Accomplishments
The night was quite as always, the moon shone brightly as she bathed in it. As she sped down the asphalt skating path, the momentum carrying her, Jubilee could only think of the freedom suddenly granted to her. No more days of fighting for a world that hated her, no more fighting for survival, or complicated lives under the auspice of the X, just the normal life of a University student. But even that was forgotten in this moment as she raced on towards that place between exhaustion and exhilaration. Leaves erupted as she raced over them, sending them aloft to the heavens. With a wry smile on her face she pushed off with one foot and jumped over a bench and onto a rail of a stairway, sliding down and carrying on circling about the fountain.
Slowing to a halt at the edge of the fountain, she sat down, running her hand over the surface of the water, chilled with the night air. Fall had set in on campus and the trees knew the colours of Autumn on their crowns. Looking up to the clear night sky, she could see the moon smiling down upon her with a veil of stars twinkling away, oblivious to the trials of the lives that were known to the blue speck in the universe. Sighing, she only wish she could tell Logan of her acceptance here, but that would be too great a threat. She had to break away from that life, away from any temptations to return for one last battle. She already had hers in Paris, shaking her head she bowed her head in silent prayer that all her friends were safe.
"Lee, you okay?" A voice asked with concern, Jubilee turning to find the only reminder of her life before.
"Yeah Pryde, I'm just hunky dory." Jubilee sighed, laying down on the fountain.
"Sure ya are. Your thinking about them aren't you?" Kitty asked, turning back to her book, having chosen this spot for the fact that the lamp hung behind her, giving enough light.
"Yeah." Jubilee replied, turning to look to Kitty, another former X-man.
"Anyone in particular tonight?" Kitty asked, thumbing to the next page.
"Logan." Jubilee replied.
Kitty looked up from her book, the power of that name still strong, shutting it as she rose from her seat and walked over to the younger girl. Sitting down next to her, she smiled as she looked down to the former Mallrat. Jubilee for her efforts could not ignore the presence of Kitty for long, finally sighing as she sat up. Shaking her head, she looked to the ground.
"I, I just wish I could tell him about what I all have going for me." Jubilee whispered.
"Hey, don't worry Lee, you made the right choice. Look at what happened the last time someone called you back to play superhero, you could have gotten yourself killed had the X-men not checked it out, and Sean, bless his soul, ended up with a dagger though his throat. You just need some time to get used to being just a normal girl, not an X-man or a Gen-Xer, just Jubilee. You can't do that with them, the adrenaline still rushes with any word of danger I hear in the news and it's probably the same for you." Kitty remarked, wrapping her arms about Jubilee and pulling her to her side.
"I just want to let him know that I'm making something of myself, getting a degree, building a life. I just want to let him know so he could be proud of me. I just want someone to be proud of me for once, even as a kid my parents always demanded better, never letting me know I did good." Jubilee whispered, leaning into the older girl's embrace, taking relief in the warmth against the night.
"I'm proud of you Lee, you're the closet I ever had to an annoying kid sister, and to see you here now, it makes me proud." Kitty replied, Jubilee looking up with eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"Really Kit-Kat?" Jubilee asked, her lip trembling.
"Really Jubie." Kitty replied, giving a strong hug to the girl.
Jubilee fell silent, staring off to the dark horizon, a warm feeling filling her in that moment. Kitty in return merely held her and joined her in watch of that distant horizon, a flurry of memories rushing past her, of her own acceptance to University and of the same need of approval she longed for in those first months. But somehow she knew in her bones that he knew, and that he was proud. Looking down to Jubilee, she knew that somehow he knew too, and that he was just as proud as she was. Her reverie broken by the sound of night birds sent aloft, Kitty looked to the tree line and smiled. Yes indeed, he did know.