Work of Art
Chapter Seven: Crumbling Fairy Tale
By DamageCtrl

All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own the X-Men or anything associated with it.

Warning: A very Jean centered chapter. You have been warned

Eyes hidden behind tinted lenses narrowed as they studied the man up and down. A frown grace his lips as he met Remy's glare. "Who the hell are you?" Scott spat out irritated.

"A homme who knows t' respect de lady's wishes," Remy retorted proudly. "Now, all de femmes ask y' t' leave. It's in y'r best interest t' get de hell away before I make y'." He lifted his fists up and cracked his knuckles threateningly as smoldering eyes glowed.

"What's going on out there?" Jean asked as she sniffled as she craned her head forward.

"Shh!" Betsy whispered over her shoulder as she pressed her ear against the door curiously. "Remy's going to beat up Scott!"

"Remy ain't gonna beat up no body!" Rogue grumbled. "Move it, sugh. Ah don't want mah neighbors ta call the cops!" Betsy grumbled disappointedly as Rogue moved her aside and opened the door. "Scott! Yah heard the man! Get out of here! Remy, Ah appreciate what yah're doing, but this ain't any of yer business-"

"If y' involved, chere, I make it my business." Remy replied coolly, keeping his cool stare on Scott. He stood in front of the door way, his back to Rogue, as Scott stood across the hall an angry look on his face.

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Remy-"

"Rogue, who the heck is this guy?" Scott asked, annoyed.

"Rogue's stalker." Betsy piped from behind Rogue. The green eyed brunette whipped around and shot Betsy a silencing glare before turning back to the hall way.

"He's mah friend, Scott," Rogue said in a low voice. "Listen, ta meh. We all care about Jean, but she doesn't wanna talk ta yah right now. Give her some time ta cool off."

"Rogue, please, I need to explain-"

"There is nothing to explain, Scott!" Jean hissed from the hall. Betsy was between Jean and the door way, holding her back. The red head's emerald eyes were swollen and her face flushed as she struggled to talk between broken sobs. "I...I saw what you were doing and..." As if seeing it again her mind, Jean's lips trembled before exploding into another series of tears.

"Scott," Betsy said as she waved for Kitty to bring Jean back inside. "Now is not a good time. She can barely talk."

"But I-"

"No, Scott, Betsy's right," Rogue insisted. Somehow, reasoning with the man was a lot easier while standing behind the boundary that was Remy. "She came here ta get away from yah. Yah ain't helping by pounding at mah door. And, from the hubbub yah two just made, Ah wouldn't be surprised if the cops were on there way."

As soon as she said that, the man paled several shades. Remy didn't budge. He still stood there, watching Scott warily. "Y' hear dat, homme?" Remy asked with a sneer. "Bet dat won't look too well on y'r squeaky clean record, non?"

Scott's face fell as he looked down at the floor. His hand rose and ran through his thick hair before looking past Remy at Rogue and Betsy. "Just...please take care of her..." Scott pleaded quietly. "Bets...Rogue...you know I love her."

"We know that, Scott." Betsy told him calmly.

"I...I didn't mean to hurt her, I swear." Scott added.

"Yah don't need ta talk ta us about it," Rogue told him before he got any further. She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. "Now, Ah'm gonna ask yah nicely. Please leave."

He looked absolutely defeated. His head hung low as disorganized hair fell over his face. His face looked distraught as he slinked away, towards the stair well. As soon as he disappeared, both Betsy and Rogue let out breaths of relief. The dark haired woman casually put her hand on Rogue's shoulder and squeezed it slightly.

"I'm going to see to Jean." she told Rogue quietly. Rogue nodded, understanding it to also mean I will leave you and your man alone.

Rogue watched as Betsy walked into the apartment and then hesitantly turned back to look at Remy. The man had turned around and gave her a questioning look.

"Y' okay, chere?"

Rogue bit her lip and nodded. "Thanks...for what yah did. Yah didn't have ta."

