Galadeidre: Raven is 18, Scott perhaps 19 or 20. And Jean Grey is quite a bit older than Scott, I'd say about 27 roughly. I'd tried to spark off a bit of Scott/Jean chemistry in the previous chapter to make it all believable that they will fall for each other.

CalliopeMused: Ah, Raven isn't planning on breaking anything gently. For some reason she still seems to think that if she doesn't tell him then somehow everything will be all right.

Racetrack's Goil: It's hard to not feel sorry for her, but at the same time you just think she's crazy to think everything will be alright with her lies! But then again, it was never said she was entirely sane..

Maid of the Mer, JuJu: Thank you for your review!

Chapter 23

Raven stood to one side of the Xavier's office staying quiet. She had brought Scott up here upon request, but had done little since. Xavier was sat comfortably behind his desk with his hands clasped over the smooth green writing mat whilst Scott was sat in a chair to one side of him, looking nervous and eager all at the same time. Storm was sat with Scott, talking with him happily about the things he was going to do once he could see again, what he wanted to see most, that sort of thing. It was making Raven feel worse. But the most horrible thing was not Storm's comments, but Erik.

Erik was stood near the door with his arms folded and head slightly inclined. His eyes were glaring at Raven as his brow furrowed deeply over them. His gaze was so accusatory that Raven had to keep turning herself away from him. Her uncomfortable stance must have been making it painfully obvious to Erik that she hadn't told Scott about her real appearance.

As Raven stood in front of the large bay window, the darkening evening sunshine cast a warm sultry glow across the room. Raven's form was silhouetted by the early stages of sunset, casting her front in a murky shadow whilst her outline glowed brightly. But even this disguise did not hide the gleam of her blue skin as the red light bathed upon her. Nor did it hide the shocking pair of electric yellow eyes that glowed brighter in the darkening room.

Charles was watching carefully between Raven and Scott. It was clear he had not missed the events of the past month. It was he who had shared his worries with Erik, who had immediately taken to trying to persuade Raven to tell Scott the truth herself before everything was revealed. But she had stubbornly refused. Soon, loved-up fairy world was going to come crashing down.

Raven lifted her eyes to stare accusingly at the clock above the Professor's desk. It was ticking louder than ever, echoing through the quietness of the room. With each thunderous 'tick-tock' her head throbbed and ached. Then, suddenly, voice that had quietened over the recent week with Scott came back to the forefront of her mind.

"You've messed up now. But surely you didn't expect otherwise. Then maybe you did, because you're nothing but a silly foolish little girl."

Raven closed her eyes tightly, trying to force out the sounds. The clock ticked louder and louder, echoing through her head. The voice grew loud with it with a background of snide whispers and laughter. Raven's eyes forced down tighter, her fists clenching painfully. But just then, the latch on the door clicked and it opened and the torment in her head dimmed. Raven lifted her head quickly, opening her eyes to stare at the door. Dr. Jean Grey walked into the room, still wearing her white lab-coat. Beneath which could be seen her pleasant attire of a periwinkle blue blouse and a modestly short charcoal grey skirt. Raven scowled to herself as the woman passed by, throwing a scent of flowery perfume into the air.

Dr. Grey stopped in front of the Professor's desk, carrying the created glasses in her hands. She placed them down gently on the polished surface, turning them to face the Professor. There was a smile on her face.

"Good evening, Dr. Grey," greeted Charles pleasantly as the woman arrived. "And so these are the glasses?"

"Yes Professor. The lenses with the five-millimetre thickness were not corrosive with Mr. Summers' skin and were undoubtedly the best option."

Charles nodded to her gently, turning to Scott who was looking up at the bookshelf with a dazed smile. Clearly misjudging where Dr. grey was stood. Jean helpfully cleared her throat quietly, and Scott quickly turned his bandaged eyes upon her.

"So, Scott, are you ready to see again?" she said in a gentle voice.

"Yeah," said Scott in a nervous tone. Storm soothingly patted his hand, feeling it shaking in hers.

"Is there anything you wanted to say, Raven?" said Charles suddenly, looking over to the young woman with a fatherly expression. She had obviously made no move to speak, but Charles treated her as thought she had. Giving her one last chance.

"No," said Raven quietly, fixing a glare on Charles, "you're mistaken."

"Keep your eyes closed," said Storm gently as she began to unwrap the bandages off Scott's head, "Really tight. Only open your eyes when we tell you."

Erik was glaring harder at Raven, his folded arms bristling against his hardened chest before he turned and fastened his attention on Scott. The bandages had been removed from his head, now in a pile on the spare armchair besides Storm. Scott was holding his bare eyelids tightly closed as Storm insisted. He didn't have any plans to destroy the Professor's office.

