Happy New Year!

Sorry for the delay in updating. With the husband and kids home, very little writing could be accomplished. Maybe now that they are back to the old routine, I can pick up some momentum.

Thank you all for your patience. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It took some time for me to work on it. I cannot say that I am 100% happy, but I made you guys wait long enough.

Once again, thank you for all of the reviews. As always, your comments and suggestions are appreciated.

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Chapter 3

"You've got a lot of choices. If getting out of bed in the morning is a chore and you're not smiling on a regular basis, try another choice."

/

Erik's steady footsteps echoed in his wake, as he made his way to Ororo's door.

As he drew near, he sighed heavily, wondering what mood he would fine her in today.

Hopefully, it was one of her good days.

On such days, Ororo would actually get out of bed. She would shower and groom without having to be coaxed.

He was able to get her to eat with very little effort, not as much as he would like, but enough to keep her alive for another day.

It was on these days that she would engage in meaningful conversation.

On these days, she would offer him her beautiful smile that reached her eyes. A smile that let him know that there was still that spark within her.

Erik would be graced with a glimpse of the girl he had come to love as his own.

Unfortunately for him, those days were few and far between.

There were the days that caused worry to nearly consume him.

These days occurred much too often.

Ororo would refuse to leave her bed, except to use the bathroom.

She would not bathe, groom, nor change her clothes.

Ororo claimed extreme exhaustion was the cause of her lethargy.

Erik believed her claim, however he had yet to discover the source.

Ororo would lie in bed and stare at the walls surrounding her until she eventually fell asleep again.

When the vomiting began, he suspected she had a virus.

He voiced his concern to Ororo, but all she said was that she knew what was wrong with her, and there was no need for him to worry about her.

These times found him sitting on the side of her bed until sleep would overtake her.

And although such days were not his favorite, they were not the worst.

For there were days when he was convinced he was living with Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde.

Ororo's moods were unpredictable, and at times explosive.

It was on these days that Erik would sympathize with Charles.

It also caused his anxiousness over her well-being to soar.

The chaos she caused…

The fights…

The arguments…

She would screech at him to get out, to leave her alone.

Throw her tray of food at him when he would insist she eat.

Once she caused a fire in her anger by striking her bed with lightening.

And it was one such day that let Erik accepted that something was truly amiss with Ororo.

On arrival at his hideaway, Ororo expressed concern being under the same roof with Sabertooth.

His obsession with her was well known in the mutant community.

Erik assured her that she was safe from Sabertooth's advances, and he would make sure they never crossed paths.

So when one day they suddenly came face to face…

~Flashback~

Ororo was storming down the halls of the cavern, screaming at Erik, accusing him of kidnapping her.

Erik followed behind her, not knowing how to respond to such a ludicrous accusation.

Suddenly, Sabertooth rounded the corner, nearly colliding with Ororo.

Erik thought that at the sight of him, Ororo would retreat.

Not that day.

Ororo saw Sabertooth's mammoth form appear in front of her.

Instead of backing off, she roughly pushed passed him.

"Move out of my way, shit for brains." she threw over her shoulder as she kept on walking.

Sabertooth growled and turned in her direction. "Who pissed in yer Cheerios, bitch?" he sneered.

Ororo stopped abruptly, returning to face Sabertooth on a strong gust of wind, eyes crackling with electricity.

"Listen asshole, fuck with me again and by the time I am finished with you, your balls will look like chestnuts roasted on an open fire! Then you shall be my bitch!" she yelled up into his face.

Fearing that Sabertooth would strike her, Erik went to move Ororo out of harm's way.

Surprisingly, there was no need.

Oddly enough, Sabertooth only offered her a wink before throwing her a knowing grin.

He placed his cigar in his mouth and went to move around her stunned form.

"Didn't know ya had it in ya, Princess." he said as he brushed past her.

Ororo swiftly made her way back to her room and slammed the door.

End of flashback

Erik was never able to get an answer from either of them about the exchange, but he knew for certain something was not right with Ororo.

Erik shook the memory of that meeting from his head as he knocked on Ororo's door.

