Chapter Three
"Are you still up?" Everett's voice cut through Wolverine's reverie.
"Quiet, kid," he hissed back at the cocky kid. "Don't wake her."
As much as Everett would have liked to disobey Logan, he would not do anything to disturb the first peaceful sleep Jubilee's had in weeks now. Contrary to what the headmasters thought, Everett and the rest of Generation X knew about Jubilee's nightly screams and terrors. It kills him that he can't do anything to ease her pains, especially since she appears to sleep calmly with Wolverine around.
"How's she doing?" the question was accompanied with a concern look for the young girl that curled tightly within Wolverine's arms.
"Sleeping now. No nightmares." Logan didn't care much for the young kid that appears not to like him much. But he had to respect the fact that the boy was obviously concerned for Jubilee.
"Did you find him yet?" Everett grabbed the thick knit blanket Jubilee liked so much from the coach and gently draped it over her and the old man.
Logan didn't need to ask who the "he" was. "Not yet, but Summers says that we're getting pretty close."
With a nod, Everett turns to leave. "Keep us informed. We want to be there as well. He has to pay for his crimes."
"I know." Logan didn't get into it but leaned back in the chair to rest.
Everett stood at the doorway for a long time after, watching the pair sleep contently in each other's company. He may not like the old man much but he was glad the man was here, for Jubilee's sake if nothing else.
Contrary to what he told Angelo, he was jealous. He was jealous of the place that Wolverine obviously holds in Jubilee's heart, the place where Everett would give anything to be in. He was jealous of the fact that Wolverine could comfort and hold her while Everett could not get near her without seeing the spark of fear in her eyes. He was jealous of the trust that was there between them, the unfailing trust that helped save Jubilee's sanity in her darkest hours. He was jealous of the unconditional love that Jubilee gave the old man, the love the he himself wanted.
[What are you still doing up, mate?] Jonothan Starmore may not have a mouth anymore, but he still had his own way of communicating.
"Just checking up on Jubilee."
[No need to worry, Wolverine's here for her.] Jono knew perfectly well that was not what was bothering Everett tonight. He did not need to be telepath to know that the boy was green with jealousy, a feeling he knew only too well.
"Yeah, but who's protecting Jubee from the man." The gloomy look had Jono relenting slightly.
[Look, mate. The man is like a father to the gal. He'd give his life to save her, we've seen that already in the past. She's safer with him here than any anywhere else in the world. Let it go.]
"I can't seem to do that." Everett turned tortured eyes toward his buddy. "I can't seem to get over the nightmares. She won't be like this if it wasn't for..."
[Stop right now. Don't do this to yourself. No one could have done anything about it. Beating yourself up is not going to help. Jubilee never blamed you, not for a moment.]
"She doesn't have to. I can do it pretty well all by myself."
[Ev...]
"Go to bed, Jono. I'll be all right."
If Jonothan could sigh, he would have. Unfortunately, all he could now was watch his friend walk off by himself in a state of guilt and dejection.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9 months ago: Massachusetts Academy
The X-men broke all kinds of speed records getting to the headquarters of Generation X. Sean Cassidy stood out on the doorsteps to the main house as the Blackbird landed in front on the well cared for green lawn.
"Sean," Jean's hands reached out to hold the old Irishman's. The unbeatable Banshee seemed to have been crushed; he's eyes were sad and so pained.
"Thank you, Jean." He turned to Logan, the man he considered Jubilee's father. "Logan, I'm so sorry, lad." He didn't know what to say. Being a father himself, he didn't know how to tell his friend that he'd failed in his duties to protect the child in his care.
"Where is she?" the question was softly spoken. He was controlling his rage with great effort. He needed to be sure, absolutely sure that it was her.
"We put the lassie's body in the infirmary." Sean reached out to stop Logan as the man took steps toward the house. "Please, Logan. Don't torture yourself with it. The lassie's not a pretty sight."
"I need to know."
With a nod of understand, Sean lead the way into the house.
