Burdens of Tomorrow

Chapter Three: XTreme Emotions



After Kurt left the mansion it didn’t take him too long to get to Genosha. He had taken one of the personal X-Jets for a couple of reasons. One big factor was that airlines didn’t go to Genosha. And another one was that he really didn’t care to deal with an airport and all of that jazz anyway. It could be quite irritating. He figured he’d get there quicker on his own.

Wanda was expecting him so she was outside waiting. But even though she knew that he would be there she was still surprised when he actually arrived. And awkwardly it felt as if her heart had skipped a beat when she saw him land and exit the jet. She did have feelings for him, but they were only close friends. So she shoved them down.

As he walked towards her he had a similar sensation. But he ignored it all, too. He continued to walk in her direction.

“Kurt!” She exclaimed.

Kurt said nothing, he only smiled and kept walking towards her. Seconds later he was standing in front of her. He placed his bags on the ground and held out his hand for her to shake. But instead of taking his hand she placed her arms around his neck and embraced him. He returned the move after he collected himself. He should have expected the gesture. And before she pulled away she kissed him on the cheek.

She said with a smile, “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

He replied with, “It sure has. I know that we’ve spoke, but we haven’t been able to take time to really talk.”

“I know, being in charge of an island isn’t always easy.” She said.

“I could only imagine. How has it been though?” He said back.

She sighed, “Fine, it has its ups and downs for sure. I’m just glad that Lorna is such a big help. Without her at my side it would be so much more exhausting.”

“If you need two extra hands and perhaps a tail, I’m sure I can hang around for a while.” He suggested. They both smiled at each other. He then said, “As long as I’m not needed back home.”

“That would be great! And if you’d have to depart sooner I will understand. The X-Men are your family.” She told him. She looked at him and then down at his bags at his feet.

“Perhaps we could go inside. I’ll show you your room. And when you’re finished unpacking we can sit down and have a nice talk.”

“That sounds really good.” He bent to pick up his stuff when she stopped him.

“No need to carry anything.” She then used her powers to lift his bags. As they headed towards the palace his bags floated along with them.

When they entered the building and Wanda shut the doors behind them Kurt said, “Wow, your powers seem to have gotten stronger.”

“Yeah, I’ve been training with them more. And I’ve also started to study witchcraft and magic.” She explained.

He raised an eyebrow. “Witchcraft? Magic? Is that a good idea with the kind of powers you possess?”

“Certainly. I am the Scarlett Witch. Plus witchcraft, magic and my hexing powers coincide well.” She looked at him and his expression was filled with apprehensiveness. She added, “There’s nothing to worry about, Kurt. It’s not for anything evil. I just need to be as strong as possible.”

His expression changed. “Good, for a second I thought I’d be losing you to the dark side.” He smiled slightly.

She smiled back. “Rest assured, that will not happen.”

They then kept moving on. She lead him up a huge staircase and down a series of enormous corridors. Soon after that she stopped right outside of an open room. She lead him into the room and carefully allowed him bags to drop on to the bed.

“This is where you will stay. My room isn’t far from yours. Neither is Lorna’s. You’re sort of in between us.” She told him.

He smiled again. He asked, “How come you’re not placing me amongst the guests?”

She smiled back at him. “While you are a guest you are also a dear friend. I find it appropriate to have you on this wing. You don’t have a problem with it, do you?”

“Oh, no. I was just confused. I’m happy to be on this side. At least we’d be closer in case of an emergency.” He stated.

“Yes, it would be more convenient to be near one another. With my father out there somewhere and you being an X-Man who knows what trouble could come our way.” She stated.

He nodded and said, “What we are does have its disadvantages.”

“It does, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I enjoy being a leader. I’m well loved and respected. Surely you enjoy what you do as well.” She told him.

He replied, “I do.”

There was a brief moment of silence and then she said, “Well, I suppose I’ll leave you to unpack. I’ll check back with you in about a half hour.”

“A half hour? I don’t believe it will take me that long.” He said.

“I want to also give you some time to unwind.” She explained.

He responded with, “Of course.”

“Then we can talk more. And in a few hours it will be time for dinner.” She told him. “See you in a bit.”

“Yes, see you.” He said back.

After that she left the room and he watched her leave. Not long after she was gone he started to unpack. He placed some of his clothes into drawers and others into the closets. The room he had before was pretty large, but this one was even bigger.

It only took him around fifteen minutes to get everything situated. When he finished he stretched out over his bed. His mind drifted off and he was deep in thought. Those deep thoughts revolved around Wanda. For some reason he couldn't stop thinking about her. She was on his mind for quite some time now. When he was with the X-Men he thought about her, but being in Genosha made it more intense.

He also kept on getting odd feelings around her. Things he's never felt before. Every time she was near him his heart went racing. And even the very thought of her made his body react that way. He could listen to her talk for hours, the sound of her voice was comforting in some way. Even if she was angry. He didn't quite comprehend what he was feeling at all. He hoped he could put all of it together at some point. He was glad that this visit would be less stressful for it might give him time to figure out those feelings. He smiled to himself when he thought about the fact that they'd have time to actually talk and get to know one another on an even deeper level.

While Kurt was pondering everything Wanda returned. At first she only stood in the doorway, looking at him. His eyes were closed, so he didn't notice her. She couldn't help but look at him. To her he was beautiful in many ways. After a bit she knocked on his open door to let him know that she was there. He didn't budge.

“Kurt.” She said. He didn’t say anything so she headed into the room. She walked over to the bed and said again, “Kurt.”

He jumped and said, “Oh, hi. Sorry, I must have dozed off or something.”

“I didn’t mean to startle you.” She apologized.

“That’s fine, I‘m okay.” He assured her.

“I’m glad.” She said and she added, “I was wondering if you’d like a tour? I know I’d given you one before, but that was under different circumstances. Things have changed a deal since then.”

“A tour sounds great.” He said back.

She smiled and said, “Wonderful. By the time I finish showing you around it should be time to eat. And after dinner we can do whatever you’d like.”

“That sounds splendid.” He replied, smiling back. He got up and stood beside her.

Wanda grabbed Kurt’s hand and they headed out of the room. Once in the hall she hooked her arm with his. Then she began giving him the tour. Things had changed indeed now that she and Lorna were in charge of everything.

XXxXX

Dinner time had arrived. But the only ones at the table were Wanda, Lorna and Kurt. At that time there weren’t any other guests. The only others in the whole palace were kitchen staff. Unlike Magneto, Wanda actually invites them to join; however, they choose not to. She doesn’t press them for she believes it’s due to the past. She figured that they’d eventually come around once they got more familiar with her and Lorna and became fully aware that they weren’t going to harm them.

At the moment Kurt, Wanda and Lorna were over half way through their meal. They haven’t spoke much, but since they were getting finished Lorna decided to start up a conversation.

"Kurt, I know that I should have did this sooner, but it's not too late now." She reached her hand over to him and said, "I'm Lorna."

Kurt took her hand and shook it. He said to her, “Yes, it's better late than never." They pulled their hands away and he added, "I figured you were Lorna. It’s nice that I have a chance to talk to you this time.”

She smiled, “Yeah, I never really realized how much Magneto held me back. I’m glad I woke up.”

