disclaimer: I dont own the x-men or any characters
Chapter 10: Warmth
Cold all I could feel was cold. Cold was all around me. Every inch of my body felt like it was completely numb. My eyes were dark and all I could see were wisps of shadow. All of a sudden I could no longer feel gravity beneath me. And then just as soon as it was gone it came back and my vision changed to a field of white. I could faintly hear voices mumbling over me and then I was standing on a beach. I could feel sand underneath my now bare feet. I could smell salt in the air and heard a crashing sound as waves hit the sand. Turning around I saw a precocious red head in a deep crimson coloured one piece swim suit with a pair of sandals in on hand and the other hand was behind her back. Looking down I noticed that I was now wearing a white bikini with a wrap around my waist.
"What's going on?" I said the red head just smiled.
"We are in your mind Miss Darkholme." She said I now realized that I must be seeing a younger Jean Gray. "Yes I am Jean."
"That's creepy" I said knowing she must have read my mind. "What are we doing here?"
"I thought it was best if we talked before I revive you." I nodded my head to let her continue. "To be honest I think you and Kitty would make a beautiful couple but-"
"Whoa, wait a sec. Couple as in like dating?" Jean nodded "oh well I'm not… I mean nothing against people who are but-"
Jean smiled and threw up her hands. "All right say no more. I believe you but I also believe that on some levels you are attracted to her." My eyes bugged sure I cared about Kitty but not like that I think. "I have been doing some probing since right before you left the mansion. And I think that in this life you lead before you lost your memories you weren't as up tight about such things."
She began to walk down to the shore and sat down in the sand with her feet in the water. Dumbfounded I sat down next to her and stared out at the sunset. "This is a lot to absorb."
"I know it is. And I understand but your mind is starting to sort it self out and you need to be aware that even if you don't feel that way anymore you are probably going to start having impulses. You may even find your self screaming some woman's name in the middle of the night or remember a tender moment you shared with someone." She quirked an eyebrow "don't worry I wont tell anybody about it. I will even shield your mind so not even Charles will be able to tell."
"You would do that for me." I said turning my head to look at her. She simply smiled and kept looking at the sunset.
"Well we should probably get back to the medical centre at the mansion." I nodded my head and began to stand up. "If you ever need to talk to anyone I'm always just right down the hall."
I hardly had a chance to respond when all of the pain came back. I could feel a cold hard metal table beneath me and a long needle sticking into my left arm. I tried to open my eyes only to find that they were already open. Bright white light was all I could see. Then I could hear jeans voice again but not just Jean's but Hank's and Logan's as well. I could see a hand in front for my face and the light went off and my vision slowly returned to normal. I could see Hank and Logan to one side of me and Jean and the professor on the other both Jean and Hank were wearing lab coats. Charles looked troubled and Jean was trying to avoid his attention. Removing the needle from my arm and turning off all of her equipment she smiled and helped me up.
"That was a dumb stunt you pulled girl." This of course came from Logan who looked at me and shook his head. "Damn brave though."
I attempted a weak smile. "Yes well I didn't get a Ph.D. for thinking on my feet." I said chuckling lightly. This earned me a warm smile from Charles. "So am I clear to go" My body was sore all over but I would live.
"Yes you are. I think you will be just fine." I could feel Jean in my head like a warm blanket. "I would advise you against using the danger room for a few days but considering your normal training regimen I'm not going to hold my breath."
"Good cause I was planning on ignoring that advice anyway." Charles shook his head and excused himself from the room. "So how is the popsicle doing?"
"He'll live. His body has completely changed. I think he took on to much water in that lake. His body seems to have filtered out all of the normal bodily tissue and replaced it with ice. I ran a CAT scan and couldn't find half of his organs I would have pronounced him dead if I hadn't detected his alpha waves." She glanced over to where he was. Bobby was hanging suspended in a large tank of water. "I think that his body is undergoing some sort of secondary mutation much like Henry. Best I can figure he needs to take on more water to complete the process."
"I remember when Magneto attacked Bobby had learned to cover himself completely in ice could that have been the first step." I had gotten up to examine his body. "God listen to me always the scientist."
"That's ok I did the same thing when we found the two of you." Jean grinned and began running more diagnostic tests.
Henry came up and began to set the machines on automatic. "How about the two of you get something to eat I have everything under control down here."
I turned around to see what Logan was doing and found that he had gone. "Sure I think I could use a cup of coffee." Taking off her lab coat Jean followed me out. "Do you mind if we go up to my room first so I can change out of these cloths."
"Not at all hon." She smiled as we walked up to the adult dorms which were the only rooms being used during the summer. An old friend of Charles had taken those students that didn't have homes to go to for the summer to her home in Scotland. The school felt empty without them. Finally reaching my room I could hear slight sobs coming from inside I turned to Jean and could tell she had sensed it as well.
Walking into the room we found Kitty curled up into a ball on my bed and Rogue was sitting up on hers dumbfounded. Jean had a knowing smile on her face.
'It looks like your not going to be able to hide your past much longer.' I cocked an eyebrow at her and mad a mental sigh before turning to Rogue.
"How long has she been like this?" I asked
"Ever Since she caught sight Logan bringing both you and Bobby back on stretchers." Rogue looked confused and unsure of herself.
