Here's the new story I promised. I hope you all enjoy the first chapter! I know I'm going to enjoy writing this one! Have fun,

RedPhoenix1821

Chapter 1

Looking back now, he could remember seeing her cry for the first time. She had just come home from her first date, her emotions battered, her dignity bruised, and her face red from crying. He had rushed outside immediately and gathered her up in his arms, and held her close until her tears stopped falling. She asked if she could spend the night with him, she didn't want to be alone right then. He had said yes, and she slept soundly that night, safe in the circle of his arms...

That had been the first night Scott Summers had ever held Jean Grey, and apparently it would be the last, for she wasn't the girl he was holding in his arms right now. Scott hadn't seen or heard from Jean in almost three years. Right after graduation she had packed up and left and no one had heard from her since, not even her own parents.

Scott could still remember the last time he saw her. It was graduation day, the sun was shining, the sky was cloudless, and all of the seniors were seated out in the football field. Jean was seated ten rows ahead of him, right in the front with that other NHS members. He had seen her that morning as she was rushing down the stairs with her robe, cap, and NHS braids in her hands. He had seen several index cards poking out of her purse, her valedictorian speech no doubt. He didn't see her again until that afternoon, when she gave her speech. He would never forget it.

"Fellow classmates, parents, and administration, most of you know me already, but for those of you who don't, my name is Jean Grey. I, and my fellow teammates are the ones I'm sure you've all read about in the papers, but I'm not here to discuss that today. I'm here to present you with a speech from a person who is the same as all of you. I'm no different than any of you, and we're no different form anyone else in the world. We're all the same. Made from the same materials, same matter, we're all the same, we're all equal, all we need to do is embrace that, and we'll all be fine. All we have to do is keep that in mind, and believe me, if we all accept this fact, and embrace, and live by it, we'll all survive. I want to thank all of you for giving me your time, your patience, and most importantly, your respect, for me, for my fellow teammates, for all of us. Thank you."

Afterwards, she had returned to her seat and Scott didn't see her again until the presentation of the diplomas. The NHS members received theirs first then everyone else was presented with theirs. When the ceremony was over he saw her walking over to her parents, they handed her an envelope then she hugged them and walked off. Next he saw her walk over to the professor, hug him, and he, too, handed her an envelope, but from what Scott had seen, it had been thicker than the one her parents had given her. Jean at first had tried to refuse it, but Xavier had kept pressing it into her hands. Finally Jean accepted it, hugged him once more and walked away again. Scott was about to turn and go, knowing he would never get the chance to say congratulations, or goodbye, for that matter, when he saw Jean walking towards Duncan Mathews, her old boyfriend. As far as Scott knew they had broken up weeks ago. So when he saw Jean walking toward him, and his arms opened to her, Scott knew she had been lying. Jean walked into Duncan's arms and they closed around her. She smiled up at him and they exchanged a few, zealous, kisses and some words, Jean smiling and swaying in his arms the whole time. Then Jean started talking to him, and Duncan's evident smile turned upside down into an evident frown. Scott couldn't hear what they had been saying, but he had had a pretty good idea what the conversation had been like.

"What do you mean you're leaving?" Duncan asked. Jean looked up at him with tears in her eyes. She leaned up and kissed him, he kissed her back.

"I'm sorry, Duncan, I'm so sorry, but I have to do this."

"What, go away to college, leave me here?"

"I'm sorry. I've worked my whole high school career to get into college, and when I was accepted, I chose this one so I could stay close, but I doubt I'll be able to visit. I'll be attending classes, working two jobs... Duncan, I'm sorry I have to do this, but I do."

"Jean, I thought we had something here. We've been doing so well, what's with this?"

"We do have something, Duncan, and believe me, I wish I didn't have to do this, but I do."

"No you don't. Jean, you don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"I know, but I want to do this, Duncan. I'm sorry. I...I love you." Jean leaned up and kissed him for a last time then slipped from his arms and walked off. That was the last time Scott saw her. He then walked off to the woman he was still with today, the same girl he had been dating since his freshman year.

Taryn Fujioka

Jean had never been too thrilled with Scott dating her, and he had never been thrilled with her dating Duncan. It affected their friendship, the one thing neither had ever wanted to happen, but it did. The summer between their junior and senior year, Jean just suddenly stopped talking to him. He saw her around the mansion and at school, but she never spoke a word to him. She still attended Danger Room sessions and meals, (the meals were always rushed, she'd sit down, eat, and leave), and in between all of it, he either saw her and she didn't say anything, or he never saw her at all. It was like she was trying to make herself disappear, or...

