Disclaimer: If I owned them, do you really think Jubilee would be stuck in comic book limbo? Good. :P
A/N: Everybody gets to guess who Dena grows up to be...come on...you all know who it is...mysterious past....anyway, whoever guesses it right will get a gold star! :) And for those curious..this is far from the end! And for those curious...the computer speech is surrounded by ** and isn't telepathy...Forge is good, but not that good!
Graduation:
3
Hank brushed Jubilee's hair back softly, his expert hand gently probing the bruised and swollen flesh around her eyes. She had been floating in and out of consciousness for the past two days, her injuries forcing her awake from the pain every few hours or so.
"How is she?"
"She sustained the brunt of the impact, that if Dena had suffered she would not have survived. Jubilee's left leg is broken in two places, there a few cracked ribs, a broken arm, severe bruising and contusions along with the concussion she had." Hank patted Logan's shoulder. "We both have seen her in worse, I have no doubt that she'll pull through brilliantly."
Logan frowned, the sight of his wife battered and broken leaving him trembling with anger. "And will she be able to walk?"
"Yes, our abilities now are extremely sophisticated. Your wife will be fine." Hank studied the angry man for a moment before laying a large hand on his shoulder. "Old friend, be there for your daughter and let us worry about what happened. Dena needs you right now."
The muscles in his back relaxed as Logan heaved a sigh. "We just never get a break do we?"
-in-
Jubilee sat up carefully, dulling the pain in her head and body so that she could swing her legs over the side of the bed. Looking around the room, someone had conveniently left a wheelchair beside the bed from when they took her to get a CAT scan that morning, and without further thought, she pulled out the IV and other tubes connecting her body to the machines beside the bed. Hurling a paff at the machines that were incessantly beeping in alarm, Jubilee managed to half slide, half drop into the chair.
Pausing a few minutes to adjust her skimpy green nightgown into something slightly presentable, she made sure that she was alone in the Med Lab before starting the long and arduous process of wheeling herself down the hall to the Danger Room. Ever since the car had been hit something had bothered Jubilee, nagging at the back of her mind until she couldn't rest. Using her good arm and leg to propel her forward, she reached the Danger Room several minutes later and entered the empty room.
"Computer restrict access to everyone." Jubilee pursed her lips as she thought back to that day. "Recreate simulation of when Dena was on the swing." The bouncing child appeared in midair, swinging wildly from the bungee cords. The instant the cords broke Jubilee froze the program. "Enhance by 100, explain the cords breaking."
The scene zoomed forward and Jubilee could see that the cords had broken cleanly, and hadn't frayed.
**The bungee cords were programmed to break as specified by user.**
"Who?"
**Unknown, new user.**
"Where was the request accessed from?"
**Unknown.**
Frustrated Jubilee muttered a few swear words while she wheeled herself around to look at it from another angle. "Can you at least tell if it came from inside the mansion?"
**The request was logged in off site.**
Jubilee bit her lip thoughtfully and twirled a strand of hair as she thought back to the accident. "Computer, can you recreate what happened at my accident?"
The voice paused, the machine clicking away softly before answering. **Affirmative. There were security cameras at the place where the incident occurred.**
"Replay." The young woman watched with morbid curiosity as she saw the scene unfold, and the bizarre twist as the car lost control and spun so that the side hit was Jubilee's and not Dena's who was on the right side of the car. "Replay but without the car spinning."
Without the spin, the other car slammed into the child's side of the vehicle with a frightening certainty. "Damn." she whispered.
-in-
Wolverine was a patient man. A very patient man. The fact that Sabertooth was still alive could attest to that fact. It was also why his wife hadn't driven him insane yet. He was close, but hadn't reached it yet. Logan looked at Jubilee with a wry grin, oh yeah, she was well on her way to driving him insane.
The fact that she had managed to get out of bed just two days after breaking an arm and a leg, and still remain conscious didn't surprise him. What surprised him was that she had called a meeting with Charles, Emma, Sean, Penny, and Hank and was directing it all from her wheelchair and with no painkillers.
Jubilee dimmed the lights and hit the mouse. "After I reviewed our accident, I checked out what happened in the Danger Room and got worried. Firstly, the accidents, both of them were no accident. In both instances someone was trying to kill Dena. Lucky for her and us that the assailant wasn't able to succeed. But after I found that out I also did some searching and reviewed Dena's history of accidents, most of which we've all had some experience with." Jubilee smiled at the grinning faces around the table.