The rest of Generation X stood in the foyer, awaiting their guests who've come at such a horrible occasion. Everett and Skin stood on one side with sad faces so full of guilt that for a minute, Bobby Drake was tempted to ask what was going on. Jono and Paige stood at the end of the lobby, the girl's eyes red from long bouts of tears while the boy held on to her. Monte stood calmly with her arms crossed watching the legendary heroes. Artie and Leech clutched at Emma Frost's uncustomary black dress while the White Queen watched her former enemies enter her domain with sorrowful haunted eyes.
"Logan, I..." Emma tried to say something. Something to explain what had happened but she couldn't. There was nothing she could say that would make it any better or right.
"I want to see the body." Logan repeated without any outward show of emotions.
"Sir?" Everett was determined to get it over with as quickly as possible.
"Ev..." Sean's tone was a warning one but the boy took no notice.
"It was my fault. I should have stayed with her and kept her safe. She wanted to go catch fireflies and I was not willing to oblige. So she went by herself and got caught unaware. You have to know that I would never have..."
"Forget it," Logan said roughly. He was impatient now. He needed to be sure before he mourned for his little darling. He turned pointedly at the White Queen. "The body?"
"This way," she led them deeper into the house.
Everett followed the X-men with his eyes. He'd spend the last day and a half beating himself over his own carelessness. He should have known better by now how dangerous it was to be simply someone that was associated with the sign of X. Leaving Jubilee alone was the most irresponsible thing he could have done. He hadn't even considered her safety when he left her to her own device. Damn it, he was all his fault.
The corridors seemed to mock them with happy photos of the members of Generation X. Every once in a while, someone would stop to lovingly touch a picture of a laughing happy Jubilee.
Emma's steps slowed as they came closer and closer to the infirmary. She didn't want to see the horribly disfigured body, didn't want to see her failure as protector to another child.
The X-men came to the window of the infirmary and stopped, there was no need for them to get any closer than this. Betsy turned her face into Warren's shoulder let a sob escape, her stone cold armor façade crumbled. Kitty's hand few to her mouth as she stared in horror. Peter Rasputin pulled Kitty's head toward his chest so she would not have to keep looking on while he felt his own eyes burn with sadness remembering yet another innocent child that died only too young. Kurt Wagner bowed his head and said a little prayer for the innocent young soul lost to them. Jean cried and held on to her husband as the leader of the X-men watched Logan with grave concern. Rogue cried silently and stood apart from the others not able to neither give nor receive comfort. Gambit said nothing as he watched the badly mutilated body and wonder what kind of monster would do such a thing to the young teen.
"Logan?" Ororo gently placed an arm around his shoulders as suddenly flash of lighting followed by thunder streaked across the sky betraying her pain.
"Open the door, Sean." He still wasn't sure. Not completely though his heart was threatening to burst with grief. She loved him, accepted him just the way he was. She trusted her to always protect him. "Open the door, Irish."
"Logan..." Sean hesitated. The man was so obviously in pain. "Don't do this to yourself."
"Just open the door."
"Logan..."
Ororo placed a hand out. "Sean please, just do as he asks."
With a reluctant nod, Sean pushed a button on the wall and the infirmary door slide open for them.
Logan and Rogue were the only ones to move closer to the prone body. The girl had been badly mauled. Her face and arms were cover in blood. Her jean shorts were badly shredded and stained with blood and flesh. Her dark hair was matted to her head where the blood from the head wound had flown.
His hand shook as he reached out to touch her. Pulling back from his grief, he concentrated on her scent. Jubilee had a particular scent that was all her own. He remembered it to be a mixture of bubble-gum, roses, violet, firecrackers, balling-grease from her roller blades and beneath it all was a strangely baby soft smell that was all her own and impossible to describe. The gum and firecrackers were there, but her own secret scent was not, the only scent that can't be replicated. The girl's scent was damn close but it wasn't Jubilee's.
Doubting his own nose for a moment, he took a deeper breath and leaned closer to the maimed body. He had been right, the scent was not quite right, not for his Jubilee.
