Marvel owns the X-men, no profit is to be made from this work.
The pounding on the door was unmistakably her father, rolling over in bed and wrapping her pillow in a vain attempt to muffle him out. Peace and quiet returned to her room, thinking herself safe to go back to sleep when her blankets were torn from her. Kneeling on her bed with her pillow in hand, Jubilee looked up to Logan who met her ire with a smirk.
"Time ta get up." Logan said.
Swinging her pillow with all her might as she threw it at him, the missile was caught before it could reach it's intended target of his face. He lightly smacked her with it, walking off with her bedding and leaving the door open. Muttering, she jumped off her bed and stalked off to the bathroom, stopping at the linen closet to snag a fresh towel. Stepping in, Jubilee wrinkled her nose in disgust, the air still heavy with steam. She hated the smell, the thought that someone had been in there just before her, muttering as she threw the shower on to then disrobe.
Luke warm water met her as she climbed in, a fit of frustration getting the better of her as she cranked the knob to the very end to get the first bit of hot spray to sooth her irritation at getting woken before she was ready. Rinsing her shampoo, she found her conditioner and worked it through her hair. Looking for her bar of soap, she found it on a shelf it shouldn't have been, picking at a long white hair stuck to it in dismay. With two likely candidates for whose it was, Jubilee put the blame on Rogue and flicked it at the glass with a vocal 'ick'.
"Taking this with me when I'm done." Jubilee growled, washing her face and stepping under the spray for her final rinse.
Screaming, a sudden blast of cold water hit her that just wouldn't end, freezing her to the bone as she slammed her back against the shower stall if only to get free of it. Counting the seconds it usually took whenever her father was being a smart ass, she reached a hand under the spray and still found it to be frigid.
"Who the hell used up all the hot water!?" Jubilee screamed at the top of her lungs.
Downstairs in the breakfast nook, Logan and Ororo shared a look, Ororo understanding of the girl's plight while Logan just looked amused. Even from downstairs they could still hear her angry rant as they both figured she was suffering the cold water if only to finish her shower. The creak of the tap silenced the rumbling sound of running water, replaced by a door torn open and feet racing down the stairs. Standing there with a towel wrapped about her, Jubilee glared at Logan.
"Hope you plan on moppin' that up." Logan said with a nod to the dripping water falling from his daughter to the tiled floor.
"Why was there no hot water!?" Jubilee asked.
"Guessin' maybe the tank ran out, what with Ro, Rogue and myself having our mornin' showers already. Figure next time ya might not want to sleep in if ya want a hot one." Logan explained, taking a sip of his coffee.
Indignant sputtering spilled from her lips, an accusing finger pointed at him before stalking off to the stairs. Having hid her smile behind her cup of tea, Ororo finally let her laughter out having not wished to embarrass her would be daughter as she had a moment with her father.
"You didn't tell her you were the last one in." Ororo noted, smiling across at him.
"Or that I had an extra long shower?" Logan chuckled.
"Perhaps tomorrow we should try to conserve some water, shower together maybe?" Ororo posed the question softly, her toe reaching across under the table to stroke his leg.
"That's a beautiful idea." Logan throatily replied.
With his foot joining in the game played under the table, enjoying the silky feel of her calf as he trailed further up, both froze as the front door flew open with Rogue stumbling in panting for breath and sweaty from her morning run. Righting their chairs and trying to put on an air of innocence as she tumbled into the kitchen, they ignored her curious looks while she rummaged for a glass for some water to quench her thirst.
"If ya need a shower, ya got two choices. Cold, or wait till the tank is done heating up." Logan remarked.
"Dammit." Rogue swore, filling another glass still gasping for breath.
Watching her trudge off up stairs, Logan looked to Ororo who followed her daughter, his hand reaching across the table to gently take hers in his. Rubbing a calloused thumb over her knuckles, she graced him with her blue eyes looking lovingly at him.
"She never could wait for a shower until after her run, always ending up needing another." Ororo said with a chuckle.
"Who took the good soap!?" Rogue yelled from upstairs amidst the sound of water running again.
"Why do I get the feelin' I'm gettin' a crash course in bein' the only gent in the house with three ladies?" Logan asked with a sigh.
"I'm sure you'll do admirably." Ororo assured.
"Well, I think the first thing I'll be doin' to keep the peace will be ta buy one o' those tankless water heaters. Otherwise I figure every mornin' we'll be havin' a fight on our hands." Logan said, leaving the table to fetch another cup of coffee.
"A wonderful idea, though I still stand firm on the proposed showering arrangement." Ororo complimented.
