Ashes of the Mind - Part 3 

Jean was coming to grips with the fact that Scott had cheated on her, with her own clone, trying to comfort herself and her insecurities when Jacob continued to speak.

"This didn't work out, when you came back from the dead Scott tossed her to the side." Jean didn't like the sound of that. Before he could continue, she spoke up. "What was she to Scott when he left her." Jacob stopped, he didn't want to reveal too much to Jean, but when he thought about it, he didn't see any harm in telling her. He was given the right to the [Spoiler] function, he just had to decide what was too much.

"Your clone, or Madlyne Pryor was his wife... and mother to their child." He gave her a sad look as he shook his head, he couldn't understand why Scott did what he did. He was too obsessed with the original Jean, that he didn't even consider his actual and then wife Madelyne and their child. Who in the end looked exactly like Jean.

Jean's thoughts stopped in shock. 'Scott wouldn't.... she was.... he was...' A great sense of disgust welled up inside her as she processed his words. She couldn't believe them. But he was telling her the truth, he hadn't lied to her yet from what she could tell.

It was still so hard for her to believe it. She had no words. She couldn't, wouldn't defend Scott for this action in her mind. Seeing that she was contemplative, but still listening Jacob gave her a few seconds before continuing.

"It was when you were declared dead again, that he met Emma Frost." Jean by this point was somehow numb to the revelation that she had died again. From his words, she could already tell it happened more than these 2 times and that she would come back to life in multiple instances.

Seeing that Jean was still quiet and numb to his words, Jacob quickly tried to inject some levity into the room as he cracked a quick joke.

"Technically you have a passive ability of Self-Resurrection, but we'll get to that later, if you wanted to know more."

Jean gave a small smile as she noted his joking tone, though she was surprised by this omission.

'I Don't only have telekinesis and telepathy, but also self-resurrection???'

"Now where was I, yes it was the second time you died that Scott met Emma Frost. She a telepath like you, not as strong, but very powerful. She can also turn her whole body into diamond." Pressing the tablet again a new image of Emma appeared before them.

She was around 24 years of age in the photo, in her signature white outfit, showing off her midriff, shoulders and cleavage. With a white corset, gloves and skin tight jeans, her skin was a healthy shade of rose, that looked smooth and inviting. Her most defining trait though was her almost silver white hair, that fell to her shoulders. Her smile was inviting and vivacious as she starred into nothing before them.

'Every man's dream.'

Or so Jean thought as she instantly didn't like this woman.

"The two started going out, her telepathy reminding Scott of you. Sadly, once again when you came back, he abandoned her and got back with you." Jean frowned again, why was it that Scott kept leaving these women to get back with her?

She wasn't sure how long she would have been dead for, but after having died twice she thought that maybe Scott would have finally gotten over her. But every time, the second she was back up and kicking he would come back to her.

She wasn't sure what her future, or other self though. But she determined that it was weird. She knew he was obsessed with her a little, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that his obsession was going too far.

It was as she was mulling this over that Jacob continued, infuriating her.

"After he got back with you, not wanting to give up and having spent a good deal of time together, Emma came up with the ingenious idea of a Psychic affair. She would telepathically have an affair with Scott, at any time she wanted while he was still with you. Something which Scott continued until you caught them in the act."

'Psychic Affair? What a good Psychic Affair!' (AN. I couldn't help the Chinese way of writing this, it's just funnier)

Jean was absolutely livid with this reveal and the lounge couldn't help calm her down. Her eyes stared, almost blood shot as she looked at the new image before her. Jacob wasn't sure if he should add it, but in the end decided that it needed to be 'seen to be believed'.

Before them was the iconic panel of Scott and Emma in the same bed when Jean finds them. The image though was all that much worse when it became realistic. The anger in Jean's eyes, the betrayal and hurt when she finds them was right before their eyes as Scott look shocked, while Emma Smug at her success.

Jean Balled her fists as she looked at the scene. She didn't want to believe it, but the more she learned about Scott, the worse he appeared in her eyes. Though he was dismayed with being caught, Jean couldn't be bother with him anymore.

It was at that moment that Jean resolved to never get with Scott, he couldn't be trusted. Even when they were together, he cheated on her!

'It wasn't my fault!'

'I did nothing wrong.'

Even though she was mad beyond reason, at the same time another feeling welled up.

Relief.

A small pressure in her mind disappeared as she realised; it wasn't her fault that he cheated.

She had done nothing wrong.

The only person to blame was Scott himself.

Sure, she could blame Frost and she was sure as hell not going to ever become friends, or really talk to her, but it was Scott's decision that led to this outcome.

And as that thought crossed her mind, when she realised that this was a future that she no longer had to suffer, no longer had to put up with or deal with, she calmed down. A weight lifted off her shoulders, the blinding anger disappearing as gently as the sound of waves outside.

She couldn't say she was completely at peace with herself, but she knew at that moment she would be later.

This process of course was helped along by the lounge she was sitting on, but it was a process that would continue with or without it. When she left the therapy room it would continue and with that, one of Jean's major worries was resolved.

Jacob watched quietly as Jean's livid expression relaxed. Though he wouldn't be able to find out the concrete results of the therapy session until after it was over, as he looked at her now Jacob could tell that one of her worries was gone and that fact made him happy.

He wasn't a license therapist, he hadn't been trained for the job, actually he was probably quite brutal with his delivery, but somehow from what he could tell it was working. He did also attribute this to the room he was sitting in, but he could take it as a personal win.

