Disclaimer: We all know I don't own the characters right? Right?

A/N: The song is something my twisted friends from boarding school used to sing when they were bored..usually when it was 5 am and on the weekend.

Chapter 4: The color of platinum

"Good morning Mr. Sun!"

Bounce Bounce

"The day has just begun!"

Bounce

"Get out bed you sleepy-head!"

Bounce Bounce Bounce

"It's time for some fun!"

Off key and shrill singing dragged the slumbering girl from the land of Nod to the land of the living dead. Monet groaned, trying to think if she had suddenly died and ended up in some hell that she had forgotten about. A hell that bounced on her bed. Cracking one eye open, she found Jubilee grinning at her about two inches away from her face. "That explains the bed moving." she muttered to herself, allowing Jubilee to pull her covers off. "What do you want?"

"We are shopping today. Emma forgot one of her credit cards and I found out that there's a huge limit. Hence, shopping. And then I thought, who is a good person to go shopping with? M."

"Lucky me. Can't you find someone else with super strength?" Monet tried to look at her alarm clock but couldn't see around the bouncing 16 year old.

Jubilee paused mid-bounce and frowned. "Stamina is good but I wanted you to come because you're fun to be around. Fun. Really." She added as M's raised eyebrow spoke volumes.

"Fine. what time do you want to leave?" Monet got up, and stretched accidentally displacing Jubilee who landed on the bed with a thud.

"I wanted to leave at six but you took forever to wake up. How about in half an hour?" Jubilee skipped out of the room, leaving M in a sudden calm. Monet could hear her thudding down the stairs yelling at Sean for the keys to the jeep, and without pausing to consider the ethics of the situation, continued to eavesdrop on the girl as she ran into Angelo.

"Where ya going Jubecita?"

"Mall with M."

"Lose a bet or you just like being miserable?" Monet winced but didn't withdraw, getting dressed rather absently.

"I like her, a lot."

Angelo laughed sarcastically. "You've never liked each other."

"She may have not been my favorite person when we first met. She's a good friend, Ange. You should give her a chance."

"If you two haven't killed each other by the end of today I will. Need some company?"

"Nope, I just kinda wanted it to be me and M."

Monet finished dressing with a smile tugging at her lips, who knew a hyperactive mall rat could make her smile?

-in-

"Exactly how are you planning to justify this when Emma finds out about this?" Monet carefully sipped something called a _Mocha Java Double Expresso Freeze Special, recommended by Jubilee and handed over by a dubious server.

Jubilee chugged the last of her drink and tossed the empty cup into the trash. "We have been severely traumatized by the absence of our beloved head-mistress, suffering from separation anxiety we sought solace in the mall to fill some of the empty, aching void that Emma tore from our very souls by her desertion of her duty and charges."

Monet looked impressed. "And you get C's in school?"

Shrugging modestly, Jubilee shifted her bags slightly. "It's mostly from watching way too many episodes of Ally McBeal and over bearing social workers. And Jerry."

"Sure."

"Okay, I used to listen in on my parent's lawyer a lot. He was a truly skeezy individual, but very interesting to watch."

"Apparently. So, what next?" Monet watched Jubilee's eyes glaze over, a sign she was beginning to recognize as the start of some idea that would either end up in Gen X legends or detention.

-in-

When: Two hours later

Where: A private concord jet

"Do I even want to know where we are going?" Monet asked distractedly, as she sipped sparkling apple juice.

"We are going to Paris. Fashion capital of the world and home of some of the best jeans in the universe. I need some serious over-priced clothing shopping while people fawn over my every whim and need."

Monet shrugged. "I think it gets boring after a while."

Jubilee grinned evilly. "You forget you're talking to a former little rich girl. You just were never doing it right."

-in-

It wasn't much later that Monet watched in amusement as Jubilee swept into an expensive designer shop with an aura that just dripped money. Gone was the carefree Californian blader, and instead Jubilee was literally transformed into a self-assured woman. It would have worried her if she hadn't seen Jubilee give her a tiny wink, before sighing loudly.

"Madamoiselle, what may we do for you?"

"Oh nothing, it's just that I'm just parched. Could I have a glass of orange juice, no pulp, and a bottle of sparkling water for my friend here."

