Warren's Return - Part 2

Posted on Mon Dec 23rd, 2024 @ 12:13am by Jean Grey & Scott Summers

1,262 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 5: Days of Fortune Past
Location: Baxter Building
Timeline: November 18, 1990

As the aggression cooled and the parties separated, Jean looked at Scott and his discolored jaw. She wanted to caress the spot as if her touch would ease his pain. “We should get some ice on that.”

“Voila!” Bobby offered a hunk of ice that looked vaguely like a frozen ashtray. “That oughta’ do it, yeah?”

The unsolicited but not unwanted help caught Scott off guard. He raised his brow at the offer and accepted the ice block. “Uh, thanks, Bobby.”

Bobby glanced at the tense faces around him and gave a mock salute, rolling his eyes. “Well, that’s my cue. You guys have fun playing the introspective game. I’ll go find somewhere less… whack.” He gave Jean a little shrug and a half-smirk, then turned on his heel, whistling as he strolled out.

As the silence settled, Scott pressed the ice against his jaw, staring down at the floor. He didn’t meet Jean’s gaze, but his expression was weighted. Slowly, he took a breath and let it out, shaking his head as if trying to dispel the pit in his stomach.

“I can’t believe I said that. ‘Never again.’” His voice was soft, tinged with regret. “That’s… Magneto’s line. But for him, it meant he’d never stand by while people he loved were hurt. For me… it was just anger.” He grimaced, feeling the sting of his own words. “When I said it, I wasn’t thinking about protecting family or friends. It was like all I could see was… red.”

“You lost your temper,” Jean said in a soft and soothing tone as she reached out for him. With a delicate touch she turned his head upwards until his eyes finally found hers. There was no outrage or repulsion in her gaze, just those familiar, beautiful eyes that looked at him with so much love. “We all say things we don’t mean when we’re upset. No one begrudges you for that, even if you did select the words of Magneto.”

“But what if Warren’s right?” Try as he might, Scott couldn’t hold her gaze, looking away in shame. “My choices have been questionable. What if I become him? Magneto didn’t wake up one day as he is. He and the Professor were friends once. There was something good in him. Now…” Scott shook his head.

~I used my ability against our friend~ The admission was easier to formulate as a thought than to speak aloud. ~I wasn’t under the influence of any kind of technology or amnesia. It was just plain and simple outrage. He hurt me first and I was going to hurt him back. What kind of leader does that?~

“One moment of anger doesn’t change your path. You’re still a good man, Scott.” Jean brought his eyes back to hers once more but this time she held his head in her hands so he couldn’t look away from her. “And yes, you are still a man. Men make mistakes and are flawed, that is a universal truth. But the fact that you care and you love people, that you reflect and want to do better, those factors make you a good person.”

She leaned in and kissed him, it was a sweet and innocent press of her lips to his a gesture of love rather than passion.

“You know how Warren is, he will always be hyper-critical of your choices because he would do things differently. But he pushes and questions you because he cares, his defiance comes from a good place even if it doesn’t feel that way sometimes.” Jean used her thumb to caress his uninjured cheek, her touch was soft and inviting. “He’s hurting right now, too, and if you can falter and misstep then what’s stopping him? So he pushes and goads you in hopes of understanding because he wants you to be better and he wants himself to be better. Like I said before, you’re all men.”

Scott let Jean’s words sink in, her gentle touch grounding him as her insight unlocked his frozen heart inside. His self-recrimination faded, replaced by a quiet awe at the depth of her understanding. He took a breath, feeling the weight he’d been carrying lighten under her compassionate gaze. She saw the best in him, even when he struggled to see it himself. He smiled, his mood softening as he looked at her.

“What would I do without you?” he murmured, half to himself. He ran his hand over hers, feeling a swell of gratitude that steadied him. Jean wasn’t just his strength, she was his clarity and his reminder of who he strove to be.

“Turn into a super villain.” Jean quipped with a faint smirk.

Then, glancing down with a trace of regret, he added, “I want to make it right with Warren, Jean. Not just about today, but everything… all the damage he endured. He deserves more than my apologies. He deserves…” Scott trailed off, his voice tight. “I don’t know, some kind of restitution. I don’t know if anything would ever be good enough. Maybe a nice family dinner is all we can do right now.”

“A nice family dinner means a lot.” The ice Scott held began to melt and drip, making it more of a mess than an aid. Jean took it from him and discarded it before pulling him into her arms. “Warren needs time, patience, and support. He’s raw and angry right now because he’s grieving what was lost while still trying to move forward. Doing both of those things at the same time can be incredibly challenging. You need to remember that too.”

She hugged him tighter as she delivered gentle remarks about how Scott should handle these types of situations. “Warren has always been good at pushing your buttons because you two are cut from the same cloth. He knows exactly what upsets you because it does the same to him. I can’t say exactly what Warren wants or needs from us right now because he too doesn’t have the answers. The best we can offer is our continued support, the family he knows and who loves him. Dinners together represent that, they confirm our connections to one another.”

Jean pulled back a little so she could look Scott in the eyes once more, the faint shadows of his eyes visible in this close proximity to each other. “You both said you’re sorry. Learn from it and move forward as a team.”

~Enough sulking~ Scott smirked himself happy and took Jean into his arms. “I’ll just have to keep listening to your advice. What else would keep me on the straight and narrow?” He kissed her forehead and held her tight.

“Maybe a home cooked meal?” Jean teased as he held her close, she smiled at him as the darkness inside of Scott was banished one more. What Warren failed to acknowledge was how hard Scott was on himself because other people didn’t see Scott’s hurt or his heartache therefore they assumed it didn’t exist. But Jean saw it and she loved him for that valiant effort no matter the situation, Scott was a hero because he always got back up whenever he was knocked down. “And maybe a kiss or three?”

“Those definitely help.” Scott said with a lopsided smile before his lips found hers.

TBC

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