Summary: Two pairs of eyes witness an intimate moment and see two entirely different things...

Shattering Perceptions

[In the minutes directly following Jean's arrival in Scott's office.]

Meanwhile, down in the kitchen, Logan grabbed another beer to finish off his late night snack and headed back to his room. Despite her concerns, Jean had released him from the lab earlier in the day, but his healing factor was still requiring vast amounts of additional energy. He took another pull from the beer. He was always ravenous when he taxed himself so severely, and this time was no exception. He grunted softly. In the face of so much uncertainty, it was something familiar, something real, he could anchor himself to.

And yet, even that wasn't exactly the same. It had never been so pronounced before. Feeling his life, his very consciousness, flow into Marie was unlike anything he'd ever experienced in all the years he could remember. He'd never before been that close to death, and ironically, he'd never felt more alive. Her presence woke something inside him he hadn't even known existed.

Yes. Too much had changed too quickly.

He was not a man who took easily to change. He might drift from place to place, but the scenery was really the only thing that changed. He drank the same beer, smoked the same brand of cigars, got up when he felt like it and slept when he was tired. He fought the same kinds of men in the same kind of dives, found solace in the arms of the same kind of women, and as always, he searched for answers to the same damn questions that always haunted him. It wasn't much of an existence, but at least it was familiar.

And in all of that – nothing had ever touched him inside. Not until her. He still wasn't ready to acknowledge that, so he'd done the next best thing. Flirt with the first woman who'd caught his eye. Again, he'd chosen what was safe. What was familiar. Thrust and parry. Innuendo and retort. It was a game he knew well – and one he played all too frequently. One played in the moment, and forgotten in the next as he moved on from place to place, restlessly looking for some glimmer of his past.

Somehow, he didn't think he'd be able to forget Marie's face as easily. That, too, disturbed him. He felt as if he'd passed into some sort of topsy-turvy world where nothing was the way it should be. His fingers tightened on the glass and he took a long satisfying drink. Hell, even the beer was different here. But then again, it had been a long time since he'd enjoyed a Guinness. The corner of his lip turned up briefly. Someone in this house had some damn fine taste in beer.

Swallowing a dark smile and another mouthful of beer, Logan decided to forgo the elevators in favor of the stairs. Who knew where he might end up in this godforsaken rabbit warren. This place was claustrophobic enough as it was without purposefully sealing himself into that sterile tin can. Again. He paused on his way up the stairs as he caught Jean's scent. She'd passed this way recently. He followed the scent, surprised to find she'd exited on the floor where the staff offices were situated.

Logan grunted. You gotta be shittin' me. Even these geeks can't work this late. It was nearly 2 AM. With a shrug, he decided he might as well follow her. It was the perfect opportunity to explain the comment he'd made to her in the lab, upon regaining consciousness. The last thing he wanted was for her to get the wrong idea. Shit. She was a doctor – and a damn good one. Surely she'd realized he hadn't meant it quite the way it had sounded. He'd been coming out of a coma for christsake. And the fact he'd awakened with thoughts of her, of Marie, foremost in his mind was disturbing to say the least. Still, he hadn't been able to keep himself from asking about her with his first conscious breath. A fact he'd tried to remedy by turning 180 degrees in the opposite direction with his second.

An old quote from some forgotten memory surfaced in his mind. Something to the tune of 'methinks he doth protest too much'. An irritated growl rumbled low in his throat. Shit. Maybe he was better off just leaving well enough alone. He'd be gone tomorrow, anyway. What difference did it make? An uncharacteristic moment of indecision halted his progress down the hall. Normally, he wouldn't have given two shits about leaving things the way they were… but he had the distinct impression that he hadn't seen the last of this place. A grimace flashed across his harsh features. Even the stupidest animal knew not to soil the place where it slept.

His decision was made for him when the seamless walnut paneling to his left slid aside, revealing yet another elevator. Its lone occupant stepped out, yellow pajamas swishing, as she snapped her gum loudly and gave him an appraising look. She paused and opened her mouth to say something.

Shit.

Logan knew he probably had about as much right to be wandering the halls as she did at this hour, but he had age and wisdom on his side, and he didn't hesitate to use either to keep her from questioning him about his reasons for being in this particular hall at two in the morning. He was an unknown quantity to her. She needed to know where he fit in the pack hierarchy. Kids weren't stupid. If he appeared even the least bit hesitant, she'd pick up on it. He had to make it clear to her that his position in this pack was above hers.