"It's not her." The pronouncement was simple and filled with relief.
"What?" Emma's voice cut through everything else was being murmured. [Are you sure, Logan? Please, are you absolutely sure.]
"Yeah, I'm positive. I know what my Jubilee smells like, and this ain't her." He took a step back and looked toward Rogue.
The Southern belle looked pained but determined. On the way here, she had offered her services to help determine if the body they were going to see was truly of the young girl. Both of them, as well as Ororo and Kitty, had remembered an incident where some Morlocks wished for them to believe Kitty was died as well. If her soul was still within her body, Rogue could make a positive identification.
Striping the yellow glove from her right hand, she reached out to touch the body's bloody face.
"Rogue, what are you doing?" Scott's voice came as a warning but it was too late.
The rest of the X-men rushed in just as Logan caught Rogue. Her eyes rolled back and her body shook with pain. A terrible scream erupted from her lips as her mind is taken over momentary by that of the dead girl. Then she was calm again. Her green eyes opened to look into Logan's brown ones.
"It ain't her." She turned to look at the dead body. "The name's Karen Wexler. She's fifteen and a run away. She liked daisies and chocolate ice cream. Her father is a drunk and a child abuser. She..." Rogue fell silent again and took a deep shuttering breath. "It's not Jubilee."
The others fell into stunned silence. Then there was a collective sigh of relief and happiness as they realize that they've not lost their mall rat. She was still alive and kicking somewhere.
"We've got to find her," Emma's eyes were suddenly filled with relief and hope. "She's alive, she needs us."
Sean turned his head enough to look at Scott and signaled for the leader of the X-men time to take over. This was not just a Generation X mission, Jubilee had been an X-men and now they were here to get her back.
"Logan?" Rogue's voice was still weak and sad. Everyone else turned back as one to look at her troubled eyes. "Don't you want to know who did this to Karen?"
"Who?" the dark dangerous tone had entered Logan's voice.
With fear and sadness, she looked back at the girl. "Sinister. It was Mr. Sinister."
"Are you still up?" Everett's voice cut through Wolverine's reverie.
"Quiet, kid," he hissed back at the cocky kid. "Don't wake her."
As much as Everett would have liked to disobey Logan, he would not do anything to disturb the first peaceful sleep Jubilee's had in weeks now. Contrary to what the headmasters thought, Everett and the rest of Generation X knew about Jubilee's nightly screams and terrors. It kills him that he can't do anything to ease her pains, especially since she appears to sleep calmly with Wolverine around.
"How's she doing?" the question was accompanied with a concern look for the young girl that curled tightly within Wolverine's arms.
"Sleeping now. No nightmares." Logan didn't care much for the young kid that appears not to like him much. But he had to respect the fact that the boy was obviously concerned for Jubilee.
"Did you find him yet?" Everett grabbed the thick knit blanket Jubilee liked so much from the coach and gently draped it over her and the old man.
Logan didn't need to ask who the "he" was. "Not yet, but Summers says that we're getting pretty close."
With a nod, Everett turns to leave. "Keep us informed. We want to be there as well. He has to pay for his crimes."
"I know." Logan didn't get into it but leaned back in the chair to rest.
Everett stood at the doorway for a long time after, watching the pair sleep contently in each other's company. He may not like the old man much but he was glad the man was here, for Jubilee's sake if nothing else.
Contrary to what he told Angelo, he was jealous. He was jealous of the place that Wolverine obviously holds in Jubilee's heart, the place where Everett would give anything to be in. He was jealous of the fact that Wolverine could comfort and hold her while Everett could not get near her without seeing the spark of fear in her eyes. He was jealous of the trust that was there between them, the unfailing trust that helped save Jubilee's sanity in her darkest hours. He was jealous of the unconditional love that Jubilee gave the old man, the love the he himself wanted.
[What are you still doing up, mate?] Jonothan Starmore may not have a mouth anymore, but he still had his own way of communicating.
"Just checking up on Jubilee."
