Rain in the Garden

Rain in the Garden (aka Jean’s Alibi)

Date Started/Completed: May 2003

Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine...just the usual disclaimer about Marvel.

Writer’s Notes: An explanation of where Jean was when Emma was murdered.

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She stood outside in the garden, letting the rain cascade down around her. It matched her mood perfectly.

Earlier that day she had her worst fears confirmed. Her suspicions about Emma and Scott had come true. Psychic images she thought that had been brought about by the recent onslaught from Phoenix, were real.

She knew their marriage had been in trouble. Had known it for quite some time now. But she was avoiding it, not wanting to face it.

She also knew Emma wasn’t solely to blame for Scott’s infidelity. Scott was just as much at fault.

Real or psychic, it didn’t matter. Even if they hadn’t physically done anything, the thought had at least been in Scott’s head. From him, that was enough.

Hearing footsteps behind her, she wiped at the tears that were mixing with the raindrops on her cheeks. She shivered as the dampness of her clothing working its way into her bones. With a simple thought, she could ignite a small furnace inside of herself to burn away the cold.

However, she was feeding off the cold right now. Almost as if it were a punishment.

The footsteps drew nearer and she realized it was him before she turned around. Despite the fact that she didn’t think she could possibly get any more upset then she was already, she felt her temper rise when she turned to face him.

“Logan.”

“Jean.” He replied curtly, hearing the venom dripping from his name as she said it. He made no move to further advance towards her. She was pissed at him and he knew exactly why. You didn’t need to be a genius to figure it out.

The rain quickly and thoroughly soaked him. He shifted uncomfortably as the weight of his pants grew. He had removed the shirt he was wearing earlier and replaced it with a thin white t-shirt. It might as well have been tissue paper for all the good it was doing him now.

Rain ran down his face and he reached up to wipe a hand down his face. His efforts were futile. The rain immediately replacing what he wiped away.

“Go away Logan. No on asked you to come out here.”

“No one had to. There’s no reason for you to be out here in the rain either.”

Scowling, she turned before speaking again. “I’m a big girl.”

Logan nodded. “As you showed this afternoon when you attacked Emma.” Despite the air of humor in his voice, the words were biting and she flinched slightly.

“Why do you care Logan? Emma’s fine, you saw so yourself when you were consoling her afterwards.” She chewed on her lower lip as she took a few steps backward, regretting the words almost instantly.

Yes, she was angry at Scott for what he did, and she had seen Logan talking to Emma afterward, but she had no claim on Logan whatsoever. “I’m sorry”. She stammered out. “I shouldn’t have said that, it’s none of my business what you and Emma do.”

Logan stepped forward towards her, lifting one hand to rest lightly on her shoulder. “You make it sound as if Emma and I have a thing going.” He paused for a moment to smile and turn her to face him. “Sorry to disappoint you darlin’, but Emma’s not my type. Psychotic blondes never did interest me.”

He reached up and brushed his knuckles lightly over her jaw line. “Besides, a certain redhead sort of overshadows everybody.”

Despite the cold, her face reddened. “You seem to have a thing for raven haired women as well.”

He reached up and slid a strand of rain soaked hair away from her face. She inhaled sharply at he trailed his fingers back down the side of her face before letting his hand fall back down to his side. “I’m no saint Jean. I’ve done some things that I’m not proud of. But I can’t change them.”

“They are what makes you who you are Logan.”

He nodded slowly. “Faults and all.”

She smiled weakly and moved away from him, desperate to change the course of conversation. “I’m fine Logan, really. You don’t have to stay.”

“And what if I want to?”

Swallowing hard, she uttered words she never thought she would hear herself say to him.

“Please go.”

Dejected, he nodded. “If you need…anything, you know I’m just down the hall.” Turning, he quickly disappeared into the dark.

A torrent of tears overtook her before she could stop them and she crumbled to the ground. Nearly everything in her screamed to call him back. To give into everything she was suppressing.

But she knew, giving in would make her no better than Scott and Emma.

Images of what she had done to Emma flashed in her head. She cried out as each one hit, feeling the same pain Emma had dealt with, truly knowing now what her powers could do. She also now knew that, just as she feared, Emma was telling the truth about Japan.

About Scott.

About Logan.

The psychic storm ended and she was left gasping for air. Her brain and her heart still processing it all. She lifted her face to the sky, hoping the rain would wash it all away.

