Why? Why did she come after him? And how in the world did she find him? He
was in friggin Scotland! Of course, none of that mattered now as he carried
her limp form back to the two figures in the distance. One he knew was
Gambit; only the thief had that grace no matter how fast or careless he
was. The other was a mystery. Suddenly, they were both in front of him,
Gambit looking threateningly at the newcomer.
"Doan do dat without warnin' Gambit first, buck. Good ta see you 'gain Logan. De petite was worried 'bout you."
Wolverine turned an icy stare on the Cajun. "Why'dya let her come after me, Gumbo? I told Cykes ta keep her at the mansion."
"Der be no stoppin' her. Gambit never seen her dat determined before." Wolverine pointedly ignored the stares from the boy, more worried about the girl in his arms.
"How didja get here?" They began walking back to the car, which was quite a way off, and Gambit explained their whole story. Wolverine was not as surprised as Gambit had been at her resourcefulness, and even Blayne chuckled. At that point, Wolverine rounded on him.
"And he thinks he can just tag along?"
"He did pay for de car, Logan. And de petite been enjoyin' his company." Wolverine growled at this, shooting daggers at the boy with his glare. Naturally, the boy shied away a bit, but stayed near Jubilee's pale form.
"She doesn't look well. Perhaps the three of you might stay at my house until she is better?" Wolverine sniffed the air, trying to sense anything from him, but found only concern. The remainder of the trek back to the car was silent, but they received odd stares from the people gathered outside, presumably waiting on a bus of some sort.
They piled into the car, Wolverine and Jubilee in the back seat, and Blayne drove back to the train station. At about midnight, they boarded a train for London. Jubilee stirred from her place next to Wolverine, and she slowly opened her eyes. Silently, Gambit was thankful there was no one else in their car. This was bound to be the argument of the year.
Her eyes fluttered open and they rested on Wolverine, who was looking out the window. Gambit moved Blayne to the other end of the car, giving him ample warning as to what was about to happen. Jubilee sat up, and Wolverine turned his head to her. She stared into his eyes, then launched herself into his arms. Wolverine pushed her back down into her chair, unable to look her in the eye.
"What's wrong Wolverine? What did I do?" She saw it, the pain that flashed, ever so briefly, in his eyes.
"Nuthin, Jubilee. It's nuthin you did. It was what I did." He said this quietly, so as to not be overheard by their audience, but Jubilee didn't seem to care about them.
"Wolvie, whatever happened to make you snap like that, it wasn't normal. I guess you've never seen me do that before, and you freaked. Look, I don't blame you. I mean, I was scared as hell at first, but I'm alright now. Gambit and Rogue talked to me, and I realized that I probably shouldn't have done what I did."
"Ya know, it's not that easy for me. I could have killed you in an instant, and by the time I'd have realized it, it would have been too late. You may be able to forgive me easily, but you're young. I can't forgive myself like that. What I did was inexcusable." He turned back to the window, but she laid a hand on his arm.
"Hey, I came lookin' for ya didn't I? You should have seen all Cykes tried to stop me. He threatened to lock me in my room." That at least got a chuckle out of the man.
"They haven't invented the lock that you can't get out of. Guess hangin' with Gambit's paid off." He became distant again, though for a brief moment, Jubilee thought she saw a glimmer of hope. She sighed, giving up for now. She curled up next to him, but he made no move to accommodate her. She growled low in frustration, but she was sure he heard it.
"It's a long ride back to London, Wolvie. Get some sleep. And don't go runnin' out on me again. All this globe-trotting is getting really annoying. It's like no one speaks English, even in England." Her voice began to fade out, and as she neared the end of the sentence, she fell asleep, mumbling the rest.
Blayne watched them. "So, is he her boyfriend?" Gambit spit his coffee on the back of the seat in front of him. Blayne already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it out of the American's mouth.
"Logan and de petite? Non, you got it all wrong. He's more like her older brother or father."
"Then why is he pushing her away?"
"Buck, wat Gambit tell you 'bout asking too many questions. Go to sleep, we'll talk when we get back to London." Blayne nodded and leaned his seat back, drifting off to sleep easily. Gambit eyed his troubled friend for a moment, but decided they'd worry about it in the morning. They only had a few hours of the train ride, then they could return to Blayne's house to stay for a few days.
Getting Wolverine back to the mansion was going to be difficult, but Gambit was sure the Professor would help. He made himself a mental note to ask him when he called later that day.
Before they knew it, the conductor was announcing their stop, and they piled off, tired and hungry. They taxied back to the house, ate a brief meal provided by Emma, then collapsed in their bedrooms on fluffy mattresses and blankets.
The only one not sleeping that night was Jubilee. She was right next door to Wolverine, but his attitude on the train today suggested that he might as well be on another world. She also knew he was in pain and torment, but there was nothing she could do to help. For once in the years that she'd known Wolverine, she couldn't help her partner get through this.
In the eerily quiet house, she heard him wake up from a nightmare. Softly, she rose and padded into the next room. She knelt down by his bed and frowned. Sweat covered his forehead and his face was twisted in agony. She walked around to the other side, where there was plenty of room, and climbed into bed with him. Turning over so they were facing away from each other, she softly whispered.
