Jean and Kurt, Sunday Morning

[x-jeangrey.livejournal.com]

Jean and Kurt go for a walk down by the lake and play catchup, discussing various topics including Monet, Nicholas, and Scott.




Jean strolled down one of the halls, narrowly avoiding the freight train that was a line of younger teenage boys, all chasing each other like stampeding bulls. Jean cleared her throat with an expectant stare, and the boys trickled to a stop, glancing up with wide-eyed, caked on innocent surprise before a couple ducked their heads and all slowed down their manic cadence to a more reasonable pace.


"Sorry Doctor Jean," they said in varying chorus as they disappeared around the corner. Their footsteps started back up with a frenzied rhythm the moment they were out of sight, however, and Jean grinned.

"Just because school is out of session for the summer does not mean the punishments stop. And the bathrooms are in dire need of a scrub down. What'll it be?" she called, causing the sounds to come to a grinding halt shortly after. A couple of groans and grumbles erupted before full calm was restored.

Jean continued on, looking around for a glimpse of blue skin. The business end of things was keeping her elbow deep in busy, making her social life about as lively as a coma patient. There were the occasional brief flashes of life, however, something she intended to culture and grow upon because the alternative was sheer and utter boredom mixed in with the regular chaos. Okay, and perhaps also keep the medical euphemisms from bleeding into her regular thought processes. That'd be nice too.


She didn't have to keep hunting for very long before Kurt stepped out of the kitchen, neatly wrapped sandwich in his hand, and hesitated before stepping towards her. "Good morning, Jean."


Each mind had a distinct signature, which made it easy to identify when they were close. Like scents were to Logan, so they were with Jean. Kurt's signature was interesting to her. His was one of the few minds that actually disappeared from her conscious awareness when he teleported.

His statement of morning made her glance at a clock near by and she nodded. "Oh! Right," she said.

It technically still was, wasn't it? She'd lost track of time from her shift in the lab. Amelia seemed appreciative in taking off some of the burden...or at least she thought so. She thought she caught the hint of a smile once. Though it could've just been the wind down from a scowl.

"So, do you got a few minutes? Figured we could hang out a little. Unless you're busy," she said.


"I was going to go out", he started, then thought again, "but it has been a long time since we had a chance to catch up. I can spare some time."

Jean shook her head. "Hey, if I'm keeping you from something we can do this another time," she said. There were some things that just couldn't wait. It happened.


"Nothing I have not been doing for two months with no success", he said quietly. "At this point, I think, an hour or two's delay will make little difference."

Jean grinned. "Great," she said, then nodded toward the doors leading to the outside. "Shall we?"


"A walk by the lake?" he suggested, stepping in that direction. "It is a very pleasant day for it."


Jean nodded a little as she headed for the doors, slipping outside. "It is," she said.

The lake. It was hard not to remember the feelings attached to it. The fear, the blinding panic. It was also easy to try to avoid but she had gotten over those fears long ago with a lot of help. It was now a reminder to be strong. She would not drown. She would not die. She knew that now.

Her hands slipped in her pockets as she walked. "Okay, so color me curious...what have you been doing for two months with no success?" she said. If there was a memo she must've missed it.


"A lot happened while you were gone", was the softly rueful response. "One of the students, Nick, he was an orphan I became very fond of and just before his eighteenth birthday, I adopted him as my legal son. And, at the graduation ceremony, he was lost. I have been looking for him since."

Jean's eyes flickered down and she grew silent, her response more a breath than a whisper. "Oh," she said.

"Graduation day....I heard one of the students was missing..." she said. The attack was one of the things that cemented her desire to return.

"I didn't know you'd adopted him."

She looked back up. "If you need any help searching just let me know."

Her eyes grew cold as she narrowed them. If she ran into any of the remaining Reavers or the Purifiers they would regret it...over, and over, and over again.


"Another pair of eyes in the search would always be welcome", he told her immediately. "Bobby and I have been looking on foot, and the Professor did telepathically, and I have even called on my sisters' magic, but so far none of us have had any luck. Not that I am giving up."



Jean nodded, hands slipping into her pockets as a warm breeze blew, catching the leaves of the trees nearby and causing them to move to and fro as if in a dance.

"I sure as hell wouldn't either," she said, listening to the sounds of laughing and splashing were heard coming from behind them instead of ahead, situated at the pool. It was the more popular destination for the clarity of the water.

"So, in addition to the adoption...how much else have I missed?" she said, glancing over to him.



"Rather a lot, I think", he said, trying to remember exactly when she'd left and what had happened since. "Lorna has returned, and so did Warren for a time, and Jake is now in New York, I believe with Snow Valley..."

"Mmm. Figured. Xavier's always was a transit station. Remind me to give Lorna a driveby when I can come up for air again," Jean said with a smirk, looking out over the water as the lake came into view.


"The more things change, the more they stay the same."


"Indeed." He smiled slightly. "And we have a whole new set of waifs and strays with the usual types of issues."


