Another argument with my boyfriend (actually there were quite a few of them); another chapter… That's life. If I had started writing a year and a half ago when we used to fight more often, this would be the longest fanfic ever written, I swear. No offense, honey ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, names, etc; I don't even own the clothes I'm wearing, OK? What else can I say? It was a rough day. Oh and this was inspired by an Evangelion chapter, in case you didn't notice. I don't own that either. And I've written the first half ages ago and finished it just now, so it might sound a bit incoherent.

The Phoenix's Amend

After Jean and Scott talk their argument over, Professor X. calls them up to scold the pair since their problem had affected the whole team performance. Xavier sends them alone on a mission to rescue a girl who can clone herself, but before that, they were ordered to spend some days together, in order to tune with each other.

Phoenix Love Never Dies

Five o'clock in the morning. The clock's alarm rang annoyingly, filling the room with it's innervating sound. Scott turned around in bed with his eyes still closed as his hand reached for the off button even before looking for his goggles.

A second later he felt a hand on his own, also trying to turn off the alarm and he startled opening his eyes for a fraction of a second, which was of course enough as to make a nice hole in the ceiling.

The noise of the optic blast on the plaster made Jean jump off her bed confused by the sudden noise.

"Scott!" she called him instinctively in a worried tone of voice. "Are you okay!?" came the question almost immediately.

"I'm fine" he assured her calming down as he remembered what had happened the day before and what the situation was like in that moment. "I just startled, that's all" he excused himself, feeling embarrassed of having forgotten he was sleeping in the same room with Jean in twin beds for the next ten days. He disliked the idea of her reading his mind and finding out that what had made him react that way had been the unexpected contact of her soft hand.

Even though they had supposedly settled their differences already, the silences among them were still very uncomfortable, since being trapped in younger bodies with your ex husband/wife after all that had happened between them lately was at least awkward to begin with.

She walked to his side and sat on his bed, handing Scott his goggles from the nightstand. He was sitting on the bed already and took the glasses from her to place them where they belonged. Now he could see. He looked at her visibly ashamed and she softly rested her hand on his with an understanding look on her face.

"It's all right" she told him with a small smile, removing the plaster from his bare chest with the other hand, obviously knowing the reason he overreacted in that way. "I didn't remember I was here either at first" Jean said in a soft voice resting her hand on her lap as she noticed her touch was making him even more uncomfortable, even though she had removed the plaster mechanically, without thinking of what she was actually doing or the fact he was wearing only his sporty pants. "Sorry" she apologized suddenly blushing and looking away.

"It's okay" he lied still embarrassed because of the whole situation and then after a short uncomfortable silence he sighed. "We definitely have to do something about this tense atmosphere if we want to lead a normal life for the next days... let alone the training sessions" he said sincerely concerned. Her face reflected the fact she admitted he was right, but what could they do about the issue? He had shivered at her unintentional touch but was too proud to accept her apologies and she was too ashamed of what she had done to ask him to forgive her once more. It looked like something had broken among them. "I know we have to give it some time, but it's not easy if we have to spend every minute of the day together trying to think connect" his apology took the form of an explanation. Jean could feel it too and sighed sadly.

"I know..." she admitted. "...you're Absolutely right and yet... I can't think of anything new to add to the matter... It seems we're stuck here, Slim" she said with a shrug, before making a short pause. Jean looked hurt not to be able to be near him, to caress him, to be just like in the good old times, but so did Scott. "I think we better get dressed and begin the training" Scott suggested to change subjects. She nodded and forced a smile, doing her best to keep the morals high, but it hurt so much to see him and know she couldn't have him... He smiled back at her, showing he appreciated the gesture.

They had the Danger Room to themselves according to Professor Xavier's arrange, so they began with the short program, to get their muscles and senses used to the exercise. A huge sentinel appeared to the left. They both turned to face it when another one came the opposite way trapping them in the middle. Scott shot the first one with his optic blast, and nothing happened. He kept on blasting at it but it just wouldn't break, while Jean tried to lift their feet from the floor to make them fall. "What's the matter with this two big guys?" Scott asked perplex and looking as both robots came closer to them. "I think the Professor wants us to practice our coordination" replied Jean from inside the shield she had created around them, which the sentinels were trying to break with their laser shootings. Scott nodded. The temperature in the room began to raise fast as the floor got hot for some reason.