"He wasn't all that bad." Wanda said.

“Where were you? He was all about himself, it never mattered who he took down in the process.” Lorna looked down at her plate. Even though she had some food left she pushed the plate away. “It makes me sick to think that I helped him.”

Wanda said, “You did what you had to do. As did I. We love our father and we respected him.”

"Yes, but still. I was disgusted when I learned of what he was doing with those mutants. It was wrong." Lorna stated firmly.

Wanda looked at her. "We had to support him, Lorna."

"No, we only had to love him. Unless you agreed with his demented ways!" Lorna was getting frustrated.

Wanda sighed, "Unfortunately, I did." She looked at Kurt, "You're the one who opened my eyes, Kurt."

"Probably because he could see Magneto for what is was . . . a tyrant." Lorna said.

Wanda glared slightly at her. "I may have banished him, but that gives you no right to be like that. He's our father!"

"I'm not saying that I don't love him!" Lorna retorted.

Kurt cut in before the discussion got any more heated. “Lorna is right. Wanda, you can be angry with someone and still love them."

Wanda pondered for a moment. She had believed in her father. Even though there was no doubt in her mind now that he was wrong she still had trouble accepting it. Her and her sister often had arguments over him. And Lorna was right.

"I might be more angry with myself than him. How did I not see through him. I knew and yet I went along with him." Wanda admitted.

"Don't beat yourself up. You probably thought that you were doing the right thing. In fact, I know that that's what you thought.” Kurt said.

Wanda said, “Perhaps, but I still feel badly about it.” She looked at her sister and said, "I'm sorry, Lorna."

"It's okay. Our father is a hard subject to talk about." Lorna said back.

Kurt commented on the food, "This is really good."

Lorna said, "Just be thankful that our father didn't cook it." She giggled.

Wanda actually laughed. Her and Lorna both remembered something very funny. Kurt stared at them oddly.

Wanda said, "I guess we should explain what we're laughing about."

"That would be of great help." He said.

Lorna looked at Wanda, "May I?" Wanda nodded and then Lorna continued, "Magneto attemped to cook once. It was a while ago. It didn't turn out so well. He left the kitchen and when he returned all of the food was burnt and pots were bubbling over. Such a mess."

Wanda added, "Yeah, and we had to remodel the entire kitchen. He was so pissed that he demolished it with his magnitism."

"Wow." Kurt said and he chuckled softly.

Lorna and Wanda smiled at each other and then the room fell silent after that. Wanda slowly picked at her food while Kurt managed to finish his more quickly. Lorna pulled her plate back in front of her and slowly ate. In around ten minutes they were all done. They remained at the table though.

After a while Lorna said, “So Kurt, my sister gave you the grand tour of this place, what do you think?”

Kurt replied with, “Yeah, she did. I enjoyed it. This is a quite a beautiful home you have.”

“We try to keep it that way.” Lorna said.

Wanda finally spoke again, “Yes, we do.”

“And you’ve both done a wonderful job. Believe me. This whole island feels less ominous now.” Kurt said with a bit of a smile.

Lorna and Wanda both smiled at him. Lorna then looked at her sister and said, “I think that I’m going to let you two be.”

“You don’t have to go.” Kurt said.

“No, but I have a few things that I’d like to get done before it gets too late.” She told him. “It was great seeing you again. And surely I’ll see you around.”

He looked at her and nodded. “You will because I’ll be staying for at least a couple of weeks. As long as nothing back home pulls me away sooner.”

Now she nodded and said, “Well then, I’ll see you both later.” She got up, pushed her chair in and left the huge dining area.

Wanda and Kurt didn’t say anything for a while. Kurt was glancing around the room, studying the art hung on the walls and other décor. Wanda secretly watched Kurt. In fact she could barely keep her eyes off of him. A few moments later he turned back to her and she quickly pretended to be looking at something else. Kurt smiled softly for he had a feeling that she was gazing at him.

She glanced at him and asked, “Would you like to see the rest of the island? Since you’ve arrived here today you’ve only seen a small portion of it.”

“That would be great. Surely it’s changed since the last time I was here.“ He answered. Then he asked, “But could it wait until tomorrow?”

She smiled and responded to his question, “It could. I suppose that it is getting late.”

“But we could still talk for a while.” He told her.

“Okay. Perhaps we should go to a more comfortable place.” She suggested.

He replied, “That would be nice. These chairs do feel kind of hard after a while.” He smiled at her.

She smiled back. Then they both stood up, pushed their chairs in and headed out of the room. She moved beside him and as before she hooked her arm with his. He wasn’t sure where they were going, but after they walked for a bit he realized that they were going upstairs. Still he didn’t know the exact place she was taking him. At first he thought that it might be to one of the rooms, until they kept walking.

“Where are we going?” He asked.

“To one of the balconies. It’s the highest one and my favorite place to be. You can see the entire island from that area. The view is so picturesque. I figured that it would be the perfect spot to talk further.” She paused and then said, “Unless you’d prefer to go somewhere else?”

He said, “Oh, no, the balcony sounds astounding.”

They continued on until they reached the balcony. When they arrived they both walked over to the parapet, their arms were still hooked. They gazed over the island.

“You were one hundred percent right, this view is amazing. You can even see the water from here.” Kurt was in awe.

“That’s why I wanted to come here, I was sure that you’d love it just as much as I do. I come here every night before going to bed. Some times I stand or sit up here for hours before I realize what time it is.” Wanda told him.

He smiled. “It wouldn’t be too hard to lose track of time in a place such as this.”
She shook her head. “It’s not hard.”

They stood there for a while just admiring the scenery. Then Wanda turned to face him. She placed her hands in his and raised them between them.

“If you’d like, you could join me up here every night until you leave. I’d certainly enjoy the company.” She smiled. But it was more friendly than usual. And there was a touch a passion and even seduction in her tone. Whether she was aware of it or not.

He noticed, but it didn’t bother him. Maybe these days and nights would help them express their feelings. He replied, “That would be very nice. I could certainly come up here every night. And being with you would make the whole experience all that much better.”

They smiled at one another. She kissed him on the cheek and laid her head on his shoulder. She then placed her arms around him. Soon after he returned some of her moves by placing his arms around her. He felt awkward yet happy and those weird feelings were stirring again. She was feeling them, too. But neither of them commented on them. They just stood their embracing and enjoying the beautiful night.

XXxXX

Meanwhile at the X-Mansion the atmosphere wasn’t going to be as cheerful. It was night there as well, but not quite as late. Most of the X-Men were, however, in there rooms and ready for bed. The only ones downstairs still were Emma and Scott. At that moment Emma found it the perfect time to talk to Scott. She still needed to speak privately to him. So she made her way to the kitchen where he was finishing up on putting away some dishes.

She walked up to him. “Scott, may we talk. Please.”

He turned and looked at her. “I don’t know. Jean’s waiting for me upstairs.”

“Oh she can wait for a little bit longer, can’t she?” She told him.

“I guess so. But make it quick.” He said back.

She sighed. “I’m not sure that I can make it as quick as you’d like.”

“Fine. We’ll sit down and talk as long as you need to.” He said impatiently.

She could tell that he really wasn’t wanting this. At least not at that moment. “I hope that I’m not keeping you away from a night of passion.” She said and her tone was a tad bit snide.

