"What happened?" someone asked.
Scott reached over to the lever that opened the door and stepped out, the freezing air hitting him like a cold slap. He couldn't see the road, only white and more white.
Betsy stepped out, joining him. "Looks like you were right."
"About what?"
Betsy smiled halfheartedly. "We won't be getting to Washington D.C for a while." Betsy turned and peered into the bus. "Aren't you guys going to come out?"
"No way," one of the students said. "I'm staying in here where at least there's some warmth."
Betsy shrugged. "Your choice." She pulled her arms inside of her jacket. "Think if we yell, someone'll find us?" she asked Scott.
"No, but if you want to, go right on ahead." Scott turned and began to walk away.
"Wait where are you going?" Betsy asked.
"To find some help," Scott responded simply. Maybe locate a forest Ranger."
"That's crazy," she insisted. "You'll freeze to death and you'll have no idea where you'll be going."
"You have a better idea?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do. Why not just wait here until help arrives. Or call 911 or something. Somebody must have brought a cell phone."
"Doubtful. We weren't allowed to bring them." Scott turned around. "Hey, if you want to stay here, fine. Me, I'm going." He turned back and resumed walking.
Betsy gritted her teeth. Scott was being stupid. He wouldn't last five minutes out there.
***
"I see somethin' movin' down there," Brice Campbell told his friend Nate Halloway. They were perched behind some trees on the edge of a large outcropping of rock.
"Is it a buck?"
Campbell squinted, focusing the lens on his rifle. "No, it's a person."
Nate frowned. "What would anybody be doing way up here?"
"Don't know, but I still don't like it." He adjusted the rifle but was interrupted by Nate who put a hand firmly down on the barrel.
"What you do that for?" Brice asked angrily as he looked up at Nate.
"You were about to shoot."
"So?"
Nate threw his hands up in frustration. "Sometimes, I question your sanity, man. You don't go shooting people who just happen to be walking by."
"No one should just be happening to walk by. It's a freakin' blizzard. I'll bet that guy down there is a forest ranger."
"Well then you're paranoid. Now unless you see an animal, don't shoot." Nate looked at his watch, frowning. "I give us another five minutes and then we need to head back to the cabin."
***
Scott had shivered for the hundredth time in the hour or so that he'd been searching. The cold was fierce and even though he had amazing stamina, he wasn't sure if he would be able to keep it up much longer. For an instant, he thought he saw something move on one of the snow covered rock formations he was surrounded by, but dismissed it as his imagination. When he saw it a second time however, he looked closely. Yes, there was definitely someone up there. It was definitely worth checking out because maybe whoever it was could help.
After a brief pause, he began to climb.
***
"She's moving," someone yelled. Betsy ran over to where Ms. Quinn lay and sure enough, her head was moving. Betsy reached out with her mind, psionically helping the teacher to regain consciousness.
"It's cold," Ms. Quinn muttered through barely moving lips. Her eyes fluttered open and she tentatively reached a hand to her forehead. "What- what happened?"
"We don't know exactly," Betsy said, "the bus must have crashed into something, or maybe slid on an ice patch."
"Ms. Quinn let out a frustrated breath. She looked like she was about to say something but then her eyebrows shot up. "Why are the seats on the roof of the bus?" she asked weakly.
"We kind of caught flipped over."
"My God," the teacher muttered, "is anyone hurt?"
"No." Betsy stood up and reached a hand down. "Here let me help you up."
Ms. Quinn took the hand and Betsy pulled her, somewhat unsteadily, to her feet. She could see Ms. Quinn taking a head count.
"Where's Scott?" came the inevitable question.
Betsy sighed. "He went to go find help."
"Out there?!! He went out there in the cold with no idea of where he was going to somehow find help?"
"Kind of."
Ms. Quinn looked as if she were about to faint all over again. "Scott. He's- he's smarter than that. God knows what's happened to him by now." She shook her head. "I don't suppose anyone has any-"
"Cell phones? No." Betsy said, finishing the sentence. "We do have food though, and blankets too, you know, our luggage and everything."
"That's good news. I'd feel a lot better if we could account for Scott though. How long has he been gone?"
"About an hour so."
Ms. Quinn swore softly, surprising Betsy somewhat. "He could be anywhere by now."