"When I count three" he said getting ready to attack one of the robots, laying their back against the other's. "Roger" Jean focused her telekinesis on the other robot's foot and he began to count. "One..." the sentinels were still shooting at them and the edges of the shield she had created were showing that the whole protection was about to collapse. She couldn't concentrate properly with that uncomfortably high temperature. "...two..." the sentinels were still shooting at them and tried to crash them with their feet. "They're making me things easier" Jean thought with a smile. "...three..." the shield broke up and Cyclops blasted his robot in the chest, making it fall back wards as the other one lost balance and fell when its leg got raised in the air and they both ran not to be crushed by the pile of metal.

The floor was still getting hotter every second and they better found a way to protect themselves since it had already started to melt their shoes. "Quick, over the pile of trash!" he ordered as he began to climb, tending her his hand to help her up...

Both sentinels were out of combat, as well as the rest of the enemies the simulation proposed that day, but their performance was really lousy and both knew it, not really daring to talk to the other about the training session, not even in the breaks they took. It seemed that X-Men have gotten used to teamwork so much that pairing up turned them into inefficient fighters.

At the end of the day, Professor Xavier called them to his office to let them know just how disappointing their training had been to him, who had been watching them from the control room. "...and in top of things... you needed to learn coordination! I said you needed to coordinate every movement, not just split up the number of opponents among the two of you. Today was just a waste of time." the man complained. "You will go back in there tomorrow and you will begin working as a single mind and body or you won't enter the Danger Room at all" was his ultimatum. "This girl will be moved again in ten days... and they'll get her out of there in a plastic bag, so we need to get her out of that laboratory before they get to such an uncivilized solution." Again, none of them dared to say anything when they knew what Professor X was saying was true. With their heads low they headed for the showers as soon as they were dismissed.

Silent embraced them as they walked down the hall when lights went down. "What the...?" "Now what?" they asked themselves. It seemed to be just a power cut, but as Rogue said some minutes later to all the mutants gathered at the entrance hall, it had affected the whole neighborhood.

"Great, just what we need!" Kitty exclaimed ironically. "I was WATCHING that movie, you know!?" Bobby Drake complaint. "I'm afraid there's somebody after this..." The serious voice of the Professor came from a corner where some candles stood. He had just entered the room and seemed to have everything under control. "The Mansion's generator is not working either" he explained. That was the reason the mansion was out of power just as everywhere else in the area. "Ororo, you and your team get ready to go check on it. The Brotherhood Headquarters is a good place to begin, they've done something similar in Boston last month..." he began giving orders. "Logan, I want you to go with them. The rest of you go back to your activities" Most of them just kept on complaining before heading for the kitchen, where the emergency lights were mostly concentrated.

"I guess we'll have to go out for dinner" Jean suggested. Scott thanked darkness she wouldn't be able to see the look in his face at that comment. It was hard for him to share a room with her and train together all day long, but going out for dinner? It was too much! It was like going back to being her husband but not being able to be open at her. Not only they weren't sharing the psychic bond they used to have but everything was different, and it hurt him to realize that every minute with every single action or word they spoke to each other. He had felt so lost without her and now he had the chance to get her back and ruined it completely because of his pride... He had to find a way to apologize to her and make things right, but he wouldn't be able to do so in a public place such as a restaurant. Besides, that location would make feel extra uncomfortable, and would freeze his tongue... that wouldn't work, he had to think of something else.

He was completely sweaty, just as her and there was no way they would allow them into a restaurant like that. Not even a cheap one. "Fine, let's figure out how to take a bath and after that I'll take you wherever you want" he proposed as a deal, unconsciously agreeing to take her anywhere in a tone that sounded more like an invitation. He scolded himself for that acting out and avoided her eyes. She noticed the point behind his words, it was pointless to go out looking and specially smelling like that, but she didn't suspect at all that he was looking for an excuse to talk to her. Without using her powers she was no different than a normal human, so she still thought he was mad at her since his attitude towards her after that talk at the recreation room had been somehow distant or at least it seemed pretty indifferent, but was actually a reflection of his shyness like the one he suffered when they first met, for example.