"Just means we'll have longer ta enjoy in there." Logan replied, a wink thrown over his shoulder as he went about fixing her a fresh cup of tea.
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Giving up on trying to get her hair back to the spiky way she liked, Jubilee settled on a bandanna, throwing her door open ready to start the day. She could hear the sound of running water and a whole lot of muffled swearing, grinning at the thought as she recognized it to be Rogue. She'd heard her yelled question earlier, a trophy in the way of a bar of soap sitting on her dresser on a piece of cloth. Shutting her door, she tilted her head spying Rogue's was open, grinning broadly as she skipped in.
The room was mostly like when she had helped her father set it up after the movers had left. The only difference now was that the piles of boxes sat broken down in a corner, many little touches added. Snooping about, Jubilee pulled some dresser drawers open and paused as she came across one. Pulling a bra out, she held it up and marvelled at it, knowing Rogue was much more womanly than herself by far without needing to see the proof she held in her hands. Looking about, she spotted a full length mirror and stepped in front of it, modelling with the bra held before her.
"What the hell are ya doing?" Rogue asked, Jubilee yelping in surprise.
"I...uh...the door was open..." Jubilee said holding the purloined undergarment behind her back.
Rogue walked up to her, a hand landing on her head to spin her about. Snatching her bra back, she threw it in her dresser and bumped the drawer shut with her hip. Jubilee glared at her while holding her ground.
"You are so weird." Rogue threw back, walking to close her door.
"Shouldn't I...?" Jubilee asked pointing to the door.
"Well I'd normally say it ain't nothin' ya haven't seen before, but I'm guessin' that might not be the case. Go play with the binoculars." Rogue replied, turning her back to Jubilee and towelling off.
Sticking her tongue out despite how childish it looked, Jubilee stomped off to the bay window and settled down, picking up the binoculars to scan the horizon. Slipping them down after a time, she caught sight of Rogue cast in the reflection of the window, snapping the binoculars back up after a curious look.
"Your Pappy divorced or something?" Rogue asked, surprising Jubilee.
"Uh no..." Jubilee replied, watching a hawk circling in the sky.
"Huh, so what's the story with you two?" Rogue inquired, some of the bluster out of her voice.
"What do you mean? What's a Chinese kid doing with a white Dad?" Jubilee asked, having often faced that question.
"Pfft, get over yourself. Like I haven't had people saying worse about me and Momma down in Mississippi." Rogue threw back.
"Sorry." Jubilee apologized, her voice suddenly meek and quiet.
"Ah hell, I didn't mean it like that, guess we both hit a sore spot. You can turn around brat. I'm decent." Rogue said, her voice quieter and apologetic.
Jubilee set the binoculars down, spinning about with her legs dangling off the edge of the bay window. Rogue had dressed in a pair of jeans and a V neck T. Finishing tying her hair off in a simple pony tail, she sat at her vanity looking to Jubilee from the mirror.
"How old are you anyways squirt?" Rogue asked.
"Twelve." Jubilee sullenly said, kicking her feet against the wood panelling.
"Ya look like a ten year old boy." Rogue replied as she spun in her chair to face her.
"Screw you." Jubilee swore, jumping to her feet and stalking to the door.
Rogue gently caught her by the arm, letting go in time as she saw Jubilee likely ready to work some other bit of self defence her Pappy had shown her. Holding her hands up in surrender, Rogue smiled at her in earnest.
"I meant ya look...oh heck, come here. Get your ass in the chair." Rogue said as she stood up.
Jubilee glared at her, her arms across her chest as she walked up and fell into the chair gracelessly. Spinning her to face the mirror, Rogue tore the bandanna free, running her fingers through the damp and limp hair. She'd settled on a pony tail for the same reason, a cold shower nothing great for fixing up ones hair.
"Your Pappy cut your hair?" Rogue teased.
"No, I like it short." Jubilee grumbled.
"Okay, well lets see if we can't do something alright? Maybe get some folks to stop confusin' ya for a boy." Rogue replied, ignoring the raspberry she caught in the reflection.
Opening drawers in her vanity, pulling out some make up kits and a dryer along with some styling products, she looked to her stubborn canvas and wondered just what she could do with her.
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"Ya know when they say it's quiet, too quiet?" Logan asked from his prone place on the chesterfield with Ororo in his arms.
"Yes, I was wondering if you noticed." Ororo said, the pair just listening to some mellow Jazz.
"Think I should go for a look, make sure they haven't hog tied one or the other up there?" Logan asked with a sigh.
