A Clean Getaway
Normally it took nearly two hours to reach the Professor's house on Winchester Lake in Connecticut.
Logan and Rogue were playfully racing each other throughout the trip, though, and made it in just over one hour.
They both declared that race a tie as, side by side, they pulled their bikes to a stop in front of their home for the weekend.
Rogue took off her full-face helmet and stared at the area around them.
"It's beautiful," she sighed as she took in trees and lake and log ranch style house.
"The Prof.'s got pretty good taste," Logan agreed as he removed his head gear to look around them.
"And it's ahll ours for the weekend?" she turned to slide her arms around his waist and smile up at him.
"Tonight, all of tomorrow and as long as we want Sunday," he assured her with a deep kiss.
"The Professor really didn't say anything about us coming up here togetha?" she asked when they pulled apart.
"Darlin', he's the one who suggested we use this place. I think that's a sign he approves."
She smiled at the thought of the man she so admired approving of this relationship and snuggled into Logan's chest for a moment.
"Ah'm glad," she sighed.
Logan held her for a moment then stepped back to remove the saddlebags from their bikes.
"Let's get settled in."
~*~*~
After placing their few personal items in the main bedroom of the house, they took a quick inventory of their food supply.
Logan suggested they grab a nice dinner in town then pick up some groceries for the rest of the weekend.
Rogue agreed quite easily and soon they were on their bikes again heading into the town of Winchester.
They pulled up in front of a nice family style restaurant and dismounted their machines before walking into the establishment with Rogue leaning against his side.
As they were seated and given menus, she looked up at him thoughtfully.
"Do ya think thay've caught on yet?"
~*~*~
"They're definitely up to something. Why else would they leave this early?"
The group turned to look with some annoyance at Jean, who had asked the question.
Brian eventually rose from the floor of the recreation room with a sigh.
"I, for one, don't care if they are up to something. I say we call this mission accomplished and let them be, luvs."
Tabitha rose to slip an arm around her boyfriend's waist and nodded her agreement at his statement.
"Absolutely. We've played our roles of Cupid to the fullest and Rogue's old enough to make her own decisions from here on out."
"She's clearly not thinking right now. First Betsy threw her in to a hotel room with Logan, a situation he was bound to have taken full advantage of, and now he's probably drug her off to another hotel for a repeat performance," the older girl said.
"Whoa, that's a low blow, Jeannie. We all know Logan would never take advantage of anyone, especially Rogue," Scott rose with a frown to say.
"I think Rogue is thinking very clearly right now, luv," Betsy rose to say. "She's thinking that her dreams have all come true. She's touchable and enjoying that fact to the fullest with the man she loves. A man she's just coming to realize loves her back. No one is forcing her to do anything."
"Ja," Kurt jumped up to add his two cents, "She vas so happy zhis morning. Zhat's vhat ve all vanted to happen. So vhat if zhey rushed into bed togezher? Zhey've vaited long enough, I say it's all good."
Jean's green eyes darted to Kitty who'd yet to speak up and saw that the other girl sided with the others.
"Has it occurred to any of you that she's probably not even on birth control? That she's only been 18 for two months? That she's still got a year of high school to complete? That she's got a ton of issues stemming from her mutation?"
"Is all that only just occurring to you? This whole thing was, like, your idea to begin with and now you're the one flipping out that it's worked. What's up with that?" Kitty asked, seriously puzzled.
They were all looking at her curiously and Jean scrambled for some explanation.
Suddenly, Betsy's jaw dropped and her blue eyes widened in shock.
"You're jealous, luv!"
The older girl jumped at the accusation, causing Scott to stare at her more intently while the others all looked at Betsy in surprise at the words.
"My God, you are, aren't you?" Scott exclaimed softly as he finally recognized her motivation.
"I am not!"
"If you, like, wanted Mr. Logan for yourself why did you go pointing out to all the rest of us how perfect he and Rogue are together?"
"This whole conversation had become absurd. I do not want Logan for myself and I am not jealous."
"I don't even have to read your mind to know that's baloney, luv," Betsy said. "You may not have wanted the big guy before, but now that he's with Rogue you do."
Jean glared at the telepath as the others in the room slowly began nodding.
"I think you're right, Betts. I seem to remember that Jean here was all into dumbass Duncan until Taryn and Rogue started showing interests in Scott, then she just had to have him," Tabitha said.
"Yeah and it's, like, so obvious you only went out with Duncan because he was the most sought after guy in school by the preppy set," Kitty said.
"So that's your game, eh luv? You only go after the guys other girls want for some kind of ego trip?"
~~ When did this meeting become a free for all at me? ~~
~~ Right about when you showed what a bitch you're going to be now. ~~
~~ Betsy! ~~
~~ I hit a little close to the truth, luv? And to think I went off on your precious Scott thinking you totally loved him and were being hurt by his thinking of Rogue! ~~
~~ I do love Scott. ~~
~~ Then you better back off on Logan and Rogue. Just drop this faux concern you suddenly have for Rogue, because we can all bloody well see right through it. He's on to you now and you'll have a lot of convincing to do to make him believe that you actually love him. As it is, I think Tabs and I are pretty dead on in our assessment of your character! ~~
Jean stepped forward until she was in the face of the other girl she was mentally arguing with.