I walked over to my bed and placed a hand on Kitty's shoulder. "Hey girl how are you holding up" She flinched at my touch and turned her head. I could see streaks on her face from where she had been crying a large damp spot could be seen on both my pillow and my sheets. She didn't say anything but looked into my eyes. I could see a lot of hurt and pain in those eyes. "Hey I'm ok all right and so is Bobby." Kitty jerked her head and looked over my shoulder at Jean who simply nodded her head. Kitty started to cry again. Pulling her in closer I let her rest her head on my shoulder and slowly patted her back. "Hey here's a bit of irony for you the big jerk probably won't be able to touch another person for a long time without turning them to ice." Kitty looked up at me and managed a small smile. "Now how about we let you sleep awhile." Kitty nodded her head and lay back down. Nodding to Jean we both left the room to let her sleep. 'Well this is bad'.
'Tell me about it.' Jean shook her head as we walked to the kitchen. 'One or both of you may have to leave before the summer is out.'
Slowly I nodded my head. 'Yeah no matter how much Charles cares he cant have something like this going on between two of his teachers.' Quietly we entered the kitchen and I got two beers out of the small refrigerator. "Who decided to stock these?" Jean shock her head
"Must have been Logan" I nodded it seemed like a natural assumption.
"So what are we going to do?" I sat down and opened my bottle taking a swig.
"I think I remember Kitty saying once that she was thinking about going to Harvard to get a Ph.D. In astrophysics" Jean said as she took a long swig on her beer. "Looks like as good a time as any especially with our new protectorate status now that Logan has joined the Avengers." My eyes went wide.
"When did he do that?" I was shocked.
"He got a call from Tony Stark a few days ago. They needed his help with a breakout at the Vault or something. After they bagged some of Logan's old enemies they asked him to join." Wow things sure changed fast.
"So who is going to lead the team now?" I knew she could tell who I thought should take the job but she seemed unconvinced.
"No, I think you should do it." I shook my head I was a scientist not a field leader. "And before you say no think about it. You have just as much training in martial arts as Logan. And you have a lot of years putting that training into practice." She finished off her beer and headed for the fridge to get another. "I mean come on; you were the Hand's top assassin for what twenty years."
"How on earth did you know that?" I had to have looked like a deer caught in the head lights of a truck.
"I'm psychic remember" she sat back down and held her bottle up in a salute "how about this we both swear to never fall in love again."
"I'll agree to that." I tapped our bottles together and shared a long gulp of Canadian beer. "God what I am I going to tell Kitty."
"Tell her the truth. And if you have any trouble I will be right there to make sure she doesn't do anything rash." Jean smirked and drained her beer.
"Yeah what's the worst she could do." I said. Jean seemed to falter and I couldn't feel her in my head anymore. "Cut that out. I think I'm addicted to you being in here."
Jean snapped out of what ever trance she was in and my brain began to fell much warmer.
"Sorry about that" Jean smiled "That tends to happen. The professor says my powers are omega scale."
"Omega scale, that's like as big the Uni-Power." Jean nodded her head.
"Don't remind me" Jean rolled her eyes. "I'm afraid I'll wake up one day and not have a bed."
"That wouldn't be good." Jean just smirked. "Anyway like I was trying to say earlier don't doubt what Kitty can do. She got possessed by Ogun once and ever since she has been seen training in the danger room. We even got a visit form Elektra once."
"Ogun, When?" my eyes had widened and my pulse started to race. "I didn't know about this. And Elektra showed up here at the school."
"Don't worry this was before you showed up." I relaxed a little and I could feel the phoenix force warm my mind and ease my fear. "I think she likes you."
"Who Kitty" I said not really paying attention.
"No the Phoenix she has quite taken to you." For some reason that didn't bother me "I think you remind her of Logan."
"Why would I remind the Phoenix of Logan?" I was slightly more alert now.
"Because I think she believes you belong to the same race of mutants."
"Race of mutants what do you mean?" I was now thoroughly confused.
"Logan belongs to one of the mutant races we call the ancients" Jean smiled and threw her bottle away. "You see there have been mutants on earth for centuries. And over the years five distinct races have evolved. Most are considered myth or legend. Like vampires, werewolves, and various others.'
"Vampires are mutants." that didn't make sense.
"Yes they are I don't really want to get into the specifics but Logan belongs to one of these Immortals." I just sat and nodded. "So the Phoenix thinks you belong to one of the immortal races too."
"Can't argue with you seeing as I can't remember back more than twenty years." I sat back and let the Phoenix embrace me. "So why has the phoenix force embraced me like this."
"Well to be honest I am the phoenix force so I am the one rubbing our head psychically speaking. I just find it easier to deal with by referring to it as a separate entity."
"So why are you doing it." I asked
"Well being an asexual organism the phoenix force is born developing an embryo and is constantly looking for a compatible donor to contribute to completing the gestation process." Jean almost looked mischievous.
"Didn't we just have a discussion on how homosexuality was a no-no?" I was a little drunk on top of being almost comfortable enough to go sleep.
"Well technically it is asexuality not homosexuality. And anyway the phoenix just develops a connection with someone and then after several years gathers enough psychic material to complete the egg. Then the egg will stay dormant until I die and it can be born from my ashes." Jean almost had me hypnotised.
"So is that why you were with Mister Summers?" I wasn't really paying attention to what I said but I could tell she was sad.
"I have to admit that one of the reasons I felt so close to him was because of the report we had." She paused and faulted for a second "but yes I think that is why. Ironic that it was I fully awakened as the phoenix that killed him."
"That's ok hon. it wasn't your fault you had no idea what your were doing." I smiled and tried to comfort her. "Both Logan and I have experienced the same thing." Jean nodded her head. "Come on Red lets get you to bed and we can worry about all of this in the morning." Jean got up and we headed back upstairs not ready yet to face the actions of the past day.