Life After Duncan
I thought that Jean was a little bit too happy about her break-up with Duncan. I mean, sure he was a jerk and we all knew it had to happen, but Jean really thought there was someone sweeter underneath that stupid jock exterior.
So although I've never had a boyfriend, let alone a break-up, I've learnt from books that break-ups hurt a lot. So Jean probably cried a bit once she got home after they broke up, but before she had to say a speech. That's when I set it, anyway.
Just gonna say this now - anyone looking for any Jean bashing, go back now. Kay? I like Jean, even if anyone else doesn't. There's a bit of stuff when she's calling herself an idiot for liking him, but no real bashing other wise. For that matter, no bashing on any character except Duncan.
Pairings - Not much. A bit of Jott, a little bit of Lancitty and... uh, what's the ship name for Jean/Duncan? Never found a fic that promotes that. Juncan? Jenkin? Dean? Duan? They seem so wrong. Probably a good reason for that. Little bit of whatever that is, anyway.
And so without further ado...
Jean groaned and flopped on her bed.
It was just after their first day back at Bayville after being outed. In a few hours Jean would be talking to the board of teachers about letting mutants back in, but now she was going to sit in her room and cry about her ex-boyfriend.
Okay, she'd always known deep down that it wouldn't last forever. Still, she'd thought that Duncan was more than just a jock who was dating her because she was popular.
She fell down on her bed, held her pillow to her mouth and screamed.
She'd been wrong. Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong. Duncan was nothing more than a total idiot who managed to charm her.
Jean you moron! You're a freaking TELEPATH and you couldn't figure out what was going through his mind! You are such an idiot!
She moaned pitifully.
It sickened her to hear how dumb she sounded. But then again, she would have felt worse if she'd been the sort of girl who could just brush off a two year relationship without even caring.
Still, she was an X-Man. She should be made out of sterner stuff.
Come on girl. Just get over him. He's a moron.
No he's not! He's got all that tough macho exterior but he's really sweet inside. And he specifically told you 'this doesn't change a thing' after he learned about it.
What? Go back a bit. He also said that being a mutant was a 'problem' and that your telepathy could be used during exams! Really, think about it.
It was like there were two different voices inside Jean's head, both talking to her. Jean groaned, lying face down onto her bed.
"Now I know what Rogue feels like." She said muffled into her pillow.
Exactly. Rogue has to go through a whole lot worse than you do. And she's not the only one. You only have till the end of this year – everyone else but Scott has to deal with all their friends hating them a lot longer than you do. So get over it.
Boo-hoo. You just broke up with your boyfriend. You're allowed to have a bit of self-pity for a while. You always think about everyone else.
Well don't stop a good thing now!
Come on. Duncan was great! He was hot, rich, popular-
Oh, very nice Jean. At least NOW you can see what type of guy you're boyfriend was. That's all you liked him for, wasn't it?
Of course not! He was also smart and sensitive and sweet-
No he wasn't. But Scott is.
Jean pushed the thought out of her head before it could get any bigger. She just finished one romantic entanglement… give it some time before she went anywhere else.
"Where's Jean?" Kitty asked.
Rogue glanced upstairs. "Ah think she's in her room."
"I'll go check on her." Kitty said, walking up.
She knocked on the door.
"Jean? It's Kitty. Is something wrong?"
"Go away." Jean's voice was muffled.
Kitty heard the tears in her voice. She stepped straight through the wall. "Jean? What's the matter? Is everything okay?"
She saw Jean spread out on her bed, crying into her pillow.
Carefully Kitty sat down next to her. "Jean? Are you alright? Okay, stupid question. What's the matter?" She asked gently.
Jean looked up. "Duncan." She whispered.
"Oh." Kitty said. "Well… don't worry about it. Duncan's an idiot. You totally deserve better than him." She said loyally.
"I know he's an idiot but…" Jean gave a sob. "I still miss him."
"Do you want him back?"
"No. Yes. Oh, I don't know."
"Jean, listen to me. Sure, Duncan might have had a softer side inside him. But he never let the soft side out, which is the important bit. And he called you're powers a problem. You need a guy who doesn't hate mutants."
Jean moaned and fell back into her bed.
She's right you know.
Right-schmite. You can get over Duncan later. Cry for now.
You DO realise how much of a loser you sound like, even in your own head, right?
So?
