Split Personality

-play in two acts-

Act II

Scene - Jean's room, shortly after the incident in Logan's quarters. Jean is seated in front of her mirror and is brushing her long hair. She suddenly stops, looking insistently at her reflection; the image blurs and the Phoenix appears, instead, staring at her, repremandingly. Jean looks away, hiding he face in her palm. She covers it with both hands and begins sobbing silently.

A knock on the door. Jean starts and quickly wipes her tears away.

Jean: (trying - unsuccessfully- to hide the tears in her voice) Yes? Who is it?

Logan: Jeanie...?

J: (annoyed) Uh! Go away, Logan!

L: I just wanna... you I'm sorry...

J: For what? You didn't do anythig!

L: (after a pause) Are you crying?

J: (with a stuffy nose voice) No!

L: (after another pause) Look, Red, we gotta talk. (tries the door handle and finds it locked)

J: (mimicking him in a low voice) Look, Red, we gotta... Tst! (towards the door) Just go away and leave me alone!

L: (sends a claw through the key hole, opens the door, gets in very determined and kneels down in front of Jean) I don't care what kind of freakin' lies you tell yourself ta make things easy on ya, but I want you to get this straight: I do lo... love... (he is suddenly overwhealmed by his own feelings, his lips move silently, unable to say anything more and just blinks repeatedly, his prominent cheekbones red as fire; )

J: (is taken by surprise at first, then slowly closes the door telekinetically; she reaches to one of Logan's cheeks; she strikes it softly)

L: (cuddles his cheek inside her palm, like a child)

J: (slides down from her chair, into his lap)

L: (is very amaized and his claws dash out; growls both from the pain and the fact itself; keeps his hands away)

J: (touches his hands, reassuringly)

L: (tries to back away from Jean, concerned he might hurt her; if one didn't know any better, one might even say he's shying away)

J: (catches his face in both her hands, and gets him to look at her; tells him) Close your eyes.

L: (quiets down; does what she says)

J: (approaches and leans her forehead on his)

L: (starts)

J: Sorry! Was it too strong?

L: (shakes his head, but is obviously a little disturbed)

J: Is this better? Can you see?

L: (frowns and squints his eyelids; he whispers, amaized) Yeah... I see... um... I see us.

J: (lets him look at the mental image, then says sternly) Look carefully! Approach the girl. You'll see that she isn't me! It is not me you're with.

L: (opens his eyes and breaks contact between their foreheads, looking at Jean, unwilling to accept it)

J: That is the woman you miss when you look at me. It happened long ago and you've blocked everything, because things went wrong. (caresses his cheek again) She died.

L: (widens his eyes, with the innocence of a child imprinted on his face; tears start forming in the corner of his eyes; he whispers) Why did you...? (shakes his head) I don't wanna... remember this.

J: (gets down from his lap and kneels next to him, a little concerned, but determined to settle things; one can see she is still connected to him, part of his pain is on her face)

L: (sobs, without being able to control it, although he wants to and feels very embarrassed)

J: (strikes his back) It's allright, big guy. Just let it out! It will never leave this room. I promisse!

L: (through uncontrollable sighs) It just... hurts so...

J: (pulls him violently into her arms, more to hide the fact that she has tears in her eyes, as well)

L: (starts to cry, silently)

J: (hugs him even stronger and lets him cry)

L: (after a while, strives to pull himself together and manages to stop crying and wipe his tears; he says) Rose...

J: (compassionately) That was her name...

L: (nods; leans his forehead on her shoulder)

J: (pain in her eyes) You've loved her so much! (strikes his ruffled hair) But you have to let her go. She's haunted you enough.

L: (remains silent for a while, still breathing a little interruptedly; keeps his head on her shoulder; he says) It was so long ago. Seems like in another lifetime.

J: For most people it would be in another lifetime.

