Author: jottfan and Elizabeth Wilde (thanks a lot!)
Title: Without
Distribution: Ask Elizabeth
Disclaimer: X-Men does not belong to me and blah blah blah
Relationship: Scott/Jean, mild Logan/Jean, Logan/Rogue
Summary: The X-Men's newest addition could prove fatal to Logan and Jean's relationship
Tis' one is AU.
Scott and Jean are around 20 while Logan is wayy much older; the rest is pretty much the same. And oh, pardon me if I'm long-winded. Tendency to do that. Heh
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1
"And now in the news, there have been reports of a strange dog that has been roaming the streets of New York recently. The dog can apparently produce some sort of poisonous gases, which affected the passers-by around the area. Suspicions have aroused that the dog may be a mutant which is relatively unknown as animals are not known to have the X-gene…"
Logan or the mutant better known as Wolverine of the X-men when in black leather suits out saving the world, heaved a sigh and flipped the television off. He rubbed his head wearily. Mission after mission, now they were about to go on another one. Well, it was not exactly a mission, just picking up some mutant at a hospital where he had spent most of his life.
He shuddered involuntarily. Hospitals freaked him out but there was no way he was going to let Jean, his fiancée, pick up some unknown mutant guy by herself. He promised her that he would always be there for her and he wasn't going to break that now.
Talk of the devil. Soft footsteps down the hall could be heard to his sharp hearing.
"Logan? You ready?" Jean called from the hallway.
He joined her in the hallway, his eyes meeting her worried ones.
"You don't have to do this, y'know…"
"Never mind babe. I'm not letting you do this alone." He grinned wolfishly at her.
He got an appreciative look from Jean.
She counted herself lucky to have met someone like him. They had not connected very well at first. He, the fierce ex-fighter and she, the calm medical doctor were not exactly a match in that sense. But after much effort on their part, they became good friends and eventually, more than just good friends.
"Let's go," she linked her arms with his and strode out into the warm autumn air.
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The hospital loomed over them, a dark and foreboding air hung over it like an impenetrable blanket. It told of misery and despair of the occupants inside. Jean shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself more tightly. It reminded her of her childhood where she had been also thrown into a place like this before the Professor rescued her. Now, ten years later, she was here to rescue someone else.
"Scott Summers huh? Well, let's find you…"
Click clack, click clack, the sound of her heels sounded loud on the stained marble floor. All around her were harried doctors and nurses rushing to and fro, amidst the dimly lit corridors. Jean approached a doctor, one of the many who were staring at her; a visitor was uncommon around here. Logan would be waiting for her outside despite his protests.
"Here you go, miss," a finger was pointed in the direction of a faded brown door whose nameplate was barely visible beneath the dust.
Jean pushed open the door softly. It creaked noisily. The room was dark; the only light came from a window whose curtains were drawn. Jean wondered vaguely how the man could stand such a hostile environment, then she remember that the man was "blind" due to his mutation.
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Flashback"Scott Summers, an alpha mutant with the ability to shoot red beams out of his eyes huh?" Logan flipped through the pages.
"Yes, also due to the fact that he has been stuck in that place for more than five years, I'm afraid that you may have a hard time persuading him." The Professor affirmed.
"Is it necessary?" Ororo asked.
With a sigh drawn out from the Professor, he nodded and replied" For this one, it is. You see, he is a very powerful mutant and due to the unexpected nature of the secret, he has not been found until now."
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A slight movement in the corner startled her out of her memory. If was not for her telepathic senses, Jean doubted that she would have known that anyone was here. As her eyes became accustomed to the darkness, she could make out a crouched figure at the edge of the bed.
"Who's there?" a low voice called out suddenly.
"Hi. I'm Jean Grey. Are you Scott Summers?"
"Yeah. So? I'm not seeing bananas dancing in my head anymore so I don't need a fucking head shrink." Was Scott's curt reply.
The situation would have been funny if it wasn't for the surroundings they were in. instead; Jean felt a stab of pity for the man in front of her who had to live here. Well, not anymore, if she could persuade him.
"I'm a teacher at Xavier's school for the Gifted. I've come to offer you a place there." She hesitated before plunging in blindly." It's for mutants like us."
"Great. A fancy name for the school of mentally disabled. Thank you. I'm fine except for the fact that I could probably level this place in five seconds if it wasn't for the blind fold."
"Look…" Jean began.
That got a sarcastic snort from Scott. "Yeah, look… Why don't you just stop wasting your time here and just butt out? How do I know you're a mutant anyway? Prove it."
FINE! Jean shouted in his head, her famous redhead temper exploding before rushing over to Scott's side as the man winced; apparently he was not used to telepaths.
"Are you alright?" Jean reached out.
"Yeah, I'm fine… He was abruptly cut off as their fingers brushed against each other's, sending a warm electric jolt though their bodies.
"What was that?" Scott snapped.
"I…I don't know. I think we have some sort of…connection."
The door banged open with a frantic Logan hurling in.
"Jean! Jean, are you alright?" a storm of concerned questions was thrown at Jean.
"I'm ok…" Jean rubbed her temples tiredly, still reeling from the effects of the warm feeling. It was nice. She had never experience this thing with anyone else before.
" Scott? You?"
"You really are a mutant…" was the very intelligent response.
Logan looked at him curiously "Sure we are, bub. Whaddya expect?"
Scott's reply was cut off by Jean." So convinced now?"
He simply shrugged and said," It can't be worse than this…"