My husband and my best friend

Marie moaned in sheer annoyance, as she and Scott walked the last couple of steps leading to the door of Charles's office. They had taken more then fifteen minutes. Marie had insisted on stopping at the kitchen to make a mug of her daily dosage of Camomile tea. It was a must; she would never make it though the morning until lunch time without it.

Scott sighed and shook his head at his wife's ploy to stall the meeting they were going to have to attend. He had grabbed him self a mug of coffee, he was in the kitchen, so why not get him self a mug whilst he was there. He knew he was going to need it, if he had to deal with both Jean and Logan.

They had no idea that everyone could hear their conversation they were having outside the door leading into Charles's office. Scott sighed and told his wife "You insisted on going to the kitchen knowing it would stall us getting to Charles's office."

Marie replied dryly "Yeah right and you mean to tell me your looking forward to the meeting we're about to have behind that door?" Scott shook his head and said "No I'm not love and you know it. Look your not the only one who is going to have to deal with Jean and Logan, I am as well."

He added try to sooth her already irritated nervous, not to forgetting to mention his own nerves as well. "Look listen Marie love, if it gets to the point where Logan or Jean's presence becomes too much for either of us to tolerate, then we can leave. Surely Charles won't begrudge us that."

Scott added as he went to knock on the door "Look just grit your teeth lay back and think of our bedroom." Marie laughed. She asked between chuckles "Do you think Charles would mind if we headed back to our bedroom? As I could think of more then a few things I'd like to do to you right about now. And trust me none of them have Jean Grey and Logan, or the rest of the X-Men in their descriptions."

Scott moaned and glared at Marie "Knock it off Marie, or I swear I'll take you out here on the carpet right now. Surely you don't want Charles and the others to hear you screaming and begging me."

Marie snorted "Yeah right, who was it the other night who was practically cursing me and calling me a fucking cock tease?" Scott laughed and replied "That love is because you are a fucking cock tease. You're a sadist thank you very much."

Marie let out a bark like laugh and replied "You're calling me a sadist. Huh what about the other night, you left me hanging for over an hour before you'd even let me cum. And you're calling me a sadist?"

Scott and Marie froze when they heard sniggers and coughs coming from on the other side of the door. Marie didn't even bat an eye lid. She commented sarcastically and loud enough for them all to hear, letting them know that she knew they had heard everything.

"Oh well, I guess we've provided the bout of sexual education for the day, if it hadn't been us, it would have probably been either Jubilee or John who made some wise arsed comment or other."

Scott added dryly "Oh what a pity, I'm just sorry that I can't see the blushing that Ororo, Hank, Bobby and Kitty are bound to be doing right now."

They both started laughing when the door was suddenly flung open, and a violent red faced Ororo scowled at them and said though clenched teeth. "Get in here now, because I swear if I have to listen to one more sex crack from either John or Jubilee, then this mild mannered weather goddess is going to chill more then a few heads."

Scott and Marie smirked when Ororo moved a side to reveal the grinning and leering Jubilee and John. And as predicted, Kitty had her hands covering her face and Bobby looked like he was on the verge of burst into flames if his face became any red or hotter. Hank on the other hand was looking up at the ceiling again and whistling to him self.

Jean sat there stunned as she took in her ex and Marie. Both had changed so much. She was shocked to hear Scott talking in such a fashion, and the fact he had used the term 'Fucking cock tease, without breaking out into a sweat, told the older woman that, Scott was not the same man she had left behind all of those years ago.

Logan was more then a little surprised to hear Marie talking in such a bluntly sexual manner. Then there was one eye, who much to Logan's amusement, seemed to have finally removed the stick from his arse and loosened up. It would seem the Boy Scout was no longer a boy scout.

Logan couldn't help him self as he commented "Tell me one eye since when did you allow that stick up your arse to be removed?" Scott didn't bat a mere eye lid as he sat in his usual chair near Charles's desk, and gestured for Marie to sit in his lap like she usually did.

Charles spoke up quickly before a fight could break out between the two "Logan please do try and refrain from winding Scott up. Honestly you've been back less then four hours and already you're picking fights with Scott."

He added "Besides the name one eye is more then overly used by your self, as well as it being a form of insult on your part. And of course it no longer suits him, considering the fact Scott hasn't worn a visor or glasses in almost four and a half years."

