A Talk About Things(Crystal)

[Phoenix]

After leaving Logan in the kitchen, Jean walked up the grand steps, her red trenchcoat flailing out behind her. It was the only thing that hadn't been ruined when Logan stabbed her, and Jean wore it a lot, liking the way it felt on her.

She was going to talk to Chris, as she'd told Logan she would. Coming to the girl's door, Jean knocked, even though she could've easily opened the door herself.

She closed her eyes, preparing what she would say to her. That she wasn't trying to replace her mother? That Jean didn't want the kind of relationship they had--Jean trying to be her nicest to Chris, and Chris turning away--. Opening her eyes again, she decided to just let the words come to her as they wanted.

[Crimson Majix]

I was sitting on my bed, drawing a beautiful water fall. I finished the line drawing and decided to use my pastels to color it in. The trickiest part would be blending the colors together to get the right ones. I picked up one of my blues and start the backdrop for the waterfall when I heard a knock on my door.

Sighing, I smelt the air and got a faint whiff of Jean. It puzzled me why Jean would want to speak to me. I hadn't done anything... today. The last thing I could remember doing was running off with Kurt, but that fell under my dad's jurisdiction, not hers. I sighed and got up. Shuffling my way to my door, I opened it and looked up at Jean. "Yes?" I asked, keeping all sharpness out of my voice.

[Phoenix]

Jean smiled at Chris, trying to be as friendly as possible. "Chris, we..we need to talk." she said, stepping into the room, letting her trenchcoat tails flow out a bit then hit her ankles. Jean sighed, looking straight at the girl, and said "I know what you think about me. You think I wanna try to replace your mother. You think I'll hurt your dad again."

"I won't. And I would never think of replacing Mariko." Jean had stopped smiling, but continued to look at Chris. She had to explain herself, maybe Chris didn't know about the Phoenix. "Crystal, at Alcatraz, that wasn't me. If you don't believe me, you can ask Regnet about it." Jean figured that Chris, like the other students at the school had heard the gossip now that it was known Regnet had part of the Dark Phoenix. A fraction, yes, but enough to where she could speak to him, which had immeadiately caused contreversy.

Jean sighed again, wondering if she'd get an answer.

[Crimson Majix]

I narrowed my eyes at Jean. I so did not want to talk about this. She had no right to just walk in here without my permission and talking about things that she has no idea about. I hoped she wasn't in my head. I hated it when telepaths invaded my privacy. It was none of their business what went on in my head. If that was where Jean got her information on how I felt, I was gonna be pissed.

I hoped up onto my bed and started to work on my drawing again. "Where'd this come from?" I asked, showing now emotion. I tried to block her from my mind, something I had gotten good at from living with telepaths for most of my life. Maybe she could surpass my block, but I hoped not. I wanted her out of my head.

[Phoenix]

"Crystal, please. Me and your dad were talking. Please, don't be mad at me." Jean said, entering Crystal's mind and saying telepathically "I just wanna talk. You don't have to be like this with me."

Jean, in truth, was angry at Chris a bit. Jean had tried everything she could think of to try and get on her good side; took her out, let her skip a few Danger Room sessions, everything. But even though she did that, Chris still turned from Jean like she carried some unwanted diesease.

She spoke to her telepathically again, using her telekinesis at the same time to sit her down on the bed. "Crystal, just talk to me. Tell me how you feel."

[Crimson Majix]

I looked up when I heard Jean in my head. That got me mad. What really got me was when she asked me to tell her how I feel. And with once sentence, she got me to pretty much puke out words. "How do I feel? I feel like ever since my dad started to think about dating again, he's been pushing me away," I said, my voice steadily rising.

"He's always been there for me. The only friend I ever needed. I could talk to him about anything at anytime and ever since he's started to let go of my mother and move on, he's had less time for me. I'm sick of him turning away when I want to talk to him about something that's important to me to go and do something else."

It was then I realized myself that this whole thing didn't have much to do with Jean as it did my father. Yes, I was concerned that he would get hurt again, but I figured I couldn't protect him from heartache forever. My main problem was I wasn't ready for him to try and let me stand on my own, even though I was 17. And yet, I didn't want his complete protection. I guess I was looking for that friendship we had when I was younger.

[Phoenix]

"Look, Chris, people...they change sometimes. And, I know you think it looks like he's going away from you, but you're wrong." Jean said, moving over to where Crystal was and crouched down so she was at her eye level.