He picked up on her sudden change in tone. “Emma, no. It’s just that I’m still trying to get over what you’ve done. I trusted you and I even cared about you.”

"Is that my fault?" She said snobbishly and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Yes." He said.

She retorted with smugness in her tone, "Hm, you're right. But I can't help it if I'm so hard to resist."

"Enough with the charming wit, Emma. Say what you want to say." He snapped at her.

Her tone changed again. She looked at him and thought, "Here goes". To him she said, “Look, I am so sorry, Scott. Things got way out of hand. I will never hurt you again. I’m a different person now.”

“I hope so, because if I start to trust you again and I find out that you’re lying yet again I will never forgive you.” His words were harsh.

“I’m not lying about anything.” She stated.

“Alright then, let’s talk.” He said and he took a seat.

She gazed at him and asked, “Would you like some tea?”

He thought for a second or so and answered, “Sorry, but not tonight.”

She nodded but felt disappointed. She then took a seat with him. But instead of sitting across the table she sat beside him. They faced each other.

“Do you know the truth about everything now?” She questioned him.

“Yes, Jean told me what she saw in your head.” He answered.

Emma then said, “How much did she share with you about my past?”

“All of it. I know why you ended up where you were.” Scott stated. “So, there’s not really much for us to talk about.”

“Maybe not, but I still need you to know from me that I am sorry. I cared about you, too, Scott.” She told him.

“Yeah, Jean told me exactly how you felt.” He shook his head with confusion. “How?”

She stared at him, wishing she could see his eyes. “So you know?” She turned her face away for a moment and then she faced him again. She answered his question, “I don’t really know. I’ve never felt that way for anyone. I think that I felt overly bad for what I’d done. I’d hurt you the most. Once I got to know you and the others my opinions on the X-Men completely altered. I spent so much time with you. You‘re a wonderful and beautiful person.”

He stared at her. “Are you still in love with me?”

“Jean didn’t inform you?” She said back.

“No, that's one thing that she did leave out.”

Emma thought for a minute. Should she really tell Scott that she was still in love with him? She was sure that she shouldn’t because Jean apparently didn’t want him to know. But the snide and vindictive part of her couldn’t resist informing him.

She slid her chair closer to his and took his hands in hers, caressing them. She said, “Yes, I’m still in love with you.”

Before she could say any more a voice came from the kitchen entrance, “Scott, I've been waiting up there for a while."

It was obviously Jean. And she didn’t look all that happy to see them holding hands. Emma pulled her hands away from Scott's. Then her and Scott both stood up and pushed in their chairs.

“Jean, I didn't mean to. Emma needed to speak to me.” Scott explained.

“That's fine, but if I hadn’t came down here what might have happened?” Jean said accusingly, mostly to Emma.

Scott said, "Nothing would have happened."

Emma looked at Scott and then to Jean and said, “How could you be so sure?” Her expression was smug and her tone was full of sarcasm.

Jean glared at her and with her telekinesis she pulled Emma towards her. Emma was a little started, but it didn’t get to her. When she was in front of Jean she smirked at her.

“What’s your problem, Jean? I asked Scott if us talking was interrupting anything for you and him, he said no. So, it's not like you're going to get laid tonight. That's too bad, too. It looks like you really need it." Emma’s voice was extremely snide.

Jean glowered at her. “You bitch!” She yelled.

Emma looked at Jean with an harsh expression. She said, “Well, well, I must be right.“

That all pushed Jean over the edge. With her telekinetic powers she shoved Emma hard against the wall, leaving a crack. That actually knocked the wind out of Emma. But even thought that was bad it was still nothing compared to some of the things she endured within the Hellfire Club. Either way, she stayed against the wall catching her breath.

Jean glared at Emma and said coldly to her, "And I thought that you wouldn't have that kind of nerve. Guess I was wrong."

At that point Scott ran over. “Jean, stop it! You’re going to hurt her.”

“Why do you care?!” Jean shot at him harshly.

“Calm down, honey. You know that I love you.” He told her, cupping her face in his hands.

Jean’s expression softened. “I know, I’m sorry."

Just then Logan entered the room. “What the hell is goin’ on down here?!” He looked around and saw Emma. She was finally standing away from the wall.

Logan walked over to her. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” was all that she said.

Logan looked at Jean. He then glanced back and forth at both her and Emma. He said with a slight smirk, "Not that I wanna get between two hot girls fighting, but could ya at least not destroy the damn mansion?! Or each other?”

Jean said, “I’m sorry, Logan. I guess I just lost it.” She pointed towards the wall and added, “That won’t happen again.”

Emma stared at her. She then looked at Scott and finally Logan. “I think it’s best that I go up to bed.”

“Yeah, you all should.” Logan said gruffly.

As Emma walked past Jean she mumbled, “This isn’t over, darling.” And too really push Jean's buttons she walked up to Scott, hugged him and traced her finger along his jaw line. She then pecked him on the lips. Scott just stood there. He couldn't move.

Jean glared at Emma and murmured back, “Oh, that had better be a promise, sweetheart.”

Logan heard their exchange and obviously saw what went down. He shook his head. Then a smirk swept across his face. He walked out of the kitchen and said, “This is goin’ to be good.” He couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

Jean and Scott watched him leave. They looked at one another. In a couple of seconds Jean turned off the kitchen light and they left, too.

When they got upstairs she said, “Let’s go to my room and have some fun.” Her tone was sultry.

“Jean, if you’re doing this just to make Emma upset I don’t want to do it.” Scott stated.

She smiled and said, “Partially, but I do want you.”

“We did it this morning.” He said back.

“So, there’s no law that says that a couple can’t make love more than once daily.” She said coyly, She jumped up on him, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

He placed his arms around her and smiled at her now. “You’re on, literally.” He then carried her the rest of the way to her room.

Their night would surely be interesting. Jean really loved it. She would be happy in more than one way. Of course being intimate with the man she loved was the best part, but getting back at Emma was an added bonus.

XXxXX

Outside of Jean’s room she unwrapped her legs from Scott. She kept her arms around his neck though and his were on her hips. For a moment they just stood there.

He then asked, “What was that all about down there?”

She gazed at him and replied, “I really don’t know. She didn’t do anything."

"No, she didn't. She honestly didn't even try anything." He told her.

"That's a surprise." She said.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Jean, she's not really that bad. I'm not saying that I fully trust her yet, but . . . " He paused trying to think of what to say next.

"But what? I know that you cared about her. And you might have even loved her." She stated.

"Yeah, I did care about her. I still do. However, I don't believe I would have loved her." He said.

She looked at him. "It's very possible that you would have. Think about it, if I was completely out of your life you could have fell for her."

He placed his right hand under her chin and said, "Maybe, but I'd never love her the way I love you."

She stared at him. "You don't know that."

"You really think that Emma's going to try to steal me from you, don't you?" He asked.

"I don't know what to think. I read her mind and I know mostly everything about her. Still I don't trust her. Especially with you." She replied.

He pulled her closer to him and hugged her. "You have nothing to worry about. She's not going to steal me away." He moved back a bit and smiled at her.

