Sessions with the Wolverine (Sequel to: Everything Old is New Again)

Sessions with the Wolverine: Part One
Sequel to: Everything Old is New Again

Authors listed in alphabetical order:

2280, Khaki, Loki

This fan fiction was completed on the Wolverine and Jubilee story board. It is a round-robin story written by the authors listed above. Assume the standard disclaimer: We own nothing. Marvel, Fox, and Stan Lee own everything. The only personal gain we received was the pleasure of playing with these characters, returning them relatively unharmed. This story takes place about 8 months after the previous story and about 9 months after X-Men: The Movie. Please R & R.

"Logan! Come watch me dive!"

"Coming!" Logan called, extinguishing his cigar and walking out of the shadow of the mansion towards the pool party. Xavier was throwing a graduation/summer break party for all the kids. Logan'd figured it'd be safest if he just stayed out of the way. Teenagers and water didn't mix well. Still, Marie had called him, so here he came.

"Ok, darlin', I'm here." he said, as he reached the edge of the olympic-sized swimming pool.

Marie smiled and climbed up the ladder to the low diving board. She executed a perfect swan dive, hardly making a splash as she entered the water. When she came to the surface, Logan called, "That was great, darlin'."

She swam over to him and he helped pull her out of the pool, her body-covering swimsuit protecting him from her deadly skin.

"Jubes taught me that one. Hey, lemme show ya another one."

"Ok."

He watched as she hurried back to the diving board. She turned and smiled at him, but then her expression changed to one of alarm. Time slowed down. He could hear Cyke yelling, "No running around the pool." He could hear the slapping sound of bare feet hitting wet concrete and then a slipping sound. A young man screamed, "Look out!" as a body slid into him, knocking him off balance and into the water in front of him.

Then, all sound was muted by the water pressing in all around him. He fell to the bottom of the pool. Looking up, he saw them through the water, the scientists in their bio-protection suits.

'No!' Logan thought, squeezing his eyes shut. 'I'm in the pool. I'm not there anymore.'

He had to get out of the water. He pushed off and swam, straining with all his might, but he couldn't reach the surface. He didn't have enough buoyancy.

He opened his eyes again to see the man with the square-rimmed eyeglasses, the one they called "Professor," leaning over him with a scalpel. Then pain blossomed throughout his body.

Logan screamed, the bubbles floating past his face up to the surface of the water. Then, when he took a breath to scream again, his lungs filled with liquid and not the metallic-tasting air he'd been expecting.

-----

Marie was so happy she'd finally been able to lure Logan over to the party. He was far too quiet these days, preferring his own company to anyone else's, except for her and Jubes, that is. Ever since his flashback at the party almost eight months ago, he avoided every social event, preferring to remain at the mansion. In fact, the only times he left were to go drinking or go on a mission.

Now that she had him here, she was eager to show off what Jubes had been teaching her. Jubilee had been a gymnast before the whole blow-half-your-house-up, powers-discovery thing. Jubes knew a thing or two about diving, too, and Marie was loving every minute of the lessons.

She had just aced her first dive and was going to show Logan one of her twisting dives, when she heard the commotion. John and Bobby were chasing each other around, Bobby throwing snowballs and John melting them. Mr. Summers was yelling at them, but they didn't pay any attention, and then John crashed into Logan, knocking him into the pool.

Marie's heart filled with dread as she saw Logan fall into the water. Some half-hidden memory told her that Logan and water just didn't mix. She left the diving board and ran around to the side where everyone had gathered. At first, the kids had laughed at the sight of Logan falling in, fully clothed in his jeans and T-shirt. However, when he didn't come back up right away, the laughter died down. When the bubbles came floating to the surface, the mood turned downright grim.

Marie dived in after him. He was struggling in the water, clawing at unseen attackers, then he went limp, his claws jumping back into his arms. Marie grabbed him and tried to swim to the surface, but the metal surrounding his bones was just too heavy. Forcing herself to release him, she broke the surface yelling for Ororo.

"Help him, 'Ro. I can't get him out. He's too heavy."

