The Uncanny R-Man: Yeah it had the right touch of light and dark to balance it out. Oh those two will get much more serious later of course.
Jenskott: No Avengers or Fantastic Four and Emma/Vince do share a few core things that will help them. Besides their diversity helps to balance them out.
TheLegendaryManHimself: Glad you like this Emma, and Logan and Ororo will have a lot on their minds now.
benny2000: I've seen worse scene then the ones we've done that are still on, but the story is saved just in case.
Silver Warrior: Don't worry she'll get hers in the end and no his sensei didn't die.
Sparky Genocide: Hey it's that time of year to get sick, heck my mom just got a cold. Yeah I kind of wanted to balance that out a bit and not just have the women suffer through that. Of course she will but I like to take things slow I mean why rush things if you don't have to.
Mark C: Yep, now we have to see how Ororo and Logan deal with that. I might do that link talk later I want Emma to get her feelings straight for him first.
Simba317: Yeah I didn't want to go the plain old way for them, never heard that song though. I'm not to sure about Jean's parents I mean they've been on a vacation since the fic began like two weeks ago. Remy and others will help Rogue through her ordeal.
GothikStrawberry: Well you knew sooner or later Logan and Ororo would kiss. You'll see what happens when Vince goes home.
Aaron: Yeah I like this Emma, I think she's really likable in this fic and glad you liked the rest of it.
jade: There will be some Romy moments later and you'll see in that. And yeah everyone will have someone to be there for each other.
Thanks to: X00001, Chica De Los Ojos Café, coldqueen
Hellfire and BrimstoneCHAPTER 25: A TOUCH OF HOME
-Scott & Jean's Room-
Jean Grey had been sitting in a nervous stupor in her new room with Scott for the better part of a half hour. Even though there were still boxes that needed to be unpacked and stuff that had to be organized, Jean didn't have the energy to do it. Just a half hour ago, she had made one of the hardest phone calls of her life to her parents…But even though she knew they had a right to know, she couldn't bring herself to tell them even the basic details of the whole Hellfire ordeal. Yet them being her parents, they could easily tell something was wrong with her when she called them. And now they were coming directly to the institute so that she could tell them personally. In a way it was better that she tell them something so difficult for her over the phone, but that didn't make it any easier.
Jean didn't know how she was going to do it. How was she going to explain that she had been abducted by some shady, sadistic group and used and abused physically, sexually, and mentally? How would they react? Would they pull her from the institute? Will they blame Xavier or Scott and take some sort of legal action? There were plenty of things to consider, but most of them weren't too uplifting.
She soon found herself hugging her knees in anxiety as she went over what she was going to say to her parents. As much as she wanted to see her family, she almost didn't want to go through with telling them the whole ordeal again. It still haunted her and she still had nightmares about it, but she refused to let it paralyze and interfere with the person she was…She just wish it wasn't so damn hard.
"Jean?" said Scott as he entered their room only to see her looking visibly distraught on their bed.
Jean turned to see her boyfriend standing before her with a noticeably worried look and she hadn't done much to hide it. There were still the stains of tears on her face and Scott could sense her anxiety through their link. She was doing little to hide it and she had no inclination to try, but that didn't make Scott any less worried.
"Jean, are you alright?" he asked as he made his way over to her and sat besides her on the bed.
Jean continued to hug her knees as she swallowed hard at the prospect of confronting her parents with Scott.
"I called my parents…" she said in a deep monotone voice.
Knowing it was something she had been dreading, he could tell by the look on her face that the call hadn't been too pleasant. What parent ever wants to hear that their daughter had been used, raped, and tortured?
"How'd it go?" asked Scott wearily, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.
"Not as I'd hoped," she answered, much to her dismay.
"Well…How did they take…You know," he said, not wanting to say it.
"I…Didn't tell them," said Jean, feeling as though she chickened out somewhat.
"You didn't tell them?" said Scott, sounding somewhat surprised.
"No…I tried but…" Jean couldn't finish, instead she merely leaned into Scott's shoulder and sobbed. He was surprised, but he didn't hesitate for a moment to wrap his arms around her to assure her that he was there for her and had no intention of leaving. "I couldn't do it…I couldn't tell them. So now they're coming here."
"They're coming?" said Scott, sounding surprised and also weary about facing the parents of the woman he had failed to protect, "When?"
"This evening…" said Jean, "They'd be here sooner…But they're picking up my sister as well. So we'll all be one big happy family when I up and tell them I got abducted, raped, and tortured."
Her voice was wrought with bitterness and pain for the all to fresh memories that she had been trying so hard to deal with, but Scott kept her securely in his arms, giving her something to hold onto so that she didn't fall into the pit of hopelessness she seemed to be digging for herself. She started to lose control of her emotions and began to cry. She didn't want to live with this…She didn't want to recall such horror.
