Back in Snow Valley:
"Wow, that's like 20 tickets!"
#Um… don't you mean 19?# Griffin counted on his fingers again.
"No it's 20 with yours." She gave him a pointed look.
#Oh right, mine.# He smiled. #Can't forget me or nothing will get off the ground.# He teased her. #Come and see how I set up the crash pad for you J-Lee.# He offered and they went off together to his room. Sean smiled to see how helpful the boy was, Emma just looked confused and walked off shaking her head. Once in Griffin's room he said to Jubilee, #We'll be able to work here on our presentation.#
"Its perfect Griffin, wow look at all this room!" Jubilee said turning on the balls of her feet in the cleared space.
#That's because everything slides and fits easily under the low parts of the roof, in the spaces where people can't stand up straight.# True enough, all the low furniture did fit under the eves leaving the polished pine floor clear for them to dance around on.
"But what if some one comes up here?" Jubilee asked.
#Well you're dancing and I'll be hiding in the bathroom or I'll fly out the skylight and hide on the roof.# He shrugged. #Anyway I've got my early warning system up and running again.# He pointed to the red cop light hidden partially in the shadows it would flash if one of the pressure pads, hidden under the hall carpet, was stepped on.
"Well I don't know about you but I'm beat, we can start on choosing music for this 'Beast' tomorrow ok?"
#Sure, you know we can each do our own thing till we come to the part where the Beast and Belle meet, for say two minutes, then you're cry over me and I revive that should go on for about a minute or so. I figure that leaves about six to seven minutes of time to dance together.# Jubilee nodded happily.
"Sounds good, do you want to look through your music for some stuff, I'll go through mine too and we can compare, maybe make our own mix or something."
#Great, but why don't you ask Jono for help with the music mixing he's the best in the school.#
"That's a fantastic idea; I'll ask him after we choose a style for the music." She was about to leave his room but turned back, "Griffin, thanks for being my partner… you're way more fun and a lot nicer then Porter any day. I mean he dances okay and all but you are incredible, I've seen you fight in the grotto but when you dance you move differently, with so much more confidence."
#Ya, the next time we need to run after someone in the grotto I'll toss in a 'Grand Jété' just for you.# Jubilee went off to her room to wash up for dinner still laughing. Alone Griffin sat on the floor in the middle of his converted living area, 'when you dance you move differently, with so much more confidence.' Jubilee's words crept up on him, it was true he did feel freer when he danced then when he was in a training situation, because he'd been holding back the music in his heart when he trained to fight… hiding part of who he was, and this part was a much more serious thing to hide then his fondness for yarn. 'I've got some soul searching to do.' Griffin told himself with a long sigh.
**
From the doorway Talica quietly watched her brother's serious face, with a slight smile she decided to talk to him later about an extra practice in the grotto with the twins, he had a lot on his mind to sort out.
**
Time flew for Griffin and Jubilee, they chose their music, Jubilee then asked Jono for his help and ended up with a wonderful opening guitar riff for her 'Trying to get to the Beast' part and the rest of the music became truly amazing once the resident, leather clad, musician got his two cents in. The two dancers practiced during free time from classes at school and on weekends Griffin continued to 'accompany' Jubilee to her dance classes. In class Madame viewed each pair's routine then gave pointers corrected positions, or pointed out ways of making things look better… then she reminded them that costumes were left up to them also.
"Griffin what will you wear? You can't wear those ratty old jogging pants." Jubilee panted one evening as they finished a run-through of their number. "I've already got costume all made, its yellow and the skirt looks like wisps of white smoke. I had the 'Shi-ar unstable molecule' thingy make it."
#I've been working on my costume too, don't worry. 'I'm using gold and brown, but I want some orange 'fur' so I'm using yarn to make furry looking legwarmers and arm covers, I think those over a brown bodysuit should work out well. I just need to make a mask of some kind with ears and beast-like teeth added on.#
"Why don't you use the unstable molecule maker for your bodysuit and the mask." Jubilee suggested, "Remember to leave a hole for your tail."
#I was thinking about that, what if someone pulls it?# Griffin asked running his fingers nervously through the reddish/gold hair that tipped his long lion like tail.
"I'll be pulling something on them." Jubilee assured him with a wicked grin before she got up to start the music over again. "What do you say we run through our together dance again then call it a day?"
#Why I'd be happy to dance with ya little lady.# Griffin drawled in a southern accent and they took their positions as the music began again.