The water started to move of its own accord as 'Ro's eyes turned milky white. A wave shoved Marie aside as Logan's body rose out of the water and washed onto the pool deck.

Jean immediately went into action. Turning him onto his back. She was just leaning down to give him mouth-to-mouth when Logan started coughing up water in her face.

As he coughed, he rolled over onto his side, curling his legs up to his chest and grasping his head in his hands. Marie climbed out of the water and went to Logan's side. By now, his body was shaking slightly, as his hitched breathing filled the silence that had fallen on the party.

Jean closed her eyes for a moment, and then announced. "Ok, everyone. Logan's fine. Let's go back to the party; give him some breathing room."

Marie didn't leave. She sat by his side, stroking his wet hair and whispering calming noises as he shook.

-----

'*@^&#$! Have to get control of myself,' Logan mentally reprimanded. Once he was out of the water and could smell Jean and Marie there, he knew he was safe. He was still afraid to open his eyes, though. Irrationally, he knew that if he opened his eyes, he see the Professor's square-rimmed glasses looking back at him.

'*@&#@$, stop shaking. Not in front of Marie!' Logan thought as he tried to control his movements. After what seemed like a few hours, but was probably less than a minute, he forced his eyes open. The only face he saw was Marie's, looking down at him in worry.

"Logan?" she asked.

He didn't answer. Instead, he rolled onto his knees and forced himself up to a standing position. Slowly and shakily, he walked back to his room.

-----

Jubilee had been in the kitchen when the pool incident happened, but she hurried out to the patio as soon as she heard. Everyone was talking in low whispers and Rogue was sitting by the pool, looking back at the mansion.

"Heard what happened, Rogue? Is he ok?"

"I don't know. He's acting weird, almost like he's scared."

"I'll go talk to him."

"Thanks, Jubes."

-----

Jubilee knocked on the door for the fifth time in a minute. "If you don't let me in, I'm just gonna paff the lock."

The door unlocked with a click, but it didn't open. Jubes opened the door herself to see Logan, in a fresh set of clothes, packing all of his belongings.

"Going somewhere?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

"Time to move on."

"This have anything to do with your swim?"

He froze.

"It happened again, didn't it?"

"Nothing happened!" Logan yelled, dropping the shirts he'd been folding. "It's just... I've never been in a place for more'n two weeks at a time before. I have to go for a while."

"Yeah, just keep telling yourself that... Running doesn't help, ya know. Sooner or later, you're gonna have to face what they did to you."

"I did. I didn't run last time. I faced it, and it's still happening."

"You didn't face it. You closed in on yourself. You ran without actually going anywhere."

"I ain't no coward."

"I'm not saying you are, but you know you need help."

Logan sat down on the bed, head in his hands. "No one can help me."

"Not true. You know that until you deal with this, you're still their prisoner. You're still back in that laboratory like you never escaped. They still control your life. I know this gal; she's a real good listener. She helped me. You wanna meet her."

Logan nodded sadly and Jubilee grabbed his arm. "C'mon."

"What? Now?"

"No time like the present."

-----

Logan sat in the waiting room next to a still wet-haired Jubilee. She'd only taken a second to throw some clothes on over her swimsuit and they were gone. He still couldn't believe he'd let her talk him into this. Still, if there was any hope for a better life, he was ready to try. *&@#$, if he could just stay asleep for an entire night, he'd be happy.

"Logan?" a brown-haired woman asked from the office door. She was short, only about 5 foot, and a little pudgy, but she had an honest, open face. "I'm Dr. Claire Richards. Jubilee tells me you'd like to talk."

Jubes gave him a nudge and he got up, walking into the office.

Khaki

**********

Logan followed Dr. Richards into her office. Jubes stayed in the waiting room, wondering how long the shrink would survive.

On Dr. Richards' invitation, Logan sat in a comfortable chair before the huge, wooden desk. Claire sat by her desk, notepad and pen in hand.

