I haven't gotten so much praise on a story in soooo long. I'm so sorry that this took so long-I had it done, but life just got in the way.
AGH! Dinner is burning!
Enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jubilee smiled, finally at ease, stretching contently in the hot water. The last unused claw foot bathtub was in her room-the room that had remained untouched since she'd left. She sunk to her chin, savoring the warmth on her bruises as her eyes slid closed.
"Jubilee?" Victor peeked around the door. "What are you doing, right at the moment?"
"I'm relaxing and not moving." She said in a tired tone. "Want to join me?"
"Tub's too small."
"Vic." She playfully scolded him, opening her eyes. "In or Out-You're letting in the cold air."
He stepped inside the bathroom, pulling a stool from the corner of the room and sitting down next to the tub.
"I hate that soap." He pushed her bangs aside with his finger.
"Why? It's lilac." She frowned a bit, raising her hand and blowing the suds over the water.
"Exactly. It covers you up. I can hardly smell you under it."
"Is my smell that important?"
"Radiance mingles completely with the carnal scent, Precious." He traced the curve of her cheek with his finger. "I don't think you understand how amazing I believe you are."
"You're certainly not going to let me forget, are you?" She inquired, reaching up to take his hand.
"Not for as long as I Live." He nodded, holding her hand gently. He stroked her knuckles.
Jubilee smiled genuinely, her heart melting. "Thank you, Victor."
He kissed her hand, standing up and leaving the room quietly.
Jubilee sunk back into the water, considering herself lucky. She'd seen this man destroy lives-disaster practically fell in the wake of his step, and here he was; taking care of her. Someone to love her the way love had avoided her all along. She was slipping into bliss as the door opened again.
"Forget something?" She asked, her eyes still closed.
"Not exactly."
She looked up. Jean Grey stood in the doorway, her hands nervously in her sweatshirt pockets.
~*~*~
Victor sat down at the table, pressing his face into his hands.
"You alright?" Logan didn't exactly look or sound concerned, but strolled into the kitchen despite it, opening the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water.
"Aside from lack of sleep." He didn't even care anymore who Wolverine had been, or what they had been so caught in fighting about. "Jubilee hasn't slept through a single night since...and I hate to think I'll go to sleep and she'll have to be alone how she is if she does wake up."
"Rogue has that problem." Logan sat down across from him. "If she sleeps with her head over my heartbeat, it calms her down. Let's her get a full night's sleep. Jubilee used to do that when chuck first took her in; have nightmares about being caught, about her parents. She used to stay with Hank like that-He's the one who gave me the tip in the first place."
A subtle flare of jealously at the reference rolled through his chest as he nodded-If nothing else had helped, then this couldn't hurt her.
"Ya know, I do appreciate all you've done for her." Logan said after a moment of awkward silence. "Takin' care of her and all that. It's not what any of us expected."
"I know." Victor hadn't been surprised that no one wanted her to leave with him; he wasn't exactly a friend to the X-Men, especially Wolverine, but man or beast, things change. "I wouldn't hurt her. I would rather have not ever existed then know that I'd hurt her."
Logan chuckled, taking a swig from his bottle.
"Women are something, aren't they?" He asked, looking over his shoulder as Rogue peeked into the room. He'd smelt her there all along, but she was a sucker for a good change of heart. "Maybe if they ruled the world, we wouldn't have so many problems."
"Amen."
~*~*~
"Hello Ms. Grey." Jubilee's eyes took a stone cast, her voice on the far edge of civil.
"Jubilee, I just wanted to say that I was sorry." She closed the door, leaning against it. "I jumped to the conclusion that Sabretooth-"
"Victor." Jubilee softened the extremity in her tone; she making an attempt. "His name is Victor."
"I expected him to hurt you; to have some corrupt motive behind this sudden change." Jean shook her head. "I'm sorry. I was only thinking of your safety...I would have never thought that Victor Creed would be so protective." She watched her, sinking to the floor,exasperated in the wash of her unreadable silence. "Please Jubilee. Say something."
She looked up at the woman, her eyes softer. "All I ever wanted from any of you was to trust my judgment. Did you really think I would have run off with someone who'd proven himself an enemy without knowing in my heart that he had changed?"
"I know you think you know things, Jubilee, But everyone's been deceived. And Sabreto-" She stopped, biting her lip. "Mr. Creed has proven himself quite the master of disguise in the past."
"If he had wanted to strike, he would have by now. He had months of time alone with me before we left, and time on the road in the dark after." Jubilee seemed to really be considering the fact, as if she hadn't thought about it before. Her voice became thicker. "Or he would have let them kill me."
She sat up suddenly, draining the tub and grabbing her towel as Jean looked away. She briefly dried off, wrapping the large soft pastel yellow towel around her, before climbing out and kneeling in front of her on the floor.