"Can't be a gentleman widout de chivalry, non?" he asked with a slight smile. Rogue felt the corners of her lips curl up slightly and she nodded. He reached out and took her hands. "Don't take dis de wrong way, chere...mais... I'd feel more comfortable if I stayed...just t' make sure Shades don't come back and cause y' more problems."

"Ah don know, Remy..." Rogue looked hesitant. She looked over her shoulder and could faintly hear the sound of Jean sobbing as she struggled to explain, once again, what had happened between her and Scott. "Ah don't know if it's right ta have yah here when Jean is bawling...She doesn't really know yah..."

"I promise t' stay in de kitchen, won't talk unless talked t'." he replied reassuringly. Rogue took a deep breath and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She shook her head slightly.

"C'mon in," Rogue sighed tiredly. "Yah can explain ta the girls why yah're so insistent on stayin'."

He gave her a smile as she pushed the door open the rest of the way and lead him in. She locked in securely, double checking to make sure all the locks were into place. Once satisfied she lead Remy into her apartment, where he stood cautiously by the hall entrance.

Rogue shuffled over to Jean and knelt down beside her. She quietly explained and Jean looked up and saw Remy standing there. He smiled weakly, unsure how she would take his presence. Jean looked back at Rogue and nodded.

A few minutes later, the man was in the kitchen, wearing Rogue's barely used green apron as he cut up vegetables. A pot of boiling water was behind him. Four women sat in the living room, all surrounding Jean as she curled up on the couch, a warm blanket around her and some hot chocolate in her hands.

"Feeling better?" Kitty asked softly. Jean nodded slightly. She looked over at Rogue's coffee table. Dozens of wadded white tissue balls littered the top and she smiled lopsidedly.

"Rogue...I'm sorry..." Jean whispered.

The Southerner looked up from where she was sitting on the ground and gave Jean and questioning look. "Sorry for what, sugah? Yah didn't do anything wrong." she assured Jean in a warm voice.

Jean merely chuckled sadly and shook her head. "I did," Jean said sadly. "I just...barged in here, expecting to be taken care of. I didn't even think about the position I put you in. First with my hysterical sobbing and then with Scott...and I'm sure Remy didn't just come by to drop off groceries."

At the last remark, Rogue looked down at her fluffy slipper clad feet and blushed. "Well...he's doing what he came ta do..." Rogue shrugged. She looked up at Jean and squeezed her hand. "But sugah, don't ever worry about barging in here. Yah'll are mah friends. If yah need meh or mah apartment, yah'll are welcome to come storming in."

"She's right," Betsy nodded. "That's what friends are for. But now I'm a bit miffed as to why you didn't come to my place first."

"Yeah...how come Rogue's was the first place you went?" Kitty frowned. Jean paused for a moment and thought.

"Seemed like the easiest place to go..." Jean shrugged. A small, nostalgic smile caressed her lips. "Remember in college? We'd all go to Rogue's room when we dormed? And then when we got that apartment, we'd all go to Rogue's room."

"Mah room just happened ta be in the middle of everyone else's," Rogue stated matter of factly. "But the point is yah came ta us. Now..." Rogue took a hesitant breath and met Jean's eyes. "Yah think yah can explain?"

Jean's eyes lowered and she nodded slightly. She handed her mug to Kitty, who placed it on the coffee table. "You know how Scott works for that firm...and audits people," The girls all mumbled to show they were aware of it. Jean nodded and continued. "He was recently part of a team that audits large corporations. There's this company called Frost Industries...and while it's run by a bunch of execs or something, the owner is some lady named Emma Frost."

Rogue frowned. "Scott has been cheating on yah with this Frost lady?"

"I...I think so."

"Think so?" Betsy asked, now also frowning. "You mean, you're not sure."

