Child of Light and Darkness

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Chapter Seven

"I'll move Jean into the infirmary, so I can run more acute tests." Hank said aloud quietly to Xavier, as they joined Scott, Ororo and Logan in Xavier's study.

"Very well Hank." Xavier nodded in reply.

"So it worked than? Jean's cured?" Scott was sitting by Xavier's desk as the two entered to join them.

Xavier sighed and rolled behind his desk. "No, she's not cured."

"Okay but I mean she's fine now, right? She's not cured but she's fine?"

"Well Jean will have to be careful. She can use her powers, but not to their full extent. I can't say for certain that the circuit breakers she installed in her mind will work. I can't say they won't fail. But just to be cautious so they won't Jean will have to suppress that part of her mind."

"Right she'll have to use her will power to fight it." Scott almost sounded angry.

"I'm afraid so. Even with the circuit breakers she'll have to suppress it."

"I don't understand Professor, there's got to be something we can do for her."

"We can do nothing Scott, this is a battle for Jean and Jean alone."

"No. I can't accept that. It's not good enough. Jean can't go through her life fighting this thing with her will power! Aren't the circuit breakers supposed to help so she won't have to do that?"

"Yes, Scott. They will. But they just help so her will won't slip completely. She's going to have to fight this thing until we know more."

Scott stood up fiercely.

"No, I can't accept that Professor! There has to be some other way!"

"I don't know what to tell you Scott, I'm doing the best I can."

"Than do better!"

"Hey Slim calm down bub."

Logan stood up and put his hand on Scott's shoulder

"The Prof is right, he's doin' the best he can. I know this is hard and I wish there was another way ta go 'bout this thing, but there isn't and until there is ya'll have ta accept that this is the way it has ta be."

Scott bit his lip and shook his head angrily.

"No-No I can't accept that…I won't accept that!"

"Scott there is nothing you can do. Please calm down."

"No-No I won't calm down until you tell me there's something we can do." Scott glared intently at Xavier

"Sit down Slim."

"Tell me there's something we can do." Scott clenched his teeth near tears at the realization that they all were right.

"Scott…please. I want to help her as much as you do…but we can't."

Scott shook his head and his body loosened under Logan's grasp as he slumped sadly to the chair.

He leaned his elbow on Xavier's desk and rested his head in his hand.

"I have never felt so useless before." He mumbled softly his voice muffled but still clear enough to hear.

"I don't want to accept this, but I-I'm so confused-I just wish-I dunno." Scott sighed

"It's alright Scott we'll get through this. I promise you. But If Jean is to have any chance of survival she needs to draw strength from you through your unique psychic connection...you may be her only hope."

Scott lifted his head up. "Well what about Apocalypse, what are we supposed to do about him?"

"Hank and I will work on coming up with a plan. It will get better Scott, we just have to give it time."

"Time that we may not have."

Xavier shrugged "We have no choice. There is nothing more we can do."

Scott sighed and fell his head to the table once more.

"I don't like it."

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Jean was already lying on the bed when Scott entered the infirmary.

She didn't even look at him as he passed by the bed.

"Can you believe they've got me in here?" Jean said a small smile playing across her lips than suddenly fading.

"Hank wants to run more tests."

Jean shook her head. "How many tests do they need. They don't even know what to do about me."

"Jean…don't think that way."

"Why not? I'm just a burden to everyone."

"No you're not."

"Oh I'm not? Scott they're all rushing around, not to help me, but to protect everyone from me."

"I don't think that's it."

Jean finally turned to look at him. "Yeah sure…tell me that, the telepath." She finished sarcastically.

"Look I'm not here to try and tell you how to feel."

"So don't." Jean said sternly, sitting up from the bed.

"You can't leave." Scott reminded her as she stood up from the bed, fully clothed.

"I don't need to be here."

"Well where do you think you need to be?"

Jean shook her head and looked back at him. "I don't know."

Scott rolled his head to the side in annoyance as he followed Jean out to the hallway to try and talk her out of it.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

"So how's she takin' it?"

