A/N: Let it be known that I'm really dissatisfied with the ending of this chapter. It makes me sad, how poorly it's written. But I feel the need to post anyway, hopefully the next chapter will more than make up for it! I am so sorry this is up so late! I fully intended for it to be up last weekend, but then I left my notebook at school, so I didn't have any of the story. .
Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing except for any changes to the plot that you don't recognize.
"Normal speaking"
'telepathically speaking'
thoughts
XxX
Jean ran as though she'd never run before. She stumbled, tears blinding her eyes, too humiliated to pause and collect her bearings. Scott had seen her. He'd seen her shirt slipping off her shoulder, her mussed hair, and flushed cheeks. But worst of all he'd seen the humiliation, the fury, the fear, blatant in her eyes. He was probably making some excuse to Taryn now, rolling his eyes behind those concealing shades and muttering about picking up the shattered bits of Jean Grey once again.
What had Scott been doing there anyways? That wasn't his scene. He hated Duncan with a "passion stronger than the fire of a thousand suns" he'd once said, so why was he at Matthews' party? Unless . . . no, Jean wouldn't allow herself to think of it. It brought too much hope, and hope was something she'd given up on long ago. Hope never failed to disappoint – just as maybe always meant yes to a child but no to an adult. Maybe we'll buy a dog, Jean. If you're good, maybe you'd only have to stay at the Institute for a little while. Maybe we'll visit you on you're birthday. Jean couldn't stand to be disappointed again. She didn't want any more maybes. She wanted a straight answer – yes or no.
XxX
"Jean?" Scott's voice was hesitant as he approached; afraid his presence might set her running again. Not that that had been a problem. Scott was fast. He wasn't on the track team for nothing. But competition was only part of the reason he ran. He'd had more uncertainties in his lifetime than most, so many questions, so many definite answers he was searching for. He'd spent his whole life chasing something unknown to him, and finally, he was certain, he'd caught her and he wasn't about to let her run again.
Jean was sitting on a rock, legs crossed and back leaning against a withered tree. Her cheeks were blotchy and tears still shimmered in her eyes, but she held her head high, eyes staring straight ahead. "Come to take pity on me?" She questioned in a voice that was not her own.
"N-no," Scott stammered, taken aback by the coldness in her voice. "I just came to see if you're all right, is that a crime?"
"I don't need your sympathy, Scott, nor do I need you to gloat. You were right, I was wrong. Duncan's a jerk and we're through. Happy?"
"That you're no longer with Duncan? Of course!" He circled the rock, taking a seat beside her. "But I hate that you're upset, and I hate that you think that I think coming after you is some kind of chore." He inched closer, tentatively sliding his arm around her shoulders. When she didn't protest, Scott pulled her close, and she reluctantly laid her head on his shoulder. "You're my best friend, Jean. I will always be there for you, whether you want me or not."
Jean sniffled, trying her best not to cry. Deep inside, she knew that what Scott was saying was true. But on the surface she was afraid to believe him. "Thanks," she murmured, "but shouldn't you be with Taryn?"
Scott's cheeks colored and Jean could feel him shift uneasily beneath her. "No . . ."
"Mr. Summers, I may be your best friend, but she is your girlfriend." Jean found herself slightly chastising him. What is wrong with you, Jean? You know friendship always comes first.
"Jean, we made a pact freshmen year that friends would always come before boy or girlfriends. I don't know about you, but I intend to stick to my promise. Besides," he added, "She's not exactly my girlfriend anymore."
Jean sat up so fast she nearly tumbled off the rock. "What do you mean she's 'not exactly' your girlfriend anymore?"
"We broke up," he said with a simple shrug of his shoulders.
"Why? I always thought you two were happy together."
"And everyone thought you and Duncan were the perfect couple."
Jean stared at him in a stunned silence and the red of his cheeks deepened. "I'm sorry, that was really low."
"No," Jean said slowly, "You're right."
Both unsure of what to say, the two sat in silence. A tumultuous turbulence of thoughts tumbled through each of their minds, but nothing that either could put into words. A cool breeze danced around them, teasing Jean's hair across Scott's face. Jean shrived involuntarily, leaning closer to Scott who chivalrously removed his jacket and wordlessly draped it over her shoulders. The forest seemed to hold the magic of the moment and neither teen wanted to move, fearful of breaking its captive spell. As he grew steadily colder, Scott turned towards Jean. "I'd guess we'd best be getting home."
