OK here is the new chapter, I hope you will like it.

Enjoy...

Chapter 12 – Corruption

Dawn colors illuminated the room of crème and dark wood. The large windows allowing the light in. Jean's eyes opened slowly and found the small ginger head blocking her view of her husband. Jean brought Hope closer to her body and breathed in the smell of her daughter's milk and honey shampoo scent. The girl stirred in her mother's arms and Jean smiled as she saw Scott moving too, looking above the waking child. The alarm went off right then but Jean stopped it with her mind.

'Good morning,' Jean mumbled as Hope opened her eyes and reached for her dad, her back spooned by her mother. Last night was the first at the boathouse. It was strange and familiar at the same time and the couple had taken Hope to sleep on their bed like back when she was a toddler.

'How did you sleep, girls?' Scott asked and Jean smiled encouragingly at her daughter. The telepath had to admit, it was peaceful out there. The general background noise of an entire school's thoughts were extinguished by the distance put between the mansion and the boathouse. Only the general feeling of the school waking up was in her head, plus Franklin's radiating presence because of his powers.

'I slept great, mommy?' Hope asked and Jean kissed her child's cheek and nuzzled her nose on the soft skin, making Hope giggle as Scott brought an arm around both his girls.

'Amazing,' Jean had to admit and Scott smiled. Hope squealed as Jean blew at her daughter's neck and Scott's hand moved at the girl's ribs, ticklish, just like her mother. The girl squirmed and kicked at the attack of her parents and laughed out loud. The couple showed mercy after a few moments and Hope was left without breath, eyeing suspiciously both her parents with joy in her eyes. She was only eleven but she knew many children at the mansion were parentless, she knew she was a lucky child.

'I will have to go to DC, with Franklin and uncle Hank,' Jean said after a moment and both Scott and Hope nodded.

'When will I meet Franklin?' Hope asked innocently, of course she was curious, her parents' daughter. She knew there was a newcomer at the school, but with all the things happening –and her parents keeping him away- Hope hadn't laid eyes on Franklin yet, and to Jean and Scott's relief, he had avoided the girl himself. Jean was sure Franklin was trying to protect the child from confusion as in a few years, he would be back in the school, for the first time in 2025…

'Never, if I can help it,' Scott thought in instinct, making Jean glance up at him with amused eyes, overprotective and sweet.

'Later,' Jean said pointedly and Scott sighed, 'He's here just to help us with a few things that must be done and then he'll leave.' Jean added trying to minimize Hope's natural curiosity.

'I have the first exams today, at last,' Scott rushed to add and Hope nodded, distracted but knowing she was informed of her parents' schedule.

'But,' they both said and Hope smiled.

'You will have an amazing day with Aunt Jubilee and Mommy and Daddy will be done with their day before you realize it,' Jean explained and Hope smiled and nodded.

'Can we watch a movie in the new TV?' Hope asked and Scott smiled and nodded his head.

'And you can make sandwiches for your aunt like you did for us last night.' Scott added and Hope clapped her hands.

'Aunt Jube will love my sandwich,' Hope exclaimed and Jean chuckled, knowing Jubilee's plans for her daughter.

'Maybe she will like it so much, she might design an amazing raincoat just for you…' Jean guessed and Hope's eyes widened in awe. 'But we'll never find out if we don't stand up and get ready for the day.' Jean added, successfully making her daughter bolt from the bed of her parents and run out of the room to get ready. Scott chuckled as the two stood up too and met standing before their bed, sharing a kiss.

'Time for breakfast?' Scott asked and Jean sighed.

'At the mansion, I must check on Charles and some tests I ran on Rogue. I will have to leave really soon after that. I'll grab a coffee at the office.' Jean explained and Scott nodded, the price for returning to New York while working in Washington DC, he guessed.

