A/N: New chapter hope you like. Let's find out what happens in Tristian's head now.
CHAPTER 43
She expected to be sucked into a whirlwind, through the eye of some terrifying storm. But she wasn't. Her feet hit solid ground and she wasn't expecting that either. Her knees gave way and she hit the ground, hard. It wasn't grass either; no it had to be solid concrete instead. Jean winced and sat up; rubbing her arm, knowing there'd be a mark there later.
The room was entirely dark, only a faint light hanging but what seemed a thread lit the room in a dull eerie glow. Jean stood shakily to her feet, standing in the small circle of light. She squinted her eyes, trying to see around the dark. It was a basement, she could make out that much, but as for where, she couldn't be certain.
THUMP. Jean gasped and spun around, eyes going back and forth, trying to find the source of the noise. Something was there, she could feel it with her mind, moving around. But what was it. She couldn't get into it's head meaning it had to be something beyond human or common mutant. That frightened her. She was breathing quickly, her heart hammering in her chest as she desperately tried to find it. Another thump caused her to jump, startled. It was closer that time.
It followed another one. Jean let out a whimper as she could hear it breathing before her., just ten feet away or so, but she couldn't see it. The sound was a whispy, like in a tunnel or pipe and the beep of a machine every now and then indicated a respirator. Though Jean was curious as to why, she didn't want to find out. God, how she wanted this image to end.
A gnarled black hand shot out of the darkness towards her. Jean gasped and jumped back, the large hand missed her by inches, nearly getting her with its talon nails. But the next thing she saw caused a scream to rise in her throat. On the palm of the hand was a fanged mouth, lined with two rows of sharp tiny teeth and a suction mouth that snapped and sucked at the air. Just as the scream was about to erupt from her mouth, the scenery changed.
~~~~~******
The scream fell out, but she immediately cut it off. She was back in the office, where blessed light filled the room from the large windows. She never thought she'd be so happy to see the blonde woman sitting behind her desk with…Tristian! He stood in front of her desk while she looked over a folder.
"Oh thank God," she let out a sigh of relief and walked over to him. "I've been looking all over for you. I was just stuck in this basement with this…this…thing! then I ended up here, but I found you so we can go."
Tristian didn't reply, just continued to stare at Frost and fold his arms.
"Tristian?" she waved her hand in front of his face. "He-llo," she sang the word then whistled.
Jean let out a sigh. It wasn't Tristian, only his memory of the event. But if this was his memory, then where was he?
"Tristian I really need you to do this for me," Frost spoke, half her blonde hair hiding her face.
"Emma I already told you I'm quitting. I told you two weeks ago I was done. My notice is up."
"I know," she sighed then gave him a pout that would have put Shirley Temple to shame. "But I really need this done. These mutants just won't leave me alone and I'm afraid it'll get out of hand. I just need you to do this then you're done. You and Bonnie can go on and live a happy life, happily ever after like you deserve."
Tristian rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Fine, but this is it."
She giggled with glee. "Thank you Tristian."
He took the case folder. "You're welcome, Emma. I'll be right back. It'll take me ten minutes max but then I got to get home because Bonnie will kill me if I'm later again."
"Okay, Tristian. Thank you."
Jean watched him leave the room and turned her attention back to Frost. The good natured look and Shirley Temple innocents was gone replaced with an icy cold gaze and a wretched cold smile that only some sinister would wear. If your eyes were the window to your soul, Emma didn't have one.
She casually picked up the phone and pressed a button on it. "Yes, Cortez, let Emplate out. There's someone he needs to go…meet."
With a cold laugh she hung up the phone and looked towards the door. "Don't get home too late Tristian."
Jean knew what this had to be about and before she could call Emma a word, though she couldn't hear it, the room spun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~*********
Jean blinked as the surroundings pieced back together. All she could see was black for a moment. The black moved, breathing and Jean jumped back and looked up. She'd been standing in front of the creature, the same one she met in the basement. She tried to scream, but only a small squeak came from her throat as she continued to walk backwards.