"Jubilee, I'm sorry I doubted what you wanted." Jean said carefully. attempting to catch her eyes. Jubilee stared at her hands clasped in her lap, visually unreadable. "And I'm sorry that...what happened, happened." She cautiously reached out to tip Jubilee's face up to meet hers. "And I wish it wouldn't have, but what really matters is that when we couldn't get to you, you had someone to take care of you." Jean let her mind open in it's most minimal force-Jubilee was projecting so many mixed emotions. "It's good to have you home, for however long you choose to stay here."
Jubilee inched forward, hugging her tightly. Jean held her close, the younger girl shaking at alarming levels.
"It's okay, Jubilee. It's okay." She felt her sob, and gently looked into her mind. It was all hitting her at once; how strong her feelings were to be with him, to protect him and know that they would be safe together, the bruises that covered her in a dull ache, and her need to know she was loved.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Jubilee pulled away, wiping her face in rapid, ashamed gestures. "I really am."
"It's fine." Jean took her hand, smiling. "It is."
The door inched open behind Jean's back.
"Precious?"
"I'm okay, Vic." Jubilee called, sniffing gently. "Everything's fine. I'll meet you in a few minutes in the basement, okay?"
"So long as you're sure, Jubilee.
"I am."
Jean looked over her shoulder at the open door, smiling. There was such Protective urgency in his voice-the defensive projections didn't even have to be floating around Jubilee to know the gentle possession that reached out from either of them.
"I didn't come in here to make you upset." Jean sighed, patting her cheek. "I'm going to be in my room for the rest of the night, avoiding a migraine. If you want to talk to me, you know where to find me."
Jubilee nodded, watching the older woman rise, quietly slipping out of the bathroom door. She shifted, pulling her knees to her chest, the giant towel dropping around her legs. Wiping the last of the relieved tears from her face, she felt some of the pressure in her chest rise away.
~*~*~
Jean excused herself, stepping aside as Victor gently knocked on the door's molding.
"Jubilee?"
"Yeah, Vic?" Her voice was light and tired.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
The door was pushed open, Jubilee's hand against the wood. He hated to see her sitting on the floor like that; with her knees drawn up like she had to close herself off to everything around her. She looked too small, too fragile to be so strong as she was. The pang to reach out and hold her was pulsing through him again.
"You were right-everything's going to be fine." She gave him a small, sweet smile.
He crouched, scooping her up in his arms.
"Of course, Precious. I promised you that it would be alright, didn't I?"
"Yeah." She smiled, sliding her arms around his neck and her hands through his hair. "You did."
Victor kissed her gently, stepping into her room and shutting the door behind them.
AGH! Dinner is burning!
Enjoy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jubilee smiled, finally at ease, stretching contently in the hot water. The last unused claw foot bathtub was in her room-the room that had remained untouched since she'd left. She sunk to her chin, savoring the warmth on her bruises as her eyes slid closed.
"Jubilee?" Victor peeked around the door. "What are you doing, right at the moment?"
"I'm relaxing and not moving." She said in a tired tone. "Want to join me?"
"Tub's too small."
"Vic." She playfully scolded him, opening her eyes. "In or Out-You're letting in the cold air."
He stepped inside the bathroom, pulling a stool from the corner of the room and sitting down next to the tub.
"I hate that soap." He pushed her bangs aside with his finger.
"Why? It's lilac." She frowned a bit, raising her hand and blowing the suds over the water.
"Exactly. It covers you up. I can hardly smell you under it."
"Is my smell that important?"
"Radiance mingles completely with the carnal scent, Precious." He traced the curve of her cheek with his finger. "I don't think you understand how amazing I believe you are."
"You're certainly not going to let me forget, are you?" She inquired, reaching up to take his hand.
"Not for as long as I Live." He nodded, holding her hand gently. He stroked her knuckles.
Jubilee smiled genuinely, her heart melting. "Thank you, Victor."
He kissed her hand, standing up and leaving the room quietly.
Jubilee sunk back into the water, considering herself lucky. She'd seen this man destroy lives-disaster practically fell in the wake of his step, and here he was; taking care of her. Someone to love her the way love had avoided her all along. She was slipping into bliss as the door opened again.
"Forget something?" She asked, her eyes still closed.
"Not exactly."
She looked up. Jean Grey stood in the doorway, her hands nervously in her sweatshirt pockets.
~*~*~
Victor sat down at the table, pressing his face into his hands.
"You alright?" Logan didn't exactly look or sound concerned, but strolled into the kitchen despite it, opening the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water.
"Aside from lack of sleep." He didn't even care anymore who Wolverine had been, or what they had been so caught in fighting about. "Jubilee hasn't slept through a single night since...and I hate to think I'll go to sleep and she'll have to be alone how she is if she does wake up."
"Rogue has that problem." Logan sat down across from him. "If she sleeps with her head over my heartbeat, it calms her down. Let's her get a full night's sleep. Jubilee used to do that when chuck first took her in; have nightmares about being caught, about her parents. She used to stay with Hank like that-He's the one who gave me the tip in the first place."