~~ You have no idea about 'my character', lady! ~~
~~ I think I do, luv, and you better get out of my face before I take offense. ~~
~~ Oooh. Well, I certainly wouldn't want to offend you after how sweet you're being to me right now, would I? ~~
~~ Ugh. It's always you you you! Back off, Jean, before I kick your prissy egotistical butt. ~~
~~ Stop telling me what to do you, Euro-trash! ~~
~~ As you Yanks say, you're cruising for a bruising. ~~
~~ You wouldn't dare. ~~
~~ Oh ho, luv, I dare all right. Have you already forgotten what happened to Rogue yesterday when she said that to me? ~~
~~ What? You planning on dressing me up like a slut for Logan, too? ~~
~~ That's it! I'm gonna kick your ass and hopefully in the process dislodge that stick you've got lodged up it, you bitch! ~~
With that, Betsy slapped the other girl hard across the face.
The redhead gasped at the blow and lifted a hand to cover her reddened cheek.
Everyone else in the room seemed to freeze at that moment, not believing what they'd seen.
Their jaws then dropped as Jean thrust out her hands toward Betsy and sent the other girl flying back against the wall with her telekinesis.
~~ Wanna play that way, luv? I can play that way! ~~
Unaffected by the weak retaliation, Betsy unleashed her psionic blade and stalked toward the other girl.
Panicked by the sight of the blade, Jean focused all her mind on creating a bubble around herself that Betsy could not penetrate.
The action didn't surprise the purple haired girl, who calmly withdrew the blade and crossed her arms over her chest to wait for her target's power to drain.
She'd learned quickly that Jean was weak and her powers, incredibly useful as they were, were wasted on such a woman. The redhead lacked true control and stamina - often tiring and becoming a burden in battle situations.
With a defeated sigh just moments later, the shield she'd placed around herself fell as Red became too tired to maintain it.
Smiling with delight, Betsy straightened and prepared to make her move.
Only to have Brian restrain her as Jean dove behind her boyfriend for protection.
Scott and Betsy's brother both demanded to know what they were doing.
"I'm trying to kick her ass, luv, now do you mind?!" the younger girl snarled.
"I demand to know what brought this on!" Scott exclaimed, trying to look over his shoulder at the girl who cowered behind him.
Betsy pulled free of Brian's hold and strode over to the older boy to glare into his ruby red shades.
She debated telling the boy a bit about what their telepathic argument had contained but opted to keep it just to herself.
"It's personal, now get out of my way before I add yours to my list of butts to kick," she ordered.
He stood there gaping at her like a fish out of water and began stepping aside just as she pushed him out of her way.
He fell to the couch and watched as the furious girl virtually pounced on Jean.
His girlfriend screamed like a banshee as Betsy tackled her to the ground, straddled her chest, pinned her arms to the floor and grabbed Jean's long red hair.
"I wouldn't dare, eh? Looks like you're wrong again, luv!"
She drew back her free hand to again slap the other girl, but a voice in the doorway stopped her.
"That's enough!" the Professor said as he wheeled in.
The two girls on the floor froze as everyone around them burst into speech about how they had no idea what was going on and that they couldn't do anything to stop it.
The man waved them all into silence then urged the group from the room before focusing on the combatants.
"Betsy, let her up, please," he said sternly.
Reluctantly, the purple haired girl obeyed and rose to her feet.
Unfortunately for Jean, Betsy still had a hand tangled in the other girl's red hair and as the British girl stood she pulled a handful of that hair free.
"Professor!" the redhead cried out as her hands went to her precious hair.
Figuring the man would side with the older girl, who had long been one of his prize students, Betsy sighed while resisting all urges to smile and hold the locks in her hand up triumphantly.
Meanwhile, Jean had begun to cry on the floor and was whining to the Professor about how she'd been attacked unprovoked.
"Enough," the man said. "Do get up from there, Jean."
Her tears slowly stopped as she rose to her feet until both girls stood guiltily before him.
"Now, I don't know the specifics of your argument, but I did detect enough to know that fighting is not the way to settle it. I want you both to apologize to each other."
His tone was firm and after a few minutes the girls sighed their acceptance and said insincere "sorry"s to one another.
"I'm disappointed in you both. You're teammates and above all else ladies. This behavior is unacceptable," he lifted a hand to forestall their explanations, "regardless of the reasons behind it. Violence is not the way to solve your disagreements."
"Yes, Professor," the both sighed with their heads hanging.
"I can't imagine what the two of you have to fight about anyway. You plan for Logan and Rogue has worked beautifully. Rogue still believes her mutation to be cured and they've gone out together for the evening. You should both be celebrating."
"We would be if Red here hadn't decided she'd like a piece of Logan herself now," Betsy muttered.
"For the last time, I DO NOT WANT LOGAN!"
Seeing violence brewing anew the Professor intervened.
"Stop right there. I think perhaps the two of you need a little time in the Danger Room to work off this energy and remember the importance of working together."
Knowing they'd pretty much been given an order the two girls followed Xavier from the room to prepare for their impromptu training session.
They froze before putting on their uniforms as the man made another announcement that made it clear they were being punished for their roughhousing.
"I believe I'll set you up with one of Logan's simulations," Charles said with a gleam in his eye. Then he turned his wheelchair and went up to the control room to prepare and monitor their session.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: Ok, this scene may seem a bit out of place and I apologize for that. It's just that I've been reading up on Jean/Phoenix in the comic series and I realllllllly don't like what I'm learning so I feel I've been too nice to ol' Red in this story. I just needed to vent a little bit and I think it kinda works the way I did it.
All other X fans who like seeing the gal get whooped, I regret to inform you that I won't be writing a full report about this lovely Danger Room session. We'll have just have to wait and see what happens after the fact, like everyone else. :-P
Because…..this is a Logan & Rogue series! And our favorite new couple is off alllll by themselves at a lovely place on the lake for the weekend!
What kind of writer would I be if I delayed getting to the details of that weekend any more?
Muahahahahahahahaha………
