(((Disclaimer: The X-Men belong to Marvel.)))
Golden Slumbers
Chapter 6
Gambit smiled as he looked down at his creation and added a touch of his carefully selected spices. He proudly watched over the meal while it cooked and knew that Storm was going to appreciate having such a feast prepared just for her. He leaned back against the counter and patiently waited. It would be ready in just a few minutes and he would take it to her. Earlier in the day he had promised her that he would make her a special dinner and was satisfied with how it turned out.
"What smells so good?" Jubilee asked as she walked into the kitchen with Alice.
"Jus' some good 'ol fashion home cookin', p'tite." He smugly replied.
"It looks good." Alice said with a smile.
"Really good." Jubilee added, taking a step towards the food to get a better look.
"Not so fast, p'tite." Gambit held a hand out to stop her. "Dis here's a get well supper for Stormy."
"No fair." Jubilee whined. "Storm gets this and the rest of us get frozen TV dinners."
"Nobody fixin' dinner tonight?" Gambit asked as he began to take out a plate to dish up the food that was now ready to serve. "I fix de two a you somet'in tomorrow night, don' worry."
"Like what?" Alice asked.
"Can't be spoilin' de surprise." Gambit replied with a smirk as he turned back to the food. "You jus' wait an' see, I fix you up somet'in real good."
"Not too spicy right?" Jubilee asked, raising an eyebrow. "I do want to be able to eat it."
Gambit just smiled to himself while he dished up Storm's dinner. "You get her somet'in to drink, eh?"
"Sure, why not?" Jubilee replied, heading towards the refridgerator. "Atleast Storm'll eat good tonight."
"Since when is the swamp rats cookin' so good anyway?" Rogue teased as she walked through the door.
"Always been good, Chere." Gambit turned to her with a grin. "Jus' look a lot better when it compared to frozen fishsticks, non? Now you see how lucky you are ta have a cook such as myself 'round here."
"Ah thought it was Logan's turn ta fix dinner?" Rogue asked, paying no attention to the cocky smile on Gambit's face.
"It is, but he left again a little while ago." Jubilee answered, pouring a glass of orange juice. She knew it was one of Storm's favorites.
"Ah take it nobody's volunteered ta cook in his place..." Rogue didn't really ask it as a question, but stated it as a fact. Nobody other than Gambit would cook unless they absolutely had to and taking over somebody elses shift was unheard of.
"You never know, de freezer might have somet'in good stashed away after all." Gambit commented as he took the glass of orange juice from Jubilee and carried the plate of hot food out of the room. "Maybe you get lucky."
Rogue turned to Jubilee and Alice after he was gone. "Well, should we see what we got?"
They didn't have any such luck when they searched the freezer and the three of them exchanged disappointed looks when all they saw was a couple of tofu burgers and a bag of mixed vegetables.
"For living in a mansion we sure have a problem with keeping the food supply stocked." Jubilee remarked with a look of disgust.
"How would y'all feel about a pizza?" Rogue asked.
"Dinner time, Chere." When Gambit arrived at the infirmary Storm was sitting up in her bed with a book. She looked a lot better now and not nearly as tired as before.
"Hello, Gambit." She greeted him with a smile and set the book aside. "What have we here?"
"A feast like no other." He replied with a smug smile as he turned the food tray on the bed to be in front of her and set the plate down on it. "Enjoy. De others be jealous."
"This is quite the meal." Storm chuckled to herself while she looked over the plate in front of her. "I don't know if I'll be able to finish all of it. Would you care to join me?"
"Dis jus' for you, Stormy." He answered, putting his hands up as if he didn't dare touch it. "You have no trouble cleanin' dat plate once you taste it."
"Well, atleast stay for awhile." She said with a smirk, gesturing for him to sit in the chair next to her bed. "I could use some dinner conversation. If you're not too busy that is."
"Never too busy for you, Chere." He replied, sitting in the chair and slouching to get comfortable.
"Good." She said, turning back to her dinner. "And don't call me Stormy."
Gambit put his hands behind his head and leaned back with a smile while he watched her eat. He was satisfied when he saw the look on her face after her first bite and she complimented it. He stayed in the infirmary and talked with her even after she finished eating and she did indeed clear her plate.