"Shh…It's okay Jean…It's going to be okay," soothed Scott as he held her close to him and gently stroked her hair as he let her cry her tears into his shoulder.
"I don't want to do it Scott…How can I?" she sobbed, "How can I tell them?"
"You'll get through it Jean…I know you will. And do you know why?" he told her as she brought her face up to his so that they were now a mere inches away from each other, "It's because I know you're strong…I know you can overcome this. It's horrible…I know it is. And trauma has a way of forever scarring you…Trust me on this, I know. But you can work through it…Taking it minute by minute, day by day…And I'm going to be there for you ever step of the way. Don't ever forget that Jean…I'll always be there."
Scott sent a wave of soothing sensations through their link which helped to calm her down somewhat, but she continued sobbing as she tightened her hold on him.
"I know you will…" said Jean, grateful that she had someone like Scott to lean on in such a troubled time, "I just…I need some time. And I don't know how long it will take but…"
"Don't let yourself feel uncertain Jean…" said Scott, cutting her off before she fell back into her old mindset, "I know it's hard…But sometimes you just have to forgo the concerns your mind tells you and…Just have faith in the end."
Scott, speaking from the experience of surviving trauma of his own after his parents died, showed both empathy and sympathy in his voice. It was just what Jean needed at a time like this, but the prospect of telling her parents still didn't seem to appealing for her.
"I just…I don't know how I'm going to go through with it," said Jean, still full of uncertainty.
"Hey…It'll be okay," assured Scott as he planted a soft kiss on her forehead, "And I'll be there with you…"
"I know you will…" she said as her sobs subsided and she managed a smile, "And I can't tell you how much it means to me Scott. I just hope I can get through this…"
"And you will…We will…Together," emphasized Scott as they sat comfortably in each other's embrace, not knowing with the visit from Jean's parents would bring.
-In the Air-
Vincent was in the XM Velocity, a helicopter used by the X-Men. He was going home today. Home…That just didn't sound right to him at the moment. Whenever he used to think of home, the orphanage where he did most of his growing up was home, but now…Now he didn't have a home.
Sure he lived at the mansion now and was moving all his stuff there, but it wasn't home…At least not yet. The Hellfire Club had taken so much from him, his pride, his life, the man that he considered the only thing he had to family in this world…And even his home in a way. They had taken everything that had held any meaning to him and now he felt so empty inside.
And he had killed…The image of the blood of that man's skull on his hands would forever be engraved in his mind. But the worst thing was…It wasn't the first time he had killed. The first time had been an accident and he later swore never to do that again and now…He had broken that oath. He couldn't tell if there was some part of him that had truly wanted to kill that bastard so much that he hadn't stopped himself and lost control of his strength, crushing the cyborg's skull.
That was another thing, the self-loathing he felt. Father Michaels had raised him to believe in God and his teachings and one of was the clear belief that killing was wrong. He wondered if Father Michaels was disappointed in him now in the afterlife.
At the moment, he just stared out the window not really looking at anything in particular, but just staring into space lost in thought.
Emma was sitting right beside him reading a magazine she had brought with her, looking up the latest fashions. Logan was their pilot and he didn't seemed mind the job of flying them back to Toronto. In fact, he seemed to be just as lost in thought as Vincent did. But Logan wasn't her problem and frankly she didn't care. It was most likely just something about the others.
Emma however looked at Vincent. His eyes had dark circles under them from lack of sleep, but then again a lot of them were doing that. She used a lot of makeup this morning to cover her own. She hadn't slept well at all. Last night she had slept alone in her bed and woke up thanks to a damn nightmare about Shaw taking her back to the insane asylum and into that horrible room where she had stayed in for so long.
It took her a few hours to get back to sleep after that. She considered going to Vincent but…To be honest she was afraid she would have that dream again of them by that tree. Even though the sense of peace and safety was there, she couldn't help but think about all that Jean had told her about that link she had with Scott. Was she forming one with him? And if so, when did it start? She figured it must have started the first time they were in that dream world back in the Hellfire Club. But there was another thing she was afraid of…What if it meant she was forming this bond with him.
She had never been close to anyone other then her sisters until her father saw to that. And to be honest, the idea of being to close and intimate with someone on a level that most likely only a handful of people might ever know in life…It put her in a state of both awe…And terror.
She looked to her left and saw that he was still looking out the window. Even though she kept her mind closed off, she thought she could sense his mood a bit. He looked so grim at the moment and she wanted to help him. In their time together they had grown close, in fact she allowed him to get closer to her then most people and she wasn't sorry for that. Normally when people got this close to her they ended up disappointing her and letting her down. He hadn't, he had kept her hopes up and gave her renewed strength during those last weeks at the Hellfire Club.
She reached over and gently grabbed his hand and he looked over at her. She gave him a small encouraging smile and he returned it, once again he was thankful for her company.
