Hanging By A Moment

Hanging By A Moment
Chapter 5: Getting To Know You

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It was past six as Jean Grey scoured her vast wardrobe for an appropriate dress to wear on her date with Scott Summers. After having met him at a club, shared a romantic dance with him on the floor, and returned to her apartment to have passionate, pleasure-filled sex with him the redhead couldn’t fight the urge to learn more about him. In the 12 hours she was with him, she had learned enough to know that he was very different from the other men she usually encountered. Whether they were her ex boyfriends or the guys she picked up for one night stands, Scott was in a league all his own and she sought to understand more about him. He had already proven to be an easy person to talk to and a nice guy to have a civilized conversation with…While at the same time proving that he had the skill and drive in the bedroom to go along with it. Scott was a rare and unique find and she hoped to learn more about this enticing man and maybe…Just maybe…He could be something more than just a guy she met at a club.

Jean was still wrapped in a towel as she looked at dress after dress, unable to decide. She had come back from her workout at the gym a few hours ago, but she made certain that she didn’t burn too much energy…Less she need it for later tonight with Scott. Upon showering and drying her hair, she was now left with one last task. But for some reason, it was not as easy as she had suspected.

“Ugh…Too dark,” she muttered as she went through her closet, “Too trashy…Too bright…Makes my butt look big…Chaffs my thighs…Too slutty…Too skimpy…Not skimpy enough…Has a broken strap…”

Jean glanced at the clock, noticing that if she didn’t choose soon she would really be pushing it. With a frustrated sigh she looked over what she had for what seemed like the twentieth time.

“Ah hell…Since when did choosing a dress for a simple date become so hard?” she mused to herself, “Great…Now I sound like Kitty.”

Normally, Jean wouldn’t take this long in choosing something to wear. Even if dates took more time for her, they never took this long. Jean hadn’t been on a real date since last spring and she felt her judgment to be a little weaker than before. And Jean was never one to just close her eyes and pick something out. Instead, she was someone who preferred to actually put some thought into her attire. She just wanted it to be her so Scott wouldn’t be met with someone completely different than before.

She then pulled out several dresses and held them up to her figure. Knowing she was burning daylight, she knew she had to pick up the pace or else she would look overly stressed when Scott came. And in all her years of dating experience, she knew it was important not to look nervous. But for some reason…She was. She hadn’t dated in a while…That just wouldn’t escape her. However, she tried to fight that off as she finally made her decision.

“Okay…I think this will do,” she said with a smile as she held up a nice red dress she had bought with Betsy last winter.

The dress went well with her hair and wasn’t too revealing or too covering. It still showed off her shapely legs and her well defined arms. And she wanted to look just as good as she had, if not better than the night Scott had first seen her. She just hoped that nothing unexpected happened to complicate things. Jean wanted this date to go well. After last night, she had experienced something with Scott and she didn’t want anything to taint that wonderful memory that she now held dear.

“I guess this is the winner,” smiled Jean as she laid the dress on her bed and removed her towel and headed over to her dresser.

Upon opening the drawers, she rummaged through some of her many pairs of underwear. She planned on simply wearing a simple pair of cotton bra and panties…But as she looked at some of her more ‘risqué’ collection, a sultry grin spread across her face. She then proceeded to put down the cotton and picked up a skimpy black thong.

“Well…He liked it last night,” she mused as she looked at the tiny garment which was small enough to fit in a pocket, “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind me wearing it again.”

Without wasting any more time the young redhead slid the skimpy garment up her thighs and adjusted it so it looked perfectly in the mirror. She then proceeded to put on a matching bra that would help make her breasts look as nice as possible. Upon lacing it up, she looked at herself in the mirror and did a quick turnaround to observe her appearance. The sexy black thong and lace bra looked perfect and she couldn’t help but smile.

“Perfect…It can never hurt to add a little spice to any situation.”

