Chapter 24
Jean stared into the fireplace, not having moved from her chair after Scott left the library. She was so lost in thought that she didn't hear the door open, nor did she notice the figure plop down in the chair next to her.
"Hiya, darling'." Jean jumped at the sound of Logan's voice; he chuckled and she blushed.
"Hi," she said. "Sorry, I didn't hear you come in."
"Yeah, I suspected ya might be a little distracted." At her questioning glance he elaborated. "Amara was making a big production of tellin' everyone 'bout Scott's phone call, and that ya didn't seem too impressed."
Jean sighed, and let her head drop backwards in defeat. "I'm turning into an irrational green-eyed monster, Logan. I'm freaking out because Scott got a phone call from a girl. That's not normal behavior for me, dammit! What's wrong with me?"
"Nothin's wrong with ya. You've got no reason to be jealous, though. Trust me, Jeannie, there's no way in hell Scott would ever cheat on ya. It's just not in him. He'd break up with ya first."
"Jeez, thanks. I feel so much better now," she said dryly.
Logan laughed. "Oh, come on – the kid's crazy about ya and ya know it. He's not going anywhere anytime soon."
"I repeat, thanks."
"OK, Jeannie, what's this really about? It's not about some stupid phone call."
"I hate it that you know me so well," she muttered. She swiveled in the chair so that she sat forward, elbows on her knees and hands scrubbing her face in frustration. "I've been worrying about what will happen when Scott and I start college. I'm worried that being apart will ruin everything. We're so happy right now, and things are going so perfectly…I just don't want everything to get all screwed up. We'll be apart 90% of the time – we'll hardly see each other. I'm worried that he'll get tired of dating someone he never gets to see, and he'll leave me for someone else. I don't know what I'd do if that happened."
"He's not that kinda guy. I can see the two of ya stayin' together forever. And I'm not just sayin' that, either. If I didn't think ya'd last, ya know damn well I'd tell ya."
"I know, I know. I just can't help worrying."
"Darlin', just say the word an' I'll gut 'im fer ya," Logan offered with a wolfish grin.
Jean laughed. "Thanks, Logan. I think I'll try to deal with it myself for now. But I'll let you know."
*****
Unable to sit still after her chat with Logan, Jean strolled through the mansion with no real destination in mind. As she approached the kitchen it became clear that the conversation she and Scott had overheard earlier was still in full swing. She stood outside the door, listening intently.
"Hey, how long do you guys think they'll stay together?" Kitty asked in a conspiratorial tone.
"You think they're having problems?" Evan asked.
"No, I just mean, like, it could be hard for them, when they start college and stuff," Kitty clarified. "Jean's going to Columbia, and I heard Scott say something about Manhattanville. They'll never see each other."
God, haven't they gotten tired of talking about us yet? Jean wondered silently, thoroughly annoyed.
"Manhattanville, huh? I was thinking about checking that place out when it's time for me to go to college," Evan admitted, surprising everyone.
"Why?"
"It's a chick school, man! Almost three-quarters of the students are girls." Jean could hear the leer in the boy's voice. "I wonder if that's why Scott chose it? He'll be beating the babes off with a stick – if he wants to, that is."
Worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, Jean let that information sink in. In the back of her mind she'd known that about Manhattanville, but she hadn't considered the possible implications. Jean's jealousy and insecurity flared anew, churning in her stomach and making her feel sick.
"You think Scott will break up with Jean so he can play the field?" Kurt asked in disbelief. "This is Scott we're talking about! He would never do anything like that."
"Dude, think about it," Evan defended himself. "Scott was obsessed with Jean for a long time before they got together, right? Well, now that he has her there's no way the reality will live up to the fantasy. He'll also find out that there are an awful lot of ladies out there worth getting to know, if you know what I mean. So, why tie yourself down so young? I give them 'til Halloween, tops."
"Not a chance," Kurt said calmly. "I don't see them ever breaking up."
"If anything happens, I think it will be Jean, like, totally leaving Scott," Kitty argued. "She'll find herself some really cute, ultra rich future doctor type, and Scott will be, like, history."
"No way," Rogue spoke up. "Y'all know as well as Ah do that they're in it for the long haul. They'll get married, have a coupla freakishly perfect kids, and live happily ever after."
"Y'wanna put some money on that?" Evan asked.
"Oh, I'm in!" Kurt called.
Jean couldn't listen to anymore, and fighting back tears of frustration, she silently fled from the corridor.
*****
When Scott found her, Jean was sitting cross-legged on a blanket on the dock, a travel mug of what he assumed was hot chocolate in her hands. Huge fluffy snowflakes were settling in her hair as she gazed out at the lake, a far-off expression on her face. The crunch of his boots on the snow alerted her to his presence, and she smiled.
"Hey," she called softly.
"Do you want to be alone?" Scott asked uncertainly.
"No, no," Jean quickly assured him. He smiled in relief and joined her on the dock, sitting next to her. She offered him her mug and he took a sip of the warm, sweet drink.
"Did you spike this with Bailey's?" he asked suspiciously.
Jean grinned. "Just a shot – for flavor."