Scott held up the hand that wasn't holding his coffee mug and commented dryly "Don't worry Charles; I'm not going to let lose just because Wolverine decided he wanted to act like a child And of course over use a name that no longer applies to me."

He added with a smirk and asked archly "Tell me Wolverine, since the stick up my arse that was my best friend and one true companion whilst I was engaged to Jean, now that it's gone, has it found a new home in the arse of her husband?"

Everyone except Logan and Jean and Charles had to choke back a laugh. They couldn't believe he had said that, and so calmly. Sure they knew he had changed and lightened up since Jean and Logan had left. But he had never spoken so in such a fashion that was used to needle someone.

Logan growled and stood up ready to run Scott through with his claws. Jean had to stand up and prevent him from doing anything. She turned to her ex and glared at him, as he sat calmly and fully composed in the black leather high back chair, as he ideally stroked his wife's stomach and took a sip from his coffee mug.

Jean asked coldly "Oh honestly Scott, this isn't like you. What has happened to you? Obviously Rogue is a bad influence on you. You were never this out spoken before." She made a mistake, without realising it, as soon as she accused Marie of being a bad influence on him.

Marie went to stand and give Jean a piece of her mind, but a hand resting firmly but gently around her waist stopped her. She turned and looked at Scott questioningly. Scott merely shook his head.

Jean looked smug as she commented "Well, there you go Rogue, I guess no matter how long I've been gone Scott will always choose and defend me over all others."

Scott snorted and replied coldly "Don't be too sure of that Jean. Whatever love or respect I held for you truly died over the years after you left with that excuse for a human being and mutant" he gestured to Logan.

He continued on "In fact I'm well and truly over you Jean. I pity Logan, I really do. As you see it is now his turn to be in a relationship with a control freak and a woman who insists upon trying to change him into something he is not and never could truly be."

He continued on his voice turning icy and his glare just as icy "You never loved me enough or like you said you did. You also never respected me; if you had you would have accepted me for who I am. You would have never tried to have changed me and made me into something that I'm not."

He gestured to Marie, who was silently fuming as Scott went on "Marie she allows me to be my self. Yes Jean, this is who I truly am, it is no act. The way I was with you was not the real me. Damnit Jean I changed my self to suit you, thinking if I acted like the man you wanted me to be, then you would love me and not leave me."

He finished with a growl "So do me a favour, don't you fucking dare come barging back here after almost five years and start throwing your self about. And for the record my wife is not a bad influence on me, she is good one, as she allows me to be who I truly am, and not a boy scout with a stick up his arse, to please the all mighty and powerful Doctor Grey, grown up Jean."

Jean had gone pale and looked like she had been violently slapped across the face. She had no idea she had made Scott feel that way. Silently she admitted he was acting a lot like he had when she had first met him. And that he was less light and more uptight after he began dating her.

Scott finished "You need to understand Jean; I have never been so happy and content in my life, not even when I was with you. I love Marie dearly, I really do. I feel free to be my self around her, while unlike with you I was afraid to show any kind of weakness around you, out of fear that you would judge me."

He added "I did at one point love you Jean. But that loved felt overshadowed and overbearing due to the fact I felt like I needed to, no had to be the prefect boy scout for you. That wasn't me Jean. I spent our whole relationship trying to be something that I wasn't, just to please you and keep you happy. What kind of happiness was that for me Jean?"

Jean had tears streaming down her face. As she sat back in the chair she had been sitting in previously. Logan was fuming, how dare that little bastard, make his wife cry. He launched him self at Scott, his claws out and ready to shred Scott to pieces.

Scott had other ideas; he had seen what Logan had been up to and just managed to carefully remove Marie from his lap and out of the way of Logan's claws. Scott had invulnerable skin, but Marie didn't.

Scott vaulted backwards out of his chair, kicking Logan in the face as he went, as well as throwing the hot coffee into Logan's face and eyes. Meaning Logan briefly couldn't see due to the coffee, but it was long enough for Scott to send him flying across the room with a well placed kick to the stomach.

Logan growled, completely enraged as he quickly got to his feet and launched him self at Scott once more. The women yelped startled. Marie and Jean glared at each other as they tried to break their husbands up.

