Scene: The military base from several episodes ago.

Sign: Restricted Access. Area 51.

Notes: Wow! Bobby can read a map!

Two scientists walk down a hall, and come to a room where Mystique is strapped to a vertical table. The woman wants to examine her, but the man says un-restraining her would be a bad idea. He goes to get a pole restraint.
Meanwhile, the woman and Mystique stare at each other. Mystique has some flashbacks of her escape attempt.
On his way back, the man passes the woman.

Woman Scientist: Never mind, she's too keyed up. I had to sedate her.

The man looks in the other room. The table is now horizontal and covered with a sheet. A normal-person arm flops over the side.

Man Scientist (over the PA): Detain Dr. Eaton immediately! She's the mutant!

A soldier tries to stop Mystique. She kicks him, throws him in a closet, and assumes his form. Then she gives some orders to another soldier.

Soldier in Closet (through communicator): The mutant is now impersonating me, security officer Chris Par.

Mystique, in her own form, is running outside. She ducks behind a corner. A soldier comes after her, and a whole flock of ravens fly up in his face.

Roll credits!

Scene: The Institute.

Amara is standing by the path, which is all broken. She shoots flames from her hands to melt it back together.

**What Should Have Been**

Just as she's finishing, Jean walks over.

Jean: Oh, Amara, there's one tiny crack here. This path is not worthy of my walking on it.
Amara: Burn, you evil canon Mary Sue! *fries Jean*

**End Fake Scene**

Jamie is painting the main building. He falls off the step-ladder and four clones show up. They all dip their rollers and run off to paint the fence and stuff.
Inside, Rogue is hanging something that I would not call art. Evan carpet-surfs into the room, hits a wall, and shoots a whole mess of spikes, hitting the picture and nearly impaling Rogue.

Rogue: You've had it, Porcupine!
Evan: Heh-heh!
Rogue: Don't run away from me!

She chases him across the front hall, where Bobby and Beast are working at a computer screen.

Beast: What was that last command again?
Bobby: Never mind. It's a generational thing. It'd take too long to explain. Why don't you go set up a VCR or something?
Beast: You're a smart kid, Bobby. But this is the electronic brain of the Institute. Let's get it right, hm?
Bobby: I'm just setting up the lighting. *hits a button, the lights go out* Heh-heh, no biggie. It's an easy fix.

Back outside, Jean levitates a satellite dish to the roof. Scott and Logan are working up there, both sans-shirt. They catch the dish and put it on its stand.
Kitty phases up through the roof, eating an apple and looking like this sort of thing happens all the time. She hands Scott an extension cord and phases back down.
Sam goes flying across the grounds, bouncing like some insane kangaroo and making holes. Roberto, in his fire form, carries a tree over and puts it in the first hole. Then Sam crashes into some brickwork Ray was doing.

Notes: This is the first time Sam's powers have really been shown well. They look pretty cool.

Logan: At this rate, they're gonna wreck the place before we even get moved in.
Scott: Have you ever been in love with someone?
Logan: Pliers.
Scott: I mean really been in love? *throws Logan a tool*
Logan: Yeah, once. Most beautiful bike I ever saw. I was so busy starin' someone else bought her. I said pliers, not wire strippers. Use your eyes! *throws them back*
Scott: Well, how do you know if she likes you back?
Logan: Look, all I know is that I'd like to get this done before New Year's. *digs in the toolbox* Now if you don't tell her, I will!
Scott: No, that's all right.

A raven nearly hits Scott in the face, then flies away.

Jean, in Season 2 civvies, is moving the angel statue. She's also looking at Scott, causing her to nearly run Ororo over.
She gets the statue on its pedestal. Ororo flies up and makes a circular raincloud to fill the fountain. Jean presses a button to start the water jets.
Then they have a girl talk, including prolonged references to "Power Surge".

Ororo: It's a good day for new beginnings...and for telling people how you feel.
Jean: Maybe.

Scene: Inside.

Scott has a shirt now, his Season 2 civvies, to be exact. He meets Jean, now in Season 3 garb. They play the you-first game. Then Kurt 'ports in and offers a cordless phone to Scott, saying it's Alex.
Alex is stranded in Mexico. He won a surf competition, and then someone stole his wallet. Where'd he get change for the payphone?

Scott: You can't contact your foster parents?
Alex: No, dude. I'm desperate. Can you come get me?

Scott says fine, he'll get a flight, and tells Alex to meet him at the airport. He promises Jean they'll talk when he gets back.

Scene: Mexico airport.

Scott, suddenly in Season 3 clothes, finds Alex sitting on a bench.

Scott: Let's go get something to eat.
Alex: Yeah, there's a place down here.

He pushes Scott into a side hall, then turns into Mystique. She pulls a smoke-bomb out of somewhere and throws it on the ground.
Close-up on Scott, without his glasses. He apparently realizes he doesn't have them. He also notices he's laying in sand.

Scott: Where am I?

Commercial break!

Scott is walking across the desert with his eyes closed, carrying his jacket.

Scott: Hello? Is anyone there?

He stops, thinks, and opens his eyes. In the process he destroys a cactus and a piece of rock.

Scott: *closes his eyes* The good news, no one was there. The bad news...no one was there.

Nighttime. There's a huge moon behind him. He chances another look around.
Then a pack of coyotes show up. Scott blasts the ground in front of him to scare them off, but one jumps him from behind. He throws it off and runs away.

Scene: The Institute.

