Notes: For real. I love it when they "Mr. and Mrs. Summers" each other. It's probably my favorite thing they do in the comics, and I will forever and ever have them doing it here. Because they are the best. And I love them. But omg Scott and Jean needing a shotgun wedding is HILARIOUS okay? Even if Erik being totally INSANE is not. omg. Erik. Stop.

Chapter 24: Fight for Your Happily Ever After

It didn't take long for the little group of X-Men to arrive at Magneto's hideout, though before they even got to the fight, there was a small argument at the jet when Alex wanted to come and "blast the guy's head off."

"We already know Magneto hates you," Logan said. "I'm not too damn fond myself, but I'll be less happy about it if I have to drag you out after Magneto tears you to pieces. Stay. On. The, Jet."

"Hey, I've been working hard," Alex argued. "I've been training just so I can do this right here."

Logan turned back to him with one eyebrow raised. "And I can tell you for a fact you're not ready for this fight."

"At least let me fight the Brotherhood," Alex argued. "Come on. That's my brother we're going to save!"

Logan tipped his chin down. "You think you can fight?"

"Yeah!"

"Alex, no," Jean said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Just stay here."

"It's a trick question," Kurt said over Alex's shoulder before he had passed him by. "The next thing that you'd see is the back of your eyelids."

Alex crossed his arms and let out a little huff. "It's my brother," he grumbled — though he did take a seat.

"Don't worry," Jean said in as kind a tone as she could manage when she was still upset herself. "He's coming home with us. One way or another."

The team had gotten a fair distance from the jet before Logan turned to Jean. "You know where we're headin'? Or are we just stormin' the castle?"

"I know where Scott is," she said. "But storming the castle might solve the rest of the problem if I just happen to run into Magneto," she added, her eyes flashing.

"One thing at a time. You head for him; we'll make a distraction," Logan said with a smirk before he and Kurt shared a look — and then disappeared.

"I'll provide the usual cover," Storm said from next to Jean. "And if Magneto steps out … anything can happen, of course."

Jean nodded at that. "Right. Anything," she said with a smirk, already reaching out to Scott to let him know where they were.

Logan and Kurt were doing a spectacular job of drawing attention — that much was evident by the fact that the girls hadn't been spotted yet. Though they were a bit surprised when they met up with Scott and saw Lorna as well, looking downright mad.

"I'm coming with you," she said as soon as she saw Jean and Storm — even as Jean was sure to go right to Scott and hit him in the arm for worrying her before she kissed him. "I can't stay here and watch this anymore."

"Then this will be a bigger fight than we were hoping for," Storm said.

"Let me handle it if he tries to fight," Lorna said. "He's my father. And if it comes from anyone but me, it'll just be worse."

"'If', she says," Jean said in a breath, shaking her head. "'If' he tries to fight."

"Let's just get out of here," Scott suggested, already with one arm around Jean before he gave her a quick kiss and the four of them rushed to make use of Logan and Kurt's distraction and get out before anything else could happen.

Which was working perfectly well until they were almost gone and the fight nearby spilled into the hallway they had been running down — announced by a very large Fred getting knocked back and through the wall.

"Found your dad," Scott muttered under his breath to Lorna, who gave him a dry look at that.

Of course, with the big hole in the wall, it was clear that Erik had spotted the group, and he let out a noise of frustration before he pushed a wall of metal between Storm and Lorna first and foremost. "It's not enough you're trying to turn my lieutenant — but now you're trying to take my daughter?"

"Daddy, stop," Lorna said, holding both of her hands up and looking as sincere as it was possible to be. "Just stop this. The only person that wants a war is you."

Erik frowned at that, his eyes narrowed as he met Lorna's gaze. "My little Lorna," he said, slowly shaking his head. "You don't understand—"

"I understand more than you think," Lorna said, her eyes flashing.

Erik's eyes narrowed even further before, faster than anyone could react, he had taken that sheet of metal he used to separate Lorna and Storm and grabbed hold of Scott with it, positively sending him flying into the room as Erik started to float. "This is how you repay me?" he demanded angrily. "After everything I've given you, you betray me and take my daughter with you?"