"In her four years she's managed to escape bodily harm or possible death by barely scraping by. Any and all times that's she's come close to being hurt, something happens to prevent her from coming to harm." As the list after list came up on the screen of Dena's misadventures, comprehension dawned on the faces of the people in the room. "Exactly. I ran the stats through the computer and it popped out with a huge number that the odds of Dena being that lucky by luck is...I think it was something like a billion to one or something."
Hank grinned. "And your hypothesis is that our little miscreant of adventure is actually a mutant with the ability of luck."
"Bingo. Well, sort of I don't think its luck so much as her being able to have things fall into place for her. The car accident is a good example. The ice cream flew of her hand, fell on the road, the tire slipped on it and we spun, thus sending her out of mortal danger. If I had filed that in an insurance agency nobody would have believed me...." Jubilee winced as she suddenly realized that she had yet to tell Rogue about the car. "But that issue is only secondary, first things first I want to find out who and why that person wants my baby dead."
"I gotta admit, that's kinda peaked my curiosity as well." Logan cracked his knuckles as he glanced at his wife. *Ya sure about this Darlin?*
Jubilee's blue eyes were piercing as she stared back at him. *I've spent years caring for Deanna, I know when something's wrong.*
Satisfied, Wolverine looked over at Charles. "You have any ideas?"
"I have to admit, I'm puzzled that Deanna would be singled out for such attacks. As far as we know there have only been two right?"
Penny cocked her head at him. *How many do you need for proof Professor?*
Emma meanwhile, had excused herself and had just returned holding a leather book in her hand. "I think..." she paused, waiting for the room to fall silent. "I think I might have an answer for you Jubilee."
-in-
Jubilee threw down the book exasperated. "No! NO! I refuse to believe this! This is insane."
Emma's face was expressionless as she watched her former pupil. "Destiny's diaries have not been wrong before and we would be stupid to ignore them now."
"NO!! This...this book is ridiculous. This future of war and evil and...and mutants dying because of a civil war is stupid. Julianna is president that isn't going to change."
"It doesn't have to. The diary speaks of a girl, your little girl and my godchild that can stop it. But these attempts on her life prove that someone else has seen this book, and is willing to kill Dena to see that what happens is fulfilled."
Jubilee's voice was full of tears as she saw her child's future being laid out for her. "What? That she dies and then somehow the world falls apart? That mutants become game to be hunted? That we're killed in the streets just for our genetics? My baby is not going to die, now or in the near future."
"Then protect her Jubilee, send her away somewhere safe where no one can touch her and she can grow up to be an adult."
"That's bullshit Emma and you know it. I'll protect my daughter from whatever comes her way."
Emma rose an eyebrow. "Just like you able to protect her earlier this week?" she asked coolly.
"Bitch!" Logan lunged at the woman only to have Hank stop him inches from her neck. "You play around with people's lives like they're your toys. Dena will not be that toy for you. She's our child and we will protect her."
"Then you're the father of dead child. One of these times you won't be there, or won't get there in time, or Dena's mutation...whatever it is will fail. And she will die and thousands of mutants along with her."
Charles held up a hand and sighed. "How long have you had the diary Emma?"
"A decade or so."
"And you chose to tell us now why?"
"I had hoped that the diary would be inaccurate, but the moment I saw Dena I knew. I didn't think the attempts...if there were to be any at all... that it would start so early. I'm so sorry that I didn't let you know before but I wanted you to have a happy time with Dena, unburdened with the future for as much time as possible." The former white queen sat down, tired in her seat, her face lined with age as she shook her head. "Who would want to kill a four year old?"
"A four year old with the ability to destroy some person's long laid plans. Someone who appears to be very determined. Jubilee, Logan, for the sake of your child I suggest we come up with a plan of action."
"Indeed, until we can get better security measures in place, we'll need to be vigilant in our combined efforts to protect our young companion." Hank tapped the table thoughtfully, chewing on his glasses unconsciously as he pondered the problem.
Penny moved over to Jubilee and cradled the woman's head in her arms. *Penny has an idea.*
-in-
A day later...
In a deserted cabin on the edge of the mansion's property two people sat silently as Logan cradled his child in his arms, telling her a story.
"So the brave prince and the beautiful Chinese princess got married, defeating the evil witch who had wanted them in her castle."
"Did they happily ever after?" Dena mumbled sleepily.
"Oh and how! The prince and princess were so in love that they had a baby, a little girl called Deanna. She was so beautiful that the whole country rejoiced and they spent many years living in peace and happiness."
"S'good."