Alice walked over to her dresser just after getting out of a very refreshing shower. Before she found herself at the mansion showers were few and far between. Now that she was able to take them whenever she wanted to again she didn't take them for granted. Nobody had asked her much about her past and it was something she would rather not discuss.
She stood at her dresser and lost herself in thought. Images of what led to her capture by the Friends Of Humanity raced through her mind and she could feel tears begin to form in her eyes. She suddenly snapped back to reality when she heard a knock at her door, hoping whoever it was wouldn't just walk in since she was only wrapped in a towel.
"Who is it?" She called out, sounding more tense than she meant to.
"You decant, p'tite?" She heard Gambit's voice come from the other side of the door.
"Just a minute." She answered, rushing to get some clothes out of her dresser. A moment later she was dressed and opened the door.
"I come at a bad time?" He asked once it was open.
"No, I just got out of the shower." She answered with a slight blush. "Sorry."
"No need to apologize, p'tite." He replied with a smile. "Jus' come by ta see if you up for some trainin' tomorrow..."
Before Alice had the chance to say anything they were interrupted by Xavier's voice over the mansions loud speakers. "All X-Men to the War Room at once."
"Don' know if dat means me, but I suppose I best be checkin' it out anyway." Gambit said as he turned to leave. "I see you in de Danger Room tomorrow mornin', eh? Bright an' early." Then he glanced back at her with a grin. "Well, not too bright an' early."
Gambit made his way towards the War Room and once he stepped inside he saw that everybody was already there, with the exception of Wolverine and Storm. He could see by the looks on their faces that some of them weren't expecting to see him there. He casually leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms.
"Hope you don' mind my showin' up." He said, looking around at the group. He noticed a particularly unpleased look on Cyclops' face.
"Of course not, Gambit." Xavier spoke first. "Have a seat and we'll begin."
"Don' mind if I do." Gambit replied, walking over to the table and joining the others.
"We have a problem we must attend to." Xavier continued once he was seated. "We will be leaving for Muir Island in twenty minutes. Gather what you need, we'll be gone for a few days. Beast will stay behind to keep an eye on Storm and the mansion, as will Gambit and Jubilee. Since Wolverine is still missing he won't need to be told he won't be accompanying us on this mission."
"But Professor--" Jubilee started to object, but stopped when Xavier held is hand up.
"Jubilee, we need people here as much as anywhere." He said. "The rest of us will be able to take care of the situation. The rest of you get prepared to leave, I'll debrief you on the way."
"Alright, you heard him everybody." Cyclops commanded as he stood up. "Let's move."
Gambit and Jubilee remained seated while the others left the room, Professor Xavier and Beast following close behind.
"It's not fair!" Jubilee finally blurted out after they were alone. "I always get left behind."
"It not so bad, p'tite." Gambit replied with a smug smile. "Look at it dis way. You get to spend a few days wit' me while everybody else gotta put up wit' de fearless leader."
Jubilee just huffed to herself and crossed her arms, still not happy with the house duty she was assigned to.
Gambit slowly drifted into conciousness. He rolled over and glanced at his bedroom window, holding a hand up to shield his eyes from the sunlight shining in. He yawned as he looked over at his clock to check the time. Almost ten o'clock. After a failed attempt to go back to sleep he decided he should probably get up and pulled himself out of bed, heading straight for the shower.
When he finally made his way out of his room he felt better and was awake as much as he could be without a cup of coffee, which was his next stop. He walked into the kitchen and was happy to see that Beast already had some coffee made. He poured a cup and sat down on the kitchen counter, resting the back of his head against the cabinets after taking a drink. He looked over just as Beast walked in.
"I see you have found the coffee already." He said, heading over to fix himself a cup. Gambit answered with an appreciative smile and a nod of the head. "Ororo is in need of a cup as well."
"How she doin' today?" Gambit asked, taking another drink.
"Very well, despite not being much of a morning person." Beast mused as he took a deep whiff of his coffee before taking his first drink. Then he began filling up another cup for Storm.
"Good ta hear, mon ami." Gambit said as he slid off the counter and set his now empty cup in the sink. "I see you later. Got me some lessons scheduled for de Danger Room. Tell Storm I be by after awhile."
