Hell. Her life had fallen into the seven levels of hell, and it wasn’t even lunch time yet.
“Optimist. Stupid, fucking optimist who thinks all of your girls are straight with you and that Roguey – dear, SWEET Roguey - wouldn’t tell a lie to save her life. Bitch.” Jubilee wasn’t sure what hurt most – the deception by a girl she considered her best bud, or the crushed bewilderment that an entire bottle of vodka hadn’t been able to erase from Bobby’s face. Life sucked. Friends sucked. And fucking Wolverine sucked most of all.
“Hmm, I wonder …” Jubilee snapped her mouth shut. That way led insanity, and major, major ass kicking. She did NOT want to know about her combat teacher’s sex life. Nup. No way, not ever. Even if said sex life seemed to include her best friend. Her frown returned.
It’s not that he wasn’t doable, or anything. I mean - the guy was built. Like Mr Universe, or something. But – well, there were so many buts that she just didn’t know where to start. Apart from the whole Bobby/Rogue thing – I mean, SO cute together, so right for each other – the fact was that the Wolverine was … kinda old. And WAY grumpy and snarly. And far too hairy. Jubilee was still cataloguing the Wolverine’s offences when she and Kitkat walked in the lovers playing tonsil hockey in the living room. She tried to stay annoyed, but the bliss on Rogue’s face made it hard. So the old man knew how to kiss, Jubilee conceded. He was still a girlfriend-stealing lecher.
When Wolverine lifted his head to sweep the room with his “get out or die” stare, Jubilee felt Kitkat tense, and clapped a hand on her arm. They weren’t about to be scared off by a homicidal feral, uh, uh. Not one they’d once found fast asleep in their former roomie’s bed, anyway. Now, that, dude, was entertainment, she thought sourly, remembering waking to find a half-naked man asleep with an armful of happy Rogue snoring on his chest.
Jubilee tried not to think just what THAT should have told her, and concentrated on looking blasé. No intimidation here, bud. You’ve become just another boyf, and will now receive the Jubilee stare of whatever. WHATEVER, dude.
She heard Rogue muffle a giggle at the familiar expression, and then tell the Wolverine to find an elsewhere. Hah! Girltalk was imminent, and this better be good. It better be worth being lied to, and seeing Bobby’s heart break, and finding out your best friend actually had a name she hadn’t bothered to share with you. Marie, huh. Well, Marie, you’ve got a LOT of talking to do.
“Are you guys really mad at me?” Rogue sounded more sad than apologetic, as if upsetting her friends was of more import than the lying and sneaking. Jubilee tried not to bristle and let Kitty handle it. She was acquainted with tact.
“Oh, sweetie. We’re upset, because we just don’t know what’s been going on with you. It’s a bit of a shock, you know? But if this makes you happy…” she broke off, unable to devalue a friend’s happiness, but Jubes just KNEW she was thinking about Bobby. So, apparently, did Rogue.
“It’s not fair to Bobby. I should have told him, before anything happened. But – honest? For me, it was always Logan. Always. I felt like I was cheatin’ every time Bobby kissed me.” Rogue, Jubilee thought cynically, was all big eyes and quivering lip, working her Southern gal schtick for all it was worth. Nonetheless, her words rang with truth. Not that they were news: Kitty and Jubilee had spent six months talking Rogue down from her crush on Logan. Six months of watching her hide his tags under her clothes. Six months of hearing her sob for him after a nightmare. Six months of breathy little moans in the middle of the night, his name laden with joy rather than a bereft ache. Oh yeah, it had been Logan all right.
“And when he kissed me, he was SO scared, and even holding my hand was huge risk … I mean, you guys touch me more than Bobby ever did, and I figured, maybe Bobby never really WANTED to touch me. Maybe he was just being a friend, and felt he had to be a boyfriend. Logan was never afraid to touch me, and he WANTS to. He wants to touch me, and I need to touch him.” Rogue was defiant, unapologetic.
