12 Ashes of the Mind - Part 2 

'Multiverse Theory?'

The words popped into Jean's mind as it started to work. She was one of the smartest, if not the smartest student at Bayville high. Heck she was already done with her honors program and was deciding if she wanted to go to university.

She knew what the multiverse theory was, and putting it into perspective of this session and the CONSOL app, things started to make sense. Jacob was about to explain what it was when jean spoke up.

"Yes, I've heard of it."

Jacob gave back a nod.

"Good, that saves me the time of explaining it in detail. But I will still have to explain some aspects of your related multiverse."

'Is there something different about my universe? Wait did he say multiverse?! As in singular! As in there is more than one multiverse?!' Jean's mind was in turmoil as Jacob plowed on, not noticing her confusion.

"The multiverse theory proposes that there are an infinite number of universes with slight differences in them. This is correct but I would like to iterate that in your multiverse, though there are infinite universes, there will be a significant number of similarities. The difference from 1 universe to the next could be that a person sneezed 1 second later than the other, or be as big as a whole species, say mutants, not existing on the planet."

Jean's eyes went wide at the idea of mutants not existing, though she knew what the theory proposed it never popped into her mind that mutants wouldn't always appear from one universe to the next. 'Would that make her a normal homo-Sapien in that universe?' Her mind raced with ideas but at the same time she began to understand what the counselor was telling her.

Seeing the small amount of understanding in her eyes Jacob nodded his head as she figured it out.

"Yes, the information I'm about to tell and show you come from different iterations of your universe. Though they are different universes, the similarities between your universes will be high. Major events are usually shared between universes, the same with personality traits, actions and re-actions."

Jean mulled those words over as she let her head rest on the lounge, her eyes staring up at the log cabin ceiling. Her mind was calm thanks to the lounge, it also helped her come to terms with the ever-growing picture before her.

But at the same time there was an ever-growing cloud of negative thoughts that were starting to swirl in the back of her mind.

'If the universes are so similar, if everything has already been laid out in a universe before mine....is that not destiny? Is that not fate?'

'If I can't change that then... what's the point?'

Finally, she spoke up.

"So, you're telling me this so I believe your words?"

Jacob gave her another nod.

"Yes, I have seen multiple versions of your universe, they nearly always play the same. That's why I am confident in my assessments. Though..." Jacob purposely let his words trail off as Jean turned her head towards him in question. One of her brows raised in a good impression of a Vulcan, as he smiled back at her.

"As you have interacted with the CONSOL app, along with this therapy session and even what you do in the chat group, your universe can now, depending on YOUR actions, drastically change."

Jean herself started to smile as the small doubt that started to creep into her mind cleared.

'Yes, this is my chance!'

'I can control my own destiny!'

'I can make my own decision!'

Without her noticing it, as she sat there in the chaise lounge, locked away in the therapy room, away from the influence of Charles Xavier, Jean's mind started to heal. The influence that had always been present couldn't stop her from forming her own truly independent thoughts for the first time in a long while.

What Jacob himself didn't know, was that the chaise lounge had another affect. It not only calmed the mind; it also repaired it. The lounge was made for patients that had server mental trauma, split personalities and much, much worse. Though it was slow, it was at the same time also slowly repairing the damage inflicted upon it all those years ago.

Jacob gave a soft smile at the bright look in Jean's eyes. They were the brightest he had seen them since she had arrived. He let himself bask in the good feeling for a short while before leading the situation once more.

"Now onto your question. I would like to specifically remind you that my words were, 'Your husband has a psychic affair'." Jean furrowed her brows.

'Who cares about the different wording, he still cheated on me!' Noticing Jean's reaction Jacob moved on, in the end there was no point in trying to defend or pardon what cyclops had done.

It was plain and simple cheating; nothing could make that right.

He could understand when he went out with Jean's clone when she was 'dead', he could understand getting with Frost when Jean was 'dead' again. Any time after when Jean was alive, no dice. Jacob quickly voiced these thoughts as he also started to access the tablet before him.

With access to the [Memory], [Spoiler] and [Internet] functions it wouldn't be too hard to get any message across. But he did have to be mindful of Jean's reaction and mental state.

"Though I guess there is no difference in this case..." Jacob hesitated for a moment before he continued, though it was slight, as ideas on how to do this reveal properly were tossed around in his head.

"... Would you like to know who your husband in the future is first?" Jean stopped, her anger disappearing for a second as she thought on the question. This was her future she was talking about. She had glossed over so many times that what she would be seeing was what happened in it.

Would she be a career woman?

Would she be a parent?

Would her dreams come true?

