A Battle of Conscience

Disclaimer:  I don't own these characters.  They belong to Marvel.

Rated R for swearing and sexual situations.

~~Here it is finally.  I had reached the end of what I'd written over the summer and needed to spend some time storyboarding the next couple of chapters.  This chapter was interesting to write because it was the first time I'd written a Rogue/Logan scene, a pairing which, while not my favorite, I find interesting.

Chapter 5

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Scott Summers was five minutes late for class.

"And you tell at us for being late," Jubilee teased.

Scott turned to the board and wrote a passage from Hamlet on the board.  His shirt was untucked in places, his hair less than perfect, and his trousers were wrinkled.  Jubilee smirked and hastily began to write a note to Kitty.  Jean entered the room and walked over to Scott's desk. 

"You forgot these," she whispered, leaving three papers on his blotter.

"Thank you," Scott grinned.

He turned back to the board and Jean stared to leave.  At that moment Jubilee dropped her note to Kitty on the floor for her to pick up.  She looked up nonchalantly.  Jean saw this and beckoned it over to her.  Kitty giggled.

"So, I want you to identify the speaker and the context of these quotes," Scott announced.  "They're all from the act you were supposed to read last night." **We'll see who did**

The class groaned.  Jean pocketed Jubilee's note. **I can't wait to see this great composition of Jubilee's**

**Huh?**

**I saw Jubilee passing a note to Kitty and took it**

**You're so bad**

**You would have confiscated it if you saw it too**

**But not like that**

Jean left the room, but remained right outside the door.  Scott proctored his quiz, listening to his fiancé read the note.  **Look at him.  Mr. Tightass is all disheveled.  His shirt is always tucked in, and his hair perfectly combed.  He is so fucking her**

**Oh god**

**Apparently she didn't notice that my face was flushed and my dress wrinkled.**

**Am I really that disheveled?**

**Just a bit**

"Who needs more time?" 

A few hands went up. 

"Five more minutes."

**Scott, this is getting more problematic**

**She's not going to succeed.**

**I trust you.  I'm just not sure why she hasn't taken the hint yet.  I told her outright to leave you alone earlier**

**When?**

**In your office.  We were speaking telepathically**

**The whole time?**

**No, just part**

**What do you think we should do?**

**We need to find out as much about her as possible**

**Good idea.  Ok…I have to teach now.  We'll talk later**

**Bye.  I love you**

**I love you too**

Jean turned away from Scott's classroom to find Logan standing down the hall watching her.   She walked toward him.

"What's so interesting in Scooter's class?"

"We were just having a conversation while he gave a quiz."

Logan laughed. 

Jean started to walk on, then turned back to Logan. 

"What do you think of Emma?"

"Uh…"

"Do you think she's up to no good?"

Logan nodded.  "Women like that always are."

He took off down the hall.  Jean considered what he's said.  It was remarkably truthful for his position.  It made her wonder what else he knew that he wasn't offering.

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Rogue sat on the floor in front of her locker.  Jubilee may have been convinced that Emma was sleeping with Scott, but Rogue knew she was really sleeping with Logan.  Scott saw how trashy she was.  Logan apparently didn't care.  With her gloved hand she pushed her hair back from her face.  Why did she still care so much about him?

"What's got you?" Jubilee asked, bounding by, chomping on her gum. 

"Nothin'."

Jubilee shrugged.  "Suit yourself.  Jamie, Bobby and I are going to spy on Ms. Frost.  Wanna come?"

Rogue shook her head.

"See ya."  Jubilee skipped off, blowing a large bubble.

Great, Rogue thought.  Even Bobby was obsessed with Ms. Frost.

"Hey kid,"  Logan stood at the end of the hall.  Rogue hid her face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothin'."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Ah don't know."

He sat down next to her. 

"You're upset."

"Ah don't like Ms. Frost."

"Why not?"

"She's trashy."

"Because she's after Scooter?"

"Cause everyone wants her."

"Bobby?"

"Yeah, he's one."

"It's just a teenage fantasy."

"You're sleepin' with her too."

"Is that what you're upset about?"

Rogue didn't say anything.

"Kid, it happens.  She's an attractive woman, and she was offering.  You know I've had a thing for Jeannie, and that didn't bother you like this.  I thought you were nuts about Bobby."

"He's ok."

"Rogue, he's a good guy."

"But…"

"You're still young…"

"So?"

She was in a very testy mood, Logan decided.

"I know you're growing up, but you're still only seventeen years old, kid.  You're still learnin' how things work."

"Ah know how things work."

"Kid, I know you're smart.  And you're pretty."  More pretty, he thought, than he cared to admit he thought. "But you're seventeen…" Rogue opened her mouth to protest, but Logan continued.  "And that is still one year short of legal, if nothing else."

"Age of consent is 16."

"Rogue!"

"So Ah've got no chance, huh?"

Logan sighed.  "Kid, I still care about you.  Of course I do.  But I can only be your friend.  It just wouldn't be…right … to do anything else.  You understand?  As much as you argue this, I bet you do."

Rogue nodded.

"Good."  Logan stood up and offered his hand to help her up.  Rogue took it and was pulled to her feet.  Emma came striding down the hall.

"Logan, have you seen Scott?"

"I think he was havin' lunch with Jeannie."

"Oh," Emma looked dismayed and stalked off.

"Ah can't believe how much she's goin' after Mr. Summers!"

"Yeah, she's givin' it all she's got to get Scooter into bed."

"Why'd she fuck  you when she wants him?"

"Availability."

"Logan!"

"Kid, I'm not going to lie to you.  I wouldn't lie to her either.  She pretty much wanted to fuck me to find out how she might get into Scooter's pants.

See, she knows, as well as you do, that I've been interested in Jeannie."

"What did you tell her?" Rogue demanded.

"I told her I doubted she could get him.  I've yet to tempt Jeannie, and I think he's far more committed that she is.  And she's pretty damn committed.  Hell, I don't really try anymore.  I just stir up the waters a bit for fun.  Oh.  And I told her that Jeannie gets really vicious when she's mad."

Rogue laughed. "What do you think she wants?"

"I don't know, but be careful.  Emma's a different kind of telepath than Jeannie, closer to Charles."

"How do you mean? She's more powerful?"

"No, to hear Charles talk Jeannie's the most powerful.  But there's different manifestations.  Jeannie has to block the thoughts of others, otherwise she'd hear them all the time.  Emma and Charles can venture into someone's mind if they want and, and this is the big and, have the power of mental suggestion."

"You mean she could make someone think something?"

"Exactly."

"Holy shit."

"Yeah, I'm worried about it too."

"She could use that in class!  She doesn't have the kind of morals the Professor does."

"Just keep an eye on it.  And let people know."

"So Jean and Scott know?"

"Not yet."

"You gonna tell them?"
Logan nodded.  "I may have no love lost on Scooter, but I'll be damned if I see her hurt Jeannie in this."

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Feed me Seymour!  Feedback, that is. J