The aforementioned items materialized within moments only to have Jubilee shake her head disparagingly. "That is Florida orange juice. I can drink nothing but Californian."

Five different glasses were brought out, but were each dismissed. ("There's a speck.", "I said no pulp, why is there pulp in here?", "Her mineral water requires a certain percentage of iron. She can't drink this." "What did you do? Put metal shavings in this water?" "I can only drink from a hand-blown glass. Otherwise it's perfect.") It wasn't long before the once slightly pompous women in the shop were tired, angry and ready to kill the girl.

Jubilee got rid of the women finally, and the two teenagers spent a happy half and hour trying on the latest jeans. Monet came out her cubicle and twirled for Jubilee. The younger woman grinned at the image, and ran her hands down M's hips as if she was checking the fit. To M it felt more like a caress and she could feel a goose bumps trail where Jubilee's path.

"How does it look?" Monet's voice was strangely hoarse. "I don't really wear jeans that often."

"No kidding." Taking one last look, Jubilee motioned for one of the assistants to bring her a gauzy shirt that she had been eyeing earlier. "This and that would go great together. Feel like taking a trip on the wild side and buying some actual jeans?"

"Why not?" Monet twirled in the mirror, ignoring the sharp stab of hurt at Jubilee's words.

Suppressing a sigh, Jubilee regarded the older teenager in front of her. Perhaps it was because their relationship had grown, or perhaps it was because Jubilee's powers were getting stronger, or even just a feeling born of empathy but Jubilee realized the sting of the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. The once stoic image of Monet had been replaced with a rather sensitive girl who took things to heart. Giving the girl a playful bump on the hip, Jubilee smiled apologetically. "It wasn't a dig M, just a simple comment. How many jeans are currently in your closet?"

"One...do slacks count?"

"My point exactly. Now, what do you want to do after we've bought everything possible here? I'm starved."

Monet brightened considerably. "I know of fabulous restaurant just a couple of streets down."

Jubilee tried to smile but failed miserably. "I was kind of hoping you knew if there was a McDonalds around somewhere."

The grin on Monet's face spread, and she waved the assistants to ring up the clothes. "If I can buy jeans for you, you can eat actual food for me."

-in-

"It's gross and it wiggles. Are you sure there aren't any burgers on the menu?"

"Don't worry, I ordered the fois gras. You get the salmon."

A fork trembled for a moment, hovering above a nameless vegetable. "I don't see any fish."

Monet resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. "It's just a mousse appetizer. Fish will be coming next."

Jubilee shot her a look. "Doesn't it bother you that you're eating from an animal that's been forced fed it's entire life by shoving a hard metal tube down it's throat and pumping its stomach full of cornmeal?"

"Does it bother you that you eat a breakfast cereal made entirely from chemicals and five different types of refined sugar?"

"At least my food doesn't involve cruelty to a harmless animal." Jubilee shot back, spearing an asparagus stalk.

"Says the girl who manages to slowly poison her body with the crap you eat daily." Monet sipped a glass of sparkling cider. "I'm surprised you haven't started glowing neon by now."

Their conversation was cut short by a call from Sean who informed then that just a few streets down there was a 'situation' taking place. Monet shut off her phone and smiled wanly at Jubilee. "Ready to go save the day for no pay, no appreciation and a world of hurt?"

"A world of hurt for the baddie M," Jubilee admonished lightly. "We kick bad-guy ass for fun, and the knowledge that someday we are going to get a final nyah to everyone."

"You promise?"

Jubilee grabbed her arm as they hurried outside. "I garuntee it." She assured the older girl in her best Remy accent.

-in-

Several hours later

Academy

"He wanted to take over the world?" Sean paused mid-dab as he disinfected one of several cuts on Jubilee's face and back.

"With an...ow....French accent...ow.. no less."

"That still dinnae explain why he wanted to blow up the Eiffel tower," Sean rewound the video tape that the news had shot on the whole fiasco. "Or the outfit."

Jubilee snickered between her ouches. "He said that the Eiffel tower was an alien telecommunication device invented to transmit our brain waves for them to feed off of and learn our secrets. The purple pyramid on his head was to prevent the aforementioned sucking of brains."

"An' that's when Monet hit him?"