**
Washington D.C. X-Factor HQ:
The large golden man was named Victor Creed, to the rest of the world he was recognized as the ferocious mutant Sabretooth, but right now he tossed restlessly on the leather couch in X-Factor's main waiting room. He often came here to rest because seldom did anyone come to visit the Government sponsored mutant group, people preferred to contact them by phone, so the waiting room was actually quite a privet place to catch some z's. Well it would have been if the one trying to sleep wasn't endowed with heightened hearing anyway. Vic's eyes cracked open slightly and he snarled, because he could clearly hear Mystique talking to Forge in his office, even with the door closed. Victor gave up trying to nap and listened more attentively instead.
"Forge I want to see my children." Victor quirked his head,
' 'stique's feelin' hennish again, she just saw 'em last month, must be that time again.' Vic smirked as Forge cleared his throat.
"Frost doesn't think visits from their 'incarcerated' parents are good for the boys and Talica at this point." He indicated the restraining collar she wore, it was one he'd made and programmed so she couldn't morph into any known person without permission.
"What! The 'former' white queen thinks I'm a bad influence! I'm being rehabilitated aren't I, I'm paying my debts to society. Forge I want to see 'MY' children!" Forge sighed, what could he do she had a point, and who would it hurt Mystique was after all corporative… most of the time.
"Well, it could be a surprise for them, I guess." Forge tried to sound reluctant, but he too had wanted to go see the kids, the new games and learning programs he'd devised for Griffin's gaming console were waiting to be delivered to Gen-X why not hand deliver them and have a rematch with Talica. Considering Talica could 'Talk' to the computers in things like he could, she was the only one who could offer him a real challenge in a video game. "Okay we'll go for a weekend soon." Mystique smiled satisfied till the door flew open and Victor sauntered in and sat down on the corner of the desk.
"Sounds good to me to, my schedule is clear so hell why not peek in on the cubs, whatever should I pack?" With a shit-eating grin he left the office, where Forge and Mystique stood mouths open and closing but no words coming out of them. 'This will be a real surprise. Funny now that I think about it I really have miss the little buggers.' Vic did a spin and even jumped into the air he was so pleased with himself.
**
A few days later a knock on the door was the only warning Sean, Emma and the Gen-X had before Forge, Mystique and Sabretooth showed up and invited themselves to breakfast. It was also the morning of the dance recital. Griffin smiled as he greeted two of his parents then ducked he into the broom closet to hyperventilate, Jubilee found him there nearly pulling his hair out in frustration.
#Now, he comes here for a visit now, of all times it had to be now!# Griffin howled.
"Relax the recital is tonight and they can't possibly want to come see it. Come on, honestly Griffin this is Sabretooth, do you really see him at a ballet recital, besides all the tickets are sold out… because Prunella's mom invited most of her friends from the newspaper to cover the event." Jubilee didn't mention that a local TV news station would also be there too. Over breakfast Mystique heard about the event and said she'd like to attend, only to be told there were no tickets left to be had. Mystique happened to see Emma smile at the stove, where she was working on making oatmeal, a recent culinary accomplishment.
"Here let me do that Frost, you already do 'so' much for everyone around here, especially my children." Mystique took the pot from her and served Arty, Leach, and Emma first, then she served the twins, Griffin and Victor heaping servings, because with their healing factors they were big eaters. "Oh look its all gone… should I make more?" She smiled sweetly. Everyone else declined as they saw the odd looks on the faces of those eating the oatmeal. By the third spoonful the twins were the only ones still eating the lumpy stuff… each wanting to see who would stop first. After that Sean left with Jubilee and Griffin for the theater. Griffin having said he'd volunteered to 'help out' with things like the stage and sets, which he had, as long as it was for Jubilee. By the time the X-Men arrived at the school that afternoon so had a case of food poisoning, which was traced back to Emma's cooking by Hank. Thanks to their healing factors Griffin, the twins and Vic were fine and hadn't felt a thing, Artie, Leach and Emma weren't so lucky. In the med-bay McCoy dosed them all with fruit salts and saw to it the three ill patients got some rest. Emma felt like she was dieing and when the recital was mentioned she groaned and pulled the blankets over her head. "Well we can't let those tickets of theirs go to waste now can we? So Forge and I will use them tonight… Victor will be joining us too." When Sabretooth, who till then had been quite happy playing in the woods with the twins, learned how he was going to spend the evening he groaned and even offered to lock himself in a detention cell instead.
"Do I have to?" He implored Mystique when he caught up with her outside her room, before she went to get ready for the show. She smiled.
"Now Vic our boys need to see us doing normal things together."
