All Good Things Chapters 11 through 15 by Liz Collins
Disclaimer: No, I don't have permission to use Marvel's characters. Yes, I used them anyway. You'll have to stand in line to sue me, so don't even bother. This story is purely the product of my overactive imagination. :)
CHAPTER 11
The Professor had decided it was time that he and Jean should meet with Lydia Thurgood in person. Their flight to Dallas had been uneventful. Jean had taken a good book with her, but she spent most of the time involved in a silent conversation with the Professor. He seemed so excited about the prospect of working with Ms. Thurgood. They had been communicating for several months now via E-mail and teleconferences and he was confident that they could each help benefit the other's agendas. Besides, Jean thought, winking at him, You find her rather attractive, don't you, Professor?
He smiled at her. Yes, she's a very intriguing woman. I've never "met" anyone quite like her. I'm looking forward to talking with her in person.
The plane touched down, and passengers began filing off, but Jean and Charles waited until a wheelchair could be brought on board for him. He'd seen a lot of improvements in the accessibility of public places made over the past few years, but Charles always found it bothersome to deal with the confines of his disability, especially after becoming used to the Shiar-engineered devices he used at home in the mansion. The flight attendant appeared shortly with a special narrow-width chair and helped Charles transfer to it. Inside the gate area, a standard size chair was waiting. A sandy-haired rough-looking young man was there to meet them.
"Mr. Xavier? Ms. Grey? I'm Bill Dresser from Lydia Thurgood's office. Her private limo is waiting downstairs."
Charles frowned slightly. "I thought Ms. Thurgood's son was going to meet us."
"Uh, something came up. He couldn't make it so she sent me." Something was unusual in his tone of voice, his manner, but Jean couldn't place it. She was also unable to sense anything telepathically from him, which was strange in itself. Mr. Dresser turned down a small hallway. "Regular elevator's out. We gotta take you down the freight," he explained to them. He pushed the button.
As they stepped into the freight elevator, Jean immediately knew something was wrong. She suddenly felt a sharp blow to the back of her head and everything went black.
CHAPTER 12
Jean awoke in pain and nausea. Where was she? She tried to sit up, but discovered she was tied to the table with restraints. Her thoughts and her vision were fuzzy. She tried to release the restraints with her mind, but the effort brought a sharp, searing pain in her head. Slowly, she remembered the trip to Dallas with the Professor, the ambush. Her leg hurt. It was cut, that much she knew, how badly she couldn't see. She guessed it was pretty serious; the pain was excruciating. She couldn't even remember how she hurt it. Memories continued to filter back, memories of needles, of pain. She opened her eyes again and the room rolled before she sunk back into darkness.
The next time she awoke she felt slightly better. She still couldn't get her eyes to focus and her leg was throbbing. She had no idea where she was or how much time had passed. During the next few hours (days?) she caught snatches of conversation down the hallway. The words she could identify included "drugs, testing, psi-factors, telepathy, telekinesis, neutralization, and mutant control," but her thoughts were too clouded to process any of the information. She fitfully dozed in and out.
The next time she awoke she realized there was an IV attached to her arm. She tried to mentally contact the Professor and was again met with serious pain. She wondered if the pain was in her mind or her head itself? She finally decided it was both. She felt the icy fluid from the IV increasing its flow into her veins. She passed out.
She had vague memories of white-coated men and women coming in and out of the room, poking and prodding her. They never said much and what they did say seemed to blur together in her hazy state of consciousness. She was so cold and sick to her stomach. How long had she been here--days, weeks, months? She could barely think. It hurt her head too much. She was dreaming of screams and shouts, of gunfire and explosions. There was a white-coated man in the room with her. His sudden yell turned into a dying gurgle. Jean heard voices and opened her eyes to see two blurry figures leaning over her, one a white-haired woman in white and the other wearing a familiar blue and yellow mask.
She tried to talk, but nothing came out.
"Is she okay?" Logan asked anxiously, quickly slitting the restraints that bound Jean to the table.
