Mara staggered slightly, seeing double as Jubal guided her past two massive mutant bouncers and into the full blast of recorded music. "Stinking &$# bike..."
"Suck it up, darlin'." He dropped her on a barstool and looked at the huge reptilian bartender. "Hey, Gator. Two Bulls, straight up."
The big green man threw his bar towel over his shoulder and cocked his head, tasting the air with a forked tongue, then thumped two cans down in front of them. "Hey, Jubal, long time no see."
"Yeah," said the teen indifferently, eyes wandering the room as he popped the tab on his can and chugged the contents down in one go.
Mara grabbed the other can, then looked around the noisy club and raised it slightly to Gator before chugging it.
Then she grinned at Jubal.
"Well tadpole, you know the places to hang, I'll give you that." She chuckled and looked back at Gator. "So, you're the one I speak to about beer. What do you recommend?"
"Sorry," said the lizard man gruffly. "We don't serve that stuff. It's caffeine, sugar, or their various combinations only."
"Oh, one of those dives," said Mara contently, glancing at Jubal again. "A sober spot. Well that's cool. Question stands-what do you recommend that's strong?"
"Do you like 'em sweet or just strong?" asked Gator, setting two more Red Bulls in front of Jubal.
"Surprise me." She shrugged.
"Sure." He turned away and started pouring from various containers into a blender, then gave it a whirl and dumped it into a tall, footed glass and set it in front of her.
Mara stared down at the frothy green concoction. "What is it?"
Gator shrugged. "Green."
"Looks a treat." She held it up to the lights before shrugging back at him. "Bottom's up." She lifted the glass and starting to chug it. Her eyes shot open at the taste, but she kept going as the lime mixture sent shivers down her spine and legs. Her eyes started to water as the sugar jolted throughout her body, and when she finally finished she gasped, setting the glass down as she reeled back and almost fell off her stool.
"$#! That was awesome!" she said, staring at the man as her vision swam. "So lime and everything else!"
Then she giggled and offered the glass back.
"Surprise me again?" she asked, batting her eyelashes.
"Different colour this time?" He took the glass and put it in the sink, then paused and looked over his shoulder with one hand halfway to the blender.
Mara shrugged happily. "Surprises! You know it's what makes a girl smile."
Gator nodded and set to work.
Mara watched him for a few minutes as he measured carefully this time, then turned to Jubal, who was absently gulping down what looked to be his fourth Red Bull from the cans sitting in front of him.
"Jubes?" said a girl's voice. "What're you doin' here? I thought you were grounded."
He blinked and set his can down, then turned and squinted at the black and pink-haired girl. "Buzz off, Munkee."
"I live here," she retorted softly, reaching up to finger one furry ear. "And I'm not squealing. I was just wondering if you'd gotten off."
"Yeah, right." Jubal snorted and finished his Red Bull, then turned to stare toward the stage.
Munkee turned to Mara, who was now staring into the depths of something totally colourless in a martini glass, then cocked her head. "You're that new chick that just showed up at Xavier's."
Mara looked at her and laughed.
"I'm trying it out. The pool's alright, but I don't know about all the punks and felons," she said. Then she picked up the drink and downed it. It had no taste, but as soon as she put the glass down and frowned she had the biggest caffeine rush she'd ever experienced.
"Nice tattoos," said Munkee, looking at her arms.
"Thankie," said Mara, starting to giggle uncontrollably.
"There goes the band." Gator turned toward the stage as a massive black cat man in leather pants and vest stood up and gave a roar that left the contents of Mara's skull vibrating.
"Woohoo!" she said, eyes huge as she spun and looked at Jubal. "Hey, boy, you still out of it?"
He blinked at her absently, as though he'd forgotten she was there, then shook the last can and dropped it. "They'll start with 'Dead Man Walking'."
Mara looked back at the stage as what looked like one of the riding beasts of the Nazgûl stood up and announced the band in a sultry female voice, then reeled back as the massive speakers let out a mind-numbing roar of bass and drum.
She grinned, then nudged Jubal playfully. "There even a pit here?" she leaned over and yelled to be heard over the music.
He frowned at her, his hair falling into his eyes and partially obscuring them, then nodded and pointed. "Biggest pit in the city, darlin'."
"Then come on," said Mara, eyebrows shooting up. "Let's go, punk boy! I haven't moshed in ages!"
