One-Way Ticket On A Runaway Train
folder
X-Men: (All Movies) › Het - Male/Female › Logan/Marie
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
32
Views:
16,313
Reviews:
47
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
X-Men: (All Movies) › Het - Male/Female › Logan/Marie
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
32
Views:
16,313
Reviews:
47
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own any of the X-Men movies, or any of the characters from them. I make no money from from the writing of this story.
A Confrontation And A Confession
Jean entered the Professor’s office without bothering to knock, practically stalked across the room and flopped down in a chair opposite his desk. Crossing her legs and folding her arms across her chest, she fixed the Professor with an irritated expression and let out a harrumph for emphasis.
“Charles, I hope this is important, I was right in the middle of something,” she said, the irritated tone of her voice coming through crystal clearly.
“I appreciate you taking the time to come here,” the Professor started to say until he was rudely interrupted.
“Charles, the point…..please,” Jean huffed out.
“I’m not really sure where to begin actually.”
“Fine. Call me when you’ve figured it out,” Jean said as she started to rise out of the chair.
“Okay, then why don’t we start with your attitude?”
“There’s nothing wrong with my attitude.”
“Jean, how can you say that when you’re being so disrespectful right now?”
“Charles, just because I don’t have the time, energy or patience to kiss your butt 24/7 is hardly disrespectful. If I can’t speak to you as one adult to another I don’t see how we can ever have a conversation.”
The Professor was stunned into momentary silence, not knowing how to respond to such unusual bluntness from Jean of all people. From Logan, definitely, but Jean?
“Well, I guess I shouldn’t expect to be immune from your lambasting,” he finally managed to say, the disappointment evident.
Jean noted the crestfallen expression and immediately regretted snapping at this man who’d never shown her anything but kindness. He was perfectly justified being wounded by her impertinence.
“Charles, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be disrespectful, to you of all people. Please accept my apology,” Jean offered, folding her hands in her lap and looking contrite.
“I’m worried about you,” the Professor stated simply.
“I’m okay. A little overworked maybe, but I’m fine,” she said as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“You’re too pale.”
“Well, it is wintertime and unlike some people, I didn’t get to go to Hawaii,” she said with a small bitter laugh.
“I need to talk with you about the night Sabretooth was here,” the Professor said, rapidly changing the subject and catching Jean off guard.
“What about it. I already told you my story.”
“That’s just it, Jean. I think it is a story. I think there’s a lot more involved than what you’ve told me.”
“Such as?” Jean said tightly, her expression conveying that she was annoyed at being questioned.
“Why you didn’t stop Creed from slashing Rogue? Your telekinesis is strong enough to hold him, at least long enough for Rogue to have escaped before any real damage was done.”
“I told you that he’d already finished and was heading down the stairs to leave by the time I entered the foyer,” Jean hissed, the irritation becoming more apparent.
“You’re lying,” the Professor stated bluntly.
“How dare you!” Jean snapped. Respect was a two-way street and obviously the Professor was not affording Jean the reverence he expected from her.
“I’m through playing games with you, Jean. I want the truth!” He slammed his hand down on the desk for emphasis, “When you haven’t been avoiding me, you’ve been shielding from me. You’re hiding something and I don’t need three guesses to know it’s something to do with Sabretooth’s attack. I want you to, no, I need you to tell me you didn’t have a hand in murdering Scott and Rogue’s son.”
Jean snapped her head up in complete disbelief, she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. The demeanor plainly evident, her shields demolished and the guilt projecting strongly. The shock descended on the Professor and engulfed him like a tsunami wave.
“My God. You let that animal kill Scott’s son. Why, Jean? Just explain to me how you could’ve done it. How you could hate someone so much that you once claimed to love. Explain it to me, because I need to understand,” the Professor said, his voice becoming hard and tears of frustration welling up in his eyes.
“Because I wanted to punish him. Punish them both,” Jean confessed as she broke down in tears.
