Prologue

The night had been warm, yet dangerous and unstable. Dr. Jean Grey stood on a pile of rubble in the center of Alcatraz, a corona of fire surrounding her. Soldiers, mutants, and scientists alike ran for their lives. Jean's eyes were black as night with a spec of white for the pupils, and her hair flowed with the flames, unaffected. Logan watched as she destroyed everything from the Worthington labs to the X-jet.

"Jean!" he yelled, pleaing for her to stop, but the Dark Phoenix had surfaced.

He walked forward, was forced to the ground by a wave of pure telekinetic energy, stripping the skin of his body, completely atomized. He screamed, but pulled onward. Jean looked at him with those cold, dark, eyes and barred her teeth. She kept blasting him with the energy. He fell to the ground, and nearly gave up, but he was going to do this, he had to. He got up and kept going not caring that his adamantium skeleton was being shown only to have the skin and tissue heal over again.

Jean's red trench coat flowed out as the fires moved, and her hands were clenched, as if they were the claws of a bird, ready to scratch. When Logan reached her, whimpered and Jean laughed.

"You would die for them?" her hoarse voice uttered, sounding as though she was truly consumed by her power.

"No, not for them. For You. For You" he whispered.

Jean's face and skin lightened, turning to the same lovely, soft alabaster color, and tears streamed down her face.

"Please, save me." she cried, her voice trembling.

Logan finally uttered for the first time, "I love you", and with that he unsheathed his claws and stabbed her in the gut.

The sound of Dark Phoenix dying was as if a lion roared, her eyes as she let go of the powers, turned to their natural brown-green color. Logan screamed into the night crying and holding the body of the woman he loved close to him.

A wind cool and calming came over him and Storm appeared beside him. Her white hair in contrast with her dark ebony skin was startling and unusual, yet striking. Tears fell from her eyes, landing on the body of her closest friend. There was no need to speak, for words could not describe the emotions to anyone. She looked at Logan and together they picked their fallen teammate and friend up and carried her to the others.

Hank McCoy called in a helicopter and asked for a coroners bag. Logan looked at him with dark eyes, he was nearing his feral stage, and Hank cancelled the body bag. Kitty, Bobby, and Peter all sat huddled with Jimmy, observing the scene with numbness. They all sat this way for almost an hour, until the sound of the propellers reached their ears. The helicopter landed and they all took up a part of Jean to carry, her red hair cascading down in long, feathered tresses.

The X-Men all sat on each side of her body as they flew off, each one touching a shoulder, stoking a strand of hair, or holding a hand. Logan sat her head in his lap, tears dripping onto her peaceful and serene face, as if death truly became her, and yet she looked as if death had had no effect on her already startling and ethereal beauty.

"We need to plan a service." Storm said curtly, she tried to sound assured and reserved but the emotions poured forth with every syllable she uttered.

The rest of them nodded in silent agreement.

When they finally reached the Xavier Institute for Higher learning, there were already cars parked in front of the gates, all of them members of the press, wishing to speak with the heroes of Alcatraz, yet none of them spoke, and as they brought forth Jean's motionless body, the reporters silenced, now fully aware of the severity of the moment. Each of them walked back to the respective cars and vans and drove off, not wishing to interfere.

Hellion stepped out of the school and some of the students brought forth a gurney from the Infrimary, to help carry the corpse. Hellion looked to Logan and he nodded towards the courtyard where the memorial stone stood and motioned for him to use his powers to make tombstone. Hellion then ran off and began to telekinetically break off a piece of pink granite from a quarry twelve miles away.

"We need a casket." Logan whispered, his breaths quick and uneven.

With that the X-Men placed Jean on the gurney and went to work. Storm brought down a tree in the near by forest; an oak tree, and had the winds carry it back to her. Logan ran inside and brought back his katana, and started carving the giant tree into a well-crafted artisan casket. Bobby and Kitty went and grabbed a blanket and pillow from one of the unused bedrooms and placed them inside.

This was not going to be an ordinary funeral, for Jean's body was not changed, her clothes were left the same, and she was finally put to rest in the hand crafted coffin. Logan watched as the coffin was lowered into the newly dug earth. Hellion held up the dirt that had been removed with his telekinesis and waited for the signal.

"Jeanie." Logan sobbed.

"Sister." Storm moaned.

And with that Hellion lowered the soil over the casket and was seen no more.