Summary: A single act brings hurt and grief.

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men

Rating: T

Betrayal

Chapter 17

Present Time: Westchester, New York

…later in the evening…

"Are you pleased with yourself?" Ororo asked, casually entering the kitchen to discard her cup and plate in the dishwater. The machine being already full she turned on the rinse cycle. She heard of the fight between Logan and Hank and thought it was utterly ridiculous. She had gone out that morning to search for an obstetrician and had earlier made appointments with two prospective doctors. She didn't feel comfortable with Hank treating her after all that had transpired.

"Where the hell have you been!" Logan roared, his black eyes veering off behind his shoulder. He'd been sitting on a stool, his back to her, downing one beer after another, and puffing on his smelly cigars.

She turned, twisting in a half circle, ice-blue eyes cold and flashing. "It's not you're business."

"Like hell it isn't!" He jumped up swinging around so fast he knocked the stool to the tile floor. "That's my child you're carryin' inside you."

Folding her arms, Ororo rested her hips against the counter. "If it's yours."

He went rigid as though she had zapped him with a lightening bolt. "What do you mean? Of course, the baby is mine. You said you slept with Hank once. We've been together numerous times. Besides, when was the last time you had you're period?"

"After all the stress you put me through," she scoffed, shaking her head, narrowing her gaze on him with disdain. "I don't even remember. But I do know this, whether the baby is yours or Hanks, I will be taking care of my child all by myself."

"No, you're not," he said grabbing her arm as she started to the door.

Ororo wrenched free. "Don't you touch me! I told you never to touch me!" She pressed her lips together; her nostrils flared on each heavy breath she took. "I don't even know why you're trying so hard to get me back anyway. Jean is free. You can pursue her to your heart's content." She tried to leave but he caught her by the arm once more, forcing her around.

"I don't want Jean," he yelled at the top of his lungs. "I never wanted Jean. I want you!"

"You should have thought about that before you fucked her! And it wasn't just once."

He let curse fall from his lips. "Let's not get into that again."

"Oh, no, we are going to get into it." She pushed away from him, placing a good heap of space between them. She glared at him. How she hated him! "Because I can not understand for the life of my why you fucked my ex best friend in the first place. What was it about me that you found so undesirable? My hair, my body or was it my skin. Was I too dark for you Logan?"

"It ain't got nothin' to do with that, 'Ro," he cried.

"Then what? I gave you the very best of me Logan, but obviously, that wasn't good enough." She lowered her head, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I'm not surprised. I should've known better. You were enraptured with Jean the first moment you laid eyes on her. Sometimes, I wonder what might have been if you had met me first."

"We could start over," he said.

She shook her head. "No, we can't. Every time I look at you I see Jean. I see her all over you then I remember what I did to take revenge and it makes me sick to my stomach."

" 'Ro…give me a chance…"

"I can't." She turned and fled the kitchen.

--

"I take it things aren't going so well?"

"Take a hike Red," Logan murmured darkly. "I'm not in the mood." He had sniffed Jean out long before she walked in fluid grace across the lawn to the pool where he'd been nursing his wounded pride in cold beers and cigars. At least six empty bottles sat to his right--blasted healing factor made it impossible for him to get a good buzz--and two cigars stubs surrounded the pool chair in a pile of ash.

"Is that how it's come down to between us Logan."

He eyed her closely; she looking ravishing tonight, downright begging for a hard man such himself to throw her over his shoulder and toss onto a bed. Nevertheless, he wasn't hard, least not for her.

"Nothing but shit has come between Jeannie, a great big pile of shit, and it's a stink I'm tryin' like hell to come out of so if you doesn't mind…"

Jean laughed as she eased onto the ground, swinging, and dipping her long gorgeous legs into the water. The strap of her yellow sundress fell off her shoulder, delivering an appetizing peak of her bountiful bosoms. Logan flinched. What the hell kind of game was she playing tonight?

