AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry that I've thrown in all these characters; I know that
it confuses some people and I didn't intend to do that. What I wanted to
do was show what a large "population" Gatewood House had, and how tightly
knit everyone was. I always got the impression that Xavier's place was
together, but that everyone was still on their own; the atmosphere didn't
exactly scream "family" to me. So I wanted to create a counterpart to
that; hence, Gatewood House and its LARGE extended "family". I hope I
didn't lose anyone in Chapter Four; sorry. Also, in this chapter, I touch
on the powers of the people of Gatewood House. Sorry I didn't do that
before; it slipped my mind! I was so wound up in them as a family that I
forgot they were mostly mutants!
Thanks once again to Parodys for THE HUNGER... we owe her a huge round of applause, folks. clap, clap, clap *Flashes neon sign: applause* Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand now... on with the show!!!!!!!!!!!
Jubilee woke up in the middle of the night. She knew instinctively that something was wrong... She heard C.J., J.C., Jason, and Abigail wake up in the rooms down the hallway. She registered the fact that Sarah hadn't come home yet. She lay awake for a moment, trying to discern what was wrong...
Jade. Jade was sicker.
Jubilee pushed the covers aside, getting glimpses of confusion and flashes of fever from Jade's sickness-induced delirium. She dressed hurriedly in her housecoat, distantly raging at her erratic telepathy.
In the hallway, doors opened and she was joined by C.J., J.C., Jason, Abigail, Mara, and Gwenevere. No one bothered to talk; Jade had reached out to all of them. Quickly, they padded softly to the second floor, Jubilee leading the procession. The entire household was awake: only Tori, Sarah, Rory, and Rain were missing. Crowding around the door to Jade and Vanessa's bedroom, Jubilee knocked softly. *Please, God; let her be okay!*
Vanessa answered the door immediately, disheveled and worried.
"She's getting worse," she said, letting them enter. The room was stifling, even with the windows open and two fans blowing cool air inside. Jade lay on the bed, tossing and turning amongst sweat-soaked sheets. She muttered incomprehensibly, her hands fluttering listlessly at her sides.
Everyone sprang into action. CJ and JC managed to hold Jade down while Jared and Maxamillian stripped the bed. Mara shooed the boys out of the room, guarding the door, and Vanessa rid Jade of her drenched bedclothes and changed her under-garments. Gwenevere grabbed Jubilee.
"Let's see if we can find the old AC unit in the attic!" she whispered with sudden inspiration. Jubilee brightened considerably. *I never even thought...*
"Great idea!" she whispered back, and they tip-toed out the door. Moira bustled after them, Adrienne in tow, and waddled downstairs to the kitchen. The men milled about in the hallway, making it hard to get through.
"Oh, for Pete's sake," Gwen said in a stage whisper, "Can't you find anything better to do? Frenchman, CJ: go to the pharmacy and get more meds. JC and Max: go get extra bedding and take care of the old stuff," she ordered them, shoving the offensive laundry at them.
"John, Jaxom, Jared: go to the health food store—the one on Church St. that's open all night—and get all the healing herbs you can find... especially green tea. Oh, and pick up bottled water while your at it. The rest of you," she said, turning to Finnigan, Jason, Joshua, Brian, and Lennier, "Help us up in the attic. We're looking for the old Air Conditioning unit that Mark and Marick used to use in their old room." They jumped to their respective commands; thudding softly down or up the stairs.
Half an hour later, the AC unit was found and the rest of the boys returned from their errands. Sarah, Rory, and Rain had yet to appear and Tori's boss wouldn't let her come home.
"I'm seriously considering that testicle removal," she muttered furiously into the phone. Adrienne had managed a weak laugh at that before hanging up.
It was two in the morning when the front door was heard to close. Sarah entered the kitchen, heading straight for the cabinet where they kept the herbs.
"My God," Moira muttered resignedly, "I take it you had some resistance?" She eyed Sarah's bruises, cuts, and obviously broken wrist. Sarah looked at her unreadably.
"You could say that," she said passively.
"Those cuts on your face will need stitches," Moira said, hands on her wide hips and brown curls escaping her hasty up-do. Sarah's mouth didn't even twitch. She met Moira's brown gaze with her own calm taupe one.
"I know," she said simply. She looked down at her wrist, where she could see the bone had popped out and was pressing against the skin. She turned around, placing her injured hand carefully through a narrow slit of a chair. Bracing against a foot and her good arm, she yanked hard. There was an audible CRACK, and the bone popped back into place. Not even blinking, Sarah finished getting out the herbs she needed to make her tea. Adrienne, who had jumped when Sarah had set her wrist, sighed and went back to rifling through a medical text. Moira shook her head, and left with a tray of tea and honey.
Jubilee trudged tiredly down the stairs towards the light in the kitchen, passing (it was more like squeezing) by Moira in the process. She sensed Sarah's cool and collected presence; heard her turn on the radio. Roxette's "Salvation" stole softly through the main floor of the house. *How appropriate* she thought *Describes my life perfectly.* Bitterness rose unexpected in her throat, and she swallowed acridly and hard. *If I wasn't pregnant, I'd get stone drunk!*
"If you weren't pregnant," Sarah's rocking-chair voice floated in from the kitchen, "I'd get stone-drunk _with_ you!"
Startled, Jubilee chuckled. Sarah appeared in the doorway, a sensuous silhouette against the harsh light of the kitchen. Standing as she was in the dark, Jubilee could make out the mug of her special tea in her left hand and the shot glass in her right. Sarah crossed to her, handing her the mug of tea. She accepted, inhaling its tangy scent. *I wonder why she's not drinking any herself.*
"The answer to your question is that I don't care to right now."
"You're reading my mind."
"Eyeah."
"You almost never do that."
"Correction," said Sarah, lifting her glass and sitting down in an obliging armchair, "I almost never _reply_ to what I... receive, if you will. I like to wait and give people a chance to voice it on their own. You can tell a lot about a person just by seeing how much of their mind they decide to give voice to. Oh, shit; I forgot the bottle in the other room." She got up, and went to get the said bottle. Jubilee took the opportunity to claim her own seat, considering what Sarah had just said. Sarah returned with a bottle of very strong vodka, a pack of cigarettes, and a lighter.
"Sarah..."
"Eyeah?" Jubilee winced at the tone of her voice. She swallowed, and continued:
"You don't smoke."
"Really?" Her voice was hollow, rough, and sarcastic.
"Unless you're in a rather... um... extreme mood."
"Extreme, eh?"
"Yeah."
"Well," she said, lighting a cigarette. She leaned back and smoked it, regarding Jubilee in the dark of the living room. The radio in the kitchen switched to Foreigner's "I Wanna Know What Love Is". Jubilee sighed, studying her hands folded in her lap. *When they figure that one out, I want to be the first one they tell!*
"Don't worry about me, Jubilee," Sarah said finally, her voice much softer than before, "I'll be fine. _You_ just worry about that baby!" The hand that held the cigarette jabbed itself in her direction.