'Is Rogue ok? She seemed off last night, I bumped into her while she was coming to the lab.' Scott asked and Jean nodded, respecting her friend's privacy and patient confidentiality. Both Jean and Scott had learnt to work through their bond, unconsciously blocking the things they wanted to keep from each other, like the broken vinyl disk of Queen and Rogue's pregnancy, their bond mostly worked like a raptor rather than an open channel of flooding information and emotion.

'She's just fine,' Jean reassured her husband and Scott nodded, not wanting to be inappropriate. 'She will have to stop attending the Danger Room and the missions, however, until we have a better picture of what's going on.' Jean added and Scott nodded again, the leader's will always bending to that of the physician's when it came to their teammates' health.

'I will include Franklin more, then.' Scott added and Jean nodded and looked at him as he did the same. Scott knew of what Jean had seen in Franklin's mind, and to Jean's surprise, after the initial anger and worry; Scott had felt like trusting the young man. They were trying to fix all their problems and that day was one of her worse. She was about to meet Zander Rice, the second bane Franklin had informed them about, apart from Charles' dying brain.

'The moment I have the location of his experiments I will send it to you, through the bond. Keep it open so I can reach you easily even from the distance, please.' Jean told her husband who nodded his head and took her hands in his, kissing her knuckles.

'I can't believe more samples had been taken from that bloody base,' Scott grimaced and Jean sighed. She had tried not to think of Alkali Lake and what they had found there before Jean could destroy the place along with Jason Stryker. The devastation she had felt while looking at the combined DNA of hers and Scott in the form of artificially made children still haunted some of her dreams. Franklin had informed them of Rice's father had been killed by the Wolverine in 1983 when she and Scott with Kurt had freed Weapon X. Little did they know Rice had later on worked among the Essex corporations and on the same program. 'But you've destroyed our samples,' Scott added reassuringly and Jean sighed.

'Have I?' she wondered looking at him pointedly, Scott sighed and nodded his head.

'Our samples were taken in the late 90's… Alkali Lake was there for decades before. You destroyed that base and the Essex headquarters. I'm sure there is nothing of us left for sinister people to toy with,' Scott held Jean's face with both hands and kissed her lips.

'I won't take it if there is another child of us out there, experimented on and alone.' Jean sent through their link so Hope wouldn't hear anything and Scott sighed and broke the kiss. Hope was an only child and this wouldn't change. The fruit of their love was Hope, Scott simply denied to accept the possibility for anything else.

'Jean… lets cross that bridge only if we reach it, OK?' Scott asked and Jean sighed and nodded, feeling his own fear and worry over the matter.

The two got ready for the day quickly, the door of the room was left open while Hope got dressed in her own room and it was strange as there were no running children or screams and talks outside their chamber, they were in their home.

The smell of new materials like wood and metal would linger around the house for days but the Summers didn't mind as the place was sunny and beautiful. Scott and Jean had gone for lighter furniture than the ones of the mansion, less wood, more metal and fabric, some indoor plants, modern and minimal as Hope was more likely to manifest her powers within the place... The curtains were lighter for the sun to be allowed inside the house, the fireplace was something both wanted for the winter nights and the windows large enough for the spring afternoons.

It was a rather simple design, basically the boathouse arranged into a master bedroom with a bathroom for the couple, a second large bedroom for Hope, another bathroom and a utility room, the rest had been arranged for a cozy living room and joined kitchen, separated only by an island where the family would be dining. The triangle roof made it spacey but not overwhelmingly so. They had expanded the platform of the boathouse above the lake just a few square meters so the living room could have doors leading to an atrium that overlooked the grounds, decorated with a couch, large floor pillows and candles. They were proud of their new settlement; it was exactly as they had imagined it every time they thought of moving in it.

Hope exited her room, proudly dressed on her own with the blue dress and snickers Jean had set up for her the previous night and the Summers were ready to leave their home. Jean was dressed in a black pencil dress and a grey shirt, her hair held on one side, high heels on. Scott was casually dressed with a shirt and trousers for his lessons. They would go to the mansion, where Jean would meet Franklin and Hank so they could leave. Hope and Scott would grab a quick breakfast before their day could start. Jean floated the suit from their bedroom, all ready and proper for Franklin.

