AN: OK... this is ch 2 and there will be more. Like I said, the rating has
gone up. If I take this as far as I think I am, it will probably go up
even more. R/R always appreciated. Sarah, Tori, Moira, and other
residents of Gatewood House are mine, so please don't use them. Thanks to
Parodys for her review in chapter one... hon, I hope that I'm doing you
justice!
DISCLAIMER: The X-Men are property of Marvel Comics... I never did nor will own them, goshdarnit.
Sarah grinned at Jubilee from across the room. 'The Scorpion King' soundtrack blasted from Jubilee's stereo, which had been the first thing to go up. Jubilee smiled back: even _she_ knew that she looked a mess—her hair was wild, held up with a red bandana, dirt smudged her face, and there were more dust-bunnies clinging to her black T-shirt than had any right to be.
The two women had been cleaning viciously since unpacking Jubilee's things was out of the question until SOMETHING was done about the room's general cleanliness. So they had gone at it like they always had: loud music, a whole case of Mountain Dew, and little-to-no conversation. It was a chore both of them hated with a passion, so they worked as fast as they could while still being thorough—a skill they had learned years ago since Gatewood House often entertained guests on short notice. They were already most of the way done, with only moving the heavy furniture left to do. Sarah stood up and stretched her back, pushing strands of red hair away from her face and tucking them back under her blue kerchief. Jubilee nodded and turned the sound down before turning the stereo off completely.
"That should do it for now," she said with a sigh, surveying the room with her hands on her hips. Sarah joined her.
"Ehyeah," Sarah commented, slinging her arm through Jubilee's, "Let's get cleaned up for the boys—they'll be home any minute. We'll get them to help with the rest later."
"_That_ sounds like a capital idea," Jubilee said, and they laughed breathily.
"Just grab something from your bags and use my shower," said Sarah, "There's too many fumes in here right now. And besides, the hamper is nearest to my bedroom; you have to stuff your nasty cloths in there anyhow, so you might as well use mine."
"Sure," Jubilee picked up a small duffel bag, "I'll only take a minute."
"Okay," Sarah nodded, "I'll just finish scrubbing out your shower while you clean up, and I'll jump in right as soon as you're done."
*The warm water feels so good on my skin—I'm always surprised by how regenerative and restorative water is. I just love the way it makes me feel refreshed and reborn. I can handle anything—just let me take a shower or a bath first... or after.
The first thing I did when I left Logan that night was take a shower. I scrubbed myself so hard that my skin was red the next couple of days. I couldn't get clean enough... I couldn't... FEEL clean enough. All I wanted was to wash myself away; let myself go down the drain and out of the lives of the people I'd hurt so much. The look on Scott's face when he ran into the room... oh God, it was the worst I'd ever seen him look. It was like he couldn't decide whether to be mad or to get sick right there in the doorway. Not that I blame him... shit, not only did I give Scott a reason to avoid and pity me, I also gave him another reason to hate Wolverine. Oh, DAMNIT what the HELL have I done? Shit, girl, you've just gone and fucked up your whole damn life, that's what!
Swell, Jubilee, real swell. Wonderful job. Really made an ass outta yourself this time. You REALLY fucked up this time.
Alright ENOUGH; the past is in the past... let it stay there for a while. Don't be so damned angry at yourself. What's done is done, so get the hell on with your life. Pull yourself together... if only for the baby's sake.
Right... the baby.*
Jubilee stepped out of Sarah's shower and wrapped a towel around herself. In a second, she was out and Sarah was in, shutting the door with a "Thanks" thrown over her shoulder. Jubilee grinned... that was just Sarah: part tornado, part wildflower, part siren, part child, part devil, part shrink, and a whole lotta class. You never quite knew what to expect from her.
She put a hand to her grumbling stomach. A small, sad, angelic smile graced her pixie features. She ran a hand through her short black hair. Catching herself in the mirror, she stared a moment at her reflection, not quite thinking anything—and yet thinking of everything at once. She turned away with the seed of an idea, not yet entirely sure of what that idea was.