"Where's Scott?" Logan asked, not that he cared, and he didn't. The frickin' asshole had hurt Rogue and he wasn't about to let the prick get away with that.

"Slaving over one his bikes for another long night." She sighed heavily, kicking up her legs, splashing water like a four year old. 'More like pining for Rogue,' she thought bitterly. "He still hasn't forgiven me."

Logan snorted. "Should he?"

Jean snapped her head around; her face contorted angrily, and her eyes grew menacingly bleak, much to his surprise . For a brief instant, he saw a flash of red in those luminous green pupils, and chill race up his spine. Her face soon softened and she looked down on pink brick deck encompassing the pool.

"I made a mistake."

"Yeah, several times," Logan wanted to laugh. "One 'Ro happened to witness. Now both our lives are fucked. She won't talk to me…give me damn chance to..." Growling, he clawed his hand savagely through his hair, bowing his head in between his knees.

In a quick motion, she got out the pool, water drizzling down her legs and calves. She strolled to Logan smiling, bolding rubbing her hand on his broad, muscular shoulder, then grazed his hairy face to tip his chin. He raised his eyes, staring at her in open confusion.

"Don't worry," she whispered, her voice dripping in honey. "If all else fails, you still have me."

He seized her roughly by the shoulders, "What the hell kind of game you playin' Jean?"

She simply smiled and tipped her head and wriggled out of his hold. Logan's brow bunched together as he watched her eyes change color. She left him by the pool without a word leaving him completely dumbfounded.

A wicked grin emerged on Jean's face as Logan's thoughts poured into her mind as she headed toward the mansion. Walking briskly across the grass, her energy soared, a strange awareness came over her; she literally felt alive on fire. Her thoughts blazed with ravenous thoughts as she climbed the steps to the library's back door.

She decided the forgo her hesitation in facing Scott and made a sharp turn to the garage. Out the corner of her eyes, she saw something that killed her exultant mood. Scott was heading down the path to one of the cottages Rogue resided.

--

"Scott," Rogue gasped, opening the door after the third knock.

A rotten birthday had left her in a foul mood thanks to the ever so charming St. John. She didn't know what his deal was, but she certainly wanted smack the hell out of him at the mall. Riding home, she didn't even look at him, but sat stewing in anger. Her birthday in ruins and now they were heading back to one place she didn't want to be.

Not giving Jubilee a chance to place the car in park, she scrambled out and stormed back to cottage, where she belonged. She ignored Jubilee's raving calls, walking in quick steps down the pathway, past the tennis court and pool to her little house by the lake. She entered, flinging her gloves left and right, storming to the bathroom to take a long hot shower. Her cell phone rang but she didn't answer it. She knew it was Jubilee and she knew her friend would try to soothe her taut nerves. Ask if she'd like join her and Peter for a late night of pizza and a movie.

She didn't want to be bothered. She simply wanted to left alone, but, here she was, facing the man who'd tossed her heart into a blender.

Why?

Because he was still in love with his fiancé.

She should have known. It was the story of her life. She always fell for men who didn't love or take the affection she bestowed seriously. What was she jinxed?

"What do you want?"

Scott carefully pulled a gift out from behind his back. "Happy Birthday."

"What's that?"

"I think it's a gift," he said. "A gift meant for you."

"I don't want it," she said coldly. "I don't want anything from you." She drew back inside the house in order to slam the door in his face. Scott rushed forward and placed his hand on door, blocking her attempt to lock him out of her life again.

"Marie, I'm sorry," he cried. "I-I miss you."

She looked at him as though he had grown horns. "You're not serious," she said dryly. "You think that's going to make up for the humiliation I feel."

"No," he admitted, shaking his head. "I just thought we could try to go back to being friends."

"Not possible." She started pushing roughly on the door.

Scott held his ground. "Marie, please, it was never my intention to hurt you. I just felt we were rushing things."

