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Author's Chapter Notes:
Ororo finally confronts Jean
Chapter 34 “ A Score To Settle

Relationship Status - married

She hadn’t given much thought to Jean since she and Logan had revealed their marriage…that was until Forge’s return. Forge had let it known that he had came back at the urging of Jean, who had told him that she was hoping for a reconciliation with him. After the shock of that revelation had worn off, she, with Logan’s help had set Forge straight in no uncertain terms.

Now that Forge had been put in his place, she had to focus on putting Jean in her place once and for all. She had a score to settle with the still delusional redhead and she’ll be damned if she held any punches back. It was time that Jean had a dose of reality and realized that Ororo was Logan’s alpha female and there was no room for her or any other female to infringe on her territory in any way, shape or form. She had thought that revealing her and Logan’s marriage was the only way to finally put Jean in her place, but apparently, she was more irrational than Ororo thought, because either she thought it was a joke or she just didn’t care.

This time around, Ororo knew better and she wasn’t going to leave any doubts as to where she stood. The kid gloves that she had handled Jean with for far too long were now off and it was show time. Enough was enough and when she was done, there would be no doubts as to the consequences that would be waged, should the redhead continue to be a nuisance to her and her marriage.

It was with great resolve that Ororo strolled into Jean’s classroom, slamming the door, signaling her arrival to the telepath. Ororo stood inside the closed door, staring at her former friend crossly. Jean, who was seated behind her desk, knew why the ebony beauty was there and in a desperate attempt to get the upper hand, tried a mental scan on Ororo, but came up empty. It would seem the weather Goddess was prepared for her. Jean didn’t even bother to pretend innocence, but schooled her features into one that matched Ororo’s angry look.

“I never thought that I would see the day when I was forced to utter these words,” Ororo began, taking a deep breath, then, “You bitch!”

Jean’s eyes widened momentarily as the shock of Ororo’s harsh words hit her. Quickly getting over her shock, she glared at Ororo. “I can say the same for you, wind rider,” she sneered.

“I do not know what your problem with me is, but I am here to tell you that it ends right here and right now,” Ororo retorted bitingly. “I am no longer going to tolerate your disrespect for me or my marriage.”

“Your marriage,” Jean spat. “What makes you think that it’s going to last?”

“I do not have to think that it is going to last. I know it is going to last.” She thought about Logan’s marking and instinctively reached up to lightly run her fingers over it. “Your little plan to upend my relationship failed, did it not?” Ororo mocked, her eyes turning a deep sapphire color as her anger rose. “You enticed Forge to come back under the pretense that I was pining away for him and hoping for a reconciliation. But that did not go off as plan, did it?”

Jean had the grace to look away. When she turned back to Ororo, she tilted her head to the side and studied the weather witch. A condescending smile spread across Jean’s face. "You know what I think 'Roro? I think that you and Logan aren’t going to last. He will end up leaving you, just like Forge did.”

Ororo folded her arms across her chest, unconsciously mimicking one of Logan’s trademark stances. If that was the best Jean had, she was to be pitied. “And you think that he will come running back to you. Is that is?”

“Of course he will. What makes you think that he will prefer you to me?"

Ororo’s sudden laugh was one that for some bizarre reason unnerved Jean. “Goddess! You are so far away from reality, it is unbelievable. Do you listen to yourself? Do you realize how completely foolish you sound?”

“What?...Foolish?” Jean sputtered. She glared at Ororo before lashing out, “Don’t you dare stand there in all your self-righteous glory and preach to me.”

“Logan has made his decision and you need to respect it as he did when you made yours!” Ororo bellowed uncharacteristically. A savage peel of thunder and vicious lightning strikes indicated the intensity of the weather Goddess’ fury. When Jean had made it known that Scott was her choice, Logan had accepted her decision and moved on. But now, Ororo knew the truth of why it was so easy for him to move on from the redhead. He had never loved Jean, only used her as a tool to deny his intense feelings for her…his Goddes.

“Bull!” Jean scoffed. “Your jealousy knows no bounds, Ororo. Ever since we were younger, you’ve always wanted what I have.”

Ororo stared at the irate woman for a few seconds and then shook her head sadly. “My jealousy? What do you have that I would be possibly jealous of?”

