Tell Me Where It Hurts
Chapter 3: Already Gone
Before Logan had left, he told Jean that the Professor wanted to speak with her. Jean knew what it was about. As she sucked in a deep breath, her heart pounding and her head throbbing, she began to regret agreeing to see the older man. Logan gave her the choice to come with him and see the car or to let the Professor speak with her. She chose the former out of fear. She didn't want to see the damage of her SUV…she couldn't. It was too soon and she was still so very confused about things. As she opened the door to the Professor's office and stepped in quietly, she saw him sitting at his desk, as Ororo looked up. Jean's confused and clouded eyes glanced at the man as he offered her a sweet and genuine grin, pressing the button on his chair, and wheeling himself around to the red head.
"Jean, do come in."
Closing the door slowly, she looked at Ororo, and then at Charles. "I…I thought you wanted to see just me."
Charles eyes glowed warmly. "I do. Ororo is here for support."
As Ororo straightened herself up, she regarded Jean. "I can leave if you want…"
Jean shook her head. "No…I was just…surprised." Looking at Charles, knowing that he was unsure if she meant it, she bowed her head down. "Really," she added.
Charles gave a slight nod. "Very well." Extending his hand out, Jean followed it to a chair, and she sat down, watching Ororo out of the corner of her eye as she sat down as well. "Do you know why I called you here?" he asked Jean.
She bit her lip. "I think so," she answered shyly. Charles gave her a comforting smile. Jean was anything but comforted.
"I just want to make sure that you are fine."
Jean looked up. "The doctors cleared me…"
"Not physically," Charles added quickly, knowing what Jean thought.
"You want to know," Jean said clandestinely. As Ororo titled her head, wondering what Jean meant, Charles leaned forward as Jean continued, swallowing hard. "About the accident."
Charles gave a nod. "And your well being," he added. "But you must trust me."
Jean looked at the older man, her eyes burning into his.
As Logan walked down the lot, Scott following him, his eyes searched for Jean's SUV. He had no idea the condition that it was in, however, and it made it more difficult to search out.
"May I help you?"
Both men turned as an older woman, in her forties, approached them from behind. "My name is Logan," Logan introduced himself. "You called about Ms. Grey's car."
The woman nodded. "Ah yes." Looking to and from both men, she frowned. "Is Ms. Grey not present?"
Scott glanced at Logan and cleared his throat. "Ah…she wasn't feeling well."
"Yes, well…that is to be expected," the woman commented.
"Can we see the car?" Logan asked, tucking his fingers in the back of his jeans, not attempting to conceal his impatience.
"You can," the woman answered, beginning to walk past them, leading the way, "but I called you here to sign over the vehicle."
"Sign it over?" Scott inquired.
"Yes," the woman nodded, looking over her shoulder as she spoke. "It's my advice for Ms. Grey to claim total loss. I called so she would sign the papers. After making a decision of course."
Logan looked down at the rocky ground as they followed her. "I'm her fiancé," he told the woman. "Can't I sign the paper?"
The woman glanced at Logan as they stopped and gave a slight nod. "I don't see anything wrong with that." As she looked straight ahead, Logan and Scott followed her line of sight, and she added, "You tell me though."
Logan's jaw dropped as Scott gasped, stepping forward, examining the damage. Jean's once beloved truck was no longer. What was once a beautiful silver BMW SUV was nothing more than metal and plastic. The front bumper was sitting beside the truck and the front of the car was rutted up into the driver and passenger seats. The windshield had a large crack from one corner of the door to the engine. As Logan walked alongside the driver side, Scott walked the opposite side. Approaching the car, Logan looked inside. The driver window had blown out into the car and the airbags had deployed, destroying the steering wheel and dash. Blood was splashed on the interior and looking through, Logan saw that the passenger window had been blown out as well. On Scott's side, the rear door was torn up; looking like a large rock had been impaled on the car at a high rate of speed. The rear wheel had been blown out and the rims were missing. As both men approached the rear, at the same time, they examined the damage. The rear window had been blown in and both taillights were destroyed as well as the main back body, crushing the rear door in. As Logan took a peek inside, not caring about the glass around him, his eyes caught sight of all the shattered glass and metal…as well as some dirt and leaves.
"Let's sign the papers and get out of here, Logan," Scott said, as Logan frowned.
Once the papers were signed by Logan and the woman instructed the men near by to take the SUV away, Scott watched Logan's expressions as they walked back to his car. "What do you think?" Scott asked.
Logan, in his own thoughts, hadn't heard what Scott asked him. "What?"
"The car," Scott said. "Do you think Magneto had anything to do with it?"
Logan shook his head, growling softly in fury in the back of his throat. "No."
Scott's eyebrows rose. "No?"
"No," Logan repeated, his nostrils flaring at Scott. "There's no manipulation of metal." Scott shook his head in antipathy. "But…there was somethin'."
Scott frowned. "What?"
Logan shook his head, thinking it over, as he said, "We have to go where the accident happened."
Scott stopped walking. "We don't know where it happened." Logan stopped walking as well, getting aggravated with Scott. "There's no police report and they haven't told us anything!" Scott said, pointing back to the office of the older woman. "Besides…Jean hasn't talked about the accident."
"The location was written down on those reports," Logan said, irritated. "I know where it is."
"And what are you hoping to find?"
"Answers," Logan said simply.
"How have you been feeling since the accident?" Charles asked.
Jean shifted in the chair, uncomfortably, as she thought over the answer. "Um…" She shrugged. "Confused."
"About what?"
"About…feelings."
"Feelings?" Charles repeated, questioning her answer. She gave a small nod. "Feelings in regards too…?"
Jean sighed. "Scott." Jean said. Watching Charles glance at Ororo she added, "And Logan."
"What about them?"
Jean looked down, twirling the ring on her finger. "I don't know… what I'm… supposed to… feel."
Charles frowned. "What do you mean?"
Jean looked up, her eyes glassy from the water filling up in them. "Logan loves me." Charles nodded as Ororo looked at Jean more directly. "But…I don't feel anything for him. Not like he does with me."
"But…you do with Scott," Charles finished, leaning back in his wheel chair.
Jean choked back a sob. "I know its wrong…"
"No Jean…it's to be expected," he said, causing Jean to look at him as if he were crazy. "You suffered a head injury," the older man explained. "Your uncertainty is normal."
Jean shook her head. "I don't think so," she muttered.
'She needs help.' Watching the Professor, as Jean's head remained downcast, Ororo nodded. 'She needs guidance. I fear what this accident has done to her and her powers.'
'I agree.'
Jean's eyes and head remained down but her eyes went back and forth quickly, her face masked in bewilderment and anger. How was she picking up on Charles telepathic conversation with Ororo without focusing her powers on it? And why was he doing it in front of her secretly? Jean looked up, a couple of tears running down her hot and red cheeks, as Charles gave her a warm, and fake, smile.
What a fraud she heard in the back of her mind, anger and revulsion coursing through her veins. He is fearful of you she heard again. Slowly, she turned and looked at her best friend as Ororo stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder. They all are.
"Don't worry," Ororo said gently. "We're going to help you."
Jean began to feel warm. No. Hot. She felt like she was burning up. Where did all this resentment and this voice come from? Through the blinding anger and confusion, Jean bit her lip, close to drawing blood. "Thank you," she muttered, hiding the antagonism and fear in her voice. From the looks on their faces, they had no idea. No idea how she envisioned their deaths behind her eyes. Jean Grey smiled inside. But it wasn't Jean. It was something far more evil and sinister.