-Toronto-
After Logan had set down the Velocity in a safe place, he left Vincent to do this on his own with Frost with him. He didn't want to get in the way and he knew all about him from his talk with Xavier. He had told them everything from the experiments he went through as a child and to how they captured him. Logan knew this was going to be hard on him, but he figured Frost would help him deal with that since he wasn't the kind of guy that dealt with emotions that well.
The kiss with Ororo was proof of that since he couldn't figure out what the hell to do next. She had seemed just as surprised as he did, but did that mean she liked it or didn't like it? When he thought about how her lips tasted, the softness of her skin her aroused sent…He shook his head stopping those thoughts. He walked back to the cockpit and sat down. Ororo was his closest friend and how could he start to think of her like that? Yes, she was beautiful, but where she had been worshiped as a goddess, he was a mere brute, so basically, he wasn't in her league.
Later on Vince walked though his home of city just glad to be back. The familiar streets, sights, and sounds were so welcomed to him. He had feared he would never see this place again. After a subway ride, which Emma didn't seem comfortable in but didn't say anything about it, they took a cab the rest of the way and Vince was back on the street of his home. This was place where he grew up. He looked around the neighbourhood; it was a residential area of the city with apartment buildings and a little rundown, but nothing too bad.
Vince walked along the street seeing places that brought back happy memories to him. Places like where he had first gone trick or treating with his friends, where he met his Sensei, and his home. He was going to visit him later. He saw the store that his good friend Benny worked at with his adopted parents. Benny, who was a year younger then him, and Mary, a girl his own age, were his first and best friends at the orphanage. Both of them got adopted, but stayed close enough so they could all still see each other. Then, seeing the brick two-story building with a wall around it was the first and only place he had called home.
He walked into the courtyard and saw the kids there, playing a bit. Then a few of the kids noticed him there and one of them shouted out his name and they all started to run over to their 'big brother' and he soon found himself surrounded by kids. He felt happier then he had in a long time as the kids there that he helped to look after surrounded him and yet, there was also regret because he knew this would most likely be the last time he was here.
Then there was one more person, a girl roughly his age, with shoulder length curly blond hair, blue eyes and who was very good looking in a tight T-shirt and jeans saw him. She was Mary Jones and she had grown up here until she had been adopted by her parents. Ever since what had happened a few weeks ago, she had been helping out to keep the place running, it was the least she could do. The municipality was already sending social workers to help with the children, but the fate of the place was still up in the air.
But none of that mattered as she saw him. "VINCENT!" She yelled out tears forming on her face and the kids moved apart seeing their 'big sister' as she was labelled by them hugged him. "Oh God where have you been? What happened to you? They said you were taken," she sobbed out on his chest and he held her tightly. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."
He knew what she meant. When he had came out as a mutant everyone had pretty much ditched him and she hadn't talked to him because of him lying to her for all those years. But he didn't care about that it was all in the past he was glad to hold his friend again. She pulled away and then saw the scar on his face. "Oh God…What happened to you?" she whispered out touching it with her hand.
"Ahem," Emma coughed out tired of being ignored. "I take it this is that Mary girl you told me about." She was referring to how they talked a bit about each other in those moments they shared.
"Vince…Who is this?" Mary asked him narrowing her eyes at the woman who in term of good looks was a bit better then her and taller with longer hair and a better bra size…Well, slightly better.
"A friend…A really good friend," Emma stated emphasizing that one word and stood very close to him. Vince could feel the tension and he really didn't want to get in the middle of this so he decided to act quickly.
"Mary…How are things here?"
She looked at him sadly, "It's bad…The city is thinking of closing this place down since Father Michaels was…Was killed…The Church pulled out and the city doesn't think they'll be able to keep it going…They're going to close it down once they find a place for all the children."
"No…" he whispered, seeing all the kids looking at him and then to the place. This was a home for those who had none…A family for those who didn't have one. It was like his old life was being taken down piece by piece.
Emma saw the look and the others upon hearing such news and she also notice a few of the children were crying a little from being forced to leave the only home they knew. These kids had practically nothing in the world while she had been lucky to have lived in luxury as a child and seeing how these children had lost someone important in their lives and then their home…She wasn't much for emotion at times and for years she tried to keep them under control, but seeing this…It broke through the walls she put around her heart.
"How long until they shut this place down?" she asked Mary looking at the building and running the numbers through her head. Mary didn't know why she wanted to know but at first didn't answer, but Vince told her to do so. It was in three months. Emma smiled, more then enough time.
"Well now I think that in one months time, this place will be under new management," she placed her hands on her hips thinking things over. "Of course it will have to be updated and a staff hired…Think you want a job?" She asked Mary.
"What are you going on about?" Mary asked her not sure if this was just some kind of a game.
"I'm going to buy this place," Mary just looked at her like she was crazy until Emma decided to explain. "I'm the head of Frost Enterprises, whish means I'm rich and can easy afford this place, but we could use someone here to look after the place so…You want a job?"