"You're such a rebel," he muttered with a smirk before taking another sip. "I looked for you in the library after I got off the phone, but you'd disappeared."
"I didn't feel like staying there," she told him with a shrug. "So, who's Kimberly?"
Scott chuckled. "She's in my trig class; she's having a lot of trouble with the material, so the teacher asked me to help her out. Right now she's working on an extra credit assignment and needed me to walk her trough some of the problems." Jean nodded, feeling very silly.
"You weren't jealous, were you?" he teased.
"Maybe a little," she admitted in a soft voice.
Scott laughed and hugged her. "Believe me, Jean, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. I love you, so just get that through your thick skull." She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed.
"It's still snowing pretty hard. What're you doing out here, anyway?" Scott asked after a few minutes.
"Just thinking."
"About anything in particular?"
"Oh, life, the universe, and everything..." she told him with a half-smile.
"The answer is 42," Scott supplied, grinning. Jean laughed, pleased that he'd caught the reference.
They sat in silence for a long time, Jean leaning gently against Scott's side. "Do you want to talk about whatever it is that's bugging you?" Scott finally asked.
Jean sighed. "I'm just in a contemplative mood."
"Ok, so what're you contemplating?"
"The future. College. Us."
Scott fought the panic that seized him at her words. "Oh?"
"I'm starting to reconsider Columbia," she admitted.
That wasn't what he'd been expecting. "But why? You've been so excited."
Jean was silent, weighing her words. "I think going to Columbia would be a mistake. We planned to go to college together, so it's completely unfair of me to go back on that."
"You're being silly. Go to Columbia, become a world-famous geneticist, and help the world to see that mutants aren't freaks. Make us all proud."
"But –"
"C'mon, Jean, what's this really about? We both know there's no question you're going to Columbia, so what's really bugging you?"
Another long silence fell between them. "I'm scared," she admitted in a small voice. "I'm scared of how things will change between us once we're done high school. We'll both be so busy with college that we'll hardly get to see each other. I don't want to lose what we have." She paused and took a deep breath. "I don't want to lose you."
Scott sighed and pulled her into his arms. Jean appeared so confident, so self-assured, that hardly anyone other than he realized how insecure she could be. "Jean, there's no way you're ever going to lose me," he told her firmly. "I waited a long time for us to get together – do you really think I'll let you go now?"
Jean sniffled softly, and it broke his heart. "I don't know. You're not…disappointed at all, are you? In me? You say you wanted us to be together for a long time, I'm just scared that maybe I can't measure up to whatever expectations you might have had. I want you to be happy –"
Scott interrupted her by cupping her chin in his hand, making her look up at him. "Jean, I've never been happier than I've been in the past few months. I love you, and I always will, ok?"
"It's easy to say that now. But what happens if things change in the future? Manhattanville's student population is 70% female, Scott. That's quite the opportunity for an active social life. You could easily meet someone new."
The fact that she would even think such a thing annoyed him. "And you won't have the same opportunity at Columbia? Come on, Jean, we both know there aren't that many women in the sciences – you'll be surrounded by guys all the time," he said, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. "How do I know you won't decide you'd rather have a normal boyfriend again?"
"I didn't date Duncan because he was normal, just like I'm not dating you because you're a mutant. I'm dating you because you're you, and I love you."
Scott pulled her close again. "Exactly. And I love you. I'm not interested in finding someone else, ok? So stop worrying. We'll make time for each other. Besides, I've actually been thinking that Manhattanville might not be for me."
"Really?" she asked, surprised.
"I was thinking it might be fun to go to school in the big city. NYU is looking like a pretty good option," he told her with a smile.
"NYU? You're sure?"
"Yup. I met with the school counselor last week, and between my SAT scores and my current grades, he's confident I won't have any trouble getting in."
Jean grinned and hugged him tightly. He laughed and kissed the top of her head. "I take it you're happy about this?"
"Very. We still won't be on the same campus, but at least we'll be in the same city – just a short subway ride away."
"We'll be able to commute together, which will mean a guaranteed three hours of 'together time' every day. And if you're game, I'd really like to talk to the Professor about sharing a room once the fall semester starts – put the rumors to rest once and for all," he teased. Jean chuffed out a laugh, and Scott smiled. "We'll stay together, I'll make sure of it."
They sat in silence for a long moment, exchanging sweet, gentle kisses. Scott finally pulled back and met her eyes. "We'll be fine, Jean. I love you, and I won't let anything come between us – ever. I promise."
She leaned into his embrace and reveled in his warmth, her fears melting away. Smiling, Jean slipped her arms around him. She believed him. They would be fine. A promise from Scott Summers was worth its weight in gold.
~~
Go directly to the "Review" button at the bottom of your screen. Do not pass go, do not collect $200. And do not go on to the Epilogue until you've sent feedback! Please…? *puppy dog eyes*
P.S. In case I'm truly showing my age with that particular reference, Life, the Universe, and Everything is a book by Douglas Adams. It's part of the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy, which was the series to read when I was younger – don't know how popular it is now, though. According to Adams, "42" is the answer to life, the universe and everything.
