Chapter 4: Torn

I was on my feet and to Jean before the door even shut. My pain was forgotten as I got lost in Jean. Our lips met and I was gone. I took in her smell, her taste, her hair, her breath, everything! Finally our lips parted. I looked Jean in the eyes and lost myself all over again.

"I love you," Jean whispered.

"I love you too," I told her, taking a step back. I looked at her for any signs of injury.

"Hi, Jean," Alex said, coming up to her and giving her a hug.

"Hey, small fry," she returned. "Have you been taking good care of this goofball?"

Alex nodded, "Actually I was just about to bandage him up."

Rogue moaned in pain, "What's going on?"

"Jean's here," I told her.

"More company," she muttered. Rogue wasn't jealous. She'd dropped all of the jealousy when Jean and I got together for real.

"Come on, Scott," Jean said. "We're going to bandage you up." I realized my shirt was off and she could see the gashes in my flesh.

I limped back over to the spot I was at earlier. Alex, Jean, and Rogue all came over. The painful process of bandaging me took well over an hour. They tried to be gentle, but it was still painful. Every once in a while, Jean placed a kiss on my forehead to show her affection. Alex tried to make jokes to ease our minds. Rogue stayed quiet as she poured the water.

After they finished, I looked pretty funny. My middle area was wrapped up to ease my bruised ribs. My leg was still bleeding, but it was wrapped up tightly. I slid my jacket straight over the bandages and Jean wore my bloodstained shirt for comfort. Then we filled Jean in on everything that had happened or was going to happen.

Finally Rogue asked the question I knew she would, "Where's Logan?"

Jean sighed, "We split up as soon as we entered the city. He took the East; I took the West. This building is in the middle, so he'll end up here. No doubt about it." That wasn't what Rogue wanted to hear, but it was the truth.

I took Jean's hands in mine. I tensed as the door opened again. Lance came in with some food. I turned around to look at him. He glanced at me before setting down the tray.

"Mystique said that if you don't eat, she'll let Sabretooth at Jean and Alex," Lance reported, stone-faced. Then he left.

I looked at Jean. She stood up and got the tray. Then she brought it over to our little huddle.

"He hasn't eaten since we got nabbed," Alex told Jean as she sat down. "I'm not sure if he's slept either."

"I have too slept," I shot back. "It was induced, but I slept, remember?"

Alex nodded; Jean smiled.

"Come on, Scott," Jean coaxed.

"You have to eat somethin'" Rogue told me.

"I know," I admitted. "I just don't quite trust them. I mean, they beat us up. Then they turn around and feed us. I don't get it."

"You're right," Alex said. "It doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

"Unless they're trying to show us that they're the boss, but they don't want us to die or escape either," Jean commented.

I nodded, "Are you okay, Rogue?"

She gave a weak smile, "It hurts to breathe."

"I know," I told her. "I hurt too."

"Write it down, Alex!" Jean crowed. "Scott just admitted to being in pain." I laughed; so did everyone else.

"Come on, Scott," Jean said. "You have to eat now."

I nodded, "I know, Jean."

She handed me one of the hamburgers. I looked at it for a moment before taking a bite. I had to force it down my throat, but I swallowed.

"So you'll eat for her?" Alex asked sarcastically. "Geez, Scott, I thought you would listen to your own brother."

I laughed and threatened to throw the hamburger at him. Alex smiled. Slowly we all ate a hamburger and some potato chips. I wasn't sure why it was so hard for me to eat, but it was. A few minutes into eating, Mystique came in.

"So are you eating now?" she asked.

I looked at her. "I guess so. I don't want to die in here."

Mystique looked at my bandaged ribs. "You could've just told him the access codes."

"I don't know them," I told her.

She shrugged, "We'll see if your Wolverine friend knows them." She smiled, "Get some sleep or we'll drug you again, understood?"

I nodded and she left. Rogue immediately burst in tears. We all stared at her in shock and wished we could do something, anything, to comfort her, but Rogue was upset and in horrible pain. Jean reached out and carefully gave her a hug.

"What time is it, Alex?" I asked.

"5:30 pm," he reported.

I sighed. It would probably be at least four hours before they came back to drug me up. Now what should we do?

"Oh, and Jean," I remembered as Rogue stopped crying. "Don't try any telepathy to the outside. There's a magnetic shield blocking everything, so all you get is a shocking headache."

"Does that mean inner telepathy works?" Jean asked.

"I don't know," I admitted. Ever since Jean and I had become a couple, we had gained a very strong telepathic bond.

I love you, Scott.

I love you, too, Jean. I smiled at her.

"I guess it worked," Alex said, "but what good'll it do?"

"We can warn Logan as soon as he enters the building," Rogue suggested.

Jean nodded, "We'll just have to watch and try to figure out when he enters the building."

"Did you get nabbed inside or outside?" I asked.

She paused, "Outside, but with Logan's sense of smell, he'll probably come in after Sabretooth."

Suddenly Alex jumped up. He began to search around the room. One door led into the hallway, but we didn't know about the other two. Alex strolled up to one and opened it with his working arm. It was a bathroom. Alex went in and shut the door behind him.

I laughed. Jean ran her fingers along the gashes on my face. I smiled and kissed her. Rogue sat in silence. She seemed to be very deep in thought. Alex came out of the bathroom and came over to us. No sooner, Mystique and Lance came in. I began to climb to my feet.

"Don't get up for us," Mystique cooed. "In fact, sit down!"

I sat back down; so did Alex. Lance smirked. They came over to our little huddle.

"What do you want?" Jean demanded.

Calm down, Jean.

She glanced over at me. But Scott?

I looked her in the eyes. You do not want to get them mad, Jean.

"Are- are they communicating?" Lance asked Mystique. "He doesn't have the power of telepathy."

"I want the little brother," Mystique announced.

I felt fear and panic begin to erupt. Lance came up to me and stepped on my injured leg. Blood immediately soaked the bandage and I clenched my teeth to try to ease the pain. Lance gave a little laugh and eased off the pressure a bit. The bandage was bright red now.

"Avalanche," Mystique warned. "We don't want to kill anyone."

Lance nodded, "I know. I won't kill him."

I glanced over at Alex, who was watching Mystique carefully. "Come," Mystique told him. "I won't hurt you unless you give me a reason to."

"Go on, Alex," I told him. I wanted to stay on Mystique's good side, if she had one. "We'll be fine."

Mystique tried to stay serious, "Listen to your brother. Let's go."

Alex climbed to his feet. His arm slowed him down, but he did it. They started to the door.

Suddenly Sabretooth burst in. "He's here."

TBC