Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men or Evolution.

This story takes place right after the events of the "Cajun Spice" episode

I'm really bad at accents so forgive me in advance for not even trying.

I like many on the Animation Insider Boards was looking for some resolution to the last scene of Impact. This is my take on the aftermath between Kurt, Rogue and everyone else before the Ascension episodes.

:used to indicate private thoughts:

:Author's notes

I can't believe it's been two months since I last updated this. I wanted to post this with two other chapters which should follow soon. This one has been done for about a month but the other two are still in rough form. I decided to get the Jean one out and that would get me into the next couple.

I also realized I fell into the same trap as the writers I was criticizing did - I was having Kurt get over his anger too quickly. I think he needs to struggle some more (poor guy). I've also added a dream sequence that will be the key for our favorite blue fuzzy dude.

Many thanks to all the kind reviewers - this has the most reviews of all my stories so I guess y'all like it.

The Long Flight Home

Chapter Six - Jean lends a hand

Jean waited at the top of the stairs. The four adult instructors were collecting in the kitchen for a meeting of some sort and she had not been invited. The young telepath headed back to her room. She decided it would be better to sneak out her window then risk getting caught in the foyer going out after curfew.

As she telekinetically floated out of her window, Jean wondered how this would look to the younger students - a senior student recently promoted to junior instructor leaving Institute grounds after lights out.

The garage door opened silently, her telekinesis providing the lifting power instead of the noisy motor and chain. As she started her SUV, she was confident she was doing the right thing. Scott had started something important tonight and needed to rest. Jean needed to pickup where he left off.

Jean thought of Kurt and Rogue and what they had been through recently. She knew that not complaining about her mom's domineering ways had been a good idea. Jean disagreed with her mom about a lot of things, but at least Mrs. Grey acted out of love for her - not out of a desire to rule the world.

She turned on the SUV headlights as she exited the Institute grounds. Her destination was close by and she might make it back before anyone knew she was gone.

When the X-Plane returned tonight, Mr. McCoy asked Jean to get all the students upstairs. She tapped into her link with Scott and he quickly brought her up to date. The junior instructors speculated what was going on between Kurt and Rogue, but they had no idea it was this bad.

Kurt's accusation of murder towards Rogue was unexpected. Jean couldn't sense anything from the statue and the rest of the faculty had agreed Mystique was gone. The shapeshifter's advanced ability to avoid detection had a downside Raven probably never thought of.

Jean thought of how close she herself had come to murdering Mystique. In Mexico, the shapeshifter had hit strike three in Jean's eyes - strike one was when she tried to kill Scott on the geology trip, strike two was the mansion explosion when Mystique posed as Professor Xavier. This trip south of the border had really tried Jean's patience. When she found Scott and Mystique battling in the warehouse, Jean TKed her former principal into the wall really hard.

Jean held her there in place and with a thought could have snapped Mystique's neck - she almost did. The debate had raged in her mind for a few seconds. It would be wrong - It would stop a lot of trouble - What about Kurt and Rogue - What about the newbies and their safety. It was Scott's groan that stopped her. Jean wasn't sure how badly he had been injured and made him her priority. Mystique had taken the hint that sticking around was a really bad idea.

The training had worked - her instincts for rescue were stronger then her desire for revenge. Only time would tell if Jean would benefit from her actions that night or suffer consequences she could not imagine.

Jean was surprised at the chance Rogue could have helped Mystique. She was not sure what she would have done in Rogue's place. She suspected she would lean towards the same thing - push Mystique off the gazebo to protect Kurt, or Scott if that were the case. She considered all the residents of the Institute her family and would protect them at almost any cost - maybe even Mystique's demise. All their training had promoted restraint in a situation like this - but everyone had their breaking point and Rogue had obviously been pushed way beyond hers.

As Jean thought of Rogue, she knew she owed the younger girl a lot. Rogue helped rescue Jean from Blob and her TK power surge. It was time Jean did something as brave as Rogue had done for the redhead time and time again. Helping with schoolwork was one thing - her mission now was more on par in repaying her debt.

Jean also knew how close she came to losing Scott to Rogue - ironically it was Rogue's ability to absorb memories that allowed her to truly see the depth of Scott's devotion to Jean. That alone had stopped the Southern girl from acting on her crush. Taryn was never a factor in Jean's games with Scott, but he did genuinely care for Rogue.

He was beginning to have doubts about his chances with Jean during the Christmas break Scott and Rogue spent together. When she returned from her family visit, the telepath detected his thoughts turning to a few 'what if' scenarios. What if Jean stayed with Duncan, What if Jean moved on to college without him, What if Taryn found out he was a mutant, What if he could look past the fact Rogue could not touch. Rogue had let things develop between Scott and Jean - not interfering but also not going out her way to help. For that chance to set things with Scott the way the telepath wanted, Jean would be eternally grateful.

With that thought of what she owed Rogue, Jean pulled into the driveway of the Brotherhood house. She stepped out of her SUV and spotted Todd hunting flies in the trash. He looked at her stunned and asked, "Yo, big Red, what brings you to this side of the tracks?"

Just then Lance pulled up in his Jeep and jumped out shouting, "What do you want? Where's goggle boy?" He obviously expected trouble when he saw her as he frantically searched about.