She pulled on black leggings and an oversized dark gray chenille sweater. Sarah entered from the bathroom, letting the door open to air out the room. Heat swelled into her bedroom, making Jubilee shiver as she realized the temperature difference. Sarah's gleaming red hair was wrapped in a towel, and she was completely naked. But that didn't phase either of them.
"What do you think of the dark red sweater?" Sarah asked as she dug through drawers and flung out suggestions. The said item of clothing sailed through the air and landed on Jubilee's head.
"That I can see through it."
"What?" Sarah turned around in confusion, then laughed when she saw it hanging over her friend's head, "Oh! So sorry!"
"That's okay... I like it. It's definitely a contender." Sarah sighed, placing her hands on her hips.
"Ack, what the hell," she muttered, throwing the sweater over her head as she waltzed out the door. Her tight jeans showed off her butt and legs perfectly. "Coming?" she called over her shoulder. Jubilee scooted off the bed and followed Sarah, who closed the door and locked it. Shoving the skeleton key in her back pocket, the two women made for the front staircase.
The front staircase lead right to the front foray. It was narrow on the third floor, but widened to allow up to three people pass after the second floor landing. It spread further then, ending in a grand ten feet in the foray. Oak stained a dark brown, it was carpeted in dark wine-red and the banisters were held up by great bronze statues of female heroines: Joan D'Arc and Athena on the top floor, Janet and Mother Theresa on the third, Princess Leia and She-Ra on the second, and finally Mary and Susan B. Anthony at the bottom. It all made for the strangest and most magnificent staircase Jubilee had ever seen.
"It's changed since I was last here," she remarked on the last landing. She stared at the marbled foray floor. The front door stood in all her shining stained-glass glory fifteen feet from the bottom of the staircase.
"Yeah; Tori and Moira got sick of always seeing naked men holding up the stairs, so when Moira got preggers, she nagged the guys into finally re- doing it. She claimed it was hormones!"
"And I'll bet that all the men are afraid of her now because of that, too!" Jubilee exclaimed happily. They laughed. Sarah coughed a little bit, but waved Jubilee's concern off.
"Leia was Tori's idea—you'd never guess that she was a Star Wars _fanatic_! She-Ra... well, she was my idea. I always kinda liked her, and we had to put a little of _you_ into it anyway." Sarah grinned, "Yeah, we all remembered that she was your favorite growing up!" Jubilee blushed slightly, "Thanks," she mumbled.
The front door burst open. "Honey, we're home!" Two men in business suites walked into the foray, setting down briefcases and loosening ties.
"JARED! MAXAMILLIAN!" Jubilee shrieked with glee. "GUYS!" Sarah let out a similar burst of happiness. The two raced down the stairs, Jubilee flinging herself first into Jared's arms while Sarah plowed Maxamillian over. The men shouted their own joy and the two switched partners. The commotion brought on Tori, who joined in the melee and Moira who watched with her hands on her hips, a spoon in her hand, and a smile on her face large enough to light the world up.
Another man charged through the door as Jared disentangled himself to plant a firm kiss on his wife's mouth. "I'm home, wife," he said gruffly, grinning like an idiot. Moira smiled at him, "So you are," she said sweetly seductively.
"JAXOM!" Jared winced, "You know," he said conversationally, rubbing his ears, "Tonight is going to be a real trial for my ears." Moira laughed as Brian made his entrance into the chaos, "And your sanity!" Moira added good- naturedly. Jared groaned and rolled his eyes. He kissed her soundly and smiled warmly at her.
"What in the hell did WE miss?"
"OH MY GOSH! JOHNATHAN, JOSHUA AND JASON!"
"It's JUBILEE!"
"Was there a fight and I missed it?"
"Did we miss something?"
"FRENCHMAN! C.J.!"
"Hey, hey, hey: it's Jubilee!"