The Professor had wanted a confession, but hearing it out loud overwhelmed him even more than he’d anticipated. The bile rose in his throat and he thought he was going to be sick. Jean had not only failed to stop Creed when she had ample opportunity, but she’d then left Rogue to possibly bleed to death. The enormity of Jean’s incrimination left him horrified. He realized he no longer knew the young woman sitting before him.
“I’m so sorry, Charles,” Jean choked out.
“It’s not me you need to apologize to. Although I highly doubt a simple “I’m sorry” will suffice as far as Scott and Rogue are concerned.”
“I wasn’t thinking clearly that night,” Jean sniffed as she reached for a kleenex.
“You were thinking clearly enough to inflict a wound upon yourself and fabricate a story.”
The Professor’s eyes narrowed and he waited for the inevitable denial about the wound and was disappointed, but not surprised when one wasn’t forthcoming. The room fell silent except for the little choking sobs emanating from Jean.
“You’ll have to leave the school,” the Professor finally said, breaking the stilted void.
“What? Leave the school? No, please, Charles, don’t make me leave,” Jean sputtered out.
“You allowed an innocent child to be murdered!” The Professor shouted, slamming his fist on the mahogany desk again, “You should be grateful all I’m doing is making you leave. I’m offering you an out, Jean, which is probably more than you deserve. If you prefer we can consult with Logan and Scott and ask them how the situation should be handled.”
Jean looked at the Professor stunned that he would threaten her so callously.
“They don’t know?” she did manage to ask.
“No,” he replied, “not yet. And I’m perfectly willing to let it stay that way, if you cooperate and leave quietly. I already have a story worked out to explain your departure.”
“What’s your plan?” Jean asked, nervously picking at nonexistent lint on her skirt.
“I’ve arranged for you to transfer to Washington, DC. You will continue to do genetic research in a lab facility funded by Warren Worthington and you will also work with a mutant’s rights group to lobby against the Registration Act. It will keep you occupied and away from here. If I need to meet with you, I will come to you, but you are never to step foot on these grounds ever again.”
“Charles, please don’t punish me this way,” Jean implored.
“Punish you? I think you’re getting off rather lightly. The therapist believes it’s only a matter of time before Rogue remembers what really transpired that night. When that happens, if I were you, I’d want to be as far out of Logan and Scott’s reach as possible.”
Jean stood up and in a daze silently walked out of the office. As the door clicked shut, the Professor sunk his head into his hands and finally broke down in tears.
“Charles, I hope this is important, I was right in the middle of something,” she said, the irritated tone of her voice coming through crystal clearly.
“I appreciate you taking the time to come here,” the Professor started to say until he was rudely interrupted.
“Charles, the point…..please,” Jean huffed out.
“I’m not really sure where to begin actually.”
“Fine. Call me when you’ve figured it out,” Jean said as she started to rise out of the chair.
“Okay, then why don’t we start with your attitude?”
“There’s nothing wrong with my attitude.”
“Jean, how can you say that when you’re being so disrespectful right now?”
“Charles, just because I don’t have the time, energy or patience to kiss your butt 24/7 is hardly disrespectful. If I can’t speak to you as one adult to another I don’t see how we can ever have a conversation.”
The Professor was stunned into momentary silence, not knowing how to respond to such unusual bluntness from Jean of all people. From Logan, definitely, but Jean?
“Well, I guess I shouldn’t expect to be immune from your lambasting,” he finally managed to say, the disappointment evident.
Jean noted the crestfallen expression and immediately regretted snapping at this man who’d never shown her anything but kindness. He was perfectly justified being wounded by her impertinence.
“Charles, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be disrespectful, to you of all people. Please accept my apology,” Jean offered, folding her hands in her lap and looking contrite.
“I’m worried about you,” the Professor stated simply.
“I’m okay. A little overworked maybe, but I’m fine,” she said as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
“You’re too pale.”
“Well, it is wintertime and unlike some people, I didn’t get to go to Hawaii,” she said with a small bitter laugh.
“I need to talk with you about the night Sabretooth was here,” the Professor said, rapidly changing the subject and catching Jean off guard.
“What about it. I already told you my story.”
