Chapter Text
It had become quite common, over the years, for Jean, Ororo, Kurt and Jubilee to meet at this particular café to talk. Jean couldn’t lie, growing up in the mansion had been amazing, especially as more and more students arrived as the years went on. But, like every growing girl, she had felt the increasing need on occasion to get out of the house and away from all the high emotions that came with everyone living in such close quarters.
Furthermore, the café’s location also decreased the chance of her telepathic father accidentally overhearing any thoughts she’d rather be kept private. Not that Charles would ever deliberately read her private thoughts, or that an extra 20 miles would keep him from doing so anyway. The semblance of privacy was nice though. The quiet café had certainly helped after her eighteenth birthday when she’d been nursing a hangover so bad she could barely muster up the energy to keep her shields up. She was eternally grateful that Charles didn’t find out what had happened that night…
‘‘So Jean...’’ Ororo began as she passed Jean’s tea to her, handing Kurt and Jubilee their drinks as well; ‘‘what was it that that you so urgently needed to tell us?’’ She sipped her drink and looked expectantly at Jean but otherwise left her to talk in her own time. By now she knew better than to try and push Jean into talking before she was ready. Out of all her friends, Ororo knew her the best; having practically grown up with her when she arrived at the mansion at age seven.
Despite Ororo being three years older than Jean, they’d been best friends from the start and been inseparable since, much to Charles’ exasperation at times; like the time the two girls decided Charles’ study was ‘too boring’ so painted part of one wall bright orange before he’d caught them. Ororo had been the first person she’d told of her engagement to Scott.
Breaking from her memories, Jean paused for a second, taking a long gulp of her drink while she organised her thoughts. She exhaled deeply before beginning. “I have a secret that I’ve been keeping from you guys”
“Oh fuck, you’re pregnant!” Jubilee exclaimed immediately, causing Kurt to choke on his hot chocolate, some of the liquid dribbling down his chin.
“NO!” Jean exclaimed, laughing, handing him a napkin “No, I’m definitely not pregnant! Oh don’t look so disappointed, Kurt!”
“Oh come on Jean, a miniature version of you and Scott would be so adorable!”
“Nope! Sorry guys, that won’t be happening for a long time yet!” Jean said, chuckling as their pouting disappointment filled her mind.
“Then spill!” said Jubilee, almost vibrating with anticipation in her seat
“Well…I’ve um…I think I’ve found my other father and I’ve invited him to my wedding…” Jean mumbled whilst staring intently at the worn wood on the table; all of a sudden nervous about her friend’s reactions.
They all stared at her for a few seconds, their shocked expressions matching each other perfectly, causing Jean to smile nervously. Even the noise of the café had quietened, also in anticipation of the reaction.
“Shit, Jean…” Jubilee began quietly, suddenly breaking the silence. Jean fidgeted nervously in her seat, unsure of what her response would be. But she needn’t have worried as a wide grin immediately spread over her three friends faces. “that’s…that’s amazing…but how?” she asked tentatively, knowing how much this meant to Jean.
Spurred on by their encouraging smiles, Jean rummaged in her bag, fishing out a worn leather journal and setting it on the table.
“This is Charles’ diary, the one he kept during the years before I was born. I found it whilst I was going through some old boxes in the attic and it explains everything! Apparently, two years before I was born, Charles was working on his PhD at Oxford University, and that’s where he met a man named Erik Lehnsherr who was also studying at Oxford for a year, an exchange student from Germany apparently.” says Jean as she scans the pages for the passage she wants. “Ah, here it is! Listen to this.”
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January 8th
Today marks 4 months since I first met Erik, an anniversary if you will, though our relationship is still unofficially marked as ‘casual’. I didn’t think that Erik would even have remembered, or indeed if he had, would not have thought of today as something worth commemorating. But this morning I woke to Erik at my door and he said he was taking me out for the day. And what a day it was! We started the morning in my favourite café for breakfast and then to a small second-hand bookshop that Erik had found. We spent hours in there, sorting through the texts and picking out our favourites to show one another, until the shadows changed as morning turned to afternoon.
We ended up buying a number of books between us, staggering out underneath the weight of them all. Erik then took me to a quiet park where we sat under a tree by the lake. He then took out a book from his coat, a one of a kind vintage copy of ‘The Once and Future King’ that he’d bought when I wasn’t looking.