Jean then stepped into her sexy red dress and was careful to make sure it fit her well. It hugged all her curves just right as she made sure it was free of wrinkles. She didn’t want to make it seem too elaborate…Scott was a soldier, not one of her parents’ rich snobby friends. But she still wanted to look nice. After all, she and Scott had already agreed for this to be a more casual affair. They had just met after all…It couldn’t get that serious that fast in Jean’s mind.

Once she was satisfied with her dress, she proceeded to brush her long red hair and apply a small amount of makeup. While she was not Rogue or Betsy when it came to beauty products, she still applied what she though she needed. Jean was not one who liked to hide her natural beauty. To her, lipstick and face powder was enough. None of the men she had been with before had complained about her looks although she did remember how some guys, namely Warren, pestered her to add more to ‘enhance’ her beauty. But she had never been too keen on that and she thought that if they couldn’t appreciate her real beauty, then they just weren’t the men for her.

“Okay Jeannie…” smiled the redhead as she took one last look at herself in the mirror, “I think you’re ready to knock em dead!”

As she prepared to make one last check, she suddenly heard a knock at the door. Looking over at the clock, she saw that it was still ten minutes to seven. Not knowing if it was him or one of her girlfriends, she ran to the door and took a peak through the peep hole towards the outside and saw Scott standing there waiting for her.

Jean stood back and took a deep breath, not expecting him to be early…But then again it was better than a guy being late. Last night had been full of unexpected thrills and everything just flowed so naturally without her really having to try. But this time, it was a date…A formalized outing. And as she opened the door to greet the tall, handsome man that had so enticed her the previous night she couldn’t help but wonder…Would it be any different?

“You’re early…” smiled Jean upon laying eyes on the young marine standing before her.

“Better than being late,” smiled Scott Summers as he took in the sight of her in the beautiful red dress that fit her sexy body so nicely.

“I like you’re logic,” said Jean with a grin.

Jean used this time to take in Scott’s appearance. Like her, he hadn’t been overly elaborate. He wore a simple, well mended pair of khakis and a nice black button shirt that neatly showed his muscles. In seeing him, she couldn’t help but smile inwardly in approval at this man’s approach to appearance. If he kept things this simple, yet satisfying appearance wise on a first date then it was a good sign that he wasn’t overly concerned about appearing as some big shot like some of the other men she knew. Overall, Jean had a good feeling about this man, but that didn’t stop her from being a little nervous. Already, Scott had proven to be quite different from the other men she had met. She didn’t know if it was because he wasn’t from around here or if it was because of how he was raised. Either way, she hoped she would find out later tonight.

“So are you ready to go, Ms Grey?” said Scott as he held out his hand in a polite gesture.

“You’re not in the army any more soldier boy,” smirked Jean as she playfully took the man’s hand, “Call me Jean.”

“Ah but that’s where you’re wrong…You see I was in the marines, not the army. There’s a difference.”

Jean simply smiled at him as she closed her door behind her and linked her arm with his as they walked down the halls of her building and out into the streets of Bayville.

“So where do you want to eat?” asked Scott, “You know this town better than I do.”

“Don’t worry, I know a ton a great places here in Bayville,” boasted Jean, “This town has everything…Fancy, casual, and everything else in between. Got a preference?”

“Not really,” said Scott, “As long as it has steak and burgers, I’m content.”

“Ah…Simple tastes I see.”

“Well…When you’re in the marines, you can’t be too choosy about what you eat,” said Scott as they casually walked along the lightly crowded streets of Bayville.

“But this ain’t the marines soldier boy,” smirked Jean, “It’s time to live a little!”

“Live huh?” replied Scott as he flashed a humored look towards her playful face, “Well I guess you’ll just have to be my guide.”

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Jean proceeded to lead Scott to one of her favorite restaurants off campus. It was a small diner that served everything one could want. It had breakfast, lunch, and dinner and a wide variety of good food. But for Jean, she just came for the excellent pasta. They also served a decent steak, so she was certain Scott would like it. After having eaten at especially fancy places with her family growing up, she always found things to be much simpler at places like this. There was less a need for formality and as the unfortunate black sheep she saw herself as, it was something she preferred far more than having to worry about her every move.

