I hope everyone is doing well. I know I have been off my track of updating regularly for this story, but work picked up pace and I have been putting in some long days recently. Things have quieted down some, so hopefully, I'll have the time go get back updating regularly. Thanks for reading.


Catching an X-man off-guard was highly rare, but catching a telepathic X-Man off-guard was unheard of, until now that is. Forge leaned against the doorjamb of the library observing the telepathic telekinetic that had lured him back to this spectacle under false pretenses. She sat in the trapezoid window seat, which was the focal point of this smaller library, gazing out the window, her legs were curled under her and she was clutching a pillow to her chest. She was completely oblivious to his presence, which led him to think that something was troubling the beautiful scheming woman. He didn't have to guess as to what was weighing so heavily on her, if the rumors he had been hearing were true.

Originally, he had decided to let sleeping dogs lie and leave the mansion without confronting her, but he had changed his mind, especially arriving at the conclusion that she was intentionally ignoring and avoiding him. Additionally, he couldn't stomach the fact that he, the genius inventor and scientist was duped by the bitch for her own selfish gain. He hated the fact that she had used his devotion and feelings for Ororo against him and ultimately made him look like a fool. He hated it that now, because of her, he was force to leave the mansion with his tail between his legs, with no way for him to save face and leave this place with his head held high. So yes, he had a score to settle with the redheaded bitch before he left this place for good.

During his stay, Forge had heard rumblings as he meandered through the mansion that the Wolverine sub-human, at one point, had a thing for Jean, but it never went anywhere. However, Jean had always made sure that he knew she was there, by encouraging the feral man's flirtations. Then in one fell swoop, it had all stopped and the Wolverine and Ororo had grown closer and were now devoted to each other. Jean, from what he had heard, didn't take kindly to the man shifting his attentions to Ororo and had begun engaging in outlandish behavior to come between the couple. Now, as a result of the redhead's roosters coming home to roost, she had lost almost everything, chief among them being her relationships with Scott and Ororo.

Forge knew that she was suffering greatly, her obliviousness was proof of that, and he was going to leave the school, knowing that she had gotten her just desserts. But his humiliation at the hands of the animalistic Logan was too much of a blow to his pride to let bygones be bygones. When he thought back to their conversations in which she was adamant that Ororo was very much single and hoping to reconcile with him, his blood boiled. She had played him for a sucker and he just couldn't leave that alone. His ego wouldn't let him.

Pushing himself away from the doorjamb, he gently closed the door and then cleared his throat.

Simultaneously, Jean jumped in her seat and swiveled her head towards the bionic man walking purposefully towards her. She didn't have to graze his mind to know that he was aware of everything. One look at him and she saw that clearly. Dammit! She was hoping to avoid Forge, hoping that he would leave and she wouldn't have to be confronted about her ill-fated plan that involved him being back here. From the looks of his posture and steely gaze, he wasn't going to let her get off that easy. It wasn't as if she didn't warn him. She had told him not to pursue Ororo because she was not single, but she had purposefully refused to divulge who Ororo was currently with. The bottom line was, she did try to warn him, so it wasn't her fault that he was foolish enough to actually go after Ororo. She sighed inwardly. Might as well get this over and done with too.

She leveled him with a defiant gaze, when he came to stand before her. Silently, she watched him take a seat on the opposite corner of the window seat. They faced off, both stubbornly refusing to utter a word.

Finally, unable to bare his gaze and his overall presence, Jean huffed, "I guess you want an apology?"

"Among other things," Forge replied frankly, folding his arms over his chest. He sure as hell wasn't going to feign ignorance.

"What do you want me to say?" Jean asked, flinging her hands out to her sides in vexation.

Forge raised a brow at her. Was she serious? "First, I want you to admit that you purposefully duped me into coming here."

Jean let her silence speak for itself.

"You damn well knew that Ororo wasn't single and hoping to get back with me," Forge rasped.

"Yes! Yes I did and I did warn you. Remember?!" Jean shouted. Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and looked at the man across from her. "So now you know why I was eager to get you back here. You were the means to an end."

"An end that didn't see the light of day," Forge snorted. "You're lucky I didn't divulge your part to Ororo and her…animal."

"So why didn't you?" She asked casually. "What are you going to do now that you know?"

Forge studied his nails as if they were the most important things in the world. "You lost more than you bargained for, huh Jean?" He sneered. "You no longer have a husband and the Wolverine would never be yours."

Jean turned away from Forge, not wanting him to see how much his mocking aggrieved her.

"How does it feel to constantly be second best to Ororo?" Forge knew exactly how to hurt her. Since their early days together, he had always noticed Jean's irrational need to constantly one up Ororo. Jean had always fed off of the desire to outshine Ororo, but the twit didn't know that when it came to her and Ororo, there was never a contest. Ororo never had to try to gain attention because she naturally attracted it. Ororo never had to try to be beautiful because from her hair, to her eyes and to her smooth buttery skin, the woman was simply a Goddess. Jean had failed to realize that and it had led to her downfall.

