Hi, everyone! Thank you all for the reviews, I appreciate all you all have to say, and I appreciate all the encouragement, I can really use all I can get right now, I need it! I survived the SATs! All the stress of my junior year is OVER! I'm so happy. I cried so much on Sat. (3/12/05) after they were over out of relief and just because it had been building up in me since the beginning of my junior year. I think I cried at least eight times. Well, now that that's all over I can concentrate a little more on my stories, and I really hope I'll be able to catch up on them!

Well, about this chapter I'm titling it because I consider it the turning point in the story. I'll tell you now; it's going to be long. The chapter is separated into parts its so long. I've been working on these ideas for months and I was finally able to write them, so I felt like my brain was being emptied, like when my Dad had to erase my hard drive on my comp and reboot it. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I put a lot of time and thought, and consideration into it and I hope it shows!

RedPhoenix1821


Chapter 6: The Shocker

Part I:

Scott opened Jean's door slowly keeping it open just wide enough for him to slip in (A/N: we all know how skinny he is-he's sooooo gorgeously skinny, forgive me, I love men whose waists I can wrap my arms around-so he's really not opening the door that wide.) undetected. He looked over his shoulder to make sure no one was walking down the hall that could see him, (namely Logan) and he slipped inside shutting and locking the door behind him. He crossed the room to her bed where she lay sleeping soundly, beautifully. Angelically, he thought. His sock clad feet made no sound as he crossed her cream-colored carpet. She lay with her head against one pillow, one arm wrapped around it underneath and supporting her head, and the other draped across her middle. He stood over her watching her side rise and fall as she slept, the quiet sound of her breathing combined with the occasional grunt in her dreamy state. He crouched down beside her stared at her face and marveled at how relaxed she appeared. The last few months had been rough on her, school wise. She had explained to him that because of her powers she had completely missed out on her junior year of high school, including HSPAs and SATs, and a junior paper. She had been spending the last three months taking all those tests and writing both her junior and senior paper. Now it was all over, and she was relieved, she had said she could finally be at peace with her mind and have her sanity back. Scott stroked the hand that was closest to him then slipped his fingers through hers and squeezed gently. Jean grunted and shifted slightly. Her eyes opened slowly. She smiled when they focused and she saw that it was Scott who was with her. He smiled back.

"Good morning." He said quietly. Jean continued to smile and rolled onto her side propping herself up on elbow, Scott continued to hold her hand.

"Good morning." She whispered back. Her voice was scratchy from a cold she was still getting over. "What time is it?"

"Almost ten, you slept over twelve hours, feel better?"

"First good sleep I've had in months."

Scott nodded in understanding remembering his junior year all too well. "I bet. Are you hungry?"

"Starving."

"I'll treat us to breakfast, but I want to give you something first." Scott stood. Jean moved over in her bed to make room for him. She held her blanket up and he got beneath it with her wrapping an arm around her and pulling her to him. Jean snuggled up to his chest and rested her head right next to his. She took his hand and laced their fingers where they lay on the pillow. They laid in silence for several minutes just staring at each other and playing with each other's hands. "I love you." Scott whispered breaking the silence between them.

"I know, I love you, too." Jean made a small sound of content and leaned in to kiss him. He returned it. The kiss was soft, nothing too passionate; this was the time just to be slow and tender. Jean hummed a little in Scott's embrace, making it obvious that she was happy and didn't want him to move from it or let her go. "So what do you want to give me?"

"Close your eyes." He whispered. Jean did. "Don't open them until I say." Jean mouthed 'ok'. Scott reached into his pocket and fished around until he found what he was searching for. He pulled it from his pocket and stared at it for a minute, thinking over what he was going to do and how Jean would react. He held it in hi fingers and took her hand again squeezing gently. Jean smiled. "You ready?" he asked. Jean nodded. "Open your eyes." He whispered. Jean did, and gasped.

"Scott, wha-what is this?"

