Disclaimer: The X-Men & other characters belong to Marvel Comics & are used without permission. The story belongs to me, the one and only kojie....here at ffnet. anyways.

What Happens Now?

by:

kojie

==

Chapter Twelve

==

"You gonna wake Sum -er, Scott up?" Duncan asked Jean as he stood awkwardly beside her. They were in his room, where Scott was sleeping in his bed. It felt....weird.

"No, it'll probably be better if I wake him up when we get to Muir Island," Jean said as she levitated Scott. Duncan nodded slowly. Jean had explained what Muir Island was a bit, enough for him to understand anyways. Jean slid Scott's visor into his head. "Yeah, I think that would be a good idea... uh, I'll go start the car, okay?"

Jean smiled at him in appreciation.

==

It was early dawn, and Rogue was standing on the helipad outside, leaning against the X-copter, facing the slowly rising sun. A few hundred feet in front of her was the edge of a steep cliff, falling to the crashing waves below. The helipad was on top of a strangely-shaped building, which was a research facility, although she wasn't exactly sure for what. She forgot to ask Moira that question. Underground the helipad, though, was their sleeping quarters, where most of the students were sleeping. Rogue looked to her right, the vast land rocky and barren. She could see a classical white Victorian house, less than a half mile away. It was Moira's, of course. To Rogue, it almost seemed as if Dr. MacTaggart owned the entire island.

"Wait!"

Kitty and Bobby appeared from the doorway. Kitty was tying her hair in her usual ponytail, and Bobby was hopping on one foot, while putting on his other boot on the other.

"So who else is comin'?" Rogue asked the two.

"Uh, just us, I think," Bobby said as he stepped into the aircraft and took the pilot's seat. He was getting used to this.

"I'm here, too," a voice with an obvious Irish accent suddenly spoke up. Everyone turned. It was Sean in his own uniform. Green and yellow, with black stripes on his 'wings'. "I'm comin' with ye," he said, "An' this time, I'm makin' sure nobody gets left b'hind."

"Great idea," Rogue muttered.

"Yeah, this is so cool," Kitty said, as she got on the X-copter. "Hey, Mr. Cassidy, what're your powers, anyway, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I'd show ye, but I don't think you'd like it one bit. And, before I forget to tell ye again, when I'm in costume," he said, beaming a flashy smile, "can ye please call me 'Banshee'?"

Rogue hid a smile. She knew what his powers were, a super-sonic scream which if he used at full force, could shatter and destroy something as huge as the Empire State building very easily. It also enabled him to fly in the air. At least, that was what he had told her a few hours ago. If he was telling the truth, then Rogue wasn't really all that eager to see -or rather hear- a demonstration.

==

Jean yawned. It was probably about six or seven in the morning. She didn't have a watch. They, Duncan and she, were sitting on an old decaying log by the shore. Scott was sleeping in the back seat of Duncan's convertible, a blanket covering his body warmly; Jean had made sure of that. She wrapped her arms around her tightly as she felt a cold shiver run through her body. Duncan noticed it, and scooted near her, taking off his sports jacket. "Here," he said as he put in around Jean. "Uh, are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah, don't worry about it. I got a sweater with me...it's really kind of warm." He grinned, "unlike what you're wearing right now -a thin-layered, sexy, form-fitting, uh, uniform?" He scratched his head.

"Oh, yeah," she murmured as she looked at her costume.

"It may look sexy on you -well it does!- but you might catch a cold or something," he teased.

Jean laughed.

This wasn't the first time he'd done this, acting like a gentleman, but it certainly had been quite a while. "How long are you gonna stay here with us?" she asked as she raised a hand to shield the sun from her eyes. Duncan shrugged. "Well, it's Sunday, and Dad 'n Mom won't be comin' home 'til Tuesday...so...as long as I want, I guess."

Jean nodded, and noticed that the sun's blinding rays had disappeared...lessened. Something was blocking it. Jean stood up to get a better look. Her eyes widened with joy. It was them! Soon, she heard the familiar sound of its propellers as it got closer. Duncan saw it, too.

"They're here," Duncan said.

"Yeah, they're here," Jean repeated," finally."

==

Scott groaned painfully. He had a throbbing headache. He sat up, and as he did, he felt a sharp pain in his lower left torso. His uniform was torn, how, he had no idea. He observed the part below his ribs, where there was a round hole on his stained uniform, revealing that it was thoroughly bandaged, with only a small trace of dried blood. He tried to focus his eyes better and took a quick glance around. He was seated in the backseat of a blue convertible that looked strangely familiar, and he was in a beach, just by the shore. As he looked to his left, a few yards away, there were two people sitting on a long deformed piece of wood. They were talking quietly, almost whispering.

==

Bobby squinted, and saw a small, thin, figure jumping up and down near the shore, arms waving around excitedly towards them. As they got closer, he saw that it was Jean, a big smile on her face. There was someone with her, though. Scott? No, it was...Duncan?!

He shook his head, and tried to clear his head. He looked again. It was still Duncan. Unbelievable, he thought to himself. He looked at Kitty beside him. Obviously, she had seen the quarterback, too, for her mouth was dropped open, and her eyes were as wide as they could possibly get.

So she wasn't lying, Rogue thought as she stared at the sight. Jean was acting as if she'd been stranded on an island for months.

"That cannae be Scott," Sean said as he squeezed into the front between all the teenagers. Kitty said a small "ow" as she phased through the crowd and stepped back to sit in one of the back seats. "Oh, sorry, lass," Sean apologized. Kitty mouthed "it's nothing" and shrugged.

"So, who's that guy?" Sean continued.

"Oh...um, that's Jean's--" Rogue stopped. Are they still together? "Er...that's a friend of Jean's....I think."

