Child of Light and Darkness

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Chapter Two

Jean sat head in her hands on the livingroom couch. Occasionally she would draw her hands back through her hair, just to have it fall back down again. She sighed deeply, still in the same position on the couch.

She rubbed her head, the migraine just didn't seem to be going away. And what's worse was she had begun to feel small tingles in her head. She knew it were the thoughts trying to break free from the mental blocks she had set up. She didn't understand why she was having a hard time controlling the thought consumption in her head. Ever since her power surge she had been working with the professor everyday to help control her powers and make sure that another power episode would never happen again.

Jean fingered the bottle of aspirin that had been laying on the end table; she opened the lid and popped two aspirin's into her mouth. She hated swallowing them dry, so she chewed them a little and then swallowed. Although neither way was very tasteful. However, desperate times call for desperate measures and this migraine was really ruining her birthday.

"Hey Jean, like there you are!"

"Here I am." Jean muttered head still in her hands.

Of course, she knew it was Kitty before she even entered the room.

Kitty looked Jean over a moment, "Like, are you okay Jean?"

Jean looked up at Kitty, her hair falling to her opposite side.

"Yeah, but I have a migraine that just doesn't seem to want to go away."

"Oh gee I'm sorry, I hope it gets better."

Jean looked down and rubbed her head.

"It should, I just took a couple of aspirins." Jean sighed and leaned back in the couch.

"Well anyway, I came to tell you that your cake is ready. I mean I know that you didn't want anything big...but it's only a small cake." Kitty shrugged.

Jean smiled. "It's alright Kitty, I don't mind small parties."

"Oh great! I'll go tell Kurt to put up the piñata'."

"Ah...Piñata'?" Jean asked.

"Oh and wait until you get a look at the pile of presents!"

"Presents?"

"Oh and I believe Kurt and Amanda are decorating the downstairs foyer, with confetti and streamer..."

"Decorating?"

"Oooo and all the games...twister, pin the tail on the mutant, karaoke, dancing...."

"Karaoke? Dancing? "

Jean's head began to spin as Kitty went on and on about the party festivities. Finally, Jean couldn't take it anymore.

"Kitty...Kitty..." Jean interrupted.

"I said I didn't want anything extravagant."

"Well yeah...I know...but it's just a small incy tincy party..." Kitty pursed her lips in an innocent way.

Jean rubbed her head for what seemed like the 50th time. Jean ran both her hands down her face and blew out in an exasperated way, the air ruffling her bangs.

Jean looked back up at Kitty. "A small party? With karaoke and dancing?"

"Well...I guess I could call off the party and take all the decorations down, and..."

Jean shook her head.

"No, No Kitty don't do that. I don't want you to do that after you spent so much time organizing the whole thing.... I guess as they say the show must go on."

Kitty's mood lightened up. "Oh really? Great! Now I'll get Kurt to put up the piñata!"

Jean sighed as Kitty practically jumped out of the room.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Xavier sat quietly in his study. He smiled as he heard the commotion outside in the hall. He could hear everyone shuffling about getting Jean's party ready. Out of any holidays they had, birthdays were his favorites. It signified his students growing older, and more mature in both their minds and powers. But it was also a good day for him, because it also signified his students were just 'normal' children who also had and celebrated birthdays. He smiled and shut the cover of the book he had been reading.

He wheeled to the large window that framed the back wall or front wall, whichever way you look at it, of his study. Through it, he could see the whole mansion grounds. He didn't need to see, of course, on what was happening, he always knew. However, sometimes he just liked to watch his students having fun, it reminded him that they were still children.

Being the most powerful telepathic mutant on earth also had its advantages as well as its disadvantages. Being a telepath, he could hear thoughts as well as feel emotions. But only if the emotions were strong enough. He really liked to feel his students emotions when they were playing, it made him feel good to know his students felt happy and carefree at times. He also could learn things about his students that way, given that he respects their privacy and would never knowingly enter or pry into their minds without their knowledge.

He knew that whenever Remy was around Rogue would feel strong emotions of attraction and shyness. He also felt Kurt's contentment whenever Amanda was around that he was able to be his normal blue furry self without having to hide. In addition, for years he held felt Scott and Jean's uncomfortable attraction to each other. He was also able to feel the tension and electricity between them, but than of course so could anyone else who was around them at the time, but that's only because their feelings were so strong. He had also felt the rush of emotions that Scott and Jean had felt earlier in the library. He knew they had kissed and he knew they had liked it. But of course when it came down to very 'intimate' feelings like that he would try and block the most of them out, so that he himself could not be drawn into feeling the same way, because it would be very.... Disturbing... in many ways than one.

He smiled as he saw Kurt and Amanda setting up the piñata in the lawn, as Kitty brought out the refreshments. He noticed that Remy carried an open cage in his hand as he and Rogue ran after what looked like a bunch of hamsters but could possibly be rats.

His smile quickly faded as he remembered the reason of the party and the occasion the bestowed them, Jean's 19th birthday. Yes, he was proud of her, but this day held more than just a milestone. It held something he had been approached about years ago, something that he had secretly dreaded and yet pondered with amazement. Ten years ago, he had been warned of this day, of what could happen. He still didn't know what was true or what was pure speculation.