That was when she noticed it was holding onto Bonnie with it's hand. Her mouth was open in a scream but only a moan came out and she winced at the pain. Jean wanted to turn away, but she couldn't. Her eyes were frozen to the scene before her. Jean watched as Bonnie's erect form started going limp in the creature's grasp.
"BONNIE!"
Jean turned her head, finally released from the trance and watched just in time as Tristian burst through the front door. Jean suspected he had been fed a bullshit story by Frost, saying the Mutants had rebelled to her plea and came for Bonnie. Tristian's mouth fell a gap in true terror as he stared at the creature. He blinked, realizing it had his wife. "BONNIE!"
Jean could feel the rush of the energy fly off him and hit Emplate though this was just a memory. The creature howled, making a siren like noise and dropped the pale red head. It retreated out the back door and disappeared. Jean followed it outside, wanting to know where it went.
The night air was cold and she could see puffs of her breath before her as she exhaled, but Emplate was gone. She imagined another mutant had been waiting for it and teleported it back to safety in its basement. Jean shivered from more then the cold. That was the last place she wanted to go back to.
Remembering Tristian, she went back into the house and paused in her tracks at the heart breaking sight before her. Tristian held Bonnie in his rams on the floor. To her surprise the red head was still alive. Her eyes open slightly, staring at Tristian weakly.
"Bonnie, just hang on okay," he spoke softly to her but in a frantic way that Jean could hear in his voice and she was sure Bonnie could too. "You're going to be fine."
Tristian laid his hand on her chest and focused his power. Jean saw him wince and he hissed, head jerking. He looked at his hand in disbelief, seeing or thinking something Jean couldn't read. But she already knew about. Tristian couldn't heal her, it'd probably kill them both.
Tristian looked back at Bonnie's face. "Oh God," he whispered and tears filled his eyes.
Bonnie only smiled despite the pain she was in. She touched his face gently. "It's okay," she whispered, Jean could barely hear the poor girl.
"Bonnie…I can't fix it…I – I don't know how, it's…what do I do?" his voice was starting to break with his confusion. Tristian had never been lost like this before.
"It's okay," she told him again.
"Bonnie," he touched her face with his other hand. "Bonnie, please don't go. Stay, please, just stay with me," he told her softly.
"It'll be okay, Tristian…everything will be okay,' she rook a shaky breath and closed her eyes against the pain then opened them again. Jean noticed the glow in her eyes was dimmer then it had been.
"You can't leave…I need you…I love you," Tristian's bottom lip quivered as he started to realize he was going to lose everything he had.
Jean felt her heart sink to her stomach and her vision blurred. She thought the scene was changing but realized she was crying. She didn't even know she had been.
"Remember the stars?" she asked him.
He nodded his head. "Yeah, I remember."
She gave him another weak smile. "That's where you'll find me…I love you, Tristian." Her eyes closed and this time they didn't open back up.
Tristian let out a sob and buried his face in her chest, holding her against him. Jean covered her mouth as her own tears continued to flow. Now she knew why he was so hurt all the time. Why her picture haunted him. The scenery began to change swiveling in colors. The last thing Jean saw was Tristian holding Bonnie, the emerald necklace in his hand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~***********
Jean shivered at the cold air. It was night and was outside. As long as it wasn't in a basement. She turned around to se where she was and gasped. Bodies…everywhere. Strewn al around the area. She was in a downtown center near some abandoned where houses where people hung out…or had. Now they all lay scattered about, one building on fire. Screams could be heard in the distance but it was cut off quickly.
A shadow moved in the distance, swimming up the street. It shifted, materializing into a form. It was Tristian, but it wasn't him. The power that radiated off him was suffocating and the smile on his face was unnatural, not the Tristian she knew. It was Death. The person Tristian could be…or was forced to be. All the carnage, the massacre around her was him. His anger at what happened to Bonnie.
His head jerked towards her. Eyes dark, the only color were his silver irises. He smiled and Jean looked around, wondering who he was smiling at. But no one was behind her.