Jean had lifted the glasses from the desk and was carefully holding them as she approached Scott, "These may feel a little strange at first," she explained gently as she pushed them slowly onto his face with the same care as an optician would treat a child receiving glasses for the first time. As the glasses were upon his face, Jean stepped back, as did Storm, as if to give him space. Raven conveniently remained at the other side of the room, blocking future vision of her by standing distantly behind Jean's form.

"Alright," said Jean softly, "Open your eyes."

Scott remained sat there for a short moment with his eyes closed, as if mentally preparing himself before his eyes slowly fluttered behind the red lenses. Slowly, inch-by-inch, the lids lifted and Scott raised his head to stare over the room. His mouth hung slightly slack as an overwhelmed expression took over his face. His eyes first met Jean, who was smiling broadly down at him, clasping her hands together. "Is it clear?"

"It's perfect," whispered Scott, slowly pulling himself to his feet as he scanned the mutants in the room, taking in their appearances for the first time. Then, his eyes searched for the last remaining person he was yet to see, "Raven?" He stepped to the side slowly, smiling as he seeked her. Then there she was, his eyes catching upon the figure stood glumly by the window. Since his eyes had already matched names to the faces through recognition of where their voices had earlier come from, there was no doubt that Raven was the figure by the window. He had made a step, arms lifting as though to run over and embrace her in his new happiness. But he faltered, smiling falling off his eyes as he stopped and stared. Raven's glowing eyes met his sheepishly before she looked away.

"Scott, why don't we – " began Storm hopefully, but she was cut off by Scott.

"Raven!" he cried, "You.. You're Raven?" He stood with his mouth hung slightly open for a moment, looking every bit shocked and repulsed. Then, his fists clenched as his mouth closed to form a sinister snarl, "You lied to me."

"Scott – "

"I was blind! And you lied to me like that! My God!"

Raven attempted to speak, "Scott, I – "

"Don't you ever talk to me!" he cried, stepping back behind Jean, "Don't come near me! I don't want your hands, o-or your lips anywhere near me, ever again!"

"Scott," said Charles sternly, his voice rising over the angered words of Scott and quietened mutters of Raven, "Please calm yourself."

But Raven had had enough. She scrambled from behind the couch in front of the bay window and hurried over to the door. She roughly pushed Erik out of her way before she stretched back the door and sprinted down the corridor and out of sight. Her quiet sobs echoed along with her departing footsteps.

An empty science classroom was Raven's choice of hiding as she sat on one of the wooden lab desks with her head in her hands. Soft tears still escaped her as she sobbed into her palms. She knew she deserved the response she got. But seeing the smiling tender face of Scott be suddenly etched with such disgust and revulsion horrified her and shocked her deeply. She felt numb inside, but the tears kept falling. Quiet whispered words came from her as she shook her head. Form gently rocked as she spoke fiercely, "I didn't mean for it to happened. I didn't! I don't want to look like this. Damn mutation has ruined everything in my life," she gave a louder sob, her voice echoing around the dark empty lab. "Why can't I look like the others? Be pretty. Don't I deserve it? I want to look normal.." A shaky sigh came from her, "Why can I look like the others?" she repeated, "Like Storm?"

And then, all of a sudden, she felt an oddly curious sensation on her back. The skin felt itchy and irritated. With a surprised sound she looked up, feeling the skin of her back crack and blister. The sensation spread, spilling out across her body, down her legs and arms. The door to the laboratory classroom was suddenly pushed open as the handle rattled; Jean arrived, looking around the room. Her eyes happened upon Raven and she looked a little surprised to see her.

"Oh, Storm, have you found her yet?" Before Raven could answer, Jean looked over her shoulder since footsteps were sounding in a nearby corridor, "Oh, hold on, this could be her." She slipped out of sight, her own shoes hurrying quietly away as she called out to the distant footsteps, "Raven?"

Feeling completely baffled at being addressed to as Storm and not be recognised as Raven, she leapt off the table, about to find Jean and give her a good talking-to for her incompetence. She decided to compose herself first, her hands lifting to wipe the tears that still lingered upon her cheeks. But, abruptly, she stopped. The scales on her cheeks suddenly weren't there, and the skin of her face felt alarming smooth and supple. Also, she had just realised something else was odd. And she pulled her hands back from her eyes to look at them again. There was something odd! They were not blue, but a soft brown! With an alarmed gasp, she spun to the table, staring down at a metal tray on the desk. She picked it up with the shaking brown-skinned hands, staring at her reflection.

Storm stared back at her.

Here are the two things most of you have been waiting for! Scott seing Raven, and Raven's mutation development! Hope you enjoyed this. AndI hoped I wrote the two revelations well!