He grimaced and gave her a slightly pleading look, obviously wanting to be left alone to work on a caffeine overdose, but she wasn't about to let him get away with that.
"Don't give me those eyes, no matter how big and blue they are!" she said, punching him lightly on the shoulder. "Come on, what's the point of coming here to sulk? You can sulk at home later. Have fun now!"
Jubal shook his head and snagged something off of a waitress' tray, then knocked it back and grimaced with one eye closed.
"Fine, be that way," snapped Mara. She jumped up and grabbed a drink from the counter and threw it over his face, then seized him by the arms and hauled him up, shoving him through the crowds towards the pit and pulling him in along with her.
"Now mosh, or I'll take ya back home now!" she yelled gleefully, laughing and starting to shove with the crowd.
"You threw a mindbender on me!" he yelled, then grabbed her in the ribs right where she was ticklish.
"Ai!" she squealed, pushing him away, only to have the crowd toss him right back at her. She cringed helplessly as he arched an eyebrow and continued to poke her ribs, his eyes suddenly sparkling with boyish mischief.
Quailing and giggling uncontrollably she shrank away, then lost her balance and hit the floor. Jubal and another guy quickly helped her back up before she was trampled, and Jubes flashed her a grin that nearly melted her heart. Suddenly she could see the boy that Logan had loved, and he was adorable.
She stared for a moment, then grinned.
"Nice, punk," she said, then yelped as he casually poked her ticklish spot again. "Enough! I give!"
He laughed, then quickly crouched and ducked under her before straightening with her riding on his shoulders. "w00t! We're the tallest thing here!"
Mara squealed slightly, long arms swinging for a moment before she put one hand on top of his head, feeling surprised at how silky his hair was.
"Hey, yeah," she said, looking down and seeing him laughing his butt off. Then she looked back at the large cat man on the stage and waved her fist.
"#$&# right! Work them vocals!" she yelled, laughing madly as she patted Jubal's head gently and looked at a boy who was staring up at the two of them with huge, glowing green eyes.
"I know you're jealous!" she crowed. "N' yeah, he is the cutest punk-boy here, too bad for you!"
The boy gave her a look as if she were insane, but the delayed rush of caffeine was shooting through her system, egged on by the whiskey the pair had shared earlier, and she didn't even notice him again.
She sank into a joyous haze, her whole being bubbling with a hyperactivity that she hadn't felt in years as the band belted out tune after tune about pain and loss and hope and love.
Then there was a pause in the music and Mara looked up, closing her eyes as she felt the cool breeze that had been blowing on the pit all night wash over her.
"Lemme down," she said, playfully rapping on Jubal's skull. Then she yelped and laughed as he tossed her up, shoved backward a step, and caught her as she fell.
Carefully finding her feet she continued to giggle to herself as she pushed hair out of her face, grinning at him and looking around.
"Well, this is definitely something's I've missed," she said breathlessly. "The closest you get to this in the ocean is getting chased by a bunch of Atlantians into a whirlpool, and that's hardly a hype."
"Heh, Namor's a dweeb." Jubal lifted his hands and let loose a burst of multicoloured fireworks that caused the pit to break out in cheering, then eyed one of the speakers. "Think you could climb up there?"
"Pfft," said Mara, waving her hand. "'Course. What were you thinking?"
"Thinking?" He looked at her innocently. "What's that?"
Then he grabbed her hand and started pulling her through the crowd, laughing merrily at the occasional grumble or insult.
"You're a schemer, a squid could tell you that." Mara arched an eyebrow as she looked around. "What's goin' on?"
"Neko Lynn's trying to get Roy buzzing hard enough so she can sing 'My Main Squeeze' without him freaking out. Jubal reached the speaker and boosted her upward with his hands around her waist.
Mara grinned at his hands on her bare skin, then grabbed the speaker and hauled herself up before she reached back for him.
"And that has what to do with us?" she asked.
"Gives us a chance to get up here," he said happily, easily scrambling up beside her.
Mara grinned, then looked over at the cat man, who was off to one side of the stage swigging stuff from a can she couldn't make out.
"Nice, chug that stuff, boy, give us a good song." She laughed to herself, then smiled at Jubal and looked down. "Is there any security here we need to watch for?"
