Chapter 7
For some reason unknown to her, Jean was nervous as she entered Scott's hospital room. However, she completely forgot about that once she saw him. All she could feel was joy at the fact that he was alive. Seeing that he was asleep, she quietly moved toward the empty chair next to his bed. Sitting down, she reached for his hand and quietly called his name. He began to stir, and Jean's heart soared as she prepared herself to finally talk with him again after all this time.
"Who's there?" His voice was tired and hoarse. He turned his head toward Jean, and she wished that the bandages covering his eyes were gone. Reaching up, she cupped his cheek in her palm.
"Eve?"
Jean's heart stopped, and she didn't think she could breathe anymore. Eve? Why did he think she was some woman named Eve?
"Uh. No, Scott. It's me." He didn't say anything for a second, but the way he seemed to look right into her eyes despite the bandages was uncanny.
"Jean?" His voice was merely a whisper, his lips seemed hard pressed to make the shapes necessary to produce them.
"Yeah. It's me."
Scott reached his hand up toward the one holding his face. Grabbing her fingers, he squeezed them and followed her hand up her arm and toward her face. The whole time his face kept getting more and more amazed and awe-filled.
"Jean... I thought you were dead."
"I thought you were dead." A sound that was halfway between a sob and a laugh filled the room, as Scott burst into a brilliant grin. He moved his hand to the back of her neck and pulled her in for a kiss. By the time they pulled away from each other, they were both crying in happiness.
Jean carefully crawled onto the hospital bed with him, and Scott wrapped his arms around her.
"Scott?"
"Hmm?"
"Who's Eve?"
* * *
Jean had only been in the hospital room for about ten minutes, but it seemed like an eternity to Eve. Her mind raced with a hundred ideas of what they were doing in there, and her heart broke a little more with each thought. And the sympathetic looks the Professor kept giving her did not help at all, especially since she now knew that he knew exactly what she was thinking.
The hard part was that she didn't know if she should fight for him or not. She desperately wanted to be with him and was more than willing to try to get him to stay with her, but a small part of her kept thinking that it wasn't fair to him for her to do so. He could go back to his real life now, and to his real girlfriend. What right did she have to keep him here with her if he didn't want to? And the small, insecure voice in Eve's head kept telling her that there was no way he would ever want to.
The hospital door opening interrupted Eve's doubts and fears. Jean exited the room with an exhausted, but happy look on her face. Smiling at the Professor, she held the door open as he rolled into the room.
* * *
Jean shut the door behind the Professor and walked over to stand by Ororo and Bobby. She was curious about Scott's life for the last five months, but he told her he wanted to see the Professor and everyone else before he told her about it. She understood that it was a long story and that he wanted to see everyone, but she desperately wanted to hear it. Don't lie to yourself. You want to know who Eve is. Did he move on? Was he dating someone else, thinking she was dead? And why couldn't Cerebro locate him?
So many questions still needed answers, but she didn't care. Scott was alive, and he'd soon be coming home to them. Five months of pain, grief and worry finally hit her all at once, and she quickly sat down in one of the chairs outside of the room. As she was sitting, her eye caught the nametags of the female doctor that had shown them to the room.
Dr. Eve Crawford, M.D.
What?
* * *
The Professor wheeled toward Scott. The younger man's hearing, improved because of the blindness that often came with his gift, picked up the sounds of the wheelchair, and he smiled.
"Hello, Professor."
"Hello, my boy. How are you feeling?" Scott just smiled at his mentor, not sure of how to answer that question.
"What happened to you these last few months?" Scott immediately launched into his story. His excuse for not telling Jean the story was partially true - he had wanted to see the others first, but he also was unsure of what to tell her about Eve - and that confused him even more. He knew he could not use the same excuse with the Professor, and part of him was relieved that he could unburden his chest of all the trouble the last five months had given him. And all the happiness.
When Scott finished his story, the Professor just sat still for a few minutes before sucking in much needed air and shaking his head.
"Wow. That's some story. I assume the amnesia, and the fact that your mutation was suppressed for so long, explain why Cerebro couldn't find you."
"Probably. But I'm confused why my mutation did suppress itself. It couldn't be because of my injury because it didn't return when I healed."
"I think it was related to the injury and to the amnesia. The injury caused both to occur, but your subconscious desire to not return to a Jean-less world maintained it even after you healed. I think that's why seeing Jean caused you to remember - and caused your mutation to re-manifest."
"As good an explanation as any, I guess."
The Professor paused, clearly wanting to say something but unsure of how to broach the subject. Finally, he pulled himself together.
"Scott. Have you given any thought to what you will do with your life now?"
Confusion flittered across Scott's face. "Go back home with you. Isn't that why you came to get me?"
"I will not lie, Scott. I'd love to have you come home, and I know everyone else will, too. But I will not force you to do so. You have a choice now. If you choose to stay here, we will manage without you. It would be unfair to you to force you to give up everything you've built these last five months." The Professor paused. "And you have Eve now."
"I don't know about that. She might not want me now that I'm a mutant." Scott turned his head away from the Professor. "And Jean's alive now. How do I choose between them? Jean was my whole life - and, in many ways, still is and always will be. But Eve gave me a new life and a new dream for happiness. I thought two lifestyles - Scott and Cyclops - was too much for one man. Now I have three lives. It's just too much to think about right now."
"You don't have to make your choice this instant, Scott. Take your time. And remember, no matter what you choose, I will still love you and respect you."
Scott was glad he was facing away from the Professor, and that his face was still bandaged. His pride would have been seriously hurt if the Professor had seen the tears those words had brought to his eyes. He had to choke back a sob when he felt the Professor grab his hand and squeeze it.
He listened to the Professor leave the room and heard him tell the others to give him some time before coming in to visit. Scott's brain hurt as it was filled with images, feelings and memories of both his lives. A part of him longed to return to yesterday, when he only had to worry about one life, one girl, and one future.
A/N: So I have an unforeseen problem: I don't know who Scott will choose! So in an effort to help me make my decision, and to get people to review more (because I love reviews), you guys can let me know what you think about Scott's choice. It won't necessarily be a vote, but I'll take everyone's opinions into consideration.
Thanks for all the reviews. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it! I'm having a lot of fun writing it!