"Not very well."

Ororo stood outside of the hallway, and looked upon Scott and Jean, as well as many of the other students. She turned to face Logan, who as she could tell, had been out taking a 'ride.'

"Yeah, knew she wouldn't. Poor kid. I have to say 'Ro, I didn't believe Chuck when he told us his assumptions o' what happened to Jeannie. I don't wanna believe 'em, but with what's been happin' to Red lately, Honestly I'd have ta say that I believe 'em, Chuck knows his stuff, and he loves Red just as much as the rest o' us, I don't think he'd lie about anything like this."

Noticing that Ororo was looking intently out the hallway instead of at him, Logan quit what he was saying, to move closer to the doorway. It was just than that Logan heard the commotion out in the hallway.

"What's happin' out there?" Logan walked up to Ororo till they were side by side.

She just let him look outside to answer for himself. It seemed to Logan that Scott and Jean were in an argument, and Jean seemed really upset. Scott must have told her about the condition she found herself in.

"Huh. You were right. Jeannie ain't takin' it to well."

"If I were in her position I wouldn't be either Logan."

"Yep I 'posse that's true."

Logan watched as the two slumped on the ground, hugged without words for minutes.

"Ya know, I've seen a lot of woman in my days 'Ro. I've also seen a lot o' men. I've been a lot o' places n' I've seen many things. But I've never seen a man care so much 'bout a woman the way Slim does. Yep, Jeannie's lucky to have some one like him 'hind her all the way. Huh, I knew they had somethin' for the other, the moment I saw Jeannie step into the mansion. N' I knew right at the moment that Jean saved Scott in Mexico, I knew right than that the future had plans for 'em. There are so many people in this world 'Ro. But to find two individuals just like them, that's not easy."

"You're right Logan. But to go through what Jean is…it could be torture on a relationship. It could get tough to keep it all together. As much as this may challenge Jean's power and life, this will also challenge their relationship together."

"Trust me 'Ro. There's no one more dedicated to Jean than Scott. Deep down, I know he truly, deeply cares for her. If anyone can get through this it'll be the two o' them. I've known 'em for several years now, I got to watch 'em fight together, cry together, n' grow together. You've seen it 'Ro. We've both watched their friendship grow to be somethin' more. N' I know that in the end they'll get through everythin' without a single scratch. Cause that's just the people they are. They're both fighters 'till the end, they won't give up til there's nothin' left for 'em to do. That's why they're meant for each other. N' that's why I don't worry 'bout Jeannie cuz I don't doubt that Scott will take good care of her. I know that-that boy is different. He's dedicated to that woman 'Ro. I know, I've seen it. I don't even need my enhanced senses to know for sure. I have faith in those two 'Ro. I know they'll get through whatever obstacles get in their way. An' ain't nobody gonna change my mind."

For the first time during their talk Ororo turned to face Logan,

"Wow Logan. I don't think I've ever seen this side of you before."

"Well you know me 'Ro. Don't talk much, I just observe."

Ororo stared at Logan mischievously,

"You know Logan, I hate to say this, but this side of you is kind of a turn-on."

Logan smiled.

"Hmmm you mean it? So if a man said to you, that he really felt like kissing you, right now you wouldn't object?"

"Well I don't know it depends."

Logan slanted his eyes,

"On what…"

"Whether or not I felt like kissing him back."

"So if he did say that to ya, would you?"

"Maybe."

"What if he asked really, really hard, and he was impossible for you to refuse?"

"I don't know, what do you think I would do?"

Logan thought hard.

"Well, I think he would ask ya, and while you'd be thinking 'bout it, he'd swoop down like this…

Logan moved in closer to Ororo's face

…And he'd kiss you…like this…

Logan's hand brushed across Ororo's cheek and his lips touched hers.

Ororo tried to protest, but she found his touch completely mesmerizing and for a moment she kissed back, but than his lips left hers, and suddenly her lips felt really cold.

A silent moment passed between them as they both pondered at what they had just done.

