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- "Scott, can I have a word with you?" asked professor Malcom, one of the rare human being who hadn't had a change of heart since their identities as mutants were revealed.

- "I haven't got a lot of time sir" he answered.

- "I just need one minute. Your results stay mediocre these last times, is something bothering you?"

- "Jean" answered Scott.

- "Oh…yes, I'm an idiot" he reprimanded himself "I know she has been found more than one month ago and I though it'd be better, but I've learned she would not come back, how is she? What happened to her during this kidnapping?"

- "Unspeakable things, she's still in convalescence, and that's just for the physical side…." Answered Scott "Have you yet heard about the 'Friends Of Humanity'?"

- "No"

- "If you hear from them one day, know that this is only the equivalent of an organisation nazi for the mutants…"

The professor Malcom knew that Scott was reserved, particularly because he was a mutant, so he didn't asked precisions.

- "I understand better…Could you send her my best wishes of recovering?"

- "I don't think she remembers you sir, she doesn't even remember us quite well and…well, she's not the Jean you've had as a student anymore" Scott answered quickly.

The professor wasn't thinking it was such serious.

- "I'm sincerely sorry to hear that Scott. If you have trouble with other classes, I'd reasoned the professors. You can go"

- "Thanks professor Malcom" said Scott before going out.

The thoughts filled by Jean, Scott leaded to his locker for tidying away his stuffs. He watched for a while a picture of Jean, smiling and shining placed in the interior, so different of the one of today. When he closed the door, he saw that he had a visitor…

- "What do you want Alvers ?" asked Cyclops in a dry voice.

- "Eh oh, easy, I come in peace" said Avalanche by raising his hands "I've learned about Jean, I mean, the whole version…"

- "I see that Kitty-radio is current again" noticed Scott by thinking to the tendency to speak of the young mutant.

Lance didn't pick up this and made as if he hadn't heard anything, at Scott's greatest surprise; as a matter of fact, Avalanche wasn't wearing the proud and arrogant look he had usually:

- "It's really dreadful what's happened to her" he said with sincerity.

- "Yes, but she's an X-Men, I'd rather thought this might please you"

- "Wait Summers, we aren't in the same side, ok, but that doesn't mean that we'd be delighted by such atrocities, she's an X-Men, but she's a mutant before all"

Scott didn't answer, he had a tendency to be on the nerves, he knew it. Alvers observed him some instants before saying:

- "Well, I hope she'll end by recovering and that the members of this organisation will roast in Hell" he said before moving away to rejoin the remains of his band.

- "Yeah, so do I…" he muttered.


Jean woke up in a start, needed some instants to place herself, before noticing Hank. By hearing her move, the young mutant couldn't helping herself to take fright, Beast turned himself:

- "I'll leave Jean, I'll leave" he declared immediately by leading to the exit of the room.

The young telepath, finding herself alone again, quietened down little by little, but still seemed like bewildered

- "What's going on?" asked Scott as he has just came back from school and was about to go to see Jean.

- "She has just woken up, and I've the impression that she's looking for you…"

- "You think so? Maybe she's regained her memory?"

- "That's possible"

He was about to enter in the room, but Hank stopped him:

- "I just wanted to tell you that I've made her pass X-Rays sooner, her fractures at her legs are mended, I've removed the splints, but let her a leg brace at her right leg which needs two other weeks because of her double opened fractures. You'll now have to make her work and walk, she'll be able to lean on it without it being painful"

- "To make her work?"

- "Her muscles have lost the custom to carry her weight, she will need re-education and so to make her legs work with flexions and extensions between others"

- "I doubt she'll let herself being manipulated like it, I don't want to break the little trust she had laid on me again…" said Scott.

Hank thought about a moment:

- "You're right, we'll do it otherwise: Storm and me will make her work under sedative, you'll make her walk" he answered "Here is, go to see her"

Scott went in the room, leaving Hank to return in his lab.

When Jean saw him enter, she tensed up momentarily but didn't panic. Like usual, Scott came to sit down at her sides and took her hand:

- "Hey, how do you feel ? I've missed you, you know ? I always miss you when I'm not near you" he said softly by stroking her hair, like she was letting him doing it since several days.

At his great surprise, Jean slightly squeezed his hand for the first time since they had retrieved her, which didn't miss to make appear a big smile on Scott's face. The mutant didn't really react, keeping on looking up at him now and then, although with a less fugitive glance than before, the breathing calm.

- "Do you know what Hank has just told me?" he asked in order to not lingering too much on the move for not making her feel uncomfortable "Your legs are healed, you'll now have to walk, we'll do it in some days ok?"

