Author's Note:
Summary: My initial take on what X3: The Last Stand would be like. Centered around Scott, Logan,and Storm's grief for Jean...they quickly learn that Jean has grown far stronger than ever imagined.. Magneto is drawn to Jean's sudden growth in power, and is also alarmed by the human's decision to create the "cure"...
Rating: Between T-M. There is a fair amount of language, semi-frequent mildadult-type-themes, and violence.
Main Characters (most main to lesser): Scott Summers, Jean Grey/Phoenix, Logan (Wolverine), Ororo (Storm), Magneto, Xavier, Rogue, Bobby, Pyro...more in later chapters.
Pairings: major Scott/Jean, minor Logan/Ororo, moderate Logan/Jean, moderate Rogue/Bobby, and more in later chapters...
X-men is in no way owned by me...because otherwise I would have changed the way X3: The Last Stand was written. This fan fiction is also completely movie-verse.
Chapter 4 -- A Turn for the Better
Tears carved paths down her high cheeks. She looked to him in desperation, fearing the recollection of her own memories. She then drew her arms tightly to her chest, pushing her palms against her eyes as she sobbed quietly. Phoenix appeared weak, but she could do nothing to stop her emotions that seemed to be displayed at the maximum degree. Her gasping breaths made Scott's heart break, and then it made his thoughts of the vile Phoenix simply eradicate. He was able to fool himself into thinking it was a teary-eyed Jean before him.
"Hey.." Scott whispered gently, reaching out for the woman. His blind love made him vulnrable to her.
Just as Scott spoke, Rogue's accusing voice echoed through the hall outside. "Bobby!"
The Iceman looked up for a brief moment, and then his gaze met hers and he faltered. Logan took this opportunity to thrust Bobby against the wall nearest him, and this caused a sickening thud to echo against the wall amidst the sudden silence.
"Logan!" She screamed this time.
"It's not what you think…" Logan breathed, his eyes darting to Rogue's pleadingly. He wanted her to understand before Bobby managed to harm her…for then he'd have to kill the teenager; Logan wouldn't tolerate any harm towards Rogue.
"Then what is it?" she spat, advancing towards the two.
"You're lover-boy--" he began.
"Logan, what the hell are you doing to him!" she barked when Logan didn't release his hold on the man's head. Logan also had his claws extended and one hand ready to launch into the Iceman's side incase he didn't comply with Logan's rules.
"Just listen, damn it," Logan uttered through a sigh. "Your boyfriend here has been guarding this room for some time…and when Cyclops and I requested to go in, he wouldn't budge and he attacked ol' One-Eye," he paused and then looked to Rogue again, "I don't know what the hell you make of that, but the way I see it he's up to something."
"Wait…what are you talking about?" She questioned in a milder tone. She then pointed over her shoulder and continued, confused, "Bobby's been with me…he just went to get us some drinks…"
"Well, then, why were you up and about?" Logan retorted.
"Because I was hearing way too much noise coming from this direction, and lo and behold I find you banging around…" she paused and then added loudly, "Logan, do you even know what time it is!"
"No, and in all honesty I don't really give a damn," Logan growled, his claws inching nearer the flinching Iceman.
"It's nearly two in the morning!"
Logan paused and then turned to her with his eyebrows drawn together. He smirked and then questioned, "Then why the hell were you with Bobby…and why was he going to get you drinks?"
She felt her cheeks flush slightly, and then she barked back defensively, "Shut up, Logan!" She then turned away slightly and murmured beneath her breath, "It's not like you weren't a teenager…"
Inside Phoenix's asylum, Scott drew close enough that he was clearly throwing himself in the line of danger. Of course the man didn't listen to the precautions and warnings that both his heart and mind were telling him, and instead he touched her arms gingerly, waiting for any response other than a sob. Although he could feel her skin ripple slightly beneath his fingers, there was no sign of rejection. Therefore Scott pushed himself to fully believe that she was Jean, for Phoenix would want nothing to do with the man. He sighed thankfully as he pulled her against his body in an embrace.