Everyone looked up when they heard the sound of bones breaking followed by the sound of material being shredded. They all looked to see that Logan's nose had clearly been broken in several places and was gushing blood rapidly.

And Scott's shirt was shredded down the front. But what stunned Jean and Logan was the fact they had both seen Logan's claws shred through the material of Scott black shirt, this in return should have also penetrated Scott's chest, considering the force in which Logan had used when he had lunged with his claws at Scott's chest.

But much to their astonishment there wasn't a single mark on Scott's chest. Jean stuttered out "How, I saw the claws going though your shirt, and with the force and angle that the claws went though the shirt, it should have gone though your chest as well?"

Logan growled "My claws didn't even fucking penetrate him, it was as if they merely bounced off of him." Logan snarled and went to launch him self at Scott again. Scott merely rolled his eyes in exasperation and grabbed hold of Logan's claws as soon as they got near him again.

Logan watched in horrified fascination as Scott handled his claws with his bare hands. He watched as Scott deliberately laced his fingers with Logan's claws, and watched as the claws didn't even penetrate a mere inch of his skin. It seemed that his skin was impenetrable, not even Logan's skin was impenetrable.

Suddenly Logan began to yowl in agony as the metal of his claws began to heat up rapidly. He looked on disbelief, as Scott's hands began to glow brightly, glow an angry shade of red. Logan quickly forced his hands away from Scott as he could feel the metal starting to melt.

He managed to remove his claws and replace them inside of his knuckles before any real damage had been done to them. He eyed Scott in horror and spat out "What the hell was that?"

Scott merely glared at him and looked down and examined his now ruined shirt. He spat out bitterly "Bastard, I really liked shirt as well." He shook his head and smiled ruefully as Marie came up to him and gently placed a hand on his chest.

Scott kissed her lips gently before pulling away and said "I'm fine love, as perusal. You know fully well my skin is impenetrable in less I willingly switch off my mutation."

Scott looked up at Jean and Logan. Jean shook her head and asked "What on Earth was that Scott? Since when have you had impenetrable skin and been able to make your hands glow and almost melt metal as strong as Logan's claws?"

Scott replied "Not that its any of your business Jean, but not long after you left, I allowed Marie to heal the damaged part of my brain, using the healing ability Logan left behind when she had absorbed him."

He went on "After the damaged area of my brain was healed, I was able to have full and complete control over my optic blasts. I also discovered due to the brain damage I had suffered, the rest of my mutation had been unable to fully manifest it self."

He paused for a moment as he sat down and sighed wearily and gestured for Marie to sit back on his lap. He then began to speak again. "I discovered my skin is impenetrable, that not even Hank had been able to push a needled past my skin to take blood from me, in less I switched off my mutation and allowed him access. Then after as soon as I switched my mutation back on it would be as if the needle hadn't even penetrated my skin at all."

He continued after taking a deep breath "And finally my other mutation, my hands gather up heat and are powered by the suns solar energy just like my optic blasts are. I can use that ability to burn through almost all metals; all except for led, I can't burn through that."

Marie spoke up for the first time "As you know I have full control over my own mutation. But not long after you and Logan left, my full mutation manifested completely. I can now fly, I have super strength. As well as maintaining Logan's hearing, touch, taste and healing abilities, but on a more milder and less powerful scale then Logan's."

She added "I can also call forth all the other powers I absorbed, for example, Pyro's, Iceman's and Magneto's mutations and Carol's as well."

Charles spoke up before anything else could be said or done, there had not been fights and arguments in the mansion like this, ever since Logan left the last time, it irritated the telepath to no end.

"Please sit down all of you, and discuss this like reasonable and responsible adults. There is no need to become hostile." He added looking in Jean and Logan's direction "And Jean could you try and refrain from making comments such as the ones you made earlier on. You have no right or authority to say such things. Marie is not a bad influence on Scott, she allows him to open up and be him self. And dare I say it, she makes him happier then you ever did Jean."

He turned to Logan "And you Logan. I will not have you coming into my home and attacking and picking fights with residence who decided to stay all year round and not come and go as they please."

Logan growled "I'll stay out of his way as long as he treats Jeannie with respect. I don't like to see Jeannie upset." Scott replied dryly "In that case I recommend you invest in blind folds."

