Disclaimer: Still no continuity, and I still don't own Jubilee, Angelo, or Jono

Disclaimer: Still no continuity, and I still don't own Jubilee, Angelo, or Jono. Dammit. Edwin McCain owns the song "Holy City" from the album Misguided Roses, it's very pretty and reminded me of New Orleans...I don't know if that's what he intended or not, but that's what happened when I heard it. He also owns the song "Jesters, Dreamers, and Thieves", and btw, I used most of the lyrics in the song here-sorry!- , it's from the album Honor Among Thieves and is also a very fun song. No, I'm not obsessed...but Edwin's music fit very well in the story so NYAH!


Notes:

sound
*thought*
} telepathic conversation {

Setting: Susana's home, Sunday July 17th.

Susana woke to a slow, deliberate tapping on the door. "Yes, Mama?"

"Your father and I are going to church in about an hour, do you want to go with us?" Her mother poked her head through the doorway and Susana blushed. She knew her mother was aware of Jono's presence in her room- hell, she'd told him to stay there, but it was still...weird.

"No, Mama, I don't think I will today. But when you get home we can go out to brunch, if you'd like. My treat." She grinned at her mother's thankful expression. "I know this is a lot of people to cook for, so we'll try and eat elsewhere at least a few times while we're here. Have fun at church." Her mother nodded, then disappeared through the door. Easing out of bed, Susana dug out a pair of running shorts and a sports bra and threw them on, then went in search of her Rollerblades. Lacing them up, she struck out onto the sidewalks of her neighborhood, waving to people she recognized and stopping to talk to people a few times.

When she returned about an hour later, she headed straight for the shower in her room. Freshly showered and wrapped in a fluffy blue bathrobe with frogs appliquéd onto it, she climbed across the bed to wake Jono. "Morning, love. How'd you sleep?"

He opened sleepy eyes and psionically mumbled something about 'damn morning people', then rolled over as if to go back to sleep. Poking him repeatedly in the side got no reaction, so Susana shrugged, then walked across the room to check that the door was locked. Satisfied that it was, she untied the belt of the robe and dropped it to the floor, then slid under the covers with Jono, curling tightly against his shirtless back. "Still want to ignore me?" He reached behind him to push her away, then rolled over quickly when his hand encountered no pajamas.

}Well, I suppose there are worse ways to have to wake up...{ he admitted before pulling her against him.

Later, a fully dressed Susana hopped down the stairs two at a time, arriving in the kitchen at the same time as Jubilee. "Mornin', Jubes. How'd you sleep?"

"Great...you? You're lookin' a little flushed there...what have you been doing?" She looked up the stairs inquiringly.

"Rollerblading, that's all. I swear." She gave Jubilee a deceptively innocent smile, then continued. "I would've invited you, but you were out cold, so I didn't want to bug you. We can go this afternoon, if you'd like."

"Sounds great...now do you think I might be able to steal some food?" Jubilee's stomach rumbled for emphasis.

"Actually, we're going to a casual brunch as soon as Mama and Daddy get home. It's not all spicy food, I promise," she rushed to calm Jubilee's fears. "There are beignets, and omelets...and pie, real pecan pie." She rubbed her stomach in anticipation, then pulled at the hem of her white tank top so that the British flag patch on it was properly placed. "Do you know if Ange is up yet? If not, we should wake him...and Javier and his friends, too."

"I don't know about Ange, but your brother and his friends have been up since like 8." She grumbled under her breath.

"Sorry about that. They probably went for a run...psychos. So do you want to wake Ange, and I'll try and hurry Jono up?" At Jubilee's nod, she darted back upstairs to antagonize her slow-moving boyfriend into moving faster. Knocking on the door, she entered and walked over to the edge of the bed, pulling a glittery silver guitar out of the closet as she went. Settling on the bed, she plucked at the guitar, tuning it. "We're going to brunch later, just so you know," she called over her shoulder at the bathroom doorway. Jono's head emerged from behind the netting. Seeing her tank top and skirt, he nodded, then stepped past the curtain and into the room.

}Am I ok wearing this and those?{ He gestured at the white shirt he was wearing and at the dark gray dress pants he'd laid out on the end of the bed. }Nice top, by the way.{ She looked at them, then set the guitar aside and walked over to him to give him a hug.