"Am I worried? Yes. Do I want you to leave just after I got so comfortable? No. I'm sure we'd have heard something if things were getting as bad as yesterday." Ororo said, enjoying the feel of his fingers gently trailing along her belly.
"Point," Logan started with a kiss to her neck, "Taken."
"So just what plans did we have for the evening Mister Howlett?" Ororo asked.
"Well Missis Munroe Howlett to be, figured we'd drop the kids off at the theatre, then you and me could go somewhere for dinner." Logan whispered.
"That sounds marvellous." Ororo purred.
"Might not be Paris, but I know a nice French restaurant." Logan offered.
"As long as they don't serve poutine..." Ororo teased.
"Not that kinda French." Logan chuckled, playfully biting at her ear.
"I just had to be sure, I recall our trip to the English countryside, you took me out for Fish and Chips." Ororo said with a moue of resentment.
"Darlin', that woulda been like goin' to Ireland and not havin' a Guinness." Logan argued.
"You can be such a tourist." Ororo said with a sigh.
"I don't remember ya complaining that time we stumbled into another in India on business." Logan whispered with a throaty growl.
"I really do not believe many tourists simply visit the temples to plan out their intimate encounters come the evening." Ororo pointed out.
"Ya weren't complain' either way." Logan said, shifting until they lay side to side, stealing her lips in his.
Hearing a door thrown open, they looked to another and waited, relaxing when another door opened without the sound of feet trampling down the stairs. Laying together kissing with the mellow jazz playing, Logan blindly reached a hand until he found a remote, turning the volume up a touch before letting it topple to the table.
"I think I know just how to thank you for dinner tonight." Ororo purred.
"If it involves somethin' like this, up on that bear skin run by the fireplace in my room, I like the way you think Darlin'." Logan growled.
"You read my mind." Ororo teased, her teeth grazing his lip.
"Best at what I do..." Logan whispered, his hot breath against her ear.
"I thought what you did wasn't very nice?" Ororo asked.
"Sometimes I can be down right naughty." Logan replied, his hands slipping under her shirt.
Melting against him, Ororo enjoyed the feel of his hands roaming her naked flesh, massaging her and finding all those secret places. Kissing another with their passion driving them on, the sound of a door opening sent the wrong kind of chills down their spines. Feet trampling down the stairs gave them precious few seconds to find some semblance of decency, settling to hold another though both looked flushed and frustrated.
"Jubes, Rogue." Logan said without looking away from Ororo, noticing her smile as she looked past the chesterfield.
"Is that what you two were up to with things being so quiet upstairs?" Ororo asked.
Logan craned his neck, about to laugh until he nearly bit off his tongue as a knee pressed hard between his legs. Looking to Ororo, she gave him a warning glare that quickly faded to a smile as they both turned back to look to their daughters. Rogue was dressed simply in a T-shirt and jeans, if simply meant mean hugging every curve. Jubilee however looked anything but the tomboy he knew and nurtured. She was now dressed in leggings and a skirt, dressy looking leather shoes, and some shirt he knew hadn't come out of her closet. Had she not been wearing a halter top underneath it would have been putting more on show than he cared, he struggled not to gawk at the transformation.
Her hair was teased, some sparkly gloss on her lips and a touch of makeup around her eyes. Looking nervously at her father, he smiled at her and felt himself meaning it in earnest as she relaxed and perked up. Rogue took a step behind her, resting her hands on her shoulder to spin her around for show.
"Not bad if I do say so myself." Rogue said with a touch of pride.
"So I don't look like a dweeb?" Jubilee asked.
"Ya look good Jubes, be sure to thank Rogue." Logan said.
"You look beautiful." Ororo added.
"Found a few things in my old clothes that fit her, just might have to take her shoppin' with us sometime Momma. I think Pappy Logan wouldn't know a thing about clothes if he got attacked by a stylist." Rogue explained, a jab at her father to be after having seen what Jubilee's wardrobe consisted of.
"Course now I gotta worry about boys gettin' interested in her." Logan growled.
"I knew it!" Rogue spat, an accusing finger pointed at him.
Jubilee blushed, Rogue turning her towards the kitchen and walking her off, chatting all the while. Settling back on the sofa, Logan looked to Ororo who was smiling as if she were a cat that just had her canary.
"Well, if she does bring a boy home don't go scaring him off." Ororo teased.
"Remind me to get an unmarked tombstone, so I can throw it out on the lawn and say that was the last one." Logan growled.
"You wouldn't dare!" Ororo charged with a laugh.
"Watch me." Logan said, kissing her again.
"At least they look to be getting along." Ororo whispered.
"Time will tell Darlin'." Logan said, running his lips down her delicate jaw.
