FicWad

Sorry about the 'ZAP' effect. I didn't know what sound to write. KA-CHEW? PEW PEW? XBHVBHSBKJAB?

Nothing is too weird for Emma. I like the comedic side of her - too bad she's dead.

CHAPTER 4

The X-Men continued to search for clues to no avail. They had nothing. No leads, guesses - nothing. Scott told his team to get some shut-eye. He too was tired and he needed some sleep. He was just about to go up but he stopped at the mansion's lobby and he felt something in his head again.

ZAP!

"Cyclops!"

"Who - Bishop!"

"Cyclops - I don't have much time. Resources are dwindling in the future! I am unable to communicate long."

"Go on."

"The future is terrible! You have to fix it. You are the key to this future - your decisions. Make them wisely!"

"Me? How can I fix it?"

"Think - "

ZAP!

"Bishop!" Scott looked outside and saw a fire. "Great, this just keeps getting better."

Scott ran outside and took care of the flames. 'How could there be fire? There's no ignition source.' He thought to himself.

ZAP!

A portal opened and Scott saw a naked woman engulfed in flames. It was phoenix. "Jean?" It was odd. The woman looked like she'd been stabbed.. There were scars...He could see the flames slowly fading. But then the flames grew bigger. "I NEEDED THAT." The woman said as she turned to Scott smiled at him. Scott noticed something. He had seen numerous hues of red - and he knew it wasn't the kind that Jean's hair looked like. She was blonde.

"EMMA?"

ZAP!

The portal was gone. Scott ran back inside the mansion. "To me, my X-Men!"

The next day, Scott, Kitty, Logan, Peter and Kurt went to Emma's grave. They dug it out and checked it. They couldn't see anything odd -as far as a half diamond, half skeleton body looked like, it all looked pretty normal.

"I don't get it. Why would Emma become Phoenix?" Scott pondered. "And how? - Phoenix can't penetrate through Emma's diamond state -It's a cosmic, yet psychic, force. So, it couldn't take control of her."

"Also, there's no life In diamonds..." Kitty added. "Phoenix needs a life force."

"I put her back now?" Peter turned to look at Scott.

"I say we switch her body with someone else's. Just like we did with your crazy ex." Logan suggested.

"No - put her back." Sighed Scott. "Go on without me - I have some stuff that I need to think about."

With that, the other X-men left. Scott still kept thinking about what Bishop had warned him about. He also kept thinking about what he saw in the portal. What had Emma done? Scott's attention focused on something else. Somewhere over the horizon - past the other X-Men's tombstones, a bright red glow emerged. Scott headed towards the glow. His felt a sensation in his head.

ZAP!

"This is it, Scott - Where it all happened. It's here. Think, Scott. I need you to think. We don't know what went wrong this time. Idon't have much time - mine is coming to an end."

"Bishop, just tell me - "

"This is it, Scott. This is my final message. I don't have much time. Goodbye, Scott. We really don't know what went wrong. We did everything right. Think of the possibilities or the consequences. Figure it out. For the sake of everyone."

ZAP!

'Scott, get over to the mansion quickly!' the professor sent out telepathically. 'It's very urgent!'

Scott got to the mansion as fast as he could. He went outside to the graves. He felt another sensation in his head. He went up to where the Professor was standing and saw Emma's empty grave. The coffin broken and a huge pile of dirt and dust scattered beside it. He looked at the tree that burned the other day - ashes still on the ground.

"Who did this? Did you see?"

"No." Charles replied.

"Just a minute, Professor... I have to go - something...something is calling me."

"Scott, wait!" But it was too late. Scott had run off back inside the mansion.

'Where are you taking me? C'mon. Take me where I need to be.' Scott was thinking to himself - or rather the 'feeling' inside his head. 'Where? Here? This is her room.'

Scott opened the door and saw a woman laying on her bed. He slowly approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder. A tear ran across Scott's face. "Jean?"

"S- Scott?" She replied. "I -"

Then she became unconscious. Scott couldn't believe it. Jean's alive again. At least, she appeared to be. He took her to the infirmary to get her going again.

"It's a miracle." Hank said.

"Sister..." Ororo kneeled beside Jean's bed and took her hand.

"Jeannie..." whispered Logan.

Kitty stood beside Peter. She was crying tears of joy. Peter pulled her closer. He couldn't stop looking at the redhead. Warren and Bobby's faces were smiling. They were happy to see their oldest friend alive. The rest of the X-men took time to visit Jean. She was still unconscious, but it was good to just see her again.

"Has Scott been here?" Charles asked. "I haven't seen him lately.

"No. Not since he dropped Jean off... I haven't seen much of him either." Hank responded.

Scott has been all over the place. First, he cleaned up the grave of Emma and said his prayers and best wishes for her. Then, he prepared Jean's room. He unboxed some of her clothes - what's left of them anyway. He spent most of his time thinking of Bishop's warning. Even though he was working on other things, he still kept thinking. He also coordinated with matters concerning the betterment of Utopia.

Back at the infirmary, Jean begins to wake. "Where...am...I?"

"Jean! How wonderful to see you awake!" Hank exclaimed as he leaned over to hug Jean. "It's good to see you!"

"Hank?...HANK! Oh my - it's really you! Am I...back?"

