Categories > Cartoons > X-Men: Evolution > X-men: Evolution of the Heart
X-men: Evolution of the Heart
Chapter 2: Jean Grey
AN: This takes place 2 years after the last chapter. So Scott and Jean are both 12 years old in this part.
************************
Slowly, a young red headed girl made her way up to the door of her home. The sun had set an hour ago and the crisp evening air blew across the streets. Jean Grey was a beautiful, kind, caring young girl, but she hated coming back to this place she had to call home. Her average sized house in the suburbs in upstate New York was anything but a pleasant place to live. It wasn't the house itself...It was the person inside the house that made it so painful to come home to every night. It was her father, John Grey.
Wearily, Jean opened the front door as slow as she could and looked inside. There was no sign of her father, so she silently walked towards the stairs. Then the thick, fowl scent of liquor filled the air around her and she started to panic. Suddenly, she heard a loud booming voice come from upstairs.
"JEAN!"
The young girl then saw a figure appear at the top of the stairs. She instantly froze in fear.
"Where hell were you?" he demanded with a drunken slur apparent in his speech.
"I...I was playing soccer at school," she answered meekly, hoping her father would believe it, for it was the truth.
She always tried to stall coming home, so she stayed at school as long as she could without raising suspicions from others. Today, she had stayed until dark, much longer than usual. Jean knew her father might not believe that. However, alcohol had made him so irrational he would still get angry for things that he alone thought were true. Jean watched as he descended the stairs. He began to stumble as he approached the fearful redhead. Jean tried to back away as she watched her father tower over her. Then, without warning, he slapped the young girl as hard as he could across the face.
"BULLSHIT!" bellowed the drunken man as Jean fell the floor.
Tears welled up in the young girl's eyes as she started to sob at her father's harshness. There never seemed to be a moments rest. When he was sober he was angry, and when he was drunk he was furious. Beatings from this man had become a way of life to Jean Grey.
"It's too dark out for soccer, where were you really!?" yelled the man before her.
Jean didn't answer. He'd still get mad if she lied. She refused to respond, then she felt her father give her a hard kick in the stomach.
"I swear...I just lost track of time," she cried through the pain.
"DON'T PLAY DUMB WITH ME JEANNIE! OR SO HELP ME...I'LL MAKE YOU REGREAT IT!"
Suddenly, Jean felt a sharp pain in her head. It came out of nowhere and it started to grow in intensity. She felt herself loose control of her thoughts and she clutched her head in agony.
Meanwhile, her father had stumbled off to the side, hinting at how drunk he really was. Over the last few years this sight had become far too common for the 12-year-old. Ever since she was a little girl, she knew her father had a temper. However, he didn't show it nearly as much as he did now. That all changed, however, three years ago.
"You're worthless Jean...You were a mistake," said her father in a scrambled slur that reeked of alcohol. "It's because of you, your mother went insane. It's because of you, your mother killed herself."
As he said those words, it bought back the painful memories of that fateful night.
*FLASHBACK*
"She's doing it again! The evil has overcome her!" yelled an erratic middle-aged woman.
"No...Mommy," said an 8 year-old Jean, but she couldn't think straight.
Something had happened to her, something that had been happening more often. The furniture in the room began to rattle, small objects began to fling themselves across the room, and Jean could somehow feel it. She tried to make it stop, but it wouldn't. Jean's mother had painted red streaks around the room to ward off what she thought was a demon.
"GET OUT OF MY DAUGHTER!" yelled her mother as she picked up a big wooden crucifix. "EVIL...BE GONE!"
Jean then felt the sharp pain of the wood against her frail, young body. She yelled out in agony, but that just made the commotion in the room grow worse. Jean opened her eyes as she saw her mother raise the crucifix again for another blow. Suddenly, she sensed footsteps. She didn't hear them, but somehow she sensed them. Then, everything in the room stopped moving, but her mother still readied herself for one last blow. Jean, braced herself, but then, the door was kicked in and three men dressed in white hospital uniforms stepped in...
"NO! THE EVIL MUST BE DESTROYED! THE EVIL MUST BE KILLED! EVIL! THE CHILD IS POSESSED BY EVIL!" yelled her mother as the men tackled her to the floor and slapped restraining gear on her. Jean cowered at the sight.
Later, Jean stood by the doorway with her father next to her. He had a big bottle of hard liquor in the other hand and was taking large gulps of it. Young Jean watched as they carried her mother off in the van. She could still hear voices within her head, voices that melded in to a jumbled mess. But she still couldn't fight back the tears as she watched them hall away her mother, who's insane screaming could still be heard as the van drove away.
*END FLASHBACK*
A year later, they found her mother dead in her cell. She had hung herself. She had said she was evil, but Jean refused to accept that. She didn't care what her parents said. She knew she wasn't evil, but she still didn't know what was going on with her. Jean had learned to ignore her parents' words, but the memories still stung. However, this didn't dissuade her father from making Jean suffer more from this belief. He had stuck her in mental hospitals on several occasions. There she was often treated like an animal; drugged, bound, almost sub-human. These hospitals weren't much better than her father. There, being a pretty young girl, she was the victim of numerous rapes from orderlies there. She could do nothing about it because they drugged her half of the time. However, she never stayed long in these asylums, for her father would run out of money to keep her there or the hospital would be too afraid to keep her. None of this helped the young girl as she struggled to keep her head straight, but to no avail. Once again, she felt the pain in her head increasing again as the room around her began to rattle once more.