"Can do, my friend." Beast replied as Gambit started out of the room.
When he got to the Danger Room he saw that a program was in progress so he headed towards the control room. He was surprised to find Alice sitting at the controls while she watched what was going on down below. He walked up behind her and looked through the window without her even realizing he was there. Jubilee was busy fighting off a group of computer generated FOH members.
"What, she don' t'ink she get enough of dat in de real world?" Gambit commented, startling Alice when he spoke. She spun around to face him and he looked at her with an emused smile.
"I didn't hear you come in." She finally said.
"Light steps." He replied, turning his attention back to Jubilee's battle.
"I know I shouldn't be messing with the controls, but she wanted to use the room and nobody else was around." Alice said, sounding a little guilty. "She showed me how to end the program if I needed to."
"How long she been in dere?" He asked as he continued to watch.
"About twenty minutes now." She answered, relieved that he didn't seem to mind that she was running the controls.
"We give her ten more minutes, eh?" He replied as he sat down in the seat next to her.
"Do you want to take over?" She asked, referring to the controls in front of them.
"You look like you can handle it." He casually answered, leaning back in his chair and watching Jubilee take out more Friends Of Humanity holograms.
They watched for another ten or fiteen minutes while Jubilee brawled with the soldiers that still surrounded her before Gambit finally ended the simulation.
"Hey, what gives?" Jubilee asked, looking around the empty Danger Room as she tried to catch her breath.
"Our turn, p'tite." She heard Gambit say over the speakers. "How 'bout you come up here an' run t'ings for us..."
"I'll be right up." She answered in a slightly annoyed voice.
"Thank you, Hank." Storm smiled as she took the cup of coffee from Beast.
"My pleasure." He replied, walking over to his computer with his own cup.
"Where are the others?" She asked after taking a sip.
"Gambit mentioned a workout in the Danger Room." He answered. "I'm not sure where young Jubilee and Alice have gotten off to. Just lounging around I suppose."
"I suppose you're right." She replied, taking another drink. "This is good."
"Mans best friend." Beast commented as he held his cup up.
"You know, I really am feeling much better." Storm said after a moment. "Perhaps I can get out of bed now."
"Are you sure, Ororo?" Beast got up and walked over to her bed with a concerned look in his eyes. "It is still rather early to be getting up and moving around. I think it would be best to give it atleast another day."
"Well, would you have any objections about me moving back to my room?" She asked. "I have been in here quite awhile and would really like to be getting back into my own bed."
"I think that could be arranged." He replied with a smile. "Although, do you think it could wait until a little later today?"
"Of course, Hank." She answered.
"Very well." He said, walking back over to his computer. "We will have you back in your own bed with the proper monitors by sundown."
"I can't believe it!" Alice exclaimed as she watched the dust in the air fall back to the ground.
Gambit stood beside her with his arms crossed and a wide grin on his face. He watched her stare at the hole in the ground with a shocked expression. She continued to stare in amazement as he walked over to the hole and inspected it, more to give her a moment to process what had just happened than anything else. After a moment the silence was broken by Jubilee.
"What happened?" She asked through the intercom in the control room.
Gambit looked over at Alice and saw that she was still in a state of disbelief.
"I t'ink maybe she jus' learned how ta use her powers." Gambit answered, walking back over to Alice. "You t'ink you can do it again, p'tite?"
It took her a second to snap out of it and realize she was even being spoken to.
"I-I don't know." She finally managed to answer. "How did I do that?"
"Let's find out, eh?" Gambit said, pulling a card out and handing it to her.
She hesitated before taking it and took another look at the smoking hole in the ground a few feet away. Gambit took a step back and waited.
"Here goes nothing." Alice smiled, but it didn't cover up how nervous she was.
She cautiously held the card out in front of her and it began to glow. She pulled her arm back to throw it, but the charge faded as she prepared to let it go. She looked at it with a disappointed expression and turned to Gambit. He didn't say anything, but silently gestured for her to try again. She took a deep breath and looked back at the card, focusing just enough to charge it again. Once it was glowing she pulled her arm back to throw it and this time the charge didn't fade. She kept her eyes on her target. There was a tree just ahead that she planned on striking. Unfortunately, when she released the card it exploded only a few feet in front of her, startling her and causing her to stumble back. She tripped and fell to the ground, letting out a groan of frustration.