Jean snorted. “My marriage, my looks, my intelligence, Lo”“She caught herself in time and promptly closed her mouth.

Ororo on the other hand, knew perfectly well what she was about to say. Everything regarding Jean always seemed to come back to Logan. Jean obviously believed that she had some kind of claim on Logan and was hard pressed to let it go. But no worries, that was why she was here, to show Jean just who was really the alpha female to Logan’s alpha male…who really had the claim to the feral warrior. Ororo rounded the desk to stand directly in front of Jean. She smirked. Pulling no punches, she said plainly. “I do not have to be jealous. He is mines...always have been and always will be. Did you think he had actually loved you…wanted you all these years?”

With no quick rejoinder, Jean snickered and stood, putting distance between her and Ororo’s forceful presence.

“I have no idea why you have a vendetta against, and quite frankly, I do not care. You do not have a single thing I want or need. I am secure in who and what I am and have no need for petty squabbles.” Ororo heaved a huge sigh. “But I must draw the line at your seeming disregard and disrespect for my marriage. I am not going to sit idly by while you make your glib and snide remarks and your attempts at sabotage. I say this with the utmost respect, stay the hell away from me, Logan and my marriage or else I will be force to take other measures to press my position.”

“Are you threatening me, ‘Roro?” Jean shrieked. “If you are, may I advise you that I can wipe the floor with you.”

Ororo barked a harsh laugh and for one moment she actually sounded like her husband. “I am not threatening you. I am putting you on notice that I have no qualms about doing whatever it takes to defend what belongs to me.” Ororo leveled Jean with a stare that can only be labeled unsettling. “As for you wiping the floor with me…you have no idea what I am capable of.” That statement sent a chill down Jean’s spine and a sliver of fear crept up on her.

With false bravado, Jean turned to mocking. “You think that you scare me? You think that you are better than me?”

“Not at all Jean. I do not profess to be better than anyone.”

With that simple retort, Jean laid the root cause for all her resentment on the table. “From the very beginning, you’ve had what I’ve wanted from everyone in my life, their love and respect. They all gave it to you freely and you didn’t even have to work for it.” Jean wandered to the nearest window, seemingly caught up in her thoughts. “Me, on the other hand, had to work for it and even though I worked for what they so freely gave to you, I was never able to receive it on the same level as you did.” Gasping for breath, her green eyes filled with water. “You’re a great source of joy in the Professor’s life, which he has never made any secret of. For Scott, you’ve always been the one who knew everything about him and shared in his joys and sorrows, while me, his fiancé, could never have that privilege.” She swiped at the tears running down her cheeks impatiently, hiccupping. “I have always known that Logan was in love with you…always known that he wanted you. It hurt to know that I was only a distraction…and yes, even I knew that was all I was to him.”

She turned to Ororo, giving her a wry smile. “But I didn’t care. I made sure that they noticed me though, but no matter what I did, it was always, Ororo this, ‘Ro that, Storm this, ‘Roro that.”

“So to get what you deemed was given to me so freely, you resorted to vicious plots and cruel words?” Ororo interjected harshly. She was having none of Jean’s “confession”. She wasn’t going to be magnanimous and take the high road. The time for that was over.

“So tell me…did you get any satisfaction out of hating me?” Ororo asked matter-of-factly. “Because from where I am standing, it has had quite the opposite effect.”

Silence.

Typical Jean when she was faced with the truth. Unable to endure Jean’s presence for much longer, Ororo said her final piece. “I will say this once only and hopefully it registers with you. Logan and I are married. That’s a fact and something you will have to accept sooner or later…for everyone’s benefit, I hope it is sooner.” Spearing her former friend with a cobalt stare of intensity, “your schemes and plots mean nothing because at the end of the day, Logan will never be yours. I hope you use your time to accomplish more positive things. Life is short Jean and it is your responsibility to do well with it.”

Ororo angrily turned on her heels and left the room, literally quaking with being hit full force by the undertaking and tension of the confrontation. She leaned against the closed door and took a few cleansing breaths, restoring the weather to its pre-confrontation order. As she began walking away in search of her husband, she felt confident that she had left Jean with the knowledge that she wasn’t going to keel over and there were no doubts as to where she stood in protecting and fighting for what was hers.





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