Chapter 9

Jubilee was getting impatient. Her mother had been here for two weeks now, and while there had been progress with Eric, Jubilee hadn't noticed any progress in her parent's relationship. Things needed to begin to move along more quickly, and even though Gambit had forbid her from meddling, she had plans of her own, and she'd even gotten a little bit of help.

When Jaleena joined her for dinner that night, she listened patiently while her mother talked about Eric's progress. When there was a lull in the conversation, she said, "Can I get some advice?"

Jaleena beamed, "Of course!"

Jubilee tried her best to look awkward and embarrassed. "So, there's a boy that I like, but he's got a girlfriend already. He is really sweet, and- -"

Her mother cut her off, "Who is it? Have I had the chance to meet him yet?"

Frustrated, Jubilee cursed herself for not thinking this far ahead. Instead, she just shook her head and said, "He doesn't go to school here, so you haven't met him. Anyway, he's a really nice guy and is so deserving of someone who is going to treat him well. The problem is, because he's so nice, he doesn't realize what a problem his girlfriend is. She's cheating on him. What should I do?"

Jaleena pursed her lips as she considered, pausing to take a drink before answering, "Well, it is a tricky situation since you have feelings for him. I mean, is she really that bad? Or are your emotions making her seem that way?"

Jubilee sighed, "Well, I guess she is kind of one of my friends. She told Kitty that the reason she's doing it is because she's been in a relationship with him for so long she doesn't know how to tell him she isn't in love with him anymore. Then she met someone else who is just perfect for her. "

Jaleena sighed, "Hmm…" She considered a moment
and took a few more bites of the spaghetti they'd made together. "Have you tried asking him about the relationship?"

Jubilee nodded, "Actually, I did. I don't think he is really into her either. You see, he did something he shouldn't have, so now he feels guilty and like he owes her something. I think he really is interested in me instead. I mean we have a lot of history, we work well together, and the chemistry is definitely there. I mean, it's like we were meant to be."

Jaleena took another drink, but choked during Jubilee's last sentence. She set her glass down and wiped her mouth with a napkin. She narrowed her eyes at her daughter. "Jubilation," she asked slowly, "This last part is sounding a little familiar. You are talking about a teenage boy that you like, correct?"

Jubilee made her eyes go wide. "Of course, I am. Who else would I be talking about?" she asked a little too innocently as she took a bite of her garlic bread. While chewing, she smiled brightly at her mother. "Anyway, let's talk about something else. I am having problems memorizing the periodic table for my science class. Do you have any tricks you can share?"

Jaleena frowned, still suspicious, but decided to let the matter drop for now. There was no way that Anna Marie would cheat on Remy. Right?


Rogue smiled at Wolverine, her eyes twinkling. "Thanks for helpin' me with this, Logan. I don't know how Jubilee talked you into it."

He grunted and shrugged his shoulders. They were waiting just outside the school early the next morning. Jaleena would be coming outside to jog with Rogue any minute, and they were going to move into the next part of Jubilee's plan. He yawned and stretched his arms over his head, his shoulders making a cracking noise. "Jubilee knows she's got me wrapped around her finger," he admitted, "but did we hafta do this so damn early in the morning?"

Rogue grinned, "I figured it would be the best opportunity to make sure she saw us, but no one else did. I don't think either of us needs any rumors making their way around campus."

He grunted again, and when they heard the front door opening, he pulled her against him in what might look like a passionate embrace. Rogue couldn't keep a straight face when she looked up to see his typical bored expression. "Aw, come on, sugah," she whispered, "it ain't that bad is it?"

"Yeah, it ain't bad until we kiss. Then, I'm gonna need mouth to mouth of a different sort."

She giggled loudly, knowing that would bring Jaleena toward them. Just as she saw her friend rounding the corner of the school, she placed her gloved hands against Wolverine's face and pressed her lips to his. His body jolted, and she pulled back to give him a moment to recover, feeling the power course through her body. It was a wonderful feeling, but when her friends paid for it, it lost a bit of its charm. She waited for him to open her eyes so that she knew he was okay. When he pulled her tighter against him and kissed her this time, she heard Jaleena cry out her name.

They broke apart, and Wolverine leaned back against the building, obviously weak from the embrace. She tried to look shocked and guilty when she turned to face her friend. "Leena!" She exclaimed, "It's not what you think. Really!"

Jaleena just shook her head, her hands clenching at her side, "How could you do this, Anna Marie? You are a better person than this!"

Logan pushed off from the wall, breathing heavily. "I'll leave you ladies." He limped off toward the front door.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, too, Logan," Jaleena called after him, but he just waved a hand in the air and kept going. She spun back around to face Rogue. "Anna, what is going on?"

Rogue tried to look abashed, "Ah'm sorry, Leena. Ah just…" She paused to shake her head. "Ah'm kind of glad that you found us. Ah didn't have anyone to talk to ta help me figure this out."

Jaleena grimaced. "First of all, I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. Second, why haven't you tried talking to Remy about it? Don't you think he'd be the perfect person to talk to?"

Rogue sighed and moved to sit on one of the benches dispersed along the pathway. "We've been together for a long time, Leena. Years, really. Remy started flirtin' with me as soon as we met, and he was the first man to do that even after he knew what my powers were. Most guys just turn around and start runnin'. Over the years, we've just kinda become really great friends. Ah don't know when that changed. Then Logan and Ah just sorta happened." She sighed again and slumped her shoulders.

Jaleena sighed and sat down next to Rogue. "When did things with you and Logan 'happen'?"

"It's been about a month."

"Oh."

"Ah'll be honest, Leena. When he came back from Ireland and told me what happened with the two of y'all, Ah wasn't nearly as upset as Ah shoulda been." She ignored when Jaleena's face went scarlet. "Ah guess Ah was sorta relieved. Ah think he would wait around for me forever, that especially after that, he feels like he owes me. When Ah think about it, Ah think it was nice that he got to be close to someone again, to be able to touch them or kiss them." She took Jaleena's gloved hand in her own. "Ah just wish you still had feelin's for each other. Ah'd happily give mah blessin'." She rushed on before the other woman could speak, "but Ah guess that's too much to hope for. Ah don't know what to do next."

"Wait a minute," Leena tried to backtrack. "How could you touch Logan? Why can't you hold back like that with Remy?"

Rogue laughed and shook her head. "Unfortunately, that wasn't me holdin' back. Ah'm lucky he's got such a quick healin' ability, or else Ah mighta killed him today. If Ah kissed Remy like that, Ah'd put him in a coma," she finished glumly.

Jaleena sighed, "I'd be happy help you try to figure something out about your powers, Anna Marie, but it seems like they aren't really the problem here."

Rogue shook her head, "No, they aren't. What am I goin' to do, Leena?"

Jaleena stood and pulled her to her feet. "Well, first off, we're going to go for a run. Sometimes exercise can help get our minds working, right?"


Jubilee pumped a fist in the air as she watched the two women jog off, she turned to hug Wolverine. "It worked!"

He grunted and took another drink of the orange juice she'd brought him. "It better have," he growled, "I'm going to need to spend the rest of the day in bed after that."

Jubilee turned and grinned. "How about we sit by the pool instead? I can tell my teachers that I have to nurse you back to health," she said hopefully.

He ruffled her hair and chuckled, "Always tryin' to get outta class, aren't ya?" When she looked up at him hopefully, he shrugged. "What the hell. I'll tell them we're workin' on a special project or somethin'."


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