Logan took a slow sip from his beer and crossed his arms over his chest. "What the hell are you doin' here at this hour, kid?" He watched her dark, intelligent eyes take in his measure and then, just like that, he was firmly ensconced in the Adult-In-Authority category and her body language shifted accordingly.

She waved the paper in her hand at him. "Dude, I'm here 'cause Mr. Summers is an equal opportunity flunker."

Logan looked nonplussed. He raised an eyebrow at her and tried to keep the smile off his face as he followed her down the hall.

"See, he has this policy for exams. The paper was due today in class, but we're allowed to turn them in late, just so long as they're on his desk before he starts class tomorrow." She sighed and popped her gum again. "You'd think he'd cut us a little more slack, what with Magnet Head trying to mutate the Big Apple, but no." She rolled her eyes at him.

Now it wasn't so hard to keep that smile off his face. This is the kind of respect they taught here at the school? Damn. This kid definitely needed a lesson in pack dynamics. Shit flows down the chain of command. Not up. He gave her a hard look. "Christ, kid. You think he really gives a shit about that stupid test?"

Jubilee blinked at him in shock. Language aside, she'd never even considered that possibility. She opened her mouth to say something. Exactly what, she wasn't sure.

Logan, however, had other ideas. "Quit runnin' your mouth and listen up. It ain't your place to badmouth Cyke. He's got enough shit to deal with already. He doesn't need your crap ontoppa that." Now that he had her attention, it was time to really open her eyes. "Look around you, kid. Don't let all this-" he waved his hand, indicating the opulence surrounding them, "Blind you to the truth. The war ain't comin'. It's already here - and he's on the front line." His eyes narrowed. "Protectin' your asses so you kids can be students instead of somebody's science project." He subconsciously fingered the tags at his neck.

Jubilee's eyes were wide and her mouth was opening and closing, but no sound was coming out.

Good. The kids around here could use a little dose of reality, not to mention a good kick in the ass. He pointed a long, blunt finger at her. "How'd ya like to have the life of every last human in the city restin' on your shoulders, huh? One fuck up on your part and millions of people die." Logan grunted. "Maybe ya oughta think 'bout that the next time you feel like shootin' your mouth off."

Jubilee was stunned for a few moments as her brain tried to wrap itself around Logan's unexpected words, and then, to his surprise, she smiled at him. "Wow, dude. You don't pull any punches, do you?"

His facial expression didn't change. "Nope." He never had before. There was no reason to start now.

Jubilee shrugged. "It's cool, you know?"

Logan raised an eyebrow at her.

"You're the first one here to talk to me like a real person. Not like a stupid kid," she clarified.

Logan grinned. "Figured ya had a brain in there somewhere under all that yellow."

Jubilee's eyes sparkled. "Well, if you've got one under all that hair, then there's gotta be hope for me." For a minute she thought she might have gone too far, until she realized the quiet rumbling sound in his chest wasn't a growl, but a low husky chuckle. "I can see why she likes you."

The chuckling stopped abruptly.

Before he could say anything, she put her hands up in a placating gesture. "I know, I know. Shut up, Jubes." She paused for a moment, reading something in his face, and then shrugged. This time her words carried no sarcasm, only the quiet, solid ring of truth. "I'm not just a stupid kid, you know. I have ears. And eyes. I might not know anything about Mr. Summers' issues, but Rogue's my roommate, and I know about this." A very distinct warning growl sent shivers down her back.

"You don't know jack shit, kid." He pinned her to the wall with a hard stare and one very forceful hand on her shoulder. "And ya keep your trap shut when it comesta her. You get me?" The look on his face brooked no argument.

Jubilee nodded earnestly and mimed zipping her mouth and throwing the key over her shoulder. Logan gave a quiet grunt of assent and released her shoulder, taking another pull from his beer as he looked down the hallway.

Jubilee grinned at him and rubbed her shoulder. "Dude, you didn't have to go and get all 'grrr' on me. She's my girl. I've got her back."

"Glad to hear it." Marie could use someone in her corner. He was aware she hadn't exactly been dealt a stellar hand so far in life. Shitty parents. Shitty mutation. Shitty luck - but she was tough. She didn't complain, and she'd pulled herself up by her own bootstraps. He liked that about her… among other things. Shit. He gave Jubilee another hard look. "Aren't you supposedta be turnin' somethin' in or some shit like that?"

"Yeah." She waved the paper in his general direction. "His office is the last one, down around the corner." She looked like she was going to add something, and then thought better of it.