"Come in Magnus." she said softly.

"Good Morning mein kleines. I have your breakfast." he said in a cheery voice.

He sat her tray of food down and then turned to observe her as he had done everyday since her arrival.

Ororo had lost a considerable amount of weight since she had been with him. It gave her a very unhealthy appearance.

Her eyes were dull, and always seemed to shine as if on verge of tears.

Her smooth skin was dry and pale.

Even with her hair short, it had always been vibrant, shiny and wavy.

In three short months, it had grown to lie bone straight, dull and limp upon her shoulders.

Erik moved to sit on the bed beside her, taking her cold hand in his.

"Will you eat today sweetheart, for me?" he pleaded with her gently.

Ororo waited for a beat, enjoying his closeness.

She turned watery eyes up to him. "Yes, I shall try to eat today, but not for you, and not for me." she answered cryptically, turning guilty eyes away from him.

Erik was lost as of whom she was speaking.

"Might I ask, then, whom are you doing this for?"

Ororo rose up off the bed to go examine the contents on her tray. She picked up a slice of pineapple and held it to her lips.

Before she took a bite, she answered him.

"My future."

/

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Back at the mansion…

9 pm found Scott Summers trying his hand at gardening in Ororo's greenhouse.

Usually, Jean would be tending to the various exotic plants, but tonight, Scott needed to do it…to feel closer to her.

Three months…

It had been three months since any of them had seen or heard from her.

Three months…

And the pain and anger her absence was causing him had only magnified to nearly unbearable strength.

Sadly, these feelings had now spilled over into his relationship with Charles and Jean.

No one would be surprised at the depth of love and respect he had for the man he called dad.

They would be surprised at the depth of what he could only define as hate that he was harboring for the same man.

And the guilt he felt for feeling such a way towards the man who saved his life.

Scott never wanted to believe Charles' assertion that he was the cause of Ororo's disappearance.

But after a month of intense searching on everyone's part, he had no choice to accept the truth.

Ororo was hiding from the one person she knew could find her…Charles.

Every time he looked at Charles, all he saw was Ororo's face the last time he had seen her.

Every time he looked in the mirror, he spit at his own reflection.

He was supposed to be her brother, and he did nothing to help her.

"Tough love my ass." Scott mumbled to himself as he trimmed what he hoped were dead leaves off a plant.

He realized after the fact that tough love was no different than being a jerk.

No, what Ororo needed was his unconditional love and acceptance.

Scott loved Ororo, but didn't show it often, thinking if he did, she would walk all over him like she appeared to do Charles.

She depended on him, and he had let her down

Above anything else, his disappointment over his treatment of her was threatening to consume him from the inside out.

He felt so isolated in his pain.

He wished he could go to Jean, but they were barely on speaking terms now.

His relationship with Charles was practically non-existent.

The tangled web of remorse, abhorrence, and heartbreak had ensnared the three of them.

"Jean…" he sighed as he thought of her.

For the first month, Jean seemed to be handling it the best.

At least on the outside anyway.

With Ororo gone, she felt it her duty to fill in as the big sister that the younger kids saw Ororo as.

So during the day, she smiled and laughed, hugged and kissed, encouraged and uplifted.

It was only under the shadow of night that Jean would allow her emotions to come out.

Scott awoke several nights to find Jean gone.

He didn't bother to go look for her, actually enjoying the fact that he didn't have to keep up his own façade in front of her.

He would wake in the morning to find her dressed and ready to start the day.

Scott detested the fact that she was able to function normally during the day, while he was barely hanging on.

He started taking his frustration out on her.

Jean understood he was using her as an outlet for his emotions, so she tried not to let it bother her.

It wasn't until a little over a month ago that things finally came to a head.

During a training room session, Scott went overboard, pushing the kids to the point of collapse. When the kids refused to continue the session, he started cursing them, calling them failures and losers.

He was so lost in his tirade, he didn't notice Jean usher the students out of the danger room to safety.

It was then that she reached her breaking point.

~flashback~

"Cyclops, what the hell was that?" she asked angrily.

