Child of Light and Darkness
~
Chapter Three
"Hey you guys like totally won't believe what I just saw!" Kitty exclaimed running into the living room.
"Well I mean, I didn't just see it, I saw it earlier but like I couldn't wait till we were finished to tell you!"
Kurt collapsed on the couch. "Vight now Kitty I don't care. I've got a stomach the size of a boulder. I zink I ate to much."
"I told you eating all that food would get to you Kurt." Amanda said matter of factly sitting next to him.
"Vell I didn't feel so full until we started cleaning up ze birthday decorations."
"And until you ate what was left over of the food."
"Voman, Always so health conscience. But zat is vone of ze many reason vhy I like you."
Kurt said putting an arm around Amanda's shoulders.
"Hey guys did you find all your rats?" Amanda asked Remy and Rogue as they entered from outside.
"Well we got six of the nine, we coulda had them all if Remy here wasn't so easily angered." Rogue said pointing her thumb at Remy.
"I'm tellin' ya petite d'ose rats were up ta no good. If I hadn't gotten rid of 'em who knows what they coulda done. They coulda ate through da drywall or somet'in."
"Vhat Happened?"
Rogue glared at Remy. "Well we finally got the last three rats cornered into a bush. I almost had 'em until Remy found it a convient time to energize the bush and dissapate the rats!"
"I'm tellin' ya chere dem was evil! Did you see da looks in dere eyes! Dey was up ta no good! Ya wouldn't want em ta eat through da drywall would ya?" Remy said defending himself.
"Well Ah told ya that rats were not a good present."
"Remy always learn from his mistakes."
Rogue crossed her arms. "Whatever. You're still a swamp rat."
Remy glared at her before stocking out.
"Vell you're just in time Kitty was just about to tell us somezing. Go ahead Kitty." Kurt looked toward Kitty giving her an invitation to talk.
"Okay well, earlier, while I was going to check on the cake, I was phasing through walls, to get to the kitchen faster and I happened to phase through the wall just in time to see Scott and Jean standing right in the middle of the library!"
"Yeah so?" Rogue said a little irritated.
"Yeah I mean ve always see Scott and Jean."
"No, no but this time was like different. I mean they weren't just standing in the library." Kitty smiled as she waited for everyone's reaction.
"And...." Rogue urged Kitty to go on.
"They we're..."
"-Reading?" Rogue guessed somewhat sarcastically.
Kurt's eyes grew wide as realization dawned and he interrupted Kitty.
"Zey ve're making out?"
Kitty nodded enthusiastically.
"Vell it's about time!" Kurt shouted just as enthusiastic.
"Ah don't see what's so special 'bout that." Rogue said arms still crossed as she rolled her eyes.
"If you'll excuse me Ah got more important things ta to."
Because everyone was used to Rogue's behavior no one paid that much attention to her leaving.
"Zis is great! Now vhen they're together I von't feel the awkward tension between zem, zat's mighty uncomfortable to be around."
"I agree with you Kurt, I mean you could cut the tension between them with a knife." Amanda agreed.
"But this is like so exciting. I mean I like always knew they'd get together! I just couldn't what to see how it all turned out! And this is like the best time being Jean's birthday and all. I mean I always knew there was something between them that was deeper than just friendship."
"Yeah but might I suggest we just keep what Kitty saw between us? I mean if Scott and Jean really are going steady I'm sure when they want us to know they'll tell us about it."
Kurt and Kitty looked at each other. Amanda had a point, but of course keeping things like this between them was not something Kurt and Kitty had a track record in keeping. In fact, they had one in telling.
"Ah...I guess...I could like manage without telling anyone." Kitty agreed.
Kurt just nodded his head in conjunction with Kitty.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~
Destiny picked up her phone. She had paced back and forth many times trying to figure out what to do about her provision.
She dialed a number. "Yes Professor It's Irene Adler. I need to talk to you as soon as possible. I would like to come over today if possible. It's urgent."
She waited as she listened to the voice on the other end.
"Okay thank you." She said before hanging up. She breathed out deeply in a sign of relief and fear.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~
"Anythin' wrong?" Logan asked noticing Professor Xavier's worried look.
"Oh no nothing at all. I just got off the phone with Irene Adler."
"Destiny? What'd she want?" Logan asked walking in to Xavier's study from the hallway.
"Apparently she needs to speak to me about a very urgent matter."
"Isn't she able to see provision's into the future?"
Xavier nodded.
"It's gotta be an aweful bad provision for her ta call you. Doesn't she usually talk to Magnus?"
"To be honest Logan I don't know."
"Well whatever it is, I hope were ready for it."