"Okay, alright," said Moira, breaking up the noise. "Into the kitchen for some food!"
"Dear God," She said joyously to her husband, "What's going to happen when the rest of the gang gets home?" Jared laughed.
DISCLAIMER: The X-Men are property of Marvel Comics... I never did nor will own them, goshdarnit.
Sarah grinned at Jubilee from across the room. 'The Scorpion King' soundtrack blasted from Jubilee's stereo, which had been the first thing to go up. Jubilee smiled back: even _she_ knew that she looked a mess—her hair was wild, held up with a red bandana, dirt smudged her face, and there were more dust-bunnies clinging to her black T-shirt than had any right to be.
The two women had been cleaning viciously since unpacking Jubilee's things was out of the question until SOMETHING was done about the room's general cleanliness. So they had gone at it like they always had: loud music, a whole case of Mountain Dew, and little-to-no conversation. It was a chore both of them hated with a passion, so they worked as fast as they could while still being thorough—a skill they had learned years ago since Gatewood House often entertained guests on short notice. They were already most of the way done, with only moving the heavy furniture left to do. Sarah stood up and stretched her back, pushing strands of red hair away from her face and tucking them back under her blue kerchief. Jubilee nodded and turned the sound down before turning the stereo off completely.
"That should do it for now," she said with a sigh, surveying the room with her hands on her hips. Sarah joined her.
"Ehyeah," Sarah commented, slinging her arm through Jubilee's, "Let's get cleaned up for the boys—they'll be home any minute. We'll get them to help with the rest later."
"_That_ sounds like a capital idea," Jubilee said, and they laughed breathily.
"Just grab something from your bags and use my shower," said Sarah, "There's too many fumes in here right now. And besides, the hamper is nearest to my bedroom; you have to stuff your nasty cloths in there anyhow, so you might as well use mine."
"Sure," Jubilee picked up a small duffel bag, "I'll only take a minute."
"Okay," Sarah nodded, "I'll just finish scrubbing out your shower while you clean up, and I'll jump in right as soon as you're done."
*The warm water feels so good on my skin—I'm always surprised by how regenerative and restorative water is. I just love the way it makes me feel refreshed and reborn. I can handle anything—just let me take a shower or a bath first... or after.
The first thing I did when I left Logan that night was take a shower. I scrubbed myself so hard that my skin was red the next couple of days. I couldn't get clean enough... I couldn't... FEEL clean enough. All I wanted was to wash myself away; let myself go down the drain and out of the lives of the people I'd hurt so much. The look on Scott's face when he ran into the room... oh God, it was the worst I'd ever seen him look. It was like he couldn't decide whether to be mad or to get sick right there in the doorway. Not that I blame him... shit, not only did I give Scott a reason to avoid and pity me, I also gave him another reason to hate Wolverine. Oh, DAMNIT what the HELL have I done? Shit, girl, you've just gone and fucked up your whole damn life, that's what!
Swell, Jubilee, real swell. Wonderful job. Really made an ass outta yourself this time. You REALLY fucked up this time.
Alright ENOUGH; the past is in the past... let it stay there for a while. Don't be so damned angry at yourself. What's done is done, so get the hell on with your life. Pull yourself together... if only for the baby's sake.
Right... the baby.*
Jubilee stepped out of Sarah's shower and wrapped a towel around herself. In a second, she was out and Sarah was in, shutting the door with a "Thanks" thrown over her shoulder. Jubilee grinned... that was just Sarah: part tornado, part wildflower, part siren, part child, part devil, part shrink, and a whole lotta class. You never quite knew what to expect from her.
She put a hand to her grumbling stomach. A small, sad, angelic smile graced her pixie features. She ran a hand through her short black hair. Catching herself in the mirror, she stared a moment at her reflection, not quite thinking anything—and yet thinking of everything at once. She turned away with the seed of an idea, not yet entirely sure of what that idea was.