He interlocked his fingers as he rested his elbows on his armrests; he shut his eyes deep in thought. He had been approached by Irene Adler a mutant who had the ability to see provisions into the future, which is why she was more commonly known as the mutant Destiny. She had seen into the future, but more specifically into Jean's future. She had come to talk and to learn more. Xavier remembered the whole conversation. Since that day, he was never able to forget it. He had pushed it to the back of his mind but today it had resurfaced itself. He closed his eyes and flashbacked to that day, seeing and hearing snippets of the conversation.

~+~+~+~+~+~+~

"She just turned ten."

*Nine more years. *

"Nine more years until what?"

+++++

"She'll be nineteen."

+++++

"That's the reason she's here. This school will teach her to learn control and she will also learn the limits of her powers and mutation."

"But Professor, what if Jean has no limits? What if there are no limits to her power?"

+++++

"Jean's an omega class mutant, An omega class mutant. Do you even know what she is capable of?"

+++++

"Take good care of her, professor. The future of the world may depend on it."


"Of course. Yes, I will."

+++++

"No longer am I the woman you once knew, I AM PHOENIX, Fire made Flesh and life eternal. I am what was, what is, what will be…The Black Angel, Chaos-Bringer! I AM POWER! "

"If it is true than only God can save us all."

+++++

The last image was the most disturbing to his memory and his eyes fluttered open. He rubbed his head reliving himself of the images. Today was the day. He didn't know whether to let it pass or to do something about it.

Besides, her feelings for Scott, Jean didn't seem to be feeling any awkward or different emotions at all. But Xavier had to wonder, Would Jean's mutation be as magnificent as Destiny had provisioned? Would Jean become this 'Phoenix'? Was it her fate? Could it be prevented? Was it even real at all? He had no idea, but Destiny had taken him into her mind, he had seen what she had provisioned.

In the future Jean had been 'transformed' but her path into that transformation was split. In one, she was good fighting the purest form of evil; in the next, she was the purest, evilest form of evil, destructing planets and stars just because she could. Would Jean become this...creature? If so who's to say which path would become reality, and who's to say which wouldn't?

This bothered Xavier very much, he had been dwelling on it for the past week. He didn't know how to handle the situation; he had no idea what to do. This was a critical decision and he didn't think he could make it. He had thought many times on telling Jean about it, but he found it best to not tell her until he had more on the subject he found no need to worry her. However, he had a feeling he would be getting a visit from Destiny sometime soon, which made it a good reason to wait.

Xavier sighed; he pushed the thoughts to the back of his head to dwell upon later. He smiled as he watched his students playing in the newly decorated lawn.

He wheeled his chair back from the window, for now he would just join the festivities, and hopefully be able to push the thoughts from his mind away for a few hours.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Mesmero walked into the cavern yet again. He could feel his master's presence throughout the cave. He shuddered, but not from the cold. It was fair to say his master frightened him. But Mesmero had no choice but to oblige to his Master's callings. In truth, he had seen the future, well he knew what the future held he knew that by helping his master he was helping that dark future take place, but they were only the start, there would be others. But he knew that it was better to be on the devils side, than against him.

"All is ready, Master." Mesmero said approaching the dark glinting figure.

"And the horsemen?"

"They are in place."

"How much longer?"

"It is just beginning, we still have time to wait. She has not yet recognized her full potential. It will take some time to take place."

"Than we shall wait."

"Ah...master may I ask why she is such a liability to our plans?"

The man stood up.

"You know me Mesmero, I have seen it all. I have been to the future, I have seen all that takes place, I have seen all the variations of the future. I have died and I have resurrected. But she...this girl, in the future she is a goddess. I have seen it. In every future I have seen, she alone reigns supreme. She has the power, she is everything I've tried to achieve to become, and yet have died the way I started...powerless. However, she can help me achieve my dreams of world domination, of the survival of the fittest. I have the power yes, my mutant abilities give me that much, but I still die. In every future, those brats...the X-men destroy me. But now everything will change. The only difference now is that instead of me, the X-men will be pitted against one of their own."

"I understand Master, but if she is as powerful as you have seen how can we get to her, nonetheless capture her?"

"We capture her when she is weak and vulnerable. Once we have her, we can speed up the process of her progression. We can teach her how to learn and control her newfound powers, and how to use them, we teach her that we are her allies. And those she consider friends are the worst of enemies."

"But Master, with so much power channeling throughout her, how can we be sure that she will not turn on us? That she will not destroy us?"

"When we are finished with her Mesmero, we won't have to worry."

"Master...?" Mesmero asked puzzled.

"You shall see Mesmero. In time."

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Jean could feel the thoughts erupting again. They were stronger and more persistent. She was losing control of them, of her telepathy. It scared her.

She tried all of the exercises the Professor had taught her every day after her power surge. But nothing was working. She knew it wasn't a regular migraine when the aspirin hadn't worked. And this wasn't any certain individual broadcasting their thoughts.