'You're a very good person,' Jean sent as the suit followed them as they moved out of the front door and through the path that led to the mansion. Franklin would escort her and Hank at the Office to meet Zander Rice and he had to be presentable. Scott had offered to lend him one of his own suits and the young man, for the first time until then, had blushed and accepted the offer as he basically had arrived in their timeline with the clothes he wore and nothing more. Scott shrugged as he held Hope by the hand while she jumped up and down on the various flat stones of the path.

'I'm the only one with a similar built to his,' Scott said absentmindedly and Jean smiled and nodded, always modest and good when in sharing. 'Unless he wanted to wear one of Charles' and suffocate in it, or one of Hank's…' Scott added and Jean chuckled at the image of the overly large suit on the young man. 'And since Logan has no suits at all, this is as good as it gets…' Scott concluded and Jean looked at him, he was so sweet and she wouldn't tell him because he always wanted to show the cold, calculated leader. 'Hush now, we're in a hurry, right?' he added to her thoughts and she nodded, the smile never leaving her face.

xXx

Jean and Franklin, accompanied by Hank, moved out of the Blackbird Jean and Hank had piloted to DC. The three came out in the private air force base connected with the Office. It was early morning and there was a lot to do. Two agents were waiting at the door as Jean reached the place along Hank and Franklin. She took the folder in her hands and opened it telekinetically as they moved inside the corridor, leading to her office. It had been agreed that Hank would remain with her for the next weeks, to handle the crisis and leave smoothly for the UN.

Franklin arriving and changing the events of his past had resulted to no further attack on Hank from Magneto's children after the initial fight at the mansion's grounds. Hank was alive and Charles was recovering. Jean hoped that somehow, they would be able to stop the second stroke and keep their friend safe. The X-Men were on guard and the secret services were hunting down the wanted criminals but so far they waited and collected information.

The trio entered the office and Jean sat at her desk, put on her reading glasses and started checking the folders. Lorna Dane, Peter and Wanda Maximoff, Clarice Ferguson, James Proudstar. These were the first people the secret services had made to associate with Erik.

'Esme, Phoebe and Sophie Frost were also parts of the gang.' Franklin offered. Jean looked at him in her husband's suit; the blond man seemed older, even more ominous than usual, beneath the collar of the shirt, Jean could see the chain the young man wore the night he arrived in 2023 . 'Emma Frost was an original member of the first Hellfire Club, the team Polaris had entered. Charles knew Frost, the Frost Triplets were somehow linked to her but we don't know more.' Franklin mentioned and Jean sighed, she wasn't sure she wanted to know the details about more criminals that went under everyone's radar or to be reminded of the Hellfire Club...

'There is also Marcos Diaz aka the Eclipse, Lorna Dane's partner, we're almost sure he's dead after Polaris snapped during a defensive of their hideout and killed him by accident.' Franklin was monotonous, it was clear to Jean he didn't care about these people, he was completely unattached emotionally. She was almost jealous of this coldness, she knew Lorna was Raven's child as much as Erik's, she also knew Lorna was a mother herself.

'You think Rice will take long to be here?' Franklin asked as he was pouring cups with coffee from the machine on the corner, he was interested only in that and Jean hoped she wouldn't see the worst of the deal with him there. Jean sighed and took off the glasses. She levitated her cup from Franklin's hands and brought it to her hand, she drunk the dark liquid, strong and hot, the only good thing about the day at the office so far. She already missed her husband and daughter, she wished she could spend some more time at the boathouse.

She had left the mansion only after making sure Rogue and her baby were fine, that her own daughter was happy with Jubilee. She had checked on Charles briefly with Hank and after making sure he'd have his medication taken and Franklin was properly dressed, the trio had left as the first day of exams were starting back at the Institute.