"I know," Jubilee replied, her voice even softer. Her hands seemed to rub her abdomen with a life of their own.
"You can't stop thinking about him, can you?"
"No." The reply was lighter than a whisper, but she knew that Sarah heard. *I have really nice hands.*
"You need to move on with your life, girl," Sarah said, taking a drag from her cigarette, "He's all in the past right now. He won't be back for a very, very, _very_ long time." Jubilee picked her head up.
"Really?"
"Eyeah," she took another drag, exhaling the offensive smoke in a white ring around her golden head. Light from the kitchen sparked off of her hair, creating a surreal halo around her head. Jubilee rather liked the effect; the smoke just made it hazy, strengthening it.
"He's really beating himself up over you leaving."
"How do you know?"
"I just do."
"Not good enough."
"Well," Sarah said, taking a hefty swig from the bottle, "That's all yer gonna git, girl; so be happy with whatcha got before it's all gone!"
Jubilee studied Sarah again, searching this time. *I wonder what she feels... how she deals with it all. Lord knows there's been such pain in her life... Why is she even alive right now? She's so strong...*
"How do you do it all, Sarah?"
"Eh?"
"Life... keep living... going on and on the way you do. How do you stay alive? How do make life worth living again? How do you recover from it all?" Sarah stared at the coffee table between them, watching the light glancing off of its glass surface. Her eyes were haunted; swirling colors. She met Jubilee's black eyes, staring into them without seeing them. She blinked, and the moment was over.
"Breathe, sigh, say 'this SUCKS', and get on with your life." She said, shrugging, "Simple; but it works. Trust me," she said, hauling herself up from the chair with another cigarette in her mouth and the bottle in her hand, "I've _learned_. That... or you could just never let anyone get close to you again." She stood at the window, barely distinguishable from the shadows but for the glinting of her hair and the bottle, "Although, I recommend the former rather than the latter. Never letting anyone in again..." she blew out her breath, the tip of the cig glowing brightly, "That hurts more than it heals." She took a swig from the bottle and a drag from the cig. The radio switched to Ace of Base and "It's a Beautiful Life". Jubilee bit her lip. *Okay, okay; I can take a hint!*
Nobody bothered with even trying to sleep for the rest of the night. Jade's sheets were changed almost every hour, but Vanessa refused to let her be admitted to a hospital.
"No, no, no and no," she said, vehemently shaking her head, "They'd just toss her out once they realized what she was! And who knows? In her fevered state, she might lash out a patient... or a doctor! No," she repeated firmly and desperately. Jubilee gave in then, heading back downstairs to the kitchen, passing by Brian. He gave her a jaded half- smile, carrying a tray of food up to Vanessa.
Everyone in Gatewood House was in some state of fatigue; it seemed as if they had just chosen a spot and flopped themselves there. Every chair, nook and cranny had a person in it—most of them nursing a cup of coffee. Sarah was stirring vodka into hers, staring at the table top with an expressionless and bruised face. Some of her cuts had stitches now. Her eyes were a murky green-brown color.
Moira handed Jubilee a cup of coffee wordlessly, lightly kissing her cheek. Jubilee hunkered down by Sarah, too tired to care if the floor was chilly or not. She looked at the faces of the people around her. *We're a family,* she thought, *whether we're here or not. The love here is almost a tangible thing. Everybody is so worried about Jade—we really made a team effort to help her out. Such extremes... such... _love_. I think that Xavier unintentionally let that slip as the X-Men got older. What a pity...* She sighed softly, and stared at her coffee for a moment before taking a swig. Decaffeinated coffee, of course; Moira wouldn't here of it any other way, not with "her" Jubilee being preggers.
Jubilee smiled to herself. *Moira takes such good care of us,* she thought, *what would we do without her? We'd be lost... She's like the ultimate Jewish mother! A mother hen to all who enter her domain!* She took another swig of coffee, and rubbed her stomach. *Well,* she thought absently, *at least I haven't had morning sickness yet!*
Nobody made the effort for breakfast until ten o'clock. Sarah sighed then, slapped her hands down on the table, and hauled herself out of her chair. Jubilee watched her stride purposefully to the refrigerator and take out various foods: grapefruit, kiwi, apples, butter, jam, cheese, eggs, and veggies.
Working silently and alone, she made omelets, toast, mixed fruit, and baked apples. She handed everyone a plate, getting the ritual kisses on her abused cheeks. Then she took her own breakfast: one kiwi, a piece of toast, and another mug of coffee with yet another shot of vodka. CJ snorted, but didn't say anything when Sarah glanced up at him.
Finished eating, Sarah stood up and dumped her dishes in the sink. She turned on her heal, and headed for the front door, grabbing her black leather coat along the way. Her coppery-red hair was twisted around and on top of her head haphazardly. She still wore the black leather jumpsuit she'd had on since two days ago. Jubilee raised an eyebrow, but decided it was better to stay silent: when Sarah got on a trail like this, it was _safer_ to stay out of her way as much as possible.
Jubilee did the dishes; Moira went up to rest. Bambi followed her, but Adrienne was convinced she was okay. She finally "complied" when she fell asleep over her medical text. Brian carried her upstairs to her bedroom before heading to work.
"Thank God it's Saturday," Jared said tiredly, but grinning wickedly. He headed up after his wife. Pretty soon, the only people left awake were Jubilee and Tori, who had come home at eight. Jubilee finished putting away the last mug, and sat down at the kitchen table with her. The radio was on, and "I'll do Anything for Love" by Meatloaf was playing softly. Tori was staring at it, drinking mechanically from her mug of cold coffee.
"I hate it when one of us gets sick," she said to Jubilee suddenly. She sipped from her mug, still staring at the radio, "It just rips me apart that I can't come home when it happens."
"I know what you mean," Jubilee said quietly, unintentionally getting flashes of Tori's past. She stared at the table top, finding the patterns in the wood she had memorized while doing homework so long ago.
"I hate it," Tori said again, setting her coffee down gently.
The house stirred itself to life again around five in the afternoon/evening. Up and about once again, the make-shift family made their rounds: Adrienne to her books, Frenchman and Bambi to the basement to work out... but everybody made a stop in Vanessa and Jade's room.
Jubilee took some fresh water up to them. When she couldn't sleep, she'd changed into a long sweater-dress, leggings, and thick socks. The dress made soft rustles when she lifted her legs for each step. She held four new bottles of water. Rapping softly on their door, she tip-toed in past Vanessa, who had opened it for her.
The sheets needed changed again. Jubilee braced herself against the torrent of leaking thoughts she was picking up on, and motioned for Vanessa to lift Jade. Jade was too worn out with sickness and dehydration that she couldn't even manage to toss and turn anymore. But she still sweat bullets, so at least she wasn't deathly dehydrated; they succeeded in getting water into her by pouring it in her mouth, then massaging her throat until she swallowed.
