Chapter Four: Jean's True Power

And here's Chapter Four! The girls are gonna wake up...

I probably should've addressed this last chapter, but whatever. I'm sure I'm not the only one to wonder why Jean/Phoenix sent those visions to Scott, only to kill him as soon as she's free (unless there's an official in-universe explanation somewhere). So I've spent some time thinking about it, and here are my thoughts:

Jean missed Scott, because she still loved him, and knew that he would want to save her, since he never moved on from her sacrifice. Phoenix, however, isn't so quick to get too attached to anyone, lest they try to control or betray her. And perhaps she found Scott useless after he found her, but she's nothing without Jean, so she gave Jean one last moment with him before getting rid of him. Of course, in this version, this decision was ruined by Rogue, and Scott gets the chance to live.

0001234: Let's just say, when Rogue wakes up, she gets back something she lost. I didn't write a scene where she actually does lift the Jet, because there isn't a scenario that requires it in my opinion. She is gonna be picking up some other heavy stuff (and people), though.

Hope10: I already wrote out a scene as to how I envision Rogue trying to pep talk Jean would look like, and until I post that chapter, I've got time to make adjustments if I feel it needs it. But I'm already liking it! We're actually gonna have Scott thinking about the cure right at the beginning of this chapter, and we'll get some of Rogue's thoughts next chapter. And yes, they will go with Wolverine, Storm, and Charles to Jean's house. After all, it's not a spoiler if it's obvious. ;)

genbo: If Charles claims Jean to be the only Class Five mutant he ever encountered, then I guess Rogue is right behind her at Class Four. I wonder whose idea it was to introduce this grading system; I can't help but remember the whole "midichlorians" issue. Anyway, thanks for your feedback!

Mezita: Yes, Rogue is very powerful. Actually, having Jean's power (and also Charles' power) is gonna come in handy for her later in the story, just before the final battle.

Thewriternextdoor: I'm glad, too! Saving her from getting the cure (and saving Scott from being killed off) was actually one of the first things I wanted to do when starting this AU, along with pairing them together. And it just went from there.

And Happy Father's Day! Yeah, this chapter has nothing to do with appreciating our fathers, but still!

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men.

Scott sat in a chair in his and Rogue's bedroom, waiting for his girlfriend to wake up. While waiting, he'd been doing some thinking. Some time between the ride back and the professor's prognosis on Rogue, Storm had informed him of the so-called mutant cure that had been announced. At first, he couldn't believe how low humans could steep, but now that he had more time to really think about it, he understood why some mutants would want it.

After all, ever since his accident, he had been unable to properly see without shooting optic blasts out of his eyes. Though he was forever grateful for his shades and visors, he missed being able to see in colors other than red. This cure did sound tempting at first, but he knew better. Though most humans hated mutants, he still felt proud to have used his powers to save their ungrateful asses from dangerous threats on many occasions. Even if he never regained control, he would keep using his powers to protect those that deserved it.

But those brief seconds of seeing the two most important women in his life in full color were simply amazing and unforgettable.

Speaking of one of those women...

Rogue began stirring, softly groaning. Her eyes slowly opened.

"Marie," he said, getting up to sit on the bed beside her.

"Scott?" she asked sleepily. "What's goin' on?"

He began stroking her hair. "You just recovered. Something happened when you touched Jean."

Immediately, Rogue sat up, wide awake. "How's Jean? Is she okay?"

"Calm down, she'll be fine," Scott assured her. "The professor has her set up in the med lab. She should be waking up soon. But are you okay?"

Rogue closed her eyes. The last half hour or so was very interesting for the southern belle. She had found herself in a dreamlike world that she recognized as her own mind, and was joined by the new Jean psyche. This was the first time she had ever absorbed her.

'Jean' had thanked her for trying to attack the Phoenix, and for protecting Scott. Rogue was confused, but she quickly learned about the dual personality Professor Xavier had suppressed within Jean, whom it seemed was strong enough on her own to protect herself from being drained. The younger woman had found herself angry with the professor, but 'Jean' assured her that things would turn out the way they need to.

Rogue explained all this to Scott, who also found himself questioning Xavier's actions.

"But there's something else," she added, a smile forming. "I finally got control of my powers."

Scott's eyes widened. "Y-You did? How?"

She shook her head. "I'm not entirely sure, but Jean helped me, like how she could control your power." All she remembered before waking up was Jean's psyche telling her that she wanted to give her a parting gift, then gently taking her hands in her own.