His words hit her and hit her hard. Her heart clenched painfully.

Forge knew he had her if the small gasp she gave was any indication. He was going to teach her a lesson, a painful lesson. "You thought that I'll just tuck tail and run, didn't you? You thought that I'll give you a pass and leave once I found out that you are a liar?"

In an abrupt motion, Jean jumped up from her seat and tossed the pillow she was clutching to the floor. She faced Forge, her hands on her hips. Ever defiant and her eyes hot with anger, she cried, "What about you? Ororo would never be yours. How does it feel to know that she's screwing someone else other than you…someone less refined than you."

She wasn't without her weapons. Just as he knew how to hurt her, she knew how to get her licks in on him too. All she had to do was mention something damaging to his vanity and she had him. And she knew that mentioning Ororo sleeping with Logan, someone whom she was sure Forge thought was beneath him was the perfect blow.

Forge jumped up, his face contorted with anger. Moving closer to her, he snarled, "Shut up!"

Jean, unperturbed by his anger, mimicked his action earlier by studying her nails. "I did tell you not to pursue her when you arrived. It isn't my fault that you ignored my advice and went after her. I hope you got what you went looking for."

"You're such a bitch, Jean. I never thought that I'll ever think about you along those lines," Forge shot back.

"It was so easy to bait you. You are so pathetic."

Forge laughed mirthlessly. "Pathetic? You want to talk pathetic? There is nothing more pathetic than a woman trying all sorts of tricks to get a man that would never be hers." He took a few deep breaths to regain his composure. The nerve of this bitch attempting to turn the tables on him.

Jean's chin went up a notch. Furious, she glared at him.

Forge continued. "You would never be able to walk in Ororo's shoes. Despite what has happened between the both of us, she is still a far more superior woman than you could ever dream to be. Oh yes, you are a beautiful woman, but you would never ever hold a candle to the wind rider. I use to think that maybe that was something you were unable to understand, but now I see that you always knew what we all did and that is why you would always try to sabotage Ororo. But the joke is on you Jean. You were finally exposed and I hope you get exactly what is coming to you."

Forge breathed hard and looked at the woman he once had held a measure of respect for, with disdain.

"Go to hell, Forge," Jean seethed. She contemplated using her abilities to wipe the floor with him, but she looked at him and decided that it wasn't worth it. Like her, he was defeated.

"I hope Ororo has finally seen you for the bitch you are," Forge roared. "She deserves a better friend than you."

They both face off like combatants, ready to continue their battle. They were so consumed in their war of words, that they were both unaware of the bespectacled man that entered the room into their fray.

"Which one of you care to shed some light on what's going on here?" Scott inquired calmly, his eyes darting back and forth between the two occupants.

Jean and Forge turned around at the same time to see Scott casually leaning against one of the tables in the library, intently watching them.

"Scott?" Jean whispered, her hand flying to her chest. She hadn't seen him this up close since the entire fiasco in which he found out exactly what she had been up to. She had only seen him from a distance, as he had been hell bent on avoiding her like the plague. She didn't blame him. She had hurt him beyond belief. Although she loved him and suspected that he still loved her, she knew that any chance of reconciliation was slim to none. Forcibly, she relaxed her posture, but not her hostility.

Forge turned to Jean and raised an eyebrow at her, daring her to answer her husband. "You want to answer your husband Jean?"

She knew he was taunting her, challenging her to tell the truth.

"Well?" Scott asked impatiently. "I want to know why there's a screaming match between the two of you."

Jean knew that once the truth about her role in Forge's return and the reason for the return was reveal, then the final nail would be hammered into the proverbial coffin of any hope or chance, as minute as it may be, in getting back with Scott. However, she was attempting to get her life back on track and she had no other choice but to tell the truth. Besides, if she didn't, she knew Forge will be all too happy to divulge exactly why they were arguing.

She took a deep breath and turned to her estranged husband. She shifted her weight uncomfortably. "Uhmm…Forge and I were discussing why he came back after all this time."

She heard Forge's snicker and glanced over at him. Judging from the impassive look on his face, she knew he was tired of their game and was seconds away from telling all.

Forge's mouth formed a grim line as he turned to Scott. Offering a fake tight smile, he said, "I doubt that your wife," he began, putting emphasis on the word wife, "will tell you the truth. So, please allow me to enlighten you, Cyclops."

Scott simply lifted a brow and trained his eyes on Forge.

Forge barely spared Jean a glance as he laid out the entire saga for Scott. "So you see, Scott, your wife enticed me to come back by making me believe that I had another shot with Ororo. All, so that she could muscle in on that feral nightmare."