She laughed. "Let's not forget the angry misunderstood rebel with a chip on their shoulder and violence in their step, and the shy geek.."she said, nodding in agreement with a soft grin.

Drawing in a breath, she bent down to pick up a rock, skipping it over the water.

"I missed it here." Despite the problems, and there were often many, the good always overwhelmed the bad.


"My young protegee Cammie and... Doreen", he decided in response to the stereotypes. "Or perhaps Kevin, if art counts as geeky. And those of us who know you missed you too."

Jean smiled again at Kurt's apt ability to fit a couple of students right in the right role immediately. "Both work. The hats are just too big for one person sometimes," she mused. Logan still wore the rebel hat and usually paired it with a bottle of Jack and a cigar.

She fell silent for a moment or two, glancing back up toward the water. "And those who don't know me...well...they're in for an interesting time," she said thoughtfully with a hint of a glimmer in her eyes.


"That they certainly are", he said, amused. "And speaking of an interesting time... I do not remember, did you know I was seeing Monet? A year and a half, now."

Jean arched a brow then slowly nodded. "Hmmm. I think I vaguely remember you mentioning it," she said, then shook her head.

"Sorry...it's been an insanely busy few months, vacation or not. Still happy to remember my own damn name. Glad to hear you two are still going strong, though," she said.

"She's...feisty," said in pure observation. Though a bit of a grin had to be added.


"She most definitely is." His smile was almost proud, and a tiny bit goofy. "And while I had never expected it to happen, certainly not in this way... I find I am quite happy with the way it has turned out."

Jean giggled, then attempted to nudge him, beaming. "You, sir, are practically glowing. I think I could probably use you as a night light."


He blinked, then turned a familiar shade of slightly purple, but didn't try to counter it. "Ah, possibly. Monet knows I love her, and I would never deny that to a friend. When I find my boy, things will be more or less perfect."



Jean nodded, smile fading to a more serious look. "Like I said, just let me know when you need me and where you need me to start."

Not knowing where someone you loved was, or even if you did, but knew in your heart something bad was happening to them was one of the most terrifying feelings in the world. She'd felt it too many times.


"Of course I will", he promised her. "And when he is back here, whatever happened that day, it may well be he will need... help."


Jean's gaze flickered back toward the lake and she nodded. "I understand," she said. She had come to take on the role of trying to heal not just the body but the mind as well. It was one of those grand ironies, that the formerly broken would help to put the broken back together again.

Perhaps it was because she knew where the pieces went.


"Thank you", he said simply. "For being willing."

Jean nodded, then looked back over the water, watching the sun glitter over the waves.

"You're welcome."


"But we have been talking only about me", he realized. "How have things been for you, while you were gone?"

"Not as boring as I imagined it to be," Jean mused thoughtfully with a smirk.

"In fact, kind of the opposite."

The professor had called it a "vacation" but that was putting it generously. While she and Scott needed the time away, at the end of the day it was still a job. Scott had needed something to keep his mind busy and focus on Mai Tais and sandy beaches wasn't going to cut it for long.

She fell silent for a few moments, a distant look in her eyes.


"But enjoyable?" he prompted, looking at her sideways. "I hope so, at least. You had been through quite a time."

Blinking out of her reverie, Jean glanced over, then smiled. "Oh, yeah. Pretty enjoyable," she said, then shrugged off the latter statement.

"It was a nice recharge."


"I am glad", was the sincere response. "Even if none of us seems to be able to manage boring even if we try, a recharge is a good thing to get once in a while."


Jean grinned ever so slightly. "One man's boring is another man's day from hell," she mused.

She nodded. "But I am glad to be back," she said, then drew in a breath.

"Wish I could say 'we,' but we knew what we agreed upon was for the best."


"All is well with Scott?" he asked carefully. "Just work still to be done?"

Brushing a few strands of hair behind her ear, Jean nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, he's fine. The WCA's going in a good direction but it's not all the way on its feet. He wanted to stay behind to make it ready to stay afloat once we were both gone."

She laughed. "But I, in a show of purely greedy intentions, wish he would've said 'to hell with it' and came back anyway. He's the stubborn, see-it-though-to-the-very-end type, however. And I can't really say I didn't expect that. I fell in love with it, after all."

"Damn man and his nobility," she said with a rueful smile.


"Ah but Jean, you cannot tell me you are not just the same type." He smiled back at her. "After all, whether there or here, it is still the same work."


Jean picked up another rock. "Yeah, maybe," she said, smiling faintly.

"We're both in love with a cause bigger than ourselves." It was the proverbial 'other person' in their relationship.


"The more who are, the better", Kurt said. "This cause is a hard one to serve without real dedication, I think."

Jean nodded, tossing the rock she'd picked up across the water.

"It is indeed."

Though she missed Scott, it was the knowing what needed to be done had to be done that helped ease the loneliness a little.

But just a little. She was only human, after all.