Here we are with our post-battle chapter, I hope you will like it as it has some very interesting things happening to it.
Enjoy...
Chapter Nine - Deception
Jean's eyes opened slowly, she was in the bedroom she shared with her husband. The slumber her mind withdrew her was mostly a black out. No dreams, no nightmares, only the familiar silence that was the aftermath of her powers being abused. She almost missed the oblivion after the past two eventful weeks.
She turned her head slowly and looked at her husband. The once young man she knew had aged gracefully, the cocky boy had become a responsible leader, a charismatic teacher, the amazing father of their only child. He was sitting next to their bed, his hands in fists before his lips, his entire body crouched forward with his elbows on his knees.
'Hey,' she whispered and Scott finally moved his hands away from his mouth and smiled at her. Through their bond, she could feel his turmoil, everything was crumbling around them, their lives were changing rapidly and Scott – just like her – didn't like change, especially of that kind. She could also feel his immense relief for her recovery. Every time Jean's powers were abused, Scott had every reason to be afraid.
'Feeling better?' he asked softly and Jean nodded her head, she reached for the glass of water and Tylenol he knew to have by her nightstand. The headache would last through the night. She took the medicine and let her head back on the pillow, realizing Scott –probably with Storm's help- had removed her uniform and put her in a t-shirt and pajama pants. Scott moved from the chair to their bed, sat by her side and caressed her long hair before she could take his hand in hers.
'Hope is alright, with Raven.' Scott started with the most important information. Jean nodded. 'It's past eleven. The team brought everyone back from the tunnels. Good news in all this, they evacuated successfully… not even one injured student.' Scott added and Jean nodded once more. 'We taught them well,' he observed with pride in his voice even though clouded by exhaustion. 'Charles is getting better, Hank reassured us, he'll be out of the infirmary in a few days. We haven't let Franklin reach him. We are all over the news, apparently but Hank has taken care of the public relations, as always. Nobody has any idea of Magneto's whereabouts. Nobody has an idea about his daughters… That Polaris obviously bends magnetism but the Scarlet Witch is another case… she probably has multiple powers that we can't pinpoint at the moment.' Scott concluded and Jean sighed and nodded, her first day as Madame Secretary had been disastrous.
'It's not your fault, Jean…' Scott added as he had heard her through the bond.
'I know…' she said quietly and Scott smiled and kissed her knuckles.
'Have you asked Franklin about them?' Jean asked Scott but her husband shook his head.
'I thought of leaving this to you… you know, telepath to telepath, he gives the impression he respects you, maybe we're wrong but when you collapsed he seemed genuinely concerned and tried his best to help, I don't know. Logan wanted to harass some words out of him, Ororo wanted to play the diplomat but I told them to wait until you can give it a try. I trust you more than anyone else to make people feel comfortable and ready to talk.' Scott added and Jean smiled at him.
'I'll try; I'm worried he's here to harm Charles… the way he mentally slipped when we first reached him…' Jean trailed off and Scott nodded.
'I know, but he's also powerful, if he wanted he could have put up a fight and kill Charles… Richards obviously struggles for our trust, the reason for that, I don't know, but if he wanted to stop whatever future he came from like that, he could have popped in, kill Charles and go…. Now, there's obviously a change in his plans.' Scott expressed for the both of them as Jean nodded. 'I feel uneasy around him, he seems to know Hope well.' Scott admitted quietly after that and Jean couldn't help despite of the situation, to smile again. 'I haven't let him reach her.' He added, mostly reassuring himself.
'Did he ask or try to meet her?' Jean asked and Scott shook his head.
'No,' Scott replied and then smirked at her 'But still, I kept him away from even laying eyes on her.' He added and Jean smirked back.