'I think we still have some time until he reaches us.' Hank said casually, his hip resting on the desk as he was skimming through the folders as he drunk from the cup offered by Franklin. Jean checked the folders before her as the two men remained around her. Very little progress had been made about tracking down the Brotherhood. The CIA, the FBI, everyone was searching and only background information had been found. The Brotherhood knew how to conceal themselves. Erik was cunning and powerful, having Wanda Maximoff by his side was obviously a big asset for him as she was a class 4 with the possibility of reaching class 5, the CIA had informed them in a classified document before her eyes.

'Great, since we have time, why don't you inform Jean about Eden?' Franklin offered seriously at Hank who looked startled at the young man. Jean raised her eyes and looked between the two men glaring at each other before her desk.

'What is Eden?' Jean asked.

'How do you know?' Hank demanded.

'When did you plan to tell her?' Franklin wondered, all three at the same time.

'What is Eden, Hank?' Jean asked again as she looked at one of her oldest friends and once professor. Hank shook his head as he still glared at Franklin before he could lay soft eyes on Jean.

'I… It's,' Hank tried but then looked back at Franklin who glared back at him. 'How can you know of this?' he asked again and Jean felt frustration rising up inside her, more secrets, just great.

'You can imagine the only way how…' Franklin told Hank pointedly. 'So, do you want me to tell her since I've been there?' Franklin challenged this time and made Hank look back at Jean who was glaring at both, his eyes were soft and apologetic and that made her even angrier.

'Speak, now,' she commanded basically both but it was Hank who circled the large desk and tapped at the touch-screen of the computer before them. He entered a concealed folder on top left side of the screen and a request for a password came up. Hank entered the password "project_Hope_20_12" and the folder revealed documents, maps and coordinates. Jean put back her glasses and looked at the screen before she could look back at Hank and Franklin, ignoring the password indicating at her daughter's name and year of birth.

'What's all this about?' she asked quietly as she tapped at the various documents. A large house, the blueprint and satellite photos of a small mansion more likely. In Canada, close to the border, concealed by natural and manmade obstacles, in the mountains and forest, exact coordinates, bank accounts with thousands of dollars in them, documents of ownership to Scott Summers and Jean Grey-Summers. Jean looked at Hank with wide eyes.

'It was Charles' idea, years ago, while you were pregnant.' Hank started and Jean looked at him. 'You know how he always had hope for us…' Hank tried and Jean remained cold, just like with Raven a few days ago. 'But he also created this, funded and established it with me from my position as Secretary for mutant affairs. It's top secret.' Hank explained and Jean tried to remain calm until he could elaborate. 'It's a secret haven, just in case the mansion gets attacked and the team would be disbanded.' Hank offered and Jean glanced at Franklin.

Just in case….

'It's nothing bad, just a way for all of you to be safe just in case-' Charles tried but Jean wasn't ready, and Scott wasn't there as Charles requested. The memory from two weeks ago, during her only proper visit to Charles flashed through her eyes.

Static noise.

Charles had been sick for days.

Fire.

Telekinetically, she slammed the mansion's doors open, bodies everywhere. The students were down, blood running from their ears, some of them had their eyes open, bloodshot, unfocused.

She ran to the lower level. Her eyes wild, her own nose bleeding, she was tasting her blood. Metallic taste.

Giant robots were invading the mansion, Sentinels.

Eden

A place in the woods, concealed. Little children were playing.

A couple against each other, their figures distorted.

Static noise.

The future memories flashed through her mind and she shut her eyes for a moment, taking off the glasses. 'It's supposed to house some tens of children. It's on Canadian soil to guarantee that no anti-mutant law can affect the people there. It's added in his will and it would be passed to you and Scott. Charles hoped he trained you well enough to survive everything and since you were the first ones to create a family, he wanted you to lead of this in case things went downhill. So you could take your child and leave in case of a big crisis, he was worried about Hope being an Omega Five and a potential Phoenix Force host.