One hand smoothed the hair atop her head as she cried freely into his chest. He looked down at her, and his eyebrows twitched in pity for her. Why? He was still unsure himself…
Outside the cracked door, Bobby's eyes grew wide, and the icy sharpness faded quickly as he glanced around anxiously, confused. The "potion" was fading off. His words came as short gasps for a few seconds, and then he rasped, "Am I…am I…?"
Rogue stared painfully. "Bobby?" she cried weakly, edging closer to Logan, who stood between them.
Logan's grip grew slightly more relaxed, and finally after Bobby seemed to have come to his senses, he released the Iceman and sighed.
"I'm-I'm so sorry…" he apologized to Logan, fear was spelled behind his now softened eyes.
"Bobby…!" Rogue cried again, this time her voice began to choke up as she flung herself into his arms. She swallowed down the knot in her throat as she whispered, "Are you alright…?"
"Yeah…yeah…" he nodded, mostly in disbelief that he'd just witnessed himself attacking Logan, though his mind screamed for him not to. He then finally snapped fully into reality and he hugged the woman tighter, and then he whispered, "Rogue…I'm sorry…"
"For what…?" she breathed, looking up at him with wide eyes.
"I wasn't with you…I was led astray…and then practically brainwashed…" he couldn't speak faster if he wanted to.
Rogue went stiff when she finally realized what he'd said. "You…you weren't?" she said, her heart racing. "That…that wasn't…that wasn't you?"
During Rogue and Bobby's reuniting, Logan had quickly grown bored of watching teenagers spill their guts to each other. He'd scurried away from the pair, and he'd decided to check up on Scott, since things had gotten awfully quiet in the cell Phoenix called home for temporary means. Thus, Logan's fingers skimmed the sleek metal of the door and gently pushed it open…
Logan's heart seemed to flip slightly at what his eyes found. Scott and Phoenix in an embrace...? Surely he was seeing things…that woman would never let Scott touch him…unless something drastic has just taken place to change her mind.
Silence rang in all of their ears, all five pairs of ears. Logan hovered at the edge of the door, not bothering to conceal himself fully. Neither Phoenix nor Scott were looking towards him, yet they were both in range of the open door and the light spilling into the room. They seemed to be in another world of their own, yet they remained perfectly silent and still, with the occasional jerk of Phoenix's quiet sobs.
At the other end of the hall, beyond the cell, beyond Rogue and Bobby, a door eased open shyly. More light from the outer hall flowed in, and a silhouette was seen in the ajar doorway. Logan turned slowly, not too curious as to who was joining them now that peace had been restored temporarily. Bobby and Rogue also noticed the newly opened door, and Scott was the last to raise his head, save for Phoenix, who finally was able to stifle her tears, only to be left with reddened eyes.
"Jean…?"
"You…" Phoenix breathed, "...how!"
Scott and Phoenix spoke at the same time, and then the silhouette shifted slightly, entering the hall the group was scattered in.
"Scott…?" she gasped, tears harboring in her eyes. She couldn't bring herself to believe who Scott was consoling.
"You…no…this can't be…" Phoenix hissed, struggling to get away from Scott now that her anger was rising, and dominating, again.
Scott couldn't believe it. Nor could Logan, at that.
"You son of a bitch," Phoenix hissed, suddenly turning to Scott. She then lashed out before he had a chance to object. This time, she faultlessly threw a sharp kick at the man, and her leg connected with his jaw in the blink of an eye. Scott was hurtled backwards from the immense strength the woman had locked inside herself, and he collided with the ground a moment later.
He managed to prop himself onto his elbows first, and that was when he realized that his mouth sustained the unmistakeable taste of blood. He winced as he pushed himself to his feet, and he quickly learned that he'd bitten his tongue pretty damn hard, if it was bleeding this much.
