Thanks for the reviews! I want more on chapter 7 though! Please read and enjoy!

Chapter 8

"Jean, order up!"

Jean stuck her head around the corner and saw the two plates that were ready.

"Thanks." She said to the cook, he smiled at her.

"How are you fitting in?" he asked her. He had short, spiky, dirty-blonde hair, ocean-blue eyes, and warm, friendly smile. His name was Brad. Jean liked him instantly.

"I've only been here two months and already I love it." Jean smiled broadly and grabbed the plates.

"What are you doing on Wednesday?"

"I have classes in the morning and early afternoon, why?"

"You want to go out to dinner and a movie?"

"Sure. But we can talk out the details later, I kind of have to go do this."

Brad smiled broadly this time. "Sure. See you at lunch." After Jean had disappeared he flipped his spatula in the air and congratulated himself.

After serving the two plates to a husband and wife who were enjoying a quiet afternoon to themselves, Jean went to the front to receive the next table she could go to. She walked over without looking up and got a huge shock when she did. It was Scott and Taryn. Keeping her shock and emotion inside she talked calmly with a formal tone. Scott was lucky his eyes were hidden behind his glasses, for they widened immensely when he saw who his and Taryn's waitress would be, but he didn't say anything, and wasn't surprised when Taryn didn't recognize her.

"Can I get you two drinks to start off?"

Taryn gave every detail of how she wanted her iced tea and then took the liberty of ordering for Scott. "Just a soda." She said not even looking up from her menu, her right index finger curling around a piece of her over glossy hair.

"Are you ready to order, Scott, because I am."

"You go ahead, I'm not ready yet."

"We'll both just have salad." Taryn said.

"Plain salad?" Jean responded.

"Can I have chicken in mine?" Scott said not looking at her. "Or is that not ok with you, Taryn?"

Jean silently applauded Scott on the inside.

"That's fine, I don't care." Taryn continued to stare at her menu.

"Crunchy or grilled chicken?" Jean asked.

"Crunchy." Taryn said.

Scott sighed and shook his head at her then he finally looked up at Jean. He was taken aback for a moment at how beautiful she appeared. She had her hair up high in a clip, the longest part of it hanging down over the clip's teeth. She had on very light-colored makeup, and her infamous pink lipstick. Scott stared at her for a moment.

What, Jean asked him in his mind.

Scott almost responded verbally, the shock of Jean using their link for the first time in years washed over him, and he felt the familiar presence of her in his mind. It comforted him.

Nothing, he responded. You look good,

Thanks,

"Grilled." He said verbally now. "Ok?" he asked.

"Yeah, whatever." Taryn said waving her hand nonchalantly. She popped her gum.

"Is that all, would you like an appetizer or anything to begin with?" Jean asked.

"No, we're good, thanks." Taryn said dismissively.

Jean shook her head as she walked away toward the bar. A new friend of hers, Katie, picked her head up from where it had been resting on her arms. She was flirting shamelessly with Brian, again.

"What can I get you, Jean?" she asked pleasantly. Jean repeated all the details of Taryn's iced tea.

"Non-sweetened, but with a little fake sugar. No more than six ice cubes, and make sure they're small. Lemon twist, not too fat and not too skinny, no more than three coils to it. Put it on the left side of the glass."

"She sounds like a bitch."

"She is."

"Anything else?"

"I know Scott wants a beer, I can tell he does..."

"Go back and say we don't have anymore Coke."

"Good idea, thanks." Jean took the iced tea and treaded back to the table. "We're out of soda, is there something different I can get you?"

"Beer, I don't care what kind." Scott said before Taryn could pipe up.

"Be right back." Jean returned a minute later with a frothing bottle for the man and poured it for him. He offered her a weak smile and a very appreciative thanks. Jean noticed that Taryn was gone, off in the bathroom. "You ok?" she asked with a flair of concern in her voice.

"No, she's giving me the biggest headache. This is why I try and avoid going out to eat with her. She's always gotta be in control, Jean." Scott looked up at her again. "I miss you. Know it's been a long time since we talked. Two months, I think. Ever since that morning after the New Years party... You never got back to me on whether or not you want to move in."