As they took a seat in a small booth, they two youths began to make light conversation. After having connected so well last night, it was fairly easy for them to settle into a comfortable mood, which was a great relief to Jean since she had been on many dates that had been the exact opposite. As they ordered and waited for their meals, Jean decided to use the opportunity to learn more about this new man that had quickly captured her attention, amongst other things, the previous night.

“So soldier boy…Tell me a little about yourself,” said Jean as she took a drink of her water, “I know we didn’t get much of a chance to learn much about each other last night.”

“Well…Given how the night turned out, I don’t think it’s a total loss,” smirked Scott as he fondly remembered the passionate night before.

“I never said that it was,” said Jean upon seeing the smirk in the attractive young man’s face, “But I have to say…After becoming acquainted with you last night, I must admit that I’m curious.”

“Well then were even…” quipped Scott, “Part of the reason why I asked you out is because I’m also curious. So that means that if I tell you about myself…Then it’s only fair that you do the same.”

“Sounds logical…” said Jean, “You got yourself a deal Scottie!”

With a smile on his face, Scott took a quick sip of his drink and prepared to tell Jean was she seemed to be so eager to know.

“Well…While did come here from New York, I was originally born in Anchorage, Alaska.”

“Alaska, huh?” said Jean sounding intrigued already.

“Yeah, I know you don’t meet a lot of people from Alaska, but that’s where I was born. My dad was a pilot in the Air Force who served in Operation Desert Storm and my mom was a nurse for the Army. I lived in a small suburb not far from an Air Force base where my mom and dad worked and both me and my little brother Alex hung around there all the time. Hell, some of my first memories were of planes and seeing them fly.”

“Sounds like an interesting way to grow up, being around planes and the military all the time,” commented Jean, finding it hard to picture a life like that since there wasn’t much of a military presence in the upper class parts of Connecticut.

“It was an exciting and amazing sight for a kid like me,” continued Scott, “It really influenced my life later on after I joined up with the marines. You see, I come from a long line of soldiers. I have uncles who fought and died in Vietnam, Grandfathers who fought in World War II, and relatives that go as far back as the American Revolution. I guess you can say I had a lot to live up to when I became a soldier.”

“Your family sounds a hell of a lot more interesting than mine,” laughed Jean, “Pretty much all of my family comes from the same place in England for as far back as our records go. And we didn’t have anybody serve as soldiers.”

“So does that mean your family was royalty or something?” said Scott with a humored grin.

Jean just laughed at that notion. Given her simple, fun loving, free spirited nature she figured herself to be the last person to qualify for royalty. Being the black sheep of her family had that effect on her…But she had her reasons for being the way she was and she wasn’t sure if she was ready to reveal them to anybody, less alone Scott, just yet.

“No…I don’t think we were at all royalty. But sometimes they act like rich snobs so I think that may qualify.”

They both laughed, although Scott didn’t know if she was being serious or not when she said that. However, he shook that off as he continued.

“I’ll take your word for it. Anyways…I lived in Alaska with my real parents until I was seven when…Something really bad happened and…”

Scott stopped in mid sentence, sounding as though he was struggling to get the words out. Jean could hear the shift in his tone and see the change in his expression. He was obviously not comfortable going on, that much Jean could surmise. She knew the signs and was no stranger to them and was quick to step in.

“Scott…You don’t have to go on if it’s too hard…It’s okay. If you don’t want to tell me, then you don’t have to.”

It took a moment for him to think about it, but a quick feeling of relief soon came over him as Jean showed understanding in his demeanor.

“Okay…” he said as he prepared to continue, not yet ready to give the full story, “Well, there was an accident and…I was orphaned at a young age.”

Jean saw the seriousness on his face and could tell it was hard for him to talk about. As lousy as her relationship with her parents was, at least she still had them. Being orphaned was an issue she never had to deal with and on the surface she never would have guessed it. But still, she listened intently…Curious to see where it went.