"Your doing it again aren't you!?" yelled her father as stumbled over towards her. "STOP IT!" She tried, but to no avail. "I SAID STOP IT! STOP IT NOW JEAN!" But this was no good. Jean couldn't make the force in her mind go away. Soon, objects began to fly around the house. She felt as if she was controlling them, but it was all such a mess in her mind. "THAT'S IT!" bellowed her father as he raised he hand. "YOU'RE MOTHER WAS RIGHT! YOU ARE EVIL!"
"NO!" yelled Jean.
Suddenly, an unseen force had knocked her father back against the wall and knocked him out cold. Then, the flying objects around the house settled and the pain in her head lessened. Slowly, Jean stood up and looked at what had just happened. Had she really done all this? She tried to explain it, but deep down she knew this was her doing. Quickly, she ran up to her room, slammed the door shut, and moved her dresser in front of it. She then collapsed on her bed and started to cry.
'What have I become? What am I?'
Her thoughts kept repeating that and she kept telling herself she was not evil. Jean desperately wished this was all a dream, but it wasn't. She knew that when her father woke up he would show no mercy. Neither of her parents had ever shown her real love. Her father was once a respected professor, but his temper had turned him in to a monster. Her mother was no better; she was a loveless woman of apathy and had never given Jean or her father any real love. Severe psychological problems only made them both worse and it showed in their terrible treatment of the young girl and the abusive relationship that came with it. Their marriage was a train wreck and they never took the time to make it work even for the sake of their only daughter.
Jean's sobs began to subside as she stared at the ceiling above her. Suddenly, she realized something. She couldn't stay here any longer. She couldn't live with this man who she was ashamed to call her father. If she did, there would only be more pain, more suffering, and more savage beatings. She couldn't bear the thought of it. Quickly, she got up and grabbed a bag from her closet. She then went on to pack as many clothes as she could. The young girl rushed on to pack what little money she had and what little food she could find. Jean felt as if she was in a race against time before her father woke up. She did this through a worsening headache that was leading to an all too familiar feeling. When she couldn't find anything else to pack, she rushed out the front door.
As she was about to leave she looked back at her unconscious father. This man...Had beaten, abused, and used her for too long. She knew she could no longer stay. If she did, it would only get worse. Running away may not be the answer, but it's the only option she had. It was the only way out. As Jean Grey closed the door behind her, she said goodbye...And vowed then and there never to call that man 'father' again.
************************
Clouds riddled the night sky and cold winds blew across the streets of downtown Buffalo. Jean Grey walked the streets with a mixture of fear and despair. She had no real destination in mind; she just wanted to stay away from where she had come from. She wanted to forget, but that was all too impossible. The young girl's mind was a jumble of painful memories and unexplained phenomena. She could hear the voices of people she passed even though they weren't speaking, she could make objects fly through the air, and she didn't know how or why she could do it in the first place. As she aimlessly walked through the streets she tried to fight the growing pain in her head, but she was quickly loosing that battle. Then, she felt two ominous figures approach her.
"Aw what do we have here? Ain't it past your bedtime girly?"
Jean turned to see two large, dangerous looking men in dirty biker's clothes and red bandanas. She started to walk away, but these two men had no intention of letting her get away that easily.
"Hey where you goin?" said the other man as he firmly grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.
"Please...Leave me alone," pleaded Jean, who was beginning to get scared.
"I don't think so..." said the first man as he took out a pocket knife.
Upon seeing this, Jean gasped and then a mysterious force knocked the guy who had grabbed her back. Jean felt she caused this force, but she didn't know how. She didn't have time to ponder this as she immediately ran as fast as she could down the streets.
"Get back here you little bitch!" yelled one of the guys as they pursued her.
Jean's headache got worse and she felt herself slow down while the two guys gained on her. She stumbled in to an alley as she began to feel more dizzy, however this alley lead to a dead end and before Jean could stumble back out, the two men had blocked her. Now she was trapped. She felt her head about to explode as small objects began to shake around her. She also heard some the echoing voices of the men as they approached her. They were sick, perverted thoughts of what they were going to do to her. Feeling helpless, she started to cry.
"Aw, what's the matter kid. Want your mommy?" mocked one of the men.
"What...What do you want from me?" cried Jean through the pain.
"Why...We just wanna have a little fun!" laughed the other man as they began to get closer.
The first man then grabbed her by the throat and lift her up off of the ground. Jean tried to fight it, but her head was in too much pain and her body was too weak. The man then began to roughly fondle her chest. Jean closed her eyes and begged that this was all a dream. She wanted to scream, but she knew nobody would hear her. She was alone...Helpless.
Suddenly, a door to the side flung open.
"LEAVE HER ALONE!" screamed a voice.
Before the two men could react, two beams of bright red light blasted the two men and they were sent flying out of the alley as if they had just been rammed by a bull. Jean saw this spectacle through her mental fog and located the blast source. It was a boy...
The boy then ran over to the cowering young girl as she continued to clench her head. She looked at him as she kneeled down by her side. Then...All went black.
************************
Scott Summers looked at the girl before him. He had found her in an alley being harassed by two street thugs. They surely would have assaulted her had he not shown up when he did. But after the attack, the girl fell unconscious for unknown reasons. Scott had taken the young girl to an abandoned apartment building that he had been staying in for the last few months. For nearly two years now he had been drifting from place to place via buses and hitch hiking. Although he was blind, he had learned to use his other senses to see. His sense of hearing, smell, and overall sense of feeling about his environment had been enhanced to the point where he could see to a livable extent. It was those senses that led him to the fight that yielded a scared young girl that looked to be his age. He had made a makeshift bed out of old newspapers and had rested her body on it while putting moist cloth on her forehead. He didn't know how or why, but Scott could feel a strange connection with this mysterious girl.
