The One You Want Part III
Summary: Scott and Jean talk.
The students started lining up and following Ororo out of the Ice Age exhibit into the pre-historic section of the Natural Museum of History. Scott and Jean stayed behind, both staring at an exhibit of a sabertooth tiger.
Jean walked over to Scott. "Are you going to avoid me now?"
"This isn't the time Jean."
"Then you shouldn't have told me before we got here… Scott.. please."
"Fine, let's have it."
"I.. I don't know where to begin."
"You cheated and now you're pregnant with my child."
"Scott.. this is serious.. I mean we're having a baby."
"Exactly, we're having a baby.. and the mother would rather be with someone else."
"Scott,.."
"Were you going to ever tell me? . .about you and Logan… or did you think he would never come back and so you wouldn't have to worry about it?"
"Scott.. I.." She couldn't speak.
"Cuz I was going to do the same thing.. I figured, we were going to get married anyway and was going to have children.. so why not now."
"I wanted to tell you … I did.. it's just.."
"Love is patient, love is kind."
"What?"
"It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." Scott said with a straight face.
"Are you quoting the bible?"
"Yes. Yesterday in the library, one of the students knocked down the bible on the floor. I picked it and read that passage… and I read it over and over again. And I realized that if 'love' was like that.. then you don't love me. You may think you do .. maybe because we've been together for so long.. or whatever.. but you don't. If you loved me, you wouldn't have cheated on me and wouldn't have to keep it a secret."
"Scott, no I do love you."
"And I don't love you."
"What?"
"If I loved you.. really loved you.. I wouldn't have purposely tampered with nature to impregnate you knowing full well what I knew. That isn't love Jean. That's desperation.. and selfishness.. that isn't love.. and we aren't in love."
"Scott.. please .. we are having a baby.. a person is coming out of me in a few months.. we need to.. to.. "
"We need to what?"
"I don't know something.. everything .. it's too much." Jean covered her eyes with her hand, wiping the tears that were forming. An awkward silence settled in between them.
"If you weren't pregnant.. would you be with him right now?"
"…No.. I don't know.."
"You might not know.. but I do Jean. I tried holing onto you and look where that went. I'm not going to get in the way of things anymore. I know you want to be with him Jean. So go.. go ahead.. I won't stop you."
"Scott.."
"Jean.. please.. I'm trying to do the right thing here.. I won't settle for being second best and I wont hold you back because you feel you have some sort of obligation to me.. I won't have your pity and I won't have you resenting down the line."
"Would everyone head over to the cafeteria, it seems there is a problem with Rogue, Bobby, and John." A telepathic message from the professor.
Scott was already walking away before Jean could stop him. She took a moment to compose herself. She put a hand on her stomach, uncertain of what lies ahead.
To Be Continued…
Note: I'm putting the setting of this story around the beginning of X2, of course with some major changes, such as Logan returning before the trip to the museum.