Rogue's eyes were wide with undeniable fear. Bobby's expression almost matched hers, for the two were amongst the several students who didn't know that Phoenix had returned and replaced Jean Grey. They simply thought Jean was dead and gone, and that was that. Rogue felt rather unsettled, and she pushed herself further under Bobby's protective embrace as she looked from the one Jean, to the other. Bobby mimicked her actions, looking from the tearing Jean to the anger-ridden one in confusion. He merely strengthened his hold on his girlfriend, hoping that a fight didn't break out between the two unbelievable figures…
Although the next thing to happen then assured Logan and Scott that Jean was indeed real. She'd thrown her palms forward and quickly slammed the heavy door behind Scott shut, locking Phoenix away for the time being. Luckily enough Phoenix had hurtled Scott out of her containment center from the kick, yet she hadn't though far enough ahead to escape herself. Phoenix mentally swore at herself as she slammed her fists against the door, hardly causing an indention upon the metal.
Scott barely gasped, "Jean…"
While Logan confirmed, "Well, hell…only Jean could do that…"
They both looked to her as she strode further into the room. She looked nearly exactly as she had the day her life had seemingly ended at Alkali Lake. The same clothes, the fighting suit they all had worn that day, the same eyes…her hair was long like Phoenix's, but it was still the same vibrant red color.
Jean didn't even say anything else. She was next to being in tears from the sheer fact that she'd been away from the ones she'd considered family for so long. It didn't take much for her to find her place in Scott's arms, and as she did she clung to his neck as he held her so tightly that he lifted her heels off the floor.
"I missed you so much," he breathed into her ear.
"I thought I was dead…and…god, Scott…" she cried softly, but her real tears were only held back by his reassuring embrace.
Logan felt himself brush against the wall. He must have been leaning back, for he lost his footing shortly before the wall had broken his fall. "She's back…" he thought hollowly, unsure of how to react at this moment in time.
Scott too was shocked, but at the same time he was overwhelmed with and undying happiness. Phoenix had certainly not been anything close to Jean, but this woman was JEan. She couldn't not be Jean.
Bobby looked to Rogue, almost as if he expected her to have an explanation or answer to all of the events that had just taken place in the last few minutes. Unfortunately for them both, neither did, and they simply watched in the company of each other's confusion as Scott and Jean held onto each other as if the world was going to end.
"Somebody wanna try explaining this all to us?" Bobby finally said with a weak chuckle. Scott and Jean both looked to the younger couple, and then Logan gave a smile of relief. Things were finally going to get better.
The sentence seemed impossible to comprehend.
Things were going to get better.
"Good work, Pyro," Magneto congratulated the man after he'd retold the short story of how he'd caught Iceman and deceived him. "I expect that things will progress smoothly from there… And you said you ordered him to kill Scott?" he continued as the two walked along the dark, narrow pathway.
Pyro nodded, and then replied, "I don't think we'll have much of a problem once Phoenix finds her way out…and Cyclops is out of the way. She seemed to have a strange connection with him…"
"Well it's only natural… If Jean was in love with Cyclops, then I would think that Phoenix would be as well. After all, she was merely a copy of Jean Grey," he paused to laugh at his own words. "A better copy, I mean."
Pyro nodded again, and then considered it, and found it to be the only logical explanation. He found himself slowing his strides, and then he had to jog to keep up with Magneto. "But…sir…what if it doesn't work? The vial, I mean…" he questioned hesitantly.
Magneto whirled around abruptly. "Don't tell me you didn't administer the vial, Pyro," he threatened.
"No…no!" he objected. "Just…what if it doesn't go as planned, for some idiotic reason?"
"Then I'll have your head," Magneto growled.
"Sir…" Pyro was looking for a real answer.
"I've made sure that the vial will work, John. I made sure to enhance Stryker's work so the effects were not only stronger, but lasted longer. I don't see how it couldn't work," he replied calmly as he resumed walking.
"Well that makes me feel better, then," Pyro sighed heavily.
"I'll have Mystique report back during the night…because she's playing out Bobby during the day. I can only hope that girl doesn't look too deeply into that Iceman's eyes… She may just find out something she may regret seeing for the rest of her life…" Magneto mused.
"Why, sir?" Pyro asked, slightly perplexed.
"I've told Mystique to kill anyone who finds out the truth about her going under-cover. Hopefully that will be unnecessary, for I hope Phoenix will escape on her own, without having to be helped along," he concluded with a smirk. "She really is a good girl, Mystique is," he chuckled.