"Take it easy, p'tite." Gambit said as he helped her back to her feet. "Dis ain't de kind of t'ing you learn over night. Jus' try again, you'll get it."
He handed her another card and once again took a step back to give her space. She sighed to herself as she looked back at the tree she was hoping would have been blown up by now.
Within a few seconds the card was glowing and she threw it. It flew through the air and exploded when it collided with a limb, blowing it to pieces.
"I did it!" Even though she was aiming for the center of the tree she didn't mind that her aim wasn't accurate. She had controlled her powers all the way up to the point of impact, which was something she had never done before. Until now.
"Course you did." Gambit sounded casual. "I been tellin' you all along."
Alice didn't reply. She just stared at her hands with a blank expression. She couldn't believe how much control she had gained over her powers during her short stay at the mansion and having only had a few lessons.
"Hey, guys..." They heard Jubilee again from the speakers. "Beast just called and said he needs our help with something. Plus, I could use something to eat."
"We done enough for one day I t'ink." Gambit commented as the jungle surrounding them disappeared.
He was a little hungry himself. They had been in the Danger Room for several hours now and they all felt like they could use a bit of a break.
"This is really uncalled for." Storm protested. "I am capable of walking myself to my room."
"Course you are, Chere." Gambit said with a smile as he continued to push her down the hall in the wheelchair Beast insisted she use. "But where would my manners be if I didn' offer some assistance?"
"It is only temporary." Beast added from behind them. He was carrying the last of the medical supplies he felt she needed in her bedroom.
"I'll just be glad when this is all over." She replied with a sigh.
"You an' me both, Stormy." Gambit smirked to himself when she shot him an unpleasant look at the mention of her nickname.
"Aah, here we are." Beast said, stepping out in front of them to open the door to her room.
Once they were inside Storm and Gambit were both surprised by the amount of equipment there was set up. It looked as if Beast had moved the entire infirmary into her bedroom.
"Done some remodeling, mon ami?" Gambit asked with a raised eyebrow.
"This is a bit much isn't it?" Storm added as she looked around at everything.
"I will have only the best for my patients." Beast didn't even seem to notice their reactions as he pushed passed them and walked over to set down the rest of the supplies he was holding. "It will only be for a couple of days."
"I surely hope so." Storm replied.
"I dunno, I t'ink it kinda livens de place up." Gambit teased with a grin.
"Shall we get you settled in?" Beast asked as he approached them.
Gambit and Beast made their way downstairs after getting Storm comfortable. As comfortable as a person could get while being surrounded by medical equipment that is. She still wasn't very happy with the current arrangement, but Beast assured her it was necissary.
"Where is everybody?" Logan met with them at the bottom of the staircase.
"Back so soon, eh?" Gambit replied, ignoring the question.
"The others are away on a mission." Beast answered. "They left for Muir Island yesterday. Will you be joining us for dinner?"
Logan mumbled something to himself as he walked away and started towards the kitchen.
"I take it dat's a yes." Gambit smiled as they followed him.
"It's about time you guys show up." Jubilee said when she saw the three of them walk in. She was sitting at the kitchen counter with Alice and stood up from her chair, putting her hands on her hips. "We're starving, what are you gonna fix for dinner?"
"You know, you could try cookin' somethin' yourself." Logan replied, pulling open the refridgerator to look inside.
"Gambit told de gals he fix somet'in special tonight." Gambit said, turning to Jubilee and Alice with a smug smile. "De two a you in for a treat tonight."
"As long as it ain't gumbo, Gumbo." Logan remarked as he took out a beer.
"Not tonight. Dis here's a special occasion." He declared while searching the cabinets for cooking materials. "We got de mansion all to ourselves, we might as well make de best of it, non?"
Gambit pulled his duster around him tighter as a wind began to blow. The night wasn't as cold as they had been, but the breeze was starting to give him chills. He watched as the glow from the tip of Logan's cigar disappeared in the forest down below. Logan spent as much time venturing through the woods as Gambit spent sitting on the roof. He had already been on top of the mansion for an hour or so before he saw Logan head out for his usual walk.
