a/n: lyla and jean are best friends because the universe will implode if they were actual sisters.

i love their friendship so much.

"Lyla, time to get up."

"Fuck off, Summers."

"Come on, sweetheart. It's time to find Jean." Scott whispered as I nuzzled into the crook of his neck. "Someone's not a morning person."

"Shut up." I grumbled and he chuckled. "It's too early and you're too warm."

"Thank you?"

"I tend to get cold easily, it's a blessing in disguise."

"That explains the cabin then."

"Shut up." I blushed and lightly hit his chest. "I didn't know what I was doing."

"I'll believe you for a while... Though you purring like a cat while clinging to my arm for dear life is something I'll never let you live down." He mused and sat up, pulling me with him despite my protests to lay back down. "Nope, time to get up."

"Out of all the boys in this mansion, I just had to catch feelings for the overgrown boy scout."

"Boy scout? That's a new one."

"Not really. Everyone calls you that behind your back. I just say it to your face because I simply don't care." I yawned and stood up, handing Scott his glasses before kissing his cheek. "That night visor works wonders, huh?"

"Not as comfortable as I'd like, but it does the job." He shrugged and put on the glasses. "How's the wound?"

"Almost fully closed, I think. Just gotta disinfect and change the bandages."

"Let me see." Scott pulled me in by the waist and lifted my sweater to see the bloodied bandage. "It bled through."

"It was a gaping hole on my abdomen, Scott. It tends to do that." I rolled my eyes and shuddered when he removed the bandage. "What'd I tell you? Almost fully healed."

"Take a shower and I'll help you clean it after... Pancakes or waffles?"

"Whatever Storm is making because I still don't trust Kurt with the waffle machine after last time."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"What on Earth are you doing?"

"Packing up Raven's room. I figured it's best to get it out of the way before grief or anger gets the best of me."

"Hank's missing." Scott said and took one of the boxes when I didn't say anything. "Did you hear me?"

"I did. And I can't do anything about it." I shrugged and opened Raven's closet.

"Can't you track him somehow?"

"One, I'm not a dog. Two, he's probably locked in his room or by Raven's grave."

"He's in neither of those places."

"Then how come I can still smell him? I mean, it's faint but it's still there." I wondered and he shrugged. "Where's Charles?"

"I think passed out somewhere with a killer hangover."

"Oh God, not this again." I groaned, grabbing his hand and ran out the room. "Who let him have whiskey again!?"

"Again!?"

"Details are still blurry from last time, but I specifically remember him being a drunk and a junkie. Don't ask me how old I was because I genuinely don't remember. The 70s are a blur to me."

"Is that supposed to worry me?"

"All I know is that I was with my dad somewhere and then it was 1982. I have no fucking clue." I waved it off and kicked the door to Charles' office open, startling him in the process. "Oh good, you're awake. Good morning, Sleeping Beauty."

"Don't break my doors again, Lyla." Charles groaned as I grabbed him by the shirt to make him sit.

"Hank's not in his classroom."

"He's probably in his room."

"Nope."

"Raven's grave?"

"Nada. Pop two Ibuprofen with a glass of water and get to Cerebro, Professor. We've got work to do."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"Erik found her and Hank's with him."

"They're gonna kill her!"

"Easy. Nobody's gonna kill anybody." Scott tried to assure as I strapped on my gloves but decided against changing into my suit.

"I will if they hurt or kill Jean!" I yelled just as Ororo and Kurt walked inside.

"Kurt, I'd like you to take me, Scott and Lyla there but that's it." Charles ordered and gave me a warning look. "I want you to leave us there and come home straight after."

"And me?" Ororo asked and crossed her arms.

"I'm not talking to you as X-men. The three of us will go and fight for Jean without you. End of discussion."

"But we-"

"Storm, I have lost so many of the people that I love. I'm not going to ask you to go."

"I am." I said and walked up to her. "We need you, Ororo... I need you."

"I've got your back, Ravager."

"Storm-"

"End of discussion." She interrupted Charles with a small smirk as I turned to Scott.

"Let's bring my sister home."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"Hello, old friend."

"Save the "old friend" shit, Charles. And stay out of my way." Erik spat and pointed at me. "And you should know better."

"Good to see you too, Erik." I hissed back.

"Your fangs grew."

"Fuck you."

"I'm sorry for what she did. But I can't let you go in there." Charles said as I took a step back.

"You're always sorry, Charles. And there's always a speech. But nobody cares anymore."

"We do this here, now, they'll see us as monsters. Violent freaks, fighting on the streets of New York."

"What did I tell you?"

"Damn it, man, your homeland will be gone. Everything you care about."

"Save it."

"You touch a hair on my sister's head and I'll rip your head clean off, Erik!" I called out and glared at Hank. "Same thing goes for you, McCoy. You owe me for what you hid from me all these years!"

"Don't do this, Erik. Killing Jean won't bring Raven back."

"The girl dies." Erik decided and I ran up to him only to be sent back onto a the concrete railing. "You seriously have learned nothing after all these years, liebchen?"