"I didn't do anything," Scott shot back just as angrily. "And if you weren't so paranoid, you'd know that!"

There was a tell-tale bamf, and before Erik could see what was going on, Logan yanked the helmet off of his head, and a heartbeat later, Kurt whistled shrilly for Jean's attention — a clear sign for her to get to work.

Of course, that just had Erik furious as well, and he flung Logan backward, sending him crashing hard into Kurt and knocking Kurt out — and leaving Logan fairly well magnetized to the floor so he wasn't going anywhere either. He was looking as imperious as ever as he reached out for his helmet and with the other hand sent out a few tendrils of metal toward Scott that slammed him hard against the wall, a sort of crack echoing when he hit. He had instinctively tried to brace himself, and that had instead only served to put one leg between him and the wall when he hit harder than he was used to.

"I will deal with you later," Erik promised venomously even as he turned toward the remaining X-Men — though Jean was having none of it. She had already been moving to invade Erik's mind, but hearing Scott cry out in pain...

The fire was already gathering around her, wisps of it coming off of her like waves as she too started to float. But when Erik tried to use the same move against her that had successfully pinned Scott to the wall, the metal simply melted when it got close enough to her, the molten material dripping in her wake before she simply dove into Erik's mind.

For how angry she was, it would have been so easy to take Erik apart. The Phoenix was right there with her, pushing for more destruction even as the fire seemed to burn a little hotter around her. He deserves it was the phrase running through her mind.

And she was absolutely willing to go along with that way of dealing with the problem — right up until she heard Scott through their mental connection shouting her name.

Come on, Jean; this isn't worth losing control, he projected to her — a few times, since it had taken several tries to get her attention when the Phoenix was pushing so hard to simply destroy everything.

Looking back at Scott didn't do Jean any favors, though. Seeing Kurt unconscious, Logan stuck, and Scott pinned and hurting only had her more furious — and for a moment, the fire around her burned that much brighter.

Hey, come on. We just got married, and I am not losing you to the Phoenix, alright? Scott said, his mental tone a little sharper now.

No, Jean replied, though her mental tone did sound a bit lower than usual.

Let's go, Scott said. Come on. Let's go home. Please.

Alright. Just … I have one thing I need to do first. Don't worry, it's not what you think, Jean promised. She took just a moment to center herself better before she focused again, this time reaching out very much like she'd done with Scott when they had their first real date after the Phoenix came into her life — only this time, she wasn't working on a temporary switch.

A few minutes later, when Jean's feet touched down on the ground, and the fires died off, she quickly made her way over to Scott. "He won't hurt anyone. And I didn't kill him."

"What happened?"

"I turned off his ability," Jean said. "Locked it down tight. For all his talk about how mutants don't use their abilities on each other, he always broke his own rule. So …"

Scott's eyebrows shot up. "You… is it… permanent?" he asked, even as Lorna took a step toward Erik, frowning like she wasn't quite sure what to make of the whole thing.

"I think so," Jean said, nodding. "Though … I'm also very sure that if I can turn it off, I can turn it on, too."

"Only if he can stop," Lorna said, crouching down beside her father before she gently raised a hand to lift Logan off Kurt while they were both unconscious and then to gently let Scott loose.

"So now what do we do?" Scott asked, leaning on Jean for support.

"Now, we go to Westchester," she said. "And I can wake up Logan. He'll be fine. I just wonder if we should bring Magneto too."

"Might not be a bad idea," Scott mused. "I mean… even without his powers… He has a following…"

"He's going to need friends that are actual friends," Jean said. She smirked as she reached out to get Logan moving. He can carry him for us.

Scott nodded and leaned into her. I won't lie; I feel better knowing he's coming with us.

I thought you might, but I don't want him waking up and thinking it was malicious either.

No idea why he'd think that, Scott deadpanned.

Very funny, Jean replied. I know he'll think it anyhow, but I have to try and explain to him before he makes his own conclusions.

"Because you tried to break up my family" isn't reason enough? Scott asked, obviously still annoyed about how it had gone down.