It was now nearly three in the morning, and the X-Men were filing back to their rooms, slightly confused, slightly shaken, but mostly relieved. Bobby had offered to walk Rogue to her room, but when they reached it, she felt rather alone and requested to spend the night with him, as they had previously planned. But amidst the confusion between the real Bobby and whoever Rogue was with before, they'd forgotten about their plans for the night that was supposed to be much like a vacation for the two.
Logan had gone off to try to busy his mind, for he didn't feel much like sleep after the events that had just taken place. No, his mind was instead reeling over the fight between himself and Bobby, then Rogue's comments, then Phoenix and Scott's moment, then Jean's arrival…it added up, but to Logan things seemed strangely correct, for once. He sighed as he sank into a couch in the den, and then he reached blindly for the remote to the rather large television. His mind was blurred yet sharp as hell, and trying to give a logical explanation for everything just made him say mentally, 'Stop the world, I want off.' Therefore he tried to drown himself with the countless infomercials and bizarre reality shows that no one really cared about - the things that were aired at the wee morning hours.
However, the only ones who seemed the closest to satisfaction were Jean and Scott.
The two had walked blindly through the mansion, Jean was paralyzed with the feeling of utter joy and normalness, while Scott was numb with the overflowing sensation of Jean beside him, living, breathing, again. And for once, normalcy was all one could ask for.
He strode beside her, his right hand draped over her arms and curled around her waist, while his left fingers tangled within her left. They walked in silence for a bit, just enjoying the other's company again, and then suddenly Scott pulled to a stop before that big window outside the room they'd shared for so long. He then turned to face her wholly in front of that window that displayed a darkened morning, and his lips showed the faintest hints of a grin.
"Yes, Scott?" she asked timidly, feeling like a child around him.
"Come here," he whispered, withdrawing his hands from hers.
She acted as if she was confused and then began to reply with an "okay," but Scott cut her off.
With one hand high on her back the man leaned in as she did and then found her lips. Silence echoed through the hall that the other residents slept soundly in.
It was the sign of reuniting for him, and he loved it. It only ended too soon when she pulled away nervously.
"What?" he asked gently, his fingers skimming one of her arms.
Seeing as she'd already changed, she whispered dryly, "I'm tired Scott…" She then looked up at him innocently and he laughed.
"You're just too cute sometimes," he smiled, turning towards their room which he'd spent alone for quite some time.
When the couple strode in, things seemed like they would be able to return to normal at some point. Scott still felt the desperation of wanting Jean to return, thoughts of the past, but they were rather faded now…
The two quickly made amends and then sank beneath the sheets. It wouldn't be much sleep, but they'd be able to snooze for a few hours before having to announcing Jean's arrival.
Scott rolled over, facing Jean's back now, and he traced the outline of her arm gently before whispering, "Tomorrow's going to be a big day…"
Her heart skipped a beat. "It will be, won't it? I suppose everyone will want to know about me…unless you keep me hidden away like this," she giggled, jokingly of course.
The pair slept soundly through the night, and then woke slowly in the morning. Scott was rather annoyed that he wasn't allowed to sleep in later, but Jean rose with the feeling of butterflies in her stomach, and their wings were tickling the lining. She quickly rose, and then looked to Scott, who was still lying dreary-eyed on the bed, with a gentle smile on her face before striding into the bathroom. Once in the locked vicinity of the dressing area, she touched her left ear gently and waited patiently…
"…Mystique."
She froze for a minute, hoping like hell that Scott wouldn't hear the receiving end, or question her talking.
"Mystique!"
"Yeah…what? I'm here…"
"How are things progressing? Hopefully you'll be back with us by tonight, hm?" Magneto mused.
"Well…I seem to have hit a bump," she replied.
"What…what do you mean, a bump?" He questioned, annoyance in his voice.
"Well…Wolverine somehow managed to get Bobby to evade the effects of your almighty potion. So since they realized who the real Bobby was, I couldn't parade around as him now could I?" she rolled her eyes as she paused. "But the only thing now is…I've got them thinking that Jean Grey has returned."