"I warned you away, Red…you don't listen," the voice hardly sounded like Tristian's, it carried a tone that wasn't his.
"You see me."
He barked a laugh and she shivered from the malice in it. "I let you in here."
"You," she whispered as it all came together. "You're the shadow that clouds his mind…you trapped him here to relive these things over and over. Showing him what he had and how it was taken. "
"Sort of right doll," he told her, stepping towards her. "But you forget one very important thing. I am him."
Jean didn't have time to react as his power sent her into a wall. She hit hard and fell to the floor gasping for breath. He grabbed her around the throat, dragging her to her feet and pinned her to the wall.
"You should have stayed away, love," he tisked and shook his head. "You're no match for a Tri-Mutant. No regular mutant is match for a Tri."
"You forget one very important thing," she choked out.
"What?"
Her eyes met his and she was pleased by his shocked expression. Her eyes glowed with a fire she only held inside but realized she had to let out. "I'm not you're average mutant."
Tristian flew back from her force of telepathic power. He landed on the ground twenty feet away and rolled. He pushed himself up on his arms and smiled up at her despite the blood trickling down his forehead.
"Whew…I love a girl with power to her. You just might be somewhat of a challenge for me, Red," he stood to his feet and wiped the back of his hand across his head. He glanced at the blood and his smile grew. "You even drew blood…I'm impressed."
"Where's Tristian?" she asked. Her voice seemed so faraway, like a distant echo. The words spilling from her didn't feel like her own, she wasn't even speaking them aloud. The words echoed from her mind and were brought out to be heard. She could never do that before.
"I am Tristian," he laughed.
"Where is he?" she asked again. Her patience was running thinner and thinner with each lie he spoke.
"Ohhh," he nodded his head and rubbed his chin. "You mean the other Tristian. The one that's no fun and likes to conceal everything. Shadowfire, that guy….yeah he's locked away up here," he tapped at his head. "Growing really weak too, I might add. Not putting up much of a fight anymore. Death might end up staying for good because my outlook on this whole thing is looking brighter and brighter."
"I'll get him back," she told him.
He held his arms out in a challenging manner, "Try me."
Jean let a wave of power roll off her. Death stumbled back but didn't fall. He only smiled, keeping that grin on his face.
"That was good. But this is better."
Jean felt the energy crash into her, felt t mingle with her own and overtake her, it was too strong. She hit the floor, the gravel cutting her cheek open as she scraped against it. With a groan she pushed herself back up, her arms were shaky as she struggled to get to her feet. Her body felt like lead and she fell back down, propped up on one arm.
Death laughed, strolling over to her in a lazy, taunting manner. "You disappoint me. And here I thought I'd have a real fight. But I guess I'll have to look elsewhere." He crouched down next to her and touched her face. She jerked away from his hand and glared at him. "Awwe, don't feel bad, Red. You put up a fight, just like Tristian and like him, you lost. Him and his humanity. He should have ridded himself of it, he would have been better off. The pain…he never would have felt it," she saw something in his eyes flicker, a light in the darkness at the mention of feeling. "He never would have gone through that if he didn't love. Everything he loves, he loses, he should have realized that with Bonnie, but did he, no. He fell in love with you," Death stood back up. "Now he loses you too."
Jean realized what she had to do now. She knew why she was the only one that could save him.
Death looked down on her with pity and she watched as he summoned the energy ball. It sparkled, gaining power. Small sparks of lightning filtered around it faster and faster, marking it was ready, "Good bye. Red."
He let it go and his smile froze. It stopped suspended in the air just inches from her. Her eyes glowed brighter, she felt it rise from deep within where it had lay hidden in her since the lake accident. That had been the last time she felt it. Now she released it, able to control it to her own will. The fire rose inside her, warming her blood with power and the phoenix gave a war cry that caused even Death to jump.
"My name is Phoenix," the ball of power turned a deep red. Death's eyes widened, this wasn't what he was expecting. "Not Red." She let the power go and it crashed into him. He let out a cry of pain as the force knocked him off his feet and to the ground.
