Chapter 11

February 2nd, 1999

The Danger Room

Jean encircled herself with a psionic shield as a dark swarm of spider-looking creatures descended upon her. Each was the size of a compact car, boasting eight legs and two, bright purple eyes. Jean used her telekinesis to throw one of the creatures right onto another one. She did it again to the next nearest spider, sending it pinwheeling wildly across the chamber.

Jean was out of practice. She could feel her exhaustion causing her psionic shield to weaken. She hit a third creature and sent that one spinning backwards as well. Another monster made its way towards her when a shaft of destructive force sent it hurtling against the wall. She looked to her left, and saw her husband opening fire and helping her out.

Their newly established psychic rapport must have caused him to feel how exhausted she was. **Jean, you okay? Want me to get the prof to stop the program?**

**I'm fine, Scott,** Jean answered, telepathically. She was too tired to really say much more. But she needed to get back into shape. So, she continued to push herself.

Jean quickly scanned the area. Storm was busy fending off her own monsters about fifty feet away. Beast was dodging the creatures quite successfully, but his lack of firepower was beginning to catch up to him and it looked like Kurt was in the same boat. Peter was using his incredible speed to evade the creatures, but he stepped on some of their slimy excrement sending him smashing into the wall. He looked hurt.

"Peter!" Scott yelled, shooting an accurate optic blast at the spider ready to descend on Peter's prone form. But there were far too many of the things for Scott to knock them all out. And there were more appearing, seemingly out of nowhere. Before Jean knew it, twenty-five to thirty of them had landed on the smooth, dark floor. As they hit the ground, deadly black claws emerged from the ends of their forelegs.

Jean saw the creatures skittering towards her husband from behind with insect-like speed and determination, their eyes blinking an eerie purple. The spider tried to jump Scott from behind and Jean mustered what little energy she had left to telekinetically throw the creature off-course. It left her distracted and as she turned to her right, one of the creatures came at her with blinding speed, ready to attack. Jean didn't have enough time nor energy to shield herself. She instinctively raised her arms up, knowing she was about to be hurt. Then suddenly, she was tackled to the ground from behind.

"Gotta watch yer back, Red," Logan said. Jean could feel his lips touching her ear as he spoke. It was an intimate moment surrounded by chaos. Logan, now codenamed Wolverine, didn't let her go as soon as he could either.

The moment made Jean uncomfortable and she forced herself to get up. "Thanks, Logan. But the others need you. Go!" Logan got up and made his way back to the action, but not without smiling and winking at Jean first. If she weren't so exhausted she might have rolled her eyes. He'd been laying it on a bit thick recently.

Logan it seemed was a bit distracted as well as he didn't see an attacker come at him from his blind spot. She was about to scream at him to warn him when a bright blast of red hit the creature. Thankfully, Scott had Logan's back. Her husband's voice echoed through the room. "I've figured out how to stop these creatures! They run on power conduits located behind their necks. Shut them down and they'll stop functioning!"

"Well done, Scott!" the professor said in the intercom from the control room. "Now let's see you all carry this out."

Scott threw out orders to each of the X-Men. "Wolverine, Hank, distract the creatures and make them go after you guys. Nightcrawler, come grab hold of me and teleport us on their backs and I'll blast their power conduits out! Storm, fly high above and strike the back of their necks from there. Jean, use your telekinesis and protect Peter."

Jean scanned the room and saw Peter was unconscious against the wall. She hoped her friend wasn't seriously hurt. She ran to where their resident speedster was and quickly covered both him and herself in a psionic shield. It didn't take long after Scott gave his orders that the X-men were able to take the creatures down. In less than ten minutes, the Danger Room session came to a close and their floor was littered with the broken mechanical bodies of the spider-like creatures.

"Wow, Scott, how'd you find out about the monsters' weakness?" Hank asked.

"When Storm lifted me above ground to avoid one of the creatures charging at me, I saw a faint glow behind their neck. I took a shot right at it, and the creature stopped functioning immediately, unlike when we hit them elsewhere," Scott answered.

"Well done, my friend! I was getting exhausted. I don't know how much longer I could have held on for," Kurt said, his fatigue making his German accent thicker than usual.

Jean was examining Peter on the floor. She opened his eyes and checked on his pupils. He started coming to. "Jean? What'd I miss?"

"Easy, Peter… You might have a slight concussion," Jean said. She turned to Kurt and asked, "Kurt, can you teleport a gurney here from the med bay?"

"Of course, Jean," Kurt said, and in a split second disappeared with a banmf!

Ororo came up to Scott and said, "That was brilliant thinking, my friend. I was a little worried how the creatures kept coming back for more even after we'd hit them with our firepower combined."

"It was actually with your help I discovered it, 'Ro," Scott said. "If you hadn't flown me high enough to actually see the back of their necks, it would never have occurred to me."