"We're allowed up here," he said absently, then cupped his hands around his mouth and started yelling, "Roy! Throw us a Bull!" at the top of his lungs.
"Ha, out to deafen me?" Mara crouched and waved cheerily at Roy as he looked over at the pair and grinned, his ears perking at the sight of the two fans on the speaker.
"Jubal!" he roared, his voice causing her to shiver as she felt it in her bones. "Long time no see, man! Here! Someone with t.k. snag this!"
Mara yelped as he hurled a can toward them, but Jubal leaped recklessly into the air and snagged it, then landed and shook his hand. "Thanks, man!" He made a peace sign, then popped the tab and swigged half the drink before passing it to her.
She laughed and finished it, then noticed that those with wings had been moshing in the ceiling rafters, and that the woman who had announced the band was on the other speaker.
"This is awesome, man! This leaves every other pit in the dust!" she crowed, whipping her hair around and throwing half of it over her shoulder, before standing and putting both hands on her hips.
"You said it, chica!" Jubal laughed, then lifted his fist in the air. "Main Squeeze! Main Squeeze!" he roared.
"NO!" bellowed Roy laughingly, obviously too buzzed to think straight, much less act properly.
Mara let out a cheer and joined Jubal in the chant, and slowly the entire crowd started repeating it, fists waving in unison and the bigger or more hyper occupants leaping into the air and jumping on people.
Roy roared back joyously, waving his fists and laughing as he shook his head in denial, then gave a whoop and flinched aside as Neko Lynn pinched him over the ribs.
"You want me to sing?" she turned to the crowd and called out in a beautiful voice flavored with Japan.
"#$& yeah!" Mara and Jubal roared, ready to laugh themselves silly at the look on the cat man's face.
Neko Lynn held up one slender hand, and the whole club fell silent, no one so much as coughing as they waited in hushed expectation.
Mara saw the flash of white teeth as the furry woman turned to her embarrassed husband, then gasped softly as Neko Lynn began to sing in a throaty, perfect alto that dipped and soared over the notes. It was an ardent song of love that praised her husband's body, mind, and voice, and told of their babies who slept safely while their parents sang. It thrilled over Mara's nerves and brought tears to her eyes even as she screamed her appreciation and whipped her hair around.
"Tell it, girl!" bellowed Jubal, then yelped as he stepped wrong and went over the side of the speaker.
Mara gasped and looked down after him, then laughed as she saw him being crowd-surfed toward the stage. Two brawny men at the base of the speakers held up their arms to her and called for her to jump, and she yelped in glee, then let herself fall backwards and got another headrush as she felt herself safely caught and passed away after Jubal.
She landed gently on the stage and was hefted up and glomped close to a furry chest partially covered by a leather vest as the band sang what was obviously the last song, as the main lyric was, 'Get your butt home and go to bed!'
She laughed as she leaned against Roy, hearing Jubal giving all he had to the last few lyrics and watching as he leaned back-to-back with Neko Lynn and hammed for the crowd.
"Get your butt home and go to bed/tomorrow you're gonna feel kicked in the head!" Mara let out a gasp as Roy poked her in the ribs, then poked him back, making both chuckle through the last line, though their voices blended sweetly regardless.
"You partied hard and it felt fine, but tomorrow you'll feel like you let off a mine!"
The music ended, and then Mara gave a breathless whoop as she was thrown over Roy's shoulder and born backstage like a trophy.
"Lemme down, you big hair-ball!" she laughed, hitting his back lightly and trying to see past her hair as she was carried up a flight of stairs. "Oh man...that was great... Pumme down!"
Then she let out an 'ooph!' as she was gently dropped on something soft and pushed her hair aside to see that she was slumped on a big couch with Jubal's fingers inches from her ribs.
"Don't," she wheezed breathlessly, unable to stop tittering. "Please don't... I'd kick ya, n' trust me, that would hurt!"
He paused and eyed her, eyes sparkling, then dove in and blew a raspberry on her belly and darted away again before she could blink.
"Ohh no!" she said, laughing helplessly before she rolled over and fell off the couch with a yelp, then sat up quickly and looked around with wide eyes.
A roar and a whoop made her squeak, and she turned her head to see Jubal pinned in Roy's grasp as the big furry man rubbed his cheek on the teen's head and purred.
"Get off! Argh, you're gonna get fur all over my good pants!" laughed Jubal. "Get a life, man!"