'A lot of people will know Hope, Scott... Especially if after '25, Franklin attended the school… he probably met her, if I am not mistaken they must have a six year difference…' Jean tried to reason with her husband, she couldn't help but find his overreaction sweet. As parents, they always took care of their daughter, tried to keep her away from harm's way, tried to predict and avoid trouble, hence their move to the boathouse, but soon they would have to worry over a teenage daughter… that was a completely different matter.
'In 2025, she'll be 13… he'll be 20…' Scott pointed out and Jean this time chuckled.
'If you're suggesting they might have gotten, or will get… in a relationship,' Jean started with a grin, confused by the possible future events that for Franklin were past events. 'I'm sure it will be later on, like when Hope will be 17 or something…' Jean concluded and Scott frowned, unease pouring inside their bond from his side.
'He will be 23 then…' Scott countered and Jean looked at him pointedly for a long moment.
'I was 23 when Alex brought you here… you were barely 18…' Jean tried and Scott looked at her shocked. It was only with her by now that he showed that old bratty self of his, stubborn and arrogant when it suited him.
'THAT was different!' Scott exclaimed and Jean laughed this time, she couldn't help but push aside all their banes and enjoy their new step in parenthood for those little precious moments.
'Different how?' Jean asked with mirth in her eyes. 'I was barely legal with you…' Jean teased him more and Scott cleared his throat, uneasy at her true words, huffed and rubbed his three-day long unshaved cheeks.
'You were a girl and I was a boy… it's not the same!' Scott tried lamely and Jean couldn't help but laugh harder and wince from the pain on her temples.
'No, I was a young woman and you were a boy…' Jean corrected him. 'And if you were fine with me hitting on you back then… actually loving it, if my memory serves me right, you will have to accept that our daughter will get a boyfriend, maybe with that age gap as well.' Jean concluded and Scott shook his head.
'Over my dead body,' Scott declared stubbornly and Jean could feel the defensiveness building up and she couldn't have Scott against Franklin. Not until all motives were clear. Maybe her daughter and the young man were friends, maybe they were just team mates or simply two people under the same roof.
'Anyway,' Jean tried and took Scott's hand back in hers. 'Maybe we're jumping in conclusions… until everything is back to normal and everyone is safe, lets just focus on Franklin as a source of information and nothing more, shall we?' Jean offered and Scott grumbled his agreement.
'All I want is for things to go back to normal,' Scott tried, he could be cocky and arrogant, but he truly was sweet and overprotective.
'I'm afraid this will be difficult… if Charles' health indeed starts deteriorating… We're entering unmapped waters… under the same roof with the most powerful telepath having suffered a stroke…' Jean added and she knew he had seen the things projected to her that night through their bond. Franklin's dystopia had to do with Charles' seizures. Jean still hadn't had the time to analyze the projected images. The moment a powerful telepath like Franklin broke through their dimension he created such havoc in time and she space that she knew she saw glimpses from her own future self, from Franklin's memories and reality, some events from her past and some things she couldn't possibly pinpoint yet. From the onslaught of the nightmarish images she could only take the essence of her and her family being in disarray. The Westchester Incident had left several dead X-Men and Charles with Logan on the run, but Jean wondered what she, Scott and Hope had become of afterwards.
'I won't let anything happen to you,' Scott reassured her and Jean smiled, their bond was there to share the good and the bad. He was a class four, she was an Omega Five but having him say it, reassuring her, keeping her grounded was all the power she lacked. In the darkest of moments, Scott always held their ground, his tactics along his composure made him more powerful than her in more than the typical sense of the term.
'I love you so much,' Jean whispered as she raised her body and kissed him, his hand moved in her rich hair as her own moved behind his head. You and Hope are my everything. Jean sent and Scott broke the kiss to cup her face with both hands.
'I love you, weird girl,' Scott smiled and kissed her once more before they could stand up. 'Lets go to our little one, she's been waiting for you,' he sent through their bond as they moved out of their bedroom and to the one next to it.
