Note: Got inspired seeing them all grown up at ascension II so I wrote this fic. Oh and I liked Jean's shorter hair at the future x-men line up so I'll make it as that. Anyways, the story sets around four years after ascension. This is mostly about Scott and Jean's relationship. I love them to bits.

Second Time Around

Kitty scrunched up her nose. "Oh, you're like so going to be in trouble Drake."

"What?" asked Bobby.

Kitty tapped her foot on the living room floor that was now covered in melted ice.

Ray, who followed Bobby in, grinned devilishly. "Oh yeah. Wait til Storm sees this. You'll be dead for sure. And the tree's totally drenched."

They looked up the Christmas tree that was painstakingly decorated by Ororo with non traditional Christmas decorations coming from Africa. But the tree was now limp with water.

Bobby groaned.

Kurt teleported right in the middle of a big puddle. "Hey!" he exclaimed as he felt the icy water reach up to his heels. "Vat happened in here?"

Kitty and Ray pointed a finger at Bobby.

"Oh boy," Kurt said solemnly, "She will kill you."

Bobby cringed at his friends' identical forecast and promptly scowled. "Look I just thought a winter Christmas was what we need. I mean a little ice won't hurt."

Kitty snorted. "Until they melted dummy."

Bobby said sarcastically, "Hmm, why didn't I think of that? I guess not everyone's as smart as you, Ms. Columbia scholar."

Kitty glared at him. "Stuff it, Bobby."

Bobby sighed. "Sorry, I just thought I could hold up the ice."

"Until someone opened the heater," Kurt piped up.

"How can anyone be feeling cold when its 50 degrees outside?" Bobby grumbled.

"Um, unlike you, Drake, we aren't made out of ice," Ray replied.

"Well, who likes a hot Christmas anyway? It's suppose to snow," Bobby scowled again, "Now I have this big mess."

"You could haf requested Ororo to fix that," Kurt said, "but if she sees this now, expect an Australian December, my friend."

Kitty, Ray, and Kurt laughed, much to Bobby's grumbles. Then the laughter stopped abruptly and Bobby pretty much had a good idea who had just entered the room.

"Bobby?!" Ororo tired to calmly address the guilty boy, as she surveyed how the living room looked like it's been drowned. "What. In heaven's sake. Did you do now?"

"Good luck," said Kitty as she phased through the wall while Ray tip toed out of the room and Kurt left with a bamf.

Scott who entered the room with Ororo surveyed the area and suppressed a laugh. Just like the old times when Bobby was too impatient for snow and decided to created his own winter wonderland inside the mansion. He remembered the last time when Bobby flooded the mansion with ice. It was a few years ago. When Jean was still with them. He frowned and quickly shut the thought away.

"Bobby!?" Storm yelled, as she had just dropped her gaze upon her wilted tree.

Scott couldn't help but give a snort at the stuttering state of the usually smooth ice cube. Scott made the mistake of snorting a bit too loudly. Ororo raised her eyebrow. "Is there something funny, Scott? Does this wilting tree look funny to you?"

Hoo boy. "No, no. Of course not, " Scott replied as he quickly stepped backwards for the door, concluding that it was safer for him to get out of sight.

Scott went into the kitchen where Dr. McCoy was fixing a sandwich.

"From all those commotion I'm hearing, I figure Bobby got in trouble with Ororo again," Hank commented.

Scott opened the fridge and grabbed a soda. "Yep, I think he'll be fixing the tree up again this year."

"Hmm, another white Christmas with those icicle ornaments of his."

"I won't be sticking around for that this time. I'm thinking of spending Christmas at Alex's. I haven't seen him lately."

Hank choked on his sandwich. "Um, I think you'll find it in your best interests to stay here for the holidays."

Scott took a swig of soda. "Why's that? I can sure skip winter for sunny Hawaii."

Hank replied, "It's unofficial but I heard the professor talking to Jean on the phone. I think she's coming over."

Scott froze at her name. "Are you sure?"

"I said it's unofficial."

"When's she coming?"

Hank sighed, "I said it's unofficial, Summers. Why don't you ask--"

But Scott was already out of the door.

***

Scott paced from one end of the empty rec room to the other. His mind was racing on the confirmed news from the Prof that Jean was indeed joining them for Christmas. He ran his hand over his head. He haven't seen her for a long time. Two years to be exact. Two long years.

He doesn't know what to expect or how to act when he sees her again. Sure they've had communicated from time to time. Maybe an occasional e-mail or chat on the net or even rarer, a phone call, but it was always in a polite exchange, rather unnatural and clipped. They didn't seem like the best friends who, once upon a time couldn't be separated from each other's sides or the lovers they had later become when they grew older. Instead, now they talk as if they were acquaintances or, at best, former colleagues.

But now that Scott will see her again, he knew they couldn't keep this charade up any longer. They won't be able to hide behind their telephones or their PCs. Now they'll see each other face to face. Scott kept on pacing the length of the room and it was in this state that Rogue found him.

Rogue poked her head inside and asked tentatively, "Scott? You okay? You look like you're gonna leave the carpet battered."

Scott looked up, distracted. "What?"

"I asked if something's bothering you."

"Yeah, sort of. I mean, it's really good news but…" he trailed off.

"But what?" Rogue prompted.

"Jean's coming over."

"Oh." Rogue uttered, "That's nice." It really was. She hadn't seen Jean since she left. She and Jean had started out in the wrong foot with Rogue having issues with the seemingly perfect redhead and Jean having issues of her own with the rebel's attitude. But both outgrew that stage and both earned the respect of one another and became friends albeit never close ones.

