This story, a part of the Facing The Music timeline, uses characters that are copyright of Marvel. The book mentioned is "The Five Love Languages," by Dr. Gary Chapman.

The sunrise had started to color the world around the boathouse when Jean got up. She loved being enveloped in the new morning blooming around her, watching the sunlight sparkle across the lake, breathing the fresh air, listening as the birds welcomed the promise of another day. She had a favorite spot to stand and sip her cup of coffee while gazing at the diamond dewy lawn and breathing the sharp, crisp air.

This morning, as she stepped onto the screened porch, she wasn't surprised to find her husband sitting in his usual place at the table, books and papers spread around him. An overflowing trash can was evidence as to how much work he had put in since the night before until he'd fallen asleep at the table. Picking up a sheet, she read his neat, precise handwriting as he had tried to outline some plans for Xavier's mutant underground.

Telekinetically straightening up the area, she gathered all the balled up paper into a plastic bag and set it in the corner where Scott could dig though his old ideas later. Then, she stacked the books up according to their size. Taking the assorted pens and highlighters, she plunked them down one by one into an empty coffee cup and used that as a paperweight for the loose sheets of paper she gathered.

Finally, as gently as a feather's touch, she lifted her husband up and carried him inside, setting him down on the now unmade bed. Carefully, she slipped his socks and shoes off and placed his visor next to the alarm clock. After stripping him down to his boxer shorts, she picked up the down comforter with her hands and covered him with it. Gently, she kissed him on his cheek and left him to sleep comfortably.

It was the third time this week that she had found him like that and it was also four days away from the day that Scott Summers had first met Professor Xavier. The two facts were very connected, Jean thought, as she gathered the ingredients for banana bread. Normally a tidy person, she could give Martha Stewart a run for her money when she was mad. And she was furious now.

Over the years, she had watched as Xavier had manipulated Scott by selectively giving praise and affection to him. But most of the time, Xavier had been stern and disapproving, questioning Scott's best judgment and leadership abilities. Lightly whipping the eggs with a wooden spoon, she sighed. Xavier had always been very free with his praise for her, which had left Scott feeling that, somehow, he wasn't worthy.

When he was under Onslaught's influence, the Professor had revealed that he had secretly been in love with Jean. That revelation had caused a rip in the relationship between her and her husband, a scar that hadn't totally healed. Scott was doubting that his love for Jean was true and not just implanted in his mind by Xavier.

Onslaught had exposed another painful secret- Xavier didn't really think that highly of Scott Summers, his 'yes' man. Pouring the batter into a pan, Jean held back a mental scream. It had hurt Scott so much when he had found that out. And that had increased his need to earn the professor's love. She slammed the oven door shut.

Scrubbing the floor with a sponge, Jean felt that heartache that had become so familiar to her lately. The man that her husband had respected more than life itself had hurt her husband so badly that he was shattered down to the core. And all she could do was reassure him that she still loved him for who he was, and how he loved her. And Scott didn't trust his understanding of that fact.

Finding comfort in the traditional domestic role, Jean had thrown herself into being the best possible wife. Scott had a traditional understanding of family, one nurtured by the television shows that he saw at the orphanage, and honestly believed that a loving wife tried to keep a clean house and had a hot meal in the table every night, and lately she'd needed the activity. According to a book on marriage that Jean had read, Scott understood love best when she showed it by service. It fed his love tank and helped him feel secure.

But nothing she could do would totally ease the pain of the Professor's treatment of him. If the Professor had adopted Scott instead of remaining his guardian, then Jean would classify Xavier as a disapproving, manipulative father. And Scott was still trying to earn his respect, which was the saddest thing of all. Like a lioness protecting her mate, Jean felt the rage that Scott should feel towards Xavier. It was hard to understand why her beloved would still work to earn the respect of such a manipulative man.

