DISCLAIMER: I don't own them nor am I making a profit off of them. Marvel owns them. I just like to mess with them. Heh heh...

This story is dedicated to Lori because without her story Split Second Decision I would have never thought of it. Thankyou Lori.

"You have already stated that. Now Scott, I did not ask you if you were crazy..." He was cut off before he could finish.

"I know! But you think I am." Scott sneered. "I am not stupid or ignorant. I know what people think. You drew the obvious conclusion didn't you doctor? You think that because of what happened I would have to be a little messed up. Isn't that right?" Scott's words were filled with anger.

"Now Scott I said nothing of the sort. I just want to understand. That is all. May we continue?"

Scott shrugged his shoulders and leaned back into his chair. His hair fell over his forehead and he appeared to be totally at ease. The Dr. Ingram knew better. He looked down at his notepad.

"Now Scott, I had asked how you feel about your wife's death?" The doctor looked up at his patient while asking the question.

"Her death is an illusion. I have said this before. I don't know why I have to keep repeating it."

"Why is it an illusion? I don't understand. Please explain this to me."

Scott sighed in apparent frustration. "She has died and come back to life before. She will do it again."**

"You are sure of this?"

"Of course. I am the leader of the X-Men. I have to be confident in my beliefs. Otherwise the others will look down upon me."

"Scott how do you feel about the deaths of the other X-Men?"

"What are you talking about? Who died?"

"Please stop!!!! Please I beg you! Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!

The screams could be heard throughout the floor of the hospital. One of the two orderlies assigned to the floor for the nightshift looked around nervously.

"Hey Walker do you think we should check it out?" Reik's voice shook as he spoke.

Walker seemed to be a lot more calm though. He looked up from the magazine he was reading. "Naw Reik he does this everynight. Don't worry he will quiet down when the dream finishes."

"Dream? What are you talking about?"

Walker shook his head and sighed. "Ok since you are new let me fill ya in. The guy you hear screaming down the hall? His name is Scott Summers. He is a mutie. Rumors say that he used to lead this team of mutants, but somehow they all got killed but him. He is a real nutcase."

"Is he dangerous?"

"Come on Reik! If he was dangerous do ya think he would be here? Seriously though, from what I heard the guy used to be able to shoot some kinda beams outta his eyes, but now he is eyeless." Walker smiled at that.

"What do you mean eyeless?"

"What I mean, dip, is that his eyes had somehow been ripped out of the sockets."

Reik looked down the hall towards the cell where Summers was screaming. "Wow, I wonder what happened..."

"Ahhh it hurts!!! Please help me!!!" The screams went on and on.

"Jean is that you? Thank God! They kept telling me you were dead. But I knew better."

The nurse looked at Summers and then continued to go about her duties.

"Listen Jean I am sorry. I did not mean to make the deal." He paused. "Yes I know. You don't have to say it I should have chosed otherwise." Scott smiled. "You always did know what to say. That is why I love you so much."

Nurse Williams once again lifted her head to look at Scott. She shook her head with pity before speaking. "Yo wife ain't heah Mistah Summers. I jus' wish ya could see that. But then what am I talkin' 'bout? Ya cain't see anything can ya? Poor man."

Scott continued to talk throughout the nurse's speach without paying her any attention. "Jean what do the other think? Are they mad? I hope not. I did what I thought was best and I will continue to stand by my decision."

"Jean there weren't any casualties were there? Whew! Good I was worried there for a second."

"Scott?"

"You may call me Cyclops."

"Ok Cyclops, are you listening?"

"Yes I hear you."

"Ok Cyclops I want you to tell me what happened on July 22 two years ago. Can you do that?"

Scott nodded his head. "Yes I can do that, but I think Jean would be mad." He sounded very innocient.

"Why would Jean be mad?"

"She is the only one who knows. I don't think she would want me to tell anyone."

"Well Cyclops, can you ask her?"

"Yes. I will do that." He paused. "Jean is it ok if I tell him the story? What? Well ok I guess that is alright then. I love you too." Scott stopped speaking for a moment. "Well doctor Jean says I can't tell you the story, but I can tell her while you are in the room. Is that ok?"

"Yes Scott, why don't you tell Jean what happened."

Scott seemed to drift off and his face seemed to grow darker as he remembered what he had forgotten. Once again he started to talking to his wife who no longer existed. Scott didn't seem to realize that though.

"Jean it started the day Bastion began Zero Tolerance. Remember how we were driven to the streets? It was like a full blown war across the country and world. All I recollect doing that first year was running. I still remember the day Warren and Betsy were shot down. Their blood splattered as they hit the ground. Betsy was still alive I remember. Rogue wanted to go back for her but I wouldn't her. I thought it was better for the team. Do you recall Betsy screaming at us, Jean? Begging for help?" Scott stopped speaking.

Doctor Ingram jotted a few things down before looking up at Scott. "What happened after that Cyclops? It is ok."

"They started to turn on me. They doubted my leadership..." His voice trailed off.

"Who doubted your leadership?"