He carefully ran his hands along the outline of her face and ran his fingers through her hair. He created a vivid mental picture of her in his mind and the only way to describe it was...Beautiful, almost...Angelic. But who was this girl?
Suddenly, her eyes began to flutter and he heard a soft groan. Jean Grey's blurry vision began to focus as she saw a figure appear over her. As the boy before her came in to focus, she took in his appearance. She felt herself freeze upon his sight, but it wasn't because of fear...It was because of comfort. This stranger was the one who had saved her.
"Are you okay?" asked the boy in a soft tone. Slowly, Jean sat up. "Take it easy. Here, have some water."
Scott handed her a small plastic cup that was halfway filled with water. Although she hesitated, she still drank it. Something was telling her that she could trust this boy. She took note of his appearance. He was taller then her by at least 3 inches, he had brown hair, and the most distinguishing feature of all was the tight piece of cloth wrapped around his eyes. It was so tight she doubted he could see. Jean also noticed that this boy looked fairly messy, for he wore dirty clothing that had definitely seen better days and was very thin. It was as if he was a war-refugee.
"Where am I?" asked Jean as she looked around at her new surroundings.
"Well, you're in my makeshift home. I bought you here after you passed out back in the alley," responded the boy who sounded very non-threatening.
"You did? But...Why?" asked Jean. She never encountered anybody who would ever do something like that for her. This boy didn't even know her and he had saved her life...Why?
Scott hesitated briefly before answering, "Because I had to. You were in trouble and I wasn't about to let those guys hurt you."
Jean was at a total loss for words as she looked back at the young boy before her. Even though he was blindfolded, he could sense her gaze.
"Well...Thank you."
The boy just smiled warmly at her and said, "You're welcome."
Jean managed to smile as well as something about this young boy's presence made her feel safe for the first time in quite a while.
"I'm Jean...Jean Grey," said Jean after a brief moment of silence.
"I'm Scott Summers...It's very nice to meet you, Jean," replied Scott.
They then shook hands. Both of them were immediately taken by the warmth of each other's hands and didn't let go for a good minute for fear of loosing that sense of comfort. Neither Scott nor Jean could put their hands on it, but there was something about each other that made them feel a small sense of peace in their otherwise tumultuous lives.
"So...Is this where you live?" asked Jean as she finally broke the silence.
Scott's expression immediately sunk to a more depressed look.
"Well...Not really," said Scott. Jean just looked at him quizzically. Sensing this Scott began to explain. "I really don't live anywhere. I'm...A runaway."
Jean heard the sadness in Scott's voice and immediately empathized with it.
"Yeah...Me too. I ran away from my dad," admitted Jean. It was odd sharing this with a total stranger, but for some reason Jean felt comfortable in telling this particular boy.
"You ran away from your father? Why?" asked Scott in a shocked manner. He could understand running from a foster parent. But a real father?
Jean cringed as the memories came flooding back to her. She really didn't want to talk about it. However, the more she suppressed it, the worse she felt. Suddenly, she found herself blurt it out.
"He was so mean to me...He hit me...He beat me...He..." Jean couldn't go on. She soon felt the pain in her head returning.
"Jean wait...You don't have to say anymore," said Scott as he stopped her from going any further. "I know...Believe me I know. My foster dad used to beat the crap out of me...He beat me so bad...I..."
Now he was choked up as well. Neither of them liked talking about this...But for some reason they were willing to talk to each other...Even thought they had just met. However, they had just found out they were similar in that respect. They both knew how it felt to be beaten by the ones who are supposed to care for you.
"He...He called me a freak...Because I made things move," said Jean through the sobs as her head began to hurt more.
"What do you mean?" asked Scott.
"I...I don't know how but...Sometimes...I feel this...force within me. I have this strange feeling...This strange sense inside me that makes things move without me touching them. I...I don't know what it is but..."
Scott gently put his hands on her shoulders and attempted to calm her down.
"It's okay...I understand," said Scott. Jean then looked back at him quizzically.
"Huh?"
"Remember those blasts back there with those to guys?" said Scott.
Jean nodded. Then she saw Scott look to the other side of the room and remove his blindfold. Suddenly, Jean saw two red laser-like beams blast a small hole in the wall. From what she could see, Scott was desperately trying to keep the blast weaker than it could be.
"That...That was you?" said Jean amazed at what she just saw.
"Yeah...You see, I'm different too. We're both different. I don't know how, but we are. We can do things nobody else can," said Scott as he put his blindfold back on.
"So then...What are we?" asked Jean.
Scott just shook his head and said, "I don't know."
Jean suddenly felt the familiar pain in her head return again. She didn't want it to, but it did. This time it was stronger then ever. She grew short of breath and she began to tense up.
"Jean? Jean! What's wrong?!" said Scott as he watched her start to keel over in pain.
"Scott...Get out of here! I...Can't...Control it!" said Jean as started to feel her mind explode.
Scott was flung back along with other objects in the room. The windows began to shake and objects mysteriously floated off the ground. However, Scott didn't leave.
"I won't leave you Jean...I can help you," said Scott as he tried to calm her down.
"NO! I CAN'T..."
She was getting hysterical as the movement of the objects in the room began to get more intense.
"Look Jean," said Scott in a soft, clam voice, "I know what it's like...To loose control. I know how bad it feels...But you don't have to feel it. I had nobody to help me...But you do now. I can help you."
