I got some mixed reviews… I'm wondering if that's good or bad… I'll ignore it for now, but don't worry, that was the first and last violence from Scott to Jean. And don't get caught up in the whole Phoenix thing, I was only referring to it, I'm not going to make a huge thing in this story unless I want to.

Chapter 2

Scott cupped the cold water in his hands and splashed it over his face. He had never lost it like that before, and what was worse was that Jean was his friend, but he hated her. How could he consider her his best friend when he hated her with such passion at the same time? Scott splashed more water over his face and leaned over the sink. He stood there breathing for several minutes listening to the water rush from the spigot. His hands braced the porcelain edges of the white sink then he lifted his head and slipped his visor back on. He continued to stand therethinking and swearing at himself. He heard the door to the locker room open and shut and lock. A light weight sat down on a bench. Jean, he thought, but he had to be careful, for if he thought too loudly she could "hear" him. I'm sorry; he thought to himself, she'll never forgive me.

"Oh I'll forgive you eventually, just not for now."

Scott looked up and saw the slim red head standing in the bathroom doorway, one arm leaning on the doorpost the other hand on her hip. The black band that normally ran across her forehead to help keep her hair out of face was pushed back and hanging loose behind her neck allowing her glorious red hair to hang free. Scott couldn't breathe for a moment when he saw her, she was so beautiful… Jean stared at him for a moment longer then turned on her heel and walked out ofthe locker room the door shutting heavily behind her. He hung his head. He may have well just lost his best friend. There has to be some way I can apologize to Jean from the bottom of my heart, Scott thought.

Jean stood at her locker busying herself with trying to find a book so she wouldn't have to listen to Duncan going on and on about the "major Christmas bash" he was going to be throwing at his house with "hot chicks and mad booze". Christmas isn't for another four weeks, Jean thought to herself as she pulled one book out then another and another, and still she couldn't find what she was looking for. Wow, four weeks till Christmas. That means it's been two weeks since Scott… Jean stopped her thoughts right there. It had been two weeks since Scott "attacked" her, because she didn't know if she could call it an attack. She had kept minimal contact since the incident, working up some way to forgive him.

"Jean, I have to go to class, I have a test to make up."

"Ok, see you later." Jean turned and was met with Duncan kissing her, she couldn't say she didn't like it because she did, Duncan was a good kisser. "Bye."

"Bye." Duncan kissed her forehead and walked off.

"Jean," Jean turned again and was met this time by Scott. "Hey,"

"Hey." She responded, a bit coldly.

"These are for you." Scott handed her two red rose that had not yet unfurled their petals.

"Scott…"

"And this." He continued withdrawing from his pocket a small piece of paper, on which Jean noticed Scott's neat scrawling handwriting. A hand written apology what are the odds of that, she thought, and knew at once that she must pay attention to every word he said. "Jean, words cannot express how sorry I am for what I did, so I'm noteven going to try. I made a huge mistake and I'll understand if you never forgive me for it. I let my ego get in the way far too often and I know it's the center of our fights and blowouts. I'm sorry. And don't try to say you're sorry, even if you don't want to, for what you said to me. I needed a reality check. I vow to you from now on that I won't be that overbearing, egotistical, self-centered asshole that I was." Scott stopped and looked up at her. "You're my best friend, Jean. I don't want to lose you. I'm truly sorry."

Jean stood there searching for words. "It must have takenyou some time to come up with the guts to say all that, because it is so true."

"I know, Jean, do you forgive me?"

"Yes, Scott, I forgive you."

"You do?"

"Yes, I do. You're my best friend, too. I could never stay angry at you forever." Jean turned to place the roses and the note in her locker. She turned back to Scott and smiled, he returned it. That charming, sexy smile that always made her go weak in the knees. Scott had those full lips that were just irresistible. She longed to lean up and kiss him… Their lips were only inches apart… And then the bell rang for first period. Jean snapped back to reality and shook her head a little. "I'll see you later." She said shutting her locker and grabbing up her bag. "Bye, Scott. Thank you." She hurriedly kissed him on the cheek and ran off down the hall. Scott stood there with his hand touching where Jean had kissed him and walked to class still holding his cheek.

When lunch time rolled around Scott decided, since he had a few dollars in his pocket, he'd buy lunch, not that the cafeteria food was ever good, (A/N: I'm still a junior in high school, cafeteria food is NOT good). He had a choice between some goopy looking sandwich or a very watery soup. He chose the sandwich and got a fruit cup and potato wedges to go with it. He reached the end of the line and paid for his lunch then proceeded out into the sitting area. He saw Jean sitting at a table and he felt his smile brighten at the aspect of her sitting alone and being able to sit with her, when he noticed that she was already sitting with Duncan and his goons and their ditzy cheerleader girlfriends. Frowning to himself, Scott walked over to a table in the corner and sat by himself. He watched Jean from where he sat picking at his food and not really eating. Sitting there alone reminded himself of how alone he had been throughout his life, and he realized that all he needed was a companion to sit with him throughout the rest of it. As he thought of this it dawned on him that that companion was sitting on the opposite side of the cafeteria. He knew then that he was going to do everything he could to tell Jean Grey that he loved her, that he had always loved her, and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

Jean wasn't happy, to say the least. She never was when she sat with Duncan, she just made it look like she was happy. Her eyes began wandering off her plate and around the cafeteria, she spotted Scott. He was walking off to the corner. By himself, Jean thought.

"Hey, Duncan, I'm going to go sit with Scott."

"Yeah whatever, babe." Duncan said not looking at her. Jean just shook her head and picked up her tray, pushed her chair in, and walked off to where Scott was sitting.