"I blinded him, but we were afraid that one of my sparks might set off some of the weirdo gadgets in his hand so she decked him. Some of the doodads exploded anyway, hence the cuts and bruises."

Sean prodded a particularly ugly welt that was beginning to form a dark shade of crimson. "Aye, it looks a lot worse than it actually is though. We'll have ya take it easy for a few days. Have ya seen Monet around? She just dropped you off here and left."

Jubilee blinked, a little surprised. She had felt the anger of Monet almost as soon as the girl had dropped her off in the Med Lab, it's darkness washing the surrounding area like a turbulent sea. "She's in the Danger Room, but she's a little angry right now. Maybe we should wait."

"I need to know if she's been hurt or not." Sean insisted stubbornly.

Sighing, Jubilee jumped off the bed and waved off Sean who was looking concerned. "I'll talk to her and see if she's alright and then I'll go to bed. Trust me," she added when he kept on moving towards her. "she's pissed and she'll tear apart anyone who walks in there."

Already knowing the answer, Sean asked the question anyway. "What makes ye think the lass won't hurt you?"

"She just won't." She was self-assured and calm, an attitude Sean had seen Jubilee assume several times before. It was when she was with Monet on the practice field, and when Wolverine was at his most feral. There was something about the girl that touched these lonesome souls, something that yearned out to be protected, and watched over. Sean shook his head, it was more than that. Perhaps it was an acceptance of who they were, having seen the very worst and still remaining by their side. Whatever it was, Sean was glad that Jubilee was there. He was afraid that after Everett's death he would lose Monet to grief and later anger. In the past few weeks Jubilee had managed to circumvent those defenses and touch a side of Monet that he was sure few, if any had ever seen.

Instead of voicing his thoughts, Sean merely nodded. "Fine, be careful."

Jubilee agreed, although the tone of her voice suggested that the very thought was ridiculous. It wasn't much later that she made her way to the Danger Room, the floor shaking with intermittent thuds as she got closer to the shut doors.

Keying in the access code, Jubilee walked in to a gym sequence. It must have been one of the Shi'ar's original training programs because a variety of aliens worked out around the floor. It took her awhile to find the girl amid the creatures exercising, and walked up to her as she pounded a punching bag that had been modified to withstand the blows being rained upon the leather.

"You know Wolvie likes to kick Sabretooth's ass when he's pissed off. Would you prefer that better to pounding a defenseless bag?" Jubilee commented lightly as she leaned against a piece of equipment that looked like a cross between a charley horse and a trampoline.

"I'm fine." Sweat trickled down Monet's back. "Better the bag than someone's head."

Jubilee threw up her hands in exasperation. "Fine. I get it. You are angry. Very angry at someone or something apparently. Who is it? Sean, Emma, Ev?"

"I'm angry at you." Monet muttered under her breath as she continued to pummel the bag. "How could you have been so careless? I told you I had the situation under control, there was no reason for you to even get into the line of fire. None."

"If you are really angry at me then be angry at me." Jubilee stepped up the bag and shoved it out of the way to stand directly in Monet's path. "Don't torture the bag, hit me. Trust me, no matter what you, or Sean or the professor might think , I can take it."

"I don't want to hit you."

"That's never stopped you before. I understand you're angry, I even understand why you might be angry at me but at least take responsibility for your feelings. Hit. Me."

Monet laughed hollowly, as if she sure that there was something infinitely funny about the whole situation, she just couldn't find it. "I'd crush you."

Despite her eye already starting to swell, Jubilee narrowed her eyes. "Ah yes, the great and powerful M would just make me eat dust. As I recall we never did prove that did we? We were interrupted."

"You just be glad that Sean showed up when he did." Monet said a tad smugly.

"No M, you lucked out." Jubilee said seriously. "I was angry enough to do some major damage to you."

"I'm still not going to hit you."

"Fine." Jubilee shrugged as a blast of plasma exploded from her hands. "Then I'm going to hit you."

-in-

A/N: Am I going to be this cruel and leave you with a cliffhanger? Yes I am for the sole reason that I rarely ever do. Reviews are loved and appreciated. I got tired of the whole lovey dovey crap that I was doling out and wanted to bring back the whole antagonism thing that we love about M and Jubes in the first place. Let me know what you thought.