his seat, heard the water racing toward them, heard Scott struggling with the controls. Glancing back she watched Logan and Nightcrawler leaning over the piloting seats, offering what little help they could. A tear poured from each eye and she sniffled a little as she resigned herself to her fate. With a mild and loving smile, she took one last look at her friends before limping determinedly from the jet.

"Storm, we need some kind external power," Cyclops told his co-pilot, oblivious to his retreating fiancée.

Professor Xavier froze, aware of a gentle telepathic brush, a tender touch almost like a daughter's kiss goodbye… "Jean?" She wanted his reassurance, but more than that Jean wanted him to know how much she loved him. She needed him to know how grateful she was for everything that he had done for her. Xavier knew even before Logan asked where she was, though how he knew he wasn't sure. "She's outside," his tone was flat, full of a father's pain.

Scott leapt from his chair like he'd sat on a pin, shoving Logan and Nightcrawler aside. His eyes didn't even see them. He only saw his love disappearing from his life. Scott raced towards the rear of the jet, but before he could follow her, the steps of the tail ramp folded flat and the ramp rose to shut him inside with the others. It cut off his last hopes of reaching her like a hand closing over his mouth and nose, taking away his air supply, his life. What was she thinking? No! No, she couldn't do this! He heard the power come on, heard the switches flick and the drone as everything activated.

"No, we're not leaving!" Scott cried loudly, his tone hysterical as he gestured sharply at the closed exit beneath him. "Lower the ramp!"

Storm was trying to flick switches when she heard the dam break further. She knew that water would soon be rushing towards them, and would drown her friend without mercy. How could Jean be so stupid? She heard Scott calling again for her to lower the tail ramp, but the controls ahead of her lowered by themselves. Jean's telekinesis, what else could it be? "I can't!" the air-goddess cried, looking ahead of her to see the massive body of water break through the tree line and rush towards Jean, threatening to swathe the redhead in its terrible clutches.

Jean heard it coming despite her struggle to lift the large aircraft into the air. Crying aloud with the effort, Jean sliced her power into two halves and shot out a hand palm towards the water. She used her gift of telekinesis to part the water as Moses parted the Red Sea. It was a struggle beyond words. Never in her life had she tried something so difficult, but there in front of her the water diverged. It left a dry section circling her and the jet, leaving them safe as the tidal waves roared past on either side. To her utmost relief, the jet's wheels began to lift from the snow-covered ground.

Aboard the jet, all were thrown with a sudden jerk as the aircraft moved. Wolverine was aware of Scott lurching his way back to the cockpit to see the one they both loved battling to save their lives. Logan, his voice angry and distressed, demanded that Nightcrawler teleported to save Jean. There was a subdued 'poof' as the religious blue elf tried to use his power of teleportation to rescue their friend. But nothing happened. "She's not letting me," the German mutant informed the Wolverine in a bleak tone.

Logan's anxious face turned back to the windshield, his eyes full of a terrified desperation. No! His expression twisted like his insides. He couldn't lose her now! For just a few precious moments when he had thrown his dog-tags as the chained Stryker, turned his back on possibly the only man who could offer the key to his locked up memories, everything had been right. Now Jean was leaving them. She couldn't, there had to be some other way! Not now!

"I know what I'm doing," Xavier's voice was calm, softer than usual. When Logan spun to look at the Professor, Xavier's eyes were closed and his face contorted into a frown as if he was fighting something. Logan knew that it was not the Professor speaking but Jean, communicating to them through their mentor. "This is the only way."

Scott crouched by the Professor's seat, his eyes brimming with tears behind his shades. "Jean?" His tone was full of a terrible fear. He couldn't lose Jean, couldn't face the world without her, "Listen to me… don't do this!"

Jean, still battling to save her friends, heard Scott's words through the Professor's ears. He had to understand, she had accepted this, and she had to do it. Besides, the voice was commanding her, telling her that everything would be okay. As if to prove it Jean felt her resolve stiffen and in that moment her power grew beyond anything she had ever felt before. She glowed with the energy. She embraced it and used it to lift the X-Jet to safety. She spoke through Xavier once more, a simple "Goodbye," for Scott alone. Then slowly she turned to face the rush of surging, deadly water and dropped her power to let it flow over her. Jean breathed out slowly, giving up the fight and allowing the torrent to encase her in the icy blackness of its embrace.

(Lamby's note Mark Two : That's one!)