Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Marvel has that privilege. These two will not leave me alone! I've decided to continue...

Jean Grey and Emma Frost

Chapter 1

Westchester, NY

Tuesday 12.30

On a crisp autumn afternoon at Xavier's school for the gifted, English period had just ended and the students filed out of the classroom leaving their teacher sitting at her desk correcting the essays they had just handed up. No one noticed the sinking of her shoulders and the hand coming up from the table to rest against a weary forehead. They were just glad to be free as Miss Frost had been particularly scathing that day and a few of them had been singed by her acerbic remarks. Though a brilliant teacher, Emma brought an unhealthy amount of sarcasm into the class room. She was aware of it of course and tried to rein it in but she understood enough to know that she was protecting herself so that she wouldn't bond with these students. She couldn't bear the thought of losing any more charges and try as she might to keep them at arm's length she knew that it was inevitable they would come to mean something to her.

The classroom door was open to the corridor and so it was that as Jean Grey walked by en route to the teachers' room some minutes later she glanced in and saw Emma's hand shift from her forehead and join a raised one to cover her eyes. For the briefest of moments Emma looked broken and Jean stopped in her tracks feeling guilty for being the one to observe a moment of raw emotion when Emma Frost, the ice queen, was renowned for being so in control and intimidating. Not to mention manipulative, Jean thought. Even if she was grieving for the young students she had lost, the woman was always dangerous.

"What is it, Grey?" she heard Emma mutter as she stood there looking in. Jean mentally sighed. Of course Emma would sense her presence; she should have kept walking. However, feeling particularly reckless all of a sudden, she took it as her cue to enter the room and approach the desk. As she did Emma took her hands away from her face and turned to look at Jean. Her fierce blue eyes steadily taking in the face approaching her. "Well?" she snapped, "what do you want?"

Jean was unimpressed by the clipped question but her instinct told her to at least attempt the impossible and give Emma an opening to talk. Smoothing out an imaginary crease on her sleeve and smiling shyly she started, "Nothing Emma, I was just passing, saw you here and I-"

"Don't!" was all Emma said as she raised her hand up between them in order to block Jean from finishing. Of course Jean expected this, she knew that Emma did not want concern, did not want to appear weak and was just going to become an über bitch because Jean dared to cross the boundary to admit she saw Emma looking weary. Normally Jean would have walked away granting a person the right to reject help until they were ready but she knew someone like Emma Frost would never be ready and today something snapped inside her when Emma cut her off. She almost sneered at the predictability of it all. Almost sneered, Jean would never sneer, though the Phoenix would…

"Don't what, Emma?" She countered then raised her voice a little, "Don't speak? Don't move? Don't ask? Don't care? Don't ever try to cross the line you've drawn around yourself?" Jean stared boldly at Emma, her eyes glowing for a moment, challenging her to reply.

Emma being only momentarily stunned by the unexpected outburst came back with a weary, "whatever!" and then inwardly flinched at her pitiable retort. So juvenile and unbecoming but she conceded her heart wasn't in it to quarrel right then and as she stared back at Jean she realised she had actually pushed a button as Jean continued louder than before and her eyes started to sparkle. She knew the Phoenix was close by and braced herself.

"Don't whatever me, Frosty! Don't think you have the right to tell me that I cannot show concern for a colleague, cannot be worried about a colleague, cannot speak or offer help because you are too high and mighty to admit that you could actually use it…" Jean was emphatically pointing at Emma to deliver her words, "but you are too stubborn to realise that I won't think you are weak for accepting my support." Jean slowed down now realising she had gotten carried away with her tirade, "and really when all is said and done, I don't know how to be the person you could talk to about Genosha but…I would still try Emma…" Jean faltered as she took in the whole scene and the look on Emma's face which had become a mask after she had just seen a hint of disquiet, "I apologise for interrupting you and really should learn how to mind my own business. Don't worry Emma, I won't bother you again." With that Jean turned on her heel and left for lunch furious that she had made an idiot of herself and now convinced the White Queen was definitely beyond her help. As she walked she cursed herself for losing her cool and for not reining in her temper but if truth be told she cursed herself for listening to the Phoenix.

The electricity in the air was palpable after Jean left and Emma sat rooted to her desk, her mental shields intact and her grief locked behind them. She brought her body language under control and gazed at the door for a few moments before she continued with the corrections, knowing now that she wouldn't go get the coffee she was longing for from the staff room and would avoid Jean Grey for the day even though they had an X-men meeting after school. She mulled over several of Jean's words. Why was Jean concerned at all? It was obvious to all that Emma disliked Jean and Jean was aware of that fact only too well. What was she trying to accomplish broaching the subject of Genosha? Was she really genuine? She said she didn't know how to help her but would try? Emma was too used to ulterior motives and too sickened by everyone's unquestioning adoration of Jean to have been anything but rude to her. Her 'whatever' line made her grimace again as she thought of all the scathing things that she would normally have said in that situation and which didn't seem to come out this time. That was an intriguing issue for her as her mind drifted to her own reactions. Hello and where did Frosty come from? She smirked, then checked herself and scowled and then she deliberately pushed away all thoughts of Genosha until she was alone in her own room and could think back on the students she lost during that attack.

