|
"I'll
hunt him down and then I'll kill him."
The reaction to this statement from the assembled members of Generation
X was mixed at best. "How are you going to kill someone with a
healing factor?" Paige asked scornfully. "Huh? You gotta find
some way to get around that first."
"Much as it pains me to say this, she's right," Angelo
replied, shaking his head. "And that's if he doesn't kill you
first."
"I don't care," replied the quiet but determined voice.
Monet sat, perfectly composed, in one of the chairs in the library.
"I fail to understand the necessity for violence. Some difficulty
in love affairs is only to be expected."
They all rolled their eyes. "Like you'd know," Paige muttered.
"Exactly," Astalon replied. One of the younger members of
Generation X, she was still deemed old enough to attend the impromptu
meeting of the Save Jubilee society, unlike Kiwi and Punkin, who had
been left out of this. No one really wanted to explain the facts of life
to them. "M, you've sailed through every romance you've had. You're
even engaged to a Harvard law graduate. *And* he's a real-life prince.
C'mon, what do you know about romance?"
Monet turned away, and only a telepathic observer would have noticed any
sign of pain. "I believe that my advice will be useful. If we form
a plan, I am certain that I will be able to contribute meaningfully to
it."
"What plan?" Angelo asked.
"To kill Wolverine," came the reply from the dark shape
huddled into the ledge of one of the windows. The others had formed a
loose semicircle around the window, showing their support without
crowding the young man who was so in need of it at the moment. Everett
raised his head from his arms, dark circles apparent under his eyes.
Jubilee was not in the room. She existed in a sphere of silence that no
one except Emma and Sean had succeeded in penetrating. Not talking
except when necessary, she was still the focus of every conversation.
And Everett was her chief mourner.
"Man, you gotta let her go," Angelo said softly. "She's
not yours anymore."
"I still love her," Everett said defiantly. "And you care
about her too, or you wouldn't be here trying to find something to do to
that... that *bastard*."
Angelo shrugged. "Well, yeah, but at least I'm not talkin' about
going on some suicide mission or something. We all agree we gotta do
*something*, but I thought we were supposed to be the good guys, y'know?
And you don't kill somebody for dumping a friend of yours."
"So what do you do?" Astalon asked. "'Cause I want to do
something. And it better be good."
<Is there a need to do anything?> Jono asked telepathically.
"Well, duh," Angelo said. "Of course there is."
<I'm not so sure of that.>
****
"Bubba shot the jukebox last night,
because it played a sad song and made him cry.
Went to his truck and got his .45.Bubba shot the jukebox last
night."
Wolverine looked up from the jukebox of the country-western bar. He
wasn't crying. It'd take more than having sex with a woman to make him
cry. And that was all it had been. He'd slept with Jubilee. Big deal.
He'd slept with lots of women. He'd never had problems the morning after
-- if one of them had betrayed him as Jubilee had (and a good number
had), he did what had to be done. Left them, scared the hell out of
them, killed them if they tried to kill him. Whatever. He liked women,
but sex wasn't the same as love, and he knew it. Knew it real well.
After the sex was over, so were the women, and that was it. Love was
somethin' else, an' this wasn't love.
It couldn't be. He'd slept with her. It was sex, and that was it.
Yeah, right.
And he was a washed up drifter with nothing to show for his life but a
handful of 'friends' who he might have to fight someday dependin' on
exactly what the situation was.
No, he felt something for Jubilee, and that was what made this so hard.
She'd used him. Manipulated him. Betrayed him. What had she been playing
at? Working her way through the X-Men in reverse alphabetical order?
Giving the old man a thrill? Using him to show the X-Men that she really
was an adult now? That seemed most likely. He'd certainly seen the
scheming little wench as an adult after she'd gotten him to chase her
down in the woods. A very attractive woman to take to bed and make his
own. Except that every step of that decision had been made by Jubilee.
Every move carefully planned out. He'd been maneuvered into wanting her,
and so he couldn't trust his own feelings on the subject.
It was important to Logan that he be in control. His life, his choices.
This issue had come up before, in the case of Alpha Flight. They hadn't
understood that he made his own decisions. Despite their close
friendship, Hudson had repeatedly attempted to pressure him into joining
the Canadian team. And Logan had refused every time. With force when
necessary. Logan wouldn't allow himself to be in a situation not of his
own choosing. He'd had enough of that as Weapon X. More than enough. He
was his own man, and if anyone didn't like it, they could fuck
themselves.
Including the X-Men. Including Jubilee.
He wanted her. He hated her. He loved her. He didn't know which was
true, and which was a lie. His independent nature pulled him one way,
and his instincts the other.
And in the background, the music kept playing, droning its message
repetitively into his enhanced senses. He could take it no longer. His
fist slammed through the case of the jukebox, leaving a nasty mess of
shattered glass and blood. But the music finally stopped.
Around him, there was silence.
"Anybody got anythin' they wanna say?" Wolverine asked
menacingly, turning to the crowded, smoky room. The cuts on his hand
were already healing, and his stance screamed of anger that had lost its
leash a good while before.
"Uh, no, sir," said the accountant in the cowboy hat who was
standing immediately in front of Wolverine. He held up his hands and
backed away. "I'm sure that the jukebox deserved its fate."
The owner of the bar, a large burly man, didn't seem to agree.
"Buddy, you're going to pay for that."
A vicious smile grew on Wolverine's face as an outlet for his confused
emotions presented itself. "Make me."
****
In the boathouse of Xavier's mansion, long since converted into living
quarters for the Summers, Jean snuggled further into the corner of her
husband's shoulder.
<And that's that,> the telepath concluded, finishing her briefing.
<Emma seems to have been the catalyst for the event, although she
doesn't know why Wolverine was upset by the conversation. Jubilee...>
A mental image of the young woman came through, a dark-haired figure
staring blindly out a window. <Jubilee hasn't yet recovered enough to
talk coherently, but Emma told me what little she was able to get out of
her. The best we can guess is that he bolted when he discovered that
Jubilee had decided in advance that she wanted a relationship with
him.>
Scott frowned. "That's ridiculous."
<I agree. There has to be something more to this that we aren't
seeing. I wish Logan were here so that we could talk to him. If I could
find out what went wrong, then we'd have some chance of helping him find
a solution to whatever the problem is. And I don't think what you're
thinking would be very productive.>
As Scott had been considering precisely how hard to pound Wolverine into
the ground, he had little to say to defend himself. So he thought
instead. <Yeah, but it sure would make me feel better. When I get my
hands on him... This is exactly what I was afraid would happen when I
found out that he and Jubilee were involved.> A string of images
followed, Wolverine with two older, taller women hanging from his arms,
a much younger Jubilee with her hair in bows, a fuzzy thought of Jubilee
in a wedding gown, and Wolverine with blood liberally splattered on his
body.