"I do, Scott, but I have to get a few things in order first, ok? There's your answer."

"I was beginning to worry. I just have to get my other spare key back from Taryn. I had to give her two in case she lost one."

"So if she loses the only one she's going to have...?" Jean smiled flirtatiously at him.

"You're still my Jean, you know?"

"I know. Do you want an appetizer while I'm here?"

"No, wouldn't want to anger Queen Taryn, now would we?"

"You know, Scott, you can charge every now and then and show her that you can still have control in this failure you call a relationship."

"I know, I know. I just don't want to hurt her feelings."

Jean sighed at him and leaned in. "Scott, what feelings? Oh, here she comes. Have fun, and good luck."

"Thanks, I need it."

Jean lay in her bed in one of her long nightgowns staring across the mattress at Brad, her head resting comfortable on her folded arms. He stared back at her. The lights had been turned out and the window cracked open, the only sounds were their breathing and the occasional honking of a car horn from outside, but other than that, it was completely dark in the room, (save for the muted glow of the streetlamps), and quiet. Jean breathed a content sigh and Brad did the same. He spoke one word.

"Wow."

Jean nodded in agreement. He opened his arms to her and she cuddled into them the rustling as she inched over into warmth. He kissed the top of her head and held it against his chest, her ear just above his heart. Jean breathed another sigh of contentment then fell asleep to the soft sound of 'thump...thump'

The next day at work, Brad sought out Chris, and dragged him into the employee break room at lunchtime. They sat at a table secluded in the corner and unwrapped their lunches.

"You know that new girl, Jean?" Brad asked biting into his sandwich.

"You mean that really, really hot redhead I want to bed?"

"Yeah, her."

"Yeah what about her?"

"Well, I bedded her last night." Brad said confidently.

"You bastard! I wanted her first."

"I got her now, and she's all mine. And she is good."

"How good? On a scale of one to ten?"

Brad hesitated before answer, earnestly considering his answer. "Twelve." He said finally.

"Now I really wanna fuck her."

"When I'm done with her."

They both sniggered then continued on with their "discussion"...

...At the next table over, an employee named Garrett had just happened to overhear the entire conversation that had just gone on. He may have barely known Jean Grey, but he knew her well enough to consider her a friend, and he didn't like his friends getting hurt.

Jean sat in the bar stirring a glass of melting ice cubes with a coffee stirrer. She had her head resting in her palm and a glum look in her eye.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" Katie asked for the tenth time.

"I'm sure."

"Do you want to just tell me?"

"No."

"Does it involve a guy here?"

"Maybe."

"Jean?"

Jean looked up and saw Garrett. He had straight, shoulder length blonde hair that he kept tied back in a ponytail, sky-blue eyes, not too pale skin, and a very sympathetic nature about him.

"Yeah?" Jean asked looking up at him. Katie watched the expressions that passed between the two and thought it better to leave them alone. Garrett sat down on the stool next to Jean and opened his arms to her, offering a friendly hug. Jean leaned forward and accepted it. He was one of the few guys around that actually understood her. He could tell when she was upset simply by her gestures, he could tell when she was angry, and most importantly, he could tell when she was hurting, if something was affecting her emotionally. Now was one of those times.

Jean didn't cry or say anything in the time when she was in Garrett's arms; she did hug him back, though. Garrett rubbed her gently and held her as long as she needed. When she let go, Garrett noticed the tears brimming in her eyes and handed her a napkin.

"How did you hear?" Jean asked dabbing at her eyes.

"I was sitting in the break room, and I overheard them."

"Them?"

"Brad was telling Chris, his right hand man so to speak, all about his night with you."

"Typical guy." Jean muttered. She looked up at Garrett now. "I thought he meant every word he spoke." She whispered.

"He's hurt a lot of girls, Jean. When you first joined our little "family" here a couple months ago, I saw the way he looked at you. I was tired of him hurting every girl he was with by then. I've known Brad for years. We used to be friends, until I got him put behind bars for a while after manhandling another one of the waitresses here. She quit. I liked you the moment I saw you, Jean. You have a beautiful smile and a fiery personality that's just irresistible. I vowed that I wouldn't let Brad hurt you."

