A\N: Inspired by a very cool AMV to Hinder's Homecoming Queen.
Interesting. Death's realm looked like the mansion.
Or rather, like his office. He wasn't in his wheelchair, though--and, testing his legs, found they worked perfectly. He sighed with contentment as he stood by the window.
This was such a pleasant place.
Someone knocked on the door. "Enter." Professor Xavier called.
A young, redheaded girl bounded in, radiating joy and energy, and the Professor frowned. "Who are you?"
"I'm Sarah." She explained. "You don't know me, of course."
"Why ever not?" Xavier asked, teasing Sarah just a bit. He couldn't help it--such a sweet, pretty child! "I think I'd remember such a cute face."
Sarah giggled, skipping into the window seat and kicking her legs. "You're dead, silly!"
"And you're an angel?" Xavier was serious this time, but Sarah shook her head.
"I like your office." Sarah said. "Can you really think better upside down?" She turned on her head easily, staring at him as her long red tresses fell to the floor like a river of flame.
She looked so much like Jean, laying there, and Xavier felt a pang as he remembered the time the child had decided she was going to use her powers while standing on her head 'so she could think better'. "Where did you hear that, Sarah?" He asked.
"Jean."
Xavier blinked.
"I can talk to anyone I want." Sarah explained, righting herself, and Xavier realized who she was.
"So, Sarah," Xavier asked, "Should I call you Death?"
Sarah giggled again. "No. I like Sarah. It means 'princess', you know. And you're seeing me as Jean. This is her body, you know. I want to know why." Death smiled with Sarah\Jean's face.
"I don't know." Xavier admitted.
"Really?" Sarah asked. "Too bad. You loved Jean, didn't you?"
Xavier nodded reflexivly. "Of course I did."
Sarah smiled coldly. "I hear a 'but' in there."
"There was none, thank you." Xavier said. "I loved her."
"So if you loved her, why did she kill you?" Sarah asked, kicking her feet again. "Even Phoenix never hurt anyone she liked. And she read minds, you know. So she would have known if you did love her."
"I don't know. Humans aren't always logical." Xavier admitted.
Sarah stopped kicking her feet and gazed calmly at Xavier. "You do know."
They gazed at each other for a long minute, but not even Charles Xavier could outstare Death. He dropped his head. "I am perfectly well aware of what you wish me to say," He said, "But I do not see her as a tool. I see her as a daughter."
"Then why did you hurt her?"
Xavier's jaw dropped. "I never..."
"I don't think she was born with multiple personality disorder, you know." Sarah said sweetly.
Xavier frowned. "It was nessecary."
"Was it? Storm could contain her powers without being a brat." Sarah pointed out. "So could Jean. She just needed a little help sometimes. Or better yet, for the barriers to eventually be removed."
Xavier shook his head. "The X-Men needed her. Scott needed her."
"Is that all?" Sarah asked. "You were afraid she wouldn't have chosen your team? Is that what you saw her as, a weapon? That's disappointing, Professor."
Somehow, Sarah's frown was enough to make Xavier defensive. "No. She was beautiful and kind and gentle."
"And you hoped she would see you as something more than just her father?" Sarah asked.
Xavier flinched. "How did you...of course I didn't!"
Sarah nodded. "So instead of acknowledging that you thought her beautiful, you made yourself think of her as a weapon instead. Didn't it occur to you that she was neither god or weapon? Didn't you ever think that she might have needed a parent?"
Slowly, Xavier shut his eyes.
Sarah was right. He had failed, and this death was the price for his failure.
"Of course, Magneto had quite a bit to do with it," Sarah said pensivly, "But, well, if I had a friend like Jean...I wouldn't have made her be perfect. Not for anything. I think she's perfect the way she is." Sarah giggled. "Of course, Jean is pure life force, and life is part of death, so I'm really just saying that I think I'm perfect..."
Xavier looked out at the grounds again. "How...how can I repay her? How can I fix this?"
"Well," Sarah asked, jumping down and walking to the door, "Why not tell her what you told me?"
The door opened, and Xavier turned. There, standing in the doorway, was Jean.
Suddenly, he didn't know anything. He didn't know what had just happened, what would happen next, anything.
But he knew one thing.
He could make things right.
So he stepped over to Jean and said the words that could have saved hundreds of lives, and in doing so, began a new world.
"Jean, I'm sorry."