"That's all you had to say Scott," she snapped. "But you butchered my heart when you told me you were still in love with Jean." She pounded her chest in anguish. "How's that suppose to make me feel, especially when I thought something wonderful was happening to me for the first time in my wretched life."

"You must understand--"

"I don't understand! And quite frankly I don't want to know!"

"Marie, listen to me…I care about you…I--"

"…need to get the hell out of my face," she snarled. "That's what you need to do. And you can take you're tired ass gift with you." At that, she slammed the door in his face, leaving Scott looking like a dimwitted fool on the step.

--

...the next morning...

"How's it going Ms. Munroe?" Rogue croaked, wandering into the kitchen. Her head ached and her mouth was dry. After Scott had left, she broke into the Professor's office and stolen away with a bottle of gin. Yes, she was a minor, but she didn't care. She needed something, anything, to ease the pain in her heart.

"Alright," Storm sighed, dropping two tiny marshmallows into her hot chocolate. "Considering." She rolled her eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"Considering the men in our lives suck."

Ororo turned to look at the girl. "Exactly." She dropped the spoon on the counter and blew into the steaming brew, taking a sip. "But I'm not going to let it bother me. I can't. I have other things to worry about."

"Like…like a baby," said Rogue, hesitantly.

Ororo gasped. "How do you know--"

"I…I overheard Logan…he was ranting and raving." Selecting a blueberry muffin and pouring some orange juice, Rogue took her things to the island counter, and scooted onto a stool. "Don't worry I won't tell anyone." She said noticing how rigid and scared she looked.

"Thanks," Ororo smiled, sitting across from Rogue. They said nothing for a while, merrily content in enjoying each other's silent company.

"Does the Professor know?" Rogue asked out of curiosity.

"He was the one who suspected I was pregnant when he sensed the baby's brain waves."

Rogue's eyes widened. "I didn't know he could do that!"

"Neither did I," said Storm then lowered her eyes into her cup.

Rogue stretched out a gloved hand to place it onto of Ororo's. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just sick of feeling sorry for myself that's all. Tired of lingering on what could have been. It's not good for me and it's certainly not good for the baby."

"I know what you mean," said Rogue, giving the older woman's hand a gentle squeeze.

"You keep wearing those gloves," she commented, a smile in her eyes.

"It's a habit." She pulled back and rubbed her fingers together, "and I'm not sure how this is possible."

"Maybe Scott has been the influence you needed…that level of trust you never had with Bobby or Logan." Ororo groaned. "God knows I've made a terrible judgment in that area."

The young girl's mouth pressed into a hard line and her hazel eyes became hard. "Let's not wonder into that field."

"He does miss you."

Rogue glared at the African goddess. "Did he tell you to say that?"

"No," she shook her head. "It's just an observation."

"Well, that's just too bad for him. He made his choice."

Scott took it upon that very moment to enter the kitchen while the two women sat talking. He paused, surprise to see Rogue in the mansion of all places, and gave her a faint smile. Without out so much as a glance, Rogue left the kitchen, and returned to the privacy of her cottage.

"She's still mad at me," he said.

"Does she have reason not to be," Ororo said. "You practically took a meat grinder to the poor dear's heart."

"I had my reasons Storm."

"Reasons that involve Jean, no doubt," she said with an air of disgust. "I can't imagine why you're still in love with that selfish, imprudent woman."

He glared at Ororo. "I'm not in love with her Ororo."

"Then what's the problem. Rogue is a kind and thoughtful person. Like you she has a good heart I don't see why you have to--"

"She's too young for me."

Ororo rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. As I recall you were quiet taken with Jean at the tender age of sixteen while she was nineteen."

"That's different."

"How different?"

"She's my student and I didn't have a felony hanging over my head."

"It's only a crime, if you sleep with her, and I doubt the Professor would allow that as long as you both reside in this school," Ororo reasoned.

"Just leave it alone," he muttered, storming out the kitchen.

"You brought it up," she fired back, shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

A/N: Probably not the best chapter in the world, but I didn't want to leave you guys hanging so long.