<It's their choice, dear,> Jean reminded him.
<Not if Wolverine's hurting her. He never should have gotten involved
with Jubilee.>
<Too late now. All we can do is deal with the aftermath. When Logan
comes back, I intend to discuss this with him.> Hesitancy entered her
mental voice. <I know we don't discuss it, but I have Madelyne's
memories. I know what it's like to be abandoned by the man I love. And
I'm certain that Jubilee loves Logan. She has to be hurting now.>
<And you feel protective of her.>
<Don't we all?>
Scott snorted. He'd already had to scotch two attempts by other members
of the X-Men to chase down Wolverine and "reason" with him. He
might have approved or even helped if he weren't aware that Wolverine's
idea of a good time was beating people up. Hunting the Canadian down
would only cause needless property damage and medical expenses -- on the
behalf of the X-Men, not Wolverine. Such were the difficulties of
"teaching a lesson" non-lethally to a man with a healing
factor.
Not that the idea didn't appeal to him.
<Scott...> Jean said warningly inside his head. <For all we
know, Logan is suffering as badly as Jubilee is. Beating him up isn't
the appropriate response.>
*Not yet,* Scott added, in what he hoped was a private thought.
Unlikely, as closely as they were bonded. Switching the conversation to
words, he leered at his red-headed wife and said, "Care to take my
mind off of the topic?"
She grinned back. "Don't mind if I do."
*****
Gambit steeled himself against the action he was about to perform, and
knocked on the door. It went against all his thiefly instincts to knock,
but when you paid a call on a lovesick man with long claws and a vile
temper, it was probably best not to sneak into his apartment.
The door opened rudely. "Yeah, whaddaya want?"
The Cajun stepped inside before the door could be closed on him.
"To speak with you, mon ami."
Wolverine slouched into the darkened kitchen and took a bottle of beer
out of the refrigerator. "If you're here about Jubilee, I don't
want to hear it. If I want lectures, I'll go back to the mansion."
"Gambit not here to lecture." He seated himself on the couch,
removing his sunglasses and sprawling back comfortably.
"Then
what're you doing here?"
"Need to ask you somet'ing." Remy's eyes gleamed.
"Shoot." Logan finished off the beer, and got himself a
second one.
"You left de p'tite 'cause of somet'ing you t'ought she did, non?
Somet'ing you didn't like an' now you don' know whet'er you wan' to go
back?"
Wolverine scowled. "It's none of your business, Gumbo."
Gambit took a deep breath. This was why he had come, the question that
had burned so hotly inside him that he had been unable to sleep, unable
to eat, unable to do anything but gnaw over the chance he was being
given. If it were a chance. If it were his chance. "Ah, but it is.
See, what Gambit wan' to ask -- if you don' wan' de p'tite, Gambit do --
so do you wan' her or not?"
Part Two
Gambit's
question caught Wolverine off-guard. He'd been expecting to hear
some bullshit question about how he could just run off like that.
Not a bald proposition. Suddenly, Logan wished he'd left town
entirely and followed his first impulse to head for Canada and the
reassurance of nature, instead of holing up here in his apartment in the
city. "What did you say?"
"You
heard me." Now it was Gambit's turn to wonder if he'd done
the right thing by coming here. His heart was pounding fast, in
the excited, anticipatory rhythm he'd often felt as a thief.
"Do you wan' de p'tite? If not, Gambit will take her off your
hands and you can drink and do what you like; I don' care."
Hackles
on Wolverine's neck rose. He growled deep in his throat, a sound
that did not reach the audible range. A male was threatening his
territory. "What kind of question is that?"
"A
good one Gambit t'ink. You leave de lady crying her heart out --
it only makes sense to t'ink that mebbe you don' wan' her no more."
Wolverine's
eyes narrowed. What was the Cajun playing at? "What about
Rogue?"
Remy
shrugged eloquently. "Mebbe I give up chasing after t'ings
dat aren't meant t'be. She don' wan' me anymore dan you want Jubes.
I understan' dat. Dis t'ief not good enough for her. Gambit
not a fool -- when de lady leave you in de coldes' place on Earth, mebbe
jus' mebbe she don' like you no more. T'ings never been de same
since dat."
Suspiciously,
Wolverine considered Gambit. "I don't believe you."
Gambit
smiled, a pained, tired smile that unfortunately Wolverine could relate
to all too well. Logan scowled. He didn't want to relate to
the Cajun right now. "If somet'ing had happened to Scott, would you
have been dere for Jean? Gambit t'ink so. Y'know a good t'ing
when you see it. You lost it, but you wanted it anyway, n'est pas?
Is it so hard to b'lieve dat Gambit see de same t'ing wit' you and
Jubilee? An' wan' it for himself?"
Claws
sprouted from Wolverine's hands, and before Gambit could move away,
Wolverine had him pinned to the couch. "You touch Jubilee,
and I'll kill ya."
"So
de man wants de chere after all." Gambit forced himself to
smile, despite the sinking disappointment he felt inside. He
hadn't known which he wanted to hear more -- that Wolverine loved
Jubilee and would go back to make her happy, or that Wolverine didn't
and perhaps there might be a chance for something... what exactly Gambit
wasn't sure of, but something. "Quelle surprise."
Grudgingly,
Wolverine recognized that he'd been cornered into an admission of
feeling for Jubilee. He'd thought that it couldn't be beaten out
of him in his present mood. Now, even though he could skewer the
other man with no more than a breath of pressure, Gambit held the upper
hand. "Maybe I just think she's too good for a scoundrel like
you."
Remy
laughed, bitterly, hoarsely. "Gambit don' t'ink so. Gambit's
past not dat much worse dan de Wolverine's. Gambit t'ink dat mebbe
de chere his only hope of salvation."
"Now
I'm gonna kill you, bub."
"No,
you won'," Gambit said, studiously casual despite the threat.
He still felt the thrill of excitement, not a fear of death, although
the extreme earliness of the hour might be contributing to his
irrational state of mind. "How you goin' 'xplain dat to de
p'tite? 'Scuse me, I kill Gambit 'cause he love you.' She
won' like it. Scott neither."
"I'll
come up with something," Wolverine growled. "New York's
a big city. Accidents happen."
Gambit
drew in his energy, lightly charging the adamantine claws that rested
across his chest. They glowed, proof positive that he could use
his powers to push Wolverine away. Or explode the claws
altogether. Adamantine was strong -- but the energy he was
charging the metal with was its own innate kinetic energy. It
would be interesting to see the results if he did release that energy
violently.
"You
don't scare me."
"Never
t'ought I did. But a man got a right t'defend himself, non?"
"Listen,
bub, maybe I can't kill you," Wolverine admitted grudgingly.
Not before Gambit actually *did* something to Jubilee anyway.