"I'm not alone this time." I smirked and held the back of my head. "Cyclops!"

Scott immediately jumped in front of me and tried to shoot Erik but he flew away, still using his powers to keep me from moving.

"You alright?" Scott asked and I shook my head.

"I can't move. I need someone to distract him so he'll release me... I hate it when he does this!"

"I've got him." He promised and ran away.

"Charles!" I called out and he turned. "They're gonna kill her."

"Do what you must, but-"

"Don't kill them, I know." I grumbled and managed to stand up once I saw a beam hit Erik on the back of his helmet. "Blue, Scott needs backup!"

Kurt immediately held my hand and teleported me on top of a bus. I gave him a small nod and jumped down to tackle Erik before he could get inside.

"Nuh-uh. You don't get visiting rights anymore." I snarled and pressed my claws close to his jugular. "You hurt her, and I hurt you. Everything you do to my sister, I'll do to you tenfold."

"My powers are your weakness."

"Just because they're my weakness, doesn't mean I'll let it stop me. You seem to forget I'm my daddy's daughter."

"Come on, we've got to move." Scott hoisted me up and shot a beam dangerously close to Erik so I could slip inside. "I've got Erik and the rest. You go get Jean."

"Be careful, Scott."

"Always am, pretty."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"JEAN!"

"Go away, Lyla."

"Not a chance, Red. You're gonna have to kill me for that to happen." I said and was pinned to the staircase by Erik. "Why won't you stay down, you fucking cockroach!?"

"I know whose blood that was." He told Jean who made no effort to move or even glance at me.

"You cast me out and now you come here to kill me?"

"And your sister too." He smirked and I felt the adamantium in my bones begin to stretch.

"JEAN!" I screamed out in pain, glancing at my hands to see my claws appear and bend outwards. "Jean, please!"

"You really think you can?" Jean taunted and flicked her wrist, tightening the helmet around Erik's head as he kept stretching the adamantium inside me. "You kill her and I kill you, simple as that."

Once the helmet broke, Erik was thrown out a window and I let out a small sigh of relief when the adamantium returned to normal but still couldn't stand.

"Jean..." I croaked and lifted my head as much as the pain allowed me to. "Red, please."

"You came to kill me too?"

"No! Jean, I'm your sister... I'm here to help you." I pleaded as Kurt teleported inside with Charles. "That's all I ever wanted, Red. I'm here to help you."

"And you?"

"Jean, never!" Charles exclaimed. "I failed you. I know that, but... this isn't you."

"You have no idea who I am."

"I've raised you since you were a little girl, both you and Lyla. I think I do know."

"She's not your little girl anymore." A blonde woman stood behind Jean and glanced at me. "And you're just pathetic."

"Come down here and say it to my face, bitch!" I yelled, struggling to even sit. "Red, you can control it... You can do anything, remember?"

"Lyla's right, Jean. You can control it."

"Show me." She said and used her powers to lift me off the staircase. "Walk to me, Professor."

"You know I can't." Charles defended and she lifted him off the wheelchair and forced him to walk up the stairs.

"Jean, this is madness!" I yelled. "You'll kill him."

"I can't see inside your mind anymore, but you can see in mine... So look." He ordered and she tilted her head before dropping me off the railing. "LYLA!"

"WAIT NO!"

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

~Scott's POV~

"Oh my God... Lyla!"

Lyla was on the ground with eyes barely open, claws bended outwards and bleeding from her arms, nose and eyes.

"Scott..." She wheezed and I crouched down in front of her. "This wasn't Jean. It... It was Erik."

"Why would he-"

"He tried to kill me."

"Stay awake, okay? We're gonna get you to a hospital and-"

"He can help me. I need you to make him help me." Lyla whispered and winced when I touched her arm. "But I need you to help my sister first."

"Stay awake for me, sweetheart. I need you to stay awake so I can get Erik and make him help you." I begged as her eyes slowly closed. My breath hitched as I leaned down and pressed an ear to her chest, sighing in relief when I could still hear her heartbeat.

"You're going to kill her!" I heard Charles yell and looked up to see a woman absorb Jean's powers as she fell limp in her arms.

I shot a beam at her and picked up Lyla before rushing up the stairs and set her down next to Charles.

"Is she-"

"Still alive, but I think barely. Erik tried to kill her and she's in a lot of pain." I interrupted and started to slap Jean awake. "Come on, Jeanie. Your sister needs you... You need to wake up."

"Scott, you need to get them both out of here." Charles ordered as men surrounded us with static guns. "Cyclops, go!"

"You're all not going anywhere."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"Scott, where's-"

"Unconscious if she's not dead at this point." I spat and glared at Erik. "If she dies, you're responsible and then I'll be the one killing you if Jean doesn't get to you first."

"I did what I had to." Erik defended and I scoffed.

"No, you didn't. She was just trying to help her best friend, Magneto."

"Scott, that's enough." Charles warned and gestured to our inhibitor collars. "We're not going to help either of them if we keep arguing... We can still save Jean. She didn't drop Lyla on purpose, it was the other one who made her."