"Okay" she accepted with a peaceful smile, not willing to give him a chance to take the offer back. It had surprised her to hear such an offer coming from him after the dry attitude he had gave her after that moment of weakness when he saw her asleep. It was the first time he had been that nice to her since then and, in a way she had felt that as an opportunity to talk to him in a relaxed place and perhaps get rid of all those uncomfortable silences they shared after the talk. "I've got an idea." Jean smiled confident. She sounded optimistic at that point so he didn't complain. Perhaps he could find the chance to talk to her after all... if he could only be less proud and shy and let his feelings rule over him... "Go fetch your stuff and meet me at the pool" was all she said before leaving for her own room to get fresh clothes and some towels.

"What is going through your head, Scott?" she thought as she went upstairs with a hand on the banister as not to trip. "You've been trying to avoid my as much as our training allowed it for the past two weeks and now you're willing to take me 'anywhere I want' for dinner?" Jean continued to talk to herself in her way to her room. Having dobts about other people's thoughts just as anyone else was something new for her. She had always respecter people's intimacy, yes, but she was also a woman and women are curious so, even Jean couldn't resist the temptation of peeking into other's minds from time to time when she really wanted to know what they thought. Now she had restrain herself and felt she couldn't go on like that much longer. She sighed tiredly. "Just how stubborn is he? He didn't want to be alone with me even after Professor's order to be isolated from the rest of the team... and now he wants to join me for dinner willingly? I just don't get that man!" And that, coming from a woman that had been married to him for years was definitely something. "Why can't he just put his pride aside... it's not as I haven't seen the way he looks at me..." And that, coming from a woman that had been married to him for years was definitely something.

For a second she thought it would have been better for all if she remained dead and he and Emma went on with their lives in the alternate reality, but then she asked herself the question, looking really deep into her soul and decided she didn't want to give up on him yet. After making her mind about him, she looked less frustrated and soon she was by the pool, waiting for Scott.

"You're late" she dared to scold him telepathically. He winced at the sensation of her inside his mind, he didn't even want to think about anything fearing she would hear him, but she thought he better got used to it. When she made up her mind, she had also decided it was time to return to the way things were before, and that meant using her powers with him, which was a must if they wanted to rescue that poor girl.

"Bathing in the moonlight? This is not the time to be romantic, Jean" he mumbled to himself as he saw what she had done by the pool, but at the same time he couldn't help smiling, not only at the sight of her, but at the way she always seemed to find quickly an easy solution to almost every problem. It was almost impossible for him to remain pessimistic in her company when she had those intelligent ideas. It was the little things like that detail she had just thought of what made him love her so madly. "I've heard that" she let him know inside his head as she placed her hand on his shoulder lightly. "Sorry" he apologized without even knowing why he was saying so, but blushing a bit.

Using her powers, Jean managed to improvise a shower with curtains she had borrowed from her room, so Mr.. Shy wouldn't have to complain about being exposed to curious looks. "The water is cold, but should do" she told him as she stepped out of her improvised shower completely dressed and with her hair wrapped in a towel. "Thank you" he said smiling back, thankfully. He felt more relaxed than earlier at seeing how much effort she was putting into making it work, but specially because she removed her hand off him and that made him feel his divided heart that longed her proximity and feared it at the same time. Her voice brought him back from his thoughts.

"The soap and the shampoo is to your left" she explained. "I can't see them" he told her still trying to find them in spite of the reduced vision his glasses allowed him. "Oh, sorry. I'll hand them to you" she offered with a smile, realizing the poor illumination a few candles gave them was probably not enough for him to see much through his ruby quartz glasses. Knowing he was still if not mad, at least uncomfortable with her presence and all, she couldn't help peeking when handing him the soap. After all he had seen her naked when the Phoenix brought her back and that made them even, didn't it? He was as gorgeous and perfect as she remembered him, even a bit younger. She smiled to herself and closed the curtains again, waiting for him nearby.