When they entered their daughter's room, Hope left Raven from the ground, where they were making a puzzle and rushed close to her mother. Jean smiled and hugged her child, lifting her off the ground and kissing the side of her head repeatedly.
'Mommy!' Hope called out. 'You're ok now?' she asked and Jean smiled and helped her child back on the floor but held her close to her body.
'I'm fine, sweetie,' Jean reassured her daughter. 'I promised you we would be back.' Jean added as Scott smiled and hugged Jean by her waist and smiled at their girl, his hand moving to her ginger hair. 'And since you were such a brave child, just like the rest, during the evacuation, I think we can break the no ice-cream rule for tonight. You and daddy can go downstairs and I will follow after talking with aunt Raven for a moment here. Sounds good?' Jean asked Hope whose eyes lit up in an instant. It was way past her bedtime, her mom was allowing this and adding ice cream… that was the most eventful night of Hope's life so far.
'You won't be long?' Hope wanted to make sure and Jean nodded her head.
'Promise,' Jean declared and Hope smiled her signature toothy smile. Scott took his daughter's hand and opened the door. He had been harsh with Raven before but he still felt doubt about her actions so he only nodded at her direction, escorted Hope out to the corridor and closed the door behind them. Jean was left with Raven inside the room, the two women looked at each other for a moment more. Raven stood up from the puzzle and Jean regarded one of her oldest friends. Once, one of her most dangerous enemies, it had been hard to fight the woman who trained her. Raven knew every fault, every reflex in battle, every weakness and she had exploited it all against the team back in the past.
For the past years, she had been the sister she should have always been for Charles, their bond was so deep, the longest relationship Charles had. Raven had also been a great teacher and by now, a grandmother to Hope, a role Jean's or Scott's mothers couldn't possibly fulfill after what happened to them… Jean sighed, the shape-shifter's mind was the best shielded she had encountered from a non-telepath along Erik's. But even Magneto needed his helmet, Raven had built walls from the long decades of her life close to Charles and later on close to Jean. The redhead telepath knew she should do it the old way, she knew this woman for the better part of her life anyway.
'Why did you get in the middle?' Jean asked simply, her wondering mind open to any sign of response or slip. She encountered silence, both mental and vocal for a moment.
'I didn't want Hope to see her mother murdering people.' Raven explained and Jean looked deep into her friend's eyes. Raven had witnessed Jean killing people, had tried to stop her at a point, however, taking lives had been a sin that burdened both mutants in the room.
'Thank you for that,' Jean started. 'But I want the whole truth.' She added and Raven remained stoic. Jean could open her mind – maybe with a little more effort but this wasn't the case. Raven had been a role model, a friend, a presence that followed her through her entire life and she would never read a family member's brain without permission. Jean tilted her head slightly to the side as she examined her friend's eyes, her eyes always told the truth, that was Raven's weakness.
'You didn't want me to hurt them…' she mused to herself. 'Because they are Erik's?' Jean this time asked. There it was, she saw the momentary flicker of fear in the other woman's eyes. She knew that fear very well, she had seen it in her own eyes every time she stared outside a window of the mansion, thinking about Hope, while her reflection stared back at her. It was a mother's fear.
'Oh my God….' Jean whispered this time and Raven looked at her friend in desperation, tears pooling in the older woman's eyes, confirming Jean's revelation. 'Which one?' Jean asked softly and Raven gasped as she tried in vain to hold back the sobs. She sat at Hope's bed as she hid her face in her hands. Under any other circumstances, Jean would comfort her friend but at that moment, Jean couldn't help but keep her distance, she felt frozen, unsure of how to react.
'The younger one, Lorna,' Raven finally said through her sobs and Jean tried to do the math. 'It was right after you and Erik rebuilt the mansion. I had hoped he would stay, in those few days we were all together as a family. Before Erik could take off again, I got pregnant with Lorna.' Raven explained and Jean brought back the memories. Rebuilding the mansion in the summer of 1983, starting training, working with her powers, applying for college, struggling to accept that she liked Scott Summers more than her poor heart could take, she hadn't noticed a thing. 'I concealed my pregnancy with my power. When I had to give birth, Charles told everyone I would be in a mission for a few days.' Raven added and Jean set her lips in a thin line.
