Jean had been sitting in Storm's office brooding since her conversation with Scott. After his last statement of maybe he had wanted to be free, Scott had left without saying anything more and she had been here ever since, thinking about all of the things he had said. All of the things that he had revealed. Jean sighed. She didn't…. Jean's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door and someone clearing their throat. Turning her head she saw Logan standing in the doorway.

"You all right?" Jean smiled a little sadly.

"Yes, I'm fine Logan." Logan entered the office further and closed the door behind him.

"You don't look fine Jeannie." Jean shot Logan a look.

"I will be…Scott and I will be. It's just going to take time."

Jeannie…"

Don't Logan. Whatever your going to say don't. I love him and I know we will be together again. I just have to get him to trust in me…in us again." Logan sighed and sat down across from Jean.

"What about you?" Jean looked at him in confusion. "He allowed you to believe that he was dead for over a year, Jeannie. How can you place your trust in a man who could do that to you?"

"I…I can't pretend to completely understand that Logan. The best I can come up with is that he was protecting himself." Jean rose from her seat and started pacing. "I hurt him Logan, I made him doubt my commitment to him and our relationship and I broke his trust. Scott doesn't trust easily, you don't know his history, but believe me when I say that when he lets you in and gives you his trust, you should cherish it." Logan snorted and Jean frowned at him. "It's true Logan. I know you think that Scott has had it easy, but you're wrong. You look at Scott and see this clean cut, follow the rules, uptight guy. But Scott is so much more than that." Jean came and sat down across from Logan.

"Scott was orphaned at an early age. He lost his parents and his brother in a plane crash and when he awoke he was in a hospital alone and at the mercy of the Social Services System. Scott suffered brain damage due to the crash, that damage is the reason that he can't control his mutation and it subjects him to debilitating migraines. Do you know how hard it is to place children with disabilities? Everyone wants the perfect child Logan. There aren't too many families out there willing to take on a child who suffers from brain damage. Even if that damage is not readily noticeable. So Scott was placed in an orphanage until a foster family was found to take him in. Well he was finally placed but the first family didn't last long, none of them did, most were just looking for additional income. None of them really wanted the responsibility of another child in their home. Scott, finally wound up with a family that cared, actually took the time to reach out to him and he was happy, for a little while. Until his mutation manifested itself at a high school dance and he took out a wall when he was fourteen. He ran away after that, spent a year on the streets with his eyes closed." Jean looked at Logan. "You can imagine how he lived Logan, a boy as good looking as Scott who couldn't open his eyes? The predators must have thought he was a godsend. That's where Jack found him. Jack who would protect him; watch out for him in return for some favors. You can imagine what those favors were, can't you Logan? When the Professor found him, Scott was withdrawn, difficult and mistrusting, and sure that the Professor wanted…that we all wanted something from him. It took him a long time to trust us…to trust me and I broke it. Now, I have to get it back. It's going to take time but I will." Logan and Jean sat in silence for a few moments as he digested what he had just learned about Scott. Logan finally broke the silence.

"I had no idea Jean." Jean smiled at Logan.

"I know you didn't Logan. You took one look at him and passed your judgment. But I understand, we all do that sometimes, pass judgment on people without actually knowing them." Jean rose from her seat. "We've both made mistakes Logan, I made the mistake of not valuing what I had with Scott, and flirting with you in front of him. He's made mistakes as well." Jean fell silent for a few moments. Logan could see that whatever she was thinking about, it was hurting her. "I just have to find it within me to forgive him and hope that he can forgive me as well." Logan frowned.

"You're not just talking about forgiving him for pretending to be dead are you? What else has he done to you Jeannie?"

Scott entered the kitchen to find Ororo sitting at the island eating a bowl of, he peered over her shoulder, uh oh, a bowl of Chunky Monkey.

"What's the matter Ro?" Ororo glanced over her shoulder at Scott.

"What makes you think anything's the matter?" Scott walked over to the kitchen cabinets and pulled open one of the drawers, grabbing a spoon he closed the drawer and settled down across from Ro.

"Well it's almost times for lunch and you, who never allows anyone else to ruin their appetite by indulging in sweets, are sitting here indulging in a bowl of Chunky Monkey ice cream." Scott, who has been waving his spoon a little while talking to Ro, scoops up a small portion of the ice cream, pops it into his mouth and smiles at Ro.

Ro smiles back. "It's nothing Scott; I was just worried about you and Jean." Scott sighed and laid his spoon down.

"You don't need to waste your time worrying about me or Jean. We will both be fine."

