Author's Note and Disclaimer: "The Birthday Wish" is the beginning of an
extended story known simply as 'The Venus Factor'. Events within this part
of the tale take place in a niche that I have carved out between 'X-Men
Unlimited' #34 and 'Uncanny X-Men' #402, about 3.5 years after the
disbanding of the Generation X team. Cut me a little slack and just run
with the time line. As always, these characters are not mine, nor is any
profit made off of using their likenesses. If anyone from Marvel ever
reads this, this true believer would love to write for you. And stop
dismissing Jubilee; she's a great character. Until that day, MMM!
***
Jubilee awoke in a dark, cramped space. She was bound and gagged. She panicked, trying to remember how she had gotten here.
Wolvie... He had come for her after all. A brief wave of calm flooded her as she recalled his rugged face smiling at her, his arms holding her. And then... the other Wolverine. Feral. Dangerous. Furious. It was the last thing that she remembered. Surely they weren't the same man... Wolvie had never threatened her before. Even though she had abandoned him, he would never consciously hurt her in any way. Would he?
She sat in the dark, her worst fears flooding her heart. Surely Logan hadn't done this to her? She lay silently in the dark, wondering how they had been brought to this point. Crying, she slipped back into unconsciousness.
***
Back at Monet and Jubilee's apartment, Logan was laying on Jubilee's bed. He had just gotten off of the phone with Charlie. He considered their conversation.
"Logan, I tried to tell you that something was wrong, but you wouldn't listen."
"Chuck, you know damn well that 'Cerebro picked up something strange' isn't the same thing as 'I told you so'," he had growled.
"You are correct, Logan, but... Maybe we could have avoided the situation," his friend offered.
"Right, I gotcha, bub. It's my fault. I hear you loud and clear."
"Logan, that's not what I'm saying. Please stop being difficult just because you are upset. I am worried about Jubilation as well, you know. You're not the only one that misses her."
"I know that, but it's different and you know it. I l... I don't know what I would do if she was gone."
"Well, in case you haven't noticed, she's been gone for three years, Logan, and has been doing quite well for herself."
Logan declined to respond, instead asking, "Do you have any idea who I'm up against here?"
"No, unfortunately not, but I will continue to monitor the situation and let you know as soon as I find anything out. I'll send a new watch out with the team..."
Logan cut him off. "No, Chuck, this one's mine. I'm handling it alone. Airmail the watch."
"Logan..." Xavier had paused. "Very well. You have three days before I send out the team. I won't allow Jubilation to be harmed because you won't accept help."
Logan hung up the phone.
The dying light through the window created shadows that played across the wall. They silently echoed the thoughts that filled his head.
'Yeah, I sure am the best at what I do,' he considered ruefully. 'I've never met anyone as good at getting people killed.'
In his mind, he tore apart every interaction that he had ever had with Jubilee. What had brought them to this point? Always she had stood beside him, supporting him, accepting him, loving him... Even when he had run. She was always there waiting for him when he had buried his wounds deeply enough to return. What had changed that had given her such a wound that she would run herself? He had failed her, and now he had to pay the price. He hoped desperately that it wasn't too dear.
He looked around her room. His senses were flooded with her. Her furniture, her clothes, her pictures... He breathed in deeply. Her scent. He stood and walked over to her desk. Books, notebooks, pictures of people that he didn't know. He moved closer to the closet. Well, she still loved shopping, though her taste had obviously changed. A lot of black; not so much fabric. He ran his rough fingers over a silken halter- top and unconsciously moaned as he pictured her in it. He shut his eyes and held it to his nose, rubbing the fabric against his cheek. Jubilee...
His head fell and he slumped onto the floor of the darkened closet. He'd been without her for so long. He hadn't even known how he felt until she was gone, and even then he hid it from himself because it made him feel dirty. Jubilee was practically his daughter… wasn't she? Now that he knew she really did want to see him...
For the third time in his life that he could remember, Logan cried.
***
Jubilee awoke in a dark, cramped space. She was bound and gagged. She panicked, trying to remember how she had gotten here.
Wolvie... He had come for her after all. A brief wave of calm flooded her as she recalled his rugged face smiling at her, his arms holding her. And then... the other Wolverine. Feral. Dangerous. Furious. It was the last thing that she remembered. Surely they weren't the same man... Wolvie had never threatened her before. Even though she had abandoned him, he would never consciously hurt her in any way. Would he?
She sat in the dark, her worst fears flooding her heart. Surely Logan hadn't done this to her? She lay silently in the dark, wondering how they had been brought to this point. Crying, she slipped back into unconsciousness.
***
Back at Monet and Jubilee's apartment, Logan was laying on Jubilee's bed. He had just gotten off of the phone with Charlie. He considered their conversation.
"Logan, I tried to tell you that something was wrong, but you wouldn't listen."
"Chuck, you know damn well that 'Cerebro picked up something strange' isn't the same thing as 'I told you so'," he had growled.
"You are correct, Logan, but... Maybe we could have avoided the situation," his friend offered.
"Right, I gotcha, bub. It's my fault. I hear you loud and clear."
"Logan, that's not what I'm saying. Please stop being difficult just because you are upset. I am worried about Jubilation as well, you know. You're not the only one that misses her."
"I know that, but it's different and you know it. I l... I don't know what I would do if she was gone."
"Well, in case you haven't noticed, she's been gone for three years, Logan, and has been doing quite well for herself."
Logan declined to respond, instead asking, "Do you have any idea who I'm up against here?"
"No, unfortunately not, but I will continue to monitor the situation and let you know as soon as I find anything out. I'll send a new watch out with the team..."
Logan cut him off. "No, Chuck, this one's mine. I'm handling it alone. Airmail the watch."
"Logan..." Xavier had paused. "Very well. You have three days before I send out the team. I won't allow Jubilation to be harmed because you won't accept help."
Logan hung up the phone.
The dying light through the window created shadows that played across the wall. They silently echoed the thoughts that filled his head.
'Yeah, I sure am the best at what I do,' he considered ruefully. 'I've never met anyone as good at getting people killed.'
In his mind, he tore apart every interaction that he had ever had with Jubilee. What had brought them to this point? Always she had stood beside him, supporting him, accepting him, loving him... Even when he had run. She was always there waiting for him when he had buried his wounds deeply enough to return. What had changed that had given her such a wound that she would run herself? He had failed her, and now he had to pay the price. He hoped desperately that it wasn't too dear.
He looked around her room. His senses were flooded with her. Her furniture, her clothes, her pictures... He breathed in deeply. Her scent. He stood and walked over to her desk. Books, notebooks, pictures of people that he didn't know. He moved closer to the closet. Well, she still loved shopping, though her taste had obviously changed. A lot of black; not so much fabric. He ran his rough fingers over a silken halter- top and unconsciously moaned as he pictured her in it. He shut his eyes and held it to his nose, rubbing the fabric against his cheek. Jubilee...
His head fell and he slumped onto the floor of the darkened closet. He'd been without her for so long. He hadn't even known how he felt until she was gone, and even then he hid it from himself because it made him feel dirty. Jubilee was practically his daughter… wasn't she? Now that he knew she really did want to see him...
For the third time in his life that he could remember, Logan cried.