Logan decided to test the good shrink, and pulled out a cigar from his jacket, proceeding to light it. He watched as she stared at his action, but stayed silent. Relaxed a bit by the tobacco effect, he felt more at ease. He had marked his territory, and she didn't argue. Good. That meant she wasn't a hostile.

Claire stared at Logan for a second, then scribbled something on her pad.

"So, Logan.... I can call you Logan, right?" she asked.

"Call me Love, and I'll jump ye right here on yer desk," smirked Logan. He had to impress her.

"So Logan it is. Are you comfortable?"

"What d'you care?" he retorted.

"I am here to help you. You came here for me to help you," she bluntly stated. She was used to all sort of characters in her profession.

"I came here cuz a teenager tricked me into it," he pointed out.

"I see." She noted something again on her pad before she continued. "Could you tell me what made your friend bring you here today?"

"Dunno," he shrugged.

"Don't know, or don't care?" she asked.

"Pick one."

Dr. Richards noted something on her pad once again.

"Tell me about you, Logan," she invited.

Logan leaned over the desk, staring at the good doctor. "Look, miss. I don't need medical attention," he stated.

"Of course, and I'm not exactly a doctor. Still, something happened to make you come here today. I mean, besides your friend *tricking* you to. What happened, Logan? You can confide in me; I'm here to help you," she calmly said, leaning back in her leather chair.

Logan shrugged. "Almost drowned in the pool," he gave as the only explanation.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why? Cuz some brats pushed me in!"

"Why did they push you?"

"Cuz they're dicks."

"Why do you think of them as dicks?"

"Cuz they are!!!" he shouted.

"Why are you so aggressive, Logan?"

"I AM NOT AGGRESSIVE!!!!!!!!!!"

SNIKT!!!!!

Dr. Richards, familiar with mutants having treated some of the students and teachers at Xavier's School, didn't react. She had already experienced many mutant's powers. Once she got almost toasted alive by that young Scott when she asked him about his sexual preferences. Another time, she had flown out the window, experiencing the young Ororo's temper when she asked her if she really believed herself to be a goddess. And having Jean Grey telepatically guessing her thoughts all the time had been the worst. So some nine-inch-long metal claws didn't scare her a bit, even in six-pack.

"Where did you get them?" she asked, pointing at Logan's claws.

"Dunno," he simply answered, sheathing his claws and sitting down again.

"Why don't you know?" she pushed, taking some more notes.

"Cuz... they wiped my memory," he explained.

"I see," she said automatically, still again taking some notes. "Who did that to you?"

"Dunno."

"I see." More notes. "What did you experience when you fell into the pool?" she asked more to the point.

"Flashback."

"Describe them for me, Logan," she invited.

Why would he tell her, dammit? Shrinks, they are just like doctors, aren't they? Only they don't mess with your body, but your mind.

"You really want to know?" he asked, deciding to scare her.

"Of course, Logan. I am here to help you."

So he told her all about the champagne, the military brass standing around cheering while he was tortured with this freaking medical procedure. He told her in grotesque detail about the huge needles, the laughing doctors, and the water tank.

She took more notes now that he had really, finally, gotten to the point.

Jumping from his seat, he grabbed the notepad and shoved it in his jeans' pocket. "You take one more note, and I'll shishkebob you," he warned.

"Why would you do that, Logan?" she asked, not impressed at all. Being thrown out the window by Ororo had been way more scary.

"Ask *why* one more time, I'll slice n' dice ye," he snarled.

Dr. Richards leaned back on her chair. Time for therapy. This guy was so nuts, letting him walk around was a danger to every living being. 'I wonder where Xavier recruits his staff. Should have their license removed and fast,' she thought.

"Logan. Here is what I suggest. You have to desensitize yourself to what causes these flashbacks. To do so, you must expose yourself to all the things that trigger them. For instance, you will first work on champagne," she prescribed.

"What?"

"I suggest you have as many people as possible drink champagne around you, within secure surroundings, of course. While they are drinking, you will tell yourself that this is real and not the past."

"So I have to get people to drink champagne and stay cool, right?"

