~ Epilogue ~
~ Jean ~
The football field stadiums were packed. How long had it been since I had sat here and cheered for Duncan and all the rest? I shook my newly acquired black hair thanks to a halowatch.
"I knew you weren't ready," Scott said at my side as always.
"Don't be such a stick in the mud, I can do this," I said. He nodded. His vision, after a month of treatment from Beast had returned to it's normal 20/20. It's still one of those things that I could not tell you why it happened. Mr. McCoy tried but he always mixes into much scientific things in it that only a genius could understand it. Finally he gave up. I don't really care. I stopped short as I caught sight of a familiar face.
"He's here," I whispered. Scott squeezed my hand.
"Who?"
"My father."
~Mr. Peterson ~
I shouldn't have come. The usual pain hit me like a ton of breaks. The memories just break my heart. She would have been here. She would have been sitting beside me watching her friends graduating and wishing for her turn. Instead a dark haired girl with bright blue eyes sat down beside me followed by a young man with red shades. I noticed the sun glasses with mild curiosity. Teenagers these days sure did have strange fashions. Cyndi told me I shouldn't come. Maybe she was right. Jean was gone. So my wife immersed herself even deeper into her work. "Do you have someone graduating?" the girl asked pulling me out of my thoughts. I stared at her blankly before shaking my head no. "Why not?" she asked. I stared at her with shock. "I had a daughter if she was here would be watching her friends graduate," I said. The young man tried to pull away the girl but she stubbornly refused to move. "Where is she?" she asked. Nosey thing, this girl. "Gone"
"Oh" Silence. Blessed silence. "Do you miss her?" she asked. "More then anything," I said. "And her mother?" the girl asked. I shook my head. "She's buried in her work. It's her own way to forget," I said. It was true. Cynthia says what we did was right. Science would cure Jean. Yet the begging eyes of my little girl still haunts me in my sleep. I closed my eyes and shook my head to erase the picture of my daughter. I opened them again. The couple was gone. A white envelope was all that was left. I picked it up and opened it. I scanned the short message.
I forgive you.
I miss you.
I love you, Daddy
Jean
I sighed and felt as if the wait of the world had been lifted from my shoulders. Could the couple have possibly none her? I didn't know. The message had been so short. Was she happy?
"Yes she is" came a voice. I turned to see a hair of flame and cat like green eyes. "Jean!"
~ Scott ~
Her father was crying as he embraced her. The hatred I had felt for this man for betraying his daughter melted instantly. Jean morphed back into the sultry black haired girl.
"I love you Daddy," she said crying too. They broke out of their embrace as the graduation melody of Pomp and Circumstance started to play. So began the graduation of West Ridge High.
~ Jean~
Our principal is still a windbag. I stifled a yawn as I sat between my father and Scott. Daddy wouldn't tell my mother. I knew he wouldn't. Not yet. She'd make me go back to fix me. I didn't need fixed for I was happy. I scanned my eyes over the crowd. Cookie was beaming in all her glory. Duncan had been apparently held back. This piece of information pleased me. And there was Diana. Sweet, sassy Diana who had stayed me till they dragged me away. She got up to the podium to speak. "Fellow classmates of West Ridge High. We have finally made it," a cheer rose up from the seniors as well as a couple beach balls that our principal was trying to capture and making a complete fool of himself in the process. I grinned.
"Now comes time that I am forced to give a speech to enlightened all of you when 12 years of school couldn't. We have worked hard and played hard. But it's time we must live hard. We are going out in the real world now. The real issue is what are we going to do? You hear everyone cry out against racism and the hate and discrimination that goes with it. But our generation is faced with another factor. Mutation. Mutation which there is no cure and in my opinion none needed. They are different, so what! Treat others as you want to be treated, black, white, mutated or normal. We are living in changing times and we must embrace the qualities that make us unique. Only then can we come together as one people of one nation of one world. Thank you.," she said. The crowd remained silent. No one cheered or clapped as Diana Ryan took her seat.
"With young people like that, I do believe there is hope for humanity after all," mused the professor. I nodded. The future did look brighter. One day we wouldn't be forced to hide our gifts. But until then I am content to be by he who loves me and friends that care for me.
Together we will protect humanity until they are ready for us.
Together we will make a difference.
Together we are the X-men.