After a short while he finally decided it was time to turn in. He stood up and moved towards the edge of the roof, but stopped when he spotted a light on in Storm's room. It was late and he figured she would have been asleep by now, but it looked like she wasn't so he decided to pay her a visit. He would sometimes drop by her loft at night if he felt like having a chat.
He dropped down by the window to take a look inside and make sure she was still awake and hadn't just fallen asleep with the light on. He peered in and saw that she was sitting in bed reading a book.
"Been readin' a lot lately." He casually commented as he slipped through the window.
"Gambit?!" Storm gasped, startled by the sound of his voice. He was so quiet she hadn't even realized he was there.
"Sorry, Chere..." He apologized as he walked over to her. "Didn' mean ta scare you."
"Most people would use a door when coming by to visit." She said with a smirk.
"Gambit not like mos' people." He replied with a cocky smile, pulling up a chair and sitting next to her bed.
"Have you been on the roof again?" She asked, frowning when she saw his duster was damp from the moisture in the air outside. "It is freezing out there, you're going to catch pneumonia."
"You jus' worry 'bout yourself." He answered. "We need you up an' healthy again."
"I am fine, Gambit." She said, setting her book aside. "I would be up now if Hank would allow it. He can go overboard at times."
"You don' say?" He sarcastically remarked as he glanced around at the various medical machines and monitors surrounding them. "Jus' wantin' you ta get better is all."
"Yes, well I assure you I will be out of bed in the morning." She replied.
"Maybe I fix you a nice Cajun breakfast to celebrate, eh?" He suggested with a wide grin.
"You have been quite the cook lately." She commented with a grin of her own. "Perhaps I will have to make you a thank you dinner tomorrow night for your efforts."
"No need Chere, it was Gambit's pleasure." He assured her, waving a hand and dismissing the idea. Then he looked over at the book she had been reading and picked it up to look at the cover. "What's dis here about?"
"Nothing you would be interested in." She answered. "Just a book of mysteries Hank loaned me to help pass the time."
"Does it?" He questioned, setting the book back down.
"I'm afraid not." She replied with a frown. "It still seems as if I've been in bed for far too long."
"Always so impatient." He smirked as he leaned back in his chair.
"You have no room to talk, Remy LeBeau." She said, raising an eyebrow with an emused expression on her face. "I have heard how difficult of a patient you were during your stay in the infirmary."
Alice pulled on her jacket as she took her first step out of the mansion. She closed the front door behind her and took her time walking out to the yard. Jubilee had gone to bed and she didn't feel like going to sleep yet. She decided to take a walk outside so she wouldn't wake anybody, but saw that she wasn't the only one up when Logan emerged from the trees.
"Hi." She greeted him with a smile.
"Hey, kid." He replied as he approached her. "What are you doin' up so late?"
"Just thought I'd take a walk." She answered.
"Kinda late for a stroll ain't it?" He asked, crossing his arms in front of him.
"I couldn't sleep." She said while she glanced up at the sky. "I figured I'd get some fresh air for awhile."
"Well, have fun. I'll leave the lights on." He replied as he started towards the door. "I'm turnin' in for the night."
"Goodnight." She called out before he disappeared into the mansion.
Once again she was alone and turned to begin her walk. Since she didn't know the woods as well as the others she decided to stay near the mansion. She slowly made her way around it while continuing to admire the sky, looking up at what stars she could see through the clouds.
When she rounded the corner her attention was caught by a figure crouched outside an open window near the roof. After looking closer she could see that it was Gambit. He quietly slid the window closed and stood up as the light in the room went out. Then he took a few steps and directed his attention to a tree just below him. Without hesitated he leapt down into the top of it and vanished from her sight, making no sound when he landed.
She curiously watched and after a moment of silence he dropped from the bottom of it, still not making any noise when his feet landed on the ground. He brushed himself off and casually leaned against the tree as he pulled something out of his duster pocket. She saw that it was a cigarette when he put it up to his lips and lit the tip of it with a small charge from the end of his finger.
As she watched him from the distance she still couldn't help but envy his ability to control his powers so well. He stared straight ahead of him and took a drag from his cigarette, appearing to be lost in thought. She considered going over to him, but decided she didn't want to disturb him and turned to leave.
"Why you hidin' in de dark, p'tite?" He spoke up, not even looking in her direction.