Scott was holding out to her a platinum and diamond ring with three tiny diamonds in the band on either side of the middle one. He took a deep breath. "Will you marry me, Jean?" he whispered. Jean looked from him to the ring and back to him with a look of shock on her face. She swallowed; he could tell she was trying extremely hard to hold back tears. She shut her eyes for a moment, bit her lip and then opened them again, and nodded her head. Scott took another deep breath. "Before we graduate this year."

"What? Scott's that's, like, in three months."

"I know. Please. Say you'll marry me before we graduate this year."

Jean lay there thinking very hard. This was the decision she had been looking forward to since her childhood, and once her powers had become part of her life she had let the dream of finding love fade away. And then Scott came into her life and the dream returned. Now the dream was happening faster than she had planned. Now she had an even bigger decision to make. She swallowed again. "I'll marry you before we graduate, but promise me, nothing big or extravagant."

"I wasn't planning that anyway." Scott said slowly then he pulled Jean in and kissed her deeply. When they parted they both were crying. Scott slipped the ring onto her left ring finger then kissed her again. (A/N: I cried when I wrote this part. I went out for coffee with one of my youth group leaders, and she asked me about my writing. After I spent bout fifteen minutes explaining what I do to her, she said, "Ok, so you get to kind of play out your fantasies in your writing. You get to express your dreams and wants for your future." She's right. Mostly I write things I wish would happen to me now, or things I want to happen to me in the future. I pray that some of them do happen, but I'm not expecting them to.) They parted and Jean stared at the ring. Tears sprang again. Scott pulled her into him and held her against his chest as he kissed and stroked her hair. She never felt so happy or loved in her life. She knew right then that this was true love, and that Scott was her true one and only.

Jean was still in a dazed state of mind after Scott had left to allow her to shower and dress so they could go out to breakfast. The state followed her to breakfast and remained with her throughout the rest of the day. They walked around the institute several times in the crisp March air and discussed plans. Jean brought up the topic of telling her parents, explaining how much of a shock it would be to them. Scott really wanted to confess a secret to her at that moment but felt it would be better if he kept his mouth shut and waited for the right time to tell her.

Jean went on to say that her sister was having her engagement party the following weekend and that she was required by her mother to be there and to bring an appropriate date with her. Scott piped up and said that she really had no choice anymore. They were stuck together. Jean said that she was going to bring him no matter what. Dates didn't get any better than him. Scott laughed and kissed her then. She said that then would most likely be the only chance they would get to tell her parents. It wasn't going to be the best situation to tell them and that it would probably not only piss her mother off, but most likely her sister as well. Jean explained that her sister was "perfect". She could never do anything wrong.

She had always been the center of attention while Jean had been growing up, but her father always treated her (Jean)like a princess and treated her to special things every now and then. She went on again to say that since Sara had been so "special and wonderful, and perfect" that she was going to make her engagement party all about her, and if they brought up the topic of their engagement (A/N: hers and Scott's-duh, I know, but sometimes people don't get it), not only would her family be shocked, but they might begin to make them the center of the party and Sara would find something to criticize about them and exploit it to get back all the attention. That was basically the only concern that Jean had. Scott had others, however. Jean's mother would more than likely make the party all about Sara, and she would be the most shocked of all. She would begin disparaging Scott and everything about him, saying that Jean could do so much better than him and that she expected better from her daughter. She would spend the rest of the time that they were there critiquing this and that about Scott and going on and on about his faults and errors, and liabilities. Jean stepped into his talking and interrupted him for a moment to say that she would stand by him all the way and not let her mother abuse him like that. She would stand her mother down and tell her off if necessary. She said that there was nothing better than him, and that she knew that there was nothing better out there. She had gotten the best of them all, and that she was blessed above all to have someone so wonderful and devoted in her life. Someone who loved her for who she was, not how she looked. Her mother wanted her to find someone with a good name and good breeding, and a good background. Scott said he knew he wasn't that kind of person, and Jean said she didn't care. "You is all I want, you and nothing else. You are "perfect"." She wrapped her arm around his waist and held him close to her feeling him press against her side and hold as well. Between them was something that could never be broken, smashed to pieces, or destroyed. Something so strong not even the most destructive force on the world could tear them apart. A love so strong would remain between them no matter what would or could happen, a love strong enough to stand the test of time and the test of faith, and above all, the test of honor.

