A TWIST OF FATE
Chapter Three
"Hey Scott vait up!" Kurt ran across the institute's freshly mowed lawn as he stuffed the last bite of a jelly doughnut into his mouth.
Scott was walking to his car, tossing his keys in the air. He reached his car and turned when he heard Kurt's voice shouting after him.
"What is it Kurt?" He asked, his fingers resting on the car's door handle.
"Guess vhat I just heard?"
Scott shrugged, "What from Kitty? Look Kurt if this is just some--"
"—Nein, nein." Kurt interrupted shaking his head. That was his native German for 'no.'
"I heard through ze grapevine zat Jean vis coming vith ze girls zis veekend, now zat classes are breaking for ze summer veek."
Grapevine. Uh huh, in other words that meant Kitty.
Scott had to admit that he was surprised Jean was coming along. In two whole years of breaks and summer vacations, she had not once come along with Kitty and Rogue. So this was surprising to hear, but it didn't totally knock him off his feet.
He shrugged as he replied; "Well that's good."
"Ja, but zere's more. Varren Vorthington is coming vith her."
"Warren Worthington? As in Angel?"
"Ja, Ja…zat's ze one. She's living vith him, you know."
Scott nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Not too happy about it, but it's not like I can do anything. It's her life."
He didn't understand why Warren would come. Sure he was…dating…her…and of course he didn't like it. But if he recalled correctly the blond haired heir had a business to run.
Scott frowned. "Okay so wh--"
Scott started to ask why Warren was accompanying her, when Kurt interrupted anticipating Scott's question.
"Vhy you ask, is Mr. Vorthington coming? Vell Jean vouldn't come vithout her fiancée, now, vould she?"
Behind his glasses, Scott's eyes grew wide and he eyebrows shot up in amazement.
"What?"Scott spat out forcefully. "She's engaged to him? Is that what you said?"
Kurt grinned. "Ja…ze typical reaction. Trust me mien friend I vas as blown avay as you are."
"But why? Why him, why Worthington? I mean, for two years she's gone, she totally disappears from us, and we wouldn't know anything about her if it weren't for Kitty! It's ridiculous Kurt! It's unbelievable! I mean what is she gonna do, just show up here after all this time and share her wedding plans? I mean C'mon! You don't believe this, do you?" Scott ranted to his best friend.
"Vell…mien fraud…zere's still more…."
"More?" Scott repeated. "What is there left to say, what more is there?"
"Ja…um zay say zat ze vedding…ze vedding… vill be here."
"Here? At the mansion?" Scott clarified, certainly dumbfounded.
"Ja…zis very one."
"But-Wait a minute…She's not getting married this week is she?" Scott asked.
Kurt shook his head. "Nein, Nein. Kitty tells me zey're vaiting until Jean completes college."
Scott sighed, relived. "At least that's something good to hear. Kurt are you sure this is all legit or is it just a rumor?"
"Nein, it is definitely not a vumor."
Scott sighed and leaned his back against his car.
"Has she completely lost her mind? I don't understand! Why didn't she call…or get in touch with me somehow? I mean it's been years, we haven't talked since that night—"
"--I understand zis must be quiet a shocker to you Scott. I zink all of us are pretty shocked but ah…for you…Zis must be quite somezing to hear."
Scott straightened his pose. "It's beyond that! I just… I don't…I always thought…Uh…I dunno." Scott stammered trying to find the words to explain what he was feeling.
"I can't zay I know vhat you're feeling, but even for me it's not easy to forget vhat happened between you two. I mean at ze time za vhole mansion vas feeling for you guys, ve all ver're. And zan to vatch vhat happened between Jean and you…to vatch your relationship deteriorate like it did, zat vas not easy for any of us."
"Yeah, I know. I know, Kurt. I know. That's all in the past now, you now? But even so…I still don't…I mean an engagement? I mean shouldn't that bring up some old feelings? Shouldn't that bring up something in her? If I was her…I'd at least want to talk to me."
"Not to state ze obvious, but it's just a possibility zat maybe Jean has moved on?"
"Moved on?" Scott repeated.
"Ja, like maybe she's vorked through all her issues and now vhenever anyzing reminds her of you or her past she can feel confident instead of all ze pain."
