We came back from the grounds in good spirits. Joanne and I
had actually begun to build a relationship. She was still really
upset about her mother's passing, so I related the tale of my own
parent's death to her. Rogue comforted both of us.
We parted ways with Rogue, and Joanne let go of me long
enough to throw her arms around the woman's neck. The first thought
to cross my mind was that Rogue would be a good mother for Joanne. I
caught myself before I thought anything more. After all I was
involved with Jean, not Rogue. After hugging the life out of Rogue,
Joanne came back to me and I took her to meet Jean. Given the
argument we had the previous night, I had no idea what to expect from
Jean.
As we arrived at out suite, Jean threw open the door with a
big smile on her face.
"Hi sweetheart! I've so been looking forward to meeting
you!" Jean gushed and pulled Joanne into a hug.
"Joanne, this is Jean." I introduced them lamely.
"Er, uh hi Jean. Nice to meet you?" my daughter ground out.
"Scott, can I see my room? I wanna take a nap, I'm kinda tired."
"Sure, just follow me." I led Joanne to the second door on
the left of the suite.
"The bathroom is right over there," I said as I pointed to
the door across the hall from her, "Jean and I are in that room over
there" I said pointing to the third door on the left.
Joanne nodded and opened the door. She started settling in,
and I quietly left to return to Jean and find out where her odd
behavior was coming from.
"What was that back there?" I said, getting right to the
point.
"What, I'm not allowed to be nice?" she asked defensively.
"No, it'd just that yesterday you were less than thrilled to
hear about Joanne coming here, and today you're like Carol Brady."
"Oh, I get it, only Rogue is allowed to get close to her.
Figures." Jean spat out.
"Okay, this is about Joanne, NOT Rogue, leave her out of
it." I was really starting to get angry with Jean's weird behavior.
"No, Scott. I am sick and tired of that little bitch ruining
everything between us."
"What the hell are you talking about Jean?"
"Oh don't act like you don't know. Ever since Logan left,
you've been all buddy, buddy with her. You never do anything with me
anymore. You barely even sleep with me. Now that I think about it,
that's probably because you're too busy fucking Rogue."
I was pissed. Jean knew that I considered cheating the worst
possible thing you could do to somebody you loved. She was
intentionally trying to get a rise out of me, and for the life of me
I still didn't know why. Rather than fight with her and risk Joanne
hearing, I chose to leave the room.
I went down to the kitchen and found Rogue in a nightgown
nursing a beer. It was of course a Molson. One of the things she'd
inherited from Logan was a taste for alcohol. Though she was still
underage, I let it slide. After all, she had a 60 year old, and a
man older than God in her head. Averaged out, she was definitely old
enough to drink.
"Hey Rogue, hand me one of those will ya?"
"Fight with Jean?" she asked in that sweet voice of hers.
"Yeah."
"Wanna talk about it?" she asked again.
Had it been anyone else I would have declined the offer. But
this was Rogue; there was something about her that made it easy to
talk. Someday, she'll make a wonderful girlfriend for some lucky,
lucky man.
"Alright, Jean didn't want Joanne to come here. She doesn't feel
comfortable with the whole "instant motherhood thing."
Rogue squeezed my arm, and gestured for me to continue.
"Then I guess she saw us today or something, because when
Joanne and I came back, she got into this whole thing about well,
you."
She drew back immediately. I knew she was aware that Jean
didn't like her, but Rogue still hated to upset anyone.
"Look Rogue, it's not your fault. It's Jean okay. She has
some jealousy issues or something. This has been broiling for
awhile. It is not your fault. Okay?"
"Scott, Jean has never liked me. I'm just sorry she's
trying to use our friendship against you."
"It's alright. Anyway, thanks for listening. I gotta get
back and check on Joanne." I bent down to kiss her on the head, and
walked back to my room.
As I passed through the hallway I heard my daughter "Scott?"
I entered her room. "Yeah Joanne? Did you want something
honey?"
"Why are you with Jean, and not Rogue?" She asked me
innocently, "She's a lot nicer." She added.
I answered her honestly, "I don't know."
