A/N: Sorry this took forever and a day. This is a lot of set-up, but still kinda fun. Remember to review!
Scott smiled at the disgruntled look on Jean's face as she walked down the stairs. She was his favorite; he knew she was well aware that he was wrapped around her baby finger.
"What's wrong, Jean?" he asked as she began to gather the utensils from the drawer. She seemed distracted and was chewing her bottom lip. He smiled and watched her work. The fading sunlight shone into the dining room, creating a fiery nimbus around Jean's head.
"My head hurts." She looked up and met his eyes. "And something weird is happening."
Scott waited for her to continue. Working at the Institute taught him that girls were sensitive to being rushed (a lesson that would have come in handy earlier in life). Jean moved slowly around the table, carefully laying each fork and knife just so. Scott closed his eyes against a stabbing pain in his head. He became aware that Jean was staring at him.
"You should take an aspirin. You've had a headache for the past two days; it's not going away by itself." She came to a stop in front of him. "And I'm not 'cute'. That's a word you'd use to describe a five-year-old."
Scott stared speechless for a moment, headache completely forgotten. Well, fuck. "You're a telepath." He gripped the side of the table until his knuckled turned white. "Anything else I should know?"
Jean nodded, not taking her eyes off of him. Scott swore. Jean raised her eyebrows, impressed with the extent of his vocabulary. Pointing a finger at the glass of water across the table, she moved it over to Scott. He stopped immediately.
"Take a pill. You're hurting my head. Remy has good shields, but your and Marie's thoughts have been beating into my head all day."
"I thought your shields were good."
"They are."
Scott frowned at her, and then looked up at the ceiling. "Remy, Marie! Get down here!" he bellowed. Then he lowered his head into his arms. When he finally heard footfalls on the steps, he looked up. Jean held out two pills. "And you, get outta my head."
Jean pouted, but didn't say anything. And she increased her shields.
Remy and Marie burst into the room. Remy's arm was snaked around Marie's waist. His hair was sticking straight up and Marie's cheeks were flushed. Jean glared at them.
"What's wrong, Jeannie?" Remy asked, ruffling her hair. He put on his most pathetic face and pouted at her.
Jean just shook her head, turning away to hide a smile.
"It seems as though the Legacy Virus is catching. Red?" Scott said, trying to get the pain under control.
You two better watch yourselves. Marie needs better shielding. There are some things I just do not need to know.
"Oh shit!" Remy said, falling back into a chair. Marie's cheeks bloomed bright pink and she leaned against the nearest wall.
And stop thinking so loud. I don't have control over this thing yet! Then she swept towards the kitchen and started bringing in the food. As she placed the salad in the center of the table, Jean realized that nobody had moved to help her. Clicking her tongue in irritation, she chanced using her telekinesis to bring the rest of the food in. Remy watched the floating potatoes with a look of horror across his face. Marie's mouth kept opening and closing without emitting any sound at all.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck…" Remy murmured as each item floated into the room. Jean just couldn't get grin off her face. The unshakable Remy was certainly shaken up now!
"Watch your mouth," Scott snapped, oblivious to the fact he'd spent two minutes cursing after he saw Jean's new "power". "Marie, anything new with you?"
She shook her head, trying to deny the pain she was having; the consequences were terrifying.
Silence fell over the room. The food got cold as everyone was busy contemplating how their world was changing.
-----------
"Yes, I said I fucking saw them!" Logan said irritably. "I understand that time is of the essence, but I thought you wanted it done quietly. That takes time."
"At this point, I just want it done. And quickly, Logan." He grimaced at the phone. Although he wasn't intimidated easily, watching his boss at work was enough for him to take the order without comment. Cursing under his breath, Logan slammed the phone down and started walking down the hill.
Creed fell in beside him, smirking at the disgruntlement written across Logan's face. "Boss has a way with words, eh?"
"Fuck off, Creed. We need to get this done. Tomorrow."
Victor smiled. It was about time they did something other than just sit around. He could just imagine the sweet screams from that little red head.
"The boss doesn't want a blood bath. Remember to pull in your claws!"
Victor emitted a low growl, but he knew that when the time came, he would do what was ordered. Still it was a shame.
-----------
"Hey, Jeannie," Remy said softly, knocking on the open door. She had been staring up the ceiling, pale limbs spread out on the rich green coverlet. Soft classical music drifted from the radio.
"You won't be able to sneak up on me anymore," Jean said, smiling at him. Slowly, she pulled herself to a sitting position to make room.
Remy made a face. "Pah. You know you can't sense me." He pushed her over, making her screech.
"Please. You are not half as slick and mysterious as you think. Plus, as my brother, I already know everything about you." She tossed a pillow at him. He caught it and threw it back, a bit harder. Jean's mouth curved up into a smile and Remy leaped up from the bed and began looking for ammo. A full fledged pillow fight began.