"What? Are you saying I haven't moved past it?"
"Vell not in so many vords…but look at it zis vay, she hasn't talked to you about Varren, yet she's coming here to visit, vith him in tow. It's quite possible that she's showing us she's moved on. Scott it's been two years man, I zink maybe it's time you let her go."
Scott sulked his back to lean against his car. "I thought I had moved on…moved past it."
"Vell if you feel zat you haven't, somezing must be holding you back. Vhat you vant through vas a very traumatic experience. It's gonna take zome time. But she's had time to heal and move past it and I zink you have to consider zat."
"Well, yeah, maybe deep down I'm still a little hurt about it all…the wounds are still there…I don't know if they'll ever truly heal. I mean what am I supposed to do, Kurt? I don't' know what to do about it. "
"Zat vasn't exactly vhat I meant. It's understandable if you still feel hurt, I can understand zat. But it is another zing to keep holding onto Jean."
"I'm not-
"--Ja you are." Kurt interrupted him.
"Vith all za history you share vith her, do you veally zink zat it's going to take you only a couple of years to get over her? It's understandable for you to have a hard time letting her go…but you gotta vake up man! Zink about it, she moved to New York, she left you, She dated Varren, now she's gonna marry him, vhat more do you need to know to convince you zat it's over vith her? Zose are signs that she has moved past your history together and let you go. I mean it's been two years, it's quite possible she still harbors feelings for you, but how you two vere, isn't how you are anymore, and you need to accept zat."
"No, Kurt, listen to me, you don't understand."
"So maybe I don't. But vhat I do understand is zat Jean doesn't talk to Kitty just to talk to Kitty. She knows Kitty is going to get ze vord back to us. Jean's smart zat vay, she's not talking to you, but she's making sure you hear about her life in New York, so you vill get ze picture zat she is no longer grieving for you or mourning vhat vas and vhat vill never be again. You know Jean probably better zan anyvone. You can't tell me zat you don't understand vhat she's doing. Ze fact is, you understand what she's doing better zen anybody else here."
"Yeah, But I'm not holding onto her, Kurt. I'm not."
"Zen vhy to you carry zhat trinket vith you all ze time?" He asked, gesturing at the bulge in Scott's pants' pocket.
Scott slid his hand in his pocket and fingered the item.
"Kurt…that's different." He answered through clenched teeth.
"It hurt me, Kurt! It hurt me alot! You don't understand! We had such hope we had a future together! We were building it, sure we had a few patches in the road, but she destroyed it! She destroyed it when she left! It crumbled to pieces and instead of us picking them up, she ran away! She ran away from me, she ran away from what we lost! She left my life in pieces!"
"Vell how do you zink she felt? Don't you zink zat maybe her life vas in pieces too?"
"Yeah but she didn't have to runaway from it! She didn't have too!"
"Maybe she didn't. But zink about zis, Jean hasn't been through somezing so traumatic before. Sure it vas very traumatic for you too, but you've had experience in ze past vith traumatic events…vith losing your parents n' everyzing. It's new to her so to speak, zat kind've pain…zat is somezing new for her…maybe she just didn't know how to deal vith it. Maybe she doesn't know how to react. It's possible running avay vas ze only zing zat made sense at ze time, maybe it vas ze only zing she could do."
Scott just shook his head. "Whatever, it doesn't matter now. It's just a little hard for me to accept, that's all. It's such a big change."
"Vell sometimes for one to change it doesn't have to be big. I mean just little zings like if you vere to sleep vith za same teddy bear like you have since you vere five, and zen to stop sleeping vith it…nozing outvordly about you changes, and people my not notice ze change, but you do. And zat's vhat matters."
Scott sighed letting it all sink in. "Look, I know you're right but I just need time. You really wouldn't understand. I mean Jean had such an impact on my life…"
"Vell I don't understand completely…but I do know zat she holds a lot of emotional baggage for you."
"Yeah she does. I've never loved anyone the way I love her. Never. My feelings for her are so deep…
she's in my blood, Kurt. I can't just expect all that to change over night. It's going to take some time."
"Okay, vell, I'm done arguing vith you. Anyvay, I just thought it better that you hear about it from me zen through ze mansion gossip."