Charles was caught between being horrified and terribly amused. Jean on the other hand was fuming. She did not appreciate Scott's wise arsed cracks and flippant remarks.

She instantly knew that if she tried to control Scott or dictate his life, she knew that Scott would make her life a living hell. He never forgave her for her cheating and she suspected he never would either.

She knew there was now nothing Logan could do to Scott, since he now had all of those new mutations. If anyone could truly cause the other harm, it was Scott who was capable of causing Logan harm. It would seem the tables had truly turned on Logan, as far as the sparring matches between Scott and Logan were concerned.

Marie and Alex clapped a hand over their mouths to stifle their laughter. While the others coughed to stifle their own laughter. Scott was on a role. Jean and Logan's return had really pissed him off. They also suspected Scott was still pissed over the fact Logan had ruined his favourite shirt. And Jean tried to be a smug cow and got her face wiped.

Logan growled "You think you clever don't you one eye?" Scott smirked and replied "A hell of a lot more so then you are, that's for damn certain. I will not tolerate you and Jean returning here and trying to carry on as if nothing had happened and you both haven't been gone almost five years. It doesn't work that way."

Jean replied "All I wanted was for my children to attend here like I did. I got the best education here and wanted my children to have the same. Plus I missed the mansion." Scott replied "Fare enough, your children are entitled to get the best education possible; they after all are the innocent party here."

He added coldly "But that most certainly does not give you the right to come back here after almost five years and start spewing crap like you did at Marie, about her being a bad influence over me and me choosing and defending you over all others, because if you truly still believe that, then you are seriously deluded."

Marie spoke up "And you Logan what was your reason for returning here, not including the obvious reason being your wife and children?" Logan replied "I missed you Marie. I wanted to see how you were getting along. I promised to protect you, and before I left I neglected that promise."

Marie let out a bark of incredulous laughter, before spitting out coldly "I don't need your protection Logan. I can take care of my self. And I'm sure you have noticed I have a husband who is also more then capable of protecting me, if the little spat you just had with him is anything to go by."

She concluded "And you did not miss me Logan. You missed the little girl who thought the sun stars and moon shined out of your arse. I was love sick fool of a teenager. But no more, I no longer pine away for you. I no longer love you or need you. And lastly, don't call me Marie, its Rogue to you; you lost that right when you cheated on me you fucking lousy cheating bastard" she growled at him.

Marie sighed and took a sip of her now cooled camomile tea and rubbed her upset stomach. Jean and Logan followed her hand movements over the slightly rounded stomach.

Logan sneered "I can't believe you allowed one eye to knock you up." Marie all but hissed "I swear to God Wolverine, if you even dare complain about my marriage to Scott and mine and Scott's impending parent hood. Then I shall take you out of the mansion and will fly you up to tallest and largest building, and then I will drop you off of it, and see how well you manage to heal from that."

Scott growled "Leave it alone Wolverine. You are married to Jean and have two children with her. Let me tell you this, I and Marie are entitled to the same things. It definitely isn't one damn law for the two of you and another for me and Marie, it doesn't work that way. Deal with it. Marie is no longer any of your concern, just as Jean is no longer mine. Marie is mine and Jean is yours."

There was a lingering and stifling silence throughout the entire room. Scott cleared his throat and turned to speak to Charles and said. "Charles do you mind if I and Marie leave now, obviously now is not the time for either of us to be all nice and friendly, far too much time as passed as well as far too much having happened."

Marie added "We need time to adjust to them being back. It's more then an inconvenient shock to the system after almost five years. Beside I'm tired and my stomach is terribly upset. And I need another cup of camomile tea, this one has gone cold."

Charles nodded and replied "Of course. May I suggest the both of you leave the mansion for the day, and go somewhere to cool your heels? I will not tolerate any ill will towards each other. The X-Men is a team, a team that needs everyone to be at least civil and able to communicate. Until you all learn to get along again, I fear the X-Men are in trouble."

He sighed wearily before saying "Alright everyone, that'll be all. This meeting is adjourned; you are all dismissed for the day. Your time is your own; use it wisely, for it is unknown when a mission will arise."

And with that everyone stood and made their way towards the exit.