Mary was floored…She didn't know what to think and might have to rethink her views on her. "I…I would like that…But why not give it to Vince? I mean, he's great with the kids and knows everything about this place."
"Mary…" Vincent began, he knew this was going to be hard on her and the others. "I'm not staying…I…I can't stay here not after…I just can't see the place where he died over and over again…It's just too hard for me…"
Mary just stood there crushed. It just seemed cruel that he came back only to leave again.
"I'm just here to check up on things, get my stuff…And say goodbye." He couldn't face her, but he knew she would be hurting…Hell, he was hurting, but then again that seemed to be normal for him lately.
"I…I see," Mary told him sadly. "Well…I need to get the kids put away…Do you want to see him?"
"Yes, please," Vincent said to her, he knew who she meant and he couldn't leave until he said goodbye to him either. When Mary started to call the kids in Vince turned to Emma. "Thank you…For everything Emma, I…I don't know how I can repay you for this."
Emma smiled at him, "Think nothing of it, and if you really want to make this up to me then you can help me out. I bought this nice dress and if you promise to take me to a fancy dinner, my treat, then we can call it even. I've been dying to find an excuse to wear it."
Vince laughed and nodded his head. "I think I can do that."
Emma smiled until someone small tugged at her leather white pants. She looked down at a small child with a questioning look. "Are you Snow White?" The young girl asked mainly due to Emma's all white clothing and to her surprise Emma just had to laugh, she wasn't sure why but…She just did, and it felt good to laugh again.
-Evening – Xavier Institute-
Jean tried not to let it show to everybody else just what a nervous wreck she was as she awaited the arrival of her parents. Most of the other students had been instructed, in some ways rather harshly, by the adults to stay out of their way for this very emotional visit. After receiving the final phone call from her mother that they had picked up Sara and would be there shortly after eight, Jean could do nothing more than wait.
As she prepared to face her parents, she found herself spending most of her time pacing back and forth, going over just what she was going to say to them. Scott had kept on reassuring her time and time again that is was going to be all right, but even he had his doubts and Jean knew it. Part of Scott was horrified at the possibility that Jean's parents may decide to pull her from the institute out of fear for her safety or lash out at him or Xavier for not protecting their daughter. And since he already felt bad about it and was left with the constant reminder of what she had to go through because of him every time he looked into her eyes, he didn't know if he could bear that.
'They're almost here…They're almost here,' she thought over and over again as she paced in her and Scott's room.
She was had been alone and in seclusion for the better part of an hour now and she could find no way of calming her nerves. Everybody else was busy with one thing or another thanks to Ororo and the Professor while Logan had taken Vincent and Emma to Toronto aboard the Velocity so there would be no interruptions when she told her parents the cold hard truth.
As Jean gave up pacing and sat on her and Scott's king sized bed, her eyes fell upon one of the pictures she kept near the dresser. It was one of her oldest and most treasured pictures that she had taken along with her when she joined the institute. It was a clear photo of her, her mother, her father, and her sister. They were all smiling and happy…For it had been a simpler time…A time before all the complications of being a mutant and an X-man had entered their lives. Now after so many tribulations later, those times seemed more like a distant memory…Yet one she held onto whenever the going got tough.
As she picked up the picture and looked at it, she managed to smile somewhat, for seeing it reminded her of just how lucky she was. There were few others here at the institute with a loving family to go home to. Some like Scott were orphaned and had to contend with the pain of their deaths while others like Kurt and Rogue did not have a very close and loving relationship with their only parent to say the least. She had so much to be thankful for…A loving family, a wonderful boyfriend she was madly in love with, and a place where she felt she truly belonged and thought she could make a true difference in the world. Such a warm though helped to calm her somewhat as she simply stared at the prized picture in a daze until a sudden knock on the door startled Jean from her thoughts.
"Jean…" said Scott as he walked into their room and saw her still sitting on the bed, "They're here."
Knowing the time was now, Jean took a deep breath as she looked back at the picture one last time for comfort and set it back on the dresser and turned back towards the door.
"I'm ready…" she said, her voice wrought with uncertainty as she swallowed her emotions and made her way out of the door and down to the grand hallway.
Scott stayed close to her, knowing full well how nervous she was. He wasn't too enthused about it either, but the sooner they got it over with…The better. After all, Jean's parents had a right to know what happened to their daughter. After being orphaned at a young age, Scott know all too well how precious one's relationship with their parents were and things like this should never be kept secret.
As Jean approached the front door, she could sense the thoughts of her mother, father, and older sister approaching. Their minds were full of uncertainty and anxiety, knowing full well that there was something serious that she had to tell them. But the thought of backing down from this never even occurred too her as they approached the front door and Jean eagerly opened it.
"Mom…Dad!" she said as her heart skipped a beat upon seeing her parents standing not far from the door.