We spent the entire afternoon reading under that tree, until the cold January air chased us into a warm restaurant for the evening. I had believed the date to be over by that point, I couldn’t see how it could get any better. But Erik then took me to an ice rink! I’ve never been ice skating before, I wasn’t very good but Erik held me close for all of it so I didn’t fall. It’s been one of the best days of my life.
I write this now at 3 am as Erik sleeps beside me and only now do I realise the depth of what I feel for him. I love him, with everything I have. He’s funny, kind, passionate and amazing in bed –
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“Ok I think you can stop there for now Jean!” Kurt cut in quickly. “I mean, I’m all for you finding your father and everything but I definitely don’t want to be thinking about the Professor in that way!”
Jubilee groaned, “People have sex, Kurt, stop being so middle class about it!”, a statement which caused Kurt to turn purple in mortification.
Jean turned to Ororo, only to see her subtly wiping a tear from her cheek. “Sorry, it’s just… that was so sweet! Whoever this Erik guy is, he sounds amazing!” she sighed wistfully. In fact, all three of them had far off looks in their eyes, likely imagining their idea of a perfect date.
“But wait, if this Erik guy was so great, why aren’t they still together?” Ororo asked, frowning slightly. “He definitely must be your father though...”
Jean hummed in agreement and looked back down at the diary and began flicking through the pages. “That’s what I thought at first. It seems their relationship continued during the following months, and the entries get even more sickeningly sweet, but then they stop suddenly at the beginning of May that year until he begins to write again a couple of days later…”
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May 8th
Erik’s gone.
I woke up one morning to find his stuff gone and a letter on the kitchen counter. He said he’s gone back to Germany because he’s engaged to a woman from his home town and that he has to return to deal with his ‘responsibilities.’ I tried to contact him but got no response. I don’t even know what to feel. I don’t feel anything, I’m just numb. I don’t even want to write about it anymore.
Anyway, about two days after he left I went to the bar, got extremely drunk, and ended hooking up with a man named Logan something or other who was travelling around Europe at the time. I never intended to do anything like that but he was so funny and understanding I couldn’t help myself and…
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“Dot dot dot?” asked Kurt
“Dot dot dot, that’s what they did in the old days.” Jean replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. “But it continues”
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May 9th
After spending the morning with Logan, I went back to the university, after he left on the train, to attempt to do some work, despite being extremely hungover. I managed about half an hour before I went to nearby coffee shop to drown my sorrows again; this time in tea.
There was a lovely barista there named Hank who we started talking about genetics and his transfer to Havard, a conversation that then carried over to his flat after his shift. He was so sweet and intelligent and …
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“The entries go on to Charles finding out he was pregnant, but with none of the men there, he never got a paternity test and hasn’t spoken to any of them since.”
“So wait, you have three possible dads?!” said Ororo, sitting back in her chair a look of bewilderment on her face. Kurt sat next to her with an almost identical expression on his face.
“Which one did you invite to your wedding?” Jubilee asked as Jean blushed and looked bashfully down at her plate. A look of understanding crossed Jubilee’s face. “Please don’t tell me you’ve done what I think you have!”
Both Kurt and Ororo turned their heads to look at Jubilee before they quickly snapped back to Jean as it dawned on them what she meant.
“You invited all three to your wedding?!”
“Charles is going to kill you!”
“Does he even know?”
“How did you even find them?”
Jean scrubbed her hands over her face as multiple questions were thrown her way.
“Yes, I’ve invited all three of them. No, Charles has absolutely no idea, no one does except you guys now. I don’t plan on Charles finding out before they arrive.”
At the look of disbelief on her friends faces she sighed and rested her face in her hands.
“Look guys, I know this seems crazy but I promise you it will be ok. It’s just… I feel like there’s part of me missing; and when I find my father, everything will just fall into place.”
Ororo sighed, before reaching forward to take Jean’s hands between her own.
“I can’t say I believe this won’t cause trouble. But I know I can speak for all three of us when I say that we’re your best friends and your happiness means the world to us. So, if you really want this, then we’re with you and will support you every step of the way.” She said, a grin slowly spreading across her face whilst Jubilee and Kurt nodded in agreement with her speech.
Jean grinned in return. “Thanks, you guys, and don’t worry, everything will work itself out. I’m sure of it.”