"Thanks for trying." Jean offered him a weak smile. "But I've been hurt before, Garrett, this is not a new feeling to me."

"Someone like you should never have to feel that kind of pain."

Jean bit her lip. That had been one of the kindest things anyone had ever said to her. "Thank you, I appreciate that, but no one can go through any kind of relationship without going through some kind of pain."

Garrett reached out and lay his hand on top of Jean's where it lay on the bar counter. He curled his fingers around her palm and squeezed gently. Jean offered him another weak smile. They were silent for several minutes as they stared at each other. Finally, Jean reached out and placed her other hand on Garrett's.

"You know, I never thought I would use this term after intermediate school, but." Jean but her lip in thought and consideration, "I have a crush on you." Jean giggled out the word crush and her giggles continued as she tried to suppress them behind her hand. Garrett smiled at her.

"I have a crush on you, too, Jean."

"That's obvious, though. I mean, by the way you were speaking to me."

"Am I really that obvious?"

"Sorry to say it, but yeah. You are."

Garrett leaned in closer to her, their mouths inches apart. "I'll just have to be more subtle then, won't I...?" Jean pressed her fingers against his lips at the end of his sentence, quieting him. She leaned in closer to him as she pulled them away and closed the space between them. Garrett responded slowly, not sure how to answer her actions, but he eventually found himself kissing her back and cupping her jaw. She had wonderfully soft lips that tasted of strawberry, or maybe that was her perfume. No, she definitely smelt of roses, or some type sweet smelling flower. Garrett was aware of all this, even as he was caught up in the moment. He could feel her hands on his face now, slowly traveling down and back behind his neck. She removed the tie he used to keep his hair back and then began to run her fingers trough his hair.

"Silk." She whispered when they parted.

"You smell really, really good."

Jean blushed. "Tea rose." She said.

"Jean."

Jean put her fingers to his mouth to quiet him. "Don't say anything."

"I just want to say I really like you."

Jean smiled. "I really like you, too." She whispered.

Later, in the evening, Jean was busily washing dishes and getting ready for close up. She buried her hands in the hot, soapy water and pulled out another dirty plate. She held it under the running water and scrubbed it clean. Suddenly she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist from behind, but she had had no idea that her waist was so low.

"Hey, feeling frisky tonight?" a low voice asked.

"Fuck you." Jean snapped.

Brad's arms tightened and she felt his body press close to hers. "Oh... How hard?"

"Go away." Jean said shoving his arms off.

"What's wrong is it that time of the month again?"

"Bite me."

Brad pressed up against her again. "Where?" he whispered in a throaty voice.

"Brad, I don't want you!" Jean turned throwing the plate into the sink.

"What's wrong with you?"

"You! You saw me as nothing more than a piece of ass!"

"And that's bad because...?"

Jean struck out and slapped him. "You bitch!" Brad cursed at her. He wiped blood off his upper lip; one of Jean's rings had torn the skin. "Bitch." Brad spat again as he got up. Jean began backing herself against the wall, fear in her eyes. Brad continued to advance on her.

"Leave me alone!" Jean yelled, but he didn't, Brad still continued toward her. Once he was within a foot of her, fist clenched, he was suddenly flung back into the opposite wall. The collision cracked the plaster and knocked off the shelves that were filled with boiling pots, glass bottles, and plates. With a scream of shock as Brad hit the wall, Jean ran for the door, but he was up on his feet and knocked her down. Jean shouted out in pain when she hit the cement floor. With Brad closing in on her, Jean covered her face and prepared to be hit again. She felt it once, twice, three times, four times, and then Brad was lifted off her. She heard faint shouting as she drifted in and out of consciousness, her world turning black around her. She saw a blurred face as she finally began to pass out. It told her to try and stay awake, try to keep her eyes open, but she just couldn't. Jean felt her head lifted off the floor and be cradled by something, and then her world finally went all black.

Author's Note: Who saved Jean? I bet you already know, but you'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out. I hope you all enjoyed this one! REVIEW PLEASE, I want more feedback than I got on the last chapter!