Jean stood to her feet. He lay on the ground ten yards away, shivering from the force of energy. He pushed himself up and turned his head to her. "You like fire so much, try this."
A ring of fire exploded around her, raising in the air around her. The heat was burning, but she welcomed it as her own fire communicated with it in a way. She reached a hand out and touched the wall, it didn't burn. She pushed her hand through and stepped out of it. With a wave of her hand the fire died down and Death looked at her in shock and anger.
"That's no possible," he whispered angrily, trying to get up but not able to. He was still too weak. "What are you?"
"I'm Tristian's friend," she said and knelt down next to him.
"He has no friends," Death said defensively, the light was getting brighter in his eyes.
"Yes he does," she touched his shoulder. "He has Rogue," she put pictures in his mind of each name. "He has Bobby and Pyro," an image of the boy's flashed through her into him. "He has Logan and as much as Scott won't admit it, he has Cyclops." She sent an image of the two men in her life through him.
"NO!" he shook his head, trying to get rid of the pictures. He was breathing faster, afraid he was losing.
"Yes," she put her hands on either side of his face and brought hers close. "And Tristian has me," she looked deep into the stormy eyes, trying to find the sun. "You have me Tristian…you always have me."
"If I leave, he dies," Death threatened as his last resort.
She shook her head, "No, he won't. I thought getting rid of Phoenix would kill me…but it didn't. I learned to control it. And so will he. He'll learn how to bend you to his will so you exist but you don't."
"No," he groaned.
"Yes, Tristian you can do this. I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere. Just come back…come back to Jeanie…come back to me," she kept her eyes locked on his dark ones, she could se it dissolving, the dark was leaving.
"Why do you want him back so much?" Death was getting weaker she could tell.
She let a smile spread across her face. "Because I love him."
A single tear rolled down his cheek and a power erupted from within. Jean frowned and was thrown back as a bright light burst around them and disappeared as quickly as it had come. She was prepared to hit the concrete again, but hit carpet.
She opened her eyes and saw a bed. Lifting herself up she saw she was back in Tristian's room, back in the mansion. She touched the ground, just to be sure it wasn't a new scene, it was real. She laughed, glad tp be back, but her laughter died as she remembered Tristian.
She scurried to her feet and sat on the bed next to his unconscious form. She touched his face, praying her efforts weren't futile. "Tristian, Tristian," she ran her hand through his hair, glad his fever was gone. "Wake up, please wake up," she whispered to herself. "Come on, Tristian, open your eyes." She grinned as his eyelids fluttered and another thought came to mind. "Open your eyes or we'll never go skinny dipping."
A burst of joy went through her as his eyes opened, revealing the breath taking blue beneath. She laughed. "I had to bribe you with skinny dipping"
"Hey, it was a nice thought," he smiled back. His energy was coming back stronger by the minute. "Thanks."
"Did it work?"
Tristian paused to think and nodded. "Yeah, he's not there."
"No, he still is. You're just in the driver's seat this time," she told him. She looked at the clock. Eleven at night, no wonder she was tired. " You should get some sleep though." She ran her fingers through his hair again. "I'll see you in the morning."
He nodded and she stood up, leaving. She had her hand on the doorknob when he called to her.
"Jean?"
She turned around to look at him. He sat up against the pillows a little, more or les dragging himself up on his arms. He looked at her sincerely. "I love you, too."
Jen nodded her head and left the room entering her own. She was glad to have him back, but at the same time being back here made all her thoughts come back. And the thoughts of what he went through Bonnie. Her bottom lip quivered as she thought of that happening to Scott or Logan. She couldn't stop the sob that escaped her or the tears that leaked down her cheeks. She curled up on the bed and just cried. She hadn't done that in long time and nothing else seemed better at the moment as she tried to cope her feelings for the two men she loved dearly.