Charles, of course he knew, before herself, Scott, or anyone else, it had been Raven under his protection.
'Oh my God,' Jean whispered again, her hand covering her mouth, her eyes wide, looking at Raven in disbelief. Peter had told them in the past that he had a little sister, that must have been the Scarlet Witch. But she had no idea about Lorna or Polaris, whatever her name was.
'I gave her to a foster family, hoping she would be happy, and when her powers would manifest, I would bring her here as a regular student. She was Erik's daughter… so many enemies of his and mine would try to harm her. Charles and I didn't want her as a target within school grounds. The X-Men were still amateur to defend the school from Erik's enemies. And I didn't want him to get to her, not after the way he made Peter choose between him and us.' Raven explained tearfully as Jean remained frozen on her spot. 'But when Lorna's powers did manifest, she killed both her parents by accident, she ran away. Wanda and Peter found her first; they took her in, telling her the truth.'
'When I returned here, almost ten years ago, it was only after many attempts to reach her but she turned against me as well. She hates me; I did it all to save her from my enemies, from Magneto's crimes. I didn't want to paint a target on her forehead. Erik saw the brotherhood as an army more than a family, you know that first hand.' Raven added and this time looked at Jean's eyes, the redhead could only nod as she remembered the times Magneto tried to manipulate her as well to his side when she was at her weakest point.
'When I was hit with the cure dart, he left me behind, proving me right. But Lorna can't see that, she sees her mother who abandoned her to strangers, never told her father about her existence, and then her siblings showed up and opened her eyes, made her belong somewhere…' Raven's desperation radiated from her heart, making Jean close her eyes in actual pain.
Jean had been so young to notice the signs back then; she had her own life to worry about, like every young adult out there, plus her unlimited powers. After Apocalypse, she had struggled to control herself for a decade. In the 90's, she had almost killed Raven by accident, later on they found themselves against each other but now that the truth was out, Jean could feel only emptiness inside her heart. The family she thought she had; was full of secrets and a child had been raised away from the mansion. Charles had left the child out, while the mansion was all about the opposite. That child had been the fruit of two people that held great parts of Charles' heart, and still, he had kept Lorna Dane out.
'That's why Charles kept sending me to find Peter; it wasn't him I was trying to find. I was trying to reach Lorna. She… she has a child of her own, she's afraid. That's why she's against Hank… she sees him as the traitor who creates a dystopia for mutants like her child…' Raven added but Jean wasn't listening anymore. Raven giving her own flesh and blood away was one thing. Charles keeping this secret for so many years was another, even from his closest people, her, Ororo and Scott. Forty years and that poor soul had been cast away and no one bothered to warn them about the possible conflict, not even when Lorna followed her siblings who were wanted criminals, raising a child of her own out there. Jean only now realized how close she was to kill Raven's child.
'Jean… please, say something,' Raven begged and Jean could see the struggle of the other woman to fix things at the final years of her life. Sometimes, Raven seemed to be the one making all the wrong choices.
'I…' Jean tried to speak, grasping the situation. 'If Lorna attacks again, and Hope's life is at risk, I won't think of Polaris as a mother or as your child, my child is my priority.' Jean could only say, she didn't mean to be bitter, she didn't mean to be angry but she felt scalding hot fear inside her heart, making her react. Jean had shown weakness before by not killing Erik and now he was against them once more, she wouldn't do the same again with anyone. 'You and Charles should have spoken about all this a long time ago, now you bring everyone to a choice between them and us, so don't throw yourself in the middle next time because I won't stop.' Jean added as she realized Raven wasn't the only one to blame here.
