Chapter Three.
After supper, Jean lays in her bed unable to sleep. Her thoughts were of Patrick and what happened to him. Jean sighed as she laid in bed, when. "Jean!" She heard in her mind. "Patrick? Where are you?" She asked. "I'm with you, you just can't see me!" She heard, in her mind. "What do you mean I can't see you? Where are you?" She asked, Just, then Jean's vision travelled into her own body and there in her womb was a tiny fetus, Jean knew it was Patrick. Soon her vision returned to normal. Jean gasped then touched her belly and smiled.
At White cliff, at Erik's house. Erik reads to Rebecca as she lays in bed. As he reads the lights flicker, which gets their attention. "What's with the lights?" Rebecca asked. "I don't know? Stay here, I'll check it out!" He told her, then got up and left the room. Erik went outside and looked around he noticed the streetlights and all the neighbour lights were also flickering. He retreated into the house as the lights continued to flicker. "Erik is everything alright? What's with the lights?" Carol asked. "I don't know? But every light outside are flickering too!" He said, as the lights continued to flicker.
By morning Charles and his X-men had checked out and were flying back home. When they landed in the hangar, Hank was waiting for them. Soon they all stepped off the jet. "Welcome back everyone!" Hank greeted them. "Thank you, Hank, it's good to be home. But tell me Hank, what's wrong?" Charles asked. Soon they were back upstairs. "I'm sorry Charles, I should have called you when it happened!" Hank apologised. "Don't worry about it, Hank, from the sound of it, I doubt even I could have stopped it, even if I were here. But tell me, how many?" Charles asked. "Three!" Hank said, as they entered Charles's office.
Down the hall Jean entered her room to unpack when she heard a woman's voice and saw a vision of a town deep within the mountains. "Jean, Jean Grey, come to White Cliff, you will be in terrible danger if you remain where you are. Come to me, I can protect you both!" She heard. Then she heard a knock on her door. "Jean?" she heard from behind the door. Jean answered the door. "Hey sweetie!" Scott said. "Hey!" She said, kissing him. "Come in!" She told him, as he walked in. "What's up?" She asked. "Uhm, Hank wants us to supervise the kids outside and I thought it would be a great time for us to spend some time together!" Scott said. "Okay, let me grab my coat!" She said, smiling.
Soon they were outside supervising. The two hold hands as they walk the grounds. "So, are you ready for Christmas?" He asked. "Yes, I believe so, I still have some shopping to do but yeah, I'm ready. How about you? She asked. "Yeah, I'm ready, I too got some shopping to do, but I'm ready!" he said, as they continued to walk. "Mr. Summers, Miss Grey!" A boy cried, rushing to them. "Michael, what's wrong?" Jean asked. "It's Tonya, she climbed one of the trees and now she can't get back down!" Mike told. "I got this Jean!" He said, as he and Michael ran to the tree. Jean watched them from where she stood. When she heard children laughing and screaming in the distance. She turned to the field and saw some kids playing in the field. She turned back to Scott and the kids, just as Tonya came down from the tree. "Good girl!" Scott said. Jean turned back to the kids in the field, only to find them gone. Scott walked back to Jean. "Now, where were we?" Scott asked, as they moved on.
At Sarah's Diner. Erik sits at a booth and waits for Carol to show up. As he waited, he watched twelve-year-old Penny take someone's order. Just then Carol walked in and walked to the booth. "Hey sweetie!" She said, kissing him. "Sorry I'm late, Johnson the mayor of Red sands had a long talk with me. So, did you order yet?" She asked. No not yet, I was waiting for you!" Erik said, reading the menu. Carol also started reading the menu when seven-year-old Emily approached them. "Hi Emily, how are you dear?" Carol asked. "I'm good, your usual to drink Miss Caddy?" She asked. "Yes, please dear!" Carol said, as Emily left to get her drink. "So, what did you and Johnson talk about?" Erik asked. "Important things, He's worried about the humans finding our towns. He's also worried about these strange sightings!" She said. "What did you tell him?" Erik asked. "I told him, we all were!" She said, as Emily came back with her drink. "Here you are, are you ready to order?" She asked, bringing a pen and pad out. "Yes, dear I'll have my usual on brown!" she ordered. "I'll also have my usual on white!" Erik ordered, as Emily wrote it down then left to put in their orders.
That night Jean walked down the halls. She stops when she hears the TV blaring. She entered the TV room and saw no one was in there. The news was on and they were talking about the strange sighting across the states. As she watches the news, she began to see Adwin in her mind as well as his creatures. "Adwin!" She said, staring at the TV. "Yes, and those are his Darklings. They come out at night to hunt, but you can tell if they are near, their powers turn off everything that is electrical. If the lights start to flicker then they're nearby!" Patrick said, in her mind.
At dinner Jean sits with Scott and overhears Storm talking to Logan. "Did you hear four more kids were pulled out of school today!" Storm told Logan. "What again? What is up with those parents?" Logan asked. "I Don't know? But the Professor thinks they are running to some place, but he doesn't know where?" Storm told them. "So, Jean, I heard you have collage exams tomorrow!" Scott said, eating. "Yeah and I have to study after dinner!" Jean said, also eating. "Need some company, we can study together!" Scott said, eating. "Sure, I like that!" She said, drinking.
Elsewhere, Charles marks papers in his office when he hears a familiar woman's voice. "Charles, Charles!" He heard, in his mind. "Lilandra?" He said. "One of your X-men is in grave danger!" She said, in his mind. "Danger?" He said.
Two hours later in Jean's room, she and Scott were studying together. "How are you doing over there?" He asked, reading his books. "Okay so far!" She told him. "You know, you and I should think about moving in together again!" He said, looking at her. "Maybe someday, I'd like that?" Jean told him. "Me too!" He said, as Jean smiled, then kissed him. The two then made out until Scott's watch went off. "Aw dam, it's time for my shift, I'm sorry!" He told her. "Don't be, go and do your shift and I'll see you tomorrow at practice!" She said, kissing him.
On a lone street Adwin walks the cold streets. As he walks the streetlights began to flicker behind him before turning off completely.
Back at the mansion. Jean continues to study when the lights out in the courtyard began to flicker. In her room Jean was still studying when she saw her lamp flickering. "Darklings!" She said, knowing she was in trouble. Then she heard Patrick. "Jean they're here, Adwin's Darklings are here. You must protect yourself!" Patrick told her. "Yes, but how?" She asked. "They hate light, it kills them. Do you have any candles? Their powers don't work on natural light!" Patrick told her. Jean quickly went to her drawer and brought out a candle and lighter. She opens the lid and lit the candle. Jean stayed near the candle as she heard a loud screech outside.