Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Alright I am on a roll! But I don't know how long this will last so I am taking full advantage! Cheers to all who have reviewed, you have really help me a lot!

**** means going into a dream

*~*

Chapter 8

Scott left a sleeping Jean lying comfortable on the sofa. He retrieved a thin cotton blanket from on of the draws and covered her body with it. He stood, towering over her for a sort while just admiring her beauty. He always loved watching her sleep; she seemed so peaceful and carefree deep in her own fantasies. He crouched down in front of her and placed a soft kiss on her cheek before walking out of the room and into the kitchen.

Everyone had not yet come back from their trip to the movies so the mansion was in silence. Switching on the kitchen light he made his way to one of the cupboards and pulled out a box of cookies. Reaching for a glass, which stood on the kitchen top, Scott took a carton of milk from the fridge and poured it into the glass. With his drink in one hand and the cookies in another he made his way across the foyer and into the common room. The television was playing quietly the movie that he and Jean had been watching before she had fallen asleep. Placing his glass and food on the floor he resumed his place beside Jean, gently lifting her so that he could sit where he had been before. He placed her head onto his lap and settled back into his old position. Reaching down he rested the box of cookies on the arm of the sofa and held his drink in his right hand. His left hand gently played with Jean's vibrant red locks, curling her soft hair around his fingers. He continued to watch the movie while Jean slept, her head pillowed on his lap. Scott's eyes wondered from the television screen to Jean's wounded leg, which stuck out of the blanket, her foot still supported by the footrest. He sighed looking down at her sleeping face and shook his head. Even with a wound like that she still managed to save him from the rockslide. It scared him how much he had panicked when he couldn't find her and it scared him even more to think about what it would be like if he actually did lose her.

"I wouldn't be able to survive" he told her softly, his voice barley above a whisper. His fingers continued to comb through her soft hair, tangling it slightly. Scott placed his now finished drink on the carpet by the sofa and started nibbling at the cookies. He stared at the television screen, munching on the sweet chocolate chip before reaching for another one. After a while his eyes became heavy and he too fell into a deep slumber, the cookies sitting unfinished on the sofa's arm and the television displaying images that no one was watching.

*~*

"Oh my god that was so awesome!" Evan exclaimed excitedly as he and the others walked through the mansion front doors.

"Yar, second time around is always the best" Kurt cheered happily holding the door open for the two girls. Kitty jumped inside, relieved to be back.

"I have never seen like so much destruction in one movie!" she said walking passed her friends and walking up the foyer staircase. Rogue grinned, watching her friend disappear behind the corner before leaving the two boys and walking into the kitchen. She made her way to the far side of the kitchen to an already open cupboard. Peering inside she found that the box that held the cookies had disappeared. She raised her eyebrows in thought and closed the cupboard door in frustration. Why was it that when every time she felt like eating something that something was never in the kitchen? Folding her arms over her chest she walked back out into the foyer where Evan and Kurt where still explaining the best parts of the movie to one another. She shook her head at them before turning and walking up the stairs.

Rogue stopped in her tracks, as a flashing light glimpsed in the corner of her eye. Turning in the direction of the common room she saw the lights from the television cast upon the wall opposite. Turning around she walked back down the stairs and over to the common room. She stood in the doorway staring at the television and spotting the box of cookies in the sofa. She smiled walking in and grabbing them before stuffing a cookie into her mouth. She looked down at the sleeping bodies of Jean and Scott and made a face. Looking around for the remote she grabbed it and switched off the television, before Jean's bandaged caught her eye. She studied it for several seconds wondering what had happened, her eyes surveying the white, cotton bandage curling up Jean's slim leg. Placing another cookie into her mouth, Rogue placed a gloved hand onto Scott's shoulder and shook him lightly.

"Scott, wake up" she whispered tapping the side of his face with the back of her hand. Scott grumbled sleepily, turning his head to look at Rogue through half closed eyes.

"Hey Rogue" he said after clearing his throat.

"Hey yerself" she said taking another cookie from the box in her arms and eating it.

"Have a good time at the movies?" Scott asked rubbing his eyes from underneath his visor with the palms of his hands. Rogue shrugged looking down at the selection of biscuits and wondering what one to consume next.

"It was Ok. Have a good time while we were gone?" she asked in her usual southern accent, her eyes wondering down to Jean's sleeping form. Scott blushed slightly while he stretched out his arms.