"Yeah," she sat up reluctantly, trying not to smile. "I guess you're right."
Fingers brushing and shoulders bumping, Scott fought the urge to grasp Jean's hand as they walked side by side back to Scott's car.
XxX
By noon the next day, news of Bayville High's star couple's break-up had spread like fire, reaching the ears of nearly every student. The story had been grossly exaggerated from the original incident and the latest version seemed to be that Jean was carrying Duncan's child and he refused to father it. All in all, the grief from the break-up seemed to be hitting Jean the hardest. Whispering girls broke into guilty giggles as she passed. Freshmen girls commended her for dumping Duncan while senior girls sneered and thanked her for freeing up the school "stud." An immature group of sophomores even had the nerve to saunter up and offer to father Jean's baby. This last encounter had left the boys guffawing and Jean nearly in tears. Anxious to get away from the circling rumors, Jean fled the building, deliberately avoiding the quad as she searched for an area of solitude. Needing a place to vent, she stumbled onto the empty soccer field.
"98, 99, 100 . . ." Jean found herself ten minutes later, juggling a ball on the deserted field. Bounce on the shin, her foot, kick up to her chest, head it and "Scoooooore!" Jean cheered in mock victory as the ball sailed into the tattered goal. After a lap around the field and some brief warm-ups, Jean could feel her stress melting way. This was life; no school, no worries, no rumors, no boys, just her and the soccer ball.
Jean was so enveloped in her trance that she didn't notice the boy walking in front of the closed concession stand as she bounced the ball once on her head and extended her leg in a high shot against the wall.
Senses perfect from years of training blind, the whistling of the ball cutting through the air reached Scott ears, giving him just enough time to drop to the ground before the soccer ball skimmed the top of his head. Scott let out a low whistle, marveling at his luck. Before he could get up, Jean had appeared, crouching on the ground in front of him. "I am so sorry! I didn't see you coming! Are you all right?"
"I should be asking you the same question," Scott pushed himself upright and leaned back against the wall. "That was some kick. Anyone in particular you were hoping to kill?"
Jean blushed, exceedingly embarrassed as her fury dissipated. "The majority of the student body?" She offered sheepishly.
"Oh, they still giving you grief over last night?"
She nodded, "Yeah, what about you?"
Scott shrugged, scratching the back of his head. "A couple of glares from Taryn's crew but nothing too monumental. A few guys have thanked me for freeing her up. No one can understand why I dumped 'such a babe'."
"Why did you?" Jean questioned softly.
Scott shrugged again, looking somewhat uncomfortable. "Taryn's nice, she's a good girlfriend, but she just wasn't the right girl for me."
"Why dump her now? Why not wait 'till you've found that girl?" Jean scrutinized Scott carefully, noticing the slight flush of his cheeks and small smile playing on his lips. "You have found her, haven't you?"
"I think so," he whispered, staring at the field.
Jean felt her heart fall as she watched the radiant exuberance on Scott's face. If asked, she wouldn't have been able to explain her emotions, but as Scott smiled at the thought of his dream girl, Jean felt an intense longing. She hated thinking she was the kind of girl who always needed a guy to hold onto – she certainly hadn't been before going out with Duncan. Perhaps you don't need a guy, she thought suddenly, perhaps it's just a certain one in particular. Jean glanced up at Scott, emotions tumbling within her, and suddenly the raging storm of tangled emotions that had continued for days on end was over, leaving her with one clear feeling. As she watched her best friend thinking about his girl, she realized why she'd had so many conflicting emotions lately, why she'd been disgusted by Duncan and secretly afraid of Scott. It wasn't Scott she'd been afraid of, it had been admitting to herself the most terrifying thought of all, but all it took was one moment, one moment to change a lifetime of confusion. Jean had slowly fallen in love with her best friend.
XxX
The alarm rang at 2 a.m. startling Scott from a dream filled slumber. He lay in bed for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts while slowly waking. The buzzing ring came again – not from his alarm clock – but from the Danger Room monitor each X-man had by his or her bed.
'X-men, report to the main hall.'