"I doubt it Logan. I don't think we're ready for it at all." Xavier sighed turning his head to look out the window.
Logan frowned sensing Xavier knew more than he was telling.
"Ya know what it is she wants ta talk to ya about dontcha?"
Xavier inhaled deeply as he began to speak still looking out the window.
"A few years back, nine to be exact, I got a visit from Irene. She had a provision into the future that she was really worried about. It had to do with Jean's future."
"Jeannie's future? What 'bout it?" Logan asked his interest perked.
"You know Logan that Jean is an omega class mutant."
"Yeah the full potential of her powers are unknown. Yeah I know."
"Well according to Destiny's provision Jean has no limits to her powers."
"What? I'm sorry I don't follow ya Chuck."
"Being an Omega class mutant means that once Jean's powers have fully developed there's a chance that she could be more powerful than myself. I know she will be. But she will be among the very few of us who has the potential to become very powerful. We know that she will be a liability to our future. But according to Destiny, Jean's powers of Telekinesis and Telepathy are just a small margin of powers Jean possesses."
"What? I'm findin' this hard ta wrap my mind around. Ya mean Jean's powers of TK n' Telepathy are just nothin' compared to these 'other powers' ?"
"Yes I believe so."
"What 'other powers' does Jeannie possess?"
"None yet."
Logan frowned as Xavier continued
"Have you heard of the Phoenix Logan?"
"Yeah, I have. It's a mythological bird made o' fire. In Egyptian mythology, It's said ta have great beauty and fabled ta live 500 ta 600 years in the Arabian wilderness, ta burn itself on a funeral pyre and ta rise from its ashes in the freshness of youth and ta live through another cycle of years. In Egypt it's an emblem of immortality or of reborn idealism or hope."
Xavier chuckled. "You've done your homework."
"Well ya know I been 'round in my life. What's this gotta do with Jeannie?"
"Well in the future that Destiny saw, that I saw, Jean was Phoenix."
"What? You're kiddin' right?"
"No I'm afraid not. But Jean isn't an Egyptian bird or anything like that. She's a creature of great power. She uses her powers to symbolize herself to that of the phoenix. You know, life incarnate, dies but rises from the ashes. But also she's a symbol of hope. She uses the phoenix to symbolize herself, of what she's capable of doing."
"Wait. I'm not quite getting' this."
"Well Logan, I already told you that she will become a creature of great power. You see her mutation has enabled her to have very high range Telepathic and Telekinetic ability. In addition, she has the powers of literally a god. I can hardly believe it myself, but with her merest shrug, she can incinerate a world and with her slightest smile destroy the galaxy. I know I've seen it."
"Ya don't actually believe that do ya?"
"In all truthfulness Logan, I don't want to, but according to Destiny's provision Jean's powers are supposed to start manifesting on her nineteenth birthday."
"That's today."
"Indeed it is."
"I still don't get it Charles."
"Neither do I. I don't find it shocking however. We always knew that Jean's full potential is unknown, being a mutant of omega class. We never fully knew how powerful Jean could become."
"Well how do we explain it?"
"We can't. Not easily and not in a way to understand."
There was a knock at Xavier's study door.
"Come in." Xavier shouted.
Jean opened the door as Destiny stood at her side.
"Professor someone's here to see you." Jean said pleasantly.
"Ah Irene Welcome."
Logan could smell the fear on Irene as she stood by Jean. He also smelled her relief when she walked in and Jean did not follow.
Logan looked at Jean finding it unbelievable that Jeannie could actually become what Xavier had described.
Jean quietly shut the door as Irene took the seat next to Logan.
"I hope you don't mind if Logan listens in on our conversation?" Xavier asked almost as if he knew what she'd say.
"That's fine. I can stay only briefly."
"Alright than let's begin, what's on your mind Irene?"
"You know Xavier. I've had another vision. But this one was closer to our future than the last."
"And this had to do with Jean I presume?"
"Yes she is very much a part of it, but also another."
"Who?"
"He's an ancient mutant, a warlord in his own time. He's name is En Sabah Nur or as you will soon come to know very well, Apocalypse. He was one of the first mutants to be born into the human race almost five thousand years ago. He's one of the mightiest and defiantly one of the most dangerous mutants the world will have to face. He's endowed with colossal strength and he's a shiftshaper who has the ability to transform any part of himself into a living weapon against his foes. He's also gifted with an incredibly long life span, which has allowed him to live through many futures and variations of futures. He has tried many times to dominant the world he pits mutants against mutants. He calls it the 'survival of the fittest'. He dedicates himself to enslaving and exterminating all mutants but those that he considers the strongest. Only than does, he believe that mutants can grow powerful enough to dominate the planet under his leadership. Nevertheless, every future he's lived in he has been defeated by that future's X-men in some way or another. But now he has seen it. He has seen how powerful Jean will become in the future. Her powers alone will allow her to dominate the planet, without having to do anything to bring it about. But Phoenix will not be interested in dominating, what would be the point since she can very easily destroy it?"
