Chapter 107 – Truth and Hurt

[2009 – September]

Seeing Jean pull out flames from Charles' temple, I realized that the Phoenix had taken its revenge on the old telepath for the last few weeks, and would have most likely continued to do so without Jean's interference.

His apparent weakness, which I had sensed before, now made much more sense, as these small flames seemed to have blocked his ability to use his mutant powers and fully exert the strength of his powerful mind.

I wasn't particularly bothered by the fact that Jean had healed him from his weakness, as Jean's happiness was much more important to me than any perceived grudges that I might have against the old telepath.

I was still angered by the fact that he had planned to use me to gain access to Jean's mind, but I was also much less emotional about the whole affair at present, and I understood now that he had acted that way out of fear for the unknown.

At this point, I didn't care much for the Professor's intentions as he was the type of opponent I would feel most at ease fighting against. Now that the mental blocks that he had placed in Jean's mind had been completely removed, I felt much less tense when in his presence.

This was the initial reason why I had chosen to come here after all, as with my mental shield I had nothing to worry about from him. It was Jean's appearance and the fact that I had fallen for her that had started to make me feel threatened during my stay here, as I had been worried for her safety.

I was glad that all that was resolved now, as this naturally caused me to be much more at ease. Coupled with the fact that my plans to gain more power were also coming along smoothly while Apocalypse was still trapped in hibernation, I felt much more in control.

Even though the feeling of pressure didn't completely disappear. I knew that there were still a lot of threats out there that I would have to face eventually, considering that many of them were going to threaten this planet, which was my home for the time being.

Seeing the look in his eyes as Jean mentioned her father, I knew he probably suspected that I must have told her about that, he was pretty sharp after all. I didn't say anything though, as I didn't really feel the need to insert myself in the conversation between Jean and the Professor, mainly because I was only here to support Jean.

Taking her hand into my lap, I held onto it while my free hand moved to caress the back of her hand, brushing over her warm skin gently.

Jean turned to me for a moment and smiled softly at my actions, her bright green eyes shining with love and tenderness, wild flaming hair framing her breathtaking features.

It took me a few seconds to shake off my daze at this incredibly beautiful sight, and I had to fight hard to resist the urge to pull her into my lap so that I could wrap my arms around her.

Thankfully the Professor finally opened up and answered Jean's inquiry, which made it easier to turn my focus away from the lovely redhead by my side, even though not completely. Never completely.

"I contacted your father after I felt the awakening of your power with Cerebro", the Professor stated, his voice heavy, "The sorrow he felt at the loss of his wife, caused him to be in a state of shock."

"And he- … ", pausing for a moment, his expression showed how difficult it was for the old telepath to speak his next words. I guessed that whatever it was, it would probably hurt Jean deeply.

But while I was as unwilling as Xavier to see her hurt, I knew that she had the right to know the truth, and I knew that she was strong enough to bear it too.

Sighing deeply, the Professor continued while looking at Jean with sorrowful and caring eyes: "He was afraid and could not take care of you, Jean. So he left you in my care."

Jean tensed up at these words, while her hand grabbed mine as tight as she could.

"H-He couldn't or he did not want to?", Jean questioned, a slight tremor in her voice.

"Jean.", the Professor pleaded, "This all happened more than ten years ago, it would be better to let it go."

"I can't. I need to know the truth, I deserve to know.", she replied with a shake of her head, her voice soft, yet filled with determination.

" … Your father was unwilling to care for you, after your mother's death. He was not himself anymore, his grief … *sigh* … I'm sorry.", Xavier recounted, and from his expression, I could tell that he would rather not speak about this.

I knew that he was a great liar and manipulator, but I was also sure that his current emotions were genuine, as I had cast a small ethereal barrier around my right ear, which 'shielded' me from lies. So I knew, he had spoken the truth.

Swallowing hard, tears began to gather in Jean's eyes, but she didn't stop her questions.

"D-Did he ever call and ask about me?", she asked, though the Professor shook his head with a sigh, the answer to her question a sad no.

"Why?", she voiced out softly.

Visibly disturbed, the Professor opened and closed his mouth a few times as he sighed deeply, the words struggling to leave his lips.

Finally, he gritted his teeth and answered, his eyes shadowed and filled with distress and reluctance: "I told him that you were simply too young to control or even understand your powers, but he- … He still blamed you for the accident, even though it wasn't your fault … I didn't tell you to protect you from this pain. Your father loved you, Jean. But he wasn't himself anymore after your mother had passed away."

A tremor ran through Jean's form as she sat there quietly for a moment, her eyes fluttering close as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"H-He r-really ab-bandoned me, Elijah… ", she whispered almost inaudibly as she turned towards me, deep pain and immeasurable grief in her voice, her eyes overflowing with tears.

Not hesitating any longer, I reached out with both hands and placed her on my lap, softly brushing over her hair and back, as I embraced her delicate frame while she cried in a heartbreaking manner. My heart felt as if someone had pierced it with a dull knife and twisted it multiple times.

