Jean and Betsy meet in the library, and poor Doug stumbles upon them

[x-jeangrey.livejournal.com]

Backdated to May 9th



Jean walked slowly down the rows of bookshelves in the library, looking idly for something to read. She paused briefly, amused at the eight copies of Order of the Phoenix on the shelf. She'd seen the mention in the journals when Scott had ordered enough books for the entire school, and couldn't help the little grin at the idea of the children all curled up in their respected reading spots, pouring through the book. But that wasn't the book for today, she decided, moving on.

The library on 'loud' days had been something of a secret haven for her when she didn't want to stay in her room.  And so, Betsy sat on an armchair, wrapped in a lush afghan, in a secluded corner of the Advanced Quantum Mechanics section.  A large tome sitting comfortably in her lap, as she sipped on her freshly brewed camomile tea.

She'd never been disturbed here.  Until today.  Betsy's eyebrows rose straight up to her hairline, as the figure came into view.  "No bloody way."

Well that was hard to miss. The library was normally still and silent, so even a quiet utterance was pretty easy to discern. Jean turned away from the books she'd been considering to arch an eyebrow at Betsy - so, this was one of her hidey-holes? Jean stored the information away, even as she said, "Oh, Elisabeth, good afternoon," in the sweetest tone she could manage.

"Afternoon," Betsy managed to say with a curt nod, yet somehow that tip of her head managed to hold and relay her complete irritation at being disturbed in her sanctuary.  "Oh, it's even better now that you're here, Jean."

"I'm so glad to hear that, Elisabeth. I would hate to think that there was anything I could do to brighten your day but had been remiss in doing." The oh-so-sweet smile she saved just for Betsy was back. "Good book?"

Betsy picked up the book from her lap and set it aside.  Brimming with the overload of 'whoa, anger.'  She whipped the afghan from around her legs and stood up.  "Lovely," she said tersely, picking up her book. "Fabulous, actually.  Though I was wondering why you're here.  I thought you were told not to try and strain yourself unnecessairly."

Betsy's shields were good, but that was a lot of anger, all of it directed at Jean. The smug amusement which had dominated Jean's mind shifted to something much darker which flashed in her eyes. "I do wonder where you get your information, Elisabeth, for all of it to be so vastly outdated and downright wrong-headed."

"Wrong-headed?" Betsy snapped back.  "Please, last I checked your mind couldn't handle big girl talk.  Have things changed so much, really?" Betsy took a step back, closing her eyes, trying to calm herself.  But the blatant disruption by Jean.  She began shaking her head.  Oh, this was going to be a bad.  Perhaps, she should leave.  Yes.  Leave.  "I'm going now, perhaps we can pick this up when I'm not so tired."  And you're not quite so annoying.  Betsy bent over and reclaimed her book.

And you're not quiet so annoying. That got a smirk out of Jean. Either Betsy's shields were faltering or she'd meant for Jean to hear it, but both meant she'd gotten to the other woman. "I'm sorry you're so excessively tired. Perhaps a nap would do you good, sweeten your temper a bit."

Naturally, right at the point where Jean and Betsy seemed about on the verge of jumping on each other and beating the dickens out of each other, like junior high girls fighting over a boy, was the point that Doug wandered into the section.  He was rather surprised to see Ms. Braddock and Ms. Grey in the Advanced Quantum Physics section.  Dr. McCoy or Kitty or Paige, he could understand.  And then he got a load of the barely contained anger radiating off of the two women, and he winced.  "Um, good afternoon, Ms. Braddock, Ms. Grey," he said quietly and nervously.

Betsy was still hunched over the armchair, at the sound of the new voice, her shoulders slumped.   Was nothing sacred anymore?  It had to be a dream, she told herself

She straightened up, looking toward the ceiling for guidance,  before carefully turning around and coming face to face with Doug Ramsey. Betsy swore inwardly.  Of all the people to happen upon their conversation.   "Hello, Doug." Betsy croaked, as she nervously brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.  "I hope we weren't disturbing your studies?"

The entrance of a new voice startled Jean, and she realized she had become very focused on the other telepath. Well, that was one way to cut down on the mental noise... She turned, uncertain who this young blond man was until Betsy spoke up. Oh. Douglas Ramsey. Just about the worst possibly person to walk up on them, if what she understood about his powers was true. "Ah, Mr. Ramsey. Good afternoon. Were you looking for something for class or just indulging in a little side reading?"

Doug attempted to cover his embarassment at walking into the proverbial minefield of body language by staring at the tops of bookshelves over the heads of both women.  "Side reading, for the most part," he said haltingly after a long pause.  "I'm...interrupting.  I should go," he said, making a gesture with his hands towards the door.

"Oh, no, don't worry about it," Jean said. "I was merely entertaining a mild curiousity as to what was back here, you're more than welcome to the physics texts if that was what you were looking for. And I believe you had said you were leaving, Elisabeth? Far be it for us to prevent a student from persuing his interests." There was a fine line between needling Elisabeth and making the young man uncomfortable, and Jean wasn't sure enough in her understanding of his powers to know where that line was. Definitely better to err on the side of caution.

There was obviously more going on here subtextually than Doug needed to know, or for that matter felt comfortable knowing.  So he kept his eyes to himself and made a beeline for one of the bookshelves.  Get out of the line of fire, and fast.  That was Doug's strategy, and he just hoped it would work, as he attempted to keep his thoughts very tightly shielded from the two telepaths.

"Yes, Doug. Leaving," Betsy said as if chewing on razors.  "Now." Keeping her eyes firm on Jean's as she moved past the woman and toward the main part of the library.  There was little doubt that Betsy was communicating what she wanted to say directly to her.  ~Stay out of my way.~ Betsy warned with body, heart, and soul.

Oh really, as if she'd go out of her way to needle the other woman. Not that Jean was going to pass up any opportunity which happened to fall into her lap as neatly as this one had. She waited until Betsy had gotten safely out of the library, fingers running idly along the books on one of the shelves, before nodding to Doug. "I don't think I'm going to find a book for myself today. Will just have to make do with what I have. Have a good day, Mr. Ramsey," she said, then headed for the exit as well.

Doug stared after both women.  Something was definitely going on there.  But then, Doug valued all his parts where they were, so it was probably just better to stay out of it.  Shrugging, he turned back to the bookshelf.  Now, what was the title of that book Doctor McCoy had told him about...