She smiled back. "Perhaps I am over reacting. She's just so stunningly beautiful and sexy." When Scott made a funny face at her she added, "Oh, you can't tell me that you haven't noticed. Hell, I'm a woman and I see it, you must."

"That's true. But you are just as gorgeous and attractive." He said and he kissed her softly.

"Get used to that because that's part of who she is. And even though she's changed that's one personality trait that I don't think she'll ever lose. I'm sorry I didn't stop her from kissing me." He told her.

Jean sighed and said, "That's okay, you didn't know she was going to. I just wish that I didn't feel so tense."

Jean sighed and said, "I just wish that I didn't feel so tense."

“Can I be of any help?” He questioned.

“Oh yes. I wasn’t joking just minutes ago. I do want to make love to you.” She smiled at him.

Scott smiled back picked her up, carrying her into the room. He closed the door shortly after. With her in his arms he carried her over to the bed and sat her down at the edge of the bed, kneeling between her legs. Even though she seemed to be in a better mood her expression still looked off. When he looked into her eyes she appeared a bit agitated. He kissed her softly, she responded to his gesture quickly.

He pulled back he asked, “Are you truly up for this? I know that you said you wanted to make love, but if you’re not really into it then we shouldn’t.”

“Yes, I want to do this.” He gave her an odd expression and she didn’t have to read his thoughts to know what he was thinking. “No, this isn’t only to get under Emma’s skin. Believe me. If I had it my way I’d make love to you twenty-four/seven.” She smiled at him with a naughty expression upon her face.

He smiled back. “I can’t hide anything from you, baby.”

She shook her head, still smiling and said, “Nope. So don’t even try.” She was starting to feel happier. And her flirty side was coming back. She pulled him up onto the bed with her.

For a good while he hovered over her as they stared at one another. The desire was so conspicuous that even those that didn’t know them could see it. While their eyes were locked on each other Scott reach down and took her face in his hands. He kissed her again, holding his lips to hers longer. She responded again, but this time she placed her arms around his neck. He slid his hands down from her face, over her frame and rested them on her hips. Shortly after that their innocent kiss became a deep, passionate kiss. It was rough yet gentle at the same time. As their tongues danced together their hands wandered up and down each others’ bodies. It was highly apparent that Jean wanted Scott not only to piss off Emma. She really wanted him. He could feel it with each and every kiss and touch.

As they continued to heavily make out they began to undress one another. They took turns. Jean initiated the whole thing by taking off Scott’s shirt and he followed by taking off hers. They did the same with their pants. Soon they were only in their under garments. Jean wore a green, lacy bra with matching panties and Scott had on a pair of boxers. They remained that way for some time.

Scott kissed Jean with such hunger and he began to trace his lips along her jaw and then down her neck. He kept moving until he reached her cleavage. He then reached behind her and unfastened her bra. She helped him get it off. Once that was tossed to the floor with the other clothes Scott continued. He licked, kissed and sucked her breasts, causing her to moan. As he did so he traced his right hand down her left side. He slid it further until he reached her inner thigh. He rested it there momentarily. But shortly afterwards he moved his hand upwards and caressed her womanhood through her underwear. She began to moan a little more. That was his cue to move along further. So he then slipped his hand beneath her panties and caressed her hot, moist vagina. She was now moaning and breathing heavily. As he did this he still teased her breasts.

After a bit she pulled at her underwear, she wanted them off. Scott helped her out. Now she was completely naked. He went back to what he was doing. But this time he went even further. He did the same to her breasts; however, he not only caressed her sensitive area he also inserted one finger and then two. Slowly and gently he slid them in and out of her. She was really moaning now. He was so in tune with her that he knew without even asking that she wanted more. He kissed her soft, sweet lips again and then he traced his lips down her body until he reached her vagina. When there he removed his fingers. Just as he was about to lick them off she stopped him.

“May I?” Jean asked seductively.

“You’re a bad girl.” He teased.

She nodded and took his hand in her own. She then took his fingers into her mouth and sucked on them. That actually turned him on more than he already was. When she was done he kissed her again. Then he moved back down and licked the opening of her hole and over her clitoris. Before he did more he sucked on it for a bit, sending chills up and down her spine. She was breathing hard and moaning again. In a matter of time he moved down a tad and slipped his tongue inside of her hot, wet folds. She moaned louder than before and she grabbed her breasts, fondling them as he ate her.

He licked her out for a while. As he did so she began to rock her hips against his mouth. Soon she came letting out a scream of ecstasy. He moved up to face her again. She pulled him down on her and quickly captured his lips with hers. She kissed him deep and hard. Despite the fact that he just got her off she was still very horny. She wanted him inside her, not only his fingers and tongue. But first she’d return the moves.

Jean rolled over on top of him so that she was straddling him. “Now, it’s your turn big boy.”

She racked her hands down his muscular chest. She leaned over and kissed him. Then she did like he did by tracing her lips along his jaw. When she reached his chest she licked his nipples and softly nibbled at them. Afterwards she moved her lips down his chiseled abs and stopped at the top of his boxers. She pulled them off and tossed them to the floor with all of their other clothes. She grinned at him with a sultry look. In no time she placed her right hand at the base of his penis. First she licked up the shaft until she reached the head. Once there she licked over it like a lollypop. He groaned softly. In a few more seconds she slowly placed her mouth over his hard on and took it in as far as she could. She could only go a little more than half way, but she maneuvered well by using her mouth and hand in unison. She maintained a slow pace for a bit and then she gradually sped up. Soon her head was bobbing up and down quite fast. Every so often she’d gaze up at him, wearing a seductive expression. That drove him crazy. He reached down and gently grasped at her hair. He was also moaning and breathing heavily at that point. She continued to suck him that way until he climaxed, oozing into her mouth. She pulled back and it was obvious that she had swallowed.

She crawled over him and straddled him once more. He stared at her. “You never fail to amaze me, my love.” He said breathlessly.

She grinned and said, “I know.”

They shared another hot kiss and began to make out again. They continued until Scott was hard once more. That didn’t take too long either.

In about fifteen minutes Scott was ready. Jean was definitely ready. She looked at him and she reached into the night stand. In her hand was an unopened condom. They were very passionate about having sex, but they never forgot to use protection. She opened the wrapper, discarding it into the trash can beside the bed. Then she placed it over his hard penis. She was still straddling him as she did this. He bent forward slightly to meet her so that they could kiss.

A couple of moments later she said, “Are you ready?”

“Do you really have to ask?” He replied.

They grinned at one another. She then positioned herself and slowly inserted him inside of her. She closed her eyes and let out a small moan as she felt them join. He closed his eyes as well, but even though it felt great he didn’t moan yet.

Jean moved at a slow, steady pace for quite some time. She left out soft moans the entire time. Every now and then Scott would reach up and fondle her breasts, sort of kneading them at times. She loved that.

When about twenty minutes had passed Jean had sped up. She was breathing heavily and moaning a lot as she pounded against Scott. Her hands were on his chest while his were on her hips. Once in a while he’d slide them behind her and squeeze her ass, that caused her to moan louder than she had the whole night. Up to that point at least.

While she moved he began to move with her, their naked bodies slammed together. Both of them were moaning and grasping at one another. He allowed her to get off, but he stopped before he came. He didn’t want to end their night just yet.