Neko Lynn gave a deep chuckle of satisfaction, then came to crouch companionably next to Mara and offer her a tall plastic bottle of Orangina.
Mara took the drink and grinned, then took a deep swing before she raised the drink to the woman next to her.
"Great performance," she said. "One a' the best live shows I've seen."
"Thank you." Neko Lynn grinned, then set her own bottle of pop down and leaned back against the couch as she unhooked her corset and cast it onto the couch, revealing a black tube top. "Mmm." She twitched her fluffy tail and stretched luxuriously, then grumbled and shook one leg as Jubal and Roy's antics knocked the bottle off the water cooler and doused one corner of the carpet.
"Dragon's going to be steamed," noted the six-armed keyboard player from where she snuggled contentedly in a big chair with a guy in a leather jacket and a little boy wrapped in a Lilo and Stitch blanket.
"If she notices." Neko Lynn turned to Mara. "I'm Neko Lynn. The keyboard player's Handy, 'n that's her husband Norm and their kid Billy. Drummer is Foal, 'n that's her husband Raph."
Mara recognized one of the bouncers as the big man with turtle-like armor plates on his body turned to look at her from where he was trying to soak up the mess as Roy and Jubal continued roughhousing. Looking at the one-eyed Handy and her son, who was a smaller copy of his mother, she noticed they also shared Ferengi ears. She nodded and grinned at each person as they were introduced, and then pulled herself up, flopping back onto the couch.
"And the chick over there in the corner playing with the bass is Flame Girl, formerly of Sealy's army, but now as proud a Morlock as the rest of us!" announced Foal grandly before taking another swig of cola and leaning back against her husband as he came to sit beside her, her stumpy feet propped against the arm of the blue leather couch the two of them rested on.
Mara nodded to the bass player too, though she seemed to be off in her own world as she strummed away at her instrument. Then she turned back to Neko Lynn. "You play here often?"
"About once a month," said the cat woman absently, kicking out with both feet as her husband and Jubal rolled near, then scratching one delicate, elven-looking ear.
"Wow, you two are brimming with maturity." Mara laughed at the boys, shaking her head as she glanced at the others. "How long have you known punk boy here?"
"About four years," said Neko Lynn softly as the wrestlers rolled away again. She glanced up at Mara, her deep blue eyes suddenly full of shadows and sorrow. "It's good to see him play again."
Mara's own eyes hardened as she looked back at him, though he was too caught up in his game to notice her regard.
He was definitely different, and if what he had acted like earlier had been any indication of how he usually was... The thought somehow depressed the aquatic girl. She liked him like this, and felt like she just wanted to throw her arms around him and kiss him when he grinned at her. Shaking her head she tried to banish the thoughts from her mind, looking away sharply and trying to appear bored.
"Yeah, well, maybe he just needs to get out more," she said gruffly, staring at her feet as a hot blush stained the back of her neck.
"Ack, that's cheating!" gasped Roy as Jubal got his arm behind him and pinned him.
"Like, we were playin' by rules?" The teen blinked and looked at Mara with wide eyes. "Were we playin' by rules, chica?"
Mara glanced at him and shrugged, hiding another embarrassed grin with a fiery glance that just asked for trouble. "Depends. Do you want to lose or win?"
He quirked an eyebrow and blinked, then shook his head slightly and laughed. "That made no freaking sense."
Mara laughed too, feeling her stomach muscles ache. "If you want to lose to hair-ball you play by the rules. If a boy like you wants a chance to win, anything goes. Unless 'anything' includes landing on me. Then I win."
Jubal's grin widened, and then the next thing she knew she laying on her belly with her arms pinned gently but inexorably behind her back. "Rule, never let your guard down when giving a challenge."
Mara gasped, then squirmed as he poked her in the ribs again.
"Gerroff!" she howled, wiggling furiously but futilely, twin tears of laughter streaming down her face. "Please, c'mon! I wasn't throwin' a challenge, oh man, please!"
She felt his hand leave her ribs and gently stroke her hair as the sound of the wind began to sing softly in the room.
"Hoo," she said, enjoying his caress for a moment before she started giggling again, unable to help herself as she buried her face in the cushions.
"We should go home," said Jubal softly, moving so that he sat beside her and leaning against her as his hand moved from her hair to the space between her shoulder blades.