She was caught off guard by the sound of his voice.
"How did you..." She trailed off.
"You should be gettin' your rest." He said with a smile. "We had a long day today."
"I'm not tired." She answered as she walked over to him, looking at the cigarette in his hand. "I didn't know you smoke."
"Bad habit, eh?" He replied, reluctantly putting it out on the bottom of his boot. "Been cuttin' back."
"You should, it's bad for you." She said.
"So I heard." He commented as he crossed his arms and leaned back up against the tree.
"What were you doing up there?" She asked, nodding her head towards the window he came from.
"Stopped by ta see Stormy." He casually replied. He noticed a guilty look in her eyes at the mention of her name and raised an eyebrow. "Some'tin de matter, p'tite?"
"No, I'm fine." She answered, doing her best to cover up her guilt.
"Come on, let's hear it..." He wasn't convinced.
She hesitated before she finally sighed to herself and gave in. "It's just, none of you would have even got hurt if you didn't have to save me. If you--"
"We didn' have to save anyone, it was our choice." He interrupted. "We seen a lot worse, don' worry. We jus' end up gettin' hurt somewhere else eventually anyway."
They quietly stood and watched the sky for a minute before Gambit decided to change the subject.
"So why you away from your family?" He asked.
"What?" Alice got visibly tense at the mention of her family and looked over at him with a surprised expression.
"Your family." He repeated. "Why you out on your own?"
She focused her attention on the ground, refusing to make eye contact with him. She didn't want to tell him why she wasn't with her family. She didn't want to tell him what she did. It was something she didn't want to tell anybody. She had hoped nobody would ever ask her, but now somebody was and she didn't know how to avoid answering the question.
"P'tite?" He asked as he moved away from the tree and took a step towards her.
"I'd rather not talk about it." She answered, still not looking him in the eye.
"You can trust Gambit." He assured her.
"It's not that..." She replied.
"Den what?" He asked while he continued to wait for an explanation.
"There was an accident." She said after a long hesitation. "My brother got hurt."
"What kind of accident?" He questioned.
"It was when my powers first started to develope." She continued. "I didn't even know I was a mutant yet. I didn't mean to do it."
Gambit saw the tears that were beginning to run down her face, but remained where he was and listened while she went on with her story.
"We were just watching a movie. I didn't even realize I was charging anything." She fought back the tears as she continued. "Then everything blew up. We got him to the hospital, but I don't know if he's okay. I had to leave. How could I stay after that?"
Now she was sobbing and he moved closer to her, trying to comfort her the best he could.
"You can't blame yourself for dat, p'tite." He said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "You couldn' control your powers, dere was not'in you could do. Dere was no way you coulda known..."
She buried her face in his chest and he stayed with her, letting her shed her tears.
"We don't got all day, Gumbo, make yer move." Logan stated while he stood in a defensive position.
"Actually, I t'ink we do got all day." Gambit replied as he dribbled the basketball towards the hoop. "But I got no problem wit' ended de game right now."
Gambit darted around Logan and took a shot, but Logan leapt through the air and extended his adamantium claws. He dropped back to the ground and turned to Gambit with a now flattened basketball hanging from them.
"Nice try." Logan remarked, retracting his claws and tossing it on the ground.
"Look like our game's over, eh?" Gambit commented with a grin.
"Looks like it." Logan replied as they made their way off the court. "Can't believe we're stuck here playin' games while everyone else is off on a mission."
"Could be worse." Gambit said, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"Oh, yeah?" Logan growled. "How?"
"We could be stuck wit' Cyke breathin' down our necks." Gambit answered. "Atleast dis way we get a vacation from 'em, non?"
Before Logan could reply his attention was caught by somebody walking out of the mansion. "I must be seein' things..."
"Chere, you're up!" Gambit called out in a cheerful voice.
Storm looked over when she heard Gambit shout and smiled as the two men started in her direction. She slowly made her way towards them, holding her still soar ribs while she walked.
"How you feelin', 'Ro?" Logan asked once they closed the distance. He gave her a concerned look when she winced from pain and held her side a little tighter.
"You alright, Stormy?" Gambit was also concerned.
"Do not call me that." She replied with a smirk. "I feel fine, I'm just a little soar from being in bed for so long."