"Exactly. You will ask a person to stay with you, reminding you of the reality. As long as necessary, the others will drink champagne and then you will feel more in control."

That was for the first task for Logan. Get *desensitized* to champagne.

Loki

**********

"Now, if I can have my notebook back..."

Dr. Richards reached out her hand, and Logan grudgingly returned the notebook.

"You're free to go," the doctor finished. "I'd like to see you twice a week. Make an appointment with my secretary for Monday and next Friday."

"That's it?"

"A session is usually an hour long, but I squeezed you in. Next time, we'll talk more."

"What if there isn't a next time?"

"Try the desensitization treatment. It might help you. If nothing else, you'll get to watch your friends get drunk."

Logan couldn't stop a chuckle at the thought of Scooter staggering around. "Yeah, maybe I'll try it."

Logan exited the office to see a bored Jubilee drop the months old magazine she'd been reading and jump out of her seat.

"So?"

"We're going, kid."

-----

Once they were on the road, Jubilee turned to Logan in the jeep.

"What did she say?"

"I have to get people to drink champagne around me."

"What?"

"It's an exercise. I have to watch people drink champagne and try not to blow up."

"Wow, that's a lot more fun that what I had to do. So, how're you gonna do it?"

That made Logan pause. How could he get Scooter and company to drink champagne around him without giving away why he wanted them to do it?

"I don't know."

"Hey, maybe you could just, like, get some delivered to the mansion. Kinda like an anonymous gift, a 'congratulations on your graduating class' thing, and then you could hang out while they drank some of it."

"Yeah, but Cyke ain't a drinker. How do I get them to drink it once it's arrived?"

"I don't know. A drinking contest?"

"With champagne?"

"Yeah, right. Umm, how about one of those drinking games?"

"Like what?"

"Well, you know Mr. Summers likes Star Trek. Maybe one of those drinking games where you watch the show and have to drink when certain things happen."

"With champagne?" Logan asked doubtfully.

"Hey, it could work."

"Nah. Besides, I just got an idea."

-----

The champagne arrived two days later, on Saturday night. Jubilee had declined to go out and party with her friends, so it was only she, the younger kids, and the adults left in the mansion.

"Mr. Summers!" she yelled while the deliveryman waited.

"Jubilee, we have an intercom," Scott chastised as he walked into the foyer. "What's this?"

"Delivery," the man replied, holding out a clipboard.

"We didn't order anything. Who's it from?" Scott looked over the address information on the shipping document, then smiled to himself. "Oh, ok." Signing the document, he accepted the package and closed the door.

"What? Who's it from? What's it say?" Jubilee asked, knowing full well who had actually sent the package.

"It's from the professor. He must have arranged this before he left to lobby Congress. It says, 'Congratulations on making it through another year.' It's to me, Jean, Ororo, and Logan."

"Well, open it."

"Maybe we should get the others..."

"I'm on it," Jubilee said, running off to collect her teachers. This was gonna be good.

-----

"Champagne?" Ororo wondered aloud.

"What was so special about this school year?" Jean asked, curious herself.

"Well, we finally graduated Jubilee, and we lived through having Logan as a teacher. I think that deserves champagne," Scott answered, smiling at Logan's grunt and Jubilee's indignant protest.

"Let's drink some." Logan proposed, offering his bottle.

"I don't know, the kids..." Scott started before he was interrupted by Jubilee.

"The kids are going to bed now. It's only gonna be us."

"And you're still a kid."

"I'm eighteen!" Jubilee protested.

"Not old enough to drink."

"I'll just hang out. Not a drop, I swear. Come on..."

"I think it's all right, Scott," Jean added. "I'll get the glasses."

"Do we still have those strawberries in the refrigerator?" Ororo asked, opening it to look.

The plan was going well, Logan thought. He had to hand it to Jean, she really knew how to talk Scooter into things. When he saw her pulling out the tumbler glasses, though, he stepped in.

"No, Jean. You can't drink champagne in tumblers. Doesn't the professor have champagne glasses?"

