That Dress Looks Nice On You

I can see a lot of life in you

I can see a lot of bright in you

And I think the dress looks nice on you.

I can see a lot of life in you.

disclaimer "The Dress Looks Nice On You" by Sufjan Stevens and the characters are owned by Marvel

Thanks to the following reviewers TheLegendaryManHimself (I hope the shopping trip is as fun as you'd hoped) and QUOTEtheRAVEN182

Sam slid off the table slowly, just in case his leg wouldn't hold him. He was surprised when his leg held him with no problems, though it felt a bit awkward at first. He made his way down the hall to his room and picked up some clothes before heading towards the showers. He came out of the showers with purple hair. "Ah'm gunna kill Bobby."

Jubilee saw him before anyone else did. "Whoa Country what's with the new look?"

"Bobby put somethin' in the shower head that turned the water purple. Ah scrubbed most of it off my skin, but mah hair Ah couldn't do much with. You don't have anything do ya?"

"Maybe, come to my room and we'll look." Sam followed her up the stairs and thought he heard a snicker, but when he looked he didn't see anyone. When they got to Jubilee's room, Jubilee screamed, "Bobby!!!"

Sam saw a full length poster of him and Jubilee sleeping on the couch together. "We are going to get him back, right Jubilee?"

"You got that right Country."

"You just try it guys," they heard from the balcony before another laugh and the sound of rapid footsteps heading towards the first floor of the mansion.

"Alright Country, first your hair and then we go to the mall." Jubilee found something for Sam's hair and helped him to wash the dye out. Sam toweled his hair off and said, "OK we ready to go out?"

"You know it Country." As they walked towards the garage Jubilee started a game of 21 questions. "So what do you want to do about Bobby?"

"I'd like to prank him back, but Ah ain't never been too good at that. So what Ah want to do is challenge him to a hand to hand and punch his lights out. It was kinda funny at first, but he just keeps it up without stopping. What do you want to do about him?"

"I'm gonna prank him back, worse than he ever did us. That's how he is. If you one-up worse than he did you he'll stop."

"You got any ideas?"

"Yeah, but lets talk about it later."

"Sounds alright to me, where do you want to eat?"

"I dunno, food court's alright with me."

"Sure, just as long as you know I'm payin'. So if there's anywhere else you wanna go just let me know."

"Ahhhh thanks Country, but no food court's fine. I want to get in as much time as I can in the mall."

"Alright, this night's yours, do what you want with it."

"Cool, then I'm driving." Sam regretted his words upon hearing that.

"You gotta understand Sam. You drive like an old man and we've only got like three hours left before the mall closes, which is why it's up to me to drive," Jubilee explained to a cowering Sam. It was true that Jubilee had never been in an accident, but Sam chalked that up to quick reflexes and a guardian angel personally assigned to the mallrat. "Alright, we're here," Jubilee said proudly, her eyes already getting large at the thoughts of what lay within the mall.

"Glad to hear we made it," Sam said from a cowering position in the passenger seat. The word alive had been on his tongue, but he decided to hold it back, lest they not make it back to the mansion in one piece. Sam had been to this mall a total of three times in the two years he'd been with the X-men. Jubilee had been fifteen times in the last month.

"So what's on your mind to buy Jubilee," Sam said as he got out of the car, noticing the manic grin that had spread across Jubilee's face.

"I gotta get a dress for the formal Guthrie." Sam froze up at the sound of that. He'd been with Tabitha to the mall before and knew what it meant for a girl to get a dress for anything formal. Hours of agony for the guy who had come with her. The worst part was being asked what exactly the dress did for the girl's figure and Sam had never known how to answer without getting yelled at. As far as the ball, Sam had no idea what Jubilee was talking about.

"Jubilee shouldn't you get somebody else's opinion on the dress?"

"Nah I figure you got a good enough eye besides the formal's in a week so I don't really have time to go back and get Storm or Jean."

