Scott shuddered, sitting in his chair. They were going to bury her today.
In a few minutes the church service would start. except that they weren't
doing it in a church.
They were having it in the great hall, at the school. It was what Jean
would have preferred.
Wiping the tears from his cheeks, he looked up as he felt the hand on his shoulder. "Scott, come. It it time." He nodded dumbly at Ororo, and stood, straightening his shirt. "Lets go before I change my mind." He whispered horsely. Of course, he had cried himself to sleep the night before. And the night before that. Ever since they had found her.
Sitting in the front row, he watched the service in silence, lead by Professor Xavier, and Ororo taking over when it got too hard for him to speak. The Professor took over again, and lead the Prayer for Jean, written specially by Jubilee, and at the end of it, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Scott glanced across at Logan, letting the words wash over him. Even Logan was crying, trying not to let anyone see of course, but Scott could. and so could Rogue, sat next to Scott with Remy on the other side, and then Logan. He was amazed that Jubilee, on the other side of Logan, couldn't.
It was then that they were all given the chance to speak about Jean, especially since this was X-men only. Scott hadn't wanted the whole school there, and he rose to speak first.
"Jean was my only girlfriend. one of the first people not to be afraid of me because I could accidently blow a hole in them. She helped me out." He tapped his glasses and continued. "She was always there when I needed her." He stopped, bl;inking back a tear, his voice starting to waver slightly. "And she always will be, but thanks to Sabretooth. Only in my head. and in here." He tapped his chest, above where his heart was. "Jean will live on. through the school and through the work of the X-Men. She wouldn't want us to give up. She loved this too much. If she was here today, she'd." His voice finally broke into soft sobs. "She'd say Scott. get down off that stage, stop talking. She'd tell me that she'd be with us in everything that we do, and to never forget her, so that's what I'll do."
As Scott stepped down and re-took his place next to Rogue, Ororo stepped forward. "Jean Grey was a brilliant woman. She helped when she was needed, and she went above and beyond the call for duty for an X-man on many occasions." Her voice started to sieze up. "Jean," She continued, "Was a wonderful friend. We will all miss her dearly." She stepped back, allowing Logan to step up.
"Jeannie." He started, pausing to breathe. "Jeannie was everythin' that 'Ro said an' more. She's helped me out more times than I can count, an' she didn't give up. Not once. That's what made her extra-special." He stepped back and took his seat again as Remy took the stage.
"I di'n't know de lady well, but I knew 'er well 'nuf to like 'er, and everyt'ing she stood for. Truth, Equality, 'Ope, an' Faith. She was a valuable asset to de team, an' a pleasure t'be around." He re-took his seat, hugging Rogue briefly as she stood and went to speak.
Scott watched her walk across the stage to the centre, then she froze. He was shocked as tears started rolling down her face and she started speaking, fairly quickly, and more to him than anything. "Ah know Ah did wrong. Ah let Jean be taken bhy that. thing. An Ah know its mah fault she aint here t'day. Ah don't care what any of ya say, Ah know that if Ah had been thinking, Ah woulda drained that monster till he was near-dead. Ah just froze. Scott, Ahm so sorry this had ta happen, an Ahm sorry Ah didn't even trhy." She stopped. "Ah want ya to know how much she meant ta me. She was like Mah best friend. She always made tyme ta talk with me an because of me, Shes gone. Ahm truly sorry for what Ah did Scott. Ah only hope ya can f'give me."
She stepped down and walked back to her seat, between Remy and Scott. Remy took her gloved hand and patted it lightly, to show she'd be alright and that he'd be there if she needed. "Rogue, it wasn't your fault. If anyone I blame myself. I should have gotten to her quicker. Don't blame yourself kid. I don't hold anything against you. Jean wouldn't, so I wont." She nodded then, feeling slightly better, knowing that if Scott could forgive her, given time, everyone else could as well. Even Logan.
Before it moved outside, Scott stepped upfront, looking in the casket at his best friend and lover. He bent down and gently kissed her lips. "I love you Jean." He whispered, reaching in his pocket and taking the ring out, sliding it onto her ring finger. He kissed her cold lips again before moving back to his seat.
"I'll never forget ya Jeannie." That was Logan, said as he stopped briefly by the casket.
"Take care on your journey. May the Goddess protect you wherever you are now." Ororo.
"God bless dis Lady, an all who loved 'er. Sleep tight Princess." Remy, naturally. Rogue stepped up, hesitating again.
"Ahm sorry Jean. Ahm so sorry." She started crying again and laid a yellow rose on Jeans chest before being lead off by Remy.
The procession moved outside. The hole had already been dug, and the dirt left in a neat pile at the side of the grave. The headstone was already there.
Jean Grey
Beloved Girlfriend, Team-Mate
Friend and Teacher.
We love you Always.
Sleep tight Princess
The last bit had been a joint idea between Remy and Scott. It just, somehow, seemed fitting. As the casket was lowered to the ground, next to the hole, Scott stepped forward with the Professor, something clutched tightly to his chest. He put the neat pile ontop of the polished wooden surface and they all knew what it was by the X logo on the front. Jeans Uniform. Scott looked to them all. "She'll always be one of us. Its only right." Charles nodded and the casket was gently lowered into the ground.