“That must have been horrible…” she said.

“It was…” said Scott, “But I don’t really want to talk about that. It happened a long time ago and it changed my life forever. But after living in an orphanage for three years and going through some pretty lousy homes, my luck changed and I was adopted by a really nice family from Buffalo.”

Then, Scott proceeded to take out his wallet and show Jean a picture that he always kept with him. It was small, but it was very significant to him. In it, two people stood in what looked like a wooded area near a field. One was a rather burly looking man with quite a bit of muscle on him and quite a bit of hair and his arms were safely around a tall, beautiful woman with dark skin and shining white hair. They both had smiles on their faces and looked very happy together.

“Ororo and Logan Howlett…” stated Scott as he proudly showed the picture, “They took me in and raised me as if I was their real son. My life may have had some real tough luck, but meeting them was one of the best things that happened to me. If it wasn’t for them…Hell, I’d hate to think where I’d have ended up.”

To Jean, his foster parents didn’t look like the kind of people she would have seen in her blue collar, upper class neighborhood. But they looked very nice and it was good to know that at least one of them had a good relationship with their parents.

“They look really nice,” she commented.

“They are,” said Scott as he put the picture back, “They helped me get through some tough times and helped me get the grades that would later assist in me getting accepted to that school. But as you know…I didn’t go that direct route.”

“Yeah, you’ve told me that already soldier boy,” smiled Jean as the mood lightened once more.

“Well it was a big decision on my part,” said Scott as he recalled how he got to where he was now, “With the long line of military dedication my family has had for generations and me not having any other family that I know of, I guess it was up to me to carry on the legacy. So I joined the marines. My foster dad had already spent years beefing me up by lifting heavy motorcycle parts and I had generations of experience to go on. And it was by no means easy.”

“I can only imagine,” said Jean, “Like I said, I hadn’t even met a soldier up until I met you last night. So what was it like?”

“Well have you ever seen that movie ‘Full Metal Jacket?’” smirked Scott, hoping to use something to reference the experience he remembered all too well.

“The one with the crazy, screaming drill sergeant?” replied Jean, “Yeah…Why?”

“Well let’s just say…It wasn’t completely true, but it wasn’t that far from it,” answered Scott.

“Oh…So how harsh was it?” she asked wearily, not having any knowledge about the military herself to truly put it to scale.

“Well let me put it this way…” said Scott with a grin, “When one of the guys in my platoon fell behind during the daily five mile run, the drill sergeant made us all stop and watch him force him on the ground, make him do 100 push ups, and scream something along the lines of ‘YOU LITTLE MAGGOT! I’D LOVE TO CALL YOU A PATHETIC, GRABASTIC PIECE OF SHIT, BUT I DON’T WANT TO INSULT THE SHIT! NOW DO MORE PUSH UPS OR ELSE YOU’LL BE BEGGING FOR YOUR MOMMA’S TIT LIKE A BABY BY SUNDOWN!’”

Jean’s mouth hung wide open as she sat in shock and tried to keep herself from laughing out loud for the whole restaurant to hear. Scott looked quite amused by Jean’s reaction as she tried to control herself and regain her composure, but it did take a while before she managed to speak again despite her laughter.

“Oh my God! He really said that?” said Jean, still short of breath.

“He said more than that…But I don’t want to say it in public,” said Scott with a smile, “But let’s just say that the guy who bore the full force of it was in tears by the end it was bad.”

“Damn…Did they ever yell at you like that?” she asked.

“They yelled at everybody like that,” answered Scott, “I was no exception. But I managed to push myself beyond every limit I though I had physically and mentally because of that yelling and drive. I proved to them and myself that I was strong. I had the stamina, endurance, drive, and mindset for a soldier. That’s why I was one of the proud few that made it all the way past basic and advanced training. It took eight months, but because of the discipline, dedication, and determination that I put into it I definitely became a much stronger person in the end.”

“You must have been to survive drill sergeants like that,” commented Jean, “I doubt I would have been able to last.”

