Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.
O.K so I know this has taken longer than I said but it's finally here. Once again thank-you to my reviewers.
Chapter.7.
Jean had taken Ororo onto the steps at the front of the mansions main entrance, after she'd cleaned up the small glass cuts on her legs.
They had sat there for a while in silence, Jean was reluctant to push her best friend too far, too soon. She seemed extremely emotionally fragile at the moment and she certainly wasn't about to invade her privacy with a mind scan.
Ororo was sat deathly still, her own arms wrapped around her in a self- comforting gesture that she'd effected more than once on this insane night.
The weather had died down considerably now, only a slight but cold breeze remained to disturb the night air.
"I did something----stupid Jean." The redhead was so relieved that Ororo had finally broken the silence that she had dared not.
"How do you mean?" She inquired softly.
"I----" Ororo closed her eyes and drew in a shaking, ice-cold breath. "I slept with Logan."
Jean went numb, a rush of blood surged around her body, causing the oddly bitter taste of shock to flood her mouth. For one horrifying moment she thought she would wretch. Despite the fact that she had never and would never have any kind of serious relationship with Logan, the revelation still hit her like a ton of bricks. Storm may as well have said #I slept with Scott!#
But Jean quickly cleared her mind of such thoughts and forced herself to concentrate on the issue at hand.
"When 'Ro?" Her voice sounded empty, she hadn't meant it to.
Ororo dared not look at Jean, even though she knew Jean had no right to be jealous or angry she still felt a tiny pang of betrayal. She swallowed down hard before replying, "About a month ago. I do not--- do not know why it happened. It just did." She bowed her head down, letting her forehead rest on her raised knees.
Jean hesitatingly raised her left hand to close it over Ororo's near shoulder. She squeezed gently then ran the hand across her back, resting it on the far shoulder. Though she wasn't quite ready to pull Ororo into a fully-fledged hug just yet.
"Is the baby Logan's?" Jean's heart pounded in anticipation as she asked the question, secretly, or not so secretly as the case may be, dreading the answer she might receive.
Ororo couldn't respond for a while, she could sense Jean's apprehension. The last thing she wanted to do now was hurt her best friend on top of everything else.
"I do not know Jean. I do not know and it is tearing me apart." She raised her head from her knees and stared blankly out over the pitch-black lawn.
They said nothing more for about five minutes, each woman lost in their own thoughts. This was painfully awkward, they both had a lot emotionally invested in this situation.
"I know this must be difficult for you to hear my friend." Ororo looked over at Jean, her profile was strongly lit by the fluorescent porch light that came from behind them. Slowly Jean turned her head to meet Ororo's gaze.
"Hey, it's not as if I have any claim over the guy. ----Anyway, he told me there was no hope a couple of months ago." She managed a half smile, "So don't worry about it."
"I know." Ororo admitted tentatively. "He told me what happened, I am truly sorry." One look at Ororo's face told her that she was genuine in her admission. But Jean couldn't help a small flush of embarrassment from flooding her cheeks.
"Well, I guess he moved on." Jean replied in an off-hand way. Then she added with a hint of humour, "I guess it's just a shame that it was to another married woman!"
Ororo forced a small laugh through her grim emotional state.
"What is it with that guy!" Jean continued, both women laughing this time. Though it was definitely with gallows humour.
"Well one moment we were discussing my marital problems," Ororo piped up, " And the next we were lay on the patio table!" Again they laughed at Ororo's confession, each one realising that if they hadn't of laughed they'd have probably burst into floods of tears.
Calming down, Jean said, " Seriously though sweetie, why?" She questioned sincerely. " Through all my flirting over the years I never went that far. Even when things got intense. You do still love Remy don't you?"
"Of course I do! I don't---" Ororo sighed heavily, both her eyebrows raising as she reluctantly conceded. " Well I do know deep down. There has always been something, a---a closeness. Maybe I've been in denial all this time?"
"And eventually you gave in." Jean said quietly, adding, " Well you're a braver woman than me, I'll give you that!" She laughed softly.
"Is that brave or stupid and weak?" Ororo retorted with more than a hint of regret and self-deprecation.
That finally gave Jean the courage to truly embrace her best friend. " Hey whatever you are 'Ro you will NEVER, EVER be stupid and certainly not weak. You're the bravest, most courageous woman I know. Never put yourself down O.K?" She squeezed Ororo that little bit tighter as she finished her minor prep talk.
"You are too kind Jean!" Ororo replied, shifting a lock of damp hair from obscuring her view. "But what kind of brave woman cheats on the man she loves because of some ridiculous animal attraction?"