Part II

John Grey was a proud man, proud of who he was, proud of his family, and mostly proud of his youngest daughter. She had gone through and accomplished things in her life that he could have never imagined, and yet she had persevered through it all, standing strong and keeping her ground. He stood waiting on the front porch of the Grey household. His eldest daughter's engagement party was taking place elsewhere. He had volunteered to stay behind and wait for Jean to show up then he, she and whomever she was bringing would drive over to where the party was. He saw a familiar red and white convertible approaching up the driveway. "Good," he said to himself, "I was hoping she would bring him." The convertible pulled up into the large circular driveway then Scott got out and walked over and opened Jean's door and took her hand. When Jean looked up and saw her father she rushed into his arms and hugged him. "How's my girl?"

"Great." Jean turned and smiled at Scott. "Scott, come here." Scott walked up and kissed her cheek. Jean blushed.

"Are you taking good care of her?"

Scott nodded. "Yes, I am, sir."

"Did you ask her?"

"Yes I did."

"What's going on?" Jean asked, suddenly very confused.

"I called your father about three weeks ago and asked for his permission to marry you."

"I don't wholly support this, but I can see that you two are deeply in love, and…" John Grey couldn't find the words to complete his sentence. He was too overcome by the radiant smile on his daughter's face. She stood before him with her arms wrapped around Scott's waist and her head resting on his shoulder. It had been so long since he had seen her this happy. She had finally found someone who could make her truly happy. "Are you two ready to go?" he asked once he had collected himself internally. They both nodded.

"I can't wait to see how my mother takes this." Jean murmured to Scott as they walked to her father's car.


"They you are, finally. I was beginning to wonder if you had gotten lost." Elaine Grey exclaimed as Jean and her father walked into the building where Sara and Paul's party wastaking place. Jean could see the room in the distance. It was decorated mostly in pink (Sara's favorite color). What, is she predicting a girl as their first child? Jean thought to herself. "Jean, where's your date. I told you to bring an appropriate date with you."

"I did." Jean said. She reached behind and found Scott's hand grasping it and pulling him forward. "Mom, you remember Scott. I brought him around at Christmas time, he's the one I performed in the show at school with."

"Oh, yes, yes of course." Elaine hummed. "How are you, Scott?" she asked giving him a slight, quick hug. Jean saw him wince and smirked to herself internally. Don't worry, she told him through their link, she won't do that again, I promise. "I'm glad you could make it." She heard her mother saying to Scott. Jean picked up a minute thought floating across the front of her mother's mind just then. She didn't need to hear, though, she could read it loud and clear on her face. Jean could have done so much better… Jean grimaced behind her mother's back and resisted the urge the flip her off, and instead stifled a crude swear that made Scott gasp.


"I don't know if I can take much more of this." Scott muttered into Jean's ear three hours later. They were sitting at one of the long tables, draped in pink paper and completed with pink napkins and small pink paper plates for the pink cake that was going to be served "very soon", set up at the back of the room. A limbo contest (A/N: of all the things I could possibly come up with) was taking place out on the small dance in the middle of the room. Jean had her head resting in her hand with her elbow on the table for support.

"I hear you." She responded looking sideways at Scott. "I know exactly how you feel." She let her head drop to her folded arms and turned to look at him. "You want to go somewhere else?"

"Like where, we could easily get lost around here."

"Exactly…" Jean whispered into his ear. Scott's eyebrows shot up at her implication and noticed the wine glass in her hand.

"I think you've had a few sips too many." He said taking the glass from her grasp and draining the rest of it himself. "Whoo, I needed that."

"I had two sips, the glass was barely half full. This party is just so boring (A/N: even w/ the limbo music playing in the front and Jean being able to see her sister make a complete idiot out of herself). Jean stood and took Scott's hand. "Come on." She said pulling him up from his seat and out of the room with her. Unbeknownst to them, Jean's mother had caught them leaving.

