CHAPTER TWELVE:
BACK TO YOU

     "LISTEN, AS MUCH AS I would love to be up there with you all, I don't know how well vibrations will do in space, so instead of testing that theory, I have opted to stay down here. I've always been afraid of heights anyways." Aurelia shrugged her shoulders, looking between Scott and Jean. "But listen to me, both of you stay safe, alright? Don't try to be the hero if it comes down to it."

     "But that's what we are." Scott shrugged, though he had a joking smile on his face, letting the blonde know that he understood what she was trying to say. Aurelia rolled her eyes and Scott chuckled before hugging the girl. "Don't worry about us. We'll be back before you know it."

     Aurelia smiled before the two hugged and then Scott walked out of the room, leaving the couple alone. Aurelia held onto Jeans hands, meeting her eyes before the two shared a deep kiss. "I'll be watching you from down here, alright? Which means don't give me more of a heart attack than I'll already be having."

     Jean chuckled and nodded her head. "I promise." They shared one last kiss before Jean quickly rushed off just before the ship left. Aurelia stood there beside of Charles, her bracelet to control her powers placed on her wrist. She bit her lip nervously, watching as everything seemed to quickly unfold. They made it into space, rescuing the astronauts, only to find that one of them were missing. Kurt and Jean entered the exploding spacecraft, with Jean trying her best to keep the other plane together and Kurt teleporting until he managed to find the captain, bringing him back on board.

But Jean was left on the ship. It was hit by the solar flare, and Aurelia found tears in her eyes, watching as her girlfriend was swallowed up by the solar flare, before they saw her body floating in space. She had somehow managed to survive. They grabbed Jean, pulling her back on board and heading back to earth. Charles and Aurelia were the first ones to greet them. The other students clapped and cheered, and Charles even said a few words, but they fell deaf on Aurelia's ears.

Jean was standing there with a smile on her face, and Aurelia had tears in her own. Jean turned her head, meeting Aurelia's eyes, and her smile started to drop. The heartbreak and fear that was placed within the girl's eyes had been nothing that Jean had ever seen before. Aurelia turned on her heel and walked away, whilst Jean was ordered to go get a check up to make sure that everything was alright.

     Aurelia stood in her room, looking up when Jean entered. Jean immediately walked over to her and kissed the girl, almost like she was apologizing. She pulled away, holding Aurelia's face in her hands. Aurelia looked at her for a moment before whispering, "I told you not to be the hero."

     "I know." Jean nodded. "I'm sorry. But I'm okay. Hank said that everything was fine, and that my stats were literally off the charts."

     "Hank said that?" Aurelia questioned, a small smile making its way onto her face. Jean smiled and nodded her head, walking away from Aurelia to remove her coat from her body. Aurelia sat on the back of the couch, watching her girlfriend with her ankles crossed. She smiled, watching her. She was just glad that Jean was okay, that everyone had made it out safely. "So, you're telling me, that the already powerful Jean Grey, is even more powerful now?"

     Jean turned towards Aurelia and smiled brightly, walking over to the girl. "Is the Aurelia Quinn intimidated by me?"

     "Oh, everyday." Aurelia nodded, standing up as Jean made her way over to her. Jean grabbed onto her, and kissed her passionately. Aurelia smiled, kissing the girl back. Jeans kisses were filled with wanting, and they seemed to get more heated as the seconds passed by. And though she didn't want the kisses to stop, she pulled away from Jean to look at her and to reassure herself. "Are you sure everything is okay?"

     Jean laughed, and nodded. "I'm better than okay. God, I feel great! I do. I. . . I don't know I just feel like everything is turned up."

     Aurelia smiled, nodding her head though her smile faltered a little. "Good. Yeah. I just. . . I thought I lost you. I can't lose anyone else." Aurelia shook her head, and suddenly the tears were back. Jean walked back over to her, and grabbed her hand, interlacing their fingers as she placed her other hand to cup Aurelia's cheek, swiping away the fallen tear with her thumb.

     "I know." Jean whispered, nodding her head. "But I came back to you. I'll always come back to you." Aurelia nodded in understanding. Jean looked at her before giving her another deep kiss. "I promise."

     "I'm holding you to that." Aurelia softly whispered before kissing her once more.

     Later that night, a party was taking place in the woods. Jean and Aurelia met up with Scott, getting themselves a drink. Aurelia sipped on the drink, smiling at the party and at the sound of the kids laughing with one another. Jean grabbed her attention. "One more?"

     "Yeah, sure. After I finish this one." Aurelia nodded.  Jean took the drink from her hand, chugged it down and handed the cup back to her girlfriend.

     "Two more?" Jean smiled.

     Aurelia chuckled and nodded her head. "Yeah." She nudged Scott and the duo walked away from Jean, making their way over to the bar to get refills of their drinks. "Hey." She greeted Ororo. "Rocks." Ororo held out her hand, filling the empty cups with ice. "Thank you."

     Ororo nodded her head over towards Jean. "How's she doing?"

     "She's uh. . ." Aurelia looked down at the drinks before chuckling, "she's a little bit thirsty."

     Ororo smiled. "Yeah, I see that."

     "Does she seem okay to you?" Scott was the one to ask, and Aurelia couldn't help but want another opinion as well.

     "For someone who's just been hit with solar flares? I'd say she's doing pretty good."

     "Thank you for the second opinion. Well, third if we count Scott. I've just been feeling really anxious ever since what happened happened." Aurelia sighed before nodding towards Ororo and Kurt before she and Scott made their way back over to Jean. Aurelia handed Jean her drink as she took it, guzzling it down like before.

     "Babe, come dance with me." Jean smiled, grabbing onto Aurelia's hand.

     "Oh, you know me and dancing don't do well together." Aurelia scoffed, letting Jean drag her anyways. Aurelia managed to grab onto Scott's hand, pulling him along with the two.

     "Come on, Aria." Jean scoffed.

     "Did you hear what the kids are calling you?" Scott spoke up, looking at Jean. Aurelia rose an eyebrow at this whilst Jean just shook her head.

     "Do I wanna know?"

     "Yeah! Phoenix." Scott smirked.

     "Ouu, I like that." Aurelia hummed.

     "It's cool, right?" Scott asked Jean. She didn't answer. "You know? Bird that rises from the dead."

     "Uh. . ." Jean grabbed her head, closing her eyes before opening them and looking around the party.

     "Jean? You okay?" Aurelia frowned, exchanging a look with Scott, watching as Jean stopped in her place. "Maybe you should take a break." Jean didn't respond.

     "Jean?" Scott asked in concern.

     Jean clutched onto the sides of her head, whispering stop over and over again. Aurelia went to grab her hand but Jean pushed her away, causing Scott to grab onto the girl before she could trip over herself. "Stay away from me." Jean begged. "Stop, stop, stop." She continued to whisper the word before she yelled it out. "Stop!"

And before Aurelia knew it, she and Scott were both sent flying backwards. Aurelia slammed into one of the trees, and before she could process what had happened, her vision turned black.