"But one day they learned that an evil sorceress was after their daughter."
"Was she real bad Daddy?"
"So bad, that she wanted to snatch her away from her parents and lock her up in her castle."
Dena's mouth formed a little "o" as she nestled up against him.
"Her parents loved her so much that they knew they couldn't protect her all by themselves, so they decided to send her away to a place where no one could ever harm her again. A magic kingdom, safe from all of the bad things the sorceress could do."
"All by herself?"
"No of course not, they sent with her the very bestest person they could find, her nanny who would watch and protect her."
"Why not her Mommy and Daddy?"
"To keep the bad sorceress from getting suspicious and looking for the princess, they would pretend that their little girl was still with them, so that the witch would be fooled. Wasn't that smart?"
"Uh-huh."
"So the little girl grew up in to a beautiful lady and was able to return to her mother and father where they vanquished the bad lady into a big puddle of mush. The End!"
Logan finished to story with a soft kiss to Dena's cheek and handed her to Jubilee, who smiled at her lovingly. "Hey baby."
"Momma?"
"Just remember that I love you no matter what." Jubilee gently kissed her daughter's eyelids closed. "Now close your eyes for me." With a painful grimace on her face, she put her daughter to sleep, holding the child close against her body. Glancing once at Penance, she looked up at the sky and with tears streaming down her face called out. "Gateway! Gateway! I need you."
A slight pop burst in the air and Gateway appeared, smiling at her sadly as if he knew her request.
"I need you to take my baby someplace safe from harm, where no will hurt her. Will you?"
He nodded, and opened a portal in the middle of the room indicating that he was ready when they were.
Jubilee turned to Penny and handed Deanna's slumbering form to her. "You have everything you need?"
"I have the image inducers, and everything else you gave me. We will be safe, old friend." Penny's voice was rough, new from the procedure that Hank had done that afternoon.
"Then you have my life in your hands Penny. Thank you for this."
Logan took one last whiff of his daughter. "Be well sweetie."
With her hand clutched in Logan's Jubilee performed the one last act of love for her daughter, she methodically blocked off any and all memories of her life before that moment. When the last block was in place she kissed her child's forehead and nodded to Penny. Before anything else was said the woman ducked into the portal with the child, having it close behind her, leaving Logan and Jubilee very much alone in a world that had once seemed bright.
-in-
A/N: Everybody gets to guess who Dena grows up to be...come on...you all know who it is...mysterious past....anyway, whoever guesses it right will get a gold star! :) And for those curious..this is far from the end! And for those curious...the computer speech is surrounded by ** and isn't telepathy...Forge is good, but not that good!
Graduation:
3
Hank brushed Jubilee's hair back softly, his expert hand gently probing the bruised and swollen flesh around her eyes. She had been floating in and out of consciousness for the past two days, her injuries forcing her awake from the pain every few hours or so.
"How is she?"
"She sustained the brunt of the impact, that if Dena had suffered she would not have survived. Jubilee's left leg is broken in two places, there a few cracked ribs, a broken arm, severe bruising and contusions along with the concussion she had." Hank patted Logan's shoulder. "We both have seen her in worse, I have no doubt that she'll pull through brilliantly."
Logan frowned, the sight of his wife battered and broken leaving him trembling with anger. "And will she be able to walk?"
"Yes, our abilities now are extremely sophisticated. Your wife will be fine." Hank studied the angry man for a moment before laying a large hand on his shoulder. "Old friend, be there for your daughter and let us worry about what happened. Dena needs you right now."
The muscles in his back relaxed as Logan heaved a sigh. "We just never get a break do we?"
-in-
Jubilee sat up carefully, dulling the pain in her head and body so that she could swing her legs over the side of the bed. Looking around the room, someone had conveniently left a wheelchair beside the bed from when they took her to get a CAT scan that morning, and without further thought, she pulled out the IV and other tubes connecting her body to the machines beside the bed. Hurling a paff at the machines that were incessantly beeping in alarm, Jubilee managed to half slide, half drop into the chair.
Pausing a few minutes to adjust her skimpy green nightgown into something slightly presentable, she made sure that she was alone in the Med Lab before starting the long and arduous process of wheeling herself down the hall to the Danger Room. Ever since the car had been hit something had bothered Jubilee, nagging at the back of her mind until she couldn't rest. Using her good arm and leg to propel her forward, she reached the Danger Room several minutes later and entered the empty room.
