Scott and Jean, Thursday evening

[x-cyclops.livejournal.com]

Backdated to Thursday evening, before the field trip. Scott brings Jean up some dinner as she's finishing up paperwork. They banter a little, then talk about what she hopes to accomplish in DC this weekend.


The smell of the food actually reached Jean before she realized she was hungry and she looked up from the papers on the table with a smile. "Hey, look at you, all realizing that there's food and proactively getting some," she said. "I'd say I meant to head down to the dining hall as soon as I finished this, but we'd both know it would be a lie."

"Well," Scott said easily, nudging the suite door shut with one foot -the tray was heavy, "we can pretend you said that, and that I called you on it, if you like. Shift over the copious amounts of paper," he said, glancing at the table.

It took a moment, because the papers were in a very specific order and they had to be kept in order, but soon the table was clear. "So what's on the menu for the day? I admit I did lunch in my office so I didn't make it downstairs to see the posted meal plan."

"Caesar salad, fettucine alfredo... I'm sensing an Italian theme," Scott said, setting the tray down. "I walked right past the tiramisu, I'm ashamed to say. All those empty calories..."

"Well, my hips appreciate it, even if my taste buds don't. Hmmm, wine with the pasta, then, or do you just want water?" A pair of napkins came floating out of the kitchenette, but Scott had remembered to grab silverware.

Scott chuckled wryly. "I have a couple of energy projectors who are needing some private tutoring this evening. I think I'll take the water." He gave her a lop-sided grin, though. "I should have had the tiramisu. I keep getting people telling me you must not feed me."

Two glasses filled themselves with water and came out to join them as Jean pulled one of the plates into her lap. "If you had, I would just have stolen it," she said, smiling back. "After all, clearly we have proof here that I don't feed you, you feed me."

"See, that would just lead to comments about who wears the pants in this relationship," Scott said, a definite twinkle in his eye, "and I prefer not to go there. Easier on my pride."

"Really? What if we're talking about hot pants? Or leather pants? Would you be okay with it if it were leather pants?"

"I'm ambivalent about hot pants," Scott said very seriously, "but leather pants... for that, I'd be willing to sacrifice a certain amount of pride. Your legs like leather, and leather likes your legs." He gave the legs the requisite appreciative look.

Jean grinned at him. "Ok. Was just, you know, establishing the pecking order of pride. It's good to know these things. Oh, hey, maybe you can help with something. I'm trying to find a less out-right offensive way of telling the Honorable Representative from Virginia that he's full of shit when he says that segregated education is really the best thing for all concerned when it comes to mutants, and that it's entirely a different matter than segregation by skin color."

Scott bit his lip for a moment, considering the question. "Tough one," he said finally. "This is possibly where it would be valuable to point out to him that the 'one size fits all' approach to mutation isn't a good or valid one, given the range of different mutations we see, some of them entirely harmless."

"Yes, I was kind of thinking about suggesting that in several cases it is, in fact, segregation by skin color, since pigmentation seems to mutate independently of other mutations - it will come on its own, or with drastically different, entirely unrelated mutations. Clarice and Miles simply being two obvious examples."

"There's precedent for the integration of students with special educational needs in public schools as well," Scott pointed out. "Even students who might possibly be disruptive to the class, because it's been decided by a number of school boards that it's important for their social development."

"Oooh, yes. Although something like that's going to open the argument up to hits from the home team - the suggestion that mutation is a handicap," she clarified. "Makes people cranky."

Scott shrugged. "Really, it's not, unless we're dealing with a maladaptive mutation or something. Functionally, it can be. Segregation's just going to eventually bring about a Brown versus Board of Education for this generation. That might not be such a bad thing."

"But it took far more than a generation before Brown vs. Board of Education was passed, let alone when they finally managed to put it into effect everywhere. I'd far rather head the whole fight off at the pass, because there simply aren't enough qualified teachers for the schools there are, let alone if they were to attempt to create public schools for mutants. Which brings in the safety issues, as well, since there are still so many places where being out as a mutant is equivalent to a death sentence."

"Preaching to the choir, you know," Scott said with a quick, rueful smile. "I just don't haven't anything helpful to suggest to you about how to head the fight off at the pass. The political subtleties are not my forte."

Jean leaned over to kiss him. "No worries. I was mainly looking for a way to say it that didn't start, 'Congressman, you're an idiot'. Cause I don't think that would go over well."

This time, the smile was a grin. "Yeah, but think of how satisfying it would have been." Scott finally reached out for his plate, still eyeing Jean thoughtfully. "I'm really glad to see you back to doing this," he said more quietly, the grin softening, but lingering. "It's important, and it makes you happy. So it makes me happy... it's one of those good vicious circles."

"A not-so-vicious circle?" Jean suggested. Raising her water glass, she teasingly toasted Scott. "To the not-so-vicious circles, and the not-so-vicious politicians." More seriously, though, she said, "I'm glad about it, too. It's good to have something to think about that's not so... immediate."

"You were always better at the long view," Scott said seriously, raising his water glass in return. "I know we very often get caught up in the immediate around here. It's necessary, but we need the people with the long-term planning too." He grinned at her. "And they call me the strategist."

Jean laughed at that. "Well, it's good that we have balanced interests?"

"Very good. As is this fettucine alfredo, which I really should eat before it gets cold," Scott said with a chuckle. #So,# he sent as he did just that, #that suite of ours is going to be awfully empty this weekend. Maybe Horatio and I should have a guy's night in.#

"Yes," Jean agreed, "you are much in need of some serious turtle bonding, I think. Just so long as the two of you don't get too raucous."