“Nuh-uh, big guy,” Jean said, leaning in to press a kiss to the centre of his forehead, fingers trailing along the curve of his jaw. “The only sacrificing you’re doing tonight is to the turkey gods so we don’t burn the sauce.” There had to be such a thing, right? Maybe that was the element of cooking that Jean had missed out on (there were certainly stranger things in the world to count on than deities). The smile on her face faded slightly, but didn’t entirely go away, as they continued to speak. After all, it was all they had ever wanted – to have a home they felt safe in, to have each other, to have a child out there in the world, a person who was half of each of them. “I worried that I’d dreamt her,” Jean admitted, lowly. “The same as I did with Maddie, you know – I worried, when they appeared, that it was something else, something that would fade away. But they’re not going anywhere, are they?” Her sister was always on the periphery of her mind, her presence a constant reassurance that she hadn’t faded into the stars. Jean might not be able to explain how Maddie and Rachel came to be here, but maybe not everything needed to be explained.
After all, there were so many things in this moment that seemed impossible twenty years ago. The fact that they could be married, that they could both be alive, that someone could understand her as Scott did and love her all the same, despite her dark corners and twisted thoughts. “I think she might have an eye for something else, too,” Jean admitted, and the teasing smirk reappeared on her face, even if it was a little smaller than before. “We should do it more often,” she suggested. “I know we’re both busy, but … life’s short, right? We deserve a night off – or maybe even a postponed honeymoon.”
“I’ll get right on that, then,” Scott promised with an amused chuckle. They could probably use all the help they could get when it came to turkey gods; he’d never say it, but he figured the chances of Jean accidentally burning down half of Genosha during her Thanksgiving preparations were a solid sixty percent. He quieted at her confession, chewing his lip thoughtfully. He’d be lying if he said the thought hadn’t crossed his mind, once or twice. When there were things that were too good to be true, they were usually just that. Scott had learned that the hard way. But... “They’re not going anywhere. It’s been a long time now, and they’re both still here. Still with us. They’re not going away.” He felt sure of it as he said it aloud, as if the words cemented it as a fact. Jean was alive, with breath in her lungs. Maddie and Rachel were real, solid and present. Scott was happy. These were all things that were too good to be true, but they were true nonetheless. And maybe they all needed to learn to trust that, just a little. Maybe they needed to learn to stop looking gift horses in the mouth and just enjoy things while they had them.
Scott’s smile returned, and he huffed a quiet laugh. “You’ve noticed, too, have you?” Kitty and Rachel reminded him of himself and Jean twenty years ago in a way that made nostalgia ache in his gut. Best friends who both felt something more, with a psychic connection assuring them that the feelings were requited and a fear in their gut that kept them from saying it aloud anyway. History repeated itself, sometimes. “I don’t know if I ever pictured our honeymoon to include singing rats on the fire escape.”
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