"Why?" Mara sighed, feeling the last of the booze, caffeine, and sugar haze burning away, leaving her tired and content as she sat up, pressing slightly against the back rub as she rolled her shoulders. "Who's gonna miss us? That big guy with the red glasses? Or the felon?"
"Yeah, Sabie will." Jubal put his other hand up to work on a kink in her shoulder muscle. "So'll Ruh 'n Stitch, 'n Jabez. She likes you, you know."
"The baby?" Mara couldn't manage a frown as the muscle eased. "She kept messing with my head!"
"She's not that good at talking yet, except with Nate and Storm." Jubal gave her back a last pat, then turned to look up with a sigh. "Hey, Mistral, thanks for the breeze in the pit."
There was a burst of faraway laughter, and Mara realized with a start that there really was a wind blowing around up by the ceiling.
"She's a little hyper," said Munkee softly from where she perched on a stool in front of the computer desk.
"Wow," said Mara, looking straight up, then shooting a quick glance at Jubal before she turned to Neko Lynn and Roy and grinned at both of them and the rest of the band.
"Thanks a lot." She sighed. "The concert was a great time."
"No problem," said the black catwoman absently, intent on carefully braiding a small spotted feather into her husband's mane as he lay with his head in her lap and purred ecstatically. Then she glanced up as a little green man in a kilt and Mohawk climbed the back of the couch and looked Mara in the eye.
"Hey, baby, what's your sign?" He smirked.
"Shut up, LGM." Jubal backhanded him and sent him flying.
Mara looked back over the couch and stared at the little man, then looked at Jubal.
"I'm sorry, who was that?" she asked, scowling.
"The little green man." He leaned forward and took a dictionary off the coffee table as the tiny punk screamed out his undying love, then turned and dropped the heavy book over the back of the couch. The screaming cut off abruptly as most of the people in the room snickered and smirked.
Mara's eyebrow raised, then she snickered herself.
"Sorry about that," rumbled Roy without opening his eyes. "He's actually pretty harmless."
"That's just because he's too small to do any real damage," said Munkee sourly as she got up and went to look behind the couch. "Oh, hi, Dragon."
Mara turned and saw the announcer wrapping the tuft-tailed girl in her wings, snaky neck bent as she lay her head against the teen's shoulder.
"That's Dragon," said Jubal softly as the band members and their families called out greetings to the reptilian woman. "She's Gator's wife 'n Munkee's adopted mom. She 'n Gator own Hell."
"Oh, hi," said Mara, looking up at the mutant, who looked nothing like a human being, but she wasn't one to judge on face alone. "Nice place you've got."
Dragon opened her wings and let Munkee go, then turned to regard her visitors with dark red, slit-pupiled eyes, her long neck weaving slightly.
"Thank you," she said at last, her sweet voice nearly too soft to hear. Then she looked back as Gator came up behind her and gathered her into his arms, twining the tip of his tail around hers.
"How's the baby?" asked Handy softly from the recliner chair.
Dragon turned back, seeming to brighten as she gently shrugged her husband away and went over to where a plastic laundry basket stood on a table by the wall.
"Hank thinks he'll be hatching any day," said Gator nervously as he watched her gently lift a blanket wrapped bundle from the basket and hold it close. "He's getting too big for his shell, we can see his outlines right through it."
"I'll laugh if it's a girl," said Neko Lynn absently.
Mara watched, eyes wide open in curiosity as she stared at the bundled egg, noticing Dragon's self-consciousness. She wasn't thrilled about the idea of babies, but these people were nice.
"Congrats," she said.
"Thanks." Gator went over to look at his unborn child, then leaned down to look at the control on the electric blanket.
"So, what's your story, Mara?" asked Handy as Munkee stooped and picked up the little green man by one leg and dropped him headfirst down the stairs.
"My story?" Mara repeated. Her face fell into its poker position as she drank the last of her Orangina and shrugged, staring at the label. "I've lived in the ocean since I was 12, had to bail, went to the X place by invitation. I'm camping out there for a while."
"Not a bad place to be, I guess," said Handy. "Probably better than the sewer."
"Sewer rocks!" Her little boy stirred and announced. "Specially when Unca Roy 'n Auntie Lynn sing!"