"She's been heavily drugged like the others. Her leg looks bad. Jean, can you hear me?" Jean tried to focus.
"Ororo? Logan? Oh, god..." she moaned.
"Shhh, darlin', we're gonna get ya outta here." Logan and Ororo's voices were calm and soothing as they struggled to get Jean upright and get their arms around her. Just standing was a major effort.
"Don't put any weight on your leg," Storm instructed her. Jean was dizzy and disoriented.
She stood up and looked across the floor to see the bloody remains of the disemboweled lab assistant. She immediately vomited. Luckily, most of it hit the floor.
Storm gently wiped her face with a clean dressing that was lying on an adjacent table.
"Oh god, Logan, look what you made me do," Jean said weakly.
"Sorry, darlin', I didn't have a choice," was all he said as they made their way down the hallway and met the others. Jean was overjoyed to see the Professor who didn't look nearly as worse for wear as she did.
CHAPTER 13
Jean's recovery was slow but steady. She went through withdrawal from the drugs that had been used on her by the terrorist anti-mutant group that had kidnapped Charles and her. She was quite certain that if she never threw up again it would be too soon. Her leg was healing, but it was sore and stiff and she was still only able to walk on it for short periods of time.
She was anxious to go outside, and finally convinced Dr. McCoy to let her go for a walk around the mansion grounds, but only if she was accompanied. That didn't seem to be a problem; Logan had hovered around her like a mother hen ever since she had arrived back at the mansion.
Jean leaned on his arm as they slowly made their way outside. The breeze in the orchard was cool, but the sun was warm. Jean had always enjoyed walking the grounds surrounding the mansion. Its beauty and serenity always seemed to comfort her when she most needed it. She busied herself inspecting the turning leaves on the branches of the tree under which they had stopped.
"It's hard to believe it's fall again already," she said dreamily.
"Yeah," said Logan, for lack of anything better to say. After all the years of friendship and depending on one another for their lives, it was funny how even after recent events, they both sometimes felt nervous and awkward alone together.
Logan helped Jean get seated, and then sat down with his back against the tree just close enough to brush against her shoulder.
A rabbit crossed in front of them, doubled back and then bounded off across the grass.
"Ah, that's the life!" sighed Jean. "No worries."
"No worries except eatin' and getting eaten," said Logan.
"You're such a pessimist," she teased.
"No, just a realist. Know what ya mean, tho'. Sometimes our lives are just too interestin'. Nice to take a break sometimes. But I get restless if things stay quiet too long." He didn't know what to do with his hands. He wanted to light a cigar, but he knew Jean probably wouldn't appreciate it. He finally put his hand on her thigh.
Instinctively, she put her hand on top of his. She looked at their fingers clasped together. His fingers weren't much longer than hers, although her hand felt small next to his. She thought about those deadly claws underneath his skin, and how in contrast they were to how relaxed and calm the man next to her appeared to be.
She knew all too well about the other side of him, the berserker, the rages, the savagery. But he was different from others she knew possessing the same animalistic nature. She'd seen him be ruthless and even brutal, but she'd never seen him be cruel.
Logan had a heart and a soul underneath the rough exterior. She marveled at how he channeled all that into trying to make things "right" in the world.
They sat quietly together for a few minutes. She looked at him, and leaned over and kissed him. She'd almost caught him off-guard, but he didn't hesitate.
They were so caught up with one another, that they didn't even notice Jubilee walking in their direction. Once she caught sight of them, she quickly turned and headed back to the mansion, praying that she wasn't seen.
She stormed into the kitchen, and began loudly banging silverware and dishes around, in the guise of fixing herself a snack. "Ooh, I can't believe her! I can't believe him, either!" she muttered under her breath.
Rogue looked at Storm. "What's got into her?"
"I have no idea." Storm turned to address Jubilee. "Jubilation, what's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing. Oh, everything!" Jubilee was plainly seething. "Oh, I guess it's none of my business, but it just burns me up!"
