Chapter 11: Wedding
The sky overhead was a clear, endless blue, with a few puffy cumulus clouds drifting by. Jubilee peeked out of the window at yet another car pulling up in front of the mansion, the bright sun quickly drying off the rain droplets still clinging to its top. She giggled and turned to Ororo, standing beside her as Jean took her turn in the bathroom changing into the pale green dress. "Thanks for the nice weather," she said.
"You are welcome," Ororo said serenely, watching Alex and Lorna get out of the big van pulling up now at the front doors. With a mere thought, she pushed the storm clouds further from Xavier's grounds, back toward the Village. She didn't want Jubilee and Logan's wedding day ruined by rain.
Jean walked out of the bathroom, smoothing down the skirt of the dress. "Okay, Jubilee," she said. "Time for you to get dressed."
With Ororo and Jean's help, Jubilee got into the white dress carefully and stood still as they zipped it up. Sitting down carefully in the chair in front of the vanity, she kept her head still as Ororo swept up the sides of her hair in an elegant twist and pinned it in place at the back of her head. Jean plugged in the curling irons, and she and Rogue started to curl the long black locks.
Jubilee had chosen a veil decorated with white flowers that looked especially pretty against her black hair. When Jean and Rogue finally stepped back to examine the elegant, pretty black curls, Ororo carefully set the wreath of flowers on the curls, fussed with it a bit, then fluffed up the tulle of the veil in the back and pulled a layer of the white stuff over in front of Jubilee's eyes. Jubilee tried to brush it back, but Ororo batted her hand away. "Leave it there, Jubilee! You can't pull it back until Logan does it for you in front of the minister!"
"But I don't like stuff in front of my face," she muttered irritably.
"It's only for a short while," Ororo soothed, brushing pale blue eyeshadow on Jubilee's eyelids. She smoothed powder on Jubilee's creamy complexion, brushed a tiny bit of blush on Jubilee's cheeks, then sat back and let Jubilee look at herself in the mirror.
Jubilee stared for a moment. "I don't look like me, somehow, anymore," she said. "I look…I don't know…prettier. I'm not really that pretty."
"Jubilee, it does not matter what you think; Logan will find you quite beautiful enough. Now come on." Jubilee rose from the chair, slipped her feet into her white shoes, and smoothed down the skirt. "How do I look?" she asked.
Ororo smiled. "You look beautiful, Jubilee."
"Good. Now let's get this over with, okay? I'm hungry. Can't wait till the ceremony's over to dig into that food the Professor hired the caterers to fix."
She got up and started to leave. Rogue grabbed the bouquet of white and red roses and almost tripped over the hem of her green dress rushing after Jubilee. "Hey, wait! Yah forgot your bouquet!"
The minister and the guys were waiting outside on the short, clipped grass of the south lawn of the mansion. Storm held Jubilee back for a second, nodded to the deejays, then let Jubilee go as the strains of the Wedding March began to play over the speakers set around the area. She, Jean, Betsy, and Rogue walked after Jubilee at a sedate, steady pace.
Logan turned, saw Jubilee and completely forgot to keep messing with his tie. He stared at the vision in white coming up the aisle between the rows of chairs set out for all the guests there in the grass, and wondered for a moment if he was dreaming. Jubilee looked so beautiful!
She reached out and took his hand as she reached him, and as they both took the last few steps to where the minister was standing, she winked at him. Logan relaxed. Still the same old Jubes. He tried to concentrate on what the minister was saying, but his eyes still kept straying off to the side. He couldn't believe he was getting married again. After he'd married Viper he'd sworn he'd never get married again. Staying single was much better.
But Jubilee changed all that. He loved her more than he'd ever loved anyone. Even Mariko. The love he felt for Jubilee was so much deeper than what he'd ever felt for anyone he'd ever loved before. Maybe it was because he'd watched her grow up; he knew every side of her, every mood, every experience that had made her what she was. Or maybe it was because she was…
Logan, came a voice in his head.