L: (has managed to contain himself completely, but there is something childish in the way he lets himself be comforted by Jean)

J: (still strikes his hair)

L: (suddenly hugs her back for the first time and mumbles something)

J: (amused) Oh! You're wellcome. It's nothing. (pats him on his back) I just hope the probe wasn't too strong.

L: (doesn't let go of her yet, hugs her; something changes in his attitude; it's not childish anymore, but very sensual)

J: (feels it and for a couple of seconds gives into it; then she starts and repremands him) Logan! You can let go, now.

L: (growls softly, like the purring of a cat and hugs her stronger)

J: (pushes him back, only to be confronted by his eyes; she blushes really hard, but isn't able to look away)

L: (smiles misteriously, his eyes amaizingly blue; removes a stranded lock of hair from her forehead)

J: (her eyes flash red at his touch; she gasps, feeling herself transforming, but controlls it; she catches her burning cheeks in her palms, hides her face away)

L: (catches her hands, lowers them from her face, looking daringly into her fiery eyes) What about what you're blocking out?

J: (tries to get away from him)

L: (doesn't let go; pulls her to him, instead and kisses her)

J: (sighs as if she's long waited for that, but becomes embarassed by it; then she succombs to it again, but her morals beg her to stop; lowers her head, tries to get away again) No... this is not me! It's the Phoenix.

L: (keeps her in his arms, searching for her eyes, for her mouth; whispers) I can handle her. Trust me. (kisses her again)

J: (she responds, at first uncertain, then passionately, giving into her desire; she moans)

L: („purrs", kissing her away)

J: (pulls on his hair)

L: (obviously likes it and kisses her neck)

J: (breaks away from him, whining) No... (her eyes flash red and she changes her mind) Yes! (is about to kiss him, then backs away again) No...

L: (grabs her shoulders) Yes!

J: (eyes red, hair like fire, half herself-half the Phoenix) Yes! (throws herself over Logan, knocking him down)

L: (laughs and howls like a wolf)

Scene: Jean is lying on the bed, face down. Logan is lying next to her, on his side, leaning on an elbow and is caressing her back, up and down, smiling dreamily. Jean is so relaxed, she's half asleep. She's breathing deeply.

L: (in a whisper) Beautiful doll...

J: Hm?

L: (gathers her hair and moves it over her shoulder; kisses her back)

J: (chuckles and mumbles) Scott... let me sleep, baby.

L: (at first surprised, chuckles in his turn)

J: (opens her eyes widely, with a start, realising it isn't Scott's laugh; raises her head and looks around, sees she's in her room but then she lays eyes on Logan... and screams)

L: (startled) What? What?

J: (covers her mouth, suddenly remembering everything) Oh, my God! (she blushes, then turns angry from the embarrassment; she yells) Get out!

L: (confuse) What did I do?

J: (covers herself with the sheet, stands up, pointing at the dorr, but without looking directly at Logan) Please, get out, Logan!

L: (stands up submissively and heads for the door... bare naked :p)

J: (shrieks) Stop!

L: (stops, in a daze)

J: (almost laughing, doing her best to keep an angry face) Would you get dressed first?

L: Oh... yeah... sure (gets dressed)

J: (looks the other way, as if...)

L: (heads for the door again, but just as he reaches it) Can I say somethin'?

J: (almost interrupting him) No!

L: I'm 'onna say it anyway.

J: (crosses her arms, drumming nervously with a finger)

L: I'm glad you let it out. It will never leave this room, I promisse. Good night, Red!

J: (stops him) Logan! Wait... (almost flies at him and kisses him)

L: (takes her in his arms, pleasantly surprised)

J: (she whispers something in his ear, then backs away a little)

L: Oh... (blushes) You're wellcome, darlin'... I guess (chuckles)

J: Good night, big guy!

L: (leans his forehead on hers, then whispers something in her ear, blushing; turns around quickly and leaves the room)

J: (giggles; sits down at her table, smiling and biting her lip; looks in the mirror and the Phoenix appears; she's smiling and winks at her; Jean blushes and repremands her) Cheeky! (Phoenix laughs)