Jean knew she had to defuse this situation quickly. She held up her hands in a neutral gesture. "I'm here alone and I need to speak to . . . " Todd's tongue lashed out and snatched her car keys from her upstretched hand. He grinned triumphantly, "Now I have my own set of wheels, yo!"

Jean tried again, "I need to see. . ." Lance shouted, "Forget it! No one here wants to see you. There's nothing you've got to say that we want to hear, so beat it!" He gestured towards the road back towards the mansion. He walked to the back of the jeep and grabbed a bunch of grocery bags. Lance barked out, "Toad, help me get these into the house NOW! "

The front door opened and Fred stepped out asking, "Hey Lance did you remember. . . " He froze when he saw Jean. Lance shouted, "Todd, you lazy bum. You're too late!"

It dawned on Jean this is why Lance wanted her to leave - to avoid this scene - her first reunion with Fred since their awful 'date'. The giant looked at her carefully as he asked, "What are you doing here?"

Jean tried one more time, "I need to see Wanda if she's here. It's important." Fred turned slowly into the house keeping his eyes on Jean as if he expected a trap and yelled up the stairs. "Hey, Wanda - some one to see you!"

Lance and Todd disappeared into the house with the groceries. A second story window opened and Wanda leaned out scowling at Jean. "What is it with you X-geeks hanging around our house? Did you lose your favorite stuffed animal and you think we took it?"

Jean ignored the insult and said, "Can I talk to you for a minute - in private?" Wanda motioned for Jean to come up, "Sure, why not?" Fred help up his hand in front of Jean looking up as he asked, "You sure you're ok with this?" Wanda reassured him, "I can handle her, Fred - don't worry."

Fred stepped aside and let Jean enter the house. He heard a voice in his head - :Fred, no hard feelings about that day. . . you know - ok?: He hesitated, made sure no one was watching then nodded his head yes.

Jean quickly ran up the stairs and paused at the top to see Wanda waiting at the end of the hall. The Scarlet Witch motioned into her room asking, "What will it be - a love potion to win the desires of a certain member of your team?"

The telepath decided not to waste any time. "Do you know how I can reach Agatha?" Wanda's expression softened, "This is about Mystique, isn't it?"

Jean nodded yes then asked, "So Agatha told you what happened between Kurt and Rogue that night?" Wanda looked Jean straight in the eyes as she replied, "Yes, I know what happened but no, I don't know how to reach her. She's off to see some council about the turmoil Apocalypse is causing. She told me what happened but didn't let the boys in on it. As far as they were concerned Mystique was gone and what Rogue had done wouldn't have changed anything in their eyes. To answer your next question - I can't do anything to help. Putting broken things back together is not exactly my specialty." Wanda thought to herself :neither is helping with family issues.:

Jean looked down and simply said, "It was worth a try." Wanda was puzzled and asked, "Since when do you care what happens to Mystique?" Jean's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "I don't. I'm here for Kurt and Rogue. Well, if you hear from Agatha or can think of anything else, would you please let me know? Here's my cellphone number." The Scarlet Witch took the sheet of paper and decided the fact the Brotherhood phone was disconnected months ago was unimportant.

Wanda waited for a minute before answering, relishing the fear she read in the telepath's body language. She liked the fact the X-men feared her hex power, that her defeat of them brought them down a peg from their high and mighty stance towards her housemates. Wanda then said "Sure thing." She looked past Jean towards the hallway, shouting, "Todd, get in here." He was waiting around the corner at the top of the stairs trying to listen in on the conversation. "What is it, sweetums?", he answered. Wanda used her commanding tone, "Give the girl her keys back. Now." Todd dug into his pants pocket for the keys, but protested, "Buttercup, I was thinking we could borrow her wheels for a quick trip up to lover's leap? I could be your driver of love."

Jean TK'd her keys out of Todd's hand and quickly left the room. Todd rolled his eyes at Wanda and started a different approach, "Now that we're alone.." Wanda's hands started to glow blue and Todd took the hint, heading back downstairs.

Jean passed Lance outside as he was working on his Jeep. He called out to her as she jumped in her SUV, "You tell ole red eye anytime he's itching for a fight, I'm game! Anytime he's ready!" Jean started her SUV and didn't look back but telepathically sent a message to Lance, :I never did thank you for saving my butt and all those people back at the train collision. I'm sorry - I should have come by sooner to say thanks.: The message took Lance by surprise - he repeated more to himself then to her as he watched the SUV taillights race down the road, "Anytime. . . . "

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Wanda watched from her window as the car pulled away - so that is what it was like to be a member of the X-goons. You looked out for your own and would also put yourself in personal danger for them. Even if other people, including your enemies, might benefit from your actions. Xavier really had those kids brainwashed.

A little voice in the back of her head whispered :What if? What if there was someone that night outside the asylum for Wanda?: She shook her head - there was no use in that line of thinking. What's done was done.

Not for the first time Wanda wondered about her relationship with the boys of the Brotherhood. If push came to shove, would they work together or just be out for themselves. If they were asked to lend a hand against this nut job in Egypt, would they? The recent 'heros to villains' reactions of Bayville had turned the boys off to leaving the house except for necessities. It was going to take something big to get them all out again. Then she remembered the old saying Agatha recently told her - 'Be careful what you wish for.'

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