Then, the furious movement of the objects started to gradually slow.
"That's it Jean...Calm down...Fight it...Control it..."
Scott carefully made his way towards the scared young girl and put his hands on her head.
"You can do it Jean...YOU CAN DO IT!" said Scott.
Suddenly, the strange force that was causing all of the commotion in the room disappeared...And something else happened. It was something totally different. Suddenly, both youths felt a strong surge through their heads. Then, Scott felt something strange. He felt an intense flash appear before his closed eyes and he saw an image before him. He could see pictures of a scared redheaded girl in front of him...Going through countless beatings and abuses. It was all in full color. These pictures zoomed through his mind, then something unexpected happened. He could see...In full color he could see. He took in the full view of the girl right in front of him and was taken aback. She was even more beautiful than he had pictured. She was like the angel he saw in his dreams...She WAS the angel he saw in his dreams.
Jean saw images zoom through her mind as well. She saw images of a happy family living in Alaska. She then saw a terrible fire. She saw a plane with the family on it. She saw two young boys jump from the plain and look back as their parents are engulfed in flames. Then, she saw one of the other boys overtaken by debris and fall to the ground. She then saw images of the boy who survived. She saw countless beating and assaults on him by a terrible man. She saw the boy keel over in pain as his eyes were engulfed in a red haze of light. Finally, she saw the boy cry out in pain.
Then...It was over.
The dazed young Scott was taken aback by what he just saw. He then felt Jean collapse in to his arms and cry her heart out. He softly put his arms around her, trying to give her comfort.
"Jean...What's wrong?" asked Scott as she began to stroke her hair in an attempt to soothe her sobs.
"I...I saw a plane...And a boy...And he...They...The boy." Jean couldn't finish however, she just kept crying.
"Boy...Plane...Jean, that boy is me," said a surprised Scott.
Jean looked up him with tears still in her eyes.
"That...That was you? That was..."
"That was my family...They...They died in a plane crash several years ago. I jumped from the plane...And watched them die right before my eyes," said Scott as she tried not to sob as well. "I survived, but they all died. They...Died."
That only caused Jean to cry more. The sadness within was just too much.
"I'm sorry...I," began Jean, but she was unable to go any further.
"No...I'm sorry you had to see that. I dream about it every night...It haunts me, but..." Scott couldn't find the words to finish. He was too choked up to go on.
Jean continued to sob incessantly. Scott could only wrap his arms around her tighter to comfort her. However, he soon found himself being comforted by her as well.
"Don't cry," said Scott softly as he held her close. "Don't cry,"
As the sobs began to subside Jean felt herself give in to physical and emotional fatigue. It was very late in to the night and she felt her body finally start drift off towards sleep.
"What kind of life is this?" she mused softly. "No home...No food...No family. I have nothing...You have nothing...We have nothing."
Scott felt the despair of her words. He couldn't help but feel it too, however he knew that there was some hope.
"That's not true Jean...Not entirely," replied Scott.
Jean just looked up at him with her sad eyes. Even though he could not see, she knew he could feel it.
"What do you mean?"
Scott turned his face towards hers and said, "I can be your family...If you can be mine. We're both orphaned, homeless, and broke...But that doesn't mean we have to be alone. I can be there for you...And you can be there for me."
Jean was at a loss upon hearing Scott's words. They only caused her to tear up again, but this time they were tears of happiness.
"Thank you Scott...Thank you," she said as she rested her head on his shoulder.
As he took in her warmth he could still feel her inner stress. He wanted to help her...So he did the only thing he could...He grabbed his guitar and started to play. Jean soon began to hear a soft, soothing tune accompanied with beautiful lyrics and finally, she felt at peace...Even if it was only briefly.
And even though the moment passed me by
I still can't turn away...
I saw the dreams you never thought you'd loose
Get tossed along the way...
Letters that you never meant to send...
Get lost or thrown away
And now we're grown up orphans
I never knew their names
Who don't belong to no one
That's a shame
You could hide beside me
Maybe for a while
And I won't tell no one your name...
And I won't tell em your name
The scars are souvenirs you never loose
The past is never far...
Did you loose yourself somewhere out there?
Did you get to be a star?
Don't it make you sad to know that life...
Is more than who we are
You grew up way to fast
And now there's nothing to believe...
And reruns all become a history
I'm tired of some kids playing on a tired radio
And I won't tell no one your name...
And I won't tell em your name
As Scott continued to play his guitar he couldn't help but look over at the sleeping redhead next to him. For the first time in years...He had found somebody who truly understood him. He had found somebody who he felt at peace with. He didn't know what it was...But it made him feel better about all the pain he had gone through. The days to come would bring many new challenges for the both of them. They would have to eat, sleep, and survive day to day. However, for now neither of them worried about that. Scott helped Jean and Jean helped Scott. It was a beautiful thing that couldn't be described with words. It could only be felt. Life was harsh, but at least for these two kindred souls...They weren't alone.
I think about you all the time
But I don't need the same
It's lonely where you are
So come back down...
And I won't tell em your name
************************
AN: Well, that's it for now! I hope all you Scott/Jean fans liked this part, but I will tell you it won't be the last. The next chapter introduces Kitty Pryde, so stay tuned for that and my first attempts at Kurt/Kitty. That song I mentioned was Name, by the Goo Goo Dolls. They own it, not me, so please don't sue! Also, please REVIEW! Post them on fanfiction.net or send them to me at slickboy444@aol.com. I'd love to hear what you all think, so please let me know! Thanks for reading and best wishes to you all.