"You're saying-"

"Lyla got through to her." He confirmed with a small smile. "She's almost our Jean again."

"What exactly is controlling her?" Erik spat.

"I don't know. But this woman, this... thing... has had a taste of that power and she'll be coming back for more. She'll be coming back for Jean and will kill anyone who steps in her way."

"Good. Let her."

"She'll kill her to get it. But I promise you, the killing won't end there."

"It's not what Raven would've wanted. You know that." I added and turned to Hank. "You both do."

"Will Lyla be okay?" Ororo whispered and Charles sighed.

"My Ravager is strong, but her abilities can only work for so long... The longer she goes with that adamantium the way that it is and if it seeps into her bloodstream, we'll eventually lose her due to poisoning." He admitted and Erik looked down as the entire train shook. "She was one of my most special students. A fighter but such a gentle soul at the same time."

"What was that?" Kurt called out as the train shook again and the men started barking orders at everyone.

"Oh, don't be fools! You need our help!" Erik protested.

"Goddamn muties come to spring you." A guard spat.

"Those aren't mutants." Charles realized. "You're going to need our help. We're the only chance you have."

"Oh, fuck this." Another one groaned and pressed a button, releasing our handcuffs and inhibitor collars.

"Scott, get me to Jean and Lyla." I grabbed Charles and started blasting doors until we found them on two separate tables, unconscious and with wires hooked up.  "Set me down between them. I won't wake Lyla, but I can try and ease her pain."

"Professor, is she-"

"She's still hanging on, but I don't know how much long I have." He assured and held both of their hands as I guarded the door until Erik stood in front of me.

"She's here." He said, waving his hands and I turned to see Lyla's claws straighten. "I'll buy you some time."

"Jean..." Charles whispered with a small smile. "My girls."

"Lyla.." I gasped and held her hand when she grimaced. "It's gonna be okay... You're gonna be okay."

"Jean, I'm sorry." She mumbled. "I'm so sorry."

"Scott!" Erik yelled just as the blonde woman made her way inside.

Before I could shoot at her, Jean woke up and gave me a small nod before tilting her head, the woman banging her head on the roof of the train cart.

"Jean!"

"She's okay. I will save her." She assured and levitated Lyla until she was in my arms before flying away with the woman. "Keep her safe in the meantime."

"I will."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"Professor, are you okay!?"

"Scott, set Lyla down and put her head on my lap. I need to ease her before she loses control." Charles ordered as Ororo set him on the floor and I gently lowered Lyla who was mumbling nonsense and her claws kept appearing and retracting. "Jean did something to her in that trance to help her, but she'll go into a frenzy and stay in it if I don't do anything."

"Frenzy? What do you-"

"Jean began to heal her, but in doing so her atavism kicked in and blocked her memories. I need to bring them back to her somehow." He explained and placed his hands on Lyla's temples. "Lyla... Lyla, it's me. It's Charles. I need you to let me in."

"Stay... my head." Lyla mumbled and I held her hands. "Let me... Jean..."

"Professor, let me in." I said and he raised an eyebrow. "I think I can help her."

Charles let out a small sigh, placing a hand on the top of my head and in the blink of an eye, I was in what seemed to the cabin she grew up in.

Lyla was in a corner crying in a fetal position while Charles tried to reach out to her.

"Get away from me! I don't know you!" She yelled, about to slash his face but I grabbed her arm. "Get away!"

"You know me?" I asked and she shook her head. "My name is Scott Summers. We met four and a half years ago at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters... We were at this very same place less than two weeks ago."

"I don't know you..." She mumbled and shifted to a younger version of herself and the entire room changed to a cage with barely any light. "I want my daddy... and he's dead."

"Your dad's alive, Lyla. He's alive and we're gonna find him."

"The bad man killed him."

"And I'll kill the bad man if it's true."

"Scott." Charles warned and I noticed Lyla's claws grow longer as blood dripped from them. "She's slipping."

"If I remove my visor-"

"In theory, nothing will happen as long as we're in here." He assured and I nodded shakily. "But I don't understand as to why-"

"Just trust me on this." I interrupted and removed my visor before slowly opening my eyes and Lyla let out a small gasp. "You said you wanted to see my eyes, right?"

Hazel... Her eyes are hazel.

Slowly, the room changed back into the cabin and she shifted back to normal while retracting her claws.

Lyla hesitated for a moment before reaching out to place a hand over my eyes and I smiled.

"Scott..."

"You remember me now?" I teased and she laughed slightly, removing her hand.

"They're brown... Your eyes are brown."

"And yours are hazel." I whispered just as a hand was placed on my shoulder and I turned to see Jean holding her temple with a smile.

"You're welcome." She said and crouched down in front of Lyla. "Hey, Claws."

"Hey, Red." Lyla smiled and hugged her. "Welcome back."

"Jean, is she-"

"Everything will be okay, Professor. She's gone." She assured and lightly touched Lyla's forehead, rendering her unconscious. "The Phoenix can help my sister."

"How?"

"You'll see."