Betsy extended her psychic awareness, trying to locate Scott. By now, she knew how to sense him even with his telepathic barriers; simply try to find the blind spot in her scan and that would be where he was.
Betsy looked at Ms. Quinn who was writing something down in her notepad. "I have an idea," she said.
"What?"
"I could go find him."
"Betsy.I'm not in the mood."
"Seriously Ms. Quinn, I'm really good outdoors and I think I might be able to track him down."
"Good outdoors? That's nice and all but-hey! Where are you going?"
"After Scott," Betsy called, stepping out of the door.
"But I never said you could go."
Betsy pretended not to hear. It felt weird directly disobeying Ms. Quinn like that but she was the only one there with any chance of locating Scott.
***
"AAAAAACHOOOOOOO" Jean sneezed violently, causing Ororo to jump in surprise. She was in the weather mistress's doorway and had been trying not let the sneeze out.
"Jean," she said almost sternly. "Can you keep it down? I'm watering my plants here."
Jean looked over Ororo's shoulder and saw that a dark, angry cloud had formed over some of Ororo's plants. Gradually as the shock wore off, the cloud went back to a whitish color and released a gentle drizzle of rain.
"I'm sorry," Jean mumbled. She sneezed again and shook her head as if to clear it.
"It's alright, although I wouldn't mind knowing what brings you to my garden."
"Well, I wanted to ask you something."
Ororo raised an eyebrow and dissipated the cloud. "I am sensing that it is rather important, at least to you."
"Hey," Jean joked, "I'm supposed to be the telepath here."
"You have been bothered with something for quite a while now. It does not take a telepath to see that."
"That obvious huh?"
"Yes, now what was it that was on your mind?"
"It's about Scott. I mean, we've known each other for a long time and we've been friends for a long time but recently, there have been times when I've thought about him as a.a more than friend. And then I don't know where those feelings come from or what they mean."
Storm gave a slight smile. "Maybe they mean that your relationship is changing. Or maybe you are just the unfortunate victim of a crush, although I thought you and Duncan Matthews."
"Oh, Duncan." Jean's mouth quirked slightly. "Honestly, I can't say that I feel that strongly for Duncan. I mean, he's attractive and all but being with him can't compare to being with Scott." As soon as the words were out, Jean put a hand to her mouth. "See, see what I'm talking about. I find myself spouting off this romantic drivel and I don't know why."
"Does it bother you?"
"No, not really. I think it should but it doesn't."
"Well Jean, I'm no expert on such things but I would recommend talking to him."
Jean sneezed at the time that Ororo said this so she could not be sure she'd heard right. "Did you just say talk to him?"
"I believe so, yes."
Jean shook her head. "No, there has to be another solution."
"There may be Jean, but if there is, I certainly don't know of it. Like I said, if it were me, I'd talk to him."
Jean sighed. "Thanks anyway Ms. Ororo."
"Anytime."
Jean shut the door, pulling a Kleenex out of he pocket and blowing her nose. "Talk to him," she muttered, "what a crazy idea."
***
With one last Herculean effort, Scott pulled himself over the edge of the rock. He stood somewhat unsteadily, not able to feel his feet. He couldn't see very far in front of him at all because of the snow and the fact that it was getting increasingly dark, not to mention that his sunglasses had long since frosted over.
I can't do that much more today. I need to find some sort of shelter. He thought.
He looked around but saw only white. Not working, but I need some sort of shelter from the cold soon or- He stopped in mid-thought when an idea struck him. It wasn't brilliant by any means but it just might work. He looked down at the ground, reached to his sunglasses, and lifted them ever so slightly.
The result was wondrous to behold. The deadly crimson beam erupted from his eyes and plummeted into the snow, evaporating a great deal into vapor. The light was blinding but it effectively destroyed all of the snow and rock he hit. Using his destructive optic blasts, Scott was able to 'dig' out a fair sized portion of the ground, resulting in a hole that he could use for shelter.
Scott lowered himself into the hole and winced at the sudden heat present, a result of his optic blasts. Gradually, he adjusted and soon, he was sound asleep, sheltered somewhat from the brutal snowstorm.
A/N Just so ya'll know, this fic will NOT end up as a Scott/Jean fic. Although there are some feelings between them, Scott ends up with Betsy. As for Warren, I was thinking about having him get together with Jean. Tell me what you think of that and don't forget, REVIEW!!
