Chapter Seven: Alive Again

You've never felt relief until your thoughts are your own again. You've never felt relief until you've been cleared sane once again. You've never felt relief until you finally have the green light to go home.

The mental screening went by like a breeze. They tested my mental strengths, scanned my brain, asked a few trick questions, and before you knew it, I was able to begin packing.

I danced around my room a little, jumped on the bed, and accidentally cracked the nightstand while doing a Rockette Kick- don't ask me how it happened, it just did.

No more swallowing a zillion pills at a time. No more nurses storming into my rooms, no more being escorted to and from places; I could finally do things on my own. Not that I'd immediately go drive a car or fly a jet; we would ease into that another time. But I stood there, wriggling into my dark blue jeans with a wide grin plastered to my face.

I was going home.

I pulled my shirt on, running to the bathroom to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. I didn't even bother to fold my clothes; I dumped everything into the suitcase and zipped it shut, pulling it up to stand on its own. I checked under the bed, in the broken nightstand, and back into the bathroom to assure myself everything was packed.

I gently tied Alex's bracelet to my wrist; I had to double it over my hand since his wrist was so damn big. I took the vile of liquid metal, pulling it from the tube and solidified it into a small band that slid onto my finger as a simple ring.

The door opened and Jamie entered, smiling. "Ready to go, dear?"

"All packed to go." I said eagerly.

"This might be the happiest I seen y'." She commented, laughing. "C'mon. Yer friends landed a few minutes ago."

I grabbed my bag, slinging the backpack over my shoulder and followed her out. We went back to the west wing, but instead of heading straight for the library, we looped around to Moira's office.

My teeth were chattering in excitement as she opened the door. In both office chairs sat Hank and Scott.

Scott stood in time to catch me as I threw myself at him in an excited hug. His arms wrapped around my back tightly as he returned the affection, laughing slightly. "Good to see you too."

"Tell me you're taking me out of here." I said, looking up at him.

"You betcha." He said, smiling. "We're signing the papers now."

I pulled away, giving the same hug to Hank. His soft furs got in my face, but the important thing was that we were there.

Moira smiled as Jamie came around to stand next to her. "How are you feelin' this evenin'?"

"Like normal." I said, noticing it for the first time. "No one's whispering in my ear anymore or picking through my thoughts."

"Good." She turned to Hank. "I want her back here in a month for a check up to see how her mind has progressed."

"Any medications to take?" He asked, adjusting his jacket.

"If she has any depression episodes, give her this. Any panic attacks or fear of more voices, just give her this." Moira handed two orange pill bottles to Hank who tucked them carefully in his bag.

"Sign here and here and your all good to go." She pointed to several lines on a sheet of paper on the desk; both Scott and Hank signed twice.

"Thank ya." She said, placing the paper in a file and put the file in a cabinet, locking it back. "It was good to see ya laddies again. Lorna, take good care, alright?"

I nodded. "Will do. Thank you, Moira, for everything."

She smiled. "It's my job. Now go! Have a safe trip back!"

"Wasn't that bad, was it?" Scott asked, helping me into the jet.

"Medically, no. It was perfect. I was just really lonely. They acted like I was going to kill myself; they didn't even let me have a towel dispenser in my bathroom, in case I decided to suffocate myself with it." I paused. "Is that even possible?"

Hank laughed, shaking his head. "I think they did well. I heard you were quite the friendly one."

I rolled my eyes. "I didn't do anything, so of course I was rough around the edges."

I thrilled as the jet lifted off of the ground and shot away from the retched island.

"What time is it in New York?" I asked, eager to go home.

Hank looked at his watch- when did he start wearing watches? "About three o'clock. Five hours behind Scotland."

We sat in silence for a while as I watched us outrun the darkness.

"About the backpack." I said, holding the gray bag on my lap. "What's with the metal vial?"

Hank looked at Scott, who only tightened his jaw.

"I thought you would need some practice. We can't have you of all people getting rusty." He said, his tone light and playful.

I looked at the ring on my finger and shrugged. "Thanks. I didn't use it but it was thoughtful."

My eagerness slowly ebbed away and revealed my fatigue beneath it. Sure I was excited, but I was exhausted at the same time. There was too much stuff happening at once.

I was almost asleep when the oversized mansion came into view.

Home. My home was just beneath us.

I sat up, wiping my eyes as the jet soared into the waterfall around the back; that was where the smaller jets entered and exited; the Blackbird would go through the basketball court.

Tears filled my eyes when I saw a group of particularly familiar people standing in the hangar waiting for the jet to slow to a stop. The minute it did, I pushed the door open, stepping out.

"Lorna...?" Jean stood at the front, her hands clasped in front of her mouth.

I laughed, running into her, wrapping her in a tight hug. She gave her own relief filled laugh, hugging me back tightly.

"You're okay..." She said, reassuring herself more than stating it. "Oh my god, you're okay..."