Jean shrugged in a greatly exaggerated manner. "I don't know 'Ro," she said earnestly, "A human one maybe?" She raised a perfectly curved eyebrow as she asked the rhetorical question. "O. K, so you screwed up, big time! But what's done is done. You can't turn back the clock now."
"Who say's?" Her lip quirked slightly, "Have you seen Bishop or Cable around recently?!" They both laughed once again, rapidly relaxing in each other's company. They sat without speaking for a few minutes more, content to hold each other in mutual comfort.
"So it's safe to say you want to make this up to Remy?" The redhead began softly. Ororo simply nodded in reply. "What if the baby isn't his? What---- " Jean hesitated, Ororo felt her stiffen under her arms. Ororo pulled her head back to observe her friend fully.
"What is it Jean? What are you afraid to ask me?" Ororo prompted quietly.
"What, " She finally started again, "What would you do if it wasn't his and he, he asked you----" She couldn't finish the question but Ororo took her point perfectly and mulled it over. It was something she had yet to consider but deep down she knew she didn't have to because she already knew the answer.
"My marriage to anyone would not be worth this child' life." Her tone as she spoke the words was as if she were swearing a solemn vow.
"That's good to know 'Ro." Jean smiled. Now she'd gotten over the initial shock of the situation Jean was determined to help Ororo through this, even if that did entail asking difficult questions. She was only sorry she couldn't have been there for her sooner.
"Besides, I am sure that is something Remy would never ask of me. I know him too well." With that Ororo stood up from the cold, stone steps and walked over to the beautifully carved limestone railings that ran along the parameter of the mansions patio. Jean joined her as they both lent casually on the railings smooth flat top with their elbows, looking out over the darkened lawn.
"So you think you two could survive the worst?
"The worst?" Ororo questioned. "You mean will we stay together if Remy is not the father?" She took a deep breath and thought about this for a moment. "Yes Jean, I do. We are strong enough, I am sure of it." Even as she spoke the quietly confident words painful doubts raged in her mind but she had to ignore them. A blind faith in the strength of her love was all that was keeping her together.
"And what about Logan?" Jean suddenly sounded cold again. "Do you really think he'll sit back and let you get on with it?"
Tears sprang to Ororo's still puffy eyes at the thought and a series of loud jerking sobs exploded from her mouth. Her resolve had finally broken completely.
"Oh 'Ro sweetie come here." Jean reached over and pulled the distraught weather witch into her arms. She stroked her tangled hair tenderly whilst whispering words of comfort into her ear, not for the first time that night.
* * *
Logan watched from the concealing darkness of the trees at the far end of the lawn as Jean stood with Ororo shaking uncontrollably in her arms. His keen eyesight had seen everything and his keen hearing had caught every word.
"You god-damn idiot." He growled quietly to himself. She'd been right when she'd screamed at him that he should have kept his mouth shut about his feelings. This was all his doing he thought grimly to himself.
Give him something good and he was bound to fuck it up, he thought bitterly, not just hurting himself but those around him too.
Logan could feel himself heading into one of his patented spirals of self- loathing and blame but he was used to it by now. That kind of luck seemed to follow him around like a bad smell, so much so that he was beginning to wonder whether that wasn't his mutant gift also.
"The gift to fuck up the lives of the people I love." He gave a short bitter laugh as he thought about how to handle this now that he'd seen what it was doing to Ororo.
But truthfully he didn't really need to think about it at all, his path was painfully clear. Logan ran his tongue absently over his gums at the back of his mouth. His teeth had almost completely grown back now. He pushed off from the tree and started in the direction of the mansion.
As he neared the garage that was positioned underneath the east wing of the house he couldn't help but internally berate himself for being such a coward.
* * *
Scott was sat on the sofa now, to Remy's right as he finished the last of his drink. Remy reached for the bottle and poured what had to have been his sixth, perhaps seventh glass in the time it had taken Scott to consume one. But then again Remy was a seasoned drinker.
"Don't you think you've had enough?" Scott questioned, in his usual critical tone.
Remy cocked an eyebrow at him as he poured himself yet another liberal amount and downed it in one just to make a point. He slammed the empty glass down on the small, square table at his side with such virulence it was a wonder it didn't smash.
"Look Le Beau, I know it might seem tempting to drown your sorrows right now. After what you've just told me I dare say I'd feel like doing the same." Scott shifted forwards in his seat as fiddled with the empty glass in his now gloveless hands. "But you need a clear head if you've got any hope of sorting this mess out. It'd be to easy to fall into a downwards spiral." He placed the glass carefully on the floor by his feet.