"Do you think that He is a threat to Jean?"
"It is a possibility. But I also fear for the child. Jean does not know what she will become. I still do not know which path Jean will choose, if she will fight alongside the X-men and defeat Apocalypse or if she will choose the side of evil. All I know is that Jean is the only one who can stop him. But I'm warning you Xavier you must keep your eyes on her. Because if she were to be taken in by the wrong mutants, who knows what she could do if she were on the other side of the tracks."
"Is there any way we can stop it 'fore it happens?" Logan asked worriedly.
"In Jean's case no. It is part of her mutation it can neither be controlled nor detained. It is just Jean's fate to be Phoenix. However, what we don't know is whether it is Jean's fate to be good or to turn to the side of evil. Either is a possibility."
Xavier rested his elbows on his desk as he leaned forward. "Is there a way we can prevent Jean from becoming evil?"
"Perhaps. I believe whatever happens is fate and therefore meant to happen. But I also believe that the Phoenix Force is neither good nor evil... only the person who wields it can decide."
"Yeah okay but isn't there a something we can change in the present that can change the events of the future?"
"In retrospect to Jean, no. Her future as Phoenix is meant to be. In terms of a future ruled by Apocalypse or not is totally up to her and you. If he can be stopped then yes, the events of the future will change dramatically."
"So what you're sayin' is that we're just gonna wait 'til Jeannie starts showin' signs of this Phoenix force and than... what?"
"I don't know. How you deal with Jean is your decision. However she will know eventually, she'll have to. I have told you what I have come to. How you deal with the information I have given you is completely up to you. However, I must leave you with a warning, Apocalypse knows about Jean so you must be extremely cautious. If Apocalypse were to somehow find Jean or capture her in the condition she'll be in, she will be extremely vulnerable and confused it would be extremely easy then to turn her evil. And with her powers as Phoenix, all hell will break loose upon the world as we know it. Consider yourselves warned. I must go now."
Irene quickly departed from Xavier's study as the two looked on.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~
As the night drew nigh and Xavier's guest had left along with Amanda, the students that hadn't filed into their bedrooms sat on the livingroom couch watching reruns of 'ER'.
As it stands, Rogue, Remy, Kurt, Kitty and Scott were in the livingroom. In there usual weeknight posture the remaining X-men up would watch reruns and talk about the show, given they had nothing better to do at this late at night. Not wanting to break from the usual Remy was the first to start conversation as the show want on a commercial.
"Man what Remy'd give to spend a night wit' dat Abby." Remy exclaimed as Rogue glared at him. "After you o' course petite." Remy added.
"I dunno...I like Dr. Kovac. I mean isn't he like so dreamy? And that accent just like pushes a girl over the edge."
"Yeah, I'd have to agree vith Kitty here, I vould like a Voman vith an accent. So I'd have to go vith Corday. Although I've never been to England." Kurt said in between gulps of popcorn.
"How 'bout you chere'?" Remy asked peering in Rogue's direction.
"Who me? Oh Ah don't know...Ah really don't have an opinion."
"C'mon chere side's Remy who do you t'ink you'd like to spend a night wit'?" Remy asked as Rogue hit him lightly on his chest.
"Ouch! Remy was just kiddin' petite."
Rogue's glare faded as a small smile crept on her lips. "Well Ah've always thought Dr. Carter was pretty cute."
"See dat wasn't so hard was it?" Remy asked putting a hand behind Rogue's shoulder as they both shared the couch with Kitty.
"Vhat about you Scott? Vho do you like?" Kurt asked.
"Scott?" Kitty added pressure to his name as he didn't respond to Kurt's question.
Scott jumped lightly at the mention of his name. "Huh?"
"Who do you like?" Kitty asked.
"Who do I like who?" Scott asked obviously he hadn't been paying attention to the rest of his teammates' discussion.
"On the show?"
"Oh uh, I don't know they're all cute."
Scott shrugged. "I dunno...I guess Dr. Lewis?"
"Who you kiddin' Shades, you dig da red heads." Remy added with a grin, which was followed by an elbow to his ribs by Rogue.
Remy gave out a grunt as Scott asked "What?"
"Ah nothin' Remy's just jabberin' das all. Turn up da volume." Remy said covering his tracks as the show came back on.
Scott kept staring at Remy for a few more moments before turning up the volume.
Just as he had settled into a comfortable spot on the extra large couch Jean came walking into the room.