Talk about a long chapter. Hope you liked it. More to come soon. A Frost chapter is next. So R&R in the meantime
CHAPTER 43
She expected to be sucked into a whirlwind, through the eye of some terrifying storm. But she wasn't. Her feet hit solid ground and she wasn't expecting that either. Her knees gave way and she hit the ground, hard. It wasn't grass either; no it had to be solid concrete instead. Jean winced and sat up; rubbing her arm, knowing there'd be a mark there later.
The room was entirely dark, only a faint light hanging but what seemed a thread lit the room in a dull eerie glow. Jean stood shakily to her feet, standing in the small circle of light. She squinted her eyes, trying to see around the dark. It was a basement, she could make out that much, but as for where, she couldn't be certain.
THUMP. Jean gasped and spun around, eyes going back and forth, trying to find the source of the noise. Something was there, she could feel it with her mind, moving around. But what was it. She couldn't get into it's head meaning it had to be something beyond human or common mutant. That frightened her. She was breathing quickly, her heart hammering in her chest as she desperately tried to find it. Another thump caused her to jump, startled. It was closer that time.
It followed another one. Jean let out a whimper as she could hear it breathing before her., just ten feet away or so, but she couldn't see it. The sound was a whispy, like in a tunnel or pipe and the beep of a machine every now and then indicated a respirator. Though Jean was curious as to why, she didn't want to find out. God, how she wanted this image to end.
A gnarled black hand shot out of the darkness towards her. Jean gasped and jumped back, the large hand missed her by inches, nearly getting her with its talon nails. But the next thing she saw caused a scream to rise in her throat. On the palm of the hand was a fanged mouth, lined with two rows of sharp tiny teeth and a suction mouth that snapped and sucked at the air. Just as the scream was about to erupt from her mouth, the scenery changed.
~~~~~******
The scream fell out, but she immediately cut it off. She was back in the office, where blessed light filled the room from the large windows. She never thought she'd be so happy to see the blonde woman sitting behind her desk with…Tristian! He stood in front of her desk while she looked over a folder.
"Oh thank God," she let out a sigh of relief and walked over to him. "I've been looking all over for you. I was just stuck in this basement with this…this…thing! then I ended up here, but I found you so we can go."
Tristian didn't reply, just continued to stare at Frost and fold his arms.
"Tristian?" she waved her hand in front of his face. "He-llo," she sang the word then whistled.
Jean let out a sigh. It wasn't Tristian, only his memory of the event. But if this was his memory, then where was he?
"Tristian I really need you to do this for me," Frost spoke, half her blonde hair hiding her face.
"Emma I already told you I'm quitting. I told you two weeks ago I was done. My notice is up."
"I know," she sighed then gave him a pout that would have put Shirley Temple to shame. "But I really need this done. These mutants just won't leave me alone and I'm afraid it'll get out of hand. I just need you to do this then you're done. You and Bonnie can go on and live a happy life, happily ever after like you deserve."
Tristian rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Fine, but this is it."
She giggled with glee. "Thank you Tristian."
He took the case folder. "You're welcome, Emma. I'll be right back. It'll take me ten minutes max but then I got to get home because Bonnie will kill me if I'm later again."
"Okay, Tristian. Thank you."
Jean watched him leave the room and turned her attention back to Frost. The good natured look and Shirley Temple innocents was gone replaced with an icy cold gaze and a wretched cold smile that only some sinister would wear. If your eyes were the window to your soul, Emma didn't have one.
She casually picked up the phone and pressed a button on it. "Yes, Cortez, let Emplate out. There's someone he needs to go…meet."
With a cold laugh she hung up the phone and looked towards the door. "Don't get home too late Tristian."
Jean knew what this had to be about and before she could call Emma a word, though she couldn't hear it, the room spun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~*********
Jean blinked as the surroundings pieced back together. All she could see was black for a moment. The black moved, breathing and Jean jumped back and looked up. She'd been standing in front of the creature, the same one she met in the basement. She tried to scream, but only a small squeak came from her throat as she continued to walk backwards.
