Marvel owns the X-men, no profit is to be made from this work.
"This wasn't what I was expectin' when I heard ya had your own apartment Lay girl." Marie said as she walked out to the garage.
"Oh hush and just wait." Layla grumbled, finding the garage door opener and pressing the button with a dash of flare.
As the door to the garage slowly rattled and rolled up, the first things anyone noticed inside were the faux Persian rugs covering what would normally be oil stained concrete. Couches and chairs were scattered around while hanging from the ceiling was a large flat panel television. Along what looked like it had been a workbench in a past life was now a kitchenette with a gas range and a nearby double stainless steel sink. A fridge stood nearby plastered in all sorts of bumper stickers, tucked under a staircase that lead up to a loft above. The piece du resistance was a wood stove that would ward off the winter chill still months away.
"Uh..." Marie said taking it all in.
"It's a buddy's former Man Cave, the wife said he had to rent it out. So...I got Lay here a sweet deal." Jubilee chirped skipping in and pressing a button.
Rising from the floor in between the sofas was a card table that a press of the very same button had stall at the perfect height of a coffee table. Flopping down after making herself at home, Jubilee kicked up her feet and looked around the place noticing all of Layla's own touches.
"I like it." Layla assured, leading Marie in to settle down on another sofa with her.
"Well, it sure is cozy." Marie agreed.
"So, just us three?" Layla asked.
"Yep, Mommy Roro was busy and Bets had a migraine or something from too many dudes harshing on her shields. I think she was undercover or something at some Men's Club, well as undercover as a former lingerie model can be." Jubilee explained.
"Aw, hope she feels better soon." Layla sighed in sympathy to the lady who had taught her daughter the finer points of shielding herself so she could live her life as a young tween.
"Why do I feel like we should be watching Nascar?" Marie laughed, finding the remote to throw on the television.
"Hey Roguey, your roots are showing." Jubilee teased, getting a coaster thrown at her.
"I've never thumped a pregnant woman in my life so don't tempt me ta start with you Lee." Marie growled.
Laughing at the show, Layla wandered off to the fridge to find some drinks. Whipping up a virgin cocktail and remembering her own pregnancy, she set down a strawberry daiquiri sans the rum and sweetened with honey for Jubilee. Passing off one to Marie, she wondered if she had the rum a bit on the strong side seeing the wince her friend sported. Taking a sip she found it to be perfect, sitting back down.
"Never had one of these, what is it?" Jubilee asked.
"Strawberry daiquiri, usually has a nice belt of rum in it." Layla explained.
"Oh Really? Huh, sugar fiend I might be I normally like my beer when drinking, gotta remember this one. It's good. A girl can't live off milk and water alone!" Jubilee laughed, tugging at a blanket to curl up under.
"Or the snuck candied ginger..." Marie teased.
"Hey, I'll have you know that was prescribed by Doc Moira herself to help with my not always in the morning sickness." Jubilee sniffed, blowing a raspberry when she finished her defence.
"Oh, I used to go through so many ginger snaps with Abby." Layla sympathised.
"Alright, lets move away from the nausea talk." Marie laughed.
"So, Bobby's supposed to be back tomorrow." Jubilee said smiling at Layla as she lit up.
"Yeah, we're already thinking of a nice romantic date before he heads back to school." Layla sighed.
"So you two are really serious huh?" Marie asked, never having imagined it until she saw them together.
"He's, he's really nice and sweet. I can kinda see what ya found in him, of course maybe he's a bit more mature from back when ya broke up with him." Layla said softly thinking of the man.
Looking to Jubilee who was just shaking her head furiously, Marie thought Mature and Bobby were two words that shouldn't be used in a sentence unless it was the antithesis. Laughing, she flopped down and threw her feet up on her friends lap, watching the news that had started playing. After a couple of news stories Jubilee voiced just what she was feeling herself.
"I'm bored!" Jubilee groaned.
"Well what do you wanna do?" Layla asked.