*I'm surprised that I'm not more worried,* Jubilee thought, realizing it for the first time, *yeah, sure I'm a bit scared that she won't be the same when she gets better; but that's the thing. I'm so confident that she'll pull through that I haven't even considered IF she'll get well. I'm just so assured that Jade will.* She looked at Vanessa, who was bathing Jade's pale sweaty forehead with cold water. There was tenderness, such love, that Jubilee felt the tears that she had thought gone well up inside her once more. Swallowing hard, she moved away from the end of the bed and came up on the other side of Jade. She focused fiercely on assisting Vanessa in getting water down Jade's throat. She left the room, swiftly running upstairs to her own.
It didn't matter to her that there was no mattress on the bed yet; or that Mark's old couch hadn't been brought out of storage for her; nor that Methuselah's armchair was covered in plastic. None of it even registered to Jubilee, who finally managed to lock the door after missing the keyhole several times. Shaking, feeling sick to her stomach, she dug frantically through her baggage for the cell phone Rogue had gotten her for her eighteenth birthday.
But she couldn't bear to push the buttons. Every time her finger got near the first digit, it shook and refused to move except in retreat. Breathing hard, choking on sobs that wouldn't be realized, Jubilee knelt on the carpet. She dropped the phone; wrapped her arms tightly around herself, and lay on her stomach on the floor. She stared at the phone, trying to will herself to pick it up. Her arms refused to untangle themselves. Despairing, some of the tears she had thought dried and wasted sprang into her eyes and trickled down her face.
*Dear God! I can't think, I can't breathe... hell; I can't even pick up the damn phone and call the Professor. He's probably worried about me; either that, or telling the others not to do the same.
Not that many of them will care after a while. I've hurt everyone too badly. Fuck, I wish I could turn back time. I'd never take that walk down the hallway; never touch Logan; never have not taken that cold shower. Oh, hells, I would never have gone off the pill.
I was so sure that I'd never have a reason to use it, that I foolishly went off it. What a damn, idiotic, moronic, imbecilic shit-head I was... am. I don't even have the strength to pick up the phone and leave a message. I don't even have the wits to tell them that I'm not coming back...
I wonder if Logan's left yet. I wonder if he thinks of me... yeah, he sure as hell probably does: he probably thinks of how much he'd like to kill me. How he wishes he'd never met me. I bet Scott wishes he'd never have been out late with Jean that night.
I wonder how long it will take them to realize that I'm not coming back. I wonder if any of them will try to imagine why; I wonder if any of them will even CARE why?
I'm such a liar; a liar and a weakling. I'm lying to them; I'm lying to myself. I hate myself. I bet my kid will hate me, too.
Oh, God, my kid. I'm being so SELFISH. Dammit, I can't afford to be like this! Jubes, get a hold of yourself! It happened, so deal with it! You've got a kid on the way: you're going to be a MOTHER, for God's sake! Pull yourself together!
Call them.*
Jubilee didn't know how long she lay there on her floor, staring at the cell phone. Finally, with so agonizing slowness, she reached out her hand. She picked it up. Slowly, sadly, breathing more deeply than she knew she could... she dialed the number to Rogue's cell phone.
It rang twice before she answered:
"Rogue here." Her comforting southern twang had a relaxing effect on Jubilee. Gathering the broken pieces of her heart for the first time, she sighed, and replied:
"Hi, Rogue," she said, not quite softly. Her voice sounded strange to her; more mature, more confident, more... well, final.
"Jubilee! Dear, Gawd! Where the hell have ya been?" she made 'hell' sound like 'hail'. It made Jubilee smile slightly.
"On the road, for one thing; at a friend's house, for another. I'm alright; no accidents, muggings, insane mutants bent on world destruction, or any other such nuisances." Rogue laughed heartily, with her whole soul. Jubilee could see her in her mind's eye: eyes sparkling, hair tossing, mouth wide, shoulders shaking. Gambit would soon want to know who it was she was talking to...
"Ah'm talkin' ta Jubilee!" she heard through Rogue's hand, and then Gambit's garbled reply. "Naow, ya can't..."
"Petite! Where you been? You give Gambit one hell of a scare, goin' off like dat!" Jubilee smiled again, and felt like chuckling herself. *There's nothing like laughter through tears! And hot damn if at least Gambit cares a little bit about me.*
"I'm alright, Gambit! I swear I'm fine! I'm staying at a friend's house—she's sick, and called me up to ask for some help. I'll be staying here for... well," she sighed, not sure how she felt that she was actually truthful about this part: "It'll probably be a long time. I'm not exactly sure when I'll be able to come home."
"You need ol' Gambit out dere?"
"No," Jubilee said, trying not to be hurried or frightened in her reply, "Thanks: I can take care of her myself. Actually, she's... well, it's really bad. I'm.... I'm... I'm not sure if she's gonna make it for much longer, anyway." She sighed, wondering if what she said was truth or not. Her heart refused to sink completely, though. It kept beating strongly. She sat up, and discovered that she was rubbing her stomach again. She heard someone turn on the music in the room below her: Jason, she thought, judging by the acoustic guitar—it was too real to be coming from a radio. She felt it grounding her; giving her strength.
"Gambit sorry, cher," he said, genuinely feeling for her, "Gambit wish he could be dere for petite."
"Don't worry about me, Gambit," she said, meaning every word of it, "Life goes on. Life... always does. And hey, you better give the phone back to Rogue before she decides to..."
"A'fore Ah decide to what?"
"Oh, I see you managed to wrestle the phone back from Gambit."
"Yeah... Ol' swamp rat took _some_ convincin', awlrite!" Jubilee laughed, tilting her head back and letting the sound surprise her. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire from the tears.
"Are you listenin' ta me?"
"What? Sorry, Rogue; I got distracted for a moment."
"I say-ed: Are ya'll still getting' sick in tha mornin'?" Jubilee winced before she remembered that Rogue was miles away in Winchester, and couldn't possibly know her predicament.
"No, I'm fine now." *Liar, liar, pants on fire!*
"We-al, Ah'll jes let ya'll talk ta Storm he-ar fo' a min-nut; the Professor el be a'wan'n ta speak ta ya hisself. He been worried _sick_ about ya'll, Shugah!"
"Sorry. I just didn't have time to call! She's so sick..."
"S awl rite, Shugah: Ah understand. Ya'll got a sick friend, ya'll gotta duty ta do."
"Thanks, Rogue; you know, I think you're the only one who understands me back there sometimes."
"Awe, shucks, gal! Here's Stormy!"
"Hey, Storm." There was a momentary pause, then:
"Hello, child! How is your sick friend?"
"Sicker, I'm afraid; I... I... I don't know if she's gonna make it, Storm!" Jubilee decided she could let a small bit of her anguish out; she knew that Storm's wisdom would see her through the sicknesses plaguing her best friends. *No,* she corrected herself, *My FAMILY.*
"I am sorry to hear that, child; is there anything we can do? Perhaps the Professor or Hank would be of some help..." Storm's warm, melted-chocolate voice faded away, but the last word was raised for a question. *No, you're no better either.* Jubilee answered, feeling guilty... but with a new sense of calmness and certainty that she hadn't had before:
"No... No, thanks, Storm; but I don't think that it would work out that way. I think right now, it might be more of a problem than a way to a cure. I'll keep in touch, though; I promise you that!" Storm chuckled richly on the other end of the line.