That was when she noticed it was holding onto Bonnie with it's hand. Her mouth was open in a scream but only a moan came out and she winced at the pain. Jean wanted to turn away, but she couldn't. Her eyes were frozen to the scene before her. Jean watched as Bonnie's erect form started going limp in the creature's grasp.
"BONNIE!"
Jean turned her head, finally released from the trance and watched just in time as Tristian burst through the front door. Jean suspected he had been fed a bullshit story by Frost, saying the Mutants had rebelled to her plea and came for Bonnie. Tristian's mouth fell a gap in true terror as he stared at the creature. He blinked, realizing it had his wife. "BONNIE!"
Jean could feel the rush of the energy fly off him and hit Emplate though this was just a memory. The creature howled, making a siren like noise and dropped the pale red head. It retreated out the back door and disappeared. Jean followed it outside, wanting to know where it went.
The night air was cold and she could see puffs of her breath before her as she exhaled, but Emplate was gone. She imagined another mutant had been waiting for it and teleported it back to safety in its basement. Jean shivered from more then the cold. That was the last place she wanted to go back to.
Remembering Tristian, she went back into the house and paused in her tracks at the heart breaking sight before her. Tristian held Bonnie in his rams on the floor. To her surprise the red head was still alive. Her eyes open slightly, staring at Tristian weakly.
"Bonnie, just hang on okay," he spoke softly to her but in a frantic way that Jean could hear in his voice and she was sure Bonnie could too. "You're going to be fine."
Tristian laid his hand on her chest and focused his power. Jean saw him wince and he hissed, head jerking. He looked at his hand in disbelief, seeing or thinking something Jean couldn't read. But she already knew about. Tristian couldn't heal her, it'd probably kill them both.
Tristian looked back at Bonnie's face. "Oh God," he whispered and tears filled his eyes.
Bonnie only smiled despite the pain she was in. She touched his face gently. "It's okay," she whispered, Jean could barely hear the poor girl.
"Bonnie…I can't fix it…I – I don't know how, it's…what do I do?" his voice was starting to break with his confusion. Tristian had never been lost like this before.
"It's okay," she told him again.
"Bonnie," he touched her face with his other hand. "Bonnie, please don't go. Stay, please, just stay with me," he told her softly.
"It'll be okay, Tristian…everything will be okay,' she rook a shaky breath and closed her eyes against the pain then opened them again. Jean noticed the glow in her eyes was dimmer then it had been.
"You can't leave…I need you…I love you," Tristian's bottom lip quivered as he started to realize he was going to lose everything he had.
Jean felt her heart sink to her stomach and her vision blurred. She thought the scene was changing but realized she was crying. She didn't even know she had been.
"Remember the stars?" she asked him.
He nodded his head. "Yeah, I remember."
She gave him another weak smile. "That's where you'll find me…I love you, Tristian." Her eyes closed and this time they didn't open back up.
Tristian let out a sob and buried his face in her chest, holding her against him. Jean covered her mouth as her own tears continued to flow. Now she knew why he was so hurt all the time. Why her picture haunted him. The scenery began to change swiveling in colors. The last thing Jean saw was Tristian holding Bonnie, the emerald necklace in his hand.
~~~~~~~~~~~~***********
Jean shivered at the cold air. It was night and was outside. As long as it wasn't in a basement. She turned around to se where she was and gasped. Bodies…everywhere. Strewn al around the area. She was in a downtown center near some abandoned where houses where people hung out…or had. Now they all lay scattered about, one building on fire. Screams could be heard in the distance but it was cut off quickly.
A shadow moved in the distance, swimming up the street. It shifted, materializing into a form. It was Tristian, but it wasn't him. The power that radiated off him was suffocating and the smile on his face was unnatural, not the Tristian she knew. It was Death. The person Tristian could be…or was forced to be. All the carnage, the massacre around her was him. His anger at what happened to Bonnie.
His head jerked towards her. Eyes dark, the only color were his silver irises. He smiled and Jean looked around, wondering who he was smiling at. But no one was behind her.
