disclaimer: All recognizable characters are owned by Marvel and I expect to make no money off them. Damn it.

No Place Like Home
by Dizi

Chapter 9: Rabbit Hunt

Looking around the lab, Hank kept thinking something was wrong. He wasn't sure what it was but there was definitely something off about the room. Having been deeply involved with his current project, he hadn't been paying attention to anything for some time and only vaguely remembered Jessie bringing in her rabbit, Hershell, to put him in his cage before going shopping for baby supplies.

So, what was wrong? Nothing was on fire, no alarms were sounding, everything seemed quiet, but something was wrong. Even Hershell was calm in his cage since Hank had given him a treat earlier.

Hershell! The cage was open and the rabbit wasn't in it! Jessie would never forgive him if something happened to her bunny, and he didn't want to think what Vic would do to him if Jessie became... upset. He had to find that rabbit!

Frantically, he searched the lab for ten minutes and found no sign of Jessie's bunny.

He was going to have to get help.

The women were scouring the mall for all things relating to a baby. They had never had a baby in the mansion before and wanted to make sure everything was just right. Jean and Jubilee were having baby thoughts of their own and were especially interested in what was available. There may be more babies in the X-men's future. They all found the multitude of items fascinating and took great fun in the search.

Everything had to be blue, of course, as the baby was a boy. Jessie already had a name picked out, Victor William. The future Victor Sr. insisted he didn't care if it was a boy or girl, but he strutted around the mansion just the same.

He had wanted to come, but the idea was quickly vetoed by both Scott and Charles. They could trust him at the mansion while Jessie was there but had no confidence in his personality change while in public, Jessie or no Jessie. The various women found that a shame as they looked around and imagined him handling the tiny clothing in his big hands.

There were tiny clothes of all kinds, not to mention itty bitty shoes, and monitors, strollers, high-chairs, cribs, bassinets, changing tables, and much much more. They marveled and exclaimed over everything, picking themes and discarding them, choosing one item and then finding something better.

Jessie was having the time of her life.

They didn't notice the interest of the small group which followed them from store to store.

"Psst! Bobby!" Hank called in a loud whisper. His good buddy and usual partner in crime either ignored him or didn't hear and he tried again a little louder. "Psst! Bobby!"

Finally, Bobby looked up from the TV in the rec-room. "What's up, Hank?"

"Sshhhh! Vic's around here and I don't want him to know." Hank swallowed convulsively. "I lost Hershell." he said in a low whisper.

"Ya did what!" Logan said from the doorway, Remy beside him.

"Ssshhh!" Hank quickly looked around for Victor. The feral man would not be sanguine at the prospect of Jessie getting upset at the loss of her rabbit. "I can't find Hershell."

"Ya gotta! She'll think I ate him!" Logan remembered the look on Jessie's face when she'd first brought the rabbit into the mansion and he had made a comment about it being good eating once it got a little bigger. She had gotten so that when he walked in a room she had run the other way with the bunny in her arms cradling it protectively.

Remy's eyes had gotten wide. He had made comments about making Cajun rabbit stew and suffered the wrath of Victor in the Danger Room because of it. He hadn't gotten seriously hurt but had quickly learned not to make jokes that would upset Jessie. Now, he just happened to have a pot of stew on the stove and the rabbit was missing. "Mon ami, dat bunny got to be found!"

The men quickly spread out to search for the missing pet.

Bobby could not resist saying as he tiptoed down the hall "Be vewy vewy quiet! We're hunting wabbits! Huh-huh-huh!" and was chorused with "Sssshhhhh!" from all directions.

It was while Rogue, Jean, and Ororo were bringing the baby purchases to the waiting vehicles that Jubilee found it odd that four men, who were obviously together, were looking through the clothes. How often did you see men looking at maternity wear?

She was helping Jessie get a few more necessary items - properly fitting bras and several more loose dresses - as Jessie was unable to make her own clothes at this point. Jessie had given in since she felt so awkward trying to use her sewing machine. Besides, she spent all her time with Victor letting him rub her back or knitting clothes for Billy, as Jessie called the baby.

Seeing the men watching Jessie, Jubilee sent a mental S.O.S. to Jean and kept an eye on them while Jessie picked through the racks of clothes.

She hoped the others got back before they made their move.

Victor exited the gym feeling pretty good. He'd had a light work out, lunch smelled great, and his woman was happy and out of the house. He loved Jessie and probably didn't tell her that enough, but it was good to get some alone time every once in a while.

Though he had snuck out with Logan to go to Harry's a few times. That Jenny was a real pip. He'd thought so when he met her years ago, but it was different now that she knew about Jessie and the baby. She kept giving him baby advice. He even listened to some of it.

He stopped to watch the Cajun look under a table in the hallway. The man was looking for something and smelled nervous. Something was up.

"Whatcha doin'?" he asked casually. This might be fun.

Remy jumped, bumped his head, and yelped. His eyes were wide as he looked at the big man looming over him. He sprang to his feet and sprinted down the hall, calling behind him "Remy didn't do it!"

Logan was on the trail and knew it. He had found some rabbit pellets on the stairs and a few brown hairs that were Hershell's. The rabbit had to have gone this way.

Unfortunately, Jessie let Hershell roam in this area and he couldn't tell where her pet was at the moment. But he was getting close.

Hearing Remy's yell as he ran past him, Logan cursed. Vic was going to find out. Oh well, maybe he'd help find the rabbit before Jessie got home.

