A/N: Yikes!!!! It's been a long time. I hope you guys are still interested in this story despite the long wait. I had actually wrote a chapter and then completely forgot about the previous chapter I had written so I had to do it all over again but I wanted to keep the same concept. But here it is. The chapters will come sooner after this I promise. Please keep reviewing, it helps me write faster!!

Couple:Bobby/Rogue, sort of Tristian/Jean

Chapter 56 – Any Price to Pay

Tristian continued down the hallway, following behind Jean towards the hidden elevator so they could depart to Frost's corporation. His heart had already sunk to his stomach when he found he'd have to go get Rogue and Bobby back from Frost, the one person he never wanted to see again. And this time he wasn't just risking his life, he could deal with that. It wasn't the problem. But risking everyone else was. He couldn't let any of them die, not for his problems. Not like Bonnie had.

He let out a deep breath and put his hands on the back of his neck, stretching a bit. But no amount of stretching could devour the fact of what was going to happen. Of what he was about to sacrifice. Just when his life was coming together, he found it falling apart. And the only thing he could think of was Jean. From the time he met her she was the only thing he could think of and it had been a long time since he hadn't thought of Bonnie, since her death hadn't weighed on his shoulders. But she took it all away with a smile and a flash of green eyes. He knew she was his the moment he saw her, that she'd be his and he didn't want her. That fear still lived in him. The fear of losing. But he gave into it and now this was happening. The one who took away his last love was back with a vengeance. History was repeating itself.

"Tristian!" a voice called out behind him.

Jean glanced at Tristian who made a sweeping gesture with his hand. "Go ahead. I'll be there in a minute."

She nodded. "Alright, don't take too long." She turned the corner and he heard her footsteps echo down the hallway.

"What do you need?" Tristian asked, turning around to face John.

"I want to go."

Tristian closed his eyes and sighed. "No you don't."

"Yes I do. I already hid with my head in the sand once, I'm not gonna do it again. They're my friends too, I should be with them."

"John, you don't want to face those people. They're too strong," he said calmly but felt his patience wearing thin. He'd dealt with too much for one day and this was not something he wanted to discuss before venturing to a place he didn't want to go to from the beginning. If they hadn't taken Bobby and Rogue, he would have left it as was. But nothing was that easy.

John became red in the face with anger and balled his fists, his tantrums coming back. "Dammit! I'm not a kid anymore, Tristian. I want to fight. I want to help. I haven't fought in so long I miss the fun of it."

Tristian growled at himself for what he was about to do, but the words struck the match for the fire inside him. "You want to fight, Pyro."

"Yes," he said chin up in his usual I'm-better manner.

"Fine," Tristian vaporized and appeared in front of John, wrapping his hand around the boy's throat and shoving him up against the wall with the other. He spoke through gritted teeth, eyes dark and silver. "Fight me."

John looked petrified and confused all at once. "W-what?"

Tristian shoved him harder and John gave off a faint cry. He couldn't help but to smile at it. "I'm just as strong as they are. Fight me, Johnny boy. Make it fun, please, because I haven't had fun in awhile either."

"Tristian," a voice called from his side. Jean's voice. She'd come back for him. He turned his head to see the shocked look on his face. "What are you doing?"

He kept his hand on John. "Talking to John."

"It doesn't look like talking."

"This is my way of talking," he backed away from John and his eyes changed back to green, but his hand stayed on the boy.

"Tristian...let him go," she asked calmly.

"I'm not hurting him," he smiled and shook his head. "I'm saving all that for Frost."

"Let him go," she spoke it slowly and took a step forward.

Tristian sighed but did nothing. He felt Jean try to get in his head to make him let go but he deflected her easily. She wasn't strong enough to beat him, not when he was in this state. He pushed it back at her. She winced and rubbed her head, looking at him with more shock and hurt on her face. It hurt him to see her like that, but it was better than seeing her dead.

He cocked his head at John. "He wants to come with us," he grabbed the boy by his collar and shoved him forward towards Jean. "Let him. We can use every man down there."

John took off towards the elevator and Tristian faintly wondered if the boy would actually go now that he scared him. It was what he had to do. It would stop him from getting on the jet, either that or he'd be stubborn and do it anyway.

"What is wrong with you?" Jean asked grabbing Tristian's arm as he tried to walk past her.

"Nothing."

"Why are you acting this way?" she asked angrily.

"This is how I am," he growled at her. "This is what you've fallen in love with. It's part of me, Jeanie. There's the good side and the dark side and the good side sure as hell isn't going to get the job done."

"It can...but you're just too afraid to let it," he countered. "I have that same problem, Tristian. But the good can always triumph. Get over it."

"You don't know what she's like," he said and couldn't help the tears that rose to his eyes. "She will kill all of you and I can't bear that, not again. If she kills you..," he stopped and took a deep breath. "It would kill me. But if I push you all away now, it won't hurt me as much."

She touched his face, pushing him closer to her. "Nothing will happen," she brushed a hand through his hair. "I'll be fine. I promise."

He nodded, still unsure of how he should act. "We better go."

He stepped forward but she pulled him back, locking her lips on his in surprise. Tristian tensed at first but gave in to it, relaxing easily. She pulled away and smiled. "Now we can go."

He took a deep breath and followed her, making a promise to himself to let nothing harm her, no matter what price he had to pay.

NEW CHAPTER COMING SOON R&R IN THE MEANTIME!!!