Stay Away from My Girl

"The dreams are getting worse. Scott, I keep feeling something terrible is about to happen."
"I would never let anything happen to you."

Not everyone was outside enjoying the warm air. In fact, Dr. Jean Grey had spent the vast majority of the day being medically examined by Dr. Hank McCoy, and then psychically examined by Professor X to look for any signs that the Phoenix entity was re-emerging.

Later in the evening, as she ate dinner alone with Scott rather than with the other professors, Jean balked at the attention. "Why are we doing this like I'm a cancer patient?" she pointed out. "Why are we all pretending this is a medical situation we can manage with conventional means?"

"It's just how we do things," Scott reasoned.

Jean twirled the pasta on her fork in an obviously disinterested manner. "We suspect I house the most powerful being in the universe somewhere in my body, Scott," Jean continued. "I'm a doctor, I have the exact same training, but I don't really see how an MRI is going to help."

Scott sighed as he cleared the table and went to do the dishes without continuing the subject.

Jean leaned on the counter next to him. "I'm serious, Scott. I just want things to get back to normal."

Scott turned to face her, and lightly took her hand in his. "I'm just glad you're okay," he said, disbelief and awe still evident in his voice at that simple declaration. His world had been shattered into a million pieces when he thought Jean was gone; now…

Jean smiled knowingly. "I'm not going anywhere, Scott."

Scott turned to put the dishes away, only to discover the cabinet door closing – apparently of its own volition – with all the dishes already safely tucked away.

Jean was grinning impishly when he turned back to her.

"You can't tell me that's 'back to normal,'" Scott pointed out.

"We always knew it would be this easy for me eventually."

Scott crossed his arms. "This… 'Phoenix' just jumpstarted it, then? You still haven't told me exactly what happened."

Jean shook her head, her expression darkening. "I don't want to talk about it, Scott."

Scott had opened his mouth to pursue the matter farther, when Jean insisted, "I said I don't want to talk about it!"

Scott's hands were raised slightly in a placating gesture, and Jean immediately felt guilty for yelling. They embraced.

"We just want to make sure you're okay," Scott said quietly. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

Jean laughed. "You really still think you need to protect me."

Her words troubled Scott, and he frowned. "We're always supposed to look out for each other, Jean. I love you."

"I love you too, Scott," Jean said, her voice suddenly smaller. "And that's what scares me."

"What do you mean?"

Jean suddenly grew very serious. "I'm not afraid of dying, Scott. Not anymore."

"Don't talk like that!" Scott protested. "You—"

"I was dead, Scott." She shook her head. "I'm not sure how, I'm not sure why… but…" her eyes grew distant. "The Phoenix…"

"Jean—"

"I'm not afraid of dying, Scott. I'm afraid of burning the world. I'm afraid of destroying everything and everyone I ever loved."

"Do you really think it's that powerful? This… Phoenix?"

Her haunted look was answer enough. "I just want everything to be back to normal," she reiterated.

"Yeah," Scott agreed, now very troubled. "Me too."

Before they could discuss the matter any further, both of their comlinks beeped. Cyclops was a split second quicker answering his, so Jean just listened in. "Go ahead."

It was Professor Xavier. "Scott. Logan, Storm, and the others just got back from New York. I need you both at the hanger."

Scott glanced at Jean in askance, but all trace of disquietude had left her features. "We're on our way," he assured Xavier.

xxxx

Jean and Scott were shocked by the scene that awaited them in the hanger. Rogue was being examined by Beast on a stretcher. Bobby stood nervously as close as they would allow him to be.

"What happened?" Jean asked, as she moved to assist Beast and Scott walked over to join the Professor, Storm, and Wolverine.

"She's unconscious. But there doesn't appear to be anything physically wrong with her," Beast answered, sounding baffled. He looked to the others for clarification.

"She accidentally absorbed someone's power," Bobby explained.

"Well, that's nothing—" Beast started.

"All of it," Bobby clarified.

Beast took a sharp breath. "Oh."

"So… what's going to happen to her?" Bobby asked nervously.

Beast looked to Jean, who shook her head. "We don't know," she admitted. "This has never happened before. I mean, in theory…"

"Let's not deal with theory," Professor Xavier suggested helpfully. "Hank, Jean, take her to the infirmary and see what you can do?"

Jean nodded, and she and Beast started wheeling Rogue away. Bobby followed them, and no one had the heart to suggest he do otherwise.

"The rest of us will convene to the briefing room," Xavier continued. "I fear we have much to discuss."

"You don't know the half of it," Logan assured him, watching with obvious concern as Rogue was wheeled away.

xxxx

Peter hadn't made it back to the basketball court as he had promised his teammates earlier. As late afternoon wore on to evening, the darkening sky found him still conversing with his new friend Jean-Paul.

"So, what's your gift?" Jean-Paul asked him as they walked across the grounds. He gave him an admiring sidelong glance and hastily added, "Besides muscles, of course."

Peter actually felt his cheeks warm slightly, but he quickly switched into metal form to hide it – conveniently also answering Jean-Paul's question. "They call me Colossus," Peter explained.

"Nice!" Jean-Paul exclaimed.

"How about you?" Peter asked, reverting to his non-metal form as soon as he was fairly certain no trace of the incriminating blush remained.

Instead of answering, Jean-Paul hopped into the air, casually floating just a few feet off the ground. Before Peter could even comment on how much he would enjoy the ability to fly, Jean-Paul closed his eyes and was suddenly glowing with brilliant white light.

Peter gaped at him in open admiration, as Jean-Paul calmly echoed Peter's earlier declaration, "They call me Northstar."

"Wow," Peter breathed as Jean-Paul gently landed in front of him.

"I'm also super fast – no jokes, please, I've heard them all."

Peter smiled, and this time it was Jean-Paul who smiled reflexively in return. Without really thinking about it, Peter and Jean-Paul moved closer together. Their lips had almost touched when a loud beeping sound suddenly interrupted the stillness of the night.

Peter blinked in surprise at what he and Jean-Paul had been about to do, but realized he had to answer his comlink. He tried to keep any trace of confusion out of his voice as he said, "This is Colossus, go ahead."

"Peter," Cyclops's voice answered, "we need everyone in the briefing room. Right now."

His voice certainly sounded urgent, but Peter couldn't help but ask, "What is it?"

"We think we know where Magneto is."