"It's called training Jean. These kids need to learn how to take care of themselves and not depend on ANYONE else to look out for them. They need to learn that lesson now before somebody gets hurt! " he yelled back.

"The student's training should not be about you and Ororo!"

"What? This has nothing to do with Ororo. And if you are so concerned about the kids being trained properly, why don't you back me up instead of being useless and taking up my time!" he denied.

Jean looked down trying to fight down the tears that were threatening to fall.

"This has everything to do with Ororo and your regret for not helping her!" Jean raised her voice and she pointed an accusing finger at him.

"Don't…don't you dare…who the hell do you think you are to tell me how I feel. I have no reason to feel guilty. I. DID. NOTHING. WRONG!" he yelled at Jean, his body radiating his rage.

Jean looked at him incredulously, while tangling her fingers in her hair.

"Nothing wrong…NOTHING WRONG! Don't lie to me or yourself. You are just as much to blame as Xavier!"

"I didn't even talk to her that day. I had nothing to do with her leaving." Scott said through clenched teeth.

"And what about the night before, Scott? Remember what you said to her? Remember her tears when you accused her of being a slut? What about the times you yelled at her in front of her peers for doing something you didn't approve of, causing her embarrassment?" Jean accused.

Scott started to interrupt him, but deciding against it.

That only fueled Jean's anger. "Care to answer that, Scott? What about the times you stood by Xavier while he chastised her for not being the sweet little girl you both wanted her to be, her eyes silently pleading with you to back her up." her voice began to crack with emotion. "Time and time again, I listened to her voice how your dismissal of her hurt her, the times she cried herself to sleep in my arms because of the shame and embarrassment you both made her feel. How you made her feel inferior and not good enough for either of you. You had a part in this too! It's just as much your fault that she is gone as it is Xavier's."

"Go on Jean, don't hold back. You got anything else you want to throw up in my face?" he offered her a menacing smile. "I must be pretty special to get a dressing down from the resident Queen Bitch!" Scott retorted, practically spitting in her face.

SMACK!

Scott's cheek was red from where Jean's palm connected with his face.

"Go fuck yourself, Summers." Jean spat as she walked out on him.

~end of flashback~

That had been a month ago.

Since then, they were barely civil to each other.

The students hated being in the same room with them because the tension was unbearable.

Unbearable to the point that they were no longer sharing a room.

For the last two weeks, other than catching a glimpse of her in the halls, he had not seen her at all.

He was dying a little more each day because of it.

Scott missed her, loved her.

She had stolen his heart at the tender age of 13, and she owned him in every way a woman could own a man.

Once again, he knew it was his actions that brought them to the where they were now, but he didn't know what to do, what to say to make it right.

So, he did nothing at all.

Then there was the problem of Charles.

Charles had effectively removed himself from any personal interactions with everyone.

His meetings were impersonal, and once over, he asked everyone to leave him alone.

Charles behavior infuriated Scott even further.

He felt as though Charles created this mess, and now he was doing nothing to fix it.

Almost like he did not care whether or not Ororo was ever found.

Sitting, closed up in his office day in and day out, drowning in self-pity.

He wanted so bad to go into his office and…

…..and what?

His deep respect for the man kept him from doing or saying anything.

There seemed to be no outlet for his exasperation.

Scott picked up one of Ororo's large pots and smashed it against the floor, hoping to release some of his frustrations.

He kicked the broken pieces out of his path, making his way to the bench in the far corner of the greenhouse.

So deep in his thoughts, Scott did not hear the doors open.

"Oh, Scott. I didn't know you were here. I'll leave." Jean said sadly as she turned to go.

He watched for a moment as she made her way to the door.

Was he really going to sit there and watch her walk out of his life…possibly forever?

It was then that he decided he was going to fight.

Jean had been right.

He never fought for Ororo, and he lost her.

That was not a mistake he was going to repeat.

He ran up behind Jean and stopped her from opening the door. "No, don't go." Scott whispered into her neck.

Jean's body involuntarily shuddered at the feel of his warm, wet breath ghosting over her neck. It had been so long since he had been so close…

"I…I think it's best if I go. I don't want to fight with you anymore. I can't…" her voice trailed off.

