The Wolverine awoke the way he did most mornings—in a rush of pain and rage. As usual, this made him jerk upright and extend his claws. Fortunately, he did not cut himself. His breathing rate lowered as his calm was restored, and he realized it was all a dream. But it wasn't the same one he usually had. This dream had nothing to do with generals and scientists. It had something to do with Jean, but he had trouble remembering anything other than that.

He rubbed his eyes groggily and took in the morning light. He stood up and saw that he was in the teacher's lounge. He had slept on the couch of the teacher's lounge because he did not feel any more at home in his quarters than he did anywhere else. He went to the refrigerator (not remembering its vegan designation) and grumbled at the lack of edible food. Taking yet another beer, he took a seat on the couch again. That's when he saw Scott leaning against the wall holding a mug of coffee. The son of a bitch was actually smiling.

"Morning Logan."

"You like watching a real man sleep?"

"Actually, you're intruding on my morning routine here. I should be sitting where you are and working out a lesson plan. Not all of us can drink enough alcohol to kill a warlord and crash on the couch."

"So you didn't have the balls to wake me?"

"I was considering it just now. Judging from the way you woke up, I'm glad I didn't."

Scott wore a very confident smile on his face. Logan wasn't expecting this renewed spirit in what seemed like a crushed man just a day ago. Deciding that the cafeteria would have a good breakfast, he stood up and walked out of the room. On the way out, he bumped Scott with his shoulder. That little motion packed a lot of force and knocked Scott back into the wall he was leaning against. Surprisingly, he didn't spill his coffee.

"You're such a dick Logan," Scott said, still wearing his smile.

"Smug fuck," the Wolverine grumbled to himself.

After getting himself some sausage and eggs, he got to sit down and think. Pieces of that dream still floated around in his brain, and he tried to find them.

Jean ran her fingers over his chest, going through his chest hair and pressing her nails into his flesh. She breathed into his ear, "You know I want you Logan. But I'm complicated. This other part of me likes Scott and thinks we're in love. We need to get rid of that part."

Logan tried to reach out and touch her, but she wouldn't let him move. He growled as her hands roamed his body. She laughed and whispered to him, "It hurts, being held down and toyed with, doesn't it? You're trembling with rage and desire. What would you do if I let you go Logan?" She pulled away from him and slowly unbuttoned her shirt. Turning before the last few buttons, she released her hold on him just long enough for Logan to grasp her shirt and pull it off her body.

"You want me so badly, don't you? But you can't have me, just as I can't have you. You have to get past this part of me that wants Scott…"

His memory failed him. One brief moment of his dream graced his mind and the rest was lost to darkness. He felt some strange stinging sensations on his chest. It's like Jean was still here, scratching him with her nails. He wondered what the hell was happening to him. He had to start thinking about something else; this psychic stuff was freaking him out.

"Logan, we need to talk."

Jean set her breakfast across from him and sat at his table. She looked fatigued, like she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. Was that why Scotty boy was so cheery?

"What is it Red?" he asked. Her voice began to echo in his mind, but she wasn't speaking with him telepathically. It was from that dream. She was still with him, in his mind's eye.

Jean stood just out of reach from him, her bare chest facing away. She looked over her shoulder, tantalizing him with her expression and her eyes. "Listen to me very carefully. First I'm going to tell you that we can't spend any time together."

"We really can't spend time together, Logan. My powers are becoming unstable, and it's very hard on me right now. Your presence is just making things worse."

Her hands ran down her sides, bringing his attention to her hips. She hooked her thumbs into her jeans, pulling them ever so slightly. "You'll need to try and be my friend. Tell me everything's going to be alright and you'll give me some space."

Feeling compelled to follow the voice, he said, "I'm sorry about that darlin'. Look, you clearly need some space so I'll leave you alone for a while. Are you feeling OK from last night?"

Jean paused for a second before answering, surprised that he seemed so civil. "I don't remember having too much to drink, but I must have. I think I passed out last night. I woke up with this pounding headache…"

She unfastened her jeans and arched her body as they slid down from her hips. They fell down her long, smooth legs and gathered at her feet. "After I complain about a headache, agree that I had too much to drink."

Logan laughed to himself. She was passed out all night. Scott didn't get any action. "Yeah, you must've had one too many. That's my fault, really. I kept shoving beer in front of you. At least it was good stuff."

Jean sat there, rubbing her temples. Logan nudged her water and said, "Hydrate. That's how you cure a hangover."

Her hands came back up to her chest, and she turned to him, holding her breasts behind her arms. She moved closer to him, and brought her lips right up to his ear. She whispered, "I'm going to get very emotional. It's because I want you so much but can't have you. I'll express some of my feelings for you, and I'm going to apologize for the incident in the danger room. I won't remember what really happened in there. Let me know that you remember what happened. But don't tell me just yet."

Logan's vision began to be dominated by the Jean in his mind. His mind couldn't handle the two conflicting pictures. The Jean sitting started to blur. Her clothes washed away, her face rose with a half-smile, and she licked her lips. Then the process reversed itself and he was back in normalcy.

She gulped down some water and a tear ran down her cheek. She was much more of a wreck than she seemed. "I'm really sorry I hurt you a few days ago. I mean, I lost control of my powers and didn't mean to hurt anyone. Ever since then, things just haven't felt like normal. There's something about you, me, and Scott that makes my powers dangerous. I think there might be something between us Logan, but it's just not right. Scott and I are right, you know? You're just … wrong for me."

"This psychic stuff is pretty new to me, but something happened that wasn't just a headache. When your powers went haywire, it's like I got sent to another world."

"I'll tell you some meaningless mumbo jumbo about the psychic realm. Don't pay attention to it. I'll ask what you remember. Tell me that we'll need to go somewhere a little more private before we can talk more about this."

He felt phantom fingers lightly grazing his flesh under his clothes. He felt his cock tingle with a strange psychic sensation. The Jean in his mind meant business.

"Another world? That means you were in my psychic realm. But how can that be? It takes a conscious effort to do that . . . and it wasn't me. What do you remember? I need you to tell me what happened. Everything's been so confusing since then."

Logan almost laughed. Hell yeah it's been confusing. "I remember what happened, but it's a little too personal for the cafeteria. We should go somewhere private, y'know."

"I'll say tomorrow. That's too late. It needs to be tonight. I need you tonight Logan."

He felt the lingering sensations and voice leave his mind. It was all up to him now.

Jean shifted uncomfortably, but no amount of shifting would cure her discomfort. "I have a lot to do today Logan. The Professor was going to run some tests for me, to help me get my powers back under control. Then there's classes, and grading, and tutoring. And it feels like it's been forever since I've been with Scott. Can we do this tomorrow?"

"Look, you can spare some time tonight, right? Just meet up somewhere and talk? It'll be good for you."

"No Logan. I really miss Scott, and we just agreed that we need some space."

Scott. Lover boy. He realized he can turn Jean against the pipsqueak. "Scott knows too. You can ask him, and when he doesn't tell you, you'll know where to find me." He knew she would come to him tonight.