Chapter 13:

Jaleena's discussion with Jean went very well. Of course the other woman had known what was going on (it was hard to keep a secret from a telepath). She had been playing chess with Cyclops when she went in, and he had eagerly helped them plan. She had tried not to smile too widely when she realized Scott was just happy to finally be in on what was going on beneath the surface of the school. She could tell he was going to relish having the upper hand with Gambit and Wolverine. Jean had even made some suggestions on how Leena could turn the tables on one wicked Cajun and had encouraged Jaleena to talk with Beast about some of their ideas.

When Leena entered the lab, she could see Gambit chatting with Eric. The "box" was open, but Eric was hanging out inside of it, his body still bathed in flames. He was laughing though, showing that the previous days' company with Laura had made a difference in his attitude. She knew from Jubilee that Laura was planning on bringing a few of the other students and a pizza when they visited tonight. Jaleena would of course just be starving for "American" pizza and invite herself along. Eric had made her promise the previous day that she wouldn't allow any of the students to "visit" unless she came with them, but he didn't want her to let them know he wasn't yet confident in his ability.

She waved at the two and turned toward Beast's office. It was part of the lab, but was partitioned with a doorway that would give them some semblance of privacy, even though they'd be clearly visible through the large, plate-glass window. She knocked on the door frame and smiled at the furry man. "Morning, Hank, do you mind if I talk to you about something private for a few moments?"

He smiled a wide, toothy grin, and gestured toward the comfortable seat across from him. She tugged the door closed behind her, and from the corner of her eye, she saw Gambit frown in the direction of the office. Good. She had his attention. She perched on the edge of one of the seats and leaned a bit toward him so she could talk quietly. "Hank, I need a favor, a very large one."

He took his glasses off to set them down on his desk along with the papers he'd been studying. As he gave her his full attention, he continued to smile. He pushed from his seat to come around the desk to sit in the chair beside her, saying, "Of course, Jaleena. You know I am ever at your service."

"Well," she paused, looking down at her hands and twisting them in her lap. This was going to be awkward, "It is a bit of an embarrassing favor."

He reached forward to take one of her hands into his, "No need to be embarrassed. We've been friends for years, Leena. I would never judge you for a request. I know you wouldn't ask something of anyone that you hadn't thought carefully about. I am sure I will do everything in my power to assist you in this endeavor."

She smiled softly and squeezed his hand. "I certainly hope you don't regret that statement." When he only raised a dark eyebrow and waited patiently, she continued. "I was hoping that you might take me on a date."

He blinked and sat back, dropping her hand in surprise. She could feel her face heat and she looked back at her hands in her lap. When he realized what he had done, he reached to take both of her hands in his this time, "I apologize for my reaction. It was very rude, and my surprise was no excuse for wounding you." When she opened her mouth to speak, shaking her head, he cut her off, "Leena, you are a truly stunning woman. You have everything a man would dream of in terms of your beauty and your outstanding intelligence. Under normal circumstances, I would be eager to pursue an opportunity such as this. Alas, we have been friends for a very long time, and I've been friends with Remy for even longer than that. I can't in good conscience even entertain the thought of pursuing you romantically as I know it would put us all in a very uncomfortable situation."

He was clearly surprised when she beamed up at him. She squeezed his hands eagerly, her voice was amused more than angry when she said, "You devil! You knew what he was doing this whole time, didn't you?"

He flushed a becoming purple color and tried to free his hands, but she held onto them this time. He tried to look away and stuttered a bit as he said, "I-I'm sure that I don't know what you're speaking of."

Jaleena laughed and leaned forward to press a kiss onto his cheek. "Oh Hank, don't be silly. You are a terrible liar when caught off guard. If you think our being in a relationship would bother Remy, then you're aware of how he feels about me. I'm hoping you'll do a much better job fibbing if you have time to prepare yourself." When he just looked at her, she explained. "You see, I just found out about the game Remy has been playing since I got here, possibly since before. I know that Anna Marie, Jubilee, and even Logan have all been in on it. I figured you would have known what was going on as well, and Jean suggested you would be the most logical person to help with my plan."

He shook his head, "You do realize that nothing vicious was part of this plan. Remy's feelings for you are true, and he was only taking this approach because- -"

She laughed again, cutting him off, "Oh no, don't you make excuses for him, too. I know all of you X Men stick together. I know how Remy does things, and honesty is rarely his approach. However, I do think before I give in and let him know I still love him," the other man lit up at her words, "that he deserves to get a little taste of his own medicine."

"Howso?"

Jaleena grinned, "Well, since he and Anna put on such a lovely show, I think turnabout is fair play."

As her initial request came back to him, he shook his head, "I'm sorry, Leena, but I can't. I explained to him that I wouldn't be an active part of deceiving you, and I would not want to deceive him either."

Jaleena just continued smiling, "I figured you would say that. You are such an honorable man, Hank. Yet, I do think that I have something that could change your mind." He tilted his head in question, and she made her proposal, "You see, I have already been in touch with the Journal of Scientific Progress about Eric's case. They have already promised me an article and guest editor status of their summer issue. In addition, they've invited me to be the keynote at their next conference in May."

"That is most wonderful!" He exclaimed, squeezing her hands once again, "That journal is extremely exclusive. I've been trying to get some of my work published there for years."

Her smile widened. "Oh, I know. You see, I've prepared a letter that explains that I'm not really the mastermind behind this project, but that Dr. Henry McCoy is, and that he is really more deserving of each of those honors. I would be prepared to drop this letter in the mail if you were willing to help me with my little, itty, bitty favor." When his mouth dropped open in surprise, she leaned forward, "I mean, think of the good that would do for mutant kind, let alone the fact that you'd be helping a friend with a very important favor."

It was his turn to throw back his head and laugh loudly. When he finished, he shook his head at her, admiration clearly in his eyes, "Your brilliance continues to astound me, Jaleena, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

She grinned, "So does that mean you will help?"

He nodded, "Even if you decide not to send that letter, the very fact that you would give up such an opportunity for this ruse allows me to see how important it is to you. I would be honored to be your beau for as long as you need me."