Jean slightly frowned and cast him a not reassured glance.

- "You're still unable to speak, aren't you? Don't worry, I'll help you and stay with you. You'll have nothing to fear, I'll protect you even if nothing threaten you in this Institute"

Sounds of steps resounded in the corridor and the young mutant tensed up perceptibly.

- "Settle down, I'm here Jean" he said to her in a soft voice before Wolverine's one made itself hear.

- "Scott, can I talk to ya one minute ?" he asked.

- "Of course"

He stood up in the intention to go out an instant, but Jean didn't release his hand.

- "Hey, what's wrong Jean ? You want me to stay, it's that ?" he asked, delighted of the second positive reaction of his girlfriend.

She slowly nodded, answering at a question for the first time.

- "Logan? can this wait?" he asked, knowing that he had also witnessed the scene.

- "Yeah, of course" he answered with a rare smile.


Letting them alone, Logan descended in the kitchen where he found Ororo cocking a meal for Jean by chatting with the Professor Xavier.

- "You'll never guess what's just happened" he said by going to catch a beer.

- "So, in this case, tell us" asked Ororo.

- "I wanted to ask somethin' to Scott, and Jean has not let him got out of the room, she's restrained him by the hand and has even nodded when he's asked her if she wanted him to stay"

The two professors smiled:

- "This is an excellent sign" said the weather witch "she's staying dumb, but starting again to communicate"

- "Yes, it seems that Jean is replacing her trust into Scott and this even if he is a man, apparently she's regaining her memory in Hank's opinion" approved the Professor Xavier "In fact I believe she remembers him since a long time, otherwise she wouldn't have let him come near to her. She persists to fear us, but I think that, once she will be again perfectly comfortable with him, he would be able to help her to open up again to us"

Storm stayed pensive before declaring in a sorrowed voice by slowly shaking her head:

- "I…I can't even achieve to imagine what she might have undergone, she's really covered by marks, you know ? Well, Hank had removed the stitches and the bruises had disappeared during the first two weeks, but there are still the numerous scars and they won't help her to forget…in any way she'll never be able to forget what they've made her endure…" she began "I've sometimes trouble to accept that the ones by who we're trying to be admit can be able to do that to an adolescent of eighteen years old… she's so young, they've completely broken her, they've literally destroyed her …."

- "The ones who did that to her were fanatics Ororo" said the Professor "Humans have already committed such atrocities towards others humans, and this at whatever century. Believe me, I am as much horrified than you and I understand that Scott and Logan could have killed after what they had heard, I don't approve that, but I think I couldn't have been able to control myself neither. When, the very day Jean has regained consciousness, Scott has said Jean may have been raped about fifty times, I couldn't admit to him than, in Hank's opinion, it must rather be the double…. But, if we were looking for obtaining the mutants'supremacy –like Magneto wants – and by this, judging our kind superior than another one, we wouldn't worth better than those so-called 'Friends Of Humanity'"

Storm nodded.

- "I know it, I'm sorry, it's just that…"

- "I understand Ororo, and the fact that you had expressed your doubts let think that the students may be feeling the same thing, we will organize a little meeting to speak about that"

- "Well, I…I'll bring the meal to Scott" said Storm, looking shaken.

Logan leaned a hand on her shoulder and declared:

- "Let me take care of that, you'd go to rest a while"

Storm thanked him and let him return to Jean's convalescence-room.


A week later, when Scott came back from high-school, he leaded like usually toward Jean and talked to her some minutes before declaring:

- "Do you remember what was planned to do today? You've got to walk Jean"

She didn't seem enjoyed by this news.

- "Uh huh, no way out possible, the Doctor Mc Coy has insisted, you have to do it the fastest possible now that Storm and he have made you worked a little" he said by giving her a reassuring smile "So, to begin, you'll have to sit on the edge of the bed"

Jean cast him an uncertain glance, but ended by complying. Under the sedative, Storm had put on her a pull and a pant on which was the leg brace on her right leg.

Scott let her take her time, without rushing her, and sat down beside her:

- "Don't forget, I'll stay with you, I'll help you, you've nothing to fear" he began "If you want you can put your arm around my shoulders for leaning on me. You've stayed immobilized for a month and a half, you've a little decreased muscular tone. Can I…can I pass mine around your waist for sustaining you ?" he asked, concerned not to do anything which could make her feel uncomfortable.

The young mutant thought then nodded but, when she felt his arm, she couldn't prevent her body from reacting and tensing up. She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip.

