Scott and Ororo Talk about Betsy

[x-cyclops.livejournal.com]

[...and poor Jazz, she gets stuck playing opposite Jules all the time...]

Since Ororo was looking for him, he knew she'd be easy to find. A quick search actually proved fruitless, until he saw her just touching down outside. He headed out to meet her, wanting to have their talk outside of the school, away from students. And other staff.

"'Ro," he began, walking toward her. "You wanted to see me?"

Spending most of her afternoon, looking after the damage crews finishing up in town, Ororo decided to head to the Manor. She still hadn't fully regained her strength and truth be told, she was still tired. Though a voice behind her, caught her attention. She turned her head and saw Scott approaching. Ororo felt her relax features tightened at the sight of him. "We should've had this talk long ago." The X-Man known as Storm turned around and started walking, a determined stride toward the school's main courtyard.

Scott raised his eyebrows at Storm's tone, then sighed and followed the white-haired woman. This wasn't going to go well, he thought.

Placing well-enough distance between herself and the school, Ororo abruptly stopped. Her long, white tresses falling over her brow. She waited a moment before talking, gathering up wits and calming her raging emotions. Her ears moved slightly at the sound of Scott, stopping behind her, and she sighed.
"How could we have not noticed it, Scott? For weeks, I knew something was wrong, yet I didn't question it, not in the way that would've gotten results." She turned to face him, a bitter laugh escaped her lips "And here, I thought when I got back, I wanted our talk to be about how much I wanted you two to get together. And now..." Ororo ran a frustrated hand through her hair, pushing it away her face. "that might not be a possibility, because of him."

"Someone noticed. Emma thought something was up, and told me about it. I just didn't take it seriously enough." Scott ran his hand through his hair, frustration welling up inside. More than that, he admitted to himself. disappointment and anger at himself. "Betsy didn't want us to know. Even if we had asked, she would have deflected." He laughed. "She was very stubborn. I knew something was wrong when Ali and I ran into Betsy the ... the morning before. She was cutting Ali off, being snippy. I thought she needed a break. I thought when I got back from Alkali Lake, that we'd talk. I said my final farewells to Jean, Ororo." He looked up at her then, realizing that he'd been staring hard at the ground the entire time, avoiding her gaze. "I meant to make a start." Scott sighed. "We still can, if someone can reach her. If she can come out of the coma Essex put her in. I have faith in Betsy, if not in him." He stopped himself, shook his head. "No, that's not entirely true. Betsy had faith in him. I have to trust in her. In her ability to read people." Scott looked at Ororo, wondering how she would react to this news. He wasn't sure how he was reacting...this was a surprise to him as well.

Noticing Scott's somber demeanor, the realization that he'd essentially lost two women in six months time, slowed her rebuttal. As she studied his features, her hand went to his arm, and decidedly pulled back. "Trust in Betsy, you say. All right, I'll try your approach. Though that doesn't mean, I trust Essex." This faith in others was something that endeared Scott to Ororo, but she was not as trusting. It was a dynamic that she enjoyed and complimented their individual leading skills. It didn't stop the thought that she would speak with Emma and have a talk with the Professor about Betsy, but it also didn't mean that Scott would have to know about it.

Ororo smiled breaking her from her internal monologue and bringing light to her taut features, "I think long hours of deep meditation is the order of the day. But before that, tell me about your trip to Alkali?"

Scott smiled at 'Ro's question. "I took Em with me. She needed to get out, get away from the school." He chuckled. "Or rather, from being locked in the lab. I didn't want to go alone. It was just a day trip." He shrugged.

She nodded her head grimly, none of them had the chance to say goodbye, or didn't want to find the time. "I had been planning to make a trip with Logan, but decided against it. I'm glad you could say goodbye to her properly. It's been six months and I don't think I've had the time to process what's happened."

"I know I haven't. Or hadn't. I...needed to say goodbye. To accept it, her death." Scott leaned against a nearby tree. "She's still a part of me, but I have to accept she's not coming back."

"Of course, she is still with you. The two of you were together for so long, it'd be harder to accept the truth. But, why now, Scott? What brought this on?"

"Betsy," he said simply, watching Ororo. "I couldn't go forward without ... saying goodbye."

"So, you go to Alkali Lake to say goodbye to one lost love, in hopes of starting over again with a woman, who is now unconscious and unavailable." Ororo trying very hard to not to smile. "You can't catch a break, can you?"

"No," he said quietly, then tried a smile. It spread across his face, but even with the visor, Ororo would have known that it didn't reach his eyes. "It's why I have to have faith."

"It'll work out." Ororo's hand went to his shoulder and she leaned forward, staring past Scott's visor. "Have you gone to see her yet? It might make a difference in the long run."

"I..." he stopped, shaking his head. "No, not yet. But I will. What do you think about Essex taking her away?"

The note of understanding in Ororo's voice left as quickly as her smile. "Do you want to hear the truth?"

He looked at her, surprised. "Of course."

"Scott, after all that has happened, it cannot be allowed. And I doubt that Betsy would've agreed to it, with our history. But, I don't want to draw the line between the faculty, especially if I'm the only one to voice my disapproval."

"Emma also seems to trust him. I may not find her methods appropriate, but she would agree with anything that might harm Betsy. I don't think Charles would approve."

He pushed away from the tree and began pacing around Ororo. "But can we be certain that leaving her here will be the best thing for her? I'm no doctor. I wish that I were!"

"We have to talk to the Professor first, Essex can't tell us what he deems necessary if we don't have all the facts. At least let Hank look at her before we decide anything. And until we can be sure, I don't want to take that chance."

Ororo followed Scott as she continued, "and for Emma, I don't think I'd gauge her as the best judge of character, as someone who knows of some of her acquaintances."

Scott stopped, surprised. "But...she's a telepath!"

"No." Ororo shook her head at him, "I don't believe that if someone is a telepath, it means that they are infallible. Just come with me today when I talk to the Professor, I've already told him we'd stop by."

"I didn't mean they're not infallible..." Scott frowned. "But ... I'll go with you to see the Professor."

"After we see Betsy," Ororo added.

Scott hesitated. "I need to change."

He held up his hands, if she looked to protest. "Don't ask."

"All right." She said understandably, "Meet you outside the medlab in twenty."

Scott nodded. "Okay."

"Okay, then." Ororo shook her head in encouragement and left in the courtyard.