"Since when are you Mr. Etiquette?" Scott asked, but Jean just answered. "I think the glasses are up there," pointing to a cabinet.

Logan strode over and opened the cabinet. His breath caught in his throat as he looked at the champagne glasses neatly arranged on the shelf. He stood there frozen, trying to force himself to lift his arm and grab the glasses, but he couldn't move. He could feel his right hand shaking at his side as the left hand gripped the cabinet handle until his knuckles turned white.

Jubilee came up behind him, speaking so low, he doubted anyone could hear her but him, with his enhanced hearing.

"It's ok. It's gonna be ok. I'll take them."

She grabbed four glasses, placing them on the counter, and then pushed the cabinet door closed, forcing him to release his grip. Logan closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing, praying that no one had noticed his deep, panting breaths.

Turning around, he heard the pop as Scooter released the cork on the bottle. Their laughter at the fizzing bubbles mingled with the smell of champagne and the sight of full glasses. As he watched, their images changed. They were wearing uniforms, laughing and congratulating each other. Then, just as quickly, they were themselves again.

He gripped the countertop behind him so tightly, his hands turned white and began to tremble with the effort. Jubilee was suddenly standing beside him. He flinched as her hand grabbed his arm.

'It's Jubes. It's Jubilee. I'm in the kitchen. It's not happening again,' he silently repeated to himself.

"It's ok. They're not going to hurt you. You're not there anymore. You're with friends." Jubilee whispered in a quiet, calming voice, reinforcing his thoughts.

Scott's and Ororo's backs were turned to Logan, but Jean looked up and her expression flashed with worry before she covered it up again, trying to keep their attention on her. He hated that she could tell what he was thinking and feeling. He hated looking helpless in front of anyone. Still, her distraction and Jubilee's words helped him regain some semblance of control.

Khaki

**********

Jubilee tried not to openly drag Logan as she guided him into the dining room where the others were gathered and celebrating with the *professor's* champagne. He sat by the door, the closest to it he could manage. Jubilee, taking seriously her guardian angel role, stood next to him.

Soon enough, an impromptu buffet had been set on the table: Ororo found the strawberries, Jean opted for olives, and cake was chosen to end the late snack.

The remaining glass of champagne on the table was obviously for Logan, but he just couldn't take it, so he kept staring at it... and staring at it.

Ororo picked it up and walked to Logan. Jubilee noticed how he grabbed the arms of the chair as Storm approached him, a huge smile on her face. The teenager almost jumped Ororo as she forcibly took the glass from her, emptying half of it on the carpet in the process.

"Jubilation!"

"Sorry, 'Ro. I'll get Logan his glass, if you don't mind," explained Jubes.

Jubilee handed the glass to Logan, watching his reactions. She kept her back turned to the others, facing him, and keeping a calm expression. Now he couldn't see the others around, just her, which helped him to focus on reality. "You don't have to drink it, y'know. Just pretend," she whispered.

He didn't say anything nor did he move to take the glass, so she put it on the coffee table next to him. "Just relax. And remember where you are. Here and now," she added.

Half an hour later, Logan hadn't touched his glass. Jubilee couldn't refrain making a move for some cake and joined the others by the dining table. By now, Ororo and Jean were visibly under influence. The first bottle of champagne had been drunk already, the second one was almost empty, and Scott was trying his best to open the third one, but the fact that he wasn't used to alcohol that he had drunk only succeeded in making the task of opening the bottle just too hard for him. It didn't deprive his brain of creative ideas, though. He turned to Logan.

"Hey, Wolverine. I saw on TV a guy opening a bottle of champagne with a sword. What did they call it, Jean?"

"I think they called it *sabre le champagne*," explained Jean, picking another olive from the plate.

"Yeah, that's it."

"Yer point, One-Eye?" asked Logan.

"Well, I bet you can do that with your claws," explained Scott, walking towards Logan, bottle of champagne in hand.

"Bet what ye want, bub. I ain't doing it," growled Wolverine.

"Leave him alone!" shouted Jubes from the dining table. Everyone turned to stare at her, including Logan.

