Jean stared up at the boiling red sky, her face a blank mask, "Time to go home I suppose." She murmured.
Lance knelt down to her level and forced her to look at him, "what are you talking about? Where's home? Where're you going?" He demanded, panicked.
Jean looked at him, "The Phoenix was never really MINE, you know that. I was always hers. I was always going back to her. It's a miracle we had this time."
"No!" Lance insisted, "no! You're- WE were supposed to have more time. This isn't... Dammit Jeannie, this CAN'T be it."
She nodded at him, " It is. She wants me, and she'll destroy everything here to get what she wants."
He stared into her eyes, read the sadness and resignation within them and felt tears well up at it, "Okay. Okay, We'll both go then. You jump, I jump."
She gave a watery chuckle, "I thought you hated that movie."
He nodded, brushing lips over her forehead.
"You stay." She whispered, even as he was shaking his head.
"No. We were always all or nothing, Jean."
"Stay." She implored, eyes big and tinged a firey red-gold, "You have so much to do in this life, Lance, she's shown me that."
"No." He sobbed.
"Yes." She straightened, eyes clear now, firm, "You stay, Lance Dominic Alvers. You'll grieve, but you WILL find her. She's bright and energetic and sweet. She'll make you happy. You'll make Scott be your best man just to irritate Pietro, and have beautiful children, who will eventually marry and have beautiful children of your own. You'll have the piece of normal you've always needed. She'll outlive you, but that's okay, because when she gets there she has someone waiting too. Just like I'll be waiting."
"Jean, I- I love you so much." He gasped, brushing his lips over hers and pressing their foreheads together, "I'll be happy, for YOU. But you are it for me, you're my soul mate and I'll never love anyone else like this."
She smiled sadly, "I loved you. I love you. I will forever love you." She promised.
Jean grey turned her face up to the boiling red sky and allowed the Phoenix to pull her in.
Lance watched until she disappeared into the abyss.
Jeans beatific plans were not to be lived exactly as she planned though. Lance did eventually move on, and married a woman that he adored almost as much as he did Jean - Jubilation had three beautiful children and Lance became a firefighter. He died twenty years to the day after Jean's death, of a stroke caused by trying to stop an earthquake from leveling Chicago.
He didn't feel a thing beyond a vague sense of floating and then the impression of vibrant red hair, deep green eyes, and a love that had never died.