"You sure?" Logan didn't look convinced.
"I'm fine, Logan." She assured him. "Why did nobody wake me for breakfast?"
"We thought we'd just let you sleep in and get some more rest." Logan answered, still watching her with a skeptical look in his eyes.
"Well, thank you for your consideration." She replied as she glanced around at the scenary surrounding them. "What a beautiful day. It feels good to get outside again."
"Good to see you outside again." Gambit said, taking a step forward to stand beside her. "T'ings just not de same wit'out you."
"Yeah, place has been kinda dull." Logan added, crossing his arms in front of him.
"Thank you both." She replied with a warm smile. "I have missed being around myself. I don't know if I would be able to stand another day stuck in bed."
"I would have preferred she stay in bed another day just to be safe." They all turned when they heard Beast's voice approaching. "However, I was hardly capable of changing her mind."
"Hank, you worry too much." Storm remarked, rolling her eyes at his statement. "All of you do."
"Just lookin' after our favorite weather witch, 'Ro." Logan commented, grinning at her silent response of disgust.
"Well, there is no need to any longer." She replied.
"You jus' take it easy for a few days, eh?" Gambit said with a raised eyebrow. "Now how 'bout I go fix dat celebration breakfast? Better late den never..."
"Excellent idea." Beast spoke up.
Gambit made his way into the mansions garage, Jubilee and Alice following close behind. Jubilee had asked him to take them to the mall after Logan turned her down. Logan had been even grumpier than usual ever since he was told he was temporarily off the team.
Gambit jumped into the drivers seat of Rogue's convertable, not even bothering to open the door. He pulled down the sun visor and grinned to himself when the keys dropped into his hand. He found the right key and put it in the ignition, starting the car while Jubilee and Alice climbed in.
"You're sure she doesn't mind you using her car?" Alice asked as she buckled her seatbelt.
"Course not, p'tite." Gambit answered. "Borrow it all de time."
They pulled up into a space in the parking garage and Jubilee was the first to jump out of the car. Gambit slid the keys into his pocket and put on a pair of sunglasses he would often wear when he was out in public places.
"You're gonna love this place." Jubilee told Alice as they led the way to the nearest entrance.
Gambit just smiled and followed while Jubilee filled her in on the various stores inside, covering everything from clothes to food. Once they were inside they made their way through the crowd of shoppers and salesman set up at small booths. On their way through a woman stopped Gambit and sprayed some cologne in his face, causing him to sneeze and wipe his glasses clean. Jubilee hurried him along when she saw the aggrivated look on his face, hoping to avoid an ugly scene.
After a short walk they reached the store Jubilee had set out to find. It was a huge department store full of designer shoes and clothing. Gambit sighed to himself as he watched her pull Alice inside. He slowly followed and watched Jubilee guide her through the different sections of the store, showing her her favorite items from each one. He glanced over at a duster hanging on a rack and lifted the tag to see the price. It was almost two-hundred dollars.
"May I help you, Sir?" A salesman asked from behind him.
"No t'anks." He answered, letting go of the tag and walking to the door. "I don' t'ink I want one dat bad."
He stepped out of the store and sat down on a bench just outside it. He casually sat and waited for them to finish their shopping, looking around at the crowd of people to pass the time. He noticed a group of young women watching him while they walked by and shot them his most charming grin.
"Do you always have to flirt?" He heard Jubilee's voice ask as the women smiled and waved at him.
"Jus' bein' friendly, p'tite." He remarked, standing up and turning to face her. She was standing next to Alice and they were both holding large bags full of clothes. "You sure you can afford dis place?"
"Would you rather steal it for us?" Jubilee asked with an emused smile.
"Where to next?" He replied, not answering the question but returning the smile.
Wolverine looked up and spotted Beast as he jumped from tree to tree just overhead. He watched him for a moment before continuing to walk through the jungle surrounding him. Then he stopped in an open area and waited. It was only a few seconds before he saw a bright flash of light and was knocked into a nearby bush. He growled and jumped back up to his feet, unleashing his adamantium claws. Sinister held one smoking hand in a fist and stood only a few feet away from him with a menacing smile on his face.