"Maybe I'll just work you over some. 'Less of course, things
get out of hand." Wolverine grinned, indicating his approval
of that course of action. "But I'm not lettin' you out of
here without making sure you know to stay away from Jubilee. I
don't want her hurt."
"Too
late for dat."
Wolverine
bristled at the suggestion that Gambit had done something to Jubilee.
This was the excuse he'd been waiting for. "That's it. You're
a dead man."
"Non.
Gambit didn't do anyt'ing to de p'tite. De chere already been
hurt."
"What
are you talking about? Did something happen to Jubilee?"
Gambit
favored Logan with a long look. "After you leave, she cry,
and den go home t'Massachusetts. You hurt de p'tite bad. Never
seen Jubilee cry before. Gambit know a little 'bout women. Dat stuff
'bout hell being better dan what happens when you reject a woman?
All true. Gambit been dere, done dat, stole de T-shirt. De
p'tite going t'rough hell right now, an' she going to do the same t'ing
to you when she sees you again."
Wolverine
dropped his hands. He shook his head, unable to believe what he'd
just heard. "No--"
"Dat's
de truth."
"Jubilee
left?"
"Oui."
Wolverine
collapsed into a chair without any hint of grace. "She can't do
that."
"Why
not? What did you expect?"
Wolverine
shook his head, struggling with feelings of disbelief and betrayal.
"She said she'd stay..." Jubilee had promised.
He'd counted on that. Even as he'd left, he'd taken reassurance in
knowing that she would still be there when he returned, as she'd been
there before when he'd left her after Magneto leeched the adamantium
from his skeleton. Her being there gave stability to his life.
The safety and well-being of his protegees, and Jubilee especially,
anchored his soul to the real world when otherwise he would be
overwhelmed by the brutality of his existence. No. Jubilee
couldn't have left him. She just couldn't.
"Bet
anyt'ing dat she said dat before you decided to run away."
"Yeah.
So?"
Gambit
shook his head. "You don' know much about women, do
you?"
Now
Wolverine was offended. He knew plenty about women.
"And you do?"
"Sure.
Gambit know better dan to take a woman's body and not take her heart.
If she promised t'stay, de chere be giving you both. Dat means it
was more dan jus' one night. Non?" He got no objection
from Wolverine. "If you don' wan' her heart, den you
shouldn't take de body. Not wit' a woman like dat. Not if
you wan' t'keep her."
"And
you think you can do better?"
LeBeau
shrugged. "Couldn't do worse. So what do you say?
Do you still want de p'tite?"
Wolverine
glared. Did he want Jubilee? He still hadn't found an answer
for the question he'd wrestled with all afternoon, all evening and now
into the wee hours of the morning. "I don't know."
"Well,
den." Gambit stood. His shadowed face reflected an
emotion that could have been regret. "T'ank you for your
hospitality."
"Going
back to the mansion to report on me?" Wolverine growled bitterly.
"Non.
Gambit going to Massachusetts."
And
then he left.
Wolverine
went into the kitchen and grabbed another beer. Out of habit more
than anything else. Right now, he'd've needed something with a
much higher alcoholic content to match his mood if he were inclined to
try doing so. He growled low in his throat as he thought of Gambit
and Jubilee together, instinctively responding to another male coming
between him and his mate, then caught himself.
No.
He didn't feel jealousy -- no, it couldn't be that. There was nothing to
be jealous of -- he'd broken it off with Jubilee and he didn't want her
back. Really. He'd left her the previous afternoon, and he
wasn't going to take her back as long she continued to think she could
get away with manipulating him. No, he was concerned for a
different reason. He tried to make himself believe that, tried to
simplify the problem down to one understandable issue. He was
concerned because Gambit might hurt Jubilee. Wolverine thought
about that for a moment. Was it plausible to believe that Gambit
really would hurt Jubilee? The Cajun had courted Rogue in a
reasonably gallant manner, and Logan knew damn well that any previous
lovers of his that they'd run into were always happy to see the man.
Maybe Gambit wouldn't...
Wolverine
shook his head violently. No, there were several perfectly good
reasons why the Cajun was all wrong for Jubilee. Logical reasons
that had nothing to do with Wolverine wanting her for himself.
Right. All he had to do was think of them.
He
couldn't object to LeBeau on the basis of the younger man's past -- as
Gambit had pointed out, Logan's was certainly just as bad or worse.
And Gambit was one of the X-Men, thus putting him on the side of the
angels, inasmuch as there was such a thing -- damnit, another point in
his favor. Remy had it over him in looks, too. And height.
Not that Wolverine had ever experienced a lack of success with the
ladies -- quite the opposite -- but they were talking about Jubilee, and
who knew what her tastes were?
'Course,
there was Rogue. Maybe Gambit was serious about preferring
Jubilee, but Wolverine didn't trust the Cajun not to go running after
the Southern belle the moment she crooked her finger at him. As
she might very well do if she saw her most faithful beau taken away from
her. Bringing Gambit back to her side, and leaving Jubilee behind,
hurt.
Wolverine
growled again. *There* was a good reason to protect Jubilee
against the Cajun. With Rogue around all the time as a member of
the X-Men, Gambit would inevitably be drawn back to her. Making
Jubilee suffer. And Logan couldn't allow that. He
disregarded Remy's argument that he himself had already hurt
Jubilee -- not important. Not relevant. Wolverine's actions
had been in response to Jubilee's unwarranted manipulation of him -- at
the moment, Logan couldn't think of what exactly the manipulation had
consisted of, but he was sure it'd been something important -- which
meant that he'd been justified. He'd been forced into reacting the
way he had. But Gambit would break Jubilee's heart just for the
pleasure of it. He'd start what would be a light romance to him,
and would be all the world to Jubilee, hurting her all the worse when
the inevitable end came.
Wolverine
couldn't let that happen.
He
upended his bottle, finishing the beer. He had to get to
Massachusetts as soon as he could, and keep Jubilee from making a
terrible mistake.
Part
Three
The afternoon light didn't quite hit the window -- the angle was wrong
for that. Which was good. If cheery spring brightness had filled the
room, Jubilee would have felt compelled to leave. She just wasn't in the
mood for cheeriness.
She sighed heavily, watching the clouds through the window, wondering
idly if they might form into rainclouds. Just two days ago, she'd just
been starting to play paintball and eagerly anticipating the aftermath
of the game. Then the possibilities had seemed so open and she'd been
full of high spirits. And desperately in love with Wolverine. It was
funny how life could change so quickly.
Jubilee sighed again. She knew that the others were worried about her.
Even Frosty was worried about her, which said something. The
headmistress usually behaved as though she considered herself above her
students' problems. At least those problems that didn't involve mortal
injury or things blowing up.