Anything and everything could possibly be seen. The thought was overwhelming and stopped her in her tracks for a few seconds. It was as her mind grappled with what could be seen though that she remembered that whatever else happened, her husband cheated on her!

She had to know!

She just had to know how it happened!

Though she wouldn't admit it, there was a small voice in the back of her head that held a question, her self-insecurities raising their head, as they whispered four words.

'Was it your fault.'

Jean was sure it wasn't, but there would always be that small voice that would question herself, thinking that maybe everything fell apart because of what she had done, that she wasn't good enough.

Giving a resolute nod, though she didn't feel that confident on the inside, Jacob continued.

"Well first off your husband in the future and as we talked about in nearly every universe is... Scott Summers." He didn't have to say his last name, but it just felt right in the moment.

Jean closed her eyes in... pain? She wasn't sure. Sure, she knew that Scott had been interested in her for a while, she would have to be blind not to see that. He was even interested when she was going out with Duncan. Well jealous was the more appropriate word.

He had always had that intense feeling about him and her. Most of the time it got on her nerves, like when she was about to come to her session today, but it was also sweet in its own way how much he cared and with everything with the x-men, especially how he was coming into himself as a leader... Jean had to admit she had been noticing Scott more and more these days.

Her chest started to hurt, her eyes starting to water. She didn't know why exactly, maybe she was heartbroken? The idea definitely crossed her mind. But they hadn't been going out, they had never been going out.

But maybe she had hoped, maybe she had wanted deep down in some place for them to get together, lead the team and have a happy life... but now.

Now she knew that, yes, they did get together, but... for some reason he cheated.

In the end no tears were shed as Jacob gave her a bit of time for this revelation. He wasn't always the best with comforting a person, something that he might have to brush up on as a counselor, but in this instance, he thought giving her space might be for the best.

It was as Jean finally started to calm down in the silent room, the sound of waves crashing in the background that the silence was broken.

"Why did he do it?" There was no need for Jacob to ask what she meant. He pressed the tablet a few times before speaking up, Jean's undivided attention on his answer.

"Well that's a bit trickier to answer, you see in the future you die." The was a pregnant pause in the room as Jean's eyes widened in disbelief. She was just about to explode with question before Jacob raised his hand.

"Let me finish first, I'll explain everything." Jean still a bit shaken, with more questions than answers let him continue.

"You 'died', but you're not really dead or at least you come back. I'll explain that when I answer your other questions." Jacob gave Jean a pointed look as she furrowed her brows in confusion. She couldn't believe it was possible to come back from the dead, not mentioning the fact that she died.

Though once the Counselor mentioned that it had to do with her 'other questions' the ones she wanted to avoid first she let it go. She was still dreading the answers she would get when it came to the professor, or 'that voice'.

"While you were gone Scott filled with grief technically has an affair with a clone of yours"

'Sorry what?'

Jean's mind drew a blank as the therapy room darkened. Jacob had finally initialized the spoiler function. He had already gotten a few wiki pages and pictures set up in a small folder under Jean's dossier.

Because he had the prep time, he was able to get together everything he thought he needed before Jean arrived. Because of that he could quickly pull up what he needed. Though the therapy room was advanced enough to find what he was thinking of, Jacob himself thought it was better if he prepared everything in one spot.

As the room darkened a new picture appeared in front of them. Though what Jacob had found was a comic panel of Scott and the clone of Jean kissing, what appeared before them was a realistic view of the scene.

Though the Jean before them looked almost identical to the Jean on the chaise-lounge, there were differences. First off, the hair was different, not to mentioned the age difference.

The real Jean looked at the image before her surprised, her brows furrowed, though she couldn't keep her eyes from straying to Scott. He was older, maybe 22 or 23 years old from what she could identify. But in her opinion, he looked so different.

No longer was he just coming into himself, he was now a full-grown man, his shoulders set back just a bit more, his jaw a bit more defined and his body... Jean's mind wandered for a second before snapping back to reality.

'He still cheated on her... but with her clone?'

'That wasn't so bad.... and she was officially dead from what the Counselor was saying.'

That thought drifted through her mind, calming her down, even making her feel just a bit better.

That would soon change.

Notes:

Chapter ballooned out again. I was thinking of doing the whole psychic affair in this chapter but I just hit around 2 k words and I think I'll stop and do the rest next chapter. I thought it was a good cliff to stop on.

I thought this session would be like maybe 3 chapters, but it's looking to be big. Like maybe 4 or 5 chapters long. Still a lot to get through, Psychic Affair, Charles messing with her mind, The Phoenix. Untill next time.