"Well, and I blame this entirely on being pregnant, but I have been having...a hankering...for sushi." Jubilee started strong only to finish mumbling.
Marie and Layla looked gleefully to another remembering the last time they had been out for sushi, back in the earliest days of their new life at the school. Glancing out to the Thunderbird parked in the drive and their drinks, they grinned up to Jubilee realizing they already had a designated driver. Finishing them off, they put the glasses down and rushed over to help Jubilee to her feet.
"Okay, lets get you up to the potty just to be safe. I think we're going for a drive!" Marie said cheerily.
"Fine, I'll call Pete ta let him know where we're going." Jubilee replied.
Feeling like a teen all over again, Layla fixed herself a quick cocktail and had it finished by the time it was her turn at the washroom. Sending her daughter a quick text with some x's and o's at the end, she jumped into the back of the classic convertible to head off for another girls night.
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"Well, that's the last window. I'll worry about trimming them in tomorrow." Logan said, wiping the sweat from his brow with his forearm.
Rummaging in the cooler for a beer, he twisted off the cap and flung it into the campfire for a swig. Looking up the road that lead to the mansion he saw Pete coming down with the last of the lumber. Roped in to help was the local Officer of the Peace, Fred, along with a man he was still trying to figure out, Remy LeBeau. As far as French teachers went, well, he figured the kids were in for some interesting lessons but at least the man was handy enough. Of course he heard that there were other reasons for the roguish rebel joining the school that he figured couldn't be said with the police around, no matter who they were.
"Merci." Remy said accepting a beer, having helped with replacing the windows.
"Wow, next time I need a little help with my car remind me to have you and your Missus over Piotr, wouldn't even need a hoist." Fred said in honest admiration of Pete walking down using his gift to make light work of the heavy burden he towed.
"You would have to talk to Jubilation first." Pete said with a chuckle, not about to commit to anything that could get him in trouble with his missus.
"So, just where are all the ladies?" Remy asked as he fell into his lawn chair.
"Girl's night." Logan chuckled.
He'd heard from Kitty about the man's wandering eyes, hell he'd seen it first hand back at the wedding when all it took were a few quick moves on the dance floor to spin his Marie away and scowl back at him to get him off her for a spell. At the same time he was good with the kids, having seen how he handled Abby and Illyana alike along with Bobby. Just so long as his flirtin' wasn't anything more than innocent Logan figured he could bite his tongue, though if he caught it goin' any other way then it was his choice of a few rounds down in the Danger Room or else.
"Pity, beer always tastes better when it be given by a tres belle dame." Remy mourned as he enjoyed his just the same.
As much as he hated it, the man had a point, thinking back to those weeks on the road where the only cold beer he had was either outta a stream or a cooler, they always tasted the best when he got to stare down into Marie's emerald eyes and peek south of her neckline as she handed them off. Finishing his off and reaching for another, a hint of a breeze was welcome relief as he stood into it and closed his eyes to enjoy it.
"Well boys, I think that's as far as we're getting tonight. Everything else as they say is window dressin'." Logan remarked.
Somewhere in the coming week the fireplace would get installed, between the windows and the doors most the rest of the work was painting. Fred had been a fiend with the nailgun laying down hardwood and trimming it in. It didn't surprise him to hear he'd been paid off with another one of Jubilee's townie mechanic friends, a paint job owed the day Fred got his mustang finished.
"So, Poker?" Remy asked.
"I was thinkin' a trip down ta the Roadhouse though I'm sure we could always dig up a few more for a game." Logan chuckled, having heard just the card shark the man was supposed to be from Kitty.
"I could stand to wet my whistle, what about you Mister Rasputin?" Fred asked of Pete.
"I think I'll go see what my little Snowflake is up to." Pete said with a soft smile.
"Oh? Or just scarin' off any boys eyein' her in her swimsuit?" Logan said with a knowing smirk.