REVEIWS...NEED...REVIEWS!!!
Chapter 2: Jean Grey
AN: This takes place 2 years after the last chapter. So Scott and Jean are both 12 years old in this part.
************************
Slowly, a young red headed girl made her way up to the door of her home. The sun had set an hour ago and the crisp evening air blew across the streets. Jean Grey was a beautiful, kind, caring young girl, but she hated coming back to this place she had to call home. Her average sized house in the suburbs in upstate New York was anything but a pleasant place to live. It wasn't the house itself...It was the person inside the house that made it so painful to come home to every night. It was her father, John Grey.
Wearily, Jean opened the front door as slow as she could and looked inside. There was no sign of her father, so she silently walked towards the stairs. Then the thick, fowl scent of liquor filled the air around her and she started to panic. Suddenly, she heard a loud booming voice come from upstairs.
"JEAN!"
The young girl then saw a figure appear at the top of the stairs. She instantly froze in fear.
"Where hell were you?" he demanded with a drunken slur apparent in his speech.
"I...I was playing soccer at school," she answered meekly, hoping her father would believe it, for it was the truth.
She always tried to stall coming home, so she stayed at school as long as she could without raising suspicions from others. Today, she had stayed until dark, much longer than usual. Jean knew her father might not believe that. However, alcohol had made him so irrational he would still get angry for things that he alone thought were true. Jean watched as he descended the stairs. He began to stumble as he approached the fearful redhead. Jean tried to back away as she watched her father tower over her. Then, without warning, he slapped the young girl as hard as he could across the face.
"BULLSHIT!" bellowed the drunken man as Jean fell the floor.
Tears welled up in the young girl's eyes as she started to sob at her father's harshness. There never seemed to be a moments rest. When he was sober he was angry, and when he was drunk he was furious. Beatings from this man had become a way of life to Jean Grey.
"It's too dark out for soccer, where were you really!?" yelled the man before her.
Jean didn't answer. He'd still get mad if she lied. She refused to respond, then she felt her father give her a hard kick in the stomach.
"I swear...I just lost track of time," she cried through the pain.
"DON'T PLAY DUMB WITH ME JEANNIE! OR SO HELP ME...I'LL MAKE YOU REGREAT IT!"
Suddenly, Jean felt a sharp pain in her head. It came out of nowhere and it started to grow in intensity. She felt herself loose control of her thoughts and she clutched her head in agony.
Meanwhile, her father had stumbled off to the side, hinting at how drunk he really was. Over the last few years this sight had become far too common for the 12-year-old. Ever since she was a little girl, she knew her father had a temper. However, he didn't show it nearly as much as he did now. That all changed, however, three years ago.
"You're worthless Jean...You were a mistake," said her father in a scrambled slur that reeked of alcohol. "It's because of you, your mother went insane. It's because of you, your mother killed herself."
As he said those words, it bought back the painful memories of that fateful night.
*FLASHBACK*
"She's doing it again! The evil has overcome her!" yelled an erratic middle-aged woman.
"No...Mommy," said an 8 year-old Jean, but she couldn't think straight.
Something had happened to her, something that had been happening more often. The furniture in the room began to rattle, small objects began to fling themselves across the room, and Jean could somehow feel it. She tried to make it stop, but it wouldn't. Jean's mother had painted red streaks around the room to ward off what she thought was a demon.
"GET OUT OF MY DAUGHTER!" yelled her mother as she picked up a big wooden crucifix. "EVIL...BE GONE!"
Jean then felt the sharp pain of the wood against her frail, young body. She yelled out in agony, but that just made the commotion in the room grow worse. Jean opened her eyes as she saw her mother raise the crucifix again for another blow. Suddenly, she sensed footsteps. She didn't hear them, but somehow she sensed them. Then, everything in the room stopped moving, but her mother still readied herself for one last blow. Jean, braced herself, but then, the door was kicked in and three men dressed in white hospital uniforms stepped in...
"NO! THE EVIL MUST BE DESTROYED! THE EVIL MUST BE KILLED! EVIL! THE CHILD IS POSESSED BY EVIL!" yelled her mother as the men tackled her to the floor and slapped restraining gear on her. Jean cowered at the sight.
Later, Jean stood by the doorway with her father next to her. He had a big bottle of hard liquor in the other hand and was taking large gulps of it. Young Jean watched as they carried her mother off in the van. She could still hear voices within her head, voices that melded in to a jumbled mess. But she still couldn't fight back the tears as she watched them hall away her mother, who's insane screaming could still be heard as the van drove away.
*END FLASHBACK*
A year later, they found her mother dead in her cell. She had hung herself. She had said she was evil, but Jean refused to accept that. She didn't care what her parents said. She knew she wasn't evil, but she still didn't know what was going on with her. Jean had learned to ignore her parents' words, but the memories still stung. However, this didn't dissuade her father from making Jean suffer more from this belief. He had stuck her in mental hospitals on several occasions. There she was often treated like an animal; drugged, bound, almost sub-human. These hospitals weren't much better than her father. There, being a pretty young girl, she was the victim of numerous rapes from orderlies there. She could do nothing about it because they drugged her half of the time. However, she never stayed long in these asylums, for her father would run out of money to keep her there or the hospital would be too afraid to keep her. None of this helped the young girl as she struggled to keep her head straight, but to no avail. Once again, she felt the pain in her head increasing again as the room around her began to rattle once more.
