I'm back! Chapter 12! This is a breather chapter. You know, too much angst is bad for your heart. :D Anyway, just a note: Betsy is adopted. . I'm not about to go through the whole mumbo jumbo body swap that happened. And I answer how it is that Xavier can finance such a wonderful school!
I've got chapter 13 written too... that'll be up soon.
You know, I just realized I'm gauging the start of school using the school system where I live. Here, we start school the Monday after Labour Day. I remember some of my friends from the States saying they started school in August, but that's not happening in my fic. School starts in September. :):D
"Jean? Is everything all right?" Marie hastily turned off the lap top and stood up from the table as Jean wearily entered their room. Any sort of emotional spill over from Jean and Scott's talk had ended ten minutes ago and to prevent herself from fretting too much, Marie pointlessly surfed the Net.
Jean, dull eyed, gave Rogue a tired smile before slumping exhaustedly onto their bed.
"No. He's not okay." Jean let out a sigh and closed her eyes.
Rogue joined Jean on the bed and ran her fingers through the telepath's shoulder length red hair.
"You were scared, and very surprised. I felt everything."
Jean opened one eye to look at Marie and smirked a little.
"He was going to ask to marry me, and then I told him about us. I'm sure he was more shocked than I was."
Marie stopped touching Jean's hair and folded her hands in her lap. She still couldn't shake the feeling that she was some sort of scourge beset upon the paradise that was once Jean and Scott's relationship. Jean felt Marie's reaction through the rapport and took a firm hold of Marie's hand.
"It's not you. It's because of what I am, a telepath. I would never have been completely happy with Scott after you. Through all the years that we were together, he always kept a part of himself locked away. Maybe because he was insecure about something, but it didn't matter. Something was hidden and I knew. If I wasn't a telepath, it would have gone unnoticed. I can't go back to him and possibly be happy." Jean slackened her grip as she sighed. The day of no sleep compounded with her confrontation with Scott had drained her physically, emotionally and mentally but Jean nonetheless felt relieved.
During the days shortly after she awoke from coma, Jean spent a large amount of time wondering what life would be like if she continued on with Scott. However, no matter how many scenarios she thought of, or how optimistic she tried to be the end result was that Jean would eventually resent Scott for not wholeheartedly opening up to her. Then, there were the other days when Jean was so steeped in depression because she wished she could just forget Marie and return back to Scott without ever knowing the absolute sincerity of mind Marie had shown her. It was on one of these days that Xavier had surprisingly encouraged Jean to not give up on Marie.
"It will hurt Scott, yes. But there were no signs that your friendship was going to go beyond a platonic level. Like you and Marie, I didn't know until after the Cerebro training accident. But now, it is different and I am telling you as a fellow telepath that you cannot let this just go. Truly fulfilling relationships are not common for telepaths because we can feel the hidden parts of our partners despite what he or she says. Why do you think I resigned to remain alone all these years?" Xavier had said.
Jean tilted Marie's chin up with her free hand and gently squeezed Marie's hand with the other.
"Don't worry about this. This is my mess to deal with." Jean reached up and pulled Rogue close to her. She was too tired to try to think more about things that would probably transpire between her and Scott. For now, she just slept with Rogue securely by her side.
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(Dinner time on the same day. School is starting in three days.)
"Look whose back." Alison said a little bitterly over her dinner.
Piotr, Kitty and Marie looked out of the kitchen window and saw Betsy Braddock step out from her limo.
Alison snorted.
"Braddock. Old money. That and her brother's one of the most shrewd businessmen in the world. Braddock Corps owns half of the UK thanks to Brian Braddock. That's just what we need, more gigantic corporate conglomerates."
Piotr continued looking out the window.
"You shouldn't be so harsh. The Braddock family has done a lot. Not only did they adopt Elizabeth when her real family disowned her, but the Braddock family is the largest supporter of our school. I think without the Braddocks, you and I could not go to school here."
"Yes, but she's still very self centred." Marie still harbored the bitterness over Elizabeth from last semester.
Piotr shrugged his massive shoulders helplessly.
"She will have to learn to go beyond that." Piotr looked over at Kitty and smiled. "Katya was the last to dinner. You should get started if you want to go watch that movie."
Kitty crinkled her nose.
"What? Me late? It should be Marie doing dishes. She slept in and completely missed out on lunch! This is her lunch!"
Marie scoffed jokingly as she piled her dishes next to the sink.
