" You okay?"
" Yeah, I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night."
" Another nightmare?" Rogue asked sympathetically. Ever since I had been found bleeding to death Rogue, Jubilee and Kitty hadn't let me out of their sights for more than five minutes at a time. It was annoying, yet it was kinda nice to have friends that cared about me.
" No, not yet but I'm sure if this line of reminiscing continues it will be."
" Why don't you tell someone about it? It might help." I wanted to tell her that I had, and it didn't. I had told John a few things about a month after I got here and we had become such good friends. He used them against me like everyone else I have ever known had.
" It won't." Rogue seemed to read my thoughts.
" Someone you trust." My brain waves instantly made the connection to Scott but I forgot about it as soon as it did. He didn't want to listen to my sad rendition of my thus-far pathetic existence. John came padding in and I took a chance and pulled a practical joke.
" Hey dude." I said, voice down perfect. When his head turned towards the couch, he saw himself sitting next to Rogue in a curled up 'girl' pose, as he would call it.
" Knock it off Cassandra." He snapped, definitely not in the mood. I switched back.
" Sorry." I sneered in his direction, not wanting to listen to his shit anymore.
" You should be." He came to sit down on the arm and I shoved him. "What the hell!" He yelled, eyes flashing, personality switching to Pyro.
" I'm not going out with anymore. Leave me alone."
" Like hell we aren't. When the fuck did this happen?"
" About two weeks ago, the first time I tried to dump you. Let's just say I generally learn from my mistakes. I have witnesses this time." 'Stay away from me Pyro.' He heard me and stared in my direction before turning and leaving. I belatedly heard some scattered clapping from around the room. I blushed and ducked my head.
" About damn time." Kitty muttered loudly from the other side of the room. I just grinned and turned my attention back to the TV.
" Hello sweetie." John said, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist. It was just my luck he was strong than me.
" What do you think you're doing? Get away from me." I struggled against his iron grip.
" I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt, chalking this afternoon up to a quick, come and go case of insanity."
" I would be insane if I stayed with you. Let me go!" I stomped backwards on his foot and tried to move forward but he didn't relinquish his hold.
" Want to try that again?" Pyro whispered dangerously into my ear.
" Let her go." Rogue said, coming around the corner, face set, temper flaring.
" And if I don't?" Bobby and Peter, better known as Colossus, followed Rogue's steps, anger flashing in their eyes. Snarling, he shoved me face first into the brick wall. My nose broke instantly, blood flowing down my face.
" You okay?" Rogue was at my side in an instant. I nodded, setting myself up for setting my nose before it healed that way. I had to bite my lip to keep from crying out.
" Sure you're all right?" Bobby asked, coming to kneel by his girlfriend.
" I just set my nose. I'll be fine. Thanks guys."
" Pyro's completely delusional." I didn't say anything, just sat there trying to come up with ways to stay safe. None came.
" Run!" A voice screamed from behind the girl as her feet pounded down the pavement away from the light, away from the noise.
" You little brat! Get back here!" The sounds of following footsteps echoed with hers as she ran for the gate at the end of the drive. 'Please God, let me make this.'
Her face connected with the pavement as the older and heavier man leaped for her and secured a hold on her ankle.
" How dare you try and run away from me!" The blows rained down from either side as he straddled the writhing form.
" Please… please!" She begged, tears forming and blood dribbling out of the corner of her mouth.
" Leave her alone, let her go!" A teenage male voice screamed from the sidelines, grabbing at an extended arm.
" Get away from me boy, she's getting her punishment." The drunken voice grated out. Both her eyes were swelling shut fast and she could feel the blood draining out of her.
" Kevin! Kevin help me!" She screamed out past the constriction in her throat as the man continued with the beating.
" Help me!" I screamed into the silent room, sitting bolt up right in bed, trying to catch my breath. A person was by my side in an instant.
" You okay?" Just my luck, it was Scott. I nodded my head, trying to get my breath back.
" Yeah, just a dream. I'll be fine in a minute…" I leaned into his warm body sitting on the edge of the bed as the fear and pain slowly slipped away. Somehow we ended up asleep wrapped around each other, me under the covers and him on top.