"You're better than ok wearing that. In all seriousness, though, you're fine. It's not a very formal place. In fact," she said, unbuttoning the cuffs of his sleeves and rolling them up his forearms "you may get too warm if you leave these buttoned up." Satisfied with her work, she patted his arms and pushed him towards the bed, following the push with a teasing slap to his butt. "Now get dressed, they'll be home soon." Jono shot her a look, then walked over towards the bed where his pants were. She turned to pick up the guitar, and jumped when she felt his arms grab her around the waist and lift her off the ground. "JONO!!!! PUT ME DOWN THIS INSTANT!!! AAAAH!!! NONONOSTOPSTOPSTOP!!!"

}You don't smack a bloke on the arse, then turn yer back on 'im. It's just not smart, gel.{ He set her back on the ground and hugged her against him briefly before turning to put his pants on.

Outside in the hallway, Javier and his friends were dissolving in laughter, which stopped briefly when Susana opened the door and glared out. As soon as she closed it, though, the laughter began again, this time accompanied by shouts of "Congratulations, man...bout time someone fought back!" The three boys scattered as the door opened and a very annoyed Susana stepped out.

"Thibodeaux, I may be wearing a skirt, but I can still kick your ass. Yours too, Lacontè...I don't care how much bigger you are. I can be meaner, and that's what counts." She looked at her brother and shook her head. "No comments from you."

"Well, I was just wonderin' how you're gonna kick our asses when you couldn't manage to get away from one guy just then."

"Funny thing about the element of surprise. It helps, a lot...now be nice to me or I won't pay for you guys to come to brunch with us." She stuck her tongue out at the three, then flounced down the stairs and into the kitchen. She walked to the coffee maker and poured herself a cup, then turned to Angelo and Jubilee at the table. "Want any, Ange?" He nodded, so she pulled out a stoneware mug and filled it for him. Pulling a chair out, she sipped her coffee and glared up the stairs. For the next few minutes, she alternated between staring into her mug and glaring up the stairs. She stood, rinsed the mug, and put it in the dishwasher, then turned at the sound of a car in the driveway. "Guys, they're here! Come on already!" She picked up her purse, then set it down. Picking up Angelo's empty coffee mug, she rinsed it and put it in the dishwasher, then picked her bag back up. "Shall we go?" she asked as Jono, her brother, and his friends stepped noisily down the stairs.

After a huge brunch, which had something to make everyone happy, the group returned to the house. Jubilee and Susana went out rollerblading. When they returned, they changed into bathing suits and joined Angelo, Jono, Javier, Spot, and Derek in the pool out back, where an all-out water war soon erupted.

They spent the rest of their time in New Orleans relaxing, doing touristy things, and occasionally going out to clubs where Susana used to play. When they finally got together with the musician she'd seen on their first day in the city, Susana got talked into singing, "just for old times' sake." When she agreed, though, she demanded the right to choose the song. "You're playing Holy City, or I'm not getting out of this chair."

"C'mon, Bliss, I hate playing that song!"

"Christian, deal with it." She crossed her arms across her chest stubbornly.

"Oh, my God...alright. But you owe me." He flipped his dreads away from his face, then stepped back onto the stage and began playing a slow, mellow acoustic tune as she took her place in front of the microphone. When she began to sing, Jono was surprised at her voice- a rich, deep contralto. Then he remembered that what he was hearing wasn't really her voice...but it did take skill and practice with breathing techniques to maintain, and it still sounded nice, so he sat back and listened appreciatively. 

Midnight in the Holy City
Playground for restless souls
Graveyards for the sons of Fort Sumter
And the ghostly daughters
Wait for their boys to come home
 
Moonlight in the Holy City
So thick it warms the air
Burned my heart on a sweet southern flame
Like a hug from your mama saying it will be OK
 
Spilt my blood, in the Holy City
Seen the flood of a thousand rains
I ran away from the Holy City
Heard the spirits in the steeple singing 
You'll be back again

She finished the song and returned, blushing at the applause from the bar, to the table. Jono reached across it to take her hand. Squeezing it, he complimented her. }That was lovely, gel. Who's the song by?{

}A guy from South Carolina who used to play clubs down here every so often. I love that song...{ She slid around the corner booth's bench so she was sitting next to him, and was about to say something when Angelo and Jubilee showed up.

"Susana, that was awesome! You could so be famous!" Jubilee gushed, sipping from a nonalcoholic margarita (Jono'd refused to influence the bartender.) Angelo nodded at her words. Susana demurred, saying that without her powers, she couldn't sing for anything. "But you've got them, so you might as well make use of them..." They argued the point for a while, until Susana turned and saw, to her surprise, that Christian was standing expectantly at her elbow.