"Well I 'ave to say dat spiral be lookin' pretty good to Remy righ' about now, mon frere." He snorted angrily as he collapsed back in his chair, his arms draped limply over the sides.
Scott sighed heavily as he observed his teammate, now there was a broken man if ever he'd seen one, he thought ruefully.
What had really surprised Scott the most about this whole sordid affair was Ororo's behaviour. Logan, he expected no better from truthfully, after all the man had spent the majority of his years with the X-Men trying to get into his wife's knickers. But Ororo? She was as good as a sister to Scott and he never in a million years thought she'd do something as awful as this.
Even though he and Remy had never been the closest of comrades to say the least his heart still went out to him.
"What are you gonna do about this Remy?"
The Cajun lit his last cigarette as he scrunched the ragged packet into a loose ball and tossed it across the room. "I ain't got a clue homme. I be t'inkin' about getting' outta 'ere fo' a while mebbe?" He sounded deflated, all the pure anger from earlier well and truly spent.
"Do you think that would be wise?" Scott countered as he raised his hand to his chin, in what looked like comical contemplation of the dilemma. "I mean don't you think it would be better to face the situation head on?"
"O' really?" Remy cocked his eyebrow again and grinned sarcastically.
"Yes really." Scott continued regardless. "From what I saw and what you said, Ororo is feeling just as bad. I'm not excusing what she did for one second but she seems to want to make this up to you. She can't do that if you turn tail and run. Marriage problems don't come much tougher than this Le Beau. Have you got the guts to face up to it?"
"Nice speech homme, yo' evah t'ink about becomin' one o' dose confidence coach t'ingies?" Remy gave a low chuckle and a half smile before continuing to some his cigarette.
"Laugh it up all you want Le Beau but it's time you grew up. If you want your marriage to survive that is?" Scott stood up to leave, he thought it best to give Remy a little breathing space.
He was practically out the door but he just about caught Remy's huskily whispered reply.
"Dat's a big if homme. A big if." He gave up on the glass grasping the bourbon bottle from the floor and began to drink directly from it.
Scott said nothing as he turned once more and left the man to his thoughts.
-TBC-
Oh poor Wolvie, I'd just like to make it clear that I in no way think he is a coward that's just his opinion on himself! O.k, sorry it was a short chapter but I promise the next instalment will follow v. soon and will be much longer. Bye for now.
O.K so I know this has taken longer than I said but it's finally here. Once again thank-you to my reviewers.
Chapter.7.
Jean had taken Ororo onto the steps at the front of the mansions main entrance, after she'd cleaned up the small glass cuts on her legs.
They had sat there for a while in silence, Jean was reluctant to push her best friend too far, too soon. She seemed extremely emotionally fragile at the moment and she certainly wasn't about to invade her privacy with a mind scan.
Ororo was sat deathly still, her own arms wrapped around her in a self- comforting gesture that she'd effected more than once on this insane night.
The weather had died down considerably now, only a slight but cold breeze remained to disturb the night air.
"I did something----stupid Jean." The redhead was so relieved that Ororo had finally broken the silence that she had dared not.
"How do you mean?" She inquired softly.
"I----" Ororo closed her eyes and drew in a shaking, ice-cold breath. "I slept with Logan."
Jean went numb, a rush of blood surged around her body, causing the oddly bitter taste of shock to flood her mouth. For one horrifying moment she thought she would wretch. Despite the fact that she had never and would never have any kind of serious relationship with Logan, the revelation still hit her like a ton of bricks. Storm may as well have said #I slept with Scott!#
But Jean quickly cleared her mind of such thoughts and forced herself to concentrate on the issue at hand.
"When 'Ro?" Her voice sounded empty, she hadn't meant it to.
Ororo dared not look at Jean, even though she knew Jean had no right to be jealous or angry she still felt a tiny pang of betrayal. She swallowed down hard before replying, "About a month ago. I do not--- do not know why it happened. It just did." She bowed her head down, letting her forehead rest on her raised knees.
Jean hesitatingly raised her left hand to close it over Ororo's near shoulder. She squeezed gently then ran the hand across her back, resting it on the far shoulder. Though she wasn't quite ready to pull Ororo into a fully-fledged hug just yet.
"Is the baby Logan's?" Jean's heart pounded in anticipation as she asked the question, secretly, or not so secretly as the case may be, dreading the answer she might receive.
Ororo couldn't respond for a while, she could sense Jean's apprehension. The last thing she wanted to do now was hurt her best friend on top of everything else.
"I do not know Jean. I do not know and it is tearing me apart." She raised her head from her knees and stared blankly out over the pitch-black lawn.