"What?" asking Rogue and Storm in unison.
"Wolvie and Jean!" Jubilee burst in exasperation. "Scott's only been dead a year and those two are out there in the orchard, kissing! And I don't mean a peck on the cheek, either. She didn't even give Cyclops time to get cold! And I thought she loved him!" she exclaimed disapprovingly.
Storm and Rogue exchanged knowing glances. Storm spoke carefully. "Jubilee, Jean has endured a terrible loss. We must be careful not to judge her too harshly."
Rogue leaned back in her chair and put her hands behind her head and smiled. "Those two have had their eyes on each other for years. Nothing ever came of it because Jean was in love with Cyclops. Ya'd have to be blind, gal, not to know how Wolverine feels about Jean."
"I know," Jubilee sighed, sounding disappointed. "I guess you're right."
Rogue winked at her. "Ya sure ya ain't just jealous?" she teased.
"Oh, get real!" sneered Jubilee, and suddenly realized her flushed face was betraying her.
"Gotta go," she mumbled, forgetting her snack.
"Guess ah hit a nerve," Rogue said to Storm.
CHAPTER 14
Jean broke away for a moment.
"What is it, darlin'?"
"Jubilee. She was here. I'm sure she saw us," Jean said, sounding concerned.
"Does that bother you?" he asked. They both knew that sooner or later, the other people living in the house were going to put two and two together and come up with a passionate love affair in the making.
"No, I just don't want her to be hurt. You know she thinks the world of you, and you two haven't been spending as much time together lately."
"Jube's a good kid. She understands me. I'll talk to her." He kissed Jean again.
"Ororo knows. I hope you don't mind."
Logan shook his head. "You can tell the whole world for all I care."
"She thinks it's great. She's been no help at all, actually! In fact, she's been encouraging me," Jean laughed.
"Storm's a smart lady. And what do you think, Jeannie?"
"You have to ask?" she laughed, and kissed him some more. Things were getting hot in the orchard. As if on cue, Jean suddenly broke away from him.
"I'm starving," she said, looking for an excuse.
"How 'bout we steal one of Chuck's wheelchairs and go out on the town?" They had a nice evening eating and talking and drinking. They seemed to value each other's company even more since Jean's abduction.
Logan noticed Jean was still a little skittish every time things got physical between them, but he hoped she would get over it soon. He found it more than a little maddening; she would kiss him with such unbridled passion, yet the minute he would make a move to go any further, she would push him away or make up some excuse to leave.
CHAPTER 15
Jean's leg had healed nicely in the past few weeks and she only had slight residual pain and weakness in it. Swimming was one of the exercises that had been prescribed for her physical therapy and she swam every afternoon. Logan had volunteered to go with her that afternoon.
It was the middle of the week and they had the pool to themselves. Logan swam laps while Jean performed her exercises. Then Jean started a splashing contest, and Logan chased her down and caught her.
He drew closer to kiss her and within moments embraced her tightly. The pool and their swimming attire allowed them a level of physical intimacy they had not previously shared. Jean almost trembled as she felt the rippled muscles of his abdomen against her stomach, his thighs against hers, his more fleshy parts in between nestled just below her pubic bone. Each of their tongues hungrily sought out the other's, and within seconds Jean felt the flesh beneath Logan's swim trunks growing hard and erect against her, confirming what she had previously suspected; that like him, this particular extremity was rather on the short side. This revelation did nothing to diminish the hot tingling sensation that was burning throughout her body, particularly between her thighs.
They stopped kissing momentarily. Logan instinctively reached out a hand to stroke her hair. He turned his head until she felt his breath against her ear. They were already holding each other as tightly as they could, but he managed to give her what passed for a small hug. Her bathing suit was quite thin; he could feel the curve of her breasts, her nipples prominently straining against the material, and the warmth building in the lower part of their bodies.
"Jeannie," he whispered, "I never thought I'd get to hold you like this." He kissed her neck and she felt the sharp points of his teeth brush gently against her skin, and then he stopped and came eye to eye with her. Their faces were so close they had to keep from bumping noses.