“Oh I’m not sure about that…” said Scott with a grin as he looked back at her with his gaze that had so captivated her the previous night, “You definitely have the body and build for it. Not to mention the stamina if last night was any indication…”

This only caused Jean to blush nearly the same color as her hair, but the smile never left her face upon recalling the exhaustive night they had both had together before.

“Well thank you for your vote of confidence,” said Jean as the blush gradually began to fade, “But even if I did…I doubt I would have had the mindset.”

“Well I guess certain people just can’t cut it. But you never know until you give it a try,” admitted Scott, “I guess I was one of the lucky few.”

“It would seem so,” said Jean, “So what happened after you completed your training? Did you go to another college?”

“Me…Hell no,” answered Scott, “Marines are the first to come and last people to leave the battlefield. As soon as I finished, my superior officers took me and a few others they saw potential in and gave us even more training. We learned stuff like mechanics, which I already knew thanks to my dad, infiltration, stealth, and basic SEAL training. But before we could complete the whole course, I got a call saying that I had proven myself combat worthy and I was being shipped to Iraq.”

“Whoa…You mean you fought in Iraq?” said Jean, sounding even more intrigued now.

“Yep!” said Scott proudly, “It was a big mission and my foster parents were there to wish me a big goodbye when I left because it was very possible that I wouldn’t come back. Because a marine is by nature a warrior…And warriors fight and die in wars.”

“Did you worry that you were going to die over there?” asked Jean, trying to imagine what it must have been like to go and fight in an actual war.

“Of course I thought about it,” said Scott, not needing to even contemplate his answer, “But as a soldier…I didn’t fear it. I went over there and did my duty and served my country.”

“That’s very noble of you…I don’t think I know any other guy who would have been able to do that,” said Jean, now feeling somewhat more enticed by the fact she was in the presence of someone who actually was out in the world fighting for something bigger and grander than anybody could begin to contemplate.

Jean Grey had never met a guy with a sense of duty and honor to his country or himself for that matter. He was a guy who actually stood for something…And he was willing to die for it. For that, Jean couldn’t help but admire him for such a noble mentality.

“Well I was there,” said Scott, “All those images you see on CNN, I saw them up close and personal.”

“Amazing…” said Jean, trying to imagine what it must have been like, “Were you really that close?”

“Marines are always in the thick of combat…” said Scott with a light laugh, “For me it was even more dangerous because my extensive training and skill had earned me the position of Lieutenant. It’s rare for someone so young, but I had proved myself to my officers that I could handle it. My job was to lead a platoon of armed and trained marines against insurgency hot spots like Mosul and Falluja. We also had to guard vital convoys and act as policing units as well as medical units for civilians when it was needed.”

“Wow…You did all that?” said Jean, taking in this young man’s story.

“Indeed I did…All in 100 degree desert heat,” added Scott, “My term of service was set for six months, but I ended up staying for over two years because of the growth of the insurgency.”

“They made you stay for two year?”

“I was needed…I couldn’t say no,” said Scott, shaking his head as he remembered those hot desert days, “The Iraqi people…Are not bad people at all. If you’re nice to them, they’re nice to you. I picked up quite a bit of Arabic over there and I met some very nice people there. Even though you probably see a different story on the news, it’s another world over there. The hateful actions of a few don’t taint my views of the loving actions of many. I guess that’s kind of why I stayed true to my duty…There were just so many different people over there that were worth saving. You just had to open your eyes and see it for yourself. And unfortunately…Some people in combat or back here can’t seem to do that.”

“And you managed to keep that mentality when the going got tough?” asked Jean, finding it remarkable to talk to someone who had seen war closer than she ever could have imagined.

“I’m just as surprised as you…But I did,” said Scott, still finding it hard to believe in some ways now that he thought about it.

“Did…You ever kill anybody over there?” asked Jean wearily.

Scott paused for a minute, but he was quick to answer.