She heard footsteps again, this time they were pounding hard on the concrete, as if the owner were running. Her vision blurred as the rain ran into her eyes and she viscously swiped at them, fighting to see who was approaching.

Logan.

Her mind registered him seconds before he knelt on the ground beside her.

“I thought you left.”

“I tried.” His shoulders shrugged and he smiled. “Chalk it up as another of my faults. Are you okay?” Worry lined his face, and she reached up to try to smooth them away.

“I’m fine. I just had a bit of clarity, that’s all.” She dragged the tip of her index finger over his lips and smiled. She remembered what they felt like against hers. The fires they touched off with just the simple act of lightly brushing hers. She also remembered the rejection. “Last time you said it would never work between us.”

He nodded, remembering vividly the ache inside of him at hearing those words from his own mouth.

She leaned forward slightly, her face inches from his. “Is that still true?”

He hesitated, and then quickly nodded to cover.

“Good.” She had caught his pause, and it was just enough for her. “Because I intend to prove you wrong.”

Panic slammed into him as her lips brushed over his. Fear striking him in the center of his chest when he remembered they were still outside. Out in the open where anyone with a set of eyes could see them. Could stumble across them at any moment.

She angled her mouth over his, sliding her tongue over his lips. She lifted her hand and slid it through his hair around to the back of his neck, willing him to respond to her just this once. To not reject her this time. She wasn’t sure if she could handle it. Not after all the events that had happened earlier.

His breathing increased rapidly as she caressed his lips with her tongue. He fought the need to ravage her. Control hung by a very thin thread.

He reached up and clamped a hand on her wrist, forcing her hand away so he could pull back away from her.

Her eyes pleaded with him. Begging him for him to just this once, make her forget this sadness and pain that was overwhelming her.

He knew he could easily give into her. Give them both what they craved. Hide away from everything for just a little while and forget everyone else existed.

He knew he could do it. The problem was if he could walk away when it was over. Could he turn his back on her when their need was met? Was he going to be able to handle it when it reared again? It would. He could almost guarantee it.

“You’re trying to analyze it.”

Startled, he jumped slightly, dropped her hand. “What?”

“You’re trying to figure out if this is it. One shot. If you would be able to walk away after all is said and done.”

“This isn’t the time to be sneaking into people’s thoughts Jean.”

She smiled at his words. A smile so sure it touched her eyes. Igniting a light that played through them. His hand came up again, sliding back to where she previously had it. “I didn’t have to Logan. Your thoughts were all over your face.”

He sighed and smiled. “You always had that knack Jean. To be able to see what I was thinking. Always was kind of hard to hide anything from you.”

“Came in handy whenever you didn’t want to tell anyone where you’d been and you had shields up so I couldn’t read your thoughts.” She dropped her voice to a low whisper. “Comes in handy now too.”

“I can’t make you any promises.”

“I’m not asking for any.”

“What happens afterward?”

She pulled his face to hers again. “You’ve become a worrywart Logan.”

Their lips met, parted, met again to meld together as one. Her head spun and she forced everything but him out of her mind. She rose to her knees, pushing him down onto his back before following him.

The clouds above chose that moment to explode and released a torrent of rain down on them.

It went ignored.

Rising over him, she slid a hand along the waistband of his pants, lifting his shirt from where it was tucked in. Fresh rain poured onto his stomach, pooling along his abdomen. His eyes darkened as she reached down and popped open the buttons on his pants.

A sly smile played along her mouth as she quickly slid her hand into the front of his pants, freeing him from the soaking wet fabric.

Her eyes never broke contact with his as she shifted her legs slightly and lowered her face to his abdomen. His taste mingled with the fresh rainwater and she felt his muscles contract when she dipped her tongue into his navel.

His world spun. He grappled to regain his bearing but each time he was sure he had a handle on it, she did something else to throw him off kilter. He had imagined this differently. Imagined himself in control of the situation. She had completely thrown him off when she had crawled on top of him.

Her mouth closed over him and he arched involuntarily. He felt her hand pushing lightly down on his hip and he forced himself to relax. He struggled to regain balance once again but his head spun dizzily out of control. Because of the rain, he had to keep his eyes closed and the darkness further added to his disorientation.

He fought against his natural instinct to thrust his hips forward as she continued her relentless pace. Muscles bunched and tightened and could feel an intense pulling deep within himself.

No, this wasn’t the way.