"Kitty, I really appreciate this and all, but please, go away." Jean said, pushing herself up from her bed and then flopping back down.
"No. I'm not going until you're better. I'm not going to let you wallow in self-pity all by yourself – eeep!"
Jean raised one hand and made a swiping motion.
Kitty was thrown backwards towards the door. She phased straight through it with a yelp and kept flying through the mansion.
"Aaaiiieeeeee!"
Thunk.
Kitty stopped phasing and smashed into a wall in the rec room. Jean stopped pushing her and she gently slid down it.
"Are you okay?" Kurt asked, grabbing her hand and pulling her up.
"Yeah… thanks Kurt." Kitty stood unsteadily. The senior X-Men were all there, looking at her in surprise.
"I… uh… I think Jean wants to be alone for a bit now." She told them.
Then she slumped back against the wall with a sigh.
Bamf!
Jean didn't move. "Go away Kurt." She groaned.
"No. Kitty said zat you're having trouble vith Duncan?"
Jean moaned and rolled over, still in her yellow top and jeans. She's pulled her hair back into a loose ponytail.
"Not anymore. Never again." Jean moaned.
"Zat's right." Kurt nodded encouragingly. "Duncan ditched you once he found out zat you were a mutant."
"And you didn't tell anyone you were a mutant and you wear the image inducer still." Jean groaned.
Kurt flinched. "Ya. Sorry about zat. But any-vay… Duncan ditched you."
"No he didn't. I ditched him because he said that he was willing to overlook my problem completely and that my mind-reading skills would be useful when it came to exams."
Kurt rolled hit eyes and sat down. "Ouch. Ya, that was a very good reason to dump him. But still… you're going to get someone better. Someone who actually deserves you."
Someone like Sco-ott. The let-Duncan-go voice said teasingly.
"Kurt, I swear I will telekinetically throw you out of this room."
"I zon't care."
Jean closed her eyes and he floated up. She flung open the door and threw him out of it.
Before he even went through the door…
Bamf!
"Jean, I am not leaving you."
Jean scowled and picked him up again. He flew through the air again, and once more…
Bamf!
"You can…"
Pick up.
Bamf!
"Do that as…"
Pick up.
Bamf!
"Much as you want, I'm…"
Pick up.
Bamf!
"Not going anywhere."
Jean moaned and sat up. "Please go away."
"No." Kurt sat down next to her. "I'm not going to…"
Jean glared at him. He yelped and put his hands on his head. "Jean… vat are you…?" He demanded, and then crumpled against the bed.
Asleep.
Jean telekinetically opened the door and flew him out. He soared through the air and landed on the corridor carefully.
Five minutes later, Rogue found him. "Oh, great." She groaned.
She picked him up but he slumped against her. Rogue found herself amazed at how heavy people could get when they're dead weights. She sighed. "Sorry Kurt." She told him, taking off a glove.
Bamf!
Everyone in the rec-room looked up as Rogue and Kurt appeared on the coffee table. Rogue pushed herself off. "Sorry. Ah'm always a bit off when ah teleport." She explained, placing Kurt gently on the table.
Scott sighed. "I'll go talk to her." He said.
Rogue nodded as he left the room.
Bamf!
She vanished.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
"Go away!" Jean groaned.
"Jean, open the door." Scott told her.
She groaned loudly.
"Please?"
"No! Just leave me alone, Scott, okay?" She yelled.
"No. Jean…" Scott's voice was gentler now, "Jean, I know. It's okay. But you can't stay there forever. Please let me in."
"No!"
"Jean…" Scott's voice was warning.
"No!"
He just wants to help. He's always been there for you. The voice in her head told her.
Not when it came to dating Duncan. He was very unsupportive of that. The other voice argued.
Oh yeah, and look where that ended up. He was jealous Jean. He likes you. And you like him.
Jean jerked away as if she could move away from her head.
"Jean… I swear if you don't open this door I'll blast it open."
"Don't you dare, Scott Summers!" Jean shrieked.
"You have until three."
"If you even…!"
"One…"
"I swear, if you-"
"Two…"
"Alright, alright!" Jean shouted, getting up. "I'll open the stupid door!"
"Thank you." Scott said, relieved.
Jean opened the door and glared at him.
Scott opened his mouth to say something, and then moaned as her telepathy blasts hit him. "Jean…" he said weakly and indignantly as he fell asleep.
