Standard disclaimer: I don't own them; I'm just borrowing them for our entertainment.

Scylla and Charybdis

Part 7 - Sophomore Year: Off the Shoals

The next morning, Scott woke with Jean tucked closely against his side. They were like two halves brought together, Scott mused. Jean trusted her mind, but not her body, whereas Scott was the total opposite -- he was totally sure of the physical and distrusted his mental abilities.

He thought now of Emma. The two women were in no way comparable. Jean was warm and welcoming; Emma was at heart, hard and controlling. Scott felt he was enough of a control freak on his own -- two control freaks in a relationship were a recipe for disaster. He didn't love Emma; and now he realized he wanted love or he just wasn't interested.

He still loved Jean. He had never doubted that. But she had been driven to doubt whether their love for each other could survive. Could she come to trust her original feelings again?

x x x x x

By the time Hank arrived from Westchester, Scott and Jean were up and waiting, with a small suitcase packed for Jean.

Hank looked stricken at the slight of her pale face and enveloped her in a hug. "It's going to be all right, Jean," he assured her. "Everything's going to be all right."

Scott sat in the backseat with Jean on the trip north. She stared out the window, unseeing, but occasionally her hand slipped into his.

"Do you want to be dropped off at school, Scott?" Hank asked as they got on the Interstate that would take them to Salem Center.

School? Oh, yeah, he was supposed to be in classes, wasn't he. In the panic over Jean, Scott had entirely forgotten about college. He looked at her. One word from her, and he'd punt everything for as long as she needed.

Jean knew that too, but she felt this return to Westchester to be a humiliation. She had failed. After almost fifteen years of training to control her powers, she had failed. She didn't want Scott to see that.

"You go," she said. "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Scott asked. "I can make up any work ..."

"No," she said. "It would probably be better by myself. I can't lean on you any more than I have."

"You're not leaning," he corrected. "But if you'd rather be by yourself, that's fine." Scott had felt her sense of shame and embarrassment and he understood those feelings all too well. She wanted as few witnesses as possible. He brushed a lock of hair from her forehead. "I'm only a call away," he added.

x x x x x

Thankfully, when Hank and Jean arrived at the mansion, only Professor Xavier was there to greet them. Jean wanted to burst into tears.

Instead, she followed the Professor into the study where tea had been laid. She had to smile. The Professor's partial British upbringing had left him with a sense that a cup of tea could solve just about anything.

Professor Xavier set a cup in front of Jean and poured one for himself. He looked at her expectantly. Hesitantly, she told him of the events at the hospital. Her breakdown. Her utter disgrace.

"What's going to happen to me?" Jean tried not to whimper, but she felt like everything had fallen apart.

"I'll speak to your advisor," the Professor assured her. "We'll work something out. Jean, I know you were interested in Internal Medicine, but perhaps such close contact with patients wouldn't be the best thing for you. The strain of the long hours is hard enough, when you add the strain of being in constant contact with people in medical distress, it could be too much for you. Perhaps you should consider switching over to a more research based field."

"Like what?" she asked.

"Like Genetics," the Professor responded. "You could spend the summer here working with Hank and myself. I can arrange it with your advisor to change your residency program and you could start as a Genetics Resident in your third year."

Jean bit her lip. "What would everyone say?"

"Does it matter?" Professor Xavier responded gently. "What matters is what is best for you. The Genetics Residents start in their third year anyway. If you spend the summer here, we can get you prepared for lab work and we also can work together on your telepathy."

She nodded sorrowfully. It was really the only solution that would salvage her career.

x x x x x

Back at Manhattanville, Scott caught up with Maggie and Nancy in the dorm, getting notes and filling them in on the reason for his abrupt flight from campus. Well, reasons that didn't involve mutation. "Breakdown" was a generic term that covered a lot.

"Is she going to be okay?" Nancy asked.

Scott shrugged. "I don't know. She was pretty bad when I left. I don't know if I should go up there this weekend or not."

"Don't," Maggie advised. "Let her get settled first. The semester is almost over, anyway."

"I thought I'd find you in here," Emma's spritely voice sang out from the doorway. "Where were you, I spent all yesterday trying to hunt you down?"

"I had to go to the city," Scott explained as they walked back to his room. "A friend was -- sick."

"Oh?" She obviously didn't believe him. They went into his room. Scott had no intention of breaking up with her in the hallway.

"Emma, we have to talk," Scott began. "About us. I'm sorry, this just isn't going to work."

"What do you mean?" Emma's tone was brittle.

"I don't love you, Emma," Scott said. "I'm sorry. I wish I did, but I don't."

Emma tried to shrug. "I told you before, love isn't a requirement for me."

"It is for me." There it was, final. "I'm sorry, Emma."

"Well," Emma said. "I guess that's that." She turned and left. Scott didn't see her again for the rest of the semester.

x x x x x

The big event at the end of the semester was Warren's graduation from Yale. Everyone from the Institute went. Warren was gratified by their presence, even though his parents had both made an effort to attend. Warren would be spending the summer in Europe with them and then would start working at the company headquarters, learning how to run a major corporation from his father. While Scott wasn't entirely convinced that this was something Warren really wanted to do, he recognized Warren's concern for this father's health. Mr. Worthington had not been well recently and Warren was willing to do anything to ease his burden -- even saddling himself with a responsibility he didn't really want.

Scott had confided his suspicions that Emma was a telepath to Warren ("Geez, Slim, what is it with you and telepaths") and at the latter's insistence, told the Professor. Professor Xavier seemed unconcerned by the news. Scott had a feeling that he already knew, and that didn't sit well with him.

As for Scott, he settled back in at the mansion for the summer and found himself instantly overwhelmed by the various needs of the children in residence. Classes at the high school didn't end until June and Scott found himself playing chauffeur, tutor, and guidance counselor. He and Ororo also trained together, trying to develop skills they knew would be needed. All of this made for very full days. But Scott was busy, so he enjoyed it.

Jean, of course, was staying at the mansion too. She had daily sessions with the Professor, to try to build back her control that had been shattered at the hospital. Scott had come to visit a few times before the semester ended. She had been hesitant with his presence at first, but Scott made sure she knew that there would be no pressure from him. He was there for her in any way she needed. Fortunately for her sense of equilibrium, Professor Xavier and Hank kept her so busy in the lab that she didn't have much time to think of anything else.

But Scott and Jean hardly ignored each other during the summer. They were once again friends -- laughing, teasing, and enjoying each other's company. Professor Xavier was relieved -- he was concerned that Scott and Jean would resume their relationship again and given her current fragile state, he was even less enthused at the prospect. But they didn't. Jean was absorbed in the lab and Scott busied himself with the students. He had a good rapport with the children and they seemed to mind him well, which also took some pressure off the Professor.

The summer passed by calmly. Another student was located at brought to Westchester. In August, Jean returned to New York to begin as a Genetics Resident. The Professor was satisfied and breathed a sigh of relief.

Which he wouldn't have done if he had read Scott's mind. For Scott had spent the summer planning. He had no intention of giving Jean up again. Not for anyone.

x x x x x