“Yo chica. We figured, OK. We pretty much saw that firsthand what with the lapdancing and all,” Jubilee snarked. “It’s not like we didn’t know you were hot for the Wolverine, we just thought it was, like, a crush or something. Mr Unobtainable, as opposed to Mr Really Cute Boy Who’s Goddamn Crazy About You. And now has a BROKEN HEART!”#
Her accusation rose to a crescendo just as two sophomores wandered in the door and headed for the TV. They spun to stare, and Jubilee pointed to the door. “Vanish. Pretend like you were never here and we won’t be forced to kill you.” The two girls donned fake smiles at the joke, but still stumbled in their haste to retreat. Jubilee retrained her gimlet stare on Rogue.
“I mean, I get the need for touch, OK? And I even get that Hairy Scary might just be the man for you. But you couldn’t have said “hey Bobby, take a hike” before climbing into bed with the guy? Or worse – playing his little DOG in the middle of a grody fight bar?”
“Jubes. Number one – yeah, I should have. Number two – you weren’t meant to BE at the fucking fight bar! And – number three – there was no climbing into bed before last night. You mightn’t have believed me when I said this was new, but it is. REALLY new.”
Jubilee wasn’t sure if she was ready to believe that just yet. This situation was making all those incidents back at the mansion look less innocent. This time, she refused to bite her lip in the interests of playing nice. She had to know.
“So last year, in his room. No hanky panky before the stabby sucky? And when he used to creep in and sleep on your bed? I mean, babe, HIGHLY suspect,” Jubilee tried to keep the sarcasm out of her voice, but failed. And look – bullseye! Rogue had paled and couldn’t look at them.
“No! I was just a kid, and Wolverine would never have touched me!” Rogue hunched herself down into the sofa, and hurt radiated from her shaky voice. “He was looking after me, looking out for me. It wasn’t about … this, then.”
“For you, maybe. But what about him? How do you know he doesn’t just like little girls, chica? Little bit of virgin meat? Jail-fucking-bait?” Jubilee tried to hide her own flinch as the cruel words bit deep. But that’s what the bar had thought last night, and Wolverine had said the words himself. Rogue would have to learn to deal.
Kitty gasped and Jubilee braced herself for tears, or fury, or Rogue’s own brand of silent hurt. They were unprepared for the lazy smile that worked its way across her face like a sunrise.
“Oh, guys. I know. I know the face of every woman he’s ever fucked – hell, I know what they felt like inside! I know every thought he had about me from the day he first saw me to the day he saved me on the Statue of Liberty. And last night, he touched me enough that I know exactly how he feels about me now. Every little thing he wants to do to me.” Jubilee watched, fascinated, as Rogue’s hands wandered briefly over her own body, and the Southern girl’s eyes darkened from their usual milk chocolate to a darker, more potent variety. Chica was getting her freak on, bigtime.
Jubilee hid her smile as Rogue refocused. Aaand BACK we come to the real world … now, what WERE you saying, Roguey?
“Uh … and even if I didn’t have his memories? Well, let’s just say he didn’t start this. I did. And he made me work pretty damn hard for it, too,” Rogue confessed.
Kitty seemed to bristle at that, and Jubilee just KNEW she was going to jump in on Bobby’s behalf. Crush much, Kitkat?
“So if you wanted the Wolverine, and you were chasing him,” Kitty, of course, avoided the KEY question of exactly how Rogue managed that, “why didn’t you break up with Bobby first? Last night? He was completely surprised, you know. He wouldn’t believe it was you at first, because he didn’t think you would ever cheat, Rogue,” Kitty said, blue eyes were filled with reproach.
“I know, Kitkat. It was … unforgivable of me, really. But, did he really think I wouldn’t cheat, or did he think no one else would ever want me enough for me to bother? He wasn’t always kind to me, Kitkat, and we weren’t very together.” Rogue paused, and her eyes glittered as the girl they didn’t know came to the fore. “You’re welcome to him, Kitty. No need to feel guilty any more.”
