Jean and Alison

[x-jeangrey.livejournal.com]

Jean and Alison continue Jean's pool therapy. Jean is doing much better.



"See, in theory, this really shouldn't be this bad," Jean said. She was clearly temporizing, hesitating before taking the next step. "I mean, really, there is water all around my neck and all, and it's not doing anything bad. Even those silly little waves you're making (please, stop that) aren't hurting me. So, you know, it's not like actually sticking my head under the water is that much of a bigger step."

"If I stop making waves that means I stop breathing." Alison, standing in water at chest level, smiled a bit at that. "And while I can tryyy, I don't think me not breathing for too long would be a good thing." And eating the sound of the wavelets had been a good idea at first, but Jean had to get used to that as well, now. "How about I step in the water a bit deeper so that I'm in front of you?" It would mean more motion but a face to see, which might not be bad, though Alison suspected she was doing just fine in terms of mental calm and letting Jean hang on to that the rest of the time.

"Ah, I see, you're blaming it on the chest. Yes, that would displace a rather considerable amount of water." She grinned at Alison, although it was rather shaky. "Yes, ok. Do come over here. The whole large quantity of water in front of me thing is still not really... pleasant."

"I'm told it's a fine chest," Alison replied, utterly deadpan. Sinking in the water slowly to the neck before moving, Alison then kept talking as she changed places, to end up in front of Jean and in the deeper part of the water. "In fact, there's much approval for this chest. Good thing me ego can take that kind of stroking without going boom." All of it said with an utterly straight face, no less. "And voila! One Alison, makin' the scenery of the pool that much nicer." Yep, there was much of the good mood going on today.

"You're chipper. Are you allowed to be chipper? Do share whatever has you in this good mood." Jean could see Alison's arms moving lazily under the water, keeping her afloat in the deep water, and the rational part of her mind (which was all she was allowed to listen to during these sessions, Charles and she talked about the irrational parts) pointed out that, see, swimming would be a good thing, because then you could keep your head out of the water. But no, today's test was submersion.

"Work! All mine! And anyone trying to take it away from me will get wacked over the head." Alison added the last with a brilliant smile. "With a really big stick. With spikes on it. And bad stuff that'll make it go all owie." She managed to keep her strokes even as she stayed in place, despite the very clear glee bubbling through. "Ahem. So, yeah. Fun things to do! Yay!"

"Ah, so Charles managed to convince Scott to take some holiday? Excellent. Am going to drag him out of the school, then, so you know. "

"Good!" And not at all because it meant she wouldn't have to cheat and poke him in the shoulder and make him cry like a little girl if he tried to get any of the files back. All hers, those. "Do you both some good, that."

Jean blinked, then blinked again, head tilting to the side to consider Alison, a slow grin breaking across her face as the memory surfaced in the other woman's mind. "Alison Blaire, did you really tell him you'd poke him and make him cry?"

"Oooh. I'm bad. Did I think that too clearly?" The continuous wide grin gave a fairly big clue as to the fact that Alison felt no guilt over this. "Maybe? I might have? And it was 'scream like a little girl' actually, since you know, you're a telepath and I might as well just fess up and all."

Jean's laughter almost rocked her back off her feet, which would, at least, have solved the problem of getting her to stick her head under the water quickly. "Alison, I think I love you. Let's run off together. Scott and Haroun can just take care of each other's bruises."

"Ha!" Laughing as well, Alison shook her head, wet locks moving in the water, the higher collar of the bathing suit she was wearing following the motion slightly as well. "You mean give their bruises more bruises, don't you?"

"Yes!" And the redoubled laughter did knock Jean off her feet, the shocked look on her face vanishing under the water. #Oooops,# came the very subdued mental thought, but Jean neither started thrashing her way up to the surface or panicing.

#But no boom!# Alison was snickering at the look on Jean's face as she'd gone back, now that the brief moment of 'eek, must catch' had passed, resuming her treading water in place with a cheerful chortle.

#I can hear you laughing at me. There will be revenge.#