[No need to worry, Wolverine's here for her.] Jono knew perfectly well that was not what was bothering Everett tonight. He did not need to be telepath to know that the boy was green with jealousy, a feeling he knew only too well.
"Yeah, but who's protecting Jubee from the man." The gloomy look had Jono relenting slightly.
[Look, mate. The man is like a father to the gal. He'd give his life to save her, we've seen that already in the past. She's safer with him here than any anywhere else in the world. Let it go.]
"I can't seem to do that." Everett turned tortured eyes toward his buddy. "I can't seem to get over the nightmares. She won't be like this if it wasn't for..."
[Stop right now. Don't do this to yourself. No one could have done anything about it. Beating yourself up is not going to help. Jubilee never blamed you, not for a moment.]
"She doesn't have to. I can do it pretty well all by myself."
[Ev...]
"Go to bed, Jono. I'll be all right."
If Jonothan could sigh, he would have. Unfortunately, all he could now was watch his friend walk off by himself in a state of guilt and dejection.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9 months ago: Massachusetts Academy
The X-men broke all kinds of speed records getting to the headquarters of Generation X. Sean Cassidy stood out on the doorsteps to the main house as the Blackbird landed in front on the well cared for green lawn.
"Sean," Jean's hands reached out to hold the old Irishman's. The unbeatable Banshee seemed to have been crushed; he's eyes were sad and so pained.
"Thank you, Jean." He turned to Logan, the man he considered Jubilee's father. "Logan, I'm so sorry, lad." He didn't know what to say. Being a father himself, he didn't know how to tell his friend that he'd failed in his duties to protect the child in his care.
"Where is she?" the question was softly spoken. He was controlling his rage with great effort. He needed to be sure, absolutely sure that it was her.
"We put the lassie's body in the infirmary." Sean reached out to stop Logan as the man took steps toward the house. "Please, Logan. Don't torture yourself with it. The lassie's not a pretty sight."
"I need to know."
With a nod of understand, Sean lead the way into the house.
The rest of Generation X stood in the foyer, awaiting their guests who've come at such a horrible occasion. Everett and Skin stood on one side with sad faces so full of guilt that for a minute, Bobby Drake was tempted to ask what was going on. Jono and Paige stood at the end of the lobby, the girl's eyes red from long bouts of tears while the boy held on to her. Monte stood calmly with her arms crossed watching the legendary heroes. Artie and Leech clutched at Emma Frost's uncustomary black dress while the White Queen watched her former enemies enter her domain with sorrowful haunted eyes.
"Logan, I..." Emma tried to say something. Something to explain what had happened but she couldn't. There was nothing she could say that would make it any better or right.
"I want to see the body." Logan repeated without any outward show of emotions.
"Sir?" Everett was determined to get it over with as quickly as possible.
"Ev..." Sean's tone was a warning one but the boy took no notice.
"It was my fault. I should have stayed with her and kept her safe. She wanted to go catch fireflies and I was not willing to oblige. So she went by herself and got caught unaware. You have to know that I would never have..."
"Forget it," Logan said roughly. He was impatient now. He needed to be sure before he mourned for his little darling. He turned pointedly at the White Queen. "The body?"
"This way," she led them deeper into the house.
Everett followed the X-men with his eyes. He'd spend the last day and a half beating himself over his own carelessness. He should have known better by now how dangerous it was to be simply someone that was associated with the sign of X. Leaving Jubilee alone was the most irresponsible thing he could have done. He hadn't even considered her safety when he left her to her own device. Damn it, he was all his fault.
The corridors seemed to mock them with happy photos of the members of Generation X. Every once in a while, someone would stop to lovingly touch a picture of a laughing happy Jubilee.
Emma's steps slowed as they came closer and closer to the infirmary. She didn't want to see the horribly disfigured body, didn't want to see her failure as protector to another child.