"Of course you will, child!" *Oh, Stormy—if only it were that simple!*
"Oh, Professor Xavier wants to speak with you."
"Okay... Storm: you know I love you, right?"
"Of course you do, child; I love you, as well. Here is the Professor." *Deep breath, deep breath; you can do this! Just breathe.... What am I panicking for? I am doing the right thing. I am doing what I am meant to do. I am fine; I am all right.*
"Jubilee?" *Oh, gods... maybe not.*
"Hi, Professor." *I wish I could cry.*
"How is your sick friend, Jubilee? I heard Storm talking about sending Hank or I out to see if we could help." *Nobody can help me now except myself. I have to do this on my own now.*
"She's much worse than I thought, Professor," *and that IS the truth* "I don't know how much longer.... well, I don't know if she's gonna..."
"I understand." *No, you don't. But that's okay, darling Professor Xavier; I have a _family_ that will take care of me now. They won't leave me out in the cold for ANY reason!*
"How are you handling it, Jubilee?" *I wish I could stop crying.*
"I'm fine, Professor. I... we knew this was coming for a long time. She's worked herself so hard that she's just done herself in, but Moira thinks we can save her. Tori and I aren't so sure."
"Moira...?"
"Andrews, Professor; her husband is Jared Andrews. He and Max—Maxamillian Donahue—are the founders of Jax Law firms. Tori is another friend of mine; she's a night security guard for Jax Law firms' HQ." *My face feels like it's on fire.*
"I hope your friend gets well." *Which one: Jade, or Sarah? Huh—take your goddamn pick!*
"Me, too, Professor."
"Be careful, Jubilee." *I am DEFINITELY doing that. It's not like I have a choice!*
"Of course, Professor! In fact, I'm doing better than I do back there—Moira actually got me to eat all of my veggies without _nagging_! They cook nothing... well, ahem, _almost_ nothing... but healthy food here. Moira's a real health-nut, and she's, like, the ultimate Jewish mother or something." *Hey, wow; I can laugh at that.*
"That's wonderful, Jubilee." *Jeez; haven't you got anything else to say? Like: hey, dipshit, you forgot your combadge? Or: Hey, it took you long enough to call, are you _sure_ everything's all right? Jeepers, you guys really care, don't you? Hah.*
"What was that, Professor?"
"Oh, nothing; I was just telling Cyclops it was you. He says to take care of yourself." *Shit, none of you have even thought to ask me where the hell I am.*
"I am... and I will. Don't worry about me." *As if you are right now.*
"Oh... Rogue wants to talk to you again."
"Good-bye, Prof—"
"Heya, Shugah!" *Jeez, that was fast.*
"Hey, Rogue."
"Look-ee, here, girly: Ah gotta re-charge thes thang, so's Ah hates ta sayee thes, but Ah gotta hang up."
"That's okay, Rogue."
"Love you, shugah."
"Love you, too, Rogue."
"Oh—hey, where the hell ya'll at, anyways?" *Wow, somebody asked.*
"I'm, uh, at Gatewood House. It's in Crystal, Pennsylvania; sort o' small town... kinda cozy and nice... growing really fast, though: All the niceties of a big city, with the benefits of rural living."
"Ah hear ya! Gotta go, shugah, but ya'll be takin' good care o' yah-self."
"Love you."
"Love you too."
Click... the phone went dead. Jubilee set it down slowly, relief and sadness and something else written across her face. She stared at the phone again, her knees drawn up against her chest, hands clasped over her belly. She stared down her stomach, trying to imagine herself big... like Moira. She wondered what her baby would look like. It would be a boy, she knew—for some odd reason, she just knew—would it look like her, or Logan? Probably Logan, she decided, not really thinking at all. A thought struck her:
Will Logan, Jr. have any powers? *Oh, gods; I hadn't thought of that!*
She didn't get a chance to either; somebody knocked on her door. Jubilee got up stiffly—*remind me that doing this sort of thing is NOT kind to the body* --and dug the key out of her pocket.
Her hand didn't falter with the lock this time. Swift and sure, the key fit and she turned it. She stepped back to let her caller inside, wondering who it was and what time it happened to be. She made a mental note to set up her alarm clock.
The door opened, and there was Tori, standing with a laundry basket balanced on her skinny hip. Jubilee smiled, and let her in. Tori dropped the basket as soon as she was in the room. It landed with a dull thud on the carpet of what would soon be the "living room". Hands on her hips, Tori assessed the room with apparent approval.
"Needs furniture," she commented cryptically. Jubilee nodded her agreement.
"Yep, I know. With all that's been happening, though; there just hasn't been time."
"Or energy."
"Yup." They stood in silence for a few heartbeats. There was quiet pride and confidence in Tori's stance; Jubilee felt herself grow taller in her presence. Tori may be no-nonsense and lusty with an attitude to set Mexico on fire, but she was one of the most tender-hearted and vulnerable people Jubilee knew. Of all the people in the house, she and Sarah were the two people Jubilee related to the most.
"Well," Tori said with an edge of impatience, "Let's get to it, then." Jubilee looked at her with a bit of shock, but Tori just leaned out the hallway and raised her voice just a notch:
"Yo! CJ, JC!" There answers were muffled by the walls.
"Get over here; we're helping Jubes move in permanently!" A few moments later, the gay couple entered the room with confusion and delight written all over their handsome faces.
"Of course she's moving in permanently!" CJ snorted, "Why else would she be here?"
"Aren't you finished moving in yet?" JC asked Jubilee, his brow furrowed. Sheepishly, Jubilee shrugged. *Damn, they are a serious loss to the gene pool!*
"There just wasn't the time or the energy to finish up. Sarah and I started—we got all the cleaning done—but all the furniture and stuff still has to be brought up." She shrugged again, but CJ smiled.
"Well," he said, his blue eyes twinkling, "We'll just have to gather the troops and head on down. The basement should have everything we need!"
"Either that," JC put in with a grin, "Or the attic will. We just need some help, that's all. I'm sure that the others will help." His clear green eyes sparkled with mischief of some kind. Tori groaned.
"Oh, no," she said, slapping a hand over her face and tilting it back to the ceiling, "_What_ are you two planning _now_?" The gay couple looked innocently back at her, smiles wide and faces lit.
"Us?" they chorused.
"Never," JC said, flicking a hand for emphasis.
"No way," CJ echoed, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Yeah," Tori said dryly, "_right_!"
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry it took me soooooooo loooooong to get this up, but as you obviously already know, fanfiction.net was experiencing tech probs. Ack, well, we can't get everything was want. I am very pleased with what people are saying! If you want more, let me know. Feedback is always appreciated, even if it's negative! (Although flames will probably be spoon-fed back to the flamer.) NEway, thanks for all the support I've been getting! If you have any ideas on where you feel you want this story to go, email me or set it down in a review. If you email me, please put the AFTERMATH OF JUBILATION in the subject box... just so I don't panic and delete your message. Right now my Muse is on coffee break (Lord know she needs it after all those four and three ack emma episodes of frantic, inspired writing!) THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE! LOTS OF LOVE TO YOU ALL! SEE YOU SOON!!!!!!!!