Kitty’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped in outrage. Oops. Catfight. Jubilee resisted the urge to place bets and reluctantly accepted the role of peacemaker. “Oh, come on Kit. You know she’s right and I know she’s right, so just stow it, huh? This could be the best thing that ever happened for you and Bobby, even if Roguey’s being a bitch about it.” Jubilee levelled her glare at the both of them – took two to catfight, after all – and moved the conversation on.
“Why didn’t you tell us, chica? I mean, its like you’re a completely different person to who we thought you were! Sweet little Southern gal done gone missing, and here’s this bitch in leather walking around in her body. And did I hear her name was Marie?” Jubilee knew her southern twang sucked, but the point seem to be made. Rogue looked appropriately discomfited, and the familiar blush raced up to her face. Huh. Now THAT was Roguey, Jubilee thought triumphantly.
“My real name was Marie. Logan’s the only person I ever told.” She spoke quietly, tasting the words as if she was unsure they were true anymore. “Rogue is my name now – its who I am with everyone else in my head. Logan’s the only person who ever really knew Marie, and sometimes he needs me to be her.” Jubilee hoped Rogue didn’t mean in bed, ‘cause that would be truly sick. But she was fairly sure it was some emo thing, one of those secrets that lovers shared. Or perhaps it was that safety thing that Logan did for Rogue. He let her be whoever she was, and made the rest of the world leave her alone. Jubilee pushed away the envy she felt, and concentrated on trying to communicate her understanding to her friend. Sometimes, the mallrat mask had to slip, and this might be one of them.
“Okay, babe. Rogue it is. But … it would been nice to meet Marie. I think I woulda liked her,” Jubilee moved close to hug her friend, and KitKat joined them after a short moment. They all ignored the snuffles and quiet sobs somebody seemed to be making. Mallrats never cried.
XXXXX
Emotional catharsis seemed to do wonders for the appetite, Jubilee realised as she piled toppings onto her burger. Slab of meat, check. Cheese, check. Lettuce, check. Beetroot, check. Pickles. Check. Avocado – uh, obviously budget doesn’t run to avocado any more. Yet another reason to hate the mutant-hating government nazis. Jubilee eyed the table where Logan and Marie sat close, surrounded by a bubble of shocked silence. Jubester to the rescue, it seemed.
“Hey Roguey, Wolvie. Decided to come up for air, did we?” Sliding in next to Rogue, Jubilee directed a subliminal plea at the usually taciturn feral. Come on, play it, dude. Make them laugh with you, not at you. Wolverine seemed to get the message.
“Well, the rest of you mortals might need to breathe, but … I got my girl to keep happy,” he smirked, and the whole table gaped when his teeth flashed into something that might even be called a smile. “How’m I doing?” he asked Rogue, raising her gloved hand to his lips in antique gesture Jubilee had seen on TV once.
“Pretty good, sugar, pretty good.” Her blush said Rogue was embarrassed by the attention – 20 kids at the table were watching their every move – but liked the public claim on her affections. Jubilee tried to disguise her happy dance as half the table laughed, and a few more kids sat down, filling the gap between the controversial couple and the rest of the students. When Colossus strode into view and slid his bulk next to Wolverine, she nearly cheered. Now, maybe Bobby and the Wolverine will shake hands and be buddies, she fantasised. Got to have some impossible dreams.
Rogue had come to cry on Jubilee’s shoulder after a painful confrontation with Bobby. Apparently, he hadn’t appreciated being told he never really loved her anyway and the not-touching thing had been getting old. Funny that. Asked if the discussion might have been prejudiced by Bobby’s killer hangover, Jubilee had skipped the sympathy to point out that the regular bouts of throwing up had probably minimised the fireworks. Iceworks. Whatever. Bobby had a right to be pissed, and if he’d been feeling vaguely healthy, he would have REALLY made Rogue cry. She’d cheated, for Chrissakes. Nobody deserved to get away with that lightly.