"Hey guys." Jean said taking a place between Scott and Kurt.
"Hey." Everybody mumbled in unisom.
"Oh ER, I love watching reruns."
"Yep, we pretty much watch 'em every Thursday." Rogue mumbled.
"Anyway I always enjoy watching George Cloony. He is so gorgeous."
"Yep." Kitty agreed as all eyes were duly fixed on the television screen, even though everyone had to have seen this episode more than once.
"Man, I think I'm like totally gonna crash for the night." Kitty said as the credits rolled on the screen. Kitty yawned as she stretched and phased through the couch.
"Man that still freaks me out." Kurt muttered as he watched Kitty phase through the couch.
"Me too I think I'm gonna call it a night." Rogue said drawing a gloved hand through her skunk-streaked hair.
"Vell I've got an early date vith Amanda tomorrow so I better get to sleep cuz I'm expecting a very late night tomorrow." Kurt smirked as his eyes bounced with excitement.
"You dawg you..." Remy chuckled as Kurt winked and bamfed out.
"Well what 'bout you two...goin' ta bed? Or you gonna call it a late night?" Remy asked suspiciously.
"Uh I dunno...I guess I'll stay up a few more minutes." Scott answered.
"Well then Remy here's gonna leave you two love birds ta your business." Remy smiled at Jean as he walked past them up the stairs.
"Do you think they know?" Jean asked scooting closer to Scott.
"Know about what?"
"You know about what happened earlier."
"How could they?"
Jean sighed, "I guess you're right."
"Of course I'm right."
Jean leaned her head on Scott's chest.
"You know it feels different now."
"What does?" Scott asked as he leaned his head on Jean's.
"To do this kind've stuff."
"Why? We've always done this." Scott answered.
"I guess...I dunno.... it's just after what happened earlier... this just seems different."
"Yeah, but it still feels the same."
"Yeah, I guess it does. I mean we're nothing but friends. And if it was up to us, what happened earlier didn't happen."
Jean said as her thoughts rested on earlier in the hall.
"Right, I mean you know how I feel and I know how you feel. And it would never work. So we'll just forget it ever happened and remain best friends like we always have been. I mean just because you know how I feel doesn't we should stop doing what we do. I see no reason to quit being friends. I can move past my feelings for you, I've had them suppressed for years, I just have to get past them and try to feel something less."
Jean looked up at him. "Scott I don't want you to torture yourself just for the sake of our friendship."
"It's not torture Jean. Friends can only be friends bottom line. We overstepped a boundary that we never should have. I don't know what will happen I mean we can't just doing what we do because there could be something bigger between us in the future. I mean right now we're the best of friends as we always have been and I don't see any reason to change that."
Scott said wrapping his arms around Jean bringing them closer to each other.
"Thank you." Jean said as she set her hands on Scott's arms around her and shut her eyes at the contentment of the moment.
After a moment of silence Scott spoke up.
"Jean, earlier you seemed a little tense and distracted. Is something bothering you? Cuz you know if there is, you can talk to me about...I dunno anything."
Jean remained silent thinking over an answer.
"No...No it's nothing...just bear with me."
Jean closed her eyes and rested her head on Scott's arm.
She had to wonder if this was too much too soon. She knew this was right, to get everything out in the open between her and Scott. But everything just seemed rushed.
She still didn't know what was happening with her powers, she knew that if she gave it anymore time it could be too late. She had to talk to Professor Xavier about it. She didn't want to, in case it was not that big of a deal. However, what she was feeling in her head recently just didn't feel right. She knew something was up, and she wanted it stopped.
And this thing with Scott...this relationship...she really didn't know where she stood with it. Everything about it had happened so fast. She truly didn't know what she wanted. True, she loved Scott... that kiss had proven more then just love between friends...but she was glad that they had decided to forget it ever happened and remain friends. She didn't know what she wanted between them, and she'd have to do some deeper thinking. But say she wanted this... would it work out...between them?
Sure she told Scott that love between friends wouldn't work, but was that true? Had she just said that because she was scared of taking the next step? Or had she been right? Was it true that nothing could ever happen to friends that was deeper than friendship?
Well what ever the answer, she knew that right now, at this moment, friends is all she wanted to be she had made that clear enough to Scott and to herself.
Jean tried to push all the lingering thoughts to the back of her mind. Tomorrow she was going to talk to Professor Xavier and see if maybe he knew what it was about her powers that have been bothering her. Until than she wanted to have a peaceful night.
~x~x~x~x~x~x~
As always pleaze R&R! I would greatly appreciate it. It's slow going… I know, but trust me…it does get better. I just have to fill u in all the details!