Thanks once again to Parodys for THE HUNGER... we owe her a huge round of applause, folks. clap, clap, clap *Flashes neon sign: applause* Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand now... on with the show!!!!!!!!!!!
Jubilee woke up in the middle of the night. She knew instinctively that something was wrong... She heard C.J., J.C., Jason, and Abigail wake up in the rooms down the hallway. She registered the fact that Sarah hadn't come home yet. She lay awake for a moment, trying to discern what was wrong...
Jade. Jade was sicker.
Jubilee pushed the covers aside, getting glimpses of confusion and flashes of fever from Jade's sickness-induced delirium. She dressed hurriedly in her housecoat, distantly raging at her erratic telepathy.
In the hallway, doors opened and she was joined by C.J., J.C., Jason, Abigail, Mara, and Gwenevere. No one bothered to talk; Jade had reached out to all of them. Quickly, they padded softly to the second floor, Jubilee leading the procession. The entire household was awake: only Tori, Sarah, Rory, and Rain were missing. Crowding around the door to Jade and Vanessa's bedroom, Jubilee knocked softly. *Please, God; let her be okay!*
Vanessa answered the door immediately, disheveled and worried.
"She's getting worse," she said, letting them enter. The room was stifling, even with the windows open and two fans blowing cool air inside. Jade lay on the bed, tossing and turning amongst sweat-soaked sheets. She muttered incomprehensibly, her hands fluttering listlessly at her sides.
Everyone sprang into action. CJ and JC managed to hold Jade down while Jared and Maxamillian stripped the bed. Mara shooed the boys out of the room, guarding the door, and Vanessa rid Jade of her drenched bedclothes and changed her under-garments. Gwenevere grabbed Jubilee.
"Let's see if we can find the old AC unit in the attic!" she whispered with sudden inspiration. Jubilee brightened considerably. *I never even thought...*
"Great idea!" she whispered back, and they tip-toed out the door. Moira bustled after them, Adrienne in tow, and waddled downstairs to the kitchen. The men milled about in the hallway, making it hard to get through.
"Oh, for Pete's sake," Gwen said in a stage whisper, "Can't you find anything better to do? Frenchman, CJ: go to the pharmacy and get more meds. JC and Max: go get extra bedding and take care of the old stuff," she ordered them, shoving the offensive laundry at them.
"John, Jaxom, Jared: go to the health food store—the one on Church St. that's open all night—and get all the healing herbs you can find... especially green tea. Oh, and pick up bottled water while your at it. The rest of you," she said, turning to Finnigan, Jason, Joshua, Brian, and Lennier, "Help us up in the attic. We're looking for the old Air Conditioning unit that Mark and Marick used to use in their old room." They jumped to their respective commands; thudding softly down or up the stairs.
Half an hour later, the AC unit was found and the rest of the boys returned from their errands. Sarah, Rory, and Rain had yet to appear and Tori's boss wouldn't let her come home.
"I'm seriously considering that testicle removal," she muttered furiously into the phone. Adrienne had managed a weak laugh at that before hanging up.
It was two in the morning when the front door was heard to close. Sarah entered the kitchen, heading straight for the cabinet where they kept the herbs.
"My God," Moira muttered resignedly, "I take it you had some resistance?" She eyed Sarah's bruises, cuts, and obviously broken wrist. Sarah looked at her unreadably.
"You could say that," she said passively.
"Those cuts on your face will need stitches," Moira said, hands on her wide hips and brown curls escaping her hasty up-do. Sarah's mouth didn't even twitch. She met Moira's brown gaze with her own calm taupe one.
"I know," she said simply. She looked down at her wrist, where she could see the bone had popped out and was pressing against the skin. She turned around, placing her injured hand carefully through a narrow slit of a chair. Bracing against a foot and her good arm, she yanked hard. There was an audible CRACK, and the bone popped back into place. Not even blinking, Sarah finished getting out the herbs she needed to make her tea. Adrienne, who had jumped when Sarah had set her wrist, sighed and went back to rifling through a medical text. Moira shook her head, and left with a tray of tea and honey.
Jubilee trudged tiredly down the stairs towards the light in the kitchen, passing (it was more like squeezing) by Moira in the process. She sensed Sarah's cool and collected presence; heard her turn on the radio. Roxette's "Salvation" stole softly through the main floor of the house. *How appropriate* she thought *Describes my life perfectly.* Bitterness rose unexpected in her throat, and she swallowed acridly and hard. *If I wasn't pregnant, I'd get stone drunk!*
"If you weren't pregnant," Sarah's rocking-chair voice floated in from the kitchen, "I'd get stone-drunk _with_ you!"
Startled, Jubilee chuckled. Sarah appeared in the doorway, a sensuous silhouette against the harsh light of the kitchen. Standing as she was in the dark, Jubilee could make out the mug of her special tea in her left hand and the shot glass in her right. Sarah crossed to her, handing her the mug of tea. She accepted, inhaling its tangy scent. *I wonder why she's not drinking any herself.*
"The answer to your question is that I don't care to right now."
"You're reading my mind."
"Eyeah."
"You almost never do that."
"Correction," said Sarah, lifting her glass and sitting down in an obliging armchair, "I almost never _reply_ to what I... receive, if you will. I like to wait and give people a chance to voice it on their own. You can tell a lot about a person just by seeing how much of their mind they decide to give voice to. Oh, shit; I forgot the bottle in the other room." She got up, and went to get the said bottle. Jubilee took the opportunity to claim her own seat, considering what Sarah had just said. Sarah returned with a bottle of very strong vodka, a pack of cigarettes, and a lighter.
"Sarah..."
"Eyeah?" Jubilee winced at the tone of her voice. She swallowed, and continued:
"You don't smoke."
"Really?" Her voice was hollow, rough, and sarcastic.
"Unless you're in a rather... um... extreme mood."
"Extreme, eh?"
"Yeah."
"Well," she said, lighting a cigarette. She leaned back and smoked it, regarding Jubilee in the dark of the living room. The radio in the kitchen switched to Foreigner's "I Wanna Know What Love Is". Jubilee sighed, studying her hands folded in her lap. *When they figure that one out, I want to be the first one they tell!*
"Don't worry about me, Jubilee," Sarah said finally, her voice much softer than before, "I'll be fine. _You_ just worry about that baby!" The hand that held the cigarette jabbed itself in her direction.
"I know," Jubilee replied, her voice even softer. Her hands seemed to rub her abdomen with a life of their own.
"You can't stop thinking about him, can you?"
"No." The reply was lighter than a whisper, but she knew that Sarah heard. *I have really nice hands.*
"You need to move on with your life, girl," Sarah said, taking a drag from her cigarette, "He's all in the past right now. He won't be back for a very, very, _very_ long time." Jubilee picked her head up.
