*** DISCLAIMER: The X-MEN and all-related characters are Copyright (C)
1997 Marvel Characters, Inc., and are property of Marvel Comics
Entertainment Group. They have been used without permission. No profit
has been made from this work. This story is Copyright (C) 1997 by Jon
Bartley.

*** NOTE: This story may contain adult content, adult language, and
violence. If these things disturb you, please don't read this.

BLACK LOVE (3/?)
By Jon Bartley

PART THREE: "Wishes Come True"

It was harder than he had made it sound, Scott decided. He spent the
rest of the day in happiness. He tended to other matters, running tests
on the Danger Room sensors; completing performance tests on the Black
Bird jet; and training with his fellow X-Men. Whatever he did, though,
he thought of Jean while he did it. Life would be perfect again with his
wife back. Perhaps the Summers would try to have a baby; or maybe go on
a second honeymoon (which wouldn't be as special, considering they had
just gotten married); or just maybe they would take a hiatus from being
X-Men and live normal lives. These things kept popping into Scott's mind. 
He would be a different man when he had Jean back.
     The day passed very quickly; perhaps it was even more hurried by
the fond thoughts of tomorrow. When night fell and nine o'clock came,
Scott decided to go to sleep. He didn't bother showering; he was too
excited. But as he laid alone in the silent, moon-lit darkness, he found
it increasingly difficult to keep his mind on Jean. He wanted to be with
her so badly, her image was slipping away. He took a few deep breaths,
and instead of thinking of her image, thought of her love--that which
made Jean Jean. Scott was soothed by this. And before he knew it, he was
asleep.

It was the sweet collaboration of the bird-chirping morning and the
familiar warmth of a woman, to whom death was and always would be
something of unrivaled impermanency, laying beside him that welcomed
Scott to wakefulness, his smile as wide as ever. His eyes fluttered open, 
and his ruby quartz contacts were exposed to the blinding morning
light. It always took him a second to focus his vision, after waking. He
blinked a few times, then realized his wish had come true. Laying beside
him nude under sheets of sweat-laced satin was Jean Grey-Summers.
     Scott shakily placed a hand on her hip to see if she was real. She
was. He pulled her long red locks back way from her face. Jean was more
breathtaking than he remembered. Then he noticed the left corner of her
mouth was open--she was drooling onto her pillow. Scott smiled at this.
She *was* real; it was really her!
     "Jean...?" he said, just to be certain.
     "Hmm..." she moaned, closing her mouth and wiping the drool away,
her face attesting none were more shocked than she that she was drooling. 
"'Mornin'." said she.
     Scott smiled. It worked. "Good Morning, Jean." said he. "I love you."
     "I love you too, sweetie. What's that smile for?" said Jean.
     "For you."
     She smiled.
     "Good to see you're in such a nice mood this morning. Wanna get
something to eat, gorgeous?"
     "Uhh," Scott managed to say. He knew the others would be shocked,
to say the least, to find Jean alive. But he also knew they would find
out sooner or later. He decided to face the music. "OK."

After putting on matching black robes, the Summers made the short trek
into the mansion kitchen, where they were received with warm smiles and
groggy morning voices. "G'Morning, Jean... Scott..." greeted Kitty Pryde, 
who was clothed in a baggy white tee shirt and black boxer shorts.
Kitty pointed toward two plates in front of her on the table. "While you
two lovebirds were upstairs, wasting the morning away, your eggs were
down here getting cold." said Kitty.
     Jean smiled and sat down.
     Scott sat beside her, slower than she. As breakfast progressed,
other X-Men-- Storm, Logan, Rogue, and Gambit --seated themselves at the
breakfast table, saying their "good morning"s to all--including Jean. No
one seemed to be upset that she was alive. Scott shook it off. It didn't
matter. He had his wife back, the X-Men had their friend back, and Scott
was going to enjoy every last minute he had with her.

That night Scott decided to perform a scientific experiment. Had it not
been for something the wishsmith's helper, Lysette, had mentioned Scott
wouldn't have even thought of it. Lysette had told him that most of
those that do business with Skuddly can wish numerous wishes. So Scott
decided to make another wish.
     Jean had gone to bed early, and the others in the mansion had
either followed her example or gone out partying. After finishing his
daily chores and making surprise plans to be with Jean the following day, 
Scott joined the dreaming Jean in bed. Using the same rules Skuddly
had given him the day before, Scott made another wish, and journeyed
into dreams. His dreams were filled with multicolored scenes; the
intangible white fluffiness of clouds against a seemingly blue sky; the
dark, decaying colors of autumn; the ripe red color of an apple. He saw
these colors, plus so many more.
     As always, morning came, offering, like the day before, an
abundance of new beginnings. Scott darted out of bed, when he saw the
sun shone through the bedroom curtains. It had taken him a minute to
realize it was morning and that he'd actually made another wish last
night. His feet shuffled into the bathroom, and Scott stared into the
mirror. An oily, tired morning face stared back at him. Being very
careful and wanting to savor the moment, Scott slowly removed his ruby
quartz contacts, which he was forced to wear constantly, to control his
optic beams. He tightly closed his eyes, after removing both. Then like
an excited child wanting to see his Christmas morning present, though
also wanting to enjoy the ritual gift-unwrapping, Scott opened one eye,
then the other.
     He found two crystal blue eyes in the mirror. And they were *his*!
     If Jean weren't asleep, he would have yelled out loud, without
regard to the other sleeping members of the household. Never again did
he need to wear ruby quartz over his eyes. He smiled. Tears began to
form in his eyes and run down his cheeks. Scott turned toward the
bathroom's doorway. Jean was standing in it, fully dressed. She saw that
he was crying.
     "Scott? What's wrong?" said she.
     "Look, Jean! I don't have to use any goggles! My eyes, they're not
even red!" said Scott, hugging his wife in joy.
     Jean smiled. "I know, Scott. You told me yesterday. Remember?"
     He pushed away from her. "Huh?"
     "When the Professor and you figured out how to control your beams,
without the use of any ruby quartz, you told me. You were so excited."
said Jean. She looked on the bathroom counter and let out a little laugh. 
"Did you forget and put those in last night? Don't worry, that's
understandable. You've been in the habit of putting them in for so many
years."
     Scott's brow furrowed.
     "Hon, are you okay?" Jean wanted to know.
     "Y-Yeah," he assured her. "I'm fine. Heh. More than fine. I'm great!"
     "Well, okay. I'm going to go outside and get the paper." Jean said
and left the room.
     Scott sat down on the edge of his bed and thought things over. He
wasn't quite sure how these wishes worked, but they seemed to have a
profound effect on everything around him. Scott got dressed and met the
waking members of the household downstairs. By noon, he had sprung his
surprise plans on Jean, and the two were laughing and having fun at the
carnival. Scott had forgotten all about the morning incident. What he
couldn't shake was the fact that Skuddly hadn't come to meet him again;
that the wishsmith hadn't come to collect payment for the wishes.
Whatever the cost was, it would definitely be worth it. Wouldn't it?

To Be Continued...
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