"I was looking after Jean 'cause she has hurt her leg and Mr McCoy said she isn't allowed to walk on it for a few days." He explained to Rogue who was crunching on another cookie.

"Well ahm goin' ter bed. Ah just through ah'd wake yer 'cause ah didn't think it was a good idea that you sleep there the night otherwise you'll get a bad back" she told him before turning her back and walking out of the room. The foyer was still filled with the echoes from Evan and Kurt excited discussion. Rogue rolled her eyes walking passed them toward the marble staircase.

"Get a life you two it weren't that great" she said not turning around to look at them, smiling to herself at the sudden silence.

Back in the common room, Scott gently brushed the hair out of Jean's eyes and shook her gently.

"Jean" he whispered leaning as close to her ear as he could manage. She groaned burying her face into the cotton blanket, trying to hide herself away. Scott raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Come on Jean, you may be comfortable, but I can't feel my legs" he told her shifting his weight from under her. Jean pushed herself into a sitting position, tucking her messed hair behind her ears and opening her eyes as much as she could. Scott stood up and stretched his body out before yawning. He looked at Jean who was leaning back on the sofa and watching him from behind her dark eyelashes. He smiled at her as he bent down and gathered her into his arms. Kicking the door shut as he walked out, Scott carried Jean into the now empty foyer and up the stairs.

"Jean?" Scott asked quietly walking up the stairs.

"Hmmmm?" she replied sleepily, her eyes closed and her head rested on his chest.

"We will always be best friends won't we?" he asked taking the last step from the stairs and turning down the corridor. Jean opened her eyes with a frown not expecting him to ask that.

"Of course" she told him, pushing her head off of his shoulder and looking at him. "Why would you ask that?"

He shrugged. "I was thinking about how afraid I was tonight when I couldn't find you in the danger room session and how much more afraid I would be if I lost you for real." He told her quietly as he carried her through the dark corridor. Jean bit her lip, not taking her eyes off of him.

"Scott you will always be my best friend. You have always been there for me and I will always be there for you. I'm not going any where" she reached up and stroked his cheek feeling the day's worth if stubble beneath her finger tips. Scott nodded looking down at her and smiled.

"Promise?" he asked with a chuckle. Jean smiled and rested her head back on his chest.

"Promise".

Scott carried her into her room, seeing the still detached door leaning up against the wall. He placed her on her bed before walking over to the window and pulling the drapes shut. Jean reached under her pillow for her nightgown and began to change. Scott stayed with his back to her, studying the embroidered patterns on Jean's drapes.

*You can turn around now* she told him telepathically. Scott turned around to see that she had changed into her blue nightgown and was now pulling her covers out from underneath her. She smiled sheepishly at Scott as he walked over to her and lifted the covers for her, allowing her to wriggle on her mattress and get comfortable before dropping it over her body.

"G'night Jean" Scott said walking over to the doorway and switching off the light.

"G'night Scott." She replied. She watched him begin to walk away and she bit her lip. "Scott" she called. He looked over his shoulder at her and she smiled.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you sweetie" she said simply. Scott smiled warmly at her and nodded his head before walking out of the room to his own bedroom.

*~*

Scott quickly changed into his nightclothes, folding up the clothes he had worn that day and placing them on the floor at the foot of the bed. Rummaging through his bedside draw, he pulled out a pair of sleeping goggles and replaced them with his daytime visor and placed it inside the draw before closing it. He pulled back the covers and sat into the bed sinking down into the comfort of the mattress. He sighed sleepily, feeling his tense muscles relax under the cool material of his bed covers. Scott stared lazily up at the ceiling for a while, lost in a train of thoughts before closing his eyes and drifting into a peaceful sleep. Immediately he slipped into a dream, images dancing across his brain, casting scenes over his hidden eyes. Tossing and turning in his bed, the dreams suddenly became restless and he realized subconsciously that they were not his own.