His arms slowly dropped from her waist to her hips. He pulled her closer, pushing the stiffness between his legs even more suggestively between hers. What he lacked in length he definitely made up for in girth. She gasped slightly.
His smile bared his teeth. "You like it?" All she could do was smile guiltily and nod. He pressed against her again. "It ain't a lot," he said modestly, "but I can make ya feel real good with it."
"You already are," she sighed, her small gasps turning into soft moans as her fingernails dug into his shoulders. The sharp points of her nails on his skin felt good to Logan. He could feel her every curve pressed against him and he was fighting to retain control. He began slowly moving his hips against hers again, further stimulating her with each movement. He knew he was driving her crazy and he had to admit he liked that idea very much.
This was the most erotic sexual experience Jean had ever had without actually having sex, which she knew they weren't far from doing. She yearned to take it to that point. Instinctively, she opened her mind as she pressed her body even closer to his.
She was nearly knocked off balance from the mental impact. She had momentarily forgotten this was Logan she was dealing with. She was totally unaccustomed to the rawness, the intensity, and the force of his thoughts and emotions. They weren't like anything she'd felt from him before. She momentarily panicked and backed away.
Meanwhile, he had noticed nothing but a slight tickle in his brain and had misinterpreted her sudden halt of affection. He reached for her hand. "I think we better take this upstairs, don't you?" he asked with a slight wink.
"No. I...can't."
He looked at her with shock and disbelief, not believing his ears. He tried to play it off.
"Ah, c'mon. I won't bite...Much." She didn't even crack a smile. He was puzzled. He couldn't figure out what it was he had done wrong. "Please, Jeannie, just let me show ya how much I love you."
She just shook her head and bit her lip. Logan was just about as frustrated as he could get. He had a brief fleeting thought. onfiltered=snikt= of one claw was all it would take to slit her swim suit and he could take what he wanted....He was imagining what she would look like naked, how she would act, how good it would feel to finally make love to her. He was rudely interrupted from his supposedly private little daydream by Jean's palm across the side of his face.
"Don't you even try it, buster!" She gave him a horrified look and she moved to the side of the pool and started to climb out. It took him exactly two seconds to figure out what had happened.
He grabbed her arm, his eyes flashing angrily at her. "That was unfair and uncalled for," he growled. She looked away. "Just because I thought it doesn't mean I'd ever do it!" he exploded.
"Oh, really?" was all she managed to choke out. "I don't want--"
He tightened his grip on her arm. "Maybe," he said between clenched teeth, "You should spend less time in my head and a little more in your own until you figure out exactly what it is you do want. What's is gonna be, darlin'? Do you want me or don't ya?" He released her and watched her as she limped slowly out.
Logan sat on the side of the pool and tried to collect his thoughts and figure out exactly what had just happened. Damn, I lost my temper with her. No, he reasoned, she was definitely the one being unfair. She's probably been leadin' me on all this time because she's lonely. After all, she's been without the man she loved for over a year now. She wants company and comfort, but maybe that's all she wants. It's probably my fault, takin' advantage of her grief, because I'm just as lonely and horny as she is.
He figured he was just about as sexually frustrated as he could get and his feelings were hurt, too. He had really hoped that things were going to work out between Jean and him this time. He didn't want to even think about losing her. I really gotta to do something to work this off, he thought, heading for the Danger Room.
All references to characters belonging to the X-Men Universe are (c) and TM the Marvel Comics Group, 20th Century Fox and all related entities. All rights reserved. Any reproduction, duplication or distribution of these materials in any form is expressly prohibited. No money is being made from this archive. All images are also (c) and TM the Marvel Comics Group, 20th Century Fox and all related entities; they are not mine. This website, its operators and any content used on this site relating to the X-Men are not authorized by Marvel, Fox, etc. I am not, nor do I claim to be affiliated with any of these entities in any way.