With a growl, he reared up, startling her. She lost her balance and unceremoniously landed on her butt. “Log-“

He cut her off by crushing his mouth down over hers and stealing her breath. He hands came up, encircling her neck to pull her closer. They finally parted, both gasping for air.

“Not like that Jeanie.” His hands lowered to wrap around her waist, sliding her out of her pants and underwear before she could even blink. He brought his hands back up to her neck, sliding them through her drenched hair.

He brushed his lips over hers, dropping one hand to the ground behind her and using the other, still around her neck, to lower her to the ground. He shifted his hips so they rested between her legs, pressing lightly against her. “Not like that.” He repeated before dragging her mouth to his.

Their world tilted on its axis, righted then spun out of control. There was no going back now.

Their bodies molded together, their rain slickened skin acting like a glue that refused to allow them to part. Jean lifted her legs to wrap around him, encouraging him although he needed none.

Her back arched and she cried out as pleasure speared through her when he entered her. Her vision going black as he filled her in one agonizingly slow forward motion.

He held himself there, just enjoying the sensation of filling her, finally sharing himself with her. His head dipped to her neck as he slid himself out a few inches. Jean’s head snapped up and she buried her face in his shoulder.

His arms began shaking from the effort of supporting his entire weight. His only contact with her now was filling her. He shrugged his shoulder lightly, forcing her to shift her face around so they were looking directly at each other.

He pressed his hips forward, pushing into her once again and watched as her eyes fluttered closed. “Don’t.”

Her eyes sprang open. Her breath hissed out between her teeth as he pistoned his hips backward, withdrawing from her almost completely. Her eyes fluttered closed once again as she became seeped in sensations.

“No.” He said forcefully and her eyes opened once more to see a storm raging through his eyes.

She matched him thrust for thrust, coaxing him on as she arched her back to take him even deeper into herself. Her hands found their way to his lower back and he reared up, slamming himself into her fully when her nails bit into his back. She squirmed beneath him trying to find a way to take him further into her. He lowered himself back down to press against her and lightly dragged his teeth over her neck, biting lightly in a silent command to stop.

She groaned in frustration but complied, relaxing her grip on his back.

Shifting his hips slightly, he rose to his knees. He slid his hands around her waist and pulled her up to face him, making sure he remained buried inside of her the entire time.

Jean raised her face to the sky once more, letting the rain wash over her. She ground her hips down and delighted in the sharp intake of breath from him. His hands clamped down harder on her hips, forcing her to stop her movements.

Laughing softly to herself, she halted her motions. Satisfied she wouldn’t move, he released her hips, sliding one arm up along her back, forcing her to lie back against his arms as he supported her weight.

Dipping his head, he dragged his tongue lazily around one nipple, then the other. He planted a kiss just at the dip between her breasts and thrust his hips upward.

She made an effort to grab his shoulders, but the rain made it nearly impossible to gain any purchase. She was finally able to grip his upper arms.

The world contracted to a tiny speck and a loud roar exploded in her ears. Every muscle in her body tightened at once and exploded before she could maintain any semblance of control. She bit her lip to keep from screaming out and found herself tasting the coppery metallic taste of blood.

Logan’s breathing sounded in her ear and a low growl emitted from his throat as he trust himself forward into her. The pulsing of his orgasm deep inside of her set off a chain reaction of unrestrained whimpering from her as she orgasmed again.

The sound of rain continuing to fall mixed with their panting as they both tried to regain their composure. When he finally managed to collect his bearings, he brought his arm forward, cradling Jean against him.

Realization flooded through him. Having Jean under him, sighing and panting, knowing that it was him that she was responding to, he knew. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t walk away. He gripped her tightly to him, holding her as if he never wanted to let her go.

“I can’t breathe.”

He laughed softly and released his grip on her. “Sorry.”

She leaned back against his arms again and smiled at him. Lifting a hand up to his cheek, it was her turn to rub her fingers lightly along his jaw. “No one’s asking you to Logan.”

“But I have to.” He stood; lifting her off of him and making sure her legs were steady enough to support her.

The rain finally came to a halt and they stood in silence as they straightened out wet clothing. Logan fiddled with the last button on his jeans for a few moments before running his hands over his wet hair. Everything he had ever wanted from Jean was right before him. She was silently offering it to him, to be his for the taking. Everything inside of him, everything he was, said yes.

He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off when Henry’s screaming voice resonated through the night.

[end]