A/N: This is an epilogue I had written for the story shortly after posting it originally; but the direction Marvel went with the X-Men, and Cyclops specifically, turned me off to the entire Marvel universe so much that I never bothered posting this. I found it recently, when going through some old files, and decided "what the hell". I hope you enjoy it, and that it gives you a glimpse into the mind of the Cyclops I grew up with, and loved; at least, what I think his mind is like.
Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men or any other Marvel characters.
Epilogue
Cyclops looks out over Utopia from his balcony, lost in thought. His life has taken many twists and turns over the years, but he somehow always manages to land on his feet; or at least pick himself up if he is knocked down.
He's seen loved ones die, and be reborn countless times; friends turn their backs and betray him, and enemies become the staunchest of allies. He's travelled across galaxies, through time, and seen various different realities; even living entire lives sometimes. And through it all, he has had to struggle; fight tooth and nail to survive and find some sense of happiness.
He is looked up to as a leader, a mentor, a teacher, and a friend by many; but reviled as a tyrant, a villain, a foe, and hated by many others. He has loved, and been loved; broken hearts, and had his heart broken. He has been a father, a brother, and a son; and he has been orphaned, and alone. He has been a loving husband, and a widower; and he has broken the sanctity of marriage.
He has made decisions that have sent people to their deaths; and a couple that cost him his own life. He has grieved, and been grieved. And he has killed.
There is darkness inside him that most men would fear, and few would want to possess. He is flawed, and imperfect, but strives for perfection. He desires to control everything he can, but can't control his own powers.
And here he stands, on his balcony, overlooking what he built; his vision. A safe haven for mutant kind.
Psylocke watches him standing on the balcony, as stoic as the first time she ever met him. If she wasn't a telepath, and hadn't known him for years, she would think him to be apathetic, and a little cold; but she knows he isn't. She knows it's a facade he puts out there so that others will think he is always in control of every situation.
She has been privy to his private thoughts, his most intimate dreams, and his greatest fears; and she knows the real man behind the mask that is Cyclops.
She knows about the self-doubt that still eats away at every decision he makes, despite his years as their leader, and the guilt he feels when his decisions cost others.
She knows about his desire to be a hero, and his fear that he may be seen as a villain.
She has seen his dreams of a world at peace, and witnessed his nightmares of everything he's worked for destroyed at his feet.
She knows just how much love is in him to give, and how much he wants to give it; but his personal loses, and a fear of abandonment make him hold back. She knows that he would like nothing more than to just let everyone know just how much he cares for them, and how proud he is of them; but fear of losing them, or being rejected stop him.
She has seen the darkness that lurks inside of him, and marvels at his ability to suppress it, along with his own desires, for the greater good. She has known darkness herself, and can relate to him in this.
She reaches out and brushes his mind, letting the complexity of his thoughts wash over her like a warm blanket; she's always had a thing for puzzles, and that's what she thinks first drew her to him.
He was such a challenge to figure out in the beginning, his thoughts had always been guarded. But as they worked together, and got to know each other better, his guard started to slip around her; and she was able to finally glimpse the man behind the mask.
What she had seen, she liked, and she found herself being drawn to him; that's when the flirtations had started.
Most of the other X-Men had just assumed it was simply a physical attraction, and she could admit that that had been part of it, but they never knew that the physical attraction had been secondary to her; it was his mind that had her captivated.
What she hadn't counted on, was having to work so hard at seducing him. She knew he loved Jean, but had his doubts about her, and she assumed that she would be able to swoop in and steal him away with little effort. But he made her work for it, despite his obvious attraction to her; and in the end he chose Jean.
That was the reason why, when the opportunity presented itself again, this time with Emma as her opposition, she didn't leave the choice to him; she made it for him.
Sure she felt a little guilty, both times in fact, but she never claimed to be a girl scout.
She sees his shoulders drop a little as his body relaxes to the touch of her mind. Not waiting another second, she stands up from the bed they had just been sharing, and wraps a blanket around herself. She walks out onto the balcony, and wraps her arms around him, letting her head rest against his back.
He reaches up, and interlocks the fingers of his right hand with hers, and holds it close to his chest.
It may have taken her several years, but she finally got the man of her dreams, and she has no intention of letting him get away.
He feels her mind brush against his, and he relaxes slightly.
He has always felt comfortable around her, other than a few incidents years ago, when she had been trying to seduce him, and he had been trying his hardest to resist; not that he hadn't been attracted to her. She represented something Jean hadn't been for him, freedom; freedom to be himself, and not be judged.
That was what had driven him to Emma; but in the end, Emma was more like Jean than she liked to admit.
Despite their different upbringings, he finds that he has more in common with Psylocke than with anyone else.
That is probably why it was easier to give in to her this time around, and why he doesn't feel as bad as he thought he would.
He also knows that she won't try to fight for his heart against his past; she is content with the here and now. She understands that he still loves Jean, Maddie, and Emma, after all they had been such large parts of his life; but she also understands that his heart is all hers now.
Just like he understands that she will always love Warren.
"Come back to bed, Luv." She whispers into his ear. "The world can wait until tomorrow for Cyclops to save it. Right now, there is something better Scott Summers should be doing."
With one last look at Utopia, he turns around, and takes her into his arms, before kissing her deeply.
He lets her lead him back inside, no longer lost in thought, but focused solely on the mischievous smile on her lips, and intent on making sure she has a reason for that smile.
THE END