Jean looked away. "He has cheated. But I don't know for how long..." Jean said softly. She swallowed the lump in her throat and turned to her friends. "He said he had a business dinner with his co-workers last night to celebrate finishing the audit. That's why he said we couldn't go out to dinner that night. Anyway, before Betsy and I could go to the movie theater, I wanted to grab that little movie card...you know the one where they swipe it and you earn points-"

"Get to the point, Jean." Betsy sighed.

"Right..." Jean straightened up and took a deep breath. "Anyway...I couldn't find it, so I called him to see where it was. But when I called his phone, one of his co-workers answered it. They said that Scott had left...and forgot his phone..." Jean began to take shallow breathes. "And he and Frost had left the dinner early..."

Jean's eyes teared up and Rogue quickly swept in. "Well...maybe he to drive her home and she was drunk or something. Or they had paper work?" Scott was notorious for being a work-a-holic. If she recalled correctly, Jean had complained about Scott bringing work on their honeymoon.

Jean shook her head wildly. "I had asked his co-worker if he was planning to come back and the jerk just laughed and said that no man ever came back when they were with Frost!" Tears ran down her cheeks as she began to sob once more.

Kitty hugged her tightly as Rogue and Betsy looked at each other with similar thought. "You confronted Scott?"

"Didn't need to!" Jean cried. She looked at her friends with sad eyes, tinged with fury. "I thought the same thing you guys did! I trusted, Scott, more than anything! I thought his co-worker was just being an ass and playing some sick joke. So I went to the movies with Betsy, like planned."

"You never said a word about this last night," Betsy frowned. She reached over and took Jean's hand. "Why didn't you say something?"

"What was I supposed to say?" Jean rubbed her eyes. "I didn't have any proof. I didn't want to accuse him of something I didn't see with my own eyes!"

"So...what happened?" Rogue asked quietly.

Jean closed her eyes tightly and buried her face in her hands. "I came home last night and Scott's car wasn't there. I thought he might still be out..." Jean swallowed nervously and lifted her head. "So I went inside and there they were..." For a moment, Jean's eyes glazed over as she stared out into space. Her glistening eyes gathered more tears as pain etched on every contour of her beautiful face. It seemed that she were watching it all over again and her sudden monotone emotionless voice expressed the shock. "There...on my couch...laughing and drinking in the dark. All over each other...I just...stood there."

"Oh mah Gawd...Jean..." Rogue whispered.

"I don't know how long...I just stood there. I couldn't move. It was like I was watching some sick movie..." Jean's hands tightened around the blanket on her lap. "It was dark...I hadn't turned on the lights yet...but it progressed...and he didn't even stop to look at me..." Jean closed her eyes. "I turned the lights on and it brought them back...They laid there...didn't even move...I left."

The three other women stared in stunned silence as Jean fought through the recent memory. "But...it's Scott..." Kitty murmured, unsure of what to say. "Why would he...?" She trailed off, but no one dared answer.

Jean's eyes were rimmed with tears as she shook her head. "I mean...he's been acting weird lately. Saying he's been working for some project..."

Betsy snorted indignantly. "Some project," she hissed. "That disgusting little git..."

"Did you see other signs?" Kitty asked quietly. Jean nodded.

"Strands of hair...blonde hair..." Jean said, fingering her own red locks. "On his clothes...for a few weeks now. I never thought anything of it...I mean...sometimes he goes out with Alex-"

"Ah highly doubt that his brother would leave strands of hair on him." Rogue mumbled.

"I know..." Jean admitted quietly. She lowered her eyes and looked down at her lap. "I know I should've asked about it, you know? But what does a few strands of hair prove? I mean...I trusted Scott...I'm stupid, aren't I? For trusting him like that?"

"No...no, sugh, yah ain't stupid at all!" Rogue insisted as she hugged Jean. "Yah just love him. Yah want ta trust the man yah love. It's only natural."

"The only person who is stupid is Scott." Betsy said with a frown. She reached across the floor and grabbed her purse. She shuffled through the brown leather bag and pulled out her phone.