Somehow, a spider had decided to enter her house, Jean discovered as she looked in a corner. Taking time to admire the complex pattern of the web, she got a piece of black fabric from her sewing area and telekinetically centered the web over the material. The black set it off extremely well and, with a little glue and glitter, she would have a new picture for her wall.

All the love for Xavier she had ever had had disappeared, much like the web would against a white background. She had re-established contact with her family and reconnected to her own father, and had been pleasantly surprised to discover that the way Xavier had treated her had not been the way a true father treated his children. A father loved and cherished his children, not for what they could be or do for him, but because they were his children. Xavier had expected his children to fight for his dream of mutant peace.

"Jean?" A sleepy voice came out of the bedroom. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she answered him. "Thought you might like to get some real sleep."

Her husband stood in the doorway and looked around the living room. "I did." He smiled at the clean room and the smell of banana bread in the oven. After years in the orphanage, he appreciated the neatness that Jean gave their place.

Jean lifted the banana bread out of the oven and slowed the molecules down to the point that the bread was hot enough to melt butter but still edible. "Could you slice this?"

"Only if I get the first piece." With a talent born out of years of practice, Scott lifted his visor and quickly cut the loaf into slices. Reaching over, he took the crust of the bread and started to eat it. "Did you see what I was working on?"

"Not really," Jean admitted as he held her chair out for her. Scott quickly poured a cup of milk for her as she continued, "What's going on with the mutant underground?"

"Two things." Scott handed her the butter. "First of all, Sam's friend Li'l Bit is going to be working with us. But what's worrying me is the fact that there's another underground at work."

"You sure about that?" Jean asked, feigning interest in a topic that bored her almost as much as his interest in growing bonsai trees.

In the corner, Scott could see that his tiny cherry tree needed pruning. "Reasonably. Little things just don't make sense and I want answers. This is an odd question, but do you think that Emma could be behind another underground?"

"Only if she thought that it was the only way to keep her students safe." Jean took another slice of bread. "Can I have the brown sugar?"

Scott handed her the sugar as he talked. "The thing is, Emma couldn't do it. Between the school and her company and her new mental health committee, she doesn't have time. And it doesn't make sense to have a mutant be in charge of a mutant underground."

Jean smiled at the implied criticism of Xavier. Moira had been the logical one to take over the underground, but Xavier had left that to Scott because Scott was a mutant. "Celeste?" she suggested, but then quickly dismissed the woman.

"I thought about that but, face it, she can't control her own personal life." They had heard from Jubilee that Ariel had moved to the school and had been acting crazy ever since then. Sam and Bobby had talked very negatively about her boyfriend. Warren and Betsy had made remarks about how Celeste's hectic schedule last week had forced them to postpone business appointments so she could be in court as a rape victim gave testimony. "Even if part of that reason is very good, she still doesn't seem the type."

"Watch it." Jean joked. "That sounds dangerously like faint praise."

"Can't have that, now can we?" Scott grinned. There was no love lost between him and Celeste. "I'm going to make some calls and see if I can get a lead."

"It's a nice day, why not just spend it with me?" Jean asked as she grabbed his hand.

"I need to get this work done." Scott said as he got up. "Got to get the underground running."

Jean's face fell as he walked out the door. Grabbing the plates, she marched over to the sink and started to run the hot water over her dishes.

***

Once back on the porch, Scott smiled at the neatness of the room. Jean had been working hard lately cleaning and trying to be the perfect wife. She'd even started reading books on how to improve their marriage and dropping hints that they needed to go to a marriage enrichment encounter. The smile faded as he looked at the work. The more he poured himself into the underground, the more his wife poured himself into her housework and seemed less like the woman he'd married.

Why was he causing Jean this pain? Xavier was gone but he still worked to earn his respect. The man was missing and, as far as Jean was concerned, persona non grata around the mansion. People might respect him, but no one really wanted him around.

Still, Scott know that they needed to have a long talk, soon. But first, there was paperwork to be done, and it would be done perfectly. He was the leader of the X-Men, and nothing else was more important than carrying on Xavier's dream.