'He was also afraid of someone coming and destroying the mansion so he always counted on you as a class 5 and Scott as the leader of the X-Men to save as many as possible and run for Eden. You two are the ones with the best chances of surviving. It was why he never wanted you out of the Mansion.' Hank explained and Jean's eyes hadn't left Franklin's who also stared at her. So this is what had happened to her, Scott and Hope. They had left for that place in Canada after the Westchester Incident. Charles had planned it all; he hadn't considered however that the one destroying the mansion would be himself. He hadn't thought that the Summers living even slightly away from the mansion, would be the key to their survival.

'The reason you three survived and the rest didn't; was the distance you had from Xavier. Your powers worked in time because of that distance, saving your child and husband.' Franklin 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.' Jean remembered her encounter with Franklin from a few days ago. Her attention turned back to Hank and she glared at her friend.

'Indeed, when were you planning on telling me about this?' Jean wondered angrily, they had been through a lot in the past month. Charles' brain was what attacked the mansion apart from Erik's children and Franklin had informed them about all of the upcoming dystopia, yet she hadn't learnt about this place. Hank sighed and shook his head.

'I talked with Charles the moment he regained consciousness from the stroke. He had asked me to wait… He didn't want to put you through more pressure nor make you feel obliged to this new alternative without talking about it with you at first. But we've been through the attack and restoring the place… Plus every time you get there I know you don't talk to him a lot, Scott only visits Charles when he's asleep… Charles wanted to talk to both of you but didn't get the chance.' Hank tried to explain but Jean huffed at the excuses and threw her glasses on the desk as she lay back on her chair.

'If it has escaped your notice, Hank, we have a man here,' Jean pointed at Franklin who waved a hand. 'From the future, obliging me to do anything he wants….' Jean snapped at her friend and felt guilty at his sad eyes. Charles obviously had a lot of secrets kept from his X-Men. Jean was certain Hank didn't know about Lorna and with a twist in her stomach she realized she was forced to do exactly the same with him, maintain secrets for the greater good. That made her anger abate just a bit. She turned to Franklin and the young man nodded his head.

'So this is where…' Jean trailed off.

'Yes, you gathered up the ones not handicapped -mostly telepaths and shields survived- from the attack and we left.' Franklin explained and Jean nodded her head in confirmation, he had probably helped with taking the survivors away. 'Cyclops established a small station in North Dakota after our escape with fake coordinates so every time someone in need still searched and found Eden, we would check on them first.' Franklin added and Jean nodded.

'How would someone find the coordinates?' Jean asked and Franklin smiled.

'Through comics and books about the X-Men, concealed as fiction.' Franklin explained and Jean rolled her eyes, of course, pop culture. 'It was your and Jubilee's ideas at your final days at the school. You saw Charles was being too sick and dangerous,' Franklin added and Jean huffed and nodded, so much information and just half a cup of coffee consumed.

'Just in case…' She mused to herself and mentally laughed in sadness. More secrets, from Ororo and from the rest, Scott would be informed but Jean wondered, how much more they were allowed to keep from the rest? Charles had put her in a dire situation of lies and deceptions. But she would do her best to stop their banes.

'I want the Sentinels program terminated, once and for all.' Jean added as she had seen through Logan what had happened with the bloody robots. Hank sighed and shook his head.

'We'll have to persuade a lot of people to kill the project.' Hank suggested. 'Many powerful people,' he added and Jean sighed, hating the lack of courage his friend showed in the name of diplomacy and connections.

'It's good thing a telepath is at the office, then.' Franklin suggested mentally and Jean looked at him, she hated the temptation he brought to her. The easy and unethical way to deal with difficult and unethical people.

The three mutants didn't have time to say something more as the door opened the moment Hank tapped at the screen for the files to collapse. A service man informed them Zander Rice was there and ready to see them. Jean had been informed about him from Franklin so she could be prepared. He first worked on mutant experiments, these experiments led to his breakthrough on killing the x-gene. He then won his place in the anti-mutant cabinet after the Westchester Incident and induced mass-production food with the toxin, eliminating the mutant births and depowering mutants, combined with anti-mutant laws supported by the anti-mutant hysteria, he destroyed them all.