Chastened, Rogue had slunk off to move her stuff into the Wolverine’s room. How they were getting away with THAT, Jubilee didn’t know, but suspected the X-men had no clue. Not after the yelling fest that had eventuated at breakfast – some of the key highlights had been available from that Shelley girl who had a weird hearing-hair thing going on. Nasty gossip had raced through the entire student body, and horrible things were being said. Roguey and the Wolverine needed all the help they could get. Jubilee’s mood brightened again. Laughter was a good first step. And – my God – a Wolverine smile. That was like, the holy Grail of the Mutant High experience. Unprecedented.
“So chica, you all moved in? You think you’ll both fit inta that little bed?” It’s not like everybody wasn’t already talking about it, Jubilee reasoned. Gossip wasn’t gossip once you included the people involved.
She nearly swallowed her tongue when Wolverine stepped up again. With a full on GRIN this time. “We’ll manage. All the more fun if its … cosy,” he said, raising a distinctly teasing eyebrow at Rogue. Cosy? Jubilee had seen cosy, but that closet wasn’t it. “Yeah, whatever dudes. Privacy is cool, even if it is tiny, crowded, privacy. And from what I saw last night, you two SO need it…” Jubilee froze, cursing her loose tongue. Had Wolverine said anything about their late-night encounter? Or had she just gotten everyone in deep shit? She slowly lifted her head to glance around – thank God, no senior team anywhere. She shot Wolverine a dirty look – bastard was chuckling now – and returned to her burger. Let’s concentrate on eating for a minute or two. Not at the top of my game, here.
Rogue jumped in, a look that was suspiciously like amusement lurking in her eyes. “So, are you ready for this afternoon’s meeting, Jubes? They’ve asked us all to think about how we go forward, what the plan should be. Do you have any ideas?”
“A few. But none that make a lot of sense. I mean,” she lowered her voice, bending her head closer to Rogue and the Wolverine, “I think we’re fucked. Royally fucked, if we don’t make a move soon. But where the hell can we go?” Without the Professor’s mansion, they had no way of housing the unwanted kids, let alone schooling them. And safe houses were only safe if no one stayed there for long. Anyone who knew anything about hiding knew six weeks in one place was far too long.
Normally, the senior team didn’t bother to share this kinda stuff with the juniors, but Wolverine didn’t appear to be big on rules. He kept his voice low, and damned if he wasn’t honest, too. “You’re right, Jubes. Things have gotta change, or we’re all going to end up in someone’s lab. But we’ve got lots of options – just no decisions yet. Hopefully, that’ll change soon, and I think you kids are gonna need to get involved. So start thinkin’.”
She nodded quietly, flashing him a wry smile in thanks. It was kinda nice to be treated like an adult. Specially when you were expected to fight like one, and Jubilee knew her induction to the junior team wouldn’t be bloodless for much longer. Not that she wanted it to be, really. She’d just about died in that fuckin’ hole, waiting helplessly for the others to come and get her out while the government assholes had plotted their destruction. She had as much right as anyone else to kick some ass.
“Yeah. You’re right. And I’m glad you’ve been teaching us how to fight properly, you know? Because I don’t think they were playing by the Professor’s rules, and we were real lucky you were there. We’d all be dead, otherwise.” She wasn’t real good at saying thank you, but hopefully Wolvie would get the message. He just grunted, but Jubilee thought it mighta been a grateful kinda grunt. Maybe.
And maybe, when she made her really stupid suggestion at the meeting later, he wouldn’t sneer. Or threaten to gut her. Because it was really the only thing she could think of, right now.
XXXXX
The kitchen cabinet resumed session, but this time eleven X-men circled the rickety table. Xavier had rolled to the head, Cyclops to his left, and Storm to his right. The new doc, Hank McCoy, sat next to Scott, and the other blue guy, Kurt something, was next to Ororo. Then came the juniors – Iceman and Colossus lined up opposite Shadowcat and herself, with Rogue to her left. Wolverine faced Xavier down the table, his features grim and unmoving. An empty chair to his left served as an aching reminder of Pyro’s defection. Damn firebug, Jubilee thought angrily. Ya couldn’t picked a better time to turn evil?