Neko Lynn chuckled and smoothed Roy's mane, then started braiding all the tiny braids she'd made into a sort of faux Mohawk as he sighed in his sleep.
"I love you!" The voice of the little green man cut off abruptly as Munkee dropped a bright pink bowling ball down the stairwell.
"Yeah, you'd better run, you little freak," she snarled. "'N I want my Barbie's clothes back, too!"
There was another burst of faraway laughter, then the wind started to whistle Dixie.
Jubal looked up, then turned to Mara, his eyes dark and sad again. "We should get goin'."
"You haven't seen these guys in a while. Aren't they your friends?" She arched an eyebrow. "Come on, Jubes."
He shrugged, his eyes coming to rest on Dragon and Gator's egg. "I see 'em all the time. Scott's a real &$# if I stay out too late."
"What's the big deal? Tell him you were showing me around, if he cares just walk away," said Mara. Then she sighed and shrugged too as she saw him draw further into himself. "Alright. If you really want to go, fine."
"Thanks, chica," he gave her a ghost of his sweet heartbreaker grin and turned to Gator. "We've gotta get goin', man. I'll catch ya later."
The scaly man glanced up from his wife with a blink, then looked disappointed. "You could stay the night. The rest are."
Jubal shook his head. "Naw, Stitch'd worry."
"Alright." Gator gave a hissing sigh and gently bumped Dragon with his snout, then untwined his tail from hers. "I'd better get back to work anyhow, there's no telling what Boom-Boom's doing at the bar."
Jubal smirked and turned to the others, giving gruff farewells and avoiding the pleading looks in their eyes before going to stand by the stairs and watch Munkee hurl down objects and abuse.
"It was great meeting you all," said Mara, getting up as well and nodding at everyone as she went to stand with him.
"Are you gonna let us through?" She smirked down at Munkee. "I'm not bowling ball-proof myself."
The girl yelled one last scathing insult, then looked up with a blink. "Yeah, go ahead. Kick him for me on the way by, would you?"
"Let him be, Munkee." Gator squeezed her shoulder gently, then led the way down the staircase.
"Hey, baby!" The little green man leered as Mara stepped over him.
She paused and looked over her shoulder, then casually kicked him into the wall before continuing on her way.
Gator turned at the bottom of the stairs and grabbed both teens into a rough hug, then let them go and pointed toward the end of the hall. "You can go out that way and skip the club. I'll see you later." His golden eyes rested sadly on Jubal for a minute, then he gave the boy a thump on the shoulder and went through the steel door that stood next to them.
Jubal watched him go, then turned wordlessly toward the far door.
Mara watched Gator leave, then looked at the black-haired teen as she walked beside him until they reached the door, where she grabbed his arm and turned him towards her.
"Jubes..." She stopped, staring at him for a moment and wishing that he would smile at her again. "You..."
Shaking her head and not allowing herself second thoughts, she leaned in towards him and gently touched her lips to his.
She heard him gasp. Then he pushed away from her and looked at her with eyes gone wide with what she could only describe as terror before turning and bolting through the door.
"Well," she sighed, combing one hand through her hair. "That was great. This must be why I haven't gotten seriously buzzed in a while." Shaking her head she calmly walked after him.
The bike stood alone when she reached it and she paused and looked around, then cocked her head as a soft sound reached her ears from somewhere near the corner of the club. She looked toward it, wondering if it was him. If it was, she wasn't sure about what would happen if she went over there. She never second guessed herself, that was how she lived. But she had never wanted to be so close to anybody as she wanted to be with this boy now. When he was happier, anyway. Now she was confused, a little embarrassed, but mostly tired. Squaring her shoulders, she walked toward the sound, every part of her poised for fight or flight.
At first she couldn't see anything, but then her club-dazzled eyes made out a form huddled against the dirty bricks of the wall. The sound came again, and she recognized it now as a choked sob. Jubal sat there hugging his legs with his face hidden on his knees.
"Oh man," said Mara, sighing and leaning against the wall. Now she felt guilty and plenty more embarrassed.
"Listen, dude, I didn't mean t' upset you. I'm sorry, alright?" she said, rubbing her eyes to try and clear them. "N' I didn't mean to kill the night, either."
He flinched at the sound of her voice, then gave a huge sniff and scrunched smaller, exuding shame and pain.
Mara sighed, getting a little closer and sliding down the wall to the ground beside him.