I think it is, but I also think "you turned into a monster" is another great explanation.

Scott nodded and leaned against her a bit more. I just … call me an optimist... but without his powers…

Optimist, Jean shot back before he could finish, then made a point to quietly ask Logan to get Magneto on board. "I turned off his ability; he's not a danger to anyone," she swore, though she had to let out a breath at the look he gave her.

"I'd like to be there when he wakes up," Lorna said, her gaze still on her unconscious father. "Wanda or I could help make it easier."

Logan took a moment to hoist him into a fireman's carry. "Then take a seat next to him on the jet," he said. "I doubt he'll make it the whole way back before he does."

Lorna nodded. "He's not going to be happy," she muttered, shaking her head.

"He'll live," Scott said. "And it'll do him good to have to sit down and play chess with Charles instead of trying to start a war," he added, which got a little smirk out of Jean.

Logan led the way and got Erik settled in with Lorna — with Alex giving Magneto a very suspicious look — before he headed back to make sure the others didn't need a hand as well, ending up taking up Kurt's other side with Storm before the two of them headed up to the cockpit to get them moving.

"So… are we… kidnapping…" Alex said slowly.

"Shut up, Summers," Logan said.

"Jean turned his powers off," Scott explained.

"Um. How come you didn't do that before?"

"This can all be covered in debrief," Logan said. "Unless you still want to show me you can fight."

But that was a bridge too far for Alex. "Sure, leave me on the jet and then don't tell me anything. That seems perfectly reasonable. Can't I even ask how my brother got a broken leg or why my girlfriend's dad is powerless? Come on, man."

"One led to the other," Jean said with a smirk before she gave Scott's arm a squeeze.

Alex shook his head at that. "Whatever, Jean. Go back to your telepathic makeout with my brother."

"Don't think I won't," she said.

"Or that they ever stopped," Logan added.

Alex snickered at that, but then Lorna pulled him over for a kiss as well — and that seemed to stymie any possible teasing, for the moment.

Eventually, though, Erik did start to wake up, and as expected, he wasn't happy in the least about waking up on the blackbird.

"What is—" Erik cut himself off when he realized where he was and narrowed his eyes, reaching out a hand… and then getting even angrier when nothing happened. "This is absolutely unacceptable," he snapped, turning his attention to Jean, who was almost unconsciously moving in front of Scott. "Release your hold on my powers immediately."

"No," Jean said, holding his gaze with her own eyes narrowed. "Even if we did let you go, you wouldn't get your powers back. I turned them off. Permanently."

For a moment, Erik looked stunned. And then he looked like he was ready to do something he had never done and hit her — before Lorna put a hand on his arm to try to calm him down.

"Daddy, listen to them," she pleaded.

"I refuse to listen to anyone who would steal the gifts that—"

"Oh shut up," Alex said irritably, which had both Lorna and Erik turning his way — Lorna with a surprised look and Erik with a more incensed one. But Alex just met Erik's glare with one of his own. "You want to talk high and mighty? You lost the high ground when you started threatening people to get their loyalty — and when you used your powers to break my brother," he added, gesturing toward Scott, who did, despite Jean's attention, look fairly pale from the bad break.

"You know nothing about—"

"Yeah?" Alex challenged, starting to pick up steam. "You really want to go there? You want to talk about, what, loyalty? How many people do you think on your stupid team would take your depowered ass back home and make sure you're safe? You treat everyone around you like tools and I can't believe they're still trying to help you, but they are." Alex let out a huff. "You're an idiot."

"This was the only option I could see that wouldn't end in war and death," Jean said before Erik could get too worked up at Alex — since as right as he was, he wasn't necessarily the best messenger.

"The only option that allowed you to follow my old friend rather than join me," Erik shot back, his eyes narrowed.

"Don't," Scott said, his tone filled with a warning Erik's way. "Don't start that. This isn't about our family, and it never was. So don't start."

Erik let out a huff at that. "And now we see your true loyalty."

"Yeah," Scott said, tipping his chin up slightly. "Yeah, we do. And maybe one day you'll see it too."

