Scott shivered at the foreboding looks on both Tank and Logan’s faces as they suited up in denim and leather. Glancing at the trio of women that stood watching them he sighed, “You sure you don’t need my help?”
“You’d be as much use right now as tits on a boar,” Tank replied buckling his gun belt into place. “When you’re trained, we’ll see.”
“I’m a trained professional,” Scott protested.
“Not by us,” Tank shot back and nodded at Logan, “You wanna get a head start on it see if one of the women will spar with you.”
“How long do you figure you’ll be gone?” Rogue asked her gaze steady on Logan.
“Couple of days darlin’,” Logan smiled softly at her, “Just long enough to meet Creed Inc and collect the kid.”
“If that’s the case why are you taking guns?” Kitty demanded.
“Because there are variables out there,” Tank replied. “People that we don’t control and its best to be prepared.”
“Just don’t go getting yourselves caught or killed. You do and I’ll kick your asses all the way to the Arctic Circle and back again,” Jubilee declared with a dark look at Tank before she walked up to him and pressed a kiss to his chest, “Come home safe.”
Tank smiled down at her and nodded, “Couple of days.”
“Keep on your toes,” Logan whispered to Rogue, “I love you.”
“Be safe Logan,” Rogue replied kissing him softly, quickly, “Come home to me.”
“Always.”
The echo of the truck’s engine filled the foyer as the small group stood waiting, listening to it fade away.
“Anyone for coffee?” Kitty asked when the last dram of sound had faded into silence.
“Sure,” Rogue turned and headed for the kitchen. “Coffee then some training.”
“Do you three do anything but train?” Scott asked following them quickly.
“Not when the men aren’t here,” Jubilee said reaching for four coffee mugs. “As long as we’re training we’re getting stronger, we’re not thinking of what’s out there.”
“What if they don’t…”
“Don’t even think it,” Rogue hissed slamming the sugar down in front of him. “They’ll be back.”
Scott nodded and took his coffee. “So when did Victor start helping people?”
“He doesn’t,” Rogue declared. “Logan’s going to meet their contacts in his parent organization.”
“Military?” Scott gaped at him.
Rogue laughed and glanced at her friends, “No. Helen Creed runs Creed Inc. She’s Logan’s mom.”
“Eww,” Scott cringed, “Here I was hoping there wasn’t any more like him around.”
“Actually there are two more. You met Edward already.”
“I did?” Scott gaped at the trio.
“Yep,” Jubilee chuckled, “The dark haired, smooth talker that was there when you got back to the mansion. You know the one you sensed wasn’t there to help the X-men.”
“The spy?”
“We don’t call ‘em spies. We call them intel collectors,” Kitty declared with a grin.
Scott chuckled, “you three have really bounced back you know.”
“How so?” Kitty demanded. “We’re not remotely like we were.”
Scott shrugged, “You’ve become women that you can be proud of.”
“Yeah, the used, abused, and discarded trash from a…”
“Stop it!” Scott glared at Kitty, “You have nothing to be ashamed of! So you have a few scars, doesn’t mean a damn thing and you know that. You’ve gotten so hung up on what others will see, will think that you’ve forgotten you have a voice.”
With a dark look Kitty stormed out of the kitchen, fury and pain in every line of her body.
“Scott you can’t change her mind?”
“You’re right,” Scott snapped rising and dumping his coffee inot the sink, “I can’t. Because she won’t let me in.”
“Scott that isn’t it!” Jubilee protested.
“Yes it is!” Scott replied seriously, “They may have hurt her but she’s letting them beat her. No one and I do mean no one would ever think less of her because of what happened to her. I don’t. Sure I see the scars but I don’t think any less of her.”
“Kitty has to learn to deal with it in her own way,” Rogue sipped at her coffee.
“No, she doesn’t,” Scott stomped toward the door, “Because she’s got someone to lean on. I may be a lot of things but I’m not a mindless drone!”
“Do you think they’ll work it out?” Jubilee asked after Scott had vanished after Kitty.
“They better,” Rogue grinned, “Because I’m not doing it for them.”
“She uh tried using that toy she had me order?” Jubilee asked softly.
“With disastrous results,” Rogue declared. “Something tells me she didn’t get primed before and it hurt like hell.”