"Computer restrict access to everyone." Jubilee pursed her lips as she thought back to that day. "Recreate simulation of when Dena was on the swing." The bouncing child appeared in midair, swinging wildly from the bungee cords. The instant the cords broke Jubilee froze the program. "Enhance by 100, explain the cords breaking."
The scene zoomed forward and Jubilee could see that the cords had broken cleanly, and hadn't frayed.
**The bungee cords were programmed to break as specified by user.**
"Who?"
**Unknown, new user.**
"Where was the request accessed from?"
**Unknown.**
Frustrated Jubilee muttered a few swear words while she wheeled herself around to look at it from another angle. "Can you at least tell if it came from inside the mansion?"
**The request was logged in off site.**
Jubilee bit her lip thoughtfully and twirled a strand of hair as she thought back to the accident. "Computer, can you recreate what happened at my accident?"
The voice paused, the machine clicking away softly before answering. **Affirmative. There were security cameras at the place where the incident occurred.**
"Replay." The young woman watched with morbid curiosity as she saw the scene unfold, and the bizarre twist as the car lost control and spun so that the side hit was Jubilee's and not Dena's who was on the right side of the car. "Replay but without the car spinning."
Without the spin, the other car slammed into the child's side of the vehicle with a frightening certainty. "Damn." she whispered.
-in-
Wolverine was a patient man. A very patient man. The fact that Sabertooth was still alive could attest to that fact. It was also why his wife hadn't driven him insane yet. He was close, but hadn't reached it yet. Logan looked at Jubilee with a wry grin, oh yeah, she was well on her way to driving him insane.
The fact that she had managed to get out of bed just two days after breaking an arm and a leg, and still remain conscious didn't surprise him. What surprised him was that she had called a meeting with Charles, Emma, Sean, Penny, and Hank and was directing it all from her wheelchair and with no painkillers.
Jubilee dimmed the lights and hit the mouse. "After I reviewed our accident, I checked out what happened in the Danger Room and got worried. Firstly, the accidents, both of them were no accident. In both instances someone was trying to kill Dena. Lucky for her and us that the assailant wasn't able to succeed. But after I found that out I also did some searching and reviewed Dena's history of accidents, most of which we've all had some experience with." Jubilee smiled at the grinning faces around the table.
"In her four years she's managed to escape bodily harm or possible death by barely scraping by. Any and all times that's she's come close to being hurt, something happens to prevent her from coming to harm." As the list after list came up on the screen of Dena's misadventures, comprehension dawned on the faces of the people in the room. "Exactly. I ran the stats through the computer and it popped out with a huge number that the odds of Dena being that lucky by luck is...I think it was something like a billion to one or something."
Hank grinned. "And your hypothesis is that our little miscreant of adventure is actually a mutant with the ability of luck."
"Bingo. Well, sort of I don't think its luck so much as her being able to have things fall into place for her. The car accident is a good example. The ice cream flew of her hand, fell on the road, the tire slipped on it and we spun, thus sending her out of mortal danger. If I had filed that in an insurance agency nobody would have believed me...." Jubilee winced as she suddenly realized that she had yet to tell Rogue about the car. "But that issue is only secondary, first things first I want to find out who and why that person wants my baby dead."
"I gotta admit, that's kinda peaked my curiosity as well." Logan cracked his knuckles as he glanced at his wife. *Ya sure about this Darlin?*
Jubilee's blue eyes were piercing as she stared back at him. *I've spent years caring for Deanna, I know when something's wrong.*
Satisfied, Wolverine looked over at Charles. "You have any ideas?"
"I have to admit, I'm puzzled that Deanna would be singled out for such attacks. As far as we know there have only been two right?"
Penny cocked her head at him. *How many do you need for proof Professor?*
Emma meanwhile, had excused herself and had just returned holding a leather book in her hand. "I think..." she paused, waiting for the room to fall silent. "I think I might have an answer for you Jubilee."
-in-
Jubilee threw down the book exasperated. "No! NO! I refuse to believe this! This is insane."
Emma's face was expressionless as she watched her former pupil. "Destiny's diaries have not been wrong before and we would be stupid to ignore them now."
"NO!! This...this book is ridiculous. This future of war and evil and...and mutants dying because of a civil war is stupid. Julianna is president that isn't going to change."
"It doesn't have to. The diary speaks of a girl, your little girl and my godchild that can stop it. But these attempts on her life prove that someone else has seen this book, and is willing to kill Dena to see that what happens is fulfilled."
Jubilee's voice was full of tears as she saw her child's future being laid out for her. "What? That she dies and then somehow the world falls apart? That mutants become game to be hunted? That we're killed in the streets just for our genetics? My baby is not going to die, now or in the near future."