"Thanks." Scott said solemnly.
Kurt nodded before 'bamfing' out unexpectedly.
Scott coughed and cleared away the smoke from his face that Kurt's teleportation had left.
"So many years and he still hasn't changed." Scott said aloud.
He sighed deeply, what had started out as one of the better days for him, had suddenly become depressing.
He still couldn't believe it…that Jean was getting married…and to Warren. He held nothing against him personally. He knew Jean had moved in with him…Maybe he wasn't in contact with Jean but he still kept in touch with Kitty…well maybe it was more like Kitty kept in touch with him.
He just felt there was so much more that he and Jean needed to talk about…needed to work through.
Her abrupt leaving hadn't exactly added any closure to their relationship, in fact deep down inside, he still didn't feel that it was completely over. He just felt there was so much left unsaid between them. It had been two years enough time to move on…for Jean…but not for him. Maybe deep down he had kept up hope that Jean would come back to him.
"Hey kid."
Scott looked up as Logan walked across the lawn and rested his shoulder against the tree as he lit his cigar.
Logan took a puff from his cigar, than with it in hand, he motioned to Scott's back. "Where ya goin'?
Scott looked back at his car, forgetting that he had been leaning on it.
"Oh…I was just… gonna go to town for a while." He answered, mind somewhere else.
"While hurry back ya got a trainin' session at five."
"Yeah…I know." Scott said distracted.
Logan noticed Scott's hesitance, he could tell his mind wasn't on the training session.
"Heard 'bout Jeannie huh?"
Scott nodded realizing Logan must have sensed that he had been distracted.
"Yeah…I'm…Ah…I'm shocked, I guess."
"Yep, ya ain't the only one. Believe me. 'Though I for one am glad ta hear that Jeannie's getting along well in the big apple."
"A little too well." Scott mumbled.
"This is 'bout her engagement, ain't it?" Logan slanted his eyes.
Scott managed a smiled, Logan heard him mumble. "You heard that, huh?"
"Well my senses pick up on things. From where yer standin' I can even hear ya whisper."
Scott shrugged. "I dunno…I just think that-"
"-Ya think that maybe she's gotten over ya a little too fast huh?"
"Well what's wrong with thinking that? I mean I- I still love her. I'm still in love with her. It doesn't matter where she is."
"N' so you're worried that she doesn't feel the same for you."
"You know, I thought our relationship was different. I mean we're mutants yeah…but we shared something…"
"Well maybe Jean's not marryin' him because of love. Maybe it's somethin' else."
"Well what else could-" Scott's eyes widened behind his glasses. "You think she's-
"Jeannie? Nope…I mean maybe it was easy for her to get over ya and move on wit' Wing boy…but ta have a baby…I think even now that would be a little too soon for her. Especially considering what happened."
"So what else could she be marrying him for?"
"I dunno…that's not my area of expertise. Maybe she does love the guy, it's very possible she loves him. I can't speak fer her. All I know is that you two…you were somethin' else. I don't think that this will be the end of it."
"Logan…do you think that maybe there could have been a way I could've stopped her from leaving?"
"Nah…Jeannie…at that time…she just needed to get out. Her mind was fixed. I don't think you could've changed it."
"I realize now that I was the cause that she left."
"Scott…don't go thinkin' that if you had acted any differently it would have came out better. Or if you would've came sooner, or just done anythin' it would've came out better. Ya can't afford ta think like that. What's done has been done. Ya can't fix that. Look all I know is that both of you weren't exactly in the best state of mind to be thinkin' 'bout the other one's pain."
"But I should have. I should've thought about Jean and how it had affected her."
"But ya didn't. The truth is it was very hard on ya…ya were blamin' yerself-
"-The whole thing was my fault!" Scott snapped back.
Logan walked out from under the shade of the tree. "Listen ta me kid…it wasn't! Yer as much to blame as Jeannie, as Hank, Ya all got caught up in the middle of somethin' ya couldn't control! Ya had no choice!"
"But she blamed me! She blamed me and she had every right too!"
"Ya saved her life!"
"At the cost of another!" Scott shot back.
Logan sighed and shook his head.