“Marines are soldiers…Soldiers kill,” said Scott, “I carried with me an M-16 assault rifle that I cleaned and customized like a pet. I rode in M2 Bradly fighting vehicles. I carried grenades and grenade launchers along with my platoon. We went into some major battles Jean…We did kill people. We killed people that were trying to kill us. I saw some of my platoon members die right in front of my eyes…And I saw civilians die that shouldn’t have. But I led my team against them…We partook in ambushes, stealth missions, infiltration, and were ambushed ourselves many times. I’m lucky to be alive…But all my training, my drive, and the hearts of my men helped me live to see the next day. I dealt with a lot of things over there. And it was a war…And death is a part of war.”

A brief silence fell over them as Jean took in his words. She remembered how she participated in many debates and class discussions about the war in high school as well as college. There were times she would argue for or against the war…But she had never heard the side of someone who had directly been involved in it. She remembered how angry some people got over it, yet they weren’t even there…Scott had been in the thick of it. He had seen people die on both sides. He had been there and served with all his heart and soul.

Now as she looked the young man and his distant look in his face, she saw a thousand stories in his eyes. There was a lot he had to say and a lot that he had been through. He had experienced that she never had even imagined. Yet in seeing the look in his beautiful blue eyes, she could see that even the horrors of war hadn’t tainted him from becoming such a kind and intriguing young man. For that…He had already shown he was a strong man with a good soul.

“You really are strong Scott,” said Jean as she reached across the table and took his hand, causing the young soldier to smile, “To have fought and survived in a war and be talking about it with me right now…I don’t need any more proof than that to know that you have a good soul.”

“Well…Thank you,” said Scott as he squeezed her hand back, bringing a smile to the beautiful redhead’s face.

“So when did you leave?” asked Jean, wanting to know more of this man’s story.

“That’s a little more complicated…” said Scott, “Like I said…I was there a lot longer than I was scheduled to be. But as a Lieutenant I did my duty and after two years…My term of service finally came to an end after I led a platoon into Falluja and got wounded by a round from an enemy ambush.”

“You were wounded?” said Jean, feeling shocked once more.

“Yeah…Very badly,” said Scott as he nodded his head in confirmation, “A single high caliber bullet tore through my torso in the heat of battle and I fell to the ground with bombs and mortars going off around me. And trust me…it was BAD.”

“I can only imagine,” said Jean, never having experienced anything remotely close to a gunshot wound.

“Well try to imagine feeling like begin hit with a truck while your insides sting like their on fire…” described Scott, “I don’t remember it in vivid detail…But I do remember firing my rifle and suddenly seeing this flash of white as I was hit. I knew I had been shot and I tried to get up…But my body was out of it. I was in the middle of a battle…I was bleeding profusely…And I if I went unconscious I knew I might not ever wake up. So I had to hang on through unbelievable agony for two hours as two of my men got me into a convoy truck and rushed me back to a hospital in Baghdad. There I was told later on that I had flat lined twice and was very close to dying.”

“My God…” said Jean as she heard his amazing story.

“But I was lucky…The bullet just missed my spine and didn’t do too much damage to my organs. I was out for three days before I woke up feeling like shit…But I was able to make a full recovery without any ill effects except some nasty pain and a fairly lengthy hospital stay. It was very sobering since I knew people who had lost limbs or had become paralyzed…But I was just wounded. Nothing would remain except physical scaring and once the doctors gave me a clean bill of health, the military said that I had dutifully served all the time I was ordered to and shipped me home. Then after I got back and saw my foster parents again, I enrolled here with the money and benefits I had earned from my years of service and grades. And here I am now, a student of the Xavier Academy where I hope to get a degree in engineering and maybe even become certified to do emergency work like firefighting. And so far I have to say I really like it here…And I haven’t even been to one class yet.”

This evoked a blush from Jean as she saw the way he looked at her. Already Scott had shown himself to be a kind, noble soul with a nice sense of flattery…Which was definitely a bonus. He could make her smile, blush, and feel amazed at the same time. It was quite a feat, for not many people had succeeded in doing so and Scott did it in a way unique to him.