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Standing out front of the theatre and staring at the marquee, Rogue looked to the titles of the playing movies. They'd been dropped off ten minutes ago, Momma and Logan heading off for dinner and whatever other trouble they could get into by her guess.
"What do you want watch squirt?" Rogue asked, looking down to her sister to be.
"Doesn't matter, everything I wanna watch is like 18A." Jubilee groused.
"God, you are such a kid. Again, what do ya want watch?" Rogue asked again.
"The new Tarantino of course, duh." Jubilee said.
"Okay, watch and learn." Rogue said as she lead them off to the ticket booth.
Milling through the line, with parents trying to quiet children and couples chatting, Rogue finally found her way to the counter with Jubilee in tow. Looking at the listings again, clearly indecisive with the vapid expression she wore, she turned to Jubilee in a huff.
"I don't know, what did you wanna watch?" Rogue asked, sounding anything but the southern belle she was.
"Django?" Jubilee asked, Rogue looking up to the listings again.
"Two for whatever she said." Rogue said, pulling out some cash to pass it along.
"Can I see some ID?" The attendant asked, Rogue working a huff as she dug through her purse.
"Here." Rogue spat, throwing the card down on the kiosk.
The attendant looked at it for a long time, the mutterings from the crowd growing more vocal with the hold up. Seeming satisfied, she passed the card back and took the cash. Two tickets with their receipts popped up out of the stainless steel slot, the attendant handing back the change along with the tickets.
"Enjoy the movie." The woman said, already turning to attend the next customer.
Rogue ushered her up the stairs, making sure the wide eyed look Jubilee had was far away from the staff. Hidden in the crowd, she passed off the one ticket with a smug look.
"Dude, that was awesome. Dad never takes me to these." Jubilee said.
"Yeah, I don't even look anything like the lady on the card, just gotta work it. Course it'd be different if this were a bar, but for a movie no one is gonna deal with a line up like that to call their manager. Because if she didn't buy it, that's who I woulda been asking for Sugah." Rogue explained.
"How much change is left?" Jubilee asked.
"None, you're on your own if you want snacks, price of admission is I keep the change." Rogue firmly stated.
"Fine, I'll use my allowance." Jubilee growled, digging into the tiny purse Rogue had loaned her, finding her hot pink wallet.
One trip for popcorn and drinks later, the pair walked up to the staff taking tickets, passing theirs off. The man looked from them to the tickets, Rogue just sighing dramatically and setting her drink and bag down on the booth to already start digging through her purse. Instead of asking, he just ripped the ticket along the cut line, passing them back. Picking up her snacks, Rogue lead Jubilee off down the hall to the awaiting theatre.
"Ugh, why did you pick these seats?" Jubilee asked, right in the middle of where a pack would normally swarm.
Taking her drink, Rogue spilt some on either chair opposite herself and Jubilee, adding to one the wad of gum she'd been chewing for that reason alone. Jubilee caught on, spitting out her own gum on the other and spilling a bit of her own drink on the floor.
"There, buffer zone." Rogue said pleased, leaning back to enjoy a fistful of popcorn as the trailers started to play.
"Staff are gonna hate us." Jubilee mused.
"Yup." Rogue replied.
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With her arms resting on the table and chin in hand, Ororo had forgotten just how sexy it sounded with Logan spoke French in that gravelly voice of his. The waiter seemed surprised, a small conversation between the two before he finally left with a flourish to place their orders. Logan looked back nonplussed, having a sip of his water only to cough as he felt a foot creeping up his leg.
"You almost look bashful." Ororo teased.
"Don't know what you mean." Logan said dismissively, Ororo's eyes brightening in clear insight.
"Oh, I forgot, Canada is one of the few places where speaking French doesn't come off sounding so, so sexy." Ororo whispered with her foot slipping to find it's shoe.
"Was the reason I polished mine up abroad." Logan relented.
"I always did love our time in Paris." Ororo said with a fond smile.
"You and me remember Paris very differently." Logan said.
"You're still bitter about that?" Ororo asked, a light laugh lacing her voice.
"Darlin', you know the hours and manpower I put into that..." Logan whispered.
"Maybe I'll tell you how I did it tonight..." Ororo whispered back, one of her fondest heists if not her masterpiece.
With their wine coming, they let their conversation end, the waiter pouring it and chatting to Logan again. Alone at last, Ororo savoured her first sip, finding it from her favourite vineyard by taste alone.
"You never forgot." Ororo whispered.
"I tend to remember things like that, like when a beautiful woman tells me her favourite things and the stories behind them." Logan replied, enjoying a sip himself.
