Still own nothing. Except Mattie, she's mine.

Hope you're enjoying this. Review it for me and let me know. Thanks

Much Ado About Mutants

"They are at it again." Jubilee sighed.

She gazed out the patio doors to the garden where Bobby and Mattie were having a loud argument with each other. She looked down at the English essay she was writing, and then instead turned her attention to the other occupants of the room. Tabitha sat watching TV, eating peanuts. Every now and then she would through one at Ray's open mouth. She was getting better. She'd only hit him in the eye twice.

"They're always fighting." Ray said without even looking up to see who Jubilee was talking about.

"It's is getting so boring." Tabitha said managing to hit Ray on the nose. "They should just kiss and make up."

Jubilee stared at her, her eyes wide. "Tabby! You are so right. That's exactly what they should do."

Tabitha nodded wisely then frowned. "What?"

"But they hate each other." Ray said, fielding another peanut.

"And we all know what that means." Jubilee said.

"Yeah." Ray agreed. "That they hate each other."

"No." Jubilee shook her head determinedly. "No. They are simply hiding their real feelings for each other." She looked out into the garden again. "You can practically see the sexual tension. I can't believe I didn't notice it before."

"Jubes? What are you talking about?" Tabitha asked.

"It's like this play." Jubilee held up her book. "It's Shakespeare. And he knew all about this kind of thing. It's called Much Ado About Nothing, and Beatrice and Benedict are always fighting. But then their friends get them to confess their feelings for each other and it turns out that they love each other."

"What!" Ray laughed. "That's rubbish!"

"No it's not." Jubilee snapped at him. "Have you never seen a romantic film?"

"I'm proud to say 'no'." Ray replied.

"The two people who end up together always hate each other to start with." Jubilee told him. "It's in Ten things I hate about you, French kiss, Save the last dance, Bridget Jones' diary..."

"Okay okay! I believe you." Ray interrupted a list that seemed like it could go on forever.

"Have I proved my point?"

"Not really Jubes." Tabitha said. "I mean, films are one thing, them." She pointed out the window to where Bobby and Mattie were still busy shouting. "That's something different."

"I'm right. You'll see." Jubilee returned to her essay. She had the beginnings of a plan. Now all she had to do was make it work.

X

"And stay the hell away from my car!" Bobby yelled as Mattie stormed off. She raised her middle finger at him as she walked.

Bobby did the same, but Mattie didn't look round to see it. He scowled darkly at her retreating figure.

Jubilee walked out into the garden. Bobby eyed her suspiciously; the girls were all on Mattie's side and not to be trusted.

"She only does it because she wants your attention you know." She said.

"What?" Bobby frowned.

"Mattie. She wants your attention. That's why she keeps playing tricks on you."

Bobby was confused, but refused to show it. Jubilee would just run and tell Mattie and they'd all have a good laugh at his expense. Instead he went for sarcasm. "And here's me thinking that it was because she was mad at me."

"Ever wondered why she's mad at you?" Jubilee asked.

"No." Bobby answered. He turned to go but found Jubilee's hand on his arm.

"There is a very thin line between hate and love." She gave him a smile. "Think about it."

"What?" Now Bobby was really confused. "What are you talking about? The girl hates my guts."

"Does she?" Jubilee asked.

Bobby continued to stare at her as though she was talking gibberish.

"Hate is a very strong emotion. Just like love."

"Jubes I don't know what kind of trick you are trying to play." Bobby pulled his arm free. "But it's not going to work." Then he stormed off.

Jubilee smiled to herself. One down, one to go.

X

Jubilee found Mattie in her room, working out her frustration by beating the living daylights out of her pillow.

"Hey Jubilee. I don't suppose you're up for a sparing session?"

Jubilee shook her head, not when Mattie was this worked up. "Sorry, just came to see how you were. You and Bobby were a little hot a heavy out there."

Mattie's brow furrowed over Jubilee's words, but she smiled and shook her head. "He just drives me nuts you know."

Jubilee smiled sympathetically and pulled up a chair. She wasn't sure how to handle Mattie, blunt and direct, or let her come to her own conclusions? "He certainly gets you a little hot under the collar."