"Can I help ya, Chris? Cause I'm tryin' to be a good hostess here..." She raised her hands in a 'what do you want?' gesture.

"We want to play Jesters, Dreamers, and Thieves. Haven't since you left, but you always liked singing it, and it's a fun song to play." He grinned as she smiled reluctantly.

"Gimme a minute...gotta remember the lyrics. I'll be up in two songs, ok?"

"Sounds great," he said as he returned to the stage.

"I wonder if they subject everyone to this, or if I'm just special today." She made a face, then fell still, deep in thought. When the second song was up, she heaved a sigh and got to her feet. Pressing a kiss to Jono's forehead, she walked toward the stage and grinned at the saxophone player and bassist. When they began to play, the three mutants were surprised to hear a definite funk overtone to the song.

Susana stepped up to the microphone and began singing in a voice very similar to the one she'd been singing in earlier.

Looking back on younger days the view stretched on for miles

We charged into our futures with laughter and with smiles

As we traveled blindly the road became so thick

No chance to change direction and we've laughed until we're sick

Now I keep company with wicked evil men

My generosity's brimming but I'm still inclined to sin

My friends think I am crazy and I know that may be so

But I'm as happy with a penny as coffers full of gold

Trickle of a chuckle as laughter starts to pour

Bells begin to jingle, the trickle's now a roar

Oh Pan flutist, cloven dancer

THE MISCHIEF HAS BEGUN

Laugh with me if it's funny, laugh at me if it's fun

And I don't know St. Peter but I know he believes, yes he does

There's a place in heaven

for Jesters,

Dreamers,

Thieves.

Jesters, dreamers, and thieves...

This time, Susana didn't creep quietly back to the table; instead she took a bow, then hugged all the musicians and returned to her table, where Jubilee and Angelo were both yawning discreetly.

"You guys ready to go home?" asked Jubilee, trying not to make it obvious that she herself was very ready.

"Not just yet...I want to go walk along the riverfront for a while...I mean, we're only here for one more week, and who knows when I'll be able to get back down here once we start studying in New York? I'll drop you guys off at the house before I go if you want."

"Sounds great...can we go now? Not that I don't like this place, but I'm tired..." She tried unsuccessfully to muffle another yawn, then smiled apologetically.

"yeah, we can go...I won't make you stay awake any more. Jono, want to go to the waterfront with me?"

}Sure, gel, that sounds good...sung your last for tonight, then?{ He slid out of the booth behind her and they waited for Angelo and Jubilee before walking out to the car.

After dropping Angelo and Jubilee back at the house, Susana drove down to a small shopping center that backed up to the Mississippi river levee. Stepping down from the car, she looked up at the hill. "Amazing, isn't it? We put stuff like this up, then act surprised when the river breaks the levee and floods our houses...humanity's not the brightest sometimes."

Grinning, she ran for the levee, Jono in hot pursuit. After a scrambling trip up the side of the hill, she sagged in exhaustion, her hands resting heavily on her knees. Straightening, she stood up and looked down at the riverfront, still busy despite the lateness of the hour. As she looked, Jono climbed the last bit of the slope and walked up behind her. }Waterfronts are always busy, no matter what, aren't they? The Thames always seemed to have something going on. Used to go sit on the bank and watch, when I'd played a show and was still too high or strung out t'go to sleep...which happened a bit too often for my liking.{

"I know the feeling...we used to come out here and sit after a really good show...bring a case of Corona and chill. Cops usually left us alone...we weren't hurting anything, and they had better things to be doin'." She inhaled deeply, then made a face at the marshy, fishy, industrial smell of the air. "MMM...smell that pollution. How charming." She sank to the ground and curled her legs up under her, then sat quietly for a while, leaning against Jono and watching the action below them.

}Susana?{ His hand, which had been smoothing her hair, stilled.

"Hmm?"

}Love yer.{ He resumed his movement, effectively limiting her reaction by holding her still. Deprived of her preferred option- turning around, tackling him in a hug, and returning the sentiment- she instead reached for his hand and held it, telepathically sending him her love, contentment, and general happiness. She severed the telepathic link, moved his hand, and turned to him. Placing a hand on either side of his face, she transported them both to the astral plane.

"Love you too, querido." She followed the simple statement with a kiss that left no doubts as to her sincerity.