"Jubilee, what's a matter with you?" asked Jean. "We're just having fun here."

"Indeed. I would really like to see the sabre champagne," added a spirited Ororo.

They all moved closer to Logan, who stared at them menacingly.

"It's an ancient military tradition, you know," explained Scott.

Ororo drank some of her champagne. Jean still had another olive on a toothpick, and Scott held the champagne bottle to Logan's nose.

In Logan's mind, the picture was slightly different: an officer drinking champagne, a doctor holding a huge syringe, and a third person moving a mask to his face.

SNIKT

Jubilee jumped in front of the X-Men, between them and Logan, who was now standing with his claws unsheathed.

An inebriated Scott waved the bottle before Logan. "Hey, one will do. Go for it, saber da champagne!" he shouted happily.

Logan slashed the bottleneck in one swift movement. In his mind, he had just destroyed the mask the man tried to put on his face. The scene before him turned back to reality.

The X-Men cheered at the graceful motion that cut the neck of the bottle. They proceeded to get fresh refills in their glasses, leaving Jubilee worrying about Logan.

"Hey, you ok?" asked a concerned Jubilee.

"Yeah kid."

Loki

**********

After refilling everyone else's drinks, Cyclops came back over to Logan, filling back up his untouched glass of champagne.

"Now, Wolvie," he began, using Jubilee's nickname for Logan and causing the tipsy women behind him to snicker, "you're not having any fun. Come on, have a drink." Scott leaned over, pushing the glass up to Logan's face.

The smell of champagne, the man with glasses before him, and the laughter of the women in the corner was adding up, pushing in on Logan. He tried to force it back, tried to keep himself grounded in reality, but it was becoming too much.

A low, threatening growl started to rise from Logan's chest. Cyke, in his inebriated state, took no notice, but Jubilee did. She reached out and plucked the glass from Scott's fingers.

"Hey, you're too young," Scott whined, reaching to retrieve the champagne.

"How old were you when you had your first drink, Mr. Summers?" Jubilee asked, walking away from Logan and drawing Scott along with her.

"Twenty-one."

Jean and Ororo started laughing over their cake. "No you weren't," Jean said.

"Ok, I was twenty-four, it was beer, and I hated it. Happy, Jeanie-beanie?"

"Yes," Jean replied, smiling at him.

"I do like this champagne, though."

"Tickles my nose," Ororo agreed.

Now that they were distracted again, Jubilee returned to Logan. She set his champagne glass back on the coffee table and returned to his side.

"Ya still with me?" she asked, looking at him as he gazed fixedly at the drink.

"Barely."

"Hang in there. It shouldn't be much longer."

Logan was furious with himself. It was just a glass of champagne. He could take on men twice his weight in the cage and beat them easily, he could stab himself through the chest without a second thought, but he couldn't take a sip of a certain alcoholic beverage. It was stupid.

He wasn't going to let them beat him. He wasn't there anymore. He survived them, he'd escaped. He could pick up that glass.

Reaching out, he leaned forward and focused on stopping his hand from shaking. Tensing it until it was steady, he grasped the glass. Pulling it towards his mouth, the champagne smell filled his nostrils as the laughter filled his ears.

'No. I'm safe. I'm in the dining room.'

A brown-haired, mousy woman leaned over and looked down at him with pity and guilt on her face.

He could hear a man's voice talking over the beeping of medical monitors.

"Pain is a principal of life, Dr. Cornelius, not that I subscribe entirely to the dictum."

Another man, younger, higher pitched voice, "Yeah, sure... Four Pheno-B staff, and keep him from shaking, willya? Reading, Hines?"

The woman in front of him turned her head away to answer the question. "Sensory cortex is overloaded, sir. There are no readings."

The woman turned back to him, reaching to touch his face. Logan jerked away, crushing the champagne glass in his grip. Jubilee was leaning in front of him.

"Wolvie, you ok? You zoned out there for a bit."

Ororo, Jean, and Scott's attention was drawn back to Logan by the sound of breaking glass. Logan's right hand was clutched in a fist, blood running down through his fingers.