"Ah, I see. Is the lad a mutant, too?" he asked.

"I doubt it, Mr. Cassi- uh, I mean, 'Banshee', heh, "she stammered, after receiving Sean's look.

==

"I can't believe you're finally here!" Jean said as she met a hug with Kitty and Sean. Rogue and Bobby were standing (rather shyly) near the helicopter. Bobby was unsure of a hug...it seemed a bit girly. He blushed at the thought. And Rogue, well, she and Jean didn't exactly have the best friendship, if you could even call it a friendship. Duncan was also keeping his distance from them, he knew he didn't belong to these costumed people. He didn't really know them. For the first time in his entire life, he felt what it was like to be the outcast. It was quite enlightening.

"Hey, where's Scott?" Kitty asked. As soon as she did, she heard a small click and a quiet thud, as a car door was opened and closed. Everyone turned to see Scott walking steadily towards them, almost as if he wasn't wounded at all. "I'm right here, Kitty," he said calmly.

"Scott!" Kitty said in relief, and was about to run towards him, but Jean had already beaten her. Jean ran up to him, and Scott caught her gently with his arms, whirling her. They embraced quietly, just enjoying the short moment.

==

Seconds later, Bobby scrambled to get the medical bed ready in the back of the X-Copter, as Scott was heading towards them, with Rogue smiling happily at him, just plainly relieved to see and know that he was okay.

"Everything's going to be fine," Jean said to the Kitty and Banshee, "now that you're here." Kitty took an uncomfortable glance at Duncan, who was standing behind Jean.

Jean, tell me, what's Duncan doing here? Kitty asked her telepathically.

Don't worry, Kitty. He's the reason Scott's alive... Jean sent back. Ironic, isn't it? Um, you just go on ahead , okay?

Okay.

Kitty understood what Jean meant enough to know what to do. "C'mon, um, Banshee," Kitty said, as she grabbed his arm. "We need to give them a bit of privacy," she whispered as she pulled him back towards the X-Copter.

Jean waited until they were completely out of earshot, then she turned to face Duncan. "So..." she said, "I guess this is good-bye."

"Uh, yeah, I guess so," he said uneasily, just as Jean started to take off his jacket. "No, wait- don't worry about it," Duncan assured her, "you can keep it."

"Oh, uh...thanks," Jean murmured as she put it back on. "And...thank you for everything, Duncan. I don't know what I would've done without you," she said softly as she stepped closer to him.

"Like I said, don't worry about it," Duncan said with a more comfortable smile. Jean looked back at the others; they were waiting for her. She reached for Duncan's hand and squeezed it lightly, then she turned to walk away, feeling Duncan's eyes on her. She stopped a few feet from him, and turned around. "I-I'll be back....and I'll give you back your jacket..." Jean smiled faintly. "Because, what's a star quarterback without his trademark jacket?"

Duncan waved reluctantly as Jean walked away from him. After all that's happened, she still has her sense of humor...

She'd be back, he knew that. And they'd meet again. But still, he had a sudden urge to run after her, shout her name...do something. With each step she took, he was losing her more and more. No, he thought sadly, remembering Jean and Scott's touching reunion, he had already lost her.

==

He was cold. Freezing, really. His trench coat was certainly not thick enough. Remy sat against the outside wooden wall, just under the kitchen window, rubbing his two gloved hands together. He had peered in a few minutes ago, and enviously watched two teenagers talking in the kitchen, drinking whatever was in those steaming mugs.

Probably hot chocolate...

Muir Island was definitely not on his list of favorite places.

==

Almost everyone, including a fully well-rested Jean, Scott and Logan, was in the living room, having a good time. Talking, laughing, and telling stories and jokes... They were doing the things a few of them had thought that they would never be able to do again. The only one missing was Kurt, and Scott noticed this as he was talking to Bobby.

"Hey, d'you know where Kurt is? I haven't seen him for a while..."

Bobby shrugged. "He's probably sulking in his room; he's been doing that a lot lately."

"Oh, yeah?" Scott asked.

"Mm-hmm. He's probably thinking 'bout his girlfriend -you know, that Amanda girl..."

==

Moira was telling her wedding plans with most of the girls, including Rogue. The one most excited was, not surprisingly, Kitty.

"Have you already picked what wedding dress you're going to wear?" Kitty asked eagerly, flipping pages from a bridal magazine. "Oh!" Kitty drew a sharp breath as she pointed excitedly at a beautiful brunette model, wearing a light pink wedding gown, strapless and uniquely embroidered with gold and silver linings. "When I'm getting married, I want that one!"

"Oh? When do you plan on getting married?" Moira asked the young teenager.

Lance, sitting on a mahogany chair a few feet away, leaned to the chair's two back legs, and tried to hear Kitty's reply. Kitty was about to answer, but the doorbell suddenly rang, and Lance, losing his balance completely, fell. Kitty shrieked. "Lance, what d'you think you're doing??"

Lance struggled to get up, his face burning. "Uh- I, uh- "

The doorbell rang again. Saved by the bell, Lance thought as he sighed in relief and half-ran away from the crowd of girls and to the huddled group of boys. Rogue stood up to open the door. "Thanks, Rogue," called Moira from the living room as Rogue walked to the front door. She opened it, and was met with two very familiar glowing red eyes, staring intently back at hers.

==

Note: To my dear, loyal, and really nice reviewers:) Sorry for making you wait! And...please do not worry, for Jean will not end up with that jerk, Duncan Matthews ^ ^ Er...he's a jerk in the show, at least. And um, I don't know the time zones thing between Scotland & Massachusetts...tried to look it up, but I couldn't understand what the thingie thing meant...hehe

Please review and keep me motivated and inspired....because that's what you do!!