The Decision
I don't know if I will ever forgive Scott. We've had long discussions, arguments really, and he's right. I know he is but I still do not know how I will forgive him any time soon.
Everything has gone according to plan and that just makes it worse, because he had the easy part. He left the hard part to me.
I blame Logan. Ultimately, it really is his fault, somehow it has to be. Scott should not have had to make this decision. Logan created a situation and as a good leader Scott is handling it. He is doing the right thing. I hope. We may never really know if its right, but at this time it feels like the best course of action.
My job is to assist Logan and Jubilee in seeing the rightness of basically the severance of their partnership. At least until holiday vacation. The Snow Valley shool isn't that far away, they can still see each other on the weekends. Again there is the holidays, three whole months in the summer, the occasional weekend or dinners...
They will get used to it. Its for the best. They both know it. The whole team knows it. No one is happy about it. That's why we had a meeting with everyone there.
Everyone except Jubilee. Because we could never have talked Logan into sending her away to school if she had been at that meeting. It IS for the best, but we could not have bourn the look in her eyes while stating all the reasons we could not keep her on the team.
Especially since most of them were lies. Its not that we don't want her on the team. When the idea to open the school under Emma Frost came up I did not for one moment think Jubilee should go. We did not make Kitty join the junior team, why should we make Jubilee? Scott told me why.
For her emotional well being. Of course.
I am her friend, but to a fourteen year old a friend can only do so much. She relies on Logan as a father but he does not really seem to treat her as a daughter. He treats her as he calls her. His partner.
This is not always a bad thing. She has a good sense of responsibility. She's very strong emotionally for a fourteen year old. Stronger than some of us are.
But I personally think the partner thing is going too far when he takes said partner with him to Hardcase Harry's Poolhall and Bar. Granted, they did it all across Asia, they were on the run and in danger and he had to watch out for her. Why he couldn't do that from whatever dive they were staying at, I'm sure I don't know and do not want to know whatever reason Logan would give. He just smirks when I suggest perhaps he should not have been drinking while his healing factor was not at full strength. After all he did quit smoking during that time...
Sigh> The point is, that was then and this is now and a fourteen year old girl should not be in that place. I am not sure a thirty year old woman should be either but that is not for me to say. Especially since it is one of the few bars we trust to not throwsomeone out because they are a mutant.
Actually I do not know any reason Harry would throw someone out except if his head waitress Jenny insisted it was necessary or they could not pay for damages.
Jenny has been wonderful. Since she started at Harry's we worry about our people alot less. Jenny keeps a list of phone numbers of who to call in case of problems for regulars. All regulars regardless of finance, race, religion, or politics, human or mutant. Equal opportunity patronage.
She started it before she knew of Logan's healing factor when she refused to allow him to take Jubilee home with him after he had been drinking. She's barely nineteen and must have been terrified. As I understand it, the whole bar went into shock. But she stood her ground and made him call someone to come get them, shaking the whole time.
Everyone was sure Harry would fire her. Instead she is now head-waitress and I understand he pays her twice what he did his previous head-waitresses. First, because it has been almost a year now and she is still there. He goes through waitresses at a frightful rate. Second, she has a way about her that just seems to keep things calmer and there are fewer fights. Still fights, but fewer of them. Third is just a rumor, but everyone thinks its that Harry likes her, and she does have good ideas for the bar, like the list of phone numbers and better music in the jukebox.
None of this would really matter except that I am waiting for her to call. The arrangement we have is that when Jubilee goes to Harry's, when she is ready to leave - or Jenny feels it is best she leave - Jenny will calland someonewill come get her or she will put her in a cab. This allows the older more experienced - euphanism for jaded - members of the team to stay. Notice the plural. Bishop and Remy do not understand our objections either. Bishop just stares at us. Remy points out that he brought me to bars when I was a child. When I remind him that I was an adult in a child's body, he simply looks at me.
And THAT is why she must go to the school and the younger team. SHE should not be an adult in a child's body. SHE should be a child. If she stays with the adult teams she will never really have the oportunity to be the child she should be. Perhaps with others her own age it will be different.
Not to mention in Snow Valley we will not have to see the despair in her eyes when Logan leaves. She handles it better each time but everyone still notices. I didn't realize how much Scott saw it. But he is a good leader and as a good leader looks out for all aspects of his team's health.
It was his idea for the meeting. Like I said he is a good leader. It was easy for him to manipulate the team in such a manner that every one of them agreed that it was best for her. Well, all but Logan. But Cyclops was ready for that. Once everyone else was convinced they took over convincing the Wolverine, so it did not look like Team Leader Cyclops making the decision to send the annoying teenage team member away. That is what actually happened but it wasn't how it looked, nor was it the reason.
I find it especially sad since I know he truly enjoys Jubilee beinghere. I believe the look in her eyes when Logan leaves hurts him as much as it does me.
We both knew she listened in. We both saw the look in her eyes and felt the pain. The betrayed, haunted look in her eyes, before she agreed we were right and she should go.
Now my part is supposed to come into play.
The bastard. How am I supposed to convince her we all love her and only want what's best for her after she witnessed that meeting where every accident, incident, act of immaturity, attitude, temper, and outburst, past, present and possibly future were all laid out, reported, defended, criticized, and dissected. The team members reaction to the afore mentioned went through the same process. It was not pretty.
To Jean's credit her incident with Jubilee was not brought up. It was her own fault and she knows it. No one but her and Jubilee know the details but we all understand it was ... bad. Neither will discuss it. I personally think its better that way. It would only make the situation worse.
And 'I' am supposed to make it all better? How the HELL am I supposed to do that?
Goddess, I hope Jenny calls soon.
end part 1
note
Okay still no Jean incident details, maybe Jubes will talk about it during her part. She will have a part. Maybe. I'm not totally sure yet. It didn't go the way I thought it would. It's also going faster than I thought. I actually have part 2 written but I won't post it until part 3 is done. Hopefully it will come just as well. Not sure if it will need a part 4 yet.
Its both harder and easier than I thought. Does anyone else feel that way, or is it just me?
Let me know what you think of it. Any suggestions?
Thanks, Dizi