"Look…I can't say I know how ya felt…or how yer feelin' 'cause I don't. I've experienced hurt and pain but not like that. I'm sure it's the worse pain one can feel."
He nodded, agreeing with Logan. "You're right it is. And it helps me to understand why she'll never forgive me."
"What makes you think she hasn't already?"
"Logan it's been two years…we've had no contact whatsoever…it was her decision. Of course she's mad at me. I mean what other explanation is there?"
"Maybe she just needed time."
"Well I'm pretty sure she got it." Scott's voice was tense and Logan was sure it was dripping with sarcasm.
"Scott-" He could sense Scott's discomfort and he started to reassure him.
"-Don't, Logan. It's okay really. I'm just…I'm gonna go. I'll be back at five."
Scott hopped into his car.
"If ya need more time than that-" Logan started to shout at him.
"-I'll be back at five. I'm fine. I'm fine. Don't worry." He shouted before speeding out.
It had been a long morning.
Besides waking up, taking a shower and eating breakfast, Jean had to pack and get ready for their visit to the institute. Warren had gone to work to tie up loose ends before he left.
Jean finished packing Warren's clothes and started to pack her own. It was like they were already married. She want to the bathroom to finish applying her makeup and to pack her pharmaceuticals.
She heard as the door opened then shut.
"Almost ready to go Hon?" Warren yelled from the kitchen as he walked into the bedroom.
"Ah huh. Almost ready." Jean put her pharmaceuticals in her small suitcase. "All ready." She said looking up at him smiling.
"Good because I took the liberty of calling the limo and it's waiting outside. Oh and I also heard from Professor Xavier at work today. He seemed very happy to hear that you were coming for a visit."
"Yeah I'm sure they miss us."
"Oh, and um, there's one more thing. I told the limo driver it would be expecting only three passengers."
Jean frowned, confused. "Three?"
Warren shrugged and slid his hands in his pockets. "Yeah…I won't be able to make it up until later."
"Later… today?" Jean said searching his gaze with her eyes.
"Ah, no, in a couple of days."
"A couple of days?" Jean repeated, not trying to hide her obvious disappointment.
"Yeah. Look I'm sorry but I have a meeting I forgot about. I thought I could take care of my business affairs with my personal secretary on maternity leave, but it just sorta came up at the board meeting today and I have to attend."
"Oh, Warren, can't you get someone else to do it for you?" She asked, distressed.
"Well yeah, I could. But I have to do it. This is a meeting I planned myself months ago. I can't just back out now. This meeting's with a big corporate manufacturer in Hong Kong, and I think if I attend personally it could send out better signals than if I had someone go for me."
"Hong Kong? So what you gotta wait for him to come up here?"
"Uh…actually no. I guess the whole SARS thing got the people in Asia all antsy and the airlines for departures are all shut down, so I'll have to go meet him."
Jean sighed. "Warren…for you to fly there and back would take three to four days."
"I'm sorry…but if Worthington Enterprises gets this guy it could mean mega profits for the company. Look, I can fly my private jet there and back. Once the meeting's over, I can have the pilot land it at JFK, than I'll just get a limo to drive me the rest of the way to Xavier's'."
"Warren, the trip from JFK airport to the institute will take two hours, by the time you arrive the week will be over."
"Look, I can expand my vacation if you want to. But I really have to do this meeting."
Jean sighed picking up her purse from the bed. "I know, I know, business before pleasure. I got it."
Warren smiled. "Thanks for understanding."
"Isn't that why you're marrying me?"
"That and much more."
Jean smiled shyly and walked away.
Warren picked up her suitcase and escorted her to the door.
The limousine driver packed Jean's things in the trunk before escorting her into the backseat, which already occupied Rogue and Kitty.
"Hey isn't this like exciting?" Kitty exclaimed once the limo started driving.
"I can't wait to see everybody again! This is totally the way to spend our break!"
"Yeah Ah just hope Logan doesn't take it upon himself to teach us trainin' sessions. I'm so over that." Rogue grumbled.
"What about you Jean? How do you feel?" Kitty asked.
Jean shrugged. "I dunno, I mean I thought Warren would be coming with me."