Immediately, she ran to them and gave them both a powerful hug…One far stronger than usual, for it seemed as though she hadn't seen them in so long and after being a prisoner of the Hellfire Club, it had nearly gotten to the point where she might have never seen them again had the others not rescued her.
"Jean! It's great to see you darling," said John Grey as he felt a little overwhelmed by his daughter's rather strong grip, but accepted it none the less.
"Hey, I'm here too you know!" grinned Sara from behind as she saw her little sister get more emotional than she remembered.
"I know…I'm psychic remember?" said Jean with a laugh as she gave her big sister a hug as well, "You're one of the easiest people to sense after all."
"I…Guess I'll take that as a compliment," said Sara with a humored smile as Jean led them all into the institute where Scott was waiting.
Although Scott wasn't exactly the golden boy to either of Jean's parents and they had always shown mixed feelings about her dating him, they were never the less polite as they greeted him.
"Ah Scott my boy…Good to see you again," said Mr. Grey as he shook the younger man's hand.
"Likewise sir," said Scott with a smile, wanting to keep the mood light for what was to come.
"Hey, where are all the other students?" asked Sara as she looked around at the vast halls of the institute, "I thought this place was supposed to be swarming with new recruits."
"Well they've all been given the night off so we can talk in private," explained Jean.
"What about the Professor?" asked her mother, Elaine Grey.
"He's also out handling a few things for some new students and taking care of Rogue, who was…Injured a while back," she explained, wanting to save the unpleasant details for later.
"I see…" she said, "Well its good we have some privacy because I was definitely worried about you after our conversation over the phone. You sounded very disturbed and distraught."
"Yes, that's why we came here so quickly," said John as they both watched the expression on Jean's face shift to one of anxiety.
There were still many things Jean wanted to get out and despite all her musing, she hadn't had much success in determining what exactly she was going to say to them.
"Well…It's a long story…" said Jean, "There's…A reason why I didn't want to tell you over the phone."
"Well we're here now sweetie," said Elaine as she placed two reassuring hands on the shoulders of her youngest daughter, "You can tell us anything…"
The time was fast approaching and Jean knew it. She felt a slight wobble in her legs as her mind shuttered at the notion of going over the whole dreadful series of events again, but with Scott and her parents there, she had plenty of support and she would need all of it if she was going to get through this.
"And we will," said Scott, "But first…Let's go someplace more comfortable."
Scott and Jean then led the Greys to the den area which had a nice coffee table set up with some warm tea that Scott had already prepared for them to help give an aura of calmness. And they would most definitely need it for what was to come. As they all sat down, they each poured themselves a small cup of tea. Scott looked over and saw that Jean was starting to get weary, but a gentle grasp of her hand helped her get into the ridged mindset she would need to have if she was going to do this and keep her mind focused.
"Well Jean, I think it's about time you owe us an explanation for getting us so worried that we would have to come all this way just to make sure you're alright," said Jean's mother as she started to get weary of Jean's hesitation about this whole thing.
"I know…" said Jean, "You all deserve to know…But I must warn you, what I'm about to tell you may upset you…And I don't want you to be angry or blame someone else for it, but…It's just so complicated now."
This reluctance only further made her parents more anxious as they began to noticeably tense up. John Grey knew his daughter and he knew when something serious was troubling her. There were only a few things he could probably guess would cause that, but Jean knew that probably none of them were anything like the truth.
"Jean…Honey, if there's something you need to tell us, then don't be afraid to," coaxed John Grey, "Just what is it that's got you so anxious? Are you pregnant?"
"What! No…I'm not pregnant," assured Jean, blushing feverishly along with Scott upon hearing her father imply something like that.
"Then what is it!" said Elaine Grey, looking as though she was going to go hysterical if she didn't find out.
Taking a deep breath, Jean knew it was now or never and Scott could do nothing but just listen, "Like I said, it's a long story…And it all started one day with Scott back on campus…"
Jean then started the long, painful, complicated story of the capture, the Hellfire Club, the torture, the brainwashing, the rapes, and the rescue. John, Elaine, and Sara were deathly silent during the whole time, even when Jean got to parts where she had to stop…Mainly the ones with Shaw when he used the influence of her brainwashing to take advantage of her. At some parts, Scott had to coax her into continuing…But he stayed perfectly silent. While it probably would have been easier if he had filled in some of the harder parts, he knew Jean wanted to be the one to tell them…Although he had to admit it was hurting him now more than ever seeing the heartbreaking look of pain on her face. At one point, tears began streaming down her face and Scott was on the verge of just exploding at such a heart wrenching sight…But he never once considered leaving. He promised Jean he would be there and it was a promise he intended to keep. He tried to hide the hurt in his eyes, but he was doing a really poor job of it. He couldn't even bring himself too make eye contact with Jean's parents…Not wanting to see the look of pain on their face as they heard all the grizzly details over what happened to their daughter.