He let her sort out her own feelings and calm down as he thought on what he had to do next. He could continue with the Psychic affair, but there really wasn't much else he had to do other than help Jean work through her emotions on the subject.

Until she spoke up, he couldn't tell if she had any more questions that needed to be answered, he didn't have much other material on the subject he could pull from and show her, but he could talk about the subject if prompted.

Looking at the time left on the tablet Jacob was slightly surprised to see that it was already 1 hour into their session. 'Time really flies.'

After around 10 minutes of pure quiet, the sound of waves still crashing in the background Jean finally seemed to stir. She had been sitting quietly in the chair her own mind coming to terms with a few aspects of what she had been told.

Seeing her finally move, her eyes regaining a certain awareness to the surroundings Jacob spoke up.

"Would you like to know more?"

Jean turned her head to look at the Counselor as he spoke, there was a patience behind his words that just told he would listen to all her complaints, answer all of her questions, help her through whatever she needed.

It was comforting.

But Jean thought on the question.

Did she want to know what happened after Scott was caught cheating?

In the end she shook her head.

To Jean, it didn't matter anymore. In her mind, if her future self was still a self-respecting woman, she would have instantly punted his arse to the curb and been done with him. She respected herself too much to stick around with someone that blatantly cheated on her.

She wasn't sure if she would have also gotten a slight amount of revenge at the same time, she was only human, but leaving him was a no brainer and her bottom line.

At the same time, the future would change, Jean wouldn't be going out with Scott, no force on earth could make her do it after this therapy session, so there was no point knowing more.

Having come to that conclusion Jean shook her head.

Jacob gave a small nod in confirmation before posing his next question.

"So, we still have quite a bit of time left, what else would you like help with?"

It was at this moment that Jean once again came face to face with her new biggest fear, one that had been gnawing at her since yesterday. The question that needed to be answered, but one she was afraid to hear.

Though she could have started off with the question about the voice in her head, what came out of her mouth was about probably the most important person in her life. Especially with her parents not being a factor, the professor was basically the one who raised her. She just had to know.

"W-when you said....that the professor messed with my mind...."

The timidness had entered her voice again as a vulnerability she showed few, shone through. Jacob stopped for a moment as he thought over the question, a bit of the new information that he had found coming to mind, as well as now knowing what the final question would be.

Though he would have probably liked to deal with the box of phoenix worms at the start, he now knew that he would have to deal with it last.

'But then that also had to deal with the phoenix.'

Jacob spoke up slowly, a hand resting on his chin.

"The other day, when I mentioned the professor messing with your mind, it does relate to your final question." Jacob sent a knowing look Jeans was as she gulped in a deep breath and braced herself. Though she wanted to put off 'that' voice, if it had to be talked about now, she was ready to prepare herself.

"But..." Jean almost thought he was teasing her as his eyes lost their intensity and she relaxed her body one more.

'Could you please stop it with the suspense and tension!'

"As your counsellor I've been given a look into your universe and current situation, something that relates to this question." Jean furrowed her brows at that.

'So, because he is my counselor, he is given information about my universe... as well as my current situation? What information did he get? Was it personal?!'

As she started to become worried about what type of information the Counselor now had, another part of her mind chimed in.

'Does it matter? He is only trying to help us? He also seems really powerful; he could have found out another way. It doesn't matter that much.'

With that mental reminder about how powerful the being in front of her was, something she had slowly started to forget, the worry generated from his words, quickly stilled and was forgotten. Jacob once again not noticing the effect his words had continued speaking.

"Because of that, and to explain your situation, I would like to ask you a question."

Jean gave a hesitant nod back, not exactly sure where he was going with this.

"Would you like to go to university early, seeing as you have finished your honours program?"

Jean didn't even have to think as she responded.

"Of course, I'll be going early!"

It had been her dream for a long time to go to university, it was why her grades were so high. Why she strived to be the best.

"Sure, it'll be a little hard to move from the Insititute, but I got a scholar ship which will pay for everything and I don't have too many belongings to move, everyone would definitely help..." Jacob watched as her eyes lit up in joy, he could tell she really wanted to move out, to go follow her dream, whatever it was.

But he could also see the moment when she started to trail off, when she started to realise what she was saying. She had been mulling over this decision for a while. It didn't say how long but he would guess a few weeks if not months.

So, then the question that would be in her mind right now is.

'Why was this a hard decision?'

'She had always wanted to go, why would she be second guessing herself? The second she was asked, she said she would go. It was unusual for her to second guess herself, she was a pretty confident woman, she got what she wanted.'

'The only reason she would be second guessing herself is if.... something was making her indecisive....someone.'

A slowly dawning look of horror appeared on her face as her eyes sort confirmation for her guess, though she wished it wasn't true.

Jacob could only nod sadly back.

Notes:

To be fair here guys, I believe that the Psychic affair happened differently in the comics. Emma came onto Scott when he started to get therapy for 'something' I can't remember, I think he then does cheat on her because of whatever problems he has and Jean finds out later. Not really a premeditated thing from Emma, I don't think. Anyone can correct me here. If it is really completely wrong I could possibly re-write. I do want to get these issues that are brought up pretty accurate. I just have never read the comics myself and the information I could find wasn't too detailed with what actually happened.

I once again want to state that I am not a professional Psychiatrist I have no training and nothing that is suggested or done in this novel should be used as an example on how to deal with problems. I mention it in this chapter and feel that I should mention it again here.