Chapter 5

"I was ten years old" Jean began. "And i saw my best friend Annie get run over by a car."

Bobby gasped. Robert looked at the floor, sad at the circumstances, but still relieved he didn't have to say it against her will.

" And then it got worse. My telepathy kicked in for the first time and I... was in her mind when she died."

"Oh my god" Bobby said. "Jeannie..." he moved over and hugged her. Jean's tears kept falling.

"It felt like I died too. I couldn't help her, and she just faded away, like... water passing thru my fingers." booby hel her closer and she let a couple of sobs slip out. Robert stroked her back, trying to comfort her as best he could as well.

"After that, i... drew in on myself. I guess I was catatonic. Until the Professor found me. This was years before I joined the X-Men" She continued. Bobby looked shocked at Robert, who held up his index finger to his lips. Jean leaned away from Bobby.

"He helped me by locking away my powers until I was mature enough to handle them. And I got better." Jean said, a final sob escaping. They sat in silence for a while until Robert spoke up.

"Jean's power had just come back, she... didn't know the whole of how to use them... and she heard me thinking about what I was going to do. She panicked and... Stopped me."

"But... that's not bad", Bobby said.

"No, if that was all she did." Robert said. Jean looked away. "She didn't mean to do what she did, but... She wanted my pain to go away, roots and all. And... because she didn't know exactly what to do, and because she was in a real panic... she didn't just cut off the pain." Bobby looked back at Jean.

"She cut it all off" Bobby finished. "She-

"It wasn't her", Robert interrupted. "The Jean in front of you didn't do it." Bobby looked back at Robert.

"So... you don't... feel anything?" Now Bobby's eyes were tearing up.

"I have all sorts of feelings, just not..." Robert sighed. "Just not any attraction to men."

The trio fell silent again. Jean looked at Robert.

"I'm sorry", she said.

"Not you fault", Robert replied. "But now you know what might happen if your'e not careful."

"So..." Bobby said. "Am I bi? Or... how can you be straight?"

"Little bit bi." Robert shrugged. "Like... 90% Men, 10% women, or something like that. And when the 90% disappeared as a possibility... the 10% or whatever was what was left. I kinda made do with that."

"You never asked Charles or Jean to fix it?" Bobby asked.

"There's a saying: If being gay is a choice, who in their right mind would make the choice to be gay." Robert replied. "And, in any case, it couldn't be undone. Jean didn't just cut it off, she cut it out. No neural pathways left or whatever. Dead piece of space in my mind."

"Oh God," Jean said. "I really am sorry, Bobby."

"Not your fault," Robert said again.

"Yet." Jean said softly. Robert didn't know what to say to that.

He looked back at Bobby.

"For what it's worth... if I could have it undone... I would."

Bobby looked up at him.

"Really? But..?"

"Those 10% aren't enough most times" Robert said sadly. "I don't know if they ever will be. I've loved a couple of women, and I keep trying, but... i don't know. Maybe I just haven't met the right girl yet."

The three sat still again.

"Anyway", Robert said. "Go be gay. Date Victor, don't date Victor. Don't worry about the others, they're still gonna love you, and don't worry about me. I know who I am. And when you go back... well. That's something you'll deal with when that happens."

He got up, wiping away a tear that had formed.

"I'm gonna go get that leftover pizza. I think we've earned it." Robert said and left the room.

Jean held Bobby as the young man cried for his own future and for Robert's past.

And then a bright light shined on the horizon. A second Earth appeared in the sky. And the future - and the past - changed.