Scott remained silent as Forge told his story. He showed no reaction to what he was hearing because, truth be told, he wasn't surprised about anything that Jean did anymore. He wasn't surprise to hear that she encouraged Forge to come back, in hopes that he would keep Ororo occupied and give her an opportunity to secure Logan. Scott shook his head. He just simply didn't know what to say anymore when it came to Jean. This pretty much solidified his decision to file for divorce. He had spent a considerable amount of time in reflection, coming to terms with the fact that his marriage was over. Although, he still loved her and knew that he would forever love her, the trust and loyalty that he had foolishly thought were solid foundations of their relationship, no longer existed. It was time to close the book on this painful chapter in his life and move on. He simply had to let her go and chuck up this entire experience to a lesson excruciatingly learned.

Jean offered no retorts throughout Forge's retelling, waiting for the censure from Scott. She attempted to get a read on his thoughts, but stop herself, knowing that he would know exactly what she was up too. However, surprisingly, no censure was forthcoming when he turned to her, but his words were no less scathing. "Congratulations. You've sunken even lower than I could have imagined."

With that parting shot, Scott turned on his heels and exited the room swiftly, intent on beginning his search for a divorce attorney.

Jean's body became taut with anger when she turned back to see the infernal smirk on Forge's face. "You bastard!" She seethed.

Forge shrugged negligently. "I've been called worse. No one makes a fool of me and get away with it. Don't cross me again, Jean."

"You know, I can wipe the floor with you if I choose. But even that is too good for the likes of a useless loser like you," Jean huffed, growing more antagonistic with each passing second.

"If you're going to label me a loser, then I guess that puts us both in the same boat."

"Go to hell." She pushed the words through her teeth.

His lips compressed into a hard, thin line. "I'll see you there, I'm sure."

He took a threatening step towards her, but his tall frame froze when he saw her take a defensive stance. He was no fool. He knew that she could destroy him if she so chooses. Her eyes flashed furiously and her cold words also gave him pause. "You don't want to go down that road."

Forge immediately put distance between them, going to stand by the door. "Whatever," his steely voice vibrated across the room. "I sure as hell don't need this. You've lost everything and that's enough of your comeuppance for me." He turned the knob and opened the door, but before he could walk out, he turned back to Jean and gave her one last retort. "If I were you Jean, I'll get a good divorce lawyer." He didn't wait to hear her response if any, but simply walked out the door, closing it with finality.


Forge left the mansion three days later, claiming that he needed to get back to his "real life". Quite a few of the mansion's occupants of course knew better. On the day of his departure, he looked so forlorn, that Ororo actually felt a stab of pity for him. Logan, on the other hand, was so happy to see the inventor leave, that it took a great amount of restraint for him not to do cartwheels up and down the mansion halls. Jean also was relieved to see him leave. The goodbyes to the Cheyenne ranged from politeness to abruptness. And since his departure, many could feel and see a clear difference in the air throughout the mansion.

"Shouldn't you be resting your ankle?"

Ororo looked up from the piles of unanswered mail that littered her desk, to see Scott walking into her classroom, settling himself in one of the students' chairs. He looked a bit haggard. There was a shadow of beard on his chin. His cheeks looked gaunt and she could clearly see the fatigue on his face.

She gave him a dazzling smile in greeting. "You sound like Logan."

Scott's face scrunched up into a look of displeasure hearing that. He held up his hands and shook his head. "Oh good God, no! Don't ever say that again. Better yet, don't let anyone hear you say that."

Ororo laughed good-naturedly. "I was under the impression that the two of you were buddies now."

Scott grimaced. He figured that Logan would mention their 'meetings and discussions' to her. "Buddies? No, ma'am. He and I would never be buddies, but we've buried the hatchet, so to speak."

"That is good to hear. I want us to heal and live as we are supposed to."

He squirmed in his seat. Ororo didn't miss the telling action. "Well...uh…that is one of the reasons I'm here. We need to talk, 'Roro. We haven't talked at length about all the upheaval in our lives."

He believed that it was time for them to talk about the turmoil in their lives. He had been purposefully putting it off, only talking to Logan and the Professor. He told himself that he needed to get his anger at Jean and at the entire situation under control. But that was his bullshit excuse. The truth was, he was too much of a coward to face her, the one person whom he knew had his back through thick or thin. He couldn't face her, knowing that he was guilty of upholding Jean's behavior and allowing it to get so far as to hurt her. He simply had to man up the courage to face her and apologize.

She nodded in affirmation, knowing that he was right. They needed to discuss things, no matter how painful it would be. "I know brother. I know you were hurting and needed your space and privacy. I knew that you would come to me when you were ready."

"Thank you for that," Scott replied softly. "I had to sort a lot of things out." He ran his fingers through his already disheveled hair in vexation. "She hurt me bad, 'Roro. Real bad."