"Hey, my fiancee's a doctor, she could look at that for you, 'cause she's a doctor, my fiancee that is. Jean?" Scott said.

"Yep, he's bleeding all right," Jean said from across the room. "That's my ed... ucated medical opinion."

Just then, the new graduates of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters entered the dining room to find their teachers completely drunk.

"Cool," Bobby said, reaching for the last champagne bottle.

"No, too young, you all are." Scott said, trying to sound authoritative and failing badly.

"Logan?" Marie said, crouching down beside Jubilee. "You ok, sugar?"

Logan turned his attention from Jubilee to Marie, and then to his hand.

"Yeah, fine, little accident," Logan mumbled as he got up and went to his room.

-----

"Where did you get your medical degree, out of a Cracker Jack box? I coulda killed everyone there and not even known it!" Logan yelled, pacing back and forth in the doctor's office.

"I agree that perhaps we should have started more slowly," Dr. Richards conceeded, "but you did have an astonishing breakthrough. Usually your dreams are vague, general sensations right?"

"Yeah."

"But in this experience you heard a distinct conversation and was able to remember two names?"

"Dr. Cornelius and Hines. Not gonna help me much in tracking them down."

"Still, it's progress. It means that your memories aren't as supressed as you originally thought," she said, restraining herself from reaching for her notebook. Since his adverse reaction to her writing on the first day, she had decided to record their sessions.

"It's not worth my memories. I coulda killed Jubes. I thought she was this Hines gal. Plus, my nightmares are worse, more detailed."

"That's a common reaction. It almost always gets worse before it gets better, but it will get better."

Logan looked at her with doubt in his eyes.

"We will scale back the exercises. Every day until Friday, I want you to open a champagne bottle, drink champagne, or smell something with the scent of champagne on it."

"That won't be too hard. Jubes spilled some on the carpet in the dining room. I smell it every time I go in there."

"And how has it been affecting you?"

"At first, it made me nervous, on-edge, but it's going away."

"Excellent. Continue with that. If you feel comfortable, you might work up to taking a sip of champagne."

-----

When Logan returned for his next appointment that Friday, Dr. Richards asked him how the champagne-treatment was going.

"Gettin' kinda used to it now, but still haven't drunk any."

"Wonderful, that's still progress. Does your ensuite bathroom come with a bathtub?"

Logan looked up, surprised by the sudden jump in the conversation. "Yeah, a shower/tub combo."

"Good, we're going to work on water next. I want you to fill your bathtub and leave it. Whenever you go in there, I want you to look at the water. If you feel comfortable enough, you could get in the water, but I don't want to push you."

Khaki

**********

Jubilee collected some bottles of champagne from the Professor's secret stash for Logan, just in case he wanted to test his ability at dealing with it again. She didn't store them in his room; no need to stop the guy from sleeping, really. Instead, she hid them under her bed and guarded them as long as she could, making sure to leave the room last so her roomates woulnd't find them. She couldn't be sure he would want to use them, but she wanted to give him that option.

He hadn't come out of his room after returning from the shrink's office. From the few things he had told her on their way back home, the next step was facing the water problem, so Jubes kept a vigilant eye on the swimming pool. As she thought about it a bit harder, though, she realized that Logan would probably not try the swimming pool and risk drowning again. What would he do, then?

She decided that asking him could be more efficient than torturing her brain, so she walked to his room, made sure that there was no one around, and knocked on his door.

He came to the door and open it just a bit. "What d'you want?" he asked, annoyed.

"To see how you're doin'? You know, if you want to try the champagne thing again... I got a secret stash for you," she announced.

He shook his head. "Naw..." But then, he got an idea. "Wait. How many bottles d'you have?"

"Five. Why?"

"Bring them here," he ordered.

"Gee, you're gonna try an intensive session? I'm not sure it's such a good idea, y'know?"

"Kid," he growled menacingly.

"Ok! Ok! But you have to promise to stay in your room and let me an eye on you," she bargained.

"Get them."