Scott reached over to the lever that opened the door and stepped out, the freezing air hitting him like a cold slap. He couldn't see the road, only white and more white.
Betsy stepped out, joining him. "Looks like you were right."
"About what?"
Betsy smiled halfheartedly. "We won't be getting to Washington D.C for a while." Betsy turned and peered into the bus. "Aren't you guys going to come out?"
"No way," one of the students said. "I'm staying in here where at least there's some warmth."
Betsy shrugged. "Your choice." She pulled her arms inside of her jacket. "Think if we yell, someone'll find us?" she asked Scott.
"No, but if you want to, go right on ahead." Scott turned and began to walk away.
"Wait where are you going?" Betsy asked.
"To find some help," Scott responded simply. Maybe locate a forest Ranger."
"That's crazy," she insisted. "You'll freeze to death and you'll have no idea where you'll be going."
"You have a better idea?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact I do. Why not just wait here until help arrives. Or call 911 or something. Somebody must have brought a cell phone."
"Doubtful. We weren't allowed to bring them." Scott turned around. "Hey, if you want to stay here, fine. Me, I'm going." He turned back and resumed walking.
Betsy gritted her teeth. Scott was being stupid. He wouldn't last five minutes out there.
***
"I see somethin' movin' down there," Brice Campbell told his friend Nate Halloway. They were perched behind some trees on the edge of a large outcropping of rock.
"Is it a buck?"
Campbell squinted, focusing the lens on his rifle. "No, it's a person."
Nate frowned. "What would anybody be doing way up here?"
"Don't know, but I still don't like it." He adjusted the rifle but was interrupted by Nate who put a hand firmly down on the barrel.
"What you do that for?" Brice asked angrily as he looked up at Nate.
"You were about to shoot."
"So?"
Nate threw his hands up in frustration. "Sometimes, I question your sanity, man. You don't go shooting people who just happen to be walking by."
"No one should just be happening to walk by. It's a freakin' blizzard. I'll bet that guy down there is a forest ranger."
"Well then you're paranoid. Now unless you see an animal, don't shoot." Nate looked at his watch, frowning. "I give us another five minutes and then we need to head back to the cabin."
***
Scott had shivered for the hundredth time in the hour or so that he'd been searching. The cold was fierce and even though he had amazing stamina, he wasn't sure if he would be able to keep it up much longer. For an instant, he thought he saw something move on one of the snow covered rock formations he was surrounded by, but dismissed it as his imagination. When he saw it a second time however, he looked closely. Yes, there was definitely someone up there. It was definitely worth checking out because maybe whoever it was could help.
After a brief pause, he began to climb.
***
"She's moving," someone yelled. Betsy ran over to where Ms. Quinn lay and sure enough, her head was moving. Betsy reached out with her mind, psionically helping the teacher to regain consciousness.
"It's cold," Ms. Quinn muttered through barely moving lips. Her eyes fluttered open and she tentatively reached a hand to her forehead. "What- what happened?"
"We don't know exactly," Betsy said, "the bus must have crashed into something, or maybe slid on an ice patch."
"Ms. Quinn let out a frustrated breath. She looked like she was about to say something but then her eyebrows shot up. "Why are the seats on the roof of the bus?" she asked weakly.
"We kind of caught flipped over."
"My God," the teacher muttered, "is anyone hurt?"
"No." Betsy stood up and reached a hand down. "Here let me help you up."
Ms. Quinn took the hand and Betsy pulled her, somewhat unsteadily, to her feet. She could see Ms. Quinn taking a head count.
"Where's Scott?" came the inevitable question.
Betsy sighed. "He went to go find help."
"Out there?!! He went out there in the cold with no idea of where he was going to somehow find help?"
"Kind of."
Ms. Quinn looked as if she were about to faint all over again. "Scott. He's- he's smarter than that. God knows what's happened to him by now." She shook her head. "I don't suppose anyone has any-"
"Cell phones? No." Betsy said, finishing the sentence. "We do have food though, and blankets too, you know, our luggage and everything."
"That's good news. I'd feel a lot better if we could account for Scott though. How long has he been gone?"
"About an hour so."
Ms. Quinn swore softly, surprising Betsy somewhat. "He could be anywhere by now."