After Jean sent back a mental reassurance they were on their way, Jubilee sent Jessie to try on the clothes she'd found.

The men must have been waiting for just that because they started moving in. Jubilee let her hands start to glow as she took a stance in the doorway to the dressing rooms.

Jessie heard the small explosions as she pulled a light blue cotton dress over her head. Frowning, she called out "Is something wrong?"

Jean answered as she put a telekinetic shield up around the dressing booth. "Don't worry, Jessie, everything's under control."

Shrugging, Jessie decided Victor would like this one. As she tried on the next, there was a crash. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"

This time Rogue reassured her. "Not a thang, sugah."

His body wedged under the bed in Bobby's room, Victor growled, "How could you people have lost the rabbit? I know Jessie put it in the cage."

From the other side, Logan growled back. "Who cares? We gotta get it." He was stretching toward the terrified bunny but couldn't quite reach it.

Shrinking in terror from the dangerous predators, Hershell shrank further out of reach. Seeing an opening, he skampered out from under the bed and down the hall to the next bedroom to hide again.

Both men cursed as their prey got away and started to wiggle out from under the bed.

Following the rabbit to Rogue's room, Victor cursed again. "Doesn't anyone in this place close their door?"

"Shut up an' start searchin' fer the damn thing." was the growled reply.

The ladies got vague when Jessie saw the department store and hurried her to the car after she paid for the clothes. Ororo stayed behind to pay for the damages.

Unaware of the danger she'd been in, Jessie chatted all the way home about the purchases for the nursery. She couldn't wait to show Victor.

Jubilee couldn't wait to see Victor either. He wasn't going to be happy about what they'd found out. She and Logan might have to sneak him out to deal with some old business.

It had better be old business anyway, or Scott and Charles would have a fit.

Hershell had gone from room to room, hiding wherever he could, shaking in fear, and suddenly running away every time they got close.

Since Victor had joined the search Remy, Bobby, and Hank had been nowhere to be found and he was ready to go hunting for them instead of the rabbit. If they had helped instead of running off it might be back in the cage by now.

He'd never threatened to eat the thing, though temptation was always there. He'd thought since he smelled like Jessie Hershell would be more willing to let Victor catch him. It might have helped if he was able to stop growling in frustration.

As the rabbit once again got away and ran into Logan and Jubilee's room, he shut the door. It was the runt's room so the runt could get the rabbit. He was going to get a beer while he could before Jessie came home.

"All yours." he said as he walked by Logan. Victor smiled as the other man let out a string of curses.

Logan chased Hershell from the dresser to the closet to the bed and round again. He was so busy he didn't hear the car pull up out front.

As the bedroom door opened, he was again under the bed. There was a metal clang when his head hit the bedframe as he yelled "Don't let it out!"

Calmly, Jubilee picked up Hershell as he attempted to run past her through the open door. Logan came out from under the bed and looked at her like she was his savior.

Firmly keeping hold of Jessie's pet, she knelt down by her man and lovingly brushed the dust from his hair before smacking him on the head. "Quit scaring the bunny and get Vic. We need to have a talk."

Rubbing his head and wishing to have roast rabbit for dinner, he grunted and did as she said.

to be continued.

note:
Beany - In Hank's defense... well, I don't have a defense I just thought it fun that way. If I have a chance to add in the fun, I do. Anywhere I possibly can in the oddest way possible. But of course you know that.
Elizabeth Robbins - You're probably right, but she DID grow up around animals and many people will say a person can develop a sense about their animals. Her parents may not have thought it any more than that. Doesn't matter as I have it on good authority that she really doesn't care as long as Victor loves her, and he swears he does so...
Jinxeh - I haven't read it but it sounds interesting. I think of Jessie's powers as being sorta... hmm, well, empathy can work both ways, right? So, I figure she picks on up them and they pick up on her so its not one sided at all. If you think about it, she didn't just make Vic do what SHE wanted. By feeling him, she did what HE wanted as well. Why didn't her personality change? Because she was what he wanted. Cool, huh?
Irbis - I just know you guy's LOVED this one since eveyone likes the Sabes/Wolvie thing. I'm thinking their "friendship" will be like Jessie and Vic's relationship. Her powers got it started and it just went from there.
SabeyBaby - She probably wouldn't have listened to anyone else. I had trouble with that, seemed a little too insightful for Sabes and a little out of character but then so is their whole relationship. So I ran with it.
Rogue14 - Well, he could be lying, but I personally don't see him going thru all this if he didn't. I mean, he voluntarily stayed in a holding cell and regularly lets Logan laugh at him. That's love.
GothikStrawberry - Hey, don't strain yourself. Just accept it as the strange relationship it is. I wrote it and I don't completely understand. Go figure.
draelynn - That would be funny, but I think we could safely say by the end of this chapter that Sabes could return the favor. "Property of Jubilation Lee" has a nice ring to it. Might smack a little too close to S&M for Jessie though. Unless of course that's what Victor wanted. Hmmm...

Next chapter! Bad things have happened and cause Victor to start thinking... Scary thought.

All done moving so will have the next ch up in 3-4days. I try to give you enough time to review (hint hint hint and thank you very much) and just start to wonder before I put up the next chapter. Don't take it wrong, but I get a real kick out of knowing you're out there waiting for the next chapter.

Thanks for reading and the support,
Dizi