"I warned you away, Red…you don't listen," the voice hardly sounded like Tristian's, it carried a tone that wasn't his.
"You see me."
He barked a laugh and she shivered from the malice in it. "I let you in here."
"You," she whispered as it all came together. "You're the shadow that clouds his mind…you trapped him here to relive these things over and over. Showing him what he had and how it was taken. "
"Sort of right doll," he told her, stepping towards her. "But you forget one very important thing. I am him."
Jean didn't have time to react as his power sent her into a wall. She hit hard and fell to the floor gasping for breath. He grabbed her around the throat, dragging her to her feet and pinned her to the wall.
"You should have stayed away, love," he tisked and shook his head. "You're no match for a Tri-Mutant. No regular mutant is match for a Tri."
"You forget one very important thing," she choked out.
"What?"
Her eyes met his and she was pleased by his shocked expression. Her eyes glowed with a fire she only held inside but realized she had to let out. "I'm not you're average mutant."
Tristian flew back from her force of telepathic power. He landed on the ground twenty feet away and rolled. He pushed himself up on his arms and smiled up at her despite the blood trickling down his forehead.
"Whew…I love a girl with power to her. You just might be somewhat of a challenge for me, Red," he stood to his feet and wiped the back of his hand across his head. He glanced at the blood and his smile grew. "You even drew blood…I'm impressed."
"Where's Tristian?" she asked. Her voice seemed so faraway, like a distant echo. The words spilling from her didn't feel like her own, she wasn't even speaking them aloud. The words echoed from her mind and were brought out to be heard. She could never do that before.
"I am Tristian," he laughed.
"Where is he?" she asked again. Her patience was running thinner and thinner with each lie he spoke.
"Ohhh," he nodded his head and rubbed his chin. "You mean the other Tristian. The one that's no fun and likes to conceal everything. Shadowfire, that guy….yeah he's locked away up here," he tapped at his head. "Growing really weak too, I might add. Not putting up much of a fight anymore. Death might end up staying for good because my outlook on this whole thing is looking brighter and brighter."
"I'll get him back," she told him.
He held his arms out in a challenging manner, "Try me."
Jean let a wave of power roll off her. Death stumbled back but didn't fall. He only smiled, keeping that grin on his face.
"That was good. But this is better."
Jean felt the energy crash into her, felt t mingle with her own and overtake her, it was too strong. She hit the floor, the gravel cutting her cheek open as she scraped against it. With a groan she pushed herself back up, her arms were shaky as she struggled to get to her feet. Her body felt like lead and she fell back down, propped up on one arm.
Death laughed, strolling over to her in a lazy, taunting manner. "You disappoint me. And here I thought I'd have a real fight. But I guess I'll have to look elsewhere." He crouched down next to her and touched her face. She jerked away from his hand and glared at him. "Awwe, don't feel bad, Red. You put up a fight, just like Tristian and like him, you lost. Him and his humanity. He should have ridded himself of it, he would have been better off. The pain…he never would have felt it," she saw something in his eyes flicker, a light in the darkness at the mention of feeling. "He never would have gone through that if he didn't love. Everything he loves, he loses, he should have realized that with Bonnie, but did he, no. He fell in love with you," Death stood back up. "Now he loses you too."
Jean realized what she had to do now. She knew why she was the only one that could save him.
Death looked down on her with pity and she watched as he summoned the energy ball. It sparkled, gaining power. Small sparks of lightning filtered around it faster and faster, marking it was ready, "Good bye. Red."
He let it go and his smile froze. It stopped suspended in the air just inches from her. Her eyes glowed brighter, she felt it rise from deep within where it had lay hidden in her since the lake accident. That had been the last time she felt it. Now she released it, able to control it to her own will. The fire rose inside her, warming her blood with power and the phoenix gave a war cry that caused even Death to jump.
"My name is Phoenix," the ball of power turned a deep red. Death's eyes widened, this wasn't what he was expecting. "Not Red." She let the power go and it crashed into him. He let out a cry of pain as the force knocked him off his feet and to the ground.