Kitty gently stroked Jean's back as Rogue handed her a fresh box of tissues. Jean looked over at Betsy and gave her a questioningly look. "Who are you calling?"

"You said her name is Emma Frost?" Betsy asked in a shrill voice. Jean nodded. "Warren? Hello, luv...yes, I'm fine...I miss you, too, luv, but I need a favor. Can you find out anything about a Emma Frost? I have a...personal vendetta, luv."

The three other women watched as Betsy conversed with her long distance boyfriend. She nodded every now and then and glanced back and forth from Jean's face to the pile of tissues on the coffee table. After a few minutes she told Warren she loved him, too, and then hung up.

"Well?" Kitty asked eagerly. "What did he say?"

"That she's a man eater with a double job. Frost owns the company, but lets her executives handle it. She only makes the big decisions. Her head quarters are in New York, but she has a residence her. Warren says she usually flies out for business...his company does work with hers. Otherwise, she's here...in San Francisco...she's an instructor at a private school," Betsy replied calmly. She looked over at Jean, worriedly. "Luv..has Scott flown anywhere lately?"

"New York for the audit with his team," Jean asked. Dread could be seen rising through her. "Why?" she asked in a shaking voice.

"Warren said there was a charity gala in the city for neighborhood parks last month...Frost was there with a man..." Betsy trailed off and looked away. Panic filled Jean as her hand shot out and grasped Betsy's arm. Reluctantly, the English woman brought her eyes back up to meet Jean's. "The man was wearing sunglasses and fit Scott's description."

Jean paled as her hand dropped from Betsy's arm. She was shaking as silent tears streamed down her face. "No..." Jean whispered softly. So her thoughts had been confirmed...their little tryst had lasted longer than she dared believe. "No, how could he? How COULD HE?" Her body rocked with tears as she screamed at his betrayal. Betsy and Rogue looked down at her sadly as they engulfed her in a hug. "I trusted him! I always trusted him! I never...NEVER looked at another man! Why did he do this to me? Why?"

From the kitchen, Remy stood at the stove, quietly stirring his concoction. Jean's bitter wails cut through the apartment and he stood there, gripping the wooden spoon until it almost snapped. He could hear Betsy swearing Scott to hell and Kitty desperately trying to calm Jean.

"It's alright, sugah," And Rogue's sweet, warm voice...laced with her own tears of anger and frustration at pain that was inflicted on those she was closest to. It hurt to be in the same space as them...to suddenly feel all this anguish. Yet, he found himself happy to be there. To at least be welcomed into such a tight environment, even if he was on the sidelines. "Everything will be alright..."

Remy reached over and turned off the stove. Jean had her close friends for her. She had Rogue. Somehow, he knew everything really would be alright.

"Thanks for the food, Remy..." Kitty said as she stood at the door way with Betsy. "Sorry I called you a stalker."

A calm grin was given. "S'kay, petite," Remy shrugged. "Didn't hurt me. Y' sure y'll be okay walking home?"

"I'm giving her a ride, she'll be fine," Betsy's voice replied. Remy nodded and stepped back. "Thank you, by the way...for what you did earlier with Scott. Jean needed to get away from him for a while and he wouldn't stop until he got to talk to her."

"Did what had t' be done, dats all..." Remy assured them. "Thanks for having me."

"Well...we better get going," Kitty said. "It's getting late."

"Take care now." Remy stood at the door way and watch the two women disappear down the steps. He closed the door and wandered back into the living room.

Rogue was putting all of Jean's tissues into the trash bin. Remy silently went past her and gathered all the discarded bowls, now empty of their contents. He washed the dishes quietly as Rogue tiptoed to her bedroom to make sure Jean was still sleeping.

After half an hour of tearful sobbing, angry cursing, and bitterness, they managed to get Jean to eat something and then go to bed. Jean didn't want to go home. She didn't want to see Scott, not that any of them could blame her. So Rogue offered Jean her bed. The red head didn't have time to argue as Betsy and Kitty ushered her in there.