Betsy extended her psychic awareness, trying to locate Scott. By now, she knew how to sense him even with his telepathic barriers; simply try to find the blind spot in her scan and that would be where he was.
Betsy looked at Ms. Quinn who was writing something down in her notepad. "I have an idea," she said.
"What?"
"I could go find him."
"Betsy.I'm not in the mood."
"Seriously Ms. Quinn, I'm really good outdoors and I think I might be able to track him down."
"Good outdoors? That's nice and all but-hey! Where are you going?"
"After Scott," Betsy called, stepping out of the door.
"But I never said you could go."
Betsy pretended not to hear. It felt weird directly disobeying Ms. Quinn like that but she was the only one there with any chance of locating Scott.
***
"AAAAAACHOOOOOOO" Jean sneezed violently, causing Ororo to jump in surprise. She was in the weather mistress's doorway and had been trying not let the sneeze out.
"Jean," she said almost sternly. "Can you keep it down? I'm watering my plants here."
Jean looked over Ororo's shoulder and saw that a dark, angry cloud had formed over some of Ororo's plants. Gradually as the shock wore off, the cloud went back to a whitish color and released a gentle drizzle of rain.
"I'm sorry," Jean mumbled. She sneezed again and shook her head as if to clear it.
"It's alright, although I wouldn't mind knowing what brings you to my garden."
"Well, I wanted to ask you something."
Ororo raised an eyebrow and dissipated the cloud. "I am sensing that it is rather important, at least to you."
"Hey," Jean joked, "I'm supposed to be the telepath here."
"You have been bothered with something for quite a while now. It does not take a telepath to see that."
"That obvious huh?"
"Yes, now what was it that was on your mind?"
"It's about Scott. I mean, we've known each other for a long time and we've been friends for a long time but recently, there have been times when I've thought about him as a.a more than friend. And then I don't know where those feelings come from or what they mean."
Storm gave a slight smile. "Maybe they mean that your relationship is changing. Or maybe you are just the unfortunate victim of a crush, although I thought you and Duncan Matthews."
"Oh, Duncan." Jean's mouth quirked slightly. "Honestly, I can't say that I feel that strongly for Duncan. I mean, he's attractive and all but being with him can't compare to being with Scott." As soon as the words were out, Jean put a hand to her mouth. "See, see what I'm talking about. I find myself spouting off this romantic drivel and I don't know why."
"Does it bother you?"
"No, not really. I think it should but it doesn't."
"Well Jean, I'm no expert on such things but I would recommend talking to him."
Jean sneezed at the time that Ororo said this so she could not be sure she'd heard right. "Did you just say talk to him?"
"I believe so, yes."
Jean shook her head. "No, there has to be another solution."
"There may be Jean, but if there is, I certainly don't know of it. Like I said, if it were me, I'd talk to him."
Jean sighed. "Thanks anyway Ms. Ororo."
"Anytime."
Jean shut the door, pulling a Kleenex out of he pocket and blowing her nose. "Talk to him," she muttered, "what a crazy idea."
***
With one last Herculean effort, Scott pulled himself over the edge of the rock. He stood somewhat unsteadily, not able to feel his feet. He couldn't see very far in front of him at all because of the snow and the fact that it was getting increasingly dark, not to mention that his sunglasses had long since frosted over.
I can't do that much more today. I need to find some sort of shelter. He thought.
He looked around but saw only white. Not working, but I need some sort of shelter from the cold soon or- He stopped in mid-thought when an idea struck him. It wasn't brilliant by any means but it just might work. He looked down at the ground, reached to his sunglasses, and lifted them ever so slightly.
The result was wondrous to behold. The deadly crimson beam erupted from his eyes and plummeted into the snow, evaporating a great deal into vapor. The light was blinding but it effectively destroyed all of the snow and rock he hit. Using his destructive optic blasts, Scott was able to 'dig' out a fair sized portion of the ground, resulting in a hole that he could use for shelter.
Scott lowered himself into the hole and winced at the sudden heat present, a result of his optic blasts. Gradually, he adjusted and soon, he was sound asleep, sheltered somewhat from the brutal snowstorm.
A/N Just so ya'll know, this fic will NOT end up as a Scott/Jean fic. Although there are some feelings between them, Scott ends up with Betsy. As for Warren, I was thinking about having him get together with Jean. Tell me what you think of that and don't forget, REVIEW!!