AN: The next few chapters will go fairly light on the action. However, once the fic has gotten past the Holidays, then look out! Cause it's going to be fast, and heavy on the action.
Chia: Thank you for that remark about the Mary-Sue. *Smacks self HARD* I used to role play a bit, so you'd think I'd know when I'm power playing. He's barely in this chapter, though.
Chapter 7: Heart-to-Heart, and Mall Crawling.
*Two days after the Chapter 6 *
Even though the holidays were only a few weeks away, it apparently meant nothing to Wolverine, whose idea of 'the holiday spirit' was a game of 'Shadow Stalker.' This time, however, the teams were him, Kyle, and Sensei, Vs. Everyone else. Suffice it to say that none of them were happy with him. Even Kyle said that it was 'unnecessary,' as he really hated to do that to his friends. And when Jubilee's uniform split right down the side, she was unhappy to say the least.
She walked up to the room shared with Tabby, still mortified about the events of the training session. She quickly changed out of the damaged suit, putting on her normal clothing. As she was slipping on her trademark coat, her older roommate walked through the door, muttering under her breath about 'slave driving'. Jubilee looked over at her free-spirited roommate, and then sat to do some thinking.
Tabby looked over at her usually chattering roommate. No matter how different they were, she liked her, in a big sister kind of way. But, since they put up the decorations two days ago, she had seemed quiet and withdrawn, and it was starting to worry her. Making a decision, she sat down on the side of Jubilee's bed, looking the younger girl in the eyes.
After staring at the younger girl for a few minutes with absolutely no reaction, she decided to take a more direct approach.
PAT, PAT, SMACK.
Jubilee brought her hand up to her face, and glared at the older girl, who simply watched her, her gaze calm and cool, but, as Jubilee looked, she could see traces of concern being ruthlessly hidden. "What did you do that for?"
"Because you haven't been yourself recently. Ever since we put the decorations up you haven't been your usual lively self. It's starting to worry me a little. You're like the little sister I never had, so what's wrong."
Jubilee smiled, that's Tabby for you, she thought blunt, and straight to the point. She then remembered the stinging in her cheek, even if she lacks subtlety. She looked at the girl in front of her, and decided to tell her everything.
After she poured her heart out to the older girl, she felt oddly better for talking about it.
Tabby thought for a moment, considering what the girl had told her. Finally, she asked Jubilee a simply question.
"Why Bobby?"
Jubilee looked at Tabby, and for just a moment, her eyes seemed to say 'Who else but Bobby.' Then she got to thinking about what Tabby asked, and, after a good ten minutes of thinking, simply shrugged.
Tabby looked at her younger roommate. Wow, she thought, She has it BAD. Well, I guess it's time to play big sister. "Look," Said Tabby, "I think that you should just talk to him, I mean, from what you said, he either likes you just as much, or is asking to be creamed for leading you on."
Jubilee looked at the elder girl, "But what if he is leading me on. I mean, I don't know if I could take that." She continued rambling in this vein for a few minutes, until Tabby fetched her a light smack across the other cheek.
As Jubilee looked at her like a deer in headlights, Tabby sighed, and began to speak, "Look, your getting him a gift, right?" at Jubilee's stunned nod, she continued, "Then here's what you do." After she finished whispering to Jubilee, the younger girl was smiling broadly. "That'll work, thanks Tabby!" At that, she bounced out of the room, her usual self once more.
Tabby looked after the girl, and shook her head. If only I was so lucky in my love life.
*The next day*
Today was the day that just about every girl in the institute was looking forward to, and many guys were half dreading… the biggest shopping event of the year, the annual, traditional…
Christmas mall trip.
The entirety of the Xavier institute's population, sans Professor X, who stayed behind to preserve his sanity, and enjoy the quiet. Dr. McCoy had stayed behind for reasons that no one knew, or cared about.
The institute's two vans each were stuffed with students. Storm was driving the first, containing Rogue, Rahne, Jubilee, Tabby, Kitty, Amara, and Jean.
The other van was just as packed, Scott was driving, with Kurt, Ray, Bobby, Sam, Roberto, Jamie, Evan, and Wolverine, who was riding shotgun, stating that 'he liked the name.'