Rogue peeked into the room and saw the red head sleeping, curled up in a ball, in the middle of her bed. Her face was still flushed and Rogue frowned worriedly before closing the door and heading back outside. She found Remy drying the dishes.

"How's Jeannie?" Remy asked as he placed one dried bowl atop another.

"Sleeping," Rogue said quietly. She walked into the kitchen behind him and leaned against the counter. "Ah can't believe it, yah know? How could Scott do this? They've been togetha since...well, since before Ah even met Jean."

"Wish I could answer y' question, chere...really do." Remy replied.

"Yah were a big help today...we all really appreciate that." Rogue offered him a slight smile. He turned around and smiled back as he put the last bowl a top the others.

"No problem," Remy assured her. "Be glad t' beat down Shades anytime."

Rogue chuckled and crossed her arms over her chest. Her smile slowly left as she stared down at the linoleum floor. "It's just hard ta believe...when a fairy tale romance, like Jean and Scott's, turns into a nightmare...it don't give yah much hope on love."

Remy frowned and tossed the dish cloth on the counter before walking across the kitchen to Rogue. "Chere..."

"They were so happy, sugah, what happened?" Rogue whimpered as tears rimmed her eyes. "Everything was perfect... How could he do this ta her?" Her arms reached out as Remy came close enough. He pulled her against him as Rogue buried her face against his shoulder. He buried his face in her hair as he rubbed her back soothingly. He could feel her uneven breath as her fingers dug against his sweater. "He said he loved her...always. Jean never doubted it...none of us did..."

"Mon coeur," Remy whispered softly in her ear as he rocked her gently. "Everythings gonna be okay, oui? Jeannie got y' and de Kitten and Betsy..."

"She's one of the strongest women Ah know, sugah, Jean isn't a crybaby..." Rogue admitted. She pulled away and looked up at him, her eyes slightly swollen from the earlier cry fest. "Ah can't stand seeing her like this. It's not natural, sugh."

"Hearing y' girls crying while I was cooking wasn't a picnic, either, chere," Remy told her. "Would've loved to deck old Scott one if I could."

"Yeah...well...Jean might be angry, but she'll be angier if yah hit him..." Rogue sighed. She pulled away from Remy. "It's late now..."

"Dat a hint to get me t' leave?"

"Yep, sure is," Rogue smiled. "As much as Ah appreciate all yer hard work, Ah've had a draining day mahself and would like some rest," She grinned as she walked around the counter and handed Remy his trench coat. "And Ah know yah ain't the type to allow meh ta rest at night."

As expected, a devilish smile landed across his face as he reached out and pulled her against him with one graceful tug. "Y' sure about dis, chere?"

She met his gaze daringly and lifted her chin defiantly. "Positive, swamp rat."

They stood there for a moment longer, as if trying to see if the other would back down. Eventually, Remy swept in and kissed her swiftly on the head before pulling away. "Bon nuit, chere."

Rogue grinned lopsidedly as she followed him to the door. He opened it up and paused. He looked over his shoulder. "Last chance."

"No, Cajun."

"Had t' try." He winked and Rogue closed the door after him.

Rogue woke up to the smell off coffee. She opened her eyes and tried to turn her body, only feel a dull pain on her neck.

Ah forgot what sleeping on a couch was like... Stretching slightly, she sat up and ran a hand through her hair.

"I...I just need to come pick up my stuff," Jean's voice was strained and Rogue frowned. She looked over her shoulder and saw the woman sitting at her breakfast bar, her body hunched over the counter as she held a phone up to her ear. "No...I just need some time away...Scott, please," she pleaded tiredly. "Don't make this any more difficult for me."

So she's talking ta the cheating bastard. Rogue ran her hand down her face and moved her blanket off of her legs. She got up and walked to the kitchen, giving Jean a small smile as she made herself known. Jean smiled back weakly, behind a worn face. As Rogue poured herself some coffee, she could hear Scott's faint voice, sounding desperate, through the line.