Her momentary lapse of composure which pre-empted Jean's intrusion would not happen again. She thought about how Jean's eyes had started glowing ever so slightly and she thought about reporting it to Charles, though that felt oddly like tattling and she reasoned he worked so closely with Jean that they were probably both quite aware of it. She decided she would ask Jean about it and if she wasn't satisfied, she would approach Charles. She acknowledged that being responsible for these students made her protective nature come to the fore. The last thing anyone wanted was for the untamed Phoenix force to blaze through the school and beyond. That thing was way more trouble than it was worth though she did have to thank its power for reassembling her after she broke into the thousands of shards when Esme shot her. Her diamond mutation had its weaknesses though and that alarmed her more than she cared to admit. She also had to repress the interest in seeing Jean's eyes blaze so orange again. They were extremely attractive like that and she mentally berated herself for going down that avenue because it was bloody Jean Grey for crying out loud! The day was getting worse and worse.

When the corrections were finished and as she had no other classes, Emma walked back to her room and locked the door behind her. She lay on her bed for a while looking out the window watching the sun dip lower behind the trees. She bolstered up her shields and allowed her mind to cast back to Genosha and only then did she begin to shed tears. It had taken the better part of a year and one moment with Jean to finally allow herself to feel.

She looked at the clock at 17.19, sat up and walked to the bathroom to freshen up. She reapplied her normally flawless make up, changed into a pair of soft white pants and a low cut ice blue blouse and styled her hair up at the front and down over one shoulder and sprayed her preferred evening perfume. She regarded herself in the mirror, she looked softer than usual, but it was how she was feeling now, a little too raw. She even removed her jewellery save one pendant her brother Christian had bought her years before and took some deep breaths before walking down to Xavier's office. She was the second to arrive and Charles welcomed her sincerely as she sat down beside Hank and they began discussing the school until the others arrived. No doubt he knew something of what she was feeling. It would be a year the following Thursday since the massacre at Genosha.

At 18:00, Xavier gathered most of the X-Men who were on campus to his study for a briefing. Jean and Scott were the last to enter the room and Emma watched Jean approach the chair opposite her as Scott stood behind her. When Jean sat down she nodded to the professor and the others even including Emma in that movement of her head. Emma just looked back at the Professor, her heckles rising. Jean did a mental eye-roll and turned her attention to their leader.

The professor explained that he had been tipped off that Mystique had infiltrated the government of a wealthy foreign power and was using this influence on Magneto's behalf to secure funding and workers for the development of weapons. What these weapons were, Xavier couldn't say. Who had tipped him off, he wouldn't divulge. Their mission was to find the munitions factory and see what was being worked on and to draw Mystique out and take her out of the equation if possible. They knew she'd be heavily guarded by humans thinking she was their actual politician and by mutants she would have placed around her against just such an attack. Scott and Logan were to infiltrate the factory along with Storm. Jean and Emma were to investigate the politician and follow his movements, determine whether or not it was Mystique and survey her activities until the others rejoined them and they worked on an extraction plan based on their observational data.

To Emma it sounded positively awful to be partnered with Jean on this reconnaissance mission, but she could see the logic in the plan and her one suggestion was that Charles should send someone with them in case they were discovered. She had always considered Rogue's powers to be the most beneficial to her own protection if her telepathic commands weren't working on an attacker. Though that was a rare occurrence it had happened in the past.

Jean bristled when Emma stated they might need some protection and added mentally to herself that they would need a third person to keep them civil and not kill each other. Xavier pointed out that Jean was now powerful enough to protect them both in such an event and Jean smiled over to Emma as she caught the anger emanating from her. This was obviously picked up by Charles as well but he remained quiet about it for now.

After the finer points of the mission had been worked out, the group dispersed and went their separate ways. Emma was so fatigued after the meeting that she decided it wasn't the best time to confront Jean about the Phoenix. She went to her room where she opened an old brandy she had put aside, relaxed in an exquisite antique French chair she had recently purchased and opened an educational textbook she had been reading the night before. What have I become? She thought. How tame this is! She chortled. I guess even the ne'er do wells need some time off too.

Two days later on the anniversary of Genosha, Charles had organised a memorial ceremony which Emma could not face though she did watch the proceedings from her window, glass in hand. At one point she could see Jean turn around searching for the correct floor and look right at her behind the window. Emma didn't flinch or move away, she just returned the brief look until Jean turned her attention back to Charles.