*I'll get over Wolvie,* she told herself. *No prob. He's just the most
important person in my whole life, but that's a minor issue. A
technicality.* Tears slipped from her eyes again, and she scrubbed
fiercely at them before mentally changing the subject. She couldn't
think about him; it hurt too much yet. *The hard part is going to be
getting over myself.* She still found it hard to believe that she'd
misread Wolverine so badly. She felt dirty. Wolverine's actions and
behavior made her question her own self-worth. She'd felt such a sense
of womanly power when she had gotten him to chase her down and make love
to her. He had wanted her in a very primal way, and she had caused that
to happen. It felt good. But Wolvie thought it was wrong. Her thoughts
wandered back into the same familiar groove they'd been in for the past
day. *He didn't want to want me. I pushed him. I took what I wanted, and
screwed up the best thing I ever had. The only thing it was about was
sex, and I screwed up any chance there was for love. I'm a manipulating
bitch, and I ruined everything because he didn't want to want me.*
The window that she'd been staring at without really seeing began to
open from the outside. Startled, Jubilee raised her hands, ready to paf
the intruder. And paf him really hard if it turned out to be Wolverine.
A large figure in a long jacket crouched in her windowsill, not entering
the room, giving her time to recognize him. "Gambit?" she
asked.
"Oui, chere. May I come in?"
"Sure, sure," she said, off-balance. She stepped back further,
giving him room. "What are you doing here? I don't know why you'd
want to see me."
He bowed elegantly and presented her with a white rose. His mouth
quirked. "You can find no reason at all?"
"Uh--" she accepted the rose, beginning to feel very
flustered. He was staring at her intently. "No, not really. I mean,
well, there was what happened at the mansion--" Her hand closed
tightly over the stem of the rose, and she felt the thorns stab into the
palm of her hand, "but I'd rather not think about that."
"Gambit understan'. Don' need to talk about it."
"Good."
"After Gambit ask one question."
Jubilee averted her gaze from him. Questions. The last thing she wanted.
Now she wanted to scream at him, paf him, force him away from her. But
that wouldn't be right, now would it? Taking out her anger at Wolverine
on an innocent bystander? So instead she bottled it up, forcing herself
to stand there and listen to whatever Gambit had to say.
Surprising her, he reached for her hand and gently uncurled it from the
stem of the flower. Her hand was bleeding, and it hurt, but the pain
seemed almost necessary. Remy didn't seem to agree. Setting the rose on
the desk, he reached into his pocket and brought out a white square of
linen, then blotted the blood away with kind fingers.
Now she really wanted to cry. But she'd have to get rid of him first.
"What did you want to ask?" she challenged him in a cold
voice.
"Jus' dis --" his expression turned wistful. "If you give
up on Logan, is dere a chance dat you might wan' Remy?"
"Uh--" she choked. He seemed to have quite a talent at making
her lose her ability to speak. Of course, her brain wasn't operating at
anywhere near full capacity at the moment. "I-- You--" *You
want me?*
"I think I need to sit down."
Gambit courteously supported her as she almost fell into the floor
instead of into the chair.
"Well, um... this is so sudden." Too sudden. She couldn't
switch over so quickly from Wolverine to anyone. Her emotions didn't
have an on-off switch. She was having trouble even comprehending the
idea of wanting someone other than him.
"Gambit understan'. Not expecting anyt'ing. But Gambit t'ought dat
if mebbe you like him a little, he might help you to recover, p'tite."
To her dismay, she started to cry. There was nothing she wanted to do
less than start shedding tears. She wasn't the kind of person who
dissolved into tears at tragedy. She should be standing up and fighting
for herself. Jeering Wolverine as she hit him with a load of fireworks
he wouldn't soon forget. But, no. As soon as someone showed her the
least bit of kindness, she cried. Pathetic.
Arms wrapped around her, and Jubilee blinked through her tears to find
Gambit kneeling next to her chair, offering her his shoulder to cry on.
"Not again," she blubbered, her sense of humor reasserting
itself even as she accepted his offer, letting him pull her close, until
she was sitting on the floor and being held by him.
"Dere's not'ing to be ashamed of, chere. You hurt inside and den
you cry about it. Not'ing at all wrong about dat."
She laughed shakily. "There is if I say there is." Another
wave of sadness drowned her as she remembered again exactly what was
wrong with her life. She clung to Gambit as she gulped in great sobs of
air, grateful for his strength and warmth, but most of all for his
attention. She frowned against his chest, *Now where did that thought
come from?*
Dismissing the confusing idea, Jubilee sat back, looking at him. She
didn't draw away from him completely; Remy's embrace comforted her, and
if anyone had to see her cry, at least he'd seen her do so before and
had proven himself to be both soothing and so far willing to allow her
her silence. That was something she hadn't got from anyone else -- Emma
had grilled her on the way back to the Academy, and only years of
practice at holding shields against the telepath had saved Jubilee from
humiliatingly revealing everything. And while her fellow team members
wanted to be supportive, they couldn't stop themselves from laying blame
on Wolverine. And, despite everything, Jubilee couldn't stand to hear
anyone denigrating Wolvie. Especially not now.
But Gambit simply smiled at her and then used the handkerchief he had
produced earlier to gently wipe the tears from her face. "Dat
better?"
"A little," she admitted.
"Good."
He finished dabbing at her face, and suddenly Jubilee felt
self-conscious. She was sitting on the floor, an irregular position to
begin with, tucked between Remy's legs, with his arm slung loosely about
her shoulder. And the way he was looking at her... of course, when your
eyes are red with black pupils, perhaps they *always* smoulder. But
still...
Before she could take action to end the awkward scene, Gambit stood,
drawing her to her feet along with him. He let go of her hand as soon as
he saw that she was capable of standing without swaying. Winningly, he
smiled. "Would you like to go for a walk? Beautiful day outside,
and Gambit promise to make you laugh."
Slowly, she smiled tremulously back at him. "That's the best offer
I've had all day."
"Den let's go."
****
Unaware to Jubilee, her fellow team members had kept her closely
monitored. Maybe she didn't want them to intrude, so they would respect
that wish, considering that there wasn't any way to force themselves on
her without probably making her feel even worse, but that didn't mean
that they were going to let her do anything stupid either.
Of course, their ideas of 'stupid' had ranged from suicide to stuffing
herself with chocolate to tearing apart her room. Not something as
wildly unimaginable as leaving the building smiling and arm-in-arm with
one of the X-Men.
Artie, her current watchdog, brought the news to the second session of
the Save Jubilee committee meeting.
"She's doing what?" Everett exploded.
Artie bobbed his head, and sent another image of the pair walking away
together like old friends.
"I can't believe it," Everett muttered grimly. "I'm here,
upset over all of this, and she goes out and has fun."