"Hey, Scott." She said gently. He looked up clearly surprised to see her.

"Hey," he said pulling a chair out for her. As she sat beside him she noticed he looked more sullen than he usually did.

"Hey, want to tell me what's bothering you?" Jean asked laying a calming hand on his shoulder.

"You want the honest truth?" he asked carefully.

"I expect nothing less or more."

"I don't like you going out with Duncan, he doesn't deserve you, Jean. You can do so much better."

"Yeah I know." Jean sighed. "I've actually been thinking about breaking it off with him for a while now, but I just can't get over the fact that someone like him actually likes someone like me."

"Jean, all he sees you as is a piece of ass, no offense."

"None taken, I know that, but still, he chose me, Scott." Jean tried as hard as she could to make Scott see it her way, one of her less attractive qualities, but Scott wouldn't. Duncan just wasn't the one for her. I'm the one for her, Scott thought very quietly to himself, no one else. Duncan just keeps dragging her down and destroying her self image. I can give her everything she ever wanted in a relationship. I should be the one to hold her, protect her and keep her safe. I should be the one to… I should be the one to love her for who she truly is, not what Duncan thinks she isn't. I love you, Jean, so much, I just wish I could make you see that. "What?" Jean asked looking up from her plate.

"Nothing." Scott responded. "Let's just talk. I liked that when we used to sit together all the time and just talk."

"Yeah." Jean said quietly. "That always was nice."

"Jean, move it!" Logan yelled from the observation dome above the Danger Room. "You're slowin' down, Red!" Jean formed her TK bubble around herself as she dove to avoid bullet shots from the training guns. She was the last person in the group to get to the podium. Her turn to bring up the rear and cover everyone else, (A/N: If you're wondering who has Jean's back, no one obviously. The guns aren't programmed to target her). She stood but had to duck immediately again and deflected a series of laser blasts.

"Logan, I need help!" Jean shouted into the tiny microphone headset that she and everyone was wearing.

"I gotcha covered!" Scott shouted as he ran back. "Drop the shield!" Jean did and erected itonce again as soon as Scott was beside her. "I don't know what made Logan decide to make this session harder than all the others." He whispered.

"Maybe it's the fact that you tried to strangle me." Jean retorted.

"Please, let's not go back down that road. Go!" Scott yelled as soon as aclear path opened. They ran as fast as they could, Scott blasting at projectiles and Jean continuing to deflect whatever blasts came at them. They made it to the podium, the last two, the other team members had crossed the line already and were safe. Scott got ready to throw the switch that would allow them to cross the line when Jean grabbed his shoulder. Everything went in slow motion for Scott after that. Jean shouted something that sounded like "Cyclops, look out!" and he turned just in time to see a laser pointed at them, aimed at him. He turned and wrapped his arms around Jean, feeling her pushing him off the podium. They fell just as the laser shot at where they had just stood and the podium exploded. As Scott landed the slow motion effect stopped. Then he heard a screech and looked over to see Jean rolling and holding her left wrist. She had landed completely the wrong way. "Jean!"

The Danger Room shut down and the heavy doors swung open. Logan and the rest of the team came running in followed by Hank and Xavier. Scott rolled Jean onto her back and laid her head in his lap. She was breathing fast and her eyes were shut tight in pain. He wiped her hair off her face, her forehead was damp with sweat from the session and her face turning red from the silent tears running down her face. "Jean, hey, what happened?"

"I'm fine." She choked out.

"No you're not." Logan said as he arrived. "I saw how you fell." Hank crouched down beside her and took her wrist. Jean held back a shout and let out a moan.

"It's broken, and her left ankle is sprained, it's already swelling. Scott, help her to her feet and down to the med-bay. I'll be right there." Scott did, Jean's right arm around his shoulders and his left across her back.

"She was completely distracted with trying to make sure Scott was safe." Logan said and Hank gave him a look.

Scott helped Jean up onto an exam table and then sit with her legs straight out. Jean let her left wrist rest against her middle. "Thanks." She said quietly.

"You're welcome. And thank you, too."

"For what?" Jean looked at him.

"For saving me."

"Oh, you're welcome. I mean that was my priority this time." Jean smiled gently and Scott returned it.

"All right, I'm here." Hank announced. His sudden presence snapped the two teens from their gaze on each other. Hank went about gathering what he would need to treat Jean then got to work. Scott kept his left hand on her lower back to help her sit up, his other laying on the table, (A/N: I had to actually assume the position Jean's in to write this little part so I could get Scott's position right! LOL!). He stood facing her, parallel to the table. Jean brought her right hand up and clasped his threading their fingers. It felt a little weird, but the comfort was still there in holding Scott's hand, realizing how right it felt, and that was all she needed. Scott looked down at it. His sudden twitch made Hank look up from where he was wrapping Jean's ankle and he saw their hands intertwined. He raised an eyebrow. "Wrist." He said, and Jean slowly gave Hank her wrist. When he reached for more wrap he saw Scott's hand gently rubbing Jean's back. "Done." He announced a few minutes later. "You're ankle should be better within a week, and your wrist should heal in time for Christmas."

"Yeah for me, it's not like I'm going anywhere." Scott helped Jean down off the table his arm wrapping securely around her waist.

"Do you want a pair of crutches?" Hank asked. Jean said yes, that she would probably need them for school. Then Scott helped held the door for herand walked with her down the hallway helping her when she needed it. Hank just shook his head and said, "Well, at least its finally starting."

A/N: Well, did you like it, did you hate it? REVIEW PLEASE!