"Everyone here at the mansion is here for you and your dad, Chris. Me, Scott, Rogue, Kurt, all of us, you can come talk to anyone you want because we're all a family here." Jean said, her face becoming a little sad. Acting on instinct, and not really caring how Chris would take it, Jean wrapped her in her arms and hugged her.

[Crimson Majix]

I blinked in surprise. Was... was she hugging me? I was confused and startled. I couldn't remember the last time I'd hugged a female. Hell, I couldn't remember the last time I hugged someone besides my dad. I didn't like people and as far as I knew, people really didn't like me. So, this was strange. I didn't know what to do, so I just sat there for a minute before I hugged her back.

Pulling back, I sat on my bed. "No, I can't talk to anyone. That's just it. I don't know how... how to talk to people. I'm having trouble just talking to you. The only person I can talk to is my dad," I said.

I didn't know if she would understand where I was coming from. She could talk to people easily. She had this natural charm to where people would flock to her and want to be friends with her. I used wild outfits and a tough rebellious attitude to get attention. Any kind, whether or not it was good attention. Hence the reputation I have with my fellow students and all the trouble I get into.

[Phoenix]

Jean sighed, then said "You know who was just like this? Rogue. When she first came, she didn't talk to anyone, but when your dad came around, you couldn't get her to shut up. When he left for Alkali Lake, you should've seen how happy she was when he was home. And, look at how she's doing." Jean said, remembering when she'd first met Rogue and when she'd used Cerebro to find her.

Rogue and Logan had always been close since they arrived together. Maybe that was another source of tension. "Do you think Rogue would ever hurt your dad?" Jean asked, looking around the room, then back at her.

[Crimson Majix]

I sighed. "Maybe. I don't know," I admitted. Though she and my father were close, I didn't know her as well as they knew each other. And I knew all of this stuff about how they met and how she acted when he was around. I was there, though no one seems to remember because I was so small and quiet. I was in the custody of my father ever since my mother died, and yet, people like to tell me all about pasts I was there for, or so it felt like.

I knew how Rogue was when he came back from Alkali Lake. I was there. Rogue actually helped to take care of me during that time. "But this really isn't about that," I said. I sighed. "It's about the fact that I don't get along with people my age very well. I don't get along with girls in general. He really is my only friend." I knew I sounded like a sob story, but I didn't want pity. I wanted her to understand why I got so upset when people got too close. They all pulled him away from me.

[Phoenix]

"He doesn't have to be." Jean said, smiling at Crystal. My telepathy immeadiately picked up on her base thoughts and emotions. I could feel the emotions tugging at her heart.

Telepathically, she entered Chris' mind and said "Let us in, Crystal. We don't have to be pulling you away."

[Crimson Majix]

I bit my lip. I had built so many walls, could I even begin to break them down? The thought scared me. I didn't want anyone besides my father too close to me. I've watched so many mutants come and leave that I was afraid that I was going to make friends and they'd all leave. I had so many ties here, I couldn't leave for long. This was my home.

I didn't want to be hurt by people. I didn't want to let people have the chance. The barriers were there to protect me. I was already hurt because of my mother's death. It would be so easy for someone to hurt me even more. I looked at the woman before me. "I'm too afraid to," I admitted.

[Phoenix]

Jean sighed. "Crystal, no matter what you do, there is a chance of getting hurt." She hated to keep using Rogue as an example, but Jean couldn't get over the fact that Chris was so much like Rogue had been. Not that Rogue had changed much, but she was much more confident and not afraid of herself and others.

"Crystal, think of how Rogue had been when she first got here. Quiet, barely talking, always watching and hiding herself, though she still watches alot, and now look at her."

[Crimson Majix]

I leaned back against the wall. I could identify with Rogue. I sighed. "Where do I start?" I asked. I had no clue how to break down these barriers. They'd been up for so long. I didn't know what was going to happen when I let them fall. Would my true feelings be there for everyone to see? Would everyone find out, it wasn't that I didn't like to be around people, but that I was afraid of them?

I had gotten the reputation of being tough and a loner. People thought I needed no one and that I wanted to be around no one, but that wasn't the case. I just didn't know how to relate to people. I didn't even know how to talk to people.

[Phoenix]

"Well, you gotta let other people in, and.." Jean had to think for a moment. Talking to people had always come natural to her, but she found the words.

"Crystal, there's some things you have to learn for yourselves and what I can tell you is this: Be open to people, but try and keep somethings guarded. Ya know what, how bought you and me go to the mall on Saturday and pick out some clothes, get something to eat, meet a few boys?" Jean said, smiling at the end of the sentence.