There were more than a few head nods from the rest of the group, who had
spent the larger part of the past hour contemplating both what to do for
the depressed Jubilee and what to do about the caddish Wolverine.
"Be reasonable," Paige said. "At least the X-Men are
coming through for her this time. It's not like they're always this good
about being there for Jubilee."
There were murmurs of approval from everywhere but Everett's dark
corner. "I don't like what Gambit's doing," he grumbled.
"What do you mean?" Angelo asked. "What's wrong with
trying to make her feel better? He's doing better at it than we are. Be
happy for her, man."
"Happy?" Everett laughed hoarsely. "I can see what's
going on. I can see how Gambit's chasing after her. He's not here to
'comfort' her, not the way you think. I know why he's here. He's here to
try to get her in bed with him. Can you imagine that? I mean, what did
the X-Men do after she left? Sit around and go, 'Hey, someone slept with
Jubilee and now she's fair game!'? Huh?"
"That's sick, Ev."
"Well, what do you think it is?"
"I think you're jumping to conclusions 'cause you're jealous,"
Paige said.
"I am not jealous."
Even Angelo scoffed this time. "You're so jealous that it's like
you got a mini-Penance inside you, and she's cutting her way out through
your stomach."
"Just wait. You'll see. He's gonna do exactly what Wolverine did,
and Jubilee's going to be miserable."
"If you want her so bad," Astalon said, "why don't you go
after her yourself?"
There was a moment of hushed silence following that suggestion. Angelo
looked sympathetically at Everett while the others tried to look
anywhere but at Everett, whose face had turned white. "Yeah,"
he said, biting off his words. "Thanks for the advice."
He stalked out of the room, anger apparent in his movements.
"What'd I say?" Astalon asked. No one looked at her.
Jono took pity on her ignorance. <Ev did date Jubilee for a while.
What a mistake that was.> He sent her a mental picture of a
self-confident Jubilee humoring a shy and awkward Everett.
Astalon placed her thoughts in the forefront of her mind where she hoped
Jonothan would read them. <So, like what? Is he too young for
her?>
A mental feeling of laughter returned from Chamber. <No... He's older
than she is.>
She snorted, drawing attention to herself before she smoothed out the
expression on her face. <Oh, right. I bet he was all hearts and
flowers and acting like it was some prom date.>
<Prom?>
<Never mind. I meant that he was probably all dressed up and making a
big deal out of it, trying to impress her.> Astalon's mouth quirked
as she considered the image. <Playing at being in love, you know?>
<I'll take your word for it.> Jonothan maintained a dignified
silence around his personal life, such as it was. He didn't see what was
wrong about hearts and flowers and dressing up, though, and told Astalon
so.
<I dunno,> she responded. <Maybe there's nothing wrong with it.
I just think that maybe she was looking for a relationship.>
That puzzled Jonothan even further, but he did not ask what she meant by
the remark. He already had too many confusing concepts for one day, and
he was pretty sure that he didn't want to probe deeply enough to find
out. Even when you could read their minds, women still didn't make much
sense.
****
"Y'know, you were right. This was a good thing to do," Jubilee
said, looking up at Gambit and smiling a real smile. They had come to a
halt under an apple tree near one of the stone walls marking the
boundary lines of the Academy's grounds. She had her arm tucked into his
elbow, and he had succeeded in making her laugh not once, but several
times. "Thank you for coming to see me. I really appreciate
it."
"You are very welcome, chere," he said, removing her hand from
his arm and bringing it into both of his.
She quirked an eyebrow at his action, but held still. He'd earned that
much trust from her over the course of the afternoon.
Slowly, he drew her to him, giving her time to pull away even as he
tucked her into the shelter of his body. His eyes met hers, and held her
gaze as his head lowered even more slowly to steal a kiss.
Her lips parted, and Jubilee watched him draw closer, eyes wide.
SNIKT!
Part
four
Wolverine
dropped down from the apple tree onto the low stone wall, and from
there, onto the ground. "You mind backin' away from her real
slow-like, bub?"
Gambit already held a playing card in his free hand, not one to be
caught off guard. "Maybe Gambit do mind."
"That's good. I don't need a reason to cut you up, but it'll make
things easier to explain."
Jubilee scowled, stepping around Gambit, who had instinctively moved to
shield her from the threat. "Wolvie, back off."
"Listen, kid..."
The term 'kid' made her temper flare up. And it felt good to at last be
able to turn the anger on the person who had caused it. "Uh-uh. No
way. I'm not going to listen. And I am going to have a screaming fit
right here if you don't leave Remy alone. He, at least, is being nice to
me."
Gambit raised an eyebrow, but kept his gaze focused on Wolverine. "Dat's
right, Logan. Gambit would never hurt Jubilee."
"Not if I have anything to say about it," Wolverine snarled.
"Why? Why should you have anything to say about it?" Jubilee
asked furiously, her pent-up emotions spilling out in a heated rush.
"What do you think is going to happen? Maybe I like Remy. Maybe
I've been enjoying myself this afternoon. Or is that your problem? Huh?
Maybe I don't care about you anymore and I'd rather be with someone who
doesn't mind me being the way I am? Did you think of that? It's none of
your business anyway. You left me. Get over it."
Sensing trouble, Wolverine said curtly, "After I get rid of Gumbo,
we can talk."
"You get rid of Gambit, and I'll never speak to you again." It
was the absolute truth at that moment, and Jubilee knew very well that
Wolverine could smell the difference between truth and falsehood. Maybe
she wanted Gambit, maybe she didn't. Okay, she was lying about that. But
she wasn't lying about what she'd do if Wolverine hurt or intimidated
Remy. The Cajun had been kind to her, and that was lots more than she
could say about Wolvie at the moment.
Grudgingly, he resheathed his claws. "There."
Seethingly angry with him, she raised her hands. "Now get out of
here, or I paf you. And I mean *that* too."
"I'm not givin' up that easy, darlin'."
"Giving up *what*?!" For a brief moment, she hoped with a wild
and painful stab to the heart that he meant it. That he truly wanted her
after all. "Do you want me back, is that it?"
Logan didn't say yes or no. "That isn't why I came down
here..."
Hope died. "Then you don't have anything to say that would interest
me. Okay? Now back off."
He retreated back across the wall, away from the school grounds. Jubilee
watched him until she couldn't see him anymore. She didn't trust him not
to come back.
Gambit looked at her with some concern, putting his arm around her.
"Are you all right, p'tite?"
"Just fine," she said, knowing that she looked and sounded
anything but.
"Shall we walk back now?" he asked gently.
Jubilee gazed up at him, studying his long lean face. She'd almost
kissed him, but now Wolverine had appeared and confused her emotions all
over again. She needed to think. Or destroy something. Either way,
having Gambit around would be counterproductive. "I'm sorry, Remy.
But-- I just want to be alone right now."