As Jean got near the end, she started to get more of a hold on her emotions…Mainly after she got past the part where Scott freed her from within her mind and they all escaped from the club alive for the most part despite the injuries. Going over the story wasn't pleasant to say the least…But it was therapeutic in some ways because it helped put some things in perspective for Jean. However, this did not do her parents any good as they tried to take in this horrible ordeal that their own daughter had suffered.
"And…That's what happened," said Jean as she finished the last word, much to her relief.
Her parents were nothing short of speechless as John Grey grasped his head with his hands, trying to come to terms with the knowledge of what his own daughter had been through so undeservingly.
"Oh God…" he said as he swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling a deep sense of sorrow for having to hear that his own child had been through this.
"Jean…I can't believe you survived something like that," said Sara, not seeing how anybody could still stay sane after enduring such horrible ordeal.
Jean honestly didn't know either…But here she was. And nobody was more mortified by this whole thing than her mother, who had a look that seemed wrought with both anger and disgust over what was done to her daughter.
"This is outrageous! How could Xavier let something like this happen to his own students! How!" she exclaimed.
"Mom, it wasn't his fault all this happened…Don't blame him," said Jean, trying to stay calm even though she had a feeling her mother might get pretty temperamental about this whole thing.
"But we left you in HIS hands! How could he allow such barbaric things to happen!" she bellowed, "I won't allow any daughter of mine to stay in a school where she's at risk to be hurt like this!"
"What!" exclaimed Jean as she shot up from her seat, but was held back by Scott, "You can't do that!"
"I can!" said Elaine back at her daughter, "We are still your parents Jean! And if we see that our child is in a place where she may be in danger, then we have every right to make sure you are nowhere near it!"
Jean was about to blow her lid, a bad thing for a telepath of her power, so Scott quickly stepped in.
"Ms. Grey, I know you're upset…" said Scott, "But believe me…The kind of people we were dealing with wouldn't have cared where you're daughter was as long as she…"
But Elaine didn't wait for Scott to finish…Instead she merely turned her anger on him.
"And who are you to say!" she shot back at him, "It's because of YOU she was captured in the first place! You were there, were you not?"
That hurt…As bad as Scott felt about it already…Hearing it from Jean's mother hurt more than he ever could have imagined. The young man immediately fell silent, not having the strength or the desire to respond. He felt as though he had just had a building fall on him…And it truly stung in a way he never could've imagine…For it was only a grim confirmation that he had truly failed to protect the woman he loved.
Knowing he had nothing more to say, Scott abruptly left the room…Causing Jean to look back at her mother with unparalleled anger in her eyes. She knew they would be angry…But to blame Scott…Who had been the one to SAVE her…That just crossed a line she never would have considered her mother crossing until now.
"Mom…How could you…" said Jean, brimming with anger as she looked back at her mother with rage.
"How could I what Jean?" her mother said back without letting her finish, "He was there. You said it yourself…And he did nothing."
"That's bullshit mom and you know it!" yelled Jean.
"Watch your mouth young lady!" said Elaine as John and Sara watched in shock as the rage in Jean continued to build.
"Don't tell me to watch my fucking mouth!" shot Jean, too angry to think straight at this point, "You crossed a line and you know it! Scott was there, yes…But he did everything he could to SAVE me! He nearly DIED trying when he took a shot for me! He was nearly killed because those thugs were after me and he got caught in the crossfire because of it!"
Jean had never spoken with such anger towards her mother, but after what she did to Scott, she was just too angry to care at this point. As upset as Elaine was about what happened to her daughter, Scott just seemed like a worthy scapegoat and didn't give too much thought to her daughter's reaction, knowing full well her feelings for the boy.
"Jean…You know how I feel about that boy…" said Elaine in a more stern tone, shocked that her daughter was speaking to her like this, but Jean didn't let her go any further.
"Of course I know!" said Jean, still not letting up, "You've made that painfully clear since the day I told you we were a couple! And what you just don't seem to understand is that he is the reason why I'm here right now…He, the Professor, and the rest of the X-men are the reason I'm still alive! They saved me! They saved my life and helped me through everything! Which is more than I can say for you!"
That in turn made Elaine feel a twinge of pain as her daughter turned this back on her in the same way she had turned it on Scott. Now there were tears coming down Jean's face, not just from the anger, but from the pain she felt that this conflict was causing between her family and her lover. She didn't want to deal with this anymore than she wanted to deal with what the Hellfire Club. And upon saying that last line…Jean's anger subsided somewhat, but her pain didn't.
"Jean…" began Elaine, but her daughter wouldn't let her finish.
Before she could do anything in response, Jean fled he room in search of Scott while Elaine was stuck in a daze at what had just happened.
"Mom…" said Sara as she attempted to coax her mother, "Are you going to be okay?"