Jean moved her hand and he lifted up. Gently he floated up and landed safely where Kurt had been.
He was just trying to help. That voice said reproachfully.
So? Go away means go away.
He's been with you all this time and you just keep pushing him away.
He kept trying to push Duncan away.
Yeah, that doesn't sound pathetic at all. And again, look how Duncan ended!
Jean groaned and swore to herself never to take Rogue's condition lightly again.
"Aw, man."
Evan nudged Scott with his foot. "I thought for sure that she wouldn't send you to sleep." He told him. Then he crouched down and pulled his arm over his head, trying to pull him up.
After a moment Evan let Scott slump back to the ground. "Great." He rolled his eyes. "Hey, can I've some help up here?" He called.
Kitty came up after a moment. "Woah. Jean, like, made Scott go to sleep?" She said, grabbing his other arm. "I'll phase us down."
The three fell to the ground lightly, and then dragged Scott into the rec room. They carefully placed Scott in an armchair.
"I think it's your turn." Kitty told Evan.
Evan groaned. "What? But I can't – I mean, she obviously wants to be alone. Can't we just give her some time? I mean, I'm not scared of Jean, but I don't really do well in things like this. I'm not sensitive or anything."
"Maybe that's what Jean needs right now." Kitty told him, taking Kurt's pulse. "A little bit of bluntness."
"Can't you do it?" Evan groaned, resigned.
"I already have."
"What about Rogue?"
"She vanished fifteen minutes ago."
"Lucky." Evan muttered. "Do I have to?"
Kitty scowled, and then a light turned on in her eyes. "No. But I do need someone to try these cookies I'm baking for Home Ec class." She smiled.
"I'll see if Jean needs anything then." Evan said, taking the stairs three at a time.
Kitty frowned for a moment. "Is my cooking really that bad?" She wondered aloud.
"Nah. He just must not like cookies. Although how anyone can not like cookies is beyond me."
Knock knock.
"Jean?" Evan said tentatively. "Jean, are you okay?"
Jean groaned. "Go away Evan." She said. By now she had changed into a daggy, too big top and tracksuit pants. No point being uncomfortable while wallowing in self-pity.
"Okay then." Evan said, relieved.
Jean heard footsteps walk away, and then they came back.
"Jean…" Evan said, resigned. "I'm sorry about you and Duncan. But don't be too upset about it. I mean, Duncan's a jerk. Really. You're better off without him."
He's right. Like everyone else.
It doesn't matter if he's a jerk – he was your jerk.
Jean, do you realise how lame that sounds? If that's the best reason you had to be with him, everyone was right. He's a jerk. You are so better off without him.
"Evan, I am begging you. Go away."
"Well…" Evan's voice wavered. "No. See, I'm no good with any of this mushy stuff. I don't do tact all that well. So I'm just gonna say it flat out – you can totally do better than him."
Like Scott, maybe?
Who you put in a COMA! Great go for you're flirting, Jean.
You just sent him to sleep. Don't be melodramatic. He forgave you the first time, didn't he?
You were under mind-control, which he knew.
At least he knew about that stuff, unlike Duncan.
"And according to Kitty you're allowed to go into this whole 'pity party' thing. Well, maybe, but come on. Sending Scott and Kurt to sleep and throwing Kitty through the door is over the top. You're an X-Man. You handle tougher stuff than that every day."
Exactly!
Jean, you can go apologize in a little bit. Right now is a good time to wallow in self-pity.
Do you really want to be that girl? You hate that girl. Everyone hates that girl.
Which girl?
The girl wallowing in self-pity! And if nothing else Evan is still outside your bedroom. Have a conversation with yourself after he's gone.
"Jean, come out of there."
"No."
"Jean…" Evan warned.
"Evan, I swear I will send you to sleep, drag you into the air and throw you straight towards the ground if you don't leave me ALONE!" Jean shrieked.
"Hope-you-feel-better-soon-bye!"
Knock knock.
Knock knock.
Knock knock.
Jean groaned. Who was it this time? Well, it might be Rogue, the Professor, Storm, or maybe a New Recruit (she was pretty sure Logan would only come in if this 'nutso attacking friends' thing didn't stop. Hank might but he knew that a girl would be better for this situation).
"Who is it?" Jean asked.
"Rogue."
Jean sighed. She knew she was being an idiot but was it really that hard to leave her be for one night? Just one?
"What do you want?"
