AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, here's the end. To all my readers that made it this far, I congratulate you. Remember to review!
Oh yeah, one more thing. When Scott proposed in the previous chapter, they were 21 and had known each other for seven years. Now, they are twenty four ('canon' X-men age approx) and have known each other for ten years. Hope this clears things up a bit.
Summary: Post-Dark Horizons. Scott and Jean face a trial by fire as new enemies emerge and face new challenges to their relationship.
Rating for this Chapter - PG 13
Pairings - Scott/Jean
Epilogue
Gentle ocean waves crashed on the sand as Jean and Scott sat on the beach, admiring the night sky. It was much clearer here than back in New York. Even with their unaided eyesight, the skies literally came alive with trillions of sparkling gems, shooting stars and a perfect moon. Of course, nothing was more beautiful to Scott than the woman sitting on his lap at the moment. With her face free of make-up, eyes reflecting the starry night and her hair swaying with the ocean breeze, she was the absolute epitome of Mother Nature's beauty.
Burying his face in her scarlet hair, he found himself thinking of the recent past. Ten years after they first met, Scott finally married Jean Grey in the gardens of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. It was actually rather convenient. Most people pay to get married in a mansion of classic Victorian design, sophisticated landscaping and gardens of bushes, shrubs and small trees trimmed in elegant shapes and mazes. Of course, they didn't - Charles Xavier saw to it himself that the wedding of his first two students would be the social event of the decade.
It was perfect - to the point that even Elaine Grey could find very little to complain about. As Scott stood there waiting for his fiancé to appear, he found himself looking at the two hundred or so assembled guests. Everyone was present, even the Brotherhood. Scott found himself staring at members of the Grey clan. It meant a lot to him to be accepted as part of their family. Sadly, Alex was the only person present other than himself that was still alive from his. But it didn't matter: he found a new family - the X-men, which were fully represented. They even managed to get Logan in a tux....
When Jean swept down the aisle, his breath and logic deserted him. If she was magnificent before (and she was), she was beautiful beyond words during the wedding. They married each other that day in the summer sun. Neither could remember ever being so happy.
That was a week ago, and now, the two were on their honeymoon, given a pardon from the X-men, the fighting, the discrimination, the stress and, generally, the world. The couple had already explored all the riches Europe had to offer, from Paris to Rome and everything in between.
A loving kiss brought Scott out of his thoughts. Jean had turned around to face him and her hand found its' way to the back of his head, deepening the embrace. //Hon, is everything okay?\\
//Everything's better than okay\\ he responded, not breaking the kiss. //I love you Jean\\
//I love you too\\
Pushing him so that he was lying flat on his back, Jean continued to gently massage his lips until exhaustion finally took over her. They had spent the day swimming in the beautiful Mediterranean ocean, exchanging passionate kisses, riding bikes and enjoying the fine foods of the local area. Reluctantly, she pried her lips away from his and pillowed her head on Scott's powerful chest.
"Jean, honey, you're not falling asleep are you?" he asked her gently. He ran his fingers through her hair and revelled in how soft it felt.
"Mmmm-hmmm," she mumbled sleepily, eyes closed.
"We still have to walk a mile back to the lodge," he pointed out.
"Okay," she responded, not really listening to what he was saying because at that point, Jean fell fast asleep. Brushing her hair away from her face, Scott found himself wondering again how on earth did such a gorgeous woman fall in love with a guy like him. ~Not that I'm complaining~ he thought as he kissed the top of her head softly.
"Vixen," he laughed as Jean muttered something incomprehensible and nuzzled against his chest.
Wrapping the redhead in the blanket they were sitting on before picking her up tenderly in his arms, Scott started the mile walk back to the lodge. It was times like these that reminded him of how much Jean really meant to him. She was everything: from the air he breathed to the glue that held together his sanity. Stepping into the cozy bungalow Xavier had acquired for them, he tucked his wife into bed before quietly spooning up behind her, dreams of living blissfully ever after prominent on his mind.