She didn't remember when she opened the door of her child's bedroom and moved away. Raven called out behind her but Jean couldn't stop. She had to speak to Charles. The hot pool of betrayal inside her stomach made her choke. She had fought to be the good girl, to control her powers, her life, she had been taught morals from Charles. She had been through hell for those life lessons. She and Scott had chosen to stay at the mansion and raise their family within its grounds. Giving up their ideas of a life outside Westchester in the past. There had been a time, in 1992, after her initial struggle with her powers and the catastrophe that came with it, the couple had almost decided to leave the X-Men and make a life of their own. Charles had persuaded them to stay. Now it was revealed, the family obviously left out the less fortunate members of it.
They had dedicated their lives at Charles Xavier's vision of the world. But when it didn't suit him or his sister's lives, a child had been kept out, had a hard life and became a mother too, a child that now had attacked the school. Charles had been remorseful at the mere idea of Jean and Scott moving as far as the boathouse. However he had cast away a baby, because of her father, because he wouldn't be able to control the situation like he had done with Jean herself. Jean had her own share of enemies but she would never give Hope away. Jean wondered for a moment how to reveal all this to the X-Men, without destroying their own idea of their mentor? Or she keeps it from everyone and becomes a partner in crime? If she was dishonest to everyone, how would she look at her daughter in the eyes again? She moved down the corridor and to the grand staircase, where Ororo was moving up and gave Jean a tired smile before she could see her friend's furious eyes.
'Jean, are you alr-?'
'I am fine, 'Ro,' Jean replied as she passed her friend but the weather-witch held Jean's forearm to halt her.
'Hey, hey, easy, you were out for hours, what's up?' Storm asked, worry all over her face as she gently held Jean. The telepath sighed and looked at her friend before she could look at the carpeted step separating them. Storm had apologized for distancing herself from her best friends because of Logan. Now she was rightfully trying to be the friend she always was. Jean looked back at the chocolate brown eyes of her best friend, the two of them were the closest Charles had to daughters. How was Jean supposed to break this to Ororo? She would be devastated, she would lose hope in Charles, Jean had to protect her, after Logan's return, Jean couldn't do this to her.
'I…I just need to go to Hope and Scott, really I am fine,' Jean tried again, calmer this time yet with the guilt of lying to her best friend twisting her stomach. Storm was uncertain but released her gentle hold. 'It's just that… so many things have happened in the past days. I feel restless, is all,' Jean tried again and Storm sighed and nodded, not persuaded. 'How are things with Logan?' Jean tried to change the subject, Ororo's smile made her feel slightly better.
'He… we're better, he seems to be getting glimpses of our timeline since he stopped with Charles. I am not sure how you telepaths work in the brains of people from different timelines but some things that he hasn't seen from Charles or you, came to him naturally in dreams. I guess this life is locked somewhere up in his head…' Storm explained and Jean nodded, sad she hadn't been of more help. Logan was still out of his tracks in this new life. 'Jean… if…' Ororo trailed off, gathering the strength. 'Charles is in no shape to help Logan with their regression… when things quiet down, will you be able to help him instead?' Ororo asked finally and Jean sighed and nodded. Of course she would, Logan was family but Jean knew it was Storm's fear for Charles life on the top of her list.
'I promise I will, 'Ro. I'm here for both of you, lets be done with all this mess and we'll pick up from where he's left off with Charles.' Jean offered and Storm smiled.
'The late 80's,' Storm stated and Jean chuckled.
'Smashing times,' she commented as she remembered her friend's punk hairstyles and her own taste in fashion, plus the end of the Cold War. The two friends didn't have to add anything else as they separated in opposite directions. Jean rushed to the ground floor and reached the elevators, almost punching the button, she hated lying to her family, she hated being lied to. She took a deep breath as she waited, she felt the presence nearing, she gritted her teeth.
'Not now,' Jean demanded as Franklin approached her, he was a powerful telepath, he probably "heard" what had happened, she was projecting she was sure.
