A/N: WARNING – this chapter has little in the way of action. Mostly talk and cutsieness. But it will get better, I promise. It's a rather slow period.
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"How's the kid, Gumbo?" Wolverine knocked lightly on the door.
"Fine, mon ami. Buck jes needs some rest, is all." Gambit walked out with Mr. Jones and shut the door. "Is petite worried 'bout him?"
"A little. I guess I'm gonna have to have a talk with him when he's up to it," Wolverine growled.
"Logan, mon ami, she's fifteen now. Let her have some freedom." They walked down the stairs to find Jubilee in front of the TV. Wolverine chuckled and dropped down next to her.
"We can't get you away from the television even in another country, Jubes." She smiled.
"How's Blayne?"
"De buck's fine, petite. He was askin' 'bout you. Told him you'd come see him when he was better." Jubilee smiled and nodded. Gambit could tell by the look in Wolverine's eye that it was going to be one of those talks and quietly slipped out to call the professor.
"Jubes, how long you known this guy? Two, three days?"
"Yep," her eyes were completely focused on the screen, and Wolverine sighed.
"Do ya like him, Jubes?" That got her attention. She blinked and blushed, and he smiled. "Okay, so that's a yes. He likes you too, I can tell. I also noticed how he protected you from those rodents."
"Yeah, it was like he thought I couldn't handle them myself," she pouted.
"Darlin' you were screamin' and all," he joked. "And it's not that he thought you were weak, 'cause if he did, then I'd kick his tail. It's like," he sighed. Talking was not his strong suit. Ripping things to shreds, now that was more his forte. "It's like me, when I protect ya. I don't think yer weak, I just care about ya, and I don't wanna see ya gettin' hurt."
"Ya think he cares like you do?"
"Nah, not like me and you. More like Gumbo and Rogue." She smiled at this, and he frowned. "But don't be gettin' any ideas or nuthin.' And I'm keepin' my eye on him too."
"Why'd you run?" It was a rather abrupt question, and she flicked the TV off. Silence filled the room as he looked at her.
"Jubilee, I don't think –"
"No! I'm not gonna hear about how you don't wanna talk about it. I talked about mine. You weren't even there! And Gumbo, Rogue, everyone else let it out, and they're just fine! But you're the only one who's not fine, Wolverine! That guy Vereor got into your head just like ours. So what did you see?" Wolverine was taken aback. She had never yelled at him like this before, and he realized he probably deserved it for what he did. But he couldn't tell her what he'd seen…what he'd done. He looked into her eyes and saw only defiance; he saw himself. If it were directed at anyone else, he would have smirked, but it was pointed at him. He sighed, defeated.
"I'm only tellin' you this 'cause I don't wanna lose you again."
"Again? Wolvie, yer not makin' sense."
"Quiet, kid, or I ain't tellin' ya." She shut up and nodded. "That guy was a total nutcase. Don't know what happened to make him that way, but he had to be taken out. I'm only tellin' ya this 'cause of what ya saw. Ya know X-Men don't kill, and that was a fluke." She nodded, not daring to speak. "In my…vision, you, me, and Sabertooth were all in a field. I shoulda known somethin' was up, but ya know how I get around Creed. Me and him were facin' off like normal, when you tripped and knocked me over." Her eyes went wide in protest, but she still said nothing.
"Well, Creed jumped on me then, and began to tear me up. I knocked him off quite a ways, after slicing up pretty good. He was down for the count. You jumped up and whooped, as usual after I knock some sucker out, and your hands lit up, sending sparks. Well, for some reason, I turned on ya. I was angry at ya for knocking me over. It only took a few slices before ya died, but you were in pain before that." He paused to regain his composure internally.
"Then I heard you callin' me through Jeannie, and I knew something really wasn't right. So I concentrated on yer voice and sent a message back. Then it all came back to me."
"And I know the rest. That's why you were avoiding me that week. And why you freaked when I lit up my hands."
"I knew I could have hurt you, and probably did by reactin' the way I did."
"Ah, Wolvie, ya couldn't hurt me if ya tried," she laughed. He arched his eyebrows, then attacked her. He picked her up and carried her outside where they wouldn't break anything and began tickling her mercilessly. Jubilee got her footing and launched off of him into the air. She did a tuck-flip-twist and landed on her feet in front of him.
"Where did ya learn that, Jubes?" Wolverine asked, impressed.
"Been practicing."
"Why didn't ya pull that at our sparrin' session?"
"There's a lot I didn't pull Wolverine. Unlike some people," she nagged him.
"What's that supposed to mean kid?"
"Nuthin, just I've seen you hit harder than that before, even in sparring sessions." She laughed.
"Only on Cykes. I pull nothin' with him," he laughed back. Then, suddenly, she blinded him and jumped on his back. Still laughing, she held on for dear life. When his vision cleared, he attempted to detach the leech from his back, but to no avail. He spun a few times and came face to face with Toby Warner.
"Hey kid, whatcha doin'?"
"I play?" he asked. Jubilee hopped down off her perch and crouched low.
"Uh, kiddo, this is big kids' play. You could get hurt." Wolverine smirked at this, thinking how she was only fifteen. Toby, in response, punched her in the stomach, sending her backwards. Wolverine stared at the kid, then looked back to Jubilee. She got up, clutching her stomach.
"The kid's got quite a punch Wolvie." She coughed a few times as he laughed at the kid. Jubilee regained herself and tackled the boy, sending both of them sprawling to the ground.
After several hours of Jubilee and Toby running around the garden and through the labyrinth, they both had collapsed in the gazebo. Jubilee was sitting in a plush garden chair, head laid back, as Toby slept in her lap. Gambit walked outside with Wolverine and both men chuckled.
"Gambit tinks it be time for a nap, non?" He lifted Toby out of Jubilee's lap, and he protested sleepily. Wolverine shook Jubilee's shoulder and she woke up enough to allow him to pick her up. They carried the kids upstairs and laid them both in Jubilee's bed. The boy curled up against Jubilee and she placed an arm protectively over him. Blayne hobbled across the hall and peered in between the men, smiling.
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A/N2: Okay, I gave you fair warning and you read anyway. Now you must review (OH THE TORTURE!!). And an update within two days? Man, am I bored at work!