Chapter 3: The Question
The conversation between Scott and Morgan cycled down to silence after most of the major topics had been touched on. A few shared memories of 'back in the day' were mutually recollected, and the weather had been remarked about. Morgan had an inkling of what Scott was thinking about. After so many years of fielding questions, and giving her canned 'is there really such things as ghosts?' answer, she knew the facial expression most people wore before they summoned the courage to ask 'the question'.
"Can I ask you something?" He finally asked, his face remained facing forward, watching the road, "I mean I don't know if I really believe about ghosts and such but..."
"Ask your question." Morgan replied, trying not to smirk.
"If someone dies unexpectedly or perhaps there is an accident, why wouldn't a spirit stick around? I don't know, to conceivably to tie up loose ends. You know, give people a chance to say good bye?"
"Hmmm…now that is not the typical question that I receive. Scott, are we talking about Jean?" he nodded, "I may not have an answer but I will try. It has been my experience that most people when they die, do not want to stay. They want to go on, to cross over if you will. Earthly concerns just no longer exist. They make the choice to leave. The hardest lesson I had to learn was that even though someone loves you so much, and your bond with them is so strong, that doesn't necessarily mean you are enough to keep them here. Existing in a form no longer corporeal amongst millions of corporeal beings is an awful way to be. All of the really strong emotions like hate, anger, envy, desire are intensified because you have what they no longer have… Life. Are you following me?"
"I think so. You mentioned the hardest lesson you had to learn, were you referring to your mother's death?" Scott asked, swallowing hard.
"I was more referring to my husband, Jonathon. He was killed in a car accident about two years ago."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Scott replied, turning his head and looked at Morgan. There was apparently a lot that the professor neglected to mention about what had happened to Morgan after she left the school so many years ago.
"After Jonathon died, I really thought since he knew how strong of a medium I was, he would choose to stay because I would be able communicate with him. We could still have each other, but I quickly realized that I wasn't enough. This started to affect my work. I no longer could focus. I looked for him in every shadowy apparition I saw. So my mentor, David took me off active investigator status and I became his personal assistant. That was good for me. I was able to get my life under control again," Morgan said in a low and even tone. Scott could tell that she was still struggling with the pain; he could hear the effort to keep her emotions under check in her voice.
"What made you leave that organization?" Scott asked, hoping to change the subject.
"David disappeared under mysterious circumstances, and then, well, let's just say he became something else," Morgan's voice trailed off.
"What did he become?"
Morgan sighed and looked out the window, "Unfortunately, that is something I cannot tell you."
"Oh sorry, didn't mean to pry"
"No it's not that, just organizational secrecy. So anyways, after he was gone, there was nothing for me there. So I came back home to the states. If you ask my dad, I really just came home so that I could lie in my bedroom, listen to sad music, cry, and write all my depressing thoughts in my journal."
"What would you say?"
"Of definitely that was exactly what I did, but not in that particular order, I think he was more alarmed that I started frequenting the New York night clubs," she grinned at him. Scott chuckled softly. They sat in silence for a few moments, lost in their own thoughts.
"Remember when we snuck out and went to that dive bar in Westchester? I still don't know how we were able to get in, we all looked so goddamn young," Scott said, glancing over at Morgan who was smiling, "What?"
"You never did quite understand how my gift worked, did you Scott?"
"Meaning?"
"One of the first aspects of being an empath you learn is the power of influence."
"It was you," Scott snorted, "and here I thought all of these years that Warren slipped the bouncer some money. Morgan threw her head back and laughed. She then turned to him, waved a hand in front of her face.
"It was a combo, Scott. Warren and myself. Here take a fifty, dude. We are all over twenty one and these aren't the droids that you are looking for."
He couldn't help what where his mind went next. After having Stryker catch them, so unaware and with their pants down around their ankles, Scott started to look at all aspects of his life now with strategy. Even though, the woman sitting next to him was not a mutant, and probably wanted nothing to do with their fight, he couldn't help but wonder where and how he could use her on his team.
"So, is there anyone left at the school that I might know?"
"Only…Ororo, Hank, myself and the professor. Hank, as you know, became a medical doctor. A few years ago, his physical mutation become much more pronounced…very pronounced. The school is quite busy, many students, staff, and there are a few that seem just want to hang around to piss me off. I'll let Charles make those introductions."