Disclaimer: All of the characters are Marvel's. And since college is putting me into debt . . . ::sighs:: . . . if you sued me, you'd only get my action figure collection, my CD collection, and my autograph of the dude who played Mike TeeVee in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." As you can see, it's hardly worth it.
Notes: I may or may not get to writing more about this. I do have another story that takes place after this one, but I personally think it . . . sucks. :) Maybe I'll work on it.
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"This is the Loony Farm. Head loony Bobby Drake speaking. How can I serve you?"
Normally, Jubilee would have played along. But right now she was just too nervous and preoccupied. "Is Scott there?"
"What? Not even a hello to me?"
"Bobby, . . . please. It's important."
Bobby sighed. Something must have been up. She sounded stressed. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. I just need to talk to Scott."
"Okay." Bobby turned to the others in the room, looking for the fearless leader. He found him by the billiard table with Warren and Remy. "Scott! The phone's for you!"
Scott looked up from the game, a bit frustrated. "Is it important?"
"Sounds like it."
Scott frowned and put his pool stick down. "Someone can play my turn." He walked to the phone and took it from Bobby. "Hello?"
"Scott?"
Scott brought in a breath and straightened. Why would Jubilee be calling? "You okay?"
Jubilee was silent for a while. "Yeah. . . . "
Scott compulsively bit the inside of his mouth. He had gotten into the habit of doing that. It was a bad nervous habit."What's wrong?" He spoke softly.
"We need to talk."
" . . . Now? . . . " They had agreed not to talk to each other much when others were around. That included talking on the phone.
"No. But . . . I called to say that we have to talk somewhere. Soon."
Scott was really nervous now. "Okay. . . . You are alright, though. . . . Right?"
"Yeah. . . . "
Scott turned from everyone in the room, so they couldn't see what he was saying. "Where?"
"The cafe."
Scott nodded. "When?"
"In three days. Around lunch. Maybe 1:30."
"Okay. I'll be there."
"Good. . . . Thanks."
Scott furrowed his brow. "For what?"
"For being there."
Scott was quiet. "It would bother me if I wasn't."
He could almost see Jubilee's lop-sided grin. "It's your damn values."
Scott couldn't help but smile a bit. "Yeah. I can't help it."
"I have to go. I'll see you soon."
"Yeah. Soon. Bye."
"Bye."
Scott hung up the phone and sighed. Something was up and he wasn't sure if he liked it. . . .
"Is everything okay?" Bobby was a bit concerned.
Scott went back to the pool table and shrugged. "I don't know." He plopped down on a stool and watched the others play while he sifted through his thoughts.
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Scott was a nervous wreck. It was just before 1:30. The cafe was sparsely occupied by mostly truckers. He had actually been at the cafe since 12. He just had to make sure that he made it there on time, no matter what. Whatever was going on was big, and he knew it.
"Scott." Jubilee touched his shoulder and drew him out of his reverie.
Scott looked up at the young woman standing next to his booth. He smiled a bit. "Hey." He stood up and gave her a hug.
Jubilee hugged him back and then pulled away to look at him. "You don't look so good. -- "
Scott shook his head and swatted the air. "Don't worry about it." He sat down and then guide Jubilee down to sit next to him. "I've just been under a lot of stress lately."
"I think everyone has been."
"You hungry? We could order something. . . . " Scott studied her a bit, making sure she looked okay. She did. She looked a bit stressed herself, but Jubilee looked fine otherwise.
"No. I'm not really hungry right now. . . . "
"Oh. Okay." Scott's heart was hammering, and he began to chew a bit on his mouth. "What's . . . what's going on?" He put a hand over one of her petite ones.
Jubilee let out a sigh. " . . . We're screwed."
Scott scooped up both of Jubilee's hands and brought them onto his lap, where he cupped them. He caressed them comfortingly. "It's alright. Whatever it is . . . it'll be okay." He knew it wasn't true, but he hoped he could at least convince Jubilee. Scott was really worried, now. His heart seemed to be in his throat.
Jubilee looked down; she just couldn't look Scott in the eye. "I . . . " She let out a shuddered breath. "I'm . . . pregnant."
Everything stopped for Scott. His heart was no longer in his throat. In fact, he couldn't even feel it. Nothing else mattered. There was nothing in his world but himself and Jubilee. And that's all that mattered at the moment.
"You sure?" It was just too much for Scott to believe.
Jubilee brought in a shaky breath. "Yeah. . . . I missed my period, so . . . I bought one of those tests. . . . And it came out positive. . . . -- "
"Those tests aren't always correct." Scott couldn't let this happen. Not only would this mess up everything for him, it would mess Jubilee's life up, too. He was fighting for both of their lives. He'd argue his way out of it if he had to.
"Yeah. . . . But then I went to the doctor's. . . . " She trailed off. She didn't have to say anymore. Scott knew.
They both sat there in silence, both of them in their own thoughts. The whole thing was just too surreal for them to grasp. Even for Jubilee, who had known for several days.
Scott let a breath out slowly. He hadn't realized he had been holding it in for so long. "We aren't screwed. We aren't."
"Scott, -- "
"We aren't, Jubilee." His words were forceful. Scott's vehemence was soothing to Jubilee.
But still, "What are we going to do, though?'
Scott put a soothing arm around Jubilee and brought her closer. "We'll do whatever we have to."
"So . . . we're going to keep it?" She really didn't know what to do. Jubilee had never thought that she would ever have an abortion. She loved babies and hated the idea of having to murder one, especially her own. But now, it was different. An abortion would cure everything. And though she still really didn't want one, if Scott told her to have one, she would.
Scott sighed. He never thought that he would even consider abortion. But he was. No one would have to know about him and Jubilee if she had one. Neither of them would get in trouble. But still . . . it was a baby. A real live one. His baby. He just couldn't kill it, could he? All he would have to do was say the word, and he knew that Jubilee would have an abortion.
Scott pulled Jubilee even closer to him. She snuggled into his chest for comfort. They just sat there in silence again, just thinking.
Finally, Scott nodded. "We'll keep it."
A weight was lifted off of their shoulders, and they felt better for a short amount of time. But that small weight that was lifted only added more to the heap. The others would have to find out.
"What about the others? . . . What about Jean?"
Scott winced at Jubilee's questions. "I . . . I don't know. I guess we'll have to tell her. . . . "
The two lovers sat in silence, drinking in the last amount of peace they'd have in a long time. And they did it together, probably for the last time.