"The rest of the X-Men. And then the worst thing possible happened. Jean, are you still there? Do you want to tell this part? No? Yes I realize it is my responsibility. I will do it." Scott began to kneed his hands together. "Jean thought we should meet up with Sean, Emma, and the children of Generation X. I said no. That it would be a bad idea and we would draw too much attention to ourselves. The others kept pushing though. They insisted that we should find the kids and keep them with us. Finally I relented and we headed off to the Massachussetts Academy. It took us several weeks I remember. We were mostly on foot and many cities seemed to be imbedded in mutant hating riots. When we got there though we found the children of Generation X all hung on crosses in the lawn of the academy. Emma and Sean were hung by their necks from a tree and their entrails were ripped out. The children's foreheads each had the word "mutie" cut into it. I think our hearts died that day."

Doctor Ingram looked at his patient with concern. He had not realized everything that had happened to this man, and now he was not sure if he ever wanted to. Scott continued on. His insanity having left him for a short time it seemed.

"Not long after that Gambit was killed my a mob. Rogue went AWOL in her grief and we found her body a few days later in a ditch. I didn't know what to do. For the first time since leading the X-Men I was lost. Finally when I decided to turn to Storm for her guidence she was killed also. Not by a bullet, or any mob. But from the legacy virus which had infected itself in her many months earlier. All seemed lost, but then I was given a small ray of hope." Scott smiled. "I was a fool, but I believed. The mobs seemed to stop suddenly. Some people began to preach pro-mutant. The remaining X-Men were estatic. We were living in an abandoned building at the time. Most of us looked gaunt from having little or nothing to eat. And we all at least looked sickly. We found out that Bastion had declared peace. He said he wanted the war against mutants to end. He also said that he wanted to apologize to each and every mutant that remained. I believed him. He rang of sincerity, but I was also no fool. We layed low for many months. Still he had no change of heart. The man seemed to be pro-mutant. I decided I wanted the X-Men to meet with him. That was my last decision I ever made as team leader..." Scott's voice trailed off with those words.

Doctro Ingram looked surprised at Scott's sudden stop. "What happened then Sc...Cyclops?"

"Jean I am tired. Would you mind if I caught up on some sleep? Great hon' thanks. By the way dinner was great. You are a wonderful cook."

"Scott are you still with me." Doctor Ingram knew it was hopeless though. It always was at this point.

He sat alone in his cell. He was aware that there were eyes watching him, but he did not care. he could not see them so why should it matter? He waited for his wife to come back to him. They had a fight. She always went away after the fights. This time she was mad because he did not tell the doctor what had happened to the X-Men. He didn't think the doctor needed to know though. But as usual Jean was insistent. He would have given in to her, but she just went away. Oh well he thought. I will tell her I am sorry later.

"Scott are you ready?"

"Yes doctor."

"Well then go on."

"Bastion hated us. I told you that."

"Yes but I want you to tell me what Bastion did to you. Not why."

"Oh he killed them all. Except Jean and me of course. It is all so blurry now. I really just don't remember very well. Do we need to talk about this?"

"Doesn't Jean want us to?"

"Yes she did say so last night. Ok then. I will talk. Bastion set a trap for the X-Men. For a few weeks he kept up the ruse of becoming pro- mutant. But suddenly he sprang his trap. I still don't know what he did though. I just remember their bodies. All except Logan's that is."

"Logan?"

"Wolverine. I never remember seeing his body."

"What happened to you and Jean?"

"We ran. I thought we had gotten away too. But they caught us. Jean was knocked unconcious before she could react. They grabbed her also. I stopped fighting because I was scared that they would hurt her. Bastion came out onto the street where we were captured with two things he put on our necks. He laughed at me as I grimaced at him. I remember him telling me that he was in complete control of me and Jean. He said that if he wanted he could force me to kill her. At this time Jean began to regain conciousness at this time. I yelled at him like an idiot. I said that I would never hurt her. Again he laughed. Then he told me to use my optic blasts at low power on Jean. I did. I could not stop myself. I tried but I couldn't. She screamed that it hurt and she begged me to help her...I just kept on though. I watched as I fried my beautiful wife to death. And then as Bastion told his men to leave me as I was. He just walked away as I held the burnt corpse of my wife in my arms."

"Has he spoken at all?"

"No not really Dr. Ingram. He does keep thanking this person named Logan though. Says he would be able to see now if it weren't for him. I don't know what that is supposed to mean. But he doesn't even seem ta have those nightmare's anymore. Which has ta be a good thing. O' course the man doesn't even move now either. Which isn't so good."

"Does he ask for Jean anymore?"

"Not that I know of."

"Thankyou Walker, you may go."

Logan sat alone in the building. Across from him sat a jar filled with some kind of liquid and his two most prized possessions. A closer look in the jar revealed two round red objects. The man spoke to himself.

"I'm sorry about what happened to ya Scotty, but ya killed her. Thats why I had to take your eyes. I know ya didn't mean to, but it doesn't matter. 'Sides I took ya to the hospital anyways. Damn, look at me here. Talking to myself like some friggin psycho!"

With that the man named Logan picked his jar up and left.

Well I have a few things to say. One remember that little symbol you might have seen at the beginning of the story that looked like this **? Well I put that there to tell you that Scott was confused about the whole Phoenix Saga thing. He had forgotten that it was the Phoenix that died and not Jean. Second thing I want to say is: Did you like it? Please let me know. You can e-mail me at ShardNAtl@aol.com Thankyou.