Puzzles and Pain (Open)

[Jean Grey]

Jean stepped into the kitchen pausing for a moment as her eyes swept the room before she was moving again to the cabinet that contained the tea bags. She needed something to calm her and get rid of the pounding headache she had all day. Moving to the second cupboard on the right closest to the stove she found the container that held various flavors of tea and started to pick through it. Finding what she wanted she moved to set the kettle to boil and get a cup and the sugar from another cabinet.

Things hadn't been easy since she returned to the manor, her memories were blurred so she had no idea what they were. Others were clear as day but horrible enough that she didn't want to remember them. She had resumed her duties in the med lab as the doctor and a teacher of chemistry but things weren't the same. After the time that had passed things never would be the way they were before. Those around her didn't look on her as they once had, their faces and minds were full of distrust and worry, not only against her but the professor and Scott as well.

Jean was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize at first that the kettle had boiled, emerald eyes blinked a couple of times bringing her back to the present and she moved to get the kettle. Pouring the water over the teabag in her cup she watched the clear liquid turn a deep brown as the tea steeped. She let it do so for several seconds before she added her sugar and moved to settle at the island counter. Normally she would have taken it back to the med lab and hidden down there but she had been doing that too often as of late.

[Wild Thing]

(if no one responds to this by tomorrow i'll apply for a new charrie and join in, k? )

[Wolverine]

(( Don't worry, Wild Thing. I've been dying to RP with Jean! I'm excited! ))

He had finally learned to live without her.

He had learned how to sleep at night, how to close his eyes and not see the redness of her hair nor hear the soft pink lips that parted slowly and whispered to him in his dreams. He had learned to look at women who the same sweeping curves and the glowing green eyes and not feel his heart ripping into a thousand pieces. The mourning period was over. Or at least that's told what he told himself.

And now she was back. Ghost banshee lover girl woman. The lovely haunting specter returned from his dreams. But who was she? Phoenix was gone, and he was glad of that. Yet she was still different. He sensed it.

Slowly pacing into the kitchen, he saw her standing there with angelic grace. Even though she looked flustered, she was still strikingly alluring. Her sweet aroma filled the room, and her hair glittered in the soft sunlight. Jean was always Jean even when she was not Jean.

"Good morning," he said gently.

[Jean Grey]

She sensed him before he even stepped into the room but that didn't make the greeting any easier to deal with. There was history between the two and despite being with Scott that history wouldn't go away. Her memories had been screwed up but she knew she felt the same pull with Logan as she did with Scott. Her head came up when that voice spoke and their eyes locked. For several seconds there was silence as the two simply stared at each other before Jean broke it.

"Good morning....." She replied just as softly her eyes dropping to the tea in front of her.

That attraction the two had for each other flared up almost instantly and Jean closed her eyes. This wasn't going to be easy, dealing with Logan, but as far as she could remember it never really had. Having feelings for him didn't help matters in the least and it was frustrating. Slender fingers wrapped around the handle of the cup in front of her and she lifted it to her lips to take a sip before it was set down and her gaze went to him again.

[Wolverine]

Ghost lover banshee girl woman . . .

This wasn't going to be easy. This wasn't the first time she had risen from the dead like a Phoenix from its ashes. She was like Indian goddess who could reincarnate her soul a thousand times and find her same lover in every single new body that she visited. The only difference was that this goddess had two suitors.

Logan had heard she had amnesia. It was something they both had in common now. He wondered how much she had forgotten. From her reaction, he could see that she hadn't forgotten him. He was glad about that, but in his mind, a part of him thought it would be nice if she had forgotten Scott. Yet he knew it would be futile even if that did happen to occur. Logan knew Jean cared about Scott, and if she spent some time with him, she'd fall for him all over again.

Logan had originally intended to get a Jack Daniels from the refrigerator. There was no way he was going to do that in front of Jean. Instead, he started making coffee. He was starting to substitute it for liquor nowadays. It was becoming quite addictive.

"How are you?" he asked suddenly. "You look nice."

