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9. It all comes crashing down

When neither Ororo nor Logan came for dinner, Jean excused herself and went to Ororo's room. She found Ororo lying on the ground curled in a fetal position. She immediately went to her side and lifted her upto the bed.
“What happened Ororo?” When Ororo didn’t give any reply she repeated her question.
“Ororo, what happened? What is the matter? Why are you crying?”
Ororo simply whispered “Logan….” And started crying again.

The mention of Logan clenched Jean’s heart. Over the last few weeks Jean had noticed that Logan and Ororo had been growing closer to each other. And, while she was happily married and it shouldn’t have affected her, a small part of her was jealous of Ororo. Now the same part was filled with fear. What had Logan done? Had he told Ororo about himself and Jean, or had he turned her down because of he still harbored feelings about Jean.

She pulled Ororo to her and soothed her. Once she stopped crying, she asked “What happened with Logan? Did he hurt you? Did he say something to you?”

“We had a fight” she said between sobs.
“What sort of a fight. A fight between friends or a couple fight? I didn’t know you two were seeing each other romantically.”
“I don’t know what sort of a fight.”
“What do you mean you don’t know what sort of a fight? Did he hit you?”

Ororo raised her tear stained face and moved back on the bed to rest her head on the wall. She was silent as she tried to calm herself. After about five minutes she told Jean everything that had occurred between the two of them since Sunday.

Jean knew from experience that Logan was hesitant in showing emotions and the multitude of emotions he had shown towards Ororo meant that he was attracted to the African beauty and wanted more than a friendship. This thought hurt Jean more than she expected it to. Maybe it was her hollow pride, but she had liked the fact that Logan hadn’t married or got romantically involved with any other woman in the last ten years. But it looked like he was ready to move on and move on with Ororo one of her best friends.

Jean’s thoughts went back to a time when she, Scott and Ororo were still in college. Ororo had fallen in love with a tech whiz named Forge who was working at the institute at that time. At a time when Scott and Jean were busy get their career on track, Forge had proposed to Ororo and she had happily accepted. She was even ready to move out of the mansion once Forge’s contract was over and he moved back to the Silicon Valley. However, one day Ororo went to his apartment in the city without calling him up. She wanted to surprise him with a new dance routine she had learned. What she saw there had shocked her. Forge was in his bed with another ‘older’ woman and they were going at it like animals. Ororo was dumbstruck and dropped the Chinese carryout she had brought along. She turned around and ran before Forge had a chance to catch her or provide any excuses.

Later that evening, Forge had come to the mansion to talk with Ororo. The professor had asked her to talk with Forge even if she wanted to breakup. He said it would help her in getting closure. But even he couldn’t have expected anything like what Forge had said. At first he had tried making excuses but when that didn’t work he had gotten angry and shouted at Ororo that she was lucky he was agreeing to marry her. He said that with her ‘freaky’ white hair and blue eyes on dark skin and her pagan beliefs no sane man would marry her. After that he had stormed out of the house and out of her life. The very next day the professor called his lawyers to void Forge’s contract and pay him off if need be. But the harm had been done. Ororo had lost complete self confidence and didn’t leave her room for weeks. And finally when she came out she had become calm and collected.

Jean had been jealous of Ororo when she was engaged to Forge. But later had been sorry for both Ororo and herself for being jealous of her best friend. Over the years they had become closer. Ororo had been the maid of honor at her and Scott’s marriage. But Ororo never dated after that. But now it seemed that she was getting close to Logan and this was causing the same problems all over again. She wanted to help her friend but couldn’t do it without revealing her jealousy and cowardice.

So Jean did the best thing she could. She hugged Ororo that everything will be OK. When Ororo asked her what should she do about Logan, she just said that she didn’t know.

Next morning, Charles Xavier’s office.

Out of the five people present in the room, four were sitting while the fifth was standing in a dark corner of the room behind the professor’s table staring at the other three.
“I have asked you all here this early to give you very serious news. It has been brought to my notice that certain employees of the school haven’t submitted the correct personal information or have been convicted of criminal activities in the past.”
“Anyone in this room?” asked Scott starring at Logan.
“No Scott. No one in this room. That's why I had invited only the three of you here today.”
“Professor if you don’t mind answering, what is the source of this information.”
“Logan had approached a friend who operates as a Private Eye in New York State. It was thanks to her voluntary selfless work that we got the information.”

Ororo sensed that the Professor was talking about Sage.
Scott didn’t let up. “Are you sure we can trust her. For all we know she may be working for Lehnsherr.”
This comment got a growl from Logan. “I know her for the past ten years and I trust her more than I trust myself sometimes.”
Scott snickered “That’s not saying much. Who is she? Anther one of your bed buddies.”