Scott just didn't know anymore, and he didn't want to think about it. It was far too painful. He sighed and rolled over in bed, his arm falling across Taryn's side. She stirred in her sleep and made a small sound of protest.

"Are you going to sleep late?" Scott whispered. Taryn nodded. Scott smiled at over her shoulder and kissed it. He saw her smile.

"What?" she asked, the smile evident in her voice.

"Nothing, you're just so...beautiful when you sleep."

"I love you, too, Scott. Now leave me alone so I can sleep."

Scott smirked and got up from the bed he shared with Taryn, that is, whenever he stayed at her apartment. They had been discussing moving in together for several months, but they never actually did. Scott had to be honest with himself, he really didn't want to. He enjoyed living alone, well that wasn't exactly true, he wouldn't mind living with Jean.

He had to stop thinking about Jean. Jean was in his past.

Scott groaned as he pulled himself up from the bed and rubbed his eyes under his glasses, he set his feet down on the cold floor and stood. He heard Taryn move behind him; he looked over his shoulder to see that she had moved over into his spot.

"What are you doing?" Scott laughed. A smile formed on Taryn's lips.

"You're spot's warmer." She said grumbled, her lips pursing together. "No go, I need my beauty sleep."

"Ok, but I'm going to go pick up some groceries for my place, you want anything while I'm out?" Jeez, one of the ten things a guy would never say, Scott thought to himself, and I didn't think I could get any worse.

"Yeah, chocolate." Taryn grumbled in her sleep again.

"Typical female." Scott mumbled to himself as he headed for the shower. He took a hot shower, and for some inarticulate reason or another that he couldn't comprehend, his body suddenly shifted into arousal as thoughts and visions of Jean began to float across his mind once more. He couldn't just shake them off, and he wasn't about to go back to Taryn, so he turned the water from burning hot to ice cold. He slowly felt his body relax, and the heat of his semi-arousal just seemed to rinse away.

After the shower he went through his normal routine of brushing his teeth, shaving, and other male necessities that were taken care of in the bathroom. Taryn's bathroom was much different from his. Hers was decorated in pink. White walls with pink trim, white and pink tile, pink mats, and cream pink towels. Scott normally kept a razor and spare bottle of shampoo here, and she did the same at his place; and while he was on the thought, he remembered that he also kept some of his clothes here. They were going home with him today, they needed to be washed anyway. He was sure when he got back to his apartment, he was going to find a bunch of Taryn's stuff all over, she never was that good at picking up after herself. Now that his train of thought was going down that rail, he thought he might as well pick her place up a little while she was asleep.

Scott threw some clothes on that were probably dirty from sitting on Taryn's living room floor for three weeks, and got started cleaning up. He spent a good hour or two at it, and by the end of it all, Taryn still hadn't woken up. Scott made himself breakfast, ate, and then left. He drove back to his apartment, passing the institute on his way. He still regretted having to leave. He stopped and parked the car in front of it then sat there staring out past the gate at the vast mansion. As he did, he swore he could see Jean walking down the front steps with her old backpack slung over her shoulder. Then he saw himself walking down behind her. His vision of them two began to yell at each other as Jean got into her small SUV and slammed the door shut. Scott saw himself yell a final insult at Jean, and he saw her flip him off out her window as she drove off.

Now Scott remembered, that had been the day before graduation. He and Jean had been fighting for the past week about her leaving and not telling him where. Scott had been furious with her leaving, and leaving the team for that matter; and what had he gone and done, left, just like Jean. He still didn't know why he left, he had just packed up one day and left.

Scott put his car back into 'drive' and drove off. The visions and memories of what he had just 'seen' haunted him all the way back to his apartment. He grabbed his bag of clothes from the back seat and his keys from the ignition then made his way up three flights of stairs and unlocked his apartment door. He dropped the bag of clothes on the floor by the door where he knew he would remember to take them down to clean then he looked around his living room as he shut the door. It was in worse shape then Taryn's. Heaving a grand sigh, he went to work picking up. It didn't take as long since most of the things on his floor were clothes, (mostly Taryn's), and all he had to do was throw them in a basket. Exasperated by something, Scott slumped down on his couch and reached for the remote. Just then he remembered that he had to go grocery shopping. He suddenly felt like being typically male and not do anything, but he had responsibilities to himself. So he forced himself up and grabbed his keys once more.