Erik let out a disbelieving noise at that, but outnumbered and depowered, it was clear that he had nothing further to say, almost grumpily waiting for the flight to be over.

When they landed, Hank was there to meet them in the hangar, and of course, the most pressing issue at hand was Scott's leg. "I'm afraid we'll need to put you out for this one, Mr. Summers the elder," Hank said as soon as they were in his lab.

"Are you sure?" Scott asked with a frown. "I just got married; I'd like not to spend the day after dead to the world."

"It won't heal properly otherwise," Hank said. "And I doubt very much that you'd like to spend the day after screaming in pain while I set the bones."

"Fair enough." Scott let out a breath before he gave Jean's hand a squeeze with a little projected, See you when I wake up, before he let Hank get him set up.

While Hank was working on Scott, Erik found himself being escorted by the other X-Men — with Logan in particular making it clear that he didn't have a problem pushing Erik around if he was going to be a problem. Though when Erik got to Charles' office, his old friend really did look as though he was pained to see Erik in the state he was in.

"I truly am sorry that it's had to come to this, Erik," Charles said.

Erik shook his head, an obvious sneer on his lips. "And here you claim not to lie. Your little protege so successfully ensnared my lieutenant and found a way into my mind and powers — and you say you're sorry."

"Erik," Charles said in a much less friendly tone. "You have gone farther than I thought if that's what you truly believe. The young Summers are in love. And they have been for some time."

"And as I told Scott repeatedly, if that were the case, she could just as easily have remained with me and mine — safer, I think, than your targeted school," Erik replied.

"How many people died in your safe haven, Erik?" Charles challenged.

For a moment, Erik looked taken aback by the jab before he only looked angrier. "All the more reason to avoid this school. I'll not have anyone targeted and murdered again."

"You are free to leave if you wish," Charles replied. "Jean knows that she is safe here — as does everyone else here."

"So that's it? You take my powers and my followers — my own daughter — and expect that to be the end of things?"

"Erik, I haven't taken anyone," Charles said wearily. "They have chosen to come here — and if they choose to leave, then they may do so with my blessings. At any time." He leaned forward. "But honestly, I would love if you stayed to see for yourself."

"And what do you expect me to see, old friend? I've heard your philosophy many times before."

"This isn't about philosophy," Charles said. "This is about practice."

Erik let out a little scoff and shook his head, leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed. "You cannot expect me to fall in line with your little schoolchildren."

"No, that wasn't what I was hoping for," Charles said. "I was hoping to give you a chance to see your daughter in her own environment — one that she chose. And to see Scott flourish with his family. Your family, whether you acknowledge your role in his life or not But if you wanted to step in to guest lecture the history class down the line, I'm sure Logan wouldn't argue with you about it."

"History," Erik repeated as if he simply couldn't believe that was the option presented to him.

"It's a very important subject," Charles said reasonably before he gave Erik a tight smile. "Of course, I believe I'll keep the Human-Mutant relations class to myself."

Erik almost couldn't help but let out a huff of a laugh at that. "You would."

Charles smirked a little wider. "Can you blame me?"

"In a school focused on your peaceful philosophy?" Erik shook his head. "I wouldn't believe anything less."

"Erik, please. You know I'd love to have you here."

"To teach history."

"When Logan is elsewhere," Charles said, almost chuckling. "Or if you chose to do a guest lecture on your experiences in the war."

"And what, exactly, do you expect me to do with myself when Logan is teaching, then?" Erik said.

Charles gestured openly. "Would you like to teach something full-time? Tell me what would spark your interest."

"I would like to get back to the work that I was doing," Erik said irritably. "Tell your protege to lift this ridiculous telepathic block."

"It's not a telepathic block, or I would be able to lift it," Charles told him.

Erik's frown deepened at that. "Those new powers," he guessed.

"It's a bit deeper than the simple matter of new powers."

Erik waved a hand. "Whatever the case, the truth of the matter is that I had work to do."