The other people present in the room could sense the tension growing between the two of them. It had been simmering since many weeks. Before anyone could interrupt, Logan retorted.
“Yes she is one of my bed buddies. We shared beds many times. Specially when we were behind enemy lines and had to sleep in sandy trenches. You must remember the time Scott Summers, when you were busy bedding the girl you stole from me.” With that Logan started to walk towards the door.

Scott caught his hand “What do you mean stole. You two had broken up before we started dating.”
Logan pulled his hand and sneered at Scott and Jean, “Oh, so that is the story she gave you. For your information Mr. Summers, she was sending me letters and answering my calls even while she was dating you. Right uptil the time Chuck here offered you sponsorships and jobs. That is the time she left ‘OUR’ apartment. She left me with a note saying that both of you had a bright future together. You thought she loved you. Poor Scooter. She just chose you because you were offering a better deal at the time. And as for my friend, she is one of my closest friends and is the closest thing I have to a sister.”

With that Logan walked out of the room leaving four very shocked people.
“Scott….”
Scott didn’t answer Jean but left through the same doors Logan had left a few moments ago.
Jean turned to Ororo, “Ororo….” She said laying her hand on her forearms.
Ororo stood up, her eyes full of anger “Don’t. Touch. Me.”
“Ororo” tears flowing down Jean’s face.
“I thought of you as a friend, as a sister. I poured my heart out to you and you do this to me….instead of telling me the truth, you told me nothing.”
“Ororo please try to understand…”
“UNDERSTAND…..understand what?” she was practically yelling now. “Understand that instead of helping me with the screw up of another relation, you wanted to keep the skeletons in your closet safe. What did you want? To keep Logan for yourself. Forever pining for you and not able to move on.”
Jean’s flinch told Ororo that she had hit the nail right on the head. “That’s it isn’t it. Now I understand what Logan had told me. He thinks me to be just like you. You know what Mrs. Jean Grey-Summers, I am nothing like you. You…You are even worse than Forge. He just abused my love and trust. You have abused my love, trust, friendship and feeling of sisterhood.” Tears had started flowing down Ororo's face. Wiping her tears she ran out of the room.

Jean looked at the Professor with tear filled eyes. Xavier had come to think of the institute as his family and Scott, Jean and Ororo were like his children. Now right in front of his eyes his family seems to be breaking up.
He looked compassionately at Jean and said “Jean, please go to your room. I will take care of all of your classes.”

Jean wearily walked away. Once she was gone Xavier let out a heavy sigh and pressing the intercom announced that there will be no classes of Mr. Summers, Mrs. Summers and Miss Monroe today.

Ororo ran outside to find Logan but as she got outside she saw heard Logan’s bike and saw him pulling out of the institute gates. She wanted to run after him, but knew it would serve no purpose except for advertising her sorry state. She made her way to her loft. She had heard the Professor’s message and was thankful for it. On reaching her room she pulled went directly to the balcony waiting for Logan to return. She fell asleep in the balcony and it was evening when she woke up. Someone was knocking on her door.

“Who is it?” she asked not wanting to get up.
“It’s me Jubilee.”
“Jubiliation child, it’s late. Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
“Please open the door, I’ll answer everything. I am getting tired with all this stuff.”

Ororo got up and walked to the door unlocking it. The room was pitch-dark, except for faint moonlight. Turning around Ororo switched on the light and then faced Jubilee who a bulging knapsack slung over one shoulder and held a bag of food in one hand and a six pack of soda in the other. She took one look at Ororo and gasped.
“You guys had a fight didn’t you?”
Ororo knew who Jubilee was referring too and just nodded her head.
Setting her stuff down, she closed the door and turned to Ororo.
“What did the big lug do now?” she demanded.
“He didn’t do anything. It was all due to my own insecurities.”
“What do you mean?”

Instead of answering Ororo tried to change the subject.
“What are you doing up so late at night with all these things?”
“Oh these, I was supposed to stay at Wolvie’s tonight. But when I reached the cabin the front door was open and his keys and jacket were missing. I waited and waited until I finally gave up. I thought he might be here, you know like usually comes here after the dance classes to spend some time cooling off. But I guess I was wrong again. So tell me what happened.”
“Nothing you need to worry your young self with child.”
Jubilee crossed her arms, and huffed “Miss Monroe, I have been living with Logan for the past five years. I have seen and heard things you won’t even believe. Try me. I am not as immature as I look.”
Ororo gave a sad smile “I am sure you mentor has raised you well. But…”
Jubilee cut her off mid-sentence, “But nothing, just tell me what happened. And in the meantime I’ll get us something to eat. I am famished and I know you are too. I didn’t see the whole day.”

Ororo really wanted to talk to someone. Usually talking to Jean helped her. But now, she couldn’t even bear thinking about Jean. Jubilee took out one food pack and a soda and handed it to her. Both started eating and slowly Ororo told jubilee everything that had happened between her and Logan since Sunday, leaving out anything to do with Scott or Jean.





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