"You sure you don't wanna come out of retirement, Scotty?" Hank asked.

"Don't put ideas in his head, Hank," Jean said, somewhat jokingly, but also not.

Hank laughed at that. "Don't worry Jean, I couldn't convince him if I tried."

Jean noticed Logan walk out of the Danger Room, not taking part in their celebratory chit-chat. He obviously wasn't enjoying the praise her husband was getting. Jean thought back to the little incident between her and Logan in the middle of the session. As thankful as she was that he saved her from getting hurt, she also knew she needed to have a talk with him.

Jean turned to her husband and said, "Scott, could you pick up the kids from my parents' place? I told my mom we'd get them before noon. She and my dad have an appointment they need to go to at one o'clock. I'm just going to stay behind and check on Peter. I'll meet you at home in an hour or so?"

"Yeah, sure, hon," Scott said, giving Jean a quick kiss on the cheek and headed out.

40 minutes later

After Jean examined Peter in the med bay, she followed Logan outside the mansion. He was leaned against a pillar smoking a cigar with his back turned to her. She wasn't surprised when he sensed her presence, and without turning around said, "Hey, Red."

"Logan… we need to talk," Jean said, not beating around the bush.

"Alright, come walk with me," Logan said, starting to move away from the mansion. Jean fell into step beside him.

"Logan, you can't keep doing that," Jean said.

"What, savin' yer life?" Logan asked, a small grin on his whiskered face.

"You know what I mean. I'm very grateful for the help today, I would have been hurt if it wasn't for you, but you've got to stop with the innuendos and the lingering looks and touches. It makes me uncomfortable," Jean said.

"I'm sorry, Red. I won't do it in front of Cyke no more," Logan answered.

"You won't do it anymore at all," Jean said firmly. Logan raised an eyebrow at her, seemingly confused with what she was trying to say.

"Did I read you wrong, Red? I thought I sensed a connection between us… an attraction? Did I imagine that?" Logan asked.

"… No… You didn't. You're an attractive man, Logan. I won't deny that you intrigue me. The connection you feel with me is probably because of what happened sixteen years ago, when I touched your mind-"

"I've thought of you often since that day… the mysterious redhead who gave me back a piece of my soul…" Logan said, trailing off.

"And I've thought of you from time to time as well since that day, wondering what happened to you… But just because we've thought of each other and have felt a spark between us doesn't mean there'll ever be anything more," Jean said.

"… Even if Scott never found out? You're telling me you're not even a little curious what it could be like between us?" Logan asked.

"Even if I got a guarantee that Scott would never know, it wouldn't matter, because I would know," Jean said, conviction dripping from every word.

Logan took a smoke of his cigar. "I gotta hand it to you, Red… You're honorable…"

"It has nothing to do with honor, Logan. Just because I find you attractive, doesn't mean I can imagine myself being intimate with another man other than my husband," Jean said.

"I just can't see someone as passionate as you stuck with a stick-in-the-mud like Scott… How do you put up with him? He's so uptight," Logan said.

"I didn't marry Scott just so I could put up with him. I love him and I enjoy being with him," Jean said, finding it hard to imagine how Logan never even considered the possibility she was in love with her husband.

Logan gave her a look of disbelief. Jean gave him a sardonic look back. "But… He's such a dull Johnny," Logan said, almost whining.

"To someone like you maybe. But to me, he's the furthest thing from dull. He's probably the most complex man I know. The reason why he may seem like a "stick-in-the-mud" is because since his late teens, Scott's always had to be in control twenty-four hours a day. It's the nature of his powers. If he relaxes even for a moment, it could result in someone's death. We should all be thankful he's not even the tiniest bit careless," Jean said.

Logan sighed deeply. "Is it really Scott you're loyal to? Or is it yer children?"

So, there it was, Jean thought. Logan seemed to think he was playing the part of a hero by giving her an out in what he perceived was a loveless marriage for her. Did he think she was sticking around for the children? Her husband owned her heart. It was time she made that clear to the man standing before her.

"Logan… I'm only going to say this once. I love my husband… I'm in love with him. I've never loved another man in my life, and I never will. Like any marriage, we go through some rough times, but the trials we go through only serve to bring us closer together. Scott and our children are my world. And there's no room for you in that world other than as a friend. And if you can't accept that, or find it in yourself to respect Scott… then let me know now," Jean said.

Jean hated to see the hurt look on Logan's face, but a man like him only understood straightforward bluntness. "Sorry, Red… I uhh… guess I misunderstood some signals… And hey, you can't blame a man fer tryin'. You're one special lady, Jean. I hope Scott knows how lucky he is."

Jean smiled. "Thank you, Logan… And I'm just as lucky to have Scott."