"Really?"
"Eyeah," she took another drag, exhaling the offensive smoke in a white ring around her golden head. Light from the kitchen sparked off of her hair, creating a surreal halo around her head. Jubilee rather liked the effect; the smoke just made it hazy, strengthening it.
"He's really beating himself up over you leaving."
"How do you know?"
"I just do."
"Not good enough."
"Well," Sarah said, taking a hefty swig from the bottle, "That's all yer gonna git, girl; so be happy with whatcha got before it's all gone!"
Jubilee studied Sarah again, searching this time. *I wonder what she feels... how she deals with it all. Lord knows there's been such pain in her life... Why is she even alive right now? She's so strong...*
"How do you do it all, Sarah?"
"Eh?"
"Life... keep living... going on and on the way you do. How do you stay alive? How do make life worth living again? How do you recover from it all?" Sarah stared at the coffee table between them, watching the light glancing off of its glass surface. Her eyes were haunted; swirling colors. She met Jubilee's black eyes, staring into them without seeing them. She blinked, and the moment was over.
"Breathe, sigh, say 'this SUCKS', and get on with your life." She said, shrugging, "Simple; but it works. Trust me," she said, hauling herself up from the chair with another cigarette in her mouth and the bottle in her hand, "I've _learned_. That... or you could just never let anyone get close to you again." She stood at the window, barely distinguishable from the shadows but for the glinting of her hair and the bottle, "Although, I recommend the former rather than the latter. Never letting anyone in again..." she blew out her breath, the tip of the cig glowing brightly, "That hurts more than it heals." She took a swig from the bottle and a drag from the cig. The radio switched to Ace of Base and "It's a Beautiful Life". Jubilee bit her lip. *Okay, okay; I can take a hint!*
Nobody bothered with even trying to sleep for the rest of the night. Jade's sheets were changed almost every hour, but Vanessa refused to let her be admitted to a hospital.
"No, no, no and no," she said, vehemently shaking her head, "They'd just toss her out once they realized what she was! And who knows? In her fevered state, she might lash out a patient... or a doctor! No," she repeated firmly and desperately. Jubilee gave in then, heading back downstairs to the kitchen, passing by Brian. He gave her a jaded half- smile, carrying a tray of food up to Vanessa.
Everyone in Gatewood House was in some state of fatigue; it seemed as if they had just chosen a spot and flopped themselves there. Every chair, nook and cranny had a person in it—most of them nursing a cup of coffee. Sarah was stirring vodka into hers, staring at the table top with an expressionless and bruised face. Some of her cuts had stitches now. Her eyes were a murky green-brown color.
Moira handed Jubilee a cup of coffee wordlessly, lightly kissing her cheek. Jubilee hunkered down by Sarah, too tired to care if the floor was chilly or not. She looked at the faces of the people around her. *We're a family,* she thought, *whether we're here or not. The love here is almost a tangible thing. Everybody is so worried about Jade—we really made a team effort to help her out. Such extremes... such... _love_. I think that Xavier unintentionally let that slip as the X-Men got older. What a pity...* She sighed softly, and stared at her coffee for a moment before taking a swig. Decaffeinated coffee, of course; Moira wouldn't here of it any other way, not with "her" Jubilee being preggers.
Jubilee smiled to herself. *Moira takes such good care of us,* she thought, *what would we do without her? We'd be lost... She's like the ultimate Jewish mother! A mother hen to all who enter her domain!* She took another swig of coffee, and rubbed her stomach. *Well,* she thought absently, *at least I haven't had morning sickness yet!*
Nobody made the effort for breakfast until ten o'clock. Sarah sighed then, slapped her hands down on the table, and hauled herself out of her chair. Jubilee watched her stride purposefully to the refrigerator and take out various foods: grapefruit, kiwi, apples, butter, jam, cheese, eggs, and veggies.
Working silently and alone, she made omelets, toast, mixed fruit, and baked apples. She handed everyone a plate, getting the ritual kisses on her abused cheeks. Then she took her own breakfast: one kiwi, a piece of toast, and another mug of coffee with yet another shot of vodka. CJ snorted, but didn't say anything when Sarah glanced up at him.
Finished eating, Sarah stood up and dumped her dishes in the sink. She turned on her heal, and headed for the front door, grabbing her black leather coat along the way. Her coppery-red hair was twisted around and on top of her head haphazardly. She still wore the black leather jumpsuit she'd had on since two days ago. Jubilee raised an eyebrow, but decided it was better to stay silent: when Sarah got on a trail like this, it was _safer_ to stay out of her way as much as possible.
Jubilee did the dishes; Moira went up to rest. Bambi followed her, but Adrienne was convinced she was okay. She finally "complied" when she fell asleep over her medical text. Brian carried her upstairs to her bedroom before heading to work.
"Thank God it's Saturday," Jared said tiredly, but grinning wickedly. He headed up after his wife. Pretty soon, the only people left awake were Jubilee and Tori, who had come home at eight. Jubilee finished putting away the last mug, and sat down at the kitchen table with her. The radio was on, and "I'll do Anything for Love" by Meatloaf was playing softly. Tori was staring at it, drinking mechanically from her mug of cold coffee.
"I hate it when one of us gets sick," she said to Jubilee suddenly. She sipped from her mug, still staring at the radio, "It just rips me apart that I can't come home when it happens."
"I know what you mean," Jubilee said quietly, unintentionally getting flashes of Tori's past. She stared at the table top, finding the patterns in the wood she had memorized while doing homework so long ago.
"I hate it," Tori said again, setting her coffee down gently.
The house stirred itself to life again around five in the afternoon/evening. Up and about once again, the make-shift family made their rounds: Adrienne to her books, Frenchman and Bambi to the basement to work out... but everybody made a stop in Vanessa and Jade's room.
Jubilee took some fresh water up to them. When she couldn't sleep, she'd changed into a long sweater-dress, leggings, and thick socks. The dress made soft rustles when she lifted her legs for each step. She held four new bottles of water. Rapping softly on their door, she tip-toed in past Vanessa, who had opened it for her.
The sheets needed changed again. Jubilee braced herself against the torrent of leaking thoughts she was picking up on, and motioned for Vanessa to lift Jade. Jade was too worn out with sickness and dehydration that she couldn't even manage to toss and turn anymore. But she still sweat bullets, so at least she wasn't deathly dehydrated; they succeeded in getting water into her by pouring it in her mouth, then massaging her throat until she swallowed.
*I'm surprised that I'm not more worried,* Jubilee thought, realizing it for the first time, *yeah, sure I'm a bit scared that she won't be the same when she gets better; but that's the thing. I'm so confident that she'll pull through that I haven't even considered IF she'll get well. I'm just so assured that Jade will.* She looked at Vanessa, who was bathing Jade's pale sweaty forehead with cold water. There was tenderness, such love, that Jubilee felt the tears that she had thought gone well up inside her once more. Swallowing hard, she moved away from the end of the bed and came up on the other side of Jade. She focused fiercely on assisting Vanessa in getting water down Jade's throat. She left the room, swiftly running upstairs to her own.