I knew that even though she had expected this after I told her that her father was alive, hearing the truth from Xavier's mouth and having him confirm this suspicion was still incredibly painful to Jean.

I couldn't even imagine how she had to feel right now, knowing that her own father had abandoned her when she was barely seven years old. It was a sad and cruel revelation.

Her hands were balled into fists as she held onto my dark-grey shirt desperately, while soaking it with her crystal tears, soft flames enveloping her body as she failed to control them in her pain. Her face was buried in my chest as soft sobs shook her form.

Rising from my seat with Jean still in my arms, I looked at the Professor who looked equally pained as he looked at Jean, and I addressed him.

"Thank you for your time, Professor. Though, I think it will be for the best that I bring Jean home now.", I stated quietly while summoning a blackish-transparent barrier around us.

I only saw him nod but didn't wait for him to answer, as I forced the space around us to obey my will and brought us back to the Hellion Mansion.

Unsure how I could possibly help soothe her pain, I sat down before the piano. With one hand, I continued to hold her close and brush over her side and back, while I started to play a soft tune with the other.

…

It took her a long time to calm down and for the flames to vanish, but even after she did, Jean didn't move away. Instead, she stayed close and rested her head on her love's shoulder, closing her eyes as she listened to the music echoing in the otherwise silent room.

His wonderful scent and soothing warmth helped calm her aching heart. She still felt hurt and abandoned, but she didn't feel alone or unloved. Not with Elijah by her side.

…

" … Anyway, thank you for keeping an eye on this little troublemaker.", I thanked Emma, as I gestured at Arya who had already snuggled close to my neck after I sat her down on my shoulder.

Jean had fallen asleep while listening to me playing piano after the rather painful ordeal at Xavier's. I had placed her on our bed so she could rest, after carefully stripping off her jeans, blouse, and bra, and having covered her upper body with a shirt of mine.

Taking that opportunity, I had then gone and visited Emma and told her of yesterday's meeting with Erik and today's visit at Xavier's Institute, while simultaneously picking up Arya, who I had left in her care before Jean and I had left a few hours prior.

"Hu hu!", Arya hooted softly, evidently protesting against me calling her a 'troublemaker', though she didn't stop snuggling close to me.

Smiling, Emma replied: "It wasn't much trouble. And I am sorry that your visit by Xavier ended like this."

Shaking my head, I sighed: "This was unavoidable, either way. And even though it pains me to see her hurt, it's better for Jean to know the truth than to live with a false sense of hope. Still, I should go back, I want to be there for her when she wakes up."

Saying so, I rose from my seat and said my goodbyes to Emma before using a barrier to teleport back to our room. Seeing that Jean was still asleep, I gently brushed over her cheek before I went to the kitchen and made some pasta in case she was hungry after waking up, Arya staying by my side.

It didn't take long to prepare the meal but Jean had not yet woken up, so I placed the food aside under some covers to help keep it warm before I sat down on the couch and switched on the TV, the volume dialed to the lowest setting.

I put on some random nature documentary for Arya while I trained my control over my barrier at the side, my feet resting atop the coffee table.

A marble-sized black barrier faded in and out of existence atop my left palm while the tiny owl hooted and hopped around in fear, curiosity, and excitement, her amber eyes fixed on the TV and the different animals that appeared in the documentary.

I wasn't creating and dispersing the barrier though, instead, I manipulated the space it occupied in a peculiar rhythm to move the shield into a deeper layer of space, i.e. a different dimension.

It was a very difficult thing to do and I failed more times than I succeeded, though I didn't give up and just quietly continued my training.

Sometime later Jean finally woke up and left the bedroom in search of me, wearing nothing but a pair of black lacey panties, a pair of wool socks, and an oversized white shirt of mine that reached just below her little tushy, her eyes still carrying a vulnerable and hurt look.

"Hey, how are feeling?", I asked softly, but Jean just shook her head as she hurried to my side and climbed back into my lap. Curling up in my embrace, she sighed in content and relief, her head placed in the crook of my neck, as I grabbed a nearby woolen blanket and wrapped it around her.

Even Arya seemed to have sensed that Jean was particularly delicate at the moment, as she didn't resist or protest at all when Jean picked her up from her seat on the armrest and held her close, brushing over her soft black feathers tenderly.

Sighing inaudibly, I wrapped my arms around Jean, combing through her flaming locks with my fingers and brushing over her side, hip, and thigh, after I had switched the TV to one of her favorite shows.

We didn't speak, but I could feel my lovely redhead shake off her sorrow slowly as time passed, a small giggle even escaped her lips when Arya hooted innocently and gave her some 'bird kisses' by softly pecking at her fingers with her beak.

I was sure that it would take some time for Jean to come to grips with her father's actions, but I knew my Firefly. She was strong, even stronger than I was.