"I'm staying at a friend's...no, not Rogue's. Or any of the other's," Jean looked down at the counter, one hand wrapped tightly around a white mug. "Scott, I don't want to talk about that right now!" she snapped sharply, making Rogue wince. "Listen, I'm just going to come over to get some clothes. I'd appreciate it if you weren't there when I got home."

Rogue was moving around her kitchen, pretending not to listen as she put some slices of bread into the toaster.

"I don't want to talk to you! I'll talk when I feel like it, okay? Good-bye, Scott!" The phone slammed down on the counter and Rogue nearly jumped.

"If yah break it, yah have ta buy meh another one." Rogue mused as she reached for a plate.

"Sorry, Rogue..." Jean sighed. She ran a hand through tangled red hair. "He just wouldn't get off the phone..."

"S'alright, sugah," Rogue assured her. The toast popped up and Rogue quickly put them on her plate. "How yah feeling?"

"Like crap," Jean stated blandly. She buried her face in her hands. "Was I really bad last night?"

"Nothing we couldn't handle."

"I'm sorry-"

"Stop apologizing!" Rogue sighed as she grabbed some strawberry jam and began to slather her toast with sticky red goodness. "Yah know yah'll are always welcomed in mah home."

Jean nodded and lifted her cup of coffee to her lips. Rogue capped the jam jar and put it away before joining Jean at the breakfast bar. The red head kept her eyes on the counter.

"Rogue...?"

"Yeah?"

"I still love him."

Rogue stiffened for a bit, but nodded. She kept her eyes on her breakfast. "Ah know..."

"Is that bad?"

"No," Rogue whispered. She bit into her toast and munched on it before continuing. "We all know yah love Scott, Jean. We don't expect yah ta stop, just like that." She added with a snap of her fingers.

"He hurt me...betrayed my trust...practically spit on our marriage vows," Jean scoffed as she looked at the coffee swirling lazily in her cup. "But it's hard to hate him...I'm hurt. And I'm angry and frustrated. But I can't hate him. I've been in love with him since I first saw him..."

Rogue nodded. "It was always hard for meh ta see yah two without each other..." She trailed off and bit into her toast to keep from expressing how the whole ordeal had effected her outlook on love and marriage.

Jean closed her eyes tightly and pushed her coffee away before burying her face in her arms. "He was my first love. My first everything...I just don't know what I've done for him to do this to me?"

"Yah ain't done a single thing ta deserve what he's doing ta yah, sugah" Rogue told her sternly. "Ah know yah ain't evah had eyes for anyone else, either."

"So why?" Jean asked, simply. "Why did he do this to me?"

"Ah honestly don't know, sugah..." Rogue admitted. "Scott's always been the perfect boyfriend and then husband ta yah...Can't imagine why..."

Jean stiffened and choked back another sob. Immediately, Rogue thought she had said something wrong, but before she could apologize, Jean cut in. "I know..." Jean choked out. "That's what hurts the most, Rogue. I know Scott...I know how he thinks. I know how strong he is...he'd never had a lapse in judgment."

Jean was trailing off and Rogue shook her head. "Ah'm not catching on, sugah..."

"Don't you see?" Jean said in a weak voice. "If Scott did this...part of wanted to do it. Part of him wanted to be with that Emma woman..."

Rogue shook her head. "No...no, sugah, don't say that..."

"And that's what hurts the most," Jean told her as she clutched her hand to her chest painfully. "To know that there is a possibility that he's in love with someone else. That after all this time...all my trust and belief that we would be together forever...all for nothing."

"Jeannie..." Rogue whispered. She watched, helplessly, as Jean rubbed at her crying eyes once more.

"When will the pain go away, Rogue?" she asked in an agonizing voice. "It hurts so much..."

Rogue put her arm around Jean's shoulders and hugged her tightly. "Ah don't know, sugh...but yah have us...and we'll be right there with yah. Promise," She pulled away and gave Jean a reassuring smile. "Right now...yah have ta figure out what yah plan on doing. Ah heard yah tell him yah were staying at a friend's?"