Jean leaned down and pressed her lips to his. They started to kiss deeply as they’d done many times before. As they kissed with such passion they groped each other.

In a few minutes they parted and switched positions. Scott laid in between her legs, which she wrapped around his waist, opening them as wide as she could. Soon he was inside her again. That time he didn’t have to be so slow, she was dripping wet from the previous round making for easy entry. So, he was banging her at a fast and steady pace. She was now screaming.

“Oh, Scott! Yes!” She screamed.

As their naked skin slapped together he moaned and said, “Mmm . . . so tight and wet!”

They were really into the moment. But still he didn’t want to end yet. So, as he did the last time he stopped before he released. That time she didn’t get off either. She wanted to save it for the final round. They kissed heavily again, wrestling with each others tongues. Their bodies were hot and sweaty.

Finally after they fooled around for a few moments they began to make love more. They decided to do it doggy style for that round. Jean got down on her knees, leaning on her arms, palms down. Her butt was in the air and her legs were as far apart as she could manage to get them. Scott kneeled behind her and slipped his hard member into her hot, wet hole. As soon as they connected they both moaned softly. It didn’t take long for Scott to start hammering into her. Now she was screaming again. And he was moaning and grunting as he slammed against her.

Jean clutched the bed sheets as he screwed her hard and deep. And Scott squeezed her ass from time to time, some times he rubbed and gently slapped her. She loved every bit of it. They were both in pure ecstasy.

They were nearing their climax as he continued to bang her in the same manner. And she began to meet his movements by moving against him while he thrust into her. At that point he pounded into her harder and faster than before. She screamed and he moaned, they couldn’t keep quiet even if they tried to.

Jean screamed again through moans and heavy breathing, “Oh, yes! Fuck me, baby! Harder!”

Scott was breathing heavily, too, and he yelled, “Oh, shit! I’m going to cum!”

“Me, too!” She screamed.

They kept up with it until they both released. She went a couple seconds before him, letting out a very loud scream of pleasure and clutching the sheets tightly. And he went as follows, moaning and grasping her hips. They both collapsed on the bed. Scott rolled onto his back and Jean laid over him. They didn’t care how hot they were either. All they wanted now was to hold one another.

Before they got too comfortable and fell asleep he removed the used condom and threw it away. He then pulled her into his arms and held her tight. She traced her finger over his chest.

Once she caught her breath she said, “Wow . . .”

He smiled and responded with, “Tell me about it.”

They didn’t have to say too much more, for they could feel what the other felt due to their special bond. Both of them felt amazing. The couple then kissed again, this time less fervently but still with passion. Soon they pulled away and Jean laid her head in the area between his neck and chest. They said goodnight and within a matter of minutes they were both asleep with happy, satisfied looks upon their faces.

XXxXX

In the room next to Jean’s, Emma was wide awake laying on her bed. Her eyes were focused on the ceiling and her expression was a mixture of things. She looked hurt, upset and even jealous. She wished so badly that she could experience something that wonderful with Scott. There was no denying that he was a fine male specimen and that she did lust for him on a basic level. It was mostly for the fact that she loved him for who he was and that she wanted to make love to him like that. She’s never really made love before. Sex at the Hellfire Club was nothing like what Jean and Scott had. Not that Emma never enjoyed herself, she just wanted something more than only a quick romp.

As she laid there that night she heard everything. She probably shouldn’t have done so, but she actually used her telepathy to get a glimpse of exactly what Jean and Scott were doing. She saw how passionate and romantic they were. She could see it on their faces and by the way they were so in tune with one another.

Right now she sighed to herself. She whispered, “Oh what I would give to have just one moment like that.” She then added, “They make it sound like so much more than swapping a few body fluids. Guess I'll never understand that. Who am I kidding?"

She closed her eyes. At that moment she felt a stinging in her eyes, but she refused to let the wetness seep out. She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter, hugged herself and bit her bottom lip. After a few seconds the stinging in her eyes went away. She opened them and turned onto her side. And despite how tired she was she was sure that she’d be up the rest of the night.

XXxXX

The next morning everybody made it down to breakfast, except for Emma. Some wondered why she didn’t attend. Jean and Scott had a rough idea, but the others were in the complete dark. More than likely most of the X-Men had heard Jean and Scott’s night of passion, however, that was nothing new to them.

Rogue said, “Am I the only one who thinks it’s weird that Emma’s not with us?”

Forge looked around and said, “Now that you mention it, no.”

“Her room’s beside Jean’s. She’s probably not used to hearing Jean scream. Maybe she couldn’t sleep.” Bobby stated jokingly.

Jean flashed him a mean look, but she said nothing. He was probably partially right. She didn’t care though. In her opinion Emma needed to be knocked down a notch or two.

Scott replied to Bobby with, “That’s not funny.”

“Of course not.” Bobby mumbled, his tone thick with sarcasm.

“I hope she’s not up to anything. I wouldn’t put it past her.” Kitty said with a touch of irritation.

“I don’t think she is. Both Jean and Charles told us that she’s here for sincere reasons.” Ororo told him.

Hank said, “Perhaps I should go up and see if she’s okay.”

Forge agreed, “Yeah, that may be a good idea.”

Logan stood up, “No, you all go ahead and eat. I’ll check on Frost.” His voice was gruff and a bit suspicious despite what Professor Xavier and Jean said.

“No, Logan, allow me. I might know why she hasn’t came down.” Scott declared. Jean turned her head and gave Scott a strange look. “Jean, I have to. You know why yourself.”

Jean said, “I don’t think that’s a smart thing to do. Let Logan check on her.”

He shook his head and said, “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I have to do this.”

Jean sighed. “Fine. But if you’re not back down here in twenty minutes then I’m coming up.”

“Okay.” He said back.

The whole time they were tossing words back and forth the others watched and listened with confusion. They had not a single clue to what they were talking about. As Scott stood up, Logan shrugged and sat back down. He was the only one who had a good feeling to what the problem was.

Before Scott left the kitchen he gave Jean a quick peck on the lips. She returned the move. Then he headed out and upstairs.

XXxXX

Once outside Emma’s room he stood there staring at the door for a while. After the incident the night before he didn’t know what to expect. But he had to get it over with.

He took in a deep breath and finally knocked. “Emma!” He called through the closed door.

“What do you want, Scott?!” Emma called back. She sounded tired and even annoyed. But she walked over and opened the door enough to see him anyway.

“Everyone’s wondering why you haven’t joined us for breakfast.“ He said and then he glanced at her. She certainly did appear tired and she was still wearing her night clothes.

He looked into her eyes and asked, “Are you alright?”

She gave him an odd look. “I’m fine . . . just peachy keen after a night like last night.” She sounded both sarcastic and testy.

“You look like you were awake all night.” He said trying to ignore her disgruntled mood.

She glared at him. “Thanks to you and your bitch.” Her tone was atrocious.

“Don’t call her that. I’m sorry that we kept you up. Everyone else slept well enough.” He said. Her comment about Jean bothered him, but he didn’t want to start anything.

“Their rooms aren't right next door.” She retorted.

“What is your problem, Emma?” He said, raising his voice slightly.

She looked at him. “Jean. She is too damn uptight. Why would I steal you from her?!”