“That’s just it, Jean. I think it is a story. I think there’s a lot more involved than what you’ve told me.”
“Such as?” Jean said tightly, her expression conveying that she was annoyed at being questioned.
“Why you didn’t stop Creed from slashing Rogue? Your telekinesis is strong enough to hold him, at least long enough for Rogue to have escaped before any real damage was done.”
“I told you that he’d already finished and was heading down the stairs to leave by the time I entered the foyer,” Jean hissed, the irritation becoming more apparent.
“You’re lying,” the Professor stated bluntly.
“How dare you!” Jean snapped. Respect was a two-way street and obviously the Professor was not affording Jean the reverence he expected from her.
“I’m through playing games with you, Jean. I want the truth!” He slammed his hand down on the desk for emphasis, “When you haven’t been avoiding me, you’ve been shielding from me. You’re hiding something and I don’t need three guesses to know it’s something to do with Sabretooth’s attack. I want you to, no, I need you to tell me you didn’t have a hand in murdering Scott and Rogue’s son.”
Jean snapped her head up in complete disbelief, she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. The demeanor plainly evident, her shields demolished and the guilt projecting strongly. The shock descended on the Professor and engulfed him like a tsunami wave.
“My God. You let that animal kill Scott’s son. Why, Jean? Just explain to me how you could’ve done it. How you could hate someone so much that you once claimed to love. Explain it to me, because I need to understand,” the Professor said, his voice becoming hard and tears of frustration welling up in his eyes.
“Because I wanted to punish him. Punish them both,” Jean confessed as she broke down in tears.
The Professor had wanted a confession, but hearing it out loud overwhelmed him even more than he’d anticipated. The bile rose in his throat and he thought he was going to be sick. Jean had not only failed to stop Creed when she had ample opportunity, but she’d then left Rogue to possibly bleed to death. The enormity of Jean’s incrimination left him horrified. He realized he no longer knew the young woman sitting before him.
“I’m so sorry, Charles,” Jean choked out.
“It’s not me you need to apologize to. Although I highly doubt a simple “I’m sorry” will suffice as far as Scott and Rogue are concerned.”
“I wasn’t thinking clearly that night,” Jean sniffed as she reached for a kleenex.
“You were thinking clearly enough to inflict a wound upon yourself and fabricate a story.”
The Professor’s eyes narrowed and he waited for the inevitable denial about the wound and was disappointed, but not surprised when one wasn’t forthcoming. The room fell silent except for the little choking sobs emanating from Jean.
“You’ll have to leave the school,” the Professor finally said, breaking the stilted void.
“What? Leave the school? No, please, Charles, don’t make me leave,” Jean sputtered out.
“You allowed an innocent child to be murdered!” The Professor shouted, slamming his fist on the mahogany desk again, “You should be grateful all I’m doing is making you leave. I’m offering you an out, Jean, which is probably more than you deserve. If you prefer we can consult with Logan and Scott and ask them how the situation should be handled.”
Jean looked at the Professor stunned that he would threaten her so callously.
“They don’t know?” she did manage to ask.
“No,” he replied, “not yet. And I’m perfectly willing to let it stay that way, if you cooperate and leave quietly. I already have a story worked out to explain your departure.”
“What’s your plan?” Jean asked, nervously picking at nonexistent lint on her skirt.
“I’ve arranged for you to transfer to Washington, DC. You will continue to do genetic research in a lab facility funded by Warren Worthington and you will also work with a mutant’s rights group to lobby against the Registration Act. It will keep you occupied and away from here. If I need to meet with you, I will come to you, but you are never to step foot on these grounds ever again.”
“Charles, please don’t punish me this way,” Jean implored.
“Punish you? I think you’re getting off rather lightly. The therapist believes it’s only a matter of time before Rogue remembers what really transpired that night. When that happens, if I were you, I’d want to be as far out of Logan and Scott’s reach as possible.”
Jean stood up and in a daze silently walked out of the office. As the door clicked shut, the Professor sunk his head into his hands and finally broke down in tears.