"Yes, yes you are. We've all worried about you so. Hold on."The lab's computer buzzed. "The DNA matching is done."

"Where is everyone?"

"Just a moment, Jean. This is urgent." Hank picked up his phone and called Scott. As soon as he answered, "Scott, the matching is done. The lock of hair belongs to Sophie. Meet me at the lab." Hank hung up.

"Scott? He's here?" Jean asked with a hint of excitement."Can I see him?"

"No, Jean. You know you have to rest. Besides, the Professor needs to talk to you about what happened with Phoenix and such."

"..."

"Be patient, you'll see him soon."

Hank went to fetch the Professor. Charles needed to ask Jean questions. It was important to find out where Emma's body had gone. Hank then made his way to the lab to meet Scott. The lock of hair could be the next clue in solving this mystery. He hated leaving Jean, but he had to follow boss' orders.

"Over here, Scott."

"Hank? It's Sophie's hair?" Scott came up to the screen. "Why would Emma keep a lock of her hair?"

"I've been thinking about that, myself. But I couldn't come up with anything - only that Emma missed her. Sophie was one of her students. She was devastated when Sophie died. With the events of Phoenix and Quentin... It only made it worse."

"No... that's not it," Scott was puzzled. "Then - Esme? Why no sign of Esme...not even... nothing."

"Scott, Jean asked for you. She's awake."

"... I know."

"You know? How? Why haven't you come to see her?"

"I felt it. At first I wasn't sure, but I thinks it's our rapport. It's very weak. It's been happening since Bishop tried to contact us."

"What about Bishop then?"

"Still nothing - I haven't figured out what he meant."

"So, let me ask again. Why haven't you come to see Jean?"

"Is she able to talk?"

Beast nodded.

"Then let's go ask her some questions."

Back the infirmary, Charles and Jean were talking. The others have been by to see Jean when they heard that she was awake. Hours have passed and they were ready to do some serious work. Jean finally regained enough strength to assess what had happened and she was about to tell Charles when Beast and Scott entered the room.

"Charles, is she ready?" Scott asked.

"I am." Jean interrupted. Why is Scott being so distant to her?

"Then let's hear it."

"I am no longer Phoenix." Jean began. "I've found them, Scott."

"Found what?"

"I've found my pieces, Scott. I've finally found myself within the Phoenix. I was able to use my will against Phoenix. I fought back. It proved to be too much. I wasn't doing everything it wanted. Phoenix gave up- started looking for a new host. It went back to earth and came here. It left me and - I don't have my powers anymore."

"Not even your telepathy?"

"No."

"That can't be."

"Why not?"

"I can feel you." Scott pointed to his head. "I know it's you. It's weak, but I know it's you."

"Our rapport? It's still with you? I.. Let me try to..." Jean place both her hands on her head and began concentrating. "It's... It's there!But I can't read your thoughts. I can't. It's just like a presence inside my head... It's weak.. I'm weak."

'I'm weak.' Scott thought. Then a sudden flash of memories began to hit him. He became quiet. It's all coming to him. Then, he knew.

"Scott? You stopped talking. Is there something wrong?"

"No, Hank - well, not yet. Charles, tell the team to get ready in five and man cerebro... We've got work to do." With that Cyclops left the room leaving a sad Jean Grey at the infirmary. She had wanted to see Scott the moment she was able, but not like this. He acted so coldly. Was he not worried about her? Jean felt alone again despite having her friends again.

Charles telepathically called out the others, "Kitty, Logan and Peter! Scott needs you ready in five."

The X-men assembled near Emma's grave. "What now, Summers?"

"I was wrong. Emma isn't Phoenix."

"What? Her body's gone! Then who-"

"It's Sophie."

"One of the Cuckoos - just one?" Kitty asked. "But last time all of the Cuckoos became Phoenix."

"That's right. And thanks to Celeste, we were able to beat them. Now, the Phoenix just took over one of them - eliminating the possibility of losing control of its host. Plus, Phoenix has already come into contact with Sophie before."

"How do you explain Emma's body not being in the coffin?It's like she just disappeared."

"I thought of that, Pete. She's not there because Phoenix tried to get to her. It tried taking over Emma's body, but it couldn't. Emma's'body' IS here - I saw ashes before by the tree... I thought about it over and over again and now I'm sure it's Emma's ashes. Phoenix took over and when Em's body wasn't enough, it simply just discarded her and destroyed her."

"So, what's the plan?"

"We have to kill the girl." Logan replied.

"But first we have to find her."

"She's weak. She'll need to find a power source."

"Think, team. Where will she find power?"

"Your optic blasts, Quentin or the other Cuckoos. Heck, even it could go back inside Jean... Take your pick, boss." Kitty replied. "Why is Phoenix always a girl? Oh, I know - too many guys on the team. If Phoenix was adude we'd totally have this figured out and done."

Scott walked towards another grave and read what the tombstone said: Sophie... Hero of open day. "I want everyone on high alert. We see any sign of Phoenix, we move in. Logan, try to see if you can lock on to Sophie. The rest of you head back. Kitty, I need you to tell Storm that she's in charge. Monitor everything and if you need anything - anything, I want you to contact me."

"Where are you going?"

"It's a family matter - Don't worry. I've got a plan on how to put the Phoenix powers to good use.."