'Actually, now more than ever,' Franklin said casually as he moved closer and rested his body against the wooden wall. He pressed the button three times, waited for a second and pushed once more continuously, knowing how to block the elevator. So he indeed lived in the mansion at some point and knew secrets the team knew.
'This is none of your business, young man,' Jean retorted but didn't try to move him as to push the button again with the unblocking pattern.
'Indeed, but it will affect you all and Xavier, that makes it my business. Screaming and shouting at an aging mind that suffered a stroke won't help matters, if he gets another one we're all in danger.' Franklin added and Jean frowned at him.
'Said the man who caused all this in the first place,' Jean accused and Franklin tried to keep expressionless. Doubt was squeezing her heart, doubt for everyone around her, what if Franklin was simply lying about everything?
'But prevented McCoy's assassination.' Franklin defended himself and Jean shook her head.
'We're not even sure that would happen,' Jean retorted and Franklin sighed.
'Screaming at Xavier while he recovers will only definitely make things worse.' Franklin repeated and Jean huffed, she hated it when people were right. She tried to calm her racing mind, the betrayal was still fresh inside her.
'What happened in the past belongs there…' Franklin tried and Jean looked at him pointedly, of all the people, a time traveler shouldn't say such things. 'Xavier is more a burden by now than an asset for the school and the team.' Franklin blurted out and Jean frowned at him, she still remembered his words slipping about searching for Charles… She was confused and tired, from the moment he showed up, everything was crumbling.
'Lorna belongs to the present as she attacked the school hours ago…' Jean said through her teeth, finally, deciding to keep the rest of her thoughts away. Franklin nodded to Jean's mild surprise 'And you're not killing anyone,' Jean declared sternly, she had made him bleed, even if it came at a price for her own health, she could do worse to him, if he really wanted to play with fire, she knew how to bend it. 'Not on my watch, am I understood, young man?' Jean finally decided to use her physician/teacher authority on the man nearing his thirties. Surprisingly he nodded, seemingly accepting the fact of Jean defending Charles against him, no matter what; that was her messed up family and nobody would touch it without her against them. They were both powerful and certainly unwilling to test each other's limits around the school.
'If it wasn't for Mystique, you would have put an end to the current problem of Polaris.' Franklin added. 'But for now, you need to focus on how to corner the siblings.' Franklin added and Jean sighed, being pushed around by the young man was something she was getting tired of. 'As the Madame Secretary, you can take all the right measures. Set fire in the hole and let the mice come out running.' Franklin added . 'They will come after Xavier again, you know that.' He added and Jean looked at him with interest in her eyes, she couldn't read his mind, he wouldn't let her but the young man was at an age that he could be her own child.
'What do you know of them, of Magneto's daughters?'Jean demanded, so much for Scott counting on her making people feel comfortable.
'Peter recruited first the Scarlet Witch, name's Wanda, energokinetic powers, she can do a lot more like telekinesis, fields of energy… spells.' Franklin explained.
'Spells…' Jean repeated in disbelief, Franklin nodded.
'Spells, occult powers, she's really strong,' the young blond man added and looked at Jean pointedly. 'Not as powerful as us... but powerful enough, and mentally unstable.' Franklin added and Jean frowned. 'Depression, suicidal tendencies, basically a ticking bomb.' He added and Jean sighed, just great.
'Polaris is among the same lines, rough life, somewhere she has a child, she's paranoid and hides it, her partner died, she killed him by accident. She belonged in a team of people known as the Underground. Minor criminal acts until she got in the Hellfire Club, from there her career started. Erik found her through Peter and Wanda, hoping to create a new Brotherhood, this time with the most powerful, the chosen ones by his side.' Franklin explained and he mentally betrayed his surprise to Jean at her stoic stance. The Hellfire Club again, those petty idiots who once played with her too, when she was young and her powers unstable.