To Jean, Emma had worn her haughty countenance ever since the misfired attempt at showing concern in the classroom, though Jean remarked that at the meeting Emma was certainly not attired to her usual suggestive standards and looked positively normal, still exquisite, but not as sexual or treacherous looking. In fact apart from the occasional eye roll and guffaw, she had been quieter than usual as the teams were divided up and as they left Charles' office Jean could feel Emma watching her leave with Scott.

The day after the memorial was another day off for the students and was also the day that Jean and Emma would be dropped to the country and city they would spend the next four days doing surveillance in. A hotel had already been booked and Emma had insisted that Frost Enterprises pay for it as she wanted nothing less than the best accommodation.

As the country was eight hours ahead, it was already night by the time they arrived. Emma had slept for most of it as Jean and Scott piloted. The blackbird hovered over a park just outside the city as Jean lowered them down telekinetically and they walked towards the taxi they had waiting at the gates. The driver was surprised to see them as he thought it must have been a hoax booking until he saw two stunning women walk through the gates with their bags. He drove them to the Trium Hotel in the centre of the city and was glad when the fare was over as he got the distinct impression that the two women hated one another from the lack of conversation and tension in the air - though the enormous tip he got from the blonde made up for it as he drove away into the night. Jean and Emma were met by the porter and escorted to the front desk. Jean marvelled at the opulence of the place and secretly thanked Emma for being such a posh cow this once.

They had adjoining rooms and their own separate en suites and Jean did what most do who are not used to such luxury, she sat on the bed and bounced up and down, took in the décor with an appreciative murmur, then went to the bathroom to see the size of it and was delighted to see a bath. She knew exactly what she would be doing before they rendezvoused for their first late night stealth operation; infiltration of the politician's offices to look for files pertaining to the weapons manufacturing plant. Emma spoke the language almost fluently but had spent the Genosha Memorial Day brushing up on the key words she thought they might come across during the mission. She was glad to finally be free of Jean and lay on the bed for a while checking the room service menu before ringing down and ordering the chef prepare her something else entirely. She also ordered a bottle of gin and tonic for after the night's mission as she suspected she might need it.

Jean lay in the bath surrounded by luxurious jasmine scented candles and quite covered in bubbles and the pure jasmine oil she had found on the shelf in the bathroom. She soaked herself through and felt clean and reinvigorated and took the rare opportunity to completely pamper herself. This high end of the Frost lifestyle she could certainly live with as she and Scott never did things like this. She wondered what Emma was doing in the three hours they had to themselves and when she was finally dressed and coiffed she sat on the bed to meditate and focus her powers.

When they met a few hours later, and being in the political and financial district to begin with, they decided to walk towards the offices. They both did mental scans to determine how many guards were on duty, and they probed some minds to ascertain the location of the particular office they needed as Jean slipped down an alleyway and proceeded to glide up to the roof to check for an opening.

-Emma, I have found a door and unlocked it. It wasn't alarmed before you ask-

-Well I should hope not Grey!

-Some credit please Emma! Anyway brace yourself for a little flight.

-You may proceed but mind you don't wallop me accidentally off anything!

-Tempting…

With that Emma felt a swirl of mental energy envelop her body and lift her silently to the roof. She quite enjoyed the feeling even if giving over control to Jean was something she'd rather not have to do. She was aware of the immense power of the Phoenix pouring through Jean's thoughts and was impressed that Jean could manage to co-exist with that power brimming below the surface. Jean set her down gently beside her and Emma courteously thanked her much to Jean's disbelief. They made their way through the building and only came across one guard that Emma quickly dispatched telling him he needed to sit in the men's room and think about his life's choices until his shift ended. Jean smirked at this and Emma wanted to change it to something far more sinister when she saw Jean's mirth. Can't possibly have her thinking well of me.

They also sent messages to the other seven on duty to ignore the monitors all night and not to enter the top floor for at least two hours. Jean having scanned the man monitoring the cameras quickly disconnected the cables from the back of all the cameras recording the areas they were in.

When they reached the office they found the information pertaining to the location of several munitions sites and the official memo on what was being constructed in each one. Emma photographed all the sheets so that she could pour over them later. Blueprints and contracts anything they thought might be pertinent. They also obtained the various addresses for the politician and those of most of his close associates. When they were satisfied that all they could gleam from the files was now in their possession, Jean planted a few discreet bugs in locations she thought might be used for conversations of a less reserved manner. Emma busied herself returning everything to its appropriate place as she had a near perfect memory for such things while Jean reconnected the cameras. They knew that no one would go through the footage when the guards suspected nothing was amiss but they had to hope that Mystique had become complacent and didn't have the nightly footage checked for anomalies.