"I know you will, I just…you've both…I just don't want to see either one of you hurting anymore." Ro placed her spoon in her bowl. "You have both been through so much and I wasn't there for either of you. I couldn't be there for you by your choice and I wasn't there for Jean by my choice." Ro looked at Scott and smiled again. "I'm not blaming you; I understand why you did what you did. I just wish I could have helped you through it. I do however; blame myself for not being there for Jean." Ororo paused for a moment. "I was so angry at her for everything, Scott. I withdrew my support when she needed it the most and I said some pretty hurtful things."

"God, I'm sorry Ro. I never really thought how my actions would affect your friendship with Jean. I just assumed that you guys would be fine."

"I know and it's not your fault. It's just something Jean and I have to work through."

"You and Jean have been friends for a long time, you'll get through this."

"I know you're right. I just hope that there are no misunderstandings along the way." Scott frowned at this comment.

"What do you mean? What misunderstandings?"

"Nothing, it's not important."

"If it wasn't important it wouldn't be bothering you. Come on Ro, talk to me."

"It's nothing really…" Ro broke off as Scott gave an exaggerated sigh. "Fine, it's just something Logan said." Scott snorted. "Yes, well I know how you feel about anything Logan says. But I don't need him to repeat his feelings to Jean and cause even more of a distance between us."

"Why would anything Logan has to say cause problems for you and Jean?"

Jean tried again to put Logan off.

"It doesn't matter Logan."

"Of course it does Jeannie. You wouldn't be this upset if it didn't." Jean sighed in exasperation.

"Logan…" Logan cuts her off.

"No, you're upset and it's obvious that Scooter is the reason." Jean lips quirked a little at Logan's nickname for Scott.

"You're not going to let this go are you?" Logan shakes his head no. "Fine, you're right I am upset. Scott…Scott told me that while he was gone he moved on with his life and that that new life included other women." Jean turned away as she grew agitated.

Logan growled. "He flaunted other women in your face?" Jean turned back toward Logan.

"No, of course not. Scott would never do anything like that. He just…he was just letting me know that he understood how you and I ended up together. That he could understand my reaching out to someone in a time of need." Logan shook his head again.

"Letting you know he understood? What is there to understand? He was dead. At least that is what he let everyone besides Chuck believe. You don't need him to understand anything you did Jeannie. As far as you were concerned he was dead and you moved on with your life."

"Yes, I know Logan; we both…"

"No, Jeannie you believed he was dead and you reached out. He knew you were alive and well and chose not to come to you, he chose to take other women into his bed knowing that you were here trying to deal with everything you had done as the Phoenix. Those two things are completely different."

Ororo just looked at Scott for a moment.

"Well Logan is under the impression that I am in love with you." Scott looked at her in confusion.

"Well of course you love me. I love you as well. Why would that be a problem for you and Jean?"

"You don't understand. Logan thinks that I am in love with you. As in more that just friends." Scott looked dumb founded.

"Oh."

"Yes, oh."

"Well did you tell him he was wrong?"

"Of course I did. But I am still worried that he will convey his feeling to Jean." Scott got up and moved around the island. Coming up behind Ororo he moved in close until his cheek was resting on her hair and one of his arms was wrapped around her shoulders.

"I don't think you have to worry about that. Jean knows you too well; she knows we have always been close and that you don't feel that way about me. So even if Logan says anything, she knows better." Ororo allowed herself to relax into Scott.

"I hope your right." Scott tightened his arm in a brief hug.

"I know I am."

Jean looked at Logan for a moment before she turned away.

"I know. I know you're right. God Logan I feel as if he's been cheating on me and I know I don't have that right because at the same time I was with you."

"Jeannie…"

"I know Logan, I thought he was dead. But it doesn't stop the way I feel. I've been sitting here trying to work my way through it but all I keep thinking is that there are other women out there who now know what it's like to be made love to by Scott. They know his touch, the feel of his lips; they know how he likes to explore his partner's body as if it's a puzzle whose secrets need to be revealed over and over again, they know how…."

"Jean!"

"Yeah, not something you want to hear, I know. But it's true and it used to be something that only I knew. I hate feeling this way. I hate knowing that there are other women out there who have been with Scott. And I really hate knowing that none of this would have ever happened if it weren't for me." Jean continued before Logan could say anything. "I knew that my flirting with you was hurting Scott, but I did it anyway. Because I was enjoying the attention and I liked how it was making me feel." Jean paused as she rubbed her hand across her forehead. "I guess I should have heeded that old saying a little more closely." Logan quirked an eyebrow in inquiry.

"You know, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." Jean snorted. "Well it took sometime but damn he finally reacted." Jean dropped down into a chair and lowered her head to her knees as she finally allowed the tears she had been holding in to flow.

Logan walked over to kneel by her side unsure of what to do or say, he finally settled for simply rubbing her back in a show of comfort. Damn, he wondered, where would things go from here?