"Dat's okay, chere. Gambit see you later, okay?"
She managed a smile for him, just so he wouldn't worry, and because he
*had* been so nice to her that afternoon, "Okay."
****
Gambit did not move from where he stood, instead lighting a cigarette
and waiting. A hand grabbed his collar and shook him. As casually as
could be managed in such an undignified position, Gambit said,
"Bonjour, Logan."
"Shut up. She's not here now, and if you do anything I don't like,
I'm going to hurt you bad."
"But not kill me?"
Wolverine growled, face twisted as he let go of the Cajun's jacket.
"Probably couldn't get away with that."
"Non."
"But you've got a lot of explainin' to do, bub."
"What did you not understand? Gambit tell you where he was going
and why."
"And I'm tellin' you to leave Jubilee alone."
"Why?" Gambit asked in a mild voice. "You do not want de
p'tite. Would you prevent her from ever loving again?"
"I'm protectin' her from *you*."
"Moi?" Gambit looked genuinely startled, a tribute to his
acting ability. He hadn't been certain when he left Wolverine's
apartment whether Logan was still interested in Jubilee. He'd hoped not,
but Logan's appearance here -- despite what the man had said to Jubilee
-- said to Gambit that Logan was still very interested. Merde. "How
could Gambit hurt de p'tite? Impossible. Or--" he asked, schooling
the amused smirk out of his features, "did you think Gambit was a
vampire? Gambit only try to kiss de girl."
He found himself looking at sharp claws at close range.
"Don't remind me," Wolverine said.
Still casual, Gambit said, "If you want de p'tite back, dis not the
way to go about it."
"I came here to tell you to stay away from her."
"Why? What do you think Remy would do to her?"
"I *know* you're going to break her heart--"
"Non. An'--" Remy's eyes glinted, "her heart already
broken. Gambit only mending it."
In a second, his cigarette was diced into tiny pieces which fluttered to
the ground. "Shut up. I don't want to hear it."
Remy spread his hands in indication of his compliance, and leaned back
against the wall, coincidentally moving himself further away from the
sharp edge of Wolverine's anger.
"I'm not gonna tell you again. Stay away from Jubilee."
"Sure."
Wolverine examined him suspiciously. "You'll stay away from
Jubilee?"
"Oui. If you promise Gambit one t'ing."
"What's that?"
"Dat you'll go back to de p'tite."
Wolverine growled. "I think you aren't getting the point,
Gumbo."
"Non. You don' get de point. De p'tite deserves someone -- an'
while Gambit wan' her, he also smart enough to know dat she love you
more. If you love her, den Gambit step down, but ot'erwise, Gambit
figure dat you got not'ing to say 'bout it."
"I got plenty to say about it. That kid looks up to me..."
Gambit laughed, a hoarse, hollow sound. "Jubilee's no child, Logan.
You tol' Scott and Jean dat, 'member?" As Wolverine failed to
respond, Gambit went on, voice pitched in tones of persuasion. "Dey
tell de team 'bout you and Jubilee, an' Jean even approve. Not anymore,
Gambit t'ink, but den she does 'cause you tol' dem off 'bout dat. An'
Gambit saw de way you look at Jubilee, and de way she look at you -- you
wan' her, and de p'tite loves you. If you throw dat away, you're a
fool."
The former thief pushed away from the wall. "Maybe you're afraid of
losing her, so you push her away before she can get hurt. Gambit don'
know 'bout dat. Do know, t'ough, dat you always proud of de p'tite for
living her life t'the fullest. An' t'Gambit, it seems like you not
practicing what you preach, non? You need t'decide what you wan'. An'
den maybe Gambit listen. T'ink about dat."
Taking out another cigarette, Gambit lit it, then walked away, leaving
Logan alone in the shadow of the apple tree.
Part
Five
Jubilee
walked slowly back to the academy, trusting both Gambit and Wolverine to
honor her wish to be left alone. And willing to back that wish up with
fireworks if it weren't honored. She really needed to think. And right
now, neither of them were helping with that process.
What was going on here anyway? After she'd tripped Wolvie and beaten him
to the ground, she'd thought maybe she meant something to him. That this
time he'd stay. But, no, fat chance on that. And after he'd dumped her,
she'd figured that was that. She was used to Wolverine abandoning her --
the guy ran off more often than Frosty wore suits that displayed her
cleavage. So why the heck was he suddenly back? He said that he didn't
want her but that he didn't want Gambit to want her either. Too
confusing. Way uncool.
And then there was Gambit. So far all he'd done was talk to her and
maybe try to kiss her. Jubilee thought about the Cajun for a moment.
Nice eyes. Nice body, if you liked tall, lean men. An attitude she could
appreciate, especially when he was directing all that attention at her.
And an outrageously adorable accent. *He probably hams it up just 'cause
he knows it's adorable.* What did he want from her? A fling? A
relationship? To prove that he was better than Wolvie? Jubilee didn't
know. She did, however, distrust Gambit's sudden interest in her. He'd
never paid attention to her before -- why now? And what about Rogue? It
wasn't like Rogue and Remy were hot and heavy, but everyone just knew
that they were meant for each other.
But if Gambit *did* mean it-- Jubilee sighed. It'd been just so romantic
when he'd come to her window this afternoon. And she would have kissed
him if Wolverine hadn't interrupted. Out of curiosity, of course.
Nothing more.
Unless she wanted there to be something more.
Unless Wolvie really did want her back. And unless she was stupid enough
to trust him all over again.
She reached the entrance to the building, and opened the door, planning
to make her way back to her room where she could continue trying to sort
this mess out. As much as it could be sorted out without holding Wolvie
down and punching him repeatedly. At least she wasn't depressed anymore.
If being seriously confused could be called an improvement over being
depressed.
Instead of an empty hall, however, Jubilee came face to face with
Everett. "Uh, hi," she said.
The tall youth was virtually vibrating with tension. "Why,
Jubilee?"
"Why what, Ev?"
"Why'd you go off with Gambit? Why are you giving them the chance
to hurt you like this?"
"Huh? Them?" she asked, wondering if her state of confusion
was about to become permanent. Did everyone know that Gambit had shown
up? And who was them? As far as she knew, Gambit wasn't twins. "We
just like talked, y'know."
"And you couldn't talk with any of us? You couldn't talk with
*me*?"
This was starting to make more sense. Not much, but more. "All you
guys've been talking about is Wolverine and how sad everything is, and
how terrible it is that he left. I'm tired of talking about that."
Everett stepped closer to her. "Jubilee, we could talk about
us."
She frowned. "Ev, there is no us. And I definitely don't need the
complication right now."
"Is it that I'm not an X-Man? Only one of them would be good enough
for you, right? You and your 'when I was with the X-Men'
stories..."
