Tell Me Where It Hurts
Chapter 14: All I Need
A few hours later, Jean and Emma were helping Ororo set the table, as Rogue and Bobby rushed in. "The Professor wants you in the foyer," Bobby told the adults, out of breath.
Jean exchanged looks with Ororo and Emma as Ororo asked, "What for?"
"The Professor's surprise guest is here," Rogue asked with a less than excited tone.
Emma rolled her eyes, not looking forward to the evening, as she followed Jean and Ororo to the foyer, with the teens behind her. Once they entered the main foyer, Emma saw Xavier's guest, but wasn't sure what to think. She was average height and build with long straight black hair but she looked young, nearly Rogue's age.
"Jean, Ororo, Emma," Charles greeted, but in a tone that Emma couldn't make out correctly. "This is Martinique," he introduced as the woman gave them a nervous smile.
"I'm Ororo," Storm greeted and then introduced Jean and Emma, since she knew neither of them would say anything.
"It's good to meet you," she said politely. Ororo noticed, however, how Martinique focused more closely on Jean and seemed to ignore everyone else.
Charles glanced around at the small group and looked at Ororo. "Where are Logan and Scott?" he asked.
"Oh, they went out for a little bit," she replied as Jean looked at Emma over her shoulder, sharing a silent communication that Ororo didn't quite catch.
"Where did they go?" Charles asked, more livid than disappointed.
Emma shrugged. "Don't know."
Emma glanced at Jean and she back at Emma. 'How much more convincing that he's hiding something do you need?' she asked the red head telepathically.
'It's more complicated than that, Emma,' Jean responded as Emma shook her head.
"Well, perhaps we should start without them," Charles said amiably.
As Charles prepared to leave with the others, Martinique stopped him. "Wait," she said, earning the exasperated looks of the three women as the teens looked on. "I think I should meet these two men before we dine."
'I don't trust her,' Phoenix hissed in Jean's mind.
For once Jean didn't argue or disagree with Phoenix one bit.
Charles grinned at his guest. "I understand that Martinique, but I am unsure when they shall return."
With impeccable timing, the front door opened and Logan and Scott walked in, halting to a stop when they saw everyone's attention them. "Um…hey," Scott said awkwardly as he saw Emma smirking at him.
"Where were you two?" Charles asked.
"Who's this?" Logan asked, nodding at Martinique, and ignoring Charles's question.
Martinique grinned. "I am Martinique. And you are…?"
Logan raised his eyebrow. "Hungry," he said, walking towards Jean and grasping her hand, as they walked out.
Scott offered a polite smile, but didn't say anything, as he wrapped his arm around Emma's waist and followed Logan and Jean into the kitchen, with Bobby, Ororo and Rogue trailing them.
Charles watched his X-Men walk out as Martinique said, "He is quite rude."
"Yes, well, he's the best there is."
Martinique scoffed. "I find that hard to believe."
Charles looked up at Martinique. "Why else do you think Jean hasn't lost her mind?"
Martinique glanced at the old man. "He is responsible?" Charles nodded and Martinique looked back up. "Well…that'll change," she responded as she walked towards the kitchen as well.
Jean felt uncomfortable the whole time during dinner. Ororo made a great meal, and there was small chit-chat around the table, but she sat there in silence, feeling Logan glance her way every now and then. Throughout the meal, Jean kept getting these flashes in front of her eyes, unknown to those around her. They were before and of the accident. She remembered before she left and what she said to Logan and then the accident happened. But…everything else was blurry to her. She didn't remember anything until coming back to the mansion.
"Dammit!"
Logan looked up at his fiancé to see her examining the wedding dress she ordered. "What's wrong?" he asked, as he stopped writing his wedding vows to help Jean out. He wasn't too excited about doing the wedding vows, but they meant a lot to Jean, so Logan was willing to give them a shot and have someone look over it when he was finished.
"This is the wrong dress!" she whined.
Logan glanced over her shoulder. "Looks fine to me."