“You give her good reasons to think that.” He threw at her.

“I wouldn’t do it though. If I were the person I was before I would. But I’m not that person, as I‘ve said many times.” She stated with growing frustration.

He shook his head. “You are different, but we can‘t up and trust you. It will take time. Either way, you don’t need to purposely do things to piss her off. Like last night you flirted with me and kissed me before you left the kitchen. You had to of known how that would make her feel.”

“She was asking for it. I did nothing to deserve getting shoved telekinetically into the bloody wall.” Emma was getting irritated and her tone became a little snotty.

“Like hell you didn’t! You were pushing her buttons from the moment she entered the room.” His temper was starting to flare.

“Is it my fault that your little bitch can’t take it?” Now she was being snide.

He glowered at her. “You know, I have half a mind to slap you for that. You’re so lucky that you’re a woman.”

She grinned at him. “Are you going make me feel extremely lucky?” She said flirtatiously, but her tone was still snide.

“No, sorry that I was worried about you.” He was fed up with her attitude. “This was a waste of time. Join us if you want. If not I simply don’t give a fuck.” He made it quite evident that she ticked him off.

As he turned to leave her mood and expression changed. She thought, “Why do I keep on doing this?“ She grabbed his shoulder to stop him. “Wait, please don’t leave on that note.”

“Why?! You want to make me even angrier?” He said harshly.

“No, I want to apologize.” He stopped, but he didn’t face her. “Sorry for calling Jean a bitch. To be frank I’m the bitch. I mean I believe that we both are, but I‘m the bigger one.” She said to him.

He turned back around to face her, she had a small smile upon her lips. "That I have to agree with."

Her expression changed once again. She looked kind of defeated. "Well . . . " was all she said, but her tone was that of surprise.

"I'm only being honest, Emma." He told her.

She gazed at him. Her face was sort of stoic for she didn't know what to feel at that moment. "I can't blame you. But please forgive me. I truly am sorry." Her expression now showed sincerity.

He stared at her for a few moments before responding. “Alright, you’re forgiven. But this shit has to stop. I’m getting sick of it.”

“I’ll try, but it’s just so difficult. Something about Jean just gets me so upset. Then I say cruel things.” She explained.

“You two need to have a serious talk. Actually, all three of us should sit down some time and discuss all of this. That might help.” He suggested.

“Sure, we could do that. What could it hurt?” She said. Although it didn’t sound like fun to her. Jean and her didn’t get along. But if they could at least try to and perhaps make some kind of truce things would be more comfortable for both of them.

Scott was about to leave when he asked, “Are you coming down?”

“In a bit. I’d like to put on some other clothes.” She said.

He nodded and then left her alone. She did want to change her clothes first. And she really was hungry. But she felt so tired. Her mood was odd, too, for she still felt a mix of things. However, she had to pull herself together. While she was becoming an X-Men now she was still Emma Frost.

XXxXX

Emma finally went down for breakfast. However they were pretty much done by then. As she entered the kitchen most were getting ready to leave. She walked over and sat down at the table. At the same time Bobby, Kitty and Rogue were making their way towards the exit.

Kitty said to the others, “If you need us we’ll be in the rec room.”

“What are we gonna do in there?” Rogue asked as they moved out of the room.
Bobby answered, “Play pool.”

“Won’t we need one extra person? If there’s four of us then we can do teams of two. Each team could take turns.” Kitty suggested.

Bobby grinned. “I thought that you two could play against me. I’m pretty good at pool. I‘d still win.” He was teasing them.

“Shut up.” Rogue said and she playfully punched him in the arm.

“Ouch.” He said, rubbing his arm.

Forge heard their conversation. He hurried after them and called, “Hey, wait up! I’d like to join.” He darted out of the kitchen.

Ororo, Logan, Hank, Scott, Jean and Emma were the only ones left at the table. They were all finished eating. So Emma was pretty much by herself with that. But she didn't care.

Logan smirked, pointing at the kitchen exit, and said, “They should be grateful that I didn’t volunteer to play with them.”

Ororo and Hank laughed, while Jean sort of giggled. Scott only smiled. And Emma slightly grinned as she at her breakfast.

Jean and Emma exchanged glances from time to time and they’d sort of grimaced at each other. It wasn’t hard for the others to take notice to it. Everyone could tell that something wasn’t right between the two young women. But still none of them, aside from Logan, had the slightest clue. Most of them figured that Jean was still bitter from what Emma had done. That wasn’t too far off either.

As they sat there Emma had finished her breakfast and she tried to ignore Jean’s dirty looks. After all, she didn’t want to start an argument at the kitchen table. It would surely get nasty.

Hank eventually stood up. “Well, I think I’m going to make like a tree and leave. I need to do some more research.”

“Okay, if ya need any of us, we’ll be here.” Logan said.

Ororo said, “Yes, just let us know.”

Jean added, “And if you find out any way that you could bring back Professor Xavier please call on us right away.” Scott looked at Hank and nodded to her statement.

“Certainly. I’ll see you all later.” Hank said and he left to go down to the labs.

Logan said, “Gee, everyone’s clearin’ outta here fast.”

Ororo smiled. “They sure are. And perhaps we should as well.” She glanced over at Jean, Scott and Emma. She didn’t know what was going on between the three, but she was an intelligent person. She could tell that they needed some time to work out whatever problem they may be having.

Logan caught her drift quickly. He nodded and then said to the other three, “Ororo and I are goin’ to go.”

Jean’s eyes met his and then Ororo‘s. “See you then.”

Scott said nothing, but Emma said, “Alright.”

Ororo and Logan stood up. She asked him as they exited the room, “So, where are we going?”

“To see the Prof. I haven’t checked in on him today.” He told her.

“That sounds nice.” She replied with a smile.

Logan and Ororo made their way to the room where Xavier was comatose. They, along with all of the others, still wished that he could be with them entirely. But they’d take whatever they could get.

XXxXX

In the kitchen remained Jean, Scott and Emma. Emma was all done so she got up and walked over to the sink. She rinsed off her dishes and placed them into the dishwasher. Then she headed back to the table and sat down again right across from Jean and Scott.

For a bit no one spoke, but then Emma finally said, “Jean, look, we really need to talk. This is crazy.”

“I know it is. And what happens is usually your fault, Emma.” Jean said back.

Emma glared at her for a moment and then her expression softened. She realized that Jean was right. “I can’t argue with that.”

“Last night wouldn’t have gotten so out of hand if you weren’t being such a snide, bitch.” Jean shot at Emma.

“Again, I can’t argue.” Emma said. At that point Scott joined them by sitting beside Jean. “When Scott came up to talk to me a little while ago he made me realize that we can’t keep fighting.”

Jean looked at Scott. “What all did you say? It seems that you’ve gotten through to her.”

“It didn’t start out that way. But yeah, I made her see that you two need to try to get along. I don’t expect you to be the best of friends. But I do expect you to at least make an attempt to be on the same side.” Scott said.

Jean smiled at him and she took his hand into hers. He smiled back at her and squeezed her hand gently. Emma had to look away.

Scott glanced back at Emma and saw that she was staring at the wall. “What’s wrong?” He asked.

