Chapter 11

            Jean sat on her old bed in her old room, staring blankly at the piles of clothes and other possessions she had moved into the room over the last couple of days. The clothes looked so foreign to her, as if they belonged to someone else - they belonged to Scott's Jean, who lived in the other, bigger room and got to cuddle up every night to the man she adored.

            Jean had never felt so alone in her whole life.

            She curled up in a ball on the bedspread, clutching to her face the one piece of clothing that did feel right. And it felt right because it was an old flannel button up Scott used to wear when they were still in fashion. It had stopped smelling like him a while ago, but it still was the most comforting thing in the world to her.

            Oh,God. What if he chooses her? Why shouldn't he? He obviously loves her very much. Too bad she's too nice to hate... God...I love him so much! I don't know what I'll do if he chooses her...

            It took Jean a full five minutes to realize that, although those thoughts reflected her own, they actually belonged to another. Eve had been projecting her pain so much that Jean picked them up unintentionally. Strangely, instead of feeling jealousy and fear toward the woman that could take Scott away from her, Jean actually felt really close to her. She lay on the bed, shocked by the thought that no one else besides Eve could possibly know what she was feeling. She felt sympathy toward the woman. Before she fully realized what she was doing, Jean stood up, left her room and all but ran to Eve's room.

            Now, standing in front of the door, Jean lost some of her courage. What if Eve didn't want to talk to her...the "other woman"? Why should she? She can't read my thoughts and feelings. For all she knows I'm trying to sabotage Scott's feelings for her so I can have him back. The fear in Jean's heart almost had her turning around to go back to her room, but the sound of heartbroken sobs stopped her. She quickly reached out and rapped her knuckles against the wooden door.

            A few minutes passed until the door finally opened. Eve had been clearly trying to get rid of the tears in her eyes and the streaks on her cheeks, but she had not succeeded. When she saw who had knocked, embarrassment stained her cheeks pink, while she stammered a greeting.

            "H-Hello, Jean."

            "Hi, Eve. Can I come in?" Confusion, curiosity and a little bit of fear warred in Eve's eyes, but the polite manners her mother taught her beat them all. Eve stepped a side and gestured with her hand.

            "Please."

            Jean entered the room, walked a few steps and turned to face Eve as the other woman closed the door softly. They stood and stared at each other for a few seconds, both unsure of their standing. Finally, Eve went to sit down on the bed, and Jean sat down at the desk chair nearby.

            "What can I do for you, Jean?"

            "Well." Jean drew in a deep, shaky breath, and Eve could tell how scared she was. "I don't know about you, but I don't want to be enemies, even if we are rivals in a way. You obviously mean very much to Scott, and I know that he has great judgment when it comes to friends. Therefore, I'm sure you're a lovely person, and I would like to be your friend, too."

            A dazzling smile flashed across Eve's face. "I would like that, too. I-I was afraid you hated me."

            "I did at first. And I don't know how I'll feel about you if Scott chooses you. But if he does, I still want to be a part of his life - and that means I'd have to be a part of your life, too. And from what I've seen, that won't be a bad thing."

            "I'm glad that we can both be adults about this. And, between you and me, you don't have anything to worry about." The pain was evident in Eve's voice, and it caused Jean to both feel sorry for her and have a surge of hope.

            "Let's make a deal, though. From now on, we can talk about anything and everything - except Scott's choice. That'd just be too uncomfortable for both of us."

            "Deal."

            Jean smiled and stood up. "Let's go into town for some coffee and 'girl talk'."

            Eve laughed and followed her out of the room.

                                                            *                      *                      *

            Scott woke up well-rested from his nap and decided to grab some food. Practically skipping down the stairs, he made it to the kitchen in record time. Rounding the corner to the hallway leading to the kitchen, he could hear giggles. He smiled, picturing Rogue, Jubilee and Kitty in there talking about the boys. He froze at the sight of who actually was in there - Eve and Jean, covered in flour and stuffing their faces with the cookies they apparently just made.

            Jean saw him first and waved him toward the plate of cookies.

            "Hi, Scott. Chocolate chip cookies?"
            "Are they safe?" He smirked and both women glared at him. The synchronocity of their actions unnerved him for a second, but the appeal of the warm cookies were too much to ignore for long. Grabbing a few cookies, he stuffed one in his mouth and opened the fridge for a glass of milk. Turning back to face them, he pulled a third stool closer to him and sat down.

            "So...uh...what's up with you guys?

            Eve and Jean glanced at each other and smirked. "Oh, we went for coffee and went shopping." Jean grabbed another cookie. "And baked cookies."

            Scott looked concerned for a few minutes, obviously unsettled about how close the two women he loved were. But then he stopped to actually think about it. What was the problem? They were both amazing women - which was probably why he loved them. He could totally see them being great friends if they had met under different circumstances. If they could get past the uncomfortableness of the situation they all found themselves in and become friends despite it, then he should be happy - not nervous.

            The three of them continued to eat cookies and talk about anything and everything. Eventually, Eve left to go take a nap, as she had not slept much the previous night. Jean and Scott were left to themselves in the kitchen, and a feeling of uncertainty fell over both of them. Now that they were alone, neither knew how to treat the other. Both were silent and couldn't bring themselves to meet the other's eye. Scott reached for another cookie.

            "You like them, huh?"

            "Yeah, you guys did a good job."

            "Either that, or it's your horrible sweet tooth rearing its ugly head." Scott smiled, and Jean laughed. But her teasing was enough to break the ice, and they were able to start talking again.

            "So...uh, how are you doing?"

            "Good. I'm glad you decided to come back to teach. I don't think I could have handled your 5th period math class anymore." Scott laughed.

            "Yeah...they're an interesting bunch. But I'm sure you did fine."

            "They missed you." Jean's smile faded as she looked away. Scott's smile also disappeared, knowing that his students weren't the only ones that missed him. He cleared his throat, desperately searching for something to say to get past the awkward moment. But Jean had other plans.

            "I-" She looked away, embarrassed. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable. But...could I...possibly...um, give you a hug?"

            Scott's heart broke at her hesitant question. He hated himself for making her feel like she even had to ask.

            "Oh, Jean..." His voice broke, and he decided to just act instead of talk. That was, after all, practically standard operating procedure for Cyclops. Quickly standing, he was by her side in a second, pulling her to her feet into his arms. Wrapping her in his arms, he stroked her hair and whispered into her ear.

            "Jean, you never have to worry about asking me to be here for you. No matter what happens, you mean so much to me. If you need a hug, or a shoulder to cry on or a person to bitch at, please don't hesitate to come to me. For anything..."

            Unable to hold it in any longer, Jean burst into sobs, her body shaking violently against his. Jean would never be able to say for sure if she was crying because she was sad or because she was happy.