Xavier banged the table with his palm to bring the meeting to order, and launched into his usual spiel. Jubilee tried to listen … it had been a while and things were dire, but after five minutes or so she was began to wonder when the listening would start. “Danger,” yadda yadda yadda, “resources” yadda yadda yadda, “no school, no hope, no future.” Wait. Maybe that was The Terminator. She choked on a snicker and drew icy glares from the other end of the table.
“And that is why we have asked you to help us formulate the way forward,” the Professor said. “The X-men are more than just the mansion, or the jet, or the school. We are the only hope for a peaceful future, and we must all do our utmost to ensure that future arrives.” He fixed his benevolent gaze on the Wolverine, who seemed to be enjoying the lecture as much as Jubilee. “We are all a part of this team. We are all in this together. And thus, our plan must be one we all believe in.”
“Yeah, Chuck, we get it. Happy smiley people. Let’s get to the real world stuff, huh?” Jubilee tried not to snort at the Wolverine’s heavy sarcasm. Xavier, none, Wolverine, one.
“Of course, Logan. You may start. What do you identify as our key problems, and thus, our key priorities,” the Prof said. Keeping his cool, even.
“I told you this morning. You got no money. Lots of kids. Nowhere to live, and a bunch of fuckin’ commandos on your asses. Priority would be safety, for all of you. I say get the fuck out of Dodge.”
Kitty, taking the official minutes for this meeting, paled. “Uh, professor? Do I have to write that, um, verbatim?”
“In your own words, Kitty. Put down Logan’s suggestion as ‘relocation’. And Logan. Try to limit your cursing to words Kitty can write without blushing.” Wolverine looked annoyed at the Professor’s reprimand, but still looked at Kitty with a bob of his head that might have been an apology.
“I’ll just clarify one thing before we move on to Colossus. I am not completely without funds. I still have a considerable amount invested, both openly and … less so … in Europe. I need time, and some technological assistance, to be able to access that money, but it’s not a major problem,” the Professor said. Suddenly, he looked more like the leader he had been before the school had been desecrated. Before Jean had died. It must be cool to have money, Jubes mused. It seemed to have the power to make bad things go away.
“How much we talkin’ Chuck? A mill? Two? What we got to shopping with?”
Professor Xavier hesitated, obviously calculating. “I can free up about fifteen million or so in the short term. Conservatively, ten million. Longer term, its closer to twenty.” He seemed unaware of the jaws that dropped all around the table. “Oh, that’s pounds, by the way.”
“Fuck.” Wolverine spoke without thinking and then darted a glance at Kitty. “Uh, strike the record”. He put his head down in thought and then looked up again. “So, there’s money. Enough to get some decent buildings somewhere. But you gotta decide where, and how the hell we find ‘em. Can’t exactly hire a real estate agent.”
“Hmm.” The Professor looked thoughtful and then nodded at Colossus. “We’ll come back to that issue. But in the meantime, what do you think we should do, Colossus?”
The big Russian was shy in such an open forum, but his ideas were always strong. He felt security was their biggest challenge, and agreed with Logan that they needed to be moving on. “I don’t think we can wait to find another school – I think we need to move now. As soon as possible. More safe houses, somewhere else.”
Wolverine nodded in agreement, as did the Professor. Scott looked pissed, but it that was the most animated he had looked in weeks. Storm looked grave, but seemed to accept the need to move on.
As they moved around the table, there were few new ideas offered, simply expansions on the theme: better protection, move on soon, start looking for somewhere long term. When Kitkat had pointed out they needed to start organising the younger kids more, perhaps involving them to keep their spirits up, Jubilee held her breath, knowing she was up next. She was pretty sure her idea wouldn’t meet with the same validation.
“Jubilee. How do you feel about the situation?” The Professor’s enquiring glance was replicated all the way down the table. Jubilee took a deep breath and just waded in.
“The Brotherhood. I think that maybe the Brotherhood might help us.” She waited, knowing the stunned silence was simply a short reprieve. “I know they’re the enemy and all, but they don’t want mutant kids to be killed. And Magneto’s been in hiding for months and nobody’s found him, so maybe they can help us do that too.”
