Epilogue
"Jean," Scott whispered gently. "Come on, hon, wake up."
Jean grumbled and rolled away from him. He chuckled.
"Jean, wake up."
"If you don't lie down and go back to sleep I will hurt you in ways you never dreamed possible," she growled sleepily, not opening her eyes.
He laughed again. "Come on, get up."
"Why?" she whined, pulling the covers up around her chin.
"It's snowing," Scott told her, and she could hear the smile in his voice.
*****
They strolled across the snow-covered expanse of the grounds arm-in-arm, treasuring the solitude. Over the past five years it had become rare for them to find a quiet moment to spend together. Now that Scott was teaching at the Institute full-time, and Jean was deep in the throes of medical school, the opportunities seemed more and more fleeting.
Jean paid little attention to where they were walking, so didn't notice that Scott was gradually leading them towards the lake. When they emerged through the trees, Jean stopped in her tracks. On the dock stood dozens of cylinders of crystal-clear ice, each holding a large pillar candle. The flame glowed through the ice, creating a magical aura. The flames hissed and jumped as snowflakes drifted too close.
Scott made a mental note to commend Bobby on the quality of his work the next time he saw him.
"Scott, what....?" Jean asked in bemusement.
Scott just smiled and led her out onto the candle and snow-covered dock. "A long time ago, you told me that the world was different when it snowed – that it was somehow better," Scott said softly, smiling as he remembered the long-ago conversation. "Well, I think it's you who makes the world better. You make my world a better place, and I don't ever want to lose that feeling."
Grasping both her hands, Scott slowly bent down on one knee. Jean inhaled a shaky breath, and felt tears welling in her eyes.
"We've been through a lot since we first met, and the one thing that I've always been able to count on is you and your friendship. I'd be lost without you, Jean. You make me happier than I ever dared dream possible." She could feel his hand trembling slightly as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small box and flipped back the lid revealing a ring. "Please say you'll marry me," he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion.
Jean dropped to her knees opposite Scott and cupped his face with both her hands. "How could you even question it?" she replied, smiling through the tears that were now flowing freely down her cheeks. "You're my life, Scott. I love you more than anything." She leaned towards him and captured his lips in a kiss so sweet they both held their breath.
"Is that a 'yes'?" Scott asked softly when they parted.
Jean laughed. "Yes, that's a 'yes'," she confirmed with a dazzling smile. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes." She punctuated each 'yes' with a kiss.
Scott took the ring out of the box and slid it onto the ring finger of her left hand, then wrapped themselves in each others arms. They remained like that for a long time, kneeling on the dock, the glow of the candles illuminating the night.
All around them the snow continued to fall, dancing in silent celebration.
~END~
To quote my favorite fanfic author, "I'm a shameless feedback slut!"
Author's Notes: Ok, kids – that's all she wrote! Stick a fork in the story, it's done!
I hope you enjoyed reading Snow as much as I enjoyed writing it. This was only my second attempt at writing fan fiction, and I honestly didn't think it would turn into such a long story. Nor did I expect such an incredible response from the readers! I've said it once, and I'll say it again – your feedback and reviews are what kept me motivated. THANK YOU!!!
I don't have another story in the works yet – I'm waiting for inspiration to strike. I hope to start writing a new Jean/Scott-centered fic soon, possibly another pre-series story along the lines of First Sight. I just need to come up with an idea, so bear with me, and if you have any suggestions/ideas/requests, feel free to drop me a note! That said, I could be open to writing a sequel to Snow – or, if not an actual sequel then at least a couple of "college years" stand-alone stories (not much point in an honest-to-god sequel if you already know they get engaged). It would depend on whether or not there was enough reader interest – so if you'd like to see more stories in the Snow universe, please let me know!
A special THANKS to Julie and eternalsailorsolarwind for putting up with my constant whining and complaining, and for being great sounding boards and beta-readers. Your encouragement and support helped immensely! Just consider yourselves warned: because you were so great, I'll be calling on you both again when I start my next fic! : )