That is how John found us when he decided to 'check up' on me. He never did seem to get it though his thick skull that we weren't dating anymore.
" What the hell do you think you were doing?"
" It wasn't what it looked like and even if it was you aren't my boyfriend!" I tried to explain, but somewhere inside I sighed and thought, 'Why do I even bother? I shouldn't have.'
" Like hell it wasn't. I'm gonna kill him. Sleeping with my girl after I warned him to stay away." I made a grab for John's arm as he went to leave the room.
" John, John please." A hand I never saw being raised struck me across the face, knocking me into the bureau. By the time I could breathe again, John was downstairs and challenging Scott by pushing him from behind. I knew John would never fight fair, so I had to get in the way.
Literally flying to the ground and running for my life, I ended up getting into the crowd a good portion of the way before I started to slow. John and Scott were fight, John out of anger over an imagined slight and Scott out of self-defense.
" John stop it!" I yelled over the other voices. He didn't seem to hear. " Pyro please!" I could tell before he used his powers that he was going to. Scott didn't have a clue. Throwing myself forward with all the momentum I could muster, I shoved Scott's body out of the way of the fireball that careened in his direction.
I vaguely heard the voices of the students, John swearing above the rest. But before I blacked out completely I saw Scott's visored face swimming above my vision.
" Matrix seems to be doing really well."
" It's been four years. She's graduated. Stayed on as a counselor. I wish you could have met her sooner. You would have loved her."
" I'm sure I would have. Any girl that could steal your heart after you were sure it had died has to be amazing." Scott grinned, watching his wife running around with the younger students.
" She is."
" Scott." Jean said, drawing his attention. " You did the right thing. You two were more than made for each other. More than we ever were."
" But we were engaged." Scott argued softly, not wanting to draw attention to himself.
" I died. I died so you and everyone else could have a long, happy life. I didn't want you to end it alone and unhappy."
" I know, but I still miss you. You shouldn't have had to die."
" If I hadn't where would that leave Matrix? Everything happens for a reason Scott. You both needed this to happen." Matrix lifted her head from where she was playing to her year and a half husband. She saw that he was talking to someone and that person wavered in her vision, fluctuating from a clear, distinct form to see-through.
" Probably with some asshole of a man." Scott muttered, remembering Pyro before they had expelled him from the school.
" She knows I'm here." Jean announced, smiling down on Matrix. Matrix smiled and nodded back, knowing she had the deceased woman's blessing. She moved on to run around with the kids playing tag.
" She always was perceptive." Scott murmured a hint of happiness coloring his voice.
" You might want to start taking better care of her soon." Jean laughed; knowing the hint would torment Scott and prick his pride.
" What? What do you mean?" He asked, turning his full attention the original love of his life.
" She's pregnant. By about two months. I'm surprised she hasn't started throwing up yet." Jean answered, amused by the situation.
" She's pregnant? She's… preg… she can't be!" He cried, surprise and joy filling his now visible violet eyes. Scott hadn't had to wear his visor for two years now, since a mutant had been found that could heal the damage to his brain, which had stopped him from turning his mutation off.
" She is. You're going to be a wonderful father Scott. I love you." Jean whispered turning to look at the leader of the X-men.
" I love you too Jean. I always will." Jean disappeared, content with the knowledge that Scott was happy. Scott continued to watch his wife and looked back over the years.
" Matrix?" A voice called slowly into the wind. My eyes fluttered open.
" Yeah?" I breathed out, my throat sore.
" You missed graduation." I recognized Scott's voice, happy and content with my prophetic dream. This one was different from all the other dreams I had had. This one had yet to come true and it wasn't nightmarish like all the other unfulfilled dreams that wrapped their way around the memories.
" I want to be a counselor here."
~~~~~
A/N: The End. So should I have a sequel or not? I don't really know. If I did do I sequel I basically just told you the ending… oh well. It's up to you guys if you want a sequel or if you want me to leave it here. Have a good life.