"An' you think watching a bunch of frails hopping around in fluffy skirts is 'normal'?" He asked her.
"Oh hush, I went through a lot to get those tickets fuzz-face so put a sock in it." Vic's eyes went wide.
"Hey you poisoned me! You poisoned your own kids and three other people to go to a junior poof fest!"
"Yes, and it was only a little poison, why are you complaining you don't get sick and neither do our boy."
"Nice work." She smiled evilly.
"The only way that particular poison can actually kill anyone is if its mixed with a rather cheep pheromone compound found in a vile smelling perfume from France." Just then an alarm sounded in the hall and McCoy was called to the med-bay. "Oops." Mystique said with a grin. "My bad."
**
Med-Bay:
Beast ran into the Med-bay and bounded to Emma Frost's bedside. Alarms blared and the heart monitor was flat lining.
"Oh my stars and garters… Emma Frost is dead!." Hank rushed forward to administer a shot of the serum he'd just mixed in the lab then he started CPR. With in moments a shocked voice screeched,
"McCoy get your lips off me!" From the hall Bobby and Remy sniggered, and in the upstairs hall Vic and Raven sighed… well they'd almost gotten rid of the main obstacle between them and their children. By that evening Emma, Artie and Leach were much better, but not well enough to attend the show, so after Sean promised to get it all on film, they waved the others off as, for appearances sake, Mystique took on Emma's form and face.
**
Meanwhile at the theater:
After breakfast Sean had dropped Jubilee an Griffin off at the theater Madame Jeanmaire had rented for the recital and Griffin lugged the bags inside following Jubilee to the dressing rooms back stage. The girls were in one large room and the boys in another, at the door Griffin paused to look around. There was no cover to hide behind to change so his tail wasn't seen and of course there was the 'other' problem he had to take care of too. Griffin swung around and grabbed Jubilee before she disappeared into her changing aria.
#J-Lee, I have a problem.# Jubilee looked at him, #I can't hide my tail if I change in there.# He whispered.
"Um, maybe we can find a hidden corner, somewhere and I can stand guard while you change." She suggested, so they placed their bags just inside the changing room doors and started to look. A half hour later Griffin's disembodied voice whispered in Jubilee's ear, she was in the prop room at the time inspecting a large wooden wardrobe, surprised she let out a shriek and turned to run form the room. In the doorway, across the room, she saw Griffin standing there laughing silently. "Griffin, I can't dance if I've been scared to death!"
#Well that would solve my problem. Sorry, I found something, come look.# He led her passed the other students who'd just started arriving, then they tiptoed passed Madame Jeanmaire into a darkened corner by a narrow stair that led up to a catwalk and the lighting grid, it was piled high with bits of sets, and rolling crates.
"I'm so not going up there." Jubilee murmured.
#You won't have too look.# He showed her that tucked under the stairs was a door, with green paint peeling off it. Griffin flung the door open like a he was revealing a treasure, and it was. A little room, painted in light yellow, that held only a long vanity table with a mirror, sounded with lights, it took up one whole wall and on the opposite wall was a cloths rack. Jubilee inspected a smaller door at the back of the room and gasped,
"It has it's own bathroom! Okay lets get our things and move in." She crowed.
#Our things?# Griffin asked.
"Well ya, you think I want to see Prunella anymore then I have to?"
#Okay, I'll share.# They checked the aria before stepping out into the light, #Okay the coast is clear.# He whispered as he called up a quiet version of the music from 'mission imposable' with his sound effect power as they made their way to get their bags and quickly returned to the room. Jubilee hung up her costume on the clothing rack and spread out some paper toweling on the vanity top, so she could set out her make-up kit. That done they stepped out and Griffin locked the door with a thought. #This way no one else will go in if they find the door.#
"Was it locked when you found it?" Griffin didn't reply. "Oh nice you stole a room."
#Guess I take after half my parents.# Griffin said referring to Sabretooth and Mystique.
"Someday remind me I've got to show you the files on 'The Dark Phoenix. Jean wasn't always a goodie, same for Professor X."
#Really?# Griffin was shocked.
"Oh ya, I saw the files and some photos to prove it." By then they'd reached the stage where Madam Jeanmaire was collecting music tapes and CDs from groups and labeling them clearly with which tracks or sides had to play for the student's numbers. Then there were all kinds of questions to be asked and the students familiarized themselves with the size of the stage. The lighting technician arrived and took notes on what kind of lighting each group wanted done. Griffin handed him a sheet of paper that had what to do and the timing for it written clearly beside it.