"What formal are you talkin' about? The Professor hasn't told me about any ball."

"Yeah that's cuz it's a college formal and not an X-men formal. Now hurry up Sam we've only got a couple hours and I gotta look good for this thing," Jubilee said as she began to run at a light pace.

"Jubilee, I don't know if you remember or not, but I broke my leg about two weeks ago."

"Don't wuss out on me Country, you're my wingman in this operation so let's get the lead out."

Sam sighed and began to slowly jog after Jubilee. "So who's the boy you're going with?"

"Charlie."

"And he is?"

"The guy who told me he was gay, but really had a thing for Monet," Jubilee said as she opened the door for the two of them and headed towards the store on her right

Sam stopped in his tracks. "Wait a second. You mean to tell me you're going to a dance with a guy who lied to your face because he wasn't man enough to tell yah that he wasn't attracted to yah?"

"Yeah, listen Sam, less talk, more walk."

"Shouldn't you be mad at him or somethin'?"

"We've worked it all out. We'll just be friends and it's gonna be alright. So are you ready to help me find a dress Sam?"

"Ah guess," Sam said with a roll of his eyes.

"Dude come on this is serious, if I'm gonna convince him to take this relationship to another level I need to wearing something enticing, the wrong dress could screw it all up."

"Alright well let's see what we can find then," Sam said, still unsure why Jubilee was going to the ball with Charlie.

Jubilee smiled appreciatively and began to pull dresses from racks throughout the store and taking up to six with her to a dressing room. Sometimes she'd ask Sam questions, other times she'd made up her mind without even stepping out of the dressing room. Sam simply sat in his chair and helped return dresses when it was necessary. When two hours had passed Jubilee had narrowed the selection down to five and this is when the questions came in earnest. "Does my butt look big in this? Does the color clash with my skin tone? Am I showing too much cleavage," and more were asked of Sam, and each one he answered as honestly as possible despite blushing half of the time.

"Alright Sam I've made my final decision and it is this one," Jubilee said holding up a burgundy and gold dress. Sam leaped out of his chair and applauded partly because the dress was somewhat conservative, which would keep him from being killed by Wolverine, and also because he was ready to go. "Yeah the mall's closing anyways," Jubilee said glumly, "so I guess we better find another place to eat." Sam's stomach growled in reply.

"Alright, where do you want to go?"

"How about Damon's?"

"Good," Sam said. You had a choice of hamburgers or cheeseburgers at Damon's, but they were the best you would ever have. The two of them walked into Damon's an hour before the place closed, but the place was still busy. "Give me a hamburger with fries and a chocolate shake," Jubilee yelled over the bustle of the other people around her. The cashier shook his head and typed it in rapidly and then looked to Sam. "Yes, can Ah get a hamburger, fries, and a coke?"

The cashier didn't answer, just typed it in, and then said, "Will that be all?"

"Yes sir," Sam yelled politely.

"Your total comes to 12.76, just take this number to your table and we'll bring your food to you."

Sam paid the man and then took the number. "Sam I found a booth," Jubilee said. The two hurried over to it before it was taken. "Nice catch Jubilee," Sam said appreciatively. "Yeah. Hey thanks for dinner by the way."

"It ain't a problem partner. So when's your ball next week?"

"Thursday, I'm kinda nervous about it though?"

"Why? You can dance and it's not like you don't know anybody there."

"Yeah I know, but I'm going to be going with Charlie and I don't want to freak out on him if he's not interested."

"Ah'm sure you'll be fine. Besides what's the big deal about Charlie? You've faced Magneto, near death experiences, and Scott Summers' training programs," Sam said with a grin.

"Yeah, but this is Charlie. He's a great guy and he's cute."

"Jubilee he said he was gay and then tried to get you to hook him up with Monet."

"Country do you have to keep harping on that? I mean that was three months ago. He's totally changed."

"Right, well what about the fact that he ain't an X-man?"