So simple, so quiet, so efficiently. Big villains didn't always wear capes and bended mutant powers...

Jean wanted to meet the monster, take him down and close that chapter once and for all. She didn't care at the moment about telepathic ethics, imposed by Charles. She would infiltrate his brain the moment she met him, obtain the location of his Transigen Program and send the information to Scott. The team had to leave and find the experiments the mad scientist was working on. She only hoped she wouldn't find an experiment too familiar to her or her husband.

She gulped down the knot in her throat and straightened her clothes as she stood up and answered the knock on the door. Hank and Franklin stood on the side of Jean's desk as the man entered in a sharp suit and a folder beneath his arm. He had a predatory smile, his eyes pierced through anything he laid eyes on. He looked at Jean and smiled, his teeth unnaturally white. His mind emitted disgust for the things he had to do with mutants as to reach his goals and his place in the council. Good thing he didn't know she was a telepath.

'Madame Secretary, it's an honor to finally meet you,' Rice said as he approached the desk and Jean gave her hand to him for a handshake. She wasted no time, probing inside his mind, he seemed to have a naturally built wall before telepaths, he knew of her telepathy, however he didn't know how powerful she was, she probed through the wall.

Mexico, a laboratory in the desert. Captured Mexican women giving birth heavily guarded. Alkali Lake. Militants everywhere, mercenaries. Nurses taking care of children of Latin descent. Logan's younger face screaming. Alive children, dead babies and children by the experiments, some terminated as failures or teratogenesis. A man turning into light. Folders, doctors puncturing the children with needles, drawing blood and cutting skin. Another man with white hair and a shining eye and one metallic arm. Sleep deprivation experiments, electroshock treatments even mind-control devices and exposure to radiation, anything to trigger their x-gene. All the children with their powers enabled.

Jean remained calm and stoic as she projected the uncategorized images to the men by her side. She felt Hank flinching, from the images, it seemed the project was on for at least ten years if not more, under Hank's and the secret services' noses. Franklin's response was concealed from her mental sensors. Rice seemed dazed and shook his head slightly as their hands remained connected. Jean knew very well how to reach someone's mind at its deepest corners and withdraw with nothing else but a mental whisper. She opened widely her bond with Scott and sent him the coordinates and images.

'Got them.' The faint answer from her husband arrived a few seconds later, the distance created a small delay but worked just fine. 'I will assemble the team the moment you three are back.' He added and Jean sent her mental agreement.

'The pleasure is mine, Mr. Rice.' Jean added with a well trained smile and gestured for the men next to her. 'Allow me to introduce Hank McCoy,' the two men shook hands, Hank was still shaken. 'And Franklin Richards, both councilors of mine for the things we'll discuss today.' Jean explained. She knew Rice had came with a proposal against the Brotherhood about chemical induce of the cure as a punishment to mutant criminals after their capture. Jean was disgusted by the idea but Franklin had insisted on her accepting the hearing so they could meet and stop him. Rice looked at Franklin for a moment more before he could shake hands with him as well, Franklin clasped the man's hand.

'Firm handshake for a young ma-' Rice trailed off for a moment, his hand still clasped with Franklin's whose mouth had turned into a thin line and he breathed through his nostrils. Rice's smirk faded into a grimace of pain before his eyes could turn upwards in their sockets and the spasms could begin.

'Franklin!' Jean shouted as Hank made it to unclasp the hands of the men, resulting on Rice collapsing and having a seizure. 'What have you done!?' Jean screamed as she reached the writhing man on the floor, supported his head and tried to keep his tongue from turning within his mouth. Jean looked up at Franklin's stoic face as Hank rushed outside for help. That's why Franklin wanted to be there when Rice arrived. Jean felt like falling into a trap of the young man.

'Thousands of people suffer strokes every day, he won't be a threat anymore.' Franklin sent as the office was filling with secret services men and a crew of first aid workers. Jean glared at him as she kept the head of their future enemy while the men around her tried to help him.