It didn't matter to her that there was no mattress on the bed yet; or that Mark's old couch hadn't been brought out of storage for her; nor that Methuselah's armchair was covered in plastic. None of it even registered to Jubilee, who finally managed to lock the door after missing the keyhole several times. Shaking, feeling sick to her stomach, she dug frantically through her baggage for the cell phone Rogue had gotten her for her eighteenth birthday.
But she couldn't bear to push the buttons. Every time her finger got near the first digit, it shook and refused to move except in retreat. Breathing hard, choking on sobs that wouldn't be realized, Jubilee knelt on the carpet. She dropped the phone; wrapped her arms tightly around herself, and lay on her stomach on the floor. She stared at the phone, trying to will herself to pick it up. Her arms refused to untangle themselves. Despairing, some of the tears she had thought dried and wasted sprang into her eyes and trickled down her face.
*Dear God! I can't think, I can't breathe... hell; I can't even pick up the damn phone and call the Professor. He's probably worried about me; either that, or telling the others not to do the same.
Not that many of them will care after a while. I've hurt everyone too badly. Fuck, I wish I could turn back time. I'd never take that walk down the hallway; never touch Logan; never have not taken that cold shower. Oh, hells, I would never have gone off the pill.
I was so sure that I'd never have a reason to use it, that I foolishly went off it. What a damn, idiotic, moronic, imbecilic shit-head I was... am. I don't even have the strength to pick up the phone and leave a message. I don't even have the wits to tell them that I'm not coming back...
I wonder if Logan's left yet. I wonder if he thinks of me... yeah, he sure as hell probably does: he probably thinks of how much he'd like to kill me. How he wishes he'd never met me. I bet Scott wishes he'd never have been out late with Jean that night.
I wonder how long it will take them to realize that I'm not coming back. I wonder if any of them will try to imagine why; I wonder if any of them will even CARE why?
I'm such a liar; a liar and a weakling. I'm lying to them; I'm lying to myself. I hate myself. I bet my kid will hate me, too.
Oh, God, my kid. I'm being so SELFISH. Dammit, I can't afford to be like this! Jubes, get a hold of yourself! It happened, so deal with it! You've got a kid on the way: you're going to be a MOTHER, for God's sake! Pull yourself together!
Call them.*
Jubilee didn't know how long she lay there on her floor, staring at the cell phone. Finally, with so agonizing slowness, she reached out her hand. She picked it up. Slowly, sadly, breathing more deeply than she knew she could... she dialed the number to Rogue's cell phone.
It rang twice before she answered:
"Rogue here." Her comforting southern twang had a relaxing effect on Jubilee. Gathering the broken pieces of her heart for the first time, she sighed, and replied:
"Hi, Rogue," she said, not quite softly. Her voice sounded strange to her; more mature, more confident, more... well, final.
"Jubilee! Dear, Gawd! Where the hell have ya been?" she made 'hell' sound like 'hail'. It made Jubilee smile slightly.
"On the road, for one thing; at a friend's house, for another. I'm alright; no accidents, muggings, insane mutants bent on world destruction, or any other such nuisances." Rogue laughed heartily, with her whole soul. Jubilee could see her in her mind's eye: eyes sparkling, hair tossing, mouth wide, shoulders shaking. Gambit would soon want to know who it was she was talking to...
"Ah'm talkin' ta Jubilee!" she heard through Rogue's hand, and then Gambit's garbled reply. "Naow, ya can't..."
"Petite! Where you been? You give Gambit one hell of a scare, goin' off like dat!" Jubilee smiled again, and felt like chuckling herself. *There's nothing like laughter through tears! And hot damn if at least Gambit cares a little bit about me.*
"I'm alright, Gambit! I swear I'm fine! I'm staying at a friend's house—she's sick, and called me up to ask for some help. I'll be staying here for... well," she sighed, not sure how she felt that she was actually truthful about this part: "It'll probably be a long time. I'm not exactly sure when I'll be able to come home."
"You need ol' Gambit out dere?"
"No," Jubilee said, trying not to be hurried or frightened in her reply, "Thanks: I can take care of her myself. Actually, she's... well, it's really bad. I'm.... I'm... I'm not sure if she's gonna make it for much longer, anyway." She sighed, wondering if what she said was truth or not. Her heart refused to sink completely, though. It kept beating strongly. She sat up, and discovered that she was rubbing her stomach again. She heard someone turn on the music in the room below her: Jason, she thought, judging by the acoustic guitar—it was too real to be coming from a radio. She felt it grounding her; giving her strength.
"Gambit sorry, cher," he said, genuinely feeling for her, "Gambit wish he could be dere for petite."
"Don't worry about me, Gambit," she said, meaning every word of it, "Life goes on. Life... always does. And hey, you better give the phone back to Rogue before she decides to..."
"A'fore Ah decide to what?"
"Oh, I see you managed to wrestle the phone back from Gambit."
"Yeah... Ol' swamp rat took _some_ convincin', awlrite!" Jubilee laughed, tilting her head back and letting the sound surprise her. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire from the tears.
"Are you listenin' ta me?"
"What? Sorry, Rogue; I got distracted for a moment."
"I say-ed: Are ya'll still getting' sick in tha mornin'?" Jubilee winced before she remembered that Rogue was miles away in Winchester, and couldn't possibly know her predicament.
"No, I'm fine now." *Liar, liar, pants on fire!*
"We-al, Ah'll jes let ya'll talk ta Storm he-ar fo' a min-nut; the Professor el be a'wan'n ta speak ta ya hisself. He been worried _sick_ about ya'll, Shugah!"
"Sorry. I just didn't have time to call! She's so sick..."
"S awl rite, Shugah: Ah understand. Ya'll got a sick friend, ya'll gotta duty ta do."
"Thanks, Rogue; you know, I think you're the only one who understands me back there sometimes."
"Awe, shucks, gal! Here's Stormy!"
"Hey, Storm." There was a momentary pause, then:
"Hello, child! How is your sick friend?"
"Sicker, I'm afraid; I... I... I don't know if she's gonna make it, Storm!" Jubilee decided she could let a small bit of her anguish out; she knew that Storm's wisdom would see her through the sicknesses plaguing her best friends. *No,* she corrected herself, *My FAMILY.*
"I am sorry to hear that, child; is there anything we can do? Perhaps the Professor or Hank would be of some help..." Storm's warm, melted-chocolate voice faded away, but the last word was raised for a question. *No, you're no better either.* Jubilee answered, feeling guilty... but with a new sense of calmness and certainty that she hadn't had before:
"No... No, thanks, Storm; but I don't think that it would work out that way. I think right now, it might be more of a problem than a way to a cure. I'll keep in touch, though; I promise you that!" Storm chuckled richly on the other end of the line.
"Of course you will, child!" *Oh, Stormy—if only it were that simple!*
"Oh, Professor Xavier wants to speak with you."
