Epilogue

The sound of Jean's steps on the hanger's metal floor added to the low hum of the blackbird. Just as she suspected, the stairs of the impressive plane was already lowered. Having a pretty good idea who's inside, Jean climbed up.

"Isn't it too early to prep the jet?" Jean greeted the sole passenger teasingly.

All geared up, Scott got up from the pilot seat. "The neurotically early bird gets the worm right?"

"Not unless the neurotically early bird got up too early, neglecting sleep altogether."

"I slept fine."

"I know you did," Jean replied meaningfully as she loosely placed her arm around his waist.

"So you think he'll be declared guilty?" Scott asked.

"Most likely," she answered with a sigh.

They were talking about the Conner case, which would have the verdict today. The trial had been the hot topic for months. From intellectual debates to tv talk shows to beauty salon gossips, it's been the talked about issue everywhere. And mostly it was spawning disagreements that were only stressing the line between man and mutants even more.

"It doesn't depend on the evidence and arguments anyways. It's not a dispute of whether he's guilty or not. It's one big platform politicking to hate mutants," she added grimly.

"It's unfair. What if he really was innocent?" Scott shook his head. "I still disagree with the professor. We should have intervened. Both of your powers could have helped solve the case."

"The last thing they want is a mutant's help. I don't think they'd appreciate two telepaths poking inside Conner's head and then airing out what we know based on our findings. People would think we're manipulating the truth with our powers."

"I know, but the poor guy's fate is being judged on how many mutant supporters are there in the jury."

Jean sighed again. "It is unfair. And we will do something about it. But right now I'm more worried on how the crowd will take the verdict. Guilty or not, one party would definitely get mad with the result."

"And thus another riot. No doubt about it," Scott said dryly. Then he turned to look at Jean. "But actually the first riot turned out to be good for me."

Jean snorted. "You actually like getting gunned?"

"It helped you decide to come back, didn't it? That's a very good thing. It gave us a second shot."

Jean groaned. "Ooh, bad pun."

"I didn't say that on purpose," Scott objected laughingly.

With contented smiles, both turned quiet for a while.

With her head leaning against Scott's shoulder, Jean said, "We'll do better, this time around."

"Yeah, we will," he replied affectionately.

Kurt and Kitty chose this time to port inside the jet. Kurt saw Scott and Jean in a loose embrace and realized that he had popped into one of their intimate moments again. "Not in the blackbird too," he groaned.

"This is a public space, you guys, so like enough with the cuddling," Kitty teased.

Scott rolled his eyes while Jean pulled away from him but not before deliberately giving him a small peck that elicited somewhat mock groans from Kitty and Kurt.

"Quit it, Bobby, stop pushing!" Jubilee snapped at Bobby, who was practically stepping on her heels on the way up the stairs.

"I wasn't pushing!" Bobby said back.

A minute later, everyone else had boarded the blackbird.

Armed with the adrenaline rush they get when they're about to start a mission, Bobby said cheerfully, "Hey, Cyke, this time we'll make sure that you won't get shot."

"We'll make sure nobody gets shot, dummy," Rogue corrected as she started to buckle her seatbelt.

"We're ready for them this time!" Kurt said enthusiastically, as the blackbird began to accelerate.

Jean and Scott exchanged a fleeting look.

Here we go. The mission's officially starting. Jean thought out to him.

And we're ready this time. Scott echoed.

And they set off.

---End---

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