They said nothing more for about five minutes, each woman lost in their own thoughts. This was painfully awkward, they both had a lot emotionally invested in this situation.
"I know this must be difficult for you to hear my friend." Ororo looked over at Jean, her profile was strongly lit by the fluorescent porch light that came from behind them. Slowly Jean turned her head to meet Ororo's gaze.
"Hey, it's not as if I have any claim over the guy. ----Anyway, he told me there was no hope a couple of months ago." She managed a half smile, "So don't worry about it."
"I know." Ororo admitted tentatively. "He told me what happened, I am truly sorry." One look at Ororo's face told her that she was genuine in her admission. But Jean couldn't help a small flush of embarrassment from flooding her cheeks.
"Well, I guess he moved on." Jean replied in an off-hand way. Then she added with a hint of humour, "I guess it's just a shame that it was to another married woman!"
Ororo forced a small laugh through her grim emotional state.
"What is it with that guy!" Jean continued, both women laughing this time. Though it was definitely with gallows humour.
"Well one moment we were discussing my marital problems," Ororo piped up, " And the next we were lay on the patio table!" Again they laughed at Ororo's confession, each one realising that if they hadn't of laughed they'd have probably burst into floods of tears.
Calming down, Jean said, " Seriously though sweetie, why?" She questioned sincerely. " Through all my flirting over the years I never went that far. Even when things got intense. You do still love Remy don't you?"
"Of course I do! I don't---" Ororo sighed heavily, both her eyebrows raising as she reluctantly conceded. " Well I do know deep down. There has always been something, a---a closeness. Maybe I've been in denial all this time?"
"And eventually you gave in." Jean said quietly, adding, " Well you're a braver woman than me, I'll give you that!" She laughed softly.
"Is that brave or stupid and weak?" Ororo retorted with more than a hint of regret and self-deprecation.
That finally gave Jean the courage to truly embrace her best friend. " Hey whatever you are 'Ro you will NEVER, EVER be stupid and certainly not weak. You're the bravest, most courageous woman I know. Never put yourself down O.K?" She squeezed Ororo that little bit tighter as she finished her minor prep talk.
"You are too kind Jean!" Ororo replied, shifting a lock of damp hair from obscuring her view. "But what kind of brave woman cheats on the man she loves because of some ridiculous animal attraction?"
Jean shrugged in a greatly exaggerated manner. "I don't know 'Ro," she said earnestly, "A human one maybe?" She raised a perfectly curved eyebrow as she asked the rhetorical question. "O. K, so you screwed up, big time! But what's done is done. You can't turn back the clock now."
"Who say's?" Her lip quirked slightly, "Have you seen Bishop or Cable around recently?!" They both laughed once again, rapidly relaxing in each other's company. They sat without speaking for a few minutes more, content to hold each other in mutual comfort.
"So it's safe to say you want to make this up to Remy?" The redhead began softly. Ororo simply nodded in reply. "What if the baby isn't his? What---- " Jean hesitated, Ororo felt her stiffen under her arms. Ororo pulled her head back to observe her friend fully.
"What is it Jean? What are you afraid to ask me?" Ororo prompted quietly.
"What, " She finally started again, "What would you do if it wasn't his and he, he asked you----" She couldn't finish the question but Ororo took her point perfectly and mulled it over. It was something she had yet to consider but deep down she knew she didn't have to because she already knew the answer.
"My marriage to anyone would not be worth this child' life." Her tone as she spoke the words was as if she were swearing a solemn vow.
"That's good to know 'Ro." Jean smiled. Now she'd gotten over the initial shock of the situation Jean was determined to help Ororo through this, even if that did entail asking difficult questions. She was only sorry she couldn't have been there for her sooner.
"Besides, I am sure that is something Remy would never ask of me. I know him too well." With that Ororo stood up from the cold, stone steps and walked over to the beautifully carved limestone railings that ran along the parameter of the mansions patio. Jean joined her as they both lent casually on the railings smooth flat top with their elbows, looking out over the darkened lawn.
"So you think you two could survive the worst?
"The worst?" Ororo questioned. "You mean will we stay together if Remy is not the father?" She took a deep breath and thought about this for a moment. "Yes Jean, I do. We are strong enough, I am sure of it." Even as she spoke the quietly confident words painful doubts raged in her mind but she had to ignore them. A blind faith in the strength of her love was all that was keeping her together.
"And what about Logan?" Jean suddenly sounded cold again. "Do you really think he'll sit back and let you get on with it?"
Tears sprang to Ororo's still puffy eyes at the thought and a series of loud jerking sobs exploded from her mouth. Her resolve had finally broken completely.