"House rules never said anything about skipping meals. You were the last here, and you're doing the dishes." Rogue winked at the disgruntled Kitty before bolting out. She passed by the Professor's office and noticed that the door was still closed. Through her mental rapport, Rogue knew that Jean was still in the meeting that the Professor had called earlier that evening. Apparently, Xavier had recruited some new teachers for the school. Scott was in the meeting too, but it seemed he was the 'cool under fire' leader X-Man again, and did not react in any way around Jean.
As Marie walked near the garage, she heard the growling rumble of a motorcycle. Rogue smiled and quickened her pace to the garage entrance.
"Logan!" She still saw him as a bit of a protector.
He turned and hugged her as she ran up to him.
"Hey kid. Keeping busy?" He was still his gruff self and smelled more like cigar smoke than ever.
Marie smiled and shrugged.
"Of course."
Logan tilted his head and thoughtfully regarded Rogue.
"You grew." He took the cigar out of his mouth and looked Rogue up and down. He then tilted his head and sniffed the air. "Jean around?"
Rogue let her gaze travel aimlessly as she shrugged again.
"She's in a meeting. Xavier found some more teachers."
Logan grunted and leaned closer to smell Rogue. Rogue realized who it was he smelled and grew nervous very quickly.
Marie? Everything okay? Jean's mind voice came.
Huh? Yes. Logan's back and he's sniffing me.
He's what?
Marie suppressed a smile as she heard the slight undertone of possessiveness in Jean's mind voice. Jean was clearly quite aware of Logan's advances on women.
It's okay. He smells you... Marie trailed off as her attention returned back to Logan.
"You know, maybe you should tone down your training on her. You're beginning to smell like her." Logan popped the cigar back into his mouth, took a sniff of the air and then looked down the hall.
"Logan, welcome home." Xavier said as he wheeled towards Marie and Logan. Jean and Hank trailed closely behind, and four new adults, who Marie guessed were the newly recruited teachers, followed them in turn. "Logan, Marie, this is Ms. Frost, Mr. Forge, Mr. Cassidy and Ms. MacTaggert." After Logan and Rogue shook hands with the new teachers, Xavier continued speaking. "We took Marie in earlier this year to give her a home and help develop her powers. During the short time she's been her, Marie has all but mastered her gift." Marie blushed and Xavier smiled at her before continuing to talk, "And Mr. Logan here, well, he is our Phys. Ed teacher."
Logan raised an eyebrow and Xavier smiled a bit slyly.
"I'll explain later. Now," Xavier turned his wheel chair to continue on down the hall. "Shall we continue with our tour of the Mansion?"
"I'll catch up in a bit." Jean said and waited till the other adults had turned the hall before looking back at Logan and Rogue.
"Physical education? The Professor wants me to teach that?" Logan said a bit skeptically.
"That, or art." Jean looked down at the dusty duffel bag that Logan had used on his trip. "I wish you told us that you were coming back. We would have arranged for your room to be ready."
Logan stepped closer to Jean. Marie was oblivious to him now.
"Any room with you is ready enough for me." He said huskily.
Jean stood silently with a small smile set on her face. She should have seen that comment coming, but before she could think of something clever to say back Logan started to sniff her. He looked back up at her, perplexed, and then looked quickly back at Rogue.
"You taking on some of the kid's traits too? She smells like you, you smell like her."
Jean looked, uneasily, over at Marie, who could only stare helplessly back at the telepath.
Logan stepped back and tilted his head and a strange, small smile spread on his face. The scent trade couldn't have been caused by something as simple as sharing clothing. No, this was a scent trade that was similar to what he had smelled the first time that Logan had seen Jean. Except, then it was Scott's scent he smelled on Jean. He sniffed the air again before he formulated a proper conclusion. He smirked a little.
"Now that's interesting." He looked back at Marie and then to Jean. "Wanna tell me that what I think is happening between you two is just some strange fantasy I'm having?"
Jean crossed her arms and looked over at Marie again. Neither said anything.
"Cykes know?" Logan asked, amusement danced in his eyes.
Marie nodded slightly and Logan smirked.
"Wish I was there to see it." Logan wasn't really sure what to do at that point. One of the reasons why he loved chasing Jean was because it bothered Scott to no end. Logan had no love for that man and loved the idea of doing anything that would spite Scott. But Marie; this was different. Logan still craved for Jean, but now Marie was in the picture. He narrowed his eyes and pressed his lips in a line as he reassessed what he just discovered.
"How was your trip to Japan?" Marie blurted out as she tried to defuse the situation.
Logan smirked again.
"Not as interesting as the things that happened here." He picked up his duffel bag and shouldered it. "I think I'll be able to find my room."
I hoped you liked this chapter. Good ol' Logan. Follow your nose! Go Review! 60 reviews by Tuesday!! Sixty!