Setting her glass down, she looked around the restaurant to the patrons there, so many tables for two set. Looking to and elderly couple clinking their glasses together in toast with their hands entwined, she felt her own hand taken. Though the distance between them didn't permit the embrace she longed for, Logan lifted her delicate hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to it.
"If anyone saw you as I do, I believe your reputation would be ruined." Ororo teased.
"Would just mean I'd have an easier time. More than a few times all I ever had to do was pop into town for a visit, spend a few nights watchin' some movies and drinkin' some suds on site and I'd hear word that certain individuals had caught a red eye out." Logan remarked in a low rumble mixed with amusement.
"Amateurs." Ororo hissed, wetting her lips with a sip of her wine.
"Most o' the time I'm just playin' cat and mouse with 'em once someone calls after the robbery, generally cause they were cryin' with the quote I gave 'em for a proper security suite." Logan said, professionally aggravated.
"Tsk, tsk. You get what you pay for, and it makes it so much more fun for me." Ororo scolded.
"Try tellin' 'em that." Logan growled.
"There's always been a question on my mind, how someone with your past ever got into such a business as a thief catcher." Ororo asked.
Regretting the question as soon as it passed her lips, Logan looking pained and saddened, she reached across the table for his hand and squeezed it gently. He looked to it, running his thumb along the engagement ring, trailing along her knuckles softly.
"I'm sorry...if it's something..." Ororo started, knowing she herself had more than enough painful secrets in her past.
"You got a right to know Darlin', what with bein' my wife to be and comin' to be her mother." Logan said, a heavy sigh had before he finished his glass of wine in a single gulp.
"Jubilation?" Ororo asked with her eyes going wide.
"It's no secret that after...all that business in Eastern Europe...that I had to ask to be honourably discharged. Military man since the age o' eighteen, didn't rightly know much other than one end o' a gun or another. So o' course just like most folks can figure out with a few questions to the right channels, I got into doin' some body guard work." Logan started.
"I'll confess I knew that much myself, having asked those questions once you started getting in my way." Ororo whispered.
"Last job I was doing...well, things went south. Protectin' a pair o' wealthy Chinese that had some sort of bad business with the Triad, the Lee's." Logan explained, Ororo gripping his hand tight in fear.
"We were in a hotel, protecting them until their flight came in to take them back abroad where they hoped to get lost. Well, the Triad found us alright." Logan said with pain in his voice.
"Did they...?" Ororo asked, her voice dying with how Logan took her hand into his, clinging to it tightly.
"Nope, the Lee's made their flight. But they weren't the only ones in that hotel. Young couple that had just immigrated to Vancouver with their daughter were a few floors down, shot dead. They got the...they got the damn wrong room." Logan whispered, struggling with his pain.
Unable to speak, caring not for what anyone thought then, Ororo crossed the table to take him into her arms. Blinking away his tears, Logan struggled with a breath as he fought to find his calm, remembering a moment that had changed his life.
"The Lee's I had...didn't have any kids. Probably the only reason she didn't join her folks. Pulled every fucking string and cashed in every favour and outstanding debt I was owed to streamline the adoption." Logan ground out, hiding his face with a hand.
Seeing how easy she was with her father, Ororo found a question she longed to ask but couldn't, feeling a gentle hand take her shoulder. Looking up, the waiter stood there with a chair in hand and clear apology in his eyes. Settling down and thanking him en francais, she held Logan close. Fresh glasses were poured before he excused himself with a dutiful bow.
"I'm sorry Logan, I had no idea." Ororo apologized with her head bent low with his.
"I think I'm the one whose sorry, I shoulda found a better time to tell ya. Figured I could tell ya without gettin'...emotional." Logan whispered.
"You have nothing to apologize for Logan, you never have to apologize for anything." Ororo whispered in his ear.
"I wish that were true Darlin', how I wish that were true." Logan said with a sigh.
"Does she?" Ororo had to ask.
"She was only three, pushing four when it happened. She remembers...enough. Promised I'd keep her safe, get out of that kind of business. That's when a man from the Head Office made me an offer, one I couldn't refuse." Logan explained.
"I think I know how that feels." Ororo whispered, running her thumb over her ring.
Leaning in to kiss him, his thumb found her cheek, brushing aside the tears that had come with the tale. Their meal came and they ate in silence, only the nearness of another letting them find an appetite.
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Author's Note : This one got a little Angsty at the end. Thanks to Jean1 and to Beautiful Storm Munroe, so glad you enjoyed, I had to make sure to get you both an update out post haste :)