"Everett--" a new voice joined the conversation. "I
believe you're becoming rude."
Jubilee watched more of Generation X enter the hallway. Monet, who'd
spoken, led the pack, followed by Jono and Paige. Jeez. Were people
selling tickets to her life, or what? "Look, I don't want to talk
about any of this..."
"Is it still too painful?" Paige asked sympathetically.
Oh, great. Again with the sympathy. "Everything's just peachy.
Look, I just want to be left alone."
"We will be sure to inform Mr. LeBeau of that," Monet said
calmly.
Jubilee's eyes narrowed. M sure had a way of using politeness in a
cutting way. "Leave Remy out of this." They were about to jump
on her, Jubilee knew it. Better throw them something so that she could
escape. "You can tell Wolverine that, though. He's here, too."
"Wolverine?" Angelo asked sharply, joining the group.
"What's he doing here?"
"Tryin' to chase off Remy, as far as I can tell."
"Smart man," Everett growled.
Paige gave Everett a hard look, and then put her arm around Jubilee's
shoulder. "And Wolverine didn't say that he wanted you back, did
he? You still love him, but he didn't tell you that he loved you. That's
why you still look unhappy, and why you came back by yourself, isn't
it?"
She really hated it when Paige was right about things. "Yeah. More
or less."
The team shared a united look over Jubilee's head. She realized that
they were back onto their 'We Hate Wolverine' kick. The argument started
up again, about exactly how horrible Wolverine was and what they could
to punish him for hurting their friend.
Jubilee wanted to scream at them, because even now, she couldn't stand
it when people ragged on Wolvie. But this was her best chance to escape
them, while they argued about what to do about Wolverine, 'cause for the
moment, they were ignoring her. Jubilee hesitated, then ducked under
Paige's arm and ran up the stairs, locking the door of her room behind
her.
Finally inside the dubious safety of her room, she spied a small ivory
envelope propped up on her desk. It had her name on it, and she took it
curiously, wondering what was going on. She opened, and discovered a
card inside. She read it. Scrawled in Gambit's bold handwriting, the
message said:
Will you have dinner with me tonight?
Remy
She grinned suddenly for no reason at all. She didn't know that she
wanted Gambit -- was, in fact, still coming to terms with the concept of
Remy as a romantic partner -- but it felt good to be wanted, to be
*pursued*. And even better to know that she had a chance of spending a
couple of hours with someone who would do his best to entertain her, and
would not talk about Wolverine or her love life, or any other topic of
that nature. Just like this afternoon. Compared to the alternative --
going down to dinner with the fanatic anti-Wolverine crowd who'd slam
him and pity her, the invitation from Gambit was hands down the winner.
Jubilee turned the card over. There was a phone number on the back and
she called it, letting Gambit know that she would be delighted to go to
dinner with him at seven p.m.
****
At ten 'til seven, she heard an engine approaching the parking lot.
Drawing a deep breath, Jubilee unlocked the door to her room and opened
it cautiously. Contrary to her expectations, there was no barricade on
the other side, and no one waiting to jump her.
Good. Now all she had to do was sneak out safely.
Tiptoeing in heels was not her strong suit, and her bright yellow dress
made her easy to spot should someone be lurking. But she made it down
the stairs and out the door without attracting pursuit. Maybe the rest
of the team all thought she was sulking or something.
Gambit smiled as he saw her, although the length of the skirt might've
had something to do with it, and bowed deeply, a gesture that made her
giggle. "Mademoiselle, your chariot awaits," he said, waving
at the waiting vehicle.
"It's a car!" Jubilee said, feeling silly at being so startled
by that. Just because Remy usually rode a motorcycle -- just like Wolvie,
her inner voice reminded her, before she could tell it to shut up --
didn't mean that he *always* did. And it was rather cute. If you liked
the whole red Porsche thing.
"But of course. De evening may get chilly. Can't have you
shivering, chere."
"That's really thoughtful. Thank--"
"T'ank Gambit later." His eyes gleamed. "Over candlelight
and champagne, non?"
"Candlelight, yes. Champagne -- ick! Why do they have to take a
perfectly good sparkling drink and put alcohol in it? Completely ruins
the taste."
He studied her for a minute, and then grinned. "I don' know, p'tite.
Dere mus' be a reason."
Gambit came around the car to open her door. Jubilee frowned as she
followed him. "Yeah. To make it easier for guys to get laid."
He choked as she stepped into the car. "You aren' supposed t'say
dat, chere."
She waited for him to shut the door, and come back around to sit down in
the driver's seat. "Why not?"
He grinned again. "I don' know. Must be a reason."
Jubilee frowned at him, but it was hard to maintain a stern attitude
when faced with Gambit's irrepressible nature. Not to mention her own,
even if it *had* been repressed a bit by recent events. "You can
tell me all about it over dinner."
"Dat's not nice, chere."
"But it will be entertaining."
****
Wolverine scowled in the shadows, watching Gambit escort Jubilee to the
car. The Cajun bowed over her hand and kissed it, then let her enter the
vehicle.
Good. For his health. Because if Gumbo had really kissed Jubilee, he'd
have difficulty breathing with ten inches of metal in his lungs.
Logan had watched them talking earlier, stalking them throughout the
afternoon. He'd seen how easy Jubilee was in Gambit's company, how quick
to laugh, how happy and unencumbered. She'd enjoyed herself. Every
moment of it. And every moment of it had burned inside Wolverine.
He wanted her, damnit. Wanted her for himself, and to be only his.
Forget about logic. Forget about reason. He'd tried that. Had tried
telling himself that he didn't want her and couldn't want her, that he
felt nothing for her, and that even if he did, she'd tried to tamper
with his independence. And jealousy and rage still inflamed him as he
watched Gambit with her. No, he wanted Jubilee for his own. If that were
even possible now.
What did he have to offer her anyway? He'd hurt her and he'd left her.
He made her cry, if he could believe Gumbo about that. The Cajun could
make her laugh; he was certainly more attractive. And had more money,
Logan was sure. His varied careers had left him with a small stock of
investments, but the former thief was worth millions. If you liked that
thing. And Wolverine knew that many women did.
All he had to offer the girl was himself, his tortured past and his
uncertain future.
There wasn't a reason in the world that she should prefer him to Gambit.
Not a reason at all. In fact, with the evidence of his own senses from
today, Wolverine was fairly sure that Jubilee *did* prefer Gambit.
But she was his. And Wolverine intended to keep her.
If he could figure out how to get her back.
****
Jubilee blew an errant strand of hair out of her face, and contemplated
the candles again. Two elegant white candles illuminated the tiny table
with their light, making the china, glass and metal sparkle even more.
The white roses in the crystal vase didn't look shabby either. Or the
lace of the tablecloth. Or the guy sitting across from her, his knees
bumping against hers.
