Scott stood at the window of the room he once shared with Jean. He turned
and walked to the large antique bureau Jean had given to him for his
birthday. She had seen him admiring it at the antique shop that he loved to
visit when he needed to sort things out. He loved the rich smell of the oil
that they used to clean and polish the wood. The bureau had come from
England and had been very expensive. It was an exquisite piece in perfect
condition. It had a small compartment at the top that could hold jewelry
and other small very special personal items. The bottom had large cedar
drawers for clothing. He loved the heady smell of the cedar when he took
his clothes out every morning. He opened the compartment at the top of the
dresser and took out a small black box. Inside was a diamond ring. It had
taken him months to find just the perfect setting he had finally settled on
a heart shaped diamond with smaller diamonds surrounding it. The professor
had loaned him the money to buy the ring for Jean. He had tried on many
occasions to give the money back to the Professor but he had always refused
it.
"Use it for your children." He had said.
As he stared at the beautiful ring the diamonds sparked as the sunlight hit them making rainbows dance around in the box.
"Jean" he said quietly closing the box with tears in his eyes.
"Scott." Professor Xavier said coming into the room.
Scott quickly wiped away his tears. "I-I'm sorry I didn't hear you come in."
"Scott,"
"Tell Logan I'm sorry. I was."
"Scott, there's no need." The professor interrupted. "Logan knows you're in pain."
"I know, But sometimes I just let my grief take over. I can't do that especially in front of the children."
"Maybe not, but they understand your pain. Many of them have lost parents, or siblings. You can't go on like this Scott."
"Professor, I see her in my dreams." Scott said sinking down onto the bed. "Doesn't that mean anything?"
"Scott, it may or may not. But it does mean you're more normal than you believe."
"Professor, before I came to the institute I felt so alone in this world. But then I met you, and Jean. We both know that there's a good possibility that she survived. I can't let myself believe she's gone."
"We all know there's a good chance she didn't."
"She didn't tell you that her abilities were changing. For God's sake she fought an attack off by me before the dam collapsed. She sent me flying and was able to withstand a full attack from my visor. It almost looked like she was glowing during the whole thing."
The Professor raised his hand. "Scott, I knew this day would come. I just didn't realize that it would come so soon."
"Professor, what do you mean?"
"It's true, Jean's powers were growing. I sensed it every day during training. Her mutation was so different from any others. It was astounding. Each of you has a gene that causes you to be special. But, by the time you reach the age of twenty-one that gene grows dormant. But in Jean that was not the case. Jean kept growing and changing even after she reached twenty- one I believe using Cerebro sped up the process. It may have caused her to reach her full potential too soon. She had no control over it."
"Then she could have made it." Scott said hopefully.
The Professor put a hand to his head. "I don't know."
"Professor what is it? Scott said his voice full of concern for the man he thought of as 'father'.
"I-It's nothing just too much time in Cerebro."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I think I'll retire to my room to rest. Would you teach my philosophy class this afternoon."
"Philosophy? Me? Wouldn't Ororo be better suited for that?"
"No, I believe you can do it. The notes are on my desk."
"All right Professor." Scott said unsure of his ability to speak about philosophy which had been his worst subject when he was a student.
The professor paused at the door. "Scott."
"Yes Professor."
"When I was in the coma, I heard you. You told me to keep the faith that I would return from wherever I was. Scott, now I want you to keep the faith that Jean will return."
Scott watched him go. "I will professor."
As he traveled the hallway Xavier ran into Logan.
"Professor."
"Things are better Logan. I've asked Scott to teach my Philosophy class this afternoon. I need you to accompany me on a small excursion."
"Where to Professor?"
"A city in California called Silver Hills."
"What are we looking for?" Logan asked curiously.
"I'm not quite sure yet, but I think it may be Jean."
Scott walked away from the open doorway. "And I won't be far behind." He thought looking at the picture of Jean and himself that was sitting on top of the bureau.
"Use it for your children." He had said.
As he stared at the beautiful ring the diamonds sparked as the sunlight hit them making rainbows dance around in the box.
"Jean" he said quietly closing the box with tears in his eyes.
"Scott." Professor Xavier said coming into the room.
Scott quickly wiped away his tears. "I-I'm sorry I didn't hear you come in."
"Scott,"
"Tell Logan I'm sorry. I was."
"Scott, there's no need." The professor interrupted. "Logan knows you're in pain."
"I know, But sometimes I just let my grief take over. I can't do that especially in front of the children."
"Maybe not, but they understand your pain. Many of them have lost parents, or siblings. You can't go on like this Scott."
"Professor, I see her in my dreams." Scott said sinking down onto the bed. "Doesn't that mean anything?"
"Scott, it may or may not. But it does mean you're more normal than you believe."
"Professor, before I came to the institute I felt so alone in this world. But then I met you, and Jean. We both know that there's a good possibility that she survived. I can't let myself believe she's gone."
"We all know there's a good chance she didn't."
"She didn't tell you that her abilities were changing. For God's sake she fought an attack off by me before the dam collapsed. She sent me flying and was able to withstand a full attack from my visor. It almost looked like she was glowing during the whole thing."
The Professor raised his hand. "Scott, I knew this day would come. I just didn't realize that it would come so soon."
"Professor, what do you mean?"
"It's true, Jean's powers were growing. I sensed it every day during training. Her mutation was so different from any others. It was astounding. Each of you has a gene that causes you to be special. But, by the time you reach the age of twenty-one that gene grows dormant. But in Jean that was not the case. Jean kept growing and changing even after she reached twenty- one I believe using Cerebro sped up the process. It may have caused her to reach her full potential too soon. She had no control over it."
"Then she could have made it." Scott said hopefully.
The Professor put a hand to his head. "I don't know."
"Professor what is it? Scott said his voice full of concern for the man he thought of as 'father'.
"I-It's nothing just too much time in Cerebro."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I think I'll retire to my room to rest. Would you teach my philosophy class this afternoon."
"Philosophy? Me? Wouldn't Ororo be better suited for that?"
"No, I believe you can do it. The notes are on my desk."
"All right Professor." Scott said unsure of his ability to speak about philosophy which had been his worst subject when he was a student.
The professor paused at the door. "Scott."
"Yes Professor."
"When I was in the coma, I heard you. You told me to keep the faith that I would return from wherever I was. Scott, now I want you to keep the faith that Jean will return."
Scott watched him go. "I will professor."
As he traveled the hallway Xavier ran into Logan.
"Professor."
"Things are better Logan. I've asked Scott to teach my Philosophy class this afternoon. I need you to accompany me on a small excursion."
"Where to Professor?"
"A city in California called Silver Hills."
"What are we looking for?" Logan asked curiously.
"I'm not quite sure yet, but I think it may be Jean."
Scott walked away from the open doorway. "And I won't be far behind." He thought looking at the picture of Jean and himself that was sitting on top of the bureau.