It was all she had to say, really, the only thing she could think of. Being evil was a lot safer than being good, and while most of the kids never admitted it, everyone wondered if maybe Magneto was right. Peaceful co-existence was hard when the government attacked your school in the middle of the night.
Rogue, of course, would never agree, because Mags had tried to kill her. And Wolverine hated anyone who hurt Rogue. So she couldn’t expect any support from that corner. But maybe …
“She’s right. We need to talk to Magneto. He knows how to live underground. He has the contacts to help you do that. And you have the money to make him want to help you.” Wolverine’s voice was thick with distaste, obviously hating the idea, but unable to reject it. “In fact, I think that has to be the first step. We find Magneto, let him know we’re looking for new digs. Then move camp to be closer to wherever he is. It’d work.”
Jubilee was so shocked at his support, she nearly missed Rogue’s quiet drawl. “I agree. He always said there was a war coming. I think we all realise it’s here, and that we hafta choose a side. And I choose to live.”
Her words hung in the air like a benediction. Even the Professor was silent for a moment, before speaking softly into the hush.
“You may be right, Rogue. Perhaps our need to survive will accommodate a truce with Erik for the moment. I will try to make contact with him, and report back to you all as soon as we have some news. In the meantime, all of your suggestions are good, and we will start putting them into action.” The Professor closed the meeting with a quiet nod to them all, as he rolled away from the table.
Jubilee swung to look at Rogue, still expecting to see hatred in her eyes. “Roguey, I know he tried to kill you, but…”
Rogue broke in, her calm voice a balm to Jubilee’s sick nerves. “Really, Jubes. It’s the best idea. It ain’t gonna be easy seeing the guy again but he can help y’all. And you need all the help you can get.
The kitchen was still thick with emotion when they all filed out. It was only later that Jubilee remembered exactly what Rogue had said. “Y’all.” As in, you. Not us. Surely it was just a slip of the tongue. Once an X-man, always an X-man, right?
XXXXX
With tension still thick in the air, Kit had decided some good old-fashioned fun was needed. Scrabble was always her choice of fun, even though the rest of them groaned. The older X-men had begged off, and Rogue had said something about the Wolverine scoutin’ down some leads, so it was just the five of them – KitKat, Bobby, and Rogue, with Jubilee and Piotr teamed up due to the second language disadvantage. (Jubilee’s Cantonese was actually worse than her English, but hey, what they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them. Especially when it came to board games.)
Having taken part in the summit, and even been able to maintain an appropriately adult professional distance, Bobby and Rogue seemed to have decided to ignore each other and last night’s heartbreak. They hadn’t exactly talked, but he wasn’t looking anything but sick, and she was being very, very careful not to mention Logan’s name. It wouldn’t last, but right now, Jubes was just grateful for the peace. Scrabble tended to need all of her concentration.
“And that’s a triple word score, too,” Kitkat squealed, plonking down her tiles – omigod, was that really a Z – what was ‘zure’ anyway? Jubilee opened her mouth to object when she remembered you had to join your word with a letter already on the board. And yes, azure. Freakin’ geniuses.
“Ah, so that’s – fourteen times three is 42. Kitkat, you win by about a zillion points,” Roguey said as she calculated the scores. “The rest of us are so far behind there’s not much point going on!” Jubilee laughed and tipped their tiles – Q and U, what word ever had them anyway – in the box to stop anyone from forcing them to play on.
Rogue was pouting, Bobby was sulking, Colossus thought Kitty’s glee was just cute, and as per usual, he and Jubes were losing. It was all surprisingly comforting, just like old times, Jubilee thought contentedly. Just without the fussball table and the sickening goo-goo eyes between Bobby and Rogue. Kickin’ back, intimidating the underclassmen, hanging out with her buds. And when Siryn’s scream rent the air, that too was familiar. Horribly, gut-wrenchingly familiar. They were under attack again, and this time, Logan wasn’t there to save them.
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