- "That wasn't a good idea" said Scott in an apologized tone by beginning to remove his arm, but she stopped him and replaced it around her waist "You're sure ? I don't want to scare you Jean, will you be all right ?" he asked.

She sighed heavily and nodded. Ready, Scott made her slide of the bed and both of us found themselves on their feet. Jean leaned heavily on him, he was right, her legs felt like jelly.

- "That's a good beginning" commented Scott, smiling "If you feel you're not all right, you let me know it ok? Well now, you have to make a step" he encouraged her.

She moved her right leg, by slightly wincing even if the leg brace was easily supporting her weight.

- "All right, I know it's hard. Carry on, the other leg now"

She tried but would have collapsed if Scott wasn't sustaining her.

- "It'll be ok, I'm holding you. We'll start again"

He began to help her to walk slowly by sustaining her by the waist.


For two weeks, they made exercises of this kind everyday and Storm and Hank carried on making her work on their side; Then, Scott felt she was ready for a longer path.

- "We'll go in the common-room over here, there isn't anybody, don't worry"

Jean still had some difficulties to walk, since that Hank had now removed her leg brace, and the anguish she was feeling wasn't helping her, but Scott was here and his presence was quietening her down. He let her go at her rhythm and they covered the some twenty meters which were parting the two rooms.

Just a little distance could say some ones, indeed, but for Jean it was a big step and this sudden exercise, added to the emotions, quickly tired her. Scott noticed it and proposed to her to sit down on one of the sofas in order she could rest a while. Only a few seconds after having settled, he felt a quiver going through the adolescent's body and, thinking it was because of his arm he hadn't had the time to remove, wanted to take it off, but she made him understand that she didn't want him to do it, she was only a little cold. Scott caught the travelling rug put near him and covered her with it.

- "Are you all right ?" he asked.

She nodded, she wasn't relaxed but this wasn't because of him, no, she remembered him, she felt secured again with him, overall when he had his arm around her waist ; his presence was enough to quieten her down, she was feeling through their bond all his love and his desire to help her and to make her feel comfortable

After about ten minutes, in order to avoid that other students coming in the room made panic Jean whereas everything had been all right until now, Scott helped the young mutant to stand up again and they made the inverse way until she stopped and…

no… said a familiar voice, although broken and hesitating, in Scott's mind …my bedroom…not here … my bedroom…

Even before the adolescent could recover from his surprise and answer, Hank appeared in the corridor and Jean startled, her heart jumped in her chest. Her eyes closed, she felt a shiver overwhelming her and going down in her, her blood went cold and she felt she would pass out. She snuggled a little more against Scott, her legs giving way beneath her.

- "I'm here Jean, don't worry" he breathed to her by sustaining her

Hank had stopped; he smiled slightly by seeing the proximity the telepath seemed to be allowing again to Scott, it was a good thing.

- "Not seeing her in the convalescence-room and knowing you were back from high school, I've thought you might be making her walk" he said in a calm voice "Is it going well ?"

- "She still needs again a little of re-education, but she's well managing" answered Scott, leaning a glance on her, before changing of subject "Tell me Hank, she doesn't want to stay below anymore and would want to return to her bedroom, is it possible ?"

Beast seemed astonished:

- "Jean, you've talked ?" he asked at the adolescent, not wanting to act as if she wasn't here only because she was staying dumb, and overall by avoiding to nicknamed her 'Red' or 'Redhead' which she didn't bear anymore (like Logan and Scott had guessed after what they had heard, her torturers might been calling her like that).

- "No, she made me know it through our bond" answered Scott for her; it was the first time since her return that she did that, the first time she was almost 'verbally' communicating.

Jean had curled up her head in his neck and was trying to settle down her body reactions' and the renewed outbreak of her fears. Even though Beast did not look like a human, he wasn't less scaring the young mutant; she recognized him now, like the others, she knew they were her friends, but she couldn't stay relaxed in their presence, only Scott almost didn't arouse anymore in her those fears henceforth rooted inside herself.

- "I don't see any reason to oppose myself for letting her return to her bedroom, on the contrary, finding her marks again will maybe help her" answered Hank "I'll inform the others to spare them from worrying"

Scott nodded and thanked him. Seeing that Jean wasn't really holding on her legs anymore, he warned her and took her in his arms before leading toward the elevator.

When they arrived in the adolescent's room, Scott carried her to the bed and settled her on.

- "Nothing have changed here you see ? I've often came here when…when you had disappeared, I had the feeling to feel you near me again" he said before resuming directly on something else in order not to linger too much on the evocation of her kidnapping. "Do you want me to bring you something to eat or to drink ?"


To be continued

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