When on New Orleans…

Part II

The two friends pulled up next to a large willow tree watching their two younger friends graduate from Bayville High. The group laughed and cheered throwing up their hats and beginning to talk frantically. There was a girl with brown hair and deep brown eyes looking around as though she had lost something. The one next to her began talking while the slight wind moved her blonde hair behind her, her hazel eyes looking around behind the other girl.

Marie jumped up and pointed to the place where Jean and Ororo stood waiting. The brown haired girl ran over to them quickly followed by the other, Serena.

"Hey y'all! Where ya been?" Marie screamed hugging Jean and then Ororo. They each welcomed the hug, acting as though it was a drug they so long had craved. Serena came up to them next and hugged them too.

"Yeah! We were waiting for you! It was nerve-racking wondering if you all were gonna make it or not," Serena said leaning on the tree for support. Marie stood next to her watching the two.

"Sorry you guys," Jean began. "You know with our graduation and all, we got out just in time."

"Yes, we truly are sorry about all of this mix up, but now on to the exciting news. Will you two be joining us on our trip to New Orleans?" Ororo asked, hands on her hips and that sultry grin.

"Of course we are sugah!" Marie began. "We wouldn't miss it for the world!" Marie hugged Serena and they began jumping up and down realizing where exactly they were going to go for their summer break.

Meanwhile at the Xavier Institute…

"So Chuck what'd ya want us for?" Logan asked stepping into Charles Xavier's large office room. He was sitting in his wheelchair looking out of his office window watching the children play amongst each other. They looked so happy as if nothing was wrong with them, just normal human beings. But they weren't. They were mutants too.

"Charles?" a woman asked walking over to him and pressing a hand to his shoulder. Charles placed his hand lightly on top of the woman's and continued to stare out of the window with his fellow companion.

Logan watched the two for a while. He stood there with his large arms crossed over each other, and his eyes closed shut. He was about 6'0" with wiry black hair and broad shoulders. The woman across from him was tall and slender with her Asian black hair swaying behind her in the slightest breeze. She turned her head and smiled as the door swung open with two more people entering.

"And I thought I was always late," Logan said, taking a seat and watching the other two walk in.

"Can it Logan!" Scott said bringing his hand up to his red sunglasses. It was a warning and Logan knew this too. He just shook off the unnerving feeling he had and sat back in his chair, crossing his feet at the ankle. 'Scott must be having a bad day too,' the woman at the window thought to herself. The other man watched his girlfriend, Elizabeth, step from behind Charles Xavier and walk over to him slowly but surely.

She smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Hello my sweetheart," Betsy said receiving a hug in return from her boyfriend of six months, Warren Worthington. "How are you?"

"Fine my darling and you?" he asked looking in her eyes, smiling all the time. Betsy shook her head in a 'no' kind of fashion, signaling that there was nothing of much importance to tell. Warren replied with a slight nod, then returned his arms to his sides and looked towards the professor.

Suddenly the door was swung open, once again, and a babbling teenager with an escort came running in. "Sorry!! I was caught up with somethin' else! Promise it won't happen again professor!" the teenager said entering the room and taking a seat next to Logan. He opened his eyes and gave her one of those 'what-took-you-so-goddamned-long' kind of look, and then returned to his daydreaming.

"That's quite all right Jubilee," Charles replied still staring out of his window, seeming to be mesmerized by what was out there.

"Yea, dis gurl right 'ere was takin' to long tryin' to—"

"Gambit!" Jubilee yelled. Remy knew that when she used his code name, he was in for it if he didn't shut his mouth. "You don't need to go and tell everyone!"

"What's goin' on here Jubes?" Logan asked sitting upright in his chair. "This don't smell right."

Everyone become quiet and stared at the lonely teenager. Jubilee got up from her seat and backed away from Logan. She hung her head so low that you could have sworn her chin touched the floor. Remy watched back and forth between the two trying to size both of them up. Jubilee rubbed her elbow and looked away from Logan.

"IkindadentedyourcarwhenIwascominghomefromthemall," Jubilee mumbled in one breath, everyone crowding in closer trying to hear what she had said.

Logan didn't need to get any closer. With his super sensitive hearing he could have told them what she said from a mile away. He stood there in shook and took one step back leaning most of his wait on his left foot. Logan closed his eyes shut and balled his fists so tight, that his skin was turning white.

"Jubilee!" Logan yelled, steam coming from his nostrils.

"Wolverine, das enough homme. I tink dis gurl has 'ad enough problems of 'er own," Remy said, closing the gap between Jubilee and Logan.

He didn't flinch at his friend's words; he just stood there rising to the challenge even more. "Shut up Cajun before I have to slice you up too!" Logan replied, popping out each of his claws. The light hit each one just right, showing off their glittering sharpness. Jubilee hid behind Remy, clutching onto the sides of his jacket even more. Remy wasn't scared at all, actually quite the opposite. His hand rose up in front of the two men, and Gambit flicked his wrist revealing the Ace of Spades. There was a slight glow but not enough to light up the card.

"All right that's enough!" Scott shouted. The two didn't even acknowledge his presence. Scott became utterly annoyed and just rolled his eyes, flopping back down in his chair, which he was so comfortably sitting in before.

Betsy watched Warren try to talk to the men, and just shook her head in disgust. ''Men?! Why can't we all just get along?' Betsy asked herself. 'I mean, do woman have to do everything around here?' Betsy didn't even give a second glance as she entered both of their minds.

~Now listen up you two! I don't have the time or the patience to put up with you today!~ Betsy sounded extremely annoyed, though she already was. ~You both will either cut it out or take it somewhere else!~

The boys stood down and walked to different corners of the room. Logan looked out of the window, so angry. 'If the kid would have told me that she wrecked my humvee, then maybe I wouldn't be so angry! Maybe pissed but not furious! And who does Remy think he is anyway?'

Thoughts filled the room, but the office was still so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping to the floor. There was one thought that stood out from the rest though. 'Maybe they are not ready for this yet after all…' the professor reflected placing a shaking hand to his forehead.