"Then you might need to talk Mrs. Summers into reversing it." Charles smirked. "And from how you've spoken about and to her, I think you've got a lot of convincing to do."

"She ensnared one of my best lieutenants," Erik said with a sneer.

"Fell in love, Erik."

"Then you think it was just coincidence that the moment they started dating, he started to rebel against my authority?"

"Erik. Have you forgotten entirely what it was like when you fell in love with Magda?"

Erik huffed. "This is not the same."

"How would you know? Have you become a telepath when my back was turned? Perhaps you picked up the talent of an empath — in which case, I would advise you apply that newfound talent with the young man you're so upset over."

Erik frowned for a long moment, his arms still crossed, before he let out a long breath. "Well-played, Charles," he said at last, shaking his head.

The first thing that Scott was aware of when he started to wake up was the fact that he could feel Jean's hand in his, and that had him smiling before he even opened his eyes.

"G'morning," he said softly as he turned his head her way, smiling a little more when he saw Jean sitting beside him.

Jean smiled. "Hello again, Mr. Summers," she said.

He smirked at that and started to sit up a bit, though he was still a little dizzy and wound up lying back against the pillows anyway. "Sorry about the explosive start to married life," he muttered. "Promise it won't happen again."

Jean smiled at that and leaned over to kiss his cheek. "I'll hold you to that."

"I mean," he said with a quiet sort of smirk, "we've got a family to hold together."

"Yes, we do," she said, smiling a little more as he leaned into her touch.

By that time, Hank had made his way over and took a moment to check Scott over for himself before he nodded gently. "Well, Mr. Summers, you seem to be healing as you should be. I see no reason for you not to take your recovery to your room."

Jean smiled at that. "Well then, let's go home," she said. After all, she didn't have to wait as long for Scott to recover when she could simply use a bit of telekinesis to move him. Though he was surprised when she headed up the stairs instead of out the door.

Thought we were going home, Scott projected — since it was easier than talking when he was still a little groggy.

Jean smiled at him and kissed the side of his head. Yes, well… it's cold outside, and besides, why do we need to stay in the boathouse if Magneto isn't going to interfere anymore?

Scott blinked at her for a second before he slowly nodded. "Good point."

Jean couldn't help but chuckle at that before she gave him another kiss. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No," he said quickly. "No, I was just thinking… he's really not going to be able to do a thing about this…"

Jean smirked, since he was still clearly a little dopey. "Yes, exactly."

"No more Brotherhood, no more missions…"

"No more saying goodbye," Jean put in, which had Scott smiling a little wider before she kissed him.

Scott nodded at that, his arm still around Jean's shoulders as they arrived at the suite that Charles had long ago set aside — "just in case" they decided not to stay in the boathouse. It had enough space for the little one, of course, but for the moment, Jean and Scott only went to the bedroom to curl up while Scott was healing.

For a long while, the two of them were simply content to snuggle in, finally enjoying some peace and quiet with no obligations and no plans for either of them to go anywhere for a while that didn't involve simply getting food or water. Though just as Scott was starting to drift off, Jean caught his voice in her mind: Wonder what Alex will say if I can outpace him in training.

Jean picked her head up off his chest at that. "What?"

Scott raised an eyebrow and then seemed to realize that he had been projecting that thought — though he hadn't meant to. "I was just…"

"Thinking about the future already," Jean teased him, though it was clear she was tickled.

"Well, yeah," Scott said, then kissed the top of her head. "I mean…" He let out a breath and simply held her a bit tighter. Probably look better in yellow than purple.

Oh, you absolutely would, Jean said, not even bothering to hide her delight before she kissed him deeply. Yes, I think I like this plan of yours.

Oh good, Scott said with a little smirk, pulling her a little tighter into the kiss. Think the baby can handle both of us being on the team, though? You were there first… I'd be more than happy to just—

Oh no, Jean said, pulling back a bit to look him in the face. No, no. This little one is going to be spoiled for attention. Don't you worry about it. She smiled and then kissed him again. Who else can say they have parents as amazing as us?

Good point, Scott said, unable to hide his little chuckle before they got wrapped up all over again.