Chuckling at being caught, Pete headed off to get changed and join the pool party and keep an eye on his little sister. Promising to meet at the Roadhouse after they all got freshened up and changed int something a little more comfortable, the men parted company. Standing out on the edge of the dock alone, Logan looked to the lake and figured his own way of freshening up. Stripping down to his boxers, he drove into the refreshing waters and thought of the days when he and his love could enjoy it all to themselves.
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"Oh my god I'm so embarrassed." Jubilee whimpered at the sign sitting on table.
Marie had her camera out taking a picture, sending it off to the two that were missing from this trip out and giggling at the laughter written in the messages that came back. A little sign had been placed on the table with the simple message of 'That's not Guacamole' complete with a cartoon likeness of Jubilee breathing fire. By the whispers around, a few of the regulars and a staffer seemed to remember the incident with fingers pointing to the woman trying to hide behind her menu.
"Ah heck Lee, you're famous." Marie laughed, starting to look over what she was going to order.
"I feel like an idjit as you'd say!" Jubilee hissed, glancing around and finding everyone else mostly oblivious.
Placing their orders, their drinks came with both Layla and Marie enjoying a little sake to set the mood while Jubilee just had water topped off in decorative slices of lemon and lime. Nibbling on one, the expectant mother looked around to the rest of the patrons enjoying their night and recalled the last time she had been here and the show she had inadvertently put on. Back then even thinking of going out for sushi had seemed the opposite of a night on the town, tonight she figured she at least had someone to blame for the craving.
"So Roguey, has Mister Howlett been rememberin' anything else?" Jubilee asked as she started on her lime.
"It all depends on what jogs something, like when we were headin' up ta Alaska he started talkin' about the cities he remembered back when they were nothin' more than frontier towns with dirt roads." Marie said.
"Wow, that's pretty cool." Jubilee said.
"Huh, just pictured him done up as a genuine cowboy with Miss Marie as a school Marm. Kinda hot." Layla laughed, pouring herself another shot of sake.
Blushing, Marie found her phone and dug through into one personal folder from that trip up. It had been to one of those specialty photographers and instead of a school Marm she was done up ready to hit up the saloon enticing her own rugged and rough Lawman Logan for a roll in the hay. Making its rounds, by the end everyone was blushing.
"Okay, I know what we're doing for the Halloween theme this year. Totally western." Jubilee laughed.
"Remind me to talk to Beth about booking that day off, I do not wanna miss that." Layla giggled already wondering what would suit Bobby.
Smiling to the staff that brought their orders, they dug in and chatted between bites. The two veteran diners offered pieces of the more exotic morsels but found she only got as adventurous as trying some roe this time around and confessing she knew why it made such good bait. Checking her phone after hearing her rather growly announcement telling her a text from Logan was waiting, Marie typed a quick reply.
"The boys went off to the Roadhouse, though Pete's off playing big brother scarin' the boys away from Yana and I'd guess Abby to boot." Marie announced.
"Aww, bless his heart. My lil baby gets to know what it feels like to have a big brother." Layla laughed.
"Yeah, it'll be cute until they turn sixteen and start asking to take out my car." Jubilee grumbled.
"Or Logan's bike." Maire snickered.
"Over my dead body!" Layla huffed, no way in hell her little girl was getting on one of those.
"Well with Yana already askin' ta fly the uh, school plane..." Marie whispered.
"Huh, well...guess we could always pitch in and find them something to restore with me. Havin' ta rebuild a car from something ya find rotting in a field should have 'em not gettin' too reckless with it once they can go out driving." Jubilee mused, the idea growing on her thinking of all the TLC such a car would need.
"That's...a good idea Jubilee, I'll start askin' around the bar if anyone's got something up for sale like that." Layla offered, popping another piece and chewing thoughtfully.
With the conversation turned towards cars, they all started talking about their dream cars while Jubilee tore each down to the pros and cons.
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"Your shot homme." Remy casually remarked, offering Beth a flirtatious smile as she came around with their round of drinks.
"Unless ya want this cue up yer arse gumbo don't rush a man while he's considerin' the angles." Logan growled, winking to the friendly waitress as she set his mug down on a sill behind him.