I slipped out of the room and set out to seek the answer to
that very good question
had actually begun to build a relationship. She was still really
upset about her mother's passing, so I related the tale of my own
parent's death to her. Rogue comforted both of us.
We parted ways with Rogue, and Joanne let go of me long
enough to throw her arms around the woman's neck. The first thought
to cross my mind was that Rogue would be a good mother for Joanne. I
caught myself before I thought anything more. After all I was
involved with Jean, not Rogue. After hugging the life out of Rogue,
Joanne came back to me and I took her to meet Jean. Given the
argument we had the previous night, I had no idea what to expect from
Jean.
As we arrived at out suite, Jean threw open the door with a
big smile on her face.
"Hi sweetheart! I've so been looking forward to meeting
you!" Jean gushed and pulled Joanne into a hug.
"Joanne, this is Jean." I introduced them lamely.
"Er, uh hi Jean. Nice to meet you?" my daughter ground out.
"Scott, can I see my room? I wanna take a nap, I'm kinda tired."
"Sure, just follow me." I led Joanne to the second door on
the left of the suite.
"The bathroom is right over there," I said as I pointed to
the door across the hall from her, "Jean and I are in that room over
there" I said pointing to the third door on the left.
Joanne nodded and opened the door. She started settling in,
and I quietly left to return to Jean and find out where her odd
behavior was coming from.
"What was that back there?" I said, getting right to the
point.
"What, I'm not allowed to be nice?" she asked defensively.
"No, it'd just that yesterday you were less than thrilled to
hear about Joanne coming here, and today you're like Carol Brady."
"Oh, I get it, only Rogue is allowed to get close to her.
Figures." Jean spat out.
"Okay, this is about Joanne, NOT Rogue, leave her out of
it." I was really starting to get angry with Jean's weird behavior.
"No, Scott. I am sick and tired of that little bitch ruining
everything between us."
"What the hell are you talking about Jean?"
"Oh don't act like you don't know. Ever since Logan left,
you've been all buddy, buddy with her. You never do anything with me
anymore. You barely even sleep with me. Now that I think about it,
that's probably because you're too busy fucking Rogue."
I was pissed. Jean knew that I considered cheating the worst
possible thing you could do to somebody you loved. She was
intentionally trying to get a rise out of me, and for the life of me
I still didn't know why. Rather than fight with her and risk Joanne
hearing, I chose to leave the room.
I went down to the kitchen and found Rogue in a nightgown
nursing a beer. It was of course a Molson. One of the things she'd
inherited from Logan was a taste for alcohol. Though she was still
underage, I let it slide. After all, she had a 60 year old, and a
man older than God in her head. Averaged out, she was definitely old
enough to drink.
"Hey Rogue, hand me one of those will ya?"
"Fight with Jean?" she asked in that sweet voice of hers.
"Yeah."
"Wanna talk about it?" she asked again.
Had it been anyone else I would have declined the offer. But
this was Rogue; there was something about her that made it easy to
talk. Someday, she'll make a wonderful girlfriend for some lucky,
lucky man.
"Alright, Jean didn't want Joanne to come here. She doesn't feel
comfortable with the whole "instant motherhood thing."
Rogue squeezed my arm, and gestured for me to continue.
"Then I guess she saw us today or something, because when
Joanne and I came back, she got into this whole thing about well,
you."
She drew back immediately. I knew she was aware that Jean
didn't like her, but Rogue still hated to upset anyone.
"Look Rogue, it's not your fault. It's Jean okay. She has
some jealousy issues or something. This has been broiling for
awhile. It is not your fault. Okay?"
"Scott, Jean has never liked me. I'm just sorry she's
trying to use our friendship against you."
"It's alright. Anyway, thanks for listening. I gotta get
back and check on Joanne." I bent down to kiss her on the head, and
walked back to my room.
As I passed through the hallway I heard my daughter "Scott?"
I entered her room. "Yeah Joanne? Did you want something
honey?"
"Why are you with Jean, and not Rogue?" She asked me
innocently, "She's a lot nicer." She added.
I answered her honestly, "I don't know."
I slipped out of the room and set out to seek the answer to
that very good question