"I know she did. And I am sorry that she felt that she had to go down that path. I am mostly sorry that you are in so much pain."

Scott sighed and got up to go stand before the picture window, looking out at the grounds. He turned his head to her, appearing to gather his thoughts. "I need to apologize to you Ororo. In a way, I endorsed her behavior and it eventually led to you being hurt. You didn't deserve it and for that I'm very sorry."

Ororo was clearly taken aback. "What? You have no need to apologize Scott. Jean's actions were of her own free will, not yours."

Scott shrugged his shoulders, unwilling to accept what Ororo was saying, but still amaze at the forgiveness readily given by this woman. "She has hurt you too, 'Roro. I know you won't admit it, but I know she did."

Ororo closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, the hurt she was feeling at Jean's betrayal was laid bare for Scott to see. "She did hurt me," Ororo whispered. "I trusted her and to have her betray that trust was very hard to accept and still is to an extent. She has also hurt Logan in ways that were unthinkable."

Scott nodded before turning back to continue looking out of the window. He knew all about how Jean unethically manipulating Logan's mind.

"But you need not apologize for her actions. We were all victims of her schemes."

Silence reigned for a few moments, then, "I'm going to file for divorce."

Ororo was expecting something along those lines, but to actually hear the words voiced out loud, it still took her by surprise. She had known it was a possibility, but a part of her had hoped that both he and Jean would eventually work their problems out. It now looked like that wasn't coming to pass.

"I do not know what to say."

Scott turned away from the window to face her once again. "There's nothing to say. There is no coming back from what she's done. It's better for everyone that I move on."

"Have you thought this through?" Ororo asked gently.

"It's been the only constant thing on my mind. And believe it or not, Wolverine gave me some sage advice."

To this, Ororo raised a sculpted eyebrow.

"Yes, I know. I can't believe I'm uttering the words Wolverine and sage in the same sentence." He laughed lightly before continuing. "He told me to take my time and do what was best for me."

Ororo smiled softly. Her Logan was something else. "I am very pleased that the both of you have been…civil to each other."

"Yeah, well. He's not all that bad. Once you get by the rudeness, crudeness and anger," Scott replied. "But if you ever utter a word of what I just said to anyone, I'm going to deny it."

She laughed, feeling good that they were finally getting everything out in the open. "I shall keep your secret."

After a long bout of silence, Scott heaved a heavy sigh. He didn't know how much she knew about Jean and Forge's doomed alliance, but he was about to spill on what he knew. "Logan's advice wasn't the only thing I used to come to my decision."

Ororo's brows knotted in confusion. Did Jean do something else stupid? "What are you talking about, Scott?"

"I take it that you spoke with Forge before he left?"

Ororo groaned. "Please, do not remind me. My conversations with him were not pleasant and it had taken a great deal of effort to keep Logan from killing him."

Scott nodded in understanding. "Well, I had the luxury of walking into a screaming match between Forge and Jean." He muttered his soon to be ex-wife's name in disgust. "I found it quite enlightening."

"Oh?"

"Indeed. You'll never guess what they were arguing about."

"I would rather you tell me, Scott," Ororo replied. "I really do not want to play guessing games when it comes to Jean and Forge."

"I don't blame you," he muttered. "Well, according to Forge, Jean lured him here by telling him that you were single and pining away for him, wanting to get back with him."

"What?!" Ororo cried. "You have to be joking!"

"Afraid not, sis. And there's more. She wanted Forge to keep you busy so she could continue to work her charms on Logan."

"Goddess!" Was there no end to Jean's treachery? How many wrongs did they have to endure before something was put to right?

Ororo reclined in her chair, careful not to upset her ankle. She stared disbelieving at Scott. "I cannot believe what you are telling me, Scott."

"Believe it."

"What in the Goddess' name was she thinking?" Ororo voiced angrily. "She had to have known that her plan would have backfired."

"I don't think that she cared."

Ororo asked one of the questions that were uppermost in their minds. "How do we all get back to where we were before?"

"Do you honestly think that we could all put this behind us and go back to how we were?"

Ororo grunted. "I do not hold any illusions of us returning to the happy family we once were. There has been too much pain inflicted for that to happen. But we have to hope that we can get back to being the cohesive unit we were. If we do not, then we have failed in a part of our lives' work."

Scott lowered his head, knowing that she was right. When he lifted his head, it was with great clarity in his eyes. "Things around here are going to be turbulent for a while, but I believe that we'll get back on track. We just need to stay focus."

"We have survived everything thrown at us so far, so I have no doubts that we will get back on track."

Scott began walking to the exit slowly. When he stood in front of where she was sitting, he stared down at her for what seemed like endless moments. A trace of a smile lifted one corner of his mouth, before giving her a slight nod. Silently, he turned on his heels and left the room, leaving Ororo to ponder if she was indeed being too optimistic in believing that time healed all wounds.