“Well there’s still a lot to experience here Scott,” said Jean with a smile as her blush faded.

“I know, but there’s plenty of time for that later…Right now I want to focus on the present. As in…Right here, right now,” said Scott.

Jean looked back at the smile in the young man’s face and couldn’t help but feel a strange sensation course through her mind and body. Not only was he kind and noble…But he also had a sense for he romantics. She had to admit…This guy knew how to balance everything.

“So now you know my story…What about yours?” asked Scott.

Jean just laughed, knowing she was in no way going to impress Scott in the same way he had impressed her.

“Well…My story is nowhere near as exciting or interesting as yours,” said Jean, “Like I said…I came from an upper class family in Connecticut. I lived in the same house with my parents and sister until I left to come here after high school. I had a very boring, typical childhood. My teen years were a little more interesting…But that’s because my relationship with my parents really deteriorated.”

“Really? Why?” asked Scott.

“Well…” said Jean, hesitating in a way that definitely hinted something more to Scott, “For many reasons. I just…Became the total black sheep of my whole family. While they were off at expensive parties and balls, I was out at regular high school parties enjoying simpler things like dancing, sports, and boys.”

“So you’re a simple gal, huh?” smirked Scott.

“Yeah…I guess you could say that,” said Jean as she nodded her head with a laugh, “I always tried to set myself apart from my family. I got good grades on my own, became friends with people I wanted, and just didn’t share the same views my parents had. They wanted me to pursue business like my sister, but I didn’t want that one bit. They wanted me to join certain clubs…I refused. They wanted me to be with certain people that I didn’t want to be with. Needless to say we fought a lot. And I don’t mean simply fight…I mean the kind of fighting that resembles screaming matches.”

“Wow…Was it really that bad?” asked Scott.

“Believe me…It was,” said Jean with a sigh, “I just…I wanted my own world for myself and they wanted me to be a part of theirs. They wanted to mold me into a proper Grey, but just wanted to be my own person.”

“So you enjoy being an independent woman…In control of her own life and her own decisions. Am I right?” said Scott with a confident grin.

“Exactly…” replied Jean with an approving smile towards the young man’s perceptive skills, “It still causes conflict with my parents…But I’m a grown woman now. We may fight, but I try not to let that affect me here at college.”

“So does that mean you’re happier here at the Academy?”

“Definitely…” replied Jean with confidence.

Just then, their food arrived and both youths soon gave into their hunger and dug in. But before they ate…They held their glasses up and shared a round of cheers for a nice, peaceful first date. To both Scott and Jean…The anxiety that had permeated in the beginning had finally given way to a nice, comfortable feeling that they both wanted to enjoy as long as possible.

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After finishing their meal and paying for it, Scott and Jean proceeded to exit the restaurant arm and arm into the busy Bayville streets. So far, the date had been going a lot better than either of them had anticipated. The nervous anxiety of the beginning of the date had given way to a comfortable, peaceful feel that only made the crisp Saturday night even better.

“So where do you want to go to next?” asked Scott, “The night is still young. Any place in particular you want to show me?”

“Well…” said Jean as she took a moment to think, “Want to go see a movie? I know it’s getting late, but something decent might be playing.”

“Sounds like a plan, Red,” said Scott, not knowing much else about this town other than what Jean had already shown him, “I’m game.”

“You got it soldier boy!” said Jean as she grabbed hold of his strong, muscular arm and led him down the busy streets under the crystal clear night.

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AN: Well, this seems like a good place to stop for now. I know this chapter didn’t have any smut or sexual content in it, but I wanted to have a part where both Scott and Jean’s pasts are put more clearly into perspective. Keep in mind that this is a No Powers AU. Many things are different here and I’m just trying to create something new and novel with the characters. There’s plenty more to come, so stay tuned! Once again, I urge you all to review this story! Send it to me directly via email at slickboy444@aol.com or post it on the fanfiction website! Thanks or reading and I wish you all the best!