He liked that it kept him busy. Sometimes it was better to get lost in his rage than it was to think about his life outside this room. It wasn't unique to find him more and more over the last few weeks. He'd been away for years traveling the world on one damn fool errand or another and the Institute just wasn't like he remembered. There were less kids than before. A lot less kids with it being Christmas and all, but still. He'd attributed that mostly to the fact that Xavier's was the only School for mutants anymore. Chuck said there were at least 26 spread out across the States now. He certainly didn't mind. Since he'd returned they haven't asked him to pick up any classes which was certainly a good thing as far as he was concerned. Of course that left him free for other...annoyances.
His claws sank deep in the the Beta-Sentinel and he ripped them out with a fluid motion and impaled another that had tried to flank him. Metal parts clattered to the ground as his speed increased more and more, He wasn't thinking about the the school anymore. His mind was running through countless scenarios. he pushed himself farther and farther till he felt the rage building. Just when he was on the brink of losing himself the program he'd been running stopped abruptly leaving him stooped over slightly out of breath. He could hear his heart raging in his chest, not yet ready to idle down. Finally he stood and turned towards the control booth. She waved out at him from the booth with a small smirk on her face, before bending over to the control panel and speaking.
"Hold on. I'll be right down."
He merely grunted in response.
As soon as he saw her leave the booth he made his way to the door. Hoping to avoid this altogether. He looked over his shoulder at the door on the other side of the Danger Room as he pressed the open button for the one in front of him. Still looking over his shoulder, his door slid open and a small hand pushed against his chest, causing him to take a step back.
"Dammit" He muttered under his breath.
"Oh Wolvie, you should know better. That trick only works on redheads." She said while tossing him a towel.
He caught it with one hand and began wiping the sweat that he'd only just noticed from his face.
"Har Har, Jubilation. Whats in the box."
"Oh this? This box? This box that has pretty gold wrapping paper and a perfectly tied red bow, if I do say so myself? The one that has a certain hairy mutant's name on it?"
"That'd be the one." he said dryly.
"Guess."
He clenched his teeth and started walking around her.
"D R Lockdown Lee Beta 94!"
The door in front of him slid shut and he heard the mag locks go into place. He knew better but he reached out and pushed the open button anyway.
"Dammit girl! What the hell is goin' on here? Lemme out."
"You've been avoiding me since you got back and ditching me every time I do find you. You tell me 'What the hell is goin' on?'
She said the last part with her best impression.
"Nothin'. Everything's fine. I've just been busy. Now lemme out."
"Uh huh. I checked the logs. Your busy consists of coming in one of the danger rooms for a couple of hours a day and then drinking and smoking the rest of it."
"I gotta work on my bike."
"Drinking beer and polishing the chrome isn't exactly what I call working."
"Ah wasn't aware that keeping tabs on me was part of your job here."
"It's not. I'm doing this totally pro bono. Besides it's not like I'm trying. You tell me what you are allegedly doing every time I try to have a conversation with you."
He was looking at anywhere but her.
"Maybe I'm not in the mood to talk Jubilation."
"Well it's your lucky day. You don't have to talk. All you gotta do it open your present and let me do the talking. You think you can manage that?"
She thrust the box into his chest and he instinctively grabbed it as it began to fall. He weighed it in his hands. Nothing heavy. No smells out of the ordinary coming off the box either.
"This ain't a trick or somethin' is it?"
"Just open the box. You're ruining it."
He popped a claw and carefully sliced off her perfect bow and gave it to her to hold. Grabbing the folded edge of the paper he ripped it off revealing a box with a computer printer on the side."
"A printer? Oh.,,Thanks. I've been needing one of these."
"It's not a printer you big lug. It's the only box I had big enough. Will you just open the damn box,"
"Language, Jubilee."
He pulled at the tape that held the flaps of the box down and pulled them open with his free hand while balancing the box with the other. Crumpled tissue paper covered something inside the box. Pulling the paper out revealed a battered brown cowboy hat. His hat to be precise. One that he hadn't seen since he'd left the Institute years before. He'd plopped it down on the head of a girl and took off for God knows where.
"Do you remember what you told me when you gave me that hat?"
"Not really."
"You said, 'Something to come back for'. To be honest, I didn't know if you were talking about me or the hat at the time. It was just nice knowing that you were coming back for anything, even if it wasn't me.
"Maybe it was a lil' bit of both."
"You were gone for a long time, Wolvie."
"I know I was and I'm sorry I wasn't here for you, girl."
"Well you were kinda. Every time I was down or scared, like when I lost my powers, I put on that dirty hat of yours and it made me feel like the world was a little safer for me. I guess what I'm trying to say is thanks for the loan, Logan. You helped me become the woman I am today whether you were her or not."
"That was some speech, Jubilation. I don't know what to say"
She reached into the box and pulled out the hat and placed onto his head.
"You can 'You're welcome'. He chuckled as she did her impression of him once again.
He locked eyes with her for the first time.
"You're welcome."
"I gotta say I think the hat looked better on me though."
"In 'ur dreams."
"I guess it is an improvement over that black nightmare you've been wearing."
"What's wrong with it?"
She rolled her eyes.
"Nothing, Logan. Just wear this one okay? It'd mean alot to me."
"Fine. Brown hat it is."
"Merry Christmas, Wolvie."
She leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips.
"Merry Christmas, Jubilation."
"D R Release Lee Beta 94!"
Logan heard the door lock disengage behind her. She tossed the box back at him and turned to leave. She looked back over her shoulder as she went.
"Play your cards right and you might have an even better New Year, Scruffy."