xp_logs | [Alex, Scott]

Alex finally gets to go see Scott about the whole drugging thing, though a concerned question brings up a more interesting topic: Jean. Alex tries to stay firm but fails and Scott tries not to break down and succeeds...until Alex shuts the door anyway.

Taking a deep breath, Alex stared at Scott's door for a few moments before lifting his hand to knock. He really didn't want Scott to think this was just one more invasion of his privacy, but the though Betsy/Jean thing was worrying him. Finally, he knocked, biting his bottom lip as he did.

Scott was sprawled on the couch, trying to read one of the books Shan had suggested to him when he'd wandered into the library looking for something, anything to do with his evening. He couldn't remember the last time he'd read for pleasure.

Hearing the knock at the door, he sat up abruptly. "Come in?" he called hesitantly, shifting around.

Alex opened the door hesitantly, pausing a moment before coming in. He hated being nervous around his brother, but he really didn't want to just be another in long string of people nagging him. Why did this have to happen while I was gone? He forced a smile. "Hey Scott."

Scott relaxed a little, managing a slightly sheepish smile. "Hey, Alex. I... uhh, sorry about you coming home and me being out cold in the medlab." He set the book aside, sitting up a little straighter. "Can't imagine you expected that..."

Shoving his hands into his pockets to prevent them from fidgeting, Alex walked over to the couch were Scott was sprawled. "Yeah, though I'll admit it was a bit of a good surprise. You really needed it bro. Though I will say, was more extreme then I expected."

"Tell me about it. One moment, I'm drinking coffee, and the next moment, the room's spinning..." Scott's smile turned a little wry and more than a little self-deprecating. "They needed to get me out of the way so that they could carry through on the whole mutiny thing."

Alex raised an eyebrow with a small smirk. "I've heard rumors. What happened exactly? Betsy refused to tell me when I asked..."

Ah, well. This was Alex, after all. "Succinctly? Kurt kept me out of the way for several hours while they hacked my computer." Only it hadn't been hacking, of course, because Betsy had known all his passwords. "Then when Kurt brought me back... well, all the stuff with Illyana had happened by then, and I was a little..." Scott paused, frowning. "Not quite with it. So they drugged my coffee."

"Ahh..they got you out of the way, daemons attack while your gone, you freak out. Sounds like a good reason for freaking out and for drugging." he held up his hands in a defensive manner. "No offense bro. But umm look, I want to ask you about something...What's up with you and Betsy?"

"Betsy--?" Scott asked a bit faintly. "Uhh... well." They must have talked while he'd been out. That made sense. "She and I... well, we've been seeing each other for a while now, Alex."

Now that caused Alex to raised an eyebrow. "For a while now? Really?" Well that was interesting. "Umm..I hate to sound blunt and borderline rube but...what happened to Jean? I thought you weren't over her yet..."

Scott flinched, finding himself at a total loss for words. He opened his mouth, then closed it again helplessly, looking away.

That caused Alex to bit his lip again, swallowing his guilty feeling. "Look bro, I remember your break down the first time I asked about her...I just don't want you to get hurt again. Honest."

"Betsy..." Scott trailed off. "I love her, Alex," he said softly. "But with everything's that happened to her this last year..." His voice shook and he stopped, taking a deep breath before he went on. "I think--I don't think I've been what she needed me to be, most of the time."

"Do you want to be? Now that you are being forced to actually have time to yourself...do you want to be the person she needs?" Now his hands went into the back pockets of his jeans, Alex leaning back a bit as he cocked his head curiously.

"I've always wanted to be." Scott swallowed past the lump in his throat, leaning forward to rearrange some of the magazines and so forth on the coffee table. "I just haven't had much luck actually doing it."

"Doesn't matter about before. It's like me and Lorna after our fight. we're not thinking about before it...we're trying to make it work now. So have you gotten over Jean and do you *want* to be the person Betsy needs right now?" He raised an eyebrow. "Honestly Scott...I just don't want to see you hurt. You've had enough stress lately."