But Rogue never did understand why Jean left the institute so suddenly. Jean said there was a better program in Boston for a career in genetics but there were good universities in New York too. And Rogue didn't like the way it affected Scott. She remembered that they parted in unpleasant conditions and even though they had some sort of truce now, they were a long way from having the special friendship they used to have that Rouge used to envy. I'm not jealous of that now, Rogue thought with a smile on her lips, thinking about Remy. Rogue snapped back to the present situation when Scott started to pace the room again.

"Hey, chill," Rogue called out.

"I can't," he dully replied.

"When will she be coming over anyways?"

"Next week but the prof said she's not definite. It might be a week after that."

"Look, you'll drop dead with cardiac arrest if you kept on being this nervous until gawdknows when Jean's coming over."

"I'm not nervous. I'm just preparing myself," Scott retorted.

"Uh- huh, I can see that. Just make sure not to 'over prepare' yourself."

Rogue shook her head. Then she said in a softer voice, "Hey, don't worry. It'll be fine."

Scott looked up and gave a half smile back. "Yeah, I guess."

***

They just had a killer danger room practice and it was evident in the way all of them just sprawled around the rec room, laying their aching bodies on the couches.

"I'm starving," Remy announced to anyone who cares to hear.

"So am I," said Kitty, nestling on the sofa's cushion.

"Then let's eat. Dinner should be ready." Kurt said, standing up from his armchair.

"Housekeeper's out," Bobby sullenly replied, "And the pantry's stock seems to be low."

"What?" Kurt cried as he plopped back into the chair. "No food?"

"Pantry stock low," Kitty grumbled, "I wonder why." He shot Bobby and Kurt dirty looks.

"So we're just gonna starve to death?" Remy asked.

"Better starve to death than have Kitty cook for us," Rogue replied, propping the pillows to support her sore back.

"Hey!" Kitty now glared at Rogue. "I know my cooking is not perfect but after a lot of practice, you have to agree it's getting better."

"It is, Kitten," Peter said.

"See?" Kitty gave an I-told-you-so-look at Rogue.

"Overstatement of the year," Kurt mumbled lowly.

Leaning to where Kurt was sitting, Peter whispered back, "You have to agree before she cooks more to prove her point."

"Ah, yes, wise move," Kurt said, nodding.

"I repeat my question 'Are we just gonna starve here?'" Remy asked wearily.

"If you're so hungry, you call for pizza," Bobby replied.

"I'm tired, you call," Remy replied.

"You call, Rogue," Bobby said, nodding to her, "You're closest to the phone."

"No, I'm not," Rogue mumbled, her eyes closed.

Nobody wanted to move and thus just stayed at their comfortable positions.

A few minutes later, Scott walked in and sat next to Kitty.

"Call for pizza, Slim," Kurt said.

"I've already did thirty minutes ago," Scott replied, leaning back and propping his feet up the coffee table.

"Thank God," said Kurt.

"Now I know why you're team leader," Remy called out.

The doorbell rang. And again nobody moved.

"You get it," Remy said to particularly no one.

"Who?" Kurt asked.

"Anyone."

"Bobby, you get it. It's pizza, your favorite," Kitty lured.

"Anything that is edible is his favorite," Rogue commented. She waited for a comeback but didn't hear one. She looked over to where Bobby was sitting and saw him sound asleep. "Drake's out. You get it Kurt."

"No, you get it Scott," Kurt said, "It's your fault why we're all so dead tired from the training anyways."

"I was just following Logan's program," Scott retorted.

"That alone is a mistake my friend," Kurt replied.

The doorbell rang again.

"Fine, fine," Scott muttered, finally standing up.

The poor delivery man must be freezing out. Scott hurried towards the door and opened it.

And came face to face with Jean.

Scott stood there motionless.

Jean's green eyes crinkled into a smile. "Hey."

Scott forgot how to breathe. His voice stuck at the back of his throat.

"Hey," he finally said back.

"God, it's been what? Two years?" She shook her head. "You look the same as ever."

"You hair's shorter," Scott said.

Jean patted her shoulder length hair and laughed. "Is that all you're gonna say to me, Slim?"

"Yeah, that and that it looks pretty on you," Scott replied.

"Right. So my hair's pretty," Jean teasingly said.

Scott gave a half smile and then realizing that Jean's still outside, quickly ushered her in and took her luggage from her.

Looking around the familiar interior, Jean felt a sense of nostalgia setting in. "Oh God, I miss this place."

"You should have visited before," Scott said, setting her luggage aside.

"I don't have the time. You know how busy I am with my studies," Jean replied. But both knew she wasn't exactly being truthful.

"I'm glad I'm finally here. This visit is long overdue. I miss my family." Jean paused. "I miss you a lot."

Scott replied, "I miss my friend too."

Jean gave him a small smile.

Scott cleared his throat. "Come meet the others. They'll be glad to see you."

Walking into the rec room, Scott started to announce, "Hey guys--"

But Kurt cut him off. "Oh good! I was about to get off this chair. You were just taking too long with the pizza."

Jean looked around at the lounging x-men and gave a laugh. "What kind of training did Logan put you guys through this time?"

The room suddenly perked up at the sound of their former teammate.

"Jean!" Kitty jumped up and hugged her friend. "I thought you said you would arrive next week."

"I got off early and decided to just surprise you guys."

Just then the doorbell rang.

"Now that must be the pizza," Kurt announced.

And since they were on their feet anyways, they all went to the front door to greet it.

***