Jean spun around and hit Logan in his chest. "This isn't the dress!" she repeated, close to screaming the words.
Logan held up his hands and backed off. He knew when not to piss Jean off and these were one of those moments. "A'right, jeez," he muttered.
Jean shook her head as she sobbed. "I'm sorry. It's just…three days Logan! We're going to be married in three days!"
"Ya scared 'bout it?" he asked, thinking she was having second thoughts.
Jean looked up at him. "No!" she cried, holding up the dress. "It's the wrong dress and I can't fix it in three days!"
Logan chuckled. "Darlin', don't sweat the small stuff."
Jean glared at him. "You call this small?" she sneered, shoving the dress at him.
"Yeah, I do," he laughed. "Just go back to the store and have 'em look for yer dress."
"And if they don't have it?" Jean asked. "What then?"
Logan handed the dress back to her. "Then we'll worry 'bout it then," he promised. "Just go to the store and see if they just sent ya the wrong one first."
Jean sighed, calming down, and she nodded. "Alright." She grabbed her purse and smiled at Logan. "I knew there was a reason I'm marrying you."
Logan smirked. "Oh, it ain't just 'cuz of my good looks and 'cuz ya can't help yerself?" he joked.
Jean laughed and kissed him. "That could be another reason though," she joked back.
As she walked out of their room, Logan smacked her butt, as she feigned surprise and blushed. "Be careful," he told her.
She grinned at him. "Always."
"Jeannie?" Jean glanced up to see Logan looking at her with concerned eyes, his hand on her leg, as she heard conversations continuing at the table. "Ya a'right?"
Jean blinked, unable to remember where she was, as she glanced around. "Yeah," she answered slowly.
Logan nodded and let her be, but still remained unconvinced, as he watched her from the corner of his eye. Jean looked down at her food as she felt a sharp pain in her stomach suddenly and doubled over.
Jean's eyes fluttered open as her vision slowly came too. She smelled smoke and heard hissing off in the distance. She shook her head slowly but felt a piercing pain in the back of her neck as she did so. Once her vision cleared she noticed how dark it was. She realized suddenly that she was in her SUV. The only lights there were was the headlights and the blinking emergency lights on the dash. Jean groaned as she attempted to push the deployed airbag away from her. The windshield wipers made a squeaking noise as they went back and forth and the radio continued softly. As she tried to sit up, Jean cried out in pain. She looked down and saw that something, a small pole perhaps, sticking out from her gut. She moved her hands over the object, still not knowing what it was, and yanked on it, screaming out in pain as she dropped it and put her right hand over the wound. Her shirt was soaked with blood as she moved her left hand to open the door, but to avail. She pounded on it but it didn't budge an inch. She began to get dizzy again as she opened her eyes wider to focus. Then she saw the figure of a man standing out in front of her. She blinked a few times and yet he was still there. As he walked up to her SUV, the front door was ripped off, leaving Jean exposed.
"No," she mumbled, feeling herself weaken, and getting dizzy again. "Leave me alone."
"Not an option," the man said apathetically as he cut her belt and stepped back as another person grabbed her and lifted her up as she cried out from the pain.
"She's injured," Jean heard someone say.
"It can be fixed," a third voice said as Jean's eyes fluttered open and close.
As she felt herself being carried away, and slipping further and further into the darkness, the last thing she saw were eyes. Red, crimson blood, eyes and deep evil chuckle before she heard, saw and felt no more.
"It would be a good idea for me to stay," Martinique told Charles as she put her bag on the desk.
Charles nodded. "Whatever you need," he said. "Just get the job done."
"Staying here will be easier," Martinique noted. "I'm closer and I can see into her dreams. It shouldn't be too hard to do what I have to. She's confused, afraid, and searching for answers." Martinique smirked. "She won't know what hit her. And neither will those that care for her."
I know what most of you are probably thinking; you all know who the bad guy is here...don't you? Just remember this saying... ;
"Just when they think they have all the answers, I change the question."