Jean floated them both onto the roof of a building further down as the alley way was now occupied by a security van. She brought them to street level on the other side of the building in another alley way and they both emerged from the shadows and started walking in the direction of the hotel feeling slightly exhilarated. Emma noticed from her sideways glance that Jean was looking cheerful and found that she was pleased herself. She had more than enough to go through tonight before they locked on to Mystique the next day and reported to the others the probable site for the munitions factory. Back at the hotel, they separated into their rooms to change as Emma had invited Jean on the way back to dine in her suite while they went over the information on her laptop and devised a strategy to follow Mystique and her entourage.

Jean let down her hair and changed into some light green sweat pants and a plain white t-shirt and went barefoot into Emma's room. She smiled that disconcerting smile at Emma and sat down on the lavish sofa waiting for her host to join her. Emma was momentarily rendered wordless by how natural and comfortable Jean was in her own skin and as Jean smiled at her, Emma found her anger slipping away with it. This woman was really too damned nice to really loathe just because she had dallied telepathically with her husband some months before. She felt oddly guilty now looking over at her and wondered if she suspected anything. She was over him now as he was truly a bore in every respect and though he cast the image of wholesome husband, Emma knew he didn't deserve someone as uncorrupted as Jean. She decided not to broach the Phoenix topic until their mission was over and they were back at the mansion. Finding her voice quickly she made some culinary recommendations to Jean which she accepted and rang down for room service. She could still smell the faint odour of jasmine emanating from Jean all night and she was glad she had pre-ordered Jean's favourite scent to be placed in the bathroom. Of course she wouldn't let Jean know that she took these things in back at the mansion but she was pleased that Jean hadn't suspected. It was her subtle way of thanking her for trying to help that day in the classroom. She walked over to the bureau and with her back to Jean exhaled a deep quiet sigh before retrieving the laptop and sitting beside her on the sofa to look over the files.

They stayed like that for a half hour before the food arrived. Jean was surprised to see a bottle of wine on the trolley but accepted a glass when Emma offered it and joined her at the table to dine leaving the laptop behind. Emma took some pleasure in watching Jean's eyes as she tasted the food Emma had recommended. Her eyes sparkled in delight several times. At first they were quiet until Emma broke the silence and started discussing the next day's strategy, pouring her guest generous amounts of white wine as Jean joined in the conversation and they spent the rest of the meal in a lively, though not caustic, debate on how to go about outing Mystique.

Jean regarded Emma throughout and noticed that she seemed less her usual haughty self that night. Her trademark sarcasm and innuendo were nonexistent and her commitment to the mission was undeniable. Jean was impressed and found herself comfortable with her one time enemy which she'd never have thought possible. As they left the table and rejoined each other on the sofa, glasses in hand, Jean found herself warming up to the White Queen something that would ordinarily have unnerved her. If was starting to see the woman behind the mask, she blamed it on the excellent food and heady wine!

For her part, Emma conceded that Jean wasn't the absolute worst company in the world and that she had in fact enjoyed having Jean with her that evening. Better than having Scott drool his monosyllables all over her, that was for certain. What Jean saw in him all these years was beyond her but then she guessed it was familiarity, safety and that these things made her commitment to him extra powerful in a crazy mutant- hating world. She also noted how this reconnaissance mission was the first serious role Xavier had offered her and she found herself wanting to prove to him, to herself and to those sanctimonious others that she had changed and was on their side now. She also had to concede that she saw no subterfuge in Jean's words or actions and that she could trust her if she was so inclined. Not that she would ever but still…

Stifling a yawn Emma closed the laptop and got up and walked to the locker by her bed to get the gin and tonic and brought them to the coffee table before fetching two clean glasses and turning to Jean whilst holding them up, "a night cap, Grey?"

"Odd choice for a nightcap, Emma."

"I know, I had a hankering for it earlier, but if you're not bothered well-"

"I'd love one."

"Indeed!"

Emma poured two liberal helpings, retrieved some ice from the ice bucket and added some sliced lemons she had requested before handing the glass to Jean and filling up the tonic to her preference. She herself only liked a splash of tonic and she was pleased to see Jean was the same. They sat then in companionable silence drinking and thinking about what they had to do the next day. A little while later, Jean broke the ice so to speak when she bit down on a piece from the bottom of her glass. Observing Jean's slightly intoxicated state Emma took the now empty glass and told Jean to go to bed. They looked into each others' eyes without malice for a moment then Jean flashed her a last radiant smile and complied without a fuss wishing her a good night. Emma stood watching Jean exit through their adjoining doors with a bemused smile on her face. Against her better judgement she had to admit that the woman was positively cute. Emma looked at herself in the mirror How awful Frosty! She thought. You must be ill. Horrified at the turn in her thoughts she went to the bathroom and went through her night-time beauty ritual. She slipped into a white silk nightdress and slinked into the enormous plush bed. Her thoughts were swirling and almost edging towards the chaotic, at the turn of events, at the horrendous possibility that she might actually like Miss Pris.