So I think this started out as like, wanting to see Wolverine act kind of like a gruff big brother type to someone, coupled with wanting to harp on the comic canon staple wherein he occasionally calls Magneto "Mags" and Charles "Chuck" (though we hear "Chuck" in some of the cartoon series, too, so). Eventually, I managed to figure out that I wanted him to be talking to Jubilee about Magneto's and the good professor's ~relationship~, and after that, it just kind of slid into place. In a way, this is kind of a companion piece to "We Are the Ones Who're Gonna Last Forever," but it's not necessary to read both.
Summary: Jubilee has some questions about Charles' insistence on keeping Magneto alive; Logan tries his best to supply the answers. Set during episode 1x13 of the original animated series, aka the one where Mags helps Charles blow up Sentinel robots with a plane full of TNT and gasoline, and then tells him kind of gayly, "NOW WE ARE EVEN, BUT WE WILL MEET AGAIN" and then flies away into the night, and then they get lost in the Savage Land together for like six months right after that. Implied Magneto/Charles, obviously. Title is from Ben Gibbard's "Where Our Destination Lies."
There Are Things That I Must Unlearn
She sees him laid out on a sick bed in the institute's makeshift infirmary. Up close - and, okay, she admits, safely unconscious - she supposes he doesn't look so tough; actually, Jubilee thinks, peering through the window at Magneto, for someone who touts himself as the Master of Magnetism, with the accolades (and a fair number of curses and mortal enemies, as well) under his belt to support the moniker, the metal-bending mutant looks suspiciously like a giant, sleeping kitty cat right now.
The professor has already been in to see him; Jubilee had watched surreptitiously while Charles had wrapped Magneto's wounds in gauze, wiping away dried blood and salving anything that might get infected with the clinical expertise of someone who was used to this kind of work. She also couldn't help but notice the utmost care he had taken with the task. In a way, she supposed that was Professor Xavier's manner with everybody, friend or foe. In another sense, however, she guessed that there were nuances between the two men, hinted at by Charles' brief backstory - he had looked so wistful as he'd trailed off; Jubilee had made light of the impending danger that Magneto's reinvigorated attempts at taking out humankind had brought, but she'd never seen the bald man look so unnerved before - and whatever she had managed to glean over the past few months from the other X-Men (not a lot), that she still did not completely understand.
"You know, the good prof isn't going to like it much if you get nose prints all over his window." The voice behind her is gruff, yet affectionate, and when Jubilee spins around to face its owner, she is not surprised to find Wolverine standing there, squat, yet formidable-looking, still dressed in his team regalia, including the tell-tale mask. When she visibly relaxes, Logan smiles. "Checkin' out ol' Magneto?" he queries. She shrugs, and he crosses his arms. "That guy ..." he mutters, and shakes his head once or twice. "I don't know why Chuck bothers to keep him around sometimes."
Jubilee blinks. It's the closest she's gotten to an 'in' in terms of discussing the great mystery surrounding what appears to be Charles' secret alliance with Magneto, and she can't help but take it. "Why does he, exactly?" she asks. "The professor, I mean. Like, Magneto's a bad guy, right? Why don't we just ..." she trails off, but makes a slashing motion across her throat, curling her hand to approximate carrying one of Wolverine's giant adamantium claws on the back of her fist. She personally finds it kind of funny, but apparently, he doesn't.
Logan shakes his head at her grimly. "It's just a thing," he tells her matter-of-factly. "He plays his hand, and we show up to stop him from doing any serious damage, and then we let him go again. 's how it's been for years."
"Yeah, but why?" She's starting to get annoyed, and Wolverine watches her pout and stamp around a little with some bemusement. "I mean, he's almost killed us before. On multiple occasions, even!" She gestures a bit angrily towards the prone man in the next room. "Look, he's even completely helpless right now; we could like, smother him with a pillow, and we'd never have to worry about him kidnapping Senator Kelly ever again! Just, poof, no more Magneto. It'd cut the number of times we have to risk our necks like, clean in half!" Logan watches her beadily as she begins pacing, her voice rising steadily. Apparently, this has bothered her more than she ever realized. "I just ... I don't get it, Logan," she sighs, and the corners of his mouth quirk upwards sympathetically. "What's the deal?"
Logan seems to be choosing his words carefully. "Look, kid," he begins, and Jubilee purses her lips, but lets him continue. "The professor and Magneto have a ... it's complicated between them," he settles on, and Jubilee listens carefully. "I don't think Chuck could really deal very well if he actually had to put Mags away for good." He can see Jubilee begin to fuss at this, and holds up a hand. "It's kind of an unspoken agreement: Neither of them kills the other. He doesn't really gun for us, and in return, he kind of takes it in stride that we keep foiling all of his half-cocked schemes."
"I know, but ..." Jubilee frowns unhappily. "He's just ... he's dangerous!" she finally explodes, holding out her hands in furious supplication. "He's hurt people before! Lots of people! And now you're telling me that it's all some kind of game to him and Professor X?"
"It's not a game," Logan replies smoothly, and it's as if he's worked through this same train of thought over the years (because, Jubilee realizes, he probably has; it's probably what makes one realize they're truly an X-Man, when they've figured out the Great Magneto Mystery and can go around acting like it's totally normal). "It's just something we all understand about each other. Magneto's not always just a bad guy, either," he admits begrudgingly. "I think Charles honestly believes that he might eventually see reason and turn to our side. I'm not holding my breath," he announces, baring teeth. "But at the end of the day, it's what keeps Chuck happy, and that's what's really important."
"Yeah. This whole thing is kind of his deal, isn't it?" Jubilee murmurs, and Logan nods at her, smiling a little, like he's pleased that she finally gets it. As if on cue, they both look up as Magneto begins to stir. They watch him blink, his head lolling slowly from one side to the other, before his steely gaze comes to rest on them. Magneto's eyes narrow a little, and Jubilee is suddenly worried that he's somehow, some way, heard everything they've just said. She looks to Logan to confirm this, but he just shrugs and lifts a hand to his mouth, cupping around it a little. "Charles, he's awake," he calls out simply.
Scant minutes later, the professor is maneuvering through the doorway of the infirmary, still managing to look poised and dignified in his hovering chair. "Magnus, how are you feeling?" Jubilee hears him ask before the door swings shut entirely. She considers staying and trying to eavesdrop, but then Logan's hand is on her shoulder and kind of gently steering her away. "Come on, give them some privacy," he coaxes. He turns to walk away and, reluctantly, Jubilee follows.