As always the X-Men and all related characters belong to Marvel. They shall never be mine, sadly.

Thanks to Mnesomne's Tears and jane-ant-that-plain for their kind reviews.

Note: The script from X-2 does not belong to me. So, I'm simply borrowing some of the dialogue.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

FINALE

My body jerked forward, but I threw myself back. "I ain't your damned puppet anymore!" I shouted angrily as Wolverine increased the pressure.

"Why did you come back?" Stryker grinned in pain at Wolverine.

"You cut me open!" Wolverine spat as he jerked the man around a bit. "You took my life!"

I could feel the same pain radiating from my own frozen heart as I stepped up and stood beside Wolverine and glared up at the man that had ruined both of our lives. "You turned me into a monster!"

His eyes drifted over my face before they met Wolverine's again. "You make it sound as though I'd stolen something from you," he choked out. "As I recall, it was you who volunteered for the procedure."

"He's lying," I placed my hand on Wolverine's arm and increased the pressure he was putting on Stryker. "I heard rumors about this place, this Weapon X. Nobody volunteered. Projects were drafted but many chose to stay."

"She's lying," Stryker groaned when Wolverine let out a feral growl. "You are just a failed experiment," he cried out in anguish as the claws slid even further inside of his chest. "If you really knew about your past, what kind of person you were, the work we did together...People don't change Wolverine!"

I shook my head fiercely. "Don't listen to him Wolverine. You're not like him," I glanced down at my hands and shuddered. "You're not like me."

"You were an animal then, and you're an animal now," Stryker spoke in an aristocratic voice. "I just gave you claws."

Sirens sounded from the distance and we all looked over. I stood there entranced as Stryker went on about the dam being overloaded and offering to share all of Wolverine's past with him. But, I was no longer interested.

"You can't help your friends Wolverine," Stryker shook his head. "They're as good as dead."

Wolverine stabbed Stryker in the chest again as he threw him on the ground by the wheels of the helicopter. "If we die, you die," he said simply as he chained Colonel Stryker to the wheel and turned to head back to the facility that would soon be under water. "Cecilia?" he turned back to look at me.

I shook my head sadly. "I've got some things that I need to take care of first," I murmured softly as the snow began to blow about us. "You go help the others and I'll catch up to you later."

"Promise?" his voice was full of emotion.

I nodded my head as I crossed my toes. "I promise."

"Now that we're all alone," I crouched down in front of the man that had made me endure so much pain. "How about you and I have a little chat?"

His eyes turned stone cold as he grimaced. "Midus, you're not a failure. In fact, I think you're my greatest creation."

I whipped a hand out and pressed a single finger to his cheek, smirking as his life energy slowly slid into my blood stream. "I just happen to have a disk that has everything I've ever wanted to know on it," I pulled it out and waved it in front of his face before slipping it back inside the pocket. "But how about we make things a bit easier and you tell me exactly what you've done to me?"

"Too much to tell in such a short period of time," he paused as the sirens once again filled the air. "We both make it out of here safely and I'll tell you everything that I know and everything that has been done."

I shook my head as I allowed myself to absorb just a bit more, causing him to groan in pain before I pulled my hand away. "You've made it so that I have access to all of these different powers," I shook my head in disgust. "You've put a bit of everything you've ever gathered into me, haven't you?"

"You always were the brightest subject I'd ever had," he smiled as he grinned up at me. "You're virtually unstoppable, or you will be once you learn your range and how to control your powers."

I shook my head again. "The thing about me is that I'm a very quick learner," I narrowed my eyes at him. "Let's see, other than my already absorbing nature," I chuckled. "And of course pyrokinesis and slight telepathy, there are a few new things," I pulled his adamantium knife out of his chest holster and sliced it across my wrist. "I have regenerative traits in my body, but it's not as strong in my face as it is in my torso and hands," I shook my head. "Senses are sharpened a bit, and I have the obscene urge to scratch my ear."

"You always were too smart for your own good," he sighed as he shook his head. "Your mutation allows such freedom when it comes to altering the DNA patterns and-" he paused. "And you're much more than I could have ever dreamed."

I stood up as the grief washed over me. Even after all of the time I had spent searching for myself and the person inside of me, I was still lost. I had tried escaping form my past many times but nothing ever worked. I couldn't run from the past any longer, however, because it caught up with me big time. I was through with trying to move on. It was time to figure things out for good and then finally get on with my life. I didn't see any way of getting around that.

"Goodbye Colonel Stryker," I glanced over my shoulder at him as I started up the long slope that led away from the facility. I paused after ten minutes or so and slipped back into the overgrowth that provided a hiding spot from plain view from both the helicopter, the door to the facility, and the jet, which I could see just over the next horizon of snow. How were the X-Men going to get to it in time?