Wiping the tears from his cheeks, he looked up as he felt the hand on his shoulder. "Scott, come. It it time." He nodded dumbly at Ororo, and stood, straightening his shirt. "Lets go before I change my mind." He whispered horsely. Of course, he had cried himself to sleep the night before. And the night before that. Ever since they had found her.
Sitting in the front row, he watched the service in silence, lead by Professor Xavier, and Ororo taking over when it got too hard for him to speak. The Professor took over again, and lead the Prayer for Jean, written specially by Jubilee, and at the end of it, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Scott glanced across at Logan, letting the words wash over him. Even Logan was crying, trying not to let anyone see of course, but Scott could. and so could Rogue, sat next to Scott with Remy on the other side, and then Logan. He was amazed that Jubilee, on the other side of Logan, couldn't.
It was then that they were all given the chance to speak about Jean, especially since this was X-men only. Scott hadn't wanted the whole school there, and he rose to speak first.
"Jean was my only girlfriend. one of the first people not to be afraid of me because I could accidently blow a hole in them. She helped me out." He tapped his glasses and continued. "She was always there when I needed her." He stopped, bl;inking back a tear, his voice starting to waver slightly. "And she always will be, but thanks to Sabretooth. Only in my head. and in here." He tapped his chest, above where his heart was. "Jean will live on. through the school and through the work of the X-Men. She wouldn't want us to give up. She loved this too much. If she was here today, she'd." His voice finally broke into soft sobs. "She'd say Scott. get down off that stage, stop talking. She'd tell me that she'd be with us in everything that we do, and to never forget her, so that's what I'll do."
As Scott stepped down and re-took his place next to Rogue, Ororo stepped forward. "Jean Grey was a brilliant woman. She helped when she was needed, and she went above and beyond the call for duty for an X-man on many occasions." Her voice started to sieze up. "Jean," She continued, "Was a wonderful friend. We will all miss her dearly." She stepped back, allowing Logan to step up.
"Jeannie." He started, pausing to breathe. "Jeannie was everythin' that 'Ro said an' more. She's helped me out more times than I can count, an' she didn't give up. Not once. That's what made her extra-special." He stepped back and took his seat again as Remy took the stage.
"I di'n't know de lady well, but I knew 'er well 'nuf to like 'er, and everyt'ing she stood for. Truth, Equality, 'Ope, an' Faith. She was a valuable asset to de team, an' a pleasure t'be around." He re-took his seat, hugging Rogue briefly as she stood and went to speak.
Scott watched her walk across the stage to the centre, then she froze. He was shocked as tears started rolling down her face and she started speaking, fairly quickly, and more to him than anything. "Ah know Ah did wrong. Ah let Jean be taken bhy that. thing. An Ah know its mah fault she aint here t'day. Ah don't care what any of ya say, Ah know that if Ah had been thinking, Ah woulda drained that monster till he was near-dead. Ah just froze. Scott, Ahm so sorry this had ta happen, an Ahm sorry Ah didn't even trhy." She stopped. "Ah want ya to know how much she meant ta me. She was like Mah best friend. She always made tyme ta talk with me an because of me, Shes gone. Ahm truly sorry for what Ah did Scott. Ah only hope ya can f'give me."
She stepped down and walked back to her seat, between Remy and Scott. Remy took her gloved hand and patted it lightly, to show she'd be alright and that he'd be there if she needed. "Rogue, it wasn't your fault. If anyone I blame myself. I should have gotten to her quicker. Don't blame yourself kid. I don't hold anything against you. Jean wouldn't, so I wont." She nodded then, feeling slightly better, knowing that if Scott could forgive her, given time, everyone else could as well. Even Logan.
Before it moved outside, Scott stepped upfront, looking in the casket at his best friend and lover. He bent down and gently kissed her lips. "I love you Jean." He whispered, reaching in his pocket and taking the ring out, sliding it onto her ring finger. He kissed her cold lips again before moving back to his seat.
"I'll never forget ya Jeannie." That was Logan, said as he stopped briefly by the casket.
"Take care on your journey. May the Goddess protect you wherever you are now." Ororo.
"God bless dis Lady, an all who loved 'er. Sleep tight Princess." Remy, naturally. Rogue stepped up, hesitating again.
"Ahm sorry Jean. Ahm so sorry." She started crying again and laid a yellow rose on Jeans chest before being lead off by Remy.
The procession moved outside. The hole had already been dug, and the dirt left in a neat pile at the side of the grave. The headstone was already there.
Jean Grey
Beloved Girlfriend, Team-Mate
Friend and Teacher.
We love you Always.
Sleep tight Princess
The last bit had been a joint idea between Remy and Scott. It just, somehow, seemed fitting. As the casket was lowered to the ground, next to the hole, Scott stepped forward with the Professor, something clutched tightly to his chest. He put the neat pile ontop of the polished wooden surface and they all knew what it was by the X logo on the front. Jeans Uniform. Scott looked to them all. "She'll always be one of us. Its only right." Charles nodded and the casket was gently lowered into the ground.