"Yeah," Jean sniffled and offered Rogue a smile back. "It's called the Fairmont hotel."

"I can go in there first and see if he's there..." Bobby offered as they sat in his car. Jean was in the passenger's seat and Rogue was in the back.

"No...I know he's there," Jean breathed as her eyes stayed focused on the dark colored car in the driveway. "His car is there."

"Jeannie, yah don' have ta go in. Bobby and Ah can-"

"Thanks, guys," Jean said as she opened the car door. "But, I'll be fine. Really."

"Yah want us ta come with?" Rogue offered. Jean shook her head. "Alright...but holler if yah need us." Jean gave them both a reassuring smile and closed the car door. Rogue leaned forward. "Ah hear one yell and Ah'm going in."

"Same here." Bobby nodded.

They watched as Jean walked up the front steps of her house and stood at the front door hesitantly. She took a deep breath and opened it.

"Jean?" Scott instantly shot up from the living room couch where he had been waiting. He didn't seem to have changed his clothes from the day before and his hair was a complete mess. The house was just as she had left it, except for the phone and the crumbled blanket on the couch where Scott had been waiting.

"I thought I asked you to leave so I could get my things." Jean hissed in a low voice. She shot him a glare and began to walk past him to the stairs.

"Wait! Jean! Please, hear me out!" he pleaded. He stumbled forward and grabbed her hand. Suddenly, Jean's other hand rose and flew across his face, sending a slap echoing through the quiet house. His glasses fell to his feet and Jean pulled her hand back.

Regret shot through her face as Scott gently placed a hand on his cheek. She swallowed a breath sharply. "Sorry, Scott," she said in as calm a voice as she could produce. "But you shouldn't have grabbed me." She pulled her other hand away from his and proceeded to walk up the stairs while Scott stood there in stunned silence.

Upstairs, Jean grabbed a duffle bag from the closet and began shoving as much clothing as she could fit into the bag. After grabbing some supplies from the bathroom, she zipped it up and headed downstairs. Scott was on the couch, slumped over and staring out into space.

Her feet touched the bottom floor and she looked down at the pair of discarded sunglasses on the floor. Jean stood there for a few moments, staring down at glasses. Her bag slipped off her shoulder and she knelt down to pick up the glasses. She held the objects in her hands, moving her fingers over the cold surface as she bit her lower lip.

A thousand memories of a fairy tale romance raced through her mind as her heart broke into a thousand pieces, knowing this was the end of it all.

The sound of footsteps echoed across the wood paneled floor. A warm hand went over Scott's and pried it open gently. Sunglasses were placed in his palm as both smaller hands wrapped around it and paused. She knelt by the side of the couch, her eyes focused intently on the glasses she had bought for him.

"I still love you," Jean whispered softly as she kept her eyes downcast. "No matter what, Scott. But, I also know you...you're a strong person. You can take on a lot...and I know you wouldn't have acted that way if part of you didn't feel something for her."

Scott let out a muffled choke and looked down at her with blood shot brown eyes. "I'm sorry, Jean..." he whispered in a scratchy voice.

Jean bit her lip and nodded. She pulled her hands away from his. "So am I..." She stood up and smiled down at him sadly. He lifted his eyes and felt his world fall apart further as he saw glistening clear tears rim at her eyes.

"Jean..." he breathed painfully.

"Good-bye, Scott." she told him softly as she stepped back. Her hand curled around the handles of the duffle bag and she slipped it back on her shoulder. She walked to the door and slowly pulled it open. Bright light spilled into the dark house and on to the figure on the couch.

Scott Summers watched as the beautiful red head stood at the door way, long hair glowing the sunlight, as she stepped out of their home. The door closed behind her.

A.N. - Sorry, this was a very Jean centered chapter. Next chapter will be different, I promise!