"Bullshit," Scott said with a slightly wan smile. Alex blinked at him. "No, seriously - I've been thinking about this. Stress? When you look at what everyone else around me has been through, what the hell right do I have to wind up needing to be drugged for two days?"

"Because the rest of us have things that we do for fun. You, we have to drag out kicking and screaming." That made Alex smirk a bit. "Plus I'm sure everyone nagging you lately hasn't come without some stress. And I'm already on the record for saying it was a bit extreme. I am dragging you to Hawaii afterall. Who needs drugging when you can relax in the sun and sand of a tropical island?"

Scott shrugged, keeping that defensive smile carefully on. "Self-induced. The stress, I mean. And we'll get seriously about planning the trip this week, Alex." It wasn't as if he had any real time conflicts anymore, after all.

"Stress is still stress, no matter the source. And you can distract me with the smile and Hawaii all you want...you never answered me." Alex had a defensive smile of his own. "I'm your brother, we may have separated for years, but I know you better."

"I answered your question," Scott said a bit restlessly, looking away. "I'm trying to be what Betsy needs."

"She loves you too and she deserves better then a try Scott...you and I both know that." Alex shook his head, still smiling. "but since I doubt I'm going to get anymore out of you, I'm just going to leave it at that. I've said my piece."

"Fine," Scott said quietly. "If you've said what you feel like you need to say, good." He didn't meet Alex's eyes. Throwing his little brother out of his suite was not an acceptable response.

"Yeah...I did. I just hoped you listened." Alex swallow hard, his smile disappearing as he got Scott's point. "I'll leave you to your free time now." With a small nod, he turned and made for the door.

Scott winced and opened his mouth to say something, to apologize... and he froze, mouth half-open as his mood shifted abruptly. "Wait just a second," he demanded suddenly, getting up. The words at least came out confused and irritable, rather than angry. "What do you want, Alex? What didn't I say that you want to hear?"

Alex glanced over his shoulder, hand still on the knob. "Don't you know Scott? Isn't it obvious? You can't even start being there for Betsy until your all there... Are you?"

Scott went white, his eyes widening behind his glasses as images from those strange dreams he'd had during his time 'out' flickered back through his mind.

Not getting a response, Alex opened the door, figuring he was still getting kicked out. He sighed deeply. As much as he'd hated to do it...someone had too.

Unable to fight temptation, Alex turned slightly to look at his brother. But instead of the boring glare he was expecting...Scott was just frozen. Surprised, Alex tentively put a hand on Scott's arm. "Scott?" He asked softly.

: "What--makes you say I'm not all here?" Scott managed, his jaw clenching so tightly that it was an effort to force the words out. His head was hurting suddenly, the headache coming on with such speed and force that he was having trouble not squinting.

Alex blinked. This was definatly a different Scott then before. He gripped both of Scott's shoulder, afraid his brother was going to collapse, and kicked the door shut again. This did not to need to be public. Taking a deep breath, Alex said softly, "Because part of you is still with Jean...You need to let her go. For Betsy...and for you, Scott."

"I'm... not," Scott gritted out weakly. He tried to block the link with Betsy, so that she wouldn't get the headache blasting down it, but the effort only made it worse. "I... " He swayed a bit, gasping.

"Scott!" Alex said sharply, hoping to get him to snap out of whatever funk he'd gotten himself into. You helped idiot Ignoring his own thoughts, Alex helped his brother back to the couch, sitting beside him to make sure he was alright. "Scott talk to me, what's wrong?"

"Just... just a headache," Scott muttered, one hand going to his temple. "I'm fine, Alex... don't worry.”

"Damnit Scott you were fine a few seconds ago...Of course I'm going to worry." He popped up to find some aspirin and a glass of water, returning quickly once he'd found both. "Here..."

Scott took the aspirin more to reassure Alex than anything else - aspirin really didn't help these headaches. It was the first one he'd had since his enforced nap, though... improvement? "It's okay, Alex," he said, his voice rough with pain. "Just a headache..."

