A/N: Hey everyone. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. I've been trying to get one out every weekend, but with the holidays and other things, I've been pretty busy lately and haven't had time to write. Incidentally, I don't know if I'll have another chapter ready to go this weekend or not. I'll do my best, but it may be next Saturday before I can have another one ready.
Anyway, I'm glad everyone enjoyed the last chapter. It was a lot of fun to write. This chapter was a little tougher, but I like it anyway. As most of you Romy fans have undoubtedly guessed by now, Romy is not the man coupling in this story. However, I promise bits of Romy here and there and I will devote at least one chapter to it eventually. But please accept that it is not my main focus. I meant to have more of it in the story, but things just didn't work that way. Sorry. To be honest, I really didn't mean for this to become as much of a Romance as it has. Oh well.
Wow, I don't usually write quite that many notes. But I'm out of things to say so enjoy the chapter!
----------------------------
Jean was standing in her "classroom," which was really nothing more than a storage room that had been arranged to hold classes temporarily. She was looking over the tests from the day before and trying to finish grading them before her students arrived. During class, she forced herself to think of everyone as her student rather than her friend. She found it easier to teach if she distanced herself from them like this. Unfortunately, she was finding it very hard to concentrate on grading papers today.
The day earlier, Storm, Beast, and the Professor had left the mansion for about a week. They were going to the headquarters of the American Civil Liberties Union in hopes that they could help repeal the Anti-Mutant Act. This was a risky decision because if they refused to help, there was a good chance the three mutants would not be returning to the mansion again.
Jean couldn't help but smile as she remembered the conversations between Hank and the Professor before the trip. Xavier had insisted that Hank accompany him on the trip. While Xavier possessed the most powerful mind in the world, Hank knew much more about law than the Professor could ever hope to learn. Mr. McCoy, however, had a deep distrust of the ACLU. The group was supposed to support and fight for the rights of minorities, but they refused thus far to recognize mutants as a valid minority in the world. This meant they had devoted absolutely no time at all to helping mutants in America and Hank held a grudge against them for the oversight. After days of back and forth arguing between the two men who may very well have been the two greatest minds in the world, mutant or human, Hank had begrudgingly agreed to go. He had even agreed to wear an image inducer to help him blend in. Needless to say, Hank had not left the mansion happily.
Jean tried to force these thoughts from her mind because she knew where they led. With Storm, Beast, and the Professor gone, there were only three adults left in the mansion. She and Scott were both adults now, but neither really saw themselves as anything but a kid. So really, there was only one adult in the mansion and he had been left completely in charge. That man was Logan.
Ordinarily, this wouldn't have been a problem. But with everything that had happened in the past few months, Jean was worried. She could just sense that Scott and Logan were going to end up in a huge fight due to this. The power struggle between them had been simmering for months and Jean was afraid it was about to boil over. She had voiced this concern to the Professor and he had informed her that he was well aware of the inherent problems with leaving the two men in the mansion like this. Nevertheless, it had to be done. Xavier had the political power to influence the ACLU, Hank had the intelligence to argue the case to them, and Ororo was afraid for his safety and had refused to stay at home. Jean's memory recalled Xavier's final words to her before leaving the mansion.
"Just make sure the school is still here when I return."
She shut her eyes and shook her head in an effort to throw the thoughts from her mind. She had to concentrate on grading these papers. She glanced at her watch and saw that she had ten minutes left.
"Just enough time," she mumbled as she picked her pen back up, bit her lip, and started marking on Remy's test.
*****
Once her class had ended, Jean began the daily task of cleaning the room of the trash left on the floor by her students. They weren't real messy, but they tended to leave wads of paper lying around on the floor nearly everyday. Jean bent down to pick up a crumpled piece of notebook paper from the floor beside Kurt's desk, then stood back up to find Logan standing silently in her doorway.
"Hey Red. How're ya doin' today?"
Jean smiled at him as she stepped around her desk to throw the paper away.
"Oh, not bad I guess. And you?"
