Title: Out of the Garden: Abel

Fandom: X-Men Universe comics / movies

Pairing: Jean G./Emma F.

Rating: PG-13

Notes: Alternate Ending 2

Emma closes her eyes as Jean continues to squeeze her neck. She could barely breathe. The blonde knew this was a desperate act. She also knew that this wasn't Jean.

She didn't want to admit it when she heard her lover's words that morning. But there was no mistaking it anymore. Jean was obsessed with her. She had seen that same anger, jealousy, possessiveness, and clouded rage in many of her previous lovers.

There was one huge difference this time around however. Emma was in love with her. She wasn't going to allow the redhead to ruin that over a stupid contract. Besides that, Emma had tried to negate it a few weeks after she agreed to it. She wasn't going to lose Jean. She couldn't they'd been through too much already.

~ Tiger, if you can hear me, tell me why you love me? ~ She whispers telepathically now seeing Scott practically glued to the ceiling.

Jean blinks rapidly still holding the blonde in the air as she focuses her eyes on the floor. She's heard her, but she couldn't think.

Emma tries to take a breath remembering the redhead's words to her when she confessed about her condition.

~ It's okay baby, I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere. ~ The blonde whispers.

Jean begins to sob uncontrollably suddenly releasing her lover. Emma lands on her feet. The redhead is trembling as her hands drop to her sides. The blonde catches her breath.

"Tell me why you love me?" Emma says softly.

Jean shakes her head back and forth. "You…." She begins to hold her chest tightly. "You make me….whole."

Emma gasps as Jean holds her head up seeing her eyes shifting back and forth from green to gold. The blonde knew the truth of those words. Being with Emma and experiencing real love was helping her merge with the Phoenix.

Emma slowly raises her hand to cup the redhead's face. She allows the contact. "Jean Grey, my firefly…you make me whole. I didn't know love until I met you. I'm not going anywhere. Do you hear me baby?"

Tears stream down the redhead's face as the contract floats into her hand. She holds it up. Emma takes it from her hand then balls it up. Jean furrows her brow as Emma throws it over her shoulder.

"Tiger, I love you. Right here, right now." She says as Jean covers her hand with her own and removes it from her cheek.

"But, you're with Scott…."

Emma shakes her head no. "Read his mind."

"No." The redhead says grabbing the blonde's throat suddenly. "I saw you with him."

"Jean Grey." The blonde says firmly. "Read….his…mind."

Jean grits her teeth and looks up at him. She floats his body to the floor and scans his mind. Her eyes shift back to green as she lets go of Emma's throat. She stares at Scott gasping softly. Jean blinks slowly and refocuses her attention on her lover.

"You're not with…"

"No Tiger, I'm not."

Jean gulps and takes a few steps away from the blonde. She blinks nervously feeling very ashamed of herself all of sudden. Emma reaches out to her and moves toward her, but the redhead steps away.

"No Em, please. Don't touch me. I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry." She says staring into Emma's blue eyes. She was finally coming into her right mind, now fully aware of what she was about to do to the blonde. The Phoenix was affecting more of her mind than she realized. It wasn't just that, but she also saw everything Scott had endured at her hands. She couldn't do that to Emma too.

She continues to back out of the room. Emma sighs. "Tiger where are you going?"

The redhead just shakes her head. "I won't let you end up like him. He was right to leave me." She turns to leave as Emma grabs her arm.

"Are you deaf now too?" The blonde says grabbing both of her arms. "I told you I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. Look at me Jean." She locks eyes with her. "I'm….not…going…anywhere. You're stuck with me."

The blonde admonishes herself in her mind recognizing that she was just as obsessed with Jean as the redhead was with her. The redhead just had the guts to be upfront about it.

Jean begins to cry again as Scott walks up behind Emma and grabs her waist. "Hey Jean, what are you doing here? Did you know that Emma and I are back together now?" He says with a confident smile.

Jean's eyes turn gold as Emma squeezes her arm tightly. "Tiger, we just talked about this didn't we?" She says like a parent reminding a child of something they had forgotten. The redhead takes a deep breath as her jaw clinches and her eyes turn back to normal.