Now as she felt the guilt of having just fought with her daughter instead of helping her through this rough time, a look of sorrow fell upon her face as she collapsed back on the sofa.
"I…Just give me a minute," she said as she sank into her seat in an effort to let all this sink in.
John Grey remained in his dazed state as he looked at what this incident was doing to his family. Right now his little girl was hurting, his wife and daughter were both at a loss, and there seemed to be nothing he could do at this point. He felt truly powerless…For he couldn't help his family when they needed it most.
-Toronto-
The three of them Vince, Emma led my Mary showed them to the plot where Father Michaels had been buried a few days after his death. Vincent felt sick to his stomach being here, this was something he never wanted to experience. "Girls…Can I be alone…" He asked of them and they both waited for him by a tree as he walked towards the gravestone.
He looked down and saw the cold stone there with the name Father Victor Michaels on it. He felt like his heart just dropped from his chest and shattered upon seeing it. The image of him dying kept running through his mind and he just couldn't take it anymore. His legs gave out as he dropped to his knees in front of the tombstone as he felt a vice grip the insides of his chest and the tears stinging his eyes.
He just broke down and cried, for he couldn't have stopped his emotional outburst even if he tried. He fell forward and stopped himself from falling on his face from his hands. The tears running down his face, he felt some of it trail to his nose and drip off it onto the grass. "I…I'm so sorry…Please...Forgive me…" He choked out through his broken voice through the sobs. It was his fault that he had died, they came because of him and if he hadn't been there he would still be alive. If he had done someone he might still have been alive. The man who had raised him, that had shown him the best in humanity, that had given him a life again…And a man he loved like a real father…Dead…Because of him…It was just too cruel, nearly too much. All the things Selene had done to him nearly paled in comparison to the pain he felt. The pain she inflicted he could get over but this…This was something else that he knew he would live with for the rest of his life.
Mary and Emma stood by one of the trees not saying anything. Both woman didn't like each other and to be fair, they had their reasons. Mary because Vince, her Vince, the one who she had known since childhood, her best friend and maybe even more to her was leaving with this strange woman who in two weeks seemed closer to him in a way she didn't understand after years of knowing him.
Emma didn't care much for her because she wasn't sure on her feelings towards Vincent, but she picked up a few stray thoughts from her and she didn't like how close she was to him. She had known him longer then she ever will and she had a past with him that was long and close. Then she felt it, a sharp pain in her heart like a dagger had hit it. She turned her face not one to show her feelings to this woman. She knew she was somehow picking up a bit of Vincent's pain and to be honest, it was truly horrible. He was in such pain, she never felt something like this before since her family had abandoned her. She wiped away a tear on her face and wanted to go to him, to comfort him, but this was personal.
She closed her eyes and concentrated and sent comforting feelings towards him and if he resisted she would stop, but to her surprise he didn't…He accepted those emotions. He knew it was her and after some time she could feel him getting a little better. 'Thank you Emma' She heard that thought and smiled. After everything they had been through it seemed that even after it all, they were still there for each other. She was glad too, for she was tired of always being alone and it was so nice to have someone who always seemed to be there for her and her being there for him just felt…Right to her.
-Xavier's-
Jean, still brimming with anger over what her mother had said to Scott, found her boyfriend standing outside on the deck overlooking the pool under the clear sky of the night. She could sense his turmoil through their link and he truly never felt so low in his life. He felt like such a failure on so many levels now, for the words of Jean's mother only seemed to confirm what his inner loathing had been telling him this whole time. Even though he was never a man who was very prone to emotion because of his reserved nature, the feeling of failure for protecting the most important person in his life was just too much for him to handle.
"Scott…" she said as she approached him from behind, but he didn't even turn back to acknowledge her presence.
Slowly, she walked up beside him and saw the look of pain and sorrow on his face. Her mother's words hurt…And part of him was still trying to get over what he had already been blaming himself for ever since this whole ordeal had happened.
"Scott please…Don't listen to what my mother said," she coaxed as she moved in close to her distraught lover.
Scott still didn't say anything, for he remained more or less stuck in his daze. Looking at Jean only brought more tears to his eyes, but seeing the look on her face helped give him the strength to respond as he swallowed the lump in his throat.
"She's right you know…" he said in a strained voice, "She has every right to be angry with me. I failed you Jean…I know I say it a lot and you tell me it's not true…But it is…I see that now and so does your family."
"Scott Summers, don't you believe for more than one second any of the words my mother told you…" she said sternly and assertively as she turned Scott's face so that he was now looking directly into her eyes, "What she said was wrong…She had no right to blame you. If anything…She should be thanking you. You saved my life Scott…You and the others…You saved me."
"But…" began Scott, still not convinced, but Jean quickly placed a finger over his lips, causing him to stop before he could drag himself into any more of a stupor.