Jean said before Emma could answer. “I think that it upset her when I grabbed your hand.” While Jean wasn’t trying to be rude her tone was a bit crass.

Emma replied to her comment with, “I’m not upset, Jean. Now, can we please get on with this talk?”

By the sound of Emma’s tone it was clear that Jean was right. Whether Emma admitted it aloud or not, she was upset. And she felt hurt. Every time she saw Jean and Scott show even the slightest bit of affection she felt her stomach flip. Not because it made her sick, but because it felt like she got stabbed. It ripped at her insides for the fact that she never thought she’d ever get to feel that. She felt that she’d never be loved that way. And just like the night before she felt a stinging in her eyes.

She thought, “Damn it, pull yourself together. You can’t let this destroy you.” She gave herself a pep talk.

Jean responded to Emma’s previous question, “Yes, we must.”

There was silence for a while. Then Scott said, “I know how we can make this a bit better.”

Both women stared at him, waiting to find out what he had in mind. Even though they both could have easily entered his head and retrieved it. Emma said, “Go on.”

Scott looked at her. “Emma, first off, try to keep your snide comments to yourself.”

Emma said, “I will try. I promise. But I’m doing it for you, not her.”

Scott shook his head at her. “Whatever works I guess.“ To Jean he said, “As for you, try not to rub it in her face that we are in love and together. We both know how she feels about me, so that just seems cruel.”

Jean replied, “Okay, but this is for you.” She sneered at Emma.

Emma narrowed her eyes and stood up. “Oh, this is impossible! And it’s also pathetic. This will never work out.” She pushed her chair in and began to stride out of the kitchen when something pulled her back. She struggled against the unseen force. Soon she looked over at Jean and figured that that’s what held her back.

“What is wrong with you?!” Emma yelled.

Jean said, “Calm down. Please. I’m sorry. I’m not being fair at all. I just read your mind and I know that you really do want to be friends with me, regardless to the fact that it’s hard on you. Please, come back and take a seat.”

Emma should have been angry that Jean had read her mind. But she wasn’t . She stood where she was momentarily. Then she inhaled deeply and turned around to rejoin them.

“So, are we going to do this like adults now?” Her tone was a tad bit sarcastic.

Jean ignored it, trying to remember that Scott told her that’s how Emma is. “Yes.”

“Good, then let’s get on with it.” Emma said.

Scott smiled. “This is nice. I hope it lasts.”

The women looked at him. Jean said, “I do, too. But it will be difficult.”

Emma actually smiled a little and said, “Oh, it sure will be.”

“But, we will work on it.” Jean said.

They all talked for a bit. Jean and Emma really had to fight the erg to say something smart to the other. But they managed not to step out of line.

In a bit Scott said, “You know what, we should go to lunch later, just us three. That would give us the chance to talk without the others being around.”

Jean said, smiling, “That actually sounds like a good idea.”

“Yes, it really does. We won’t have to worry about being eavesdropped on.” Emma then looked over to the entrance to the kitchen and said, “You might as well come in, Bobby.”

Bobby walked in with a nervous grin on his face. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. We just wanted some drinks. So, I’ll get them and you won’t even know I was here.”

He did just that. He grabbed four bottles of water and left. Jean, Scott and Emma looked at one another. Jean said, “Yeah, then lunch it is for sure.”

They all agreed on going to lunch later that day. It would be a very great way to really talk. They would be in public, so they would have to keep some of their conversation on the down low. But at least no one at the mansion would have to hear anything that was personal.

After they talked for a few more minutes they parted. Jean and Scott went to join Bobby, Rogue, Kitty and Forge in the rec room. They wanted to see how their pool game was turning out. Emma went outside to sit. She needed some fresh air. She smiled as she sat there. Maybe her and Jean could be friends. Even if she did want Scott it would be nice to not be fighting all of the time.

XXxXX

It was lunchtime and Jean, Scott and Emma all went to the kitchen before leaving. They wanted to inform the others that they wouldn’t be having lunch there. Ororo, Forge and Rogue were getting things ready. At the institute everybody would take turns pitching in for meals and it was apparently their turn.

Jean walked over and said, “Don’t worry about us. We won’t be staying here for lunch.”

Ororo turned and looked at the three of them. “Oh?”

Scott said, “We’ve decided that we need to get out. There’s some issues that need to be solved.”

“Yes, because Jean and I don’t want to kill each other. And privacy isn’t easy to come by here.” Emma said, her tone a tad snobbish.

“I see. Thanks for letting us know.” Ororo replied.

Rogue gave the three an odd look. “This is seriously strange.” She commented.

“I know it is.” Jean said. “But we must do this.”

Forge looked at them and grinned. “Scott, you’re one lucky man . . . two hot women.”

Scott said, “It’s nothing like that.” He felt like a spot light was put on him for everyone stared at him.

“Still, you’re lucky.” He repeated.

Rogue shook her head. “Ya wouldn’t be sayin’ that if one of us girls took two guys out with us.”

Forge laughed nervously. “Sure I would.” He said.

Rogue shook her head again. “Right.”

Ororo said to Jean, Scott and Emma, “I hope you three have a good time."

They both nodded but Jean responded by saying, “I do, too. And I know that Emma wants the same thing.”

“Good luck. Please try to find more reasons to not hate each other.” Ororo said back.

They all said goodbye. Then the three left the kitchen and went to the X-Garage. Scott now had a car of his own so they all got seated inside of it. Of course Jean sat up front with him while Emma sat in the back. They put on their seatbelts and in a matter of seconds he started the engine and pulled out of the garage.

XXxXX

On the way Emma remained silent as Jean and Scott talked a little. She felt awkward. This whole thing was strange.

“Great, I’m going to be the third wheel.” She thought bitingly.

However, they didn’t forget about her. And it wasn’t going to be like that at all. Scott looked at her through the rear view mirror and saw the bitter look upon her face. He said, “Emma, we’ve decided to go to Café-a-Go-Go.”

“Yeah, it's close and the food is great.” Jean said.

Scott added, “And surely we’ll actually be able to talk.”

Emma glanced towards the front of the car. “That's plausable.”

With all of that said Scott continued to drive the rest of the way, which wasn’t very far. There destination was only about five minutes away. Neither of them spoke until they reached the café.

The three got out of the car and walked over and in to the restaurant. They found a nice table that could seat three. When they sat Scott and Jean made sure that they spaced out far enough so that Emma didn’t feel awkward, leaving the same amount of space between them.

A waiter came over to their table and handed out the menus. He said, “Hi, I’m Stan and I’ll be your waiter for this afternoon. Do you already know what you’d like?”

They all found something to drink fairly quick. Jean chose a mocha latte, Scott picked coffee and Emma decided on hot tea. Their waiter marked each of them down.

“Alright. I’ll be back with those. Take your time on the rest of your orders.” The waiter said. Then he left.

Each of them picked up their menus and scanned over them. In a short bit they all decided on what they wanted. Scott placed his menu on the table first, it took the girls longer to figure out something. But soon they too put their menus back down.

For moments at a time they all just looked around without saying a word. At one point Emma found that she kept on staring at Scott. Once and a while he’d notice and she’d quickly look away. Jean didn’t fail to notice either. It kind of irritated her that Emma was gawking at her man like that, but she remained silent about it. Mostly because they were in public. But also because she just didn’t want to start another altercation.