Logan returned her smile. "I guess there's more than meets the eye with One-Eye… After all, he did steal your heart. I suppose I can give the guy a break."

"That means a lot to me, Logan. My hope is that one day you and Scott can be friends," Jean said.

Logan scoffed. "Rome weren't built in a day, Red."

"I don't know if anyone's told you, Logan… But Scott was in a serious motorcycle accident just a month ago. I almost lost him. And although he didn't lose his life, thank God… He lost the last ten years of his memory," Jean said.

"No one's told me that. So, Scott's got amnesia?" Logan asked, disbelief written on his face.

"Retrograde amnesia. It's been really difficult for him… I mean, I can't imagine how I'd be if I woke up one day thinking it was 1989 only to be told it was ten years later. But even with his injury and memory loss, his priority is still me and the children. He's still the family man he's always been. He didn't run away from his responsibilities. He accepted all of them gladly, even though he has no memory of signing up for it all…" Jean said, trailing off.

"Wow… I had no idea…" Logan said.

"Anyway, I thought you should know," Jean said.

"I'm glad you trusted me enough to tell me," Logan said. "And I wanna stay yer friend, Jean. It'll be hard at first, what with these feelings I have fer ye, but I'll live with it."

"Thank you, Logan," Jean said, giving him a small peck on the cheek.

Half an hour later

The boathouse

Jean let herself into her home, eager to see her family. **Honey, I'm home,** Jean said, telepathically to Scott.

**We're upstairs, sweetheart,** Scott answered back.

Jean ran up the stairs, eager to join her husband and the kids. She found Scott and Rachel on the floor in baby Nate's room. Scott and Rachel had a chess set between them, and Nate was lying in his crib, staring at his musical mobile.

"Hey guys," Jean greeted at the door.

"Hi mommy!" Rachel got up and ran into Jean's outstretched arms. Jean lifted Rachel and twirled her around laughing. "Me and daddy are p'ayin' chess. I got his howsie."

"Knight, Rach. It's called a knight," Scott said.

"Oh, yup, a knight!" Rachel said. "Mommy, come look, I gots two howsies!"

Scott sighed, and Jean just laughed. She put Rachel back down and went to kiss little Nate in his crib. She then walked over to where Scott was sitting and sat on his lap on the floor, lovingly putting her arms around him. "How's Peter doing?" Scott asked.

"He's got a mild concussion. He'll be fine with a bit of time though," Jean answered.

"Good, I'm glad. He crashed into the wall quite hard there. It was impossible to tell from where I stood how badly he was hurt," Scott said.

"He was lucky for sure," Jean said. "How are the chess lessons going, honey?"

"Let's just say Rach has been ignoring all the other pieces. She's only concerned with her "howsies,"" Scott said, wryly.

"I suppose you have a few more years before she kicks your butt," Jean said, playfully. "I remember a game you and grown-up Rachel played. It was Halloween night and the three of us were stuck handing out candies at the mansion. You guys were bored and decided to pass the time with a game. I think she beat you in like twelve moves. You were in such a huff the rest of the night. It was hilarious!"

"Yeah… I can picture that," Scott said chuckling.

"Anyway, about a month later when it was revealed she was our daughter from the future, you felt so vindicated. You kept bragging that your future self taught her well, and that it was all in the genes," Jean said, amused at the memory.

Scott laughed. "A man's gotta keep his pride somehow."

"How were my parents? Did the kids give them a hard time?" Jean asked, changing the subject.

"Umm… About your parents… or more specifically your mother… I don't think I'll be seeing them for a while," Scott said, hesitantly.

"What do you mean, why not?" Jean asked, concerned.

"Umm… do you want me to tell you what happened, or would you rather just look into my memories?" Scott asked. Jean relaxed a bit seeing Scott's sheepish look. Whatever happened, it couldn't be that serious then.

"I'd rather you tell me," Jean said.

Scott sighed dramatically. "Very well… Remember a few days ago when I said I pretty much reached my embarrassment quota for the century?"

Jean nodded slowly, her interest completely piqued.

"I spoke too soon! When I arrived at your parents' house, your dad and Rachel greeted me at the door. He said that your mom was changing Nate's diapers upstairs and she'd be down shortly. Anyway, I didn't want your mom to do anymore than she had to, so I went upstairs to take over diaper duties." Scott said.

"That was sweet of you, hon… So, what's the problem?" Jean asked, not sure where Scott was going with his story.

"Well, when I found your mom in the washroom, she had just taken Nate's diaper off and was washing him. Rachel, the little busybody that she is, followed me. Anyway, she points to Nathan's… umm… private region and asked, 'g'anma what's dat?'"

Jean tried her best not to crack a smile at her husband's imitation of their daughter. "You don't have to be embarrassed, Scott. Rachel's a child, she's just curious," Jean said, caressing her husband's cheek. Scott was such a prude with everyone else but her.