"Your doing it again aren't you!?" yelled her father as stumbled over towards her. "STOP IT!" She tried, but to no avail. "I SAID STOP IT! STOP IT NOW JEAN!" But this was no good. Jean couldn't make the force in her mind go away. Soon, objects began to fly around the house. She felt as if she was controlling them, but it was all such a mess in her mind. "THAT'S IT!" bellowed her father as he raised he hand. "YOU'RE MOTHER WAS RIGHT! YOU ARE EVIL!"
"NO!" yelled Jean.
Suddenly, an unseen force had knocked her father back against the wall and knocked him out cold. Then, the flying objects around the house settled and the pain in her head lessened. Slowly, Jean stood up and looked at what had just happened. Had she really done all this? She tried to explain it, but deep down she knew this was her doing. Quickly, she ran up to her room, slammed the door shut, and moved her dresser in front of it. She then collapsed on her bed and started to cry.
'What have I become? What am I?'
Her thoughts kept repeating that and she kept telling herself she was not evil. Jean desperately wished this was all a dream, but it wasn't. She knew that when her father woke up he would show no mercy. Neither of her parents had ever shown her real love. Her father was once a respected professor, but his temper had turned him in to a monster. Her mother was no better; she was a loveless woman of apathy and had never given Jean or her father any real love. Severe psychological problems only made them both worse and it showed in their terrible treatment of the young girl and the abusive relationship that came with it. Their marriage was a train wreck and they never took the time to make it work even for the sake of their only daughter.
Jean's sobs began to subside as she stared at the ceiling above her. Suddenly, she realized something. She couldn't stay here any longer. She couldn't live with this man who she was ashamed to call her father. If she did, there would only be more pain, more suffering, and more savage beatings. She couldn't bear the thought of it. Quickly, she got up and grabbed a bag from her closet. She then went on to pack as many clothes as she could. The young girl rushed on to pack what little money she had and what little food she could find. Jean felt as if she was in a race against time before her father woke up. She did this through a worsening headache that was leading to an all too familiar feeling. When she couldn't find anything else to pack, she rushed out the front door.
As she was about to leave she looked back at her unconscious father. This man...Had beaten, abused, and used her for too long. She knew she could no longer stay. If she did, it would only get worse. Running away may not be the answer, but it's the only option she had. It was the only way out. As Jean Grey closed the door behind her, she said goodbye...And vowed then and there never to call that man 'father' again.
************************
Clouds riddled the night sky and cold winds blew across the streets of downtown Buffalo. Jean Grey walked the streets with a mixture of fear and despair. She had no real destination in mind; she just wanted to stay away from where she had come from. She wanted to forget, but that was all too impossible. The young girl's mind was a jumble of painful memories and unexplained phenomena. She could hear the voices of people she passed even though they weren't speaking, she could make objects fly through the air, and she didn't know how or why she could do it in the first place. As she aimlessly walked through the streets she tried to fight the growing pain in her head, but she was quickly loosing that battle. Then, she felt two ominous figures approach her.
"Aw what do we have here? Ain't it past your bedtime girly?"
Jean turned to see two large, dangerous looking men in dirty biker's clothes and red bandanas. She started to walk away, but these two men had no intention of letting her get away that easily.
"Hey where you goin?" said the other man as he firmly grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.
"Please...Leave me alone," pleaded Jean, who was beginning to get scared.
"I don't think so..." said the first man as he took out a pocket knife.
Upon seeing this, Jean gasped and then a mysterious force knocked the guy who had grabbed her back. Jean felt she caused this force, but she didn't know how. She didn't have time to ponder this as she immediately ran as fast as she could down the streets.
"Get back here you little bitch!" yelled one of the guys as they pursued her.
Jean's headache got worse and she felt herself slow down while the two guys gained on her. She stumbled in to an alley as she began to feel more dizzy, however this alley lead to a dead end and before Jean could stumble back out, the two men had blocked her. Now she was trapped. She felt her head about to explode as small objects began to shake around her. She also heard some the echoing voices of the men as they approached her. They were sick, perverted thoughts of what they were going to do to her. Feeling helpless, she started to cry.
"Aw, what's the matter kid. Want your mommy?" mocked one of the men.
"What...What do you want from me?" cried Jean through the pain.
"Why...We just wanna have a little fun!" laughed the other man as they began to get closer.
The first man then grabbed her by the throat and lift her up off of the ground. Jean tried to fight it, but her head was in too much pain and her body was too weak. The man then began to roughly fondle her chest. Jean closed her eyes and begged that this was all a dream. She wanted to scream, but she knew nobody would hear her. She was alone...Helpless.
Suddenly, a door to the side flung open.
"LEAVE HER ALONE!" screamed a voice.
Before the two men could react, two beams of bright red light blasted the two men and they were sent flying out of the alley as if they had just been rammed by a bull. Jean saw this spectacle through her mental fog and located the blast source. It was a boy...
The boy then ran over to the cowering young girl as she continued to clench her head. She looked at him as she kneeled down by her side. Then...All went black.
************************
Scott Summers looked at the girl before him. He had found her in an alley being harassed by two street thugs. They surely would have assaulted her had he not shown up when he did. But after the attack, the girl fell unconscious for unknown reasons. Scott had taken the young girl to an abandoned apartment building that he had been staying in for the last few months. For nearly two years now he had been drifting from place to place via buses and hitch hiking. Although he was blind, he had learned to use his other senses to see. His sense of hearing, smell, and overall sense of feeling about his environment had been enhanced to the point where he could see to a livable extent. It was those senses that led him to the fight that yielded a scared young girl that looked to be his age. He had made a makeshift bed out of old newspapers and had rested her body on it while putting moist cloth on her forehead. He didn't know how or why, but Scott could feel a strange connection with this mysterious girl.