-----

Five minutes later, Jubes had brought the five bottles to Logan's room and found herself pushed out of the room only to hear the door lock behind her. 'Great, Jubes. Now what?' she thought.

She decided that staying in her own room, pretending to be sick if need be, and trying to monitor Logan through the wall was the best plan for now.

She heard the characteristic sound of a champagne bottle cork popping out, then silence. Ten minutes later, she heard running water in the tub. After the water was turned off, silence again. Then, another bottle being opened.

An hour passed in silence. then, another bottle opened.

-----

Jubilee was awakened well after dark by the sound coming from Logan's room. It sounded like a body hitting the floor. She jumped out of bed.

"Men!" she sighed, then rushed to Logan's door.

Knocking on it, she received no answer. It was getting weird, and she had to get in there. She had to paff the doorknob a few times before it gave up.

Upon entering Logan's room, closing the door behind her, she scanned the bedroom. There was no sign of Wolverine, but for two empty bottles of champagne on the floor.

"Great. He really did it. Got used to champagne, all right!" she said outloud to herself.

She cautiously walked by the bathroom's door and pushed it slowly.

"No. No. No...."

"Hey. Huh... you ok in there?" asked Jubilee.

No answer.

Jubilee came in, prepared for the worst.

-----

Sitting on the floor, his back to the wall, was Logan. A bottle of champagne was perched between his legs and there were two untouched ones by his side. Holding his hands in his hair, he was chanting no-no-no while bashing his head against the wall behind him.

Jubilee walked in and stopped by the door, staring at him. "Wolverine?" she tried.

SNIKT

"Not... not... a beast... not... Logan.... am.. LO-GAN!!!!!!" he shouted at her, staring at her with bloody eyes.

"Ok, Logan. Just relax, kay? You're drunk, that's all."

"No... drugged... drugged me... they... why... WHY?!?!?"

Jubilee's brain raced. It would probably be better to get some of the X-Men to come now and deal with him. She wasn't sure she wouldn't make a bad situation worse by overestimating her own wisdom.

"Why did you drink all that champagne, Logan?" she tried.

"... water... "

"Well, if you drank water, the city'd better fire the guys in charge," she tried to joke.

"... can't... "

"Can't what?"

"..."

"Look, I can't help if you don't talk to me. Besides, you should sleep now," suggested Jubilee.

Logan sent the bottle of champagne flying across the bathroom into the bedroom where it hopefully hit the bed and didn't shatter.

"I CAN'T!!!!!!!!!!!!!" he shouted, trying to get up on his legs.

"Whooooaaaa. Cool it, kay? What can't you do? Sleep?"

"Can't.... the water..."

It was just then that Jubilee noticed the tub filled with water. 'Never though I could be so dense,' thought Jubes. He couldn't get himself in the tub and had tried to get tipsy to make it easier. Without her help, he would fail.

Loki

**********

"Ok big guy. You want to get in the tub?"

Logan only growled.

"Ok, ok, we should get you out of here then. You made progress and all, ya know? You don't have an aversion to champagne anymore." She walked next to the tub to block his vision and put her hands under his arms to urge him up.

"Although you might in the morning." she muttered.

He slowly stood up eyeing her suspiciously. He knew that it was only the kid, but he was still having trouble distinguishing dreams from reality.

Why was she helping him anyway? The first time she met him he had almost killed her, and he wasn't much safer to be around now, but she kept coming back. He didn't have much time to think it over as his vision blurred and he felt himself start to fall.

Jubilee braced herself as she felt his knees give out and gave a strangled yelp as they both fell backwards into the tub. Her head slammed into the bottom, and she saw stars.

She realized she was completely submerged in the water with a 299 lb. unconscious man on top of her.

'What the hell kind of tub is this anyway?' She thought. 'Mine is like a wading pool and he gets a swimming pool? If I live through this me and the Professor are going to have to have a talk.'

She beat on his back, and snaked a hand around to his front so she could slap him. It felt as if her lungs were going to burst. Things definitely did not look promising.

2280

See Part 2