In case you hadn't already guessed it might be, this is an AU. Jean is not a doctor, but an English teacher.
Jean Grey had just finished her lecture over the Act I of Romeo and Juliet , and was about to give the homework for the weekend when she was cut off.
"Why are we always forced to read crap like this?" Jubilation Lee, affectionately referred to as Jubilee by her friends and elders, piped up from the back, pointing at her copy of the play for emphasis.
The way in which teenagers interact with society would never cease to amaze the redhead. It's always the same question, 'Why do we have to?', but chopped to hell with slang and coated in blunt attitude after centuries of the language. After a while, it gets a little old, but every person seems to think that he or she is the first to ask it.
Jean had always been one for debates and frequently used it to involve her students in her classes. It's one of the reasons kids loved coming to her classes so much. They knew they could be rash and get away with it, to a certain extent, and they may have the opportunity to make themselves, or maybe their peers, look stupid. This was one she hadn't anticipated, but welcomed nonetheless.
"You tell me, Jubilee," Jean demanded, leaning her left hip against her desk. "You've been in school for a while now. Why would I torture you with the great works of the Bard?"
She thought for a moment, "Because you hate me."
Laughter rippled throughout the classroom and Jean allowed a small chuckle, "Not even close, because I don't hate you. I don't hate any of you. I'll give you a small hint. It has to do with the capacity to learn."
The young girl looked like Jean had told her she used to be a Turkish belly dancer, but thankfully this class also included Katherine "Kitty" Pryde, "So you're making us learn this book...to teach us to learn?"
"Precisely!" Jean took a candy from a jar on her desk and threw it to the smiling teen. Giving out candy was another thing she had become known for.
Jubilee held up her hand, "But if you're making us read this to teach us how to learn, couldn't we all just graduate now? I mean, aren't we all born with a...capacity for learning?"
"There's much more to it, but if you want to have some fun on Monday, write down that question and ask the Professor in your psychology class. Make a debate at eight o'clock in the morning."
"But Ms. Grey," Kitty said. "Professor Xavier hates it when we debate about something unrelated."
"Exactly," the teacher smiled mischievously, causing the class to burst into laughter. When they quieted down, she continued, "To answer your first question, there's more to it than just teaching you how to learn, though that is a main idea. You see, if there's a reason this is an AP English class and not a regular English class. Do you remember how many of you were so annoyed last year when we had to wait for kids who didn't do any work to get on board with us? Those students didn't want to learn English, but they miraculously managed to pass. You are here because for some reason you wanted to learn English. That's why you have to read and understand this 'crap'."
"But it's so stupid!" Robert "Bobby" Drake shouted. "I mean, they met and instantly fell in love and wanted to be together! We all know the story! They're going to die! What's the point?"
Jean sighed, "The point is not to be realistic, but to be perceptive to your audience. Sure, that's probably not what the great William Shakespeare was thinking of when he wrote his plays, but think of modern day. Think of all of those fancy romance novels all of you girls, and boys that won't admit it, like to read. Do you think they write them to be realistic? No. They write them because they know it's what the audience wants to read. Something too realistic bores the life out of readers and won't earn the authors very much money."
Bobby crossed his arms sitting back in his chair with a huff, "It's still stupid."
Jean laughed at that and turned back to Jubilee, "Does that answer your question?"
The Asian girl nodded with a smile, causing Jean to turn around and write the homework on the board. It was never too much, but as a class usually does, they all groaned and pulled out their notebooks or planners to write it down in. The redhead sat down at her desk to grade a large stack of papers from her other English class when Kitty piped up again, "Ms. Grey?"
"Yes, Kitty?"
The young girl looked sheepish, but determine, "Do you think you will...meet your Romeo?"
Most of the guys in the room gagged though Jean could telepathically sense they were interested as well. The girls all giggled and glanced around at the boys. Holding in a laugh, Jean looked at her, "Unusual from you that you would ask such a personal question, but yes. Not only do I think I will meet my Romeo, I think I have."
"That's nice to hear at the end of another school day," a new voice said from the doorway.
Scott Summers leaned lazily (and sexily, if Jean was any judge) against the doorframe with a light smirk applied perfectly across his angled face. Jean narrowed her eyes playfully, "It would be nice if once in a while the sentiment could be returned."
Scott's features softened into a look the rest of the school had named his 'Jean look', as it was a smile and glint in his covered eyes saved only for her. He glanced over at the clock on her wall, "I guess it would depend on how you want it to be returned."
"Well, I certainly wouldn't want you to yell at me," Jean winked, making the man chuckle.
The students watched the banter eagerly. It was a rare thing to see the two of them break their professional barriers and show some common affection for each other around the students. Though most would never admit it, they loved seeing it. It showed them that even their teachers, their protective guardians, had feelings too.
The clock struck 3:30, signaling the end to the academic day and the start of chores for some, tutoring and study groups for others, and for even more, an afternoon and evening of fun. Regardless of their plans, they all cleared out as quickly as possible.
Scott walked toward his love and opened his arms to her, which she gladly walked into, "When do you think we should tell them?"
Jean glanced at the glittering diamond on her left hand and then into the eyes of her future husband, "Soon, love. Very soon."
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