He carefully ran his hands along the outline of her face and ran his fingers through her hair. He created a vivid mental picture of her in his mind and the only way to describe it was...Beautiful, almost...Angelic. But who was this girl?
Suddenly, her eyes began to flutter and he heard a soft groan. Jean Grey's blurry vision began to focus as she saw a figure appear over her. As the boy before her came in to focus, she took in his appearance. She felt herself freeze upon his sight, but it wasn't because of fear...It was because of comfort. This stranger was the one who had saved her.
"Are you okay?" asked the boy in a soft tone. Slowly, Jean sat up. "Take it easy. Here, have some water."
Scott handed her a small plastic cup that was halfway filled with water. Although she hesitated, she still drank it. Something was telling her that she could trust this boy. She took note of his appearance. He was taller then her by at least 3 inches, he had brown hair, and the most distinguishing feature of all was the tight piece of cloth wrapped around his eyes. It was so tight she doubted he could see. Jean also noticed that this boy looked fairly messy, for he wore dirty clothing that had definitely seen better days and was very thin. It was as if he was a war-refugee.
"Where am I?" asked Jean as she looked around at her new surroundings.
"Well, you're in my makeshift home. I bought you here after you passed out back in the alley," responded the boy who sounded very non-threatening.
"You did? But...Why?" asked Jean. She never encountered anybody who would ever do something like that for her. This boy didn't even know her and he had saved her life...Why?
Scott hesitated briefly before answering, "Because I had to. You were in trouble and I wasn't about to let those guys hurt you."
Jean was at a total loss for words as she looked back at the young boy before her. Even though he was blindfolded, he could sense her gaze.
"Well...Thank you."
The boy just smiled warmly at her and said, "You're welcome."
Jean managed to smile as well as something about this young boy's presence made her feel safe for the first time in quite a while.
"I'm Jean...Jean Grey," said Jean after a brief moment of silence.
"I'm Scott Summers...It's very nice to meet you, Jean," replied Scott.
They then shook hands. Both of them were immediately taken by the warmth of each other's hands and didn't let go for a good minute for fear of loosing that sense of comfort. Neither Scott nor Jean could put their hands on it, but there was something about each other that made them feel a small sense of peace in their otherwise tumultuous lives.
"So...Is this where you live?" asked Jean as she finally broke the silence.
Scott's expression immediately sunk to a more depressed look.
"Well...Not really," said Scott. Jean just looked at him quizzically. Sensing this Scott began to explain. "I really don't live anywhere. I'm...A runaway."
Jean heard the sadness in Scott's voice and immediately empathized with it.
"Yeah...Me too. I ran away from my dad," admitted Jean. It was odd sharing this with a total stranger, but for some reason Jean felt comfortable in telling this particular boy.
"You ran away from your father? Why?" asked Scott in a shocked manner. He could understand running from a foster parent. But a real father?
Jean cringed as the memories came flooding back to her. She really didn't want to talk about it. However, the more she suppressed it, the worse she felt. Suddenly, she found herself blurt it out.
"He was so mean to me...He hit me...He beat me...He..." Jean couldn't go on. She soon felt the pain in her head returning.
"Jean wait...You don't have to say anymore," said Scott as he stopped her from going any further. "I know...Believe me I know. My foster dad used to beat the crap out of me...He beat me so bad...I..."
Now he was choked up as well. Neither of them liked talking about this...But for some reason they were willing to talk to each other...Even thought they had just met. However, they had just found out they were similar in that respect. They both knew how it felt to be beaten by the ones who are supposed to care for you.
"He...He called me a freak...Because I made things move," said Jean through the sobs as her head began to hurt more.
"What do you mean?" asked Scott.
"I...I don't know how but...Sometimes...I feel this...force within me. I have this strange feeling...This strange sense inside me that makes things move without me touching them. I...I don't know what it is but..."
Scott gently put his hands on her shoulders and attempted to calm her down.
"It's okay...I understand," said Scott. Jean then looked back at him quizzically.
"Huh?"
"Remember those blasts back there with those to guys?" said Scott.
Jean nodded. Then she saw Scott look to the other side of the room and remove his blindfold. Suddenly, Jean saw two red laser-like beams blast a small hole in the wall. From what she could see, Scott was desperately trying to keep the blast weaker than it could be.
"That...That was you?" said Jean amazed at what she just saw.
"Yeah...You see, I'm different too. We're both different. I don't know how, but we are. We can do things nobody else can," said Scott as he put his blindfold back on.
"So then...What are we?" asked Jean.
Scott just shook his head and said, "I don't know."
Jean suddenly felt the familiar pain in her head return again. She didn't want it to, but it did. This time it was stronger then ever. She grew short of breath and she began to tense up.
"Jean? Jean! What's wrong?!" said Scott as he watched her start to keel over in pain.
"Scott...Get out of here! I...Can't...Control it!" said Jean as started to feel her mind explode.
Scott was flung back along with other objects in the room. The windows began to shake and objects mysteriously floated off the ground. However, Scott didn't leave.
"I won't leave you Jean...I can help you," said Scott as he tried to calm her down.
"NO! I CAN'T..."
She was getting hysterical as the movement of the objects in the room began to get more intense.
"Look Jean," said Scott in a soft, clam voice, "I know what it's like...To loose control. I know how bad it feels...But you don't have to feel it. I had nobody to help me...But you do now. I can help you."
Then, the furious movement of the objects started to gradually slow.