After a while it annoyed her too much and she said, “Emma, do you mind?”

Still staring at Scott she said, “Do I mind what?” She couldn’t keep her eyes off of him.

Scott looked at Emma, returning her gaze for a brief few seconds. Then he looked over to Jean who wore an irritable expression. “Jean, don’t overreact.”

To him she said, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to.”

After a bit Scott looked at Emma who was gazing at him. "Look Emma, I am willing to forgive you for betraying me and my trust. But you must make an effort, too."

"You've pretty much told me that this morning." She said back in a flat tone.

"Yeah, but I really mean it. And I was kind of being a prick. I apologize for that." He said.

She smiled at him slightly. "I forgive you." Her tone sounded sort of sultry, whether she intended for it to or not.

Jean glowered at Emma. She thought, "Don't push it, blondie."

Emma stopped staring at Scott and looked over at Jean. She had picked up on her thoughts without even trying that time. She said, “What is the problem, Jean?”

Jean answered in an irate kind of tone, “You’re ogling at Scott. Knock it off.”

Emma glanced at Jean. “Last I checked that’s not a crime.” She was being snide, as usual.

Jean glared at her. “True, but stop it.”

Emma sneered but kept quiet. Jean watched her like a hawk though. One overly wrong move and this friendly lunch wouldn’t last too much longer. Scott hoped that things wouldn’t get out of hand. Those two could get very physical very fast. He was sure that they wouldn’t start anything in the café. But who really knew?

Scott tried to lighten the mood. "Girls, take it easy, okay?"

Jean replied first, "She just better not push me too far."

"Oh, you have nothing to fret about, darling." Emma said with a touch of sarcasm.

Scott sighed. "The waiter's returning, please act civilized."

Just at that time the waiter was there with their drinks. “Here you go.” He handed them out. “Have you decided on anything else?”

They all nodded. Jean ordered grilled chicken with a side of salad, Scott ordered a stake dinner and Emma only ordered a salad. She wasn't all that hungry considering that she had a late breakfast.

Stan wrote all of that down and told them that it would take around ten to fifteen minutes. They all nodded again in response. Once more he left them.

The three sat in silence for a while. As they waited Jean and Emma would exchange dirty looks every so often. Scott shook his head.

“Jean, Emma, I thought that the whole idea of this lunch thing was to work out everything.”

Jean said, “It was, but she’s being the same as ever.”

“Sorry for being myself.” Emma said sarcastically.

Jean rolled her eyes. “Maybe I should give up on trying to be friends with you. We didn’t do this so that you could gawk at Scott and flirt with him nearly the entire time.”

“I can’t help it, Jean. You don’t understand what I’m feeling. How could you?” Emma stated, her voice kind of flat.

“I understand more than you think.” Jean retorted.

Emma stared into her eyes from across the table. “No, you don’t. You never could.”

Jean raised an eyebrow. “It’s very possible that I could.”

Emma said nothing back. She sat there and stared at the table. Jean and Scott exchanged looks, but they said nothing either. As they sat in silence again the waiter came to their table with the food.

Once they had everything he asked, “Will this be all?”

They all said yes. He then asked, “Is it all together or separate?”

Scott said, “Together.”

Jean didn’t find that odd. Nor did she argue it. But Emma thought it was strange that he’d pay for her. She looked at him and said, “Scott, I can pay for myself.”

He replied with, “I know you can. I want to do this, Emma.” He convinced her that she didn’t have to worry about it.

They finally all agreed. The waiter gave them the check and he left them to eat. And while they ate they said nothing. They only enjoyed their meal.

About fifteen minutes later they were finished. Scott glanced at both of the women and asked, “Will you two be okay without me for a few minutes?” They gave him a weird look, but they nodded. He then said, “Good, because I need to use the restroom before we leave.”

He got up and left them alone at the table. At first they remained quiet, but they both watched Scott walk away. They saw that he didn't even go to the bathroom. They figured out very quickly that he only wanted to leave them alone to talk. They needed to resolve their problems and that was the best way.

Jean said, “Why are you the way you are? I mean, I saw a lot of your past when I searched your mind, still I don’t know why you act the way you do.”

“You read my mind and saw almost everything. How could you not know?” Emma said.

Jean looked at her. “It’s just that you’re such a bitch towards me. I did nothing to you . . . ever.”

Emma sighed and said, “You didn’t. And you really don’t deserve my snide or cruel remarks.”

“Then why do you keep acting that way?” Jean questioned.

“Jean, you said that you saw a lot in my head. You know how I felt about Scott, right?”
Emma said, her tone was unusual.

"Yes." Jean stared at her and then she added. “You’re still in love with him? How could I have missed that? But what draws you to him.”

Emma said, "It's not only his looks, I can tell you that."

"Surely they are part of the reason." Jean stated.

"Don't get me wrong, the man is a wondrous physical specimen. You probably know that better than anybody. But for once, that's not what stands out to me the most. It's everything else about him that makes him so hard NOT fall in love with.” Emma admitted.

Jean actually smiled a little for she remembered when she first fell for him. "Yeah, he's more than a pretty face. He's the whole deal."

“He sure is. And I’ve tried hard to ignore these feelings, but they just gnaw at my insides. All I can think about is him.” Emma paused and closed her eyes. She then opened them up and looked at Jean again. “But he doesn’t love me. He loves you.”

“He does love me. But he cares a great deal about you.” Jean said.

“Yes, however it’s not the same.” Emma stated.

Jean said, “Why is this so difficult for you?”

Emma shook her head. “I’ve never felt this for anyone before. Nothing even remotely close. I know it’s love and not lust.”

“How can you be positively sure?” Jean asked.

“Because it honestly hurts that he doesn’t feel even the slightest bit the same for me.” Emma’s tone was so different. She sounded depressed and sullen.

Jean sensed Emma’s mood and feelings. She tapped into her mind to make sure it was real. What she saw amazed her. “Emma, I’m sorry. You were right, I didn’t understand. I didn’t really know. This is tearing you up.”

“Don’t feel sorry for me. I don’t need your pity.” Emma was starting to sound like herself again.

“It’s just that I now know that you're not only being a bitch.” Jean said.

Emma said back, “I am a bitch.”

“Maybe so, but I’m guilty, too.” Jean smiled at her.

Emma forced a smile. “Aren’t we all.”

Scott then came back. “I see you’re both alive still.”

“Yeah, we’re fine.” Jean said.

“Just fine.” Emma thought with sarcasm and sorrow mixed together. She said out loud, “Yes, we are.”

Scott said, “Good. If you’re both ready to go, I am.”

“I’m ready.” Jean replied.

“Me, too.” Emma responded.

They went up front and Scott paid. Then they left the café and made their way to his car. Once inside they buckled up and soon he was driving them all back to the X-Mansion. In all, everything went well. Scott was surprised. He could only hope that it would stay that way back home.

XXxXX

A/N: I know it took me a bit longer to post, sorry. I've been so busy with work and all. But I finally got the chapter up, as you saw:) I hope that you've enjoyed it:) I'll try harder to get the next chapter up on time; probably by June 20th:) Thanks and take care:)