Beast was swinging from limb to limb on a tree when he heard the sound of the explosion fill the air. He stopped and listened. It was followed by more explosions and angry shouts that he knew belonged to Wolverine. He prepared to head towards the disturbance, but before he had the chance to the tree he was in suddenly began to shake. He jumped out of it and landed on the ground just as it came crashing down beside him. Then he saw who had ambushed him. The Juggernaut charged towards him from the trunk of the knocked over tree.
Wolverine dodged another blast from Sinister and dove at him, stabbing his claws into his chest. Sinister let out a cry of pain, but knocked Wolverine away from him and held his chest while the wounds healed. Wolverine didn't waste any time and lunged at him again. This time Sinister moved out of the way just in time to avoid his claws and released another blast from his hand, blowing Wolverine through the air. He flew from the force until he was stopped by a tree. He slammed into it and fell to the ground, gasping for breath as he climbed back to his feet. Beast dropped down from above and landed next to him, quickly grabbing him and jumping out of the way just as the Juggernaut's fist slammed into the ground behind them.
"I see you have met our other opponent." Beast remarked.
Just then Sinister and the Juggernaut vanished into thin air, followed by the jungle.
"Hey, what's the deal?" Wolverine asked, looking up towards the Danger Room's control room.
"We have a problem." Storm answered through the intercom.
"Where is everybody?" Alice asked as they walked through the mansion.
"Dunno, p'tite." Gambit answered.
They had been searching the mansion for the others ever since they got back from the mall, but still couldn't find them anywhere. They continued to look for a few more minutes until they finally found them in the War Room, gathered around a large screen with Professor Xavier's image displayed on it.
"What's going on?" Jubilee asked with a puzzled expression.
"It appears you have arrived just in time." Beast replied.
"For what?" Gambit asked, walking over to the screen to join them.
"The Friends Of Humanity have started a riot against the local mutants." Storm answered after letting out a heavy sigh.
"You will need to do what you can to end it before anybody is hurt." Professor Xavier spoke through the video feed. "You need to get there as soon as possible."
"Dis mean we're off restricted duty?" Gambit asked.
"Yes, without the rest of us there it will take all of you to handle it." Xavier replied.
"Then what are we waitin' for?" Wolverine growled. "Let's go handle it."
"I trust I don't have to tell you that no one is to be harmed..." Xavier commented.
"Anyt'ing you say, Professor." Gambit said as he turned to leave. "You don' gotta worry 'bout us."
"We will take care of everything, Professor." Storm assured him.
"Very well." Xavier replied. "And Storm, you take it easy. You still haven't fully recovered."
"I will, Professor." Storm said before ending the transmission.
"What is the plan of action?" Beast asked.
"Professor Xavier is right, I won't be of much use in my current condition." Storm answered, losing herself in deep thought as she tried to come up with a plan.
"Look, we can take care of it ourselves." Logan spoke up, glancing at Beast and then at Gambit, who had stopped at the door and was now leaning against the wall.
"I do believe the three of us would suffice." Beast replied. "You can stay here with Alice and Jubilee."
"Why should I have to stay behind?" Jubilee protested, putting her hands on her hips in a defiant gesture. "You guys are gonna need me."
"The kid can go." Logan said, starting for the door. "Just hurry up and let's get goin'."
The Blackbird went unnoticed as it landed on the top of a large building. The riot taking place down below had the towns citizens full attention. Wolverine, Gambit, Beast and Jubilee walked up to the edge of the roof to get a good view of the situation. The streets were filled with angry mobs that consisted of Friends Of Humanity and anti-mutant protesters.
Police officers were attempting to contain the riot, but their presence wasn't doing much to stop the violent rally. Store windows were being shattered and parked cars were being destroyed by the crowd as they marched down the streets. Fire and smoke was rising from several buildings that had already been attacked by the mob, no doubt businesses that supported mutant rights.
"So how are we supposed to stop this?" Jubilee asked, watching the chaos unfold.
Nobody seemed to have an answer. They silently stood and watched for a moment before Wolverine finally spoke up and broke the silence.
"With these." He answered as he held a fist up and brought out his claws.
"Perhaps it would be best to divide and conquer..." Beast commented. "Gambit and I can split them in the center while you and Jubilee head them off."
"Fine." Wolverine replied. "Let's go."