Mattie nodded emphatically. "God yes! And he makes me insane." She threw herself on her bed and lay staring up at the ceiling.

Jubilee pulled her chair closer to the bed, like a psychiatrist.

"Why does he make you mad?"

"Cause of all those stupid pranks." Mattie said. "What an idiot! He should just give up now and declare me the winner. I'm going to beat him, no matter what he tries."

"Maybe that's why he does it."

"Oh I know he is only doing it to get a reaction out of me." Mattie agreed. "But I can't help it."

"Maybe he does it because he knows that you'll react. He wants you to react."

"Huh?"

Jubilee pushed her luck a little. "It's just that I've noticed that he seems to be enjoying this game that the two of you are playing. What if he's not doing it to get back at you? What if he's doing it so that he can have your attention?"

Mattie sat up. "Again. Huh?"

"Just a thought." Jubilee shrugged. "You know what boys are like; they can never show their feelings. They have to pull girls hair and stuff like that. They can't say, 'by the way I kind of like you.'"

"What?" Mattie tried to take in what Jubilee was saying. "What? No. I mean... Bobby... What?"

"Hey. I'm probably wrong." Jubilee got up and made her way to the door. "It was just a theory."

She closed the door and had to contain her excitement. That was too easy. Bait taken, hook, line and now she just had to wait for the sinker.

X

Mattie told Paige about Jubilee's theory.

"Do you think she's right?"

Paige shrugged. "Who knows what's going on in his head?"

Mattie looked thoughtful, and then shook her head. "It can't be."

Paige shrugged again. "I'm not saying she's right. I mean it's a pretty weird."

"Really weird."

Paige gave Mattie a sly glance. "Do you want her to be right?"

"No!" Mattie shook her head vigorously. "No way. I mean. You know, it's Bobby."

Paige didn't say anything, just sat watching her. Mattie was compelled to fill the gap in the conversation.

"I mean yes he's cute, and funny, and smart. But you know it's Bobby. He could have anyone that he wanted. Why would he be interested in me? He wouldn't be. So that's fine because I not interested in him. And even if I was then he's not interested in me so there would be no point in me liking him, which I don't. But if I did then... You know it would never happen."

Paige raised an eyebrow. "Want help to get out of that hole you dug for yourself?"

Mattie slumped onto her bed and nodded weakly. "Yes please."

Paige grinned at her. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure that Jubes is just making it up. She probably wants to get in on the whole prank thing."

Mattie smiled. "Yeah. Some joke huh?" But she couldn't help but wonder if what Jubilee had said was the truth. Did Bobby have feelings for her?

Bobby was wondering something along the same lines. Just what exactly was it that Jubilee had been getting at earlier? Mattie wanted his attention? Why? He had a sneaky suspicion that this was some trick that Mattie had thought up. The more he thought about it the more that made sense. She had got Jubilee to tell him that Mattie fancied him. But what did she think his reaction would be? Did she think that he would come out and tell her he felt the same way? Or was she hoping to embarrass him? Well it was not going to work. Bobby Drake did not get embarrassed about girls fancying him, it was a daily event. Nothing for him to be embarrassed about. So did she think that he would confess undying love for her, and be humiliated that way, when she turned him down? Well that wasn't going to happen either. He frowned as his thinking led him right back to where he had started. What was her plan? Was it a plan? What had Jubilee been getting at?

Jubilee could barely keep the grin off her face as she watched Mattie and Bobby deliberately not looking at each other, but casting glances in the others direction when they thought no one was looking. At this rate she wouldn't have to do anything else at all, just watch them do the rest for her.

X

Mattie's training had changed. Rouge was working with her every other day. In between she matched Mattie against other X-Men. She said it helped to develop Mattie's skills. Mattie thought it was just a new and exciting way to show her up. Jean had lifted her off the ground and held her there. Shadowcat had shown just how useful it was to be intangible. Every time Mattie hit her, she went straight though. Shadowcat then made herself solid to hit back, then ghosted though Mattie's retaliation. Nightcrawler had just teleported himself in and out of the fight, leaving Mattie feeling like she was fighting a cloud.