Scott breathed in deeply, taking in her wonderful scent.

"I don't want to fight either. I just want to talk. After that, if you still want to go, I won't stop you." he assured her.

Jean turned to face him, their bodies nearly touching.

Scott saw the uncertainty in her eyes. "Please." he asked, a hint of desperation in his voice.

Jean didn't answer, but moved past him to sit on the bench he had been occupying.

Scott sat on the bench, but left space between them. He didn't wish to get too close and scare her off.

"Jean, I'm sorry." he finally said.

"Sorry for what?" she could not help the sharp edge in her voice.

Jean knew she was being hard on Scott, but she needed him to say what he did wrong, to know that he was finally acknowledging their problems.

"I…I'm sorry for taking all of my feelings out on you. All the things I said to you, the names I called you…I should have never, ever treated you like that. I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I am begging you. Please, Jean. I love you. Forgive me."

"I love you too Scott. Of course I will forgive you, but only if you forgive me."

Scot looked confused. "Forgive you? For what?" he asked sincerely.

"For not being there for you to talk to. I knew you were suffering like the rest of us, and I blamed you for Ro leaving. Instead of talking things out like we should have, I let things fester under the surface, knowing that they would come to a head one day. You are not the only one who has made mistakes in this relationship." she responded.

"I know I should have talked to you, but.."

"Scott, you have been dancing around this for three months now. Talk to me. What do you feel…in here." she said softly, as she placed one hand over his heartbeat.

Scott took her hand in his, and placed a gentle kiss on her warm palm.

"It's Ororo…she's…she's gone."

"Yes, she is. And?"

"She's gone and I don't know where she is, if she's alright."

Jean ran her hands through his hair and offered him an encouraging smile.

"Go on."

"And..and I miss her. I want her here with me! I want her to come back to me." with that, Scott slid off the bench onto his knees, hiding his face in his hands.

Jean made her way down next to him, wrapping her arms around him as much as she could.

Finally his crying settled down, and instead of the embarrassment he thought would be left behind, he felt slightly liberated.

And he had the beautiful woman by his side to thank for it.

He turned to her and placed a strong hand on her cheek.

"Thank you, my wonderful angel." he said to her softly.

Jean smiled at him while wiping off his face with her handkerchief. Her green eyes bright with tears.

"I would do anything for you Scott, anything."

"I know…I know." he said as he leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips.

Jean opened her mouth to deepen the kiss, for which Scott jumped at the invitation.

How he missed her.

Loved her.

How she needed him.

Loved him.

Soon she found herself laid out under him on the stone floor of the greenhouse.

Good thing the stones were heated.

Scott's mouth made his way from hers to her ears and then her neck.

He brought his hands to her blouse and tore it open revealing her red lace bra.

Scott groaned into the valley of her creamy breast.

Jean's soft hands moved between them to undo his pants, sliding them down along with his boxers, stopping once they were low enough for her to reach his growing manhood.

A sound that could have been mistaken for pain escaped Scott's lips, but it was in pure ecstasy that he moaned. Jean's small hand on his hot, throbbing member was too much and not enough all at once.

He had to have her.

Jean was just as desperate to become one with Scott.

Every ounce of skin his lips sucked was on fire, causing her to nearly explode with desire.

Scott's greedy hands clawed at her skirt. Jean wrapped her long legs around his hips, grinding her wet panties against his naked flesh.

Scott didn't bother to remove her underwear, instead moving them to the side and roughly entering her.

Over and over and over…

Neither of them stopped…they couldn't stop if they wanted to.

The greenhouse was filled with their moans, groans, and desperate cries of release.

Jean exploded after only a few hard thrust, her body flapping and then going limp as Scott released inside of her with a fury.

Scott rolled off of her, bringing her with him to rest on his arms.

They lay there for a while, basking in the afterglow of their reunion, when they were suddenly interrupted by Charles urgent voice.

~Scott, Jean, return to the mansion at once!~

~What's happened, Professor?~ Jean questioned as she sat up.

~It is Ororo. She is home.~

TBC..