A subtle flare of jealously at the reference rolled through his chest as he nodded-If nothing else had helped, then this couldn't hurt her.
"Ya know, I do appreciate all you've done for her." Logan said after a moment of awkward silence. "Takin' care of her and all that. It's not what any of us expected."
"I know." Victor hadn't been surprised that no one wanted her to leave with him; he wasn't exactly a friend to the X-Men, especially Wolverine, but man or beast, things change. "I wouldn't hurt her. I would rather have not ever existed then know that I'd hurt her."
Logan chuckled, taking a swig from his bottle.
"Women are something, aren't they?" He asked, looking over his shoulder as Rogue peeked into the room. He'd smelt her there all along, but she was a sucker for a good change of heart. "Maybe if they ruled the world, we wouldn't have so many problems."
"Amen."
~*~*~
"Hello Ms. Grey." Jubilee's eyes took a stone cast, her voice on the far edge of civil.
"Jubilee, I just wanted to say that I was sorry." She closed the door, leaning against it. "I jumped to the conclusion that Sabretooth-"
"Victor." Jubilee softened the extremity in her tone; she making an attempt. "His name is Victor."
"I expected him to hurt you; to have some corrupt motive behind this sudden change." Jean shook her head. "I'm sorry. I was only thinking of your safety...I would have never thought that Victor Creed would be so protective." She watched her, sinking to the floor,exasperated in the wash of her unreadable silence. "Please Jubilee. Say something."
She looked up at the woman, her eyes softer. "All I ever wanted from any of you was to trust my judgment. Did you really think I would have run off with someone who'd proven himself an enemy without knowing in my heart that he had changed?"
"I know you think you know things, Jubilee, But everyone's been deceived. And Sabreto-" She stopped, biting her lip. "Mr. Creed has proven himself quite the master of disguise in the past."
"If he had wanted to strike, he would have by now. He had months of time alone with me before we left, and time on the road in the dark after." Jubilee seemed to really be considering the fact, as if she hadn't thought about it before. Her voice became thicker. "Or he would have let them kill me."
She sat up suddenly, draining the tub and grabbing her towel as Jean looked away. She briefly dried off, wrapping the large soft pastel yellow towel around her, before climbing out and kneeling in front of her on the floor.
"Jubilee, I'm sorry I doubted what you wanted." Jean said carefully. attempting to catch her eyes. Jubilee stared at her hands clasped in her lap, visually unreadable. "And I'm sorry that...what happened, happened." She cautiously reached out to tip Jubilee's face up to meet hers. "And I wish it wouldn't have, but what really matters is that when we couldn't get to you, you had someone to take care of you." Jean let her mind open in it's most minimal force-Jubilee was projecting so many mixed emotions. "It's good to have you home, for however long you choose to stay here."
Jubilee inched forward, hugging her tightly. Jean held her close, the younger girl shaking at alarming levels.
"It's okay, Jubilee. It's okay." She felt her sob, and gently looked into her mind. It was all hitting her at once; how strong her feelings were to be with him, to protect him and know that they would be safe together, the bruises that covered her in a dull ache, and her need to know she was loved.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Jubilee pulled away, wiping her face in rapid, ashamed gestures. "I really am."
"It's fine." Jean took her hand, smiling. "It is."
The door inched open behind Jean's back.
"Precious?"
"I'm okay, Vic." Jubilee called, sniffing gently. "Everything's fine. I'll meet you in a few minutes in the basement, okay?"
"So long as you're sure, Jubilee.
"I am."
Jean looked over her shoulder at the open door, smiling. There was such Protective urgency in his voice-the defensive projections didn't even have to be floating around Jubilee to know the gentle possession that reached out from either of them.
"I didn't come in here to make you upset." Jean sighed, patting her cheek. "I'm going to be in my room for the rest of the night, avoiding a migraine. If you want to talk to me, you know where to find me."
Jubilee nodded, watching the older woman rise, quietly slipping out of the bathroom door. She shifted, pulling her knees to her chest, the giant towel dropping around her legs. Wiping the last of the relieved tears from her face, she felt some of the pressure in her chest rise away.
~*~*~
Jean excused herself, stepping aside as Victor gently knocked on the door's molding.
"Jubilee?"
"Yeah, Vic?" Her voice was light and tired.
"Are you sure you're okay?"
The door was pushed open, Jubilee's hand against the wood. He hated to see her sitting on the floor like that; with her knees drawn up like she had to close herself off to everything around her. She looked too small, too fragile to be so strong as she was. The pang to reach out and hold her was pulsing through him again.
"You were right-everything's going to be fine." She gave him a small, sweet smile.
He crouched, scooping her up in his arms.
"Of course, Precious. I promised you that it would be alright, didn't I?"
"Yeah." She smiled, sliding her arms around his neck and her hands through his hair. "You did."
Victor kissed her gently, stepping into her room and shutting the door behind them.