Chapter Text
Jean had visited her past self only once or twice since she had found out the truth. She simply hadn’t found a need or desire to visit the other beyond the paranoia she felt if she didn’t ensure that her elder was still there to protect her. Her elder hadn’t approached her either, until tonight.
Logan was out for a hunt tonight, which he would do on occasion, leaving Jean to enjoy their large bed by herself. As much as she preferred the other’s presence, she was delighted to be able to pile pillows around her in a nest and overjoyed to not have someone stealing her blankets at night. It might have been the main reason she encouraged him to continue the habit, but she’d never admit it to him unless caught. These were usually the types of nights she would visit her other anyways, but she hadn’t set off to sleep with it as the goal.
“Jean,” her other awoke her in the room she had come to call the white hot room, “I’m sorry, but this is important.” Jean covered her eyes as they adjusted to the intensity of the light in the room. Once she had lowered her arm, her elder extended a hand to help her up off the floor which she gratefully took. Just as the first time she was here, a door appeared out of thin air in front of her before others joined in. She tilted her head in confusion before the other spoke.
“Time is strange here. Actually, let me retract that statement and put it more simply as we are strange. I’ve been exploring, as I’ve told you, and there is far more to our powers than I ever thought possible. I can see so much. I can see what has been, what is, and what will be. That’s where the problem is… Our future… well, it’s easier to show you than it is to explain. It’s the dark grey door just to the right.”
Jean quirked an eyebrow, but knew it was better to have her past self explain things than for her to question it. After all, it’s easy to explain things to yourself than it is to others. She moved towards the door, opening it and stepping through alongside her other. Before she saw anything she could recognize for herself, she knew it was ominous. The dark sky alone gave it away.
“In a world where you were never created, this possibility was fixed,” her elder began as Jean watched a large metal robot arise from some rubble to stab a passerby, “These are the sentinels Psyren was trying to stop. They hunt mutants, and eventually those with the capability to pass down the gene. With you around, Logan sacrificed himself to save you. Without his healing ability, no one is strong enough to make the trip back in time that far with Kitty's powers. Even unlocking more abilities within you without revealing this wouldn't stop it.”
Jean had to turn her head away as she heard people cry out one final time before the sentinels cut them down. Rage bubbled within her, but there was nothing she could do here. She could not participate, and she knew since she couldn't feel the few remaining people's thoughts. Tears pricked at her eyes before she tightened her jaw and turned to her predecessor. “How do we stop it?”
“I'm going to share with you how to create a time warp. You can only go somewhere once. You will only have one chance. Go to 1973, help Charles and Magneto stop Mystique from killing Bolivar Trask. That's how it can be averted. You have to tell Charles of this, he will be able to help you. The time warp will drain you of nearly all your energy for a time. Whatever you do, you must leave Logan behind. Should you fail, he may succeed when Kitty's powers mutate again. Waste no time, the stronger your bond with Logan, the less likely he is to survive. I'm sorry if this hurts,” her predecessor touched Jean's forehead, the physical contact being used to transfer information to her, “but we're out of time. Save them, Jean.”
Jean shot upright, screaming on her way up as she clutched at her head. The plethora of knowledge burned into her mind. Her screams awoke Logan, who must have returned during her slumber. With a growl and sniff, he knew the danger wasn't from an intruder and his arms slipped around Jean's waist. “What is it baby? You have another nightmare?”
Her head only nodded, knowing that she needed to keep him in the dark. She needed him to change their future if she couldn't succeed. With a glance at the clock, she knew it was just early enough in the morning that she could remain out of bed. Her legs swung over as she disconnected from Logan, “I'm going to workout. Get some sleep. I'll be back later. Love you.”
He murmured an affirmation and return of the gesture while he curled up. She dressed for the day, probing gently to find Charles. She knew he had been sleeping until her probe, but she rarely sought him out, and he could infer it was an emergency. They met in his office, Charles still in his pajamas. She sat down in her typical chair, her eyes unable to meet his. “You still want to get into my mind?”