Somehow he'd been conned into a game for money and he had a hundred riding on this game, up from the fifty he won the last game. Knowing a hustle when he saw one, he was playing it cool and hoping to out do the N'awlin's boy at his own game. He was going to have to get him down to the Danger Room for a proper one on one to just see what he was made of. That or maybe just take him out back for a couple o' rounds with Fred playin' Ref. Calling his shot and sinking it, he eyed up his next one while having a sip of his beer. Staring at Remy, he'd been wondering at a nagging sense of deja vu that usually only meant one thing.
"So, you and Kitten met down at Mardi Gras huh? What kinda accent is that again, Creole?" Logan asked, taking his shot and flubbing it.
"Cajun, N'awlin's boy born and raised." Remy remarked, eyeing the table over the rim of his sunglasses revealing his red on black eyes.
Remy took his shot a second later, sinking two balls as the last hovered at the lip. Kissing his teeth, he conceded the table to Logan and found his beer. Looking at him, Logan figured he had to be pushing thirty at least and wondered at the taste of those two both trusting their hearts to older more experienced lovers. Bobby had Layla who he couldn't fault, but Kitty hooking up with Remy was right out of character for her. The sounds of the bar and those eyes had him looking hard at the man who he'd only met at the wedding before, but still there was that nagging in the back of his mind scratching at a scab.
"So you understand if yer up for doin' some extracurricular ya might be workin' some late hours and the work might always be safe." Logan remarked taking up his cue and looking for his shot.
"Helpin' the kiddies, be worth it homme. Owe a man that much." Remy said guardedly, sipping his beer and watching the shot play out.
"Oh? Man help ya out like that once?" Logan asked, looking up from the table and pressing.
Folks had their secrets, if anyone knew that it was him, most of his life kept from him wondering just what might come on out of that past to bring some trouble to the school. Ever since he got his real second chance he'd been chasing down every errant thought from the ones that hit him upside the head and yelled at him the truth to the ones that hid in the dark having to be ferreted out.
"Something like that." Remy said, looking at the few shots left in the game and giving a nod as Fred came back from the can.
"Had ta go make myself scarce, couple o' boys had a bit o' business ta settle out man to man." Fred remarked.
Thinking of another time when it had been some excuse o' a man and a lady he loved like a kid sister, Logan just nodded to the man and saw the same respect offered by Remy. Skirting the law was an occupational hazard putting on the leather, having a lawman around that knew when those moments were needed was a might handy and due their thanks.
"Looks like whoever sinks this next shot gets to go after the eight ball." Fred noted, dropping his shot in his mug and pounding back his boiler maker.
Remy seemed ready to win as he sunk his called shot and eyed up the eight ball for what could win him the game. Banking it, it slipped along the lip of the hole and spun off denying him that win. Having eyed his shot all the while, Logan called his and sunk it for his chance at winning the game.
"Interestin' eyes ya got there LeBeau, seem ta recall a man with eyes like that once." Logan lied, figuring a bluff was as good as anything when trying to ferret out just why the man struck him so familiar.
As good as his Poker face was, there was little a man could do to hide that brief sharp scent of a lie as he chalked up his cue. Remy just told him that they'd met in the past and Logan was sure as hell gonna find out just where. Even his earliest memories after his time with Stryker were a tangled mess filled with blood and the gnashing of teeth and howling of wolves. Earliest he ever remembered until he crossed paths with his own Rogue was waking up to some old barman hosing him down and offering him a chance at some honest enough money 'entertaining' folks. So had begun his career as a cage fighter.
"Interest that be, I still be waiting for you to take your shot." Remy said, giving Beth a wave of the finger for another round.
Smirking up at him, he took his shot and sunk the eight ball and claimed his winnings throwing it to Beth to cover the drinks and leaving the rest for a hell of a tip. Staring into those eyes and looking down to those gloved fingers, he had a new game he was ready to play with Mister LeBeau that he had the niggling sense was more his speed.
"How about we go see a man about how much a buy in to the back room Poker here costs, ya game Remy?" Logan asked.