I shook my head and simply squatted down and watched the things going on around me. I knew that the others would need me, but I just couldn't face the music. At least not yet. I raised my brow when Magneto and Mystique, the blue skinned woman, trudged out of the facility and up the slope toward the helicopter. I could almost hear Magneto laughing from here as he raised his hand and sent Stryker flying towards an overturned boulder and chained him to it. Why leave him though? As the helicopter lifted into the air, I let out a short puff of air. John. He boarded the helicopter and it quickly disappeared out of sight, leaving me even deeper in thought.

In just a matter of a few weeks my entire life had been turned upside down. Everything that I had once known was gone, including my friends. I hadn't been myself for years, but I'd held onto at least a little bit of myself until that night my grandfather slipped out of my hands. My grandfather? I couldn't get the fact that Erik Lensherr had informed me that Richard Frankton was in fact not my grandfather, but instead my adopted grandfather. It wasn't fair. Nothing was fair. My whole life had been a lie.

I shook off the disgust as the ringing of the sirens filled my ears once again. Resolved to at least try to help, I stood to my feet and jogged briskly through the melting snow around the back of the facility. With shaking hands I climbed the repair ladder that ran up the length of the dam to a thin walkway at the top. How was I supposed to stop a man-made dam from collapsing? I narrowed my eyes as I searched all of the pockets in my uniform, grinning when I found exactly what I had been looking for. I pulled the thin lighter out and smirked when it came to life.

"If I add an extreme amount of heat, maybe the concrete will fuse back together in a way," I muttered to myself as I began to focus my attention on the large crevices that had water pouring through quickly.

I lost track of time as I stood there on the narrow ledge that separated me from a hundred foot fall into a snow covered ground. I let out a frustrated sigh when I realized that it was completely hopeless, but maybe I'd given the others enough time to get out. I turned and looked out at the large expanse of land and watched as the jet lifted into the air unsteadily and moved over towards the facility uneasily and landed with a loud thump.

They were going to make it.

And then I sighed when I realized that I wouldn't. Because there where things that needed to be figured out before I could even step foot in the house that they called home. I pressed my hand to my chest and felt the thin disk through my leather jacket. The disk that could hold all the secrets of a madman's past and many of the skeletons that remained in my closet.

I jumped off of the narrow walkway and took off at a brisk run towards the high slopes just across from where the jet had landed. My icy heart was breaking but there was nothing I could do about it.

I heard the damn finally burst from behind me and I let out a feral growl as I fought to outrace it. It couldn't end like this. It just couldn't. I couldn't end it all without uncovering and fixing all of the lies.

I would make it. I had to. But then again hope is only a beautiful lie.

(Xavier)
Interlude

We had just boarded the jet, all the children included, when the realization hit me. "Scott, we've got to get to Washington," I said softly as the impact of what I had done finally crossed my mind. There was no telling the number of lives that had been lost during those few intense moments that I had spent in Cerebro. "I fear this has gone beyond Alkalai Lake."

Scott said nothing as he and Storm continued to prepare the jet for take off. Wolverine boarded the jet with Artie in his arms. I glanced over my shoulder and watched as he handed the boy to Bobby who strapped him into one of the seats in the back. I couldn't help but witness the small intimate exchange that Logan and Jean shared with one another before Logan walked up front.

Storm and Cyclops continued to prepare the jet for take off, but I could tell that we were having problems. "What's going on?" Wolverine asked as he glanced out the windshield.

"The vertical thrusters are offline," Cyclops said stiffly as he continued to look for a solution.

"Well fix them!" Wolverine demanded impatiently.

Rogue let out a surprised gasp as she glanced back. "Has anybody seen John?"

"Pyro?" Wolverine narrowed his eyes. "Where the hell is he?"

Jean let out a sigh as she shook her head. "He's with Magneto."

Nothing was said as Storm and Cyclops continued to fight to get the jet off of the ground but nothing worked. Cyclops cursed under his breath as all of the lights on the control monitors went off. "Oh no," Storm let out a sigh of defeat. "We've lost power."

It was then that we all heard the dam burst open.

I felt helpless as I sat there and glanced around at the panicked children and the worried faces of all of the adults onboard. Fear, in its most raw form, was enough to stop a person dead in their tracks.

Something tingled at the back of my mind and a strange feeling washed over me as I realized that something was happening. Something that I didn't like. "Jean?" I muttered as I probed for her telepathically.

"Hey, where's Jean?" Wolverine demanded huskily as he turned around and glanced toward the back of the jet.

Everyone glanced at one another before they looked at me. Pain rushed over me as I let out a strangled gasp. "She's outside."

Cyclops stood up and pushed Wolverine out of his way as he rushed toward the back of the jet. The ramp slid shut before he could make it outside and he cursed wildly as he pounded on it with his fists. "No!" Cyclops shouted as power returned to the jet. "We're not leaving! Lower the ramp!" I continued to hear the dam break as the jet's power came to life and the controls began to operate themselves. "Storm, lower it!"

"I can't!" she sounded flushed and confused as the jet began to slowly rise from the ground.