Scott quickly hauled himself out of bed and began yanking on his uniform. Switching his glasses for his visor, Scott dashed into the hall, nearly colliding with Rogue who was hobbling in the hall still trying to pull on boots. "Sorry," he muttered distractedly, pushing past her down into the foyer.
Despite the many yawns and bloodshot eyes, the six assembled fairly quickly, each one finding some wall space or a banister to lean against. In the center sat the professor, his age more evident in his tired state than ever before. Forehead pressed deep with frowning wrinkles, Professor Xavier surveyed his team of exhausted X-men gravely. "Cerebro has picked up the signal of active mutant behavior near the amphitheater. Unfortunately, I seems the mutant is being pursued by numerous humans – no doubt a group who witnessed a display of unexplainable power. If this mutant is captured it will only be a matter of time before the secret of our kind is revealed. It is only a matter of time before we are openly persecuted. Mankind is not yet ready for us, we need to prevent this capture."
"We're on it, Professor." Scott spoke confidently.
"A word of caution: it is critical that your true identities remain hidden."
Scott nodded, "Right." Turning to his weary team he made a slashing movement through the air with his hand. "X-men, move out!"
XxX
Fog circled the amphitheater in misty tendrils, curling around the ankles of the X-men as they stepped cautiously out of the van. The park was deathly quiet, not even crickets dared to chirp in the ghostly darkness. "Ah don' like this," Rogue muttered, "It's too quiet."
"Yeah," Shadowcat agreed, briskly rubbing her arms, "I s anyone else, like, totally creeped out?"
Nightcrawler nodded, "Vhere is everyone?"
As if in answer to his question, a shrill scream pierced the air, followed by the popping of guns.
The X-men exchanged glances, and as Cyclops nodded, broke into a steady run in the direction of the scream. "They're on the move!" Cyclops yelled. "Shadowcat, Rogue, you two head to the river and try to cut them off. Jean, Nightcrawler, see if you can track them down. Spyke, you're with me, we'll try and follow." Rogue and Kitty began to sprint, jean lifted herself into the air, and Kurt teleported in the general direction of the scream, only to teleport back a second later.
"Cyclops, they've cornered her in the restrooms."
"Right, let's go." Nightcrawler grabbed hold of Spyke and Cyclops and teleported them off to the bathrooms.
XxX
Figures dressed head to toe in black, faces covered by helmets and guns in hand advanced slowly on a young blonde girl. Tears streamed down the girl's cheeks and her shoulders heaved as she screamed, "What do you want from me?" The figures kept advancing until her back collided with the brick wall. "Leave me alone!"
One of the figures trained his gun on the girl and prepared to shoot when a red flash knocked the item from his hands. Startled, his head swiveled looking for the cause. It was then that he caught sight of the teenagers. Six of them, clad in tight fitting uniforms, each one glaring menacingly at the soldiers. The tallest one, the one with the strange visor around his eyes, yelled something to the others and suddenly they were rushing the soldiers. He opened his mouth to yell to hid commander, but before he could speak he felt a cool hand on the back of his neck . . .
. . . The soldier crumpled at Rogue's feet and she shuddered, overwhelmed by a flood of memories. Beside her, Kitty phased up through the ground, removing belts of ammunition from around each soldier's waist. Above the group of stunned soldiers hovered Jean who removed the guns with a wave of her hand. Finally grasping the serious threat of the situation, the soldiers sprung into defensive action. Half the team rushed the X-men while the other dove for their ammunition, picking up any weapon they could find . . .
. . . Forgotten in the commotion, the young girl wasted no time in using the situation to her advantage. Stepping carefully she slid around the restroom building, trying not to make any noise. With her back to the brawl she ran towards a thicket of trees, hoping to take cover, only to find herself face to face with one of the other mutants. Startled by his fuzzy blue face, pointed ears, and sharp incisors, she let out a terrified scream.
"Sh, sh, it's okay! I'm here to help you!" The mutant spoke in a thick German accent. He reached out a three-fingered hand, and as the girl jerked back she felt a peculiar prickling in the back of her neck. The mutant's face seemed to swim in and out of focus before her eyes. "Was ist . . ." he seemed to be asking her a question but she couldn't hear. Feeling dizzy, she involuntarily sunk forward into the mutant's arms . . .