[Jean Grey]

Her gaze followed him as he moved and a moment later she was looking back into her tea cup. Damn it focus Jean, don't do this all over again! She took another sip of the tea in front of her and her eyes drifted the man once more as he went about making coffee and asked how she was doing. The compliment he gave her seemed to almost be an after thought but she let it go. She was dressed in a simple black skirt and blouse, flat heeled black pumps, her long hair pinned back slightly to keep it out of her face but otherwise left down to fall down her back to her waist. It was simple, nothing she wouldn't usually wear as far as she could remember. Silence seemed to stretch between them before she found her voice to speak.

"I'm alright.....a little frustrated at the computers in the med lab right now but other then that...." She replied softly trailing off. God this was hard to do and she knew it was only going to get worse.

[Wolverine]

He nodded. "Yeah, those things can be a bitch to handle," he said. He paused. "I mean, those computers are very annoying." Good job, Logan, he thought to himself. He hated the awkwardness of the moment. What had changed between them? He used to feel so comfortable with Jean. And now he felt like he was walking on a bed of needles.

His coffee was done. He poured the warm black java into a large white mug and drank it, letting the bitter, black liquid down his throat. He didn't need sugar or cream. He just needed to feel the soothing warmth in his body.

"You know, you can always talk to me," he said.

[Jean Grey]

A small smile curved Jean's lips as he spoke about how temperamental computers could be. She had to agree with him, even with his colorful way of putting things. The man always managed to put a smile on her face no matter what was going on even if it didn't last long. The tea cup was brought to her lips once more and she let the liquid slide down her throat until it was finished. She let the cup drop and sat still for a moment before she was up and moving again to get another cup. Her hand shook slightly though she didn't seem to notice as she turned to get another tea bag.

It figured that Logan just HAPPENED to be exactly where she needed to go. She stepped in front of him, their bodies inches apart, and leaned around him to grab the container with the tea bags. As she did so their bodies brushed against each other and it was like electricity had shocked them both. She was withdrawing a moment later with the container in hand her eyes meeting his once more. They were still standing close together but there was space between them.

"I know I can Logan, and I thank you for that...." She replied softly before she was turning to finish making her tea.

[Wolverine]

The warmth of her soft body sent chills through him. He wasn't sure if he should be drinking coffee now; it wasn't the time to be wired on caffeine. It was just like Jean to be ambiguous, to torture him with her indecisive nature. But that's what he liked about her -- that she was open to change.

His coffee sat quietly on the counter. It was growing cooler now. He hadn't touched it for a few minutes. He stared into the black, vacuous abyss and saw his reflection staring back at him with dark eyes. It was only for a moment.

"You're welcome," he said. "Any time."

[Jean Grey]

Jean finished making her second cup of tea and she settled down taking a sip of it before she found herself talking before her brain had a chance to process it and catch up.

"Its frustrating....Having these gaps in my memory. I try so hard to finish a memory but it comes up blank, like watching a movie where certain parts just go black before the picture continues at another point."

The redhead shook her head and let out a small sigh her free hand pushing the long crimson locks back over her shoulder before she was looking to Logan once more. For several seconds she simply stared at him before she found her voice again...

"But then you would understand that wouldn't you....having suffered with it for as long as you can remember...."

[Wolverine]

He nodded, taking a sip of his bitter black coffee. There had been an obvious bluntness to Jean's words, a very simple and matter-of-fact psychoanalysis. Sometimes she could be that way. Jean was the kind of woman who was a bit of a know-it-all, which came from the fact that she was right most of the time. And, in this case, she was.

"Yeah, it's not exactly a trip to Disneyland," he answered. "I have no idea who the hell I am anymore. I wonder if it matters, if I'll find out and discover it was all just a lie anyway." He paused. "Jean, you'll always be the same person to me no matter what. I don't care what anyone thinks."

[Jean Grey]

A smile came to Jean's lips at Logan's words and she found herself glancing away. One thing that hadn't changed with her return and loss of memories were the feelings she still felt for the man in front of her. That was also frustrating, she cared for Logan deeply but her sense of devotion and loyalty to Scott kept her from doing anything about what she felt. A slender hand came up to brush her hair out of her eyes as she took another sip of her tea and she met Logan's eyes/

"Thanks Logan.... I really do appreciate that." She replied softly. "I have found I can always talk to you and you won't judge or try to use my own analysis of the situation against me."