"It's so not fair." She said as Spike managed to hurl one of his spikes through the shoulder pad of her costume, pinning her to the wall. "You've all had an opportunity to fight my power before."

"Na. You're better than Quicksilver." Spike told her, freeing her from the wall.

"Thanks. But you see my point."

"Battle isn't fair, kid." Wolverine told her. "No ones gonna stop while you explain to them just what and what isn't fair."

Mattie nodded. He was right. But she still felt that she'd been treated unfairly.

Rouge gave her an evil grin. "Feeling thrashed?"

Mattie nodded with a depressed look on her face.

"Good."

Mattie's eyes snapped up to meet Rogue's.

"You were getting good at the fighting. And you knew it. This was just to let you know that you've a long way to go. A little humiliation seems to have done you good."

Mattie glared at her. "You couldn't have just told me that?"

"Just did." Rogue replied. "Now, want to learn how to beat those guys?"

X

Lightning was splitting the sky and thunder boomed over head. The rain was a torrential downpour that thudded heavily into the window panes. The students were stuck inside the Institute. Tabitha, Ray, Sam, Paige and Rahne were lounging around in the Rec room.

"This is so dull." Sam moaned.

"Want me to liven it up?" Tabitha asked, one of her explosive balls already in her hand.

"Put it away Tabs." Ray said and the rest of the group agreed with him.

Tabby shrugged. "Your loss."

"What's Bobby up to?" Ray asked. "What's the latest plan?"

Sam grinned knowingly and tapped his nose. "Sorry. Can't disclose that." He jerked his head in the direction of Paige.

"I'm sure I don't care what you are up to." She told him without looking up from her book.

"Yeah right." Sam laughed. "You're itching to know what we're cooking up."

"No. I'm not." Paige replied sweetly.

"Oh give over you two." Ray said. "We all know that the two of you aren't really fighting."

Paige grinned at him, then at Sam. "Guilty."

Sam nodded. "It's just so much fun to wind her up."

"Right back at you." Paige said.

"Too bad that Bobby and Mattie are so serious about it." Rahne murmured.

"Yeah, they do take it a little serious." Sam agreed.

His sister nodded her agreement. "Maybe we should get them to back off a bit."

"But..." Sam started.

"It's fun?" Paige finished for him.

"Exactly." Sam laughed.

"God! Could you two be anymore like the Brady bunch?" Tabitha teased.

Sam and Paige laughed and Sam threw the nearest cushion at her.

X

Bobby made his way down the stairs still going over his homework in his head. Lighting lit up the sky and he saw a figure racing across the drive. He frowned, who would be out in this? His question was answered when the door was pushed open and Mattie slipped inside. She was clearly soaked through, her t-shirt and jeans were clinging to her, accentuating her figure in all the right places. Bobby stopped where he was. He couldn't look away. Before, he would have laughed at her. Now, with Jubilee's comments running around in his head, he realised that he'd never looked at Mattie before. Now he was, and he liked what he saw. He shook himself out of his daze, feeling guilty, like a peeping tom. Mattie shook her hair, which was dripping water onto the floor, and then she started to wring it out.

"You do know that you're meant to take your clothes off, before you go swimming." Bobby said, announcing his presence.

Mattie looked startled, and then glared at him. "Very funny." She glanced down at her clothes, she was drenched and things were clinging where they should not be clinging. She crossed her arms self-consciously over her chest. She needed to go upstairs and change, but that meant walking past Bobby, and she didn't want to do that at this moment in time.

Bobby smiled in thanks. "Seriously, what were you doing out in this?" He pointed out the window to the storm.

"Well obviously I felt like a swim." Mattie replied, hoping to make him leave.

True to form Bobby was as annoying as he could possibly be, he stayed put. Sometimes Mattie wondered if he was a telepath. He seemed to know exactly what to do to irritate her the most. He didn't move, and seemed determined to stay there until she had answered his question.

"My lift didn't show. Okay?"

Bobby nodded, then finally came down the stairs, he grinned at her. "And I thought you'd just won first prize in a wet t-shirt competition."

Mattie blushed hotly and shoved past him to escape upstairs.