. . . Nightcrawler wrapped his arms around the girl and, noticing the three darts in her neck, ported her safely away . . .
bamf A puff of blue smoke announced Nightcrawler's arrival. "Cyclops! The guns! They are tranquilizers!"
Distracted, Cyclops turned to face his friend. "Has she been hit?"
"Ja, ja," Nightcrawler nodded.
Cyclops surveyed the thinning battle. Wary of the mutants, many of the soldiers had retreated, only a handful still remained. "Get the girl back to the van and wait there, I'll get the others." Nightcrawler nodded and the familiar smell of sulfur filled the air. Cyclops began making his way towards Jean who was busy trying to fight off three of the remaining soldiers. "Jean" he shouted, trying to force his way to her using the concussive blasts from his eyes to push the soldiers out of his way. "Alert the others! Tell them to get back to the van, now!"
Jean nodded and pushed the soldiers away with a sudden burst of telekinetic energy. Reaching out with her telepathy, she delivered Cyclops' message to the others.
Cyclops turned away, preparing to fight his way back to the van, but a soldier had grabbed him around the neck and was forcefully trying to drag him down. Optic blasts useless, Cyclops fought using his own strength and suppressed rage. Letting his weight drop, he threw the soldier off balance and then skillfully twisted to remove the man's arm. Rising back to his feet, Cyclops broke into a frenzied run, trying to dodge lunging attacks from the soldiers. He'd nearly reached the clearing that held the van when he felt a peculiar prickling in the back of his neck, followed by a wave of dizziness. Nausea washed over him and Cyclops sank to his knees, fighting the distortion in his eyes. The sound of heavy boots crunching on leaves was the last thing Scott heard before he felt the pressure of the swift blow to the back of his neck, and the impenetrable darkness that came as he lost consciousness.
XxX
The first strands of pearlescent pink began to print the pale sky as the X-men gathered in the clearing. Kurt laid the blonde girl gently on a seat and strapped her in while the other X-men staggered to their own seats.
"Hold up!" Jean Grey's authoritative voice rang over their tired heads. "Where's Scott?"
The X-men exchanged uneasy glances. They hadn't seen him since they left the clearing. Jean contemplated having Kurt port over to check, but she felt as though this was something she needed to do herself. "Rogue, can you keep charge for a few minutes? I'm going to see what's keeping Scott."
The girl acquiesced, noting the anxiety lacing Jean's voice as she lifted herself into the air, soaring above trees as she kept her eyes peeled for Scott. With a feeling of foreboding, Jean flew faster to the area where they'd fought the soldiers, only to find it void of any signs of human life. It's as if we'd never fought here. They've simply vanished.
XxX
ssummers1986: Actually, my exams aren't over . I still have two more next week.
Miss Ginny: Yes, I saw your review before, and I tried to find your e-mail address but it wasn't up on your site. X-men Evo (for all I know) is not back on in the US. I live in Japan so we haven't even seen the 4th season over here yet. Sorry if I got your hopes up!
Goblyn-Queen: I promise you, as long as I keep getting reviews I'll keep writing
Icy Discordia: I know what you mean, I love Jean and Scott for all the reasons most people seem to hate them. Thanks so much for the sweet compliment.
Xx-Hugz-N-Kizzez-xX: Thank you!
Diaz F, williz, X00001: I'm glad you all liked the bit between Scott and Duncan I was rather proud of that . . . even though Scott probably would have been more gentlemanly . . .
LanceIsHot: I love your penname! And I feel a bit bad for Taryn as well . . . but she never seemed like that good of a friend to Jean . . .she was so evil in "Shadow Dance"!
Idypebsaby: I very much agree with you, why Jean was ever with Duncan is beyond me.
NinaWilliamsSilentAssassin & Mi-chan17: blushes I'm glad you both liked the description, thanks for the sweet comments!
GothikStrawberry: I think Jean needs a reason to be normal, in my opinion it always seems like she's striving for that, why else would she hang out with people like Taryn and Duncan when she has a friend like Scott? I'm glad you liked it though! I always try to add that in.
Carby6 & StaROb14765: I'm glad you both like it! Sorry it took so long for this chapter!
I'm so sorry if I missed someone, I don't usually do this but I always love it when people reply to my comments so I thought I'd give it a shot. You all are so fantastic!!!
Please Review!!!
DOJ
Check out 'Queen of the Night People' my joint penname with Melizza!