'You're an idiot, we needed him, we needed his brain intact for information!' Jean sent him furiously, the images she had collected from him were not enough to understand details of the experiments, only the basic information as to where the base was. She would take more time in Rice's mind if it wasn't so urgent for the team to be assembled and go. This was not how she had learnt to deal with her enemies. She wasn't as peaceful as Charles but she wasn't a savage like Franklin either. Hank returned and remained silent and in shock as well.

Jean reached for Rice's mind only to find disarray, much worse than Charles' stroke. Franklin had basically fried the man's brain with a good wave of mental destruction that was beyond repair. Images of the experiments, Rice's father, his childhood, women, men and occasions unknown to Jean were all in a mix of non coherent thoughts; he was as good as a vegetable. Damn it, he was useless.

'Probably a stroke,' the head physician of the team said as the men took the carrier out. 'Madame Secretary, are you alright? You look very pale, please sit down,' he insisted and Jean sighed and nodded.

'I'm ok, please take care of Mr. Rice, he collapsed before us.' Jean explained and the man nodded and rushed behind his team. Franklin was still looking at Jean.

'You told me I don't kill anyone on your watch. I promise he won't die, if that makes you feel better. And I took all the information we needed, you're welcome.' Franklin explained mentally, trying to be stoic and arrogant again and Jean glared at him.

'So I just have to get in your inaccessible mind and get the information or be dependent on you,' Jean sent mentally and Franklin sighed physically.

'I wouldn't have slammed you out of my head if you hadn't pried like that. You never did that.' Franklin was apologetic, Jean was still angry at the young man.

'I wouldn't have pried if you hadn't concealed everything from the beginning.' Jean sent back and Franklin nodded his head.

'You don't want to see what will happen if we don't stop Rice, the Brotherhood and Xavier, believe me,' Franklin sent back and Jean watched him. She felt as if she had scolded him before in his own timeline, she wasn't sure but he seemed embarrassed and worried of her glaring eyes before the mental walls he always kept erect. Franklin finally looked at her furious gaze.

'I'm here to get my hands dirty so things can be better in the future.' He started and Jean watched him. 'You can either watch me finish some of the problems my way before they start or you can risk them happening.' Franklin added and Jean shook her head, he was afraid and worried, masking it all with stubbornness. She had seen the pattern in so many young men, from her husband to her teammates and students, people with great responsibility on their shoulders.

'I'm struggling to trust you but you don't trust me.' Jean said and Franklin actually smiled, his ethics were completely different from theirs, from hers.

'I trust you with my life,' he reassured her as the three remained silent in the large office. He was one of the good guys, but forged in a world where good and evil were blended with war.

'All I want is for you and Hope to be happy, dear.' She was smiling at Franklin, in a place she couldn't recognize, they were both dressed in black. The image flashed through her mind. It was from the future.

'I know, I promise we'll be ok, she's her parents' daughter, stubborn and fiery. But we'll be ok,' Franklin was reassuring her before they could share a hug like a son and mother would.

Jean looked deep into the man's eyes, little by little, he was giving her hints of the future, she struggled to accept him as someone so close to her family and her daughter's heart. But for now, they had to focus and go back to Westchester and from there to Mexico.

Project Transigen had to be terminated.

I hope you liked the scene between Jean-Scott and Hope, I wanted to explore a bit of their boathouse life, even the first day of it.
We also learnt about Eden, I always thought that someone would be there waiting for them and I wanted the Summers as it's hard for me to believe that the DOFP post-Dark Phoenix Jean wouldn't survive the Incident so I thought it'd be the Summers there. I hope you like the idea and how I linked Logan the movue here. as for Franklin, I can imagine him wanting clear ways to destroy his banes and since he can't confront Xavier because his relationship with the team, at least he got rid of Rice even if Jean didn't like it. I hope you got the glimpses of what I threw there, if not it's ok, they will be come more clear in the next chapter ;)
Thank you for reading, feedback is love.

CP09