Upon arrival at the mall, Storm tried to gather the students for a lecture. "Now students," was as far as she got before she realized that everyone was gone.
Rogue wandered through the mall, looking around for something that caught her eye. Finally something did… or rather, someone
"RISTY!" She called, as she waved to her friend. The purple-haired girl smiled and headed over to the Rogue. Rogue smiled, now she wouldn't have to suffer through shopping alone.
Tabby and Jubilee were presently turning the mall upside-down in their shopping rush. Their rush eventually carried them into a department store, where they made a break for the clothes.
While searching for a something to get for her elder roommate, she saw a shirt she liked. Grabbing it up, she felt an intense satisfaction that she had gotten it before the woman in front of her had… the 6'2, 300 pound woman. Jubilee looked up, and up, and up, and finally found her face. She smiled, nervously, and with a little wave, and a small "bye?" she was gone with her prize, the 300-pound woman following faster than anyone her size had a right to.
Tabby was in the book area, trying to remember if Rogue already had the new Anne Rice book. Suddenly, she felt a pressure on the small of her back. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Jubilee, cowering. As she opened her mouth to ask what was up, a massive lady stood over Tabby, as Jubilee hid behind the display of Anne Rice books. In a voice that sounded like if she got much angrier, she'd give herself a hemorrhoid. "Have you seen a little pipsqueak of a girl run by this way?"
Tabby shook her head, "No, I don't think so. Nope! Not a one!" she said, her voice very nervous.
The lady gave her a glare, but nodded, and started to walk away. Jubilee came out once the lady was gone. Tabby started to ask her what she'd done, when the lady's voice cried out. "AH-HA!!! You little pipsqueak! I'm going to get you." Tabby and Jubilee traded looks, and ran for their lives, Tabby grabbing the book on her way past.
"What did you do?" Tabby asked while they were running. "I grabbed a shirt she wanted." Jubilee responded. Tabby shook her head, and the two kept running.
In the pet supplies, the two of them came across Sam, who asked them why they were running. Their hurried "Can't talk, gotta run!" was justified when the three hundred pound mammoth of a woman came blazing past them, knocking Sam off his feet in her rush. Sam cannonballed, blasting through several shelves before he stopped. As he hit the ground, he saw something in front of him. "Thaht'll do."
The two of them hit the checkout counter, and quickly bought their purchases, then ran through the door, the lady still on their tails. Once the lady exited the store, she found that the two girls were long gone in the crowd.
On their way through the mall, Jubilee asked Tabby something. "Was I hallucinating or did you actually buy that stuff?" Tabby nodded, "Wow, are you sure you're alright Tabby? Or might you be Mystique in disguise?" Jubilee's voice was teasing, and Tabby rolled her eyes at the younger girl.
Before leaving the institute, the mutants had established the Food Court as their gathering point once they were done. Now that the two experienced mall crawlers had lost their pursuer, they quickly finished their shopping, and went over in that direction. Upon arrival, they found that Kyle was already there, as were Logan and Storm. Kyle was reading a book, occasionally taking a sip of his drink, and snacking on some food from the McDonalds in the court. The two teenage girls sat down, and, as Jubilee cheerfully greeted the older mutants, Tabby tried to snatch a fry. Just before she grabbed one, a hand grabbed her by the wrist.
Looking up, she saw that Kyle's left hand had taken over the reading, while his right grabbed her wrist. Without stopping his reading, he said, "If you wanted a fry, you could have just asked." He then let her wrist go.
Jubilee then began relaying the entire sequence of events that had happened in the store, 'just so the Professor won't blame us,' was her reasoning. Soon the rest of the students had arrived, and the group started to head out towards the vans.
Just as they exited the mall, a voice cried out, "There you are!!!" Tabby and Jubilee cringed, and began looking around. Behind the group, the massive lady came up. Kyle turned upon hearing her voice, and, remembering how Jubilee had described her, figured that this lady would be a tough customer for even him. However, the need to take her out was brought to an end by Jean, who removed the memory of the shirt she wanted from her mind.
On the way back to the institute, everyone found that the fat lady was a favorite topic of discussion.
Back in the safety of her room, Jubilee took out the shirt that she had been chased across the mall for. He had better be like it, or I'm going to kill him.
R&R PLEASE!!