That made Alex frown. "It's not just a headache...how ironic it came up when I mentioned Jean." He sighed, realizing getting frustrated wouldn't help. "See what I mean? How can you expect to be happy with Betsy when the very name causes you to break down again..." His voice was soft again.

"I'm not breaking down," Scott said with a strained smile. "Been having them for... a few weeks, that's all."

Alex frowned again. "Bullshit. I've broken down enough the past few weeks to know what's going on Scott... Admit it...you haven't let her go."

The glass slid out of his hands and hit the floor, the water darkening the carpet. Scott started to bend over to get it, but his head spun - or maybe that was the room? "It's been a year and a half, Alex," he said roughly, seeing nothing but red. And not in the normal way. He could hear his own pulse thundering in his ears. "I'm not that obsessive."

Putting a hand on Scott's back to steady him, Alex bent over to get the glass and set it on the table. "Then why are you freaking out right now?" His voice going soft again. "Why are you only trying with Betsy?

"What am I supposed to do?" Scott shot back restlessly. "Say yes, I will be there for her, no doubt in my mind...? I got one woman I loved killed, Alex, and Betsy..." No. Not talking about Kwannon. "Let's just say I know better than to trust myself," he muttered. "I've learned."

Alex gave him a deadpan look. "You really have the nerve to say that to me? After what I did to Lorna...You think I don't live with that thought every frickin' day that I almost killed her and I'm lucky she's still speaking to me, much less still in love with me." Alex had to close his eyes and take a deep breath. "I know exactly what you mean Scott...and you haven't learned anything, because a second chance is sitting there, waiting for you, and your just too caught up in yourself that you refuse to see it. And as I said, that's not fair to Betsy."

"Fine," Scott forced out, his chest so tightly he could hardly breathe. "Point taken. I'm being selfish."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Your not being selfish...your being stupid. Your right, it's been a year and half...and as much as I hate to use this, do you really think Jean would want to be in the way of you moving on?" He raised an eyebrow thoughtfully.

"Stupid... then." 'S' words, to go along with Maddie's 'i' words. A tiny, desolate laugh slipped out and Scott huddled farther in on himself, the throbbing in his head almost unbearable at this point. "And she's not... she's not..." Fire burst behind his eyes and he closed them, ignoring the pain.

Alex saw Scott curl into himself and he immediatly wrapped his arms around his brother's shoulders, trying to offer some support. "Let her go Scott...please, just let her go..."

But she's still there... Scott didn't realize he'd spoken the words aloud until he heard Alex gasp.

Alex blinked. "Still...still in your head? Still where?" For some reason, the way Scott said it distrubed him.

"Alex... can we stop, please?" Scott said faintly, squeezing his eyes shut. "My head... is killing me..."

Alex swallowed, his eyes wide. He'd planned on not stopping, but the way Scott looked...he nodded. "Sure..."

"I know... I know you're just trying to help," Scott forced out doggedly, rubbing at his temples. "I just can't..."

Alex swallowed, nodding still. "I'm sorry Scott...I hate doing this too you...but it's beginning to feel like someone had too...Betsy really loves you and I can see you love her..." H gave his brother's shoulders a quick hug. "You both deserve the best."

Scott managed a weak smile. "You're a romantic, you know... and I think I need to go lie down or something."

"I think Lorna did this too me...see what women do to you?" Alex returned the smile and helped Scott to stand. "Can you make it or do you need my help?"

"I'm okay," Scott said, patting Alex a bit awkwardly on the shoulder and managing not to totter as Alex took a step back. "I'm glad you're home," he said in a low voice.

After giving Scott a skeptic look, Alex bit his lip. "I'm glad to be home...And I'm here if you need me." He stopped himself from adding that he hoped Scott would actually talk to him after this.

"Thanks, Alex," Scott said, and waited until Alex had let himself out before he started for the bedroom. Carefully. Landing flat on his face would be no fun at all