Most of the students at the mansion tried to get Jean to talk to them, but she shut them out at every turn. Scott she almost threw a lamp at and Kitty was told to...well, it was colorful.
Jean, could you please come down to my office?
It had been about five hours since Jean's pick-up in California, and she hadn't spoken a word. Everyone knew if she didn't want to, she wouldn't, but it was worth a try to reason with her.
She walked down the stairs with the speed of a snail and sat in the seat in front of Charles' desk. Ororo was sitting on the sofa off to the side and Logan was behind Charles. They were frightened.
Jean didn't realize it had taken a half hour of Charles repetitively asking for her to finally hear him. She was slipping fast.
"Jean, you know the safety of the entire Institute is at risk. Could you please help us figure out who's behind this attack?"
Repeating the question two more times, she finally shook her head. However, as they kept asking questions, they found themselves having to repeat less and she actually began talking. Progress was still progress, no matter how small.
Eventually, at 6 o'clock in the morning, she relented and relayed her story of what she knew, though it was her turn to repeat since they could barely hear through her tears. Jean just couldn't get over the fact that her friend was dead. They tried comforting her, but it was no use. Jean didn't want to be told to 'shush, everything will be alright. You're safe'.
The image of her friend's bloody body kept flashing through her mind's eye, Adrianna's grey eyes turned cold and empty as they stared wide at a murderer who had long since fled. She shut her eyes to try to make it go away, but it just gave the photo a better canvas.
They called Scott in to try and get to her, but nothing helped. Charles was about to mentally force her to relax and sleep when she heard him.
"Jean."
One word, and her body froze, her shields cracked. The voice was deeper, more refined, but it was still the voice she knew.
The man she knew.
With a cry, she jumped out of the chair and out into the foyer where he was standing. Jean ran into his arms, which closed tightly around her.
Johnny Storm just let them stand there, occasionally stroking her hair and whispering things no one else could hear into her ear. They were nearly the same words being said to her by the others she loved except for one larger detail.
She actually believed him.
When he said it, the past was forgotten. She believed he could protect her, that she was safe. Everything was okay.
Her Johnny was back.
Despite the fragile atmosphere, Logan shot Ororo a cocky grin, "Bad idea, huh? Should never have called him."
She huffed and smiled at the two friends below. It was a long awaited sight.
"Who is he?" Kitty asked in the war room.
"His name is Jonathan Storm. He is a pyrokinetic mutant. He lives in New York City with his sister, Susan, her fiance Reed Richards and their friend Benjamin Grimm. They are all mutants also, and came here to learn control many years ago," Charles explained.
Kurt looked confused, "Then why haven't we seen him before?"
"He had, uh, a bit of a falling out with Jean," the older mutant added.
Tabitha snorted, "They didn't look exactly "fallen out" in the foyer."
Scott smiled, "Johnny and Jean were always close. It was my coming to the Institute that screwed all of that up. Johnny...he loved Jean."
"Do you think he still does?" Kitty perked up, Scott getting her full attention with the mention of romance.
"It wouldn't surprise me."
"Shhhh. I'm here, Red. I'm here."
Johnny had taken Jean to the library and was sitting with her as she cried. It had been seven years, seven long years. For a few months, he had forgotten how long it had been since he'd seen her emerald eyes, her crimson hair.
"I've got you, Red."
She looked up at him, tears not stopping, "Why are you here, Johnny?"
"Because you needed me," he told her, holding her closer. And I needed you.
Despite being overcome with sadness, she smiled against his chest having caught that stray thought. Oh, how she'd missed him, but now he wasn't the immature little boy who had walked out of those doors seven years ago.
He had become a man.