**** The alley was dark and narrow between two tall buildings. A street lamp flickered at the end of the long alley revealing broken gutters and trash cans lying on their sides with the contents spilled on to the concrete. Seeing the alley way through a pair of eyes that were not his own, it was like he was inside some one else's body. He began to move slowly up the alley, the footsteps echoing loudly off of the damp, brick walls. His breathing was heavy and exhaled in a puff of rising steam as the warm breath hit the cold night air around him. At the end of alley the sound of a terrified cat made his heart jump and a lump formed in his throat. Curiously he walked closer, not wondering why he didn't turn back. The sound of a trashcan being kicked over caused his eyes to dart around nervously as he still continued to walk forward. Suddenly a figure appeared at the end of the alleyway, leaning against one of the walls. His breath caught in his throat and he swallowed with fear still finding him self walking towards the figure. The figure stammered towards him, using the wall to keep his balance. Scott suddenly became aware that he was alone and scared. His feet were cold and suddenly wet as he stepped into a puddle. He looked down at his reflection and his eyes widened at what he saw. In the ripples of the shallow, dirty water, he saw Jean looking back at him. Bringing his arms up to look at them he saw the slender shape of Jean's arms and hands. He looked down at himself, seeing the body of a woman, Jean's body.

Looking up at the figure in front, which was now a few feet away, he realized that it was Duncan. Duncan pushed him self off of the wall, wiping the backs of his hands on his trousers and unsteadily walking forward. He stopped inches away, swaying slightly. His messed blonde hair hung uncombed over his eyes, his chin was covered in blonde unshaven stubble and his mouth hung open, his lips wet with drink. In his left hand, he clutched a green glass beer bottle. He raised the open bottle to his lips and drained away the last of the beer before throwing it to a wall on the other side of the alley. He reached out a damp cold hand and clamped Jean's cheek. His heavy breath reeked of alcohol and cigarettes. Duncan looked up at Jean through half closed eyes and reached out his other hand and cupped his/her chin firmly.

"Jeeeean" he slurred squeezing her chin tightly. Jean hit his hands away and took a few steps back, feeling panic rising inside of her. A devilish grin curved his lips as he stumbled forward, clasping his hands onto her shoulders for balance and she fell backwards, her back hitting the hard brick wall. Her heart quickened feeling his wet lips smother her collarbone and fear hit her hard when she tried to use her TK to push him off of her but nothing happened. She bit her lip, feeling her eyes brimming with fresh tears as Duncan made his way across her collar bone and up her neck, painfully biting her skin. She felt him holding her hands above her head with one hand as he fumbled and groped at her breasts with the other. Tears freely ran down her cheeks as Duncan stood up and covered her lips with his. He tore the fabric of her top and dug his nails into her chest biting on her lower lip. She screamed into his mouth and wriggled her arms free shoving him away.

**** Scott shot up into a sitting position, his eyes wide and he looked around the empty bedroom. He slapped his hand to his forehead and wiped away the sweat from his brow. He looked around again and shook his head looking at his bedroom door. He listened hard hearing the groaning of another person in another room. Scott threw his covers off of him and jumped out of bed, throwing the door open and leaping into the hallway. He stood still in the darkness of the hallway, he could feel his pulse pumping heavily in his neck and his breathing was heavy. Calmly putting his face into his hands Scott took a deep breath before looking up again. He heard the groan again and held his breath, his eyes following the sound down the hall. The dream was obviously Jean's so why was he having it? Scott thought to himself as he made his way down the corridor.

The groans and moans became louder as Scott edged closer to Jean's bedroom until he was standing in the doorway looking into her room curiously. He winced at the sound of her quiet cry as she slept and walked into her room. His feet walked silently over the bristles of her carpet and stopped a few inches away from her bed. Scott looked down at her from behind the red tint of his sleeping goggles. Jean turned her head from left to right repeatedly, gripping onto the edge of her covers. Small beads of sweat had begun to form on her brow and her face shone in the moonlight. Scott bent down and lightly brushed her hair out of her face before shaking her. Jean let out another small wail, her face suddenly relaxing and she became silent.

"Jean wake up" Scott whispered. Suddenly Jean shot up quickly into a sitting position. Scott gasped and began to move out of the way, but he was not quick enough and Jean's forehead painfully collided into his lower lip. Jean let out a gasp of shock, slapping her hands to her forehead and Scott covered his mouth with his hands and backed away, intently sucking on his lower lip and tasting his blood. Jean opened her eyes and rubbed her forehead she coughed to clear her throat before looking at Scott.

"Scott?" she croaked looking at him quizzically as he continued to suck his lip. "Di.did you bite me?" she asked bringing her fingers to her forehead again and feeling a small bruise beginning to form. She raised an eyebrow at Scott who still hadn't said anything.