Once at the local grocery store he pulled a cart from a line of them outside the store and walked inside. He went up and down every aisle choosing what he thought he needed and dropped it in the cart. After two very long hours he made his way to the checkout. He started placing his items on the belt and heard a very cherry, female voice greet him.

"Hello, how are you today?"

There was something vaguely familiar about that voice. Scott looked up with a suspicious expression, and before he could say anything, the voice shrieked. "Scott!"

Scott looked up and saw Jean. "Jean!" he accused quietly. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here, Scott, what are you doing here?" Jean asked switching the accusation around to him.

"I'm shopping." Scott said in a sarcastic tone.

"How often do you hear a guy say that?" Jean smirked at him.

"Not often enough. Look at you, my God, Jean. You look good in uniform." Scott said trying to start a conversation with her. Jean was dressed in a white blouse and black dress pants, her hair pulled back and wrapped around a clip.

"Shut up, come on, I can't have my boss catch me like this, talking to a friend, I'm already on strike three."

"What?"

"Never mind, long story, come on." Jean ushered him to push his purchases forward while she scanned and bagged them. When she finished she totaled it and told him how much. Scott paid cash and she handed him his receipt.

"When are you on break?"

"Three hours ago." Jean said sheepishly.

"Why didn't you take it, aren't you hungry?"

"Yes, I'm starving, but I have to work, I need the money. Scott, you have to go."

Scott nodded at her and said goodbye, hoping he'd see her again some time. Jean said she doubted it. After that, Scott walked out. Jean took a few deep breaths to steady herself and to prepare for the next customer. Just as one rolled up, Jean felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see her boss.

"Jean, I saw that."

"I'm sorry, I told him I couldn't talk, I told he had to leave, and he did."

"Jean, I told you, one more strike. Now, I'm sorry but-"

Jean put her hand up to stop him. "I know, you don't have to say anything. I'll go."

"I'm very sorry, Jean."

"Yeah, I'm sure you are." Jean said quietly. She apologized to the customer and requested that she move over to the next line. Then Jean shut hers down.

""I'll mail your paycheck to you by Friday."

"Whatever."

Jean collected her purse then made her way out of the store and started walking down the street. She might as well go home, she didn't have any classes today, and her other job didn't start until four. Jean shuffled along the sidewalk, her bag bouncing against her side. She blew angry air from her mouth as she made her way back to her apartment building. Her feet were killing her by the time she reached the red brick building and made her way up the stairs to the top floor.

Jean retrieved her keys from her purse and opened her door. The familiar smell of the apartment she now called home was very welcoming. She looked over in the corner to see cat Evylen fast asleep in her bed. Jean hung her purse on a hook by the door and kicked her shoes off; the gel insoles did nothing for her. She allowed herself a long stretch as she made her way to her kitchen. She lived in a three-room apartment; bedroom/living room, kitchen, and a bathroom. It suited her, simple, clean, and functional.

Jean dug through her cartons of cold Chinese food and found nothing worth eating; it had all gone bad anyway, so she threw it all out. Digging through her small cabinets, she found a box of Mac 'n' Cheese, and decided that would do for her lunch. She would have to go shopping, just not at her last job. As she made her lunch, her thoughts casually drifted off to Scott. She didn't know what to make of seeing him. It had been so long since she had seen him, he hadn't changed a bit. She tried to keep her thoughts in check, trying not to let herself wander too much, but too late, she had burned her lunch.

Jean cursed at herself as she threw away the burned noodles then walked out into her bedroom/ living room and slumped onto her futon. This was not a good day for her. Jean let out a frustrated sigh and lay herself back on the pulled-out bed. She reached for her pillow and hugged it close. She just couldn't get her mind off Scott now. No, she couldn't lose control of her thoughts, she was always in control, she never lost it.

"No," Jean whispered to herself as tears started to fall down her cheeks. "No, this can't happen... I can't still be in love with him..."

Author's note: I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. I have SO many ideas for this story, I know where it's going. REVIEW PLEASE!

I'll update as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience!

RedPhoenix1821