Lasting Memories

Posted on Mon Jun 23rd, 2025 @ 9:24pm by Charles Xavier & Jean Grey-Summers

2,183 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 6: X-Fernus Agenda
Location: X-Mansion
Timeline: January 27, 1991

After the cake had been cut and served, the guests of Scott and Jean’s wedding began to thin. The rambunctious energy of the reception cooled to a quiet afterglow that those whole remained were happy to bask in.

“You know, we haven’t had the chance to dance together,” Jean said to Xavier as she bent down and offered him her hand. Her smile persisted but it was soft and warm rather than beaming at this point in the night. “Can I have my last dance of the night with you?”

It didn't take telepathy for Charles to divine her meaning. Jean's intentions were quite obvious. And her offer of the last dance was a strategic one. The gesture combined sentimentality with discretion, as the Professor would be unable to so unassisted.

“Jean, my dear, I would love nothing more.” As he took her hand, a familiar tingle ran through his body which heralded the subtle telekinetic reinforcement from Jean's mind to his limbs.

~I recall the days when you thought such control was beyond you~ Charles smiled up at her with a fatherly affection that was reserved for precious few. ~Now look at you, as refined as you are beautiful~

~* ‘Do you remember when I was learning how to crack eggs?’ *~ Jean laughed at the memory as they walked together out onto the dance floor. ~* ‘I covered the kitchen in smashed and exploded eggs. Poor Scott got raw eggs and bits of shell all over his glasses.’ *~

They took a more formal ballroom dancing position together, with high elbows and poise. And as Xavier recalled the steps to a waltz he found his feet moved as if by his own accord thanks to the combined aid of Jean’s telepathy and telekinesis.

Charles Xavier had been a phenomenal dancer in his youth and had been compared to Fred Astaire on more than one occasion. Raised in a world of socialites and aristocracy he had plenty of opportunities to display his natural talent as a dancer. So when the music played and he found the beat, long forgotten movements were suddenly recalled and he guided them across the floor with an unmatched grace.

~* ‘Thank you for opening up the school to all of this.’ *~ Jean glanced up at the swaths of flowers and the rigs of lightning that had been set up for the wedding.
~* ‘I’ll remember all of this forever, it has been the happiest day of my life.’ *~

~As it has mine as well~ Charles gathered her in his arms and for the first time, well, far too long, he took the lead on the dance floor. ~Truth be told, Jean, a father’s heart is for his children to have better than he did. You and Scott may not be mine by blood, but I count you as children of my heart~

There was something rather cathartic within the old professor’s sentiments. Romance was not something he had ever discussed with his students, save for roundabout references in pursuit of a greater lesson. It was no secret that he and Moira had once been paramours before settling into their strong platonic love for one another. Aside from that, Professor Xavier had often been considered more myth than man, which was a useful reputation as headmaster, but it also made for a shining armor that obscured the soul beneath.

~It is my genuine pleasure to share this day with you~ Xavier allowed his telepathic shields to diminish in order for the beautiful moment to blossom brighter through their bond. ~And this dance. Your gesture may be even kinder than my own…~

~* ‘At least now I can say that the rumors are true and I can personally confirm how good of a dancer you are.’ *~ Jean left his arms for a flourish of a spin that made the layers of her gown rustle and her hair whipped around her neck. The move made her laugh a little but as she returned to his embrace a tug of emotion caught her attention and it sobered her.

~* ‘You’re sad…’ *~ Jean’s telepathy manifested in empathy and as Charles lowered his guard she felt more of his true emotions. ~* ‘No, not sad, but remorseful because you’re thinking about someone… Who is she?’ *~

~Her name was Amelia Voght~ Xavier answered plainly, allowing Jean to glimpse the echo of a memory rendered in golden hues and tattered edges.

Through their telepathic connection, Charles let the scene bloom like an old film reel in Jean’s mind: A younger Charles Xavier in a crude hospital bed tucked into the side of a Tibetan mountain. Snow whipped against stone beyond the window, but inside it was warm. A nurse in red, with auburn hair and eyes full of bright, unjudging kindness, leaned over him. She laughed at something he said. She touched his arm, casually but affectionately. Amelia.

~She was the first to pull me back from despair after my injury. I was angry then, bitter and frustrated by saving the world only to lose my mobility. But she had a way of diffusing my pride. Like my very own muse sent straight from Mount Parnassus, she drew me back from the teetering brink~

The vision shifted to the Graymalkin Mansion. Charles, sitting in his study with papers clutched in his hand, blueprints barely concealed.

~Cerebro was a joint project with Magnus to save our people. But all she saw was another man with power, drawing lines, presenting threats. I tried to show her I was a mutant too, but she thought secrecy was survival. She thought I was building a fate worse than death~

Jean felt the bitterness resurface, faint but present. Then… a root of shame.

~She struck me. Rightfully so. I revealed my own mutation to her not in trust, but in rebuttal. And she forgave me for a while. But I pressed on. One day I brought Scott to the mansion. The dream was becoming reality. And in chasing it, I lost her~

The dance continued, but their minds remained joined in stillness.