Logan suppressed a grin. Heh. At least something he'd said had made an impression. Not that he was trying to make Scott's life easier, but the kids here needed a dose of reality. This place might be a fine environment for learning, but it was so far removed from the harsh reality of the real world, it was laughable. Logan looked around him. Christ, who lives like this?

Caught up in his thoughts, he failed to notice the barely audible groans coming from Scott's office until he saw the soft light coming from under the door and through the frosty glass. Suddenly it all clicked into place. The light, the sounds, Jean's scent in the hallway… Shit. SHIT! Jubilee's hand was already turning the knob. "Hey, wait-"

"Nah, it's cool. Mr. Summers leaves it unlocked for us." She pushed the door inward and took a few steps inside before she became aware that the room was… occupied. She froze and let out a squeak of shock as the scene registered in her brain.

Dr. Grey was on her knees – naked – in front of Mr. Summers. His pants were around his ankles and his fingers were threaded in her hair. His head was tipped back and he was making a low sound in his throat that cut off abruptly as soon as he heard her gasp. Jubilee couldn't see any of the good stuff as Jean's body was blocking her view, but that really wasn't what had her attention anyway.

Jean's back was to the door, and in an instant she'd scanned the intruding parties and relayed that information to Scott. {Logan and Jubilee.}

{Fuck.} His body tensed and he moved to pull away. A dark, primal thought came unbidden to his mind, but he violently pushed it away. Now was not the time or place to-

{Do it.}

He was too close to the edge. Her words burned through his consciousness and something inside him snapped. His fingers tightened in her hair, and instead of pushing her away from him, he pulled her closer and turned his face towards the door, towards Logan. He bared his teeth and made a noise in his throat that stopped just short of becoming a full-fledged snarl.

Though it all happened in a split second, the meaning wasn't lost on Logan. It was quite clearly a gesture that said 'this woman is mine' in the most base way possible.

Logan glanced at Jubilee who was gaping at Scott. "Shit." He took a step forward, pulled the paper from Jubilee's hand and threw it in the general direction of Scott's desk as he grabbed her by the scruff and hauled her from the room. A telekinetic slam of the door quickly followed, as did the sound of the lock engaging.

It's a little late for that, darlin'. Logan grunted and pushed Jubilee down the hall toward the elevator.

"OhMyGod. Oh. My. God! Did you see that?"

"Yeah, I saw it." His intelligent gaze had missed nothing. Not the glass on the floor. Not the vivid bite mark on the side of Jean's neck. Not the rivulet of pearly fluid running down the inside of her thigh. And most especially not the look on Scott's face. He knew what Jubilee thought she'd seen. A simple blowjob.

However, he was aware what they'd witnessed was a great deal more than that. Logan knew mate bonding when he saw it. Honestly, it surprised him a little. He hadn't been too sure about Scott, he might be a little green tactically speaking, but it was obvious he knew how to treat his woman. How to show her his dominance and mark his mate properly to bind her to him. Strangely enough, it made him feel better about leaving Marie here. Especially after Scott had bared his teeth at him. He hadn't been expecting that. Well, well. It would seem One Eye had some balls after all.

Logan swallowed a chuckle. He respected a good show of strength. He'd also gotten a pretty good look at Jean's pert little ass, which he knew would annoy Scott to no end. His inner amusement faded as another, more serious thought occurred to him. He never did get to talk to Jean – and he sure as hell didn't want to talk to her now. Not with images of her mouth on Scott still so fresh in his mind. He fingered the tags resting around his neck and thought of Marie. Maybe there was another way to leave a clear indication of the direction his heart lay. One that didn't include talking to Jean.

"Oh. My. God. I still can't believe it!"

"Christ, it was just a blowjob. Get over it already." Not exactly the truth, but she was only seventeen. Some realities could wait a while.

"Duh, dude! I'm talking about his face!"

"What the fuck are you gettin' at?" He'd seen Scott's face too, but he was sure Jubilee wouldn't have recognized the possessive snarl aimed at him – nor the meaning behind it.

"Hello? His face! As in Mr. Summers without his glasses. His face. As in his naked face. Oh. My. God! I can't believe I saw it."

Logan chuckled. "Breathe, kid." Luckily for Scott, she seemed more interested in his face than the rest of the skin that had been on display. No matter. He was sure that once the novelty of seeing Scott's face wore off, Jubilee would waste no time in relating the other details of their little midnight encounter. Heh. Slim was on his own there. You play, you pay, bub.