"Then protect her Jubilee, send her away somewhere safe where no one can touch her and she can grow up to be an adult."
"That's bullshit Emma and you know it. I'll protect my daughter from whatever comes her way."
Emma rose an eyebrow. "Just like you able to protect her earlier this week?" she asked coolly.
"Bitch!" Logan lunged at the woman only to have Hank stop him inches from her neck. "You play around with people's lives like they're your toys. Dena will not be that toy for you. She's our child and we will protect her."
"Then you're the father of dead child. One of these times you won't be there, or won't get there in time, or Dena's mutation...whatever it is will fail. And she will die and thousands of mutants along with her."
Charles held up a hand and sighed. "How long have you had the diary Emma?"
"A decade or so."
"And you chose to tell us now why?"
"I had hoped that the diary would be inaccurate, but the moment I saw Dena I knew. I didn't think the attempts...if there were to be any at all... that it would start so early. I'm so sorry that I didn't let you know before but I wanted you to have a happy time with Dena, unburdened with the future for as much time as possible." The former white queen sat down, tired in her seat, her face lined with age as she shook her head. "Who would want to kill a four year old?"
"A four year old with the ability to destroy some person's long laid plans. Someone who appears to be very determined. Jubilee, Logan, for the sake of your child I suggest we come up with a plan of action."
"Indeed, until we can get better security measures in place, we'll need to be vigilant in our combined efforts to protect our young companion." Hank tapped the table thoughtfully, chewing on his glasses unconsciously as he pondered the problem.
Penny moved over to Jubilee and cradled the woman's head in her arms. *Penny has an idea.*
-in-
A day later...
In a deserted cabin on the edge of the mansion's property two people sat silently as Logan cradled his child in his arms, telling her a story.
"So the brave prince and the beautiful Chinese princess got married, defeating the evil witch who had wanted them in her castle."
"Did they happily ever after?" Dena mumbled sleepily.
"Oh and how! The prince and princess were so in love that they had a baby, a little girl called Deanna. She was so beautiful that the whole country rejoiced and they spent many years living in peace and happiness."
"S'good."
"But one day they learned that an evil sorceress was after their daughter."
"Was she real bad Daddy?"
"So bad, that she wanted to snatch her away from her parents and lock her up in her castle."
Dena's mouth formed a little "o" as she nestled up against him.
"Her parents loved her so much that they knew they couldn't protect her all by themselves, so they decided to send her away to a place where no one could ever harm her again. A magic kingdom, safe from all of the bad things the sorceress could do."
"All by herself?"
"No of course not, they sent with her the very bestest person they could find, her nanny who would watch and protect her."
"Why not her Mommy and Daddy?"
"To keep the bad sorceress from getting suspicious and looking for the princess, they would pretend that their little girl was still with them, so that the witch would be fooled. Wasn't that smart?"
"Uh-huh."
"So the little girl grew up in to a beautiful lady and was able to return to her mother and father where they vanquished the bad lady into a big puddle of mush. The End!"
Logan finished to story with a soft kiss to Dena's cheek and handed her to Jubilee, who smiled at her lovingly. "Hey baby."
"Momma?"
"Just remember that I love you no matter what." Jubilee gently kissed her daughter's eyelids closed. "Now close your eyes for me." With a painful grimace on her face, she put her daughter to sleep, holding the child close against her body. Glancing once at Penance, she looked up at the sky and with tears streaming down her face called out. "Gateway! Gateway! I need you."
A slight pop burst in the air and Gateway appeared, smiling at her sadly as if he knew her request.
"I need you to take my baby someplace safe from harm, where no will hurt her. Will you?"
He nodded, and opened a portal in the middle of the room indicating that he was ready when they were.
Jubilee turned to Penny and handed Deanna's slumbering form to her. "You have everything you need?"
"I have the image inducers, and everything else you gave me. We will be safe, old friend." Penny's voice was rough, new from the procedure that Hank had done that afternoon.
"Then you have my life in your hands Penny. Thank you for this."
Logan took one last whiff of his daughter. "Be well sweetie."
With her hand clutched in Logan's Jubilee performed the one last act of love for her daughter, she methodically blocked off any and all memories of her life before that moment. When the last block was in place she kissed her child's forehead and nodded to Penny. Before anything else was said the woman ducked into the portal with the child, having it close behind her, leaving Logan and Jubilee very much alone in a world that had once seemed bright.
-in-