"Huh… Wow..." Was all Ororo had the strength to utter.

"I'm good ain't I?"

"Very."

"But you know what?"

"Huh?"

"I think I need to try it again"

Ororo backed away for a second.

"So you think know that every time you want to kiss me I'm just going to give in?"

"I dunno, probably not."

"And just because I kissed you, now you expect that every time you ask me I'll just kiss you?"

Logan smiled.

"Would ya?"

Ororo went on, ignoring his question

"And do you honestly think that when I kiss you, every part of me doesn't try to resist? Because let me tell you something, every part of me does try to resist, but something else inside of me is telling me to kiss you, and the only thing I ever notice in that instance is that…"

She inched closer to Logan

"...Is that no matter how much I don't want to kiss you, I can't resist."

She laughed, seeing his face. He thought she would kiss him again. She held his hands in hers, but that was it. They heard distant giggling but didn't care to restrain from each other.

"Are we interruptin' somethin?" Rogue and Remy had gone to the foyer so they also could find a moment of peaceful solitude together.

Ororo and Logan slowly backed away from each other, a little embarrassed, but not so much.

Rogue rolled her eyes as she just watched Logan and Ororo stare at each other. Obviously they had been up to no good.

"C'mon Remy this rooms getting too fluffy." Rogue grabbed Remy's hand and led him to the door

"Adios Mon ami." Remy waved bye to Ororo and Logan as Rogue dragged him out the door almost causing him to fall over the ledge of the door pane.

Ororo and Logan had noticed Rouge and Remy enter and than leave the room. But they really didn't care, just as long as the two kids hadn't seen them moments before they entered the room. Ororo hugged Logan than she slowly backed away.

"You know as much as I would like to stay here, I have some things to take care of." She told him as she let her hands drift away from his.

"Me too."

Ororo began to walk out the door.

"Hey Ro? "

Ororo turned back to Logan.

"Yeah?"

"Ah whaddaya say to…ah, I dunno…dinner sometime?" Logan scratched the back of his neck as he nervously awaited an answer.

Ororo smiled, she kept silent for a moment, pretending as if she were debating the question, but she secretly just liked to see how uncomfortable he was at the subject.

"Sure, I'd love that."

Ororo stepped backwards keeping her eyes on Logan until she reached the door pane, turned around and walked out.

"Huh, It looks to me like you got a date Mon ami."

Logan turned from where he was standing, to see Remy leaning up against the doorframe. That kid sure could get around.

Remy tossed a deck of cards in his hand, "You dawg you."

Logan lightly shoved Remy into the doorframe, "Save if for later Gumbo."

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

"Man Ah still can't believe it. Ah mean especially with Jean an' all."

Xavier had decided that it was best if he inform the other students about Jean's condition and the threat of Apocalypse.

"Well ya were right Kitty, now Remy know for sure det dat was Red in da danger room."

"I like can't believe it. What are we supposed to do?"

"Vell zere's not much ve can do. Vell for Jean anyvay. But ve can be ready if ze Professor needs us for zis Apocalypse zing."

"Yeah my bro's right. Ah mean it's part of Jean's mutation we can't help her. But this Apocalypse thing sounds pretty bad so we can be ready if we have to prepare for some action."

"Ha, Remy's lookin' forward ta some real world action, he all fired up and needs ta let out some steam on some real world menaces."

"Are ya sure you vant ta do zat to a guy vith the name 'Apocalypse' ?"

Remy scratched his head. "Hey Remy ain't lookin' ta die."

"Oh really? The end of the world sounds like a pretty dangerous and risky thing. I mean if we have to prepare for some 'action' than we have to be prepared for the worse. If this guy like stands up to his name we could be into a world of trouble. I mean think about it guys-are we like, prepared to die?"

The three exchanged glances, Kitty had made a very vital point.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Let's see this chaps all talk I know. But um…I think everyone's personal opinions concerning this Phoenix thing are just as important as the events surrounding it.

As always R&R…every review keeps me going.