"Holy crap! You just do not understand." She was a fluttering blur of yellow as she bounced up and down in front of the elevator. "Nobody's seen it. None of us. Like ever! God! Nobody's gonna believe this." She stopped bouncing and met his eyes as another thought occurred to her. "You are going to back me up on this, right?"

Logan grunted in amusement. "Nah. You're on your own there."

"Figures." Grinning, Jubilee rolled her eyes at him as the elevator door silently slid shut.

A low chuckle resonated in the empty hallway. He knew she'd never be able to keep a secret of this magnitude. By tomorrow, it would be all over the school… and he'd be long gone. Besides, Logan knew it would get Scott's goat that he knew and never told a soul – but Scott would know, and every time he looked at Logan, he'd remember that Logan had seen his girl. Naked. Heh.

Perhaps there was something to be said for returning to this place someday. Someday when Marie was no longer a child. Shit. Logan's grin faded at the direction his thoughts had taken as he headed back up the stairs. He touched his tags absently, unable – unwilling – to acknowledge what he knew in his heart to be true. He might be able to run, but he'd never be truly alone again. And the one he instinctively recognized as his mate wouldn't be a little girl forever.

Back in his office, Scott slowly pulled Jean to her feet and rested his forehead against her breastbone as he wrapped his arms tightly around her. He nuzzled her flushed skin softly and pressed a gentle kiss just above her heart. {I love you.}

{Mmmm…}

Scott straightened, pulling her against his chest and buried his face in her hair. Despite the untimely interruption, the feeling of intense closeness lingered. A feeling made that much more potent because of what Logan had witnessed. He turned her slowly, hugging her to him as he left tiny butterfly kisses on her neck. He simply couldn't keep from touching her. Not after what they'd shared tonight. Scott smiled against her skin and dropped his head to her shoulder.

{I don't suppose either of us is going to develop the power to turn back time before Jubilee tells the entire school what she saw tonight?} He gave her a squeeze and felt her soft chuckle against his chest.

Jean snorted into his mind. {You're worried? It wasn't you on your knees here, Slim.}

Scott chuckled and pinched her backside playfully as he gently set her from him and bent to pull up his jeans. The motion was unhurried and utterly without modesty or self-consciousness. This was hardly the first time they'd been intimate outside their bedroom. It was just the first time they'd been caught. And although their words were light, they were both acutely aware of the deeper implications of what had passed between them tonight.

Not that they'd been seen – that was bound to happen eventually – but that Scott had held her to him because he'd wanted to send a clear message to Logan – and that Jean had wanted him to. In fact, had urged him to do so.

It was a little surprising for both of them. They were usually far more reserved. Maybe not with each other, but certainly in front of other people. Neither of them were quite ready to talk about it. Not yet. It was still too fresh in their minds, and both of them were far too spent, too satiated to want to do anything else but fall into bed and slip off to sleep, wrapped around each other. Tomorrow, and all its realities, would be here soon enough.

Scott heard the whisper soft sound of fabric sliding over Jean's skin and a moment later, she pressed his glasses into his hand.

{Thanks, sweetheart.} He slid them on and couldn't help but smile at the picture Jean presented. She did indeed look well loved. Her lips were slightly bruised, her skin was flushed with passion, and her hair was a wild tangle of red curls. His eyes slid lower and the smile got wider – and darker – as his eyes came to rest on the mark he'd left on her neck.

Slowly, deliberately, he brushed the pad of this thumb over the vivid mark and waited until she met his gaze through the ruby lenses. Despite their earlier teasing, this time there was no amusement in his words. {You are mine, Jean.} The tone of his mental voice was possessive… and defiant. As if he half expected her to refute his roughly made claim.

A beautiful smile turned up the corners of her lush mouth and warmed her cool green eyes. {Always.} She touched his mouth gently with her fingertips. {I'm always your girl, Scott. Always.} She sighed softly and laced her fingers with his. {Now come to bed, flyboy. I have a feeling tomorrow is going to come much earlier than either of us would like.}

Scott chuckled darkly. {I have a feeling you're right.} He grinned the 'Summers' grin'. {And I think it's going to be a very, very long time before either of us lives this one down.} His hand squeezed hers tightly. {Now let's go to bed, Jean.}

{Sounds good to me, Tarzan.} She squeezed him back and shot him a wink as he flipped off the light and closed the door.

Next up: Sharp!Scott gets revenge...