Alrighty, chapter 2 up. Got 2 whole reviews, thanks guys! I appreciate it immensely. :) Maybe I'll aim for 3 this time...haha.. (BTW I'm taking some of what I wrote to be Storm's opinion of what Jean and Logan's relationship is more or less from a few things she said to Jean in the novelization of X2...don't kill me if it doesn't seem right to you...it's just sort of what I got out of reading it =D That and my power over her opinions in my story...heh heh)

The X-Men had flown The Blackbird, their high-tech, advanced model of a jet, from Westchester, New York where they lived at Xavier's mansion and school for gifted youngsters, to where they were at the moment, San Diego, California. They had traveled the coast of Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina before flying straight west to their destination. The reason they had come was being kept mostly between Scott and Professor Xavier.  Charles had some business on the west coast that he had vaugley stated he "had to take care of ".

Scott, being the head of the X-Men, had come to assist him and Logan and Jean had been brought as "safety precautions", although they all knew it was because Jean was the only one besides Ororo who could fly The Blackbird without bringing it to crash and burn somewhere in-between Atlanta and Phoenix. Ororo had volunteered to babysit the kids at the school while they were away for the nine days, and Jean had the sneaking suspicion from her farewell wink that she did it so that she and Logan could spend some "quality" time together. Storm had always told her that she'd like to see her and Logan have a small fling, just so they could get it over and done with and, on a more serious note, to discover if the butterflies Jean felt whenever she was near Logan were truly what she felt they were.

Jean grinned at the thought of Scott's reaction to the news that his baby was going to be totally alone with Logan for a whole week while he and Xavier set the affairs straight.

"But...Jean, don't you think it would be better if you stayed?  Storm's always said she'd love to visit San Diego..."

"I already offered, sweetie.  She evidently has her heart set on a few days quality time with the kids," Jean had assured him as she packed her clothes neatly into a suitcase.

"Well-I..." he seemed to be struggling for any excuse without mentioning what he was really worked up about.

Jean clicked the suitcase closed and turned to look at her beau.

"What's up, Scott?  Is something wrong?"

"Jean, I'm...worried about you being along with Logan for that long."

"Aw, sweetie..." she has stepped closer and planted a soft kiss on his lips. "Don't worry about that." she smiled and turned away again.

"It's not you I'm worried about, It's him." Scott replied, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Scott," she had said reassuringly, looking him in the face. "Logan is one of my closest friends...we have a mutual respect. If I tell him the limit, he wouldn't even dream of crossing it."

"I hope so," Scott sighed.

Though she loved Scott with all her heart, though even after all these years together he still made her feel light-headed after a deep kiss, she couldn't help thinking he was too overprotective of her. He was never this way before Logan had arrived. Jean couldn't blame him, though. Since she and Logan had locked eyes months ago it was all she could do but restrain herself mentally and physically from responding to her primal instincts and throwing herself at him hard, and engulfing those rough lips in a heated and passionate kiss.

Now here she was, almost a week later, cruising along in this hot California sun on such a perfect day it was almost overwhelming and having one of the most relaxing and enjoyable times she could ever remember having. She was risking shattering her strong relationship with Scott, she knew, every time she snuck off with Logan like this...

For months she had dreamt about what it would be like to indulge in this affair, to be carefree and let go of everything she had worked so hard to establish with Scott.  Mostly what she fantasized about, though, was reacting how she truly wanted to to Logan's flirtatious behavior. All the playful touching, eyebrow-raising conversation, looking deep into her eyes...God, those eyes...

Logan's dark amber eyes were like two fleeting daggers stinging Jean's heart whenever she looked into them. She had never been able to look into Scott's bare eyes, for her own safety, and that's why she especially craved gazing into Logan's, so full of black passion for her.

And then there were the thoughts Jean picked up from him on rainy nights when thick drops pounded the windows at midnight and the loneliness was so thick in the air as you lie awake and restless in your bed, staring out the window up into the dark and desolate night sky. Such forsaken and desperate thoughts it brought tears to Jean's eyes and made her want to kiss Logan so badly her whole body ached.