“Ooh ouch,” Jubilee winced. “Well since they’re discussing Kitty’s scars what do you say we go spar some? We’ve got plenty of time till our guys get home.”
“Sounds like a plan. If they kill each other we’ll just take ‘em down to Sickbay and leave ‘em there for Tank.”
“Gotcha.”
Stopping the truck at the gates to the house Logan glanced once at Tank before focusing on the kid sitting sullenly in the back seat, “You okay with this?”
“Yeah,” the girl replied with a stiff nod. “Its not like I have much choice.”
“You have a choice,” Logan replied, “Come or go is up to you. All we’re offering you is a safe place to lay low for a while until you’re back on your feet.”
The girl sighed and nodded, “Fine. I’ll stick around.”
Tank hid a smile and remained silent as Logan drew up the driveway. Parking in front of the front yard’s walkway he opened the door just as the house seemed to explode in a flurry of activity.
Smiling warmly at the dark haired beauty rushing toward him he braced himself as she threw herself into his arms, a pale scarf tied around her face. Moaning softly at the hard pressure of her kiss Logan wrapped her legs around his waist and started for the house.
“Uh Logan? Rogue we have…” Tank started only to sigh and glance at the girl, “Perhaps we should get you settled.”
“Who is she?”
“That’s Rogue, Logan’s woman,” Tank explained as the door opened and Jubilee slipped out onto the steps a smile growing on her face.
“TANK!” Racing down the steps she threw her arms around his neck and held on for dear life. “You’re home!”
“It would seem that way,” Tank replied kissing her gently before glancing at the girl next to him. “Meet our pick-up.”
“Hi,” Jubilee smirked at the girl, “Welcome to the Monster House.”
“Monster House?”
“Uh yeah, it’s a play on our code name,” Jubilee giggled.
“I see,” the girl looked skeptical but held her tongue. “Are there many more of you?”
“Just Scott and Kitty and they’re working something out.”
“What are they working out?” Tank asked a slight frown crossing his face, “I thought she was content…”
“Difference of opinion. Kitty still sees her scars as a drawback, Scott doesn’t. He’s spent the past two days trying to convince her she’s mistaken.”
“Has it been working?”
“Uh,” Jubilee flushed. “Better than he hoped. I uh disinfected your desk by the way.”
“My desk?” Tank gaped.
“Yeah, apparently Scott felt like being artistic. Needless to say they uh got bodily fluids on the surface.”
“You mean they had sex?” the girl guffawed before falling silent at Tank’s raised eyebrow.
“Pretty damn good sex if you ask me. Rogue and I could hear Kitty all the way upstairs!”
Tank groaned and ushered both girls toward the house, “The sanitation of my office has been violated. I’m gonna have...” he paused as he closed the door behind him. A trail of denim, silk, and leather led into the study.
“What did I ever do to deserve this?” he groaned.
Chuckling Jubilee kissed him gently, “Just wait. Tonight we can keep them up all night!”
Groaning in protest, Tank walked away leaving the pair smirking at his retreat.
“I’m Jubilee by the way.”
“Erica,” the girl said with a nod. “I’m uh..”
“A mutant?” Jubilee chuckled, “Aren’t we all. Come on I’ll show you where you can bunk down.”
“I think I liked the other place better. They weren’t so sexually crazed,” Erica muttered.
“Oh that,” Jubilee led the way down the hall and opened a door. “You’ll find that we’re all sorta dependent on that.”
“Why?”
“We’re rescuees from a lab,” Jubilee declared and gestured to her eye piece, “or did you think this was a fashion statement?”
“Actually I was so busy focusing on the guys emotions that I never noticed. So it won’t matter what I did before?”
“You have to survive some how.”
“Do you want me to work for you?”
Jubilee shook her head, “No. Your job is simple, figure out what you want and get to work on getting it! Now then, dinner’s at six tonight, and we’ll probably have a briefing at it so be prepared for questions.”
“Do you think that the others will be so understanding?”
Jubilee smiled as she grabbed the doorknob, “I think they’re gonna love you. See you tonight.”
Standing in the warmly decorated room Erica sighed and flopped down on the bed, at least here she wasn’t too concerned with waking up on with someone on top of her. Resolved to take it easy, to let them show themselves before she finalized her decision she closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
A bit of a lighter chapter before I get back into the heavy stuff. Hope y'all enjoy!