"Where are you taking me?" Scott pestered as Jean led him down a hallway. They stopped at a large walk-in closet. Large enough to hold several dozen coats. (A/N: you know the ones that they have at ose huge get together places for parties-no not a coat room) Right now it was only half full. Jean pulled Scott inside and they slipped behind some coats. "What are we doing-" Before Scott could finish his sentence, or even his thought for that matter, Jean had wrapped her hand around the back of his head and pulled him into a kiss. His arms snaked instinctively around her waist and held her close as he other wound around his neck. They stood there kissing for what felt like several long minutes, when suddenly the coats were thrown open and Jean's mother stood there breathing like an angry rhinoceros. (A/N: I'll bet she looked like one too. HA HA, I'm so mean, so not a nice person…).

"Just what the hell is going on here?" she demanded insistently. Jean felt Scott's arms disengage from her waist and her arms fall from his neck.

"We were just looking for a quiet corner to talk." Jean said innocently.

"Young lady, out here, now. And you, I don't want to see you around my daughter ever again."

"Well that's going to be hard mother," Jean started as she took Scott's hand and led him from the closet, "because I love him, and you can't make me leave him."

"We'll see what your father has to say about this." Elaine Grey stated grabbing her daughter's wrist and dragging her, who dragged Scott, back to the room. Jean looked over her shoulder and smirked. Daddy already knows… Scott smiled back. When they reached the room, Elaine pulled John aside and kept their conversation in a corner f the room. "I caught them in the closet, John, in the closet!" Jean and Scott were looking away innocently.

"Kids…"

"I told her we were discussing things." Jean avoided her father's eyes.

"You haven't told her yet, have you?"

Elaine looked from one person to the next with a slightly dazed expression. "What am I missing here?"

"Mom," Jean let Scott's hand go, "we're engaged." She held her left hand up. Her mother grabbed her hand and looked at the ring.

"Jean, you're eighteen!" she hissed.

"Yeah," Scott cut in, not afraid to take a stand against Jean's mother, "and we're getting married before we graduate high school this year. That's in three months." Jean shut her eyes and waited for the shrieking to begin. It never did.

"You're letting them do this?" Elaine asked her husband.

"Mom, please don't try anything to tear us apart. I love him with all my heart, please mom. Accept this for once. This is what we want. This makes me happy."

Elaine stared at her daughter; she was still holding her hand. She let it drop and continued to stare at Jean.

"Fine," she said, "whatever makes you happy. That's what counts." Jean's eyes widened. That was the last thing she would have expected. Then she threw her arms around her mother and hugged her tight.

"Thank you, mom, thank you!"


John Grey tapped the glass with his fork and waited for conversations to cease or die down. He stood slowly with his glass in his hand. "This is such a day for me, and I know there are more to come. Sara, Paul I am so happy for you both, this is your day. I do have one thing to say, however. I would like to announce not only the engagement of my eldest daughter, but also… the engagement of my youngest."

Jean saw Sara gasp and a smile spread across her face. She rushed over to her sister and hugged her. "I knew he would get you. I saw it at Christmas, I just knew it! Now we get to plan our weddings together!"

"Yeah, except mine will be taking place long before yours."

Sara let her sister go. "What do you mean?" Scott stood along with Jean and they held hands.

"We're getting married before we graduate this year." He said with a smile.

"Are you serious? Rushing it aren't we?"

Jean clasped her other hand over Scott's and smiled. "Yeah, we are, but we'll be ok."

Part III

The alarm went off with its usual screeching announcement that it was morning. Scott ignored it. Jean rolled over in the bed they now shared in his room and reached across his sleeping form to turn the alarm off. She pushed her hair behind her ear and kissed his right temple. "Time to wake up." She whispered. Scott mumbled something inarticulate and rolled over trapping Jean beneath him as he wrapped his arms around her. "Hey, what is this?" Jean laughed. Scott opened his eyes behind his night goggles and smiled at Jean.

"Good morning." He said to her with a dopey smile.