The End.
~ Jean ~
The football field stadiums were packed. How long had it been since I had sat here and cheered for Duncan and all the rest? I shook my newly acquired black hair thanks to a halowatch.
"I knew you weren't ready," Scott said at my side as always.
"Don't be such a stick in the mud, I can do this," I said. He nodded. His vision, after a month of treatment from Beast had returned to it's normal 20/20. It's still one of those things that I could not tell you why it happened. Mr. McCoy tried but he always mixes into much scientific things in it that only a genius could understand it. Finally he gave up. I don't really care. I stopped short as I caught sight of a familiar face.
"He's here," I whispered. Scott squeezed my hand.
"Who?"
"My father."
~Mr. Peterson ~
I shouldn't have come. The usual pain hit me like a ton of breaks. The memories just break my heart. She would have been here. She would have been sitting beside me watching her friends graduating and wishing for her turn. Instead a dark haired girl with bright blue eyes sat down beside me followed by a young man with red shades. I noticed the sun glasses with mild curiosity. Teenagers these days sure did have strange fashions. Cyndi told me I shouldn't come. Maybe she was right. Jean was gone. So my wife immersed herself even deeper into her work. "Do you have someone graduating?" the girl asked pulling me out of my thoughts. I stared at her blankly before shaking my head no. "Why not?" she asked. I stared at her with shock. "I had a daughter if she was here would be watching her friends graduate," I said. The young man tried to pull away the girl but she stubbornly refused to move. "Where is she?" she asked. Nosey thing, this girl. "Gone"
"Oh" Silence. Blessed silence. "Do you miss her?" she asked. "More then anything," I said. "And her mother?" the girl asked. I shook my head. "She's buried in her work. It's her own way to forget," I said. It was true. Cynthia says what we did was right. Science would cure Jean. Yet the begging eyes of my little girl still haunts me in my sleep. I closed my eyes and shook my head to erase the picture of my daughter. I opened them again. The couple was gone. A white envelope was all that was left. I picked it up and opened it. I scanned the short message.
I forgive you.
I miss you.
I love you, Daddy
Jean
I sighed and felt as if the wait of the world had been lifted from my shoulders. Could the couple have possibly none her? I didn't know. The message had been so short. Was she happy?
"Yes she is" came a voice. I turned to see a hair of flame and cat like green eyes. "Jean!"
~ Scott ~
Her father was crying as he embraced her. The hatred I had felt for this man for betraying his daughter melted instantly. Jean morphed back into the sultry black haired girl.
"I love you Daddy," she said crying too. They broke out of their embrace as the graduation melody of Pomp and Circumstance started to play. So began the graduation of West Ridge High.
~ Jean~
Our principal is still a windbag. I stifled a yawn as I sat between my father and Scott. Daddy wouldn't tell my mother. I knew he wouldn't. Not yet. She'd make me go back to fix me. I didn't need fixed for I was happy. I scanned my eyes over the crowd. Cookie was beaming in all her glory. Duncan had been apparently held back. This piece of information pleased me. And there was Diana. Sweet, sassy Diana who had stayed me till they dragged me away. She got up to the podium to speak. "Fellow classmates of West Ridge High. We have finally made it," a cheer rose up from the seniors as well as a couple beach balls that our principal was trying to capture and making a complete fool of himself in the process. I grinned.
"Now comes time that I am forced to give a speech to enlightened all of you when 12 years of school couldn't. We have worked hard and played hard. But it's time we must live hard. We are going out in the real world now. The real issue is what are we going to do? You hear everyone cry out against racism and the hate and discrimination that goes with it. But our generation is faced with another factor. Mutation. Mutation which there is no cure and in my opinion none needed. They are different, so what! Treat others as you want to be treated, black, white, mutated or normal. We are living in changing times and we must embrace the qualities that make us unique. Only then can we come together as one people of one nation of one world. Thank you.," she said. The crowd remained silent. No one cheered or clapped as Diana Ryan took her seat.
"With young people like that, I do believe there is hope for humanity after all," mused the professor. I nodded. The future did look brighter. One day we wouldn't be forced to hide our gifts. But until then I am content to be by he who loves me and friends that care for me.
Together we will protect humanity until they are ready for us.
Together we will make a difference.
Together we are the X-men.
The End.