'The pattern is the same; he always tried to select specific people.' Jean explained, glad Franklin had slipped, even for that tiny part, he felt panic for her not taking his words as seriously as he expected.
'In my time, he reached for Hope too,' Franklin added and Jean felt her stomach drop. Of course Magneto would go for Hope, he had tried with her and Scott, he had succeeded with Peter. Jean looked deep into Franklin's eyes. The fiery scene of a man and a woman facing each other in the projected dystopia flashed through her eyes, the woman wasn't herself.
'And?' Jean only asked, not sure if she wanted to know the first detail of what happened to her daughter in the future.
'And by that time, it was pointless. The war was raging on; there were no sides, only destruction.' Franklin replied in a riddle. Jean sighed and nodded.
'Why all this effort?' Jean wondered and Franklin shrugged, he cared for the general picture, she knew, that would help his own future, but he tried to help with the details as well. And she struggled to persuade herself that he was doing it all with everyone's wellbeing at heart.
'My powers at their full potential would allow me to bend reality…. Lets say I'm practicing, so 2038, the year I came from, can be a better place.' Franklin replied truthfully and Jean marveled at his brutal honesty. Under other circumstances she would simply defy him but as those minutes had passed she realized how tired and sad she was. The fire within her abated. Indeed, screaming at Charles would solve nothing, she was part of the Cabinet now, she needed diplomacy. Scott had to know, but the rest would learn later about it. It wasn't her who abandoned her child, it was Raven. She wouldn't keep silent, but she wouldn't be screaming either.
'I see,' she only responded and Franklin gave a tiny smile, a smile a boy would give to his mother. Jean wanted to believe that she hadn't been manipulated, for some reason, still unknown to her as he didn't open his mind to her, the young man seemed strange but honest. With a pang of anger and sadness, she realized that she had also trusted Raven who had a shielded mind upon returning all those years ago...
'I have to go to the kitchen, my daughter is allowed to ice-cream and since she has her father wrapped around her little finger, she must be halfway to the second scoop by now.' Jean finally announced, not sure why she had to share this with the young man. She couldn't help but notice the warmth in his gaze at the mention of Hope. Jean didn't want to go there just yet, 2038, he was about 32, Hope would be 26. They could be together, Jean wasn't sure how she felt about it. She moved away from the elevators for the back corridor that led to the kitchen.
'Jean,' Franklin called out and Jean turned, noticing the unease with which he used her name. 'It's essential for you and your family to move to the boathouse the soonest.' Franklin said and for a moment she looked at him, regarding him. After an attack like the one of that afternoon, after stopping her from confronting her mentor for his dark secrets, of all the times he could choose to bring a matter so mundane and personal, Franklin chose that moment.
Jean ran from the boathouse -her house-, everything was a blur of color and light as she left her family behind to find the rest. Barefoot in a nightgown, her breath caught, her mind numb, her body cold.
'The reason you three survived and the rest didn't; was the distance you had from Xavier. Your powers worked on time because of that distance, saving your child and husband.' Franklin finally revealed and Jean nodded her head, needing nothing else to be convinced.
'Hope needs to be protected by all this, Magneto, the mansion's problems, your enemies, Xavier's seizures. Hope matters above everyone else.' Franklin added but before Jean could ask him anything else he turned away and left, leaving her with the same priority she had for the past eleven years, her only child.
Oh I hope you liked it, guys, I loved making the little scene between Jean and Scott acting like every parent and I loved using their age difference to play a little against Scott. I know some of you won't like Raven as Polaris' mother but I don't see the Brotherhood just as a team of bad guys, that would do injustice to the amazing characters and 1984 seemed perfect for Polaris to have been concieved at the end of Apocalypse so I hope you can accept the plot twist. I also hope you liked the little scene between Jean and Storm and Jean and Franklin, little by little we learn a few things about them all.
Feedback is love so please show some :)
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