The X-men came to the window of the infirmary and stopped, there was no need for them to get any closer than this. Betsy turned her face into Warren's shoulder let a sob escape, her stone cold armor façade crumbled. Kitty's hand few to her mouth as she stared in horror. Peter Rasputin pulled Kitty's head toward his chest so she would not have to keep looking on while he felt his own eyes burn with sadness remembering yet another innocent child that died only too young. Kurt Wagner bowed his head and said a little prayer for the innocent young soul lost to them. Jean cried and held on to her husband as the leader of the X-men watched Logan with grave concern. Rogue cried silently and stood apart from the others not able to neither give nor receive comfort. Gambit said nothing as he watched the badly mutilated body and wonder what kind of monster would do such a thing to the young teen.
"Logan?" Ororo gently placed an arm around his shoulders as suddenly flash of lighting followed by thunder streaked across the sky betraying her pain.
"Open the door, Sean." He still wasn't sure. Not completely though his heart was threatening to burst with grief. She loved him, accepted him just the way he was. She trusted her to always protect him. "Open the door, Irish."
"Logan..." Sean hesitated. The man was so obviously in pain. "Don't do this to yourself."
"Just open the door."
"Logan..."
Ororo placed a hand out. "Sean please, just do as he asks."
With a reluctant nod, Sean pushed a button on the wall and the infirmary door slide open for them.
Logan and Rogue were the only ones to move closer to the prone body. The girl had been badly mauled. Her face and arms were cover in blood. Her jean shorts were badly shredded and stained with blood and flesh. Her dark hair was matted to her head where the blood from the head wound had flown.
His hand shook as he reached out to touch her. Pulling back from his grief, he concentrated on her scent. Jubilee had a particular scent that was all her own. He remembered it to be a mixture of bubble-gum, roses, violet, firecrackers, balling-grease from her roller blades and beneath it all was a strangely baby soft smell that was all her own and impossible to describe. The gum and firecrackers were there, but her own secret scent was not, the only scent that can't be replicated. The girl's scent was damn close but it wasn't Jubilee's.
Doubting his own nose for a moment, he took a deeper breath and leaned closer to the maimed body. He had been right, the scent was not quite right, not for his Jubilee.
"It's not her." The pronouncement was simple and filled with relief.
"What?" Emma's voice cut through everything else was being murmured. [Are you sure, Logan? Please, are you absolutely sure.]
"Yeah, I'm positive. I know what my Jubilee smells like, and this ain't her." He took a step back and looked toward Rogue.
The Southern belle looked pained but determined. On the way here, she had offered her services to help determine if the body they were going to see was truly of the young girl. Both of them, as well as Ororo and Kitty, had remembered an incident where some Morlocks wished for them to believe Kitty was died as well. If her soul was still within her body, Rogue could make a positive identification.
Striping the yellow glove from her right hand, she reached out to touch the body's bloody face.
"Rogue, what are you doing?" Scott's voice came as a warning but it was too late.
The rest of the X-men rushed in just as Logan caught Rogue. Her eyes rolled back and her body shook with pain. A terrible scream erupted from her lips as her mind is taken over momentary by that of the dead girl. Then she was calm again. Her green eyes opened to look into Logan's brown ones.
"It ain't her." She turned to look at the dead body. "The name's Karen Wexler. She's fifteen and a run away. She liked daisies and chocolate ice cream. Her father is a drunk and a child abuser. She..." Rogue fell silent again and took a deep shuttering breath. "It's not Jubilee."
The others fell into stunned silence. Then there was a collective sigh of relief and happiness as they realize that they've not lost their mall rat. She was still alive and kicking somewhere.
"We've got to find her," Emma's eyes were suddenly filled with relief and hope. "She's alive, she needs us."
Sean turned his head enough to look at Scott and signaled for the leader of the X-men time to take over. This was not just a Generation X mission, Jubilee had been an X-men and now they were here to get her back.
"Logan?" Rogue's voice was still weak and sad. Everyone else turned back as one to look at her troubled eyes. "Don't you want to know who did this to Karen?"
"Who?" the dark dangerous tone had entered Logan's voice.
With fear and sadness, she looked back at the girl. "Sinister. It was Mr. Sinister."