~She saw what I wanted to build and called it a tragedy waiting to happen. And I… tried to reach her mind, to make her understand~ A pause heavy with regret. ~I stopped myself before it was too late. But that only confirmed her worst fears. After that Amelia left me for good~

~* ‘I’m sorry. It’s hard to lose someone who means so much to you, who helped you through such a difficult time in your life.’ *~ There was that soft touch of compassion and gentleness in Jean’s words and telepathic presence. She was always the caregiver, the nurturer, even to her own teacher and father figure. ~* ‘It leaves a void sometimes, an empty stop they once filled.’ *~

She looked around the ballroom and even though the crowd had thinned there were still pockets of classmates, students, family and friends who mingled amongst the space. ~* ‘But I think you found something really beautiful and special thanks to the hard choices you made.’ *~

~Indeed~ Charles agreed as he guided Jean through a spin. ~If I had to do it all over again, I would make the same choices. There is simply too much we have accomplished for the greater good to hold regrets over what might have been. Even if she didn't respond the way I'd hoped…~

Through their connection, Jean could multiple names stacked beneath “she” like a deck of cards. Amelia. Moira. Gabrielle. Teri. The investment Charles Xavier had made to see his dream of a future hope come to pass was far more than a financial one. It was paid in love and sacrifice such that would send lesser men to war. Instead he sued for peaceful coexistence at the cost of his own personal happiness.

~... life has a way of offering consolation for those who look to find it. When a door closes, we can always open a window~

Through that sentiment, Jean could see the entire school and everyone in it through her mentor’s eyes. The students walked to and fro with a golden hue that reflected the touch of his ever watchful eye on them, not preying on their innermost thoughts or private moments but rather guarding their dispositions for danger or other warning signs. Shining stars like Connor and Kennedy were held in equal esteem alongside troublemakers like Darian and Rahne because Xavier saw their potential as opposed to their presentation. All the wedding guests were more beautiful than the decor because they were the true wealth of life and the only thing worth dying for.

It was then that Jean truly saw it really was a genuine joy and pleasure for Charles to host the wedding of his proteges and heirs. This was one of the happiest days of his life as well. So much pain going clear back to childhood in that mansion was redeemed through their celebration.

Knowing that Jean now knew that layer and aspect, Charles said nothing. There was just a happy tear in the corner of his eye that reframed the gleeful smile on his face.

~* ‘There is much to sacrifice when you become a parent, you put the happiness of others before your own.’ *~ Jean reached out and brushed away the tear that threatened to fall. ~* ‘I am so grateful and honored to be considered one of your children. I see the hardships you endured, the difficult choices you made for yourself that benefited all of us. Sometimes the work is thankless but I see it and I’m inspired by it.’ *~ She let go of his arms and hugged Xavier, a true embrace that was aided by the full measure of his height. ~* ‘I love you and thank you for loving me, loving us.’ *~

~You are most welcome, Jean~ Charles held her tightly for a long, poignant moment. ~The work is reward enough in itself when it yields such beautiful happiness as I see in you and Scott. I wish every student had your story, if only they would put in the work you both have to achieve it~

Finally releasing her, Charles stepped back to look upon Jean in all her bridal splendor. “You are the picture of beauty and grace. But speaking of Scott…” Charles glanced over at Scott who stood with a wry smirk and arms crossed across his chest. “Perhaps I should give you back to your jealous groom.”

“He’s eager to get going.” Jean looked over at Scott and his stoic exterior cracked enough that even the most unobservant patron would have noticed. She was his whole world, his happy place. “He’s tired of wearing a tuxedo and rubbing elbows with everyone. He wants to change and head out for our weekend in the Catskills.”

“I don't blame him,” Charles said as he summoned his chair to him in the middle of the dance floor. It was a signal to Scott that their time was coming to a close. “It's been a monumental day for you. All good things must come to an end.”

As Scott approached, his arms dropped to his sides and he didn't hold back his smile. “You've been holding out on us, Professor,” he said in regards to his dance skills.

“It was from a chapter of my life which I had thought closed.” Charles sat down and refolded the blanket over his legs before Jean's animating telekinesis left entirely. “Thank you, dearest Jean and Scott, for allowing me a small reprieve and remembrance of yesteryear. Today is not one I shall ever forget.”

“Don't mention it, sir,” Scott said with a strong current of gratitude beneath his taciturn exterior. “We wouldn't be here if not for you.”

Ever the formality from Scott where matters of the heart were concerned. Charles turned to Jean and smiled. ~You will give him my best, I trust, and ensure he doesn't disregard it in that self-denial of his?~

~* ‘Of course.’ *~ She chuckled a little at Xavier’s accurate description of Scott. Jean reached out for him and looked up at Scott with so much love and affection. ~* ‘You know I have my way of getting through to him.’ *~

Today had been their day and as it came to an end the feelings that remained were joy and satisfaction. Jean leaned in and kissed Scott on the check, it was a sweet gesture that reminded Xavier of their teenage years when they were bashful and blushing whenever they spoke to one another.

They had grown up together surrounded by these very walls, scared and lost children who had become the adults that stood before him today. Scott and Jean were Charles Xavier’s first students and now they had become his legacy.

“Come on, let’s get changed and head to the hotel,” Jean said to Scott before they both looked at the Professor. “Thank you again, Charles, for everything.”

“You're welcome,” Charles said with a nod which dismissed them to enjoy their honeymoon. His first X-Men, his Children of the Atom.

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