"Are you ok?" she asked pushing her covers back and attempting to swing her legs over the edge of her bed before the stinging sensation shot up her leg and reminded her of her currently bed ridden wound. She winced holding her breath and gritting her teeth. Scott finally stopped sucking on his lip and pouted as if trying to look at what had been cut.

"Oh my god are you ok?" Jean asked once the pain had subsided. She reached out of and grabbed his arm, pulling him to her and sitting him next to her. Scott obliged and allowed her to examine his lip. She cupped his chin in her hand and brought his face close. Using her TK she switched on the lamp that stood on her bedside table and brought a tissue to her waiting hand. She gently padded the tissue on to the small, bleeding cut at the side of his lip and smiled.

"This is the second time in two days I have had to do this" she said with a soft giggle. Scott smiled. "What were you doing here anyway?" she asked wiping away the blood.

"Um...well I um a dream" he began. Jean waited for him to continue. "I had a dream" Jean nodded throwing the tissue in the bin and placing a soft kiss on the cut.

"All better. What kind of dream?" she asked brushing his hair hopelessly out of his face. Scott swallowed scratching the back of his neck.

"Well, the thing is that it wasn't my dream" he said. Jean raised an eyebrow and nodded for him to continue. "It was yours" he finished finally. The room fell silent. Jean looked at him blankly for a few moments, her cheeks slowly colouring. She looked down at the bed covers, allowing her loose hair to fall over her face. She bit her lip and frowned remembering the pervious dream that had haunted her sleep.

Scott watched her for a few moments. He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear and made her look at him. She smiled at him averting her eyes.

"That's impossible" she said simply. Scott shrugged surveying her face.

"Oops" she whispered. "Sorry, I didn't mean to show you that and um..now I am embarrassed."

Scott smiled pushing back the air that had fallen over and covered her face. "Don't worry about it Jean, that was a pretty disturbing dream" he commented. Jean looked up at him, running her fingers through her tangled hair. She offered him a half smile and shrugged.

"I don't normally dream things like that. I can't believe you saw it. It did scare me a little bit though" she said wrapping her arms around herself. She leaned back against the headboard and pulled the covers up to her neck with a shiver.

"How is your leg?" Scott asked, searching for her bandaged leg through the covers.

"Insanely itchy" she said scrunching her hands into fists as if refusing the temptation to itch it. Scott smiled at her and pulled himself off of the bed. Jean watched him with big, green eyes.

"Where are you going?" she asked him, feeling his weight lift off of the bed. Scott turned to look at her.

"Back to my room" he said simply. Jean didn't take her eyes off of him. Instead she nodded, reaching her arms out and pulled him into a hug before wriggling back down into her covers. She smiled at him as she watched him disappear down the hallway and closed her eyes. Several minutes passed and brought her nothing but restlessness. Her eyes snapped open and she stared up at the dark ceiling for a moment. A creak down the hall caused her eyes to wonder nervously over her bedroom. She swallowed silently holding her breath and biting on her lower lip. She pushed back her covers and carefully swung her legs over the edge of her bed. She stood unsteadily on her bare feet and walked out of her bedroom, using her TK to help her make her way down the hall. She ended up levitating down the hall. For some reason she was scared and she didn't know why. A small feeling hung at the back of her mind that something was going to happen. She held her breath and drummed her knuckled on Scott's bedroom door. Suddenly her breath caught in her throat and she couldn't remember why she was there. Subconsciously she turned the door handle and pushed the door open and stood in the doorway.

Scott turned in his bed to look at her. She smiled sheepishly at him not moving from where she was.

"What are you doing?" he asked finally getting out of bed. "You heard what Mr McCoy said." He told her firmly walking up to her and putting her arm around his shoulder and held her at the waist. He walked her over to his bed and sat her down on the warm mattress.

"Sorry, but I couldn't get back to sleep" she told him shyly. Scott shook his head, soothing her hair back. "Can I stay here for a little while please?" She asked. Scott glanced at his bedside clock. It read 3:15 am. He looked back to her and nodded helping her snuggle underneath the covers. He settled in beside her and Jean curled up into his side. Her arm draped over his stomach and her head rested on his shoulder, her long hair lay in all directions on the pillow. Scott smiled squeezing her body gently before drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

*~*

A/N: another chappie finished for ya! Hope you all liked it! I am sort of running out of ideas here but I am doing my best. Any way please keep up the reviews, I need my confidence boosted a little. Cheers!

Next chappy soon!