"Yeah what is it with guys thinkin' they cahn just ditch a girl? I'm tellin' ya they're all the same." Rogue said rolling her eyes.
"Warren owns a company Rogue, I have to be prepared for this kind of thing." Jean answered back almost immeadiately.
"Well like anyway, I can't wait to see everybody! Kurt, and Bobby, Remy-
"-Remy don't even go there." Rouge said with a chortle.
"Oh come on Rogue, like just because the guy irritates you doesn't mean I can't like him."
"He's a pest, a swamp rat."
Kitty glared at Rogue. "Like whatever…I just hope that our homecoming turns out alright."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rouge asked.
"Well I dunno Rogue, it's just you know with Scott…it's just I hope it's not awkward."
"What does Scott have anything to do with it being awkward?" Jean asked her curiosity peaked.
Rogue glared at Kitty. "Yeah Kitty, how so?" She asked, already knowing what the valley girl meant by it.
Kitty looked to Jean. "Well, um, you know, you guys haven't like talked in a while, and I thought, you know, that maybe with the way you left things, that it might not be such a good idea for you to be seeing him so soon."
Jean shook her head. "What makes you think it's too soon? It's been years and I've moved past it. I've gotten over my feelings."
"Your feelings for Scott?" Kitty asked.
"For everything." Jean answered staring out the window.
Kitty continued even though, to Rouge, it was obvious that Jean didn't want to talk about it.
"I just can't imagine feeling that way for someone, like you did Scott, and than being put through something, like, so tragic. And you guys left things on such a high emotional cord. I mean, like, it wasn't news to all of us, we were aware of what was going on, we knew what happened to you two and, like, I can't even imagine just having all those feelings drift away over time."
Jean sighed and tore her glance away from the window and towards Kitty.
"Well, for your information, they did. I don't mean to sound rude Kitty, but what Scott and I want through, how we left things, it's really not any of your business and it's definitely not your place to say anything about it." She added tensely.
"Okay, but I just think that, like, what you guys went through was a devastating tragedy, and that maybe by marrying Warren you're, like, rushing into something that you're probably not really ready for, and maybe-"
Jean interrupted her and shot Kitty a determined glare.
"-Look I've moved past that part of my life, okay? And I prefer not to look back on it. So, unless you think you have any more personal opinions on the subject to add, maybe you can talk about something else."
She posed it as a question, but it was more of a command and Kitty calmly shied away.
Kitty shook her head, "Yeah I'm sorry, I like, I just wanted to help. I didn't know there was so much bad blood between you two."
"It's nothing like that, Kitty. We just haven't talked for a while, and I'm not coming here to confront Scott, or our past together, or anything that happened prior to today. I'm here for a vacation, and to have fun. I just don't have any need to want to drudge all that back up again. Yes, there are some unfinished issues between Scott and I, but that's not your concern. So why don't you let me worry about my own life, okay?"
Jean said before turning to look out the window once more. Pretty much that meant, shut up and stay out of it.
Kitty slowly sunk into the leather exterior of the backseat. Rogue jabbed her in the rib.
"Ow!" Kitty exclaimed quietly. "Like what is that for?" She tensely whispered through clenched teeth.
"Ah told ya 'fore we came not ta go into that. Ya just can't keep well enough alone, can ya?" Rogue glared at her.
Kitty mumbled something incoherent and stuck out her lips in a pout.
Out of the corner of her eye, Jean glanced at the two roommates, just by looking at Kitty's sulking figure and Rogue's intimidated stare, she knew what was going on.
"Rogue, it's okay." She reassured, "I understand why you wouldn't want Kitty to talk about Scott and I, but it's alright, I can handle it."
Kitty glanced quickly at Rogue, than down to her folded hands in her lap. Rogue nodded and positioned herself comfortably on the seat and crossed her arms across her chest.
Jean turned once more to look out the window, and neither one of them said anything else the rest of the way there.
Okay, so, the story is starting to build here. And No...nothing happens to Warren. We will see him arrive at the Insitute later on, like a couple chapters from now. Anyway the next Chapter deals with Jean arriving at the Insitute and finally seeing Scott after years apart. Keep reading and you'll see what happens...:-D Let's just put it this way...When Warren's Away, Jean will Stray! Haha...:-)