"I'm okay." I said, pulling back to look at her. "I'm fine, Jean."

"I just can't believe you're okay." She said, laughing and crying. "Was it fun?"

"God, no." I said, smiling. "But I'm here. If I ever want to stay anywhere else, please talk me out of it."

"Hey, princess." Bobby said, pushing Jean out of the way.

I smiled, hugging him as well. "Not anymore."

"Quick, what's my name?" He asked, pulling back.

"I didn't know you had one." I replied with ease, going on to greet the others.

Rogue, Betsy, Logan, Remy, Warren, they all greeted me with joyful smiles and encouraging murmurs.

"C'mon, there's food inside." Jean said as the others drifted inside.

"Alright, Lemme grab my bag." I turned, walking back to the jet.

Scott and Hank had taken my suitcase and left, but were smart enough to leave my knapsack. I grabbed the bag by the straps when a new voice rumbled behind me.

"What, I don't get a greeting?"

My blood went cold as goosebumps began to dot my arms. No, no, no, this couldn't be happening. I was home now, why was this continuing?

I had to. I couldn't stop myself from turning slowly, the back pack forgotten in the jet. I sucked in air as his figure stood several hundred feet away from the aircraft.

I backed up until my back hit the body of the jet, tears springing in my eyes. Both hands flew to my face as I tried to block out the wail I felt starting in my throat.

"N-no." I stuttered. "Y-you're not here. Go away."

He shrugged, that damned smirk on his face. "I can go, but I'll still be there when you go upstairs."

"Stop it." I said, tears already flooding my face. "Stop following me."

"I've been here the entire time." He paused, digging his hands in his jeans pockets. "I survived."

"No. Nobody survives the heat of an exploding star. I saw it with my own eyes." I wanted him to go but didn't want him to leave; if Alex freaking Summers was standing there, I needed proof.

"Turns out I had a secondary mutation; I'm impervious to burns." He smiled. "Seriously, no hello? Not even a kiss?"

I noticed Jean standing beside me for the first time.

"Tell me you see him too." I begged, wanting her to see him so badly.

"Lorna, he's been here since Genosha." She said softly, smiling. "He's alive."

My mind whirled. Dear god, my dead lover was standing in front of me in the flesh and blood, waiting for me to make a move.

"Alex...?" I said, my voice dropping. "Please tell me it's you."

"C'mere, babe."

I shot forward before I could tell my feet what to do. In less than a second, I threw myself into his arms, wrapping myself in his embrace. His strong arms wrapped around my waist, lifting me off of the ground. He spun me around for a moment before setting me back down, laughing.

My hands ran up his arms, squeezing his shoulders, touching his face, assuring myself that he was very real. More tears erupted from my eyes, dripping off of my chin and falling to the ground between us.

His hands came up, wiping my face.

"I found you." I whispered, my breath shaky.

"I found you first." He whispered back, kissing my forehead.

My arms finally found their way around his neck, pulling his head down so his lips pressed against mine.

We stayed like that for a moment, enjoying the feeling of the other. I bit on his lip, eliciting a groan from his throat; to assure myself he was there.

He pulled back, looking down at me thoughtfully. "Didn't realize you wanted me that much."

I laughed, tears still spilling. "I'm scared I'll wake up and you won't be there."

He pushed my hair out of the way, tilted his head, and bit down on the crook of my neck, making me hiss. The bite turned into a tender kiss, which traveled up the side of my neck and landed on my lips once again.

"I'm right here. I promise." He whispered in my ear, sending thrilling shivers down my back.

"Alright you two." Jean said, stopping us before it went any further than she would have liked to see. "Let's go inside, shall we?" She handed Alex the bag, tugging me along.

That night, I refused to sleep alone. I wanted to be next to him, to feel him, to smell him, to see him when I woke up.

I slid into bed beside him, his arms immediately snaking around my waist. They pulled me closer, allowing me to tangle my legs with his, to rest my head on his broad chest. I heard his heartbeat, closing my eyes to concentrate on the strong rhythm.

"It's there." He said, brushing his hands through my hair. "I promise."

"I thought I was never going to see you again." I admitted, intertwining my fingers with his.

"You'll always see me." He said, chuckling. "This face is everywhere."

I rolled my eyes. "You gave me the bag, not Scott."

"Correct." Alex's finger's drummed a soft and lazy beat on my hip.

"You were on the phone." I said, recalling the day I heard his voice.

"Also true."

"You visited when Hank came by. You told the nurse to make me open the bag."

"Look at you; you could be the next Sherlock Holmes." He teased, pressing a kiss to my head.

"Always come back to me." I whispered, enjoying the feeling of his warmth leaking into me.

"I will if you will."

I smiled, shutting my eyes, his heartbeat strong in my ear, his breathing steady and sure.

"Deal."

"I love you, Lorna."

"I love you too."