Logan stepped forward and smiled back at her with the smile Jean only saw on him when they were alone together. This smile was how she liked to picture him best. When he smiled like that he looked so suave, kind, almost debonair! It was almost enough to…
Jean blinked her eyes and lightly shook her head. She couldn't stand to have these thoughts anymore! She loved Scott. She would always love Scott!
"I'm doin' alright. Ya sure yer okay? Ya don't look okay."
"I'm fine, Logan. I'm just…tired."
Logan smiled as he read through her words.
"Heh, Tired or worried?"
Jean looked up at him. It wasn't until this moment that she realized how close he was to her. They were only standing about a foot away from each other. Jean absently wondered where Scott was. Then she remembered that he was teaching class now and would be for the next hour. She and Logan were the only people in the mansion not currently in Scott's classroom.
"I guess I'm more worried than anything," admitted Jean. "I mean, with the Professor gone I just feel more vulnerable. It doesn't feel as safe around here without him."
"He's coming back."
"He might be coming back," corrected Jean. "There's a difference. If the ACLU doesn't agree to help us, then they may never come back and the Anti-Mutant Act would just keep going until they either kill all of us or we rebel with some kind of war. Either way, it won't be pretty."
"They'll be back," Logan assured her. "I've known Chuck for a long time. He promised me he'd be back and I got no reason not to believe him."
"I hope you're right."
"I am. But somethin' tells me that ain't what's really botherin ya."
Jean looked up at him again. He was getting too good at reading her emotions.
"Fine. I'm worried about what's going on around here. I'm worried about what's going to happen while the Professor is gone."
"You're worried about what I'm gonna do," said Logan, finishing her thoughts.
Jean averted her eyes to the side and bit her lip.
"Well, yeah."
"Listen Red, I made a promise to Chuck that I wouldn't start anything while he's gone. And I always keep my promises."
This made Jean feel better to know she wouldn't have to break up a fight during the next week.
"O' course, I suggest ya keep Red-eye away from me 'cause if he starts somethin' I'm gonna protect myself," said Logan matter-of-factly.
All the calm Jean had just felt was gone again.
"Don' worry, Red. We ain't gonna fight. It wouldn't be fair ta you."
"Thank you," said Jean softly. Somehow that wasn't reassuring.
Logan backed away from her and sat down on one of the desks.
"I got a question for ya, Red."
Jean sensed that this was the real reason he had come here so she walked over to lean on her own desk.
"What is it?"
"Ya remember that day when ya woke up in the infirmary an' all this started?"
"Yes," said Jean as her mind trailed off to the discussion she and Logan had that day.
"Before I left, ya kissed me."
"Right."
"Why?"
Jean paused to think for a moment. She wanted to make sure whatever she said would be the truth, so she searched her heart for the right answer.
"At the time, I didn't know what else to do. I guess I was caught off-guard when you said you loved me and I just reacted to it."
"So your natural reaction to hearing those words is to kiss the guy who said 'em, whoever he is?" asked Logan with a smile.
"No, I just…Look, I was confused and…"
"You still are," observed Logan.
Jean paused before going on.
"I guess I still am to a degree, but I know who I love and who I want to be with. I know it hurts you Logan, but I'm in love with Scott. End of story."
Logan stood up and put his weight on one leg.
"That's not the end of the story. You said you loved me. Now if you wanna convince yourself that you and pretty-boy are meant for each other, go ahead. You can have your fun and play 'house' all day. That's fine with me. I just want you to admit to me and to yourself that you loved me then and you still love me now."
The words hung in the air as everything in the room seemed to focus on the pair of mutants facing each other.
Finally, after a long silence, Jean spoke up.
"I'm sorry, Logan. I didn't mean to hurt you."
"Why can't you just admit it? Do you really think I don't know? C'mon Red, I've proved that I can read your feelings. I can tell what you're thinking just about all the time. Why bother lying to me? Do you really think it does any good?"
"I'm sorry," said Jean as she desperately fought back tears. Everything he had said so far was right on.
Logan sighed with a hint of anger. "Fine. But when you stop lying to yourself, I'll be waitin'."
He turned and left the room. Jean watched him go, then sat down in her chair and let a tear roll down her cheek.
