Emma tensed a little in his embrace. She felt raw, tired. But she appreciated his concern, and she relaxed and kissed him back. Emma pressed herself against him, putting her face against his chest and sliding her arms around his waist. She was so very glad he was there. The adrenaline from the past few hours left her shaken and a little cold.
"It was...Jean and I. Talking. As usual, we were a bit...things became a little acrimonious. But then, at the end, we--" Emma hesitated. She thought very carefully about what to say next. "We sort of had a moment of understanding between us." She looked up at him, her smile sardonic. "There is a first time for everything, I guess. Prior to that, the Phoenix went a bit insane and insisted I had something it wanted." Her brow furrowed. "I'm not certain what she meant by that, exactly, But whatever it was, I believe that is why Jean has returned."
Emma pulled away, just a little, to look up at him. "Phoenix though I was inhabiting part of it. It wanted those parts back. It is using Jean to get
Emma was fine. She was better than fine. Scott had done everything wrong and gotten his ass handed to him by Phoenix, but Emma was fine, Emma was strong, like he should have known she would be. This realization was enough, at least for the moment to shame the part of him that felt ready to collapse again. He had been so certain, in the last moment with Phoenix, that it was all over.
As though it could ever be over, with her.
Emma knew so much better than he did. And if she could be strong, so could he. "Well done," he said, looking down into her eyes, doing his best to sound like a leader. "It's good you were able to find that all out. Now the question. If we figure out what she wants, do we give it to her?"
Emma stared up at him. "Scott," she said, hearing his thoughts like they were written on paper in front of her. "I was terrified. Terrified. I wished you were there." She pressed herself against him again, seeking his strength.
Of course, her real terror wasn't the terror. The Phoenix she could handle. It was losing Scott, losing him to the allure of his first love, that was making her stomach churn in fear.
You left your wife for her, once. How do I know that you won't do it to me? If Jean wants you back, what will keep you from going?
"I don't know. I guess it depends what she wants. A free lunch and a tour of the mansion, maybe we can be generous." Emma's mouth twisted. "Anything else, she'll have to fill out a purchase order."
"Hey, you did pretty well on your own," he said, giving her arm an affectionate squeeze. It was meant to be playful, but once he had touched her, he didn't want to let go.
He smiled at her joke -- not because it was funny, but because he knew she making it for his sake -- but then shook his head. "I'm serious. We can't destroy the Phoenix. It's not the kind of thing you can fight that way. The only thing that's worked in the past --" If you could call it working, he thought but didn't say "--is to send it on its way. After, you know --" He swallowed. "Letting it know that we -- how we feel. About -- her."
Comments 14
"It was...Jean and I. Talking. As usual, we were a bit...things became a little acrimonious. But then, at the end, we--" Emma hesitated. She thought very carefully about what to say next. "We sort of had a moment of understanding between us." She looked up at him, her smile sardonic. "There is a first time for everything, I guess. Prior to that, the Phoenix went a bit insane and insisted I had something it wanted." Her brow furrowed. "I'm not certain what she meant by that, exactly, But whatever it was, I believe that is why Jean has returned."
Emma pulled away, just a little, to look up at him. "Phoenix though I was inhabiting part of it. It wanted those parts back. It is using Jean to get
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As though it could ever be over, with her.
Emma knew so much better than he did. And if she could be strong, so could he. "Well done," he said, looking down into her eyes, doing his best to sound like a leader. "It's good you were able to find that all out. Now the question. If we figure out what she wants, do we give it to her?"
Reply
Of course, her real terror wasn't the terror. The Phoenix she could handle. It was losing Scott, losing him to the allure of his first love, that was making her stomach churn in fear.
You left your wife for her, once. How do I know that you won't do it to me? If Jean wants you back, what will keep you from going?
"I don't know. I guess it depends what she wants. A free lunch and a tour of the mansion, maybe we can be generous." Emma's mouth twisted. "Anything else, she'll have to fill out a purchase order."
Reply
He smiled at her joke -- not because it was funny, but because he knew she making it for his sake -- but then shook his head. "I'm serious. We can't destroy the Phoenix. It's not the kind of thing you can fight that way. The only thing that's worked in the past --" If you could call it working, he thought but didn't say "--is to send it on its way. After, you know --" He swallowed. "Letting it know that we -- how we feel. About -- her."
Reply
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