"Okay... Storm: you know I love you, right?"
"Of course you do, child; I love you, as well. Here is the Professor." *Deep breath, deep breath; you can do this! Just breathe.... What am I panicking for? I am doing the right thing. I am doing what I am meant to do. I am fine; I am all right.*
"Jubilee?" *Oh, gods... maybe not.*
"Hi, Professor." *I wish I could cry.*
"How is your sick friend, Jubilee? I heard Storm talking about sending Hank or I out to see if we could help." *Nobody can help me now except myself. I have to do this on my own now.*
"She's much worse than I thought, Professor," *and that IS the truth* "I don't know how much longer.... well, I don't know if she's gonna..."
"I understand." *No, you don't. But that's okay, darling Professor Xavier; I have a _family_ that will take care of me now. They won't leave me out in the cold for ANY reason!*
"How are you handling it, Jubilee?" *I wish I could stop crying.*
"I'm fine, Professor. I... we knew this was coming for a long time. She's worked herself so hard that she's just done herself in, but Moira thinks we can save her. Tori and I aren't so sure."
"Moira...?"
"Andrews, Professor; her husband is Jared Andrews. He and Max—Maxamillian Donahue—are the founders of Jax Law firms. Tori is another friend of mine; she's a night security guard for Jax Law firms' HQ." *My face feels like it's on fire.*
"I hope your friend gets well." *Which one: Jade, or Sarah? Huh—take your goddamn pick!*
"Me, too, Professor."
"Be careful, Jubilee." *I am DEFINITELY doing that. It's not like I have a choice!*
"Of course, Professor! In fact, I'm doing better than I do back there—Moira actually got me to eat all of my veggies without _nagging_! They cook nothing... well, ahem, _almost_ nothing... but healthy food here. Moira's a real health-nut, and she's, like, the ultimate Jewish mother or something." *Hey, wow; I can laugh at that.*
"That's wonderful, Jubilee." *Jeez; haven't you got anything else to say? Like: hey, dipshit, you forgot your combadge? Or: Hey, it took you long enough to call, are you _sure_ everything's all right? Jeepers, you guys really care, don't you? Hah.*
"What was that, Professor?"
"Oh, nothing; I was just telling Cyclops it was you. He says to take care of yourself." *Shit, none of you have even thought to ask me where the hell I am.*
"I am... and I will. Don't worry about me." *As if you are right now.*
"Oh... Rogue wants to talk to you again."
"Good-bye, Prof—"
"Heya, Shugah!" *Jeez, that was fast.*
"Hey, Rogue."
"Look-ee, here, girly: Ah gotta re-charge thes thang, so's Ah hates ta sayee thes, but Ah gotta hang up."
"That's okay, Rogue."
"Love you, shugah."
"Love you, too, Rogue."
"Oh—hey, where the hell ya'll at, anyways?" *Wow, somebody asked.*
"I'm, uh, at Gatewood House. It's in Crystal, Pennsylvania; sort o' small town... kinda cozy and nice... growing really fast, though: All the niceties of a big city, with the benefits of rural living."
"Ah hear ya! Gotta go, shugah, but ya'll be takin' good care o' yah-self."
"Love you."
"Love you too."
Click... the phone went dead. Jubilee set it down slowly, relief and sadness and something else written across her face. She stared at the phone again, her knees drawn up against her chest, hands clasped over her belly. She stared down her stomach, trying to imagine herself big... like Moira. She wondered what her baby would look like. It would be a boy, she knew—for some odd reason, she just knew—would it look like her, or Logan? Probably Logan, she decided, not really thinking at all. A thought struck her:
Will Logan, Jr. have any powers? *Oh, gods; I hadn't thought of that!*
She didn't get a chance to either; somebody knocked on her door. Jubilee got up stiffly—*remind me that doing this sort of thing is NOT kind to the body* --and dug the key out of her pocket.
Her hand didn't falter with the lock this time. Swift and sure, the key fit and she turned it. She stepped back to let her caller inside, wondering who it was and what time it happened to be. She made a mental note to set up her alarm clock.
The door opened, and there was Tori, standing with a laundry basket balanced on her skinny hip. Jubilee smiled, and let her in. Tori dropped the basket as soon as she was in the room. It landed with a dull thud on the carpet of what would soon be the "living room". Hands on her hips, Tori assessed the room with apparent approval.
"Needs furniture," she commented cryptically. Jubilee nodded her agreement.
"Yep, I know. With all that's been happening, though; there just hasn't been time."
"Or energy."
"Yup." They stood in silence for a few heartbeats. There was quiet pride and confidence in Tori's stance; Jubilee felt herself grow taller in her presence. Tori may be no-nonsense and lusty with an attitude to set Mexico on fire, but she was one of the most tender-hearted and vulnerable people Jubilee knew. Of all the people in the house, she and Sarah were the two people Jubilee related to the most.
"Well," Tori said with an edge of impatience, "Let's get to it, then." Jubilee looked at her with a bit of shock, but Tori just leaned out the hallway and raised her voice just a notch:
"Yo! CJ, JC!" There answers were muffled by the walls.
"Get over here; we're helping Jubes move in permanently!" A few moments later, the gay couple entered the room with confusion and delight written all over their handsome faces.
"Of course she's moving in permanently!" CJ snorted, "Why else would she be here?"
"Aren't you finished moving in yet?" JC asked Jubilee, his brow furrowed. Sheepishly, Jubilee shrugged. *Damn, they are a serious loss to the gene pool!*
"There just wasn't the time or the energy to finish up. Sarah and I started—we got all the cleaning done—but all the furniture and stuff still has to be brought up." She shrugged again, but CJ smiled.
"Well," he said, his blue eyes twinkling, "We'll just have to gather the troops and head on down. The basement should have everything we need!"
"Either that," JC put in with a grin, "Or the attic will. We just need some help, that's all. I'm sure that the others will help." His clear green eyes sparkled with mischief of some kind. Tori groaned.
"Oh, no," she said, slapping a hand over her face and tilting it back to the ceiling, "_What_ are you two planning _now_?" The gay couple looked innocently back at her, smiles wide and faces lit.
"Us?" they chorused.
"Never," JC said, flicking a hand for emphasis.
"No way," CJ echoed, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Yeah," Tori said dryly, "_right_!"
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry it took me soooooooo loooooong to get this up, but as you obviously already know, fanfiction.net was experiencing tech probs. Ack, well, we can't get everything was want. I am very pleased with what people are saying! If you want more, let me know. Feedback is always appreciated, even if it's negative! (Although flames will probably be spoon-fed back to the flamer.) NEway, thanks for all the support I've been getting! If you have any ideas on where you feel you want this story to go, email me or set it down in a review. If you email me, please put the AFTERMATH OF JUBILATION in the subject box... just so I don't panic and delete your message. Right now my Muse is on coffee break (Lord know she needs it after all those four and three ack emma episodes of frantic, inspired writing!) THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE! LOTS OF LOVE TO YOU ALL! SEE YOU SOON!!!!!!!!