She pulled on black leggings and an oversized dark gray chenille sweater. Sarah entered from the bathroom, letting the door open to air out the room. Heat swelled into her bedroom, making Jubilee shiver as she realized the temperature difference. Sarah's gleaming red hair was wrapped in a towel, and she was completely naked. But that didn't phase either of them.
"What do you think of the dark red sweater?" Sarah asked as she dug through drawers and flung out suggestions. The said item of clothing sailed through the air and landed on Jubilee's head.
"That I can see through it."
"What?" Sarah turned around in confusion, then laughed when she saw it hanging over her friend's head, "Oh! So sorry!"
"That's okay... I like it. It's definitely a contender." Sarah sighed, placing her hands on her hips.
"Ack, what the hell," she muttered, throwing the sweater over her head as she waltzed out the door. Her tight jeans showed off her butt and legs perfectly. "Coming?" she called over her shoulder. Jubilee scooted off the bed and followed Sarah, who closed the door and locked it. Shoving the skeleton key in her back pocket, the two women made for the front staircase.
The front staircase lead right to the front foray. It was narrow on the third floor, but widened to allow up to three people pass after the second floor landing. It spread further then, ending in a grand ten feet in the foray. Oak stained a dark brown, it was carpeted in dark wine-red and the banisters were held up by great bronze statues of female heroines: Joan D'Arc and Athena on the top floor, Janet and Mother Theresa on the third, Princess Leia and She-Ra on the second, and finally Mary and Susan B. Anthony at the bottom. It all made for the strangest and most magnificent staircase Jubilee had ever seen.
"It's changed since I was last here," she remarked on the last landing. She stared at the marbled foray floor. The front door stood in all her shining stained-glass glory fifteen feet from the bottom of the staircase.
"Yeah; Tori and Moira got sick of always seeing naked men holding up the stairs, so when Moira got preggers, she nagged the guys into finally re- doing it. She claimed it was hormones!"
"And I'll bet that all the men are afraid of her now because of that, too!" Jubilee exclaimed happily. They laughed. Sarah coughed a little bit, but waved Jubilee's concern off.
"Leia was Tori's idea—you'd never guess that she was a Star Wars _fanatic_! She-Ra... well, she was my idea. I always kinda liked her, and we had to put a little of _you_ into it anyway." Sarah grinned, "Yeah, we all remembered that she was your favorite growing up!" Jubilee blushed slightly, "Thanks," she mumbled.
The front door burst open. "Honey, we're home!" Two men in business suites walked into the foray, setting down briefcases and loosening ties.
"JARED! MAXAMILLIAN!" Jubilee shrieked with glee. "GUYS!" Sarah let out a similar burst of happiness. The two raced down the stairs, Jubilee flinging herself first into Jared's arms while Sarah plowed Maxamillian over. The men shouted their own joy and the two switched partners. The commotion brought on Tori, who joined in the melee and Moira who watched with her hands on her hips, a spoon in her hand, and a smile on her face large enough to light the world up.
Another man charged through the door as Jared disentangled himself to plant a firm kiss on his wife's mouth. "I'm home, wife," he said gruffly, grinning like an idiot. Moira smiled at him, "So you are," she said sweetly seductively.
"JAXOM!" Jared winced, "You know," he said conversationally, rubbing his ears, "Tonight is going to be a real trial for my ears." Moira laughed as Brian made his entrance into the chaos, "And your sanity!" Moira added good- naturedly. Jared groaned and rolled his eyes. He kissed her soundly and smiled warmly at her.
"What in the hell did WE miss?"
"OH MY GOSH! JOHNATHAN, JOSHUA AND JASON!"
"It's JUBILEE!"
"Was there a fight and I missed it?"
"Did we miss something?"
"FRENCHMAN! C.J.!"
"Hey, hey, hey: it's Jubilee!"
"Okay, alright," said Moira, breaking up the noise. "Into the kitchen for some food!"
"Dear God," She said joyously to her husband, "What's going to happen when the rest of the gang gets home?" Jared laughed.