Without another word, she held her breath, and gripped Scott's hands with her own bare ones. They both patiently waited for five minutes, her limit, to pass.

Soon, five minutes turned into six...then seven...and nothing happened. Her breathing quickened, savoring the warmth of his skin on her hands.

"Marie," said Scott, smiling as he squeezed her hands, "this is a miracle!"

Rogue only nodded giddily. Then she leaned in, and he leaned in, too. Their lips met in a passionate kiss.

For six years, they had to be careful when kissing each other's bare lips; Rogue still felt guilty for hurting him the first time they kissed. So they tried kissing through scarves and other thin pieces of fabric, and kept bare kissing to a minimum.

But now, thanks to Jean, she finally had control. For the first time since her powers manifested, she truly felt like her old self.

They sensed things getting a bit heated, so they pulled apart, breathing heavily.

"I knew it would happen, Marie," Scott said softly, kissing her forehead.

"Thanks for not giving up on me," she said. Then she looked shyly at him. "Scott..."

"What is it, angel?" he asked, playing with a white strand of her hair.

She bit her lip, her cheeks beautifully turning pink. "I want you to touch me."

While Scott and Rogue experienced their first true intimate moment, Logan had went back into the med lab after Professor Xavier left. He just stood there, watching Jean. She had some kind of helmet placed around her head that he assumed helped in containing Jean's power. He couldn't help himself as he traced his hand down her face.

Logan couldn't believe that the professor could have done something like this to anyone. He didn't need to be psychic to know that containing this Phoenix within Jean could potentially backfire. Remembering what he said about when she woke up, he couldn't suppress the growing fear that Jean would wake up as a completely different person.

Suddenly, Jean's hand snapped up and gripped his wrist, interrupting his thoughts. The helmet lifted itself off of her as she opened her eyes.

"Jean," Logan murmured.

She blinked and turned to look at him. "Hey, Logan," she whispered, a small smile on her lips.

"Welcome back," he smiled back, albeit nervously.

Jean let go of his wrist and stared up at the ceiling. "Back where we first met. Only I was in your place and you were in mine."

Logan let go of the breath he was holding. Her memories were intact, so she seemed to be fine. "You okay?" he asked her.

Her smile grew. "Yeah. More than okay." She looked back at him, biting her lip. "Logan, you're making me blush."

He stared at her, amused. "Are you reading my thoughts?"

"I don't have to," she replied, her eyes full of lust and want.

They shared a deep, intense look. She sat up on the slab and spread her legs so that they were straddling his waist.

After a few seconds of soaking up each other's presence, their lips met. Unlike Scott and Rogue's gentle yet passionate kiss, this was more hungry and desperate. They ignored the computers whirring.

Logan rested his body on top of hers as they made out unabashedly on her slab. He was so glad to have her back, and he tried to show it through his love for her. As he planted kisses all over her face, she scratched down his arms, her sharp nails cutting his skin. He let out a pleasured groan as the scratches healed instantly. He began kissing her neck, holding her leg around his waist, and she stroked his hair, both panting heavily.

Then he saw her eyes blacken for a brief moment...

"Wait." He pulled back.

"No!" she protested, using telekinesis to take off his belt.

He jumped off of the slab, adjusting his clothes, and Jean sat up with a playful, seductive look. He knew very well that this woman returned his feelings, but seeing her eyes darken for a split second had him wondering if she really was all right. Or if this was actually the Phoenix he was kissing...

"Jean," he said worriedly, "this isn't you."

"Yes," she purred, pulling his face back to hers. "Yes, it is me."

He pushed her off. "No. Maybe you ought to take it easy, huh? The professor said you might be...different."

He didn't miss the change of expression on her face as soon as he said the words 'the professor'.

"He would know, wouldn't he?" she asked. Though she appeared to be calm, Logan could sense a strange fury in her. "What? You think he's not in your head, too? Look at you, Logan. He's tamed you!"

He took a step back, frowning at her. "What did you do to Rogue?"

This question seemed to stir something in her. The fury on her face disappeared as her eyes widened.

"Jean?"

She looked around, frightened. "Where am I?"

Slightly relieved, for this appeared to truly be Jean, he gently grasped her shoulders. "You're in the mansion. You need to tell me what happened with Rogue. When Storm and I got to Alkali Lake, she was unconscious. She touched you, didn't she? Tell me what happened."