"I think I can look over that for now, besides…food's here," Jubilee said hoping she had changed the subject for the rest of the evening.

"If you say so girl," Sam said before taking the tray from the server and setting it on the table. Jubilee grabbed her food from the tray and took a huge bite from her hamburger. Fifteen minutes later the food was gone off of both plates.

"Dude, why didn't you stop me," Jubilee moaned.

Sam was feeling a little more than full himself. "Didn't know you wanted me to."

"I'm going to a ball, Country and I've gotta make sure I can still fit in the dress by next Friday. I thought we were partners?"

"We are, sorry for letting you down. OK, from now till Friday its just cucumbers and carrots for you."

"Right," Jubilee said and then nodded knowing she'd be able to pull it off. Two hours later they were back at the mansion and she had taken out a pint of ice cream from the fridge. "I just need one scoop Country."

"Jubilee you can't have a scoop. You gotta fit in that dress," Sam insisted as he held out a hand for the ice cream.

"Are you sayin' I'm fat Country?"

"No, but you could get that way if you keep eatin' like ya do."

"Country, we're superheroes. I could run a half marathon and still be ready for one of Scott's training programs."

"Alright Jubilee, but if Ah let ya have it, you can't complain."

"You won't hear a word about it Country, just let me have it and after this, no ice cream till after next Friday."

Unfortunately for Sam this type of conversation would last the entire week, right up till before Charlie was to pick up Jubilee. "Paige Ah told you not to be givin' Jubilee any sweets."

"Oh come on Sam, Ah don't think givin' her a candy bar is gonna hurt her."

"Paige ya don't understand I promised Jubilee Ah'd keep her straight this week. I'm lettin' mah partner down when I let her have sweets…" Sam faded off as he saw the boy that must have been Charlie standing at the front door. "Paige get the door Ah gotta get Jubilee," Sam said as he started running up the steps to Jubilee's room. When he got there he found the door open and Jubilee devouring a candy bar. "Jubilee," he whispered as loudly as possible, trying not to let Charlie hear the conversation from downstairs.

"Sam! I'm uh not ready yet."

"Yeah, well, Charlie's here and you need to go brush your teeth."

The look of a deer caught in the headlights came over Jubilee's face. "Sam, I'm dead."

"No you're not, now get in the bathroom, brush your teeth, and put on your lipstick right quick."

Jubilee got up and did just that. Meanwhile, Sam had left the room and went back downstairs to see Monet walking by the foyer where Charlie happened to be waiting for Jubilee. Sam could see the boy following Monet's every step. Sam felt anger rising up in him towards Charlie, but let it go when he heard Monet's next words.

The girl turned towards Charlie and coldly said, "Put your eyes somewhere else boy. You are not worth my time, nor Jubilee's." The boy's jaw dropped and before he could even think to reply a hand clamped around the back of his neck. "Listen to me Charlie," Sam said evenly, "you do anything that makes this night bad for Jubilee Ah'm gonna have to break your left hand. What Ah mean is keep your eyes on her eyes and nowhere else, ya understand?" Charlie nodded ever so briefly and didn't say a word. "Good." Jubilee came down the stairs just as Sam let up on the pressure he had placed on Charlie's neck.

"Hey Charlie," Jubilee said cheerfully as she came down the stairs. Sam hitched a breath at the sight of her. 'Face it,' he thought to himself, 'the girl's gorgeous.' "Come on let's go Charlie the earlier we're there the more time we can spend on the floor."

"Right, Jubilee," Charlie said with a smirk aimed at Sam and Monet. The anger he saw in Sam's eyes and the disdain in Monet's quickly dried up his smirk. "Bye guys," Jubilee gushed as she left and closed the door behind her. "Well done Mr. Guthrie," Monet said and then left for the kitchen. "Mr. Guthrie" continued to stare at the door for a few minutes and then followed Monet to the kitchen.

ok that's it for this chapter don't forget to review, thanks everybody!!!