Sure enough the N'awlin's boy just smiled and threw a wink to Fred in saying goodbye, the two men heading off for a bit of chatting over cards and drinks as Logan went barking up some trees for answers.
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"Okay I know you both are a little tipsy but I swore I heard someone scream." Jubilee hissed, leading them down a back alleyway.
Limbering up, if Jubilee was right Marie wanted to be ready for a fight and use a few of the not so nice things Logan had taught her on the road. It had been a bit of foreplay more than enough times, grapples and throws that left one or the other on top with their hearts hammering and hot breath washing over another. Keeping Layla at the back, soon as they got back to the school she was going to have to find out just what the woman knew in the way of self defence and fast.
"Leave me alone!" A girls scream came.
Rushing around a corner and right into them was a red headed girl who couldn't have been more than thirteen. Something about her looked strangely familiar but that thought was pushed back as three men came chasing after her with two looking like private military while one was dressed up like a secret service wannabe.
"Wow, uh...three against one, that's not fair." Jubilee said taking a step in front.
"If you three ladies got an ounce of common sense between you, you'll walk away and forget this ever happened." Secret service fanboy said.
The two private military looked to be reaching for their holsters but Jubilee was already taking a step forward with her hands reached out trying to placate them. Without knowing the world of hurt they were in they let her fall into range and did the worst thing they could for themselves and the best thing for them by taking her hands. A jolt like she had seen when her friend had been practising to save Logan's life ran through the men dropping them while the fanboy reached for his own weapon. Marie was on him in a second with a grapple and slammed him into the ground hard.
"Hell Lee, I'm gonna get all kinda hell from Pete letting you pull that stunt!" Marie growled while twisting the man's arm.
"Oof, yeah...whoa...okay, ninja death touch and sushi do not..." Jubilee started, a hurk and hurl adding insult to the injury of the two men she had just fell.
"Now unless ya want me ta get medieval on your ass yer gonna tell me what the heck ya goons want with her!" Marie ground out to the fanboy.
"You don't even know who you're messing with! Threats won't work on us, our employers will do worse if we don't come back with her!" Fanboy cried between gasped breaths.
"We have to go, she'll come for me, please don't let her take me!" The redheaded girl cried in alarm.
Sharing a look with Jubilee and Layla, Marie applied pressure just like Logan had showed her though he still didn't remember where he had learned the move, the fanboy falling unconscious from the lack of blood flow. Not ready to find out who 'She' was or why the poor girl was so scared, they raced back off to the car and made tracks. Leaving Jubilee in the back with the girl, Marie figured she was plenty sober enough to drive as the peeled out.
"I knew I could trust you, mother told me you'd save me if I could find you. I couldn't believe it when I felt you so close." The red headed girl said after they passed the city limits sign.
"Your mother?" Jubilee asked, the girl just nodding.
"She said you'd keep me safe, she hasn't talked to me for so long. I thought they were nice at first but they aren't, you'll keep me safe just like my mom promised?" The girl asked.
"Sure, uh...who's your mom kiddo, and don't worry we'll keep you safe." Jubilee promised.
"Jean, Jean Grey. You all look older than mom remembered, but she said you felt the same. I'm Rachel..." Rachel said simply.
Taking every ounce of control not to swerve off the road at the startling announcement, Marie remembered why the girl looked so familiar just then. She was the spitting image of a young Jean Grey she had seen in among the pictures in the Professors Study, a class picture taken with the likes of Scott and Ororo and a simply adorable Hank. Jubilee must have seen it too as she was staring through the rear view mirror with her mouth hanging open.
"Holy..." Jubilee started, catching herself before she swore around an apparent young teen girl.
"Don't worry, we'll keep ya safe. Lay girl, you wanna phone Logan and tell him what road we're on. Get the X-men the hell out ta here as I don't think those three were the last o' it!" Marie yelled over the wind rushing past.
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Author's Note : Spicing in a little action adventure this time around. Hope you enjoy! More to come soon!