The jet shook violently as the light dimmed and the water rushed all around us. I continued to probe for Jean's mind and my heart broke when she finally responded.

"She's controlling the jet!" Storm grunted as she tried to manhandle the controls.

Wolverine grasped NightCrawler's arm. "You! Get her now!" NightCrawler tried to teleport, but was unable to do so.

"She's not letting me," he muttered sadly.

I opened my mind further and allowed her to speak through me, as much as it hurt. "I know what I'm doing. This is the only way."

Cyclops grasped my shoulders and began to plead with me. "Jean, listen to me. Don't do this."

"Goodbye," I whispered softly as the pain and heartache ripped through me like a dull knife.

And as the jet finally took to the air fully, I felt her essence being ripped away peacefully as her body rested beneath the icy water.

But not before I felt something shift in Jean. A shift so elemental in nature that it nearly slipped through my grasp. But I felt it. And it was enough to give me hope. False hope, perhaps. But hope nonetheless.

"She's gone," Wolverine managed to choke out. "She's gone."

"You- You don't say that!" Cyclops shouted painfully as he lunged at Wolverine, who pulled him into a hug and held the sobbing man as his body shook in grief over the woman that he loved.

Their pain wafted over the rest of us as we sat in strained silence, hovering just feet above the now calm waters of Alkalai Lake. Grief swept over the jet as Scott continued to sob and Logan's body shook with anger. Two tears slid slowly down my cheeks as I shook my head in mourning.

"What about Cecilia?" Rogue spoke up again, breaking the silence. "Did yah find her Logan?"

Logan broke away from Scott as he looked around the jet in fear, his eyes wide and his mouth firm. "Where the hell is she?" he ran to the back of the jet and searched through all of the students. "Chuck, where is she?"

Scott stopped sobbing as he glanced around the jet and a new set of grief hung in the air.

"She's alive?" Rogue asked hopefully as she looked up at Logan with her pleading eyes.

"I just saw her damn-it!" Logan shouted angrily as he rushed to the front of the jet and looked down. "She's alive. I just know it. I can feel it," he murmured.

I closed my eyes as I realized that while focusing all of my attention and strength on Jean, I had completely forgotten about Cecilia. Guilt flushed over me as I searched nearby for her telepathic signature. "It's her, but it's not her," I murmured softly as I opened my eyes and pointed a shaking finger. "There, in the undergrowth going up that slope.

Scott rushed forward and both he and Logan looked out and searched the ground for her.

"She's alive?" Ororo choked out.

Alive as she was going to be, I suppose.

"I see her!" Logan shouted as he pointed and nudged Scott. "She's alive!" he rested his hand on Ororo's shoulder and let out a strangled gasp. "Put her down over there 'Ro. We can't leave her."

I closed my eyes as her mind met with mine for just a few moments, but it was long enough.

"Logan," her astral projection was standing in the middle of the jet, her hair blowing wildly like it was just outside. She turned and faced me before looking around at the others. "I tried to help with the dam but I couldn't," she swallowed hard. "I'm sorry for your loss Scott," her eyes met Scott's who seemed confused and torn emotionally. "I'm sorry for everyone's loss, but all we can do is go on I suppose."

Logan shook his head as he walked forward towards the projection. "Cecilia, don't make me come down there and drag your ass onto this jet," he snarled.

She threw back her head and laughed before she wiped a tear from her eye. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to bid all of you adieu. You see, I need time to get things in order before my life can go on," she paused and gulped loudly. "I thought I could do it, but I can't anymore," she paused as she glanced at Logan. "I promise that we're going to have that long talk sooner or later."

"Cecilia," he and Scott murmured her name at the same time as they stepped forward.

Rogue stood up and clasped her hands tightly together. "Don't do this Cecilia. Don't leave meh. I love yah 'cause yah're my best friend."

"I love you too Rogue," Cecilia laughed heartily. "But I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry. Give me time and I think-" she paused. "I think I'd like to give the whole teacher thing a try for real."

"Can't do what anymore?" Logan demanded with a growl. "Can't put up with us?"

She shook her head as her image slowly disappeared. "I can't live this lie anymore Logan. I'm sorry."

And then she was gone. We watched as she disappeared into the undergrowth and I lost her mental signature completely. In just a matter of minutes we had lost two of our own.

"They're both gone," Scott sat down heavily in his pilot's seat. "They're gone."

Logan let out a huff of air as he ran his hand over his face. "If she's living a lie, then she's the most damned beautiful actress I've ever seen."

"She'll be back when the time is right," I offered softly. "Come now, we must get to Washington before it is too late."

A/N: I'll post the Epilogue in a few days. Tell me, what did you all think of Cecilia's short journey with the X-Men? She set out to find herself and she found more questions than answers. I put my own twist on the ending, but I think that I did the movie some justice. I had planned on her saving Jean, but then I realized that I didn't like Jean. Anyways, please review. Otherwise maybe I'll just leave it like this... Anyone out there love this ending? If you don't, REVIEW!