Professor? He blinked.
Stop overanalyzing, Logan, Charles Xavier's mental voice was warm in his mind. You're here, Jubilee is beside you, and you're about to get married. Whatever lies behind you is gone; whatever you two will face is in the future. Neither belongs to the here-and-now. Enjoy the moment. Or I'll have Jubilee paf some sense into your head.
Logan spluttered, and Jubilee turned her head just the slightest bit and winked merrily at him. Apparently she'd heard what Xavier told him too. Even worse, she said. I'll make you take me out to Fastlane tonight instead of leaving for Canada for the honeymoon.
Oh, no! Not that! Anything but that! Jubilee dissolved into mental giggles, though outwardly she remained straight faced. She nudged Logan with her elbow, and he belatedly realized he was supposed to say 'I do'.
"I do," he said. Jubilee responded soon with her own "I do."
"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride now." Logan grabbed Jubilee in a giant bear hug, disregarding her squeal of "Watch the dress!!" and plastered his lips against hers. She opened her lips willingly, and they kissed for quite a long time before Jean said delicately into their minds, Uh…people are looking.
Let 'em look. Mind yer own business, Jean, Logan thought. She stopped.
* * *
Ororo wandered back outside after she changed into regular clothes. The party was in full swing. Jubilee had told them she wanted a quiet ceremony with a few friends; but she hadn't taken into account how many friends she and Logan had. When she had sat down to make a list of everyone they'd have to send invitations to, the list had been several pages long. She'd given up, talked to Charles, and he'd issued a blanket invitation to everyone they knew. A few invitations had gone out to special people, like…
"Max," she smiled warmly as Jubilee's big friend came up to the refreshment table, looking uncomfortable in his suit. "What, no tie?"
"Naw," Moose said, grinning at her. "Can't stand the things." He helped himself to a glass of the punch and stood next to her, watching Logan and Jubilee pose for pictures. "They're a lovely couple. I didn' think so when she first told me she was goin' wit' him, but there ain't no one I'd rather see her wit' dan him."
"Me neither," Ororo put down her glass as the strains of a slow love song filled the air. "Max, would you consider joining me for a dance?"
He stared at her. "Uh…are you sure? I ain't the best dancer."
"I would not have asked you if I was not sure," she said serenely. She held out her hand, and they wandered onto the stretch of green grass where Jean and Scott were already dancing. They were joined soon by Rogue and Remy, and, a moment later, by Jubilee's friend Amanda and Hank.
* * *
Amanda blinked as Hank whirled her around. "For all that mass, you're very graceful," she said.
"Thank you," Hank said.
She sighed. "I never thanked you for taking the time to listen to me," she said. "If you hadn't, this day might not have happened."
"That is not a good thought," Hank said. "And I find I must thank you, also, for bringing Jubilee's situation to my attention. Though I did not know it was Jubilee at the time, any instance in which mutants are exploited and used must be stopped immediately."
"I agree." Amanda was companionably silent for a short time.
Hank spoke first. "Jubilee informed me of your acceptance to Columbia University. Congratulations, dear."
Amanda blushed. "Yes, it took me completely by surprise when she told me I had been accepted. I didn't expect anything after all this time."
"Jubilee can be quite persuasive," Hank chuckled. "I have no doubt that what she wrote in her letter was more than adequate to obtain your position. What will you be teaching?"
"Biology," Amada couldn't contain her excitement. "And they have labs there, and I can continue my research and write my papers while I'm there. It's going to be great!"
* * *
Jubilee walked outside. She and Logan both agreed it was getting a little warm, and had gone in to change. She looked around for him, didn't see him, and wandered over to where Xavier sat in the regular wheelchair. "Seen Logan?" she asked him.
"I believe he's still inside changing," Xavier said. He put down his glass. "You looked lovely, Jubilee. I'm glad you and Logan are finally happy."
"Oh, yes. Blissfully so!" Jubilee laughed.