"Yes. I know you don't remember it, but you did." Jean looked at Scott in confusion.
"I don't remember. How…" Jean was interrupted as the rest of the team entered the office.
"Are we late?" Bobby asked.
Scott looked from Jean to Storm and seemed to have some sort of silent communication with her and then turned to Bobby and the others.
"No, actually there's been a change of plans. The meeting will be held at the same time tomorrow instead." The younger X-Men exchanged confused glances before agreeing and exiting the room. Storm came around her desk and started for the door.
"Since we will not be meeting I can spend some time tending my garden." Storm paused at the door and looked back at Logan. "Logan?"
Logan's eyes snapped to Storm.
"Uh, yeah. I have something's I could be doing as well." Logan and Storm exited her office and closed the door behind them, giving Scott and Jean the privacy they needed.
As the door closed behind Storm and Logan, Scott positioned two of Storms office chairs facing each other. Indicating to Jean to sit in one, Scott sat down across from her.
"How much do you remember of what happened at Alkali Lake?" Jean shook her head.
"I don't remember a lot. The most that I can remember is the look in your eyes as the Phoenix…as I tried to kill you." Scott reached forward and took Jean's hand in his.
"You didn't try to kill me. That was the Phoenix. You saved my life." Scott let go of her hand. "When the Phoenix rose and told me to trust her…to trust you, I did. How could I not? She was there in front of me offering me everything I wanted…you back in my life, back in my arms. But then it all fell apart just as quickly. I was holding her, kissing her and then I felt it. I felt her taking me apart. Particle by particle and there was nothing I could do to stop her. When I realized what was happening I looked at you…at her and I didn't recognize the woman in front of me and then I just started screaming your name over and over trying to get through to you. Trying to get you to stop what you were doing. And then I saw it, this flash of something in your eyes and suddenly it stopped, you let me go. I remember I said your name and reached out to you, but you started shaking your head and saying no, no, I can't let her hurt you. And then I felt this pain explode in my head as you broke our link. I remember the last thought you sent to me before you broke it. You told me you were sorry and then you sent me flying through the air. Away from you, away from the Phoenix and then I crashed and I blacked out from the pain in my head." Scott stood up and moved away from Jean and went to over to the window, looking out he continued his story.
"When I woke up. I didn't know where I was, I was scared to open my eyes, since I didn't know what would happen and I was in a hell of a lot of pain. But I had to make a decision. Live or die, those were my choices. I chose life and took the chance of opening my eyes and I could see my blasts were gone. I wandered around for days before I finally collapsed from exhaustion. I don't know how long I was out, but when I awoke, I was in the hospital and I kept hearing stories of the battle that had taken place at Alcatraz and about the deaths of Scott Summers and Charles Xavier at the hand of a the Phoenix also known as Jean Grey and ultimately about the death of the Phoenix at the hands of Wolverine." Scott turned back to Jean. When I was well enough they released me. I wandered around for awhile and then I ended up at the Professor's place in Vermont. You can imagine my surprise when I heard of the miraculous return of the Professor and Jean Grey. Up until then I had been content to allow things to remain the way they were. But knowing that the Professor was alive changed all that, I knew I had to contact him and let him know that I was alive and well." Scott flashed a Jean a quick grin. "Especially considering that if he decided to use Cerebro, he would have found me any way."
"That's why you contacted the Professor? You were scared he would use Cerebro and find you?" Jean looked at Scott in confusion. "I don't understand. I have been trying to for days, but I just don't understand why. Why didn't you contact me? Why didn't you come home to me?" Scott crossed the room to sit down in front of Jean once again.
"You know why."
"No, no I don't. You had to know how much we were all hurting over losing you. How guilty I must have felt? Was it because of Logan, because you heard about my relationship with Logan? "That never would have happened if you would have come home." Scott shook his head.
"Jean."
"It's true! I never would have allowed anything to happen with Logan if you would have been here!" Scott shot Jean a resigned look.
"Jean, come on lets be honest. I was here and you flirted with Logan, I was here and you kissed him!" Jean gasped in surprise and flushed guiltily.
"How…how do you know about that?"
"The Phoenix. When she was kissing me at the lake, she let me see your memory of kissing Logan."
"I'm sorry Scott! I never meant for that to happen!" Jean paused. "Did she show you everything? Did she show you that I pulled away? That I chose you and our relationship?" Scott just shook his head.
"Yeah, she showed me. Hell Logan even told me after you died that you had chosen me. Like that was supposed to be some great comfort to me. Why in the hell was there even a choice to make? We had been together for nine years – in what I thought was a pretty good relationship – and then suddenly this guy comes along that you know for all of what? Two to three months at best? And suddenly there's a choice to be made?" Jean eyes widened as Scott's voice rose in volume.
"Scott…" He doesn't let her continue.
"Sixteen Jean! I had loved you since I was sixteen! I gave you everything I had, everything that I was and it wasn't enough for you! Do you know how I felt when you flirted with Logan in front of me? How much it hurt to see you looking at him like that? I mean, I can understand being attracted to someone else, hell I've been attracted to other women since I've been with you, but I never acted on it! I didn't flirt with them; I sure as hell didn't kiss them! How? How could you do it Jean? Why did you take everything I thought we had and treat like it meant nothing?"
"That's not true!"
"Yes, yes it is! It's the truth! It's ugly and it hurts, but it's the truth and that's what we have to deal with now." Scott rose from his seat once again, Jean rose as well.
"I…I don't know what to say. I know that the way I behaved with Logan was wrong and it was hurtful and I am sorry! I never meant for any of it to happen and if I could take it all back I would. But I can't! I wish I could but I can't! But I know we can move on from it Scott! All you have to do is trust me and give me…give us a chance!" Scott backed away from Jean until there were a few feet between them and hung his head.
"Trust?" Scott lifted his head to look at Jean. "I trusted you once…I don't think I'm up for it again." So saying he heads for the door. "I'm sorry, I can't…"
Jean, seeing his intent to leave, tries to stop him. "Scott please…" She grabs his arm. "Please, don't leave. Talk to me." Scott looks into her eyes.
You want to talk? Okay, tell me something?" Jean nods her head.
"Anything?"
"Who ended things between you and Logan?"