Jean stood to her feet. He lay on the ground ten yards away, shivering from the force of energy. He pushed himself up and turned his head to her. "You like fire so much, try this."
A ring of fire exploded around her, raising in the air around her. The heat was burning, but she welcomed it as her own fire communicated with it in a way. She reached a hand out and touched the wall, it didn't burn. She pushed her hand through and stepped out of it. With a wave of her hand the fire died down and Death looked at her in shock and anger.
"That's no possible," he whispered angrily, trying to get up but not able to. He was still too weak. "What are you?"
"I'm Tristian's friend," she said and knelt down next to him.
"He has no friends," Death said defensively, the light was getting brighter in his eyes.
"Yes he does," she touched his shoulder. "He has Rogue," she put pictures in his mind of each name. "He has Bobby and Pyro," an image of the boy's flashed through her into him. "He has Logan and as much as Scott won't admit it, he has Cyclops." She sent an image of the two men in her life through him.
"NO!" he shook his head, trying to get rid of the pictures. He was breathing faster, afraid he was losing.
"Yes," she put her hands on either side of his face and brought hers close. "And Tristian has me," she looked deep into the stormy eyes, trying to find the sun. "You have me Tristian…you always have me."
"If I leave, he dies," Death threatened as his last resort.
She shook her head, "No, he won't. I thought getting rid of Phoenix would kill me…but it didn't. I learned to control it. And so will he. He'll learn how to bend you to his will so you exist but you don't."
"No," he groaned.
"Yes, Tristian you can do this. I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere. Just come back…come back to Jeanie…come back to me," she kept her eyes locked on his dark ones, she could se it dissolving, the dark was leaving.
"Why do you want him back so much?" Death was getting weaker she could tell.
She let a smile spread across her face. "Because I love him."
A single tear rolled down his cheek and a power erupted from within. Jean frowned and was thrown back as a bright light burst around them and disappeared as quickly as it had come. She was prepared to hit the concrete again, but hit carpet.
She opened her eyes and saw a bed. Lifting herself up she saw she was back in Tristian's room, back in the mansion. She touched the ground, just to be sure it wasn't a new scene, it was real. She laughed, glad tp be back, but her laughter died as she remembered Tristian.
She scurried to her feet and sat on the bed next to his unconscious form. She touched his face, praying her efforts weren't futile. "Tristian, Tristian," she ran her hand through his hair, glad his fever was gone. "Wake up, please wake up," she whispered to herself. "Come on, Tristian, open your eyes." She grinned as his eyelids fluttered and another thought came to mind. "Open your eyes or we'll never go skinny dipping."
A burst of joy went through her as his eyes opened, revealing the breath taking blue beneath. She laughed. "I had to bribe you with skinny dipping"
"Hey, it was a nice thought," he smiled back. His energy was coming back stronger by the minute. "Thanks."
"Did it work?"
Tristian paused to think and nodded. "Yeah, he's not there."
"No, he still is. You're just in the driver's seat this time," she told him. She looked at the clock. Eleven at night, no wonder she was tired. " You should get some sleep though." She ran her fingers through his hair again. "I'll see you in the morning."
He nodded and she stood up, leaving. She had her hand on the doorknob when he called to her.
"Jean?"
She turned around to look at him. He sat up against the pillows a little, more or les dragging himself up on his arms. He looked at her sincerely. "I love you, too."
Jen nodded her head and left the room entering her own. She was glad to have him back, but at the same time being back here made all her thoughts come back. And the thoughts of what he went through Bonnie. Her bottom lip quivered as she thought of that happening to Scott or Logan. She couldn't stop the sob that escaped her or the tears that leaked down her cheeks. She curled up on the bed and just cried. She hadn't done that in long time and nothing else seemed better at the moment as she tried to cope her feelings for the two men she loved dearly.
Talk about a long chapter. Hope you liked it. More to come soon. A Frost chapter is next. So R&R in the meantime