"I want to show you some photos I took."
Jean sat up. "Huh?"
"I think you'll like them. Can I come in?"
Jean was tempted to go into Rogue's mind and find out what this was about, but she slapped away the urge. She wasn't going to rummage around in her head.
Anyhow, Rogue's mind was so confusing anyway, filled with everyone else's thoughts.
"Yeah, sure."
The door opened and Rogue stepped in.
In a moment Rogue had taken in Jean's comfortable clothing and how she was just glaring at the ceiling.
"What is it?"
Rogue handed her a digital camera. "Take a look at some a the recent pictures." She told her.
Jean picked up the camera and switched it on, pressing play-back. Rogue took the photos back about five. "Might as well see 'em in order." She shrugged.
The first was of Duncan's house. A huge banner had been dropped down saying 'Duncan Mathews is a jerk!' in bright red paint.
Jean bit back a smile. "How did you…?"
"I borrowed Kurt's powers." Rogue shrugged. "Don't worry, no-one can trace it ta us. It's his own paint an' bed-sheets."
Jean looked closer at the banner. It was his bed-sheet.
Click.
The next photo was one of Duncan's bed-room. The books had been taken off the shelves and thrown around, the bed-sheets were missing of course, the posters had been ripped up and there were splashes of paint on the carpet.
"And of course, ah was wearing gloves the whole time." Rogue shrugged, looking at her gloves. Sure enough, there were patterns of red on them. "Good thing ah have more than one pair."
Click.
A photo of Duncan's car, scratched and covered with red paint. The real kicker was the words 'clean me' written on the boot.
Click.
A photo of Duncan's football trophies smashed and his soccer ball popped.
Click.
The final photo was of Duncan's face, a perfect mix of horror and confusion as he gazed up at his house, getting out of some girl's car.
"He didn't exactly mope around. So neither should ya." Rogue told Jean as she finally laughed at his expression. "Move on."
"Yeah. Thank you." Jean said, looking straight at Rogue.
"Anytime." Rogue shrugged. "And ah mean any-time. It was fun."
"But seriously… if there's anything I can do…?"
"Actually, there is."
"Name it."
"Duncan may possibly have seen me. Probably not, but still... if he comes here, would ya mind saying that I was with ya all along?"
Jean laughed. "Of course."
Rogue grinned. "Thanks."
Then she became firm. "Now come on – we're going downstairs, you are going to apologize for being such a grouch, and you are going to wake up Scott and Kurt. Not necessarily in that order."
Jean nodded and allowed herself to be led downstairs, trying to figure out how exactly you could apologize for something like this.
"Well that was fun." Rogue groaned, stepping into the rec-room.
"Yep. Got expelled from school, half-destroyed the meeting and cemented the view of us mutants being dangerous." Evan agreed.
"All in a nights work for the X-Men." Kurt told them.
"We don't know for certain we've been expelled." Jean told them. "We might not have – okay, not even I can say that."
"On the plus side – no school means, well, no school." Kurt shrugged.
"We'd still have to have lessons." Scott said. "Just not at Bayville High."
"Might be a good thing, considering how our friends hate us and all that." Kurt added. "We might have to say good-bye to your social lives."
"Yeah." Jean looked around. "Where's Kitty?"
Everyone looked around rapidly. "Kitty? Kitty!"
Jean scanned the mansion telepathically. "She's in her bedroom."
"I'll get her zen." Kurt shrugged.
Bamf!
A few minutes later…
"Aaaah!"
Kurt fell through the roof into the living room. "Ow." He muttered.
"Kurt? Are you okay?" Jean asked, glancing up automatically.
"Ya. I'm – I'm fine." Kurt winced, pushing himself up.
"What happened?" Evan blinked. "Where's Kitty?"
"She's… a little upset about what happened with Lance." Kurt rubbed his head. "Ouch."
Everyone groaned.
Evan rolled his eyes. "Man, not another one!"
"Jean goes first this time. Or, second." Scott said, glancing at Kurt and taking a step back from Jean at the same time.
Jean sighed. "Guess I deserved that." She went up the steps.
No-one else noticed Rogue pick up her camera and slide out the door with a wicked smile.
So... whatcha think? Come on, review! Please! Just hit that little button and write a few words - maybe just 'not bad. I liked it' or something equally simple. It's not that hard, is it? You don't even have to be signed in - but if you want a question answered it might help.