"I'm sorry, Wolvie. And I do forgive you." He only grunted softly in reply, and shifted slightly, moving closer to her. Jubilee smiled, taking it as a sign that things were getting better.
"Doan do dat without warnin' Gambit first, buck. Good ta see you 'gain Logan. De petite was worried 'bout you."
Wolverine turned an icy stare on the Cajun. "Why'dya let her come after me, Gumbo? I told Cykes ta keep her at the mansion."
"Der be no stoppin' her. Gambit never seen her dat determined before." Wolverine pointedly ignored the stares from the boy, more worried about the girl in his arms.
"How didja get here?" They began walking back to the car, which was quite a way off, and Gambit explained their whole story. Wolverine was not as surprised as Gambit had been at her resourcefulness, and even Blayne chuckled. At that point, Wolverine rounded on him.
"And he thinks he can just tag along?"
"He did pay for de car, Logan. And de petite been enjoyin' his company." Wolverine growled at this, shooting daggers at the boy with his glare. Naturally, the boy shied away a bit, but stayed near Jubilee's pale form.
"She doesn't look well. Perhaps the three of you might stay at my house until she is better?" Wolverine sniffed the air, trying to sense anything from him, but found only concern. The remainder of the trek back to the car was silent, but they received odd stares from the people gathered outside, presumably waiting on a bus of some sort.
They piled into the car, Wolverine and Jubilee in the back seat, and Blayne drove back to the train station. At about midnight, they boarded a train for London. Jubilee stirred from her place next to Wolverine, and she slowly opened her eyes. Silently, Gambit was thankful there was no one else in their car. This was bound to be the argument of the year.
Her eyes fluttered open and they rested on Wolverine, who was looking out the window. Gambit moved Blayne to the other end of the car, giving him ample warning as to what was about to happen. Jubilee sat up, and Wolverine turned his head to her. She stared into his eyes, then launched herself into his arms. Wolverine pushed her back down into her chair, unable to look her in the eye.
"What's wrong Wolverine? What did I do?" She saw it, the pain that flashed, ever so briefly, in his eyes.
"Nuthin, Jubilee. It's nuthin you did. It was what I did." He said this quietly, so as to not be overheard by their audience, but Jubilee didn't seem to care about them.
"Wolvie, whatever happened to make you snap like that, it wasn't normal. I guess you've never seen me do that before, and you freaked. Look, I don't blame you. I mean, I was scared as hell at first, but I'm alright now. Gambit and Rogue talked to me, and I realized that I probably shouldn't have done what I did."
"Ya know, it's not that easy for me. I could have killed you in an instant, and by the time I'd have realized it, it would have been too late. You may be able to forgive me easily, but you're young. I can't forgive myself like that. What I did was inexcusable." He turned back to the window, but she laid a hand on his arm.
"Hey, I came lookin' for ya didn't I? You should have seen all Cykes tried to stop me. He threatened to lock me in my room." That at least got a chuckle out of the man.
"They haven't invented the lock that you can't get out of. Guess hangin' with Gambit's paid off." He became distant again, though for a brief moment, Jubilee thought she saw a glimmer of hope. She sighed, giving up for now. She curled up next to him, but he made no move to accommodate her. She growled low in frustration, but she was sure he heard it.
"It's a long ride back to London, Wolvie. Get some sleep. And don't go runnin' out on me again. All this globe-trotting is getting really annoying. It's like no one speaks English, even in England." Her voice began to fade out, and as she neared the end of the sentence, she fell asleep, mumbling the rest.
Blayne watched them. "So, is he her boyfriend?" Gambit spit his coffee on the back of the seat in front of him. Blayne already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it out of the American's mouth.
"Logan and de petite? Non, you got it all wrong. He's more like her older brother or father."
"Then why is he pushing her away?"
"Buck, wat Gambit tell you 'bout asking too many questions. Go to sleep, we'll talk when we get back to London." Blayne nodded and leaned his seat back, drifting off to sleep easily. Gambit eyed his troubled friend for a moment, but decided they'd worry about it in the morning. They only had a few hours of the train ride, then they could return to Blayne's house to stay for a few days.
Getting Wolverine back to the mansion was going to be difficult, but Gambit was sure the Professor would help. He made himself a mental note to ask him when he called later that day.
Before they knew it, the conductor was announcing their stop, and they piled off, tired and hungry. They taxied back to the house, ate a brief meal provided by Emma, then collapsed in their bedrooms on fluffy mattresses and blankets.
The only one not sleeping that night was Jubilee. She was right next door to Wolverine, but his attitude on the train today suggested that he might as well be on another world. She also knew he was in pain and torment, but there was nothing she could do to help. For once in the years that she'd known Wolverine, she couldn't help her partner get through this.
In the eerily quiet house, she heard him wake up from a nightmare. Softly, she rose and padded into the next room. She knelt down by his bed and frowned. Sweat covered his forehead and his face was twisted in agony. She walked around to the other side, where there was plenty of room, and climbed into bed with him. Turning over so they were facing away from each other, she softly whispered.
"I'm sorry, Wolvie. And I do forgive you." He only grunted softly in reply, and shifted slightly, moving closer to her. Jubilee smiled, taking it as a sign that things were getting better.