The laughing and crashing sounds brought Scott and Marie to the doorway. They smiled at each other and drifted away as the fight died down. Jean lay flat on the bed while Remy leaned against it, sitting on the floor.
"And Jean remains undefeated!" she said, a bit out of breath. A quick tug of the coverlet had her tumbling to the ground. Remy pulled her up so she was sitting next to him.
"Are you scared?" He closed his eyes. Not because he was worried or anything. He seemed to get tired so easily lately.
Jean thought for a moment. "Not really. It is overwhelming and unpredictable, but doesn't seem that difficult to control. Your powers seem so much worse."
Remy grimaced. "Yeah. Thanks. Just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"And to find out if I knew anything I shouldn't." She glanced sideways at him. He didn't even have the grace to look embarrassed.
"Yeah. That too. And I wanted to remind you to respect other people's privacy." He opened an eye. "You're cute when you blush."
She groaned. "Remy!"
"Why didn't you tell me first?"
That was why she was feeling a little – off. "I don't know. I just realized that…something was different. You were with Marie, and I could tell you didn't want to be bothered."
"It's not a big deal," Remy said quickly. "I was just wondering."
"Oh." They sat in silence for a while.
"You know, I didn't pay that much attention to…what you were doing," Jean said, suddenly sensing a turn in Remy's thoughts. One look at the look on his face, she bolted for the door. Well, hell. She heard footsteps behind her, so she hopped over the stair rail and used her telekinesis to take her safely to the ground.
"Jean!" It seemed to echo through the house. Remy ran down the stairs just as Scott seemed to fly across the room. Scott got to her first. He grabbed her and shook her, then pulled her into a hug, then shook her again. Words piled up and crashed in his head, but none quite made it to his mouth.
Remy didn't have that problem. "Goddamn it, Jeannie! You fucking scared the life out of me. I'm gonna kill you!" Then he pulled her from Scott and proceeded to squeeze the breath from her body.
"Jeez, I'm fine. I'm sorry, okay!" She gasped out. She squirmed away from Remy and stared in shock at the two men as they frowned at her.
"Don't you ever…"
"Do that to me…"
"Again!"
Jean looked back and forth between them, shock etched on her face. "It's no fair to gang up on me." Then she pouted, eyes filling with tears.
"Oh, don't cry, Red. I didn't mean to yell," Scott said quickly. He had no defense against tears.
"Stop it, Jeannie. You deserved that and you know it." Remy smiled and shook his head. "Don't let her get away with that, Scottie. Jeannie doesn't cry. She's playing you."
"Traitor," she muttered, smacking him on the arm. They were both glaring at her again. She quickly turned and ran back up to her room. Damn Remy!
--------
Cece couldn't shake the feeling that she was being followed. Ever since she left Scott and the kids, she was happily working back at the ER, up to elbows in scrubs. Life was finally beginning to come back together. And yet she couldn't shake that feeling that she was being set up. That things would fall apart any minute now. Cece walked a little faster. Maybe she should call Scott and make sure things were okay. Just in case.
---------
Charles Xavier lay back on the chaise under the hot Australian sun. He was almost ready. The changes in him were amazing, but best of all, they put him in a position of power once again. Nothing could keep Charles Xavier down! He was destined for greatness, he just knew it. He signaled the waiter to bring him another drink.
----------
Scott closed his eyes against the pain. He didn't know how much more he could take. It was getting harder and harder to function.
Scott, are you okay? Her voice was worried. Scott forced his own to sound normal.
Yeah. I'm just going to take an aspirin.
Remy's waiting to spar with you in the basement. Should I tell him you need to reschedule?
Scott sighed. No. I'll be down in a minute. He made it to the bathroom before he collapsed. The room started to spin and his knees buckled from under him. He crashed against the sink and was drowned in darkness.
---------
"Hi, Cece! How are you?" Marie said, pleased to her from her.
"Hi, Marie. Is Scott around?" She sounded very worried. Marie frowned in reaction.
"He's downstairs sparring with Remy. Should I go get him?"
"No. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay."
Marie jumped. "Oh no, guess what? The Legacy Virus is spreading. Jean developed telekinesis and telepathy."
The phone dropped.
"Cece?" There were muffled noises on the other end, but Marie was pretty sure she heard a wail. "Cece?"
"Tell everyone I'll be there tonight!"
Nathanial Essex watched the monitor as the red lights glowed brightly. Eleven pinpoints of light would grow to a hundred, then a million - unless someone stopped the outbreak.
He nodded to himself. Who better to control the world's genetics than the doctor who started it all? He glanced disdainfully at the female form on the table. Her hands twitched every once in a while, but otherwise she was still. And she was still a disappointment. It didn't really matter. It was only a matter of time until the answers were in his hands and the world was his to control.
A/N2: Are ya interested in what comes next? Tell me please! Any ideas to make this story better? Tell me, please! Anything else? Review!! J