Emma raises her eyebrows as she waits for Jean to give her eye contact again. The redhead squints then smiles seeing the blonde smirk at her lack of control. She lets go of her arms and then moves Scott's hands off of her waist.

~ Don't leave me Tiger, please. We can get through this. I know we can.~ Emma whispers.

~ Em….did you want to be with me before that contract? ~ Jean asks.

Emma smiles.

~ You know I did. Have you already forgotten Iceland? ~Emma says smirking.

Jean laughs under her breath.

Scott moves out to the hallway suddenly feeling uncomfortable. He crosses his arms. "Em, can we go now?" He asks her.

"Sure sweetie, just give me a minute okay. Just wait right there, I just need to talk to Jean for a second." She closes the door in his face. Then she backs the redhead against the door. Their eyes are lidded and locked.

"You really are the perfect woman for me Tiger. I've always known that." She says softly.

Jean half smiles.

"What is it?" Emma asks.

The redhead looks away for a moment then finds the blonde's azure gaze. "Em." She says sighing. "What about Scott? I did that to him. Who's to say I won't do the same to you?"

Emma leans into a passionate kiss then slowly pulls away. "I'm not him, Tiger. Would you like to hear a secret?" She asks.

The redhead nods.

"He can't make you feel like this because what you're feeling right now…is us." She whispers. Jean closes her eyes letting a few tears fall, remembering the Iceland mission when Emma first told her that she wanted her. The two kiss for another minute, until they hear Scott's impatient knocking.

They take him to the medical bay and contact the professor. It's decided that Scott would be committed. A special section of the mansion is created to house him and keep him under surveillance.

Emma and Logan work with the professor to help in Scott's rehabilitation.

Jean and Emma stay together as much as possible as the redhead works overtime to completely merge with the Phoenix force. They even stay and mediate at a few Buddhist temples a few months out of the year.

Logan finds himself feeling responsible for what happened to Scott. The more time he spends with him, the more he senses that he really might be attracted to him. They had been enemies and rivals for so long, he hadn't realized how much they actually had in common. And as much as Logan hated to admit it; he felt good being with him the day they had sex. It also helped that Scott had convinced himself that they were in love so it wasn't that hard for him to let go of Emma.

Logan decided that he'd be by his side from that point on.

And that was the story of them…

"There can be little liberty on Earth while men worship a tyrant in heaven." Robert Green Ingersoll

"There is only one evil, one crime, one sin; lack of heart." Multatuli

I know it's a bit anti-climactic. This was a new experience for me co-creating a story. In hindsight, I could have seen this story going a lot of different ways, I got a bit tired towards the end, which is why it took so long to finish and you know...work, lol. This was a co-creative project for another writer. Next time, I definitely want to have more input and suggestions. I mean I've got lots of ideas, but I don't mind being reigned in from time to time, to keep the story on track. This was a fun project though. I think next time I'll water down the Phoenix element. It's one of my favorite parts of the Jean Grey story-line so I tend to take it and run with it. I think I'd like to see Jean powered down though.

Coming down from the Dimensional Lover's Half-pike:

These will likely be one shots…depends on how I feel. I typically take a few weeks to dive into the fantasy…so who knows.

Avatar: The Legend of Korra: Continuing the story after the end of book 3. Asami realizes that her feelings for Korra are deeper than friendship. Femslash Korra / Asami

DC Universe: Kara Zor-El is out of control and Clark sends her to Themyscira to learn some manners Amazon style. Femslash Diana / Kara

Marvel Universe: While Peter's away the Cat will play. The Black Cat takes over rescuing Mary Jane for a while. Femslash Mary Jane / Felicia Hardy

Great suggestions from the Fanfiction fam! Big Appreciation! I'm super glad you are enjoying these stories as much as I am. My intention is improve with each story. Eventually I hope to enjoy really seasoned character development in my writing.

There is nothing that you cannot be, do, or have~

The Dimensional Lover