Jean wakes up, screaming. The Professor comes in, and she tells him Scott is in trouble. He says he is too far out of range, and it was probably just a dream.

Scene: The desert.

At some kind of work site, a guy sees the red blasts.

Worker: [What are those? Let's go!]

He and his co-worker jump in their jeep.

Scott fights and runs some more. His shirt is ripped and he's missing a patch over his knee. He comes up to the edge of a cliff, though I don't know how he knows this.
One of the coyotes lunges at him, and Scott falls over. The coyotes follow him down, but the jeep drives up and scares them off a little. The co-worker grabs Scott, and they drive away.
Mystique is watching from the top of the cliff.

Mystique: Ugh! Meddling fools.

She transforms into an owl and follows them.

Scene: The Institute.

Jean picks up a phone and calls Alex.

Jean: Oh, hi, I'm glad you got back from Mexico okay...what? You haven't heard from Scott at all lately? ...oh no...

Scene: A hospital.

Doctor: [Sir, I am Dr. Emirez. Do you understand?]
Scott: Not really.
Doctor: Ah, you speak English! Some men from an oilery company found you in the desert and brought you to Mexico City. You are lucky to be alive.
Scott: I have to make a phone call. *tries to get up*
Doctor: That will have to wait. I want to check for a concussion. *takes out one of those litle light-things* Open your eyes, please.
Scott: No! *covers his face with a hand* You can't!
Doctor: [Restrain him.]

Two orderlies hold Scott down, and the doctor pries his eye open. The ceiling is promptly destroyed. Scott runs out of the exam room, covering his face. People scream in the background.

Scene: Cerebro's room.

Xavier takes off the Cerebro helmet.

Xavier: He's in Mexico City, but you know Cerebro can't pinpoint his exact location.
Jean (determined): I'll find him.

Scene: Mexico City.

Scott is walking down an alley.

Scott: Somebody help me! I can't see!

He bumps into some trashcans, and a man and woman skirt around him.

Elsewhere, the Blackbird lands. Xavier tells Jean, Ororo, and Logan to fan out and search.

Scott bumps into a phone and tries to dial the operator, but the cord is broken.
Some men come up and talk mean to him.

Mean Guy 1: You're the Americano mutante who blew the roof off our hospital.
Scott: It was an accident.
Mean Guy 1: Well, who's gonna pay for it?
Scott: I will. Just let me call my friends, and they'll bring you money.
Mean Guy 2: Well maybe we don't have a phone.

Mean Guys 1 and 2 throw Scott across the alley.

Scott: I don't want to hurt you!
Mean Guy 3: That's what makes you different from us.

Scott pins Mean Guy 3 to the wall, and blasts over his shoulder.
Mean Guys 1 and 2 run away.

Mean Guy 3 (in a different voice): Bravo.

Mean Guy 3 turns into Mystique.

Mystique: What, you don't like being abandoned?
Scott: You've had your fun. Let's end this!
Mystique: Oh no. The fun has just begun. How about the North Pole next?

She opens another smoke-bomb, but Scott knocks it from her hands.

Mystique: Fine! We'll do this the hard way!

Here's where Mystique starts doing things that are physically impossible, and it gets hard to describe.
Anyway, she kicks him into a warehouse. There she runs up some boxes and barrels and jumps back down on him. Scott rolls out of the way, and she makes a dent in the floor.

Meanwhile, Jean gets a flash of what Scott sees. She reports a landmark from the vision to the Professor, and he tells her where to go.

Scott shoots at Mystique, but misses and hits someone's car instead.

Scott: Oh no.
Mystique: Better keep those *eyes* to yourself.

They fight some more, and Scott gets his leg stuck in a hole in the floor. Mystique comes to attack him. He shoots at the floor under her, and everything collapses. They fall into the basement.
Scott gets beat up some more, then takes out the flourescent lights. Mystique bumps into stuff in the dark, then retreats to the light coming through the hole above.

Scott: What's the matter? Can't you *see*?

Mystique feels her way into him, and they fight some more.

Jean comes down the stairs.

Jean: Scott? Are you down here?
Scott: Jean! Watch out! Mystique is in here somewhere.
Jean: No, she's not. I saw her escape.
Scott: How did you find me?
Jean: Cerebro. It led me right here. *quietly picks up a pole-thing*
Scott: Right to this warehouse?
Jean: Relax, I'm here now. *raises pole*
Scott: No. You're not. *blasts her*

Jean shifts back into Mystique, and jumps at Scott again. She gets stuck in mid-air.
The real Jean comes down through the hole in the ceiling, looking wrathful. She telekinetically flings Mystique against a pillar.

Mystique: Well, girlfriend to the rescue.
Jean: You got that right, lady!

Jean throws Mystique into a wall and presses her against it until the whole thing collapses. Then she flies down to Scott.

Scott: Jean? Is that really...
Jean: It's me. Don't worry. Mystique is gone.

Indeed, her feet are missing from the hole in the wall.

Scott: How did you find me?
Jean: It must be a bond we have.
Scott: I just wish I could open my eyes...and see you.

Jean's Voice: Okay.

Point-of-view shot as Scott opens his eyes and sees Jean. Apparently she had some extra ruby quartz glasses somewhere.

Jean: Better?
Scott: It couldn't get any better.

Then Jean kisses him.

Oh yeah, they're in the Blackbird.

Logan: Well, it's about time.
Ororo: That's for sure.

The Professor is flying the jet. He gets this smirk like he's thinking colorful thoughts about the new couple.

The End

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