She could just hear them, like everyone's mind was open to her and all her mind blockades were open as well. She couldn't control them, she couldn't stop the voices from entering her mind. She was finding it hard to concentrate to hear herself think.

It took great concentration to at least numb out the voices for the time being. But it would get worse, when people think they also feel, luckily she had yet to feel what others did, but if she didn't stop it, it would get much worse. Jean concentrated hard to block out all the voices. It took all the will and mind power she had to put up a mind block between the voices. She didn't notice that as she did so the lights and TV began to flicker, indicating her telekinesis at work.

Jean's eyes shot open and she jumped slightly as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Just as she felt it, the TV and lights want back to their normal ways.

"Whoa Jean is alright it's me." She heard Scott say from behind her.

"You seem a little tense are you alright?"

Jean relaxed and took a hesitant breath before turning to meet him and replying.

"Yeah, I was just thinking. Sorry I must have been thinking to hard."

"You must have, I came in and the lights and TV were flickering."

"Oh, sorry I guess my TK must have been interrupting the electricity flow. I didn't notice it, sorry."

"Since when don't you notice that you're using you telekinesis?"

"Uh...sometimes when I'm thinking to hard or concentrating, sometimes I do that...unintentally."

"I thought you were working with the Professor so you may be able to use your full potential of either you TK or Telepathy without using the other one unknowingly."

Jean sighed. "Yeah I was...I mean it worked...it's just that recently I've been having trouble controlling my...powers."

Jean finished hesitantly.

"Well have you talked to the Professor? I mean maybe he can help you." Scott asked concerned.

"No, it's alright after a while everything goes back to normal."

"I know but maybe if you don't tell him you could have another power surge or something."

"No, I've been doing mind exercises to prevent that from happening again."

"Jean..."

Jean turned away from him, crossing her arms around her body as she did so.

"Scott do we have to talk about this now? I'll be fine."

Scott put up his hands in surrender. "Alright, I'm sorry. I just worry about you."

"Well don't Scott. Stop."

"Jean I can't. You know the way I feel about you. I've tried but I just can't."

"Then just trust me to make my own decisions. Okay Scott. I'm a big girl I can take care of myself."

"You're right I'm sorry for questioning your actions. Anyway I came here to talk to you and I just want to say I'm sorry about earlier, in the library."

"Scott-" Jean interrupted shaking her head.

"Just, let me finish okay?" Scott asked putting his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry about what happened. It's just I wanted to tell you how I felt, but everytime I tried to the words just couldn't come out. And everytime I was around you it killed me to know that you didn't know how I felt. I just felt so much; I didn't stop and think that maybe you didn't feel the same way as I do. You know whenever we're together I can feel it, the tension and electricity between us. I know we must share something for our feelings to be that strong."

"Scott about what happened earlier-"

"-I know. I'm sorry. You were right. We're best friends. And friends aren't supposed to fall in love. I get that. And I wish to god I didn't feel the way I do. And in all honestly I never meant to tell you how I feel, I never meant to show you that I felt more than friendship between us. And if I could feel anything else, I would. I don't know how it happened, or what you did, if it was a glance, a touch on my arm, the way you walk, I don't know what did it. But I know what I feel. And I know how you feel, which is why it can't happen. And I understand that, because love between friends would never work. It's not supposed to happen."

Scott scratched the back of his neck before turning to leave.

Jean watched him wordlessly as she collected her thoughts.

"Scott!" Jean shouted as he walked out into the hallway.

Scott turned around as Jean ran to meet him.

"I don't know what to do about this...this thing between us. I mean now I know how you feel, even if subconsciously I did before, I know for sure now. And to tell you the truth I don't know exactly how I feel about it. Right now I'm not ready for this…and I don't even know how I feel about it. All I know is that I don't want to lose your friendship."

"Look Jean, I didn't mean for all this to happen. We both know how the other feels and there's really nothing we can do about it. So why don't we just forget what happened and keep our friendship. I mean no one can break that bond we share."

Jean cast her eyes on the ground and lightly shook her head in understanding.

"I'm sorry Scott. I just don't want to ruin what we have together. I think what's right for me…for us…is that for the time being we keep our relationship strictly platonic."

Scott nodded his head.

"I just don't think that anything more than friendship in our relationship is what's right for us now. I mean I can't say what's best for you, but I don't think I can handle our relationship if we were anymore than friends right now...I'm sorry I am."

"No, it's my fault. And I just want you to try and forget that you know how I feel. Because I was out of line and I never meant for any of this to happen. And I agree with you, anything more than a platonic relationship just wouldn't work between us."

"This is what's so great about our relationship. That we just seem to understand each other so well."

Scott ran his left hand through his hair.

"That's why I don't want anything to wreck what we have. And taking the next step is a risk that we don't want to try. Friends just can't be lovers. And what we have is so great there's no use in trying to be more."

Scott nodded and even though he said he understood Jean didn't know what to think.

Jean watched him walk down the hall until he was out of sight. She stood in the hallway pondering what had just happened. She wondered if it had been the right thing to do.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Hmm…yeah again…this chap is revised…still not much diffrent…so um…thanx for reviewing…and keep it up!