She looked down, trying to remember what had happened. Then it came back to her: escaping the water, embracing Scott and Rogue, seeing Scott's eyes, Rogue pushing Scott out of the way before draining her... She heard a faint cry of a phoenix...

"Oh, God," she whispered, her eyes widening in horror. She had been about to kill Scott! Rogue had drained her, to stop her from killing him! She could have killed them both!

The computers whirred stronger than before, screws were unscrewing themselves, and everything was rapidly shaking or floating.

"Scott, wait!"

Scott pulled his hands out from underneath Rogue's shirt, having been caressing her chest and stomach as they kissed.

"Is this too much?" he asked quickly, looking down at her.

She shook her head, but she looked alarmed. She now had Jean's powers, and she knew... "Something's wrong with Jean!"

Logan cradled Jean's face in his hands. "Look at me." Her eyes began welling up. "Jean, stay with me. Talk to me. Look at me. Look at me!"

"No!" she moaned, tears streaming down her face.

"Focus! Focus, Jean!"

The rattling slowed down, but Jean didn't stop crying.

"Kill me..." she whispered.

Logan's heart stopped momentarily. "What?"

"Kill me before I try to kill someone again!" she sobbed desperately. "Please!"

He shook his head. "Don't say that. Stop it." There was no way in hell he would do something like that, not when he got her back after six years of mourning...

"You don't understand! Marie drained me to stop me from killing Scott, I could've killed them both!" Her eyes darkened. "KILL ME!"

Everything began shaking again, and the glass cabinet doors completely shattered.

"Stop it!" said Logan firmly, still holding her tear-stained face in his hands. "Look at me, Jean. It'll be all right, they're both fine. We can help you. Okay? The professor can help. He can fix it."

Hearing him mention the professor again caused her to flare up, her eyes blackening. "I DON'T WANT TO FIX IT!" She kicked him off of her, and he hit the wall. She slid off of the slab and walked towards the door, disintegrating it.

She soon left the mansion.

Scott, Rogue, and Ororo ran into the med lab.

"Logan?" Ororo immediately knelt beside him and helped him sit up.

"What happened?" Scott asked at once. "Where's Jean?"

"Jean?" Logan asked blindly as he sat up. "Jean!"

Xavier wheeled himself in, glaring at Logan. "What have you done?"

They looked at him. Only Rogue matched his anger.

"You," she said quietly, but they could all sense her anger, especially Xavier. "This is your fault. You contained Jean's power for so long. You hid away an important part of her instead of helping her control it!"

"Marie!" said Scott, grasping her arms. "Calm down." Even though he couldn't say Rogue was completely in the wrong, he knew that they needed to keep it together if they were going to get Jean back. The X-Men couldn't split up, not any further.

"No, Scott!" she shouted, shaking him off. "She never had the chance to control that part of her! If it weren't for me, she could have killed you!"

"What?" Ororo gasped. She looked at Logan, who only nodded.

Xavier stared at Rogue, but chose not to respond to her accusations. Like with Logan, he believed he didn't need to explain his actions to her. He turned back to Logan. "I warned you," he said gravely. He closed his eyes.

They watched him, waiting...

"She's left the mansion," he said, "but she's trying to block my thoughts. She's so strong." He opened his eyes, a hint of fear in his eyes. "It may be too late."

And there's Chapter Four! Rogue now has control of her powers, but Jean's out of control! Will the X-Men turn on each other, or will they stick together long enough to get to Jean?

And to answer the question of whether or not Rogue absorbed some of Phoenix's power: No, she did not, nor did she fully remove Jean's psyche from her body. She's still in there, but she's weaker. And this doesn't mean that Rogue is responsible for the Phoenix rising, either. She's just grown stronger the whole time she was suppressed, no thanks to that radiation field from Magneto's conversion machine. Remember, she was showing herself moments BEFORE Rogue drained her; she helped Jean survive the flood, after all. And besides, in the last movie, Jean/Phoenix was parting said flood, helping the X-Jet fly, preventing Nightcrawler from teleporting to her, AND speaking telepathically through Xavier (or Rogue, in this version) all at the same time. So we can assume that the Phoenix is much too powerful to be drained by Rogue. I mean, this movie kept on emphasizing how powerful she's supposed to be, so why not throw this in as well? Lol.