"That's umm… not the end of my story," Scott said.

"Oh… well please, by all means, continue…" Jean said, graciously.

"Anyway, your mom answered casually and said, "Sweetheart, that's your brother's private parts. He's a boy and that's why it's different from yours.""

Jean laughed at her husband's imitation of her mother. "Okay, then what happened?"

"Well, see I thought that was the end of it right there. Then, like three seconds later, Rachel says, "My brudder's got little p'ivate pa'ts, but my daddy gots big ones!""

Jean gasped and put her hands over her mouth. She had to tell herself over and over again not to laugh. The look of mortification on her husband's face told her it wasn't a laughing matter to him. But after a moment, she lost the battle and burst out laughing.

"It's not funny, Jean! I was horrified, it was so embarrassing!" Scott said, throwing his hands up in the air. "I mean, when has Rachel even seen my… my… you-know-what, anyway!"

"It must have been when she walked in on us in flagrante delicto last week," Jean said, in between her giggles.

Scott let out a huge breath, "Anyway, your mother was gracious enough to pretend like she didn't hear… But I know she did because she couldn't bring herself to look at me anymore… And she rushed so much with putting Nathan's diaper back on that it wasn't until I got home that I realized she put it on backwards."

Jean had tears in her eyes from laughing so hard. For Scott's sake, she tried stopping, but she couldn't help herself. "Mommy, what's so funny?" Rachel asked, innocently.

"Oh, nothing much, sweetheart. Daddy can always make mommy laugh," Jean said, kissing her daughter on the cheek.

"Yup, daddy's funny!" Rachel said, smiling then turning back to her chess board.

Jean's laughter finally subsided… Sort of. She turned to look at her husband, a less than amused expression on his handsome face. "It's not that bad, honey. I don't want you avoiding my parents because of it!"

Scott scoffed. "That's easy for you to say! God, your mother must think I'm a bad father. She's probably thinking how it is that Rachel would even know to say something like that!"

"Relax, Scott! My mom loves you, and she doesn't think that at all," Jean said, trying to reassure her husband.

"How would you know? Are you reading her mind right now?" Scott said sarcastically.

Jean just rolled her eyes. "Well, you'll need to get over it soon because I'm sure it won't be long before we need my parents' help with watching the children again."

Scott pulled back from Jean for a moment and stared at her intently. "Yeah… Umm… Jean… Could you… you know… like, wipe your mom's memory of that whole incident?"

"Scott!" Jean said, a reproachful look on her face.

"Okay, okay… can't blame a guy for trying… sheesh… You make it sound like I asked you to kill someone," Scott mumbled.

Jean could only roll her eyes. "Alright, change of subject now… What are we doing for Rachel's birthday?" Jean asked.

"Ah'm gonna be fouw!" Rachel chimed in, hearing the word 'birthday'.

"Yes, honey, you're growing up so fast," Jean said. "What do you want to do for your birthday?"

Rachel just shrugged. The previous year she and Scott threw Rachel a Little Mermaid themed birthday party. Their little girl was partial to Ariel because she was the Disney Princess with the same hair color as her. The problem was that Scott and Jean didn't have any friends with children of their own. Rachel's birthday parties consisted of all her aunts and uncles and the students at the school. But all of the students were quite a bit older than her. Jean wished Rachel had more friends her age, but they'd have to make do for the time being.

"Let's throw a party for her at the mansion next Saturday," Scott said. "I think a My Little Pony theme would be a safe bet."

"Okay, I think that's a good idea. Let me run it by the professor and see if next Saturday works for him too," Jean said.

"Alright, I'll find a party store that'll sell us My Little Pony cups, plates, hats, balloons and other knick-knacks," Scott said. He turned to Rachel and asked, "Sweetie, what do you want for a birthday present?"

"Ah wanna a howsie," Rachel said, not bothering to look up from her chess set.

Jean giggled at the look on her husband's face. "My God, Jean… Our daughter's got a one-track mind," Scott said.

"She got it from you!" Scott and Jean said simultaneously.

Jean imagined Scott rolling his eyes behind his glasses. "Rachel, a horse is too big to have as a pet," Scott said patiently. "Is there anything else you'd like for a birthday present?"

"Can ah have a doll house fo' my p'incesses?" Rachel asked. Jean tried to picture her daughter's collection of Disney Princess dolls in her mind's eye and wondered what store would sell a doll house big enough to house all of them. Each doll was about six inches tall and she had six of them.

"Sure, honey," Scott said rather quickly.

**Sweetheart, where in the world are you going to find a doll house big enough for Rachel's Disney dolls?** Jean asked her husband telepathically.

Scott just gave her a boyish grin and said, "Leave that to me."

To be continued…