"Oh 'Ro sweetie come here." Jean reached over and pulled the distraught weather witch into her arms. She stroked her tangled hair tenderly whilst whispering words of comfort into her ear, not for the first time that night.
* * *
Logan watched from the concealing darkness of the trees at the far end of the lawn as Jean stood with Ororo shaking uncontrollably in her arms. His keen eyesight had seen everything and his keen hearing had caught every word.
"You god-damn idiot." He growled quietly to himself. She'd been right when she'd screamed at him that he should have kept his mouth shut about his feelings. This was all his doing he thought grimly to himself.
Give him something good and he was bound to fuck it up, he thought bitterly, not just hurting himself but those around him too.
Logan could feel himself heading into one of his patented spirals of self- loathing and blame but he was used to it by now. That kind of luck seemed to follow him around like a bad smell, so much so that he was beginning to wonder whether that wasn't his mutant gift also.
"The gift to fuck up the lives of the people I love." He gave a short bitter laugh as he thought about how to handle this now that he'd seen what it was doing to Ororo.
But truthfully he didn't really need to think about it at all, his path was painfully clear. Logan ran his tongue absently over his gums at the back of his mouth. His teeth had almost completely grown back now. He pushed off from the tree and started in the direction of the mansion.
As he neared the garage that was positioned underneath the east wing of the house he couldn't help but internally berate himself for being such a coward.
* * *
Scott was sat on the sofa now, to Remy's right as he finished the last of his drink. Remy reached for the bottle and poured what had to have been his sixth, perhaps seventh glass in the time it had taken Scott to consume one. But then again Remy was a seasoned drinker.
"Don't you think you've had enough?" Scott questioned, in his usual critical tone.
Remy cocked an eyebrow at him as he poured himself yet another liberal amount and downed it in one just to make a point. He slammed the empty glass down on the small, square table at his side with such virulence it was a wonder it didn't smash.
"Look Le Beau, I know it might seem tempting to drown your sorrows right now. After what you've just told me I dare say I'd feel like doing the same." Scott shifted forwards in his seat as fiddled with the empty glass in his now gloveless hands. "But you need a clear head if you've got any hope of sorting this mess out. It'd be to easy to fall into a downwards spiral." He placed the glass carefully on the floor by his feet.
"Well I 'ave to say dat spiral be lookin' pretty good to Remy righ' about now, mon frere." He snorted angrily as he collapsed back in his chair, his arms draped limply over the sides.
Scott sighed heavily as he observed his teammate, now there was a broken man if ever he'd seen one, he thought ruefully.
What had really surprised Scott the most about this whole sordid affair was Ororo's behaviour. Logan, he expected no better from truthfully, after all the man had spent the majority of his years with the X-Men trying to get into his wife's knickers. But Ororo? She was as good as a sister to Scott and he never in a million years thought she'd do something as awful as this.
Even though he and Remy had never been the closest of comrades to say the least his heart still went out to him.
"What are you gonna do about this Remy?"
The Cajun lit his last cigarette as he scrunched the ragged packet into a loose ball and tossed it across the room. "I ain't got a clue homme. I be t'inkin' about getting' outta 'ere fo' a while mebbe?" He sounded deflated, all the pure anger from earlier well and truly spent.
"Do you think that would be wise?" Scott countered as he raised his hand to his chin, in what looked like comical contemplation of the dilemma. "I mean don't you think it would be better to face the situation head on?"
"O' really?" Remy cocked his eyebrow again and grinned sarcastically.
"Yes really." Scott continued regardless. "From what I saw and what you said, Ororo is feeling just as bad. I'm not excusing what she did for one second but she seems to want to make this up to you. She can't do that if you turn tail and run. Marriage problems don't come much tougher than this Le Beau. Have you got the guts to face up to it?"
"Nice speech homme, yo' evah t'ink about becomin' one o' dose confidence coach t'ingies?" Remy gave a low chuckle and a half smile before continuing to some his cigarette.
"Laugh it up all you want Le Beau but it's time you grew up. If you want your marriage to survive that is?" Scott stood up to leave, he thought it best to give Remy a little breathing space.
He was practically out the door but he just about caught Remy's huskily whispered reply.
"Dat's a big if homme. A big if." He gave up on the glass grasping the bourbon bottle from the floor and began to drink directly from it.
Scott said nothing as he turned once more and left the man to his thoughts.
-TBC-
Oh poor Wolvie, I'd just like to make it clear that I in no way think he is a coward that's just his opinion on himself! O.k, sorry it was a short chapter but I promise the next instalment will follow v. soon and will be much longer. Bye for now.