"You want me to leave?" she asked, unnerved by the grief she was witnessing. "I can go, I don't want to... I don't wanna hurt you. I didn't mean to."
"No," came a tortured whisper. "Don't go. I'm sorry... I'm sorry."
He choked as his shoulders started to shake, the low apology continuing in broken cadence.
"Yeah, me too," said Mara, scooching over next to him. She didn't know what to say for a moment, but she was starting to get very scared. This guy looked just about over the edge.
"You... I mean, do you want me to drive us back? Maybe Stitch or someone..." she trailed off, knowing something was wrong with him, but also knowing she had no idea what it was, though somebody at the mansion must. She raised a hand and held it over his back, but then hesitated as she remembered what had happened with the kiss. "Jubes? Please, I don't know what to do." She blinked and drew her hand back, hugging herself absently.
She saw him struggle for control, then gasped as he suddenly leaned against her, her arms going around him automatically.
"It's... It's ok," she said, rocking him gently as her head bowed and touched his shoulder. She realized that it had been him trying to comfort her that had enabled him to reach out, but she resisted her own tears tooth and nail. "It'll all be ok, Jubes."
"Hurts!" he gasped, his whole body shaking with the force of his grief. "It hurts...I'm sorry...sorry."
Mara held him, her eyes squeezed shut as the inner storm rocked them both, then rubbed his back as the tears started to abate.
"It'll be ok," she said again, feeling the warmth of his body through her shirt, which was nice in the cold night. She timidly touched her forehead to the back of his neck, one hand stroking his hair as she tried to regulate her breathing to keep from freaking out herself.
He leaned into the embrace, then sucked in a huge breath and straightened slowly so that she had time to let go.
"Sorry." He fished in his pocket and pulled out a piece of worn toilet paper, squeezing his eyes shut as he blew his nose with enough force to pop ears.
Mara leaned back and looked at him, then turning her eyes to the ground as she shivered slightly.
"I'm... I didn't mean to upset you," she muttered, looking away towards the bike.
He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to his warmth, his eyes gazing at something she couldn't see. "I know, chica."
Mara went rigid for a moment, then slowly relaxed and put her head on his shoulder again with a sigh.
"You're really cute when you smile, you know that?" she said, her eyes flickering back up to his face.
She saw him flinch, but then square his jaw and nod wordlessly, the ghost of an old memory passing through his eyes.
"We should be gettin' back," he said softly, though he made no move to get up.
"We could stay here," said Mara, picking her head up and looking at the bike. "Say you were showing me around and the bike broke. It's late."
He shook his head absently and smoothed her hair where it lay over her shoulder, his eyes still looking far away. Looking at him, Mara had the uncanny thought that at that moment she could see both the laughing, lovable boy that he had been, and the loving, compassionate man that he someday might become. The notion made her shiver. She wanted the joyful spirit she'd seen in the concert back, but she knew from the way his friends regarded him that it didn't surface very often. She sighed to herself, then forced herself to stand up and hold out a hand to him.
"Come on, we'd better go," she muttered.
He rose to his feet in a smooth, graceful movement, then took a step toward the bike and stopped to wait for her to walk beside him.
She did so, taking her helmet and strapping it on before she climbed on behind him, then gritted her teeth and braced herself for the ride back to the mansion.
The trip out of the city was smooth and fairly uneventful and she even found herself relaxing very slightly, scowling through her face shield at the blur of darkened landscape.
Then Jubal stiffened in her arms and she felt the bike swerve slightly.
"What?" she yelled.
"Oil!" he bellowed back as the Harley slewed to one side and went into a spin.
Mara bared her teeth and held on for her life, feeling him struggle to keep the machine on its wheels as the world whirled around them.
Then the spinning stopped and they were still upright, Jubal's chest heaving under her hands as he caught his breath.
"You okay?" He turned slightly to look over his shoulder.
"Oh man," she said, her fists whiteknuckled on his T-shirt as she shivered, her eyes closed tightly. "Oh man...oh man, oh man!"
She was suddenly aware of a rush of air and the blaring of a mighty horn. Then something clipped the bike's handlebar and they were spinning again. Jubal's shout of dismay was lost as the machine went down and pain screamed up her side and burned through her arm.
She was aware of lights coming toward them.
Then nothing.