No, all in all, it was a perfect romantic scenario.
And she was bored to the point of wondering whether she should start
playing footsie with Gambit. The only thing stopping her was the thought
that it might encourage him to keep blathering on even further.
All he could talk about was romance and love and stuff like that. Yeesh.
The last thing she wanted to talk about right now.
"What do you t'ink, chere?"
*That I could get that fork about three-quarters of an inch into your
hand before you could stop me.* She hadn't been listening. An
affirmative reply should do the trick. "I think that's nice, Remy."
He visibly glowed, a woman's fantasy of male pulchritude in his white
shirt and dark dinner jacket.
Oh, no. What had she just answered 'yes' to? "If you like that kind
of thing," she added hastily.
"You don't like roses?"
Ah. Roses. A fairly safe topic. "They're okay."
"What's your favorite flower, p'tite? Gambit surprise you with a
bouquet."
"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you."
He laughed, seemingly enthralled by her sarcasm. "Dat's coy, chere."
*Coy?* He thought she was *coy*!? She was definitely going to stick her
fork in him. Jubilee picked the utensil up, just as dessert arrived. The
tiny chocolate truffle was placed before her, and she smiled gracefully
in recognition that now was not the time. Chocolate was more important
than petty revenge.
After finishing the sweet, Jubilee sipped on her sparkling apple juice
and listened.
"Now dat's not de way you treat a lady," her swain said.
"Gambit t'ink dat when you find a good t'ing, you got to hold onto
it and not let it go. Dere's not dat many good t'ings in de world and
when you find one, you must cherish it."
"Ever heard of 'if you love something, let it go'?" Jubilee
asked.
"Dat's what I'm talking 'bout, chere," Gambit said, displaying
his white teeth to her in a grin. "When somet'ing you love come to
you, den you love it and take care of it. You don't t'row it away."
He meant her, Jubilee knew. But just to throw some levity into the
conversation-- "So what you're saying is that you and Rogue are
getting serious, then."
"Non!" His eyes widened and his face grew distraught. "I
mean you, chere. Gambit wan' you. You're here, and Gambit say dat he
would love you wit' all de strength of his heart if you love him
back." He reached out to her, palm up. "Please say
'yes'."
So much for the power of ambiguity. "No, please... I really
should..." Run away? Hide in the bathroom? "...go back
home," she finished.
His hand dropped as did his face. Gambit's eyes fell into the shadows,
and momentarily, Jubilee regretted having hurt his feelings. She *did*
like him, after all. If she wasn't fairly sure that any positive word
would only encourage him, she'd apologize in a second.
"Gambit go too fast. Sorry, p'tite. Didn't t'ink about how you must
feel 'bout Logan still. You need more time to t'ink about t'ings and dat."
Jubilee supposed that was close enough to the truth. She would have been
perfectly happy in Remy's company if only he'd had something to say that
wasn't about relationships and passion and all that. But she'd tried
explaining that over the salad course and he hadn't taken a hint. Nor
had he taken the hint over the entree. "I just... think I should be
getting home."
He did not pursue her further. "As you wish."
She smiled with relief, and let him take her home.
When they arrived back at the Academy, Gambit walked her to the door of
the building and bowed over her hand. "Au revoir?"
She smiled as he kissed her hand. It was the perfect touch -- not coming
so close to her to make her back away again, but still putting her under
his spell. She really did like it when he behaved like this -- romance
was okay, in small doses. "Yes, Remy."
Then she went inside. The hall was quiet, as well it should be at that
hour. She slipped out of her shoes and walked up the stairs in her
stockinged feet. The wood felt rounded under her cramped feet. Why were
shoes always the wrong size? They must have shrunk in between the store
and her closet. It was the only explanation.
Jubilee opened her door quietly and shut it behind her, locking it
again. She didn't need any interruptions should someone hear her
sneaking in. The last thing she wanted was to chat about her day or her
evening. Or anything else.
As she set her shoes down, she realized that there was more to the
shadows around her bed than just air. The shadows were a good deal more
solid than that. So someone *did* want to chat. *Oh, god. Please don't
let it be Paige.* Paige had always interfered in Jubilee's life --
Jubilee supposed it had to do with Paige having been her roommate for so
long. Thank god the other girl wasn't anymore. *Too bad I can't lock the
door when I'm _outside_ the room. It'd make life a lot easier.*
And then she realized who it was. The shape was too thick for Paige, too
quiet for most anyone else. And it was familiar. The lingering smell of
cigar smoke was also a glaring tip-off. Her eyes narrowed. "What
are you doing here, Wolvie?"
"Waitin' for you, darlin'."
"Don't call me that."
"It's what you are t'me," he said simply.
"I hate you." She pulled the pink scarf off and dropped it on
the desk. "You left."
"I know."
"Well?" she asked when he said nothing further. "Why are
you here? Going to give me some big speech about how Remy isn't good
enough for me?"
"No, darlin', I'm not."
Her knees felt weak for some unknown reason, and she felt for the back
of the chair, holding onto it for balance. "Then why *are* you
here?" she challenged, not wanting to give away any weakness,
especially to him, even to let him know that she wanted him more
desperately than anything else in the world.
"For you."
"Why for me? What about me? You don't like me anymore, remember? I
manipulated you. I used you. I'm a terrible person. Does any of that
sound familiar?"
"I made a mistake, darlin'."
Her eyes narrowed. "That must be a first. Assuming that's an
apology -- and it's a pretty lame one if it is -- how do I know you
aren't going to get mad at me all over again the first time I do
something you haven't rubberstamped in advance? Like, are you going to
be mad about me for saying this right now, or is this already in your
plan?"
"You don't know," he said. "I'm hopin' you'll take me the
way I am. An' hit me over the head if I do somethin' this stupid
again."
"You have a very hard head."
"I know."
"I don't want to get broken over your hard head."
"Jubilation, you don't need anythin' t'hurt me." His voice was
low and rough. "Jus' knowin' I made you cry hurts worse than gettin'
beaten up anyday."
"That's the healing factor," she said, her voice beginning to
shake. He wanted her. He was offering himself to her.
He growled. "The only thing the damned healin' factor doesn't heal
is my heart. Maybe I've been too much of a canucklehead to see it, but
darlin', I need you--"
She wasn't sure if his control broke first or hers. She found herself in
his arms, crying in great gulping sobs as he crushed her to his chest.
Not tears of sadness, but tears of relief and joy. The feel of him, the
very smell of him reassured her and comforted parts of her that she'd
forgotten were hurting. Her hands tangled in his hair and pulled at his
head. Growling, he answered her unspoken request, his head ducking down
over hers. She raised her face to him, as they met each other for a
long-denied kiss.
Neither of them saw the silhouette against the window as a long, lean
shape dropped a red rose, then stood up and stepped away. |