In the meaningless, she thought she should have made twin showers, but she didn't have enough curtains for that, but she knew the power going out wasn't included in Xavier's plans, so she forgot about it as soon as she could and a couple of minutes later Scott was ready too. "Shall we get moving?" he asked her offering Jean his arm, in a better mood than before, probably thank to the water that washed away not only his body but also his mind, allowing him to think clearly enough as to take a decision. He had had enough time to think about for about two weeks and she definitely had a point. He had accepted the Phoenix's amend, so there must have been a very good reason for him to do so. If things would have been perfect with Emma he wouldn't even think about going back to Jean but he did. And he knew he still loved her, even if she had hurt him. He had hurt her too many times too, he had no right as not to forgive her, neither he wanted to stay away from her, but he needed to find the right moment to talk about it or they'd end up arguing again, he was sure of it. That was when he took the decision.

"Sure" she said smiling at him happy with his change of attitude and wondering what was the reason of his change of attitude. "I'll drive" he offered.

They took Scott's convertible and he drove slowly through the dark streets, more because of the fact he wanted the ride to last as much as possible than because of the traffic lights not working. They were riding in silence and it was the first comfortable one they have had since she came back to life, so he wanted to make sure she noticed it too and to enjoy it while it lasted. He was a natural born pessimistic, so he didn't actually believe it would last long. For a while it was like going back to a time when everything was just perfect. Their favorite radio playing old songs, the air messing their hair and nobody else there to interrupt as usually happened at the mansion.

Jean had noticed the atmosphere as well as he had, but said no word about it. Instead, she occasionally glanced at his hand so close to her she felt the urge to cover it with hers like she used to do when he took her for a ride, especially since she had done that in one of their first dates, but she refrained herself from doing it. She was not sure of his feelings and didn't want to bother him, or make him feel uncomfortable, least of all provoke another argument. She had decided to become passive and wait for him to show some affection before trying another move. After all, he might have kissed her back in the recreation room, but after that she had winked at him and he just grew colder after it. Perhaps he changed his mind after what he told her when he thought she was asleep. She had no means to know that and didn't dare to read his mind yet. He was a natural for blocking telepaths and he would definitely feel her and realize what was going on. She wanted to do things gradually not to scare him. Earlier, she had taken the fist step by telling him he was late with her powers, it was the beginning.

She looked at him by the corner of her eye for the twentieth time in the night already and smiled. That night she was feeling like a schoolgirl repressing giggles and looking at him furtively, but every since he offered to take her 'wherever she wanted', she felt they were a step closer to get back together. That time, he caught her eye and looked at her inquisitively while she looked away. "What's wrong?" he asked not realizing what her mood was, with his mind lost in his own thoughts as it was. "Nothing" she said quietly. There was a short silence. "So..." he began looking at her for a second before looking back at the road. "...it seems we've reached the part of the city that still has lights" that one was obvious, but was just the preface. She looked at him. "Where do you want to go?" he asked as casually as he could. He knew her answer would give him the hint about her feelings, or at the very least would condition the outcoming of the night.

He had spoke to her in a relaxed way that sounded unusual after the way he had talked to her in the last two weeks and she couldn't stop noticing it. It was a good question. She hadn't give it a thought yet, so she evaded the question. "I don't know... I'm not really familiar with this part of the city... you choose" her voice sounded sincere enough as not to give him the idea she was walking away from the problem.

He looked somehow disappointed at that reply and she realized that, feeling a bit sad herself. Perhaps she had said the wrong thing and sounded indifferent to him. Now she didn't know what to say to make it right, and knew anything she said would be worse.

In that moment she decided to be a little impulsive and placed her hand on him, like she used to do and he couldn't help glancing at her for a second again, looking for reassurance, then looking back at the street, but she kept facing forward. He smiled at the gesture "I know a place..." he said vaguely, now correcting the car's course so they could take the next turn left.

TO BE CONTINUED!!

Author's Note: Hi!!! I know it took me like FOREVER to finish this chapter, but inspiration just wouldn't come. I've already began working on the next one, so be prepared!! It might have some typos, but my co-reader is on vacation.