"That's it Jean...Calm down...Fight it...Control it..."
Scott carefully made his way towards the scared young girl and put his hands on her head.
"You can do it Jean...YOU CAN DO IT!" said Scott.
Suddenly, the strange force that was causing all of the commotion in the room disappeared...And something else happened. It was something totally different. Suddenly, both youths felt a strong surge through their heads. Then, Scott felt something strange. He felt an intense flash appear before his closed eyes and he saw an image before him. He could see pictures of a scared redheaded girl in front of him...Going through countless beatings and abuses. It was all in full color. These pictures zoomed through his mind, then something unexpected happened. He could see...In full color he could see. He took in the full view of the girl right in front of him and was taken aback. She was even more beautiful than he had pictured. She was like the angel he saw in his dreams...She WAS the angel he saw in his dreams.
Jean saw images zoom through her mind as well. She saw images of a happy family living in Alaska. She then saw a terrible fire. She saw a plane with the family on it. She saw two young boys jump from the plain and look back as their parents are engulfed in flames. Then, she saw one of the other boys overtaken by debris and fall to the ground. She then saw images of the boy who survived. She saw countless beating and assaults on him by a terrible man. She saw the boy keel over in pain as his eyes were engulfed in a red haze of light. Finally, she saw the boy cry out in pain.
Then...It was over.
The dazed young Scott was taken aback by what he just saw. He then felt Jean collapse in to his arms and cry her heart out. He softly put his arms around her, trying to give her comfort.
"Jean...What's wrong?" asked Scott as she began to stroke her hair in an attempt to soothe her sobs.
"I...I saw a plane...And a boy...And he...They...The boy." Jean couldn't finish however, she just kept crying.
"Boy...Plane...Jean, that boy is me," said a surprised Scott.
Jean looked up him with tears still in her eyes.
"That...That was you? That was..."
"That was my family...They...They died in a plane crash several years ago. I jumped from the plane...And watched them die right before my eyes," said Scott as she tried not to sob as well. "I survived, but they all died. They...Died."
That only caused Jean to cry more. The sadness within was just too much.
"I'm sorry...I," began Jean, but she was unable to go any further.
"No...I'm sorry you had to see that. I dream about it every night...It haunts me, but..." Scott couldn't find the words to finish. He was too choked up to go on.
Jean continued to sob incessantly. Scott could only wrap his arms around her tighter to comfort her. However, he soon found himself being comforted by her as well.
"Don't cry," said Scott softly as he held her close. "Don't cry,"
As the sobs began to subside Jean felt herself give in to physical and emotional fatigue. It was very late in to the night and she felt her body finally start drift off towards sleep.
"What kind of life is this?" she mused softly. "No home...No food...No family. I have nothing...You have nothing...We have nothing."
Scott felt the despair of her words. He couldn't help but feel it too, however he knew that there was some hope.
"That's not true Jean...Not entirely," replied Scott.
Jean just looked up at him with her sad eyes. Even though he could not see, she knew he could feel it.
"What do you mean?"
Scott turned his face towards hers and said, "I can be your family...If you can be mine. We're both orphaned, homeless, and broke...But that doesn't mean we have to be alone. I can be there for you...And you can be there for me."
Jean was at a loss upon hearing Scott's words. They only caused her to tear up again, but this time they were tears of happiness.
"Thank you Scott...Thank you," she said as she rested her head on his shoulder.
As he took in her warmth he could still feel her inner stress. He wanted to help her...So he did the only thing he could...He grabbed his guitar and started to play. Jean soon began to hear a soft, soothing tune accompanied with beautiful lyrics and finally, she felt at peace...Even if it was only briefly.
And even though the moment passed me by
I still can't turn away...
I saw the dreams you never thought you'd loose
Get tossed along the way...
Letters that you never meant to send...
Get lost or thrown away
And now we're grown up orphans
I never knew their names
Who don't belong to no one
That's a shame
You could hide beside me
Maybe for a while
And I won't tell no one your name...
And I won't tell em your name
The scars are souvenirs you never loose
The past is never far...
Did you loose yourself somewhere out there?
Did you get to be a star?
Don't it make you sad to know that life...
Is more than who we are
You grew up way to fast
And now there's nothing to believe...
And reruns all become a history
I'm tired of some kids playing on a tired radio
And I won't tell no one your name...
And I won't tell em your name
As Scott continued to play his guitar he couldn't help but look over at the sleeping redhead next to him. For the first time in years...He had found somebody who truly understood him. He had found somebody who he felt at peace with. He didn't know what it was...But it made him feel better about all the pain he had gone through. The days to come would bring many new challenges for the both of them. They would have to eat, sleep, and survive day to day. However, for now neither of them worried about that. Scott helped Jean and Jean helped Scott. It was a beautiful thing that couldn't be described with words. It could only be felt. Life was harsh, but at least for these two kindred souls...They weren't alone.
I think about you all the time
But I don't need the same
It's lonely where you are
So come back down...
And I won't tell em your name
************************
AN: Well, that's it for now! I hope all you Scott/Jean fans liked this part, but I will tell you it won't be the last. The next chapter introduces Kitty Pryde, so stay tuned for that and my first attempts at Kurt/Kitty. That song I mentioned was Name, by the Goo Goo Dolls. They own it, not me, so please don't sue! Also, please REVIEW! Post them on fanfiction.net or send them to me at slickboy444@aol.com. I'd love to hear what you all think, so please let me know! Thanks for reading and best wishes to you all.
REVEIWS...NEED...REVIEWS!!!
Sign up to rate and review this story