"My mom was out of line and you know it…" she said, "She was looking for a scapegoat. You know she's never been a fan of us being together…She was just trying to push your buttons. And in turn…She pushed mine as well."
Jean moved in a little closer, allowing Scott to soak up the warmth and comfort of her body and mind. There were still many uncertainties, but both Scott and Jean knew that their relationship was getting quite serious. They were no longer mere high school sweethearts…They were now living together and establishing a more and more deeper relationship with each passing day. Things like commitment and marriage were now not so distant for either of them and the Hellfire incident only served to strengthen those feelings in the end.
"They're still your parents Jean…" said Scott, as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close to his body, "They still love you…And they only want what's best for you."
"I know they do…" said Jean as felt his mind relax slightly while they remained in an embrace, "But I'm a grown woman now Scott…Don't I have a say in who and what I want in my life?"
Looking back up at him with a longing look on her face, he actually managed to smile somewhat…Although to Jean it seemed rather forced. She in turn smiled back, and that helped give it somewhat more honesty as she brought him into a kiss. As much as he still blamed himself, Jean had reminded him what it was that had kept her alive even while she was being controlled by the Hellfire Club. Their link had been much stronger since the incident and it served to help them both through this troubled time. It was by no means a regular complication that other couples faced…But not only had they faced them…They had faced them and survived.
"Ready to go back in?" asked Jean as she finally broke the kiss.
"I…Don't know," said Scott, still feeling weary about facing Jean's parents.
"Come on Slim…" she smiled, "If you can face Apocalypse and Magneto, then you can certainly face my mother."
"Can I?" said Scott, not sounding convinced, "No offence Jean…But if I had a choice, I'd rather choose Apocalypse or Magneto."
"Well to be fair Scott…" said Jean as they both managed to laugh somewhat at that, "So would I."
As the mood lightened somewhat, both youths let out a deep sigh as they returned to the mansion, their hands entwined.
Back in the den, Elaine was still debating what she was going to do in response to this whole situation with John and Sara.
"I just don't know John…" she said, feeling the tension of her daunting choices, "I don't want my daughter to be in any danger…"
"Elaine…You know she can't have that normal life I know you so sorely want for her," said John as he slowly began to see the big picture of this conflict as a whole, "Our daughter is a mutant…We've learned to accept that. And we also have to learn to accept the fact that because of that she'll always be in danger. And as much as I don't like it…There's only so much we can do to protect her while others like Xavier can do far more."
"But…The sheer horror of what she went through…I just…" but Elaine didn't want to finish as she was left at a true crossroads.
Just then, Jean appeared once again with Scott and John, Elaine, and Sara quickly turned to face her, relieved to see that she looked a lot calmer than before. Although Jean's mother was a bit weary about the way she was holding Scott's hand, she never the less kept it too her self and decided speak up before Jean assailed her again.
"Jean…Honey look…" she began, as she walked up close to her daughter and looked back at her with sincerity in her eyes, "I'm…I'm so sorry. I just…"
"Its okay mom…I know," said Jean, now feeling a lot better that she had gotten so many things out of her system, "But I guess I should say I'm sorry too. I…I didn't mean what I said about you not being here. That was wrong…"
"Well I suppose I deserved it…After all, we weren't…" she said as she then turned to Scott, "And I guess I owe you an apology as well Scott. I just…Jean's my daughter and…"
"I know…You want what's best for her…And so do I," said Scott with a smile, feeling greatly relieved that Jean's mother was actually talking to him without the animosity she usually did.
"I'm glad we want the same thing…" she said as John and Sara stood beside her now, glad things were a lot cooler now, "I guess I still have a hard time processing the fact that my youngest daughter is a full grown adult now…And I guess I can't make any decisions for her."
"So…Does that mean you won't yank me out of the institute?" said Jean with a look of great relief and happiness in her eyes.
Elaine Grey simply laughed as she responded, "It would be pointless for me to try…I know full well it would be utterly futile on my part. If you and Professor Xavier can create a place that makes her feel so happy and welcomed…Then I can see no reason to take her from it."
Jean couldn't believe her ears and the look on her face was utterly priceless to John and Sara as they tried to hold back their grins with little success.
"Oh thank you mommy! Thank you!" she exclaimed as she pulled her mother into a tight embrace, much to her surprise, but never the less, she accepted it.
As Jean felt an overwhelming sense of relief come over her, she could sense the happiness in her family and Scott as well. This had been one of the hardest things she ever had to do…But she had done it and she felt so much better about it in the end. The ordeal was sure to always be a part of her life, but with the love and support of her friends and family, she had all she needed to put it behind her and move on.
Then, as she remained in an embrace with her mother, another thought came to her mind that she thought she best address now while things were like this.
"Oh…And there's one more thing mom…Scott and I are now sharing a room together…"
NEXT UP CHAPTER 26: COMPLEX EMOTIONS