"Good morning." She replied. "I see you're awake after all."

"Yeah." Scott leaned down and kissed her, the kind of morning kiss that was slow but still full of passion because the person wasn't quite awake. They lay therefor a while laying in the bed and touching lips every now and then and toying with each other's hands, twining fingers, untwining them, and then twining them again. Scott looked down at her, she was beautiful just laying there on the white sheets staring back up at him. He kissed her again. It was a good thing he was, just then there was a knock on his door loud enough to make Jean squeak in surprise.

"Scott!" it was Logan.

"What?" Scott yelled back, annoyed that his moment with Jean had been interrupted.

"Get up! You and Jean have a class to teach in thirty minutes!"

"Oh shit… that's right." Scott muttered to himself. "Ok. Just give me a minute. Go wake Jean up!"

"She's not in her room."

"Whatever, Ill find her." Scott heard Jean stifle a giggle with his pillow. He waited until he heard Logan walk away. "You should go." He whispered to her rolling back over into her arms. She pulled his head to her chest and cuddled him for a minute then she looked at him and kissed him.

"Ok. I'll see you downstairs." She kissed him again and then slipped from his bed. She blew him a kiss on her way out.

"Love you, too." He said quietly.


They were both downstairs in ten minutes, Jean was shoving the rest of a bagel smothered in salmon cream cheese into her mouth then she popped a mint. Scott came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. They were alone, it would be another fifteen minutes before any of their "students" would show up. They were always late. He turned Jean around in his arms and kissed her deeply, her arms looping around his neck and bringing him closer. She parted from him and stared at him in his uniform. She loved him in his uniform, it showed off his body so well.

"Can I kiss you without the visor on?" Jean asked quietly.

"Jean…I don't know…"

Jean told him to shut his eyes, he did, and she slid his visor off. Then slowly, very slowly she slid her hand around the back of his neck and up into his hair and brought his mouth forward. She let her hands run over the sides of his face and up his jaw. She parted from him and ruffled his soft hair.

"That wasn't so bad." She said slipping his visor back on.

"Yeah, I liked it. Do you have to work later? You ok?" Scott took Jean's hand away from her temple.

"Yeah, just a headache. Yes, you?"

"Yes, you want to have lunch together?" Scott took her hand and they began walking to the Danger Room so they could begin to set up for their class, not that any of their students did anything, considering Jean and Scott inferior because they were so young.

"Sure. Are you going to feed me like you did last time?"

"Yeah, and I think we had an audience, too. Some of the other girls looked really jealous when you kissed me."

"I couldn't help myself. I love you."

Scott took both her hands and kissed her cheek. "I love you, too." He said swinging their hands. "You're the most wonderful person I've ever known."

Jean smiled and blushed a little. She wasn't used to having people compliment her so much. Even though Scott didn't do it very often, he just told her how muchhe loved her. "You know, when I first came here, I thought… should I move forward with my life, or go backward to the little insecure child I had always been? And then I met you…" She looked up at Scott, her hair falling from its part and accenting her face felt ever so gently. Scott brushed it aside and cupped her jaw in his gloved hand.

"I'm so glad you started wearing your contacts, your eyes are far too beautiful to hide behind glasses. And I'm glad that you kept your hair straight, it's so lovely. Just like you." He kissed her again. He never stopped sometimes, and Jean never complained, she felt so loved and appreciated when she was with Scott. He made her feel alive again, brought out her wild side who she really inside and made her shine with a radiant glow. She could never stop smiling around him. Her cheeks even flushed in a blush and made her smile more. Scott loved her smile, it always made him smile.

She felt like Scott was her 'it'. He was the one. They were destined to be together for the rest of their lives. She knew they were rushing their little "marriage" but she wanted it now just as much as he did.

"Two weeks." She said smiling at him.

"Two weeks." He repeated.


A/N: REVIEW PLEASE! I'm going to try and finish this story before i go to Florida for Spring Break, but never fear i'm bringing my laptop with me soI can write on the plane but I probably won't be able to get internet access. Again, REVIEW PLEASE!